princesstami

If you are anything like me, discipline or strong willpower is not something that comes natural. I have been developing mental toughness throughout the years when it comes to maintaining a healthy weight. Does your mind race with thoughts of eating a smorgasbord of different foods? Is every food going through your mind a carbohydrate loaded with sugar or salt? Do you think, “Let me just eat or drink what I want today, and I will get back on track tomorrow?” Do you go through a plethora of different feelings? You may not even know what you are feeling. All you know is that you are consumed with this urge to eat or drink, many times when you are not physically hungry.


Man, did I feel like that today. I just wanted to check out and lose myself in literally stuffing my face with junk food. I was consumed with thoughts of pizza, nachos and cheese, gummy bears and Ben & Jerry’s New York City super chunk ice cream. Oh, and let’s not forget the peanut butter cup candy. Maybe your favorite question is, “Wine, anyone?” Maybe your choice of food to emotionally zone out is different, but is any of this resonating with you?
So what do I do when this pattern pops up in me? This is where developing mental toughness will get you the desired results you deserve. Below, I am going to walk you through four quick steps that have worked wonders for me in developing mental toughness, and I know they can work wonders for you!
4 quick steps to developing mental toughness:
1. First, realize your pattern of internal dialogue and foods when you are getting ready to emotionally eat or start binge eating. Once you begin to pay attention, you will notice that you crave the same foods every time and that there is an impulse or urge to eat right away. You will have the same automatic dialogue of eating and watching TV or telling yourself you’ll just eat this one time and start fresh tomorrow, etc.
2. Stop and realize you are trying to avoid or escape a bad feeling. We automatically want to feel good. Tell yourself that having a bad feeling is not the end of the world; you are not dying. Take a moment to identify the feeling, where it is in your body and what is it trying to tell you. If you cannot find it, that is okay. Just continue to tell yourself that it is okay to feel bad. Allow yourself to just sit with it.
3. Remember to breathe. Through this time, take deep breathes, letting go with every exhale.
4. Have the mantra: “There is no tomorrow. I only have this moment. What I do right now is the only thing that matters. What I do right now is creating my future.” Repeat this over and over again as you breathe.
You will notice that as you go through this process, the feelings that were leading the desire to eat will lesson; as they lesson, your desire to eat will lesson.
The key to developing mental toughness is to become aware of your automatic behaviors to escape bad feelings. If you follow these four steps every time you have an impulse to emotionally eat, you will create a new pattern of reacting to your feelings. When you have a plan to decrease the number of times you emotionally eat, you will be amazed at how quickly you begin to see results in weight loss!

Last year I decided to return to school but didn’t know what field.
I also decided to have WLS. In my opinion, my health was a little more important than schooling. AGAIN, MY OPINION. So, please no rude comments about that.
I didn’t know how I would have done dealing with school, work, surgery & recovery. Thank god I waited. I was a mess. I struggled during my recovery. I cried every day afterwards for a couple of weeks, I regretted having surgery, and I couldn’t get in my fluids or protein. I was very weak and shaky and over all sick. But I do applaud the ones who were able to get back into school right away.

Mama,
I found myself not as focused also and attribute it partly to the anesthesia. It takes awhile to get it out of your system. I believe some of it also is tiredness. It is major surgery. I need to have a lot of focus with my current position, and it wasn't there in the beginning. It cleared up by six weeks post-op for me.
I too am back in class and finish next Sunday. I hope to sit for my professional exam in mid-March.
Good luck with your recovery, weight loss journey and doctoral studies. I received my master's in May 2012 and it took me until November 2013 to take another class.

I also had surgery between semesters. Classes ended Dec 21st, I was sleeved the 23rd, and classes resume Jan 21st. I'm so glad I was able to work it out this way! I have the same professor for my on campus course (the other three are online) as last semester, along with some of the same classmates from the fall. It will be interesting to melt away in front of their eyes! LOL

Moma Spike,
Will be very interested in the theanine results, please do update.
I was sleeved on December 17th after finishing exams on the 12th. I am due to go back on January 13th and I am really not quite feeling up to it yet. I am in a Physician's Assistant program and will have 24 credits (8 classes) this semester. I am in a family practice office 1 day a week, a classroom 4 days a week and I work as an ER nurse for 8 hours on the weekends, I need all the help I can get right now. Will let you know how it goes.

Have you thought about taking Theanine? Its quite expensive in its purest form, but boy, does it help with concentration levels. Remarkably so.
It's an Amino Acid and although its present in a lot of 'body building' supplements, it was recommended to me by a herbalist and she was absolutely right on its effects. It clarifies the mind, facilitates concentration (obviously, this will have to be in conjunction with the right Protein, Vitamins and Water levels)
Life saver for me and my ability to concentrate just after surgery.
Best of luck in your Doctorate