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Post by bbbearsmom on Jan 31, 2017 23:24:49 GMT
Wednesday, 02/01
From Carol:
3. Think Differently: Sometimes we're our own biggest obstacle. Give your Sabotaging Thoughts a reality check, and shift them to Helpful Thoughts.
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Post by lani on Feb 1, 2017 14:51:05 GMT
I don't have anything to contribute - I just wanted to thank you for doing this every day, day in and day out.  |
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Post by bbbearsmom on Feb 1, 2017 15:51:56 GMT
This is Andi's post from yesterday. We can also discuss what she talks about in her post.
Good evening all. Am sorry I didn't post this morning but I ended up rushing to work after packing breakfast, lunch, snacks and fooling around on my computer too long.
Near the beginning of the Beck blue book she has a section titled, "Change your thoughts, Change your brain." I love this. She talks about practicing new ways of thinking and behaving until they become almost automatic. She notes, "When you think in a certain way for a long time, your brain becomes more and more efficient at thinking that way." When we are on auto pilot in the car or brushing our teeth, for example, these are activities that seem automatic because we've done them over and over again and they have woven their way into the networks of our brains while alternatives have been selectively "pruned out." She concludes that we have power of choice and the power to change.
I find this all immensely helpful. I was in OA for 6 years during which time I was told that I was helpless around food and that a power greater than myself would have to give me recovery because I couldn't do it for myself. This never really worked for me although many aspects of the program did. I read a book called Brain Over Binge which talks about reprogramming your brain but doesn't offer the actual tools that Beck does. And then I read Beck again and was so relieved that with the help of her suggestions, I can actually change the wiring of my brain and not live in that miserable place of food obsession. It's been 5 weeks and I am finding this to be true and for the first time in my life I am not obsessing about food 24X7, not overeating, feeling in control (mainly because I'm not working at "control") by practicing a few simple steps every day. It's just amazing.
Sorry this got so long. Plus it's late and most probably won't see it, but it's good for me to put it all out here.
I don't really have goals for the week - just to keep to my food plan, practice the Beck tools daily, get more active. But these are my goals every week...
And as I've said, I have plenty of me time after work since my kids are grown and I live alone. If I could only get to the gym...
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Post by jamescat1 on Feb 1, 2017 16:56:26 GMT
I just don't have an answer for this as this is the time of year I am less focused and can easily sabotage myself. After all of these years, I still have not found the answer to get past this.
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Post by bbbearsmom on Feb 1, 2017 21:00:43 GMT
Speaking of this time of year I'm into some portion creep, rationalizing away. Luckily it is with my dark chocolate and I'm almost out so if I don't get more I may be fine.
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Post by surfgirl on Feb 1, 2017 21:01:39 GMT
I find that thinking differently is one of life's biggest challenges. We get so comfortable in our ways, and we don't even realize when we are sabotaging ourselves. Changing behavior is hard. I think the trigger to making it easier is full commitment, and full commitment - at least for me - takes...takes what? I guess it takes willpower but I'm not really certain. All I know is that once something CLICKS in my head, this whole WLJ gets sooo much easier.
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mariel
Transcendent Member
Posts: 768 
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Post by mariel on Feb 1, 2017 22:20:32 GMT
I would say several things...
when I really see that eating OP is so much more rewarding...in how I feel. I am beginning to understand when I don't eat well (healthy) I don't feel well. I think when I was young (er) I didn't have such a reaction to foods that were not good for me but now I really do.
When I understand at a deep level no one eats whatever one wants and does not pay consequences. Some have a harder time - I do because over many years food has become so much more to me than nourishment. Years of using food for everything makes it more difficult to "think" differently but it is possible.
Marie
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Post by linda72 on Feb 1, 2017 23:08:25 GMT
Interesting because today's WW meeting was about thinking and how thoughts can impact what you feel and the actions you do. Changing the thinking is the first step in changing behavior. Sounds like sabotaging thoughts that we learned about in Beck. It was gratifying to see members at our meeting learn they could change their thinking. One woman said she was always a failure after being on track to lose weight. She just thought of herself as a failure. Others wanted to skip Super Bowl parties because they gave in and ate too much. The members were able to give these people ideas for handling these times. They seemed relieved to learn there were actual steps they could take to do better. I will always be a WIP on this because some days are easier than others. But, years have practice have made it easier. Power of choice and power to change are helpful.
My regional WW leader posted this on our Facebook page:
Thoughts have energy. Make sure your thoughts are positive and powerful.
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Post by doordie50 on Feb 2, 2017 1:29:10 GMT
I wish I had more time to post here tonight. I'm okay as long as I habitually track and measure. When I see it as the same must-do daily thing as brushing my teeth, I'm okay. Special occasions and treats and even the Super Bowl no longer mean I throw months of hard work down the drain if I overeat in those situations. I used to have that thinking but, not anymore. I'm so not perfect and I definitely have my bad days. Its just that now, if I have days where I go over my normal intake, its easier to self-correct and get back on track.
If I give myself an honest minute to get some leverage, I try to remember that I can't stand the feeling of being stuffed and even more so, all the self-loathing later. Progress not perfection.
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Post by keshet51 on Feb 2, 2017 1:29:18 GMT
Linda, that was so helpful. We did the thinking segment a couple of weeks ago which is weird since I thought all WW meetings were on the same schedule.
Marie, it took me the longest time to accept that there were consequences for eating whatever I wanted and it has been really hard to change my thinking around this. My sabotaging thoughts have often been about entitlement, as in, I can eat this if I want to, which felt tremendously defiant and empowering to me in a strange way. Definitely hard to break that particular pattern. I think the reminder cards helped me with this where Beck pointed out that I am entitled to all the things I listed on my advantages list and I can't eat anything and everything and have those things as well. For some reason that was a lightbulb moment for me, that I'm entitled to all the wonderful advantages even more than the food. And that if I eat certain foods, I will feel terrible afterward. Something finally clicked for me.
Turns out we really can change, can change our brains and the wiring.
Judy, thanks for posting my post from last night. I'm definitely a work in progress. And thanks for the topic today.
Surfgirl I think you're right about commitment although in my case I think I'd call it attitude. The old "I don't care" attitude and the one that says I'll start tomorrow. Once I was willing to see those for what they were, sabotaging thoughts, I was open to the tools that helped me deal with them.
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Post by jancanlose2016 on Feb 2, 2017 1:36:18 GMT
I've been thinking about this all day. What are my sabotaging thoughts? I guess they're the thoughts that tell me I can go back to my old habits with no negative consequences. I still need to intentionally shift my thinking--I know what to do, I just have to follow through and do it!
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Post by surfgirl on Feb 2, 2017 3:08:43 GMT
Been pondering this question since I posted earlier and I think it all boils down to this - when I am OP and doing everything that I can - tracking, eating right, exercising 5-6x week, not cheating - I lose weight. When I lose weight I remember how effing EASY it is to lose IF I stick to the program (by program I mean PP). As I gain momentum in losing week after week, I gain power from my success and it propels me forward to continue, and really, the losing becomes easy because I don't allow myself the option of falling off the wagon. However, things go off the rails when I've been traveling a lot and am in challenging situations away from home, and I then allow myself to continue half-assing it when I get home. So right now, I'm trying to still get 110% back OP so I can start seeing some losses and get that CAN DO attitude shift back. For me that will be another moment where it all clicks back into place.
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Tammy
Epic Member
190 / 132.2 / 146
Posts: 234
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Post by Tammy on Feb 2, 2017 5:23:25 GMT
keshet51 , Andi said, "Marie, it took me the longest time to accept that there were consequences for eating whatever I wanted and it has been really hard to change my thinking around this." ^--I find that interesting since that is what I learned in OA. In OA, I phrased this as "I am not God; I cannot eat whatever I want and not gain." and I termed it acceptance. Of course, it really doesn't matter how you get there as long as you get there. surfgirl, Maybe your goal during traveling should just be to maintain, at least for now. It would mean losing very slowly, but maybe it would help you to keep the momentum going.
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Post by bbbearsmom on Feb 2, 2017 16:21:16 GMT
Great posts.
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Post by surfgirl on Feb 2, 2017 17:44:22 GMT
surfgirl , Maybe your goal during traveling should just be to maintain, at least for now. It would mean losing very slowly, but maybe it would help you to keep the momentum going. Hi Tammy! I think that's a feasible idea...just maintain. I've done that before on trips, though not for a long while now. I know I can do it so it's really about changing my mindset and getting my weight before I depart on a trip, and keeping my eye on maintaining that so when I step back on the scale at home I'm picking up where I left off. Thanks...sometimes the most obvious tweak to make things work better is right in front of you but you cant see it until someone else holds it up for you to see. |
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