Positive thinking

Today I have been doing a lot of thinking. Mostly about the mind and how our thoughts influence how we act, how we feel and our weight loss journeys.

I have been having counselling for the past 12 weeks following a car accident in January 2013 which left me feeling vulnerable and with a phobia of driving and motorways. Today was my last session, I have changed so much in 12 weeks, I am back to being a confident driver and passenger, not thinking twice about motorways and enjoying driving again. It is like a miracle, except it isn't a miracle it has been 12 weeks of hard work of my changing my negative thoughts and perceptions into positive ones and finding ways to cope. I knew all along it was my mind causing my issues but I needed the help of the counsellor to overcome my thoughts and help me create new positive thoughts.

I have been trying my best recently to put the things I have learnt into my everyday life. For instance, I go golfing regularly with my boyfriend, I don't play I just go for the 2 mile walk which is quite hilly so a great workout. I sometimes think I cant be bothered and would rather stay at home in my PJs then I change my thoughts to, its great exercise, its pretty much the only exercise I get and is important. Once we have finished I feel refreshed, revitalised and I am so glad I have done. Positive thinking really does help.

I am going to try this week to change any negative thoughts I have about weight loss or eating. For example I have struggled this weekend, Liam is off work, we don't have any spare money to do anything which results in time at home not doing much, watching TV. This leads to boredom which leads to eating, Sunday I wasn't so bad as we got out and did things. Saturday we didn't so I snacked a lot, went way over my points. A way I plan to combat this in future is suggest we do something, play a game, play cards, go for a walk just something different to break up the day and reduce boredom and the chance of overeating.

Yesterday we went to the liquorice festival, last year I thought screw the diet and got a cupcake and vodka. I resisted yesterday, thought to myself I have weigh in tomorrow, my Sunday lunch will be a fair few syns, do I really want to ruin it? In all fairness one cupcake wouldn't have hurt (I hardly drink now so I wouldn't have got the vodka either way) but one cupcake could lead to me thinking "screw it, I've gone over my syns anyway I might as well just eat what I want and start again tomorrow". I made a conscious decision and a positive thought and succeeded. I feel proud as they looked and smelt so good and had my favourite carrot cake.

I am not saying it is easy to change negative thoughts into positive. We all have time off plan and down days where no matter what we do we cant think positive (I felt this way Friday!) but I think its important to try. The more you do it, the easier it gets and eventually becomes second nature. I have successfully done this with my driving and now its a positive habit. Hopefully overtime I can do this with my weight loss and eating!

Today's food diary, extra easy day
Breakfast - 2 wholemeal bread, 400g loaf (Health extra b) , 2 tsp of flora light (3 syns), 2 doughnut peaches (so yummy & addictive!), apricot & coffee (1 syn for the milk).

Lunch - SW chips (made in the actifry with fry light), 40g reduced fat cheese (healthy extra a), watermelon.

Snack - Salted caramel hifi bar (6 syns), peppermint & nettle tea (very refreshing and so good for digestion and bloating).

Dinner - homemade chilli. Lean mince (5 syns), sweetcorn, passata & kidney beans. Served with rice.

Total 11 syns.