Get Moving Challenge!

Personally, I love a challenge. I am not athletic (never have been), but I am very competitive when I know I have a chance to succeed. I am not sure what it is about them, but I usually thrive in a competitive atmosphere (I realize this is a serious flaw that I need to work on). But this may explain why I am so excited to participate in the Get Moving Challenge!

I haven't gone to the gym or exercised on a regular basis since the middle of April so this is exactly what I need to get back into the routine. What I really love about this challenge is that everyone can be a winner because we are only competing against ourselves. I have decided that I will walk 60 miles in the month of July. Why don't you join me?

Healthy You Challenge Check In

Wow, I think I am a tad ornery these days. :) Sorry! After much thought, I have decided to take a week off the scale. Some may say that is a total cop-out (it is), but just thinking about weighing in today completely stressed me out yesterday (that is where I got ornery and down on myself).

Here are a few things that I know about me:
* I need to lose weight
* I tend to be a perfectionist
* If I can't be a near perfectionist at something, I quit
* I was no where near a perfectionist this past weekend, but I am not going to quit!

So after analyzing how I am wired, I decided to take a week off the scales. It was a fun weekend with my friends, but I could have and should have ate better. I need to consider steps I can take to do better next time an event like this occurs (which happen all the time because that is called "having a life!"). I have a strong tendency to cycle through bad eating behaviors. I already ate and had fun (without thinking of the ramifications). But, I don't have to complete the cycle (i.e. weigh, see that I gained "stupid" weight, binge and not even consider eating healthy or exercising for an extended period of time). That won't help me at all. So, I am going to regroup and start again, but without the lapse of time in between (something good has to come from this experience).

Since I am coming clean, I have to admit, I binged when I was feeling down yesterday and this morning. I ate McDonald's for breakfast and candy bars (yes, plural) last night. But, I will keep trying because I know and need to apply the following in my life: It isn't the last step I took that makes me a failure, it is not taking the NEXT one to fix it.

The Weekend

I had a fun time last weekend hanging out with friends I rarely see anymore. We spent two all-nighters catching up and now I need to spend a few days catching up on sleep. I tell you, I am to old for that kind of life style anymore. Weekends like that never phased me when I was in college. Currently, I am worthless at work and wish I could just crawl into bed.

Although the weekend was fun, I did not eat well at all. I wasn't worried about my eating habits, but now I regret it so much. I took a sneak peak at the scale this morning and it was not pretty. I hope a miracle happens and I lose some of it before my official weigh-in tomorrow morning.

Weekly Goals

I have been thinking a lot about my goals this week. I struggled a little bit deciding what I would do because I am having a "girl's weekend" with friends I only see once a year. Call me crazy, but I don't want to announce (or even appear) to be on a diet. Maybe it is just me, but I like to see (and have other people see) some results before I announce my change to a healthy lifestyle. Am I alone in this kind of behavior?

So, my goals for this week are the following:

Drink Water - I plan on drinking a gallon of water a day. I have done this a few times in the past 10 years (I called it the "Gallon Challenge") and it worked really well once I got past the first few days.

Walk to Work - I live ridiculously close to where I work (1/2 mile). In the year I have lived at my house, I have NEVER walked to work. This means I will have to wake up earlier to get to work on time, but it will help get me moving and incorporate activity in to my daily life.

Record My Food - I am not going to count calories or anything like that this week, but I do want to write down what I am actually putting in my mouth. I really think this will help (as least for this modified week).

Exercise - I am going to exercise at least three times (not including my walks back and forth to work) this week. It doesn't matter if it is at the gym, a workout video, or a brisk walk around my neighborhood. I just need to get MOVING!

Cook My Own Food - I don't ever cook (I am terrible at it!) so I usually eat junk food or purchase fast food. If I do eat an actual meal, it is because I was invited somewhere to dinner. So, I am going out on a big limb by saying I will cook one healthy meal this week (scary!!!).

Whew, that last goal exhausted me so I think I will stop right there. :) Although these goals may appear to be baby steps to some, it is a good jumping off point for me.

Healthy You Challenge Check In

I lost 1.6 pound this week and I have to say I am a little disappointed in myself. I could say a pound is a pound (trust me, I am glad the scale is moving down), but I know that I didn't really stay on plan very well this week. In fact, I think that is my problem, I don't really have "a plan" yet.

So, here is what I am going to try to do consistently. On Tuesdays, I will weigh in and report my {loss} . . . gotta think positive. On Wednesdays, I will post my new goals for the week. I am still trying to figure out the best "plan" so for now I will adjust it weekly.

Although I didn't have a big weight loss (my own fault, of course), I still feel like I am winning the fight against obesity. Because, I KNOW I can do this. It is true that I am slowly getting on the band wagon, but I am still doing it. I am not quitting because I am not meeting (or exceeding) my expectations. That is a huge win for me due to my "all or nothing personality." So, don't give up on me yet. I have a lot of fight left in me.

Biggest Losers - Phillipe and Sione

So, this weekend I was able to meet Phillipe and Sione from last season's Biggest Loser. Wow, do they look amazing! Seeing them on TV does not do them justice. Plus, they are so nice and down to earth. I wanted to take a picture with them, but wait . . . that picture would of course include me - YIKES! The weight I am right now, I don't want any pictures of me, especially not with two guys who look A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! So, I didn't. :(

On other news, I didn't eat like I should of this weekend. One day, I didn't eat hardly anything and the next day I just ate junk food. What was I thinking? I also didn't exercise this weekend. Thank goodness it is Monday (you don't usually hear me say that!). I am going to get back on track because I NEED to lose weight.

What are some motivators that help you? I would love any suggestions!

Aunt **** Is Fat

So, I stopped by my sister's house to visit last night. There were a lot of people there and we had a lot of fun talking. My niece was upstairs playing, but was finally coaxed down for dinner after everyone left. Randomly, my niece said, "Mom, I heard you talking about how fat Aunt **** was." I, of course, just sat there acting calm. But inside, I was wondering if I really was the topic of conversation before I walked in. My poor sister was so embarrassed and tried to get my niece to let it go, but being a true five year old who knew she was right, she wasn't going to let it drop. Later, my sister sent me a text saying how sorry she was and that she never said that.

But, here is the real rub. A year after my first nephew was born, I was, once again, trying to lose weight. I was reading a book, I believe it was Dr. Phil's weight loss book, that proposed I write down some reasons why I wanted to lose weight. One of the first reason was that I wanted to be able to play with my nieces and nephews. I also wrote that I wanted to lose weight before my nieces and nephews KNEW I was heavy. This was very important to me even when they were so young.

Well, last night it hit me again when my niece was talking (or should we say arguing with her mom). I have got to get a grip. I don't ever want my nieces and nephews to be embarrassed of me because of my weight (makes me wonder if they already have been). As they get older, it is just going to get worse. As bad as it hurt to hear my niece call me fat, I guess it is just another good motivator to lose the weight.

Wicked Wednesday

Why, you may ask, would I want to start my new eating and exercise habits in the middle of the week - Wicked Wednesday - to be more exact? Because I have got to get a grip on my weight (and ultimately my life) immediately. Every night I promise that tomorrow I will start again. June 1 was going to be the first day of the rest of my life. I think I ended up skipping the gym and probably swinging past Dairy Queen.

So, today is the day. So far, I have done relatively well. Protein shake for breakfast, yogurt for a snack, and a healthy chicken salad for lunch. A co-worker brought in chips and salsa this afternoon. I took a little bit as well as a few M&M's but really limited myself. I don't feel bad about it because I would usually consume so much more. It can count as an afternoon snack as long as it isn't a large quantity. I am doing well drinking my water as well (60 fl. oz. already done). I didn't make it to the gym this morning so I am going to do one of The Firm workouts tonight (I have put my plan to exercise in writing so now I HAVE to do it!).

But, the best thing about today is that it doesn't seem very wicked. I am focusing again on losing weight. And because of that, it feels like life is good and I have so many doors that will be opened. I don't know, it sounds kind of crazy, but I think I am on a "diet high." Hmmm, never heard of that before, but I will take it! :)

I'm BAAACCK!!!

So, let me re-introduce myself. I am a complete slacker who desperately wants to lose weight. However, I seem to let "life" get in the way. I have come to the realization that life is never going to slow down, get easier, or take a back seat so I can focus solely on weight loss. I wish I could . . . it sounds so much easier.

So, I am still behind at work. I am still trying to get my house organized and clean. I am still trying to be a good friend, sister, daughter, aunt etc. BUT I am also going to lose weight. Because, if I can get a handle on my weight, I might can get a handle on the rest of my life.