Lacking Inspiration?

Me too !!!
There are days when I don't feel particularly inspired.
The main thing I have to say is
that I don't feel a need to say much today.

Is that a bad thing?
I don't think so.

For those who are following my “Ask Grandma” videos
click to see my latest one: “ My Mother Doesn't Love Me”
which is located in DietHobby under RESOURCES, Videos, Ask Grandma.

Make sure it’s YOUR goal.

It is easy to get caught up, and swept along in the current
of other people’s goals, values, and expectations.
We can wind up doing things that we don’t want to do
in order to get something we don’t even want to have.

It’s a big mistake to choose things
that we feel we “should” do…
things prompted by family, friends, or society in general.

There are very few things in life that we really have to do,
so when a person ends end up with a bunch of goals
that other people have set for them,
it’s time to start thinking about what YOU would really like to do.

Don’t set arbitrary goals just because you think you should.
There’s not much joy to be had in chasing a goal
that you don’t care about.
Chances are, you’ll give up part-way and feel guilty,
or you’ll reach the goal,
only to find that success doesn’t make you any happier.

We need to spend some time in thought so we can say:

“I stand here.
This is what is important to me.
This is where I will direct my life’s efforts.
My direction is here.”

Then we need to start doing the things that will move us in that direction.

Our minds are powerful.
Not only does the brain control all of the body’s
functions, movements and reactions,
it also allows us to emote, remember, and think.

Our thoughts are also powerful.
 Lots of research shows that positive thinking
can help people be happier,
while negative thinking can make us feel bad,
reduce our self-worth, and diminish our chances
of reaching our goals.

If we don’t really believe we are capable
of something, we are less likely to try.
We create our own self-fulfilling prophecy.

Like Henry Ford said:
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t,
you’re probably right.” 

I work to keep my brain
from getting in the way of my goals.

We can achieve amazing things,
but we have to believe in ourselves,
even if no one else does.

Or, at the very least, stop telling ourselves
that we “can’t
or that we’ll fail again “just like we did before”.
A past failure at weight-loss, maintenance,
or anything else doesn’t dictate the future this time.
If anything, it makes us wiser and stronger for what’s ahead.

Please keep in mind that although I can share my experiences,
no one can tell you what successful maintenance will be like for you.
It's a very individual thing.

Some people find that it's best to continue counting calories,
and they do it indefinitely. Others find that they don't need to do that,
as long as they follow certain principles for themselves.

Another thing to keep in mind is that maintenance changes…
…it doesn't stay the same forever.
What works at first may not continue to work later on.
So it's good to be flexible and not box yourself in
to having to have things just one way.

Everyone who has been obese
and then reached their maintenance level
is concerned about regaining.

As you're losing weight, consider what maintaining might look like
in terms of how you eat. For a lot of people, "I will never eat a cookie"
just isn't realistic … and neither is "I will eat cookies whenever I want."
For them, the optimal path is somewhere in between.

Don't be fooled by what online calculators tell you you can eat to maintain.
Many people regain part of their lost weight by thinking
that they “should" be able to eat at a certain calorie level
without regaining, and it turns out that this is not true for them.

Each of us has to find out for ourselves.

What does normal mean?

The dictionary defines normal as:

* conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern;
* relating to average intelligence or development;
*  free from mental disorder: sane.

With regards to weight, normal is defined as
having a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.

Many people consider the word “normal”
to mean “average”.

“Normal” is different things to different people.
Each of us have our own definition of what “normal” is.
Our viewpoint is influenced by our family and friends,
and our cultural and social background.

 The advertising media is part of our social background,
and have had a large part in shaping our concepts of “normal”
in our own lives, and the lives of our parents,
and even the lives of our grandparents and great-grandparents.

So, we tend to define “normal”
based on what we have been TOLD is normal.
The word for being not normal is “abnormal”.
The word “abnormal” simply means deviating from the normal or average,
but that word has a strongly negative connotation for most of us.

  Why is “normal” even important?
Because deep inside, most of us believe that
being “normal” is good, and
while being better than normal is good,
being “abnormal” is bad.

What is considered “normal” eating in our culture?

* Hamburgers go with french fries and a soda or milkshake.

*  Sandwiches go with potato chips and a soda.

*  Ice cream, cakes, pies, cookies. candy and other sweet desserts
should be frequently eaten as part of our normal meals;
as snacks; during social events; and especially all during holidays.

*  Chips and crackers and popcorn are acceptable between meal options
as well as excellent side dishes.

*  Cold cereals (most of which are 90%+ sugar)
are optional and suitable breakfast foods.

While dieting, those of us with weight problems
learn to eat differently than “normal” while we are losing weight.
But most of us expect to return to “normal” eating,
once we’ve achieved our goal weight.
  Unfortunately, when we do this, we regain our lost weight plus more,
and we beat ourselves up emotionally…because we aren’t “normal”.

I’ve found that in order to succeed at maintaining my large weight-loss,
it has been necessary for me to redefine normal.
My ongoing job is to establish a NEW normal.
That is what a change in lifestyle actually means.