Dear Maura

Dear Maura,

This is your psyche and body talking to you together.

Thank you for taking Sandrelle's challenge!  Already, we feel lighter and cared for.

Thank you for paying attention to your mantra of eating between the 2's.  By doing so, we got enough food, but not too much.

Thank you for not taking a path of deprivation to get turned around so we can move towards health and vibrancy.  By not being deprived, it will be easier to stay on the path and not be distracted by pretend food.

Thank you for not giving up.

Sincerely,
Your psyche and body

Ten in Ten

Oh my - I've surprised myself and joined a challenge!  Not just any challenge, but one lead by one of my favorite weight management bloggers - Sandrelle.

The goal is to lose 10 lbs in 10 weeks.  Well, for me - that's the result I am to achieve after reaching these goals I've set for myself:

1. Regain my positive attitude about weight management
2. Learn to listen to my body and eat only when I'm hungry and stop eating the second I'm no longer hungry
3. Establish healthy and kind intentional movement practices (walking, pilates, yoga)
4. Feel stronger, healthier and more vibrant
5. Lose 10 lbs

My first step will be to focus on the second goal: Learn to listen to my body.  My goal is to eat between the two's  - an eating guideline advised by Brooke Castillo in If I'm So Smart, Why Can't I Lose Weight.

I know this goal will be difficult - I'm mostly OK with the first part - but stopping when I'm no longer hungry if there is food left is very very hard for me.  I need to learn to sit with the discomfort.  I know it will pass.

That's it for now.

Just a quick pat on my back

Yesterday, I committed to myself that I would take a walking break at lunch.  I started with excuses before I even left the house - my thighs will chafe, I'll just wait to workout until I get home.  But I stopped myself with a gentle "you're making excuses" and I packed my shoes and took my walk.

I don't particularly care for walking in "the largest office park in America" as the streets are incredibly busy with traffic - and I don't mean pedestrian.

Today's  - do the same thing but take a different route and if it is raining (we desperately need the rain), go across the street to the mall and walk the mall.

So - a pat on the back for me.  I honored myself by walking when I said I would.

Honoring Myself

I started this self-care list after reading a great newsletter from Christine Inge in which she discusses the importance of putting self-care first.  It was a great reminder.  Then I read a great blog post from Karen Anderson about what the really BIG goals are and I decided that the big goals actually go on my self care list.

Here's the original list.

1)  1 hour each day to journal

2)  1 hour each day to exercise/stretch

3)  Always have good manicures & pedicures

4) Time to defuzz my neck and face 

5) Time to enjoy a cup of tea

6) Monthly Massages

7) Quarterly facials

Here's a revised list  - which I'm changing the name to Honoring Myself

1.  Stay true to myself

How:  

Keep my commitments to myself:

Spend time each day just being still

Spend time each day writing/journaling to center myself

Spend time each day taking care of my body with kind movement 

2.  Do things that truly make me smile

How:

Remember I enjoy reading - and make time for it

Remember I enjoy having pretty toes and fingers - take time to make that happen

Remember I enjoy knitting with fine yarn - and save my pennies for it

Remember I enjoy how great it feels after I've played in the dirt - and make time for it

I'll be adding to this list as I learn to honor myself.

How Weight Stigma Hurts: Hating Our Bodies

How Weight Stigma Hurts: Hating Our Bodies

The poem at the end is well - WOW.

Self-Care List Check List

Schedule pedicure - check - 3pm Saturday
Defuzz neck & chin - check
Exercise - check

Self-Care List

I got this from Christine Inge's newsletter:

"First, I encourage you to make a dream self-care list. Make a list of everything that you would do for yourself (and ONLY yourself) if no one would judge you for it. Then, be honest with yourself about how much of it you actually do and try adding in just one thing from that list into your regular routine."

And here is my dream self-care list

1)  1 hour each day to journal

2)  1 hour each day to exercise/stretch

3)  Always have good manicures & pedicures

4) Time to defuzz my neck and face 

5) Time to enjoy a cup of tea

6) Monthly Massages

7) Quarterly facials

How much do I actually do?

1) None

2) None

3) I've been better at this - but am in desperate need of a pedicure

4) I need to keep on this - daily

5) Not so much on this

6) Never

7) Rarely

OK   - Action plan

1) Journal - gotta think about this one

2) Exercise/Stretch - most days, leave the office at 4pm and come home to take care of me.  Ask D to do the errands

3) Schedule a pedicure today!

4) Make this part of my bed time routine

5) Make this my after dinner routine

6) Gotta think about this too - not in the budget

7) Same as above

OK.  I have my plan for today:  1) schedule a pedicure  2) leave the office at 4pm.  Ask D to pick up beer when he stops at the liquor store. When I get home - exercise!