Day 13: Ease on Down the Road

Okay so secretly this pic makes me wish I had ruby red high heels....

But that's besides the point.

Once I got yesterday's rant out I felt a lot better, eat reasonable portions the rest of the day. It's amazing what a little venting will do. I still have yet to get any workouts or walks or anything in, but I'm working on it.

I just have to ease on down the road rather than rushing forward and losing momentum.

Until next time

Day 12: WTF

Well last week was a total bust. My food was out of control for a good part of the week & the only day I had any remotely decent workout was on Tuesday at my gym class.

I can blame it on hormones, I can blame it on lack of preparation, I can blame it on a change in routine when my boyfriend flew out to AZ to see his family....but I can really only take responsibility for my actions. I was the one who made the decisions to eat what I ate and how much I ate. I was the one who made the decision to stay home on Wednesday therefore screwing up my Friday plan to hit the gym. I was the one who refused to get out of bed this weekend to go for my run...or any other reason.

What I don't understand is why I'm doing all this. And what I need to do to stop it.

Self sabatoge is something I've talked about in the past, and every once in a while shows up as a topic at a meeting. To me, Self sabatoge means losing focus of what is important and letting the short term wants get in the way of the long term goals; letting bad habits impede on the good habits I'm trying to develop.

Laziness is my usual answer to why I get off track, but how and why do I go from totally motivated with workout and food plans...to sitting on a couch with a box of cereal?

When I say am finally determined to change my life--how does that result in couch potato status only days later?

All I know is I can't seem to get a handle on doing what I say I'm going to do (and this isn't just with weight loss...this transposes into work life too...) and I am not happy about it. But again, if I know I'm not happy, and why I'm not happy...what is stopping me from doing what I need to do to GET happy?

Self sabotage.

Part of the purpose of my blog is for me to journal, track my goals and progress, and keep myself accountable. But long ago and far away, I used it to connect with other people in their weight loss journeys. To find help & support where I needed it, and hopefully at some point to inspire people to be their best selves. I feel like along the way I've let both myself and potential readers down by my inability to overcome the obstacles of weight loss--particularly my own habits and lifestyle.

Not sure how to handle all this yet...just had to vent.

What setbacks do you deal with? Do you feel like you self-sabotage your weight loss efforts? What do you do to combat this?

Until next time.

Day 5: Feeling fruity & Vegging out

One of the key concepts of any balanced meal plan is including fruits & vegetables into your meals. They provide heaps of nutrients, they fill you up, and they make you feel good.

Eating fruits & veggies during the summer is easy. The colorful selection from peaches to berries to melons are fresh and easy to grab and fun to eat without much prep. However, come winter, the fruits are few and far between and the veggies take thought and preparation to be able to enjoy. I know there are some which I haven't tried--the standard grapes, pears, oranges get boring. And while I enjoy squash and all the ways you can use it, there's only so much I can eat before it gets old too.

Without fruit & veggies, my efforts at weight loss are futile--they are vital to maintaining a healthy way of life. But I need to find ways to fit them in all year long.

How do you make sure you have enough fruits & veggies all year long? What do you do in the winter? Any new ones you've discovered?

Until next time

Day 2: Distractions

Because I am working an event tonight, I planned to have the morning to myself and go into the office late. I also had planned to use the morning to my advantage...

Plan #1: Sleep in
I woke up around 7 or so with my boyfriend and spent the next hour (play) fighting with him to go back to sleep because he was so wide awake it was ridiculous. He wouldn't let me sleep so by 8 I was wide awake. At least I got an early start on my day

Plan #2: A hearty but healthy breakfast
Nope. I did have a hearty and healthy lunch though.....

Plan #3: Get some theater paperwork done
Did that, but it took me so freakin long.............may have been due to multitasking with my DVRed Glee

Plan #4: Workout and/or run
Well I didn't run...but I did workout. Sort of. After a phone call which took me longer than expected, I popped in The Biggest Loser workout DVD and because I was feeling pretty stiff and achy, I chose the beginner low-impact workout. I got about halfway into it when my phone rang again and by the time I got finished, I had lost my momentum to finish the workout (plus I was running late by that point).

So although I sort of got stuff done, I ended up having too many distractions to really do them efficiently. While I am glad I got to speak to my best friend who moved to Switzerland, my workout got shortened to practically nothing. And I know that trying to get stuff done with the TV on is always a mistake, but I wanted to catch up on it while having my coffee & it just extended itself. But all these distractions are definitely things that I will have to work on as I go along. Distractions always come up...figuring out those priorities (and sticking to them) is what I should be focusing on. Should I have answered the phone in the middle of my workout? No of course not...but I did--even after sacrificing another hour at work to be able to fit in the workout in the first place.

Another source of distractions which frequently appear in my life are the inevitable unplanned meals. Whether it is due to not having my meals all prepped and falling victim to cravings, being too busy to eat a meal and ending up eating whatever I find (and usually more than necessary), or having food temptations from friends and family--even if I've already eaten. Some of them are in my control (whether or not I use it) and some of them aren't, but finding an alternative is often difficult-especially when emotions, boredom or other people are involved.

Last night was another example of that...I had a pretty good meal day and aside from a stuffed artichoke which was leftover from Thanksgiving at my parents' house, all my meals were healthy & relatively low points. I even passed on the ice cream mom offered and had some fresh fruit! But then we got home & out came the giant tin (I mean Costco-sized) of Danish cookies while watching The Office. And against my better judgement, I ate them. Not even sure how many either. Just kept taking them.

And then I told my BF that we needed to put them away. I put the cover back on them and used them as a footrest. Somewhere in the cookie massacre, I realized what I was doing and stopped myself. But that distraction of the watching tv-mindless eating deadly combo was enough to put a damper on the good food day.

So again, these distractions are so easy to come by, and so hard not to let get in the way. Sometimes if I'm focused, I can just hop back on the wagon, but especially in the holiday season sometimes it's easy for them to just snowball into getting completely off track.

How do you handle distractions from your goal? How do you say "NO!" Do you pick & choose what you let get in your way? Do you fall victim to them? Or do you make sure that you stick to your priorities of both eating healthy and getting in your workouts?

Until next time.

Thirty One Days of...

Wheeeeeeeeee!! Off we go!

Okay, so in typical Julia spontaneity (aka...no prior planning whatsoever), I have decided to do a December blog challenge. It was going to be 25 days (til Christmas), but what better way to do a countdown to 2012 than do one thing each day for my health...and blog about it.
So this is obviously still in the works, but the point of this is to blog once a day, even a small post. Blogs will be anything from what I ate (good AND bad), to my exercise, to a product or food review...anything to keep me focused on my health.

I didn't post last week--I had one all set up about Thanksgiving and all, but I never got around to posting it. Thanksgiving itself wasn't great, but nor was it entirely a washout...I didn't go overboard with all the courses, but I felt a lot like the turkey at the end...(stuffed that is). On the other hand, I did go for a morning run that day and the day after & a walk in between and even threw around the pigskin during our dinner intermission........yes...there was an intermission.

I haven't really been back on track since then though and I haven't weighed in either. My new job started, which means Monday AND Wednesday evenings are both booked from now on, so I'll have to find a new meeting to attend.
So back to the challenge...Day One will be creating a schedule. My first December after I started Weight Watchers, I read a tip to create a calendar for the month, with all the parties and other events filled in. The benefit to this was you could schedule around those events, knowing you'll probably eat more those days and can plan to balance out the week with better food choices as well as exercise.
As bad as I am at planning, the times that I do have a plan helps tremendously even if I don't follow it completely. Even just creating this challenge has got me motivated to make this month a very different December than previous years. Here's to a healthy change - Let's make the most of the end of 2011 together!

Will you join me in this challenge for 31 Days to Health? How are you dealing with the holidays? Ready to throw in the towel or determined to make this holiday season a healthy one?

Until next time

Mardi Gras & Lent

Oh it's definitely Fat Tuesday. More like lazy Tuesday. Following lazy weekend. Oy. Missed a few days at the gym (my Twitter whine on Saturday ended up getting the best of me-no gym), and I am dragging. Eating wasn't outrageous this weekend, but Evil Nemesis Laziness was definitely doing his dirty deeds with my motivation.

But tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and the Lenten season begins. Now trust me--I am not someone who normally pays any attention to this, but this year I'd like to use it to my advantage. A few others in the blogging world have committed to doing the same. Laurel at Bare it All and LisaMarie, aka The Broad Broad not to mention countless Twitter peeps have posted their Lenten sacrifices, so I-not one to pass up a good bandwagon, will do the same.

Lent to me though is not only about sacrifice, but about looking at your life to improve it. So I'm doing two things--a sacrifice, and a healthy addition. It's a leap of faith to do either of these for me

So for the next 40 days and nights my Mardi Gras Challenge will be as follows:
-Absolutely no food that's not a meal. I was going to make the goal no food after dinner or a particular time, but I have been known not to eat dinner until 9pm on certain nights. And since my goal is to combat my mindless eating habits like sitting in front of the TV with a bag of chips or cookies or something, this would be a good practice to help me plan my meals and stick to them. I can have planned snacks or desserts so I don't feel deprived, and it will force me to plan my meals when I eat out too.
-No elevators. Only excuses for an elevator...carrying something which requires an elevator, no access to stairs, assisting someone who needs to take an elevator.
-(At least) One activity a day. Of course with training I should be running 4-5 days/week, but I do realize that sometimes that won't be possible. But even if it's a short walk or climbing the stairs at work, or pushups, I want to continue to incorporate exercise into my life on a daily basis.

I am also going to start a jar that for each day I successfully complete this, I put money in. (I figure 25 cents each goal, $1 for a complete set) At the end I can use that money to celebrate. I have to figure out logistics on this. I should donate it or invest it, but most likely I will use it to buy an outfit or something. So I could potentially have 40ish dollars to do something fun with (because apparently there are more than 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter).

Anyway--there's the plan. Today however IS Fat Tuesday and I WILL be going out to celebrate. Beads anyone?

Until next time

Ms. Mojo Risin'

Okay. So last week...um...not so great.

I was fine until Thursday. Which from Tuesday isn't really an accomplishment.

Thursday hit and I was dragging. I didn't get to the gym in the morning. My lunch was o-kay, and after choir rehearsal I made the fatal mistake of going to the supermarket--and stocking up on crapola. Vienna fingers on sale? SURE! Pop Chips 2 for $4??? YES! They're low-points!

Seriously Julia. WTF. You should know better. I spent $15 on food that was not good for me (I did get milk though). The rest of the week was pretty terrible in terms of eating. And I didn't get to the gym after Wednesday. I did go running outdoors on Saturday--but that was after lying around all day catching up on TV shows. Did I go running when it was sunny & bright? Nope. Went after dark when it was bitter cold.

Anyway--this week is better. Despite all my efforts (lack thereof), I did manage to lose 1.4 lbs. When my leader weighed me in, I swore she said .4. I'm like--okay--well, that makes sense, and I guess exercise was the only reason I didn't gain. But when I looked at my book, I saw the extra 1 lb there and was in shock. Well for a previous week gain of .6 after all my hard work, I guess it does make sense, but whatever--I'll take it.

So now I'm fired up again. Whether it has to do with the nice loss, or just a general rise in ambition, I'm happy for it. I was really dragging last week.

Today I did make it to the gym and really made the most of it. I have two weeks left until my 5k and I needed to up my mileage. I've been running about 2miles consistently, so today my goal was to push myself to the 3 mile mark & I did it! Even 3.1 (the actual 5k distance). I did stop a few times, but for my first time at that distance, I'm pretty proud. And when I say first time, I seriously have never in my life run three miles, so this is a pretty big accomplishment. I have high hopes for the race on Feb 7th.

I just have to keep up with the training, working on increasing my endurance and speed. Though I don't really care what time I finish with, I do want to do my best. I don't know how I would have done this in the spring/summer--I certainly was not able to run even 2 miles consistently.
Anyway--I decided to start another blog called Live to Fit to Live for my fitness training--particularly running. Even just to log reps & distance/time so I can keep this blog more of a weight loss blog. Obviously my running and training is a part of weight loss, but that blog is more for the nitty gritty-especially once I start training for the 1/2 marathon.

To Eat or Not to Eat
Last night at my meeting, we talked about emotional eating, how we know when we are actually hungry, and why we eat when we're really not hungry. Sound familiar? We all do it. (Weight Watchers article here) Anger, loneliness, stress, BOREDOM (me), time of day, etc. So we were challenged to ask ourselves when we overeat, why we overeat, and what can we do to replace overeating. Our task is to come up with 10 alternatives to eating from these emotions.

So that will be my next blog topic. Tune in & feel free to make a list with me!

Until next time

Fartlek

Pardon me?

I learned a new word today. Fartlek. I seriously had to look at it twice. Apparently it's a Swedish word for "Speed Play". And it's used in training for runners. This wildly amusing word refers to bursts of speed in the middle of a training run, that you vary in time and intensity.

I learned this while I was looking up training schedules for the 1/2 marathon. It was recommended to me that I should start training now. Initially I figured I would train for the 5k first and then pick up the pace after that. But I really should just train for the longer run, and the 5k will seem like a cake walk after a while.

Seventeen weeks until the race.

I found a training plan on CoolRunning.com which I found to be reasonable. It's for twelve weeks of training and a pre-training (which will essentially prepare me for the 5k). The time-frame works out perfectly for it. I'm sure there are other training plans, but this is free, and it's by the hosts of the Couch to 5k program which I had done back in March.

Right now I'm running only about 2 miles in 20 minutes. But that was based on the 20 minute time limit I was scheduling myself for cardio. I've slowly been increasing my speed in that 20 minutes to help improve my endurance. I'm debating whether to continue to do that 20 minute segment at higher speeds, or to start working towards completing the mileage for the pre-training and the 5k (which varies between 3 and 5 miles). Suggestions?

This weekend, I told my mom I had signed up for the 1/2 marathon. Her reaction? "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!" Where's my supportive "you can do anything you set your mind to" mother??? What the hell?? Her rationalization was that it takes people so long to train for these races & I'll never be able to do it. Well, it really only made me more determined. I was disappointed that she didn't have faith that I could train for it, you know what I say to that??

Fartlek you.

Until next time

Long and hard day-at least gym's outta the way! (Keep reading for a Spontaneous moment of Stupidity)

I'm exhausted. Seriously like may pass out at any given moment exhausted. It's a combination of lack of sleep (though I've been getting at least 6 hours a night) and body weariness.

I did a morning workout for the third day in a row today, though I didn't make it to the gym. I couldn't drag myself out of bed early enough that I would have gotten a good workout if I drove to the gym and came back, and I was not in any state to put together a gym bag to shower there.

I did however...eventually...throw on my workout gear & do a Biggest Loser workout strength routine (about 20 minutes), and then I went for a run. And what a run it was. It was absolutely freezing, but sunny. And I walked for about five minutes before I started my run. I felt under-dressed for the temps though I had on three layers of shirts, plus hat & gloves, but once I started running I completely forgot about the cold, other than seeing my breath streaming out at every exhale.

I ran (okay, jogged) a route that I used to do when I was doing the Couch to 5k training last winter. Brisk walk down Broadway, start running at the elementary school, turn around at the college, run back, slow to a brisk walk at the elementary school. It's about 2 miles, 1.5 running span. Even when I was running on a regular basis, and in warm weather I always needed to slow it down to a walk at least a couple of times before I got to the college to turn around, and by the time I made my way back, I always was struggling to breathe and had a stitch in my side.

Today, in the 20something degree temps, I ran without stopping to the college, and even did an extra loop into the campus so I didn't physically stop to turn around, and about 1/4 way back before needing a break to slow to a brisk walk. I think I slowed down only twice more once for a hill), and was able to finish further than I normally do before I did my cool down walk.

Can it be true then? I actually AM getting stronger? I actually am getting more FIT? I might actually someday call myself an...athlete? A runner? Heaven help us all.

I'm surprised I was able to do it. Not that it was easy--I was definitely struggling at the end. But I've never ever EVER been able to jog that long without stopping--ESPECIALLY outdoors. Treadmills are different. They move you. Not that I am very good on a treadmill either, but these days, I'm able to jog my 20 minute routine at the gym. This is real pavement pounding running.

Spontaneous Moment of Stupidity here
Though it may have something to do with something stupid that I did yesterday. And by stupid I mean exciting and great and brave...but stupid. I signed up for two races. Next month, a 5k called the Freezer Five (Feb 7th), and in May, the mother of all ridiculous ideas...a 1/2 marathon. In Pittsburgh. I signed up, I paid. Signed, sealed, delivered...I'm running. What in heaven's name was I thinking? But I am pumped.

I think the 5k is definitely doable, even if I have less than a month to train, I'm well on my way. Just have to build up my endurance for the cold and the distance. That will be fun.

It's the 1/2 marathon I'm scratching my head about. 13.1 miles. WTF??? My friend who lives in Pittsburgh is doing the marathon with a group of friends. I figured...hey, why not right? It'll give me something to train & look forward to! How am I ever going to be able to run 13.1 miles??? Oh, and I did sign up to run the race, as opposed to most of the other girls who signed up to walk it. Yeah. Well, it's definitely a challenge. It may be the challenge I need to keep me motivated. My WW leader is going to get a kick out of this.

Anyway--I'm excited and scared and every emotion in between.

But at the moment I'm still exhausted. At least I dont' have to go to the gym tonight! Early to bed for this chickie.

Until next time

Results, recap & confession.

Let's start with the confession first. I honestly wasn't going to blog about this week's results. I thought about skipping it, using the "oh gosh it's been so busy" excuse...Or I thought maybe I'll just skim over it & post a blog about some other weight loss topic.

But seriously--what good is that going to do me?

So here it is, my results: I gained this week. I have no one to blame but myself of course. I gained 2lbs. Most of that was from the weekend. All week I did well with eating, but I didn't get in too much exercise & when it came to the weekend, I did not hold back much. So my goal of "not gaining in December"...FAIL. But I'm not losing hope. Motivation is a different story...

Recap:
Food goals: Increase water intake. Stay within daily points 3/7 days. Limit night time snacking to one (portion controlled) item. Keep meeting healthy guidelines. Plan meals, bring from home. Track 5 days.
Results: Water was o-kay. Stayed within points 2 days and only .5 over on a 3rd day. The nighttime snacking thing was fine after Monday...that is until the weekend hit. I underestimated points values and definitely overindulged in snacks instead of having real meals. Bringing meals from home was o-kay until the end of the week as I began to run out of food. I did have a great shrimp & orzo dinner one night. Saturday night I ate beforehand and was able to resist getting food at the restaurant I went to. I stuck to basic drinks (vodka tonic).
Exercise goals: Kicked ass last week--keep it up. At least 30 minutes moderate activity each day, 14 APs. Ice skating this weekend.
Results: Did not kick ass this week. Only had three days of activity and those were not as focused as they should have been. Did not get up early to work out at any point. Allowed evening plans to get in way of workouts at night. No ice skating.

Moral...I do not follow directions very well.
Lesson...I need to find some way of keeping myself on track when the going gets tough or when I get lazy. What's it gonna take? What's gonna be my wake up call?

I don't really know the answers, but if I"m gonna make it to goal, I need to figure these things out. This week's goals to come.

Until next time

Dec Week One Results & Week 2 Goals

Well, my hard work paid off. I happily got on the scale and heard 2.4 lbs from the WW receptionist.

So now I'm back to 188.2

I have three more weigh-ins in December. To get back down to 180, I'd have to lose almost 3lbs each week. So since that is not going to happen, my goal for the end of December is to just not gain. Doesn't matter if it's .2 or 2.2 loss. I just don't want to see that graph bar go up this month.

I had three weeks of gains before this loss. Basically since the summer it has been two or three weeks of gains, followed by one or two weeks of loss, followed by two or three weeks of gains...definitely opposite of what it should be.

I talked about this to my leader last night...My first year and a half of WW wasn't necessarily easy, but I would have three good weeks and one bad week a month. Now it seems it's three bad weeks and one good week. Her suggestion was to find that thing; that motivation. What got you in the door isn't necessarily the same motivation as now. I don't know if I have a specific motivation like many others, but I do have goals. Number goals (like I want my freakin 50 lbs back!! and to be in the 170s), and non-number goals (size 12 pants? to run a 5k, to wear a bikini...).

So I guess part of the challenge is figuring out what I really want, why I really want it, and kicking myself in the ass enough so I keep going towards it. Something that I can keep reminding myself of when I reach for the extra portion or even think about loading a bag of chip-like substances into my shopping basket.

Anyway--my goals for this week...

Food goals: Increase water intake. Stay within daily points 3/7 days. Limit night time snacking to one (portion controlled) item. Keep meeting healthy guidelines. Plan meals, bring from home. Track 5 days.
Challenges: The weekend. Going out to dinner on Friday, possibly going out on Saturday. Just need to be aware of what I'm eating. Also my fridge is on the empty side for bringing lunches & making dinners & I really can't spend too much to replenish it until I get my next paycheck...must improvise (such as steal food from parents house).

Exercise goals: Kicked ass last week--keep it up. At least 30 minutes moderate activity each day, 14 APs. Ice skating this weekend.
Challenges: There shouldn't be any. I have time each day to do something--just need to make sure I do it.

Okay--that's all for now. Gotta finish up work & then go home & work out!!

Until next time

A Fun Challenge for All!

I'm declaring this week: Try Something New Week!!!

Often in our efforts to lose weight, we get stuck in a routine. Not that a routine is a bad thing, but sometimes the monotony of the same food patterns or the same exercise gets us into a rut, a plateau or just boredom.

So going with my week 3 of my plan which I laid out for myself, I'm challenging everyone to try something new this week with me.

A new food, a new exercise class, a new style of cooking, a different route on your run; whatever it is, pick something to shake up your routine! Check out this Weight Watchers.com article for some inspiration: Find the Fun in Weight Loss. (Oddly enough this seems to be the weekly topic for WW as well.)

My goal is to try something new every day, but with my crazy schedule it's going to be difficult. However, I already have two things lined up...I've been staring at a box of Quinoa in my cabinet that I've been wanting to make, and I'm stepping up to the plate. Even more fun, tonight I'm trying a new activity: Swing Dancing!! I've had an obsession with swing dancing since I was in Jr. High and watched the movie Swing Kids. I know the basics, but I really want to have a fun time with it and have it become a more natural rhythm. I always end up leading when I dance, so I want to learn how to follow. And how to do all those fun flips and turns etc. Plus it's on my "Feats of Strength" list so I have to do it :)

So I challenge you to try something new this week & hopefully it will inspire you to spice up your weight loss efforts or just your everyday life. And most importantly it's something for you to have fun with! I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with!

Oh, and I kicked off my week with something entirely new already...
Surprise!!!!!!!!!!!

Until next time

Huh?

Confused Camel
(What I felt like after I weighed in)

Down 1lb? What? After THAT week? Okay, I don't believe it, but I'll take it.

Well this week I'm all about kicking it up a notch so even if next week the scale says I'm up, I'll know that it's that 2 week cycle and not my lack of trying.

Yesterday on WW.com I saw the Spring into Action Challenge headlining the site. It goes right along with my "No Excuses" mantra. (Okay, so maybe I got the inspiration from reading this article...)

Basically it's that "bootcamp" I was referring to. And it outlined the challenge in four ways
-Eat smarter by planning your meals, sticking to the plan, and staying within your points most of the week unless it's planned in. Don't give in to temptation.
-Moving more by increasing activity, making it a part of your daily routine and even signing up for a 5k (which I am planning for August)
-Build helpful habits by building awareness of your eating habits, your hunger signals, etc.
-Finding support. A friend who can help push you to keep moving towards goals and who you can lean on for support.

These are sort of the basics of how WW works, but those are the things I'm always struggling with. So I'm working on improving all of these things and sticking to my plans.

I went food shopping last night at Trader Joe's and loaded up on all sorts of good stuff. Frozen veggies, healthy dinners, etc. I'm going to be working on planning my meals more so I can be more consistent. Tonight I'm planning a run (especially while the weather is still good!) I'm going to be working on solving my boredom/nighttime eating habit which I regularly struggle with. And as for the support, I am trying to work with one of my friends to train for the 5k as well as share our progress with each other.

I feel newly inspired and newly energized so I want to take advantage of this while I can!! And maybe, in no time I'll be reaching those goals I've been striving for all year.

Until next time

Bikini Season Challenge

Ha! You thought that Bikini on my "winning outcomes" list was just a joke right? Well, on the WW website someone posted a challenge for bikini season beginning Memorial Day weekend - conveniently the weekend of my birthday!

Here's the challenge:
Welcome to the Bikini Season Challenge! We are counting down the days to the official kick off of summer – Memorial day weekend (May 23-25)! We all want to fit into that cute new bikini or even just feel comfortable in a suit by the pool, on the boat, or at the beach! Wow your friends with your hot new body!! Guys are welcome too!! If you are looking for a nice body to show off this summer, join in! However, there is a catch! You need to make yourself accountable! To be an active member of the challenge, you need to track consistently and aim for 3-4 days of moderate intensity activity (at the least). We post every day! Stop in, check us out, and love what you see!! Days to Summer: 137

I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I can so do it! I'm about 35 lbs away from goal, but if I'm kicking up the exercise, then I can be bikini ready even before that goal!

All I need is a little motivation, perseverance, and discipline :) Now's the perfect time to do it anyway--the long cold winter months tend to be less hectic than when it's warmer so I should be taking advantage of my free time to WORK OUT!

Then I'll get to go shopping :)

Working my way back to health

Okay-I really feel like I'm starting over. I feel like I've been away from the WW plan so long.
Today is my first post-labor day meeting and I am a little nervous to see if I've gained anything. But I'm going back & I'm staying for the meeting and...well, I am starting fresh.

On the WW website today there was an article for the Back on Track Challenge. Dealing with the post-summer, post-labor day blues & to help re-energize people to keep going and to get back on track. They recommend starting small. Give yourself those mini goals to help get you back into the swing of things.

The week one challenge is to simply get back on the scale. I can do that. That was my plan anyway.
I also need to re-evaluate my eating habits. Like I said last blog, I have somehow managed to sneak in all those unhealthy foods (fried!!) that I am addicted to, but are the Skeletor of my weight loss efforts. Not skeletor? How about Shredder? Any other 80's cartoon villains?

I need to clean out my fridge, go food shopping, get back to eating lots of fruits & vegetables. Although the fun summer fruits are done with, the fall vegetables, and apples are something to look forward to. Maybe if I go apple picking within the next couple of weeks, I'll have enough apples to last me through the fall and kick up the fruit eating again.

This week's goal: Empty fridge. Go food shopping. Re-fill fridge with lots of healthy & easy to grab food. And keep clean dishes so you are more likely to eat at home. Write down food intake.

Next week's goal: Set reasonable daily exercise goals and stick to them.

Until next time