Week 2 of Fire Up for Fall

Week 2 is here already! Oh my, where did the week go? I cannot say that I made great progress towards each of my goals this week, but I can say that I was mindful of them. I thought about them , pondered them, ruminated over them, and even worked towards some of them.

I'll address the goals more specifically tomorrow, but for this week I am inspired and reminded that my success is a journey. The author Robert Collier says it well:

"Success is the sum of small efforts,

repeated day in and day out."

This week's questions:

1. What have you done this week to help you achieve your goals?

This week did not go as well as I had thought it would - I had better intentions than I was able to carry out. I had a few unexpected things come up, but this is known as excuses life. Nevertheless, I claim my successes and will build upon them. My goals and week 1 progress follow:

• Be accountable by participating in Challenge and blog weekly - intended to blog more, but accomplished
• Decrease weight by 10 pounds - lost 3 pounds, probaby water but I'll take it - accomplishing
• Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry - not accomplished
• Exercise at least 4 times a week - exercised a mere 2 out of 7 days - not accomplished
• Sleep at least 7 hours a night - 3 out of 7 nights not accomplished
• Have a food plan and keep the right food on hand - I did not physically track my food , nor did I have more than a day's plan in mind. I did go to the grocery store to get good foods - not accomplished

* Sigh. Baby steps. Small efforts. Persevere. They add up. Keep going.


2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
Fabulous may not be quite the descriptor, but good would definitely fit the bill. I stepped out of my comfort zone on at least three occasions reaching out to engage in conversation with people that I did not know well. Each time I came away from the interaction feeling good about the connection made and, I dare say, that the other people also benefited from the interaction.

3. What is your talent? What are you good at?
This week I have been especially good at p*ssing off frustrating family members (but that is fodder for another blog.) On a more serious note, as an educator I have a talent for corralling a large group of kids and I am good at teaching them the three R's : readin', writin' & 'rithmetic.  I'm also pretty good at deciphering and learning new things. 

4. What's been the highlight of your week, what are you proud of?
The highlight of my week was the time I spent watching & playing with my grandson while his mom was busy. We read books, made snakes with play-doh, galloped with a stick horse, and created a fort from kitchen chairs, coffee tables, & blankets. It absolutely blows my mind to think that this adorable little boy is the child of my child. And I have the privilege and honor to love and influence him as he grows up. That is why it is so important that I continue my efforts of success on my journey to be healthy and fit - for the next generation.

5. What's your guilty pleasure TV?
This has been a sad week for me. I said goodbye to the inhabitants of Pine Valley. Yes, I am a fan of the soap opera All My Children which aired their last episode Friday. For 41 years they have been broadcasting the show and for nearly the same amount of time I have been following them. I first met the characters secondhand through my mother's watching, then by watching myself real time. I even resorted to getting updates about them when I lived in Europe! Today's technology allows me to DVR the episodes and have an All My Children catch-up on the weekends. But alas, no more. From now on I will have to be satisfied with my second guilty pleasure in TV watching -- Dancing with the Stars!


I'm hoping to repeat some of my small efforts to add to my success this coming week, particularly my efforts to exercise and to get enough sleep. What is one effort that you can do for success?

Positively Thinking

This picture brings a smile to face and peace to my heart.  Sea, mountains  - what more could you want?  Especially if you are from a landlocked state not known for its high elevations.

But there is another reason this picture is so positive for me.  I took this picture last month while visiting family "back in the old country."  It is taken from a pier on the Aegean looking towards Mt. Olympus.  It evokes many feelings in me, but mostly one of peace that leads to a smile.

Have you ever been somewhere that evokes strongs feelings when you go back through pictures ?

Week 1 of New Fall Challenge

Week one of the Fire Up for Fall challenge is here and I am excited to be a part of it.  I am hoping that being a part of this seasonal challenge with others will be the nudge of motivation, inspiration, and accountability that I am needing at this time. 

For the next 10 weeks I'll blog through my weight loss victories and struggles. I'll answer weekly challenge questions and post something positive: a picture, words, or something that makes me smile.  I will post that picture tomorrow--be sure to come back to visit!   

Here are the first week's questions: 

What are your goals for the Fall Challenge? Why have you chosen these goals?  What do you think will be your biggest challenge in reaching your goals?  

1. Be accountable by participating in this challenge and blogging about it weekly. Challenges motivate me probably because I am bit competitive by nature. (or could that be perfectionistic tendencies ?)  I believe that carving out the time to do the blogging on a regular basis will be the most difficult part of this goal for me --especially if I am having trouble with the other goals on my list.  Although my goals are not hierarchical, this goal is the one that will embarrass remind force help me to keep the rest.

2. Decrease my weight by 10 pounds. I have much more that I want to lose, but I want to be realistic and also be sure and achieve it.  No use in giving myself an excuse for giving up before I get started by making my goal too high.  I have lost significant weight over the last year and a half, but have found myself stalled recently. Part of this is due to a plateau, some of it is due to stress, but most of it is due to my lack of focus.  I have been waffling in a 10 - 15 pound range for too long and it is time to break this pattern.  The hardest thing about this goal will be mental and emotional -  I am an emotional eater and have some crap long term stress that I would rather cope with instead of eat.    

3. Pay attention to what my body is saying or not saying.  In other words -- eat when I am hungry, rest when I am tired, acknowledge what I am feeling and deal with it. Oftentimes I find myself eating because the clock says it is dinnertime or because I am out with friends and they are all eating not because I am hungry.  How crazy is that?? Not a good way to lose weight!  The difficult part of this goal is that I often overlook, ignore, or don't think about what I am feeling-- I just go with the flow of the moment.  I need to be more mindful - especially when it comes to eating.

4. Exercise at least four times a week.   Last spring I was going to the gym five days a week and had a pretty good habit going.  Then summer came along with longer days and looser schedules. It got harder and harder to go five days when I was out later doing other things.  Then other things took precedent--going on vacation, preparing to go on vacation, unpacking from going on vacation, other short trips...and pretty soon I wasn't going at all.   The hardest thing about this goal will be finding the right time and making it a habit again.  Priority. No excuses.

5. Get at least seven hours of sleep a night.  In the past I found that if I didn't get enough sleep, I didn't lose weight regardless of what I ate or did.  Eight hours a night would be great, but there have been times when I was getting an average of only five hours of sleep a night.  That is not enough.  I am better now about getting more sleep, but still allow myself to take time from my sleep to do other things.  The hardest thing about this goal will be getting to bed on time.  I am by nature a night owl and there are just so many things I want to do.  When I get my second wind at night I find it so difficult to turn myself off in order to go to bed.  I feel like I am losing productive time when actually I am losing productive time the next day when I don't get my sleep.

6.  Have a food plan and have the right foods available.  This goal is so obvious and yet is one I find most difficult to keep.  I need to know ahead of time what I plan to eat and I need to have the ingredients available to make it.  My refrigerator and pantry need to be full of healthy foods and not quick-to-eat snacks that generally are over processed high calorie and non-satisfying. The hardest thing about this goal is that I am lazy don't like filling out a food plan because the rebel in me wants the freedom to go out if I want. I never have liked being told what I have to eat -  that is why certain commercial diet plans haven't worked for me - I sabotage myself.  I think I may write the plan for only a few days at a time to help me keep this goal to start out.


What have you done this week that's made you feel fabulous? 
This week I got together with a group of friends and had a great time catching up because I haven't seen many of them since June. Originally we started meeting as an occasional after work happy hour, but now only one of the six people who was there this week still worked at the same place. So while it is no longer an after work thing and usually more than an hour, it is still most definitely happy!   


Where in the world do you live? Whats amazing about it? 
I live in central region of the United States of America in the state of Missouri also known as the Midwest.  I have lived in only one other state, but I have also lived in Europe.   I have loved all the places I have lived, but I especially find Missouri wonderful.  I am sure there is no bias!
Missouri is amazing because most years there is actually all seasons: colorful crisp days of autumn, cold snowy days of winters, fresh flowery days of spring, and unbearably humid warm days of summer.  Another amazing thing about Missouri, for me at least, is that much of my family lives in Missouri so visiting is affordable and can be a weekend trip. 


There you have it - - 
For the next 10 weeks I shall get myself Fired up for Fall!  Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my positive picture.  

Are you or would you ever participate in a group challenge ? Why or why not?    

Fire Up For Fall

I am taking the plunge and joining a group challenge this fall. Fire Up For Fall begins Monday, September 19 and will last for 10 weeks. 
This is how it works:

• Go to Weight War's blog to sign up   
• Set at least 5 goals to work towards over the 10 week challenge
• Every week answer questions that are sent out through your blogging  
• Each week post a positive picture that sums up the positive parts of the week 

I think this will be a fun way to stay accountable and also help me to break the plateau that I have been surfing in the last few months.