Oh Lookie--I reached 100

Not pounds silly - 100 posts!

So it seems that without knowing, I posted the photo montage as my 100th post. Yay me!

So back to my action plan for December. Less than one month left of 2008, and since 2008 was a big year for me, I figured I should make the most of this month and go out with a bang.

There is an article on ww.com titled 4 Insider Secrets to Surviving December. I read through it and the tips were quite interesting, so I thought I would employ a few.

First it says to ask yourself what you want to see happen this month. The obvious answer is to continue losing weight, but since December is filled with holiday hoopla and major food-temptations, that's not the easiest plan to follow. But if I break it down, it seems much more managable. There are four and a half weeks this month. If I lose about 1 lb for at least 3 of those weeks, I'll be happy. One of those weeks is PMS week which I probably won't lose and could possibly gain. But let's say my goal is to lose 3-4 lbs by Dec. 29th (the last Monday).

Next it says to draw a calendar for the month, mapping out and planning the month. Including holiday parties or occasions, PMS week, and other events to figure out how busy your month is, and how it will affect your points and exercise goals. So once I did this I was like--oh wait--why haven't I done this before? Not to say that things don't come up and what cravings or temptations get in the way, but seriously, by looking at this calendar, I can see what days I should be able to stick to my points, which days leave room for exercise, which days I have to curb my points because I will be eating higher points foods, etc. I can mark meeting days, as well as recording my weight each week to see the progress & effect of the week's activities. It also allows me to see which days I will probably not have time to make dinner and will have to grab something quick, so if I plan ahead, I can have a quick leftover meal or something.

Brilliant!

The problem is sticking to this calendar, keeping it visible, and keeping my goal in mind. It also means re-evaluate it on a weekly basis to keep it fresh, take into account weather for walking outdoors, and motivation. But I think I can do it. If I stick to it, it could be just what I need. It will also help me plan out my week meal-wise, which up til now, I have not done at all. But even as I drew up this calendar yesterday, I noted the two days this week when I will be out of the office & subject to eating a pre-chosen lunch. Knowing what each of these lunch menus would be, I was able to mentally prepare for adjusting my other meals. Today was pizza, tomorrow is sandwiches. Hence the light snacks I had on hand when I returned to the office since I only had one slice of pizza allowed me to choose to only have one piece of pizza. Yay me.

The other steps listed in this article include making sure you continue to weigh in weekly (I'm not adverse to that), attend meetings to talk to others about getting through this tough season (right-o), and swap tips with other members and leaders to help think outside the box (which is exactly what I'm doing here).

I guess when I find a new way of looking at things I tend to get really excited, hence the ridiculously long blog, but the difficulty is keeping that excitement to complete the goal. Well, I plan to keep that excitement, and keep on strutting my stuff this December - AND BEYOND!!

Who knows, 100 might soon have a different meaning...

Until next time