Diffuse to Lose

Diffuse the thought to change the action to ultimately lose the weight. This goes back to the action plan in a previous blog –  when you have positive thoughts to replace the thoughts about eating.  For example, if you see a commercial on television for any kind of food item or restaurant, immediately change the channel.  Commercials are very powerful and are intended to call to action and choose their product or establishment. They are designed to lure you in. Don’t buy it; don’t let them suck you in.

I still have fond memories of watching holiday specials that were sponsored by food companies such as Kraft Foods or Dolly Madison cakes. It was the voice, the calming words, the images that were effective. The anticipation of the holiday to come around the corner.  I enjoyed the commercials as much as the specials. They were all packaged around the holiday special and conjured up memories of special times. There is so much to celebrate around the holidays than just the food.   Save those other memories and remember them when you need to diffuse the thoughts on eating.

Sometimes I think that I want to eat because I am remembering the environment, the idea surrounding the food. Thoughts of vacation, sunny days, relaxing with a glass of ice tea, breakfast. It was the idea, memory of the beautiful sunny day not the taste of the food. While it is nice to have positive happy memories, do not focus on the food aspect of the memory. Redirect the focus on the sunny day, relaxing. Certainly there are other aspects of the memory that are not associated with food. Diffuse the food part and focus on the sunny day.

When you were putting together your action plans it might have seemed overwhelming. Do not look at it that way. Take it one step at a time, one plan at a time. The good news is that if you’re focusing on your plan you’re not eating. You are doing an exercise that is about control, power. You having the power to take control of your life.

I was recently out to dinner with a friend of mine and I was saying how I was just about a pound away from a “new” goal. She asked me what I was eating to lose the weight. My mind drew a blank. I really had no idea what I ate because that wasn’t the focus for me. At the time of our discussion I didn’t realize how significant that was. I realized afterwards how far I had come in that I went through a month of purely focusing on all of my projects and day to day “stuff” and wasn’t in food planning focus mode. I’m pretty consistent with my breakfast and lunch so those are easy to remember but I really couldn’t recall what I was eating for dinner. My friend, on the other hand, had a regimented diet plan and actually had to count out spears of asparagus. From the time period of March to December she had lost 20 pounds but put back on 13 pounds.  The more your thoughts are on food the more you are going to be hungry and desire eating.  Diffuse those thoughts!
Disclaimer

I am blessed and grateful for my journey.  However, it was suggested to me that sharing my stories from my past sound a little like a “pitty party”.   That was not my intention at all.

When I wrote the book, from which this blog is based, I was very strategic in the layout of the chapters.   At the end of the book were the stories from my past so the reader could focus on the strategy of losing weight vs. my story.  However,  with blogging I’m giving readers minimal information and I thought it important to share my experiences.   It is important to me that you know that I lived this life and am now successful at maintaining a desired weight.

I am not writing a blog to gain commercial success.  It’s about helping others.  There might be many people who relate to the stories or there might be just one person.  If I can help even one person then I will be at peace.   Even if that one person is me.

This is my story, this is my truth.  Thank you for reading.

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