Results and playing with affirmations
19 June 2007 by livingrainbowcolor
Well, it looks as if there may be a kilo and a half loss after about 10 days at this “getting off the sofa” effort. I use the words “may be” because 1.5 kilo is well within the range that my body can normally vary, so only time will tell if it stays off.
But the real goal IS being reached. I’m up off the sofa much more often, doing more than just swimming. I’m swimming when I want and as much as I want, without requirements. And I want to swim - the water of this particular pool has become a safe place for me. It feels safe because it’s comfortable to do my swim without fear of ridicule, and because it’s not crowded. It feels safe in the water because I’ve learned to focus on the swim (actually mostly jogging), and use the time to reinforce my goals.
Last night I began writing affirmations in my head as I swam. Affirmations can keep you on goal, but only if they’re useful. To be useful, they have to be specific, motivating, and lead you to action. None of this “I am thin, beautiful and rich” crap for me. Rather:
- I am practicing new behaviors every day that reinforce my new healthier relationship with food
- Each day brings new discoveries about how well I can take care of myself emotionally
I don’t plan on having just a single affirmation that I repeat until I’m a zombie, but rather use the affirmations to motivate me to stay on track for my specific efforts.
My positives:
- I’m more able to face interpersonal problems and try to build the best solutions
- Today I chose to think about positive behavior when I awoke
- Resting at home before I swam was good and it gave me more energy
- Yesterday I worked with more deliberation than usual.
- Adding a couple of pastel colors to my wardrobe perked me up a bit
