Posts Tagged ‘non fiction books

28
Nov
12

A Set Back Is Not An Obstacle

I’ve read a lot of posts over the Thanksgiving weekend and on in to this week.  So much so that I felt the need to hold off on posting a new blog until I could really say something.

You see, I’ve been where so many people are today.  The holiday season becomes such an obstacle for people who struggle with food.  They tend to lose all sight of their personal goals and simply exist through the holiday season almost as if they have no control over the outcome.  Phhhfffttt. 

Having a work function one day, a group of friends celebrating another day, a holiday party on the weekend, not to mention the blended family chaos that comes for some of us.  Kids can’t be here then so we will celebrate again with them, etc.  These all turn in to excuses to forget your commitment to self.

It’s so easy to get caught up and just throw in the towel at the first tiny set-back.  That little set-back snowballs out of control and becomes the obstacle.  The daily effort now becomes a huge mental hurdle so the average or uncommitted person will say “well the damage is going to be horrible so just forget it until the new year”.  

First off, don’t allow your small set-back to grow.  Isolate the incident, remember your goals and keep yourself on the clean rails the remainder of the day.

Secondly, remember that it truly is ok to say no, whether its to a drink, an appetizer, a fancy schmancy dinner or that tin full of goodness someone dropped off at your desk.    Live this season guilt free.  You didn’t ask for that tin of goodies, so don’t feel guilty for putting it in the break room at work, just do it.

I’m not saying you should go without a treat or two.  There is a huge difference between a treat or two and throwing in towel for the whole holiday season. 

It is much easier to stay conscious of where you are and what your goals are than it is to back slide and then be faced with re-digging the whole you’ve already cleared. 

Stay the course and don’t let a set-back become your obstacle!

 

12
Nov
12

The Fat Chick In My Head

Today I had a visit from my old friend, the fat chick in my head.  The old me.  As I stood in the gym during my lunch hour she decided to pay me a visit.  She doesn’t come around as often as she used to.    As I stood there looking in the mirror, she said to me “I know you can see me” and in all honesty she was right.  I could see images of the old me flash in my mind.  Times when I wasn’t so comfortable in the gym, times that I wept thinking I would never get the weight off.

The fat chick in my head will always be a part of me, but she will never again be all of me. 

The days she shows up in the gym are few and far between.  It’s doubt that I might not get where I want to be.  It’s a reminder that in order to achieve what I want there must be sacrifice willingly given.  It’s a status check above all else.

Perhaps it’s just the fat chick looking for the long-awaited gratitude for looking out for me and keeping me safe all of those years.   So thank you for that.

I’ve got it from here, I promise you can trust me now.

04
Jun
12

Square Peg in a Round Hole

I love reading.   In fact it’s not uncommon that I have more than one book going at a time.  Sometime there is fiction/drama and it’s generally counter balanced with something that is non-fiction.  Right now I have two non-fiction books going at once.  One is Switch by Chip Heath and Dan Heath and it’s about making lasting change when change is hard.   The other is a book called Paleoista by Nell Stephenson.   

I bought Paleoista because I was interested to see a woman’s perspective on Paleo eating.   I’m just over halfway finished and so far I find it rather idealistic. 

In example…”you’ll no longer need that microwave so go ahead and donate it to the thrift store” and in the same chapter, “plan your meals so there is enough for lunch the next day”. 

Ok in a perfect world of having access to a working stove and a skillet to reheat lunch meals at work would be great.   Not using a microwave is fine if you eat salad every day. But realistically does this author always eat her leftovers cold?  Leftovers that she discusses how wonderful the meals are fresh and hot off the stove?

Ok, so I’m nit-picking.  Or am I?  I eat a very clean diet.  I have for several years.  One of my greatest discoveries was that I was eating too many cold meals and wasn’t satisfied 50% of the time.

Instead of telling people to ditch the microwave (I’m not trying to start a debate here so hold your comments on the damages of using a microwave) why not instruct them how to properly re-heat those awesome leftovers?

I live in the great state of Alabama.  North Alabama to be exact.  The land of fried, smothered and covered, eat everything on your plate, and “thanks for dinner, I enjoyed it”.  We don’t have a Whole Foods.  Thankfully this time of year we do have a farmers market.  I’ve found one source for a grass-fed cow, but I’ve yet to jump on the 6-12 month waiting list.

Another hot button?  Squeezing all women in to the same one size fits all box.  Ironically, I do eat a Paleo style diet mainly because I have a wheat intolerance and it takes exactly 3 days for strange things to happen in my body.  I do include the occasional dairy, wine, dark chocolate,  and sweet potatoes. 

That being said IT TOOK ME YEARS to get here from morbid obesity.  Attempting to make Paleo appear to be the fashionable thing to do rubs me a little.  When you are 168# over weight, you don’t really feel very “ista” anything, instead you feel lost, lonely and perhaps even a bit broken.

I would not recommend this book to one of my clients unless I knew in advance that they had their head on straight. And that there was no yo-yoing going on.

What I mean by that?  Heavily restricting the diet of a person that is extremely overweight can wreak havoc on that persons emotional eating issues not to mention their metabolism.  Some folks don’t do so hot with cold turkey.

I’ve never been able to understand the statement “eat until your full”.   Some people just simply do not have that “full” mechanism until they learn to become mindful.  And trust me, that is a process and depending on the person they could see results quickly or as in my case of strong denial it could take much longer.

Ok, I’ll settle down now and finish reading the book this week.  If nothing more than for the sheer humor of it.

When I’m further in to Switch, I’ll let you know my “opinion” on it. Remember, we all have opinions and you are free to consider it or not.