When your fat pants are too tight

pnrbor

This year I have faced a lot of challenges. I know a lot of us have. Anyway December I was on a good path but this year I've gone off track. I have put on the scale says 3 or 4kg.
I know I need to get my mind right. Any advice would be good.
In honesty I haven't been able to stick to one week diet this year really.
My previous fat pants are too tight and I feel very depressed.

zenobia9777

@pnrbor I have been there many times. In recent years I have mostly focused on just trying to maintain or lose a pound a week. It's much easier and better for your body.

Try to log your food for just 3 days. Get out and do one exercise you enjoy to get your mind feeling better about everything.. I am now on my fourth day after avoiding food logging for a while. Baby steps! Less overwhelming.

HoneyBadger302

The "mind right" part of what you said is what I'm picking up on.

For me, that was a major focus, even more than any one area of life (several of which are/were important to me, but I felt overwhelmed with trying to fix it all).

Listening to a podcast one day, and happened across an episode where he talked about a critical task list. Sure, I've heard of those, but the way he present it, it really clicked for me. He called it "Win the Day" and each day he would pick 5 things to put on that list.

Thing is, they don't need to be big things - just touches. Just small touches that ever so slightly move the needle.

Since that day, with the exception of some weekends, every day (and every single weekday) I have sat down right after letting the dog out in the morning and written down that days critical tasks. I have 5 categories, and depending on how "full" that day is, will choose 3-5 touches for items in those categories (career, health, racing, mental growth, and "life").

When the day is done, if I have completed my tasks, I have "won" that day - it doesn't matter what else did or didn't get done, if those are done, I have WON.

This seemingly simple thing has done some HUGE things for me, even at my age. Wish I had understood and utilized this ages ago - but no use bemoaning that, only direction is forward. Things that have changed for me:

• I've learned that overwhelming things can be handled and really aren't that bad as long as I "touch" them every day. Example was my first ever audit by the IRS - sent me into a panic, which got even worse when the accountant assigned to me flat out lied and missed very important deadlines. Since implementing my list, each time something for that comes through, there may be that wave of panic, but I just put a small task related to it each day. It was almost shocking how fast I could complete huge amounts of work if I just "touched" it every day! This has been repeated with several other things since then as well, and my brain has started to accept I don't need to worry about the whole thing - just a touch (which feels so much more manageable)
• I've learned that sometimes, my weight may not be my focus. Sometimes, there are more important things to focus on
• There have been big changes in my life (a $17,000/year raise; a title change/promotion; 2 job changes)
• My blood pressure has gone from the very dangerous category (I was unaware until I couldn't donate plasma one day because it was too high - and when I asked the numbers was in for a shock) to a high-end-of-normal-for-me range and continues to drop - oh, and it has stabilized down there. All without ANY meds - just lifestyle changes and reducing stress, which I attribute entirely to this list!
• It keeps me moving ahead on things I might otherwise give up on.
• It also allows for pivots as needed
• I'm learning the difference between wanting something, choosing for a time to work on something, and "DECIDING" on something is very different. I've not been great about "deciding" on a lot of things in my life....that is changing and I'm recognizing my own excusitis in my lifetime.
• I don't need to do "all" the things, I just need to "touch" "these" things
• I'm sloooowwwllly learning to "trust the process" as I see it starting to manifest this past year in my life...

So as a health category, I may have "track kcal" for that day. Notice it doesn't say I need to stay in range - or need to eat certain foods, or workout an hour. Doesn't mean I won't do those things, but I don't HAVE to.

Perfect example was on a weekend when I knew we'd be eating lunch at a local restuarant. My only health goal that day was "choose a salad at lunch." Didn't say I couldn't have an appetizer or other side, just that my main choice was one of their salads.

Just one small touch...

Trust the process.

Antiopelle

Wow, Honeybadger, that is really inspiring. Thanks for sharing !

pnrbor

Thanks for sharing as well Honeybadger.