I've been aware that many of my blogs relate to the weather I am enjoying or enduring at the moment. For instance today. Even though it is cold, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and full of fluffy clouds. The dog is sliding on the icy sidewalks, but still enjoying her stroll. I feel pretty good.
So, I had a good class at Oakton today, not too much in the way of work, but several activities to keep the students from falling asleep.
Driving on Gross Pointe Road is an excercise in pothole avoidance. It makes me nervous, because I don't want to get another flat. Even so, I am in a good mood.
So, I am thinking about loss. I lost my mother at the end of October. I lost 38 pounds over the past year and a half. I lost three weight watcher charms from my charm holder. In order of importance, the first is the most devastating, the third is the least.
The loss of a relationship, whether by death or by a slow fade away is something that I am thinking about a lot recently. In some ways, my mother's death was a slow fade-away, as she became sicker, our relationship changed, and methods of communications changed too. I spent more and more time with her, and had less and less communication. I knew that she wasn't doing well, so I sat next to her and held her hand or watched TV with her. It is ironic, that is what my brother did also, but he came at a different time, and they watched a different quiz show together.
I miss my mother in many ways. There are a lot of things that I want to discuss with her--a new piece of clothing, a person I saw recently, a conversation with a mutual friend. At times I miss her so much, for instance in Tag's bakery just before Christmas. I am still waiting for the huge emotional hit, like being overwhelmed with it. That hasn't happened to me yet. Maybe a lot of little hits will add up to the big one. Maybe not.
I have copied an article from this week's Weight Watcher on line. It is about the diet Twighlight zone--a place I have been to many times.
The first time I became aware of the phenomenon known as "the twilight zone," I was a young, inexperienced Leader. One of my members approached me after a meeting, frustrated by her rate of weight loss. I asked her if there was anything she could pinpoint as a challenge or roadblock. She sheepishly admitted that immediately following the meeting each week, she indulged in a "free period" where, until the next morning, she would eat anything she wanted; she believed her POINTS® values didn't "reset" until then.
Her argument was that her week ended when she weighed in. The time between stepping on the scale and the next morning didn't really "count." Plus, she had all week to make up for the indulgence, she rationalized. I soon realized that she was not alone; many members were doing the same thing.
The truth is that the week doesn't end at your weekly weigh-in. As the program is written, you follow the program—and consume your allotted POINTS values—the full seven days of the week, not six and a half. The Number One reason for plateaus is relaxed adherence to the program. So if you're experiencing a plateau or are unhappy with your rate of weight loss, investigate how often you find yourself in the twilight zone.
The twilight zone is a time during which a member chooses not to count their POINTS values or eat Core foods, and instead indulges with reckless abandon in foods that they otherwise might carefully portion control. Sometimes the vacation from counting POINTS values is not just between weigh-in and the next morning, but extends to certain holidays, holy days, and full-moon nights.
On certain "magical" days in my meetings, I will hear rumblings of it. No one really wants to speak of it out loud because admitting it might mean having to give it up. While there seems to be a payoff in indulging, it can stall or even undermine getting to your loss-goal weight .
So, why jeopardize your success? According to Maria Walls, Senior Manager Program Development, the twilight zone may originate from too much restriction and deprivation. "Having been 'good' all week could possibly make you feel like you need to reward yourself before you gear back up again for the remainder of the week."
I must confess that I've experienced my fair share of twilight-zone moments. But five years into the program, my main goal is to incorporate everything I love into my plan, so that I never feel the need to "check out." There's not an overnight cure, but attending meetings, watching my emotional responses and focusing on my true goals have made them happen less and less frequently. I try to remind myself: "If I always do what I always did, I will always get what I always got."
Tips to avoid the twilight zone
Reread program materials to keep the details fresh.
Write down your Winning Outcome so that you are in touch with your goals and reasons for following the program.
Slowly incorporate foods that you deem as "bad" into your daily routine by carefully planning for and counting them.
Take a baby step. This week record everything that you ate during the twilight zone without assigning POINTS values to the indulgence. This small step can evolve into full awareness in just a couple of weeks. After a week or two, assign the POINTS values, and eventually try to portion control and track.
When you feel the urge to "check out," rely on an anchor (a strongly connected object, like a piece of clothing that you would like to fit into) that will remind you of your true goals.
