Weight Reduction Plan

Kaz advised me to not say "weight loss" because it causes my sub-conscious mind to avoid "loss" because it sounds negative. From what I have read, the sub-conscious mind is always trying to move towards the positive.

So, weight reduction plan it is then!

First, I'll explain this wonderful lay out. It was made for the Big Picture Scrapbooking class I am taking called "Design Your Life". For this assignment, we were supposed to make an entire album (with repetitive elements throughout) about our loved ones, but I just finished making one of those for a different class and didn't feel like doing it again. So, I decided to start a mini-album about my WRP, and then just take a new photo and add to it each month. This is January's installment, the first of 12.

Yep, that's right. This is a 12 month plan. It is, as you read in a previous entry, my MAIN goal for 2010.

My three rules this time are simple:
1. Wear the pedometer and shoot for 12,000 steps a day.
2. Limit to ONE vice ONCE a day.
3. Half-size portions of carbs.

The long walks are going well because I can listen to audio books while I'm walking, and for the last couple weekends, I have even managed to leave Yusuke at home while I go walking (with one or both kids and the dog). He knows what I am doing and why, so he doesn't complain about it.

The vice rule is going surprisingly well. I like to refer to it as "vice bucks", as in "Am I willing to spend my vice bucks NOW? Or should I wait until later in the day?" I realized that I have 3 vices - cafe mocha, chocolate & coke. Since I am allowed to have only one of those each day, I have to choose when and where very carefully. Sometimes, I am saving myself for the end of the day and that moment of bliss never arrives. It makes me realize that I CAN live without my vices after all! At the same time, I feel happy just thinking that I can have my vice later rather than NOT AT ALL. So, I think this rule does work for me.

Hey, this is Japan. Saying you'll pass on the rice will get you a lot of shocked reactions, and my husband is absolutely no exception. I decided instead of NO CARB, I would go for half-portions since I do need to set a good example for my dinner partner, Ailin. For lunches, I sometimes forgo carbs altogether.

I am taking this one day at a time, and for the first time in quite a while, I actually feel my stomach churning hungrily, but I am not starving. I just choose not to snack on candy bars and sugary drinks. That said, I do realize that I have to keep my blood sugar from dropping low - that's when I grab anything I can get my hands on and gobble it down. Healthy snacks like bananas or cheese have been helping me avoid those types of moments.

As part of the Create the Life you Love class, I am working up a rewards system for myself. I can reward myself in a variety of ways depending on the nature of the goal. For the WRP goal, I am planning to reward myself for every 5 pounds. I am 1 pound away from my first milestone! The reward is a trip to Lupicia to buy more tea. Normally, I would just go when I need more tea, but this time, I am holding myself back in order to use it as a reward.

For other goals, I am also working up some action plans and rewards systems for myself. The idea is to work a little bit each day on your goals. The background goals are pretty simple as they don't require a lot of thought, but the most challenging ones for me will be "weekly menu planning" and "keeping up with my cleaning routine". I am thinking about subscribing to a menu planning site, but I have to keep in mind that I cook A LOT of Japanese food so an American menu planning site won't help all that much. As for the cleaning routine, anyone know of a good cleaning person who is looking for more work?

Oh, and trying to think of rewards that don't involve food - that is challenging! More on that later!