Interested in weight loss vs. Committed
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| Sat, 09-27-2008 - 9:32am |
This is an excerpt from a motivational weight loss author. I found to be very inspirational and could be a "light bulb moment" to many people! It's inspiring to me, and I wanted to share it! :)
The Weight Loss Minute by Linda Spangle, RN, MA
Author of 100 Days of Weight Loss
"What is wrong with me?" Carol slammed her hand down on the
table. "I'm so frustrated with myself! Every morning, I tell
myself that today will be different. I'm going to stay on my
diet the way I should, and NOT fall off by the middle of the
afternoon."
"Have you been having trouble with this?" I asked. "You wouldn't
believe it," she sighed. "I've done everything you've said. I
plan out my meals, set out my exercise clothes, buy healthy
foods, and write down what I eat.
"But every afternoon, it's like this monster comes over me and I
lose my determination." Tears began sliding down her cheeks as
she continued, "It feels too hard! I've had a lot of challenges
and disappointment lately, and I always end up reaching for a
glass of wine or a few cookies to help me cope. Then I get upset
because I've messed up my diet again."
I handed her a box of tissues, then responded, "Carol, there's
nothing wrong with you at all. What you're doing is extremely
common and normal. I think the real issue is how you're coping
with your life struggles."
Then I asked, "How badly do you want to lose weight? How
important is it to you?" Carol wiped her eyes, then responded.
"I want it VERY badly. I can't stand how I look and feel right
now. I would give ANYTHING to be able to lose weight."
"Anything?' I asked. 'Does that mean you're willing to give up
having wine or cookies when you get upset or feel challenged?"
Carol thought for a minute. "Are you saying I can't ever have a
glass of wine after a bad day??
"Not necessarily," I replied. "Being successful isn't about
setting rigid rules or feeling deprived. It's about making
choices based on what you truly want in your life."
It sounds great to say 'I really want to lose weight' but making
this happen takes effort. If you tend to routinely fall off your
diet plan, you may want to look at the difference between being
interested and being committed.
When you're 'interested' in losing weight, you say all the right
words, but it doesn't take much to get you off track. A hard
day, another disappointment, and you're back to food being your
best friend.
In contrast, when you're 'committed' to your weight-loss plan, you
stick with it no matter what. You don't blame circumstances or
other people for your slip ups. On days when you get worn down
or don't "feel" like dieting, you stay on the plan anyway.
Here's a summary of the two directions.
If you're "interested" in losing weight...
* You stick with it only until something better comes along
(such as doughnuts)
* How you feel determines your outcome. If you don't 'feel like
it,' you stop your efforts.
* You need to see results. When the scale doesn't move, you lose
your motivation.
* You blame everything else (people, travel, circumstances) for
your struggles with staying on your diet.
* Whenever you face challenges in life, you give up and plan
you'll start your diet again tomorrow.
If you're "committed" to losing weight...
* Nothing stops your efforts. You stick with your diet, "no
matter what."
* Emotions don't control your actions. You stay on track even
when you don't feel like it.
* Your motivation isn't linked to the scale. You assume that if
you stay motivated and work hard, you'll eventually see results.
* You don't depend on other people for your success. You know
it's up to you, not them.
* A bad day or a lot of challenges don't affect your efforts.
You keep going in spite of it.
At this point, Carol nodded. "I thought I was really determined
to lose weight, she said. "But I've been acting like I was only
interested in it. Starting today, I'm going to change my
approach and live in ways that show I'm truly committed to my
goals."


"* You blame everything else (people, travel, circumstances) for
your struggles with staying on your diet."
This is the one I see most often, both here and in my real life friends. There is always something to blame - they never put the responsibility on their choices. Everyone I know in real life has an "I can't lose weight because...." reason they give (fill in the blank with - because my kids do sports and we are too busy, because my husband is hispanic and I have to cook the food he grew up with, because I work long hours, because my kids/husband won't eat healthy, because I can't afford it, etc.) Or I hear, "I was doing good until...."(I went back to work, my kid got ill, someone died, I moved, I lost my job, went on vacation, etc.)
But everyone has these kind of "excuses". Succeeding is about doing it DESPITE those things. I have kids who had to change too, we were VERY poor in CA, I had ethnic roots that made it tough to give up certain foods, my dh works very long hours (5am-7pm everyday, sometimes longer), I go to school full time, we stayed on this during: a move a cross the country, dh losing his job, my mother dying last summer, going to Vegas and Jamaica this summer, etc. And I have never been "off" South Beach for more than a treat meal here and there.
So people CAN do it. Some people DO do it despite life. Its just about whether someone choses to be the person who quit for every little excuse or the person who does it in spite of the challenges.
belizesig1
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You know, I've been thinking for a quite a while now, that in my own experience, it is a blessing that I have had quite a bit of weight to lose. You may ask why that is??? Well, it's because I have been given quite a long period of time for this way of eating to become a regular pattern for me. I no longer even think about cooking meals that do not fit into this way of eating. This is my normal now.
I do slip now and then and eat something that is not on plan, but I usually plan for those situations. And I don't beat myself up about them because it's all a part of life. After that special occasion is over, I just hop back into my regular routine.
I can only imagine how much tougher it would have been if I only had say about 20 pounds to lose in the beginning. I truly don't think that would have given me the time I needed for this way of eating to really sink in.
Pardon my rambling out loud. I'm not sure that this has a lot to do with the article you posted. But it's something that as been on my mind lately and I thought I should share it particularly for the ones that might read the board that do have a good bit of weight to lose. They say it just takes time to get into a routine with anything. Eating a certain way is definitely one of those things. It may be difficult in the beginning, but believe me, it does get easier, and the rewards of being committed are definitely worth any sacrifices you make.
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