Who knew when I made goals I would continue to try and achieve them?
My usual modis operandi (Greek for mode of operation or m.o.) is to jump in with both feet, get cold, bored and jump out. I am an all in or all out type of person so when I get tired of something I am all out. It is something I need to continue to work on.
Let's review - The goal's are:
75 pounds gone from my body- 30 pounds by Graduation- 20 more pounds by 21st birthday - 75 by Leah's birthday - Doing well so far and still on track. I would really like to kick this number up to 95 pounds but I don't know if that is to much pressure or if I should just wait until I get to my goal of 75 pounds and then make a new goal. What do you think out there in cyber world?
eat healthy food - Doing well so far and still on track. Smaller portions and healthier choices
exercise 3 times a week - Doing well (usually it 4-5 times a week)
cut down on soda (one a day and none at a sit down restaurant) - Doing well. I have cut out soda completely since the beginning and was tempted to take it off my list since I have not had any but then I thought about it and I would forget it was a goal and slowly slip it back into my routine.
+56 days since starting
-16 pounds since starting
81 days to Graduation, 171 days to 21st birthday and 309 to Leah's birthday
Monday, February 28, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Choices I Make
I was thinking about control. I like to be in control. I like to think I am in control. Of course most of us know that God is in control. Not us. We do have free will, to do what we want, but absolute control is in God's hands.
I have control (free will) over what I eat, if I exercise, speed while driving, etc...
So I don't have many choices to make (I have to pay the bills, go to work, sleep, etc... or pay the consequences) but the choices I have I am going to make count.
+53 day
I have control (free will) over what I eat, if I exercise, speed while driving, etc...
So I don't have many choices to make (I have to pay the bills, go to work, sleep, etc... or pay the consequences) but the choices I have I am going to make count.
- I will choose to be happy
- I will choose to hug my family when the occasion presents itself
- I will choose to give love freely
- I will choose to give much and expect little
- I will choose to worship the one true God
- I will choose to drink water and eat healthy food
- I will choose to take care of my body*
+53 day
- 14 weight
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Spa Day on a Budget
Monday was a work holiday so I took the day to get errands done and to pamper myself. I had purchased a discounted gift certificate for a 55 minute massage and another for a 50 minute foot massage. I got them through Groupon. The massage was $39 and the foot massage was $15. I also wanted to get a mani/pedi so I called 8 nail places in my area and asked if they had a Monday special or a coupon I could use. By spending a few minutes on the phone I saved 20%. Well worth the time.
So my entire spa day cost me $87 not including tips. I really wanted to cleanse my system. On January 3, 2011 I stopped smoking and drinking soda. I started working out soon after that and I wanted to do something special for me. Would I rather have had a spa day at one place? Sure. But not for twice the price. I can go to a couple of different places for the savings.
It was really really nice. My feet are soft and have pretty polish. My nails are nice and short and have pretty polish. My muscles are relaxed and I am heading to bed. Life doesn't get much better than this (when it comes to just me time-not family time which trumps all).
I did think about the expense as I have never done anything like this before. I have done bits and pieces but never all of them on the same day. It was a little easier on my budget because I bought the gift certificates at different times so my budget didn't take a hard hit all at once. I also rationalized that I am not spending $20 a week on fast food or $15 a week on cigarettes. So the occasional splurge is ok.
Back to real life. Work, paying bills (why do they have to come every month?) housework and working out. But you know what? I like my life.
+50 day
- 12 weight
So my entire spa day cost me $87 not including tips. I really wanted to cleanse my system. On January 3, 2011 I stopped smoking and drinking soda. I started working out soon after that and I wanted to do something special for me. Would I rather have had a spa day at one place? Sure. But not for twice the price. I can go to a couple of different places for the savings.
It was really really nice. My feet are soft and have pretty polish. My nails are nice and short and have pretty polish. My muscles are relaxed and I am heading to bed. Life doesn't get much better than this (when it comes to just me time-not family time which trumps all).
I did think about the expense as I have never done anything like this before. I have done bits and pieces but never all of them on the same day. It was a little easier on my budget because I bought the gift certificates at different times so my budget didn't take a hard hit all at once. I also rationalized that I am not spending $20 a week on fast food or $15 a week on cigarettes. So the occasional splurge is ok.
Back to real life. Work, paying bills (why do they have to come every month?) housework and working out. But you know what? I like my life.
+50 day
- 12 weight
Monday, February 21, 2011
The Long and Short of It
My friend and I were on the treadmill the other day. I usually walk between 3mph and 3.6mph. I will start at 3mph and kick it up to 3.4 for a few minutes and then back down to 3mph. When I go 3.6 it is really tough to go more than a minute or two. I glance over at my friend who is walking 3.6mph and 3.8mph consistently. Don't get me wrong. She works hard as well. But why am I working just as hard and my heart rate is significantly higher and she goes faster and therefore further. It's not fair. Pout, pout, pout. I have been pouting for 5 weeks. I figured out the other day that she has much longer legs than I do. I am normal height but I have short legs. Always have, always will. She is a few inches taller than I am but her legs are proportionate to her height (lucky girl). I finally realized that she walks faster because she has longer legs and frankly does it really matter? It might if we were walking around a track or something as she would be further ahead of me, but on a treadmill? Duh. We are always even. I am going to keep doing what I am doing and she will keep doing what she does and that is ok.
Here are a couple of pictures. I was hesitant about sharing these as I look like s#*%.
One picture is from January 2 (thank you Michelle for making me be in this picture) and the other two were taken last week when we went down to see the kids at school (thank you Michelle for making me be in the picture).
Be kind to me. I am opening myself up here. Six weeks into this (when the pictures were taken).
Do we notice a difference? I guess the bigger question is: Does it matter?
1/2/2011-Joshua, Tom, Michelle, Me, Leah
+49 day
- 12 weight
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Jeans on Casual Friday
I tried on three pair or freshly laundered jeans that I own and wear. They all fit very nicely but I noticed one pair in particular that I have to wash and shrink after just one wearing. I wore these jeans to work today and looked good but by the end of the day they were loose.
Tom mentioned that they looked loose, baggy even (his words) and like a good wife I wanted to prove him right, so I pulled them straight down to my knees. No unbuttoning or unzipping, just pulled them down. Sorry if I gave you a visual, didn't mean to make you want to poke your eyes out, I just wanted to share that less than 2 months after starting this healthy lifestyle I can pull my pants down off my tummy and hips without unbuttoning.
These are the same pants that I could not always sit down in them comfortably and now they are to big. So I retired them to the top bunk in Leah's room where all of my to big clothes will gather until I am ready to get rid of them.
Tomorrow is weigh in day. I am nervous. I am not sure why but I am. I shouldn't be. I am fine if it stays the same. I don't think the number will go up (still doing well with eating and exercising) and if it does it will be like only one pound. Might go down. I don't know. I guess I will 'weight' and see. Get it? Weight. I am the funny one.
+47 day
- 12 weight
Tom mentioned that they looked loose, baggy even (his words) and like a good wife I wanted to prove him right, so I pulled them straight down to my knees. No unbuttoning or unzipping, just pulled them down. Sorry if I gave you a visual, didn't mean to make you want to poke your eyes out, I just wanted to share that less than 2 months after starting this healthy lifestyle I can pull my pants down off my tummy and hips without unbuttoning.
These are the same pants that I could not always sit down in them comfortably and now they are to big. So I retired them to the top bunk in Leah's room where all of my to big clothes will gather until I am ready to get rid of them.
Tomorrow is weigh in day. I am nervous. I am not sure why but I am. I shouldn't be. I am fine if it stays the same. I don't think the number will go up (still doing well with eating and exercising) and if it does it will be like only one pound. Might go down. I don't know. I guess I will 'weight' and see. Get it? Weight. I am the funny one.
+47 day
- 12 weight
Thursday, February 17, 2011
One Marshmallow or Two?
There was a study of children, age 4, who were told that they could have one marshmallow now or two marshmallows later. They were left in a room with one marshmallow. What would you have done when you were a child? What would you do today? It really does tell us a lot about ourselves. I would have had a tough time with the term 'later'. When exactly is later? Ten minutes, an hour, a day, a year? That answer would help me decide my answer. Ten minutes or even an hour. I could do that - I would wait. A day? Hmmm. A year? Not a chance. This way of thinking has helped me pass up the candy bar in the checkout line at the grocery store. Knowing that I would scarf it down on my way home and throw away the wrapper before walking in the door and not really enjoying it or (not and) I can wait until there is something that I would really like and enjoy. This past weekend we went to visit the kids and before the basketball game we had a soup/chili dinner at school. I had one bowl of chili and there were 3 big tables of desserts (and they had a lot of really good ones.) I looked them over. Ruled out the ones that looked like all sugar and carbs and settled on handmade cheesecake. I asked the nice lady behind the table if she could cut 1/3 of a larger piece for me and she obliged. Good choice on my part. Tom had the coconut cream pie and I mooched a half teaspoon (twice) of the rich filling. Yummy!
So how does this relate to other choices that we make? I know that when shopping with cash I give much more thought into my purchases than when I use the ever convenient credit card. I don't see those purchase consequences for a month. When trying to make good food choices, some times are a little easier than other times. If I know I am going out to dinner or perhaps a party of sorts, I will probably choose good things during the day so that I can have a bite or two of cake and a couple of hors d'ourves. I am becoming more thoughtful about my food choices. Because I am eating less I want to be happy with my choices. If I take a bite of something and it isn't good, I stop eating it. Why eat something I am not enjoying whereas before I would just finish it without thinking. Yeah for my team!
By the way: The children who did not eat the marshmallow when left alone scored (on average) 210 more points on the SAT college tests. There was no data on if they were overweight for eating two marshmallows later. If you would like to read more about this study I will provide the link. If you are not sure where the link is, go back a sentence and you will see it. Still need help. Go two sentences back and look for the underlined word that says 'link'. There you go. Good for you. Perseverance is a good thing.
+45 day
- 12 weight
So how does this relate to other choices that we make? I know that when shopping with cash I give much more thought into my purchases than when I use the ever convenient credit card. I don't see those purchase consequences for a month. When trying to make good food choices, some times are a little easier than other times. If I know I am going out to dinner or perhaps a party of sorts, I will probably choose good things during the day so that I can have a bite or two of cake and a couple of hors d'ourves. I am becoming more thoughtful about my food choices. Because I am eating less I want to be happy with my choices. If I take a bite of something and it isn't good, I stop eating it. Why eat something I am not enjoying whereas before I would just finish it without thinking. Yeah for my team!
By the way: The children who did not eat the marshmallow when left alone scored (on average) 210 more points on the SAT college tests. There was no data on if they were overweight for eating two marshmallows later. If you would like to read more about this study I will provide the link. If you are not sure where the link is, go back a sentence and you will see it. Still need help. Go two sentences back and look for the underlined word that says 'link'. There you go. Good for you. Perseverance is a good thing.
+45 day
- 12 weight
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Valentines Day
It's valentines day and my 7 week anniversary of healthy life choices.
I woke up this morning realizing it was 22 years ago that Tom proposed (on bended knee with knee pads still on from volleyball) and 21 years ago I was pregnant with our first child. We had a blizzard (2/14/1990) and I had to leave the mustang in funeral home parking lot and take the train home where my hubby had a bubble bath waiting for me where I relaxed and warmed up while he made a lobster dinner. Good times. Good times.
Those were our first 2 Valentines together. Things changed quite a bit since then. Twenty years of staying home and having a simple meal, hanging out with the kids, and not doing much of anything. We just don't enjoy going to a super crowded restaurant or paying a lot for something we can have at home. We would rather spend 1/3 of the money on steak, potatoes and a fresh veggie at the store and make it ourselves (when I say make it ourselves, I mean Tom).
It use to bother me that we don't celebrate valentines day, our anniversary or my birthday with cards or gifts but I have realized that he spoils me most of the other 362 days a year. Everyday that he makes dinner or loads/unloads the dishwasher is another day of him showing his love for me.
We don't need no stinkin holiday to tell each other how we feel. We show each other every day by the little things that we do and say (and sometimes but why we do not say and do).
How about you. How did you spend valentines day?
+43 day
- 11 weight
I woke up this morning realizing it was 22 years ago that Tom proposed (on bended knee with knee pads still on from volleyball) and 21 years ago I was pregnant with our first child. We had a blizzard (2/14/1990) and I had to leave the mustang in funeral home parking lot and take the train home where my hubby had a bubble bath waiting for me where I relaxed and warmed up while he made a lobster dinner. Good times. Good times.
Those were our first 2 Valentines together. Things changed quite a bit since then. Twenty years of staying home and having a simple meal, hanging out with the kids, and not doing much of anything. We just don't enjoy going to a super crowded restaurant or paying a lot for something we can have at home. We would rather spend 1/3 of the money on steak, potatoes and a fresh veggie at the store and make it ourselves (when I say make it ourselves, I mean Tom).
It use to bother me that we don't celebrate valentines day, our anniversary or my birthday with cards or gifts but I have realized that he spoils me most of the other 362 days a year. Everyday that he makes dinner or loads/unloads the dishwasher is another day of him showing his love for me.
We don't need no stinkin holiday to tell each other how we feel. We show each other every day by the little things that we do and say (and sometimes but why we do not say and do).
How about you. How did you spend valentines day?
+43 day
- 11 weight
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Giving More than Blood
Last week while sitting around the lunch table at work a co-worker mentioned how she was giving blood on Saturday. It got me thinking (darn those co-workers). Why don't I give blood more often? I give once a year at the annual HS drive but ummm never really thought about doing it more. Why not?
I was raised in a christian family who went to church every Sunday and I went to a Lutheran grade school from preschool-8th grade, where I was taught about time, talent and treasure . I am a caring and generous person (just ask me). I have raised my 3 children to think of others and to help when we can.
We do give of our time, talent and treasure but I never thought of giving blood as one of these.
I believe it is actually all three. It takes time to go to the facility and fill out the questionnaire and to give the actual blood. It takes talent. The definition of talent is "a special natural ability or aptitude". My body has a talent to make more blood and it is actually healthy for your body to donate blood and create more. It takes treasure. The definition of treasure is "Valuable or precious possessions of any kind". I need it to live. Others need it to live. If you or a loved one has ever needed blood you understand what a treasure it truly is.
So I decided to give blood. I went to the website and signed up to give blood at least 4 times this year. I made an appointment for me. While I was at the website I also signed up for a donation date for me and my two teenagers for when they are home from school. Maybe it will become a family thing?
+36 day
- 11 weight
I was raised in a christian family who went to church every Sunday and I went to a Lutheran grade school from preschool-8th grade, where I was taught about time, talent and treasure . I am a caring and generous person (just ask me). I have raised my 3 children to think of others and to help when we can.
We do give of our time, talent and treasure but I never thought of giving blood as one of these.
I believe it is actually all three. It takes time to go to the facility and fill out the questionnaire and to give the actual blood. It takes talent. The definition of talent is "a special natural ability or aptitude". My body has a talent to make more blood and it is actually healthy for your body to donate blood and create more. It takes treasure. The definition of treasure is "Valuable or precious possessions of any kind". I need it to live. Others need it to live. If you or a loved one has ever needed blood you understand what a treasure it truly is.
So I decided to give blood. I went to the website and signed up to give blood at least 4 times this year. I made an appointment for me. While I was at the website I also signed up for a donation date for me and my two teenagers for when they are home from school. Maybe it will become a family thing?
+36 day
- 11 weight
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Beads in a glass?
I counted out as many beads as I was pounds (when I started) and put them in a pretty see through glass. For each pound I have lost I put them in a different glass. It helps me visualize the loss and also see that while any loss is good it is not a big deal. You should see those 11 sad beads all alone in glass.
I was also thinking about those people who have a hard time getting on the scale or seeing the scale go down. Perhaps it is because, like so many, we have in the past put the weight back on. Seeing the scale number go down is almost like a tease because we know it will go back up in a month or a year (it has for most of us and why would this time be different)? Stinkin thinkin. For those who have played a video poker or slot machine knows the thrill when you put in one and 'win' back five, but usually we keep playing and end up for a loss. Sound familiar?
So here is my thought. Lets say I started my healthy living style on January 3, 2011 and I was (for arguments sake) 255 pounds and lets say that by the end of the month I was 246 pounds. On February 3, 2011 I made the conscious choice to live a healthy life style but my beginning weight is 246. By the end of the month maybe I lose 6 pounds and on March , 2011 my beginning weight is 240. I know it may sound silly but there is a method to my madness. We have all been up and down. But who is to say what are starting weight was? If I had started this 6 months ago then my weight may have been 240. So my challenge to you is that the beginning of the month you make a conscious decision to live a healthy life style and see what happens. One reason I think this method of thinking may be helpful is because BIG numbers are intimidating. I want to lose 75 or 100 pounds. Big numbers - I can never do that, if I lose 70 am I a failure? If I do reach my goal than people, who are well meaning, say nice things to me and it messes with my head.
If I stick to a monthly start weight and a monthly loss it doesn't seem so huge. It also allows me to get back on track a little bit easier.
PS-If you do the beads in a glass thing I recommend using as small a glass that the beads will fit in. Seeing them overflow the top and balance on each other is a great visual. I could take 20 out and it is still bulging at the top (sort of like my excess tummy and hips). Maybe you don't want to see the beads you have lost. Perhaps it would be better to throw them out at the beginning of the month when you have a new start weight. The lesson here. Do what works for you.
+34 day
- 11 weight
I was also thinking about those people who have a hard time getting on the scale or seeing the scale go down. Perhaps it is because, like so many, we have in the past put the weight back on. Seeing the scale number go down is almost like a tease because we know it will go back up in a month or a year (it has for most of us and why would this time be different)? Stinkin thinkin. For those who have played a video poker or slot machine knows the thrill when you put in one and 'win' back five, but usually we keep playing and end up for a loss. Sound familiar?
So here is my thought. Lets say I started my healthy living style on January 3, 2011 and I was (for arguments sake) 255 pounds and lets say that by the end of the month I was 246 pounds. On February 3, 2011 I made the conscious choice to live a healthy life style but my beginning weight is 246. By the end of the month maybe I lose 6 pounds and on March , 2011 my beginning weight is 240. I know it may sound silly but there is a method to my madness. We have all been up and down. But who is to say what are starting weight was? If I had started this 6 months ago then my weight may have been 240. So my challenge to you is that the beginning of the month you make a conscious decision to live a healthy life style and see what happens. One reason I think this method of thinking may be helpful is because BIG numbers are intimidating. I want to lose 75 or 100 pounds. Big numbers - I can never do that, if I lose 70 am I a failure? If I do reach my goal than people, who are well meaning, say nice things to me and it messes with my head.
If I stick to a monthly start weight and a monthly loss it doesn't seem so huge. It also allows me to get back on track a little bit easier.
PS-If you do the beads in a glass thing I recommend using as small a glass that the beads will fit in. Seeing them overflow the top and balance on each other is a great visual. I could take 20 out and it is still bulging at the top (sort of like my excess tummy and hips). Maybe you don't want to see the beads you have lost. Perhaps it would be better to throw them out at the beginning of the month when you have a new start weight. The lesson here. Do what works for you.
+34 day
- 11 weight
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Red Robin - Yummmm!
I took Tom (hubby) out to dinner last night for his free birthday burger at Red Robin. Since I knew we were going there for dinner I decided to look up the menu online. Let me just say-so cool. You pick the item you want and it shows you a picture and a list of ingredients. You can delete what you don't want on it (like the bun or mayo) and it calculates all the nutritional value. Carbs, calories, sugar and bunch of stuff I don't understand. It made the choices much easier and I have to say the food was really yummy(and since we both had water our bill was really reasonable). Eating slowly, enjoying the company and sticking with good healthy choices made the evening very enjoyable- no regrets.
My mom and I started talking about weight and food choices. She started a program the same time I began my program and it is working for her. I have to say that we are definitely mother and daughter as we think alike (insert scary face-lol). She said that she will eat even when she is not hungry because the program allows it-something about left over points. She feels like she is cheating because she eats when not hungry (which seems wrong) but she is losing weight. She is following the programs rules and it is working. I am following my rules and it is working. I think the thing to remember is that you have to find what works for you and give it a chance to work.
The restaurant was about a mile from my moms house so we stopped by to drop off some fabric so she can make us jammie pants for Christmas. I came across some lightweight sweatshirt material that I bought a decade ago. It is MN Vikings and Chicago Bears fabric and is 60" wide. I was planning on making a
crocheted fabric rag rug with it. Tom thought it was to nice to use for a rug so we brought it to my mom.
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| Current Project |
+33 day
- 9 weight
- 9 weight
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snow Snow Everywhere
The office closed early on yesterday because of the weather forecast. Really glad I left when I did because it got steadily worse. The snow, ice and the wind. Oh my gosh it wasn't just a strong wind. It was a whipping wind. Going in circles. There was no escaping it.
My plan was to go to the gym before going home (I even brought a change of clothes. Look at em thinking like a grown up.) but the weather was getting worse every minute. Got home and sure enough 15 minutes later we had whiteout conditions. The good news - I was home safe. Not so good news - I did not work out and I knew that today was a 'stay at home day.'
So what to do? Should I shovel for exercise? Speed clean? Go up to Joshua's room (upstairs) and grab the garbage, sheets, some craft stuff, books, etc... and bring them down. I probably could do 6 sets of stairs and not make a dent in the stuff up there.
I am out of ideas. Help me.
+30 day
- 9 weight
My plan was to go to the gym before going home (I even brought a change of clothes. Look at em thinking like a grown up.) but the weather was getting worse every minute. Got home and sure enough 15 minutes later we had whiteout conditions. The good news - I was home safe. Not so good news - I did not work out and I knew that today was a 'stay at home day.'
So what to do? Should I shovel for exercise? Speed clean? Go up to Joshua's room (upstairs) and grab the garbage, sheets, some craft stuff, books, etc... and bring them down. I probably could do 6 sets of stairs and not make a dent in the stuff up there.
I am out of ideas. Help me.
+30 day
- 9 weight
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