Ugh, I am so embarrassed, but I am still right where I started. I have had the goal to lose 20 pounds for literally 3 years now, and haven't made any lasting progress. It is frustrating, because I keep thinking (and really believing) that something is going to change and I will lose the weight, but nothing has happened. I would be foolish to believe that without deliberate effort and a solid plan the weight will just come off. So I am in progress of making a solid plan. The problem is, I have made literally hundreds of these said "plans" and I never stick with them, so what will make this one different? I think at first I will need to make a pre-calorie counted meal plan that I can stick with. I will aim for 1200-1500. I love a challenge, I just can't cheat. I also want to make rules about how I eat, because things come up, or I might go out with friends and I don't want to give up my social life for some diet. Heck, a better social life is one of the main reasons I want to lose weight in the first place. So for now, I am just going to "try harder" on the same rules I have aimed for in the past. Will I make them this time? I don't know, but I sure want to. A large part of it is believing that they will pay off. When it comes down to it, I do something because I believe it will have an effect. I run because I truly believe that more runs will allow me to get in better shape. I study because I truly believe that my studying will result in better grades. I go to work because I have full faith that the more hours I work, the larger my paycheck will be. For some reason, I don't truly believe that this one bite of cookie will result in weight gain. And perhaps that one bite doesn't. But lots of little bites add up. I am confident that is my biggest weight loss obstacle right now. I don't eat 3 meals, I eat constantly. And granted most of it is healthy (fruit, nuts, peanut butter) but they add up to extra calories. And because I just nibble on them, I have no real concept of how much I've actually eaten. This need to change. Especially with calorie dense foods such as nuts. I weigh more than I need to because I eat more than I need to. But changing these habits that are ingrained into my daily routine will not be easy. I need to make a habit of working out, running, doing core, a snacking taboo, healthy meals, and being hungry. I think another issue is satisfaction. I have it in my head that if I have a craving, eating will make it go away. But the problem is, once I eat that, I crave something else. This needs to stop. instead, i need to just say no, to flex my self denial muscle, and walk away. Only Jesus satisfies. No amount of food will satisfy me. But I can't keep talking about what I want to do, I need to do it. To live it. To be it. I need to stack successful hour on successful hour. Day after day. Great week upon great week. And month on month, success will be mine. The key to running (and weight loss) is consistency.
Here are my rules to rid mindless eating:
1. no grazing; employ a snacking taboo
2. never eat out of a package, put food on a plate, put the package away
3. always eat sitting down, at a table (this is not possible for me at work, but I will do this when I am at home)
4. avoid junk food and diet soda. you can have a few cheats a week, but treat them like indulgences.
5. pre-weigh all calorie dense foods (nuts, peanut butter) be extra sure to not eat these out of the package, but count them and stick to the serving size
6. eat slow
7. no eating after dinner. once dinner is done, kitchen is closed. brush your teeth.
8. go to bed hungry
Monday, June 6, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
A million miles in a thousand years
What story are you telling? from Rhetorik Creative on Vimeo.
My favorite book of my all time favorite authors! you can buy the book here http://www.amazon.com/Million-Miles-Thousand-Years-Learned/dp/1400202981/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1276717752&sr=1-1
or here:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/A-Million-Miles-In-A-Thousand-Years/Donald-Miller/e/9781418578480/?itm=1&USRI=a+million+miles+in+a+thousand
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Borders
One of my absolute favorite things to do in my free time is to go to borders and read books. Yesterday, I did just that. I read the father book by Don Miller and I also read weight management for triathletes. Although I am not a triathlete, I really valued some of the things it said. Here are some quotes from the two books that I found particularly insightful.
We don't like certain people because we feel insecure around them. we are drawn to those who validate us and affirm us.
i want to read "the 300 cal cookbook" and dylan thomas poetry. Read about Salome thomas-el
The key to winning is making good decisions. Make good decisions.
Before you figure out how to attract the opposite sex, it's best to decide who you want to become
If you work for yourself you are going to be let down, or you are going to work too much because you're trying to redeem yourself or something, or you are going to be lazy. God is the only motivation I have found where the law of diminishing returns doesn't apply. I get joy in knowing him, and he makes sense of my life, my family, my money, my work. And work is just a tool. It is the means to a good end, not the end itself.
Renew your motivation daily. Imagine your life at your new weight. See yourself making the right decisions to get there. Plan on success. Behave as if achieving your goal is a forgone (determined in advanced, inevitable) and guaranteed conclusion. Make it who you are
Even one bite of something has a psychological and chemical consequence. A taste of sugar can set in motion a craving for the stuff that you will have to battle the rest of the day. All because of one bite.
Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire
We don't like certain people because we feel insecure around them. we are drawn to those who validate us and affirm us.
i want to read "the 300 cal cookbook" and dylan thomas poetry. Read about Salome thomas-el
The key to winning is making good decisions. Make good decisions.
Before you figure out how to attract the opposite sex, it's best to decide who you want to become
If you work for yourself you are going to be let down, or you are going to work too much because you're trying to redeem yourself or something, or you are going to be lazy. God is the only motivation I have found where the law of diminishing returns doesn't apply. I get joy in knowing him, and he makes sense of my life, my family, my money, my work. And work is just a tool. It is the means to a good end, not the end itself.
Renew your motivation daily. Imagine your life at your new weight. See yourself making the right decisions to get there. Plan on success. Behave as if achieving your goal is a forgone (determined in advanced, inevitable) and guaranteed conclusion. Make it who you are
Even one bite of something has a psychological and chemical consequence. A taste of sugar can set in motion a craving for the stuff that you will have to battle the rest of the day. All because of one bite.
Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire
Friday, August 20, 2010
Old Thoughts for a New School Year
Personal Statement
I, Laura, promise this fall to seek first the kingdom of God. I promise to always put God first. I promise to practice discipline. To rely on my creator for strength. To trust in him to be enough. To seek after him with every fiber of my being and let him satisfy me. I promise not to let my god be my stomach, but to know that Jesus will satisfy every desire. I promise to read my bible every day. Even when I don’t feel like it. I promise to clean my room. To create an environment that fosters joy and discipline. I will do laundry frequently and make my bed every morning. I will be early to every class and every practice. I will visualize hard workouts and meets. I will eat clean and live my life the way I need to be a true champion runner. I promise to never eat even a single bite if I am not truly hungry. If my stomach is not growling, I will not eat, even if it’s one blueberry or one cherry or a bite of an apple. Not matter how tempting or how good it sounds, only Jesus satisfies and eating will only make crave more. Oscar Wilde was wrong, the only way to get rid of temptation is to not yield to it. Temptation is difficult, but it is the sure sign that I am on the right track. If I am living in self indulgence and luxury, I will not know the companionship of temptation, but if I am living the good life, it will visit me often, but with the help of God, I can stand strong, not yielding, not surrendering, never compromising. I will not adjust my dreams to fit my feelings. I will not
I, Laura, promise to use my mouth only for good. I will not complain, I will not argue, I will not gossip. I will not speak negatively about friends, teammates, roommates, or professors. will say only what is useful for building others up. I will be quick to listen and slow to speak. I will listen, not share my opinions. A fool airs his opinion, but I will be wise and humble and keep my opinion to myself unless asked, for even a fool seems wise until he opens his mouth.
I commit to keeping an accurate food journal. Every thing I eat will be written. I will also keep track of fitness.
I promise to do morning workouts every day. Run, core, stretch, etc. With my first class at 11:10 and only 2 classes a day, this really shouldn’t be an issue. I promise to look my best. To straighten my hair and dress well, even if it means feeling semi-stupid and risking boys thinking I look dumb, dressing up is worth it. I promise to always come showered and clean, looking my best, as if I was going on a first date or would be on TV. I am serious when I pledge to abstain from diet soda, to not pick my split ends, and to not snack between meals (exception vegetables). I will create meal plans and stick with them. I would also like to limit the amount of coffee I drink. I will drink coffee only about 2-3 times a week maximum. I can drink as much tea as I would like. I want to look my best to be my best. As coach says, “if you look good, you feel good, you run good”. Dress for success. I will floss my teeth every day, use whitening mouth wash twice a day, and use white strips. I will severely limit the quantity of dark liquids I consume. I will take risks with fashion.
I know that I am loved. I am wanted and chosen in Christ. I, Laura Zwilling, will put others first this semester. I will seek to understand before being understood. I will be a support and an encouragement to others. I will treat boys like brothers in Christ, and this does not mean ignoring them, on the contrary this means going out of my way to say hi! I am committing to never quit. To not miss a single cross country meet or workout. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I will focus on eating vegetables, and eat roughly 5 servings a day.
I will think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable excellent, and praiseworthy. I will seek after the lord with all that I have. Draw near to the lord and he will draw near to you. I will love others deeply. I will pray without ceasing, be joyful always, and give thanks in all circumstances. I will give my very best in everything. At every workout, I will give it my absolute all. No excuses, nothing saved. Every minute I will focus and push myself on God’s strength. No negative thoughts, no self defeating speech. Others suffer too. Kayla is not necessarily more mentally tough than I am. In fact, I am mentally tough. I am what I continually do and I am mentally tough. Here is a list of affirmations of things I want to be. If I repeat them often enough, will they become true? I am beautiful, I am lovely, I am disciplined, I am mentally tough, I am hard working, I am smart, I am fast, I am a runner, I am talented, I am clean, I am organized. I will weigh out food when needed (buy food scale) and record exactly what I eat, every bite. I will not compromise in my healthy eating goals. I will not eat one m&m. I will not take one sip of diet soda. I will limit fruit to 1 serving per day. Eat lots and lots of healthy veggies. I will not eat cereal unless pre-measured and box put away, no more than 2 servings at one meal. I will not eat peanut butter unless on toast (otherwise I seriously eat like half the jar with a spoon in a matter of days without even realizing how much I've eaten!), absolutely no food after 8pm. Absolutely no snacking. not one kernel of popcorn, not one grape, not one bite of cereal. don't sample someone's milkshake. don't eat off other people's plate. serve myself a small meal and trust that that's enough. remember how little I ate in belize? yet I felt great! I wasn't too hungry, I felt good most of the week! I also want to be generous. This goes beyond a tithe. This is being radically generous with my time, money, energy, food, etc. I want to read my bible every day for AT LEAST ten minutes. then write down the one verse or so that stuck out. memorize one verse a week. I don't want to be judgmental. I want to love all no matter what! I also want to eat slow, enjoy my food. sit down for three defined meals. no in between snacking. when i stand up, meal is over.
In Summary: Fall 2010 Rules
1. No diet soda
2. Bible everyday
3. Core everyday
4. Floss and mouthwash everyday
5. Make your bed
6. Clean your room
7. No snacking between set meals
8. No complaining or gossiping
9. Be early
10. No junk food
11. Don’t procrastinate paperwork
12. Be ultra organized
13. Look your best
14. Choose joy
15. absolutely no hair picking
16. 100% food journal
17. give 100% in all workouts
18. Be generous in everything
19. eat slow
20. focus on moderation. eat like a European
21. no aspartame
I, Laura, promise this fall to seek first the kingdom of God. I promise to always put God first. I promise to practice discipline. To rely on my creator for strength. To trust in him to be enough. To seek after him with every fiber of my being and let him satisfy me. I promise not to let my god be my stomach, but to know that Jesus will satisfy every desire. I promise to read my bible every day. Even when I don’t feel like it. I promise to clean my room. To create an environment that fosters joy and discipline. I will do laundry frequently and make my bed every morning. I will be early to every class and every practice. I will visualize hard workouts and meets. I will eat clean and live my life the way I need to be a true champion runner. I promise to never eat even a single bite if I am not truly hungry. If my stomach is not growling, I will not eat, even if it’s one blueberry or one cherry or a bite of an apple. Not matter how tempting or how good it sounds, only Jesus satisfies and eating will only make crave more. Oscar Wilde was wrong, the only way to get rid of temptation is to not yield to it. Temptation is difficult, but it is the sure sign that I am on the right track. If I am living in self indulgence and luxury, I will not know the companionship of temptation, but if I am living the good life, it will visit me often, but with the help of God, I can stand strong, not yielding, not surrendering, never compromising. I will not adjust my dreams to fit my feelings. I will not
I, Laura, promise to use my mouth only for good. I will not complain, I will not argue, I will not gossip. I will not speak negatively about friends, teammates, roommates, or professors. will say only what is useful for building others up. I will be quick to listen and slow to speak. I will listen, not share my opinions. A fool airs his opinion, but I will be wise and humble and keep my opinion to myself unless asked, for even a fool seems wise until he opens his mouth.
I commit to keeping an accurate food journal. Every thing I eat will be written. I will also keep track of fitness.
I promise to do morning workouts every day. Run, core, stretch, etc. With my first class at 11:10 and only 2 classes a day, this really shouldn’t be an issue. I promise to look my best. To straighten my hair and dress well, even if it means feeling semi-stupid and risking boys thinking I look dumb, dressing up is worth it. I promise to always come showered and clean, looking my best, as if I was going on a first date or would be on TV. I am serious when I pledge to abstain from diet soda, to not pick my split ends, and to not snack between meals (exception vegetables). I will create meal plans and stick with them. I would also like to limit the amount of coffee I drink. I will drink coffee only about 2-3 times a week maximum. I can drink as much tea as I would like. I want to look my best to be my best. As coach says, “if you look good, you feel good, you run good”. Dress for success. I will floss my teeth every day, use whitening mouth wash twice a day, and use white strips. I will severely limit the quantity of dark liquids I consume. I will take risks with fashion.
I know that I am loved. I am wanted and chosen in Christ. I, Laura Zwilling, will put others first this semester. I will seek to understand before being understood. I will be a support and an encouragement to others. I will treat boys like brothers in Christ, and this does not mean ignoring them, on the contrary this means going out of my way to say hi! I am committing to never quit. To not miss a single cross country meet or workout. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I will focus on eating vegetables, and eat roughly 5 servings a day.
I will think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable excellent, and praiseworthy. I will seek after the lord with all that I have. Draw near to the lord and he will draw near to you. I will love others deeply. I will pray without ceasing, be joyful always, and give thanks in all circumstances. I will give my very best in everything. At every workout, I will give it my absolute all. No excuses, nothing saved. Every minute I will focus and push myself on God’s strength. No negative thoughts, no self defeating speech. Others suffer too. Kayla is not necessarily more mentally tough than I am. In fact, I am mentally tough. I am what I continually do and I am mentally tough. Here is a list of affirmations of things I want to be. If I repeat them often enough, will they become true? I am beautiful, I am lovely, I am disciplined, I am mentally tough, I am hard working, I am smart, I am fast, I am a runner, I am talented, I am clean, I am organized. I will weigh out food when needed (buy food scale) and record exactly what I eat, every bite. I will not compromise in my healthy eating goals. I will not eat one m&m. I will not take one sip of diet soda. I will limit fruit to 1 serving per day. Eat lots and lots of healthy veggies. I will not eat cereal unless pre-measured and box put away, no more than 2 servings at one meal. I will not eat peanut butter unless on toast (otherwise I seriously eat like half the jar with a spoon in a matter of days without even realizing how much I've eaten!), absolutely no food after 8pm. Absolutely no snacking. not one kernel of popcorn, not one grape, not one bite of cereal. don't sample someone's milkshake. don't eat off other people's plate. serve myself a small meal and trust that that's enough. remember how little I ate in belize? yet I felt great! I wasn't too hungry, I felt good most of the week! I also want to be generous. This goes beyond a tithe. This is being radically generous with my time, money, energy, food, etc. I want to read my bible every day for AT LEAST ten minutes. then write down the one verse or so that stuck out. memorize one verse a week. I don't want to be judgmental. I want to love all no matter what! I also want to eat slow, enjoy my food. sit down for three defined meals. no in between snacking. when i stand up, meal is over.
In Summary: Fall 2010 Rules
1. No diet soda
2. Bible everyday
3. Core everyday
4. Floss and mouthwash everyday
5. Make your bed
6. Clean your room
7. No snacking between set meals
8. No complaining or gossiping
9. Be early
10. No junk food
11. Don’t procrastinate paperwork
12. Be ultra organized
13. Look your best
14. Choose joy
15. absolutely no hair picking
16. 100% food journal
17. give 100% in all workouts
18. Be generous in everything
19. eat slow
20. focus on moderation. eat like a European
21. no aspartame
Fall Semester Goals
I start my fall 2010 cross country season tomorrow! As a preparation for the school year, I have outlined some goals in typical over-idealistic, Laura fashion.
Cross Country:
• Run top 7 (varsity)
• Letter
• Run sub 25 (stretch goal sub 24)
• Weigh under 120 by end of season (Conference)
• Race in every race
• Do all workouts
•
Additional CC Goals
• Be a spiritual leader on the team
• Build relationships with teammates and coaches
• Run for God’s glory. Give 100% effort at all workouts, trust that I will find strength to finish
• Stay injury free
• Lose roughly 1-2 pounds a week
• Cross train, core every day
• Morning workouts (runs)
• Don’t skip a single Saturday or Sunday workouts
• don’t have bad days: have good days, and great days. Everyone has bad days, just don’t use that as an excuse to give sub-optimal effort
•stretch, sprint, strides, etc. details matter
Spiritual Goals:
• Grow closer to the Lord
• Read Bible every day
• Be a prayer warrior
• Love deeply (on God’s strength)
Academic Goals:
• A or A- in all classes
Miscellaneous Goals:
• Learn Spanish
• Volunteer
• Job shadow
• Find job (sephora? Pharm tech? bobbi brown?)
• Finalize career choice? Study for pcat or mcat etc
Cross Country:
• Run top 7 (varsity)
• Letter
• Run sub 25 (stretch goal sub 24)
• Weigh under 120 by end of season (Conference)
• Race in every race
• Do all workouts
•
Additional CC Goals
• Be a spiritual leader on the team
• Build relationships with teammates and coaches
• Run for God’s glory. Give 100% effort at all workouts, trust that I will find strength to finish
• Stay injury free
• Lose roughly 1-2 pounds a week
• Cross train, core every day
• Morning workouts (runs)
• Don’t skip a single Saturday or Sunday workouts
• don’t have bad days: have good days, and great days. Everyone has bad days, just don’t use that as an excuse to give sub-optimal effort
•stretch, sprint, strides, etc. details matter
Spiritual Goals:
• Grow closer to the Lord
• Read Bible every day
• Be a prayer warrior
• Love deeply (on God’s strength)
Academic Goals:
• A or A- in all classes
Miscellaneous Goals:
• Learn Spanish
• Volunteer
• Job shadow
• Find job (sephora? Pharm tech? bobbi brown?)
• Finalize career choice? Study for pcat or mcat etc
Monday, August 16, 2010
Old Goals, Once Again
I really want to get serious about the following
1. whitening teeth
2. not snacking
3. no diet soda
4. no sweets
5. details of workouts
6. core
7. cross training
8. lifting
9. prayer time
1. whitening teeth
2. not snacking
3. no diet soda
4. no sweets
5. details of workouts
6. core
7. cross training
8. lifting
9. prayer time
Some Good Verses
Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the Lord, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you...Weather you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it"
O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for yo u. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress.
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales...Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph
And we warn you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, strengthen the weak, and be patient with everyone. Thessalonians 5:14
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. Pr 14:10
The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his. Pr. 14:14
Blessed is he who is kind to the needy
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty
Whoever is kind to the needy honors God
The laborer's appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent and discerning if he holds his tongue
A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done
what a man desires is unfailing love
he who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor
the sluggard's craving will be the death of him...all day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing
a generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor
Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you...Weather you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it"
O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for yo u. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress.
He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart.
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales...Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Eph
And we warn you brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, strengthen the weak, and be patient with everyone. Thessalonians 5:14
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. Pr 14:10
The faithless will be fully repaid for their ways, and the good man rewarded for his. Pr. 14:14
Blessed is he who is kind to the needy
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty
Whoever is kind to the needy honors God
The laborer's appetite works for him; his hunger drives him on
Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent and discerning if he holds his tongue
A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense
He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done
what a man desires is unfailing love
he who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor
the sluggard's craving will be the death of him...all day long he craves for more, but the righteous give without sparing
a generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)