Life’s too short to beat yourself up. xx

9^th August 2012

Working hard is important.  But there is something that matters even more: Believing in yourself – Harry Potter

And another day tracked and in the bag ;-) ooo I’ve just looked through the window for the first time this morning, it’s all foggy I can’t see past the end of the street, sometimes that means it’s going to be a really hot day, fingers crossed.  Anyway I finished last night on 32pp and I’d earned 14pp on my pedometer, looking good for having plenty spare for the weekend, I’m working Friday night so it’s only really a two day weekend for me this week, plus I feel really focused and like I can’t be led astray so on course for a weight loss again I’m sure.

Yesterday I popped in Asda for a few bits and bobs and picked up a bag of American style salad, it was like a coleslaw mix with shredded cabbage, carrots etc and in the bag was a packet of croutons which I didn’t use and a sachet of ranch dressing which I expected to be hugely high in ProPoints but it was 2pp for 2tbsp or 4pp for 3tbsp and I enjoyed it so much, it was worth the 4pp to be on the safe side, I’ll weigh it out next time to be safe.  I had it with a couple of chicken drumsticks and 1 thigh (skinless) cooked in a WW garlic and herb bag, proper tasty and Alfie enjoyed the skin ;-)

Another member got their goal last night, and one of my more mature members showed me her before and after shots at the end of the meeting, unfortunately she didn’t want me to share them which is such a shame because she’s lost 56lb and has done amazingly well, proving age is nothing but a number.

WHY, oh why are ladies so hard on themselves for not being perfect?  One of my members who has done so amazingly well to get to her goal has put a bit of it back on and is really beating herself up, she’s not the first, I know I’ve had many return in the past feeling ‘ashamed’ (their words not mine) of their weight gain, and unfortunately there are even more who are too embarrassed to return if they gain some of their weight.

Really, it’s not necessary to feel any of these emotions, gaining weight doesn’t mean you’re useless or hopeless, it doesn’t make you a bad person, or a failure.  It means you’re human and life happens!  It usually means something has happened in your life to take your attention away from taking care of yourself usually to take care of someone else which means you’re a wonderful, caring person.  I’d rather know that kind of person than someone who doesn’t feel or care about anyone or anything!

When life’s hard, weight loss can be hard, but remember it still doable, you just need to acknowledge the things in life that are making it difficult and ask yourself “what can I do to help me here?”, “how best can I cope with this situation”, “can anyone help me?”, “who can I talk to?”

You’d be amazed at how many friends you have and how many people are willing to help if only you let them know you need help, I have to admit that I’m guilty of thinking, “if they were real friends they’d see I need help”, but guess what, they’ve got stuff going on too and just because they don’t notice, doesn’t mean they don’t care, it just means their distracted by stuff too.

So wherever you are on your journey, remember and remind yourself that it isn’t a short-term quick fix diet, this is a lifelong journey, and there will be ups and downs, highs and lows.  If when everything is good you work on changing habits that aren’t so good, then when you hit a rough spot, you’ll have those good habits in place which will be automatic and they will help you at those times.

Today decide to keep reminding yourself how fabulous you are, if you do something that is contributing towards you making good wise food choices, or doing something that will get you a little active, give yourself a pat on the back.  If you notice yourself doing the opposite and making a bad choice or opting not to move much – give yourself a break, and an invisible hug. Xx

Life’s too short to beat yourself up. xx