10
May

You 3.0: Mindset, Part II…

walking at sunset

On Wednesday I started discussing what I have learned from my 2 year journey to losing weight. At the time I started I was well overweight by most objective standards. Today I am at a healthy weight with a 15 lb. cushion (and that’s the way I like it!). Many have asked how I did it and to me, the most important part was changing how I think about me, my weight, my fitness and my eating habits. As much as you may hate me saying this, it really is a battle of the mind first and foremost. If you choose to think that you can diet for a specific period of time and then binge afterwards, you might as well just forego the whole diet thing altogether. I asked you to consider 5 questions on Wednesday…to thoroughly examine how and why you eat, how and why you do or don’t exercise and who you are as a person. Everyone is different and my path to fitness and health will most likely be different than your path. But, these questions helped me identify what would and would not work for me and I hope they do the same for you:

  1. When do I tend to overeat? I am a mid-afternoon and late evening snacker. This is my big battleground.  At first I tried not to eat after 7 pm. Total failure! So, I have to have foods I like on hand that don’t contain too many calories for those snack attacks late at night. I had to experiment to find foods that quelled the “hungries!”
  2. Why do I overeat? In my case, it’s usually because I’m watching TV or I’m bored or tired. It’s essential that you understand why you do this. Do you eat when you feel sad? Do you eat when you’re angry or frustrated? Then, be ready to combat this head on, with some coping strategies. It’s probably better for you to punch your pillow or cry it out or hop on a treadmill than to eat yourself into a heart attack or diabetes. The pillow, your red, blotchy swollen face, and your tired, aching body will recover—your heart and metabolism may not. If you’re trying to squelch a memory of a bad childhood trauma, then you may need a professional to help you figure this stuff out.
  3. Do I like to exercise in the morning or at night or at noon? When do you have the most energy to exercise? The PH is an “early bird” and gets his workout in before I even get up in the morning! I, on the other hand, prefer to work out in the “dark of night.” I sleep better doing it late at night (This defies research, folks. I’m just weird!) and I have more energy then, since I’m a night owl. The PH just shakes his head at this pattern of mine. It’s okay—I groan and roll over in my bed when he gets up at o’ dark thirty for his little pattern.)
  4. Do I like to exercise alone or do I need an accountability buddy? Most studies will say that working out with someone usually works better.  Again, I defy research here. I find that it’s hard to find someone with the same fitness level and the willingness to put up with all the idiosyncrasies of my health adventures that often invade my workouts. So, I work out alone, on my enclosed porch, where I can wear really stupid combinations of t-shirts, leggings, shorts, sox and tennies without being critiqued by the fitness fashion police.
  5. Do I like working out outdoors or indoors? While I usually enjoy my outdoor workouts, I hate taking a flashlight with me to work out at night and many areas where I would do this are not safe for a female alone at night. So, I usually work out indoors. The lighting in my neighborhood is still sparse and we have “varmints” in our neighborhood that are just as nocturnal as I am. Remember: I like to work out alone—in a “No Varmint” zone.
  6. Do I have any health conditions or changes in my general health that should be monitored by a doctor while I work out and change my diet? If so, be smart and check with that doctor first before making major changes. I agree—it’s a pain, but then dying from a too-kamikaze workout is usually rather painful, too. I think you should opt for the doctor-inflicted pain myself.

 

Don’t miss You 3.0: Mindset, Part III next Wednesday, May 14th!

Tomorrow’s Post: MaryAnn is a songwriter???

You might also like: You 3.0: Mindset, Part I, Lessons Learned from Visiting Sam Moon for the First Time, Absolutely, & It’s All About the Splash

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 10th, 2013 at 6:50 am and is filed under Lessons Learned. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

comments

  1. May 10th, 2013 | Prince William says:

    Me working out and “No Varmint Zones” are mutually exclusive sets!

  2. May 11th, 2013 | MaryAnn says:

    😀

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