A difference of 0.7 pounds over the course of an entire month doesn’t seem like much. It’s movement in the right direction, though, which I haven’t had all year.
I’ll take it.
So, what changed?
I decided to start rewarding myself for the process, rather than the result. Well, not exclusively the result, anyway; it’s one of the categories that can earn me points toward a weekly sushi lunch and/or a reward of new clothes. I give myself a point for losing weight (I weigh myself daily), a point for each 32 ounces of water I drink, and two points for eating the right number of Weight Watchers SmartPoints each day (staying within a healthy range). Starting this week, I’ve started giving myself a point for going to bed by 10:30pm, and two points for getting to bed before 10:00. (I adjusted my weekly targets upward accordingly.)
I actually haven’t earned very many rewards this month — which you might think is silly, because, I mean, it’s my game, my rules, so I can change them so I always win, right? Not so much. For one thing, I’m OK with backing off on my $21-per-week sushi habit. For another, I’ve seen improved results even with me not rewarding myself on the regular. Focusing on the process seems to be what I needed to get me back on track.
I’m feeling pretty good about things going into the holiday season. I’m having a little trouble staying out of my son’s Halloween candy, but that’s finite. We’re planning to go out for Thanksgiving (no cooking, and no mounds of leftovers), so we just need to make sure Mom only brings a single pie for dessert (even though her pecan pie recipe makes two). I don’t get invited to holiday parties, and even if I were, I only book my sitter one evening per month — Saturdays only, so the departmental holiday party for my work is a no-go.
I normally don’t plan to lose any weight during the holiday season, because what fun is that? This year, though, I’m not losing this tiny bit of momentum I’ve built up. My weight has crept up this year, after being stagnant for two years before that, and I’m primed and ready for a weight loss comeback.