Do you feel your eating habits that ended you into this challenge are a direct result of habits formed during childhood? (Please explain)
Yes, definitely! I lived alone with a single mom, who was slender as a child and young woman... but by the time I came along, had learned to use food as a form of solace. Unfortunately, I learned the whole gamut of unhealthy food/diet behaviors at my mom's knee: excessive overeating, excessive dieting, food as emotional rescue, food as the focus of life. She wasn't a very active person, either, so the activity in my life consisted mostly of PE class (which I considered torture!).
Tell me about your living situation. Are you married? Kids? In College? What is your life like OUTSIDE of weightloss? In fantasy-land: I'd spend the morning at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, eat a curry for lunch, walk over the Millennium Bridge and spend the afternoon at the Tate Modern.
Tell me all about your "typical" autumn weekend? Special activities that arise as well?
If you could nominate one BIGGEST INSPIRATION out of all your Team Gaggers, who would you nominate?
Yes, definitely! I lived alone with a single mom, who was slender as a child and young woman... but by the time I came along, had learned to use food as a form of solace. Unfortunately, I learned the whole gamut of unhealthy food/diet behaviors at my mom's knee: excessive overeating, excessive dieting, food as emotional rescue, food as the focus of life. She wasn't a very active person, either, so the activity in my life consisted mostly of PE class (which I considered torture!).
Tell me about your living situation. Are you married? Kids? In College? What is your life like OUTSIDE of weightloss?
I've been married to a wonderful man for seven years, we have a five year old son. My husband is British, so we had the thrill of experiencing a trans-continental romance before we figured out the whole "fiancee visa" thing (not fun). I have a fifteen year old son from a previous marriage- I don't recommend spacing your children like that but life sometimes happens in mysterious ways. I work as a part-time college instructor and librarian. (And when times are tight... like now... eBay seller!)
If you were given a magic wand that you could use one time to do one thing, what would you use it for?
If you were given a magic wand that you could use one time to do one thing, what would you use it for?
Selfish option: To never have to worry about money again.
Unselfish option: An end to violent ideological conflict.
What is your favorite thing about this time of year? Least favorite?
What is your favorite thing about this time of year? Least favorite?
I love the golden autumnal light of Sonoma County, the warm days and foggy mornings, the anticipation of fun Fall and Winter holidays... I even love "back to school" even though nowadays it means a return to grading homework assignments. (And I love school supplies!) Least favorite: the shortened days, the feeling that another year is ending and the heating bills!
You have a day off, no responsibilities, so what will you do with it?
You have a day off, no responsibilities, so what will you do with it?
In reality-land: I'd read through *all* the blogs I follow in Google Reader, take a nice long walk among the McMansions, putter around the garden, do some baking and some crafting, then watch Mary Tyler Moore Show episodes on DVD.
What is YOUR sin food?
What is YOUR sin food?
Predictably, chocolate.
You're in a foul mood, what lifts you out of it?
You're in a foul mood, what lifts you out of it?
Hanging around family members who are in a good mood, listening to some Antonio Carlos Jobim, a ride on an old-fashioned roller coaster (the Giant Dipper in Santa Cruz, CA would be an excellent choice!).
You're in a good mood, what keeps you there?
You're in a good mood, what keeps you there?
Hanging around family members who are also in a good mood, exercising and eating mindfully.
What is one of your biggest struggles right now?
What is one of your biggest struggles right now?
Eating mindfully and keeping up with work e-mail (argh!).
Your motivation is running low, where do you find your refill?
Your motivation is running low, where do you find your refill?
Hmmm... seeing the scale numbers go DOWN- even if it's just a little bit- is a great motivator. Looking at the differences in pictures taken at my highest and lowest weight, and looking at my weight graph for some graphic proof is helpful, too. And every positive decision (for example, every time I feel like having a snack without being hungry, then decide not to) acts as further motivation.
Your in house support (meaning the people in your life that you see face to face) is beginning to dictate your weightloss journey by telling you you're too heavy, or you're getting too thin, but you're not where you want to be. What do you do? How do you handle it?
Everyone is very supportive- so sabotaging behavior here, thank goodness. But if they suddenly turned on me... I guess I'd listen to them, nod politely, then ignore it! I'm grateful that I have such a supportive crew.
List me your favorite:
color: Silver? Orange? Green? It's really hard to choose!
smell: I love spice smells: cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, lemongrass, cumin, etc. New-mown grass, woodsmoke, gardenias, balsam/cedar (Christmas trees)... I'm definitely a fan of scents!
activity with your child: Riding bikes and watching videos.
Activity with your girlfriends/ guy buddies: Walking and watching videos!
way to relax: Watching videos? Yes, watching videos, snuggled in front of a fire, listening to the rain on the roof... perfect.
List me your favorite:
color: Silver? Orange? Green? It's really hard to choose!
smell: I love spice smells: cinnamon, ginger, cardamon, lemongrass, cumin, etc. New-mown grass, woodsmoke, gardenias, balsam/cedar (Christmas trees)... I'm definitely a fan of scents!
activity with your child: Riding bikes and watching videos.
Activity with your girlfriends/ guy buddies: Walking and watching videos!
way to relax: Watching videos? Yes, watching videos, snuggled in front of a fire, listening to the rain on the roof... perfect.
Where do you honestly see yourself at the end of this challenge?
I see myself having survived the holidays WITH a weight loss. This is a big deal for me, as it was some big-time bingeing activity during the last holiday season that made me wake up, start exercising and eating mindfully in 2009.
What are your goals AFTER Gag?
What are your goals AFTER Gag?
Keep on keepin' on! I hope to be doing what I'm doing for the rest of my life.
How do you think GAG is going so far? What would you like to see done differently?
How do you think GAG is going so far? What would you like to see done differently?
You're doing a great job- it must be an an awful lot of work!!
Tell me all about your "typical" autumn weekend? Special activities that arise as well?
Grading papers, I'm afraid! We always go to the Farmer's Market and their are lots of fun events here in the fall: the Sonoma County Harvest Fair, visits to the pumpkin patch, the Glendi Festival, which is an international food, music and dancing festival (a fundraiser for a local Greek Orthodox Church)... and we just got back from the second annual Handcar Regatta! http://handcar-regatta.com/
How did you find GAG, and what made you commit to join?
I think I read about it on your blog! It seemed like the perfect challenge to get me through the holidays... as I mentioned before, they just about did me in last year!
I think I read about it on your blog! It seemed like the perfect challenge to get me through the holidays... as I mentioned before, they just about did me in last year!
If you could nominate one BIGGEST INSPIRATION out of all your Team Gaggers, who would you nominate?
I can't pick just one person! It's been really great to discover so many new bloggers through this challenge.
Please, tell me about you. What are your dreams? What are your desires for your life? What sparks the passion inside of you about your life? What goals do you have that seem impossible?
Please, tell me about you. What are your dreams? What are your desires for your life? What sparks the passion inside of you about your life? What goals do you have that seem impossible?
Very tough questions! I suppose my biggest dream now is to have my family dig ourselves out of the financial situation we're in. We're perpetually broke in an attempt to pay off our credit cards... but I know if we keep at it, some day we'll be debt and worry-free, at least financially speaking. I work part time, and I applied for but didn't get a full time job in my department this year. It would have been a god-send financially, but if I ask myself if I REALLY want to work 40+ hours a week, plus try my hardest to be an effective, loving mom and wife... the answer is emphatically "No!" I'm happy working part time, I'm not the most ambitious person when it comes to my career. Everything in my life (finally) is great, except for that one, huge stressor... after many tough years. I be slender and fit, wear fabulous clothes, learn to sew fabulous clothes, see the Giants win a world series and a couple hundred more shows of my favorite musician... in my wildest dreams, I'd like to completely rebuild and re-landscape our house and add an amazing swimming pool. I want to create a fabulous kitchen garden with a grove of fruit trees and learn how to do home canning. I have a secret hankering to move to England when we retire, but I know I'd miss the California weather. All of this seems pretty impossible, but then again... kinda not impossible! (It's not as if my life goal is to *marry* my favorite musician!) It seems that my goals and passions are pretty domestic, actually... Now, aren't you sorry you asked?!
No comments:
Post a Comment