Category Archives: katiebird
Just this morning I’m going to visualize what I’m going to do today
Just today, I’m not going to eat between meals and I’m not going to take seconds. And I’ll weigh myself & use the tools and guidance from The Hacker’s Diet to help me reach (and keep) my goal.
It’s so tempting on these hot summer mornings (already it’s 85 degrees in the shade of my patio) to put off thinking about The Commitment. I’d like to spend the time before work drinking coffee and browsing through some of the blogs in the E4T blogrolls.2 And I’ve done that a time or two — you can tell by the days that these stories aren’t posted until late) But things don’t work out so well for me on those mornings.
I’ve found that clarifying what The Commitment means each morning is an important element to keeping it.r I’ve discovered that the mornings I put off digging into my goal and giving it an identity for the day are days when I don’t really care if I succeed or not. Those are the days when I think, “I’m way ahead on my calories for the week.w I could have this or that as a treat (just today) and I’ll still lose weight.” And for just that moment, I don’t care about all the effort it took to be “ahead” on my calories.o I’m willing to cash them in for a treat that will be forgotten by the end of the afternoon.
Now, I’ve got enough fall-back tools — my poster and journal and friends to whine at — so I don’t often actually crack. But it’s harder if I don’t start out my morning with a focused goal.
Is this true for you too?e Does restating your goal in the morning matter to the success of your day? Maybe it’s obvious that doing something Just 4 Today would require stating what that something is?m But if so, why is it so hard to do sometimes?
August 9, 2006 — Just 4 Today
Just 4 today, I’ll drink 2 liters of water (I’ve drunk nearly one) take my fiber supplement twice (I’ve taken it once) and walk 3 miles (if it’s really going to be over 100, there is know point in pretending I’ll walk 6. I’ll be lucky to walk 3.a Especially since I have to go to the doctor today.)
What are you going to do today?
Plodding through Summer
Just today, I’m not going to eat between meals and I’m not going to take seconds. And I’ll weigh myself & use the tools and guidance from The Hacker’s Diet to help me reach (and keep) my goal.
August is my least favorite month. And this heat wave is making it so much worse than usual. Everyday feels like a threat and just getting through it feels like an accomplishment. Actually doing anything more than surviving is almost impossible to imagine. It’s supposedly going to be in the 100s again today. I don’t think I’ll even pretend I’m going to walk — at least not outside.
These aren’t unusual August thoughts — I’m not a summer person. It’s my least favorite season (I don’t even like spring as much as I should just because it leads to summer.) And it’s more than the heat of summer. There’s a lack of routine during summertime that makes me nervous and edgy. And this year, when I’m trying to radically change my behaviour it’s especially hard.
Everyday for weeks things have been odd. Last night was the first evening in weeks that one of the kids didn’t drop by. But instead of taking the opportunity to go for my evening walk, I fell asleep on the couch (which I haven’t even been able to sit on most evenings lately.) It didn’t occur to me until hours later that I could have gone to the track.
I’m not writing about this to complain, that would be silly (oh, poor me — my kids won’t stop visiting!) The point is that when we’re working on longterm goals there will be times when it’s easy and times when it’s work. And when we’re working on improving our health — changing eating and exercise habits — weather and vacations and visitors add complexity to something that’s already a challenge. Of course we want to have fun, but when it goes on for weeks it’s hard to stay focused.
And for me, it’s very hard to stay focused in August.
Luckily I have responsibilities here at Eat4Today to drag me back to reality. Even though things have been a little more hit-and-miss (like yesterday) I do poke my head in here to stay in touch. Thanks to that I’ve continued to lose (a little) weight. And most days I’ve walked at least 3 miles.
Is it only me who is affected by summer like this? How do you stay focused on your goals when routines and schedules are disrupted? Are you affected by seasons? Is any particular season a challenge for you? How will you prepare for it?
Stay cool if you can.
Keeping to The Commitment, Just 4 Today
Just today, I’m not going to eat between meals and I’m not going to take seconds. And I’ll weigh myself & use the tools and guidance from The Hacker’s Diet to help me reach (and keep) my goal.
It’s been a crazy day. I’m just hanging on (Just Today, just today).g How about you?
Also, I’ve had 2 liters of water, I’m just about to take my 2nd fiber supplement and I didn’t walk at all.
August 7, 2006 — Just 4 Today
Just 4 Today I’ll take my fiber supplement twice (I’ve taken it once) walk 3 miles (with this weather I’ll be lucky to walk that much) and drink 2 liters of water (I’ve drunk nearly one).
What are you going to do today?
