Jenn's Losing It

Who knew they were so hard to set for yourself? I mean seriously.  I look at my Instagram and Facebook feeds and they constantly have people setting goals or making goals.  Goals of all kinds too - not just fitness or weight related.  So I ask myself "why is this so hard for you to do?"  Sounds crazy to some (or all) of you I'm sure.  But I've never formally set goals for myself and I've been ok with that all these years (except for the occasional time someone made me feel bad about it).  I've never had career goals, which also probably explains when any ventures into things such as Mary Kay or the like never worked for me.  Products don't sell themselves (as I had hoped they would). So as part of my journey to better overall health this year - by that I mean both mental and physical.  I would really like to set myself some goals.  I guess part of the reason I never attempted to set goals is because I tend to want to set them too hig...

Self-compassion can help you succeed at weight loss! This weeks topic in the meeting room was about taking care of yourself.  Reminding you to take good care of yourself.  There is a saying that if you can't pour from an empty cup.  It applies to self care.  We've discussed this many times and as humans we tend to take care of everyone else's needs before our own.  Which can end up burning us out and hurting us emotionally and physically in the long run.    By the time we reach the end of our rope we start lashing out at ourselves and sometimes our loved ones.  If we had just "poured from the cup" providing to ourselves first, we would have plenty to give to others. The Weight Watchers Weekly reminds us that it is all about compassion.  Being kind, understanding and supportive of yourself no matter the situation - just as you would a friend.  It's giving yourself pep talks rather than put downs; taking care of your physical and emot...

Oh boy....My name is Jenn and I am an all or none thinker! So I missed this topic in the meeting room, but was able to pick up the weekly reader the following week. I am so glad I did because this hits home in a big way for me. I am notorious for this. I take this so seriously - this all or none thinking that not only will I discount a whole day, but if my "major screw-up" with food happens mid to end of week, I count out the entire week calling it a loss and chalk it up to a start over on Sunday.  I know, I know it's a horrible mindset and I am working on breaking it. The Weight Watchers Weekly on this topic reminds us that so many of our thoughts are automatic and that over time those automatic thoughts that don't help can turn into a thinking style that trips us up.  "All of none" is a common thinking style.  With "all or none" thinking it turns everything into good/bad, failure/success.  It's an unhelpful thinking style that doesn't...

Boost your know how about this essential nutrient. During the April 9th meeting we discussed protein and its importance in your daily diet.  It's something that will help you to sustain yourself a little longer with higher protein foods.  especially is you're working out. According to the Weight Watchers weekly, you should aim for 8 grams of protein daily for every 20 pounds you weigh.  If you weigh 180, for example, you'd aim for 72 grams of protein per day.  Let's remember that protein is a nutrition hero!  Protein can help to strengthen your bones and support muscles, cartilage, skin and blood health.  We all are fairly familiar with animal proteins such as poultry ,seafood, eggs and dairy.  But don't overlook vegetarian proteins like beans, peas, soy products, nuts and seeds.  Many high protein foods are rich in B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, zinc and magnesium, all of which help keep the body running smoothly.  Since much of our...

"A simple plan to reverse a small weight gain." A few extra pounds might not require a wardrobe overhaul, but they might signal that it's time to reassess your behaviors to stop the numbers on the scale from climbing.  It's always tempting to think that your weight will go in one direction....DOWN...until you reach your goal  Then you live happily ever after...right?  But that isn't realistic.  So it's important to recognize a gain will happen at some point and have a plan to reverse it! Doing those last two things - knowing a gain is bound to happen and having a plan in place help.  Why?  Because gaining, even the smallest amount can be upsetting and if you aren't prepared you can go off track.  (Which happens to me...every time...even with a plan)  Weight Watchers recommends that  weight gain of three to five pounds that's stuck over a few weigh ins should be taken seriously before it comes larger.  This is what they call your...

"Overeating happens to all of us.   Here's how to bounce back when it happens." Overeating.  It happens to all of us, no one is immune.  Luckily so can recovery.  Use the overeating episode as a chance to learn why it happened and how to return to plan - not a failure.  One of the most important things that I can share is make sure you track the "episode".  Track the food, as horrible as it feels.  It helps you have something to look back at, something to learn from.  It also could also turn out to not as bad as you think.  "Journaling about what happened can help you avoid it next time". Here are some tips from the weekly magazine - Get rid of the problem food.   Throw it out.  Put it down the disposal.  Walk it to a neighbor.  Just remove it from your environment. Track it .  Treat this food as you do all meals and snacks. Track it and move on.You might be surprised that it adds up to fewer SmartPoin...

"Smart ways to make right-for-you decisions" I'm a few weeks behind on writing this but it's appropriate for me right now.   Is this food worth it? Sometimes it is, sometimes it's not.  For me this is the case, however using these questions that were posted in the weekly magazine may help me decide a better choice the next time around. "Do I truly want it?" (external hunger) or because you truly are internally hungry? "Do I have the SmartPoints values for it?"A quick check of your daily budget and of the food in  question - will answer that. "Will I eat it mindfully?" That applies to both making the choice and savoring it as you eat. The 3rd question is the one for me, the one that should force me to stop and think.  I can guarantee that if I'm taking the time to ask myself the question, I won't be eating it mindfully.Thinking about the food you're about to eat-before you take your first bite-puts your...