Day #14 - Plan for Tomorrow

Saturday

1. 1 helping oatmeal with 8 oz milk & flax seed
   
2. 1 orange + 1 string cheese
3. 1 cup raw veggies + ¼ C Hummus
4. 2 oz shredded lean pork on 1/2 slice ww toast
   
5. Eat out with Dave: 750 restaurant calories
   

Sunday

1. 1 egg + ww toast
   
2. 1 apple + 1 laughing cow cheese
3. 1 cup raw veggies + ¼ C Hummus
4. 1 cup apple sauce + 1 graham cracker
5. Yogurt & Berries
6. 1/3 cup black beans with salsa and 15 baked chips
7. 4 oz cottage cheese with 1 whole grain slice bread
   
8. 1 cup steamed veggies with brown rice

Monday

1. Granola bar
2. 1 orange + 1 string cheese
3. 1 cup raw veggies + ¼ C Hummus
4. 1 banana with 1 Tbsp PB
5. Tuna sandwich
6. Spinach salad and edamame
   
7. ½ wheat bagel w/ reduced fat cream cheese
8. baked potato and steamed veggies with yogurt

Tuesday

1. Whole grain cereal with milk
2. 1 banana with 1 Tbsp PB
3. 1 Baked potato with yogurt, salsa and steamed veggies
4. 2 oz tuna on 1/2 slice whole grain bread
   
5. ½ cup beans with steamed veggies
6. V-8 Juice (reduced sodium) with 6 whole grain crackers

7. 5 olives + 2 oz low sodium turkey deli meat wrapped around 1 pickle

CREDIT: I've been mindful of each bite today and I've tried to relax and sit down while eating.

Day #13 - Overcoming Cravings

Anti-Craving Techniques:

1- Label it as a craving (recognize it).
2- Stand firm.
3- Don't give myself a choice.
4- Imagine the aftermath of giving in.
5- Advantage Response Card.

Behavioral Techniques:

1- Distance myself from the food I crave.
2- Drink water.
3- Relax (breathing and quick meditation techniques)
4- Distract myself. (This is what I call "distraction action" which I coined for my substance abuse clients)

My list of distraction actions:
1- Talk to nearest person (coworkers, family members, classmates, online friends)
2- Post to Pushing Lazies
3- Go for a walk, even if it's around the cul-de-sac or around the parking lot or down the hall.
4- Work in the garden or shovel snow
5- Do the dishes
6- Turn on music and dance
7- Brush my teeth
8- Listen to my audiobook or read a book
9- Homework
10- Ride my bicycle
11- AIM Dave
12- Update this blog or write for Stodgy Legs Elf blog
13- Browse Facebook or Netflix


Measure Cravings

- How long did the craving last?
About 5 minutes

- How uncomfortable was the craving on a scale from 1 -10?
2

- Which anti-craving technique or distraction did I use?
I labeled it then distanced myself and distracted myself by getting on the computer.

CREDIT: Today so far I've eaten extremely healthy food in small portions. I also went to the gym!

Day #12 - Practice Hunger Tolerance

I'm not sure how I feel about the assignment today. The idea is to set up a day and skip a meal to get over the fear of hunger. It's not something anyone should do on a regular basis, but I guess it does make sense that I often eat whatever is in front of me because at the core I'm worried I won't have more food coming later.

Dr. Judith Beck says that people with health conditions who shouldn't skip meals ought not to do this assignment. I'm in that category because of my hypoglycemia, but it just so happens that I'm going in for a full physical on Monday and have to go in fasting because of certain blood tests.

I will use Monday to practice hunger tolerance. Once I've recorded my experience I may transfer it to this blog. If not, I'll report the overall experience here.

CREDIT: I bought some Swiss chard and flax seed at the market today along with other healthy choices for when my diet starts.

Day #11 - Differentiate Between Hunger, Desire, and Cravings

Today I'm charting how I feel before, in the middle of, and after I eat. I'm focusing on the sensations in my stomach, mouth, throat and the rest of my body.

This ought to be interesting since I lost my ability to feel hunger in my stomach years ago. The only signs of hunger I have are when I have an insulin attack and start to shake, get light-headed and sometimes pass out.

I'm doing the exercise anyway, because it might be enlightening. Maybe I can tell when I'm hungry before it's too late. Or if I'm right and I can't, maybe it will enforce the idea that I need to seriously monitor my calorie intake since I can't tell when I'm hungry. On the other hand, I can tell when I've eaten enough or too much.

CREDIT: This morning I ate only 3/4 of my breakfast, instead of eating until I was too full.

Day #10 - Set a Reasonable Goal

Losing weight at a slower rate is better than at a fast rate. I'm not worried about a time frame for a big and final goal.

Although I have a long term goal of losing 25 - 30 lbs, there is no way of knowing if this is a reasonable goal until I get well into the process of losing weight. It's better to set short term goals and reward myself at the end of each goal.

My goal is to lose 6 lbs. When I accomplish this goal, I will reward myself by buying a new audiobook to listen to while I exercise.

CREDIT: I was tempted to eat a late-night snack again last night, but worked on my family video instead.

Day #9 - Make an Exercise Plan

My plan may change as I increase my health or as my schedule changes, but in the beginning it will look like this:

Monday
Weights 30 mins
Cardio 30 mins

Tuesday
Weights 45 mins

Wednesday
Cardio 45 mins

Thursday
Weights 45 mins

Friday
Cardio 45 mins

Saturday
Housework/Yard Work

Sunday
Yoga

Things I will do to add to my natural (spontaneous) exercise:
1- Park far away from buildings and get on and off the bus at the top of campus rather than right next to my building.
2- Walk or ride my bike instead of driving to the store when possible.
3- Get up and walk around the office as much as possible
4- Figure out the bus schedule for work and walk to and from the bus stop.

CREDIT: I stopped myself from eating late at night last night when I was tempted to eat before bed.

Day #8 - Plan Schedule

My schedule sample (varies week to week):

Monday
6:30 a.m. Wake up
7:00 a.m. Gy
8:00 a.m. Med
8:30 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Sh
9:30 a.m. HW
12:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. PUB
2:30 p.m. HW/HW
3:00 p.m. Snack
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. RT
10:00 p.m. B

Tuesday
4:45 a.m. Wake up
5:50 a.m Bu
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:10 a.m. U
7:30 a.m. Gy
8:30 a.m. Cl
9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 Snacks
3:30 p.m. Cl end
4:25 p.m. Bu
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. KHW
8:00 p.m. HW
9:00 p.m. RT
9:30 p.m. Med/Ab
10:00 p.m. Sh/B

Wednesday
4:45 a.m. Wake up
5:50 a.m Bu
6:30 a.m. Breakfast
7:10 a.m. U
8:30 a.m. Cl
9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 Snacks
2:30 p.m. Cl end
2:50 p.m. Gy
4:25 p.m. Bu
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. KHW
8:00 p.m. HW
9:00 p.m. RT
9:30 p.m. Med/Ab
10:00 p.m. Sh/B

Thursday
4:45 a.m. Wake up
5:30 a.m. Gy
7:00 a.m. Breakfast/Get Ready
8:00 a.m. W
9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 Snacks
5:00 p.m. OW
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. KHW
8:00 p.m. HW
9:00 p.m. Relax
9:30 p.m. Med/Ab
10:00 p.m. Sh/B

Friday
4:45 a.m. Wake up
5:30 a.m. Gy
7:00 a.m. Breakfast/Get Ready
8:00 a.m. W
9:00, 11:00, 1:00, 3:00 Snacks
5:00 p.m. OW
6:30 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. KHW
8:00 p.m. HW
9:00 p.m. Relax
9:30 p.m. Med/Ab
10:00 p.m. Sh/B

Saturday
7:00 a.m. Wake up/Breakfast
7:30 a.m. Gy/Med
9:00 a.m. HW/HW
12:00 p.m. Lunch
3:30 p.m. Sh
4:30 p.m. D w/D
5:30 p.m. Dinner
10:30 p.m. B

Sunday
7:00 a.m. Wake up/Breakfast/Sh
8:00 a.m. HW
9:00 a.m. snack
11:00 a.m. snack
12:00 p.m. FT
1:00, 3:00, 5:00 p.m. snack
7:00 p.m. dinner
9:00 p.m. Yo/Med/Ab
10:00 p.m. B

Day #7 - Arrange Environment

I'll make the following changes at home:

1- I've told my kids and Dave that I'm on a diet and won't be cooking certain foods any more. They can cook those things if they want them.
2- I'll ask my family to not comment on what I eat, especially if they catch me making a mistake.
3- I'll be using smaller dishes at home, and keeping the family treats hidden in a spot that I won't allow myself access to.

I'll make the following changes at work:

1- I will not make coffee runs with my classmates or coworkers, because they tend to buy sweets with their coffee and it's hard for me to resist.
2- I won't bring home-baked goodies for my clients unless they are healthy and on my diet.
3- I'll tell my substance abuse group that I appreciate the snacks they bring, but I can no longer join them in eating during group therapy. Their therapist is on a diet!

CREDIT: Today I ate a small, healthy breakfast, and again resisted the holiday treats on the counter.

Day #6 - Find a Diet Coach

I need a diet coach to:

1- Keep me motivated
2- Help build my self-confidence
3- Help me with problem-solving

Each week I will report:

1- Change in weight
2- Successes for the week
3- Struggles for the week

I will contact my "coach" when:

1- I'm in a high-risk situation
2- I've strayed from my plan

My diet coach will be Dave, who has agreed to help me. However, I'll also use this blog and my FB Pushing Lazies page to report.

CREDIT: Today I turned down the offer of seconds for something I really liked, and I felt good about it. I also chose to exercise while on vacation.

Day #5 - Eat Slowly and Mindfully

Eating slowly helps me be more aware of when I'm full and adds to the satisfaction and enjoyment of eating.

I will remind myself to eat more slowly and mindfully by doing the following:

1- Set food or utensils down between each bite
2- Sip water with meal
3- Don't eat while watching films/TV, or while on the computer or reading
4- Savor each bite, enjoy the taste and texture
5- Set a nice place-setting if possible
6- While eating during class (a necessary evil), chew slowly and look at each bite. Don't rush through food, even if it is while I'm listening to a lecture.

I deserve to enjoy what I'm eating. I deserve to be healthy and reach my goals.

CREDIT: This morning there were a bunch of holiday vacation goodies sitting out in the condo kitchen. I chose a banana for my sweet tooth instead. I sat down and ate the banana slowly while thinking to myself, "Don't drop the banana! It's a good source of potassium!"

Day #4 – Give Myself Credit

To remember to give myself credit consistently, I’m going to put sticky notes with the word “credit” inside my planner and on my mirror to read at night. I also have a response card that says “What did you do right?”

At the end of each blog from now on I’ll type up something I did right.

Once I build my confidence by giving myself credit, dieting will be easier.

CREDIT: Today I ate ice cream, but I ate it in a tiny bowl, sat down, and didn’t go back for seconds. Not too shabby!

Day #3 – Eat Sitting Down

Eating while sitting helps to avoid compulsive eating. It will help me be more aware of the food I’m eating, and create a healthy, relaxing condition that will aid with digestion.

When I feel like eating standing up, I’m going to take some deep breaths and find a quiet place to sit and eat. I’m going to remind myself to sit down when I eat by keeping a “sit down” sign on my bento box and inside my kitchen cabinet where I’ll see it while cooking.

Once I accept the fact that I have to eat everything sitting down, dieting will be easier.

Day #2 – Choose Two Reasonable Diets

I chose a primary and secondary diet that are both reasonable and nutritious. With careful planning, I should be able to carry them out.

Diet 1:
Eat 200 calories every 2 hours. Include 3 veggies and 1-2 fruit every day along with whole grains and lean proteins. Choose foods that are low in fat, sugars and sodium.

Diet 2:
Same as above except eat the following distribution of calories:
300 breakfast
400 lunch
200 snack
500 dinner
100 snack

Once I accept the fact that I have to follow a healthy eating plan for life, dieting will be easier.

Day #1: Record the Advantages of Losing Weight

Taken from The Beck Diet Solution
by Dr. Judith S. Beck

Advantage Response Card
I'll live longer
I'll be more confident
I'll be less self-critical
I'll have more energy
I'll have less joint/back pain
I'll have less digestive problems (heartburn)
I'll lower my blood pressure
I'll have less migraines and headaches
I'll lower my cholesterol
I'll decrease my stress levels
I'll be stronger physically
I won't have that icky, heavy feeling
I'll feel as if I've accomplished something important
I'll feel more in control
I'll enjoy sexual intimacy even more
I'll feel less self-conscious in a swimsuit or naked
I'll feel more attractive


I need to read my Advantage Response Cart at least twice a day if I want to resist temptation. It'll take only a few seconds. It's not a big deal. I might not need it psychologically today, but I'll need it soon. I have to cement these reasons in my mind for when the going gets tough.


I'll read my Advantages Response Card at the following times:
1- First thing in the morning when I get up
2- At 3:00 pm (a difficult time for me when I'm on a diet)
3- Any time I'm struggling with the temptation to go off my diet plan

My reminder system will be:
1- I'll post them on my mirror for my morning read
2- I'll program them in my iPhone to go off as a message at 3:00