Well, it's that time of year. It's always a struggle to lose weight, but much more so this time of year. Thursday morning, I was down to 168.8 pounds. This morning, after 3 days of eating poorly and exercising limited to Black Friday Shopping, I weighed in at 172.4. Yikes. I'll spend the rest of this week hopefully getting back down to 168.8 pounds.
That leaves 3 weeks until Christmas. 9 pounds in 3 weeks isn't very practical, or the best way to lose weight. So, as I suspected, I'm having to reset my next goal. I will be in the 150s by mid-January. I'll set that date goal as January 15th.
I still think I can make the 130s by April, either my birthday or my mom's.
I do think that there are ways to make this time of year a bit easier. I threw away or gave away any leftover "bad" food by last night. I think if I had done that sooner I would probably be a bit better off today. It also helps to really limit my alcohol intake to once a week or less. My plan now is to not drink anything until December 23rd. I think that will help. Pretty much any week I limit to one day a week and one or two drinks total I lose weight.
I'm going to wait as long as possible to make Christmas cookies. I'm hoping Christmas Eve or maybe the 23rd. I'm also going to make mostly the cookies I don't like. I'll make 1 batch of my favorite cookies since it's not smart to never allow splurging. I have to learn to control myself and follow limits.
I'm still riding the bike at least 3 times a week, and will take the dogs for walks or walk to work whenever it's nice outside. I go back and forth about re-joining the gym. I have awhile to figure it out, as it's mostly important when I need to start swimming again. We're supposed to be getting my parent's old weight machine, so I really only need to find a place to swim...Maybe I'll just get a season pass to Aurora Reservoir and swim there all the time...Need a wetsuit then.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
I made my goal!
Some of you, mostly my dad, have been waiting for the post to see if I met my goal last week. Well, I did it! On Thursday morning, before leaving for my cousin's wedding, I weighed 169.6 pounds! I set a goal and made it! It's the first weight-loss goal I've made in years. I've set, "I'll make my goal by my birthday" or "I'll make my goal by our 10th anniversary", or by Christmas pictures, or whatever the date is.
It took me a few years to figure out that the goals have to be small and achievable rather than long-term big goals. I mean long-term goals are necessary, but so are the short-term ones. Which brings me to my next dilemma. Christmas is 5 and a half weeks away. I gained 3 pounds on the trip, stupidly. It will probably take the rest of this week to get back down to 169.6 and that's if I'm super good the rest of this week. So, that means 5 weeks of weight loss until Christmas. So... originally I was going to set 150s by Christmas as the next goal. However, that's 2 pounds a week which can be a bit of a challenge. I've been pretty steadily losing 1-1.5 pounds per week. Do I set myself up to possibly not make a goal and deal with the disappointment, or do I change my goal date? If I change my goal date then I'm saying I can't lose 2 pounds a week for the next 5 weeks. I would love to hear a variety of opinions on this question!
Of course, I just finished watching "The Biggest Loser" and the one guy lost the same amount of weight in 2 weeks that it took me a year to lose. So then I think, jeez, I should definitely be able to lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks...
My ultimate goal is to be in the 130s by my birthday, April 7th, 2012. That's 30+ pounds in 4 months. So really, I'm having to make close to 2 pounds a week every week between now and April. Not a lot of room for error...It's actually exactly 1.5 pounds a week. I can do that, but I really need to focus.
Maybe it's time I ask for help there...So, all of you (all 4 of you) out there reading this, could you please help me? I need encouragement to keep up the diet and exercise. It's going to be particularly difficult to keep it up throughout Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. I love cooking new recipes for Thanksgiving, as it's the one holiday I host both families at our house. I need to find recipes that are good, and will earn praises, but are also healthy. Then, I need to resist the temptation of Christmas cookies and candy. I love Christmas cookies, it's going to be difficult.
I'm riding the bike for at least 40 minutes at least 3 times a week. I'd love to get ahold of a treadmill to be able to alternate my exercise. It's hard to ride the bike every day since sitting on it for 40+ minutes can be a pain in the butt, literally. If I had a treadmill then I could walk on the days I don't ride the bike...Don't have a lot of money, though, to buy one right now. I am going to go to Play it Again Sports and see what they have available. Craigslist is nice and all, but they you have to go around and look at a bunch of different places and if you like one borrow Dad's truck to go get it. Not to mention finding the time to do this in the middle of work, David's hockey, Gibson's hockey twice a week, Emma's dance, Emma's birthday, a DU basketball game to celebrate Gibson's success at school, prepping for Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping. Maybe I'll find time after Thanksgiving...
So, as I strive for the next goal, 10 pounds by Christmas, and the ultimate goal, 30+ pounds by my birthday, I appreciate any support I can get. Just the help of understanding we may not have dessert when you come over, Thanksgiving dinner and Emma's Birthday may not be as wonderful as usual, experimenting with healthier options, I won't be drinking most of the time, and I need to spend some time working out every day. Thanks for your understanding and support, all my family and friends :-)
It took me a few years to figure out that the goals have to be small and achievable rather than long-term big goals. I mean long-term goals are necessary, but so are the short-term ones. Which brings me to my next dilemma. Christmas is 5 and a half weeks away. I gained 3 pounds on the trip, stupidly. It will probably take the rest of this week to get back down to 169.6 and that's if I'm super good the rest of this week. So, that means 5 weeks of weight loss until Christmas. So... originally I was going to set 150s by Christmas as the next goal. However, that's 2 pounds a week which can be a bit of a challenge. I've been pretty steadily losing 1-1.5 pounds per week. Do I set myself up to possibly not make a goal and deal with the disappointment, or do I change my goal date? If I change my goal date then I'm saying I can't lose 2 pounds a week for the next 5 weeks. I would love to hear a variety of opinions on this question!
Of course, I just finished watching "The Biggest Loser" and the one guy lost the same amount of weight in 2 weeks that it took me a year to lose. So then I think, jeez, I should definitely be able to lose 10 pounds in 5 weeks...
My ultimate goal is to be in the 130s by my birthday, April 7th, 2012. That's 30+ pounds in 4 months. So really, I'm having to make close to 2 pounds a week every week between now and April. Not a lot of room for error...It's actually exactly 1.5 pounds a week. I can do that, but I really need to focus.
Maybe it's time I ask for help there...So, all of you (all 4 of you) out there reading this, could you please help me? I need encouragement to keep up the diet and exercise. It's going to be particularly difficult to keep it up throughout Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season. I love cooking new recipes for Thanksgiving, as it's the one holiday I host both families at our house. I need to find recipes that are good, and will earn praises, but are also healthy. Then, I need to resist the temptation of Christmas cookies and candy. I love Christmas cookies, it's going to be difficult.
I'm riding the bike for at least 40 minutes at least 3 times a week. I'd love to get ahold of a treadmill to be able to alternate my exercise. It's hard to ride the bike every day since sitting on it for 40+ minutes can be a pain in the butt, literally. If I had a treadmill then I could walk on the days I don't ride the bike...Don't have a lot of money, though, to buy one right now. I am going to go to Play it Again Sports and see what they have available. Craigslist is nice and all, but they you have to go around and look at a bunch of different places and if you like one borrow Dad's truck to go get it. Not to mention finding the time to do this in the middle of work, David's hockey, Gibson's hockey twice a week, Emma's dance, Emma's birthday, a DU basketball game to celebrate Gibson's success at school, prepping for Thanksgiving, Black Friday shopping. Maybe I'll find time after Thanksgiving...
So, as I strive for the next goal, 10 pounds by Christmas, and the ultimate goal, 30+ pounds by my birthday, I appreciate any support I can get. Just the help of understanding we may not have dessert when you come over, Thanksgiving dinner and Emma's Birthday may not be as wonderful as usual, experimenting with healthier options, I won't be drinking most of the time, and I need to spend some time working out every day. Thanks for your understanding and support, all my family and friends :-)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
171.4 Pounds, getting closer to my goal and goal date.
If you look back, I set a goal of being in the 160's by my cousin's wedding. Well, we are a week away, and 1.5 pounds away. It's doable, but I will have to focus more than I have in the past couple of weeks. The past couple of weeks, I've lost 1 pound a week, on average. Nothing to be ashamed of, for sure, but not quite where I need to be to get to the 160's by next Friday. However, I really do think I can do it, especially since I lost 1 pound a week the past 2 weeks despite a Halloween party, candy around the house (that I threw away yesterday, finally), and a few days of total cheating at the cabin.
I'm really hoping to be enough into the 160's to allow myself some freedom for my mini-vacation :-) I'm planning on really taking it easy, though, at it seems to be difficult for me to reign myself in once I let myself eat and/or drink whatever I want to. I figured that out this week after eating piece after piece of Halloween candy!
Other than the candy cheating, the diet is actually going really well. I did eat Chicken Meatballs and cream cheese icing (not together) a week ago, at the Halloween party. Other than that, I've remained a plant-eater. Some days it's been difficult. I think if it was just David and I it would be easy. But figuring out something plant-based that Gibson and Emma will eat is more challenging. Sure, they love pasta, carrots, green beans, broccoli, and are ok with rice and salad, but tofu and beans have been a challenge, not to mention squash, eggplant, and other veggies we're getting from the farm. We're going to keep up with it, as their palates will change. The other challenge has been to mix it up. It feels like we cook the same thing all the time. I did just download the Forks Over Knives cookbook and am hoping that will help us change things up a bit. David wants to eat up our fish left in our freezer, too, so that will help over the next couple of weeks.
Working out is going ok. I'm riding the bike at home and my parents have been incredibly generous and are giving us their weight system! Since I have to quit the gym, it will be really nice to continue lifting at home. I don't want to lose the strength I developed over the past few months. Between that and riding the bike, I will be working out at least 3 days a week, but hopefully more than that. I've ridden the bike 3 times this week and went to Body Pump for the last time today.
Beyond November 11th, my next goal is to be in the 150's by Christmas. That's about 6 weeks, doable but will take work and commitment. I'll update again in 5 days, right before I leave for Kentucky!
I'm really hoping to be enough into the 160's to allow myself some freedom for my mini-vacation :-) I'm planning on really taking it easy, though, at it seems to be difficult for me to reign myself in once I let myself eat and/or drink whatever I want to. I figured that out this week after eating piece after piece of Halloween candy!
Other than the candy cheating, the diet is actually going really well. I did eat Chicken Meatballs and cream cheese icing (not together) a week ago, at the Halloween party. Other than that, I've remained a plant-eater. Some days it's been difficult. I think if it was just David and I it would be easy. But figuring out something plant-based that Gibson and Emma will eat is more challenging. Sure, they love pasta, carrots, green beans, broccoli, and are ok with rice and salad, but tofu and beans have been a challenge, not to mention squash, eggplant, and other veggies we're getting from the farm. We're going to keep up with it, as their palates will change. The other challenge has been to mix it up. It feels like we cook the same thing all the time. I did just download the Forks Over Knives cookbook and am hoping that will help us change things up a bit. David wants to eat up our fish left in our freezer, too, so that will help over the next couple of weeks.
Working out is going ok. I'm riding the bike at home and my parents have been incredibly generous and are giving us their weight system! Since I have to quit the gym, it will be really nice to continue lifting at home. I don't want to lose the strength I developed over the past few months. Between that and riding the bike, I will be working out at least 3 days a week, but hopefully more than that. I've ridden the bike 3 times this week and went to Body Pump for the last time today.
Beyond November 11th, my next goal is to be in the 150's by Christmas. That's about 6 weeks, doable but will take work and commitment. I'll update again in 5 days, right before I leave for Kentucky!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)