DAY 24: Hang in There, Baby

Today's step is learning to deal with discouragement.

This is a timely step for me, not because I'm discouraged about my diet but because I'm discouraged about the Beck Diet Solution. It just feels as if I'm going through the motions instead of getting any more benefit out of it. I'm trying to keep believing in my math textbook metaphor, but I confess I'm struggling.

Dr. Beck introduced this week as the time to "continue to build your sense of control and confidence", and she predicted, "By week's end, you'll be much better prepared to think like a thin person." Since my sense of control and confidence are already strong and I am thinking like a thin person, it's understandable I wouldn't be getting much out of this week's steps.

And discouragement with my diet has been a big problem for me in the past. Especially when I reach a plateau, as I always have if I've worked at losing weight long enough. There's no reason to think I won't plateau again this time, and I need to be prepared to deal with that discouragement. And if I can use these steps to renew my dedication to the program, all the better.

Here are Dr. Beck's suggestions for finding encouragement:

• Read your ARC more often.
  
  I'm already struggling to read my ARC the suggested twice a day; it doesn't feel like a priority anymore (I have each pen stroke of it memorized). Plus I fell out of the habit of reading first thing in the morning, and because I've been so busy, there always seems to be something more important to do before I get around to reading it.
  
  I do believe reading my ARC keeps me strong though, so I've been trying to make it a priority again. If I can maintain reading it twice a day, I think that will suffice, rather than reading it more often. I've also taken to reading it out loud to myself and reading the reasons in random order, to keep it interesting. Dr. Beck also suggests re-writing my ARC (adding any further reasons that have occurred to me), and I agree having a new card to look at will freshen up my ARC-reading experience too.
  


• Add up the difficult hours.
  
  This step doesn't really help me; Dr. Beck uses it to point out that even though you may feel as if you're always frustrated or struggling, if you add up the actual time, you'll see it's a small part of your week. I know I'm not spending large amounts of time focused on my discouragement, but I still want to fix it before it becomes a problem that could harm my diet.
  


• Focus on what you can do today.
  
  I need to apply this idea to all areas of my life. I have a hard time living in the moment because I'm always worried about the future and making sure it goes smoothly. As Dr. Beck counsels, "Focus on today ... I know I can continue to do what I need to do today ... If it's hard tomorrow, I'll deal with it then." So from now on, just call me Scarlett.
  

Another step I'll try to keep myself encouraged is to reread this blog. Reviewing my incredible progress should keep me motivated while I wait for a more productive week (and next week looks promising, with steps on eating in restaurants and eating on vacation).

I'm hanging in there, baby!