I am convinced that getting eating and training under control is all in the mind. I can follow a program religiously by sheer will power, but I need to learn how to retrain my thinking for the changes to stick.
My new bible is The 4-Day Win by Martha Beck. I have been doing various exercises from the book which is the where the 'just show up' and 'ridiculously easy goals' come from.
After completing 4 days of my first exercises, I started today on a new set (and continued on with some of the originals). I would like to share food, mood, brood with you.
I log all my food in Calorie King already, but knowing the calorie, protein, carb and fat content of my food does offer much data beyond what I physically ingest. I have started logging in a different way today and much to my surprise, it has been extremely enlightening and far more helpful than I ever would have thought without going through the process. Here are my entries for today so far.
10am oats and soy protein
Hunger = +5
Physical = sore back and sore teeth (from dental work)
Emotional = annoyed at the weight gain overnight from a grilled chicken burger and a few chips last night
Thoughts = I can only lose weight if I am super strict and watch every calorie and meal. No treat meals for me until I lose all this fat
Reasons my thoughts may not be true = I can't gain over 1kg of fat from one meal unless it was 7,000 calories and it wasn't. It will just be fluid and undigested food. I could do better by not snacking on dates afterwards. A mistake is not a failure but an opportunity to learn.
The only thing that creates total compliance is total dependency. Far from creating happiness, the loss of autonomous choice is horrible. I am grateful that I have the choice to break the rules of my program because the alternative is a loss of all personal power.
1230 duck breast salad
Hunger = +7
Physical = weary
Emotional = happy to be out at lunch spending time with Mr Katie
Thoughts = a good healthy choice at the pub but the duck and dressing was very oily
Reasons my thoughts may not be true = fat is good for my skin, hair and hormones and satisfies my hunger
1410 skinny cow icecream, wavegrains and tzatsiki
Hunger = +3
Physical = still weary
Emotional = craving a treat
Thoughts = I have found low calorie substitutes for my favourite foods so I never need to eat a Magnum or chips again
Reasons my thoughts may not be true = I can eat chips and a Magnum if I want - they are not bad foods. There will be a day when I choose to eat full fat/calorie versions in the future.
Thoughts = I shouldn't eat when I'm not hungry
Reasons my thoughts may not be true = It is OK to enjoy a treat every day and eating it when I am not hungry means I won't overeat. By having daily treats I heal my "famine brain" and "last supper" thought patterns.
If you want to play along (remember you only need to do it for 4 days) here are the headings:
★ Time of day
★ What I ate
★ Hunger level
★ What I was feeling physically
★ What I was feeling emotionally
★ Thought I was thinking
★ Reason that thought may not be true
LOVE your blog! I am a former collegiate athlete who was on a full scholarship for cross country and track and am still active three years later, running and playing soccer on a women's team. Recently, I just cancelled my gym membership. It seems like I can get just as good of a workout at home as I can driving to the gym. My boyfriend is also a personal trainer. I was wondering what your thoughts were on going to the gym to workout versus doing it at home. Advantages, Disadvantage? Thanks!
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