Yesterday I saw a patient in our program that was describing how chaotic and full of responsibilities her days are. She took out a small book and showed on the calendar the detailed activities that make up her days (see a picture of this book below). The son’s activities were color coated differently than her daughter’s and the patient informed me that she also works full time. We discussed how there appears to be pretty much zero time devoted to focusing on herself.
Successful weight control will require:
- Planning and preparing meals
- Shopping for the right types of foods
- Ensuring three meals a day and snacks
- Finding exercise time.
Lots more bullet points can be added to this list.
If there is no time for “You” there is little-no chance that long-term weight control will occur. Reality is such that people cannot simply disengage from all of their family and work responsibilities and solely focus on themselves. However, perhaps there are some duties/responsibilities that can be deflected to others, thereby freeing up time to focus on “you”. If there is a disproportionate amount of children responsibilities on your plate, perhaps a discussion with your spouse is in order. At work, maybe a sit down with your boss to see if some of those extra duties dumped on you can be redistributed.
Additionally, are there activities on your plate that are not absolutely necessary? Many of our incredibly busy patients volunteer for HOA participation, church activities etc. You are VERY nice in volunteering your time but if this comes at the expense of your own health then you should reconsider this allotment of time.
Your health is of utmost importance for you to keep functioning at the high levels you are accustomed to. Never feel guilty spending time on “you”.
