Journey Fitness

Thanksgiving is THURSDAY! That gives us three days to mentally and physically prepare for the holiday so that we make informed, intentional choices that don’t derail our hard work.

I already hear some of you saying, “But it’s only one day a year!” Oh don’t get me started on that! Thanksgiving is one day a year, Christmas is another, Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, your birthday, my birthday (hey, it’s an important day), New Years Day, Valentines Day, Anniversaries, and so on and so forth. So the “one day a year” argument can be parsed into 20 days a year, which eventually ends up in “I tried to lose weight, but it just didn’t work!”

First, think back to last year. What did your family eat? If you’re not the one in control of the food, reviewing family traditional foods can really help. For example, I recall that last year there was no low-fat salad dressing, all high fat. I also recall that all the desserts were high in calories and fat. Not only do I not want to sabotage my own healthy diet, but as someone with half-a-pancreas (or so), I really can’t eat those high fat, high sugar foods in a large, concentrated meal. I’m not criticizing the wonderful family meal that was prepared, I’m simply making note. 

So this year I know I’ll bring my own salad dressing, and a dessert to share that is light and delicious. 

Second, pre-plan your day. Is there a turkey trot you can run or walk in the morning? Check with your local YMCA. Is it running a food drive workout? Ours is. Bring a few cans of food and work out between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00. If that’s not available to you, what other things can you do to get a workout in first? Put that on your calendar. Even if you’re the chef, you can get into your fitness gear, prep the turkey, put it in the oven, and go out for 30-60 minutes before the next thing needs to start. 

Next, pre-journal the foods you know you’ll have. Again, if you’re in charge this should be easy. You can make your special dressing with less butter (I suggest replacing most if not all butter with fat free chicken broth in dressing/stuffing), you can reduce the sugar in your homemade cranberry sauce, you can provide lighter desserts, lowfat salad dressings and dips, lots of healthy fruits and vegetables, salads that aren’t dripping in mayonaise, and make the meal delicious AND nutritious! Nothing wrong with having family favorites, but you can make them in moderation and some of the other things you can lighten up quite easily. 

If you’re going out, prejournal what you know will be there. I know that I’ll have the following:

• Turkey breast, skinless about 4 ounces 120 calories
• Cranberry sauce (probably canned): 1/4 cup 110 calories
• Salad with Fat Free Italian dressing: about 50 calories for a large serving
• Fresh vegetable, unless it’s covered in butter about 60 calories
• Mashed potatoes: about 1/2 cup 120 calories
• Gravy: about 50 calories
• Raw, fresh veggies with nonfat ranch dip: about 50 calories
• Pumpkin Angel Food Cake: About 130 calories

Tags: calories, holiday, Nutrition, recipes, thanksgiving

This morning on one of the mailing lists I read someone was wanting an opinion on whether she should skip weigh in after a bad week. Another wise weight watcher told her that she never skips weigh ins because it’s just her “rule” that she go each week.

I like that. It made me think. I have set forth “rules” for how I lose and maintain my weight loss. Why? Because I’m one of those anal retentive control freaks (should there be a comma there??) who works very well within guidelines. Now let me be clear. I’m not Harvy Milquetoast. I don’t sit around waiting for someone to tell me what to do. In fact I hate to be told what to do by anyone but me. However, I work very well within boundaries if there is some freedom. From there I set my personal rules for me. Once I set these rules I am adamant that I stick to them.

So here are my five rules for losing and maintaining.

1. I journal every single day. Period. Even on vacation, I’ll bring my Palm and journal.
2. There is no such thing as going off program. Period. Stress, holidays, good times, bad times, etc. will always be there and provide easy excuses to go off so I don’t use them. I have a specific number of calories I eat per day and if the holiday is on a Thursday and and I don’t have enough calories left, I figure a way to fit it in.
3. I step on the scale every single week. Period. That is how I know what’s going on with my body.
4. I take a moment and let it go if the scale isn’t what I want to see. I own up to it on the mailing lists and my weight tracker. If it’s too high, I adjust my maintenance calories. I don’t beat myself up.
5. I exercise six days a week. Period. I need to keep my fire stoked if I want to burn the fuel.

Tags: motivation, Nutrition, rules, Weight Loss, weight watchers

So what do you do when you have lost your motivation? How do you get it back? What keeps you going?

When you’ve lost your motivation, just do it.

When you don’t want to, do it anyhow.

When you think you can’t, you can.

You’re an adult and you can do this but it’s all completely up to you. Your relationship with your body is like every other relationship in your life.

You’re going to get out of it, what you put into it.

When you start a new relationship with someone it’s all hearts and flowers and sunshine and roses and naked angels slinging arrows. After awhile, though, things get real. Most days are great, but then you go through these periods of time when you wake up, look at that lug lying next to you and think “If I just put one thumb into his eye and pushed REALLY hard I might feel better.”

Why would you feel that way? No reason. He’s breathing too loudly or says the word “ideal” when he means “idea.” Nothing big. Just that you’re not feeling particularly lovey dovey right now and you feel a good thumb to the eye might make you feel better.

But you don’t do it. You don’t do it because you know that the feeling will pass. So instead you wake him up with a kiss, ignoring his morning breath and the irritating way he smiles at you with a twinkle and booger in his eye. You know that when it comes down to brass tacks that this relationship is always going to have times when love is a decision, not a perky feeling surrounded by hearts and flowers.

Then a week later you’re thinking of him at work, you send an email that simply says “I love you” and he surprises you with a single rose purchased from the gas station.

You realize that the investment of time and energy, even when you don’t “feel like” making that investment, pays off in the long run.

It’s no different with the relationship with your body. When you start WWers you feel like a million bucks. You’re in control of your destiny! You’re strong! You’re going to be the hottest thing on two legs.

Then life gets in the way and things aren’t quite as fun. Suddenly exercise takes time away from surfing the net. Journaling isn’t fun any more; in fact it’s kind of boring. Every now and again you can rekindle the flame, but for the most part it’s same old same old and let’s face it…same old same old can get plain old plain old after awhile.

So now it comes down to how dedicated are you to making this a long term relationship with your body? If you’re dedicated then even when you don’t want to do it, you do it. Just like the relationship with your  honey, if you make a decision to love your body and not abuse it, you’ll reap the benefits in the long run and they will be magnificent.

Tags: Fitness, motivation, Nutrition