Use all 5 senses

The NAWLS Small Bite for April 1^st is

 

Use all five senses. 

Many people who have WLS focus primarily on the sense of taste for pleasure and soothing. Maybe you know, in theory, other things would feel good, but food is such an easy and familiar source of comfort. Finding a new source of pleasure, and getting as much pleasure from it as you do from eating, will take time, effort, and open mindedness.

When you accept that food cannot be your only source of comfort, you make room for other pleasurable experiences. You can enjoy a delicious massage, listen to motivating music, appreciate a beautiful painting, or relax with aroma therapies.

Action for the day: 
Today, think about other pleasures in life besides food. Try something enjoyable that involves a sense other than taste. Don't be afraid to take a risk. 
 

© 2007, Katie Jay. All rights reserved.

Distract yourself

The NAWLS Small Bite for March 31st is

 

Distract yourself.  

Instead of counting the minutes until the next meal, put something other than food in your mind. Call a friend (you don't have to say why if you don't want to). 

Better yet, do something that will make you proud of yourself. Exercise, for instance. Many people hate it, yeah, but when you start substituting something that will make you feel good about yourself (exercise) for something that will depress you (head hunger), you'll, well, feel good about yourself! 

Action for the day: 
Instead of thinking about food today, find something else to think about. Every time you notice you are obsessing about food, change your focus. Do something to distract yourself.

© 2007, Katie Jay. All rights reserved.

Be Persistent

The NAWLS Small Bite for March 30th is

Be persistent. 

Just possessing a skill will not get the job done; you must use your skill over and over again to reach your goal. 
 
Think of the tortoise and hare in Aesop's Fables. The hare was skillful, but not persistent. He stopped and took a nap during the race! But, the tortoise was persistent. He just kept running and running. Slowly and imperfectly, but persistently. Like that brave tortoise, persistent people are rewarded with success. More talented people have fallen short because they did not have the fortitude to go the distance. 


Action for the day: 
Are you persistent? In your journal, explore how it feels, or would feel, to be persistent and what that might mean for your WLS success. 

© 2007, Katie Jay. All rights reserved.

Do the right thing

 

The NAWLS Small Bite for March 29th is

 

Do the next right thing. 

Maybe you haven't scheduled your next follow-up appointment with your WLS surgeon. Or, if you have a band, perhaps you have put off getting the next fill. Maybe you're so busy you have not taken time to connect with your partner or your child.  

If you take some time to sit quietly and meditate on what your soul values, you will know what you need to do now. Your life is moving forward fast. Stay focused on moving forward by doing the next right thing today. Support the person you are becoming by attending to your soul. 

Action for the day:
Designate a place in your home that is your thinking spot. It must be someplace where you can shut out the world for a little while. Spend five minutes there today checking in with your soul. What is the next right thing you will do? 


© 2007, Katie Jay. All rights reserved

I have been a slacker, but getting my head together

So, it has been a long time since my last post and I have not been keeping up to date with the daily bites. I have however been figuring some stuff out, and I realise that I am always looking for change, instead of actually just accepting what is...right now. 

And that is, that I am living in a comfortable, warm house with the man I love, and I have my cat and my dog as my loyal companions. I am eating what I like, which means that my scales are not always kind to me, and that I am usually always itchy, but I am learning to accept that actually I am pretty cool with where I am. 

I have up and down days, but I am learning more about myself all the time. I have been looking at various churchs, as although I beleive, I don't beleive I know God. Now, I am not sure how many of us do, but since I just "grew" up in the church and didn't actually really absorb much of it, I would like to figure it out for myself. So we are looking at churchs to go to, one that has to have good music, otherwise it will do Si's head it. 

I am going to do all of the missing daily inspirations, but I will not comment on them, for obvious reasons, there is just to many of them.  I also have some work to do for the next WLS conference and give people a last chance to comment on what they want for the next one. Then the work begins, making the next one better than the first one.....and finding a venue etc. 


Workwise, I think I have accepted that this is the plan for me right now, and the path that I am meant to be on. I have been applying and getting turned down all over the place, so for now, I just think I will be and enjoy that I have fulltime work, with some pretty cool people, instead of always looking to change. Sometimes it is just better to enjoy what is.