How do you practice self-care?
I joined a weight loss study called the EVO study and their calorie goal is 1,500 a day! I suspect that I will feel hungry a lot during the next six months. I am used to eating 2,500 or maybe even 3,000 a day.
So, I am working on planning my cooping techniques. When I was in therapy for depression, I learned about self-acceptance and self-talk. The last time that I went on a diet and lost weight, I felt guilty every time I overate. I will remind myself that I am still a worthwhile person even when I lose my mind and eat every sweet thing that I can get my hands on. I will tell myself that dieting is hard for everyone. It is understandable to fail at times. I am not sure what I will do when I start having food dreams or cravings. Fortunately, I love fruits and salads.
My second plan is to reward myself at specific weight goals. I will go to St. Vincent de Paul when I reach a weight lower than 180. I am currently at 185. I will pat myself on my back mentally for each day that I meet the goal calorie count. I have no idea how to celebrate a week of meeting the goal for the majority of a week.
The study also has a fat goal and exercise goal. The exercise goal gets gradually increased as time goes on.
Another plan that I want to work on is to ask for support from my friends and family. I am uncertain how they can help me. I am not used to exercising with others.
My favorite exercise is walking but I tend to do it by myself and very slowly. I will do some brisk walking as part of my walks if it will ever stop raining. Another exercise that I enjoy is kayaking down the Fox River but I have to save up money for the kayak rental. I will be looking for some other fun exercise ideas. So, I will use this journey as a way to try out new foods and exercise activities.
As you can tell, I will be putting my therapy experience into a lot of use.
I am thinking about doing a visioning collage as a visual reminder of why I am doing this. If I do, I want something to represent improved health, longer life span, more energy and better self-confidence.
What are you doing to improve your life for yourself?
What are your plans on how to do that?
What challenges are you expecting and how do you plan to respond when they come up?