Weight-loss "task-force" challenge
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Even, again. And, again, over on cal. and under on SPs.
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Today is day 44 of the Omer. Today's quote from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:
“To lead is to serve. The greater your success, the harder you have to work to remember that you are there to serve others; they are not there to serve you.”
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Chalk up another "win" day for me yesterday. Some tea helped me get past my post-dinner cravings, plus I had an evening class, so that kept me busy and distracted too!
We're closing in on the end of our challenge. I think Sunday is going to be my last day posting this, as Sunday night begins Shavuot (which is what the omer counts up to as an ending). I am hoping that others found this as useful an exercise as I've found it. I didn't quite appreciate that I'd mostly be focused on breaking one bad habit, but if that's the primary outcome here, then I'm good with it! I'm going to spend a few days pondering this experience and thinking about the lessons I hope to carry forward.
Regarding today's quote, this one really rings true for me. My own leadership requires constant reminders that my job is to good do by everyone else rather than for myself. Sometimes it's hard to keep that focus in mind, but it's a good thing to work on!1 -
Down .2 at weigh in yesterday, About the same today so no change for this morning0
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Oh! a dreaded plateau! I'm the same again. 3 days in a row. OMG
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Today is day 45 of the Omer. Today's quote from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:
“Never be in too much of a rush to stop and come to the aid of someone in need of help.”
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I think today's quote goes in the "of course" pile! For me, however, when I do feel rushed (or more typically, overwhelmed with deadlines and things) I do find it harder to stop, take a breath, and try to help others when they need it. I guess it really should go in the "of course, but I really need to work on this" pile!
Another good day yesterday, with no snacking and no alcohol. I am seeing the scale moving in the right direction a bit more, subject to the usual fluctuations.
Has anyone started thinking about how to carry their lessons forward?
I've started, but I don't think I have a great answer yet. Certainly for me, breaking the weekday snack/alcohol habit is very helpful for my weight-management. I liked the idea of taking this on via a focused and limited "challenge." However, as the 10 pound challenge showed me, after awhile, the urgency of the challenge tends to fade (at least for me).
An alternate strategy to posting it here would be to mark it in my weight/running log. I keep a notebook where I jot down my daily weight, and when I go for a run, I keep track of things like distance, pace, any new aches or pains, and mileage on my shoes and mileage for the year-to-date. I guess I could also jot down a notation as to whether I stuck to my personal plan or not. I don't know if that would keep a sense of accountability, or whether it would turn into another thing I don't pay attention to.
I'll keep pondering for another day or two.0 -
Officially, up 0.4# for the week. At home, the same as the last 2 days, ans, as last Wednesday. Whatever!0
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Up by 1 # this morning, gotta hate the fluctuations0
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Today is day 46 of the Omer. Today's quote from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:
“Make sure the story you tell is one that speaks to your highest aspirations, and tell it regularly.”
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Today's quote reminds me of the idea of "fake it until you make it." In other words, sometimes we see how we are and then we describe what we see. At other times, we describe what we want to be, and work to get there. I guess it's a lot like weight-loss. Weight-loss is not for the pessimistic; you need to be an optimist, and believe that you can change yourself.
So, yesterday was another good day with a checkmark in the "win" column. Mrs. 0mania and I watched a movie, and I avoided snacking by having a cup of tea instead. That's been a very good strategy for me!
I can't believe we're closing in on the end of the challenge; Sunday is the last day! For those who care to, let's use Sunday's postings as a debrief to try to reflect on how the month went. What worked for you and what didn't? What lessons did you learn (both positive and negative)? How will you try to lock-in some of the successes that you achieved?0 -
Down 1.6# today. Was busy yesterday, and didn't have a lot of time to be tempted.0
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Today is day 47 of the Omer. Today's quote from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:
“To make love undying, build around it a structure of rituals.”
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Last night was our on-line fundraising "event." We had two other couples over and it was really fun. I have a few glasses of bourbon and there was a prepared meal, but I managed to keep my focus and to rely on eating a lot of veggies, with some of the meat, and dessert (it was a friend's birthday and his wife brought a cake). I felt like I was in good control, even if I did eat more than I normally would.
Today I was down 1.6 pounds from last Friday!
I am glad to see the scale begin to catch up with my eating. It's always a good reminder that the scale moves at it's own pace, right?
I will be off-line starting tonight through Shabbat. Sunday will be the end of our little challenge, so I hope everyone has a good couple of days, and is thinking about the "lessons learned" from this challenge.
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Down 0.4#0
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Yesterday was day 48 of the Omer, and today is day 49 of the Omer. We made it!!!
Yesterday and today's quotes from Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks:
“Whatever your achievements, there is always a second mountain to climb, and it may turn out to be your greatest legacy to the future."
“We are mortal; therefore make every day count. We are fallible; therefore learn to grow from each mistake. We will not complete the journey; therefore inspire others to continue what we began."
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Today is the end of our little challenge! I can't believe we made it. Tonight is the beginning of Shavuot, and in theory, we've reached the pinnacle of our self-improvement (for this focused cycle). Of course, we need to always continue working on ourselves, and I hope that we're all inspired to keep up the solid work we started!
I wish I could say that I ended the challenge on a high-note, but unfortunately, last night is going into the "fail" column. It wasn't the end of the world, but I had a glass of bourbon, followed by pita chips and jelly beans. I have plenty of excuses for this, but I'll skip them for sake of being honest: I didn't stick with my plan.
So, a take home lesson for me, and a plan for moving forward, is that I do best when I have absolute clarity on what my plan is. It has been much better for me to say "I will not snack during the week" rather than "I'll minimize snacking during the week." If I have a well-defined goal, it's easier to work towards it.
I also think there was a lot of value to having to post here every day. However, I imaging that the value will fall off over time (which is why I'm not compelled to continue this particular challenge; other challenges may be worthwhile in the future).
Overall, I made some progress here, too. While the exact numbers are a little hard to get to, given my usual daily fluctuations, here's a picture of my past 30 days:
Finally, I like both of our ending quotes. I find that they are both good reminders that "there is no finish line!"
Feel free to post your concluding thoughts and plans for moving forward from here.
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I've been a bit MIA this last week and a half, but I did get a chance to read thru the posts yesterday. There's so much good info in there, and this week is also busy (getting ready to leave Fri for a weeks vaca), so this will likely happen when I get back, but I'm so glad it's not going anywhere, and I can review it in my own time.
I do want to say that I really love this format. It's great to do a focussed study in the weight loss process. Shed some light on some places for improvement! Thanks for faithfully posting Steve, and for the daily quotes!1 -
up by 1 today annoying!0
