Losing It

What Are You Willing to Give Up?

salada438 — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:47:40 +0000

Well, me eating hasn’t been quite what I want it to be the last few days, but I keep telling myself that I am not perfect and I will get through this as long as I don’t give up. My weight has been up and down, but it is more down than up and I am happy for that.

I keep walking. I am not sure the last day that I didn’t walk for at least 20 minutes. I feel more optimistic than I have in a long time. My routine for making healthy decision is relatively steady and consistent. Now I need to be more consistent with making good decisions that will have me debt free in about 2 years. That is a little bit harder than the food and exercise decisions at this time. Most of my poor spending decisions have to do with food. If I can get past eating out so much, my debt will go down faster.

I had a sponsor that said make a list of what you are willing to give up and start there. A list of deal breakers (things you are not willing to compromise on) is also a good idea. Adjusting these lists regularly will let you see what you have made progress on and what needs work. I have given up a lot of foods due to how the sugar or carbs make me feel, but being an addict there are still times that I will do things even though I know I will regret the outcome. What are you will to give up to get what you want?

Tags: Just for Today, recovery, OA, Overeaters Anonymous, Twelve Step program

Weight Loss Goals

salada438 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:24:51 +0000

I have set a weight loss goal of 5 pounds per month. This may not sound like much and may not seem aggressive, but I have learned that for me aggressive is not good. I have a hard time attaining aggressive goals and when I don’t reach them I feel let down. This feeling opens the door for me to fall back into destructive patterns.

As long as I am not gaining weight and I am doing healthy things, I am all right with that too. For me losing weight and living healthy is more about what goes on in my head than what goes into my mouth. More distinctly put, what goes on in my head has a direct bearing on what goes into my mouth. So, I spend a lot of time trying to manage my thinking and the environment I find myself in.

I have taken a few days vacation and I am trying to walk early enough in the morning so that I am done before the 90 degree temperatures hit. I have also been trying to get 20 minutes in after the sun goes down. I have really begun to enjoy walking. It allows me to multi task (probably something I do to much of). Not only do I get exercise, but it allows me time to think about plans for the day or for the future, in general. I feel walking allows me time with my Higher Power, especially when I am in the park and close to nature.

Tags: Just for Today, recovery, OA, Overeaters Anonymous, Twelve Step program

Getting Ahead

salada438 — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:45:54 +0000

Okay, so it has been awhile. A lot has gone on in the past 6 months…some of it good and some it has been a challenge. I have not gone to a lot of meetings lately, but I do feel that I have grown spiritually and in many other ways.

I am using a food plan that is working well for me. I am not completely abstinent, but I have limited the amount of sugar and carbs that I consume daily. I am slowly losing weight and I am happy with that. But the best part is I have found an inner peace. I am not obsessing over my weight and when I make bad choices, I am able to recover from it and move on. This is new for me. In the past, once I binged, it was all over. That was my excuse for giving up and going back to old behaviors.

I have learned to enjoy walking. Before it was always a chore. My husband and I ride bikes together once or twice a week. Except for my debt (I am making progress there also), I feel like my life has never been better than it is now.

Tags: Just for Today, recovery, OA, Overeaters Anonymous, Twelve Step program

New Year

salada438 — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:54:17 +0000

I don’t know why, but I always struggle with this time of year. Tomorrow will be my anniversary. I will be clean and sober eight years. Getting through today was not easy. I guess because I had a major relapse eight years ago today, I always think about it and it is kind of depressing.

I can’t believe I am saying this, but I think I will be glad to get back to work just to have my routine back. I do better if I have my days all planned and have a schedule to stick to and I did not do that very well with the last 4 days I was off. I am also kind of in limbo with my extra income. One stream seems to be drying up and the other one doesn’t seem to be taking off as fast as I would like it too.

But these things seem to change all the time. Hopefully, they will stabilize soon.

Finding an Online OA Meeting

salada438 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 17:22:09 +0000

Getting to a meeting isn’t always easy. There are any number of things that limit us from being able to make the scheduled meetings in our town, but there are telephone meetings and online meetings. Someone left me a comment requesting information on online meetings. Here is a link to a site that contains a wealth of recovery tools in addition to access to online meetings: http://www.therecoverygroup.org/. I just love this site. You can chat online, get a sponsor and get information on the 12 steps in addition to the online OA meetings that take place every 3 hours. This a good place to go if you find yourself in a situation where you could benefit from some experience, strength and hope. If you need to talk there is always someone here.

Making Wise Financial Decisions

salada438 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:48:29 +0000

There is a lot being said about mortgages right now, because so many are in default. Whether your mortgage is a cheap mortgage or a remortgage, it is something that you have to be able to make payments on for several years.

Many lenders try to entice borrowers by telling them that regular pay increases will cover any deviations in their mortgage payments due to creative financing. This is where the problem comes in. You cannot count on regular pay increases. They are not a given. Getting a mortgage on the condition that you will get a 3% pay increase each year is not wise. There are only to guarantees in life and we all know what they are. Having a job, let alone getting an annual increase, is not one of them.

Each Day as it Comes

salada438 — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 14:23:30 +0000

In recent days I have done much better with my eating and I feel a lot better. I’ll bet I am the only person that has a personal trainer that managed to gain 5 pounds in a week. I am also going to turn around and lose that same 5 pounds this week. I still haven’t exercised as much as I wpuld like, but I have exercised more than in the past. I am relatively focused at this point. I have not had candy in about 5 days. However, I did have some cake. Work is my weakness. If I could work form home, I would be all set. That is an easy statement to make and it is not true. Working at home would just present a whole new set of challenges. I just have to take each challege is it comes and each day as it comes.

Purchase Electronics Online

salada438 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:10:24 +0000

It is that time of year again. Time to shop and select Christmas gifts for family and friends. Electronics make great gifts. There is something for everyone.

Abtelectronics.com has a large variety electronics to choose from. You can search their site by brand or category. They carry such brands as Apple, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and Bose. Abtelecctronics.com carries everything from ipods to air purifiers. When you are doing your Christmas shopping, consider shopping online with Abtelectronics.com. They have great customer service and an online chat available. Come on over and browse through their great selection of electronic devices.

Insanity

salada438 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 02:42:41 +0000

I met with my personal trainer tonight. I had a good workout, but I gained weight. When is it going to sink in that I have to make changes in order to lose weight. What is that they say about doing the same thing and expecting different results. I am having some issues with balance. I am putting too much into this project I am working on and not enough into the other areas of my life. I have been staying up really late. I haven’t been exercising or managing my home effectively. This weekend I will have to do some catching up.

I Need New Carpet

salada438 — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 03:25:43 +0000

It won�t be long and I will probably need new carpeting. We are also in the process of putting tile on the sunroom floor. Wfca.org has several tools that make choosing flooring easier. The one that I especially found helpful is the virtual room designer.

This tool allows you to select from a variety of room styles. After you have made your room selection, you are given several flooring types to choose from, such as; tile, carpet and hardwoods. Once you have selected your flooring type then it is time to select a color. This tool gives you an idea of what your selected flooring will look like in your home. Come on over and see what wfca.org has to offer.