Before!!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

I've been thinking

About everything but the food I'm eating.

I think about what I'm going to eat. I think about when I'm going to eat. When I'm eating, I think about everything else.

This is the beginning of my 4th challenge to myself. I thought I'd just do what I'd done for the previous 3 and call it a wrap. I've changed my mind. I'm still learning and still moving forward in this journey. Hopefully, someday, I'll get it down pat!

I'm right back to being hungry all night long. I don't eat in my chair, but since my friend left, I'll use his chair and a TV tray. It's really hot here and I've had the a/c on in the house now and then. It's at least 87 degrees out on the lanai. That's my excuse. Well, it's going to stop.

For the next month I will not eat while watching TV. I will not read while I'm eating. I will eat and focus on what's in my mouth. I spend a lot of time planning and cooking, I might as well enjoy it!

I can't believe how these challenges have helped me. They have literally changed my life. I never believed that I could do the things I'm doing. I've always heard that doing something for a certain amount of time makes it become a habit. I believe it now.

On January 1, (I started my first challenge Jan 3) if you'd told me that 90 days from then would find me exercising 6 days a week without fail, planning all my meals without fail, staying OP for 90 days in a row without fail, I'd have called you a liar. Well, I did it. It got to be 6:30 pm today and I was just getting ready to fix my dinner when I realized I'd not exercised yet. It never crossed my mind to not do it. I had a snack and headed off to the gym. So dinner was a bit late, big deal!

My goals for the next month are:
1. practice mindful eating. No TV, books, etc while eating. Enjoy the food I've prepared for myself.
2. Exercise 6 days a week for 30 minutes a day aerobically. Strength train 3 days a week.
3. No eating in my recliner.
4. Stay OP for the whole month. Plan ahead and track my food every day.

I really encourage all of you to challenge yourself with a set of goals for a month.

It's a powerful feeling to accomplish your goals.

3 comments:

  1. Great plan and challenge you got going!!
    I totally agree with what you said, that repeated actions make it a habit - Soooo true!! and we're making some good new habits for ourselves eh~? :)

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  2. My goal is to try to stop my blood sugar swinging up and down like it is at the moment - - and to continue to write down everything I eat, because it does seem to help. Congratulations on yet another challenge completed!

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  3. That's funny that you mention "mindful" eating. I am actually in the middle of reading a book called, "The Miracle of Mindfulness" for my Religions class. So far what I've been reading is exactly what you are describing...thinking about what you are doing while you are doing it (eating). Maybe you'd appreciate the book.

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