DFW Supporters

Recent Posts

George T.
on 4/26/09 7:59 pm - Grand Prairie, TX
Topic: RE: Calculate Your Protein Needs
Thanks for the info.  It is nice to know there is no hard and fast number.  I totally agree with that.  I don't track mine, but I know I get a lot of protein daily.  Breakfast is a minimum of 21 g a day (two eggs and at least 1 oz of cheese, normally 2 oz).  Then I snack on one cup of cheese cubes all day long.  Plus whatever meat I eat, and I do make sure I get the meat every day.

I am not losing hair, have no ridges in fingernails, sleep just fine.  I am tired, but who wouldn't be if they worked 13-15 hours a day.



GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!                   
 

JodieBlonde
on 4/23/09 1:02 am - Mesquite, TX
Topic: RE: Emotional Eating - Follow up 2 - Stop Negative Thinking
Enjoyed Part 1, looking forward to Part 2!
                      
  
JennD
on 4/16/09 11:06 am - Allen, TX
Topic: RE: Emotional Eating - Follow up 2 - Stop Negative Thinking
I am printing this out.  What great advice about if someone else told me they did the same thing how would I react.  It wouldn't be the same way I react to myself doing it.  Great things to think about when I get into that negative self talk place I seem to love to go!

Jenn
I'm not perfect but I'm me and that is good enough!

1texasmom
on 4/14/09 10:09 pm
Topic: RE: Emotional Eating - Follow up 2 - Stop Negative Thinking
It's funny, but I find that I'm a lot harder on myself than others are.  And I'm harder on myself than I am TO others.  It's crazy!  I'm not Wonder Woman and it took me a long time to realize that I didn't have to be, nor did I have to try and be. 

I'm glad the article helped!  You're doing amazingly well.  Keep up the good work.  

I hope you can make it to one of our meetings some time.  It would be great to meet you and you'd get a lot of god info from our other banders.  

Tawnya 

RNY: 11/19/07

SW:260

LW: 140 (January 09)

CW: 180

GW: 155-160

Sugrmomma
on 4/14/09 4:11 pm - Justin, TX
Sugrmomma
on 4/14/09 3:35 pm - Justin, TX
Topic: RE: Emotional Eating - Follow up 2 - Stop Negative Thinking
What amazing timing!  I have had a rough week and was feeling horrible about myself. 

I have been having very successful weight loss and have been feeling great. However this past week 'I fell off the wagon' and have been feeling down and ashamed.  I have put alot of pressure on myself to prove to the world that I deserve to be healthy and thin.  The above article hit the target on the head!

Thank you for sharing,
I feel much better and focused now. 

Tracy Ferris
Justin, TX
11/14/08 Lapband
weight loss to date: 55 pounds
1texasmom
on 4/14/09 1:51 am, edited 4/14/09 1:52 am
Topic: Emotional Eating - Follow up 2 - Stop Negative Thinking

Don't Let Negative Thoughts Sabotage Your Efforts

-- By Dean Anderson, Behavioral Psychology Expert

You’ve gone over your calories for the day or eaten something on your “forbidden" list. You figure that since you've blown your diet, you might as well keep on eating and start over tomorrow. You keep eating, but despise yourself for it.

You’ve done well all week, but the scale says you’ve gained a pound. You panic, feeling certain that you’re doomed to be fat forever.

You set the alarm an hour early to exercise, but hit snooze. Feeling like a lazy slug, you wonder if you have any willpower to do what you know you need to.


Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?

The tendency to leap from minor, trivial problems to overblown, unrealistic conclusions is something that everyone struggles with to some degree. This type of negative thinking is one of the biggest reasons that people have difficulty sticking to their weight loss plan—and why small problems can cause stress and misery that is often avoidable.

Of course, there are dozens of deep, psychological reasons why individuals get caught up in this negativity. But you don’t have to know why you do it to stop being negative. All you have to do is to take a close look at what you are actually doing and decide to stop doing it for that moment. Here are three techniques you can use to stop all those negative thoughts before they stop you:

1.     Look for Hidden Thoughts and Assumptions

The process of moving from an event (like going over your daily calories) to a conclusion about the meaning of that event (I’ve blown my diet) and what you should do about it (keep eating, start over later), typically involves several more mental steps that you probably aren’t aware of. Psychologists call these intermediate steps automatic thoughts because they are habitual, happen quickly, and feel so “right" to us that we don’t even notice them.

Although you can’t completely prevent automatic thoughts from occurring (after all, they naturally help us make good decisions in a hurry), these thoughts are not always accurate. Chronic negativity about yourself or your situation is a good sign that your automatic thoughts are inaccurate.

Luckily, it’s not difficult to learn how to identify your automatic thoughts, figure out if they make sense, and change the ones that aren’t working for you. The first step is to develop the habit of asking yourself: "What would have to be true in order for the negative conclusion I reached to be justified?"

For example, what would have to be true in order for going over your calorie limit to mean that you've “blown" your diet? Wouldn’t it have to be true that your diet is a one-day event that requires a perfect performance on your part? You know that's not the case.

2. Learn to Argue with Yourself

Once you recognize some of your automatic thoughts, you can inspect them and, if necessary, argue with them. The flaw in the above example is pretty obvious: Permanent weight loss is not a short-term project, and doesn’t require perfection. But sometimes the flaw or assumption won’t be as obvious. If that's the case, then you may need to do some investigating.

Before you jump to conclusions or attack your own character, ask yourself a few basic questions:

  • If someone I respect did exactly what I did, would I come to the same conclusion about them that I’m coming to about myself?
  • If someone came to me asking for advice about how to deal with this problem, what would I say to them? Would I tell them it’s a lost cause?
  • How does my conclusion help solve the problem? Does deciding that I’m a "lazy slug" without willpower empower me or enable me to do better next time? What thoughts would do that?
  • Is this a problem that lots of people have or am I the only one facing it? What do other people think or do when they run into this problem?
  • Is this problem a general pattern in my life or am I blowing one incident out of proportion? Are there times when I do well at things that clearly require willpower and self-discipline—like going to work every day and taking care of my family?
  • Have I put the same amount of time and effort into thinking about solutions as I have into listing the problems?

The more of these questions that you ask yourself, the more easily you’ll be able to spot—and correct—your negative automatic thoughts that are lurking underneath your tendency to assume the worst whenever things don’t go the way you planned.

3. Do What Doesn't Come Naturally

One reason that negative thoughts become so automatic and pervasive in our minds is that they are consistent with our typical feelings. If you find yourself jumping to negative conclusions about yourself, your abilities, and your options and opportunities, it’s probably because that feels “right" and comfortable to you.

This doesn't mean you have to figure out why it feels "right" to feel bad about yourself. Again, you'll simply respond better to doing things differently, rather than spending hours rooting through emotional baggage.

Changing those negative thoughts and judgments into realistic and reasonable ones is going to feel uncomfortable and unnatural. In fact, feeling uncomfortable is probably a good sign that this is exactly what you need to be doing to get past your problems.

So when you're unsure about what the problem is, your best bet is to do what doesn’t come naturally. When you find yourself arriving at a negative conclusion about you or your situation, stop thinking that and start thinking the exact opposite. If you’re thinking that there’s something fundamentally wrong with you, tell yourself the problem is in the situation—not in you—and look for ways to change the situation. If you think you’re "doomed to be fat forever," tell yourself that success is unavoidable if you want it; if you’re feeling like a "lazy slug," tell yourself that your “true self" really does want to exercise. You get the idea.

No matter how big, bad or scary the problem seems, you're always just one thought away from turning it into an opportunity for change, growth and progress. All you have to do is find that thought.

RNY: 11/19/07

SW:260

LW: 140 (January 09)

CW: 180

GW: 155-160

1texasmom
on 4/8/09 10:37 am
Topic: Lap Band Patients and Core Training

Attention Lap Band Patients,

 

I know it was some time ago that the question came up and I apologize for the delay in providing an answer, but I wanted to research the matter thoroughly before responding.  Please forgive me.  I promise I wasn’t ignoring you and I didn’t forget.  I am, however, extremely thorough in my investigation.  I do not take my – or your – health lightly.  J 

 

For those of you who are lap band patients and you were told “no crunches" but asked me for some alternate exercises, I finally have news!  You don’t have to skip your abs, you just have to work them differently by concentrating on your whole core. 

 

This could actually benefit anyone who wants a stronger, leaner midsection.  Strengthening your core can also prevent falls and injuries as we age because our core is our balance center.  If the core is strong we’re less likely to take a fall. 

 

Think of your mid-section as a girdle.  We have the Rectus Abdominus which runs from sternum to pelvis.  This is the one you target with a crunch and the muscle being trained for a “six pack."  However that is only one of many muscles in our “girdle."  We also have the obliquus externus, the obliquus internus, the

transversus abdominis and the pyramidalis muscle all in the abdominal cavity.  Plus we have the latissimus dorsi and erector spinae in the back which help to hold us all together, upright, with hips in alignment and tummy pulled tight.  We really need to train them all! 

 

Below are some sample exercises.  Each name should be (if I set this up right) a web link that has detailed instructions and some have a video. 

Please proceed cautiously!  If you doctor has restricted you for ANY REASON, please discuss them with your medical team prior to beginning a new program or for changing your current routine. 

 

For those just starting a core routine, it is generally acceptable to pick 3 moves and do 10-12 repetitions of each for a total of about 15 minutes.  I suggest that you not train the same muscle group on two consecutive days.  Allow a day of rest for recovery and repair. 

 
Stability Ball Knee Tucks
Bird Dog
Trunk Rotations
Stability Ball Prone Walkout
Plank
Standing Wood Chop
Glute Bridge
Side Plank
cable (or band) rotation

RNY: 11/19/07

SW:260

LW: 140 (January 09)

CW: 180

GW: 155-160

George T.
on 4/7/09 8:21 pm - Grand Prairie, TX
Topic: RE: Life

It is hard to get into a new routine.  And as far as being discouraged from lack of participation, I fully understand that.  Regardless of how active you are here, please never change you drive that is behind the success of your Support Group Meetings.  The preparation is appreciated.  The participation is needed by more people than realize it.  Support Groups are very important.  Structured support groups are essential.



GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!                   
 

1texasmom
on 4/6/09 4:51 am
Topic: Emotional Eating - Follow Up 1 - Accept Responsibility
For those who didn't get to come to our meeting yesterday I'd like to encourage you to come out on the 22nd.  If you live outside of the DFW area and just can't make it, I'll be posting some tools, articles, comments, quizzes and other such things for discussion.  Please feel free to chime in whether you attended a physical meeting or not.  We support each other as a group and every input has the potential to touch someone. 

Our hope is that you learn some new and better coping skills that will enable you to be a long term success in your weight loss journey.

Do you accept responsibly for your choices in life?
Do you feel in control of your life? No matter how negative events or actions may become, you are the only force that is able to determine the reaction. Often we fail to do this and instead blame the world for our feelings of sadness, rejection, and hopelessness. The reality is that your actions are a choice, and you must claim those feelings and choices. We can be our best cheerleader or worst enemy when it comes to determining the health of our emotions. Do some pep talks with yourself each morning. This will help you develop positive, self-affirming thoughts that will enhance your personal development and growth.


The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.    
- Albert Ellis


Let us know if you find it helpful.  We'd love to hear from you.

RNY: 11/19/07

SW:260

LW: 140 (January 09)

CW: 180

GW: 155-160

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