Perfect Weight, Chapter 1 for Kristy

Danielle and I are reading "Perfect Weight" by Deepak Chopra.

So i finished Chapter 1 last night, and true to form, Deepak is making me feel pretty good about myself even though I'm overweight. There are several thought provoking questions at the end of the chapter...all focused on "Are you losing weight becuase it's something you need to do for yourself?"
Not to fit in. Not to be like models, not to look like Scarlett Johansenn. not to fit into your high school prom dress.

You are doing it to be true to yourself. I like that.

The first "exercise" he gives is to only eat when you are hungry for 2 weeks....so i'm giving that a try right now...
Eat only when your body signals that you are "empty" and ready to eat. While not a novel concept, it is harder than it seems.
And when you think you are hungry...you put your hand on your stomach to focus your attention there. breathe in and out and see if you are truly feeling hungry. Do it no matter the time of day.

Two feelings to avoid: rated: F: which is OVERFULL like after a thanksgiving dinner
and E: so empty that you are ravenous.

So far (1 meal in) i'm doing well..and am hungry and ready for meal #2.

he asks that you try it out for 2 weeks...so your body can reset itself and you get reacquainted with your hunger.

Motivation Revelation

Kristy's math is amazing. I have nothing that analytical to report. My mind shuts off when the little one goes to bed...

However, I think her last post ties in perfectly with the "Motivation for Fitness and Healthier Living" presentation (by Lew Schiffman) that I attended on Friday. All his information (and anything I quote) is taken or based on the book Getting Physical by Art Turock.

The #1 reason why Americans don't exercise is the reason "lack of time."

Recognize that not having the time is a trap. The trap is that each of us has a fixed sense of what can "reasonably" be done in a given day including sleep, work, family, and social activities. If there doesn't appear to be enough available time for exercise, an "either - or" situation is created.

Committed exercisers find ways to have it all. They give up a rigid attachment to their existing schedule and adjust it to include time for all important commitments. When you're committed to being fit, the time you have never had for exercising suddenly appears. The problem has never been lack of time as lack of commitment.

And this is my revelation -- I have plenty of motivation to exercise. Being around for many years to see my beautiful little girl grow up is my top motivator. The size 10 clothes hanging in our spare bedroom closet is a distant motivator, but it's there. Wanting to have another baby is a major motivator.

The point is that I have several motivators. However, I have zero commitment. Nada. None. I'm a total commitment-phobe. Always have been.

I think this is a giant step for me. I can quit wasting time trying to find my motivation. I know what my motivation is...and it has been here all along. Now, I need to commit. And I'll start working on that tomorrow. Or maybe Wednesday...