Sophie's Weight Loss Challenge

If you are anything like me, the true obstacle is your own mind. How do I trick myself into working out 3 to 4 times per week? How do I eat healthy but not completely and radically eliminate things I love to eat? It's not about the concrete- it all about the emotional baggage I have bouncing around in my head and all the stress I invite into my life. BOUNDARIES people!!

Here is my only warning for anyone on a diet and/or exercise program. It is shared with the utmost sincerity and genuine sympathy that some days or some weeks/months/years we all suck at keeping up with our goals. I have been there. 2008 was great-ish. 2009 not so much.... and now that I'm mostly through 2010 I've found things that work. Not workouts or meals.

Most useful advise I have ever been given: my old doc, Doctor Mac, taught me the key to making a diet/exercise program into a lifestyle that sticks is to anticipate failure and know the triggers.

I'm not saying anticipate to fail. I'm saying it's one long, big race of life. Lots of ups and lots of downs. There are small failures like bad eating days and non exercise weeks... those I try to never look at negatively if I was able to re-enlist myself into Sophie Lifestyle. But there are big failures when I go through 2009 and gain... oh about 30+ lbs.

Anticipating these obstacles and potential failure means you can prepare for them. Knowing your triggers means you can avert them. All you need are techniques and plans that fit you, so be self aware, honest, and you will be unstoppable (most of the time)!! Quit living from one day to the next. Giving yourself a good month ahead forecast of your plans can drastically help you plan to make any activity a set in stone habit.

Anticipate those weeks or those days that are tough:

• visiting home
• on vacation (going to GA soon to see sister)
  
• we all get sick sometimes! (but being healthier prevents some sickness, but not all)
  
• aunt flow visits (which affects a guy in a relationship too)
• feeling down or depressed (happened to me recently)
• lack of routine (i use a journal to organize my week with flexibility)
  
• lack of excitement (working on this one)
  
• lack of creativity
• finally the worst... STRESS!!
  

I wish I could say I only experience these things infrequently... but no. I actually battle with these lifestyle interruptions all the time and just like everyone else does. What I have learned is to say no to visiting home, because just because I can, doesn't mean I should. I am doing good and I see my family a lot. What I need is focus... and sometimes that means looking forward to the lazy weekend.

But I can say that I feel like the stress in my life has gone from 100 to about 20 in the last year. And I still fluctuate. But it has helped me be a happier person. It's all about choices.

For me, I look back at my triggers. What made 2009 a bad year health wise? I'm taking the holistic approach that everything I breathe, eat, do (and dont' do), think, and say affect my health:

• a job I was unhappy with was a trigger of stress
• commuting was a physical, financial, emotional stress
• visiting home without boundaries caused marital stress
• money and debt and a bloated budget
  
• careers and their outlooks
  
• wanting a baby but choosing to wait
• too much stuff cluttering my house
  
• the list goes on...
  

What I have not completely learned to deal with is how to get back on the horse of lifestyle after lack of motivation and excitement. I GET BORED!! Easily. But I think SIL Beth is right, get excited about something. Anything. So I bought fitness pass that lets me do all sorts of drop in classes. When the money aspect of paying for the nearly $200 I looked to my finances to trim my budget. Cut down wasteful cellphone plan, hello holistic yoga, zumba, kick boxing, strength training, and dance!!!! I knew my trigger for guilt and stress was being bored and spending the money- problem solved!! Disaster averted.

I'm not a dieter. It brings stress into my life. I've ruminated on this before. I want to eat how I'm always going to eat. Less bread/pasta/carbs, less dairy, less sugar. I found a diet (the paleo diet) that is similar to what I do, but even thinking about doing it would psych me out. What I have is working for me, and whatever you find has to work for you. Eat the way that makes you happy- that is healthy. That's the ultimate goal right?

Now that you reflect on your triggers that stop you, hinder you, stress you out completely when it comes to your tailor fit lifestyle- don't be afraid to start slashing and fighting off those stressors judo style. Be ruthless!! If you don't need stress, why invite it to stay.

Here's the changes I made (promise it's my last list! i love lists):

• no job, no commute
• saved a shit load of money
• paid off some debt
• trimmed the budget, I was ruthless!!
• gave a bunch of crap away to goodwill... carloads people!
• gave money to charity
• listened to my body
• said no!!!!!!! just because I can doesn't mean I should concerning anything
• made homemade things
• felt like a productive family member running our life
• exercised 3-4 times per week
• got a weekly farm box with tons of veggies
• supported local business
• became a locavore (local eater)
  
• didn't waste food
• cut out dairy (for soy) with exceptions
• cut out red meat
• cut out processed foods with flour or sugar
• ate the three above on a rare basis to meet cravings
• organized my life and house
  
• defined my values
• drank more water
• drive less

I have learned that if you SPEND LESS- YOU CAN EARN LESS. I am fighting a consumerist lifestyle for one of value. Once I figured this out, it was easy. What does that have to do with losign weight? Everything. What drives me to spend and earn also affects my lifestyle habits. I had to completely reevaluate my entire life design. Now, after almost a year of hard work to reverse and change my habits, I feel like I can proudly control my life as a lifestyle designer.

What are you doing to eliminate stress? Anything that you can limit or eliminate is going to make you feel 10 lbs lighter. Try it. People are going to respect your choices, but only after you make DELIBERATE life choices. Don't willy-nilly it. Living a deliberate life is my biggest goal, over losing weight. I have achieved both! But the weight was falling off once I was living my purposeful life.