Even with WLS there comes a time that food is on your mind more than you want it to be. By that time you need to have some behaviours in place that will keep you away from the fridge and pantry. If you don't then your weight may creep up again. That is not something you want happening after you have gone through major surgical changes to your body.
Fitness Distractions
Some of these distractions can be orientated to the weight loss experience. Friends are using Fitbit Challenges to encourage themselves and others on the same journey. They do steps challenges, cycling challenges, gym time challenges. They decide together what the challenge will be, try to reach it and encourage each other if things slow down. Fitbits can track activity, exercise, food, weight and sleep depending on the one you buy (or are given).
MyFitnessPal is useful to keep an eye on your food and exercise balance. You can blog there and also join the community forums. They have their own blog that gives a lot of information that is useful in a weightloss journey. Check it out to see if it is useful for you. Some like to keep a close eye on things as that helps them lose weight because it makes them feel more accountable. If something has to be written down, food wise, you may not want to write down a 200gm chocolate bar so you will think first and hopefully step away. Writing down your exercise is positive reinforcement that you are reaching goals. The charts help you see the changes you are making in your body and life. Other people encourage or commiserate with you. They may give you ideas for change because of something that has helped them. Recipes may give you changes in your diets that are beneficial.
These are just a few of the options available to help you in your weightloss journey. Go on the Internet and find one that works for you.
The gym is a good distraction that helps you become fit and tightens up your muscles making you look thinner at the same time. The pool when used as a place of exercise, then fun, will do the same thing. As you get down in weight use the swings or slide at the local park to remember when you were much younger and carefree. Who cares if your kids laugh at you. Nothing beats the sensation of flying free on a swing. Hang your head back and look from a different viewpoint. Remember the joy you felt as a child and recapture it. Kick the ball around, throw a frisbee, play chase; just move. Move with the kids or grandkids. A dog will do at a pinch as they never run out of energy. You might help in their weightloss journey too.
Hobbies
New ones mean that you have to concentrate on something that you have never done before and maybe always wanted to give it a try. They can be crafty ideas: knitting, crochet, cross stitch needlepoint, painting, jewelry making, photography. The list goes on. Your friends can teach you. You can attend courses. You can go on YouTube and find videos of how to do almost anything.
The more cerebral ones are writing your own blog, or memoir. Write your family history after you have done the genealogy research and gathered up some of the stories. Some will be almost unbelieveable. Start (then complete) that novel, or other book, you have always said was inside you. Put it down on paper or in a Word document today and for however long it takes you to finish. It may end up being good enough to publish and make you some money.
Something hands on could be gardening; especially if you end up growing some of your own food or the Best In Show Flowers or vegetables that garner a ribbon for you at the local show. You could renovate your house, build a new one, make structures for your garden, learn how to make a drystone wall, paint inside or outside your house. The ladder climbing will be manageable. You will be moving more freely.
You do what speaks to you. You do what enchants and involves you. You do things that you may never have been able to do. You do things that scared you. It is your life and you are changing you life with your weightloss journey. GO FOR IT.
What are you going to do that you love? Mine are:
Cerebral
- A book using my writing mindmaps; written then published
- Hold a workshop around the book
- Have it at the library where the librarians have been so encouraging for the last 2-3 years
- Be 75 kgs when this workshop occurs
- Aim for December 2016 to make me work harder
Hands on
- Knit my daughter a eternity scarf on 20mm needles within the next fortnight as it will grow fast
- Finish the cornish village needle point by June 30 as there is not much left to do
- Do a page of colouring in to relax my mind
Health and exercise
- Gym 4-5 times a week for 60-90 minutes and walk for the same length of time on the other days
- Eat more protein, less carbs - that is an ongoing battle but I will change my desires one day at a time
- Use MyFitnessPal to track food and exercise and size/weight changes, blog there as well.
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