Weight Loss Program
What happened? It was all so clear to me a month ago ---
I was sure I could be satisfied at 9 pm with a half an apple
and my last, preciously guarded bread exchange, patiently
watching the poundage drop off at a sensible 1.5 pounds
a week, eyes on the target, firm of resolve; clear of mind.
Then, late one afternoon, that little inner voice says “I
WANT COOKIES!... No, I mean I REALLY want cookies. I’m
not hungry, I just want cookies...and I want them NOW!!!
That firm resolve that was so clear and
present yesterday is nowhere to be found. I can’t
seem to recall what I thought was so darned important that
I had to deny myself that simplest of pleasures --- cookies
and milk. I look in the mirror and say to myself, “for
a middle-aged woman you’re not so bad. Besides, why
are you trying to be a svelte sex-goddess at your age, anyway?
You should be secure enough that you can accept yourself,
no matter what size you are.” (blah-blah-blah!)
Can you relate? This scenario has played
itself out in my life more times than I care to recall.
But recently, I finally had enough, and used the skills
I use to coach other people to success, to jump start my
own weight loss plan and re-boot my resolve. And it worked!
Now I want to spread the news! Here is the weight loss program
I used to get off the diet merry-go-round and lose weight.
And you can do it, too!
Weight Loss Program
1. Envision your goal If you’re vague about where
you’re heading and why you want it, you won’t
get there! So, write out (or, if you hate to journal, speak
it into a tape recorder, or speak it to a friend who’ll
write it down for you), a beautiful, blissful, perfect,
100% satisfaction, no limits, no negative self-talk picture
of what you want to achieve in your eating habits. Be as
specific as possible, and use as many sensory details as
you can come up with. IMPORTANT NOTE: Make this fun!! When
you have a clear idea of what you want, the how-you-get-there
piece gets easier and clearer. If your resolve starts to
wane throughout your journey, take this out and read it
again.
Complete the following statements to stimulate
your thinking:
• I want to feel ________
• I see myself __________
• I am “having”…”being”…”doing”…____________
2. Food Association Journal Set aside about
a half an hour for this. Take inventory of all the associations
you have with food. Sit down and write it all out. The good,
the bad, and the ugly! Let your unconscious mind and your
imagination go nuts with this one. Draw pictures even, if
you want to! But get down on paper, every attitude, belief,
opinion, love, and hate that shows up when you think about
or have anything to do with food.
Example: “Food is Mom! The smell of
meatloaf, corn, and baked potatoes when I came in from playing
as a kid.” or “Food is bad --- It tempts me
at every turn and I have no control over it!”
3. Values Assessment Take a look at your
Food Association Journal and from it, pull out as many things
that you value, deem really important, must have, and love
about food. Write them down. (Bear in mind that when coaches
refer to values, we don’t mean what you think you
should think is important, or what someone else thinks is
valuable. Values in this context refer to those things that
aren’t either “right” or “wrong.”
Like emotions, they just “are.”)
For example:
fresh/colorful/vibrant/nourishing celebratory/social/seasonal
rituals/family
How will you honor those values on your
healthy eating plan? (So you ENJOY this journey, and don’t
feel deprived or “punished!”)
4. Start – and stick with –
a food journal Create a plan for what you’re going
to eat, and then write down everything you do eat, even
when it deviates from the straight and narrow path. WRITE
IT ALL DOWN! Awareness of a habit is MOST of the solution.
And you might be surprised when you tally up whatever units
you’re counting (calories, fat grams, etc.) It may
be less than you think, and then you’ll be less likely
to throw the towel in on your whole goal.
5. Craving Antidotes Make a list of at least
10 antidotes you can call forth when you’re hit with
a food craving.
Things like:
• re-read your vision
• a picture (from a magazine, drawing,
photo, etc.) that captures the feeling and look of what
you want to achieve. (Mine is a woman, about my age and
coloring, in a cool turquoise swimsuit, enjoying the beach!)
• a mantra, or affirmation that calls
forth your inner strength and resources.
• activities you can choose instead
of eating: For example, a hot bubble bath, an invigorating
walk, call a friend, read a juicy novel…
6. Get back in your body! That’s right.
We often disassociate from our bodies by turning our attention
to analyzing, judging, planning, or otherwise medicating
(with food, drugs, alcohol, and other repetitive thoughts
and behaviors) in an attempt to avoid being present in the
everyday struggles of life. The body is an undeniable reminder
of where we’ve been and where we’re headed!
It’s our bodies that show the effects of time, stress,
and the choices we’ve made in a visible and concrete
way. So, crafty, adaptable animals that we are, we’ve
learned to escape by “going into our heads,”
so to speak. Well, now it’s time to call yourself
back home to your body!
Set aside some quiet time to be alone and
undistracted. Check in with your body. Notice what it feels
like to inhabit this body. Ask yourself the following questions:
•Where does my energy feel sluggish,
or stuck? Be specific. Your body knows, if you give it a
chance to “speak.”
•What am I hungry for (other than
food --- like love, appreciation, justice, etc.), and how
will I choose to get it?
• What food does my body want/need
right now? And what choice will I make?
• How do I want to feel, in my body?
Be as specific as possible. For example, “I want to
feel light in my knees, and free and unencumbered in my
lower abdomen.”
7. Expect obstacles and relapses now and
then. I promise you, they will happen. But get the big picture
– one little slip up (or even two or three...) does
not mean your goal is doomed. Weight fluctuates. Period.
Whether you’re trying to lose or gain, your mostly
fluid body will ebb and flow. You are not a victim of your
humanity! You can choose whether to stay stuck, or get back
on track.
8. Take the scenic route I don’t know
about you, but for me, I wanted to change my eating habits
for life, and I certainly didn’t want to spend my
life feeling deprived!! So I decided to consciously choose
what I call, “Pauses on the scenic route,” ---
You know, like when you decide to take longer to get to
the Grand Canyon so you can stop periodically and really
soak in the scenery? I decided to give myself permission
to deviate from my eating plan now and then. My only rules
were:
• Enjoy every delectable morsel!
• Make it REALLY good quality and
something I really love and want!
• Get right back on the program after
I enjoy the “Scenic Lookout”
• No bingeing
This also means I didn’t lose the
classic 1.5 – 2 pounds a week. So what! It means that
I am in control, at choice, and am not a slave to my (former!)
addiction to food. You can be in control and at choice,
too!
