Friday, December 24, 2010

Holiday Eating/New Years resolutions

The other day I told my trainer I miss food. I miss the textures, the taste, the blissful ignorance of not caring how many calories or what the nutritional factors were (such as carbs/protein/fat). I totally take that back. Right. So it's confession time. I have read all the articles I could get a hold of on holiday eating. Everyone had such helpful tips:
1. Eat a healthy snack before going to the holiday party you are attending so you don't over eat.
2. Make sure when you leave for the party you're not empty-handed. Keep your hands full with holding a purse, camera, cell phone . . . anything that will keep you from holding food or a drink—unless it's water.
3. When you do eat at the gathering, grab a small plate; think small portions; and once you have your plate of food, stay far away from the table of temptation.
4. Politely say no to taking home any of the left overs.
5. Stay hydrated with water - alcholic drinks and sodas make you more thirsty and dehydrate you at the same time.

And for the most part - I've done fairly good. Haven't been as strict as I was in November, but on the most part I've maintained my weight. So while I'm still trying to lose weight it's not the best thing, but at least I haven't gained weight.  I ate smarter breakfasts and snacks on the Monday I had my cheese enchiladas with queso sauce cause it was full of fat. I thought I'd had so many sweets last Saturday that I could go for at least a month without sweets. And then today hit. I got bored so I stopped at Taco Bell on the way home. I got the fresco bean burrito - won't do that again. They are 350 calories each. Apparently the 150 calorie meal is the chicken tacos.  And then, I checked the time yesterday and I really thought it said the Christmas Eve service started at 7 so I get to church at 6:50 and turns out that the service started at 6. I was so embarassed. And feeling sorry for myself....so I go home and eat and eat and eat. Now I'm sitting here watching Muppets Christmas Carol with a belly ache and feeling nauseous.  So I just have to get that self-control back and buckle down to get serious about eating healthy again.

I was reading my journal and came across some notes I took when I read Never Say Diet by Chantel Hobbs. She lost 200 pounds the hard way - diet and exercise. She knows exactly how I feel and my way of thinking - food and exercise wise.  Another admission - I am human. I like to hear how good I look. I like to hear how good I am doing. I'm sorry. I'm human. It's a good ego boost. But on the flip side I then feel all this pressure not to fail. Every day I'm afraid I'll fail my trainer, my friends, my family, and even myself.  So rather than sit here and beat myself up, I'm going to share my New Year's resolutions early.  I mentioned Chantel Hobbs book because she shares 10 things you have to understand before you can change and my goal is to remember them:
1. Overeating isn't just emotional - you have to understand the emotional baggage.
2. Some of us are rigged differently.
3. The snares of the fat trap are laid early.
4. Society is not going to help.
5. Lying to yourself doesn't help.
6. Understanding nutrition will help.
7. Don't look to others for praise.
8. Don't buy your old excuses.
9. Don't wait for a sign.
10. Recognize that this is a spiritual battle. Nobody is meant to live an unhealthy life. The disconnect between the life we're living and the person we know we were meant to be can keep us from feeling close to God.

So my 2011 resolutions:
1. I will not set myself up for failure. I'll take baby steps. One step at a time. One day at a time. One success at a time.
2. I will remember that great accomplishments require great sacrifice - nothing worthwile is easy.
3. I will be hungry.  My body doesn't need the calories but it thinks it does. I will keep eating small, more frequent, and healthy meals.  I will remember when the hunger signal gets strong and I learn to ignore it, I am developing the skill of self-control. I will embrace the will power challenges when they occur because they are helping me forge unbreakable habits.
4. I don't have to be Wonder Woman. I just need to be the me God made me to be.
5. I will remember that I am blessed to be alive, and not being active shows a lack of gratitude for the gift of life.  The pain of regret is far worse than the pain of discipline.
6. I will be less hard on myself. I will take time to celebrate my accomplishments without focusing on my stumbles or set-backs. Because they will happen.  God will be with me every step of the way. He never quits, and He never loses. If I ever feel like I don't have the strength to continue, I will always find strength in God. He holds all the power for me to succeed in my new life, and He will give it to me every time I ask.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

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