I’ve been so busy with work and life lately that it’s hard to get to journaling much before late evening. Being late again, I’ll be logging a ‘Dozen’ tomorrow. I’m also happy to report that I managed to break through 209 and get to 208 pounds even. Set points can be soooooo demotivating. But, the good news is I seem to get more motivated these days whenever I hit an obstacle. And I’ve found that the humble bathroom scale can be an unforgiving and highly motivational master.
Zero+ ; 11teen ; M: 121 ; C: 84 ; P/U: 50 ; W : 4 mi
Health R.O.S.
- Weight: 208.0
- BMI: 28.1
- Fat %: 21.5
I believe that I am primarily burning ketones now as I don’t really get that hungry anymore. I am able to skip meals without missing a beat or experiencing any strong food cravings (other than occasionally). Today, for example, I had a hearty breakfast and a late lunch (3pm). Then I skipped dinner. No problem.
The Scale is Always Watching
The urge to buy and drink beer tonight was pretty strong and still lingering. This was made more challenging by the fact that I was planning to watch the football game. But I was able to fight off Drinkie and his continued insistence on two fronts:
- A ‘Dozen’ is my current record & I am determined to break it
- I don’t want to have to face the Scale tomorrow morning and find my body retaining 3-4 pounds of water
I have to share with you that the scale has become a very powerful and highly motivational tool in the continued reduction of my overall consumption of alcoholic beverages. Combined with journaling and RAIN, I’ve really dealt my (not so) good friend Drinkie, a one-two-three knockout blow.
Writing in a journal reminds you of your goals and of your learning in life. It offers a place where you can hold a thoughtful deliberate conversation with yourself.
– Robin Sharma
I really don’t want to wake up and face either my bathroom scale or my sobriety journal with any bad news, nevermind both at once! The knowledge that the scale gives me unbiased feedback about my weight and my journal provides an avenue of reflection about why I’m achieving my weight (and other) goals or not, is a humbling prospect. It’s amazing how your behavior changes when it’s being watched, reported on, and tracked. In psychology circles this is known as the Hawthorne Effect. And it’s a powerful behavioral modification tool.
Finding Flow
I’ve lately discovered the power of flow, and how interestingly things begin to line up in life when you manage to get into and stay in flow. I’ve heard flow states are useful for manifesting things, but I’ve historically not had a lot of luck getting into flow. I was too easily distracted. Mindfulness and meditation appear to be changing that. Now my universe is coming into alignment in strange and inexplicable ways.
While I’ve managed to accomplish some notable things in life, I’ve mostly bluffed my way along, talking more than doing. I’ve had the tendency to romanticize lofty goals that I felt would be ‘worthy’ of my time only to let most remain talk. Of course, this was often after running my mouth off incessantly to anyone within earshot. How embarrassing. It feels good to be on a different road now.
What’s Different Now
With my newly developed ability to focus and maintain a flow state combined with a new found passion (rebuilding my body, heart, and mind), I feel that things are organically lining themselves up in front of me.
It certainly doesn’t hurt that I’m holding myself accountable with tools like the bathroom scale and journaling. These may seem like simple tricks, but their power in fostering transformation cannot be underestimated. Again, facing the scale after a night of impropriety or the sobriety journal after skipping a day of meditation, or god forbid, smoking a joint, is untenable to me.
So, today I will continue on to my goal of a “Twice Lucky” and see where my weight ends up tomorrow.
