3 Reasons Why I Gained Weight Last Week and a Plan to Lose it!

 I often tell you about my victories in this blog but I find as important to tell you the truth about the weight loss journey: sometimes I gain weight instead of losing. I gave it some thought and came up with 3 reasons why I gained 1.3 lbs last week.

#1 Reason: Lack of Boundaries. I always associate weight gain with my failure of writing on my food journal. My journal reminds me of my boundaries. I can eat most foods I like, just not excessively.   My food journal reminds me of what happened during the day so I can make better choices of myself later. Journals are instant accountability, a way to also look back and see how my choices can affect the way I feel.

#2 Reason: Poor Stress Management. Although I covered 19 miles last week, my stress management was poor. I use exercise to manage stress but I am not willing to exercise to the detriment of my joints. I need to come up with a list of things that help with stress management when exercise is not an option. One thing that helps is reading. I have a couple of books I'd love to finish. Reading in the silence is divine. I will come up with a list of things that will help me manage stress more effectively.

#3 Reason: Poor choice of foods. I haven't prepared my foods for the week in a while. We have been eating very well (my mom is here!) I just have been making poor choices. For example, one of my favorite snacks is an apple with peanut butter and raisins, I call it "my sweet." There were several days I ate 2 or 3 apples per day. I also went crazy on the peanut butter. Again, there's no problem with the food choice, is the excess that does not help me.

Here is the plan to regain control of my journey:
1 • Reestablish my Boundaries - I plan on writing on my food journal for 21 days. I am now on day 2 of 21.
2 • Manage Stress Better - I will come up with a list of 10 things I can do to manage stress when exercise is not an option. Reading, manicures and pedicures will be there.
3 • Make Smart Food Choices - I have cut down on "my sweet," prepared my vegetable soup for the week and decided to substitute my after dinner snacking with Peppermint Tea.

I am determined to finish my weight loss journey strong. I have decided to learn from my mistakes and diligently press towards my goal of having a normal BMI.

Action Item: Identify the 3 reasons why you gained weight and come up with a 3-step plan to lose it.