Weightless Goals
Thanks so much for your words of support in response to yesterday’s post. Every comment, email, tweet, etc was read and appreciated. No matter how crappy I may feel about myself during my recovery, there are plenty of experiences in my now-fuller life that make this process and journey worth it. I may be tricked at the moment into thinking deprivation was worth the body I was happier with, but I wasn’t even satisfied with myself back then. And you will be happy to hear that this morning, I got rid of that shirt on Saturday night that caused me tears over it being too small. It may only be one article of clothing, but it’s a start. Enough of that for now, because I’m honestly a bit sick of thinking about weight and body image and pants and all that crap. That’s why when yesterday I stumbled upon a Mind Body Green article titled 10 Awesome Life Changes That Have Nothing To Do With Losing Weight, I was completely inspired to write goal-related post as if I don’t have any issues with my appearance, any anxiety about what I ate/am going to eat, or any guilt about “only” doing 20 minutes of cardio yesterday. No body-related ambitions, no diet-related wishes, no promises to cut out X or work out more. Let’s talk about something else for once! Appreciate More: I tend to focus on shortcomings and get lost in negativity. I sometimes kinda-sorta-definitely hate those people who wake up each morning saying “Man it’s great to be alive!” but at the same time while I’m feeling like Miss Grumpy Pants over their happiness, they are, well, being happy. The phrase “fake it til you make it” keeps coming to mind. For example, if I wake up on a Monday and don’t want to go to work, I can continue to work on reminding myself to appreciate the fact that I even HAVE a job. Plenty of folks out there would kill for my job even if I don’t always enjoy it. Eventually if I keep repeating that to myself (the fake it) then I think I’ll start to believe it (the make it).
This is also where my New Year’s resolution comes in. I may not be psyched about going to work, but I can try to improve my mood by setting aside time the night before to pick out a cute outfit.
Cook At Home More: This one comes straight from the MBG article. I’ve been doing a good job of practicing my skills in the kitchen, and I’m going to continue to work on adding more recipes to my I MADE THIS Pinterest board. This past weekend, inspired by a recipe for Brussels Sprout & Tempeh Stir-Fry, I made a roasted medley of Brussels, tempeh, and baby bella mushrooms. I coated it all in EVOO, ginger powder, and soy sauce. After spending some time in a 400 degree (F) oven, I had excellent material for use in several meals! I also made my dad and I a soup to enjoy tonight (using Pacific Foods Organic Rosemary Chowder…I’ll let you all know how it turns out!) and roasted up asparagus to have on hand for the week.
The aftermath…not so fun.
Let me be clear here – I don’t want to practice my cooking so that I can practice making light meals. I want to develop my skills in the kitchen (I’m sick of having to text my mom a thousand questions!) so that I can feel more independent when I’m there. I also honestly feel better about the fact that I still live at home if I’m making little steps toward being out on my own. That includes not letting myself get cushy with my mom’s cooking or the leftovers she leaves me when she goes to our condo in FL. I noticed that this time around when she left she didn’t leave me too many leftovers, and that actually made me feel great, because it means she knows I can “fend for myself” while she’s away. I don’t like to feel like I’m too reliant on anyone.
Voila!
Separate From Your Phone More: Also from the MBG article…LORDY I need to do this. I have been working on it and have been better lately but I’ve still got a ways to go. I know of so many ways I can be on my phone less…leave it downstairs while I go upstairs to eat dinner, leave it in my purse while I’m at work or out with friends. I’ve been doing both of those things every now and then (especially while out with friends) but I keep coming up with excuses to have my phone with me. Oh I want to tweet while watching Revenge so I need it with me while I eat dinner and catch up on the DVR. Oh what if I need to look up the restaurant’s Twitter handle while at an event, so I’ve got to keep the phone out and on the table (even if face down). Honestly, what will happen if I don’t tweet while watching a show or don’t take a picture of every single item I consume while out? Nothing awful or even slightly bad, so I need to just let go and separate from my phone.
Put the phone down…
Go Outside More: At first I read this one and thought, well that doesn’t apply to me…I cannot freaking stand winter. I’m outside every chance I get in the summertime, but in the winter I spend way too much time indoors. I hate being cold so I’ve never been one to get into skiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing. But then I gave it some further thought and I’ll admit it – winter can be serene. It can be peaceful and even if the air is bone-chilling, it’s still fresh air and way better than the over-processed air I breathe all day long when I’m at work, home, or even at Daybreak. So even if it feels like it’s going to “kill me”, I’m going to make an effort to step outside of the office for just a few minutes every hour or two, and take some deep breaths of fresh air. I think it will really help center me throughout the day.
Yeah, okay, I guess this is pretty.
The New Year’s Resolution: So how is that going? Well I’m glad I wrote the blog post to keep myself accountable, because I’ve been tempted more times than once to just say “screw it” on doing my hair or “whatever” on putting on makeup. But every time I’ve taken the time to do so, my mood has been lifted and I’ve felt better about myself. For example I was very close to just saying “no thanks” to a hand polish change this weekend, but that would have been the second weekend in a row. So I took a little time out of my Saturday to head to my favorite nail place and get a fun fresh coat. And I really was glad I had some bright hands to cheer me up later that night when I was having a rough time with feeling uncomfortable in my clothing. AND writing this just reminded me…I need to go ahead and make an appointment for a fresh head of highlights!
The OPI Gwen Stefani collection – pink is Hey Baby, silver is Push & Shove.
Having some goals to work on that are not diet or fitness related is going to hopefully give me a healthier place to put this drive I always have, the drive to self-improve. I need to learn to be able to take pride in something that isn’t related to a PR, a number on a scale, or a low calorie intake. Practice means improvement, and that’s exactly what I’m doing. Do you find your goals are too often food/fitness/body related? What is your current or most recent non-appearance-related goal? Can you relate to any of these goals? Any tips for me?
