Date: April 22nd 2019
I’m baaaaaack!
We left off in January with me starting my individualized program with Brandy. As I explained in my earlier blogs, I was very resistant to doing anything that reminded me of my “old ways” of dieting. I did not want to count calories, weigh food, deprive myself, label foods “good” or bad”, or weigh myself constantly. I did not want to judge my day (or my character) based on how well I had “stuck to my diet.”
Brandy took this all into consideration and was able to devise a nutrition program, despite my “limits.” By the end of March, I had lost 19 pounds and I am maintaining that weight loss.
Learning about what my body needs for nutrition, the role macronutrients play, as well as timing of meals and snacks, has made this journey much easier than the deprivation diets of my past.
I can honestly say, I am able to practice my “program” at restaurants, parties, and people’s homes without any awkwardness or regret.
However, the last few months have not just been about losing weight. I have become even more aware of my self-talk and how easy it can be to see weight loss as the end all of accomplishment. Many times, I hear clients describe how happy they will be when they reach their weight loss goals. I occasionally found myself determining my accomplishments/happiness based on the scale.
Maybe it’s my age (~65) or maybe it’s my long career as a therapist, but I’m convinced happiness comes from within and it is based on what we tell ourselves.
If we tell ourselves we won’t be happy until we lose X amount of weight, we will probably be right. What if we were more proactive in our happiness and consciously looked at all we do, not just our weight. I recently heard an Oprah podcast that resonated with me and I would like to share it with you. (See link below)
Until then, be kind to yourself and let’s look at all our positives.
– Marlene Sexton
