Lose Weight & Maintain After Menopause (using this technique)

The car pertains to my fun day this week, but I chose the pup photo simply because he’s so adorable.

Pearl One

Hello thrivers!!

Welcome to the last Friday of February! We’re getting closer to my favorite holiday: daylight savings time when it stays light later!

Let’s go!

We’ve all said something like, “I can’t think about my fur-child who died; I’ll start crying again.” Or, “if I just think about my supervisor’s bad attitude, I get angry.” (Note: we think something and then have a feeling.)

I’ve written about sequences before and how they play out in our day to day. (Just shout if you want these two posts: Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.)

The following sequences are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). I’m doing a sequence today from my own life. The main idea is to become more conscious of our thoughts, and learn to respond rather than react to the difficulty in our daily. Take a look:

My Old Sequence

Situation (something concrete): I had a small car accident yesterday. I ran into a sign, happily the sign wasn’t hurt, but my car is at the body shop for about a week.

My thought: “A week without a car?! That’s just crazy-talk!! How am I supposed to do that?!”

My feeling: enraged at myself and life in general.

My action: I called the body shop and requested a rental car and was told that they aren’t in the rental car business. I pouted. A lot.

Result: I was extremely “worked up.” I lost my entire day because of my irate reaction to a life incident.

My New Sequence

Now, let’s do a happier, more productive sequence.

Situation (something concrete): I had a small car accident yesterday. I ran into a sign, happily the sign wasn’t hurt, but my car is at the body shop for about a week.

My thought (that I consciously choose): “Thank the heavens that I didn’t hurt anybody. Hmm, five work days with no car? I know how to make this week fun.”

My feelings: Sad I had an accident, but amused at my reaction to not having a car.

Action: Friends drove me home and I took a hot shower and then crashed for awhile with a great book.

Result: After reading for about an hour, I return to my desk, and only do fun, easy tasks; nothing that requires focus or decision making.

See how the “old” sequence results in nothing good happening? While in the “new” sequence I slowed down my mind and chose my thoughts rather than allowing them “to just happen to me.”

Writing out a daily sequence for yourself is truly life-changing. Two years ago, my fur-child passed and I did a sequence that helped me so much I remember it to this day. The sequence didn’t make me happy that he passed but the new sequence eased some of the pain. Sequences work, go for it and you’ll see. ♥

Pearl Two

If you’re thinking, “I can’t go from ‘old’ to ‘new’ that fast. No way!”

Valid point, most of us want another step in the sequence; a bridge from the “old” to the “new.”

Here’s how an example of a bridge-sequence:

Situation (something concrete): I had a small car accident yesterday. I ran into a sign, happily the sign wasn’t hurt, but my car is at the body shop for about a week.

Bridge-thought: “An entire week without a car? Well, maybe. . .”

Feelings: curiosity, a smidge of hope.

Action: I return home ready to try a different response: I scroll Instagram (remember this is the bridge).

Result: An hour of scrolling and I feel more like myself; ready to get on with a soft-landing day.

In your journal, write an “old” and then a “new” sequence; if you want a bridge-sequence, go for it.

Just Remember This

The “situation” has to be something tangible like “I ate the rest of the cake” or “I have two apples in the kitchen.” It can’t be, “she was yelling at me” – it has to be something we can all agree on like, “yes, the dog had puppies.”

Develop a daily sequence habit, and one-day you’ll be able to do them rapidly in your mind. ♥

Pearl Three

I’m keeping pearl three for something fun that I want to share

“Well, that can’t be a good thing” is what I hear time and again when I recommend Netflix’s Love on the Spectrum.

But bring your tissues because Love on the Spectrum produces tears of joy, and is absolutely a very good thing. The three-time Emmy winning show focuses on four or five dating story-lines with people on the spectrum. Everything is handled respectfully; and the parents of the main daters are very much involved in the show. The moms talk to the interviewer on camera about having raised a child on the spectrum. Often brothers and sisters are included in the show too (along with many pups!).

As I watch the show, I’ve had the sense that the creator has experience with autism; either he or someone he loves is on the spectrum.

Give the show a whirl. Start with Love on the Spectrum U.S. season one. And then move onto U.S. season two. And report back! ♥

Pearl Four

In pearl four, I’m not reviewing books, I’m recommending reads that I’ve read and loved. My favorite genres tend to be: historical fiction, memoir, comedic adventure, and well-written non-fiction. We all need the power of a great book to counteract the lure of nighttime eating.

I don’t get it. How does a boring title: Life After Life paired with a ho-hum book cover end up as one heck of a read?

But enough of the bad news. The good news is that this story drew me within the first two or three pages (love, love, love when that happens).

I’m not alone in loving this book: Time called Life After Life “brilliant”, People “excellent”, and the Wall Street Journal “wonderful.”

This is the no-comedy, sophisticated version of Ground Hog Day, but set in England spanning the years of the two World Wars. The only thing Bill Murray’s movie is similar to Life After Life is that the main characters “keep trying” and if I say anything more: it’ll be a spoiler.

In 1910, we first meet baby Ursula born with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, we know the baby passes because “darkness fell.”  

But next chapter Ursula survives the cord and plays out a new timeline.

This is a book-dessert of the highest caliber think: book version of tiramisu cheese cake (made by someone who wasn’t you). ♥

Pearl Five

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.” — Oprah Winfrey ♥

If you haven’t yet read The Inspired Eater: Fed Up! please do and I wouldn’t say to getting a review. lol.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

♥, Wendy

P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

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I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥