Did you ever have a period of time in your life when you needed to really focus on one facet or task? In spite of Americans’ belief in multitasking, human beings are not very good at that. And that is true of me. Five weeks since knee replacement surgery, I am focused on completing my exercises, going to PT, and building my endurance with regular walks. There doesn’t seem to be an iota of space in my brain to attend to weight issues.
That doesn’t mean I’m completely ignoring intake or the scale. They just are not the priority that they have been in months past. I’m glad to get on the scale each day and smile that I am holding steady—that’s now a habit. And I do pay attention to what goes into my mouth. Another habit. I make sure to move my body several times each week. Yet another habit. All of these habits are serving me well at a time when habits take over because attention is elsewhere.
You all know that Karen and I are writing the Stop Losing and Win book. Throughout the book we talk about (1) forming new habits, (2) being realistic about what you can and cannot change, (3) maintaining a healthy and relaxed attitude about your body, (4) loving yourself at every weight and size, and (5) reconceptualizing weight management as a do-able task that takes some time and attention. Our own successes prove that these five objectives can be met by ordinary human beings. Yes, after four years of maintenance, I have the habits that weight management requires. No need for cognitive intervention at the moment.
Stop Losing and Win 