The Difference a Day Makes
25 May 2012 9 Comments
in fitness
Wednesday was a horrible, no good, very bad day for me. Just one of those days that is a disaster from the get-go – oh nothing serious, mind you, but a day filled with irks and irritations galore. And although I’ve made some good progress with my emotional eating, on this day I threw all my knowledge out the window and dove headfirst into a binge. I totaled up my calories for the day and came in around 2200, which is not horrible and it’s much less than I had anticipated, but as I sat in the recliner rubbing my bloated belly like Homer Simpson, I felt defeated. It was definitely a low point.
However!!
On Thursday, I rocked it like a hurricane. I kicked Wednesday in the teeth by re-reading all my BED materials and making a plan to eat healthy all day long. I ate oatmeal and salad and apples and chicken during the day and a small portion of spaghetti before Zumba class last night (anyone else carbo-load before Zumba?). I totaled up my calories* and came in around 1100 calories for the day. Not once all day did I feel hungry or deprived. I felt great last night and my Zumba-high lasted until about a half hour before bedtime.
Now normally after a day like Wednesday (anyone else mentally say “Wed-nes-day” when they are typing out that word?) it would take me several days to get my act together, but I was determined NOT to let one bad day turn into a bad week and a half. Although I have a little muscle soreness from the groove-fest that is Zumba, I feel really great this morning, mentally and physically. So lesson learned here is, just because you have a bad day doesn’t mean you don’t have a good day in you somewhere. Oh it’s there, you just gotta dig it out.
OH!!! Oh! Oh! Oh!!!!! I almost forgot…I finally broke through to 184.4 this morning and I’ve lost several inches all over! I’ve been bouncing around between 185-188 for so long that I was starting to think my scale was broken. And while my weight loss isn’t huge, my inches lost are getting pretty impressive, so I know things are happening with my body even if the scale is a little late to the party. *insert happy dance here*
AND! And! And! And! I felt actual muscle in my thigh last night!! After I got home from Zumba, I for some reason rubbed my leg and was shocked that it was somewhat firm. I made Shawn touch it and of course he just looked at me like I was crazy, but I was excited. I guess all that running is actually doing something! *let’s all happy dance again, shall we?*
Have a great Memorial Weekend and don’t forget to remember all those brave veterans who fought so hard so we can happy dance in a free country. :)
*I don’t typically count my calories, but I was curious. I don’t plan on doing it all the time because it typically brings out the crazy in me. But it’s okay if it’s in the name of science.
Food reactions, by golly!
18 May 2012 14 Comments
in Emotional Eating, nutrition Tags: emotional eating, positive thinking
Ugh. Instead of going down the road of “I’m a failure” every time I mess up with food, I’m trying to learn from it. Here are some things I have learned about myself over the last few months:
- 2 glazed donuts = I feel okay. Eating 3 (or more) donuts makes me feel like I’m gonna hurl.
- Eating flour tortillas make me want to take a nap. Carb coma anyone?
- I can’t get enough cereal. Any kind of cereal. One bowl is never enough, so it’s better if I just don’t eat it at all. (Hi I’m Jill and I’m a cereal junkie.)
- Egg noodles are addictive and I don’t want to stop eating them. They make me feel sluggish and bloated.
- I am at this point powerless against commercial birthday cakes. Buttercream icing makes me want to do bad things in a food porn kinda way.
- PopTarts and milk at 10 o’clock at night are never a good idea. Waking up with a stomach ache is no way to start the day.
So basically what I’m learning is that simple carbs are not my friend. Duh. I never said I was the brightest bulb in the lamp.
I guess I’m the type that can read all the nutritional information in the world, but until I experience it myself first hand, I’m not going to believe it. At the beginning of this week for about 3 days most of my meals consisted of a lean protein and vegetables or fruit and nuts. I had tons of energy and felt almost…euphoric? I was nearly giddy – it was weird. As the week progressed and got busier, I opted for the old standby meals which are basically meat, starch, and a starchy vegetable. By last night I was so tired and had a stomach ache and just felt miserable – I don’t want to keep feeling that way.
Looking at my body as if it’s a big science experiment instead of judging myself for not being perfect is probably much healthier in the long run. It’s amazing what you can learn when you take away the judgement and self-flagellating thoughts, and instead observe how your body reacts to certain foods.
I may be 41 years old, but I’m still learning. I don’t know how long it will take me to get this figured out enough that I can be consistent enough to lose all the excess weight, but by golly I’m going to keep trying. (Yes. Yes I did just say “by golly”. Apparently I’m channeling my grandpa today.)
Happy Weekend folks!! 
Believe it
17 May 2012 7 Comments
in Emotional Eating, fitness Tags: Binge eating, emotional eating, positive thinking
Let’s play a little game today. Trust me it’s fun as well as enlightening!
First a question: What do you believe is holding you back from achieving your goals or getting the results you want?
Do you have your answer? Take a moment to think about it if you like, I’ll wait…
Got it? Good.
(For me, I don’t really, honestly, truly, deep down in my believer, believe that I can lose this weight. Which is sad, but I really think this is it.)
Second, imagine flipping that around and saying “I DO believe I can lose this extra weight” (or you can say the opposite of whatever your answer is).
Now, here’s the cool part…think about how you would FEEL if you did believe the flipped-around version of your answer. Close your eyes and really focus on the emotions you would have if you truly believed it. What would those emotions be? And what would the resulting actions be?
For example, how would I feel if I KNEW I could lose this extra weight? How would that impact my actions?
If I believed (and I mean 100% believed) I could lose this weight, I would feel like nothing could stop me. I wouldn’t question whether or not I could consistently exercise or consistently make healthy choices when eating, I would just do it. I would always have my goal in the back of my mind influencing my decisions and it would be rather simple to make the best possible choice in the moment.
So maybe instead of relying on my actions to get me to my goal, I should instead rely on BELIEVING I can do it which will in turn lead to the actions needed to make that goal a reality.
I’ve been doing this backwards for 16 years. Most of you probably have been doing it backwards too. It’s time to take a different approach, don’t you think?
Edited to add: I wrote this post last week and since then, I have been focusing on BELIEVING I can lose the weight and have peace with food. I’ve using some techniques (that I’ll post about later) to help cement this belief in my head, and you know what? IT’S WORKING. I’m starting to truly believe that I CAN do it, and as a result I’ve been eating better and working out has more meaning – and it’s not such a struggle to do either one. This whole idea elaborates on what my guest poster was talking about in this post.
Did you do this exercise? And if you did, what emotions came up for you? If you want to share, feel free in the comments. Also, anyone else have Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing stuck in their head after reading this? 
What would you do?
16 May 2012 14 Comments
in fitness
Today is the funeral for the mother of one of my coworkers. Everyone in the office is going except for me. I thought that one or two others wouldn’t be going, but I just found out that they all are going (there are 5). One of my other coworkers feels very strongly about going – it’s almost mandatory according to him – and I think everyone else is going just because he has made such a thing about it, but I feel that sending a sympathy card is appropriate enough. Also, I’m not so good with funerals and having my coworkers see me do the ugly cry (let’s face it, all my cries are ugly cries) would kill any professionalism I have managed to assemble.
And also…the coworker whose mother died? Is the coworker who told me a couple of years ago that he had feelings for me and implied that he would be willing to cheat on his wife with me. This freaked me out so much and affected my work in such a way that I went on a 2 year binge and gained 40 pounds.
Part of me feels like I should just suck it up and be an adult and go to the funeral, but then there’s another part of me that feels like I don’t want to be anywhere near this guy. Even now, I avoid him at all times unless it is absolutely necessary that I speak to him. So being in a situation where I have to offer sympathy to him and his wife and kids feels strange and awkward and not something I want to deal with.
I will send a sympathy card, and I feel that is appropriate enough. I don’t think I owe him any more than that, and I believe I also owe it to myself to stand up to the peer pressure of attending a funeral that I do not want to attend.
So what would you all do? Put all the junk behind you and go the funeral “out of respect” for the coworker (this is what the other coworker said was his reason for going), or would you do what feels right for you, even if it is the opposite of what everyone else is doing?
Overcome Binge Eating (Guest Post)
14 May 2012 5 Comments
in Emotional Eating Tags: Binge eating, emotional eating
Hey guys! Remember when I talked about the BED ebook I was going through? Well the author of that ebook, Stefanie Nielsen, has agreed to do a guest post which touches on the core of her coaching program. This has been very helpful to me and I thought it might be for some of you as well, so enjoy!
You’ve had a bad day with food! Okay… maybe it’s been a bad two weeks or two months. And you’ve started feeling frustrated and you’re ready for a change.
I’ve been there and these are thoughts that would go through my mind:
- “Tomorrow will be different”.
- “I just need the right diet plan to get started.”
- “I just need to have more will power.”
- “I’ll start doing these right ‘tomorrow’ morning.”
But what happens when tomorrow comes?
More often than not, it’s not perfect. You ‘screw’ up and ‘tomorrow’ is put off until ‘tomorrow’ again.
Overcoming binge eating, emotional eating, compulsive overeating, and other eating patterns is more than just ‘willing’ yourself to stop. It’s a process that is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
When you focus on only the physical aspect (diet, exercise, and what your body looks like) you end up cycling back and forth between being ‘on the wagon’ and ‘falling off’. It creates the battle within yourself of being ‘good’ or being ‘bad’. It becomes an endless cycle of self judgement and criticism that fuels overeating and in turn restricting.
You may be thinking, “Well if a diet and exercise program aren’t going to ‘fix me’ – then what is?! I need to stop this NOW.”
The truth is that YOU’RE NOT BROKEN – you never were and you don’t need to be ‘fixed’.
We’ve all been taught that actions get results right? That is why when we need to make a change we focus on our actions.
While actions do create results… have you ever stopped to think about what creates your actions?
- What makes you want to eating everything in sight when you’re stressed?
- Why can’t you seem to stop eating even after you’re full?
- Why do you continually do things even though your inner voice is begging you not to?
Beneath the level of action are your emotions, thoughts, and beliefs. If you were building a house, it would go something like this…
- Your THOUGHTS and BELIEFS are your FOUNDATION.
- Your EMOTIONS are your WALLS.
- And your ROOF is your ACTIONS.
- All these culminate into the structure of your ‘house’ or your RESULTS.
You cannot build a house that will withstand the storms of life without a proper foundation. The foundation is where you start if you want to create lasting changes in ANY area of your life.
Change must come at the level of your beliefs and thoughts in order for your emotions, actions, and results to shift.
If you are ready to create this shift in your own life; be sure to get signed up for the FREE CALLS that will be happening on Tuesday May 15th 2012.
Stefanie Nielsen is no stranger to emotional eating, depression, poor self-image, negative self-talk, and binge eating. She has experienced them all and has found her way to the ‘other side’. She has shifted her life into one of discovery, strength, and clarity. Stefanie is also a S.W.A.T. Certified Personal Empowerment Coach.
Have questions or comments for Stefanie? Leave them in the comments or email me and I’ll make sure she gets them!
I’m actually going to post this one
10 May 2012 7 Comments
in fitness
I have about 4 or 5 half finished posts in my drafts that I almost accidentally published but then I deleted so if you read me in a Reader then you come over here and there aren’t any posts that is why.
You’re welcome for that incredibly long yet makes no sense sentence. Much like that sentence.
Sheesh.
ANYWAY, I gathered you all here today to let you know that time is slipping away my friends. In case you didn’t know it already.
My kids end their school year next Tuesday and I’m suddenly VERY AWARE of how time seems to be zooming away at the speed of light. I am handling this fact as maturely and gracefully as you would imagine, which is to say, not handling it well at all.
My oldest will be in 10th grade in the fall, and when I was in school 10th grade started high school (junior high was 7th, 8th, & 9th grade). At my kids school now, they have a Mid High which is 9th & 10th, and High School is 11th & 12th. But in my mind, 10th grade = high school.
Here’s how I am on the outside to anyone who asks about him:
Oh yeah he’ll be in 10th grade next year. He’s going to take Driver’s Ed in the fall and he still loves marching band. We’re looking at which colleges he might go to or what route he might take after high school. It’s all good.
Here’s how I am on the inside while appearing calm and cool:
MY BABY IS TOO YOUNG TO BE IN BIG SCHOOL WITH THOSE BIG KIDS AND HE’S TOO YOUNG TO DRIVE AND HE’S TOO YOUNG TO BE HUGGING THAT GIRL AND WHY GOD WHY DID YOU HAVE TO LET HIM GROW UP SO SOON?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Freaking the heck OUT is what I’m doing.
Also, my middle one will be entering middle school in the fall and I’m a wee bit sad that she won’t be in elementary school anymore. More than that, I sort of dread the middle school girl drama that she will most likely have to endure. Some of it has begun already, but if memory serves me correctly, it tends to get worse in grades 6th – 8th.
Seriously, if I could go back and freeze a specific time, I would freeze the year my kids were 11, 7, and 3 and keep it there forever. FOR.EV.ER.
I’m so thankful that I still have a child in the elementary school – she’ll enter 2nd grade next school year and you better believe I’m going to milk every minute of her grade school time. Poor thing, she’s going to be surprised to find that her shadow is actually me.
And do you all know what I do when I’m dealing with unpleasantness? I’ll give you ten guesses…and I’ll give you ten hints:
1 – 10) EAT!
I’m trying guys, I really am. I’m trying to not eat my feelings but it is so, so hard. I’ve done really well today, and I’m hoping that by getting it all out here, I won’t feel so inclined to stuff the feelings down with food.
My nest is not empty but my first baby bird will be leaving too soon. How do all you other mama birds deal with this? and will it be traumatic for my son if I go to school with him every day for the next 3 years? I don’t think so. He’ll learn to deal with it. ;)
An Ode to Friday
04 May 2012 13 Comments
Oh Friday, how I love you. You are the end, yet you are also the beginning. The spring in my step, the way my fingers fly across my keyboard, the hopeful glint in my eye…it’s all because of you, Friday. You are the light at the end of a long, long tunnel, and the promise of good things to come. You are so full of potential and hope – is there any other day quite like you Friday? I think not. You are special to me.
You know what I love most about you? I don’t have to set my alarm when I go to bed. It’s such a small thing but it brings me so much delight. It’s the little things in life that make us truly happy, right? Thank you Friday, for that one small treasure.
Thank you also for being pizza and movie night. Or backyard campfire night. Or mama’s night out on the town. It doesn’t matter what the activity is, because the feeling is always like letting out a nice long sigh…”aaaahhhhhh”. Yes, Friday, you rock the casbah in so many ways.
So I salute you, dear Friday. I applaud you for being the day that everyone loves. You have my undying devotion.
I love you.
You all are so witty!