[CHANGES] From Stumbling Block to Stepping Stone

[Sandra Ahten]

Maria can't lose weight in the winter -- holidays and all. As a tax 
accountant, she finds she can't lose weight through the whole nightmare of 
tax season, either. "I just eat at my desk and never even get up."

Stumbling block or stepping stone?

Maria has taken her inventory and determined what her stumbling blocks are. 
But she is telling me this story in late April. So she now has seven months 
to make some positive changes in her diet -- to transform her stumbling 
blocks into stepping stones. She still needs to make her daily and weekly 
plans for success; after all, changes in our diets don't happen by accident. 
But when she is faced with the hassle of doing the extra planning, of 
carrying through on the choice
to forego dessert when she hasn't planned for those calories, she can 
reflect back to her stepping stone. She can tell herself, "This is my time. 
I make the changes in my life in summer and fall. I don't want another 
holiday and tax season to be upon me without having lost at least 30 
pounds."

Lee is at a healthy weight. She has lost more than 30 pounds in the last 
couple of years. She recognizes, though, that she is always vacillating 
between feeling she could stand to lose a few more pounds and feeling she 
really doesn't want to give up the pleasure she gets from eating as she 
does. She does carry a few more pounds than she did when she set her goal 
weight six months ago.

Stumbling block or stepping stone? Being overweight or facing health 
problems as a result of food choices can definitely be stepping stones, 
motivating you to make the necessary changes that will spur you toward 
optimal health. But obsessing too much about diet and body size when you 
simply want to find a healthy way to maintain your weight is a stumbling 
block.

I asked Lee, "Do you ever binge and feel guilty over what you've eaten?"

"I do think I use food to comfort me and sort of just for entertainment," 
she answered. "There are alcoholics in my family, and I see from my past 
that in many ways I use food the way that they have used alcohol." Lee has 
realized she feels guilty sometimes when she eats "non-diet" foods, and she 
also really doesn't know if she is overeating. Because she went from a 
pattern of serious overeating habits to a pattern of dieting to lose weight, 
she finds herself without a gauge for what eating "normally" means.

Lee decided that it would be a good idea for her to keep a food journal to 
provide a realistic picture of her food intake. She also is going to write 
down her state of mind when she is eating for reasons other than sustenance. 
Lee is on a path of personal growth -- definitely a stepping stone. She may 
decide go one step further and allow some time for reflection-journaling or 
confiding in a trusted friend or therapist when she has felt anxiety over 
food or her body size.

Here are the steps you can take to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping 
stones.

1) Recognize the problem.
Be as specific as possible. Don't just say, "I just say I really blew my 
diet last week."  Pinpoint a time in the last week that you felt most 
self-sabotaging regarding your choices. You may have sabotaged your diet 
plans by having fast food for lunch three times last week. You've already 
taken the first step to transform a stumbling block into a stepping stone -- 
you've recognized the problem. Every situation in our life is an opportunity 
to be a stepping stone.

2) Look for the root cause.
Ask yourself, "At what point did I begin to give myself permission to 
indulge in the behavior I want to change?" Was it in the morning when you 
decided you were too busy to pack your lunch? Perhaps you packed your lunch, 
but when your friends invited you to Taco Bell, you couldn't resist the 
opportunity to visit and relax with them. Finding the root cause is key to 
making successful changes.

3) Pick a personal solution.
Brainstorm many possible solutions. Search for one that seems right for you. 
Packing your lunch will do you no good if the problem is wanting to relax 
with your friends. On the other hand, having lunch with your friends in the 
park might be a solution, but not if you can't find time to get your lunch 
packed.

4) Commit to your decision.
Write it down. Tell someone. Visualize yourself in action. Make a commitment 
to yourself to try it even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Many changes 
in behavior can feel uncomfortable as we are
initiating them; that is the price we pay for change. Weigh the discomfort 
against your desires and goals. Is it worth the discomfort in order to reach 
your goal? As you decide, "Yes, it is worth it,"
more and more often you will be on your way to forming the habits that will 
bring you optimal health.

And remember what Julia Child says: " Life itself is the proper binge." Have 
you had yours today?

Sincerely,
Sandra

Sandra's current schedule:
WW meetings: Wed 9:30am, Noon, 5:15pm, Fri 7:30am, 10am, Noon
At Shoppes of Knollwood on South Neil in Champaign, behind Biaggis.

Art Classes:
Drawing with the Whole Brain--a class for those who have always
wanted to learn to draw, but thought they lacked talent or
confidence. 5 Mondays starting May 12, 7-9pm
Art with Intention--ongoing classes on Thursday 7-9pm or Friday 3-5pm.
Available for private consultation and lessons.

© 2002 by Sandra Ahten
Although I am an employee of Weight Watchers, this message has no
affiliation with Weight Watchers International. I am solely
responsible for the content.






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