I’m still here. Not making the best choices, but being conscious and mindful.
Trying to come to terms with how much time and effort I really need to put into this. Struggling with spending so much time focused on my weight/body/food choices when there are people in the world who have their children crying for food and they don’t even know where they’ll be able to get them food, let alone how they’ll pay for it.
Yet, I need to get my health in check and to a more normalized weight so that there’s less stress on my body – my joints, my feet, my organs, my hormones, my emotions…but then I go back to feeling completely self-absorbed to spend so much time obsessed with this.
If you’re out there Readers, what do you do for yourself to create a balance between obsession and making health and the assumption of taking care of yourself a part of everyday life? I could use some input!
p.s. I’m still working on a list of 101 Reasons I’m Happy Just the Way I Am Today – care to join me?
9 Responses to “I’m Still Here and I Could Use Some Input”
Hmmmm would it help to just make some daily and weekly goals at this point? Do you maybe have some friends (or some online friends) who you can check-in with about this? Doesn’t is stink though– you obsess when you aren’t doing enough and you obsess when you’re doing too much. I HATE WASTING TIME ON BODY IMAGE! Getting healthy IS important though. Don’t just think about and obsess about the stuff, actually DO the things. You’ll feel better about reaching some of your goals. (this is all a motivational speech to myself too, by the way!)
The thing that is working for me right now is to change one thing at a time. The first thing I changed was adding more vegetables. The next one I’m going to work on is adding more water. Of course, I’m still being mindful… and refraining from grabbing cookies from the cabinet when everyone else is. It doesn’t always work, but I feel like I’m doing something without stressing about it. Hope that helps.
This is a tough one. I struggle with that fine line that is being mindful and obsessing. For me personally, I only allow myself to weigh-in/measure once a month (which I *know* is beyond difficult for a lot of people): seeing those fluctuations every. single. day. messes with my head. As well, I don’t – and won’t – count calories; I have a tendency to get obsessive where numbers in general are concerned, and if I focus on them *too* much, I’ll drive myself up the wall.
Basically, I make the best choices food-wise that I can, be aware of whether or not I’m really hungry before I eat mindlessly, and make an effort to be active as much as possible. It makes the weight come off really slowly, but it’s maintainable – nothing crazy, over the top, or hard to keep up for the rest of my life.
*hugs*
I can’t help on the list as I’m having a bad day and not so much in the “positive spin” mood.
I have been making some progress in changing habits, though. The biggest is that instead of waking up and checking out message boards while waking up (takes a good 30 minutes for me to hold conversations), I’ve been waking up and working out. I don’t get up earlier. Still 5:15 (eeek!) I just drag my tired grumpy self onto the elliptical or do a 30 day shred video or some yoga. I hate it, but I’m not awake enough to consciously hate it, if that makes sense
That has helped with some wiser food choices. We already eat pretty well in terms of what we eat for meals, but the “mouth” hunger (as opposed to “stomach” hunger–if that makes sense) gets me. I’m bored, so I snack. I’m anxious, so I snack. I NEED CHOCOLATE OR I’M GOING TO KILL SOMEONE, so I eat some.
Now every time I eat something, I think about how many minutes of workout torture I’d have to endure to burn it off and it’s not worth it most of the time.
The biggest loser at work has helped too. Offices compare notes, and I have to weigh in with the school nurse. She’s nice but can do that “so proud/disappointed” thing well.
It’s only an obsession at first. But then it stabilizes and becomes something you don’t even have to think about.
I know that’s not the greatest answer, but…..it’s the truth.
Tara´s last blog ..Ridiculous Thoughts
I came to a realization that I needed to start moving first. I started with training for a 5K. I don’t recommend that for everyone, but I do recommend to set one specific attainable goal to work on. If that means getting rid of the sodas, then that is your first task to tackle. Then add things to tackle. Losing weight is a monumental task. We need to constantly keep ourselves motivated or we lose sight of the real goal–healthy living.
I am not obsessed because I am focused on the goal. I have bad days, and I’ve had bad weeks, but I mostly get myself back at it so I don’t completely fail and quit.
Right now weight loss is an obsession, just like eating has always been an obsession for me. One day I hope to put things into perspective but for now I must remain focused. Maybe you should call it focused instead of obsessed and you’ll feel better about it.
I think these are all great suggestions. You have a major goal and to be successful you have to break it down into manageable chunks. Maybe make a focus for every week? This week is eating 2 more servings of veggies every day; next week is 30 minutes of workout each day; following week is appreciation for the steps you’ve taken (really!), etc. map it out, so you know what the weeks ahead will bring, and if one focus doesn’t feel right when you get to that week, you could switch focus with another week if you have written out. It also gives you a good thing to look back on and see what you’ve accomplished.
It can become an obsession if you let it. But you can’t feel bad about spending time focused on you. That’s part of the problem and why most of us are so unhealthy – we completely ignore ourselves and our bodies until they are completely screwed up. So take the time you need – I can’t tell you how much – and don’t feel bad about it. You do need a healthier body. It’s important. You will be better for you and for your family. So think of it as something you are doing for yourself and for them.
Merry Mary ´s last blog ..Just Another Day At The Beach