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“Delays Expected”
That phrase is usually means bad things. Suddenly, you’re worried about being late for work or unable to complete your chores. Whenever I hear the word “delay” it has SUCH a negative connotation that I want to avoid whatever it is.
Delayed gratification, however, is supposed to be a GOOD thing. People who can delay gratification are far more successful than those who never learned that skill. I talked about it here:
That’s all well and good, but HOW do we learn how to delay gratification? The definition of it seems pretty self-explanatory: taking an action NOW that will cause a desired result LATER. If it were as easy as it sounds, then we would all be incredibly fit and eat only healthy food.
The important thing to remember is that this is DELAYED gratification, not NO gratification. Here are the techniques that I’ve used to focus on what I will achieve in exchange.
It’s really hard to say no to that cake or pizza when it’s right there in your face. When you can smell the frosting or melted cheese, you have to have a CLEAR picture of what your final goal will be like in order to bypass it. One way to do that is making a photo of yourself when you’re at goal. I’ve talked about this before:
Being able to SEE what I’ll look like if I just say no to another slice of pizza is really helpful. I keep a copy of the photo on my iPhone ALL the time just to keep myself focused on what I want.
Sometimes it helps me to have a phrase that I repeat to myself. For me, the mantra that has worked the best for me is:
“I’m in control, not the food.”
Of course, that phrase hasn’t always been my mantra. I used to use the quote from Winston Churchill.
“It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.”
Mantras are VERY personal things, so you’ll have to choose one of your own, but here are a few to give you some ideas.
Maybe if you only have ten pounds to lose, you can focus solely on your final goal, but if your goal is a big one, you need to have several pit stops along the way so that you don’t feel like you have had no positive reinforcement for months.
If your goal is a weight goal, you can give yourself presents for every few pounds lost. If your goal is a fitness goal, you can reward yourself for every speed record or distance you’ve achieved. Whatever your goal, you MUST give yourself mini-gratifications to keep the beast within you feeling placated.
There is a famous story about Jim Carrey.
“I wrote myself a check for ten million dollars for acting services rendered and dated it Thanksgiving 1995. I put it in my wallet and it deteriorated. And then, just before Thanksgiving 1995, I found out I was going to make ten million dollars for Dumb & Dumber. I put that check in the casket with my father because it was our dream together.”
Hardly anyone talks about the corollary to the story, however.
“I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That’s the thing. You can’t just visualize and go eat a sandwich.”
You can’t just make plans, visualize yourself at goal, and repeat mantras. You have to actually DO what you need to do to get to your goal. Whether that means eating healthier food or getting your butt out of bed an hour earlier every morning to exercise. Whatever you need to do, you have to DO it!
In the end, delaying gratification is THE KEY to getting to a healthy weight and fitness level. Putting off the tasty treats and luxury of sleeping in is what differentiates those that get to their goals and those that dream about them. It’s a skill that needs just as much practice as learning to play a game or how to cook a healthy meal, but when you take the time to learn that skill, you’ll profit from it far more than you can imagine!
Jere Keyes has been working hard for the last 16 weeks and has gone from 217 lbs. to 191 lbs.
He has done an incredible job of working out consistently. Here is a photo of his workout schedule.
When I read about his consistency, I was so impressed with how well he has done, especially when tempted with a birthday cake like this less than a week before:
If I found myself in front of a beautiful cake like this, I would have trouble eating it and even more trouble NOT eating it. I would have been paralyzed with indecision or acquiesce to a binge. Instead, they had a cake fight. You can read about it here.
The next time you are confronted with a beautiful dessert or savory treat, remember Jere and how his devotion to fitness really paid off. You are in control, not the food!
This postcard from PostSecret was in last Sunday’s collection.
It reads:
Sometimes I think the reason I can’t lose weight is because
I’m Scared.
If I become thin and discover guys still aren’t attracted to me, then I will have nothing to hide behind.
I think the reason that ALL of us have troubles losing weight is because we are scared. Each of us are scared of different things, but fear seems to be the largest obstacle in our way.
I’m scared that my family won’t like me as much when I’m thin. A lot of what we do together is eat. If I have to watch my food all the time, will be still be able to enjoy each other?
What is it about getting to your ideal weight that makes you scared? How can you get over that fear so that you can get to your goal?
PostSecret‘s beneficiary is the National Hopeline Network. It is a 24-hour hotline (1 (800) SUICIDE) for anyone who is thinking about suicide or knows someone who is considering it.
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While we were out at yard sales last weekend, we found this great can that used to have MSG (or monosodium Glutamate) in it. It was actually from the famous Ajinomoto Corporation of Japan, who patented MSG in 1909. MSG is a flavor enhancer, so it can make boring food taste really good. Sounds like a dieter’s dream, right? If you’re eating bland food, it can taste wonderful if you sprinkle on some magical MSG.
Unfortunately, many people have reported that MSG is bad for them. Is it something you should avoid?
MSG as a food ingredient has been the subject of health studies. A report from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) compiled in 1995 on behalf of the FDA concluded that MSG was safe for most people when “eaten at customary levels.” However, it also said that, based on anecdotal reports, some people may have an MSG intolerance which causes “MSG symptom complex” — commonly referred to as Chinese restaurant syndrome — and/or a worsening of asthmatic symptoms.
Subsequent research found that while large doses of MSG given without food may elicit more symptoms than a placebo in individuals who believe that they react adversely to MSG, the frequency of the responses was low and the responses reported were inconsistent, not reproducible, and were not observed when MSG was given with food. Review of Alleged Reaction to Monosodium Glutamate and Outcome of a Multicenter Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study — Journal of Nutrition
While many people believe that MSG is the cause of these symptoms, a statistical association has not been demonstrated under controlled conditions, even in studies with people who were convinced that they were sensitive to it. Adequately controlling for experimental bias includes a placebo-controlled double-blinded experimental design and the application in capsules because of the strong and unique after-taste of glutamates. ScienceDirect – Food and Chemical Toxicology : Monosodium L-glutamate: A double-blind study and review
So, for most people, MSG isn’t a problem. If that’s the case, why can’t you just buy it in any grocery store? Well, you CAN. MSG is an ingredient in MANY spices on the market today. It is hidden under different names because so many people have been scared of MSG for no scientific reason. You can find MSG hiding under the following names:
If you would like to make your food taste a little better and you know that you have no sensitivity to MSG, you can buy it in the grocery store or at Amazon.com:
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My new favorite find from the farmer’s market this weekend are Armenian Cucumbers.
Never bitter, you don’t have to peel these cucumbers. All you have to do is wash them thoroughly and slice them for beautiful cucumber chips with naturally scalloped edges.
I’ve been eating them in wraps with Flat Out flatbread and Laughing Cow cheese (both in the Light versions).
First, I lightly toast the Flat Out in my toaster oven. While it’s still warm, I spread one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese. I really like the garlic flavor.
Then, I put about a half a cup of cucumber slices on the flatbread. I want at least one serving of vegetables. You don’t have to use cucumbers, either. You can used any vegetables, either grilled or fresh.
After I put in the veggies, I wrap it up. The flatbread is usually a little stiff from being toasted. If you prefer your flatbread softer, then skip toasting it.
I count this whole wrap as only two points (0 points for the veggies, 1.2 points for the flatbread and .8 points for the cheese), so you can have a REALLY filling meal for only a couple of points.
ENJOY!
Summer and Fall are the seasons for farmer’s markets. They are the perfect places to buy fresh veggies and fruit at lower prices. Mike and I went to the South Jordan Farmer’s Market last weekend and found a bunch of goodies. You can see them all here:
I’ve talked about farmer’s markets before. You can get some great tips here:
Find a farmer’s market in your area:
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