Learning experience? Overcoming obstacles…
I got a little off track last week as I was suffering with some tooth pain and had to have an emergency root canal – as my buddies know.
You’re probably thinking “what’s this got to do with me?” Simply this – Life happens. I dealt with what I was handed and now it’s time to move on. My goals for last week were: “Drink a minimum of 32 ounces of water at least 6 days this week, Walk a minimum of 30 minutes at least 4 days this week, Plan meals & snacks and Write in my food journal and aim for 1700 calories at least 4 days this week.” For this week, my goals were: “Drink at least 64 ounces of water everyday this week, Walk a minimum of 45 minutes 4 days this week, Plan meals & snacks and Write in my food journal at least 5 days this week and aim for 1500 calories per day.” Since I didn’t take my baby steps as planned, I will focus on the following goals for this week:
Walking a minimum of 30 minutes at least 5 days, Drinking 48 – 64 ounces of water each day and Writing in my food journal at least 4 days this week and aim for 1600 calories.
Lesson one: Life happens – make the best of the situation and move on. Don’t let “one moment” ruin all moments.
Some of you may know that smoking is my other battle. For the past 6 months, I have been a “closet smoker,” which means very few people know I continue to smoke and I am smoking very little. As my doctor says, “your smoking just enough to keep you addicted.” In the past when I have tried to quit, the nicotine withdrawals were so horrible and I was so “ugly.” I don’t want to be that monster again.
Smoking, like weight loss, is something only you can do for yourself. The benefits of quitting (or losing weight) are terrific. Both entail a lot of discipline, change and willingness. So often we hear “I can’t do it.” or “It’s too hard.” Etc. I think we get stuck in these “pity pots” and also fall victim to those “addicts” (food or otherwise) around us and the media. I have heard and read that next to cocaine, nicotine is the worst addiction to break. With that said, the media has already planted the seed that this will be too difficult to bear.
This past weekend I enjoyed time away with my mother and my daughter. We went camping and horseback riding. I smoked a cigarette around 3:00 Friday before I picked my daughter up at school and didn’t have another until after I dropped her off at school this morning. I went 65 hours without even thinking about smoking. I was relaxed and content. Why I was stupid and purchased some more this morning is beyond me. I have chastised myself over it. But this too, is over – time to move on. I fell down – time to brush myself off, put one foot in front of the other and continue on this journey. I am thrilled with the knowledge that I can beat nicotine!
Lesson two: Don’t be a victim. We can do anything we set our minds to do!
Will you join me this week? Pick one thing that is an absolute chore for you and make every effort to do it. For me – that is drinking water each and every day.
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great job on settin more realistic goals for yourself rather than jumping to something unattainable, for now.
but i doooooo suggest, encourage, pressure you to drink AT LEASSSSTTTTTTTTT 64 oz of water. it is crucial to losing weight. and keeping that on a consistent basis is important.
if this is hard for you, keep a glass in the bathroom. and everytime you go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water. its not hard to just gulp down 8 oz of water.
you do this throughout the day, along with drinking aglass before each meal (i know it is not the first thing you want to do)
but when im cooking, microwaving, etc. my food , at the same time i am filling up a glass. then, in order to eat my food i make myself drink the glass. it takes 2 seconds and once its down, i actually DO get fuller faster. try not to drink water too soon after you eat, or a lot of it at least.
these are just some tips hun. water is crucial
OK, I have to come back and read this hon. Boss calls my name.
Thats right, life does happen!
You know that setting those baby steps up and following them was a great idea.
You can do this–and 65 hours without smoking–wow!
Hugs and positive vibes…
Great post! Yes, we all need to remember these lessons.
Life happens make the best of the situation and move on. Don’t let one moment ruin all moments.
I love this,something I’m starting to do . . . Just stay positive and focused on your goals and they will be your reality. Great Post !
Keep working on quitting, loved the post, makes you think. Focus on what smoking is doing to you and to those around you, second-hand and all that. Good luck, fighting a battle on two fronts, that is hard work, I know you can succeed!
Great great great post Teresa! As always! Life DOES happen and we are NOT perfect so we have to cope with what is thrown our way, and I think part of this journey is learning how to cope with life and all its ups and downs. Like someone else wrote a while ago in a blog; there hasn’t been one war resolved because each side started eating so food doesn’t solve everything right?
I’m with you, I just sent you a message about the running and drinking and drinking enough water is still my weak point so I am going to make that top priority, going for 64 each day, and not counting the water I drink during my run.
The smoking.. yeah .. I am still chewing the gum you know and it has been since January, but you going for a weekend without smoking is awesome! So you bought another pack .. try and make it last a month! Just because you have them, doesn’t mean you have to smoke em.. just like food, just because its in the pantry doesn’t mean it has to end up in our stomach right>?
Your blog is as always an inspiration to me.. so Im off.. vaccuuming (blah) and drinking my water!
great blog and so true. life does happen and what we do with it is up to us. move on or cry about it.. thanks for sharing your thoughts great post
Love this blog. Life does happen, which is one reason I have not quit smoking yet. I do want to. you can meet these goals!
Great blog! I don’t smoke myself, but I’ve been encouraging my husband to quit for nearly 4 years now, since I found out I was pregnant with our first little girl. He has “tried” several times but with no success. Every time he “cuts back” it doesn’t last long and he’s right back up, close to a pack a day. It’s so frustrating to watch. I can’t help but wonder if he really WANTS to quit? A big part of it, is that I don’t want my kids breathing in his second hand smoke. I’ve tried forbidding him from smoking in the house, but that has no effect. He’s determined to do whatever he feels like doing. I just don’t get it! (Sorry to vent my frustrations with him here to you! Just hoping for some insight, I guess.)
Anyway, life does happen, and you can get back on track! Good luck with meeting your goals!
Teresa I love your goals…they are great if you follow through I’m sure you will have an awesome week. I love your life happens attitude. It sure does the trick for me is not eating through it. We can do this girl…so glad you are apart of our team!
you have a wonderful attitude! It is really easy to say oh woe is me instead of continuing on. I have the best feeling that you will beat your smoking addiction and lose all the weight you want.
I think you are going to make it with the quitting smoking and losing weight. My daughter ( the oldest) quit smoking over a year ago and has lost 46 pounds since then. I am very proud of her.
She still has a lot of weight to lose, but I know she will get there. I have about 25 more to lose. I quit smoking when I was 36, but I smoked for 20 years. It was hard , but doable. I had to exercise and take it one hour at a time. Even after 2 months I wanted one. But I moved onto other things. My mother quit after 40 years of 4 packs a day,so that proves anyone can do it. Good luck, Carol