Recommitting To My Goals, Part 3

Tallboy, Bubs, my niece Emaline, and me

Step Three:  Know your reasons why.

Short term: wedding.  It's even hard to admit that I'm doing this just for one day, because I know for a lot of people (including me), once that day is past, you kind of revert back to whatever it is you were before you started on this 'wedding diet.'  So, that is ONLY my short term goal for weight loss.

Long term: health.  First and foremost, I want to be healthy so I don't have to deal with all the health problems that come along with excess weight.  But there are so many other reasons, like: Love.  Love with a capital 'L.'  I'm getting married, so I want to be in shape for my Husband, and we can live a long, full life.  After a while, we'll probably have kids.  I'd like to be able to keep up with them, and teach them how to live a healthy life too.  Looks?  Sure, I'd like to look nice and feel comfortable in my skin.  Learn to love myself in the mirror, not just the 'me' in my head.  Loving yourself in the mirror is not about achieveing the perfect body, it's about loving the things that are uniquely 'you.'  I just would like to get in shape and eat healthy, so I don't have to go about this 'I need to lose 20 lbs' every few years.  It's about getting healthy now so I don't have 80 lbs to lose in 30 years.

What are your reasons?

Recommitting To My Goals, Part 2

Step Two: Start slow.

I have been trying to do this- focus on small increments of my main goal, instead of the full 20 lbs.  I've been going in 5 lb increments- maybe that's too much?  Maybe I should focus on the next two pounds.  It's hard to even think about the BIG finish line that's so far away, so I should be thinking the one that's in the (hopefully) near future.  Another two pounds.  That's a doable goal.  If you start out too fast, or with too much on your plate (figuratively speaking), it will become exhausting and overwhelming.  I've been too focused on the end goal- I'm going to focus on these smaller increments again.

Break your ultimate goal into small, manageable ones.  Regardless of where you are, you can always move forward.   You can remember that getting exercise in isn't only about going to the gym- get out and enjoy the weather!  Gardening can lend its self to a workout as well, if you have as many weeds in your garden as I do :)

Subsets of smaller goals: write down everything.  I looked back through my last three weeks of journals, and I noticed I've been not writing down anything on weekends.  I know for a fact (since it's been reflected at the scale) that I have not been eating the way I need to- so in accordance with my two pound goal, I also want to write down EVERYTHING, especially on weekends.

I'm not putting a time limit goal on the next two pounds, I'm just going to celebrate when I get there.  And then move on to the next two.

It's Tuesday! Think about what small, slow goals you can put in front of you that you can achieve.

Recommitting To My Goals, Part 1

Well, April has been a disaster.  Not really, I mean I joined a boot camp class right by work and have been going on average twice a week.  That's been great, and really hard.  The eating stuff?  It's not going great.  It's going well for about 4 days a week, and a disaster the other three days.  I need to get recommitted, now.  I'm taking this opportunity to reacquaint myself and recommit myself to my weight loss goals.  I'm going to do a five part series, each a step to help guide myself to my ultimate goal, and how I'll get there.

Today: The beginning.  Only ONE goal at a time.  

That's right.  Let's not focus on a 10 minute mile, or a 25 inch waist. (Is that possible?)  Let's just focus on my main goal here: to lose 20 lbs.  A big number, yes, but an achieveable one.  Only a few weeks ago, I was half way there!  Now I'm... almost half way there, again.  So that's my one goal for the time being: 20 lbs.  Yes, other good things will come with that.  Smaller waists, stronger body, healthier me.  But the weight- that's what I'm focused on now.

I know- it's not always just about the scale.  It's about what else comes off when the scale is staying the same.  Muscle weighs more than fat.  I know, I know, I know.  But I'm sick of plateauing.  It's been too long, and I'm growing stagnant.  Today's mission: really start thinking about how to jump start my weight loss again.

Today, I'm recommitting to my goal of 20 lbs.  I'm not going to punish myself for where I am- I'm going to celebrate that I've already achieved so much.  But I need to REFOCUS.  20 lbs, here I come!

Some Happy For Your Monday

If only we could all be as happy as my niece, Emaline.  Of course, I wouldn't wish her meltdowns on my worst enemy, but that being said, most of the time she's amazing.  She's going to be our flower girl, come September, and she is taking it VERY seriously.  For her, being a flower girl is something that literally defines her right now.  She carries a bouquet everywhere she goes. 

I just wanted to share some gratitude this Monday for my awesome family and some really nice weather this past weekend!  Hope you're having a good Monday, and if not, that this tiny smile lifts your mood!

Life Lessons

Don't take yourself too seriously.

My Wellness Tracks class wrapped up last Wednesday; I had my reassessment on Friday, and I started a new boot camp class on Saturday.  Last time I finished my first level Wellness Tracks class, I did really well on the reassessment, kept working out for a few months, then totally fell off the wagon.  I'm trying to keep involved in my health, and keep changing my exercise to keep it interesting.  When it comes to working out, I get bored easily.  I thought about trying to just do Nike Training Club workouts three times a week, but I know myself, and if those are anything but make ups for missed gym workouts, I won't keep at them.  So I'm trying to hit up these boot camp workouts three times a week, and for weeks like this one, make up for missed sessions by doing NTC at home.  So far, so good.  I know I push myself a lot harder in classes- I don't know if it's because there are other people there, but I get a better workout when I'm not alone.

And if you're wondering, my reassessment went really well.  A few stats:

My max plank time went from 2:35 to 3:20

My max wall sit time went from 2:30 to 3:35

My max pushups went from 37 to 71 (modified knee pushups, not real ones)

I lost 10 lbs since Jan, and 11 inches total over my body. (3 of those came off my waist!)

My resting heart rate and my recovery time also both went down- I don't have the stats in front of me, but I know every beat you save is time added to your life.

It just goes to show that with some effort- both physical and mental- you can make a BIG difference in your health.  I told someone last night at our graduation dinner: I want to lose 20 lbs now and learn how to keep it off, so I don't have 100 lbs to lose in 15 years.  And I really mean that.  I've lost weight before- I know HOW to do that- what I'm learning now is the discipline to keep it off.  I want to maintain this healthy lifestyle- not just so I can look good at my wedding, but so I can live a healthy lifestyle when we have kids- teach them to make the right food and exercise decisions, so I can be active and not sedentary- for so many reasons.

If you have access to any sort of training program through your work place- look into it and take advantage of it.  I know it weren't for COSE, a program like this would have cost me literally thousands of dollars.  So for that, I'm VERY grateful- this program changed my life.

Even with a pretty heavy Easter Sunday, I still managed to lose weight this week- I gained last week and didn't blog about it- even though I knew I should have.  Gaining can be just as useful as losing- it's how we deal with hard situations that make us who we are.  I dealt with an up week last week by eating well and exercising this week and lost that gain, plus some.

Past two weeks: -.4 lbs
Total 2013: -11.2 lbs

Winter Will NEVER End

I'm pretty sure Buster is sick of the snow too.

...or at least that's really how it feels.  The snow just keeps falling.  Each time I think Spring might be around the corner, a fresh batch of snow comes and punches me in the face.  Stupid snow.  Listen, I made my living in Cleveland bed, and I'm lying in it.  I know this happens here.  And I'm fine with winter, until the 'first day of Spring' rolls around and we get three more inches of snow.  Then I'm done.

However, this post is not about snow.  It's my weigh in post, and it's about staying the same.  I didn't lose this week, but I didn't gain either.  I count it as a win.  Maintaining when I'm not only faced with Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs, Girl Scout Cookies, and an additional 3" of snow?  WIN.  GO ME.  Seriously.  I'm amazing.  Screw you, Punxatawney Phil.  You have deceived us one last time.  I hope someone goes Bill Murray on your ass and drives you over a cliff. 


This week: -/+ 0.0 lbs
Total 2013: -10.8 lbs

Celebrating Every Goal

Post Thankgsiving- one of my favorite pics of Tallboy and my Grandpa

I did it!  I reached Goal #2- 10 lbs off!  10.8 to be exact.  I feel like I've been on a bit of a plateau these last few weeks, and I'm happy to reach this milestone.  Not huge, considering how close I've been for weeks, but I feel like I broke through some sort of barrier.  I'm at the point in my weight loss where clothes I've been wanting to fit into for a while fit again, and I look/feel good in them.

Next goal: 15 lbs. 

I have, however, been fighting the urge to dive head first into a box of Samoas- the Girl Scouts are out, full force around here/emotions are high- not a good combo.  My Grandpa broke his hip on Tuesday, had a partial replacement yesterday, and is recovering in the hospital now.  It's extra tough on him- he's 91, so everything is that much harder.  I'm really trying not to eat my feelings here, but I've been really worried about him the last few days.  So far, everything is going the best it can, given the circumstances. 

This week: -1.6 lbs
Total 2013: -10.8 lbs