This exercise, from Bob Greene, looked like a good way to identify possible stumbling blocks, those things that are, in one way or another, sabotaging your weight loss efforts.

Draw a circle and divide it into eight sections. In each section, list a component of your life: career, health, family, finances, friendship, romance, kids, hobbies – or come up with your own list. Each affects your ability to follow through with your workouts and eat right. Now rate each area: If it's going well, write a plus sign; poorly, a minus sign. The negative areas are all potential pitfalls on your healthy journey, so list small steps you can take each day to improve. You might call a friend with whom you've lost touch, or update your resume and search for a more rewarding job.

Aim to take three healthy steps a day (a mix of emotional, diet, and exercise ones). Shaping up all areas of your life will better prepare you to deal with obstacles that inevitably arise as you’re losing weight.

Career/job is definitely a negative right now. I go in and do my best, and get recognized by my immediate supervisors. However, my position is not "visible" to the company, and I get zero recognition from them without substantial effort on my part.

In addition, our big boss resigned (you might have seen that as breaking news the other day...), and there are significant reductions in the workforce taking place. I really do give my best effort every day, and try to make myself indispensible, but it's hard to have a + when everyone feels as though the impending DOOM will affect them, too.

Family is a - right now, too. My grandmother's in the hospital...again, which stresses out my mom, and the boyfriend's stepdad had a stroke yesterday. None of these are "OMG I can't believe she's so <whatever>," they're health things and they cause stress.

So I'm baking this weekend for a bake-off at work on St Patrick's Day..."Irish-themed food" was the only requirement.

I cannot lift the atmosphere at work, but I can go in with a good attitude and do my best...and continue to walk extra and eat right while I'm there. I can't un-stress my mom or his mom, and I can't make the patients any better, but I can prepare myself for some emotional times by sticking to my plan and scheduling extra therapy sessions if I feel myself sliding down. I can continue to go to bed at a reasonable hour, and continue to work on my grad school stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by susanrows:
The negative areas are all potential pitfalls on your healthy journey...

Shaping up all areas of your life will better prepare you to deal with obstacles that inevitably arise as you’re losing weight.

I totally agree with this!!

I also think that I have + in all of my categories. I also know that it is in large part because of my frame of mind right now. I know that sometimes, my dh or extended family can just bug the krap out of me!!!! And I am super aware of EVERY annoying habit and comment and breath they take. There are times when they literally breathe “wrong” and in a way that is irritating.

Then other times... I don’t even notice their many and infuriating annoying qualities… but I’m REALLY sure that it is ME, and my perception… because I think that they are pretty much the same as they always are.

Sometimes, negative areas need shaping up… like financial things… but MORE often, it is my perception that needs a tune up.

I think that's why things are feeling so "easy" for me right now - I would have + in each section right now, including health since I feel sooo much better now than I did pre-op.