I get daily emails from the universe. How cool is that?
Today's was too deep for my mind to grasp before coffee, but I found this little gem at the bottom.
Thoughts become things... choose the good ones! ®
Like wow dudes!
Not half an hour ago, I had my Weight Watchers registration card in my hand looking for the cancellation directions. You see, I have no intention of being on program for the next few weeks. Yes, I know I should. I know it can be done. I'm only moving from the home I've lived in for 32 years after all. I'm only buried under stress for the moment. I'm only going through some health issues. No biggie. Well, to me it is a biggie.
I opened my email after that and read my little note from the universe and I got thinking. How often do I sit and think 'Ohhhh I'd really like some potato chips!'? After a while, I'll be sitting there holding a bag of chips. One chip isn't enough for me. One piece of cake isn't enough. One slice of homemade bread? Please, who are you kidding? I'm an addict. I can't stop at one. What can I do to get my mind off the thought when it first springs into my brain? Before it becomes an action? A thing? A reality?
What if, when that thought popped into my mind, I replaced it with something else? Find some positive thing that spurs me. Then every time I have an attack of the 'I wants', I'd just pull that positive thought into my mind.
Had my first sip of coffee here and delving just a bit further.
Are you at the beginning of your weight loss journey? Do you have a lot of weight to lose? I SO get your struggles. I've been there. If you don't have 200, 300, or even 400 pounds to lose, you can never truly understand the feelings of hopelessness. I so admire those of you that started your road to a healthy life before it got to that stage. You know, those of you that 'only' have 50-100 pounds to lose. I'm one of 'those' people now. I only have 100 more to lose. I sure wasn't when I started.
See, right now, when thinking of what positive thought I could pop into my mind, when the food monster invades, I thought of picturing me thinner. Feel how I felt in my clothes, in my skin, when I finally got under 200 pounds. I could do that as I was there. Not so long ago...January in fact. At the beginning of my journey, however, that wouldn't have worked. I remember people telling me 'nothing tastes as good as thin feels', or 'picture yourself thin', and a myriad of other cliche spoutings. I have been fat all my life people. Picture myself thin? How the hell can I do that? I don't know what it feels like. I don't know what it looks like. I'm not that kind of visionary! When you weigh nearly 400 pounds, picturing yourself in a bikini on some sandy beach just didn't comprehend.
Maybe we don't need to actually picture ourselves any way at all. Maybe we just need to find a way to change our thought. Sit, ponder, think about something that makes us truly happy. Think about some time we laughed until we peed a little. Think of any instance of true joy. Burn it into our memory. OK, got one? Ya, me either quite yet, but I will have as I really think this is something that could work. In fact, I think I'll conjure up more than one.
How can this work? Well, what if, while sitting in the parking lot of the store, I see the McDonald's next door, and all of a sudden a thought of crispy, golden, salty french fries pops into my mind? Oh no! What shall I do???? If I keep thinking about those fries, my fat ass is going to be over there ordering them, and then eating them. Dipped in mayo if you must know. Oh hell yes, I didn't get fat by eating too many baby carrots! So, what can I do instead? Change my thought. Grab that happy memory, think of that, smile. Truly concentrate on it...let your mind wrap around that. In other words, get your mind off the fries and onto something else! Hey, it could work.
I'm conditioned for instant gratification. I need to recondition myself. Pavlov is 6 foot under somewhere so I just have to figure out how to do it myself. Figure out how to ring my own bell.
I'm smiling right now thinking of things. Some are huge, some not so huge. It doesn't have to be huge. My friend MK and I got laughing one night as I was driving her home from cards on the golf cart. We laughed so hard we couldn't breathe. I dropped her off and laughed all the way to my place. I had tears, I had snot, she peed a little. Just thinking about that took my mind down the path of other happy memories.
I put my registration card back in it's drawer. I might not be 100% on program, but I'm not quitting. It's going to be there in the back of my mind. I'll keep going to my meetings, and I'll think happy thoughts when the munchie monster hits.
This just might work......
Peace be the journey
:-)
A wink and a smile
13 years ago
This is no different than someone who is trying to quit smoking. They think about the cigarette, then the urge builds up, they cant stop at one, they must have another. Anytime, we talk about something,(food,cigarettes,drinking etc) the urge and mental thought gets even stronger. So, you're right, if you find another thought, and wait it out, the urge to have it,disappears. Knowing it will be back again to haunt you, is vital to succeeding as well. I know, I'm battling with both. :)
ReplyDeleteI know for me one small trigger food can snow ball out of control and it's so hard for me to get back my mojo!!
ReplyDeleteLast time it was the fact that someone left a huge bowl of cinnamon hearts in the staff room. I started with just wanting a couple, then i would grab them every time i walked past. After that i was craving any carb/sugar foods i could get my hands on. I have to relearn the "only a bit" won't hurt talk.
Hope your stress is over soon and good for you on staying in the game :)
Good for you for putting that card away. We don't have to be perfect. But doing your best is all you can do, especially in times of stress. And no doubt concentrating your thoughts on the good things you need to be doing can only help. It's not full-proof, but I think it helps.
ReplyDeleteok so... I am proud of you for being so open, so honest! :) Yesterday when I came home from the pool & my doctor visit I was STARVING! The damn doctor ran late and my 11:30 appointment made me run in the door at 1pm FAMISHED! Did I ever tell you that I can walk out of my front door and see McDonalds. Yes, the golden arches are right out side my home. Yesterday it was windy and the smell was blowing over my way as I struggled to cary all of my bags in from the car and I took a deep breath in and said, "fuck you Mickey D's" lol In the past I would have treated myself to that smell, that grease and then after I ate 2 BIG BAGS filled with food that probably could have fed a preschool I would have cried & felt guilty.
ReplyDeleteI "only" have a handful of pounds left to go but still I fight. This November will be 3 years that I have been ignoring the WW fee that comes out of my checking account each month. I know it is worth it, I know that if I can do it you can too! Stay strong my friend- moving is stressful and hard to stay OP while doing but you can do it!!! :)
Good job, we do the best we can with what life throws at us! By the way, I moved from an apt I had been in for 10 years and it felt overwhelmingly stressful, so I feel you on the 32 years (OMG)! Keep up the good fight, even if you lose a few rounds now and then!
ReplyDeleteI too get a note from the Universe every day. Love them!
ReplyDeleteI have the advantage of knowing how it feels to be thin and healthy. Instead of "visualizing" what I looked like or want, I pull up the feeling. How it felt to be able to move freely, run effortlessly, and yes there's that laughing until you pee thing too.
Great post.
"Figure out how to ring my own bell." What a wonderful sentence. May I quote you?
ReplyDeleteI so agree.
ReplyDeleteWe bring unto ourselves what we 'think,' literally. I should spend a lot more time thinking about good things. I'm working on it, but I think I can do better. I'm with you on this!
P.S. What is the universe link that you posted? It wouldn't show :(