Boredom

Are you bored with the whole routine? You know -- watching what you eat, journaling your meals (if you're of that programmatic persuasion), seeing what the scale says every week? Especially now, when Starbucks once again has its wonderful gingerbread loaf cake? When Christmas cookies and assorted treats are popping up everywhere? Gosh, wouldn't it be nice to just not bother for a few days, or weeks? (Ummmm . . . or months???)

Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you this . . . but you're normal. None of us can whip up extreme enthusiasm for being on a reducing plan 100% of the time.* Thinking about food, measuring portions, the whole bit. Being motivated to lose weight makes staying the course much easier -- and most of us start out really gung ho, determined to whip our fat cells into shape in short order. But sooner or later, at best we generally sink into a routine (a peck on the cheek, rather than a sensuous hug) . . . and at worst we figure, "what's the use?" and give up.

Here's a little secret: you don't have to be in love with your food plan day and night. You just have to follow it. Same as you show up for work every day, balance your checkbook (you DO track your $$$, right? At least after a fashion?), clean the catbox or walk the dog. If you simply keep going, come hell, high water, or pumpkin pie, you will eventually make it to your goal. The only difference between those who succeed, and those who fail, is -- OK, all together now -- "the ones who succeed don't give up."

When you follow a plan, any plan, day after day, you are forming new habits -- new circuits in your brain that grow stronger with each repetition. Those new habits will carry you through those days when you have the "I don' wanna's." Following the plan may be a chore on those days, but at least it'll be a familiar one, and not really any different from any of your other chores.

Now, you know me: I do not advocate deprivation. It's the holiday season! Have some treats! Work them into your food plan. Don't go overboard, though. Remember, while there are no truly bad foods (except for saturated and trans fats), there are bad portion sizes and badly balanced diets. Have your treats, but eat healthy, otherwise. This will help combat boredom and "diet fatigue."

What? After this great pep talk, you still don't feel like doing it today?

Do it anyway. Tomorrow, you'll be really glad you did.

*I will allow as how I might be a little bit strange in this department, as after nearly 5 years, I've not really been bored -- yet. Distracted, yes. But not enough to forego journaling my food. (Don't tell anyone that I sometimes don't get it written down until the next day, OK?)

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