weight loss Archives - Patty Slupecki - Author⎮Speaker⎮Coach

DAY 14…Week Two Progress Report: It’s Not About the…

It’s Not About the Number on the Scale…Translation, I did not lose another 5.7 lbs. I’ve been up and down by one pound all week. This morning I was up again resulting in an overall loss of 4.7 lbs. for the last two weeks. Still not a bad number, however, it’s not about the number on the scale…really!

My month of BECOMING is about losing some stored fat through behavior and mindset modification. While the win of losing weight is commonly measure by the scale, achievement of this goal can only occur, for me, when my habits and routines are supporting a positive relationship with food.

I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far this month and that is what I stay focused on. However, for the purpose of this blog, I’m going to share what didn’t go so well for me. My reason for this is to let you know I’m far from perfect; this is not an easy journey for me. I have continued challenges and struggles; I just don’t focus on them. I believe what you focus on grows, so I try to give my attention to the things I do well.

Here’s the rundown.

What didn’t go as well as I’d like:

I ate out twice: Meal 1) brisket, coleslaw, one corn muffin w/butter, a few sweet potato fries, and two whisky drinks, Meal 2) lobster mac and cheese and water
I drank alcohol three evenings: the whisky mentioned above and wine at home – two glasses one night, three glasses the other night – no judgement!
I exercised one time this week: I allowed a rainy week to excuse me from my normal workouts.
I thought about getting ice cream several times. And I thought about pizza a few times. And I thought about cheeseburgers.

What did go well:

While eating out, I ordered what I really wanted but didn’t over-indulge. I chose ONE thing on the menu, the entrée I wanted. I did not add appetizers or dessert.
I ate only when I was physically hungry.
I was active with cleaning and moving furniture.
I made an effort to drink plenty of water each day.
When food crossed my mind, you know, the ice cream, burgers, and pizza, I asked myself why I was thinking of the food. I questioned if I was physically or emotionally hungry.
I thought about how I would feel both if I ate the food, and if I chose not to eat it.
I never told myself I couldn’t have a food.
I didn’t identify foods as good or bad, right or wrong.
I didn’t identify myself as good or bad based on my food choices.
I reminded myself that I was the one in control and I could make any choice I wanted.
I did not get the ice cream.
I did not get the pizza.
I made a cheeseburger at home with better quality ingredients than are available from a fast food joint. So, yes, I ate the cheeseburger.
Knowing that I tend to eat when I get bored, I stayed busy by planning ahead.
Knowing that I also tend to eat when I drink wine, I planned how much I would drink ahead of time so as not to over consume and start snacking.

Look how many more positives I found than negatives. Positives are always there if you take the time to look for them!

This is what I want you to takeaway. Acknowledge the importance of self-reflection, focus on the good, and invest time and energy in yourself. Believe that you can BECOME the best/desired version of yourself.

Month of BECOMING

DAY 11…Emotional Hunger vs Physical Hunger

Do you feed your emotional hunger with food?

Often, when an event occurs that causes us to feel stressed, angry, bored, anxious, or sad, we soothe ourselves with food. Some call this ‘eating your feelings’ or ‘calming your nerves’. Our self-talk may say we deserve this treat, this comfort food.

The problem is, food doesn’t fix the problem, it makes us feel worse both physically and emotionally. We feel guilt or shame for overeating high calorie, high fat, low nutrient foods. And, the original issue that set off the emotional eating cycle remains unchanged. Now we feel like a failure, powerless, like we have no will power. We can also feel physically ill, have an upset stomach or indigestion, become bloated, or simply feel uncomfortable.

The first step in disrupting this negative cycle is learning the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger.

Emotional Hunger:

Comes on fast
Needs to be satisfied urgently
Craves sugar, salt, and fat (think: chips, cake, cookies, pizza, grilled cheese, fried foods)
Remains unsatisfied
Triggers guilt, shame, or lack of control

Physical Hunger:

Comes on gradually
Can wait to be satisfied
Has no particular craving (you can be happy with an apple or grilled chicken)
Is satisfied within a few bites
Has no negative triggers

The second step in disrupting the emotional eating cycle is to identify your triggers. Triggers can be people, places, situations, conversations, or feelings. We know negative feelings or emotions can be a trigger, but positive feelings and emotions can be a trigger too. For example, we may want to reward ourselves for a job well done or celebrate a happy life event with food. Reflect on your past experiences to help recall common triggers.

Once your triggers are identified, the final step is to find alternative ways to feed the emotional hunger when it surfaces. Experiment with different ideas to discover what works best for you. Some common ideas for redirecting emotional hunger include going for a walk, calling a trusted friend, listening to uplifting music, writing in a journal, or meditating.

The next time you’re faced with a demanding, emotional hunger:

Stop
Take 5 slow breaths
Remind yourself, YOU are in control
Think of 3 possible choices in addition to eating comfort food
Make a conscious choice

At the very least, you will be more aware of your feelings and have a better understanding of the emotional eating cycle and your abilities to choose differently.

Month of BECOMING

DAY 6…Becoming Less Fat is All in Your Head

My month of becoming began as a way for me to lose some of the stored fat I’ve gained over the past few months. Blogging about the journey is my plan to keep myself accountable. What I know is that losing weight and keeping it off is 100% in your head! Oh yea, I said it and I stand by it. Stay with me…

Becoming less fat requires almost constant decision making, leading to assumptions of right or wrong choices:

Should I eat this or that?
How much am I going to eat?
Will I dish up seconds, thirds?
Does one more glass of wine get poured?
What will I put in my grocery cart?
Can I pass the ice cream drive-through?
Am I going to plan, prep, and cook my own food?
Do I opt for dining out?

This process is usually accompanied by strong emotions, followed by self-judgement, leaving us feeling victorious and worthy because we made the ‘right’ choice, or defeated and not good enough because we made the ‘wrong’ choice. What’s worse, all of this can occur with every bite we put in our mouth, every food-related thought in our head, and every bite we decline to ingest, creating a very negative relationship with food.

What, a relationship with food? Yep. I believe that those of us that struggle most with our weight have unhealthy relationships with food.

We identify foods as good or bad. We believe we are good or bad because of what we eat? We have cheat meals or days. We may binge. We may over-consume alcohol. We rate entire days as lost because of food. We allow our feelings to be fueled or hidden with food. We judge ourselves, blame ourselves, even hate ourselves because of food. This, my friends, is a B-A-D relationship.

We want to lose weight, be thinner, make better choices. However, when we want, we imply lack. When we lack, we judge ourselves as not being good enough. When we believe we aren’t good enough, we want to be better – triggering the continuation of this negative cycle.

Here’s the mindset modification I preach. (Still working on consistent follow-through.):

Foods are neither good nor bad.
Food choices are neither right nor wrong.
Choices can be good, better, or best and sometimes, good enough…is good enough!
You are 100% in control of your choices.
Explore your choices, ask yourself why you desire the food.
Make a choice and own it; no judgement.
Celebrate – enjoy the peace and positive mindset achieved!

When the switch flips on our food relationship, we are focused on the positive. What we focus on grows. What grows…BECOMES.

Tag: weight loss

DAY 14…Week Two Progress Report: It’s Not About the…

DAY 11…Emotional Hunger vs Physical Hunger

Do you feed your emotional hunger with food?

DAY 6…Becoming Less Fat is All in Your Head