Thanks CarlyLanky140! How are you getting on at the moment?
***
Weight Watcher Habit Audit Template
A)
Non Mover
For one reason of another, you're not exercising at the moment. It's important to get moving, so start to...
Habit to work on: Be Active
B)
Short on Support
You'd like some help with losing weight, but it never seems forthcoming. In fact it seems as if people around you try to sabotage your efforts...
Habit to work on: Get Support
C)
Low Confidence
You want to lose weight but you're not sure whether you have the skills or determination to succeed...
Habit to work on: Manage Your Thoughts
D)
Others Before Self
You are one of those people who is always busy sorting out others' problems, and consequently you have little time for yourself. Your needs have been last on the list for too long...
Habit to work on: Take Care of Yourself
E)
Because It's There
When you see food, you want to eat it. And there seems to be food everywhere you look...
Habit to work on: Sort Your Surroundings
F)
Unrealistic Goals
You're used to setting goals, but they are often too unrealistic and so difficult to attain...
Habit to work on: Learn From Experience
G)
Risky Routine
You find getting into a routine with your eating tricky at the best of times - and when it comes to high days and holidays all your good intentions fly out the window...
Habit to work on: Plan Ahead
H)
Comfort Eater
You tend to reach for food as a way of dealing with your emotions. It seems as if your feelings are in control of you, rather than vice versa...
Habit to work on: Manage Your Feelings
I)
Snack Attack
You're not really aware of how much you're eating, and your constant snacking is piling on the weight...
Habit to work on: Measure and Record
Low Priority
You've joined Weight Watchers but are not sure that you want to lose weight right now. Maybe you came with a friend or perhaps someone has persuaded you to come along when you're unsure...
Physical Problems
You're concerned that physical or medical problems could hinder your weight loss.
***
My Results:
Habits I need to work on:
1. Get active
2. Manage my feelings
3. Take care of myself
4. Plan Ahead
***
In our daily lives, it's pretty amazing how we can push ourselves to the backburner while we tend to our various roles in life. By taking care of yourself, you're really making yourself better equipped to take on those roles and be the best that you can be.
Taking care of yourself means saying no to:
- always letting others' needs take priority
- allowing have-to's dominate your life
- losing motivation
- being a yes (wo)man
- feeling guilty about making your weight-loss efforts a priority
Take a moment and examine your life. Is your schedule filled with things that you are doing for other people constantly? Where's the "me" time? Is your motivation taking a dive? Do you have to schedule 3 months in advance to do something nice for yourself? If you answered yes to any of these, it's time to step back for a moment and find something that you can do for yourself. Can you ask for help? Is there someone in your life who can help relieve you of some of your duties? Or are things going to calm down soon? What can you do to make yourself a priority?
In my meeting this week I ended with the quote "no day, but today" from the musical Rent. I told my members to make today count and really start taking care of themselves. As someone who leads a very busy life, this is something I need to remind myself of constantly and this meeting topic couldn't have come at a better time. This week I encourage you to also Take Care of Yourself by saying yes to:
- Valuing your own needs (as much as you value the needs of others)
- Making time to do activities you love
- Finding the motivation to work towards your goals
- Learning to say no to requests that will get in the way of commitments you've made for yourself
- Saying goodbye to guilt
dancing through life
***
Manage my Feelings
http://www.unh.edu/health-services/ohep/pdf/Eating Concerns/HowtoManageFeelingsEffectively.pdf
HOW TO MANAGE FEELINGS EFFECTIVELY
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
The following is taken from
[/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]The Rules of "Normal" Eating [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]by Karen Koenig. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Because feelings are not facts, I can alter them by changing my beliefs.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]The nature of feelings is that they come and go.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Feelings are informative, and knowing what I feel will enhance my life.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]No feeling is impossible to bear with the help of others and my own emotional resources.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Turning to others for help with my feelings will prevent me from turning to eating or not eating to take care of emotional wounds.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Learning to manage my emotions will take time, skill, practice, patience, and compassion for myself.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Feelings are neither good nor bad; they just are.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I accept all of my feelings without judging them.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Whatever I feel has been felt (and managed) by millions of other human beings.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]If I am curious and value my feelings, I will learn how to improve my life.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I don’t have to do anything with my feelings; I simply can have them.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]There is no shame in expressing any of my feelings to others.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I won’t let others humiliate or shame me about my feelings.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]My feelings are my own, and no one can tell me what I should or shouldn’t feel.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]It’s OK to share my feeling, even if it makes other people uncomfortable.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I take complete responsibility for my feelings and expect others to take responsibility for theirs.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I’ll try to manage my own feelings and expect others to mange theirs.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]No one can make me feel anything.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I can learn how to both contain and express my feelings as need be.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I give myself permission to feel whatever feelings surface within me.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]My feelings need not be a burden to other people.
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Steps for Managing Emotions
1. Acknowledge that you have an uncomfortable or painful feeling.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]When you sense the slightest jolt or murmur of a feeling, STOP what you are doing (at least internally) and pay immediate attention. Information is incoming.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Notice where in your body you feel the emotion (for example, intestines, chest, throat, jaw, eyes, heart).
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT]
Suspend judgment about your emotional unease and substitute compassion and curiosity. Do not move on to step 2 until you’ve stopped judging yourself.
2. Identify what you are feeling
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Ask yourself the name of the feeling or describe it in a few words.
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Be as specific as possible in capturing the feeling (that is [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]betrayed [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]rather than [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]angry, bereft [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]rather than [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]sad, disappointed [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]rather than [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]upset, rejected [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]rather than hurt).
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]If you identify the feeling as anger, dig deeper. Anger is usually a secondary feeling that covers, protects, or defends against a more vulnerable one such as helplessness, fear, hurt, or abandonment.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]I you’re feeling a number of similar feelings, identify as many as you can. For example, you may be feeling disappointed, rejected, and shocked all at once.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT]
If you’re feeling conflicting feelings, resist the urge to erase one of them from your emotional blackboard. Give yourself permission to have feelings, and identify them accurately, both sad and relieved, both frightened and excited.
3. Experience what you are feeling
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Prepare yourself for experiencing sensations of discomfort or pain with a reminder that you’re doing something healthy for yourself and that experiencing this feeling will prevent you from acting out with food.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Ask yourself these important questions relating to your beliefs:
- Why am I afraid to feel this feeling?
- What do I fear will happen if I allow myself to feel?
- Am I afraid that the feeling will never stop?
- Am I afraid I’ll go crazy, be overwhelmed, or get depressed?
- Am I afraid that the feeling will somehow kill me?
- [/FONT]
- [/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[*]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Reframe your irrational beliefs about ending up in the hospital or taking your life and reassure yourself that nothing bad will happen by experiencing this feeling because, just as feelings come, they will go.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[*]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Gently push aside your resistance to the feeling and accept that a feeling is paying you a visit. Simply invite it in, nothing more. Let [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]it [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]dictate any action you take – bawl your heart out, rock or hug yourself, curl up in a fetal ball. Don’t hold anything back.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[*]o [/FONT][/FONT]Allow the feeling to stay until it’s ready to go. Remind yourself that it will subside.
4. Recover from the feeling
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Notice if you have any lingering judgments or secondary emotions about having had the feeling. (That is, are you angry that you felt dejected? Do you pity yourself for feeling lonely? Are you ashamed that you felt jealous?)
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Courier New,Courier New]
[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Let go of judgments and remind yourself that feelings simply [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]are [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]and that you had a good reason for feeling as you did.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT]
Etch this experience into your memory so that you will recall surviving this feeling. This will reassure you that you can bear it next time it visits.
5. (Optional) Deal with the feeling
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o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Observe whether this feeling is common and frequent in your life. Ask yourself it there’s anything you can do to change your behavior to avoid having this feeling. (That is, are you engaged in voluntary or involuntary suffering?) Sometimes the answer is yes, as in the case of allowing people to take advantage of you. If you change your behavior and no longer allow them to use you, you won’t feel used by them. Sometimes the answer is no, as in the case of missing a loved one. Feeling sad is a natural part of breaking attachments and you must learn to bear this kind of unpleasantness if you are going to continue making meaningful connections.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]Pay careful attention to how feelings are created from your belief system. Decide if the belief beneath a feeling is healthy and rational. For example, if you don’t receive a return phone call from a friend when you expected it, you may feel rejected or neglected (or both). These feelings may come from your belief that you’re not lovable or that you can’t keep close friends. Change the belief to thinking that your friend might be busy or may have forgotten to call because she’s overwhelmed, and you’ll be less likely to feel personally hurt by her.
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[FONT=Courier New,Courier New]o [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]
[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]If you feel a need to take action, don’t make a decision about what you do in the heat of the moment. Instead, promise yourself that in order to avoid the feeling you’ve just experienced, you will in the future consider changing your behavior by doing any or all of the following:
- Share your feelings
- Assert your needs
- Confront, distance from, or avoid someone
- Refuse to participate in an unhealthy relationship or situation
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[FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman][FONT=Times New Roman,Times New Roman]For more information contact the Office of Health Education & Promotion 862-3823
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