An Important Lesson From Scarlett O'Hara, "Tomorrow is another day..."

Yesterday for the first time since I lost 15 kilo, just over 30 pounds, three and a half years ago, my weight inched over what had been the highest number of my new "normal weight." It was no real surprise, since I had been having my "once every week or two" cake, bread more than once a week for the past month.  Also, last week I made an enormous lentil soup (aka carbohydrates)  which I had eaten a lot of.  And I have been exercising less this winter, mostly due to the weather and my schedule.

Add all those things together, and it is pretty obvious that I was off-track.  I had managed to lose all the weight and keep it off, because I took the general advice of the "blood type diet," meaning that as I am Type O, I've reduced carbohydrates from my daily food and restrict protein to a conservative "portion" per meal.  I do eat a lot of fruit, but it hasn't brought my wight up, when I've kept to the rest of the regime.  I also make sure to eat every few hours, never allowing myself to get to hungry and out of control.

Now, how does Scarlett O'Hara come into this?

A number of years ago, I trained as a Life Coach.  Actually, I have never worked formally in it and didn't appreciate what a great thing it could be at the time, since I had never heard of the profession before.  One thing I liked is that it helps people change without getting all involved in their past.  It looks forward.

"Tomorrow is another day..."

And as I stepped off the scale, I knew that I'd be immediately preparing the cabbage that had been lounging in my refrigerator.  It doesn't matter why I had eaten the wrong things, but I was looking forward to taking a daily walk when possible (and making sure that I make it possible more often) and eating lots of the foods that would keep the weight off.

In the coaching course we were taught a technique using visualization to "put the past behind us."  I think it's an extremely healthy thing to do.  We can't control or change our past, but we do have some control over the future.

No doubt this isn't going to be the only time, I'll have to deal with unwanted weight gain.  G-d willing, I'll have the self-discipline to go back to my eating regime, which has done me well for the past four years.