Friday, February 26, 2010

Day 529 I Always Thought It Was My Biggest Obstacle

Day 529

I Always Thought It Was My Biggest Obstacle

I always handled stress by eating. It never improved the stressful situation, but for the amount of time it took me to devour that bag of fast food, I was in another world. Food was a temporary escape, a distraction from reality, it was medication. How I handled stress by eating was my biggest fear along this road. I didn't look at it like it was a choice, I was convinced it was fact: If I'm stressed, I'm going to eat...a lot. I spent years and years over 500 pounds because of this stress eating acceptance. I always told myself and my family, “as soon as I can get rid of some of this stress, I'll be able to do it, I'll lose this weight once and for all.” And then I would dream.

Not about finally losing the weight, I would dream about this magical stress-free life that would someday set me free, enabling me to finally lose weight. Well let me tell you my friend, the stress never went away. In fact, in many ways it's increased over the last 529 days. Stress is a part of life. It comes in many forms. Some are very real pressures, some we create in our head, but it doesn't matter---real or not, stress is something we all have in one form or another. And everyone handles their stress the best way they know how, even if they know it's not really the best way.

On September 14th, 2008, I thought about this problem all day. I was extremely stressed, but I knew I had to somehow grab control regardless of the stressful circumstances of our everyday lives. The next day was my day 1, and in many ways I felt like this was my last chance. It was do or die, or at least—do or lose everything important to me, be miserable for a few more years, and then die. I was scared, very scared---and I knew that if I was going to be successful at losing weight, I had to fight hard against my biggest nemesis of all time: Me.


I usually read a post from exactly a year ago everyday. Not today. I went all the way back to Day 8, just a week into this journey---when stress was hitting me hard and I was fighting with everything to stay in control:

Staying focused is sometimes a very difficult thing to do. Most of us know what our triggers are. Triggers are situations and circumstances that put us at our weakest point in terms of staying on track. My trigger is stress. Any and all stress. Job stress, financial stress, family stress. It all adds up to a big mess of stress. And I'm sure you've heard people say...”I'm an emotional eater”...aren't most of us? I'm not just an emotional eater, I'm also a celebratory eater and a spur of the moment craving eater, I'm a “ah, the heck with it, give me the double decker with extra cheese and bacon” eater. Identifying your triggers is important. What makes me feel the urge to eat a couple thousand calories in double cheeseburgers and ice cream? Stress. I identified this trigger several years ago. And for the longest time I've used that as an excuse not to get busy with this mission. “I'm just too stressed out to get started right now”...Or, after a successful couple of days, totally going nuts on a half gallon of tin roof sundae, then thinking...”I can't do this right now because things are just too stressful. So recently I had to ask myself: If I'm waiting to have a stress free life before I start losing this weight, will I ever start? The answer was no. We all have stress in some form. Stress is part of daily life for most people. Stress can be so many different things. So I realized that if I were waiting for my world to be completely perfect and stress free, then I would never, ever, ever start this. We have to adjust our strategy in the face of our triggers. We have to stop long enough to ask ourselves, will eating this really improve my situation? What can I do besides over-eat that will help me deal with this issue? I've turned to food for comfort for so long, that I know how incredibly difficult this can be. My smart and beautiful wife mentioned taking one day at a time in a comment she left on yesterdays blog, and you know what? She's so right. One day at a time I deal with cravings, one day at a time I deal with triggers, one day at a time I succeed. Eventually all of those “one day at a times” will add up to an amazing result.

I've talked about this tonight, because I've faced some pretty big triggers today. It was a very stressful Monday. The most stressful day out of the eight days so far. And you know what? I won. I identified the triggers, I knew I was staring them down, and I didn't blink. The right mindset can be a very tough opponent for stressful triggers. I keep remembering my motivating thoughts. It's always good to keep those motivators handy just in case you need them. I've stayed within my calorie allotment, I'm getting ready to work out, and tonight I will go to bed knowing that despite my challenges and stress today, I made it one more day. One day at a time! And seven more “one day at a times” and I get to weigh!! I can't wait!


One day at a time. That's it. I just have to survive this one day. But how? I rely heavily on my motivating thoughts. These thoughts and dreams of the future that hold so much promise. And I fight to defend the integrity of this mission. Identifying the excuses and rationalizations that always signified surrender was a big step toward victory. The self-honesty factor had to be extremely strong, unbreakable and brutally honest. I had to make an iron-clad decision that no stressful trigger, no circumstance, no emotion, person, place, or thing...nothing was going to steal this away from me. I wasn't going to steal this away from me. That iron-clad decision had to made over and over again with each new threat. This decision to not allow anything to stand in the way---it was fueled by setting an importance level so high---that success was the only option. Success or death. No room to fail...this was it. It had to be THAT important. And it was and it is to this day.

If you haven't already guessed, today has been a very stressful day. Tomorrow looks to be even more stressful. I'm going to make it through just fine, but believe me---I'll do it by tapping into the basic fundamentals that I had to hold onto from Day 1. The same thing that got me through Day 8, will get me to the other side today. This mission is too important. My iron-clad decision cannot be broken. My motivating thoughts are bigger and better than ever. My dream is alive and I will protect it with everything I have inside.


Wow---OK, that was heavy. But I needed that. I needed to write those words. I needed to remind myself that we're going to be OK---and we're making it. One day at a time---and sometimes, one hour at a time. But we're gonna get there by golly. And when the head hits the pillow tonight, we'll close our eyes on another successful day.

I had another weight machine orientation at the YMCA today. I had one of these well over a year ago. Back then, I couldn't fit on every machine. Fitting wasn't an issue today, that was so nice! The upper body machines along the east wall face a mirror. The entire wall is a mirror. I always hated that wall. I don't hate it so much anymore. I can remember sitting on a machine and looking at myself and thinking is that really what I look like? I was so much bigger than I perceived, and the mirror was always brutally honest--no wonder why I always tried to avoid that bitter reality check. Maybe if I didn't look, the truth wouldn't exist. It's amazing how much time I spent avoiding and denying the seriousness of my obesity.

Today, I climbed into those machines, fitting perfectly--like a normal person, and I asked myself the very same question, but for a very different reason... Is that really what I look like? The trainer at the Y couldn't tell, but I was welling up inside because that mirror was so nice to me today. I'm excited about making these machines a huge part of my workout plans. I love the way they expertly isolate the targeted muscle. I only had one embarrassing moment during this orientation, and that's when I was unable to do an assisted pull-up. There I was, hanging on with my shirt riding up and my stretch marks shining---desperately trying to lift my body to the bar. That's OK---I'll get it, and someday it will be done without the "assisted" part.

After my orientation and workout, I headed home with thoughts of dinner and what to fix. Once again it was just me. I had some options, but I took the easy way out and picked up a Subway sandwich. I passed on the cheese too! That's just not like me. I regularly say "just half the cheese," but today it was "no cheese." I wanted my sandwich to be 300 calories---so the cheese had to go. It was just a calorie value decision. I enjoyed a banana with a teaspoon of peanut butter for desert. It was a very nice 450 calorie dinner.

Courtney made it home later tonight, and she's planning on spending a bunch of time with me this weekend. We've had these plans lately and they always seem to get changed for one reason or another. I think we'll keep them this weekend. I'm looking forward to spending time with that girl!

Thank you for reading. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean

16 comments:

  1. I haven't commented for a while but I always read your posts. This is very important... In my opinion, carrying lots of excess weight makes stress far more difficult to deal with, because you have the added misery of being so overweight...

    Keep up the terrific work!

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  2. Thank you for your honesty and transparency, it has encouraged me greatly as I begin my journey.

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  3. I still haven't beaten emotional eating completely. Thank you for being who you are. Love you.

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  4. Good ol' stress. You're right...it never goes away...it's always there. And yes, sometimes it's back to one hour at a time. I'm glad you enjoyed the machines at the Y. And don't worry about the assisted pull-up. There's still a lot of things I can't do yet, and that's one of them!! We'll get there babe. :)

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  5. Sean, you are the best. I've been reading your blog and many others for months now, yours helps me the most. I've still been taking the "easy" way out by eating when stressed, bored, happy, tired, etc. Not any more! I'm going back to read this post whenever I need help.

    As for the pull ups. I go to a CrossFit gym where pull ups and other body weight exercises are a huge part of the workout. I've had to use the biggest rubber band to assist me in those pullups (The trainer's 76 year old mother was next to me using a smaller band). Talk about embarrassing! So I'm doing at least 50 assisted pullups every time I work out there, hoping to someday be rid of the fat "grey" band.

    My trainer said that almost no one can do an unassisted pull up when they're first starting out. He couldn't even do them at first and he's super fit. So just keep doing them, we'll get there! Everyone has strenths and weaknesses physically, even strong people.

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  6. One of the many symptoms of stress is obesity. I think for most obese people stress in one form or another is the cause.

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  7. Stick with those machines, you will be glad that you did!

    I read your posts and every one of them I understand more than I would like to admit. I wish you well kind fellow and hope your stress doesn't hang around too long.

    As Ever
    Me

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  8. Ahh yes, the "as soon as" syndrome. I did that for sooo long, too. As soon as I have less stress, as soon as I have more time, as soon as this or that event is over...You are so right, we had to make an iron-clad decision. Period.

    I really appreciate this post, I could relate to it so well. I hope your current stress eases up soon.
    Loretta
    =^..^=

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  9. Stress can derail me in an instant. I am still working on that one.

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  10. When I started my intent was to get more fit, not loose weight... as silly and in denial that sounds. So I focused on the destressor my workouts were moreso when stressed rather than focusing on eating... only after the first 80 or so pounds did I become interested more and more on what I was eating. I never tried every diet, I never wanted a magic pill or a surgery I actually didn't like being fat and knew the path and didn't do a think about it until I was so big I had to order clothing on the internet and was getting cellulitus in my legs. I think more now, about food and not falling into snacking because of stress or an unusual day.

    I love the mirrors now more and more too... lol I have even flirted naked with a full length on in my pool locker room tightening my muscles and lifting my loose sagging skin for a good laugh in the odd moment I catch myself in there alone. Ive been forgiving myself for my hanging skin lately...kinda nice

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  11. I have been playing around with what I have been eating and not excercising for whatever reason I decided at the time This blog has hit home I have always been too busy too stressed I use food as comfort to celebrate and because I want to fill in some time. Its time to clean up my act at home (housework also goes out the door, living on my own I can get grubby) and excercise and what I put in my mouth thanks for the post Sean I need to stop making excuses and make some iron clad good choices

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  12. I just found your blog this evening and although I'm sure you have heard this before, your weight loss is very inspiring.
    I just started my own journey to onederland and it give me great pleasure to read other people's blogs, such as this one, and the pounds being lost and it keeps me motivated into acheiving my own weight loss goals.

    You spoke about the "mirror" at the Y in your post this evening and it really touched home. Is that really me? I'm hoping that some day I will be able to say those same words.

    Uggg...now I "welling" up so I better say goodnight. I look forward to following you on the rest of your journey.

    Lisa
    ~My journey To Onederland~
    http://awiistory.blogspot.com

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  13. I have noticed a pattern of you ditching cheese lately.
    It is a sucky calorie value...much like my coffee..I have discovered I would rather have a granola bar than two cups of coffee...I want food dang it.
    And really, you don't miss cheese that much on a sandwich.
    not if you add in a bunch of flavorful veggies.
    I love subway. Good choice.

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  14. Hey, a nice flavor alternative to cheese on a sandwich is hummus. Really.

    And although I cant stand the "chemical" taste in it anymore - Laughing Cow cheese wedges can work too.

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  15. I love your honesty. I just wrote today about not using food to handle my stress and emotions

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  16. Free Acai Berry trial really worths, you should try it too

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