http://www.danielplan.com/
So this week, let’s work on “Focus” because I lost some of mine last week.
One of the most powerful tools to keep you on track with The Daniel Plan is your journal. Tracking your results keeps you focused and in tune with your progress. One of the primary reasons why people don’t succeed at losing weight and getting healthy is because they neglect to track their food intake and daily habits.
Research shows that keeping a food journal DOUBLES weight loss in just 10 weeks and helps you maintain your ongoing achievements. Describing your journey in a written format will help you stay focused on your goals and gives you a record of your progress to help you stay motivated and use that momentum to keep moving forward.
Perks To Keeping a Journal
- Carefully thought out goals that are written down are powerful.
- Keeping yourself accountable is directly tied to success.
- Writing down everything that goes into your body makes you conscious, aware, and more likely to do the right things (avoiding food amnesia)!
- Keeping a journal lets you see your progress. Often progress in one area will spill over and create positive impact in another area. Before you know it, you will be a new person.
It All Starts With Setting Goals
Before you start journaling, make sure you set goals for yourself. These goals should be:
- Specific: goals are clear and distinct.
- Measurable: emphasizes the need for tangible benchmarks.
- Attainable: goals need to be realistic.
- Relevant: goals that matter.
- Time-bound: stresses the importance of attaining the goal within a certain time frame.
Setting these goals will help your brain help you make it happen!
Track Your Daily Habits
Eating right is only part of The Daniel Plan. Getting more physical activity, doing mental exercises, changing negative thinking patterns, reducing stress, knowing your numbers, getting good sleep, taking your supplements—these are all important aspects too. If you want to get the most out of The Daniel Plan, you need to track your daily habits and keep track of how your are doing in the 5 Essentials: Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus, and Friends. From the Daniel Plan website..
Last Friday {and please let me add, this is NOT a cop-out this is the truth and I am confessing, you are my witnesses} was my Grandson’s First Birthday. I knew the family were coming over for dinner, as they had two weeks earlier for my Granddaughter’s birthday dinner, but that time I cooked her favorite which is Roast Lamb and all the vegetables, we do not roast with added fats so i knew I was safe and “Daniel compliant” When I asked Daughter number one what to cook for my Grandson’s dinner she suggested “take away” and here the trouble begins. First she said “Fish and Chips” and whenever we have that I have a piece of grilled fish (no batter!) and just a few of the chips… remember I explained to you about the “90/10 rule” (Eat healthy 90% of the time and have fun 10%) So I was good to go with that and felt I was under control. BUT then what did my Darling Daughter do?? (She went out for lunch and had “fish n chips” and didn’t want them for dinner as well) she changed her mind. Now we were having.. wait for it… ,my biggest weakness… P-I-Z-Z-A!! oh and to rub it in a bit more.. Garlic bread and CHIPS!
I can hear you saying… “You didn’t have to eat it!” and you are very right I DIDN’T have to..but I did.. I guess “FOCUS” is still something I need to work on. Confession time- “Bless me Father for I have sinned.. I ate three pieces of Pizza and a few chips” BUT I did not eat the chocolate cake afterwards!
So I went to bed feeling gluggy (is that a feeling??) I felt stuffed.. wasn’t really a fun feeling. AND I did notice I slept badly too.. my mouth was all fuzzy and I was restless.. I am assuming and I could be wrong, but I am thinking it was all those glutens.
I was wide awake at 5.30 am on the Saturday morning and restless, so I went down stairs and out to the garden, and I spent time conversing with the Lord and had a discussion about snails and what was their purpose on earth besides eating my marigolds and zucchini plants. I got some very good serious work done in the garden, removed an old rose-bush and dug over a huge patch of weeded garden bed, so I felt good because I felt like I had “worked off last nights pizza” so I happily went inside an hour and forty-five minutes later, drenched to the skin and muddy to have my shower.
Saturday was busy as, we went to my M-I-L’s and moved some stuff around, then home again, and my cousin picked me up for our Art class, we timed it badly and were early so we stopped for lunch… Uh Oh… I sinned again… Usually at McDonald’s I would have a salad with grilled chicken and I was happy that I stayed “Daniel Compliant” but for some reason, my stupid mouth ordered a medium Cheese burger meal with coke AND a Kit Kat McFlurry… really? WTF was I thinking?!? and as soon as I got my order and smelt it I really did not want it.
BUT -I -ATE -IT -ALL!!!
We went off to our Zentangle class and it’s in an old convent and silently eerie as I am used to being home with babies all day the silence was most welcomed until my stomach started “Singing” (remember I have not up till that point had any dairy, glutens or takeaways for the previous three weeks!) My tummy was not happy.. and it did not get much better…
Then when I got home Saturday afternoon I put it all down to “The babies birthday weekend” (and I’ll get back on plan Monday everything will be fine!) Number One daughter and Squishy were going out for dinner, so I started decorating for the party the next day, and my Bloke suggested “Let’s go out to dinner, Star Son was away at a friends and Squish and his Mum are out, why should we stay home?” so we took off to the local Chinese restaurant. Chinese is a safe option, lots of veggies, no creamy sauces and lots of freshly cooked chicken, prawns and beef. So that’s what we had. a little bit of everything. I skipped he dessert that came with the “Banquet for two” it was banana fritters and ice-cream.
But back at home, my stomach’s singing got louder and then it started kicking me and finally at about 1.30 am the vomiting started.
I’ll spare you all the gruesome details other than to say, I don’t think I can honestly look at Chinese food again for a while if ever.. IT wasn’t the Chinese food’s fault it was the Gastro that has been working its way through my family.. but the Chinese food was last in and first out and it’s a horrible reminder.
The babies party started at 2.30 pm on Sunday afternoon, I dragged myself out of bed at 1.45 pm, had a shower, got dressed and slide down stairs but oh boy was I ever sick. I put a notice on FB for people to be warned and not to come, a lot cancelled, not enough clearly though!!
I was most worried all week about the “party food” because my daughter was arranging everything it was just my job to prepare it all, and I knew because it’s my “former life” that I LOVED all those foods I was making and would want to eat them, so Sunday was my day I was most scared of failing. Well as it turned out I ATE NOTHING… seriously I could not even keep water down!
By 6;30 pm I was back in bed fast asleep.
So here it is today Wednesday, and I risked a peek at the scales, and was prepared to be disappointed, after eating Pizza, Maccas and Chinese in a 24 hour period. But the scales tell me 70 kilograms!! (154 pounds) which means my witnesses, I am officially down 5 kilograms (11 pounds) in four weeks!! Today is the 10th of December and I started on 10th November. I am very pleased with myself, and I have just 3 more kilograms (6.61 pounds) to go to my goal weight.
I have not done a measure this week, I will check in with that next week. Did I tell you about the fancy wedding I am going to in January? well tomorrow the dress shopping begins! and according to the measurements I have been reading, If I am reading correctly I have dropped a dress size! But I will wait until I get to the shops and confirm that!!
In the Meantime here are some of the GOOD things I ate last week!
Kim L Hine 