Gonna Celebrate!

Well, today was the day to weigh-in. I almost "forgot" for fear that PMS would still have it's hold on the scale and that it might show a gain (at one point I was up 6 pounds!!). I could handle posting a gain had I made bad choices but I didn't. I made lots of good choices this week and I didn't want to post a "bloated" weight. But...I decided that this time was for honesty across the board so I trudged on to the scale anyway.

And guess what?!?!

A 0.8 LOSS!!! Wahooo!!!!!!!! That's 9.2 pounds I'm down officially in 3 weeks! So I decided to take it another step and do my measurments. Down 4.125 inches all over!! Love it!! Oh this is great!!

Another thing to celebrate is that my boyfriend has been so supportive of me with this. When I switched out regular cream cheese for fat-free & fruit popcicles for ice cream, he said it was a good thing. He's been willing to try every recipe and even went for the turkey pepperoni even after initially saying "no way". He takes walks with me. He's asked me about how I'm doing when I log on sparkpeople and is truly proud of the accomplishments I'm making. And now, he's even talked of setting a goal for himself for this week. I love having him on this journey with me. He is the most supportive man I've ever known and I am incredibly blessed that he's mine. ♥♥♥

Another day of feeling incredibly blessed...

♥Meg

Meeting goals even if the scale and I disagree!

So I've been focusing more on working out this week while still maintaining my nutritional goals and despite that, the scale has been my enemy. Usually, I try to just weigh myself once or twice a week but when PMS kicked in last weekend and I watched my mid-week weigh-in go up on my actual weigh-in day (still a loss overall though), I can't seem to stay away from the scale. I just can't believe it - there's no way! Most days I've been well within my daily calorie range and exercising. How could I be gaining like the scale says?!? Well, I've decided I'm waging war against it and I'm going to keep doing what I know I need to be doing no matter what it says or how bezerk it is! Stupid numbers won't keep me down. I FEEL better - I'm focusing there!

So in fitness goal #1, I've been on the hunt for videos this week that are motivating for me to use for exercise. I checked out Netflix where there are TONS of videos on demand. I started with a 10 minute solution video and I love them! I love knowing that I've only got to get through those 10 minutes before it changes up. Today I did cardio, worked my abs and did yoga. I really like the mix-and-match aspect of them and there are SOOOOOOOOOOOO many of them. It'll be a while before I'd become bored with these!

The other goal I had this week is to find some type of fitness goal to work towards. I thought that a 5k was out b/c, due to my summer knee injury (I dislocated my kneecap - OUCH!!), I can't run. BUT, so many people suggested finding a 5k walk/run - what a great idea!! So I've done a hunt of 5ks in my area and I think the best one will be a 5k on November 13th in the Central Ohio area - it's a Turkey Trot for a local YMCA and sounds like it'll be a lot of fun. That gives me 30 days to prep for it. I'd love a buddy so if anyone in my area wants to join me, let me know! :)

So there, scale!

♥Meg

Time to up the ante

First, I have to say - I LOVE Spark People! Best website EVER for losing weight! The whole thing is so positive and encouraging and inspiring. Which leads to the blog title...

I've had times where I've lost weight before. Two significant times in my adult life where I shed quite a few pounds. One where I was eating healthy & exercising but lost steam after about a month. One where I was on Weight Watchers, not really focused much on exercising but stayed with the program about 6 months. This time, I know that if I'm going to have a lasting change on my health that exercise is not an option - it's a must. I've been SLOWLY working into it trying to build the habit: 10 minutes a day, everyday. In my first 16 days of the program, I've missed 2 but most other days I've done more than 10 minutes. I feel so good when I exercise. I know that I need to do it more.

Where sparkpeople comes in is that I feel so ENCOURAGED to do it. It doesn't feel like this "ugh...better check that to-do off the list..." feeling. It's more like, "wow - look at all she's done. If she can do that, so can I!" It also racks up your fitness minutes and I want mine to be up there - it's such an accomplished feeling! I can't believe that in 16 days where only 10 min/day was my goal, I've racked up 434 minutes! I know - doesn't sound like much to some but for me, that's huge!!

There's so many people doing a 5k and it's so cool to have that kind of a goal. I'm not a runner - my still-recovering knee injury from this summer won't allow it right now and I've never enjoyed it. But I do love to dance. I'm thinking there's got to be something I can do once my knee is stronger that I can look forward to like a 5k. Some kind of goal I can set. I just browsed Netflix and put 4 dance workouts in my instant queue - this week I'll have 2 fitness goals: 1) do all 4 of these workouts once and 2) find some kind of non-running, 5k-type goal that I can work towards with my fitness. Any SPs with ideas - I'm all for them!!

Here's hoping...no, here's to a great fitness week! :)

♥Meg

23/24 ain't bad

Today did not exactly produce a stellar report on the ole Nutrition Tracker. Not too incredibly horrible but it did remind me of the weight watcher days and thinking - this would've been a use-the-extra-35-points day! The kicker hasn't been so much in the amount that I've eaten; it's what I ate that got to me.

I've been on such a kick with this from a nutritional standpoint and being lucky to find some really great recipes that I hadn't really realized that since I started, greasy foods nearly went off my list. Even the pizza I blogged about last week wasn't greasy b/c it was all veggie toppings! So when I had 5 chicken wings today, I knew I was taking a calorie risk. I knew I was taking a risk w/my goals of where my calories come from (carbs, fats, protein). What I didn't even think twice about was the pile of lead that it would create in the bottom of my stomach and remain there aaaaalllllllllll day. Ugh...

You know, usually between something like that and the PMS and the cramps (sorry boys), I would've given up on the day. It would've been the same thing so many of us have struggled with - "well, blew that. I'll start fresh tomorrow - bring on the ice cream!" But boy does the tracker make a difference with that! ONE - who knew how many calories were in a lil itty bitty chicken wing?!? and TWO - holy cow...I've still got a shot of staying w/in my calorie range!! I did go a bit over but not anywhere near as much had I not paid attention in the meantime. And while I hadn't yet gotten my exercise in and wasn't sure if I would, I decided that I didn't want to go to bed w/o at least that sense of accomplishment so I did that (doing exactly what every expert will tell you - it made me feel better! Lead belly's still there but I sure feel better emotionally!)

So while I still sit here w/my stomach letting me know that we're not doing fried foods like that again for a while, I'm pretty proud. I didn't let it stop me from my exercise goals. I didn't let it carry over into other meals. Really, I just had one bad hour in my day. And I'd say 23/24 ain't bad. ;)

♥Meg

Today, I choose HAPPY

I'm a little emotional today...okay, a lot emotional today. Case in point: I watched a mini-documentary about this guy who had to put his dog to sleep b/c of cancer and nearly lost it...full-on sobbing, cascades of tissues, a big ole weepy mess. The kicker is, I have that want-to-cry feeling so badly that it actually felt good. I had a hard time getting to sleep and woke up super early. I'm tired. I'm emotional. Though I've ignored the calendar, I'm probably hormonal too. Whatever. The point is how I feel, regardless of how it came about, is like hiding away all day and crying.

But...I have a choice.

Yes, I feel this way and there's not much I can do to change my feelings. But I can choose to make my thoughts go beyond my immediate emotions. I can choose to find good in the day beyond the emotional mess inside of me. I can choose to keep this separate from my goals to be healthy. I can choose to not let this carry over to the others around me. I can choose happiness.

So I will. Today, I choose HAPPY.

My Reward List

Okay so I've seen a lot of people on SP have a "prize" list so to speak. It's really a reward list for meeting goals and I think it's time I've made one for myself. :) So here goes:

Lose 10 pounds: A cute, girly, very me & only mine (not just the boring stuff that's been beat up by my son) water bottle

Lose 15 pounds: A cute, girly, very me bag to use while walking (since I take the dog, I need baggies and a way to carry something for her to drink water out of; on no-pocket days which is most days, a bag is a must)

Lose 20 pounds: New outfit (hopefully to wear to Christmas parties!)

Lose 30 pounds: Plan a night out to the theater

Lose 40 pounds: Plan a creativity weekend (w/friends?) and go nuts @ JoAnn Fabrics!

Lose 50 pounds: Plan at least a 3-day trip to Nashville

Lose 60 pounds (GOAL): If it hasn't already been scheduled by other family members, schedule a family portrait; also, I'll need lotsa new clothes!

I think I'm most excited about the one I came up with for 40 pounds lost - the creativity weekend! If it's as motivating I think it will be, I may have to double it for my goal - since new clothes won't really be something I'd have much of an option about by that point! ;)

♥Meg

Week 1: Down 6.8 pounds!!

Oh yeah! Go me! Oh yeah! Go me! If you could see me now, you'd see me doing the goofy little dance that my son and I do whenever we're excited about something we've done. :) 6.8 pounds in week 1!!! YaHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've done a couple diets in the past where I've lost weight so I know that this is not something to anticipate on a regular basis but I'll take it for now! I'm well on my way to my initial goal of losing 20 pounds by December. Boy, what this tells me is just how off track I was before! I must've been overeating like crazy b/c I don't really feel like I've done all that much to see this kind of weight loss.

Seriously though, for now I don't care about the ins and outs of it all b/c I lost 6.8 pounds!!  

Believe the impossible!!

I love writing...love, love, love it. So you'd think that when I found myself with some time to write today that I'd have tons to say. Yet, there I sat, staring at a blank screen with nothing coming to mind beyond just the white noise you could read just about anywhere. Well rather than sticking with that on a day when I actually had some time to dive into this, I went looking for a little inspiration.

I instantly went to a stash of pictures I'd started pulling together for my vision collage. For non SparkPeople, it's a collection of pictures & words that help you to maintain your vision in reaching your goals. It's amazing how a simple quote or pictures can really grab your attention. There were so many that I found that I loved...I'm sure I'll be sharing all kinds of them in many blogs to come. The one that really grabbed my attention today is this quote from Alice in Wonderland:

How many times have I tried to lose weight believing deep down that 1) there's no way I'm actually going to reach my goal and 2) even if I do, there's no way it will stay that way? I'll tell you how many times: EVERY time. Why? Because it felt IMPOSSIBLE. I always knew that rather than making a life change, all I was doing was getting myself pysched up enough to make it easy and then when it got hard, I'd give up.

But this time...this time I'm sitting on the other side of some things that I once thought were impossible. Things that felt much more impossible than getting myself motivated enough to exercise! I think that's what makes this time feel so much different. It's amazing what the power of having done something you didn't think that you could gives to you. It's a dynamic strength to pull from in times of struggle.

But even when things get tough and that strength is hard to pull from, this quote gives no excuses! Because even when you feel like something is impossible like being able to lose the weight, this gives no way out - it should be a daily thing to BELIEVE the IMPOSSIBLE! I don't know about you but I LOVE that thought! How much more opportunity lies ahead in my day if I choose to believe in what I feel I can't do?!

• On the days when I feel like there's no way I can get up early enough to do any morning exercise - because we all know that some mornings that truly feels impossible - I'll believe I can do it anyway.
• On the days when I feel like it's an overwhelming task and I'll never reach my goal - I'll believe that I will anyway. 
• On the days when the scale goes the opposite direction and that maintaining my focus will be impossible for the rest of the day - I'll believe I can stay focused anyway. 
• On the days when all the motivators in the world aren't working at all, I'll believe that I can do it anyway. 

I know that it's not impossible to do what I'm trying to do. So many people have been stellar examples of being able to change their lifestyle to become healthy. I know that in the past though that I've always lost this battle in my mind well before I ever did on the scale. This time, I'm going to win that battle and if my mind is telling me it's impossible, I'm going to remember the queen of hearts and come right back that it doesn't matter because I believe in the impossible.

♥Meg