Change Your Mindset, Lose Weight

Wow!  What a difference a week (and a major change in mindset) can make. 

Have I made progress?  Absolutely! 

Have I attained perfection?  Not even close! 

But overall, I am really pleased (thrilled, actually) with how things have gone since last Wednesday.  When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was down two pounds from last week.

The freedom of breaking free from the confines of a strict diet is exhilarating!  Instead of telling myself “no, you can’t eat this, it’s not on your diet”, I allowed myself to eat what I want in a reasonable portion as long as I sit down and am not distracted by something.

For a girl who likes to snack while watching "The Real Housewives of New Jersey," this was a major change in nighttime habits.  It took a lot of getting used to (and thank goodness for DVR).  If I really wanted a snack, I put my show on pause, went to the kitchen, sat down, and actually focused on what I was putting in my mouth.  Some nights, I really was hungry and wanted that after-dinner snack.  Other times, not so much.  I was a good feeling to have a choice and not be so restricted.

Exercise, on the other hand, was a whole other issue.  It did not go well. 

An admission: I am just not in the mood to sweat.  It’s summer, and I finally am not dealing with the day-to-day rat race of being a working mom.  I just want to hang out with my kids, go on play date, and enjoy what’s left of a summer that’s going way too fast.  September will be here before I know it and my schedule will be packed with teaching responsibilities. 

Carving out exercise time is going to be tough come the fall.  Despite this knowledge, I have been completely lax with my gym schedule. 

Sound familiar? It's my old "all or nothing” thinking creeping back into my head.  If I hit the middle of the week and still haven’t gotten moving, I just tell myself I’ll get on a workout schedule next week.  This obviously didn’t work with my eating habits and it most certainly is not going to improve my exercise plan.  I need to be better focused and serious about working out, especially if I plan on doing the Race for a Cure on Sept. 18.

You know you’re a caffeine addict when your 2-year-old looks at the Keurig brewing and says, “Mommy’s coffee.”  I was definitely more mindful of my caffeine intake this week.  I stuck to my two-cup limit in the morning and I’ve only had three Diet Cokes since last Wednesday.  I have been sticking to plain water and seltzer with a twist of lemon or lime.  This way I still get the refreshing carbonation without all of the additives.

This Friday will mark one of my biggest hurdles since taking on the PTIO challenge: vacation.  My family and I are heading to Cape May to celebrate my mom’s big 6-0. 

Cape May often has been hailed as “the restaurant capital of New Jersey.”  That’s pretty intimidating for someone who’s trying to stick to a healthy eating plan. 

After completely stressing over this, I realized something really important.  While packing half my house to take two, toddlers on vacation, I am not going to bring along my foe, the “heck with its.”  On past vacations, I have left my diet at home, gone off the deep end, and indulged way too much.  This year however, I plan to enjoy my vacation with my family while maintaining some aspects of my plan. 

We are staying in a hotel with an efficiency, so I plan to eat in for breakfast and lunch.  Since we are eating dinners out, I am going to do my best to check out the menu ahead of time and have a few healthy options in mind for dinner. 

I am also going to be realistic.  I am on vacation.  I will want to enjoy a cocktail or dessert while we’re out.  If I really want dessert, I plan to split with someone (I am sure my 23-pound son will eat half of it before I even dig in).  In addition, I am going to strap my twinnies into the double stroller and hit the boardwalk each morning.

At Lake Parsippany School, we have a “Word of the Week” program to introduce new vocabulary to our students.  For the PTIO challenge, my healthy “Word of the Week” is: plan.  Having a plan in mind ahead of time for a vacation or other big weight loss challenge brings peace of mind--and hopefully a smaller number on the scale!