One of the Mindset Core Content entries is about setting up ways to reward ourselves for hitting our goals. This entry struck a chord with me, because I am so guilty of not rewarding myself in good ways. I'm horrid at saying that I "deserve to be bad" just a little, either because I've had a bad day, or because I've reached a goal. This usually leads to allowing for snacks or treats that aren't the best for staying on track.
While I don't intend to go hardcore Paleo, I am using it as a baseline for my meals. I also have experience with Weight Watchers, and will be trying to stay in a specific caloric limit to achieve my weight loss goals. So that means my snacks will try to be nutritious as well as under 150 calories.
But my overall goal with this part is to take treats out of the rewarding process. I want to break the habit of thinking of my behavior in this way. If I chose to eat or drink something that is not within my plan, I want to think of it as an action I am choosing to take, not a good or "bad" decision. By thinking of it as a cheat, I'm thinking of it as something that I am being deprived of. It'll make cravings worse,
Since I love books and technology, my loot will be rewards centered around that. When I reach a goal, I will buy a new book, or a new app. Hopefully this will keep me from sabotaging my own efforts.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Mindset Goal #5: Customize Your Batcave
The last official Mindset goal for the Academy is to "Customize Your Batcave." Basically, this means taking steps to both make new habits easier, and make old habits harder.
To make my new habits easier, I'm going to:
-Move our treadmill into the den, where it can be set up and ready to be used.
-Set out my walking shoes where they can be seen instead of keeping them in the closet
-Keep fruits and veggies on the counter, where they can be seen and eaten
To impede bad habits, I will:
-Keep unhealthy foods out of sight
-Not go into the kitchen at night
-Keep only water in my bedroom
Okay, that last one may be a bit of a cheat, but I'm having a hard time coming up with barriers.
To make my new habits easier, I'm going to:
-Move our treadmill into the den, where it can be set up and ready to be used.
-Set out my walking shoes where they can be seen instead of keeping them in the closet
-Keep fruits and veggies on the counter, where they can be seen and eaten
To impede bad habits, I will:
-Keep unhealthy foods out of sight
-Not go into the kitchen at night
-Keep only water in my bedroom
Okay, that last one may be a bit of a cheat, but I'm having a hard time coming up with barriers.
Mindset Mission #4: The Art of Goal Setting
This mission talks about setting goals that aren't vague or negative in wording. For example, instead of saying that I "can't" do or eat something, it is better to say that I "don't" do something. It's also better to break large goals down into more manageable bits.
Goal #4 is to write out 5 individual goal segments.
-I'm someone who cooks healthy meals at least four meals a week.
-I will try one new recipe each week.
-I will consume 1200 healthy calories every day.
-I'm someone who walks or exercises every day.
-I'm someone who keeps a food journal every day.
There are my goals for now. I may revise or add to them down the line.
Friday, August 22, 2014
Mindset Goal #3: Find Your BIG Why
The third goal for the Mindset portion of the Academy is to find out our Big Why. We're challenged to not just label ourselves with a basic motivation, but to go deeper. So that when we hit a rough spot, we can hold onto the real reasons why we're losing weight and getting fit.
This is something I've thought a lot about over the years. After all, I've struggled with my weight for a long time. I have a lot of reasons to want to get fit.
First is my body. Usually I tell people it's for my health (which is definitely a reason) but I want to be honest about this. I hate my body. I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I hate that no matter how cute my outfit might be, I feel completely undesirable. Granted, I don't have the desire to be with someone (I'm asexual) but still, it would be nice to feel like someone could want me.
I'm tired of looking at myself and hating what I see. I'm tired of being tired and out of shape. There are so many things I want to do. I love being in nature. I would love to be strong enough to go hiking. I would love to start riding a bike again. I want to take judo, or some other form of martial arts. When I was a kid, I loved to be active. I was always outside. I want to be able to take my niece and nephew to the playground and run around with them.
This sort of leads to the other big reason I'm doing this. My health sucks. I'm diabetic, and I'm not good at managing it. It runs in my family, and it's a huge potential with PCOS. I'm always going to be at risk for it, but if I can get healthy and my weight down, I won't have to be on medicine for the rest of my life.
My family history is full of heart disease and weight problems. There are a lot of weight issues in both sides of my family. It's just always been there. I don't want to be like that. I want to be better.
We all have this "perfect" self in our minds (at least, I'm assuming I'm not the only one). That smart, pretty, successful self that doesn't suck. Mine wears cute dresses and clothes and cosplays as whatever she wants because she's proud of her body. She's that geek chic librarian. She's not tiny, but a healthy size eight or ten. She's confident, because she's not insecure about her looks.
I'm doing this because in ten years, I want to be healthier than I am now. I want to be cute and not ashamed of myself. I want to be free to do the things that I want to do, the things that I'm afraid to do no because of my weight.
This is something I've thought a lot about over the years. After all, I've struggled with my weight for a long time. I have a lot of reasons to want to get fit.
First is my body. Usually I tell people it's for my health (which is definitely a reason) but I want to be honest about this. I hate my body. I hate looking at myself in the mirror. I hate that no matter how cute my outfit might be, I feel completely undesirable. Granted, I don't have the desire to be with someone (I'm asexual) but still, it would be nice to feel like someone could want me.
I'm tired of looking at myself and hating what I see. I'm tired of being tired and out of shape. There are so many things I want to do. I love being in nature. I would love to be strong enough to go hiking. I would love to start riding a bike again. I want to take judo, or some other form of martial arts. When I was a kid, I loved to be active. I was always outside. I want to be able to take my niece and nephew to the playground and run around with them.
This sort of leads to the other big reason I'm doing this. My health sucks. I'm diabetic, and I'm not good at managing it. It runs in my family, and it's a huge potential with PCOS. I'm always going to be at risk for it, but if I can get healthy and my weight down, I won't have to be on medicine for the rest of my life.
My family history is full of heart disease and weight problems. There are a lot of weight issues in both sides of my family. It's just always been there. I don't want to be like that. I want to be better.
We all have this "perfect" self in our minds (at least, I'm assuming I'm not the only one). That smart, pretty, successful self that doesn't suck. Mine wears cute dresses and clothes and cosplays as whatever she wants because she's proud of her body. She's that geek chic librarian. She's not tiny, but a healthy size eight or ten. She's confident, because she's not insecure about her looks.
I'm doing this because in ten years, I want to be healthier than I am now. I want to be cute and not ashamed of myself. I want to be free to do the things that I want to do, the things that I'm afraid to do no because of my weight.
Mindset Goals #1 and #2
The first part of the Nerd Fitness Academy is the Mindset portion. As the goal of the Academy is to establish life-long changes, the first section is to get your mind in the right place. I like this--it makes you really look at yourself, and make sure that you're ready for the journey ahead.
The first goal is to take our "Before" pictures. I'm not going to publish those here, though they have been taken. I plan to take pictures on the 21st of every month, to keep track of my progress.
The second goal is to take our measurements. My starting measurements are as follows:
Neck: 15"
Chest (taken across the bust): 48.25"
Biceps: 16"
Waist: 43.5"
Hips: 54.25"
Thigh: 28.5"
Calf: 17.75"
My starting weight is 240.4 lbs.
I'll retake my measurements on the 21st, and weigh myself twice a month.
The first goal is to take our "Before" pictures. I'm not going to publish those here, though they have been taken. I plan to take pictures on the 21st of every month, to keep track of my progress.
The second goal is to take our measurements. My starting measurements are as follows:
Neck: 15"
Chest (taken across the bust): 48.25"
Biceps: 16"
Waist: 43.5"
Hips: 54.25"
Thigh: 28.5"
Calf: 17.75"
My starting weight is 240.4 lbs.
I'll retake my measurements on the 21st, and weigh myself twice a month.
Setting Out on a New Path
If you've somehow stumbled across this blog...hi! Not sure why you're here, but hell, maybe you'll get something out of it.
I've been struggling with my weight for the last 13 years. I went from a size 8 to a 14 my freshman year of high school. I managed to get to about a size 10 by my senior year, but then I went to college, and started to gain weight back. Between typical college weight, and the strain of family tragedy, I graduated larger than ever before. I thought once I was out of school I could make the changes I needed, but nothing stuck.
At my largest, I weighed 270 lbs. I'm down to 240 lbs, and have held that weight for the past year or so. But I'm 5'3, and I hate my body. I need to lose about another 100 lbs before I'll be where I want to be.
I know now that part of my weight gain was due to a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The condition tends to hit in puberty, and one of the side effects is weight gain. While my diet at the time certainly didn't help, it helps to know that part of the problem was something out of my control.
But I'm no longer a teenager. And I'm tired of fighting my body, and even more tired of hating it. I haven't been okay with my body since I was in middle school. I refuse to go through the rest of my life like this.
This week, I finally signed up for the Nerd Fitness Academy. I've been hanging around their forums for months, and I love the other resources available on the site. I'm hoping that by going through this program, and making small changes over a period of time, that I might finally be able to get in shape and live the life I want to have.
This blog is to help me keep track of my progress, and to give me a place vent frustrations and the like. I don't really expect anyone to read it, but I do better with an electronic journal than a paper one.
This is our starting point. Let's see where we end up.
I've been struggling with my weight for the last 13 years. I went from a size 8 to a 14 my freshman year of high school. I managed to get to about a size 10 by my senior year, but then I went to college, and started to gain weight back. Between typical college weight, and the strain of family tragedy, I graduated larger than ever before. I thought once I was out of school I could make the changes I needed, but nothing stuck.
At my largest, I weighed 270 lbs. I'm down to 240 lbs, and have held that weight for the past year or so. But I'm 5'3, and I hate my body. I need to lose about another 100 lbs before I'll be where I want to be.
I know now that part of my weight gain was due to a condition called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. The condition tends to hit in puberty, and one of the side effects is weight gain. While my diet at the time certainly didn't help, it helps to know that part of the problem was something out of my control.
But I'm no longer a teenager. And I'm tired of fighting my body, and even more tired of hating it. I haven't been okay with my body since I was in middle school. I refuse to go through the rest of my life like this.
This week, I finally signed up for the Nerd Fitness Academy. I've been hanging around their forums for months, and I love the other resources available on the site. I'm hoping that by going through this program, and making small changes over a period of time, that I might finally be able to get in shape and live the life I want to have.
This blog is to help me keep track of my progress, and to give me a place vent frustrations and the like. I don't really expect anyone to read it, but I do better with an electronic journal than a paper one.
This is our starting point. Let's see where we end up.
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