Consistency....making a habit of it

A lot of the losing weight and for that matter achieving anything is all about doing the same thing over and over - in other words CONSISTENCY. If I were to put together all the effort I have put into my battle with weight instead of all the stops and starts and breaks - I can bet my bottom dollar there would be no one healthier than moi!

I am aiming to be consistent and not be results driven to a manic point. An example is when my psychologist suggested to me to try and fight my desire to eat sugar until our next appointment. I started great but then on days 3 and 4 I ate chocolate and then some ice cream and then some more. My report to the psychologist was that I had failed, although she saw it as a little victory that I did not eat sugar for all of the 10 days. Indeed her advice was to cut myself some slack. Lesson learnt. I need to take one day at a time and then - who knows if I do eat sugar then I need to move on and simply do better right after instead of wallowing and then deciding that I might as well have the lot as I have failed in my own eyes. The only day where I have decided I will not think of sugar is xmas day. I know I will have a mince pie but other than that there arent any plans to have a sugar overload. It is something I have planned and decided I will do. If I do not WANT to have the mince pie, I will not. Our Christmas menu reads something like fruity muesli for breakfast, Xmas lunch is a prawn platter, waldorf salad and watermelon and mint - and possibly roast chicken and also possibly some mulled wine. No heavy duty sauces or creamy pies. It is likely to be a hot day so I am quite happy to do a healthy Christmas meal and feel happy thank you very much :)

Another thing that I am doing is that I have come to a blanket agreement with my husband that we will not get anything sweet in the house. That way I do not have to come to any decisions. Mind you I did buy 2 jars of jam but they are going straight to my husbands work for his morning tea. I actually forgot about the blanket agreement we had and thought it was a good deal when we bought it. Now thats good money spent and so it will simply mean the jars have to be spirited away.

Coming back to consistency, when I read blogs where people have lost weight (and stacks of it I might add) and of those (myself included) that haven't, the one recurring difference between both groups really boils down to consistency. Therefore, I do not need to reinvent the wheel - all I need to do is think of ways of how I can be consistent and commit to it. Having said that, I am not planning to do a weight in this weekend just to get my head into gear and also spend time preparing my spreadsheets for measuring weight and centimetres. I still have to learn how to have all those gizmo things on blogs like in a lot of blogs I see.

However, in the spirit of the season - merry xmas all and cheers to new beginnings xoxox

Reporting after one week

Righty o' reports post week one as follows:

Weight 120.6 improvement of .600 gms
Hips 140.6 improvement of 5cms
Waist 117.7 improvement of 3cms
Neck 39.9 improvement of 6cms

My thoughts on the progress:
Overall I am happy with the progress. I was not super strict and my walks have to increase in distance other than the usual 2 kms. Sugar consumption has to come down although it is hugely better than it used to be where a family bar of chocolate was usually no challenge at all. Mentally I have been in a happier place. It might be due to the one visit I have had with the psychologist - not that she worked miracles but more because I quite liked talking to a complete stranger who listened and asked questions as a natural flow type of thing rather than feeling I was on the proverbial couch as they show in movies.

Sessions will continue with the psychologist and we will see where I go. Until then be healthy

A New Year round the corner

Although I do not believe in making new year resolutions (having flopped miserably at so many of them), there is something to be said for new beginnings that I am a big fan of and if the association coincides with a new week, month or year, I don't really mind.

Anyhoo I had outlined 2011 as a year of self repair and so I have had a baby, an ankle reconstruction, visits to a psychologist to deal with my sugar addiction and now that the year is almost at an end, I thought it might be time to draw up another list of what I would like to do in 2012 seeing all of the above were accomplished. These plans are not in order of preference

2012 PLANS

BODY

• Lose 30 Kilos.
• Try and minimise sugar to no more than half a cup a month and then working towards gradually ending its existence in our lives.
• Make exercise a part of daily life and not think of it as a punishment or a chore.
• Cycle 100km in 2012

MIND

• Work on self confidence and standing up for myself - if someone is rude then let them know it. 

SPIRIT

• Enjoy life and each day valuing my gorgeous husband and lovely child and thanking the powers that be for their existence in my life.
• Try and meditate once a week

I think I will see Dec as the month I started. I don't want to wait for Jan as I have often been there and done that and all it ever is is an excuse to eat madly till the starters gun goes on 01 Jan, 2012. I just want to eat normal, close to home cooked food and essentially food for life.

Meanwhile the cold hard facts:

Weight: 122.2 kg

Measurements: 

 Hips 141.1cm

Waist 118 cm

Neck Circum 40.5cm

There is a great app on my iphone called 'MyNetDiary' which is free (I am a sucker for free apps). One can log all measurements etc on this app. There is also a section where one can log in the food etc which I am not doing as I am still new to this app and just want to keep a record of my weight essentially. But it is there for those that need it.

I am planning on measuring myself weekly and will go from there. My goal for Dec is to go for a walk everyday for an hour starting tomorrow.Meanwhile I will think of things like gyms etc for the following months. Lets see. I just need to focus on moving and eating better and of course doing what the psych has asked me to do - write about me eating sugar when I eat it and I have not done it. I have to complete this tonight. But it is 7.15pm and I need to cook - hubby is back and putting little one to sleep - I gotta run :) - Be healthy all!!