Adding activity

This year I have a new position at school which allows me much more time in the evenings and weekends than I am used to!  Yeah!!!  Unfortunately, I have not been using it to clean the house or redecorate.  Instead, I have fallen back to my old habits of sitting on my butt.

The past two and a half years have been super stressful for me.  I was teaching full time, working part time, on every committee imaginable at school, and taking 9 graduate credits toward a new degree.  So...when I was finally able to relax at about 11:00 p.m. at night, I did so by reading a book and sitting in a recliner.  This usually lasted all of 10 minutes and then I fell asleep.

Fast forward to this year when I have that new job, no part time job, no committees after school, and no grad classes.  This equals a lot more free time.  Sitting on my butt in the recliner from 5-11 is NOT how I need to spend that time.

So...I started adding exercise this week.  I started visiting my old pal Trudy Treadmill again and we are starting to bond.  We are taking it slow, but every little bit improves our relationship.

I got on the scale this week and was up .1.  Not anything to beat myself up about for sure, but I had been hoping for a little more thanks to the exercise component.  Data doesn't lie though.  Even though I added the exercise, I did have 2 days when I REALLY fell off the food wagon.  Exercise can only do so much for all those extra calories.

I am looking forward to next week's loss.  I will continue my relationship with Trudy and follow up with WW online.  Slow and steady, slow and steady...

6/23/13

Yesterday was weigh in day.  Of course it would have to follow an evening where I got off track and decided to give in to temptation.

On Friday I had an all day training in town and decided that, rather than coming home for lunch, I would eat lunch with Leslie.  I was careful to pack my own lunch so that it fit in with my WW plan.  Yeah!  Success!

Let me interject that on Thursday and Friday I spent 6 hours seated at a table laden with small, bite size chocolate candy bars and I did not have EVEN ONE!  Yeah!  I am so proud of that!  At one point, I said, "I need some chocolate!" and the lady next to me agreed and was ready to have some with me.  That is when I knew my limits and that having one little bar, would most likely mean having 6-8 of them.  So, I told her I was just joking and that I could not.  She, impressed by my willpower, did not have any either.  Wow!  Willpower plus a positive influence!

So, Friday evening we were going to friends' for a barbeque.  I signed up to bring fruit and chips.  I bought chips that I did not particularly like and fruit that I did.  I really wanted to bring a bun and a hot dog, but after debating how that would go, decided to just have some of the food there instead.  So, I allowed myself to have a a hamburger, but then I went a little wild and had 5 or 6 little reeses chocolate muffins, a piece of cheese, a few chips, and 2 helpings of sweet beans.  After a week of staying on program, this was quite a bit off.

So, when I weighed in having lost 1.4 from the previous week...I took it!  Yes, I slammed myself a little because earlier in the week it had said that I was down 3.3.  If only, if only.  You know what?  I cannot move forward focussing on the if onlys.

So, Saturday we had a funeral in Chillicothe and we went out to eat at Golden Corral afterwards.  I started out with a healthier salad than I normally would fix, but then I had 3 of the honey rolls and a whole plate full of chocolate desserts.  I didn't eat everything on the plate, but...yeah...not so WW friendly.

Back home Tom decided to throw some pizzas in the oven and I decided to give myself the freedom of starting my new WW week on Sunday instead of Saturday.  So...that is what I did!  And so far, so good.

Moving forward I cannot allow myself to focus on my downfalls.  Instead I will get back on the wagon and do my best to have a long ride.  There will be days when I momentarily fall off and as long as I am not stuck there, I will get to my destination.  The less I fall off, the quicker I'll get there!

6/18/13

So I am tutoring a college student from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily.  Makes it easy to sleep in, stay up late, and pretty much be inactive.  The Beck Diet Solution tells you to exercise no matter what.  So, last night after doing pretty much nothing but school stuff all day, I came home from class after 10 p.m. and hit the treadmill.  Not hard.  Just walk while catching up on facebook.  Enough to burn some calories.

Tonight I got the inkling to start the Couch 2 5 K plan, but my neighborhood is WAY too hilly and I didn't feel like doing it treadmill style.  So...I thought about heading out to the trail.  I nearly begged my daughter to go with me and finally she said yes (only because she kept hearing a voice in her head telling her to be selfless).  She rode her bike while I ran/walked.  Neither one of us were disappointed in our decision.  :)

Tomorrow...what is the plan?  Not sure.  Maybe a bike ride on the trail with Holly.  My plantars fascitis is hurting a little bit...would be good to stay off my feet.

Food wise today?  I did well!  Logged everything and while I am way over in weekly points, only 2 of those came from today.

June 15--Weigh in day

So, today was another Saturday, another weigh in.  I must admit I am not taking this losing weight bit seriously at all.  But, here is where I am going to have to turn a new leaf if I really would like to lose weight.

1.  I must lift myself up, rather than beat myself up!
2.  Just do it!  This speaks to exercising!
3.  Strengthen the resistence muscle!
4.  Remember what you want and then go for it!

Awesome App!

If I find something that helps me on my weight loss journey, I like to share it.  My new best friend is the Nike Running App!  It is so amazing!  I choose the music I want to listen to and how I want my workout.  Do I want a timed workout?  A distance workout?  Or maybe just a basic workout?  I tell the app if I am using a treadmill, am on a track, trail, or road and then I hit done!  The app literally maps the route I walk/run, tells me where I walk the fastest and how fast I walk.  Also tells me the time I exercise and even the temperature outside!  Love it!  And best part is it is absolutely free!  Give it a try!

Finding inspiration

I love it when someone I know has lost a considerable amount of weight.  Number one, it just feels good to see them because they feel better, more confident, and usually love it when people notice their accomplishment.  I also really like seeing this happen to someone I know because it motivates me.  Seeing everyday people lose weight successfully is so much more believable than seeing celebrities do it.  Celebrities can pay for a physical trainer and someone to fix all the meals so they are delicious and nutritious.  For us normal folk, it is a little more difficult...a little more real.

Last year we had a Biggest Loser contest at my school.  Along with the contest came healthy meal ideas and even exercise classes after school.  I think the contest inspired some of our teachers to change some of their habits.  Now that the contest is over (and has been for 6 months) it is inspiring to see some of these people just melting away.  I read their posts on Facebook and "see" all the effort they are putting into getting healthy.  It makes me so proud and happy for them!  Plus, it tells me that I can do it too!  Love that!

Who inspires you?  Who moves you to move?

Setting goals

To me it is important to be well prepared for a journey of weight loss. Realistically, to be sucessful I need to think of this as a permanent change in behavior.

Step one...set small goals to help me get to my main goal.

Big goal: i want to lose 45 pounds.
Baby steps: If I lose 5 pounds a month I will reach my goal by September. 9 months. I was pregnant for 9 months...twice! I can do this!

I planned out my food for the entire day tomorrow. Now all I need to do is stick to it. Tomorrow i will plan my food for Thursday and Friday.

I CAN do this!

Disgusted

So today started out well, but then I decided to eat the last of the holiday left overs and start counting my points tomorrow. I am ok with this, but i do realize that I cannot continue to put off my health.

I believe i am at my all time heaviest. I can actually feel how this extra weight makes it difficult for me to move, tie my shoes, etc. definitely NOT pleasant.

I know that I can succeed at weight loss. I am a successful student and teacher. When I know I have to do something, I follow through. For my health, I need to take better care of myself and that needs to start NOW.