talkhealth Blog

Gosh – I have been doing everything today apart from the one thing that I should have been doing!

Which was to write my final assignment…based on the use of compassionate approaches in coaching.

Instead I decided to:
have a lie-in
go and see the horses
change my bedding and air my bedroom and spritz all of my bedding with posh spray
clean the bathroom
venture into my spare room and try on some wedge heels that I particularly like and haven’t been able to wear in years…and mooched around in those for a bit
sit in my new/old rocking chair and just rock around the lounge
sweep the floors
make lunch
have a fabulous coaching session
rock a bit more in my chair
go to the bathroom loads as I was drinking so much water – which I think was another distraction
try and fit in the bath – I did – which I haven’t been able to do in years
try and get out of the bath…which was far more entertaining than getting in it
cook dinner
eat dinner
get further distracted by the ‘rest of the world’ team on SoccerAid
go on Twitter lots
and of course write this
oh, and check Facebook lots!

And somehow, amongst all of my procrastination, I managed to finish my assignment! I do have a marvellous lady that I could send it to for a sense-check…but I am worried that she will send it back saying that it needs more work. And quite clearly, I think today’s activities show that I don’t want more work!

Anyway – let’s leave the assignment behind for now…

The coaching session this afternoon really was fabulous…and got me thinking once again about how we tend to focus on what is going wrong, rather than what is going right.

Now, what I am about to discuss is in no way, shape, or form designed to give you an excuse to use for not making progress. I am all for progress. What I am not all for however is perfection and dwelling upon things that we could have / should have / would have done differently.

We were chatting about how we focus upon stuff that goes wrong. Be that a work issue, or a food issue, or a relationship issue. You have done this before – had a great week on plan, yet beaten yourself up over that one meal out. Or you have had a great week at work, yet had one shitty conversation with a colleague and have spent the whole weekend worrying about it. Or your partner might have snapped at you – once in the entire day/week/month (or year in Mr WLBs case…he’s so lovely!) – and you dwell on that for far too long.

I watched a video the other day on YouTube about compassion. It was Paul Gilbert – my compassion guru – who was featured in it. He was talking about how we might go Christmas shopping and have a great experience in all of the shops we visit…apart from one. That one shop assistant was rude, unhelpful, advised you incorrectly, and when you get home you realised they overcharged you. What do you talk about if someone asks you about your shopping trip? I would bet it’s that one experience in a day of many positive experiences!

Perspective. We have to get a little bit of perspective. Yet how do you get it?

Well, one little trick I like to use is to keep a success journal. At the end of every week – a typical Monday to Sunday week, or a weight loss week – I have a bit of a review. It’s almost like a grand version of the ‘Three Blessings’ or three good things. You just have a think back over the week and review work, life, and your health stuff. Write down the positives…as many as you can remember.

It’s as simple as that! Nothing major…just however you feel comfortable in recording your weekly successes. I like to split mine into food, movement, and mind – and then record the things that I have done well in each of those areas. I also have a ‘general’ section for work and study related achievements. My main focus however is to concentrate on the things that will get me where I want to be. But this is just what works for me. As I said, I don’t use these kinds of things as an excuse for not making progress…so I keep my focus on the things that I want to progress with.

If you are having work troubles, then you might want to focus on highlighting your work successes.

If you are having troubles in your relationship, then you might want to focus on highlighting your relationship successes.

Alternatively – find a new job or a new partner!

Seriously though – this success journal can help you to make those decisions. Is it worth sticking with this job, am I blowing issues out of proportion, what does this job allow me to do – an income, work life balance, a sense of achievement, good colleagues, a fair and understanding boss etc. Your success journal helps you highlight the good stuff – which often outweighs the bad stuff. And if it doesn’t, then you have the basis on which to make a decision…a sensible and rational decision.

Success means different things to different people, so I don’t like to be too prescriptive. Do what works for you…and try and link your successes with constant progress.

Does that all make sense?!

It does to me…but I have been running around like a crazy thing all day and need some sleep. So if you have any questions about the success journal then please just ask!

I think that’s it from me for tonight…I need to go and do some more rocking in my chair!

Breakfast: BLE rolls – that’s bacon, lettuce, and egg! (2 x HEB).

Lunch: Tikka chicken, garlic coleslaw, and cherry tomatoes (2 syns).

Dinner: Burger in a bowl! (2 x HEA and 2 syns).

Snack: 0% Total Greek yogurt, cherries, and a Nakd bar (6.5 syns).

A delicious food day! Brekkie was smoked bacon with egg and lettuce and shredded beetroot. Lunch was just the Asda chicken tikka chunks with homemade coleslaw and cherry tomatoes. Dinner was the burger in a bowl…I added chilli and mushrooms to my mince mixture…it was lush! And my snack this evening was my cheats Black Forest gateau…does gateau have an ‘x’ on the end?!

Exercise: Just my mind today…and a bit of housework too.

Thank you for reading,

Weight Loss Bitch xxx

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WeightLossBitch

On a health and fitness driven journey to lose over 32st / 448lbs / 203kgs – yes, it is a considerable amount – I am committed to losing my excess weight without the aid of weight loss surgery, diet pills, or quick fixes…as there aren’t any! Changing my eating habits and building up my fitness levels, along with addressing the ‘head issues’ will be crucial in order for me to achieve my goal. Living in England as a 31 year old super morbidly obese woman can be challenging to say the least. I have been shouted at in the street and verbally abused far too many times to mention; hence the name ‘Weight Loss Bitch’…the day I am just called a ‘bitch’ instead of a ‘fat bitch’ will be the day that I know I have cracked my weight loss! With many reasons to lose this weight I am documenting my journey for a number of reasons. Firstly, I would like to keep a record of the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and the challenges I face with such an enormous task to tackle. Secondly, I would also like to inspire and encourage other people who are in a similar situation and to show them that significant amounts of weight can be lost naturally…with a bit of motivation, hard work, dedication and will power. Thirdly, all of the blogging, Facebook-ing, Tweet-ing, Pinterest-ing and YouTube-ing keeps me occupied and keeps my fingers out of the fridge!