Losing it challenge
Losing it challenge
Jul 23rd
So close yet so far away!
Two weeks ago I was just two pounds away from my goal weight and seven pounds away from my dream weight.
After a vacation and several cheating sessions later, I am officially 0.8 lbs away.
So close. Yet so far away.
I know it’s not really “far away” & some of you are totally rolling your eyes at me. But I’ve fluctuated up and down and all around the 0.8 marker this entire week. And where do I stand the end of this week? The same exact place I stood the end of last week.
So close. Yet so far away.
I want the number!!!
And at the same time, as much as I want to see that “goal number” I’ve realized two very important things. My goal weight is completely possible. And maybe even more so, my dream weight is possible.
August is a big celebration month in the it’s come 2 this household. We celebrate Evan’s birthday, Megan’s birthday and our Wedding Anniversary within a period of 15 days. And with celebrations come cake and yummy food!
So I’m determined to get hit my goal before August 1st. Still eating my Proteins, Veggies, Fruits & Whole Wheat combined with lots & lots of water!!
And then after all this, I’m going to enjoy a slice of cake!!
- Post linked to Losing It! at House of Hills.
I’m still not a runner
Jul 8th
I’m still not a runner.
Several weeks ago I claimed “I want to be a runner”. Unfortunately you have to actually put forth effort and work at things for dreams to come true. Funny how that works, isn’t it?!
I downloaded the Couch to 5k program on my laptop. I loaded Pandora onto my phone to give me some tunes. I even got out and ran for two weeks. Ok about two weeks. Alright fine almost two weeks.
I was actually even doing pretty good. It was easier than I expected. I could see myself getting into it (yes habits can begin to form in less than two weeks). And then I missed a day. And then another. And sadly. I’m still not a runner.
In fact If that post was written two months and two weeks ago, then I haven’t run in two months.
I’ve been at the beach this week and I had dreams of being one of those that woke up before the sun to go for a morning run in the sand. But instead, I’ve just been watching others do it.
I am one to quit by nature. I’d prefer to call it “explore”, but quitting is really more accurate. Growing up, I danced, I cheered, I played basketball, piano & flute, but I never stuck with any of them. As an adult, I’ve wanted to learn how to sew, lose weight, save with coupons, be the perfect mom and wife. And sadly, I feel like I fail at all those things every day.
Any other ways I am anything but one to quit. I rarely back down from an argument, I’m the type to always work harder and more than I am being paid, and I will not stop until the kid’s birthday party or event is absolutely perfect.
So how do I use that drive to not quit on the things that I want to accomplish?
How do I not get too comfortable with my weight-loss and quit before I hit my goal? How do I become a runner or more active so that I can feel like I can stop “dieting”?
Day by day? I don’t know. But if you happen to that that one figured out, feel free to fill me in!
Before leaving for vacation I was just 2 pounds away from my goal weight. Seven pounds away from my “I’ll never be able to get there again” dream weight. We’ll see how the scales treat me (or rather how I’ve treated the scales) upon my return.
And then I’ll keep pushing through – trying not to quit on myself {again}.
- Post linked to Losing It at House of Hills.
The “i’m on vacation” trap
Jun 17th
Vacation & “Dieting”
Last weekend we took a quick weekend trip to the lake. It was a really fun get together with three other families. There was around twenty of us total.
I had to fight hard - really hard – not to fall into the “it’s vacation” mentality that I’m accustom to. Brownies, cake and ice-cream were flying by and bowls of chocolate, potato chips and soda was constantly out and available. I could have easily caved and said “it’s vacation” – and I really wanted to! But I’m proud to say that I was able to resist – I kept the bigger picture in mind.
I could have gained instant satisfaction with a slice of brownie or indulging throughout the day, but knowing me, I also would have gained a pound with that instant satisfaction!
In about three weeks I’ll be taking another family vacation. I need to find the balance of enjoying vacation - and all the yummy treats that come along with it – without over enjoying those yummy treats!
What are your tips or tricks for finding that balance? Do you indulge a little each day or just once or twice during your trip? Or do you resist all together.
This week, my main goals are to:
- Continue with my food journal – eating Two Proteins, Four Veggies, Three Fruits, and Two Starches per day.
- Get a minimum 64 oz of water each day – pushing to 72 if possible.
- Stay focused – I’m getting close (really close now) to my goal. You would think this would be crazy motivation but unfortunately sometimes it’s just the opposite for me!
Post linked to Losing It Challenge at House of Hills.
Losing it challenge … wants vs. needs
Jun 3rd
Wants vs. Needs
I haven’t posted about the “Losing It Challenge” in a while. Frankly because I wasn’t losing anything so I really didn’t have much to say. I’ve learned that in order to lose weight I must be strict – super strict. I don’t know if a lot of people are that way or if that’s unusual. It seems that even slightly cheating and I off sets a week of hard work. Totally not fair! Now maintaining is a different story – that I can do ok for a good while. But I don’t want to maintain right now. I want to finish what I started and actually lose!!
So my diet right now focuses on a balanced eating plan – Two Proteins, Four Vegetables, Three Fruits & Two Whole Grain Starches per day. Can I just stop right there & say that was an eye-opener! And hard! I thought I ate a lot of fruits & vegetables, but four & three servings – no! And FULL proteins? Definitely no more than one. And some days maybe not even a full protein!
These days I’m keeping a food journal (something I’ve never done or ever wanted to do before). But it’s helping me make sure I get what my body NEEDS not what it WANTS! Big difference. When I want something to snack on, my journal tells me that I still need a piece of fruit or veggie for the day. So the cookie loses out!
Eating out has been the biggest eye opener! Right now my eyes are trained to scan for what I need! We went to Waffle House this past weekend and what I really wanted was a Pecan Waffle – YUM! But what I really needed was an egg white omelet with veggies! So the yumminess lost out! And honestly that egg white omelet with mushrooms and tomatoes was actually pretty yummy too!
And then we went to another local restaurant, and what I really wanted was their delicious chicken fingers, home made mashed potatoes and melt in your mouth croissant rolls. But instead, I ordered what I needed – grilled chicken (hold the creamy sauce that makes it taste so good) with a double order of steamed vegetables.
The flip side of this plan is that it’s not real life either! Hot dogs don’t exactly fall into one of the food groups listed above … and for a Memorial Day Weekend full of grilling and being poolside, a hot dog would have been nice!! Oh, I look forward to enjoying in moderation again!
Do you have a “Losing It” story? Link up to House of Hills and share!
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I want to be a runner.
Apr 15th
I’ve always thought (and still do) that runners are cool. There’s just something about it. Probably because I’ve never been one. You know, the “grass is always greener on the other side” kind of thing.
About two weeks ago I started C25K (Couch to 5k Program). I’ve only “ran” five times. I missed one. Oops. And I feel silly telling my husband “I’ll be back, I’m going out for a run”. Because a non-runner sounds really silly saying that to a runner! He doesn’t run races or anything like that, but he’s a runner – with beautiful soccer player legs! In fact, “His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold” – and that’s biblical (Song of Solomon 5:15)!
Vanderbilt Wife wrote a great post about the C25K Program – check it out & be sure to read the comments because they’re full of good tips & inspiration too.
I enjoyed the relay races in middle school. You know the ones where you each ran a leg & then passed the baton to the next person! The problem is my friends said I ran like a horse – a HORSE!! They weren’t actually being mean, I probably do. I kind of run with my head to the side and probably most certainly rather clumsy looking.
These days, my definition of “running” usually consists of trying to rescue a certain 1 1/2 year old, but my goal is to change that!
I want to be a runner!
So, here’s to trying something new!!
- Post linked to Losing It Challenge at Giving Up on Perfect.
- Post linked to Finer Things Friday at Amy’s Finer Things.
Losing it … week four
Mar 19th
I’m afraid the only thing I AM losing these days is my sanity!
So, did you notice that I skipped Week 3? I just couldn’t do it. For a number of reasons. I didn’t have anything good to write mainly. I was disappointed that this new motivation wasn’t keeping me motivated. Unless you count one day on and six days off!! And I don’t count that! So, my big news for this week …
I hid the scale.
That thing has been looking at me in the face (or feet is more like it!) for over a year!!
I have stood on that thing almost every single morning before getting in the shower.
If I’m loosing, it’s great.
If I’m not. It’s not great.
I’ve stressed myself out so much by having that thing in plain sight that I had to just get rid of it for a while. And it’s actually helped.
I’ve been super curious & really, really, really wanted to pull it out many mornings. But I’ve held out. Did it work? I don’t know. I’m not going to step on it today. Why? Because in the diet game, success sabotages me. I don’t do good with it. Sure it gives me a spring in my step, but it also puts something in the back that I can eat just a little extra bite of this or that because I’m losing weight. And the truth is, for me – I can’t. Not and still lose it. I can maintain all day with cheating here or there. But not lose it.
I did cut out alot of my snacking – not 100% but still pretty good. Trying to eat smart meals (that’s not usually my problem) and then two small snacks during the day. Smart snacks of course!! I did have one of these for St. Patty’s Day, though!! And it was SO yummy!! And I drank 90% water. I think I had one Dt. Coke throughout the week!
So my goals for this week:
1. Continue to limit snacks – I’m going to try and keep a food journal, although I honestly don’t think I’m organized enough to really set that as a hard goal … it’s more like a “I should really give that a try”. A friend (oh I love calling her that!!) recommended that & SparkPeople. I think I might give both a try!
2. Shred at least 4 days a week.
3. Drink lots of water!
So, go see what the other girls are up to in the Losing It Challenge.
Losing it … week 2
Mar 5th
Aye yi yi. I thought making myself have accountability and publishing my challenge on the this here old blog would help give me that final motivation.
*Sigh*.
It hasn’t. Do you know that frustrating feeling of knowing what the problem is & still not being able to fix the problem? And it’s not that I’m not able to. It’s that I’m not wiling to. That’s even more frustrating!! I’ve said before that there’s a direct correlation between the number of hours my children are awake in one day and the number of calories I eat! And this week has been one of those weeks.
Megan has been stuck on waking up at 5:30am every morning. It’s as if she’s hidden an alarm clock in her crib! And she cries. And cries. And cries. But now she doesn’t just cry. She constantly calls for Mama, Mama, Mama. Until I get her. I’ll let her cry a while but still, I’m awake. I can’t sleep through that. So then I get frustrated and go get her before she wakes up Evan. Because that would frustrate me even more!! So we start our day around 6am. And the truth is, I would be totally fine with starting my day at 6am if I knew that it was going to be 6am EVERY day!! What I hate is when it’s 7am one week and then I make plans to get up at 6am and have an hour of productivity only for her to decide she wants to wake up at 5:30am!!
I’m a planner. In my Sisterchick world I’ve been known as “the Monica” of the group. That’s good and bad. But honestly, it’s a real struggle for me not to have control! And this little 18 month old (as cute as she is) drives me to eat … I honestly feel like I deserve a bag of M&Ms or two cookies by 9:30am!! And I’m not kidding!
When I don’t have control in my life, I snack more! I know that. I acknowledge that.
Now to stop putting my problems off on my children & take responsibility for myself!
So, what good have I done this week:
1. I did the “Shred” five days out of seven. That’s pretty good.
2. I made a conscious decision to drink more water. Although I have no idea how much I drank (by the way, I have an awesome invention if anyone wants to buy it from me, regarding that!!).
3. I didn’t aimlessly snack away the day two out of seven days. Yeah, not really that good, but I’ll take it.
4. I lost ____. I don’t know yet!! I’ve decided I’ll post on Fridays to stick with the Challenge, but I do much better if I weigh in on Sundays. Weighing in on Friday just mentally gives me a free pass for the weekend! So, I’ll update this post on Sunday. Is that ok?? (on the 10th week, I’ll weigh in on Friday like everyone else … this will just help me for weeks 2-9!)
So am I alone in this? Does anyone else feel that they deserve a treat before the sun officially rises??
- Post linked to Losing It Challenge at Giving Up On Perfect.
Losing it
Feb 19th
Giving Up Perfect, The Vanderbilt Wife, and Heart & Home are hosting a new carnival every Friday. And it’s a carnival with prizes!! I just posted on Wednesday about my need to identify my “trigger foods” and my need to continue my journey with the LIFE Diet. So, the timing of this is great! I need that extra motivation to lose those last 16lbs.
So, my goals for Week 1:
1. Identify & REMEMBER my trigger foods – I listed mine out here.
2. Eat SCHEDULED snacks ONLY - I get in the bad habit of eating a few pieces of chocolate here, getting fed a few goldfish there, snacking while I’m cooking … am I alone on that?? I actually do worse when I’m at home. The pantry & fridge are just too convenient! Who am I kidding it’s not their fault – it’s mine!!
3. Drink at least 40oz of water each day – I know I should drink more, but I’m usually just not a thirsty person. So I’ll start with 40 and hopefully in the next week or so that goal will grow!.
So those are my simple goals for the week. No exercise? Sure I’ll be doing some, but I actually don’t mind exercising … it’s the eating right part that gets me the most!
Do you have weight loss goals? Join in with the Losing It Challenge!
