I know we have been told that if we follow a certain path, that we will successfully lose weight. Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem, hypnosis, Overeaters Anonymous, Teen Tops, etc.
Over the past few days and past 6 decades, I have not found that to be true. The path is often too demanding and I revert back to my old habits.
No excuses, just the reality. Today, Saturday, I again have had some introspection and am moving forward on sole source again. I know it is the ONLY way I can lose weight. I have tried all the others and Cambridge is the only one that works for me. But, it is daunting. One needs to stay focused with self-discipline up the whazoo! Once there is a distraction or break in that focus, there goes sole source and all that follows.
Over the past few days, I have imploded with disappointments, distractions and the like. Therefore, my focus was blurred being on sole source and therefore, I caved.
I know I need to keep going——NO MATTER WHAT!! That is what I am planning to do. It's almost 5 p.m. today (Saturday) and I have again rededicated myself to being the best I can be on sole source (no cheating).
If it were easy, then there wouldn't be 70% of Americans overweight or obese. So, I know it's tough. I just need to put my "game face" on and plow through this.
Yes, it is hard. No question about that. Cambridge Diet is probably the simplest diet ever invented, but we are still left to deal with ourselves in the process.
Like many of life's challenges that require us to make choices and take actions that are basically opposite of what would give us instant gratification or pacification, it can seem impossible. But losing weight is NEVER impossible. The possibility is always there! It is our personal dialog that sets our course. We have everything we need to succeed. It's not a matter of education or poverty or genetics or access to tools or substances or resources. Over the years I have worked with people from every imaginable walk of life and no one has an actual advantage over the other because we are all limited by the same thing. Our thoughts. If you believe you can and will accomplish something, you are setting a destination in your mind's GPS. That may come with some detours and delays, but rather then stop and wait for a 10 car pile-up, you recalculate and continue on.
I had days when it was a blood and guts battle with myself. It almost felt like a physical fight with the person I had always believed myself to be, and the person I decided I was destined to be. Obesity was not my destiny as I had believed my entire life. It was the consequence of my choices and my thoughts, and like a doorway to actions, I kept walking through that same dang door!
Speaking of "doors"..I used visualization a lot while losing my weight. One of them was of me bracing against a door that was ajar. On the other side were hoards of excuses and justifications and self doubts...and sadly, self hate. My sense of unworthiness was the monster in the back of the pack, trying to bust down the door and flood me with hopelessness. I had to keep pushing to prevent all my natural tendencies from overtaking me. Those were the tough times. The raging battle.
Other times it was like a walk in a field of daisies! I was in control, felt invincible, on fire! FREE!
The emotional chaos we all run in to while attempting to make extreme changes like this is to be expected and respected. It is part of the process and hopefully will be looked back on some day with the perspective of someone that has challenged and won each battle as they came, or at the least did not let it stop us.
My ultimate goal was to finally quietly close the door on my challengers (my thoughts, urges, cravings, desire for pacification) and find a peaceful, logical, and realistic place for food in my life. I have not been 100% successful, but I would give myself a good solid 85%.
It sounds like you had some stuff going on that triggered your need for comfort or distraction and you automatically reverted to the familiar band-aid. That's probably the most common reason for people to fall off their diet. We decide in those moments to confront our demons or surrender. Most of the time, most of us surrender, and we end up with more reasons to feel hopeless.
The fact that you always get back up and brush yourself off and continue on is admirable. It is also the only way to make this work. No one is ever perfect on SS or any diet for that matter. You've had physical obstacles this past year that certainly cramped your style, but "You take a lickin' and keep on tickin'!" lol! Younger board members will not understand that reference
TIMEX
Posted by Yvonne on 4/23/2018, 10:27 pm, in reply to "Yup! "
Yes, the young folks won't relate to anything really that requires delayed gratification.
I am here on my second day "count-down". I have not surrendered to the temptations, but it is SO-O-O-O easy to fall back into bad habits.
It's about 10:30 p.m. and today is another day down.
Speaking of doors, in my career and in the past, I have walked through many doors that were thought to be closed to me. This one is made of lead and concrete because it is of my own making. That's the irony of it all.
But, so far so good. One foot in front of the other (no pun intended)
Re: TIMEX
Posted by Pam T on 4/24/2018, 2:07 pm, in reply to "TIMEX"
