Playing the Role of Helpless Victim?

You want to lose weight. You keep trying to lose weight. But, you can't. It's out of your control. Seriously. Your husband made your favorite lasagna for dinner. You'd planned to eat only tuna on salad. You couldn't help it; you had to eat too much. And, there's that co-worker who purposely brings homemade brownies and cookies in to work every time she bakes just to sabotage you. And, if only you didn't have to go home every day, cook dinner, deal with kids, and all the chores that need to be done. Then, maybe you'd have enough time to exercise and lose weight. Everything that interferes with your weight is really beyond your control. Not your fault.

Stop. Let that self-talk go. It's easier to make excuses and play the helpless victim. It's harder to find time to do what needs to be done to take care of yourself and lose weight. Healthy cooking and exercise take time and commitment. But, that's the real path to successful, healthy, weight loss that stays off.

Want to be a success with weight loss? Time to give those big girl/boy panties a big tug upward!! 

• Remember that with each situation that arises, you have a choice as to how you will react.
• Prioritize your wellness needs. If you don't, it's easier & easier to be the helpless victim, eating unhealthy foods and becoming a sedentary couch potato. 
• The more frequently you see your own actions as being controlled by other people or situations, the more you relinquish your own power of decision making. 
• You always have a choice. Yes, you can eat 2 pieces of pie because Aunt Bess made it just for you, feel stuffed, and feel guilty. Or you could have a small slice and tell her how wonderful it is, and how full you are. Choices.
• Allow no food, person, or situation to have the power to make you eat.
• No one determines your values or priorities except you.
• Make the best choice you can at the moment. Breathe. Relax. Move on to the next choice... 

Next Time: Mindful Holiday Eating!

 Easter happens once a year. If we went overboard and overindulged with candy and other holiday foods once a year, we'd be OK. If it stopped there. The trouble is, between all the holidays and birthdays Americans celebrate during a year, there aren't many non-holiday days for mindful, healthy focused eating.

You know, we really need to practice mindful eating all the time. Calling a day off from listening to your body doesn't play out very well. Yesterday, too many people undoubtedly decided to let the day go, and ended up head first in the chocolate eggs, jelly beans, extra servings of cheesy potatoes, ham, and desserts. Without a thought as to what their body was trying to tell them. I heard phrases like "sugar coma." Moans from overeating. And, heard that people were unbuttoning pants or changing into stretching waist pants. Hmm...

Maybe next time, mindful eating can be part of the celebration. The cool thing about it is that you can choose to eat anything you want, enjoy it, and you'll never end up with pain from overeating.

Our family enjoyed making dinner together: lamb, scalloped sweet & white potatoes, grilled asparagus, fresh strawberries & pineapple, with a light lemon cheesecake topped with mixed fresh berries on top. 

Less Wise and More Mindful

Most people end with 4 wisdom teeth. Teeth that are a big expense for parents of teens to remove before they erupt so they don't mess up thousands of dollars of orthodontia work.

Then there are those few that don't have any. Like my husband. Don't ask me why, but he just never ended up with any. I always kidded him that's why he needed to get his PhD---not enough natural wisdom. Ahem.

Then, there's me. Unique. I had 4 wisdom teeth that taken out at one time in the dentist chair when I was 21.  I wasn't even sent home with prescription pain killers!  I remember my husband convinced me that scotch would work just as well. It must have helped. I don't remember.

After my 5th wisdom tooth was removed, I must have been labeled an oddity. Then, my dentist started those full scan mouth X-rays. Yep. I had a 6th one fully developed and directly above the last molar on one side. Odder still. Then, some funky things started to develop...

...and Friday, I had oral surgery to remove that silly 6th supposedly wise tooth (Why are they called "wisdom?" teeth) Of course, instead of the usual 2 roots, it had 3. I can't do anything by the books. The oral surgeon warned my husband of bruising, and the need to explain a possible black eye as a result. (Yes, I'm looking colorful today!)

And, eating's been a pain. The nurse suggested ice cream, yogurt, jello and sent home a sample of Ensure. I've tried soup, cream of wheat and polenta. But, I have a hard time opening my mouth very wide, let alone chewing (Yes, me!) So, when I tried eating salmon and lettuce tonight, I just got too tired of eating. Seriously.

I guess the bright side of all this is that is forces mindful eating: extremely small bites, chewing very carefully, & resting between bites. But, I really don't recommend polishing mindful eating skills this drastically!