Time for Reflection and Goal Setting

December has not been a successful weight loss time for me.  I am disappointed, but I realize that I have allowed this to happen by not persevering in the healthy habits I have acquired. 

I am in the process of reflecting over the past year and setting goals for the future year.  One goal will be to get myself back on track. 

I have been eating way too many Christmas goodies and telling myself that it is okay because it is Christmas time.  The thing is --I know that when I eat sweets, I begin to crave more and more sweets.  I find I am buying candy and then I feel guilty for doing it so I hurry to eat it. 

It's pretty sad when you can eat  your total calorie allowance in just a few handfuls of sweets.  I have gained some weight and I can feel it in the way I feel and move.  My knee is achy, my joints hurt, I feel out of control. I do not like to feel this way. 

It is so easy to gain 10 pounds-- can do it in a few days.  But to take off those 10 pounds requires diligence, workouts, and a few weeks. 

Anyway--- I hope to have some goals set soon.  I have joined Sparkpeople and hope that the community and accountability features will assist me in getting back to practicing what I know will be healthy.  If you are reading this and also on Sparkpeople leave me a comment or email me. We can help each other out. 

I am also considering another weight loss challenge this winter.  If you know of some going on, please let me know so I can look into them. 

I'm looking forward to 2012.  The past year was a difficult one - but we learn from all our experiences. I hope to be able to improve in 2012 from all the lessons I have learned in 2011.

Have you started thinking about your 2012 goals and resolutions?   

Week 10 of Fire Up for Fall

Update time!  It is hard to believe that it has been 10 weeks since this challenge first began. Nevertheless, it has been 2 1/2 months and now it is time to recap my goals and summarize the results of the challenge.  
Before I begin, I would be remiss if I didn't give a big thanks to Rebecca at Weight Wars who organized this challenge and encouraged many along the way. 


Be accountable by participating in Challenge and blog weekly 
Being a part of a challenge kept my mind focused during the week on my goals.  Knowing that I was going to have to report helped me stay accouintable.  I enjoyed being a part of the group and I "virtually met" many fellow weight loss friends.  I think it helps people to know that there are others out there who are going through some of the same things that you are.

Decrease weight by 10 pounds
I failed miserably with this goal.  Midway through the Challenge I had a week where I gained a lot of weight. I never recovered from that weight gain.  I spent the rest of the challenge working to wittle off the pounds gained that week.   I am disappointed, but it reminds me how fast we can gain if we don't maintain our diligence and how slow it is to lose. 

Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry  
I did pretty well with recognizing my body signals.  What was harder for me was to eat only when hungry.  I am an emotional eater and I find myself craving things to eat sometimes and I allow that feeling to overpower my mind that tells me I am not hungry.  Rather than beat myself up too much on this, yet not use it as a crutch- I realize that I am in the midst of a stressful transition this season and I cut myself a little slack.  It will just prolong my journey to my ultimate goal weight.

Exercise at least four times a week 
I definitely got in 3 formal exercise times a week and often hit my 4 times a week goal.  I want and need to make the gym a 5 times a week habit--especially during this holiday season. Finding the time is the hardest. 

Sleep at least 7 hours a night
I have done pretty well with this one.  To help me accomplish this better I need to impose an electronic curfew upon myself.  I sit down at the end of the day and can lose hours on the computer.  If I set myself a curfew for anything electronic--including phone-- then my brain won't be inundated with so much information.  It'll have time to just have some quiet peaceful time. 

Have a food plan and keep right food on hand
This is the goal that I dropped midway through the challenge.  I think tracking food eaten is so important and I still try to do it, but I think managing all six goals got to be too much for me and I let this slip.  In my ideal world, I would make a menu plan, buy all the right foods, eat healthy then write down everything I eat.   My world is not ideal yet.  :)


Thanks to everyone who participated in this challenge.  I have enjoyed reading about your journy and wish you continued success along your way. You are inspiring to me.  And thanks to all of you who have read my blog along the way.  You motivate me. 

  

Hungry or something

Why are there some days when you just want to eat? 
You are not hungry necessarily, but you just want to be eating.  I'm having one of these days.  On days like this I need to just keep myself so busy and occupied that I haven't got the time to eat. 

I think maybe I am lacking in certain nutrients and that makes me have this faux hunger.  I need to get batter about eating balanced nutritious meals so that I will go searching.

But for today, I'm crossing my fingers and making a long "to-do" list.

Week 8 & 9 of Fire Up for Fall

It's been a busy couple of weeks and so I've decided to combine week 8 and week 9 updates.   Sometimes life is just like that ~    This week's positive picture is the innocence this photo shows.  It also just brings me joy when I look at it.

What have you done this week towards your goals?   

• Be accountable by participating in Challenge and Blog weekly - this past two weeks I haven't been posting or reading blogs much, but better late than never ! 
• Decrease weight by 10 pounds - I am still chipping away
• Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry-- I'm doing pretty good at being aware of whether or not I am hungry or not , the problem lies in my choosing to go ahead and eat when not hungry
• Exercise at least 4 times a week-- I've gone to the gym 3 times a week the last two weeks and I have done some exercising at home in the off days 
•  Sleep at least 7 hours a night - on average I am snoozing well

What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
I've been traveling and have criss-crossed the state.  I was on the west side of Missouri in Kansas City for awhile and was able to see my 14 year old niece perform in her school play.  Later it was to the east side of Missouri to St. Louis.  I was with a friend at an education conference.

St. Louis is the home of Baseball's 2011 World Series champions The Cardinals.  We stopped and ate at a restaurant called Pujols which is one of the Cardinals well known players. A statue of Albert Pujols sits in front of the restaurant to greet the hungry customers.

How important is a social life to you? Are you a loner or a butterfly or somewhere in between?
Relative to others, I am closer at being somewhere in between a butterfly and a loner.  I am more introverted than not and I need my alone time to refresh my energy.  However, I have my circle of friends and among them I like to flit like a butterfly at times. 

How do you balance life outside your home with healthy living?  
Most of my friends are at an age when we all have to start paying attention to our health habits, so it is not so difficult to balance.  My mantra is always...moderation..


What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy going to the theater or seeing other live performance events.  I also just like to gather with a few friends and hang out to visit.  There never seems to be enough time to just sit and enjoy time together anymore. 

What's the most positive thing you've taken away from this challenge?
This challenge helped motivate me to have a routine and be accountable to my goals.

It's the last week, the run to the finish.  What is your priority?
My priority as this challenge finishes, is to continue with healthy habits over the holiday season.  I hope to stay the course until after Christmas then set new goals for the new year.

Fun Stuff. Desert Island, you can take 1 person, 1 famous person and 3 items besides food and water. Who and what do you take?
To the Desert Island I would take a friend--and if I could trade the famous person for another friend I would.   I would rather go with 2 people I know, than with someone famous.    The three items I would take with me would be an air conditioner/fan; a yacht, and my computer with wireless Internet.

Next week is the Round up week.... what a fast 10 weeks!

Week 7 of Fire Up For Fall

Happy Halloween ! 

My positive Thought for the week is a weight loss cartoon--  made me chuckle when I read it.  Some days I wish it were true.

{source}

Questions for the week:
What have you done this week towards your goals? - This has been a crazy week and I have not done much as I have been on call to go help my daughter with her needs as a new mother. 

My goals:

•  Be accountable by participating in Challenge and Blog weekly -  I am doing this--although I did get last week's questions done two days late because of my granddaughter's early arrival
• Decrease weight by 10 pounds - I maintained my weight from last week
• Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry -  I've been snacking way too much.  I need to get a handle on this
• Exercise at least 4 times a week - No exercise this week unless you count playing with my 3 year old grandson.
• Sleep at least 7 hours a night - This was accomplished more or less

What have you done this week to make yourself feel fabulous?  - I have been a grandma, loving on my grandchildren.

How do you pull yourself out of a slump or prevent yourself falling into one?  Generally speaking I keep myself very busy and satisfied with my life/work to prevent falling into a slump, but once in a slump I either go re-connect with the things I love most--my family, then my closest friends.  I call my children, or visit my grandson to play for the afternoon.  I also find that if I help someone else, I feel better. I find a way to reach out to those less fortunate than myself. It helps me to count my blessings.   There is always someone worse off than me-- basically, I get an attitude shift.

Are you naturally positive or do you have to work at it?  How do you keep yourself positive?   I am a pretty positive person.  I have been blessed and I try to remember that. I always try to look for the silver linings in things.  I also have the perspective that even the tough things in life teach us something that will ultimately lead to our good - we just need to see it.  Sometimes this is a lot tougher in practice, and that is where my faith steps in.

If you could go away anywhere tomorrow ( and work wouldn't get weird) where would you go?  Any change of scenery along with good friends or family would be welcome!  The suspension of work duties and responsibilities combined with the companionship of loved ones is most refreshing.  Where doesn't matter.  If forced to name somewhere - with unlimited funds I would go somewhere farther than a close drive --maybe Canada or take the train to Chicago.  If funds are limited, I'd stay close by  and just get a change of scenery--perhaps to my aunt's farm or my sister's home.


Three weeks to go --

 

Week 6 of Fire Up For Fall

My posting is late this week and my positive picture will help explain the reason.   My picture is the bottom line of why I am choosing a healthier liefestyle. 

 My grandaughter was born this week.   She wasn't expected for another 3 weeks so surprise came with our joy.  Grandchildren fill your heart with amazing love and joy.

Week 6 Questions:
What have you done to achieve your goals this week?  - I have been carefully monitoring what I'm eating.  I also was able to get out and walk in the neighborhood for at least 60 minutes three days last week.  This was in addition to going to the gym 3 times and doing some cardio and strength training.

What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous? - I did a little "retail therapy."   I needed to get a professional type outfit appropriate for going to job interviews.  I haven't bought too many new clothes as I have lost weight as I want to wait until I get where I want.  And I figured I should wear well-fitting clothes if I am "presenting" myself.  On my shopping trip, I happened to find some great deals and I bought about 3 outfits with some extra tops all for a good price -- and it looks good too!

Do you listen to music when you work out?  What gets you fired up?   - When I am walking on the treadmill I do listen to music.  Ususally something fast -- the faster the beat, the faster I go.    When I go out walking in my neighborhood, I start off listening to some worship songs on my playlist after a few songs I listen to podcasts that I subscribe to until I am finished walking.

Whats your guilty pleasure music?  How does it make you feel?  This doesn't apply to me - I don't have guilty pleasure music.

If today were a song what song would it be?  No excuses!   Martina McBride's Anyway

Back on the Right Track

Friday is my weigh-in day.  Last week was not good for me partly due to poor food choices and not exercising as I should. Therefore this week I have been trying to make some better choices in these areas. It has paid off and I have lost about half the weight I gained last week.

Why is it always so easy to gain weight, but oh so hard to lose it??
*sigh*

Week 5 of Fire Up for Fall

Positive Picture
I am thankful that I have access to fresh fruit and healthy food.  There are many people in this world who either don't have access to healthy food and clean water or cant afford the same.  May I never take for granted the abundance given to me. 

On to the questions for this week:

What have you done this week to achieve your goals?
This week was not good for me. I fell off the wagon, but I am going to pick myself up and dust off and press on towards the goal.  I'm pretty disgusted at my lack of self control - it's an emotional thing and I need to work on different coping strategies and/or do the hard job of working through my emotions instead of medicating with food.

1. Be accountable by participating in Challenge and Blog weekly - accomplished  

2. Decrease weight by 10 pounds - gained weight this week  

3. Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry - oh yeah, I ate when hungry and when I wasn't hungry too 

4. Exercise at least 4 times a week - only 1 out of 7, no excuse, but I was out of town for a few days and it made exercise inconvenient   

5. Sleep at least 7 hours a night - I averaged about 5 1/2 hours.  I made a point to get myself to bed most nights at a decent hour but I had trouble sleeping this week for some reason.  I kept waking up and the quality of my sleep was very poor 

6. Have a food plan and keep right food on hand - no menu, no tracking, no grocery store with healthy foods   *sigh*  


What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
I nurtured some relationships: I met for an afternoon with a favorite cousin and we had some deep conversations, I visited my daughter who has recently moved away, and I met my sister for lunch. 

My athletic sister is 5 years younger than me and lives 2 1/2 hours away.  She did a bike ride along one of our state trails to take advantage of the good weather and fall foliage. She rode 72 miles round trip!  I drove to meet her at her halfway point and we had lunch at a little cafe near the Missouri River edge. Then she got back on her bike and rode back.  I am so proud of her and admire her.

It's halfway through the challenge, you can change 1 or more of your goals (max of 3). What are you going to do and why?
I am going to drop my last goal of having a food plan and keeping the right food on hand.  It is my 6th goal, so I am not going to replace it.  This goal has never been fully accomplished and it stresses me when I realize that it is not being accomplished.  Instead of motivating me in the challenge, this goal does the opposite and by making me want to quit because I feel like a failure. So, I am just going to eliminate the goal.

What's your worse bad habit and have you ever tried to tackle it?  Do you want to?
Outside of food, my worse bad habit would have to be the making of stacks or piles of books and papers.  These can be found wherever I need or want the particular items: on the counter, the table, the sofa, my desk, and on the floor when when my desk runs out of room.   Every so often I clean up the stacks and put everything in its place, but eventually things end up back in stacks.  In theory I would like to tackle this habit, but in reality the stacks work for me and I can live with them.  Do you think there is there a 12 step program for this?  "My name is Mary and I am a slacker stacker."

Fun Time: Would you rather have burgers for feet or sausages for fingers?
Yikes!  Id rather have neither!  However, if I had to choose I think I would prefer to have burgers for feet.  I see my hands and fingers much more than I see my feet and I don't want to see chubby little sausages all day long. 


Five weeks to go--- I really need to fire up to meet this challenge!

Wordle

This is a wordle created from all my blog posts.  The more times a word is used in the text you want to use, the larger the word in the wordle.   This is what I see as I look at it:

• Weight.   That is what I am focused on 
• Get Gym   Hmm... maybe a message to me
• Want Dessert  No comment, that phrase is telling in itself  :)   

Wordles are fun and can be created from any text or even random words. After creating it you can print it out from the site. Get your wordle here! 

 

Week 4 of Fire Up for Fall

This week's questions:

What have you done this week to achieve your goals?

I feel the weeks blending into one another and it's difficult to remember what I did when. Does anyone else feel that way or am I just getting so old that the days fly by? I struggled with temptation and self control this week and I wrote about it briefly throughout the week which coincidentally takes us to my first goal.

1. Be accountable by participating in Challenge and Blog weekly - accomplished : I blogged several times this week including a difficult post that documented a little of my story up to now on this journey

2. Decrease weight by 10 pounds - accomplishing: weighed in with a loss of 1.6 lbs

3. Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry - 75% accomplished: I did really well with being in touch with how I was feeling and my body signals, but I struggled qt times with the action part of only eating when actually hungry. This is what I need to work on - why I continue to eat even when I realize that I am not eating for hunger

4. Exercise at least 4 times a week - accomplished : exercised 4 out of 7 days

5. Sleep at least 7 hours a night - not accomplished: I am really struggling with getting to bed early, I just have too much going on during day and evening then find myself on the computer at night where I lose track of time. I should probably resolve not to get on computer or read after 10pm. I also find myself waking up at sunrise or before - even on the days when I can sleep in.

6. Have a food plan and keep right food on hand - not accomplished: In fact I am failing this goal miserably. Perhaps it is not the right goal for me this season, or perhaps it is too large. I am going to drop this goal for now and will pick it up again in the future. At that time I will break it down into smaller goals, such as (a) have a written menu plan; (b) have the right foods on hand to implement the written menu plan; (c) follow written menu plan (with some flexibility); and (d) track actual food consumed either electronically or by paper journal.

What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous?
I spent a wonderful afternoon with friends at a performance of our local community theater group. I enjoy theater. My sister and I have season tickets to professional theater, but I have to travel 140 miles to get there. Community theater doesn't have the same budget, but the acting is good and it made for a great afternoon.

What is your go to food or activity when you've had a bad day?
This is a great question! If we are reflective and know what our go to food/activity is then we can possibly head ourselves off when that go-to feeling comes upon us. Much easier said than done though, I know. I find myself heading towards the starches like a loaf piece of nice, crusty bread - not the wimpy sandwich slice. Although I haven't had a sweet tooth for most of my life because I was giving in to my starch cravings, I find I now may get a craving for something sweet when I am having a bad day.


What is the last thing you did that you were really proud of?
First, I am proud of making the decision to make a change in my life by working towards a healthy weight. This is an ongoing feeling as the decision really is a day-to-day one.
Second, I am proud that I courageously made the decision to leave a horrid, poisonous an unhealthy work environment without knowing what I would do next. It has made me live daily by faith and has made me broke taught me many things. For someone who is very planned, this is a big thing. It took courage, but it was definitely the right thing to do. I don't know where this decision will ultimately lead me, but I have never had any regrets.

What was your favorite school subject and your least favorite? Why?
I have to give a disclaimer upfront that I am a teacher by trade. I have taught all general subjects and truly like them all. I was a typical "schoolie" when younger- I enjoy learning and dabbled in many subject areas.

I think my least favorite subject, both to teach and to learn, would have to be science. This is because of its broad spectrum. Some areas are so difficult for me to get in and digest and/or are boring not my cup of tea, i.e biology (one I like) vs. weathering/erosion. On the positive side, science can be one of the most fun subjects depending how it is taught. It lends itself well to hands-on learning.

It is equally challenging to name a favorite subject. My teaching certifications for older kids are in social studies and communication arts and for everything with younger children.  I gravitate towards liking history/ social studies best both for teaching and learning - depending again how it is taught. It could be very boring if you are lectured/lecturing or only reading a textbook. History is perfect for projects - who wouldn't rather act out the Boston Tea Party than read about it?

I like learning about cultures and people. Throw in a little geography, then dream about visiting there someday! Sharing my love of learning regardless of subject is what I like the best.

My positive picture of the week is a comparison. In September, My daughter and I had our picture taken at a wedding we attended. When I saw it, I was reminded of a similar picture we had taken just   3 years ago at a different function. I pulled the two pictures together and saw how much I have really changed in those months. In the top picture I am on the right and on the left in the bottom picture.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Seeing what I have already accomplished helps to motivate and propel me towards my ultimate goal.

Crisis Averted (sort of)

I was at the store today and the seasonal display kept calling my name.  Why is it when you don't have the time or the money to shop, you see all the cute things that you would love to have?

Then I saw them.  Stacks and stacks of candy for trick-or-treaters. I looked through the aisle to try and find some candy corn and candy pumpkins see what they had.  Last week in a different store I had to quickly walk by this candy - why do they put the candy that tempts me so on the end of the aisle where it can be plainly seen from miles many vantage points?

But I resisted the urge to throw the bag after bag after bag in the cart, and instead bought

three Halloween T-Shirts.  True, I could have had eight bags of candy for the same price of the shirts, but I felt good about resisting the urge for sweets. Besides, the shirts will last longer. 

Price of Candy Corn: $2.00

Price of  T-Shirts:  $25.00  

 Sticking to my Goals: Priceless







A Battle of the Will

{source}

Fridays are the day that I do my official weigh-in.   Since I had gained last week, I wanted to turn things around and I did.  Even with a couple lapses in my self control, I managed to lose 1.6 lb. 


I've been pretty good this week thus far with paying attention to my body signals and eating when hungry, not at other times.   I have to watch that I don't eat because the clock says it is dinner time, or that I'm bored, angry, upset, etc.   I also have to really be careful not to eat just because others around me are eating. Social eating can be very detrimental to your calorie limit!  

An example of this was last night. I went out with some friends for dinner.   After we ate, one friend ordered dessert.  It looked so good!  I wasn't hungry.  But my eyes wanted me to eat this dessert.  I gave in to the temptation and I ordered dessert.  It was really good-- but-- it added a whole lot of calories to my day and it also cost about half as much as my entree did!   So I ended up paying more than I had planned and eating more than I had planned.  The moment of pleasure was not as great as it seemed to be. 

As a "Monday morning quarterback"  I tell myself that dessert really was a pretty poor choice and not worth the calories or money spent.   But in the moment, I lacked the self-control to say no to my desire.   I also have to be careful today with my cravings.  When I eat something loaded with sugar, I then crave sugar and food in general and will binge if I am not on alert to fight the temptation.  Already today I have toyed twice with the idea of going and buying chocolate frosted brownies and then cake with gooey icing.  My rationale to myself is my grandson's birthday is today and it is perfectly normal to  celebrate it with sweets.  I am fighting the urge by writing this and then reading some other people's blogs.   From past experience, I know that these sugar urges will be gone by tomorrow if I do not give in to them.  

All this is from a few minutes of eating a dessert.   Dessert itself is neither good nor bad - it is how I react to it.  It's a matter of  opportunity costs --am I willing to put in the extra work for the dessert?

Do you have any foods that trigger cravings?

     

My Journey

I don't think there has been a time when I haven't felt fat.  When I was in Jr. high school I was what I would now consider  to be "not fat", but even at that time - I thought I was fat.  After I got married and had children it just got worse.  I let myself put on the pounds and keep them.   At some point, I had a divorce and that seemed to be a springboard to gain even more weight.  It was like I was blanketing myself to protect myself from getting close to anyone. 

 March 2008

Then in August 2008, I had to go the doctor (who I avoided) because my knee was hurting me and I thought I had perhaps torn something.  What happened was I was told that I needed to lose weight (of course).  I had degenerative arthritis in my knee.  I also had  high blood pressure and was pre-diabetic.  I was put on medication.  That was not what I wanted to hear!  So I started playing around trying to diet, but I didn't really put my heart into it. Over the next year I lost about 15 - 20 lbs.    

 July 2009

 

 November 2009

This picture was taken about a month before I started my serious journey to losing weight.  I'm not sure what it was  that made me get serious, but I realize now that unless your mind is involved, you won't lose all that you want.  The first couple months were the most difficult with cravings, but then it wasn't too much of a struggle to stay on my diet.   In fact instead of a diet, it was more of a lifestyle change.

I did not make a big deal out of my diet and did not really tell anyone what I was doing. Sadly, I lost about an additional 45 lbs before anyone at work- even friends- noticed. 

 June 2010   total lost  = 75 lb

I kept losing about 2 - 3 lbs a week.  That  summer I started walking in the neighborhood in the evenings with a friend.  I wanted to get myself in a habit of exercise.   We would walk about 20 - 30 minutes and that was a good thing until the heat & humidity of summer set in.  Exercise outside fell off and I went back to just my normal activity throughout the day.

 November 2010    total lost = 115

Nearly one year after I had started seriously on my lifestyle change, I had lost 115 lbs.  From my heaviest weight I was down 130 lbs.   Big problem now was my clothes.  I had lost so much  that it imperative that I get some new clothes.  Especially shirts.  All my shirts hung on me and looked horrible.  I had some skirts that I could wear and fold over and pin, and I bought a pair of jeans.  I didn't want to buy too much because I still wanted to lose more weight.   I had a way to go, but I now also began to think about what my goal weight should be. 

 April 2011

In February, I went off my medication for high blood pressure.  Losing weight had made my pressure go back to the normal range.  I also had not been bothered by the arthritis in my knee for several months.  In April I joined a gym and began to do strength training and some cardio. I tried to get to the gym 4 - 5 times a week.  I noticed quickly results from working out.  I had been having some stress at work and this helped control the stress.  My weight went into a plateau - either from the stress, or it was just one of those things.  However, I was losing inches and toning up. 

 June 2011

 August 2011  total  lost = 135 lbs

In July, blood tests were done and I compared my current numbers with past numbers. Everything was in normal ranges.  I no longer was pre-diabetic, my cholesterol was excellent, and my blood pressure continues to stay in the normal range.  Losing weight has gained me health.  Other changes were happening.  I changed my environment at work -  the stress was more than it was worth- and I took a wonderful vacation to visit  family I haven't seen in years.  My weight loss is still on a plateau - it stays within a 10 lb range.  I still want to losse an additional 50 - 60 lbs.  After my vacation, I have struggled with getting back into the gym routine. I've had a lot  of transitions, so I am giving myself some slack with the gym and with the fact that I haven't lost any more significant weight for awhile.  After all, it is a journey.  I'm in it for the long haul.  As soon as my life settles down some and my mind and body align, I know the weight will begin to drop as long as I continue with healthy habits.





 September 2011 

Total Lost = 130 lbs, 71.5 inches

My Journey ...to be continued





Week 3 of Fire Up for Fall

Fall is my favorite season.  I enjoy the crisp days when the weather dictates the need for a sweater in the shade, yet the sun shines warm.  Colors burst forth from the once green trees and shades of orange, russet, and brown dot the countryside.  Therefore, the picture above is my positive picture of the week. I took this picture while visiting a farm last weekend. It is the epitome of fall for me. 

Now to Week 3's questions:

What have you done this week to help get to your goals?
This week I felt I was better focused and on track. I definitely have room to be better, but I improved in working towards my goals over last week.  However, the scale did not agree with me and I gained 2 pounds. I'm not going to fret over it as I know there are hormonal shifts, stress factors, water, and overeating other unexplainable reasons for weight loss and gain.  I am just going to keep doing what I know to be good and healthy for me and  hope  know it will all balance out eventually. 

1. Be accountable by participating in Challenge and Blog weekly.  -accomplished

2. Decrease weight by 10 pounds - gained 2 pounds, but still down overall - accomplishing

3. Pay attention to body signals. Eat when hungry - working on this about 85%, accomplishing

4. Exercise at least 4 times a week -back up plan with DVD and Wii,  4 out of 7 days - accomplished

5. Sleep at least 7 hours a night - I am trying to make myself go to bed earlier which is difficult, 5 out  of  7 nights - accomplishing  

6. Have a food plan and keep right food on hand - I have purged the house of most unhealthy foods, but I only have a plan for a day or two at a time, this is the goal where I am the weakest.  I also find  I try to "track" my food in my head thinking I will remember. Duhh, no, I won't. I need to get better here   - not accomplished

What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous? 
As my positive picture above shows, my family and I spent the afternoon at a farm last weekend.  We went on a hayride and just had a good time.  I had a roll in the hay, but it may not be what you think.  It was when I was getting up into the hay and I slipped, tumbling down in the hay. Didn't hurt-- hay broke my fall, nothing hurt but my pride. :)  It was a good way to stay humble, laugh at myself,  and gave me my roll in the hay ! 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years ? What are your goals? Ambitions?
My life mission is to motivate, support, and empower others to fulfil their potential.  This is what drives me in the areas of my life - as a mother, as an employee, as a friend.  That is the big picture.  My ambitions and goals will all feed into this mission.  Now the sticky part is the details.  I am in a period of transition.   I quit my job and am in the process of looking for the next one.  Whatever it will be, I know it will fit with my mission I just don't know exactly what it is yet.  I am walking by faith until I find it.  
In 5 years,

• I see myself at a weight that is healthy for me
• I see myself grateful and finding joy every day
• I see myself remaining healthy because I am making healthy choices
• I see myself loving and being loved

Give us a tip or a fact. What is something great that you've heard that everyone should know?
 There is an app for I-phones, I-pod touch and I-pads that I like called weightbot that tracks progress with weight loss (or gain).   You can set a goal, record weight, and see graphs of your weight progress over time.  It can be password protected.  I used to track my weight daily, but now I put it in about 3 times a week.  The data can also be exported to an excel file.   It costs a couple of dollars on I-tunes and I have found it to be helpful for me.  It can be especially encouraging seeing it over time, or serve as a warning if weight begins to creep up.   

What was your most recent dream you can remember?
I hardly ever remember my dreams.  The last time I dreamt and knew I had in he morning was mid- summer. I don't remember now though what the dream was, so I'm afraid I cant answer this question sufficiently.


Fall is my favorite season, what is yours?

Having a Gym Back-Up Plan

I've been struggling to get to the gym lately, so I decided to backup my gym workouts with these exercise workouts:

• Slim in 6 is a daily program of  2 week steps gradually getting more difficult and strenuous as time goes on. When combined with their nutrition guidelines, you are promised a slimmer you in six weeks if you are faithful. 
• Zumba Fitness for Wii is the Latin dance party including a tutorial formatted for the Wii.  It comes with a belt that you wear around your waist that holds the remote.  More belts are available from the Zumba website if you want to have a multiplayer game.   

Going to the gym can be intimidating for someone who is heavy.  It seems that you're surrounded by fit, young, healthy bodies all staring at you -- the fatty, sweaty one who'd look more comfortable with a twinkie in her hand than a dumbbell.
It took a lot to get me to go the gym.  I began going to the gym in April.  It took me about 6 months to decide which gym to join.   I researched all the gyms in my area to decide which one would fit my needs the best. I looked at these criteria:

1. cost - I chose a gym that gave a discount for my employer
2. hours - originally my gym was open 24 hours,  I want to be able to go in the "off" hours
3. features - my gym has classes, weights, pool, basketball courts
4. ambience, atmosphere - my gym has a friendly atmosphere, not a lot of "hard bodies" strutting around when I am there
5. location - close to my home so I can go there right from work or quickly from home

 I did very well - I went 5 times a week through July and I even got a friend motivated to join me. Then in August I was going to go on vacation and I spent a week preparing and didn't go to the gym.  The next 3 weeks I was on vacation and didn't go.  When I returned, I had to unpack and then I also had jet lag for awhile and I didn't go for a couple weeks.  This was 6 weeks of no gym at all!  I tried to get back in the routine, but I am finding it difficult to get there more than 2 times a week.  The friend who joined last summer has also gotten very busy at work and hasn't been able to get there either.

I hope that I get my act together and get myself back to the gym proper. But on those days when I don't get to the gym I have no excuses for not exercising - I will be doing the  Wii Zumba and the workouts from Slim in 6.

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.

Simmering Summer Challenge Week 2

SSC - Week 2 Weigh- In

Week 2:  -2

Dropping these 2 pounds wasn't easy. I fought cravings everyday.  When I first began this journey ( January 2010 ) I had cravings for 2 -3 months before they subsided to nearly nothing.  They started out strong then slowly dwindled.  I hardly thought about food.  But this week I found myself desiring the taste of foods.  Not really hunger--stomach was fine-- but I wanted the food in my mouth and I wanted to taste it, chew it and finish it off.  I believe this can be attributed to emotional eating - stress, boredom, anxiousness, etc. 

The most difficult time -- my weakest time to give in to the cravings is in the late evening.   I am happy that I lost 2 pounds.  That is my weekly goal, but that still puts me behind for my monthly goal.  I need to try to make up a couple pounds if I want to hit my challenge target. 

Stars for the Week: 

• I went to the gym and worked out 4 out of 5 days this week.  On the 5th day I mowed my yard in 95 degree heat and humidity like a sauna, so I will consider that a good workout as well!  It was well over an hour of cardio.    
• I was more mindful of my food choices.  I didn't sit and just stuff my face.  I knew and made a conscious decision to eat that extra slice of pizza on Wednesday and the brownie on Thursday.  But I also resisted getting ice cream all week.  It was a struggle! 

Steps for next Week:

1. Continue to make mindful healthy choices to help me pass though this cravings stage.
2. Do not weigh myself more than 3 times, so I become number obsessive.
3. Drink more water to help with the cravings and any hunger.

How is your week going? 

Simmering Summer Challenge Week 1

SSC - Week 1 :  Weigh - In

Week 1:  + 4 pounds 
I am pretty disappointed in myself.  I struggled this week to keep to most of my action plans. 

• Some of my sleep was interrupted with insomnia.  My plan is to try and be in bed by midnight, but even as I write this post it is after midnight.  This is an area I will keep working on. 
• I think I was mindful as I ate this week, but I had a difficult time controlling my indulgences. I found myself wanting to snack - usually late at night.   The thing is--I don't think I am hungry.  It is a desire of the mouth, not of the stomach, if that makes sense.  Almost a stress reliever too.  This is something I have to analyze and be more diligent about.  I need to be stronger in this area. 
• I didn't write anything down.  Probably because I knew I wasn't eating right.
• I did not go to the gym even once this week.  They were closed on Monday, the 4th of July, and the other days I just blew it off.  This is another area I need to analyze a bit more.  I have been going with a friend and it seems that it is easier for me not to go when I go with a friend.  The opposite of the whole psychology of having a friend for accountability. 

I had planned to write more often this week and I didn't.  It is almost liked I have rebelled.  From the Friday to Tuesday, July 5  I had gained 7 pounds.  This in part was Independence Day celebration foods and ice cream cravings.   Some had to be water gain or hormonal though. The rest of the week I spent trying to lose the weight.  By Friday, I got down 3 pounds so that I was only 4 pounds up from the previous week.  *sigh*   

This weekend I haven't eaten well either.  But I am cleaning out the refrigerator and cabinets of foods that will sabotage me tomorrow.  I am going to go to the gym at least 3 times this coming week.  Hopefully I can make up the lost ground.

Simmering Summer Challenge 2011

It is time for a Simmering Summer Challenge! 

I am going on a trip in August and I have 5 weeks to work on this challenge before I head off to sunny Greece!

My goal for these 5 weeks is to lose 10 pounds and become more fit & tone.  I will lose some inches since June 27th when I last measured myself.   I will weigh myself on Fridays with the weigh-in dates being:

• Week 1: July 8
• Week 2: July 15
• Week 3: July 22
• Week 4: July 27
• Week 5: Aug. 5

To accomplish this I will do the following:

1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night at decent hours. I tend to get off-balanced especially during summer months, so I will try to go to bed by midnight.
2. Do not deny myself any food, but eat mindfully and make healthy choices.  This will mean having a plan to help avoid eating without thinking. For me this will look like few processed foods and little sugar.
3. Be sure to get enough protein.  I found previously that if I did not eat enough, I would not lose weight. Keeping some type of food journal is important. 
4. Stay hydrated.  This means water mostly, coffee and tea.  The more water the better.  Often times we think we are hungry, but really we are thirsty.
5. Incorporate exercise and movement.  Ideally 5 - 6 times a week, but lets be happy with going to the gym at least 3 times a week.  The 6 times can be things done at home - walking, playing, doing wii fit, mowing, etc.  

I will add more tomorrow about my strategies and my story to date.  How do you plan to stay on your weight loss journey this summer?  

Springing into Spring Challenge

Okay!  It is time to challenge myself again!  Springing into Spring Challenge  goes from the first week of Spring  ( March 20) and will be over the week of Memorial Day (May 30).  This is a total of 9 weeks.   The goals of this challenge will be to lose at least 25 pounds. 

Since the beginning of the year- which is about 3 months, I have been fluctuating with my weight and have not gained or lost anything significant.  This is  either a plateau or it is a result of some stress that has been going on with circumstances surrounding my life.  Either way I want to break through this and get the scale moving down again. 

I have discovered over the past year that I am an emotional eater. This leads me to believe it is the stress in my life and not a plateau that is affecting my journey.  I need to be more mindful and deal with my issues without food.  I also need to take care of the stress with exercise and restful sleep.   I discovered last year that if I get a good night's sleep of 7- 8 hours I lose more weight.  I also learned that sugary foods gave me cravings for more sugary foods, so it is best to avoid them. 

During the next 9 weeks in the Springing into Spring Challenge, I will:

• be aware of and drink more water 
• exercise-  walking and strength training 
• be more mindful of food choices 

FAQ : National Body Challenge : Discovery Health

FAQ : National Body Challenge : Discovery Health

One way I have kept myself accountable is by joining the National Body Challenge.(Click on the link above to check it out for yourself!)  The site is free and has menus with recipes, and exercise routines. It lets you check in with your weight so you can keep track of your progress over time. The challenge goes for an 8 week period and after that you can sign up again if you choose.