Living The Lifestyle Monday 7/22/19 Organized/Organization?

imastar2

Sorry everyone for the tardiness. I should plan this out at least the day before. Perhaps not intended but this may be the reason my mind drifted towards this subject. You know the subconscious mind thing?

We meet here to explore, share, celebrate and (sometimes) agonize over how we do (or don't) incorporate weight loss guidelines into our daily lives. "It's a lifestyle, not a diet" is easily and often said, but sometimes not so simply put into practice.

This is a thread for everyone. If you're new to GoaD, or to weight loss, your questions and comments are always welcome. If you're maintaining, or a long-term loser, your thoughts on the topic may be just what someone else needs to hear. If you're reading this, join in the discussion!

Each weekday, a new topic is offered up for discussion.

Monday - imastar (Derrick
Tuesday - GavinFlynn1 (Gavin)
Wednesday - Wildcard (Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?)
Thursday - misterhub (Greg)
Friday - Wildcard

Today's Topic: Organized/Organization?

Are you an organizer when it comes to weight control? or anything to do with weight management? What tips can you give that might help any of us who are challenged in that area regardless of the reason for not being organized. It matters not to what extent just any tips for partial management might be a big help.

imastar2

Today is a good example where in my work as I'm sure happens with most people, their work has to be super organized to get everything on their plate done a lot of days. It's really a pain to have to be in a catch up mode all the time. Thus comes a priority situation for those of us who work. That statement in mind, at my age a lot of my friends are retired and they find getting everything done in a day is quite challenging so in my opinion it becomes a priority thing. That's where WW management WW thoughts, or anything having to do with weight control seems to go by the wayside. Then weight gain happens and at that point it then hits the priority list and I tell myself then whoa! your at the top of your range and this isn't going to get it. This is the reason I have a yo yo effect with my weight. I let too many things get in the way as hard sometimes as I try.

Now I have all the tools necessary to keep track of what I eat when I eat all the ideas that matter as to what I eat, when I eat including portions. However there is that priority item again. It's like spending time on yourself because if you don't you're just messing up at least I'm talking to myself in this area.

So what kind of tips can I propose? if I'm not doing it myself. Well for starters implement what you know and how to do it. In other words take action! Taking action for something you need but has not become a priority yet is poor planning or just maybe the desire is not there to take action. So taking action is at the top of the list. Then next would be to follow up the next day and do the same thing. Surely the results will show up eventually if you at least do these two things.

When I use the word You I'm really speaking to myself.

gadgetgirlIL

Focus on building habits. Start small. Build on your successes.

My exercise habit started with the commitment just to walk inside the fitness center 3 times a week. That was May 2001.

I pack my gym bag the night before and my workout clothes are on the floor next to my bed. I don't have to think in the morning. Just roll out of bed and put them on. It is a habit just like brushing my teeth.

I pack my lunch bag every morning. Even today when I commuted via train into the city and then walked 2.5 miles to the internship site. The main bag was left in my car, but I had a smaller bag for my snacks and my lunch on the ride back home. I caught the 6:15am train inbound and the 12:30pm outbound. Was back to my car at 1:30pm.

steve0mania

I'm with @gadgetgirlIL on this: habits!

My food intake is fairly mindless.

My breakfast is always a measured out bowl of cereal with milk, and some coffee.

Lunch is always a half-portion of whatever I had for dinner the night before, plus an apple and a diet coke.

Dinner is more varied, but usually involves one serving of meat (usually chicken), 4 oz of baked potato, and a bunch of steamed/baked veggies to fill half of the plate. The leftovers from the chicken and veggies get measured and put into a tupperware for tomorrow's lunch.

When I'm in the groove, there is no thought, and it doesn't take much time to be ready to leave for work.

Once this habit is ingrained, there's no need to count points or calculate calories, etc. If I eat like this consistently, I lose/maintain weight. If instead I'm trying to figure out meals on the fly, particularly when I'm hungry, my choices are "less good."

I also lay out my workout clothes the night before so when I get up early before work, I just put them on and can be out the door quickly!

misterhub

I have to go with habits, too. But, flexible habits. Too much rigidity doesn't work for my lifestyle. But, I need the general outline and framework of a plan.

The biggest thing for me is pre-cooking for the week. If I spend my Sunday doing that, it pays dividends for the rest of the week.

88olds

My food scale is out on the counter. It’s been on the counter since 2006. When I was initially tracking WW pts, 2006-2011/12 about, there was always one of those little blue books and a pen on the counter. Initially the research and number crunching was a pain, but I eventually got so I knew most of the numbers.

So at that point the only way not to track was to ignore what was right in front of my face. Eat away from the kitchen? I parked my keys and wallet on the same counter next to the little blue book. There was no way to not see it. The only way out was to decide not to do it.

I tried to set myself up to succeed whenever I could.

Now my tracking is calorie counting on MFP. I have a bit more time and the gadget aspect doesn’t seem like such a pain. Plus I log on here everyday. Again I’m in a place where the only way not to track is to decide not to do it.

But I do recall that when I started out I tried to set aside about 1/2 hr per day for WW research, thinking about things I might want to try and crunching numbers, reading stuff in the Science Center. Gotta make time to think sometimes.