formerly 282.5 Get Tough.
It needed a new name, I needed a new name--something far more positive, a positive driving energy/force to propel me forward.
That and I just like it better.
3.07.2018
Personal Ethos
Ethos
noun
1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period:
In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.
(dictionary.com)
Thesaurus.com has a great list for synonyms of the word mindset.
I firmly believe that overweight and obesity are products of our personal ethos, our mindset, or our way of thinking. Alcoholics Anonymous uses the phrase, "stinking thinking" (leads to drinking) to encapsulate the concept of negative thinking. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an intervention that centers on managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Thoughts lead to emotions which lead to behaviors. So our personal ethos is truly important and the impetus that drives us.
So what negative thoughts do we have to discover that we have that lead us to overweight and obesity? How do we rank ourselves when it comes to:
It's a tough pill to swallow to embrace that maybe these three "selves" aren't as high as they could be, and maybe our lack of the "selves" leads us to eating poorly, lack of exercise, and overweight and obesity.
As an undergrad student, I took a nutrition class as my science elective. In that class, I learned you can be healthy when you're overweight. Does that body mass index (BMI) ratio classification of height to weight really mean anything? I personally use it as a marker. I don't like labels as a rule, but in this case the label of the BMI chart hits me hard. I'm in Class II obesity right now. I'm morbidly obese. Labels are ugly, and they can stigmatize, but if we choose to use them positively, they can be strong motivators.
Classifications can be motivators, but so can mirrors. When we look into the mirror do we see disgust, shame, due to fat or imperfections? Or can we look in that mirror and smile and like who we see, but acknowledge that maybe we need to drop a few pounds. Or 100. Can we still see the value and worth we each have, even if we have excess adipose? I certainly hope so.
It all comes back to our personal ethos. What makes us tick? After careful consideration, I have decided to work on my personal ethos, because I believe it is the heart of my obesity.
I have printed out a card and put it in my planner to read each day. It's just a list, but I want this list committed to memory so that I know it, breathe it, and live it.
1. I have value right now in the moment just as I am.
2. I am worthy.
3. I am good enough.
4. I respect myself enough to make healthful choices.
5. I am confident in who I am; am willing to be open minded and change parts I don't like, and celebrate the parts I do like.
6. I love myself.
Oh, how awkward it is to say, "I love myself." If it's hard, find a photo of yourself when you were a small child, step out of your shoes and look at that child as a separate person. Would we dare demean and criticize a small, defenseless child? No! We would build the child up, show the child kindness, smile, appreciate, and love. That's what self-love is, building ourselves up, showing ourselves kindness, smiling, appreciating, and loving.
Personal ethos. It starts on how we treat ourselves. And we want to treat ourselves as well as we would a stranger on the street or someone we were trying to impress. The more we love ourselves, the more equipped we are to love others.
noun
1. Sociology. the fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society; dominant assumptions of a people or period:
In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued.
2. the character or disposition of a community, group, person, etc.
3. the moral element in dramatic literature that determines a character's action rather than his or her thought or emotion.
(dictionary.com)
Thesaurus.com has a great list for synonyms of the word mindset.
- noun psychology
- attitude
- ethos
- mentality
- psyche
- behaviorism
- medicine
- mind
- therapy mental
- make-up
- mental processes
- personality study psych
- science of the mind
- way of thinking
- what makes someone tick
- where head is at
I firmly believe that overweight and obesity are products of our personal ethos, our mindset, or our way of thinking. Alcoholics Anonymous uses the phrase, "stinking thinking" (leads to drinking) to encapsulate the concept of negative thinking. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is an intervention that centers on managing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Thoughts lead to emotions which lead to behaviors. So our personal ethos is truly important and the impetus that drives us.
So what negative thoughts do we have to discover that we have that lead us to overweight and obesity? How do we rank ourselves when it comes to:
self-respect
self-esteem
self-worth
It's a tough pill to swallow to embrace that maybe these three "selves" aren't as high as they could be, and maybe our lack of the "selves" leads us to eating poorly, lack of exercise, and overweight and obesity.
As an undergrad student, I took a nutrition class as my science elective. In that class, I learned you can be healthy when you're overweight. Does that body mass index (BMI) ratio classification of height to weight really mean anything? I personally use it as a marker. I don't like labels as a rule, but in this case the label of the BMI chart hits me hard. I'm in Class II obesity right now. I'm morbidly obese. Labels are ugly, and they can stigmatize, but if we choose to use them positively, they can be strong motivators.
Classifications can be motivators, but so can mirrors. When we look into the mirror do we see disgust, shame, due to fat or imperfections? Or can we look in that mirror and smile and like who we see, but acknowledge that maybe we need to drop a few pounds. Or 100. Can we still see the value and worth we each have, even if we have excess adipose? I certainly hope so.
It all comes back to our personal ethos. What makes us tick? After careful consideration, I have decided to work on my personal ethos, because I believe it is the heart of my obesity.
I have printed out a card and put it in my planner to read each day. It's just a list, but I want this list committed to memory so that I know it, breathe it, and live it.
1. I have value right now in the moment just as I am.
2. I am worthy.
3. I am good enough.
4. I respect myself enough to make healthful choices.
5. I am confident in who I am; am willing to be open minded and change parts I don't like, and celebrate the parts I do like.
6. I love myself.
Oh, how awkward it is to say, "I love myself." If it's hard, find a photo of yourself when you were a small child, step out of your shoes and look at that child as a separate person. Would we dare demean and criticize a small, defenseless child? No! We would build the child up, show the child kindness, smile, appreciate, and love. That's what self-love is, building ourselves up, showing ourselves kindness, smiling, appreciating, and loving.
Personal ethos. It starts on how we treat ourselves. And we want to treat ourselves as well as we would a stranger on the street or someone we were trying to impress. The more we love ourselves, the more equipped we are to love others.
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.
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.
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.
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.
12.17.2016
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!
5.17.2016
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.
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.
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