's motd Tues Augst 17, 2010

[Guest guest]

YOU'RE TURNING...RED!

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

So one of your coworkers E-mailed you a diet that promised to help you lose weight quickly and easily. As soon as you saw the diet, you looked it over and decided it was just right for you. The very next day, you got started on it.

The instructions of this new weight-loss program told you about everything you needed to eat, including your snacks. So on the way home from work, you stopped at the supermarket to pick up all of the items you'd need for your new weight-loss program.And for three days, you followed that diet to a "T." You ate only what was on the program faithfully but then...it happened! Your mother-in-law, who you also happen to adore, invited you out to lunch. She chose this family style Italian restaurant that everybody in town loves.Once you got there and began pondering what you would order, your first thought was to stick with a healthy choice, grilled breast of chicken. But as you continued to peruse the menu, your eyes crossed over to the other side and you made a less than wise choice from that side of the menu. "Yes, I'll have the fettucini alfredo!" And just like that, with an afternoon lunch, your diet of the past three days went straight out the window!

"Oh, waiter! Could you bring some more of those homemade breadsticks for the table, please? They're so good!"What a "great" lunch that was, right? But the minute you left the restaurant and got into your car, the anger with yourself began setting in..."What on earth did I just do? I was being so good on my diet for three days but just look at the way I ate this afternoon! It was all my mother-in-law's fault. And of course she needs to lose some weight herself! Why do I do this...every time! Why do I keep sabotaging myself when I'm trying to lose weight? I'm just no good at this. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. I guess I just wasn't meant to lose weight!"Uh, oh. You're working yourself up into a tizzy and getting really frustrated with yourself. And look, you're so upset now that you're...turning red! And you know what? This is just what happens to millions of Americans who go on a weight-loss program, stick with it for a while, then later...fall off their weight loss program. Oh! They end up getting so frustrated with themselves!Look, frustration is no good. In fact, nothing good comes of it. Raise your hands if you ever went out to dinner and, in that one meal, blew your weight-loss program. Oh my, look at how many hands are going up!

Hey, we've all been guilty of this. In fact, I myself have done it many times. But you don't need to get frustrated with yourself. What you need to do is sit down and calmly take a look at your situation. Don't waste your time getting upset and frustrated. Spend some time figuring out then doing what you need to...fix it! Let's talk about the lady I introduced you to at the beginning of this message for example. This is a woman who really has a weakness when it comes to dining out at restaurants. (Hey, I know I do and that's why I steer clear of them.) You have to figure out what knocks you off program before you can do what you need to do to fix it. Frustration can show up in all areas of your life. Some of you get frustrated with the careers you have but, guess what, you're not a one-job career person. There are many things you can do for a living. You may also get frustrated at home. If that's the case, sit down with your family members and discuss the source of your frustration. Do you get frustrated that your house is not as neat as it should be? Well, set aside a day to really work on getting your home in order. And when it comes to your weight, do you feel frustrated when it feels like you've failed? Hey, you didn't "fail." You just quit for that one meal. But the bad news is that when you quit for one meal, your frustration can lead to your repeating the same mistake for the next meal...and the next!

So, what knocks you off program? Is it donuts in the morning that someone brings to work? Is it stopping at a fast food restaurant or eating at one of those all-you-can-eat buffets? Is it the popcorn and candy you had at the movies? (Guess what? You can see a movie without stopping by the concession stand. I mean it...you really can!)Make a list of those things that tend to knock you off program and get you in trouble. After you finish making out your list, I want you to study it then find ways to not let them happen again. I don't want you getting all frustrated, turning red and going a little crazy. Hey, driving you crazy is my job!Love,