Unwanted Abundance: Changing Your Focus Changes Your Reality

Last week I stepped on the scales and found out that I had managed to accumulate 14 additional pounds that were not previously stored on my body. Yes, this 2007 I will be like MILLIONS of people as I vow to lay off the ole feed bag in an attempt to lose the unwanted abundance I’ve managed to shove into my mouth! However, there will be a difference between me and the others. I will be successful and this is why.

It is because I want to lose the weight for me, not anyone else. It is because I am truly sick of my jeans feeling tight and feeling those extra pounds jiggle as I jog up my stairs. Because I am SICK of it, I know I will lose it. I’ve had people ask me before how I have managed to lose weight successfully. The key is this. I know my emotional triggers for putting it on. When I know my triggers, I know how to stop myself from eating, if I eat anyway (as I have done over the past four months of stress) then I don’t worry about my “failure.” I don’t stress over the fact that I didn’t have enough “will” power to avoid all the lovely, delectable goodies that were put in my way over the holidays, I basically, don’t worry at all. I focus instead upon what I want.

The key for me is attitude. I don’t spend time and energy beating myself up for the past. The past no longer belongs to me. It isn’t mine to worry with. What I do is focus on each day. Oh, and by focus on each day, that DOES NOT mean I focus on each day and what I am eating. I find I can never lose weight if “losing weight” becomes my focus. In years past (yes, I’ve lost weight many times and enjoyed putting it back on too, let me tell ya!) I have found that the more I focus on weight the more I seam to add to my burden. So, I change my focus. I focus on fitness! Stupid, right? I mean, it is such a little thing, but it totally changed the way I have been able to moderate and maintain my weight.

Here is the essence of the technique I use. I decide what type of body I want to be. Now, come on, be realistic here. I will NEVER be a size 9 because the last time I was a size 9 I was 12 years old. A lot has happened to my body since those prepubescent days so I’m realistic. For me, I’m healthiest when I work out like I did when I was a dancer. I usually decide to have a dancer’s body, because I’ve done that sort of thing in the past and I know what I need to do to get that level of fitness back. For you, it may be different, do you want a runner’s body, a walker’s body, a swimmer’s body. You get the picture right? After you have a clear idea of what body YOU want and, again, this is key...it must be a body YOU want that is REALISTIC! Okay?

After you’ve decided on the body you want, then it is time to start working on a program to get into the fitness level of that body. This DOES NOT mean to JUMP into it and start punishing yourself for all those extra Christmas Cookies you ate, etc. This means that like any fit body, you must work up to a level of fitness. So, here is what I do.

Because I haven’t exercised in four months, I might as well consider myself a kindergartener as far as fitness is concerned. It doesn’t matter that I used to be a power lifter and bench press over 150 pounds. If I tried to do that today, I’d seriously injure myself. I focus on the fact that I don’t have a body that’s very fit and then set up a program for myself to move-slowly-toward a fit body. I started walking for 30 minutes a day because that gets me moving, outside and enjoying the winter air. Well, the day after I started this resolution, Cedar City received 18 inches in snow and I was “stuck” walking on my treadmill for 30 minutes (I hate the treadmill!) However, I found some videos to watch and moved the treadmill around so I could watch tv while doing my exercise. I did that for a solid week (taking Sunday off) and then this week will see me walking 30 minutes one day and doing exercises (I have a favorite exercise video)the next. I will alternate these two activities until my fitness level is up to me “working out” and “lifting weights” on alternative days. The point is gradual progress. Just like with finances people want their debt to decrease immediately or their savings account to grow instantaneously. Come on, dear one, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Give yourself some time here!

The other thing I do is I track my food intake. Yes, I keep a food diary. That is NOT the same as counting calories. I just track what I eat. I find that by just writing down what I eat curbs my eating because I have this image in my head of the type of body I want and as I eat I have to write it down and then, wa la! I realize I frequently am eating when I’m not truly hungry. I self regulate and I don’t have to count one calorie or give up on thing. I find I portion out smaller amounts of food and if I really want a piece of that sumptuous Mississippi Mud Pie complete with home-made whipped cream. I make it a VERY small piece. Just enough to taste. See? I don’t deny myself a thing. I just adjust the quantity!

Well, my friend, that is how I lose weight. As you move into 2007 with the decision to abandon some unwanted abundance, just remember two things. Know what type of fitness you want and track your food! Simple? Yes, I have to keep things in my life extremely simple otherwise nothing would get done! Right?