Yesterday's junk.

When I started this weight loss journey (this one, not all the other ones before!) I had no idea it would lead me on such a quest for personal peace and happiness.  And I owe every one who sits in one of my meetings a huge thank you because I believe that it is my connection with all of you that is the foundation for my quest.  Your joys are so joyful to me, and your challenges stay in my thoughts.  We are connected.

I was thinking today how our shared experience (the good, the bad, and especially the ugly!) has helped me deal with all of the useless junk I have been carrying around for years.  It reminds me of when I was in my early twenties in Toronto: I moved a lot (11 times in 6 years!) and with every move I carted garbage bags filled with all of my Cosmopolitans and Vogues etc. from place to place.  Did I re-read them...nope, I just kept them,,,yesterday's junk.  I'm not saying magazines are junk but these particular magazines were junk because they had been telling me for years that I was not thin enough, pretty enough and just why I could not get a boyfriend!  Junk.  When I moved to Stirling I begrudgingly left them.

I have finally realized that even though I had dumped the magazines I am still carrying around yesterday's junk, not in garbage bags, even worse, my head.  Another thing I've realized is knowing you're carrying the junk does not get rid of it, you physically and mentally have to put it out...day after day, after day, until it no longer builds up.  I'm not there yet but every time I come home from a meeting my head feels a little lighter and less weighed down by yesterday's junk and I am reminded why we are on this earth.  We are here to connect and help each other.

Are you carrying around yesterday's junk?  

Have you thought about how it weighs you down and keeps you from living your best life?

Let the junk go.  What have you got to lose?  Just junk.

My back hurts!

In my efforts to get back to goal this past summer I doubled up on my walking and my back paid the price!  Both my chiropractor and massage therapist (not to mention my husband) just shook their heads..."Why?  You know better!" As this in a chronic condition, yes I do. Plus I sit all day at my computer and forget to get up for hours at a time.  Thank goodness I have to get up to get something to eat!

So, I haven't walked for 2 weeks and my back is getting better but I'm aware I can easily slip back into couch potato status....isn't it maddening how fast that can happen?  So to keep my brain thinking in terms of daily exercise mode I have been on my stationary bike everyday and doing the floor exercises my therapists recommended.  And I've started standing up to work and while standing in place alternate lifting my heels up and down and several times a day just walk down to the basement and back. I keep thinking about the image below and know being a potato is not an option!

  

Fitness is so much a part of aging well (man I talk a lot about aging well, don't I?  I tend to be like a dog with a bone sometimes!)  And the great thing is that we don't have to take out a gym membership or run a marathon to get the benefits of moving.  I admire the runners but long ago knew that was not for me and have done the gym thing but also not for me.  But I love walking with my boys (1 dog, 1 man) and am hoping that snowshoeing will be as fun as I remember it was last year!

Just to remind you here's what regular exercise can do for you!

Remember it's not about being better than someone else, 

it's about being the best you!

Mandarin Buffet update!!

I did it!  No dessert last night at the Mandarin AND for the first time ever, I ate salad at a buffet! Yes, I am claiming a victory in the salad department, even though I covered my plate with lots of greens and then Chinese food on top of it!  Why?  Because I only eat Chinese food once in a while, I eat lots of vegetables every day!

I did it!! No sugar!

I'm not sure if I was able to stay sugar-free all weekend because I wanted to prove to myself I could do it or because I told everyone that was my goal and I didn't want to fail!  I think a bit of both.

What did I learn?  I think the biggest lesson was how important it was to make my plan well before the big meals.  For me there is no way I could have resisted at meal time, or rather dessert time, absolutely no way.  

One thing that shocked me was how "easy" (I'm not sure if easy is the right word but it was not hard so...) it was to have my pumpkin mousse and be fine with it and even enjoy it.  I think I enjoyed it even more knowing there was no sugar in it.  Once I took sugar out of my dinner equation and left no room for even a maybe, my brain did not even go into it's usual mental salivating.  And I did it for two meals.  I did have beer.

Other than my first Thanksgiving (although knowing my Mom she probably mashed up some pie and spoon fed it to me:)) this is the first Thanksgiving in 54 years that I did not stuff myself with dessert.  And I did not die!

I'm not saying I'll never have sugar again but I want to get back to goal first because

goal is better than pie.

Well, on to the next challenge...going to the Mandarin Buffet restaurant on Wednesday.  My goal is no sugar and to actually eat a plate of zero's before starting in on the Chinese food.  We've got to take life one meal at a time because have you ever noticed our lives revolve around food???

My Thanksgiving plan - nix the sugar and heap on the gratitude!

I know what you are thinking, "How can one be grateful without pie for Thanksgiving??"  The answer is, "How will I know if I don't try?".  Maybe I will be super grateful and feel really successful!

Other years I have tried eating lots of turkey and veggies thinking I'd be too full for pie...nope. Would be full enough to have just one piece of pie...nope. The one thing I have not tried is planning before hand to have no sugar.  This is my plan for this year.  I will have some pumpkin custardy dessert topped with some no sugar vanilla Greek yogurt.  I have been sugarless for over 2 months and I really don't want to blow it so that is my plan.  And I plan to be successful.

What is your plan for the weekend?  Have you decided how you're going to navigate all the meals, enjoy and still stay on plan?  Are you going to wing it and think this will be the year you will have just one small piece of dessert?  What will it take to help you feel successful?

Everyone body has a different idea of what will be a successful weekend.  Decide what will mean success for you. Whatever you decide to do, or not do, make sure that it is your plan and not just the outcome of not planning.  The difference will be in how you feel about yourself when the weekend is over.  If you don't plan and just eat whatever you want that could trigger a slide that could throw you off track for days or weeks...we all know how easily that can happen!  But if you truly plan it, have a beginning and ending date, are aware and accepting of the consequences, you are more likely to get back on track Tuesday morning because you will feel successful.  Have a plan.

Remember your goal, remember why you started and 

why you keep going and plan accordingly! 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I am grateful for each and everyone of you, 

you motivate me to make a plan!