Mental Rehearsing-Did it work?

Well, I think so. Not that I sat on the way down saying "No thank you, I'll have the water and the fruit" the whole way down to the city, but I definitely was very conscious of what i was eating and drinking. At least for the first part of the afternoon.

The park was fantastic. Boiling hot at first, it was filtered with a brilliant breeze every now and again. Plus we were having too much fun to really notice.

I prepped for my adventure by going for an exhausting & sticky jog/walk in the morning...well, early afternoon. It really was too hot and I couldn't jog for long because I felt like my heart and lungs would collapse any second. But I felt good that I did it. When I recorded it though it was hard to figure out how long I was jogging (I figured about 7 minutes...1.5 songs on my iPod), and how long I was walking briskly vs. walking leisurely. Since my muscles were tired from jogging, I assume I did more leisurely walking vs. brisk walking, but who knows. I give myself the lazier route when I record these things because if I'm wrong, then I've only done better. I do the same thing with food often by overestimating how much I've eaten.

Anyway-I also had a nice jog down to the train station since I was running a little late. It was kind of funny since I had a dress, dressy (but comfortable) sandals, and two bags and I'm like "excuse me, sorry, train. thanks!" to the people I had to run past. It's a good thing I did because I made the train with less than a minute to spare. And oh boy was I sweating from that. And then I also had a nice long walk from the subway to the park, picking up fruit along the way. So I made sure I got my exercise.

And then I sat for about 4 and a half hours surrounded by good food & friends. And I had plenty of water in between as I planned, and I had plenty of fruit in between as I had planned. It was partly because it was so hot & the fruit & water was very refreshing, and partly because I was really making an effort to keep away from the rich cheeses and stuff that people had brought. The biggest downfall of the day was the wine. Although I did mix in water, I did have a few cups of wine--probably between 4 and 5. I stopped keeping track. And that's where I started snacking more with the meats & cheeses and bread. And a mixed drink of lemonade and vodka. But all in all it wasn't too bad. And then we ended up not going out for dinner as we usually do, so I didn't have to add my mojitos and mexican food to that list, so I saved myself a lot of points there. And then there was more walking after.

And even better was yesterday--although I got no exercise whatsoever, I went for an egg white omelet at the dinner with spinach & feta (heavy on the feta, but I didn't finish it), and then afterward when I got to my parent's house and they were barbecuing, I passed on the burgers and hot dogs, had one piece of sausage and enjoyed the rest of the vegetables and stuff. I was very proud of myself there too. I didn't overdo it, I saved myself some points, and at the end of the evening when I went food shopping to Stew Leonards, I treated myself to a nice Fat Free Frozen Yogurt cone. Yum. Totally made my night.

Well--I'm not really certain how my weigh in tonight is going to go, but we'll keep our fingers crossed! 1.5 baby!!!

Until next time

Tools for Living #4

I'm feeling very big today & very off program.

Okay--once again, I had a successful weigh-in on Monday, and only a small goal to accomplish this week, and it's now Friday & I feel like I am failing. Although my points haven't been too bad (though Tuesday was a bit over the top), and I have been getting in my lunchtime walks every day (but not my evening walks), I feel like Monday's weigh-in is going to be a disappointment.

Not that I'm giving up. I can't go for a walk tonight (well, maybe a short one, but it's hot & I have a date), but I certainly want to tomorrow. A nice long one in the morning because then I will be picnicking in the park with friends & wine & cheese & wine & food & wine...followed by more food & mojitos. I'm going to have to be careful because the picnic could easily get out of hand. Maybe I'll bring some food I can eat & not feel guilty about. That's a good idea.

I think for this I have to use one of the Tools for Living. This week I will use Mental Rehearsing, the act of practicing in your mind ahead of time, being in a challenging situation. According to WW it can be used to

• Develop healthy new behaviors
• Deal with situations you know will be difficult
• Visualize living at your weight goal

So first I have to identify the situation:
I will be at a picnic and will be presented with a lot of unhealthy food choices as well as an endless supply of wine which will be highly detrimental to my plan. I want to enjoy myself but also be very aware of what I'm eating and drinking and help myself stay on plan.

Second I have to imagine myself in the situation:
Where am I?
I am in Central Park at Turtle Pond, sitting on the lawn enjoying the summer with friends

What am I saying?
Oh, thank you, but I don't want any more wine. It's hot, I think I'll have some water. Can I have some more fruit? Would you like some of the [insert healthy food here] which I brought?

What am I doing?
I am having a glass of wine, followed by a bottle of water. I have some cheese & crackers as well as some fruit and/or veggies which I have brought, or some other healthy and filling summery fun dish which I have brought. I am getting up to play to get some exercise with a ball/frisbee/some other sport equipment. I am basking in the sunshine and soaking up healthy UV rays. At dinner following the park, I am choosing light and healthy meals, and will have one mojito so as not to deprive myself, but won't fall for the pitcher of rummy goodness.

How am I doing it?
With grace. And style. And skinny clothes so I can remember how far I've come and my goals I want to reach.

Third, rehearse the desired response:
No thank you, I'll have the water. Hmm, that fruit sure looks delicious. (Okay, that was a bit cheesy, but it helps)

Fourth, repeat until the event

I think two things that will help this along are bringing food that I can nosh on without feeling deprived, and water to drink rather than wine or other alcohol; and if I wear something that is very suitable for my fitter body so I can remember that I want to continue moving towards my goal.

I'll report back on the results!!

Until next time