Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Good choices

It's time for a little re-commitment. I'm down four pounds since Christmas, but I'm not on track for the goal I have set. For a while I had lost six pounds, but I went up a bit. I have to be more careful. Losing those four pounds has made a difference in the way clothes fit and it feels good.

I keep thinking about something I learned that helps me understand myself a bit more. At work a while ago we were talking about some interesting results of a study. People were asked to memorize a series of numbers. Some were asked to memorize four numbers, and others were asked to memorize seven numbers. Then they were supposed to repeat the numbers to someone else. That was all very simple and doable, but the real test happened next. Each person was asked if they would like some food. They were given the choice of a fruit salad or chocolate cake. The people who had memorized the longer number were much more likely to select the chocolate cake.

What does this mean? It means that when our minds are overloaded we make poor choices. I've heard before that phone numbers are divided into three and four numbers because it is much easier to remember that way. Seven is too much to remember, but we can do three and four better. So when people memorized the seven digit number it was doable, but not easy.

And when our minds are overloaded, we make bad choices. Don't we often feel so busy and overwhelmed that we take the easy way out and just say, "whatever"? We don't want to have to think about more. It is certainly more fun to take the chocolate cake, but it is not the best choice.

So I need to slow down and make careful choices. It is not completely realistic to be able to slow down a lot, but it helps to realize my subconscious thought process and know what to watch for.
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  1. RebeccaFebruary 16, 2010 at 12:07 PM

    Great job Cindy. I need help. I'm up more and more. I'm recommitting today, but haven't done really well so far.

    ReplyDelete

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Weight Watchers - The ABCs of Weight Loss

I read this in the Weight Watcher magazine July/August 2008, and thought there were some great suggestions here. These were all contributed by successful WW members)...

A - Ask questions (when dining out, don't be afraid to ask your server how a dish is prepared - and request it without sauce or oil).

B - Budget for snacks - you don't have to give up all of your favorite treats, just plan ahead.

C - Cancel the pity party - when you're down about your weight, remind yourself that everyone struggles.

D - Distract yourself - If you're hungry, call a friend, go for a walk, write a letter or email, etc. You'll notice that the hunger usually passes in a matter of minutes.

E - Eat slowly - put the fork down between bites, be more aware of how much you're putting in your mouth.

F - Focus on the presentation - arrange your food creatively, use a larger plate and spread your portions more artfully, it will help you feel more satisfied.

G - Give the new habits time - make a commitment to stick to your new regimen for at least 6 months, it often takes that long for revamped eating or exercise habits to feel natural.

H - Hang out with optimists - The can-do spirit is contagious.

I - Inspire yourself - brainstorm a list of activities you've been putting off because of your weight - it will provide a built-in incentive to slim down.

J - Join up - exercise with others - this often provides a sense of accountibility.

K - Keep your focus - as you lose weight, notice what you're gaining - a healthier diet, slimmer profile, or a new love of exercise.

L - Lighten up your favorite - Use cookbooks that can show you low-fat, healthier versions of your favorite dishes.

M - Make over your kitchen - get rid of trigger foods (those you often overeat) and restock your kitchen with healthy items.

N - Navigate out of your comfort zone - try a new exercise once a week.

O - Opt for the 10-minute rule - Even if you don't feel like it, get moving for at least 10 minutes.

P - Push yourself to try at least one new fruit or vegetable each week - expand your culinary repertoire in a healthy, low-calorie way.

Q - Quit the clean-plate club - stop eating once you're satisfied, and you won't eat tons of extra calories.

R - Reward yourself - if you are looking for a snack after dinner, give yourself a manicure or pedicure instead!

S - Stand up to food pushers - if a host pressures you to eat something you'd rather avoid, tell her you'll try something else on the table - compliment her, and she'll be distracted.

T - Treat your body like a temple - exercise and take care of yourself as if you were an athlete.

U - Use your lunch break wisely - spend half of your lunch break walking.

V - View sweet treats wisely - if you want to shed pounds, you can't eat sweets whenever you like. Find a low - calorie substitute that you can have every day, or limit rich desserts to once a week.

W - Write a gratitude list - each day, jot down 3 to 5 things in your life that you're grateful for.

X - Xerox your exercise moves - find exercise routines you'd like to try in books and magazines, and make copies, then refer to these when you need new moves.

Y - Yearn to accept where you are now - when you fell discouraged by your rate of progress, try to accept and appreciate yourself at your current weight. This might help you hang in there until you start losing weight again.

Z - Zero in on your body - Don't wear big baggy clothes - wearing clothes that fit well to remind yourself of your diet and fitness goals - and the slimmer body your are striving for.

GOOD LUCK!