How to Be Happy

In the pursuit of weight loss there are emotional highs and emotional lows. This is inevitable and something we should all prepare for mentally, as much as we can. Experiencing a few days of consistent weight loss and then one day of minor weight gain can sometimes put me in a bad mood. "I'm eating the same thing every day. How can I lose weight three days in a row and then gain weight on the fourth day? Nothing changed!" 

How to Be Happy

By Tara Parker-Pope (NYTimes)

There are so many factors that contribute to our weight that our mind has to take over to calm us (me!) down. One thing that I thought the above article did a good job of was give some quick, simple advice on how to snap yourself out of a negative mindset. One of the best pieces of advice: treat yourself like a friend. I lost 1 pound per day for three days straight, literally eating the same thing each day. On the fourth day, I gained 1.7 pounds. I was initially feeling down about this, but then I talked to myself like a friend would talk to me: "Karen... you've lost 10 pounds during this second round of Whole30 and almost 20 pounds since the New Year. You're doing a great job! 1.7 pounds is a drop in the bucket compared to your overall progress!" After talking to myself like a friend, I was able to stop ruminating about the 1.7 pound weight gain and just move on with my day.

I also had to face the fact that today is day 30 - the last full day of round #2 of Whole30 - and I'm feeling a bit nervous about (1) being off Whole30 for a brief time, (2) my upcoming mini-vacation, and (3) how much weight I might gain as a result of going on vacation right after ending Whole30. I just had to remind myself that, as Whole30 itself says, "it is not called Whole365 for a reason." We all need (and deserve!) a break, myself included. That doesn't mean I plan on going crazy and eating takeout all day every day. It means I need to make wise choices based off of what I have learned while also indulging a bit while on vacation.

*For the record, between round #1 and round #2 of Whole30 (02/02/18-02/18/18) I only gained 2.5 pounds. During those 16 days I celebrated the Superbowl, I went to NYC for my husband's birthday, and had my dad down for a weekend. 2.5 pounds doesn't seem that bad given there were 3 consecutive weekends of "celebrating."*

Anyway, back to the point... as the article above ends with, I am going to practice optimism: Although there is a possibility that I might gain minimal weight while on vacation I have the tools and knowledge to lose that weight again and it is also in my plan to do a third round of Whole30 soon. I am still in control, I have still made amazing progress, and this 4-day mini-vacation will not "ruin" all of my hard work.

So, my advice for all would be to factually acknowledge the things you're worried about, focus on what you have control over, and think about all the things you have to look forward to in addition to how far you've come!