Tuesday, October 22, 2013

To FIT BIT or...

My yearlong eating plan requires that I NOT count calories,log food or read labels. Since I am supposed to eat REAL food I shouldn't have to worry about labels J

Our mind is all about the numbers – grams of fat, calories, how much the scale says – we obsess about the numbers and not what our bodies are really trying to tell us. How many times have I had a bad day because I didn't like what the scale said in the morning? How many times have I beat myself up because I ate something and then looked at the label to find the calories much higher than I thought?  How many times have I gone to bed hungry because my points for the day/week were spent? Oh the games I played with my WW points!

I have come to believe that we sabotage ourselves by attaching values to “the numbers” rather than considering what really matters. Are you hungry? Do your clothes feel good? When you look in the mirror are you satisfied with what you see? Are you eating wholesome food? Do you enjoy the food you eat? Why are you eating?

Not weighing or reading labels or counting calories does not mean that you ignore an obligation to your health – quite the opposite. Instead of focusing on numbers I consider menus and balance my proteins, carbs and fats. I have foods that I don’t eat, but that is my choice. I am letting my subconscious determine what my ideal weight should be, and I guess it will reach that set point when I stop having to buy smaller sizes… I know I won’t just continue to lose weight indefinitely…
The first few months on this plan produced a lot of anxiety-I had to trust. It was weird to not count. It was weird to not weigh. It was almost a reflex to check calories and it took a while to break the habit. It was weird to not want cookies or chips (though I think that’s the hypnosis part).But now it feels freeing – I don’t even think about the numbers. There are times when I feel fat, and I think “those pants just came out of the dryer –they are going to be tight…” but they zip right up; and this is still strange to me. I think constantly about maintenance… Is this really how I will eat forever? Will I ever feel tempted to eat things I have no desire to eat now? This is where my mind wanders.

Should I carry this practice through to my exercise? I have not kept track this whole year, but as I start to develop a solid weightlifting routine I need to record my reps/weights and type of exercise. I can’t just go to the gym and just start lifting things… How will I get stronger? How will I get an effective, efficient workout? I hate to waste time. I ran 6.2 miles Saturday and I felt AWESOME. Was it fast for me? I have no idea… and I really want to know! When I finally decide what events I’ll do next year I’ll have to train; I’ll need a plan; I’ll need to track my results.

I’m thinking about a FITBIT…

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