NOTE: Abbreviations:
OP: On Plan (on the 5/1 TSFL plan using Medifast meals)
DH: Dear Husband
LOL: Laughing out loud
MF: Medifast (as in Medifast meals)
If you've been struggling and/or you're thinking of
'restarting'....may I make a suggestion?
Set your weigh-in day for SUNDAY.
I did this and it works. Here's why I recommend it:
- First of all, it can prevent you from going off the rails over the weekend. Look at it this way. On Saturdays...when you're busy but also may be tempted with off-plan foods, maybe a party or barbeque Saturday night, complete with mayo-laden 'salads' and food pushers, maybe a night at the movies, whatever....you will have to think to yourself "I weigh in tomorrow morning".
Do you really want to overdo Saturday night, knowing it's going to show up on the scale tomorrow morning?
- Secondly, it can prevent weekend binges in another way....! Having gotten through Saturday and weighed in Sunday, hopefully what will happen is you'll be encouraged by Sunday's results (or it will make you more determined that ever!) and that sets you up for a great Sunday and Sunday night....when leisure time is paramount and everyone's relaxing.
You don't want to blow it the FIRST DAY of the week, do you? LOL...Of course not! So again, it helps PREVENT Sunday 'blow outs'.
- Last but not least, by Monday morning you already have one day under your belt...good, bad or indifferent....and it's time to buckle down and get things DONE. Now you've got Sunday's weight in your head and you're aiming at THIS COMING Sunday....and you've got 6 more days to 'make it so', to stay OP and get it done.
Now, some may argue for other days of the week for their own reasons, but personality wise this WORKED for me and I think it's an excellent strategy for those of you sitting out there, RIGHT NOW, thinking 'I HAVE to restart this thing' or regretting your actions during the week (or maybe just today!)
If you weigh in tomorrow morning, that's your DAY ONE.
Here's my other tips for Restarters: (having been there done that!)....
1). REMEMBER that the only difference between 'winners' and 'losers' on this site, in terms of getting to goal, is that they BOTH might have fallen down and stumbled 9 times, but that last time, the WINNER STILL GOT BACK UP AGAIN, whereas the loser GAVE UP.
NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF. While there is a breath of life left IN you, there is still HOPE. There is ALWAYS hope. Do whatever you can to motivates yourself (some tips follow), but remember, it ain't over till it's over!
2). READ read read if you have emotional eating and/or bingeing problems. Read the blogs on this website; read the Behavior forum, read posts if they resonate with you. And read books that people recommend as well....because in all this reading, eventually you might just find that 'right' phrasing of words, that particular slant on things, that an author brings to the table (pardon the pun) that will really CONNECT with you and let you see things from a whole refreshed point of view. And that can be totally motivating!
You also will learn how your brain works....where you trouble spots are...and lots of little hints and tricks you can use to keep Fat Brain where she belongs, way back in the closet with the door closed tight!
3). If you've been putting off restarting because of :
the TIME it takes to properly prepare, plan and make and log your foods, or
the TROUBLE it takes to do all of the above, or
the MONEY involved in buying your MF meals....
Then I submit to you that you ASK yourself.....AREN'T YOU WORTH IT? Isn't your HEALTH, your ENERGY level, your SANITY, your PEACE OF MIND, worth it?
Isn't it worth it to be able to get rid of diabetes meds if you're on them (not true for everyone, but many many have been able to do so?)
Isn't it worth it to lower your blood pressure as well (again, not something 'guaranteed', but certainly a truism for many folks here)
Isn't it worth it to be PROUD of yourself, for once?
Isn't it worth it to fit into airplane seats, to NOT have to check out chairs to see if they will support your weight, to NOT feel like you're 'waddling' down the hallway with your thighs rubbing together, to be able to see your feet, to NOT be ashamed of how you look every single DAY?
Isn't it worth it not to hide from cameras anymore?
Isn't it worth it to be able to look in the mirror and SMILE instead of going 'ARGHH'?
Isn't it WORTH IT to have a PLAN and a GOAL and KNOW how to get there, step by step?
You bet it is! Trust me, it's worth EVERY PENNY. And then some!
How can you put a price on your HEALTH? On your QUALITY OF LIFE?
Every day I wake up and feel ... amazing. And gang....I have fibromyalgia! I wake up with PAIN every morning! But the pain is LESS. Believe me, it's less. And what a JOY just to be able to MOVE easier. I can take a pain pill, that part of the problem is solved. But the extra FAT I had on my body......oh baby.....that was awful! It got in my way, constantly. I couldn't tie my own sneakers without major contortions. I stopped wearing jeans because, come on....once you get past size 24 I mean, what's the point? I lived in stretch velour pants, size XXL. I didn't wear things with 'real' waistbands because they were too constricting. I didn't OWN a belt. Who wanted to belt THAT mess? (IF I could even find a belt that was large enough!) Every top I owned had to be worn 'outside', NEVER ever tucked in because there was no WAIST to tuck it in with! I HATED mirrors and got rid of most of them....and the one left in the bathroom medicine cabinet....I hated looking at myself and my double, going-on TRIPLE, chin. UGH. Every single morning and every single evening. I hated my own reflection.
And of course my self-confidence was at an all-time LOW. I felt worthless. USELESS.
Every day I woke up with a sense of despair. Of hopelessness.
Is that any way to LIVE?
Of course not!
Take a chance on YOURSELF. On your LIFE. Give yourself that much. You know by now that this plan takes WORK to succeed....but if you've had any experience at all with this plan, you also know it WORKS.
You WORK the program...and the program WORKS to change your life...for the better!
Little by little. Step by step. One day at a time. One MEAL at a time. Counting the hours sometimes. Planning those meals. Talking yourself 'down' from the 'ledge' of an eating binge or even just 'one little bite' (because we all know where THAT leads LOL)....
Taking it slow and sure, and never ever ever EVER giving up on yourself.
That's what it takes. Falling down and getting back up. Over and over and over and over again if necessary. Because ONE of these times....it's going to 'take'. The pieces will all fit together finally and they will make sense and you'll go 'AHA! I GET IT NOW!' and then you'll just....float.....flow down the river of 5/1 contentment, working your plan every day and not even ALLOWING thoughts of going off into your consciousness.
You CAN control your 'inputs', you know. You don't have to deal with foods that are problems for you. Get them out of your house, out of your life, and out of your head.
IGNORE and/or AVOID them when you're out. You know something? As often as possible, whenever I'm grocery shopping I don't even GO down the center aisles...unless DH has requested something. But by and large I never even ENTER the chips or the candy aisles anymore. Why DO that to myself? I shop on the edges and get fresh, healthy food and I'm perfectly happy. I'm not deprived in ANY way. In fact I think I enjoy eating even MORE....because I feel like I'm SPOILING myself with GOOD, HEALTHY choices versus stuffing my face with junk and hating myself for it afterwards (and feeling ... physically AWFUL).
I don't miss the bloat of those days, the pain of a distended stomach, the broken promises, the empty wrappers of whatever....ugh....nope, not one bit.
So get yourself ready. TOMORROW YOU START YOUR NEW LIFE. Get the kitchen ready....no more junk, ANYWHERE....get your MF meals set to go....chances are you have enough to cobble together a few days worth until your order comes in, get that order in....and get GOING. Stop procrastinating. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.
And you have two choices. Either stay where you are....which I'm assuming is NOT in a good place....or GO FOR IT.
GO for a change in your life, take the chance to try this ONE MORE TIME...and this time, you may just go all the way!
Keep on keepin' on!
Set your weigh-in day for SUNDAY.
I did this and it works. Here's why I recommend it:
- First of all, it can prevent you from going off the rails over the weekend. Look at it this way. On Saturdays...when you're busy but also may be tempted with off-plan foods, maybe a party or barbeque Saturday night, complete with mayo-laden 'salads' and food pushers, maybe a night at the movies, whatever....you will have to think to yourself "I weigh in tomorrow morning".
Do you really want to overdo Saturday night, knowing it's going to show up on the scale tomorrow morning?
- Secondly, it can prevent weekend binges in another way....! Having gotten through Saturday and weighed in Sunday, hopefully what will happen is you'll be encouraged by Sunday's results (or it will make you more determined that ever!) and that sets you up for a great Sunday and Sunday night....when leisure time is paramount and everyone's relaxing.
You don't want to blow it the FIRST DAY of the week, do you? LOL...Of course not! So again, it helps PREVENT Sunday 'blow outs'.
- Last but not least, by Monday morning you already have one day under your belt...good, bad or indifferent....and it's time to buckle down and get things DONE. Now you've got Sunday's weight in your head and you're aiming at THIS COMING Sunday....and you've got 6 more days to 'make it so', to stay OP and get it done.
Now, some may argue for other days of the week for their own reasons, but personality wise this WORKED for me and I think it's an excellent strategy for those of you sitting out there, RIGHT NOW, thinking 'I HAVE to restart this thing' or regretting your actions during the week (or maybe just today!)
If you weigh in tomorrow morning, that's your DAY ONE.
Here's my other tips for Restarters: (having been there done that!)....
1). REMEMBER that the only difference between 'winners' and 'losers' on this site, in terms of getting to goal, is that they BOTH might have fallen down and stumbled 9 times, but that last time, the WINNER STILL GOT BACK UP AGAIN, whereas the loser GAVE UP.
NEVER, EVER, EVER GIVE UP ON YOURSELF. While there is a breath of life left IN you, there is still HOPE. There is ALWAYS hope. Do whatever you can to motivates yourself (some tips follow), but remember, it ain't over till it's over!
2). READ read read if you have emotional eating and/or bingeing problems. Read the blogs on this website; read the Behavior forum, read posts if they resonate with you. And read books that people recommend as well....because in all this reading, eventually you might just find that 'right' phrasing of words, that particular slant on things, that an author brings to the table (pardon the pun) that will really CONNECT with you and let you see things from a whole refreshed point of view. And that can be totally motivating!
You also will learn how your brain works....where you trouble spots are...and lots of little hints and tricks you can use to keep Fat Brain where she belongs, way back in the closet with the door closed tight!
3). If you've been putting off restarting because of :
the TIME it takes to properly prepare, plan and make and log your foods, or
the TROUBLE it takes to do all of the above, or
the MONEY involved in buying your MF meals....
Then I submit to you that you ASK yourself.....AREN'T YOU WORTH IT? Isn't your HEALTH, your ENERGY level, your SANITY, your PEACE OF MIND, worth it?
Isn't it worth it to be able to get rid of diabetes meds if you're on them (not true for everyone, but many many have been able to do so?)
Isn't it worth it to lower your blood pressure as well (again, not something 'guaranteed', but certainly a truism for many folks here)
Isn't it worth it to be PROUD of yourself, for once?
Isn't it worth it to fit into airplane seats, to NOT have to check out chairs to see if they will support your weight, to NOT feel like you're 'waddling' down the hallway with your thighs rubbing together, to be able to see your feet, to NOT be ashamed of how you look every single DAY?
Isn't it worth it not to hide from cameras anymore?
Isn't it worth it to be able to look in the mirror and SMILE instead of going 'ARGHH'?
Isn't it WORTH IT to have a PLAN and a GOAL and KNOW how to get there, step by step?
You bet it is! Trust me, it's worth EVERY PENNY. And then some!
How can you put a price on your HEALTH? On your QUALITY OF LIFE?
Every day I wake up and feel ... amazing. And gang....I have fibromyalgia! I wake up with PAIN every morning! But the pain is LESS. Believe me, it's less. And what a JOY just to be able to MOVE easier. I can take a pain pill, that part of the problem is solved. But the extra FAT I had on my body......oh baby.....that was awful! It got in my way, constantly. I couldn't tie my own sneakers without major contortions. I stopped wearing jeans because, come on....once you get past size 24 I mean, what's the point? I lived in stretch velour pants, size XXL. I didn't wear things with 'real' waistbands because they were too constricting. I didn't OWN a belt. Who wanted to belt THAT mess? (IF I could even find a belt that was large enough!) Every top I owned had to be worn 'outside', NEVER ever tucked in because there was no WAIST to tuck it in with! I HATED mirrors and got rid of most of them....and the one left in the bathroom medicine cabinet....I hated looking at myself and my double, going-on TRIPLE, chin. UGH. Every single morning and every single evening. I hated my own reflection.
And of course my self-confidence was at an all-time LOW. I felt worthless. USELESS.
Every day I woke up with a sense of despair. Of hopelessness.
Is that any way to LIVE?
Of course not!
Take a chance on YOURSELF. On your LIFE. Give yourself that much. You know by now that this plan takes WORK to succeed....but if you've had any experience at all with this plan, you also know it WORKS.
You WORK the program...and the program WORKS to change your life...for the better!
Little by little. Step by step. One day at a time. One MEAL at a time. Counting the hours sometimes. Planning those meals. Talking yourself 'down' from the 'ledge' of an eating binge or even just 'one little bite' (because we all know where THAT leads LOL)....
Taking it slow and sure, and never ever ever EVER giving up on yourself.
That's what it takes. Falling down and getting back up. Over and over and over and over again if necessary. Because ONE of these times....it's going to 'take'. The pieces will all fit together finally and they will make sense and you'll go 'AHA! I GET IT NOW!' and then you'll just....float.....flow down the river of 5/1 contentment, working your plan every day and not even ALLOWING thoughts of going off into your consciousness.
You CAN control your 'inputs', you know. You don't have to deal with foods that are problems for you. Get them out of your house, out of your life, and out of your head.
IGNORE and/or AVOID them when you're out. You know something? As often as possible, whenever I'm grocery shopping I don't even GO down the center aisles...unless DH has requested something. But by and large I never even ENTER the chips or the candy aisles anymore. Why DO that to myself? I shop on the edges and get fresh, healthy food and I'm perfectly happy. I'm not deprived in ANY way. In fact I think I enjoy eating even MORE....because I feel like I'm SPOILING myself with GOOD, HEALTHY choices versus stuffing my face with junk and hating myself for it afterwards (and feeling ... physically AWFUL).
I don't miss the bloat of those days, the pain of a distended stomach, the broken promises, the empty wrappers of whatever....ugh....nope, not one bit.
So get yourself ready. TOMORROW YOU START YOUR NEW LIFE. Get the kitchen ready....no more junk, ANYWHERE....get your MF meals set to go....chances are you have enough to cobble together a few days worth until your order comes in, get that order in....and get GOING. Stop procrastinating. Tomorrow will be here before you know it.
And you have two choices. Either stay where you are....which I'm assuming is NOT in a good place....or GO FOR IT.
GO for a change in your life, take the chance to try this ONE MORE TIME...and this time, you may just go all the way!
Keep on keepin' on!
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