this quote popped into my head the other day and since then i've been thinking about it non stop. i went into this weight loss journey thinking i'd be able to do it every day, no questions and no looking back. i've had more off program days than i've had on program days. and all this time i've been wondering what is wrong with *me*. i think i've finally realized that 'change' isn't easy. as much as we would like for it to be its not going to be. (some changes may be easy but i feel that this weight loss change isn't going to be, for me at least)

has anyone else pondered this saying? its really bugging me!

I think part of the difficulty we have with old habits is that they are so entrenched in our understanding of WHO we are. If we change how we think about ourselves, those habits change, too. It's not always easy. But it's not a "war," either. I used to struggle with my food choices, and label myself "bad" or "good" depending on what I ate that day. I just set myself up for failure after failure. This time I'm doing more mind-work, and it's really making the difference for me.

What I've been finding is that I have to think of myself differently. That's the starting point for me. Then those old habits aren't "habits" any more. Mentally, I mean. When I think of myself as lean, strong, and healthy, I'm not as interested in high-fat foods loaded with sugar. They've lost a lot of their appeal. My lean, strong, and healthy self doesn't have those habits. She has healthy habits for eating and exercising. She revels in the feeling of well-worked muscles, and gets excited about the residual muscle soreness she has the day after a heavy resistance session.

Each evening as I'm preparing for bed, I imagine my body lean, strong, and healthy. I do the same thing in the morning. That's the image I fix upon, and the food and exercise choices I make flow from that. The new habits that I am now growing are encouraged and fed from that new self-image

I do a lot of visualization to help me. For instance, when I eat healthy food choices, I imagine all the nutrients rushing through my body healing and fueling me. When I contemplate unhealthy choices, I imagine the fat in it cold and congealing in my veins and my heart, and weighing me down (I think of bacon grease that's been sitting in a pan on the stove for half a day). Makes it a LOT easier to choose good food.

I also try really hard to eat mindfully. When I do eat "treats" I really make myself mindfully savor each mouthful, and contemplate its texture, taste, and scent. I find that I'm satisfied with far less, and don't binge like I used to. For instance, we went out to dinner at a restaurant and I ordered key lime pie for dessert. I ate about half of it. Not because I couldn't finish it, but because the tart sweetness of those luscious few mouthfuls had satisfied my urge for dessert. I didn't need any more. But the real difference was that I didn't WANT any more. I wasn't depriving myself. I ate what I wanted. But I listened to my body and stopped much sooner than I would have a year ago.

I'm sorry -- I think I'm rambling today. Don't know if this helps at all. It's still such a new thing for me that it's hard for me to describe.

I don't think you were rambling at all... I'm proud of your self-control... and damn jealous too!

I don't think it's so much that old HABITS die hard, I think that old.... LIFESTYLES die hard. It takes 28 days to make/break a habit, but to change a lifestyle is another thing completely.... but I probably define the two differently than most people. Hey, it makes sense to me!

Hope that kind of answered the question. -Apryl

Apryl, How old are you???? Your wisdom and insight constantly amazes me and you couldn't possibly be a teenager!! You are a very special and wise person and I can't wait to see the way you continue to change and grow!

Wasn't planning to post, just stopped in to catch up with everyone and had to write this quick note.

isn't apryl just incredible mothergoose??? she ALWAYS blows me away!!!!

this is an important thread. and i've been having similar issues recently. the stress of being the main caretaker for mom the alzheimers star is leading back into old habits and i don't like it. i'm catching myself grabbing a few bites as soon as i walk into the house. nothing bad, it's just the emotions setting in and i don't want to feed them. and it's kicked in since i've been on the INJURED RESERVE LIST. yeah... a couple of weeks ago i reinjured the torn meniscus in my knee and i'm not allowed to hike or walk or do much of anything.

i've been doing water aerobics a couple days a week, and swimming a little, and a small amouht of upper body weights. and physical therapy, but it's not enough to destress me.

yes. this is an old old old ingrained habit that i thought had actually disappeared. i guess not.

Yeah, jif...it's amazing how the bad habits can come creeping right back...I also find myself heading for the fridge as soon as I walk in the door just 'cause that's what I always do.

Jiff, I can completely understand what you're talking about. I have really been struggling with this myself lately, and I agree that this is a really important topic.

I thought that I had changed so many of my bad habits over the last 9 1/2 months, and I have, but when something happens to throw my off course, off track, or stress me out, then I find my old bad habits rearing their ugly heads. It's deeply ingrained in me to turn to food during these times, and I thought I had conquered that, but I haven't completely.

This will be an ongoing battle long after the weight is gone.

*blushes*

~*~The harder the wind blows, the deeper a tree sends it's roots into the ground.~*~

i've been thinking about this topic since i posted and a few things have come to mind as far as journaling but i want to say something first.

synger--- i really like what you have to say about the way we think about our selves.....

i journal (on my good days LOL) and i have decided that at the end of each day i'm going to start my next day's page with a quote that makes me feel good or a reason i want to lose weight. that way when i go to start journaling the next day i will see it and *HOPEFULLY* it will help me to stay on program that day. and maybe i'll start another journal and put in reasons i deserve to lose weight or things i like about myself. i think its true that we have to get our minds in check to make these changes and hopefully this will help me.

i really like all the responses and i want to thank you all for your support. and apryl i wish i knew as much as you do when i was your age. LOL