Motivation ( or how I got my mojo back)

Sorry it has been so long since I have last posted. With the end of the school year, Vacation Bible School, Father’s day, and other obligations, I have not had time. I have also had writer’s block and I’m pretty sure some depression as I have been trying to adjust to being with my kids 24/7. Being an at-home-mom get’s overwhelming, stressful, and dare I say it? Boring and lonely!

We have made an effort to go to the YMCA a lot and I volunteered at VBS, so I did get some time to hang out with other moms. Yesterday was especially good – we went to Library Story Hour, then hung out and did some crafts. I ran into a family whose child attended the same preschool as my youngest, and then another stay-at-home-mom that I got friendly with when our children were in dance and swimming lessons together last spring. Then we had a playdate with my older daughter’s friend from church in the YMCA outdoor pool.

I have been attending a support group for WLS patients, as well as private counseling, and a NAMI (www.nami.org) mental health support group for a while now. In my WLS support group, we talked about some “action items” that we can do in order to motivate ourselves when the time comes that we need more motivation. I discussed this with my counselor, than I decided to write down some of the activities mentioned to show where I am, how far I’ve come, and where I want to be.

Now, I already had some rewards planned for mile stones. At the loss of 10 % of my body weight, I got my hair cut and colored. At 50 lbs (I’m at 43!), I will get a mani-pedi. At 75, I’ll Get a massage, and at 100, I’m getting a full blown spa day! But, I didn’t know how to reward myself for the “little things, like being able to cut my toenails and play on the floor with the kids. The first thing I did at the urging of my counselor was to set up a rewards system for myself. I first wrote out the rules for myself. Everytime I follow my eating plan for a day, I give myself a pink dot on my datebook. Every time I exercise for 30 minutes a day, I get a purple dot. Five pink dots in a row – I get to choose a video that I want to watch. Five purple dots in a row – well, I haven’t figured out that one yet.

So after doing that, I sat down and wrote a list of 25 reasons why I had the surgery. When my family is sitting around eating ice cream and I feel left out, now I’ll have my list of why I had the lap-band. I also made a goal chart, with the goal and the date that I accomplished that goal. So far I have reached 8 of my 33 goals, but I know as I accomplish a goal, I will want to come up with new ones, and I am excited about that! The great thing about this is that I have a visual reminder of how far I’ve come in the last three months, and if that is not a motivator, what is?

Here are the documents I wrote, enjoy!

Pink dots= sticking to eating plan

Eating Plan

High Protein

No drinks with meals

Low fat

No added sugar

Drink lots

3-5 servings fruits and veggies

Purple dots = Exercise

Must be at least 30 minutes long, though can be broke up throughout the day.

Heavy cleaning counts

Why I had Surgery

1. 338 lbs
2. Size 30/32
3. High Blood Pressure
4. High Cholesteral
5. Sleep Apnea
6. Poor Self esteem
7. joints hurting
8. unable to get down on the floor to play with my kids.
9. didn’t fit in airplane seats
10. winded from walking one flight of stairs or one block
11. had to order my bras from fat women catalogs
12. Could only buy clothes at Avenue or at Catherines
13. No energy to play with kids
14. spent too much money on treats and fast food
15. Being medically diagnosed super morbid obese
16. Depression cycles more common.
17. embarrassed about the way I looked.
18. didn’t feel like myself – felt as if I had lost who I was.
19. can’t fit in tub to take bath.
20. had a hard time with personal hygiene.
21. couldn’t even find jewelry or shoes that fit comfortably
22. sick of carbohydrate addiction
23. tired all the time
24. pre-diabetes
25. did not feel like I was being a good mom.

Goal	Date Met
Be able to get on the floor and play with kids	6/6/10
Lose 10 percent of my weight	5/2010
Be a 14/16 on top (14/16 tank tops from avenue!!!)	6/12/2010
Buy clothes at regular clothing store	6/12/2010 (2x tank tops at Old Navy!)
Be a 18/20 on bottem
Cut my own toenails	5/2010
Feel comfortable being photographed.
Fit into my wedding dress
Have energy to play with kids outside	5/31/2010
Be able to clean my floors (on hands and knees without too much trouble)	6/23/2010
Fit in an airplane seatbelt without an adjuster
Earn 5 pink dots in a row
Earn 5 purple dots in a row
Down 50 pounds
Down 62.5 pounds
Down 75 pounds
Down 87.5 pounds
Down 100 pounds
Ride the rides at an amusement park
Go down a water slide
Comfortably swing on swings at a park
Play tag with my kids
Walk 5 miles at once
Walk 7 miles at once
Walk 10 miles at once
Walk 12.5 miles at once
Walk 15 miles at once
Walk 17.5 miles at once
Walk 20 miles at once
Take part in the Breast Cancer 3 day walk.
Ride a bike
Turn Heads J
Feel beautiful!	6/12/2010