Make Believe

by Kris Pitcher

As a little girl I played make believe a lot. It was in the days when kids got together to play, we even played...outside. I know!

It's only natural that the spirit of make believe worked it's way into my adult life, and ultimately into my dieting life. Not coming together yet? Don't worry the connection is just scary.

Well, maybe not scary. But when I first started dieting, my make believe skills came right into high gear creating all kinds of "diet goodies". Now, diet goodies are like jumbo shrimp a great big oxymoron.

I'm not saying you are a moron. I'm saying I was pretending I could have goodies when I was cutting those very things out of my eating plan. It was make believe. For instance, my famous protein powder cake.

You take one scoop protein powder, an egg white, a teaspoon of cocoa powder, and a packet of truvia. Mix that up and put it in the microwave for around 25 seconds. The timing is experimental. Too long and it's a sponge you can't even wash the dishes with.

But the point is, I shouldn't be telling my brain we can eat cake while we are dieting. It's make believe. And I hear people telling me all about their make believe food they are crafting out of "legal" ingredients and I just sigh inside.

The real leap is that when I stopped making believe food, I actually had an easier time dieting. I was sending different messages to my brain. I had jumped over the goodie chasm in my mind and I was able to walk down the path without this big "thing" in my way.

You can make believe food if you want. But I'm done - I've made the shift. And that is no make believe.

Pleaded Pants

by Kris Pitcher

Early one morning I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror then at the slacks on the hanger I was about to put on. I wondered if my pants were going to fit over my curves. Then, I pleaded with those pants, "Please, please fit over my hips!"

Those pants did fit, thanks to their 5% spandex...but they were snug. Then I put my top on. My arms felt like sausages in the sleeves that hugged my upper arms. I am plumping right out of everything.

There comes a time when enough is enough. I looked at the calendar and my contest is 23 weeks away. It is time to start dieting. Almost. And while I know I will regret saying this later...I can't wait to start.

It's just that I've become uncomfortable in my skin. I feel like I am taking up too much space. Nothing fits. I am not a medium...and I'm not to the left of that, but way over to the right. I'm a large.

People look at me and say, "But you look small?" Well, tell that to my 8/10 top that is generously cut because it doesn't fit me. I'm big, for being little. The difficult part is, that has been my goal.

Getting bigger was the plan, it was the goal. And I did it. I have made gains. Muscular gains. Balancing being happy about that and feeling like I'm going to hulk out of my suit jacket is tricky. I know that when I diet off this extra layer I'm going to be pleased with the progress I made during the off season.

But enough is enough and I'm ready to head in the other direction. Shortly I'll step (backwards) on the scale to get a starting weight and we'll be off and running for another 20 some weeks of contest preparation.

It won't be long before I'm pleading with those same pants not to fall off in the parking lot as I'm walking into work. "Please, please don't pop this bobby pin!"

Relationship Neglect

by Kris Pitcher

This might sound funny but stop paying so much attention to the kids. A healthy relationship will help you in your pursuits. You need the support and strength, but it's going to take some work.

Couples tend to focus on the kids, the jobs, the "stuff". What ends us happening is they stop paying attention to the couple. My advice, ditch the kids.

Your relationship needs work, attention and renewal. You need to spend adult time, doing adult things together. The two of you need to have fun like you used to and not worry about what the kids are doing.

Instead of neglecting one another and growing apart, take things in the other direction. Put down the to do lists for one weekend. Who cares if the house gets dusted? I'll tell you what needs some dusting off...

Plan a date, go out and do something fun and spend some time together - just the two of you. Don't talk about the kids, the jobs, or the taxes. Putting energy into your relationship will give you the renewal and the support you need to be a team.

And that's just what this takes, team work. You need your best supporter on your side for the long haul. All it takes is a little time and attention to get yourself out of relationship neglect.

Your Favorite Fast Food

by Kris Pitcher

This one surprised me. In a recent social media poll, our favorite fast food restaurant is...Starbucks. Yep, the coffee mogul rates higher than McDonald's and Burger King was dead last.

Here's what I love about statistics. The number of "likes" you have on face book determine who the winner is. So, naturally a savvy, young, social-media-mad company like Starbucks is going to come out on top. And apparently, the billions that BK serves just aren't that into social media.

If you haven't liked Starbucks yet you can add to the 29,299,522 likes which ranked it number one in this particular poll. I guess they do have all kinds of food now, and even wine bars? Hmm?

It might be a favorite of mine in that a cup of coffee is about the only thing worth eating at a fast food restaurant. A plain cup of coffee, no sprinkles and caramel machiato business.

I actually like that they are lumped into this category because it's easy to think a yogurt parfait is "healthy" but it can be a calorie trap loaded with sugar. And for everyone struggling to wonder why they aren't making headway on their plan when they just have "one cup of coffee a day"?

That one cup is actually 950 calories and for some reason the whipped cream on the top wasn't a give away. Well, there you have it, your favorite fast food restaurant. Me? I'll skip it all together.

 

New Look!

by Kris Pitcher

I'm going to hear about telling you this, but I'm going to tell you anyway. I'm telling you anyway because there is a lesson here.

I wear glasses. When you wear glasses they are a true part of your identity. Getting new glasses is a big deal. It's fun to pick them out, and the day you actually get to pick them up...it's like a whole new you!

So, I went to pick up my new glasses which I wore for two days without my husband saying anything. Now, in his defense, we did have company at the house so he was distracted and I really only see him for two hours in the evening.

The first day I held my secret like a Cheshire cat. I was kind of giggly inside just waiting for him to notice. THEY SIT ON MY FACE FOR HEAVEN SAKE! Nothing.

The second day, I could wait no longer. "Honey, look me in the face." I demanded. "I see your new glasses," He said. "but I was busy talking."

Now...I think what he meant to say was - you look fantastic in your new glasses, I noticed them right away yesterday but with everything going on, I just neglected to tell you how beautiful and young you look.

OK, I'm getting to the point. The point is, we get caught up in the details of how we look. There are things that are really important to us, that other people don't really notice. We let things bother us that we shouldn't. We focus on little "flaws" which aren't flaws at all. In fact, no one else notices them.

Give yourself a break and cut yourself some slack. If you're a week past due for a hair cut, no one is going crazy over it except for you. Same with the minutia over your body parts.

He laughed and hugged me close and I told him I could see the crap out of him with my new glasses. He asked if I was disappointed, and I told him no, I love my new look.  

When No One's Looking

by Kris Pitcher

When no one's looking I stand in the pantry and eat raisins out of the container. Raisins are not on my plan. I love them. They are sweet and when they hit my tongue a rush of saliva fills my mouth and they start to plump up as I chew them.

When no one's looking I will put a spoon in the ice cream container. Just once. But still. My confession is not for self cleansing, although I do feel better...it's because I'm on to you.

I know that "when no one's looking" is ruining your plan. It's wrecking your progress and it makes you feel kind of guilty. So here's the thing - you need to figure out how to be accountable to yourself.

We don't do this when other people are around because we are accountable to them. They know we are making efforts to eat a certain way...and raisins out of the container aren't on the plan.

This would be a good place to use your new 20 second window tool you just learned. In that 20 seconds you need to decide, will I eat this? Am I stressed, sad, tired, mad? Can I divert these feelings to another activity? Can I step away from the pantry? And the answer is yes you can.

Becoming accountable to yourself will be game changing for you. You will never have to look over your shoulder to see if anyone is looking. But don't feel like you're alone, or you've been caught because as long as you don't tell anyone about the raisins it will just be our secret. *wink

Get Results NOW!

by Kris Pitcher

Did you know that you are just moments away from getting the results you want? This isn't just related to your fitness goals, this goes for anything you want. Anything!

The thing standing between you and your results, is follow through. You want to do the "thing" you just aren't following through. And there is something you can do about it.

Just 20 seconds stands between you and following through on actions that will get you toward your results. Twenty seconds. In that amount of time, you can either talk yourself into, or out of doing something.

So, it's up to you to take advantage of your 20 second window and choose to do the thing that will get you results right now. It's easy. You want to make progress toward your fitness goals? Put your shoes by the door and set your alarm clock 30 minutes early. When it goes off, you are out the door for a walk.

In 20 seconds, you can decide to pack your gym bag and put it in the car. When your work day is done, you are ready to hit the gym. It is your window of opportunity to think your way to get the results you want.

It's just as easy to talk yourself into doing the right things as it is to talk yourself out. That's the difference between people who succeed and those who don't. And all it takes is 20 seconds.

Pay attention as you make important decisions today, what are you doing in your 20 second window? I want to see you get the results in your life that you want. Right now!