Week 2 - Making Money, Cravings, and Measurement

Down 3.2 pounds! 

How will I stay motivated for 50 more weeks? What will I do when I have cravings?  

·      HealthyWage and DietBet: Perhaps the best motivator is money. These two websites allow you to place a bet (kind of like an entrance fee), and then get a guaranteed payout if you reach a goal. HealthyWage has you set a goal and a timeframe, then you choose an amount you will pay in each month. If you meet the goal and maintain the weight, you get your money back plus some winnings! You pick the goal and the timeframe – how great is that! Diet Bet is a little different. You pay a set entrance fee to join a certain challenge, and then all the participants in that challenge who meet the goal split the winnings. In both sights, you have to record yourself weighing in, and there are some other guidelines that prevent cheating. I will definitely be joining both of these sites to help with motivation!

·      20-Minute Rule: I read a blog where the author suggested waiting 20 minutes when you think you have a craving. During that 20 minutes, you think about other things, drink some water, and see if the craving passes. Last week I mentioned that I was having cravings in the afternoon, so I tried this 20-minute trick. It worked pretty well for me! When a craving hits, I drink a big class of water and then wait 20 minutes. If I am still hungry, I grab some protein. If I just can’t get the craving out of my mind, I can add it to my “cheat hour” (see below).

·      The Cheat Hour: I cannot stick to a plan if I have to cut something out completely. If I can never have margaritas and chips and salsa, movie theatre popcorn and a Cherry Coke, or a big bowl of Talenti gelato or a DQ Blizzard, I will give up pretty quickly. I can stick to my calories and tracking 167 hours a week, but I need one hour a week where I can do whatever I want. When I was part of Curves a few years ago, this free hour helped me to lose 15% of my body weight in one year (about four sizes). In my first seven days, I didn’t use this cheat hour.  It went okay. By day 8, however, I was ready to use my hour. During that hour on Friday night, I ate chips, salsa, queso, and some chocolate. I didn’t make supper or have a balanced plate of food. I just ate as much of whatever I wanted. Truth be told, I was uncomfortable because my body hasn’t had that much garbage in quite a few days…but I would do it again! Rather than feeling guilty for breaking my plan and then giving up on my goals altogether, I avoided feelings of deprivation and had another 167 good hours.

·      Precision: Knowing exact calories is very important when trying to lose weight. In order to do that, I have to use tools: measuring cups, spoons, and a food scale. The first time I lost weight, the food scale and my measuring cups were my best friend. When I pour a glass of wine (or something more healthy), my five ounces can get a little heavy handed unless I measure. A chicken breast can be almost a pound at times, so the good scale comes in very handy. When putting in my food for the day, I try to make sure I am as precise as possible. Since my goal is to track literally everything I eat, precision counts!

Off to another great week!