After missing last week as I was sooo busy with E's preschool last week, I went back to my Wednesday night meeting. I knew I'd be up as I haven't been eating the best and have found very little time for exercise. (I did manage to complete Week 4 Day 2 C25K during the week, but it's been about a week since I stepped on the treadmill).
So, tonight - I was up 1.5lbs. I'm OK with that - I know that there is a definite difference to weighing in on an evening after eating breakfast and lunch...as opposed to weighing in on a Thursday morning on a completely empty stomach. So, I'm feeling OK with a bit of a gain.
I have been doing better the last few days, so hopefully I can find time this week to get back to running and see some success on the scale next week. Although - I don't know when I'll be weighing in next week. Wednesday night we have L's Christmas concert at school - this is her very first Choir public performance (so excited)...and Thursday morning is E's preschool concert. I hope I can find time that morning, if not....I'll try and go in the afternoon or evening.
A great quote from tonight's meeting:
"It's choice - not chance - that determines your destiny."
I fully believe this - - I am starting this week like a new member - will drink my water and write down every BLT (bite, lick & taste) and fit in my exercise...I will make healthy choices!!!!
Upcoming obstacles:
Sunday: Having T's cousins over for dinner.
Monday: Bowling night - post bowling apps/drinks
And a couple other things happening in there, I'm sure - being so close to Christmas!
Will see you in a couple days...will update on my next run!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Week 4
Well...I'm happy to report that I have LOST 4 weeks in a row. Today's loss was only 0.3lbs, it was still DOWN. 
And I know exactly why I didn't lose more. There were 3 bags of chips in the house this week...and I definitely snacked way more than I should've...I had A&W Saturday night for dinner...and I chose unwisely...a teen burger combo with fries AND gravy! Other than those few items, I did OK with healthy choices.
I've made it to Week 4 Day 1...I tried to do it on Sunday morning (knowing that I had just had A&W the night before) but couldn't make it through. So...I decided to give it a couple days...tried again yesterday morning and finished...not strongly, but definitely finished. Day 2 increases the running time, so I think I may try Day 1 again before moving on. I'm feeling good about running, but am discouraged because I feel that I won't ever make it to the 5KM.
Last night I tried a new recipe that I thought I would share. I found it on the Weight Watchers app:
Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake
PointsPlus™ Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This simple oven-to-table dish can be increased for large gatherings.
Ingredients
1 head(s) uncooked broccoli, broken into florets
1 head(s) (medium) uncooked cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs
1 Tbsp salted butter, melted
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Rinse vegetables under water. Place wet vegetables in a 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish. Bake until slightly tender, about 40 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle mixture over vegetables. Bake until crumbs are crisp and brown, and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
It went over really well with my family - the kids loved it, too - which is always good. I'll definitely be making it again.
So - Obstacles for this week:
Saturday, we are having Tim's cousins over for dinner and I think we are ordering in...but will try my best t make a healthy choice.
Other than that...nothing too much planned...hoping to continue well with the C25K program and eating healthy.
I just want to give a shout out to my sister, Jenn. She has re-joined Weight Watchers and is doing awesome! She is down 5.4lbs in 3 weeks! Yay, Jenn! I'm so proud of you...You are rocking this program! Keep at it, girl! You rock! xo
And I know exactly why I didn't lose more. There were 3 bags of chips in the house this week...and I definitely snacked way more than I should've...I had A&W Saturday night for dinner...and I chose unwisely...a teen burger combo with fries AND gravy! Other than those few items, I did OK with healthy choices. I've made it to Week 4 Day 1...I tried to do it on Sunday morning (knowing that I had just had A&W the night before) but couldn't make it through. So...I decided to give it a couple days...tried again yesterday morning and finished...not strongly, but definitely finished. Day 2 increases the running time, so I think I may try Day 1 again before moving on. I'm feeling good about running, but am discouraged because I feel that I won't ever make it to the 5KM.
Last night I tried a new recipe that I thought I would share. I found it on the Weight Watchers app: Broccoli-Cauliflower Bake
PointsPlus™ Value: 2
Servings: 8
Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
This simple oven-to-table dish can be increased for large gatherings.
Ingredients
1 head(s) uncooked broccoli, broken into florets
1 head(s) (medium) uncooked cauliflower, broken into florets
1/2 cup(s) dried plain bread crumbs
1 Tbsp salted butter, melted
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Rinse vegetables under water. Place wet vegetables in a 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish. Bake until slightly tender, about 40 minutes.
Combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle mixture over vegetables. Bake until crumbs are crisp and brown, and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
It went over really well with my family - the kids loved it, too - which is always good. I'll definitely be making it again.
So - Obstacles for this week:
Saturday, we are having Tim's cousins over for dinner and I think we are ordering in...but will try my best t make a healthy choice.
Other than that...nothing too much planned...hoping to continue well with the C25K program and eating healthy.
I just want to give a shout out to my sister, Jenn. She has re-joined Weight Watchers and is doing awesome! She is down 5.4lbs in 3 weeks! Yay, Jenn! I'm so proud of you...You are rocking this program! Keep at it, girl! You rock! xo
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Week 3 Complete!
C25K week 3 is complete. This morning after basketball, my in-laws offered to take the kids home with them...so with DH having another basketball practice right after I decided I might as well knock off day 3. Got myself ready, headed downstairs and then remembered that the iPad was actually in the house (Usually DH takes it to work, and I run during the day)...so I went and grabbed it and proceeded to hook up Netflix to watch an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210. I started where I left, episode 6 of season 1 =D Wow...did watching something make the running so much easier and the workout go way faster! It was great! The max run was 3 minutes, with a total of 10 minutes running (although the app said I ran 15 minutes...2+3+3+2 DOES NOT = 15 The whole workout was 31 minutes long.Week 4, I will probably start Monday, is a total of 34 minutes...with a 5 minute warmup|3min Run + 2 Walk|4min Run + 3min Walk (2 times)|3min run + 2min walk|5 min walking cool down. That's 14 minutes of running.
I haven't tracking as good as I should be so far this week...not sure why...just haven't. Will pick up my pen tomorrow morning and get back to writing everything down.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Week 3 Weigh In
This morning, I weighed in - Down 0.6 I'm happy it's a loss, but definitely was hoping for more. I worked hard this week and ate pretty well. Although, I did have a few snacks this week, like popcorn and some chocolatey treats at the movies on Sunday.
Upcoming obstacles:
Tonight, we're going to DH's work Christmas party - dinner at Wayne Gretzy's and a show at Second City. The dinner is from a pre-determined menu, so hopefully they'll be some healthy choices.
Other than that, nothing too big going on this week. Will continue my healthy eating and my treadmill workouts and hope for a another loss next week.
Upcoming obstacles:
Tonight, we're going to DH's work Christmas party - dinner at Wayne Gretzy's and a show at Second City. The dinner is from a pre-determined menu, so hopefully they'll be some healthy choices.
Other than that, nothing too big going on this week. Will continue my healthy eating and my treadmill workouts and hope for a another loss next week.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
"Decide to continue. Decide to Succeed. Decide to reach your goal."
That was the quote on my Week 3 Day 1 C25K screen yesterday morning. And although it's getting tougher as I go...I am deciding to continue...so that I will succeed....and reach my goals!
Yesterday morning, I dressed in my workout gear and got HoneyPie to school...but when I got home...I felt discouraged and unmotivated to get on to the treadmill to start week 3. I hadn't been able to find time on the weekend to exercise...so I was a bit nervous about not running for a few days PLUS moving on to a harder week. But...I thought about it for a second...and got my ass on to the treadmill and did my run! And although it was a bit harder...I felt great during it...and after! Am looking forward to jumping on tomorrow and doing day 2.
This week has been pretty good so far, eating wise. As I mentioned, I went out for dinner with my sissy on Saturday - we both ordered Cashew Nut Chicken...SO YUMMY!...didn't eat all of it....and had TCBY frozen yogurt at the movies. A much better choice than popcorn...... Although, we did take the kids to see Puss In Boots on Sunday evening with a friend and her kids...I did eat a bit of popcorn and some peanut M&Ms.....BUT....I was good throughout the 2 weekend days so it was almost like a little reward....
Now I'm fully back on track...last night we had bowling, and usually we'll skip dinner and order some fries or something there...but I made dinner for ALL of us and we didn't eat a thing at the alley. It has really helped that I had made a double batch of the weight watchers soup. Had that a few times this week for lunch.
I'm proud of myself for truly sticking to this the past few weeks.
Found this today: It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.’
— Alan Cohen - - and eating crappy food that makes me feel crappy is no longer meaningful....so, watch out...Change is coming.
Yesterday morning, I dressed in my workout gear and got HoneyPie to school...but when I got home...I felt discouraged and unmotivated to get on to the treadmill to start week 3. I hadn't been able to find time on the weekend to exercise...so I was a bit nervous about not running for a few days PLUS moving on to a harder week. But...I thought about it for a second...and got my ass on to the treadmill and did my run! And although it was a bit harder...I felt great during it...and after! Am looking forward to jumping on tomorrow and doing day 2.This week has been pretty good so far, eating wise. As I mentioned, I went out for dinner with my sissy on Saturday - we both ordered Cashew Nut Chicken...SO YUMMY!...didn't eat all of it....and had TCBY frozen yogurt at the movies. A much better choice than popcorn...... Although, we did take the kids to see Puss In Boots on Sunday evening with a friend and her kids...I did eat a bit of popcorn and some peanut M&Ms.....BUT....I was good throughout the 2 weekend days so it was almost like a little reward....
Now I'm fully back on track...last night we had bowling, and usually we'll skip dinner and order some fries or something there...but I made dinner for ALL of us and we didn't eat a thing at the alley. It has really helped that I had made a double batch of the weight watchers soup. Had that a few times this week for lunch.
I'm proud of myself for truly sticking to this the past few weeks. Found this today: It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.’
— Alan Cohen - - and eating crappy food that makes me feel crappy is no longer meaningful....so, watch out...Change is coming.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Week 2 Weigh In
So after a week of tracking and hard work on the treadmill...my efforts have paid off. I lost 1.5 this morning. I'll have to admit I was hoping for a little more...but it's still awesome!
I am 16 lbs to my weight watchers goal of 146. So if I can lose even a pound a week, I could get there by March 1st. I'm hoping to get there before then - but I've said that before...numerous times - I really hope that I can stick to this and finally get to where I want...and need to be.
So, upcoming obstacles this week:
Saturday: Dinner and a movie with my sister. We were going to go to an all you can eat Sushi/Thai place, but have decided since we are both trying to get healthy...so we've decided to still do Thai, but to order better choices and NO appetizers...and then we are going to a movie...and instead of getting popcorn or nachos like I usually would - I'll get nothing...or perhaps a frozen yogurt...but NO unhealthy snacks!
And that's about it...nothing big planned for this upcoming week.
Tomorrow I will get back on the treadmill for week 3 of C25K. It looks a bit tougher, and I may have to repeat days before I move on....but I will move one...and get to week 4...and to week 5........and someday, I will get to week 8 day 3...and be able to run a 5km. Someday!Taking it one step at a time...
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Week 2 Complete!
Happy to say that week 2 of the C25K program is done. Felt good while doing it. Today's workout was 5minute walking warm up then 1.5min run 2min walk repeated 6 times with a 5 minute walking cool down. I was definitely tired by about 18 minutes but was determined to finish. 
I really have tried to be good this week. Lots of tracking...3 days of exercise...healthy choices. Mind you, I did eat a hamburger and fries last night when we all went to South Street Burger Co. for dinner. And, after I got the kids to bed - I was feeling so icky after all that grease, that I decided to make a batch of my weight watchers Garden Vegetable Soup. Zero points per serving and SO yummy.
2/3c sliced carrot
1/2c diced onion
2 minced garlic cloves
3c fat free broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
1 1/2c diced green cabbage
1/2c green beans
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2c diced zucchini
Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat. Saute the carrot, onion and garlic over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered about 15 minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.
I am looking forward to weighing in tomorrow morning! Wish me luck!
And I leave you with something I saw on Twitter the other day:
If you keep trying, then losing doesn't mean you lost, it just means you haven't won yet. If you give up, then you've lost.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Couch 2 5Km - Week 2
This morning, I started week 2 of the C25K program. Am feeling really good about about my new routine - I put on my lulu pants, my sports bra and cool racerback tank on first thing in the morning...that way I am already dressed and don't have to worry about wasting time to change again...One way that I am staying on plan is finding a set time to do my running. I find that right after I return from taking L to school is the best time. I let the kids play in the play room and with the treadmill right outside the play room door - everyone is happy.
Today I ran a total of 8 minutes with a maximum of 1.5mins at a time. Just that extra 30seconds felt a little harder, but I felt good for finishing strong. And I felt great afterwards. I like this new girl I'm becoming. But, while I was running I was thinking that there's no way this girl will be able to run 5km. I just can't imagine being able to to do it. I've never been really fit...or a runner of any sort...so this is all new...but I'm giving it my all. While looking for an image to include in today's post, I came across this one...and it felt perfect for how I was feeling this morning.
I have to share something that L said to me before school. We were having breakfast and she asked why I was wearing a tank top since it was so cold out...I told her after I got home from taking her to school, I was going to exercise on the treadmill. She wanted to know why. I said "to try and get healthier" She said "Mom! You are healthy. You are great!" (sigh) No! She's great! Man, I love that kid!
I will leave the blog today with a question for runners....I have always had a hard time figuring out how to breathe properly. Are there any tips you can offer? In through nose, out through mouth? Etc.
Todays C25K thought:
When you hear "it's too hard", you are close to doing something amazing!
Love it!
xo
Today I ran a total of 8 minutes with a maximum of 1.5mins at a time. Just that extra 30seconds felt a little harder, but I felt good for finishing strong. And I felt great afterwards. I like this new girl I'm becoming. But, while I was running I was thinking that there's no way this girl will be able to run 5km. I just can't imagine being able to to do it. I've never been really fit...or a runner of any sort...so this is all new...but I'm giving it my all. While looking for an image to include in today's post, I came across this one...and it felt perfect for how I was feeling this morning.
I have to share something that L said to me before school. We were having breakfast and she asked why I was wearing a tank top since it was so cold out...I told her after I got home from taking her to school, I was going to exercise on the treadmill. She wanted to know why. I said "to try and get healthier" She said "Mom! You are healthy. You are great!" (sigh) No! She's great! Man, I love that kid!
I will leave the blog today with a question for runners....I have always had a hard time figuring out how to breathe properly. Are there any tips you can offer? In through nose, out through mouth? Etc.
Todays C25K thought:
When you hear "it's too hard", you are close to doing something amazing!
Love it!
xo
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Week 1 Weigh In
This morning, I had my weigh in - I was feeling discouraged as I thought I probably would be up with all the dinners out and birthday eating I had did week. So many yummy treats this weekend.
So, when I stepped on and was 0.5 down, I was sooo excited. I was so worried that I had started this blog, only to post a gain on the very first week.
I had expressed my worries to my good friend, Gayle, and she made me feel so much better...she said "just think, if you hadn't started this blog, and had this extra motivation, you probably would've indulged even more than you had over the weekend". And she was right...At the all-you-can eat sushi place - I could've had so many delicious deep fried items...instead, I did have a couple coconut shrimp but filled up on chicken skewers and cashew nut chicken with steamed rice. And I felt better about my choices.
And obviously this C25K thing is working...3 days this week, I did 30mins on the treadmill...who would've thought that exercise helped with weight loss? LOL But most of all, who would've thought I would be enjoying it?
There were many obstacles this week - I handled some responsibly and others not so much (e.x. the yummy b'day cupcakes on Monday night) Leaving this week's obstacles behind and looking ahead to this coming week - looking forward to testing out the Week 2 on C25K...and doing some healthy eating!
So, when I stepped on and was 0.5 down, I was sooo excited. I was so worried that I had started this blog, only to post a gain on the very first week.
I had expressed my worries to my good friend, Gayle, and she made me feel so much better...she said "just think, if you hadn't started this blog, and had this extra motivation, you probably would've indulged even more than you had over the weekend". And she was right...At the all-you-can eat sushi place - I could've had so many delicious deep fried items...instead, I did have a couple coconut shrimp but filled up on chicken skewers and cashew nut chicken with steamed rice. And I felt better about my choices. And obviously this C25K thing is working...3 days this week, I did 30mins on the treadmill...who would've thought that exercise helped with weight loss? LOL But most of all, who would've thought I would be enjoying it?
There were many obstacles this week - I handled some responsibly and others not so much (e.x. the yummy b'day cupcakes on Monday night) Leaving this week's obstacles behind and looking ahead to this coming week - looking forward to testing out the Week 2 on C25K...and doing some healthy eating!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Week 1 Complete!
Finished the first week of the Couch to 5Km program today. (From now on, I will quote it as C25K instead of writing it all out.) I did a total of 8 minutes running, with 1 minute maximum run. In a couple days, I will start Week 2. Day 1 is as follows: 5 MIN Warm Up - 18 MINS of run/walk = 1.5R + 2W (4 times) 1R + 1W (2 times) - 5 MIN Cool down....totalling 28 minutes. I'm feeling good about it and look forward to the next step of this program.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Pleased no more...
But had a fantastic birthday weekend.
After the week I've had, I do not foresee any weight loss this week. I was doing SO well until Saturday night. DH and I went with our good friends to a YUMMY new restaurant JJ Japenese Thai!
It was an all you can eat Sushi and Thai place and it was amazing. Everything was delicious! We ate a lot and drank even more. Sunday night, we celebrated my birthday with dinner at Turtle Jack's and then cake...and then cupcakes on Monday for my birthday...so many yummy treats the past few days - not sure if I'll even be down a little.
I've continued with the Couch to 5K and did day 2 yesterday...and will do day 3 tomorrow with my weigh in on Thursday morning. Cross your fingers, I'm a bit down!
After the week I've had, I do not foresee any weight loss this week. I was doing SO well until Saturday night. DH and I went with our good friends to a YUMMY new restaurant JJ Japenese Thai!
It was an all you can eat Sushi and Thai place and it was amazing. Everything was delicious! We ate a lot and drank even more. Sunday night, we celebrated my birthday with dinner at Turtle Jack's and then cake...and then cupcakes on Monday for my birthday...so many yummy treats the past few days - not sure if I'll even be down a little. I've continued with the Couch to 5K and did day 2 yesterday...and will do day 3 tomorrow with my weigh in on Thursday morning. Cross your fingers, I'm a bit down!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Pleased, so far...
Was happy to see the results on the scale this morning -
2 full days of tracking has been good =D Although, I won't share any progress until my actual weigh in day. Have a few obstacles that I need to overcome this weekend...tonight am heading out for dinner with DH and some friends for dinner - sushi and a movie. Will try and be as good as possible...I'll fill up on sushi so I won't want (much) popcorn at the movies. (I say that I won't get any, but I'd be lying...who can walk into a movie theatre, smelling the popcorn and not get any? LOL) And tomorrow night, I'm going out for dinner for my birthday with my family.
I will try and make some healthy choices and get some exercise in.
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
xo
2 full days of tracking has been good =D Although, I won't share any progress until my actual weigh in day. Have a few obstacles that I need to overcome this weekend...tonight am heading out for dinner with DH and some friends for dinner - sushi and a movie. Will try and be as good as possible...I'll fill up on sushi so I won't want (much) popcorn at the movies. (I say that I won't get any, but I'd be lying...who can walk into a movie theatre, smelling the popcorn and not get any? LOL) And tomorrow night, I'm going out for dinner for my birthday with my family. I will try and make some healthy choices and get some exercise in.
Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!
xo
Friday, November 4, 2011
5 Ways to Regain Motivation
I found this article linked to a tweet from Fit Bottomed Girl from The Huffington Post. It was exactly what I needed to read right now...and I thought I'd share it with you.
5 Ways to Regain Motivation
Robert Leahy, PH.D.
If you are like a lot of people, you know that there are things that you should be doing, but can't seem to get yourself motivated to do them. Whether it's exercise, dieting, getting work done, cleaning up your home or getting in contact with people you know, you simply can't seem to make it happen. This "lack of motivation" can get you depressed, as you feel you aren't getting things done, you can't lose that weight and you lose touch with the people who care for you. Here are five things you can do to regain your motivation.
What's the bottom line? Motivation is not the force that comes before the action -- it is you acting in your interests. Motivation comes after the behavior. And self-esteem is not saying, "I am wonderful because I exist." It's saying, "I take pride in doing what is hard to do."
Keep Your Goals in Front of You
Start with deciding on your goals, rather than focusing on how you feel.
Make a decision to become the person you want to be by doing what you don't really want to do.
Decide that you are going to be the person who loses weight, gets the job done and builds friendships. This means you will have to do what you don't want to do to become the person you want to be.
Stop Waiting For Motivation To Show Up
Imagine if you saw me walking in the street in front of my office and you asked me, "Why are you walking back and forth?" and I answered, "I am looking for my motivation. When I find it, I'll go to work."
Motivation is not the same thing as making a choice to act in your interests. Don't wait for your motivation to push you forward. Allow your goals to pull you toward the future. Act on your interests and values, not your feelings.
Rely on Habits Not Feelings
Don't expect to wake up in the morning and have a wave of motivation hit you. Focus on practicing the right habits every day -- whether you like them or not.
Choose to choose the things that are hard now so they become easier in the future. The more you practice the habits of doing the right thing (exercise, diet, getting your work done), the easier it becomes.
It's hard until it becomes easy. Be the person who can say, "I can do hard things." Learn that you can do things you didn't think you could do.
Do It Now, Feel Better Later
Accomplishing your goals is more about tolerating discomfort, delaying gratification and focusing on what is in front of you -- the challenge.
You might actually feel more uncomfortable, more anxious and more stressed as you make progress. If you do the hard things now, you will feel better later.
But you can feel better about doing the hard things now. Take pride in "constructive discomfort" -- building the mental muscle to do what you don't want to do. If you aren't doing something uncomfortable, then you aren't making progress.
Don't Wait to Feel Ready
You've done a lot of things you weren't ready for -- and you survived and grew. Doing the hard thing is a process of getting ready to overcome even more obstacles.
The biggest obstacle is yourself. Waiting to feel ready is just another way of saying, "I don't want to do it."
But you have to do what you don't want to do to get to where you want to go. Choose to choose rather than wait for the energy. You create energy by acting. When you exercise you notice the energy coming back, when you reach out to friends you find that they are there for you.
Simply knowing that you don't need to wait -- that you can choose to do things, act as if you were motivated, just do it -- empowers you. As one young man told me, "I realized I was able to do things I never thought I would be able to do."
5 Ways to Regain Motivation
Robert Leahy, PH.D.
If you are like a lot of people, you know that there are things that you should be doing, but can't seem to get yourself motivated to do them. Whether it's exercise, dieting, getting work done, cleaning up your home or getting in contact with people you know, you simply can't seem to make it happen. This "lack of motivation" can get you depressed, as you feel you aren't getting things done, you can't lose that weight and you lose touch with the people who care for you. Here are five things you can do to regain your motivation.
What's the bottom line? Motivation is not the force that comes before the action -- it is you acting in your interests. Motivation comes after the behavior. And self-esteem is not saying, "I am wonderful because I exist." It's saying, "I take pride in doing what is hard to do."
Keep Your Goals in Front of YouStart with deciding on your goals, rather than focusing on how you feel.
Make a decision to become the person you want to be by doing what you don't really want to do.
Decide that you are going to be the person who loses weight, gets the job done and builds friendships. This means you will have to do what you don't want to do to become the person you want to be.
Stop Waiting For Motivation To Show UpImagine if you saw me walking in the street in front of my office and you asked me, "Why are you walking back and forth?" and I answered, "I am looking for my motivation. When I find it, I'll go to work."
Motivation is not the same thing as making a choice to act in your interests. Don't wait for your motivation to push you forward. Allow your goals to pull you toward the future. Act on your interests and values, not your feelings.
Rely on Habits Not Feelings Don't expect to wake up in the morning and have a wave of motivation hit you. Focus on practicing the right habits every day -- whether you like them or not.
Choose to choose the things that are hard now so they become easier in the future. The more you practice the habits of doing the right thing (exercise, diet, getting your work done), the easier it becomes.
It's hard until it becomes easy. Be the person who can say, "I can do hard things." Learn that you can do things you didn't think you could do.
Do It Now, Feel Better LaterAccomplishing your goals is more about tolerating discomfort, delaying gratification and focusing on what is in front of you -- the challenge.
You might actually feel more uncomfortable, more anxious and more stressed as you make progress. If you do the hard things now, you will feel better later.
But you can feel better about doing the hard things now. Take pride in "constructive discomfort" -- building the mental muscle to do what you don't want to do. If you aren't doing something uncomfortable, then you aren't making progress.
Don't Wait to Feel ReadyYou've done a lot of things you weren't ready for -- and you survived and grew. Doing the hard thing is a process of getting ready to overcome even more obstacles.
The biggest obstacle is yourself. Waiting to feel ready is just another way of saying, "I don't want to do it."
But you have to do what you don't want to do to get to where you want to go. Choose to choose rather than wait for the energy. You create energy by acting. When you exercise you notice the energy coming back, when you reach out to friends you find that they are there for you.
Simply knowing that you don't need to wait -- that you can choose to do things, act as if you were motivated, just do it -- empowers you. As one young man told me, "I realized I was able to do things I never thought I would be able to do."
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Day 1 - Game on!
So today is the day that I am starting all over! Going to track like a new member does...going to try and exercise as much as possible...going to lose this weight once and for all!
This is a hard post for me to write as it makes me feel very vulnerable. Talking about weight is always such a taboo topic. No one wants to disclose their weight, especially women. We are more likely to lie about our weight than our age, aren't we? At first I thought I would be too embarrassed to write this post as I had imagined in my head...But, I wanted this blog to keep me motivated and with that - posting pictures and my actual weight may help keep me accountable and keep me on track.
So, here is my before shot, taken this morning - the next pics I will get DH to take for me, so that the quality is better.
Keep in mind that I have not been seen in shorts since the summer of 2003. That is a full 8 years! I thought that I would wear these Lululemon shorts that I SO want to look good in one day while sweating in the yoga room....Wow - I can't believe I am posting these shots! {hiding face in embarrassment}
I weighed in this morning, which may make a significant difference in my usual weigh in on Wednesday nights...I am considering sticking to the Thursday morning weigh ins but I really LOVE my leader, Cindy on Wednesday nights. We'll see. So, 164 is where I am at right now...22.2lbs down from the beginning - but 9lbs heavier than where I was last July. So, Game On!
And to start it off - I began the Couch to 5K program this morning. Week 1 Day 1 had me on the treadmill for 25minutes - with a 5 minute walking warm up, run 1min, walk 1.5mins - a total of 5 times and then a 5 minute walking cool down. I found this very easy as when I was exercising on the treadmill I was up to about 15minutes running. I am excited to do this program and hope that by the end I can complete the 5km (30minutes) and perhaps even participate in a fundraiser like the CIBC Run for the Cure or even a race. Could you even imagine????
I've been very good with tracking today - and I think with the mother load of candy I had eaten the past few days, I am all candied out...I wasn't yearning for it at all - Proud of how many times I walked past the stash and didn't take a single thing.
I have a few other things I want to blog about, thanks to an e-mail I received from my sister in law yesterday...reminding me I can do this....but to think of the things that are hindering me.
I will leave you with a quote that was at the bottom of my C25K app while I was running:
The longest journey begins with a small step taken by a brave person.
Love it!
Hollie
This is a hard post for me to write as it makes me feel very vulnerable. Talking about weight is always such a taboo topic. No one wants to disclose their weight, especially women. We are more likely to lie about our weight than our age, aren't we? At first I thought I would be too embarrassed to write this post as I had imagined in my head...But, I wanted this blog to keep me motivated and with that - posting pictures and my actual weight may help keep me accountable and keep me on track.
So, here is my before shot, taken this morning - the next pics I will get DH to take for me, so that the quality is better.
Keep in mind that I have not been seen in shorts since the summer of 2003. That is a full 8 years! I thought that I would wear these Lululemon shorts that I SO want to look good in one day while sweating in the yoga room....Wow - I can't believe I am posting these shots! {hiding face in embarrassment}
I weighed in this morning, which may make a significant difference in my usual weigh in on Wednesday nights...I am considering sticking to the Thursday morning weigh ins but I really LOVE my leader, Cindy on Wednesday nights. We'll see. So, 164 is where I am at right now...22.2lbs down from the beginning - but 9lbs heavier than where I was last July. So, Game On!
And to start it off - I began the Couch to 5K program this morning. Week 1 Day 1 had me on the treadmill for 25minutes - with a 5 minute walking warm up, run 1min, walk 1.5mins - a total of 5 times and then a 5 minute walking cool down. I found this very easy as when I was exercising on the treadmill I was up to about 15minutes running. I am excited to do this program and hope that by the end I can complete the 5km (30minutes) and perhaps even participate in a fundraiser like the CIBC Run for the Cure or even a race. Could you even imagine????I've been very good with tracking today - and I think with the mother load of candy I had eaten the past few days, I am all candied out...I wasn't yearning for it at all - Proud of how many times I walked past the stash and didn't take a single thing.
I have a few other things I want to blog about, thanks to an e-mail I received from my sister in law yesterday...reminding me I can do this....but to think of the things that are hindering me.
I will leave you with a quote that was at the bottom of my C25K app while I was running:
The longest journey begins with a small step taken by a brave person.
Love it!
Hollie
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Starting Fresh
Welcome!
I have decided after a year of struggling with Weight Watchers, I have decide I need something to kick my butt into gear. For those who follow my original Mama blog : Mama To 2 Little Monkeys have been with me on my journey trying to get to goal. Although my "Weigh In Wednesday" posts were few and far between - I am motivated now to keep on track and blog about this final leg of my trip with Weight Watchers. I will get to goal...and from there, make it to Lifetime...and stop paying for this program! With writing this blog, I will use all of you readers as the people I am accountable to. Posting my weight weekly will hopefully keep me on track.
Background
I began Weight Watchers for the 3rd time when my son was 6 months old. I joined in 2002 , I joined before getting married (losing 25lbs in 4.5 months)...and then again in 2006 when my daughter was 6 months old (losing 23 lbs in 8 months) I didn't get to goal either time, but felt happy where I was and thought I could continue on my own if needed...ha! So...fast forward to August 2008 - my son was 6 months old and I thought it was time to get started on losing the rest of the pregnancy weight I'd gained (and boy, do I gain a lot with my pregnancies!). I was doing well...but never amazing - I tend to follow the weight watchers plan, but not 100%, I cheat A LOT - after almost 2 years on the plan, I was down to 155 from 186.2 - 31lbs...I was doing pretty well into Christmas of 2010...and then I lost it - By April of this year I had gained back 10 lbs...and since then it's up a little, down a little.
Conclusion
So...I've decided that I need to make a serious change. I am vowing to keep track of my weight loss progress on this new blog. I will write posts about exercise habits I am planning to incorporate (going to try the 'Couch to 5KM' program). I will do this...I will get to goal...it has taken MUCH longer than I had planned...but I'm going to keep on track and get this extra weight off.
Thursday morning, I will weigh in and start my weekly weigh in posts - with pictures of my progress.
As of right now, I know I will be up...I missed last week, as DH and I were at the Mumford & Sons concert (amazing) - the pounds definitely have been creeping on the last month. And this is definitely not helping:
So...watch out for a post in a couple days....
Any tips or strategies on how to keep me on track and in line????
I have decided after a year of struggling with Weight Watchers, I have decide I need something to kick my butt into gear. For those who follow my original Mama blog : Mama To 2 Little Monkeys have been with me on my journey trying to get to goal. Although my "Weigh In Wednesday" posts were few and far between - I am motivated now to keep on track and blog about this final leg of my trip with Weight Watchers. I will get to goal...and from there, make it to Lifetime...and stop paying for this program! With writing this blog, I will use all of you readers as the people I am accountable to. Posting my weight weekly will hopefully keep me on track.
Background
I began Weight Watchers for the 3rd time when my son was 6 months old. I joined in 2002 , I joined before getting married (losing 25lbs in 4.5 months)...and then again in 2006 when my daughter was 6 months old (losing 23 lbs in 8 months) I didn't get to goal either time, but felt happy where I was and thought I could continue on my own if needed...ha! So...fast forward to August 2008 - my son was 6 months old and I thought it was time to get started on losing the rest of the pregnancy weight I'd gained (and boy, do I gain a lot with my pregnancies!). I was doing well...but never amazing - I tend to follow the weight watchers plan, but not 100%, I cheat A LOT - after almost 2 years on the plan, I was down to 155 from 186.2 - 31lbs...I was doing pretty well into Christmas of 2010...and then I lost it - By April of this year I had gained back 10 lbs...and since then it's up a little, down a little.
Conclusion
So...I've decided that I need to make a serious change. I am vowing to keep track of my weight loss progress on this new blog. I will write posts about exercise habits I am planning to incorporate (going to try the 'Couch to 5KM' program). I will do this...I will get to goal...it has taken MUCH longer than I had planned...but I'm going to keep on track and get this extra weight off.
Thursday morning, I will weigh in and start my weekly weigh in posts - with pictures of my progress.
As of right now, I know I will be up...I missed last week, as DH and I were at the Mumford & Sons concert (amazing) - the pounds definitely have been creeping on the last month. And this is definitely not helping:
So...watch out for a post in a couple days....
Any tips or strategies on how to keep me on track and in line????
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)