It's All About Choices

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sunshinestater
sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
in Motivation and Support
I did some great weight loss over the past couple of years but started to backslide. Age 50 is just around the corner, so I'm getting serious about getting back into shape.

I'm a cognitive counselor, although I'm teaching now rather than working with clients, but I decided I'm going to use the tricks of my trade on myself. The thing I like about cognitive therapy is that it teaches you how to make choices. You naturally have certain emotions in response to certain situations, but you can recognize that and choose to change your response (for example, making a choice to stop feeling guilty about something because guilt is not a productive emotion, and changing that to motivation to learn a lesson from what you feel guilty about).

For me, the same applies to food and exercise. I make a choice whether or not to exercise each day, or to have that big helping of dessert. Sure, I might think, "Well, it's been a long day, and I'm just too tired to pop in that exercise DVD" or "I have a lot of work to do, so I really don't have time to the health club," but the justification doesn't matter. It boils down to making a choice not to do what I need to do.

I fell into that trap big time for almost a year now, and I'm not going to let it happen again. I'm looking forward to finding motivation and support on this forum and with new friends who have that same attitude.

Replies

  • verptwerp
    verptwerp Posts: 3,659 Member
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    GOODCHOICE-BADCHOICE.jpg

    Make healthy choices at each meal ...... get some exercise ...... have fun !

    Happy losing !
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    Snacking is the trickiest part of meals for me. I have to be firm in telling myself I definitely won't starve if I give in to that snack craving. Written meal plans help me with that, though, because the choices are all made in advance.
  • disneygallagirl
    disneygallagirl Posts: 515 Member
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    Here for support, sent u a friend request.
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    Thanks, just responded! Made my first good choice this morning, which is getting my butt out of bed to do my workout first thing in the morning. No excuses that I don't have time.
  • BranMuffin947
    BranMuffin947 Posts: 104 Member
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    thanks for the post!

    Your completely right, it's all about choices and a LOT of bad choices are a result of emotions that have run away from our control. I'm going through a difficult time now - not with weight loss but with relationships and I find that I can use this to help me get through.

    thanks!
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    thanks for the post!

    Your completely right, it's all about choices and a LOT of bad choices are a result of emotions that have run away from our control. I'm going through a difficult time now - not with weight loss but with relationships and I find that I can use this to help me get through.

    thanks!
    Glad my post was helpful! That's why I love cognitive techniques. You can apply them to just about anything in life. I find the concept of choices to be very empowering. I used to use it a lot with clients who have depression because depression is such an energy drain and demotivator. It saps energy, but knowing you have choices can often start to reignite it.
  • dawn_eichert
    dawn_eichert Posts: 487 Member
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    Boy are you right about it being about choices. Choices are what got me to the point of needing this in the first place and now my Choices are going to get me back to where I want to be. Now I log on here every day, log everything I eat and am doing my utmost to workout at least 5 days a week a min of 30 minutes. Good luck and feel free to add me.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
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    Serendipity strikes again! A moment ago I comment to an MFP friend that I realize that I've been allowing myself to be weak but could be in control if I made the choice to be.

    Now if I could just figure out what is holding me back from making the choice and sticking with it.
  • 1jlazymom
    1jlazymom Posts: 197 Member
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    Loved your post on choices. I believe everyday you are given the opportunity to make good choices the trick is making the good choice and recognizing when you are making another so good choice. Wishing you every success on getting healthy
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    Now if I could just figure out what is holding me back from making the choice and sticking with it.
    I find that priorities are often at the core of that question. Sometimes we think our priority is getting healthy, losing weight, etc., but when it really comes down to brass tacks, there are other priorities in the way. When I really questioned myself on why I let myself backslide and regain some of my lost weight, the answer was literally that being lazy/not breaking a sweat was my priority. Granted, work played in, too. I have three self-employed jobs, so I work long hours, seven days a week. But exercise can be done in as little as half an hour a day, so when I really got down to it, it was that I just didn't feel like doing the physical work. I gave myself an attitude adjustment/reality check that I'm nearing 50, that my brother had a stroke in his mid-fifties, that my parents both died in their mid-fifties, and that health needs to be my priority or someday I might not have a choice of whether or not to do physical effort.
  • sunshinestater
    sunshinestater Posts: 596 Member
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    I'm using the choices to hold myself accountable. Last night I really wanted a snack (out of habit, not true hunger). I did well with exercise and eating, so I asked myself, "Do you really want to choose to offset your good work with unneeded calories just because you feel like it?" When I look at the big picture, the unnecessary indulgence is so not worth spoiling the results of a good day.

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