How’s That Workin’ for Ya?

Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results…    Albert Einstein

My approach to losing weight for the last 15 years has been insane! I've done the same thing over and over and have gotten the exact same result: I've gained more weight! I keep hearing Dr. Phil in my head, "How's that workin' for ya"! Well, it hasn't.

This time I'm determined to do things differently. The first change that I'm making is to my thinking. I have come to terms with a few facts:

1. This is not a diet; it is a new and healthy way of eating and living.
2. This is not about bad food, it's about good choices. I will not think of this as deprivation.
3. I MUST exercise…for the rest of my life! It doesn't have to be in a gym or on the treadmill, but I need to move and challenge my body in order to maintain my strength and fitness into my later years. I have learned the hard way, if you don't move it you will definitely lose it (and I'm not talking weight!).
4. This weight loss journey is a marathon, not a sprint. I can't expect results overnight. It takes time to lose the weight, but it also takes time to learn new behaviors and redefine my relationship with food. I am in this for the rest of my life.
5. I will have to take time to feel my emotions and not try and stuff them down with food. And I will have to find new, healthier ways of dealing with stress, boredom, anger, and sadness or any feeling or emotion that has, up until now, been managed with food.
6. You can have fun without food! So many social situations involve food, and it's truly enjoyable, but I'm going to work on enjoying the people and occasion instead of the onion dip and chips!

I'm thinking of the next year as a time of transformation and education. In the past it has been all about doing it fast, and you see how that's been workin for me! I feel empowered by my decision to do this slowly and for the last time. I will take the time I need to re-educate myself and make the lifestyle and emotional changes necessary for weight loss and weight maintenance. It is time to stop the insanity and start living a healthy life.