Living The Lifestyle Thursday 5/7/20

imastar2

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.nn

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- misterhub (Greg)
Tuesday- Al_Howard (Al)
Wednesday-
Thursday- imastar2 (Derrick)
Friday- 88olds (George)

Topic: Focus: a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity
Focusing: to bring to a focus or into focus; cause to converge on a perceived point.
Focused: to be or become focused: or to direct one's attention or efforts:
[Dictionary.com]

Can we focus on too many things? And lose focus on what's really the main thing?
[ thus not accomplishing what's really important?] Just saying.

imastar2

Wow! Lots going on this morning threads flying everywhere. Looks like the good old days.

Anyway my thoughts of Focus, Focusing and being Focused came to me sometime during the night. I currently feel like there is so much going on around me in my life and every routine I've known for a good while is shot out the window. Part of it I gave in as having my surgeries and dealing with the wound complications which is still ongoing. I'm just so busy with getting healed, going to Dr. appointments and now pandemic and shelter in place it's enough to drive an old man nuts!!. So I gotta settle down because I feel for me and being afib I'll have to tread water carefully. So I told DW I got to get back to focusing on what's important. Of course losing weight is a priority and right up there with oxygen. Ha! So on to planning and getting focused. Good luck to all as we continue through these untraveled waters.

SW/CW/GW 5/7/20 Thursday
400.8/311.8/185
Total Loss 89.0 lbs

MASSRUNNER_FRANK

Good topic, Derrick.
I think it natural for our focus to change with time and circumstances. That being said, it’s a kindness offered to ourselves to not let it derail our efforts or worse, beat ourselves up for not staying focused 24/7/365.

You can always begin again!

misterhub

At the start of the quarantine, I made a conscious effort to revamp how I approaching my daily life. Things had become too hectic and chaotic. I vowed to get my diet (nutritionally speaking) back on track and headed in the direction I wanted, to restart my meditation practice, and to ensure I engaged in some form of activity each day. I also promised myself I would write a new poem each day of April (National Poetry Month). I focused on these four things, when not at work - which oddly has been MORE hectic since WFH - and I feel I have done a good job; although, I still need to work on the meditation practice a little more diligently. This month, I plan to exchange work on my novel for the poetry (which I DID accomplish).

So, that's four things besides work. The key for me, though, has been to focus on only one of those things at a time, feeling no requirement to be perfect in any regard. But, when I am doing one of them - that's ALL I am doing. That's what is working for me.

Flintwinch

Focus by definition means that one thing is given our central attention. What I have found helpful is to focus on something I want to change and continue to maintain focus until the change is established and has become a habit. At that point I no longer have to focus on it because its automatic, and I can move on to something else. For example, I wanted to establish a breakfast eating pattern that was nutrient dense and would provide energy to start the day. It took awhile ( a couple of months) to do that, but I've accomplished my goal. (A source of some of the tools I use is the book The Beck Diet Solution, by Judith Beck, a behavioral therapist. Her books were discussed on a WW forum when I joined in 2013)