(This is the second in a three part series entitled Nine Fat Loss Tips I have learned over the years and am employing in my Weight Loss Journey to reach my ultimate goal by the end of 2010. Hope you find them helpful as you make your own Journey.)
4. Read about nutrition and fitness everyday to stay motivated: I don’t know about you but I can easily become discouraged, especially when after strictly adhering to my diet and exercise program, I check the scale only to discover I’m down a measly 1 pound for the week. Man that’s discouraging. And although I appreciate her encouragement, it really doesn’t help when Barb says, “But you look great, honey. I can tell you’ve lost a lot of weight,” because we all know being the Pollyanna that she is Barb sees the world through rose colored glasses; and a big butt no matter what color is still a big butt.
So, I’ve taken to reading a little every day about nutrition and fitness. I find the more I know about the subject of weight loss and physical fitness, the more I know what to expect and what to do when I reach certain sticking points in my program. I also read the stories of other people’s remarkable transformations and even watch videos on U-Tube showing these transformations. They inspire me and remind me that many of these people were bigger and in worse health than I was and like me experienced long plateaus and huge setbacks. Still, they persevered and were successful. Man! That’s encouraging.
If you’re interested in finding the places I visit for daily encouragement, see my blogroll to the right of this post. And check out YouTube and this link for some great transformation stories with photos. You can’t help but be inspired.
5. Kedge quarterly if not monthly: You’ve probably never heard of kedging but it’s a technique used for centuries by navies around the world to move stranded ships (especially those with sails) off sandbars. The ship would send out a few sailors in a row boat carrying a small anchor with a long rope attached to the marooned ship and the men would set the anchor fifty to a hundred yards beyond the ship. Once the anchor was set, the remaining sailors aboard the stranded vessel would pull the ship to the anchor thus freeing it from the sandbar. This process would be repeated again and again until the ship reached open waters.
I’ve learned that if I’m to be successful, especially in my weight loss, I need to Kedge on a regular basis. I need to set an “anchor” at some distance from my present location and use it to pull me in the direction of my ultimate goal. This is especially true if I’ve hit a snag or the doldrums in my progress.
An “anchor” might be a challenge or test that causes you to work toward a short-term goal and gives your daily diet/fitness routine a sense of urgency and importance that it might not otherwise have. You might, for example, commit to run a 5K or 10K or even a marathon in a month or two and by sending in the registration fee, you’ve set an anchor that will pull you toward your goal of health and fitness.
Kedging is more than just goal setting, it’s locking yourself into some future commitment such that if you fail to do the necessary diet/fitness work it will cost you something – money, added pain, embarrassment.
I’ve read of lots of people who in undertaking a new weight loss and fitness regime enter bodybuilding contests. The constant thought of appearing half naked on stage before hundred of people is a perfect motivation for them to work hard at their diet and exercise.
I’ve not committed to appear on stage in a shiny new speedo, but I have set out some anchors that motivate me to keep going. I’m not quite prepared to tell you what they are but maybe in subsequent posts I’ll let you know. In the meantime, why not kedge your way to success and set out a few anchors for yourself.
6. Feeling good is more important than losing weight: I don’t know about you but when I’m dieting and I weigh myself in the morning, the number on the scale staring back at me can either make or break my day. I’m either charged and motivated or I’m discouraged and depressed, if only for a moment. That number controls my life, at least to some degree, and to be honest, I don’t like it one bit.
That’s why I’ve resorted to using other, more subjective, measures to track my “fat” loss success. And for me, the number one daily measure is, “How do I feel today?” Do I feel lighter? – not bloated and stuffed. Do I feel strong and full of energy? – not weak from diet and exercise. Do I feel a slight post-workout soreness? – a good sign that I am strengthening and building muscles. Do I feel like I stayed true to my diet and exercise yesterday? – if so, positive results are just around the corner.
How I feel has become far more important to me than what I weigh. Don’t get me wrong, I want to get down to that magic number (200 lbs for me), but I’m more concerned I feel good getting there. The journey is more important than the destination.
In the past, I’ve felt my age (I’m pushing 60) in my legs. It was a major effort to get on and off the floor – something every good grandparent needs to do when he/she has little ones wanting to “rassle” or build Lego. I often found myself using my hands to push myself out of my easy chair or hobbling around like an “old man” – stiff and sore – after riding in the car for more than an hour. I dreaded climbing stairs, or taking long hikes, or playing tag, or getting up to get a soda (thank goodness for Barb – thus the phrase was born – “Hey, while you’re up and not doing nothing (sic)…how ’bout getting me something to drink?”)
So, these days, whenever I ask myself, “How do I feel today?” it’s generally regarding “How do my legs feel?” On previous weight loss journeys, before I knew better and did copious amounts of cardio – treadmill, jogging, walking – I hated the way my legs (and feet) felt. If it wasn’t an injury (torn Achilles tendon, plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, shin splints, strains, sprains and blisters – I’ve had them all), it was a general weariness or fatigue from a reduction in calories and an increase in cardio resulting in over training. I quickly discovered this was no way to live. I was seeing great weight loss results, and the falling number on my scales kept me motivated, but I felt like crap. Even when I hit my ultimate weight loss goal, there was little celebrating. I liked the slimmer me, but I was in constant pain from my many injuries and always tired. I am convinced that the combination of pain and exhaustion, led in great part, to the regaining of my lost weight – because I finally concluded this is no way to live and gradually abandoned both my diet and exercise.
Not this time. I’m not going to let the number on my scales dictate what I do and how my day goes. This time, I’m looking within and asking how my diet and exercise make me feel – physically. “Do I feel good today?” And if the answer is, “Yes!” then I’m going to celebrate no matter what the scales say.
Hello Jim,
I just found your blog through my (nonstop) research on Intermittent Fasting which I’ve incorporated into my life recently and have found to be a true blessing dealing with OCD thoughts about food, body image etc. I’ve found it to be quite healing. Anyway, as you mentioned in your recent post (1/14) reading about fitness and nutrition everyday, as well as other people’s journey’s has kept me inspired and motivated. I just wanted to let you know I enjoy your posts and am inspired by your journey. You will get to goal sooner than you think!
Michelle
Thanks Michelle,
For your post and encouragement. Like you, I’ve found IF to be quite liberating. It’s flexible (I can do it anytime I have a full day), effective (it delivers on its promises), and has helped me rethink my relationship with food (I don’t need nearly as much as I thought to be healthy and satisfied). Besides, it’s a good mental and physical discipline in this age of self-indulgence. Like you, I highly recommend it. Thanks again for your kind words.
Jim