So I kinda had a false start to my "New Healthy Lifestyle". I AM committed to changing "How" I live, but I find that with my ADD (I truly have it...not just throwing the "word" out there), it ALWAYS...I repeat, ALWAYS takes me at least one or two...OK or THREE...yeah, even sometimes FOUR tries to get ANYTHING accomplished. It kinda brings to mind climbing up onto a horse when one hasn't ridden for quite a few years. You put one foot in the stirrup and one hand on the saddle horn, which actually seems a little more "yoga-like" than it used to when you were 16...and then you start to pull yourself up. You get about 3 inches off the ground. The second try, you get closer. Your head pops up and you can see right over the horses back...but...you're still not IN the saddle. Finally, the third try. You have now, mentally and physically, calculated just how much effort it's going to take to haul your older and somewhat "slightly larger" butt up off the ground and onto that fricken saddle...I mean after all...this is getting embarrassing!!! So, yes, finally...on the third and final attempt...SUCCESS!!! : ) You have gotten back in the saddle....you have gotten back on that horse! What a great feeling! Even though it took a minute or two to make it up there...it STILL feels great....once you are there...in the saddle...after years of bein' away.
So why the long, beleaguered explanation of getting up onto the horse? Well, I'm comparing it to my attempts to "accomplish" things. It usually takes me more than once to get my plans going. It's painful, embarrassing and awkward...but I eventually DO get things done(well, MOST of the time, anyway). But there's another "analogy" here that's very important: "Getting back on the horse". We, as a society, always say "If you fall off a horse, you have to get back on it". Which of course means that if you have failed at something, don't give up...but keep trying...b/c if you DON'T, then it will have "beaten you down" and THAT is BAD for your psyche!!
So what is my point? Well, I know, by talking to others, reading other blogs, reading about Americans, in general, today...I am NOT the ONLY person for whom starting a "healthy lifestyle" (again) is difficult. And it's difficult for people who have NEVER had a "healthy lifestyle" to start one, as well. So by starting this blog....I hope that I can help myself, understand what makes ME tick...and help others see that they are NOT alone...in their "determination" to start either back on...or start for the first time...a healthy lifestyle...to get back onto the "horse" of health...and STAY THERE...even if it takes you more than ONE try to get started!!! No one is perfect...forgive yourself, as I have forgiven myself, and keep moving forward!
There are TWO things that have helped me recently:
The FIRST thing that has helped me is this here blog. I'm not saying that EVERYBODY has to write a blog to help themselves get over their "food issues"...BUT...one of the reasons that "I" started this blog...was for the "journaling" experience. I've heard people talk about how they wrote in their journals and wrote down what foods they ate and how THAT helped them. So, I thought that I would give that a try. I'm actually going to be writing down my foods everyday...in a separate section....for MYSELF mostly...AND to help me ACKNOWLEDGE AND have it BE ACKNOWLEDGED by "internet land". Basically, the point is "To be held accountable". If "I" either "lie" to myself about what I have eaten...OR...don't "acknowledge" it...then WHAT I eat and how MUCH I eat...can slip by and I can "slip up" in my "goals". So this, journaling, in a blog-type manner, is a form of holding myself accountable and acknowledging...publicly...just exactly WHAT I have eaten every day. So..I haven't started doing that yet...but JUST the THOUGHT of doing that made me START being more "thoughtful" about what I put into my mouth. Because writing down what I eat and putting it in print for the world to see (not that I think the "world" is reading my blog...it's NOT...just one really good friend so far) BUT thinking about the "world" seeing WHAT and HOW MUCH I eat....well THAT will DEFINITELY make a person be more "thoughtful" about what goes into their mouth. So like I said, I already started being MORE thoughtful....even though I haven't YET started chronicling my daily food choices and it really started making me feel MORE in control and reminding me of how I USED to eat and how I USED to feel....back when I was very thin.
The SECOND thing that has really helped me is making smaller goals for myself. I want to eat healthier and exercise more and continue with that as my "lifestyle". That is one of my goals. It's a very broad goal, and it IS a good goal...but it's a little too "general". I want to lose weight. To be exact, I want to lose a total of 70lbs. I would be happy with 60lbs. I'd LIKE to lose 70lbs. So...that is a BIG goal that I am giving myself over a year to lose. I'm not trying to pressure myself...I'm not trying to take it too easy on myself...but I'm trying to do things in a healthy way. So what I decided to do was set a smaller FIRST goal. My husband and I's 15th wedding anniversary is this September 21st. I would like to lose at LEAST 15lbs. THAT gives me a very "solid" time period and weight amount AND a good motivation...BESIDES just, you know, good health! So...what I've FOUND...since deciding to chronicle my daily food intake as well as creating a new and "smaller" goal...I have found that I am truly looking at each and every choice I make about what I eat...which IS the way it should be. I am ALSO less "stressed" because instead of looking at HOW MUCH weight I want to lose...I am breaking it down into smaller "pieces" which makes it seem less overwhelming and much more attainable.
So I am very encouraged by these two techniques and I will keep the updates coming. Good luck getting back onto YOUR horse...and remember if at first you don't succeed...try, try, try and even try again! Try until you get there!
Good Luck and God Bless.
Verlene
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