Self-Care v. Selfish

Self-care is vitally important to maintain healthy mental and physical functioning.  We see the term all the time, it's highly visible in pop culture.  That's a good thing until it isn't.

Do not use self-care as a license to be self-ish.  Self-care never causes harm to others.  Never.  Being selfish can.

Off my soap box now.

Take away:  It's important to be mindful of how we practice self-care.

Stages of Change (The Transtheoretical Model)

In the field of human behavior, there is a therapeutic model called The Transtheoretical Model, or the stages of change behavioral model.  It focuses on addiction (and applies to other behaviors as well), and lists the stages we the people go through.  Search Prochaska & DiClemente for some good reading on the subject.

Stages:

Precontemplation (Not Ready)
Contemplation (Getting Ready)
Preparation (Ready)
Action
Maintenance
Termination

Okay, so contemplation is that someone has made the decision to do something; preparation is that they're going to start within 30 days.  I'm on the cusp of those two.  I'm trying to get my thinking in order and working on my personal ethos. 

This model also accounts for relapse.

Speaking of relapse...

So here it is:  I lost, kept it off, then had an injury to both feet, and I've lived with chronic pain since.  I then developed an attitude problem, lost my fitness loves--you do what you love, you know, and bad feet prevent you from running (well, wogging) those 5Ks, and hitting 40,000 steps a day.  So it took me a few years, plus commuting to school (I just got my bachelor's degree in 2016 and I'm now in grad school), and wham, bam, I looked in the closet and the clothes wouldn't fit, and I looked in the mirror and thought I had gone back in time.  Because I had.  I went back to what I had been several years ago.

That was a hard pill to swallow.

• I became a statistic.  
• I gained it back.  
• However, to stoke my pride, I will say I did not gain it ALL back, and it took several years to get to where I am today.  
• So I'm not the typical statistic, but I'm still a statistic.

And that "statistic" is irrelevant, I'm no better or worse than any other human being out there.  I screwed up and I'm here to repent.  No, I'm here to reclaim my health.  Pop that arrogant bubble of, "I beat the fat" because it worked until I didn't.

Bruised pride.

Bruised health.

So I'm in the process of formulating my plan.  And for me, the simpler that plan is, the better.

My motto:

Eat less, move more.

Just need to put it into action.

I will get there.

Obesity

I think that obesity is not about fat, it's about the manifestation of inner conflict on the outward body.

Dreams DO Come True!

Last weekend, I realized a lifelong dream: I earned my bachelor's degree and graduated magna cum laude.  I waited over 30 years for this, and I am so proud of what I have achieved.

The sad thing, though, is that through the stress and strain of school, commuting, internship, etc., I gained back more weight.  

I am not myself right now.  I feel swollen and puffy, because I am.

I could sit and complain about it, or I could do something.

I choose action.

I will be in limbo for two and a half months.  So instead of fretting about that, I shall use that time wisely.

Time to CRUSH IT again! 

Today

Today:

1/2 hour cardio (walking)
stretching of the feet after

1684 calories.

I went to bed, couldn't sleep, was hungry so got up and had a snack. That's okay, because I was mindful of what I ate.  Plus, sometimes food makes me sleepy. If I eat mindfully, it will work.  I ignored the bagels and cream cheese that my son has in the fridge--that was due to mindfulness.

It was a good day, I got a lot done that needed done.  I started out with the half hour walk, which really raised my mood.  Exercise is the best thing to elevate mood!  The problem is you don't feel well so you don't want to exercise.  If one can just break that barrier, problem solved.  Today, I did.

According to my Fitbit, I did not get a high enough calorie burn.  That's okay.  My plan of action is to go slowly and build up, so that I do not injure my feet. I know my sweet spot, and I should be there in about two weeks' time.  Once I add kettlebells in (later this week), the burn will be higher.

Good things take time.

I am very willing to invest the time in myself.  I'm worth it.

Ready, Set, Go!

We think we have to have all our ducks in a row in order to start a weight-loss program. That's simply not true.  I am guilty of this as well; reality is quite different.

Mindfulness.  Being mindful of what you eat, of how you move your body, and of your health is imperative.  Mindfulness requires no preparation, no plan, no group support, no books, no apps on the phone--just our own mind.

Mindfulness is how you start.

There is no perfect plan.  There are a million and one diets out there, and none are perfect. Each person must find what works for them.  Here's a key factor, though:  It must be sustainable.

I have never been a proponent of giving up whole groups of foods for me.  Your mileage may vary.  This video by Dr. Layne Norton explains why sustainability is key for long-term weight loss.

I am one of many who have lost weight and re-gained. I know why I slipped and went back to unhealthy eating:

1. Injury to my feet.  

This prevented me from doing the fitness I loved.  I live in chronic pain now, and must adapt my mindset. 

2. Surrounding myself with people who were not health-minded. 

They were food pushers, balked at my fitness routine, and kept telling me, "You deserve a treat."   Yeah, I was fragile and fell for it.  What I truly deserve is a healthy body, with less fat and more mobility.  Gotta earn that.

3. Busy-ness. 

I have been a full-time student for three years, and will graduate with my bachelor's degree this December.  I'm undecided about graduate school as of yet, but to have my dream job it's a necessity.  My desire to be in the working world is huge right now, and I'm weighing the pros and cons of that.  

With that busy-ness also came commuting and homework.  I earned a 3.97 GPA at my school, and it took a lot of time and effort on my part.  I entered my school with a cumulative GPA of 3.48 and raised it to a 3.71.  I will graduate with honors, magna cum laude.  I'm very pleased with myself over that.  I did not learn to balance, though.  I expanded my mind as well as my body during this period.  A holistic approach to life would have been a better choice.  It's water under the bridge now, so instead of fretting about it, I will focus on the positives.

4. I did not focus on my positives.  I did not assess my strengths during my tenure as a student.  I focused solely on school.  This taught me two things:  

          1) My ability to focus and accomplish tasks is amazing. 

          2) I am not good at multi-tasking. (No one is, there are studies on that.)

          3) I let myself get down, and I adapted an, "I'm overweight anyway, this Snickers bar won't hurt me any worse" attitude.

5. I did not stay mindful.  If I had remained mindful of what I was eating and how I was moving my body, I would have had better self-direction.  Mindfulness is key.  Mindfulness IS the key to starting right now, right this moment.

Now. 

Right now, right this very moment is the time to start.  Nothing has to be perfect, you just have to be mindful.  This is the impetus to get you going.

Who Inspires You?

I saw this on social media today.  This is very true.  Who we befriend, hang with, and surround ourselves with affects us greatly. 

I did my best when I surrounded myself with like-minded people who were into improving themselves, fitness and weight loss.  I flailed when I started hanging around people who had zero interest in their health, eating healthfully, and moving their bodies.

Time for a change.

This is not an arrogant statement, and it does not mean to throw the baby out with the bath water. You don't throw away your friends.  Rather, you focus more of your attention on those who you want to emulate; those people that inspire you to go above and beyond what you thought you could.  Don't settle for anything less, your life is worth giving your all.

Food for thought.