This year I spent New Year's Eve with my best friend, her husband and their 8-year-old son. We played Headbanz and Uno and Monopoly, drank lots of wine and delicious tropical fusion bubbly (not the 8-year-old), talked about all kinds of issues big and small, and went to bed around 12:11. It was a blast. A happy medium for me because I was "out" (of my own house) on a big *party night* without actually having to be "OUT".
New Year's is my favorite holiday, bar none. Yes, I could say Christmas or Thanksgiving or Easter, but when I think of the actual emotional high I get from the day, it's New Year's all around. I love counting down to midnight, I love watching Dick Clark's (RIP) New Year's Rockin' Eve, I LOVE the actual feeling on New Year's Day that I have literally entered a completely different life than the one I had yesterday. Blank slate, fresh page, new calendar, all that jazz. I 100% buy into it every year and it's AWESOME! Linus and the Great Pumpkin have nothing on Cousin Chip and the Spirit of New Year's Day.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Where were you when 2013 turned into 2014? Is that where you’d wanted to be?
On New Year's, I was snuggled up in bed. I was in my own house for the first time ever, in my own room with my own family downstairs waiting for the clock to strike midnight. I haven't waited up in years. It seems to me the world comes around again the next day and though it might be older, I sure can't tell. :)
There's not many places I'd rather be than home. That's not to say I don't enjoy traveling. I adore a vacation. The excitement and bustle of a city, the lullaby of ocean waves... I can't think of anywhere I wouldn't want to go. There's nothing better than coming home after a long day and you really can't love to come home unless you leave it once in a while. On holidays and weekends, there's really nothing more I'd want to do.
I was exactly where I wanted to be.
There's not many places I'd rather be than home. That's not to say I don't enjoy traveling. I adore a vacation. The excitement and bustle of a city, the lullaby of ocean waves... I can't think of anywhere I wouldn't want to go. There's nothing better than coming home after a long day and you really can't love to come home unless you leave it once in a while. On holidays and weekends, there's really nothing more I'd want to do.
I was exactly where I wanted to be.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Week 9 recap... Week 10 Let's GO!
Week 9 Results:
164.8
+.6
I can't say I didn't see it coming. I am pretty happy that it's not more than that. I can still live with myself. :) As much as I complained about "having" to do this, when I rebelled and went to snack on something, I would go eat a banana. I just like having the choice to eat a banana split. So, I think my Choco challenge was a success.
I am 44 minutes under my Chip Challenge from last week. I should have gone to walk on Sunday and I would have easily made it. There's no excuse but excuses.
I am excited for the Chip challenge this week! We need more exercise!
Week 10 Challenge:
My challenge this week will be 3 fruits/veggies a day. I think I do this now but I could be surprised. I am enjoying bananas more than I have in the past. They are easy, I don't have to think about them. I just pick it up and eat it. I'm sure I'll get sick of them like I got sick of blueberries. Shh. Don't tell the blueberries. By next summer, I'll be all about the berries.
164.8
+.6
I can't say I didn't see it coming. I am pretty happy that it's not more than that. I can still live with myself. :) As much as I complained about "having" to do this, when I rebelled and went to snack on something, I would go eat a banana. I just like having the choice to eat a banana split. So, I think my Choco challenge was a success.
I am 44 minutes under my Chip Challenge from last week. I should have gone to walk on Sunday and I would have easily made it. There's no excuse but excuses.
I am excited for the Chip challenge this week! We need more exercise!
Week 10 Challenge:
My challenge this week will be 3 fruits/veggies a day. I think I do this now but I could be surprised. I am enjoying bananas more than I have in the past. They are easy, I don't have to think about them. I just pick it up and eat it. I'm sure I'll get sick of them like I got sick of blueberries. Shh. Don't tell the blueberries. By next summer, I'll be all about the berries.
Chip 9/10
199.3
-.9
This week was mediocre, as far as doing things "right" goes, but they can't all be firecracker weeks and the scale moved in the right direction, so I'm happy. Nutrition just did not happen this week, but I kept my calories low enough and moved around just enough to lose (almost!) a pound. I'm disenchanted with tracking again, but I know from every single weight loss study/article/book ever written or performed that it's not an option. So it's back to the notebook for Chip, at least for a week. That's an excuse-proof method because there is zero effort involved other than picking up a pen. As always, Choco is free to request a pic at any time!
I'm pretty sure I did 150 minutes of walking, though with the less-than-stellar tracking I can't say that for sure. This week I HAVE to get back to the gym - no really, I HAVE to because my debit card expired in September and if I don't show them the new one before they take out my monthly payment, I'll get slammed with an insufficient payment fee! So it's back to the treadmill/elliptical. I love them. They are my friends. Choco's challenge was awesome and I tried to keep it in my mind all week. A couple times I took my book outside to read, because a sunny autumn backyard is a less tempting snack atmosphere than a cozy indoor easy chair. And last night I went out to eat with a friend and focused more on what she was saying than the chips & salsa in front of me. Did a little walkaround afterward for more talking too!
CHIP CHALLENGE #10
Pick one exercise each for arms, abs, and butt/thighs. Do 30 reps daily of each exercise. (30 seconds can be substituted if you choose an endurance move like plank - try for longer!) Mine are wall sit, wall pushups, and classic crunches. Already completed for Saturday, bam!
-.9
This week was mediocre, as far as doing things "right" goes, but they can't all be firecracker weeks and the scale moved in the right direction, so I'm happy. Nutrition just did not happen this week, but I kept my calories low enough and moved around just enough to lose (almost!) a pound. I'm disenchanted with tracking again, but I know from every single weight loss study/article/book ever written or performed that it's not an option. So it's back to the notebook for Chip, at least for a week. That's an excuse-proof method because there is zero effort involved other than picking up a pen. As always, Choco is free to request a pic at any time!
I'm pretty sure I did 150 minutes of walking, though with the less-than-stellar tracking I can't say that for sure. This week I HAVE to get back to the gym - no really, I HAVE to because my debit card expired in September and if I don't show them the new one before they take out my monthly payment, I'll get slammed with an insufficient payment fee! So it's back to the treadmill/elliptical. I love them. They are my friends. Choco's challenge was awesome and I tried to keep it in my mind all week. A couple times I took my book outside to read, because a sunny autumn backyard is a less tempting snack atmosphere than a cozy indoor easy chair. And last night I went out to eat with a friend and focused more on what she was saying than the chips & salsa in front of me. Did a little walkaround afterward for more talking too!
CHIP CHALLENGE #10
Pick one exercise each for arms, abs, and butt/thighs. Do 30 reps daily of each exercise. (30 seconds can be substituted if you choose an endurance move like plank - try for longer!) Mine are wall sit, wall pushups, and classic crunches. Already completed for Saturday, bam!
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Week 8 Blah/Week 9 Please for the love of God
200.2
+.6
I pretty much blew both challenges. I don't know what to keep saying over and over. Positive reinforcement inspires me and gets me motivated, but until I make some kind of lasting changes, it doesn't stick. Negative reinforcement doesn't work because it just makes me mad and I do the opposite out of spite. (Yes, even if it's my own self trying to negatively reinforce myself.)
Basically I need to stop talking about it and planning it, and just freaking do it. I'm giving myself the rest of October to lose three weeks in a row, and then it's a shift into "Big Is Beautiful" and body acceptance crap.
This week's Chip Challenge is a repeat - 150 exercise minutes! Walking counts :)
+.6
I pretty much blew both challenges. I don't know what to keep saying over and over. Positive reinforcement inspires me and gets me motivated, but until I make some kind of lasting changes, it doesn't stick. Negative reinforcement doesn't work because it just makes me mad and I do the opposite out of spite. (Yes, even if it's my own self trying to negatively reinforce myself.)
Basically I need to stop talking about it and planning it, and just freaking do it. I'm giving myself the rest of October to lose three weeks in a row, and then it's a shift into "Big Is Beautiful" and body acceptance crap.
This week's Chip Challenge is a repeat - 150 exercise minutes! Walking counts :)
Week 8 Recap, PARTY and Week 9 Challenge
DID YOU READ THAT HEADER?
DID!??!?! YOU!??!?! READ!??!?! THAT?!?!!!?! HEADER!??!?!
I weighed in last week at 165.8. I wanted to just have a slacker week. I wanted to do nothing more than just sit and eat. This week was one of the worst I have experienced in recent memory. I literally powered through with my head down and prayed constantly for something to let up. LOL
Meanwhile, I can honestly say, I did NOT turn to food for comfort. That's a badge in itself I think!
Just this morning I stepped on the scale, fully expecting my hell week to carry over... I'm 164.2. That puts me down 1.6 pounds for the week and .2 pounds under my first goal!!!!
I think I fulfilled Chip's challenge to do better than I did last week. I know she's proud of me right now! We are dancing together right now. LOL I think I did fulfill my challenge even though I didn't specifically think about each food, I did think about my overall meals. Not too much on my plate and not too many of the bad things.
I also completed my personal challenge of no fast food breakfasts! I'm SO proud of this one, you don't even know. The number of calories x the taste of the food = negative net enjoyment. I still love me a fountain soda though. :)
Week 9 Challenge: Do what you love, but do it without going outside your calorie goal.
If you like to go to the movies, do it but get the "kid meal" of teeny popcorn, snack size M&Ms and a diet coke. It's not good for you but it's not about the food. :)
If you like sitting on the couch and reading, do it without food.Quilting without food is easier, I don't want to get the fabric all yucky. Maybe I should just never stop quilting...
Have a date night with friends or family and pay attention to them, not the food.
I'm guilty of all of these things and also of actively avoiding these types of things because they are rough food situations to be in.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Chip Week Results/CC #8
Chip Week! It was great, it was awesome, I'm glad it's over. Hee! But I do thank Choco for creating some really good challenges and being mega supportive (yes you were!) because. . .
199.6 (!)
-2.6 (!)
Goal Date: March 21
As I shared with Choco this week, I was seeing my final goal date move further and further back on my calorie-counting app every week I didn't get results. So I'm keeping a closer eye on that. It's now back in the safe zone of pre-Vegas, but I'd like a bigger safety net than 2 days.
Saturday's physical challenge was 21 squats. I pulled up YouTube to make sure I got proper form and found a squat challenge set to (and the length of) "Call Me Maybe". I threw myself into it, to hell with proper form, and did it. Felt pretty smug, but it would come back to bite me later. Mental challenge was to think about what I did right on the last day of the previous week. I didn't make notes on this one, so the only thing I remember thinking was that I avoided snacky stuff in the evening specifically because it was the night before weigh-in and I always think "Come on, you can make it one evening." Here's a thought - maybe EVERY night should be the "night before a weigh-in"!
Sunday: Physical was 30 wall push-ups. Did it in 2 sets of 15. I always forget that it's kind of cool to have that sore feeling in a particular muscle and know that you worked it. (Not like injury-level sore, but you know what I mean.) Mental was some VEGAS preplanning! This was my favorite challenge of the week, and definitely inspirational.
Monday: Physical was 2 sets of 15 knee ups. I did them. I was not happy. Mental was to envision a perfect day and follow through. I had good intentions, but the day was definitely far from perfect. Monday was a generally grouchy day. Oh, and I had a bonus to find a delicious new healthy recipe, and I kind of half-assed it.
Tuesday: Physical was two wall sits for as long as I could go. Holy crap, wall sits are hard. But again, I dig the "Oh, I can feel that I actually did something" burny feeling. Mental was to go to Fitness Blender and pick my own physical challenge for the next day. A really cool site with thousands of videos, exercises, workouts. . . . I chose a classic crunch because I'm a simple gal.
Wednesday: Did 50 crunches for my physical. Hooray for abs! Mental was to start a running workout playlist on the blog, which you have already seen.
Thursday: I woke up with a searing muscle rip of some kind in my back, the same place that had been vaguely twinge-y since the stupid Call Me Maybe squats. So I was unable to complete the physical challenge, which was to go all out with my steps. Backup was to stay at or under my calorie limit, which I did. Mental was to pretend I was down to the last 10 pounds, and that I was already the girl who had gotten me to that point. That was a good one, as I feel like I'm constantly striving and failing to be that girl.
Friday: Physical was car dance party! I completed this one with relish. Mental was to make a list of all my obstacles and decide if they were true obstacles or excuses. I didn't want to face this one because I KNOW most of my obstacles are excuses! I've said before that I'm allowed to lose weight, no one is holding a gun to my head and making me eat donuts. It's just freaking hard. But basically the only true obstacle I have is the living situation. And all I can do is find ways to work around it, and work to change it as soon as possible. Hating exercise and being addicted to junk food are excuses. All fat people hate exercise. Everyone is addicted to junk food. (I read Salt Sugar Fat too!) And all my mental obstacles (not trusting myself, having trouble with consistency, building momentum, yada yada yada) boil down to just getting over it and doing what I know I need to do. So.
*WEEK 8 CHALLENGE*
Speaking of consistency and momentum, I'm doing a simple challenge too. (We've had an intense couple of weeks!) Just do better than you did last week. Whether that's a better final result, being more consistent with exercise, making better food choices, just make a marked improvement in one area or another.
199.6 (!)
-2.6 (!)
Goal Date: March 21
As I shared with Choco this week, I was seeing my final goal date move further and further back on my calorie-counting app every week I didn't get results. So I'm keeping a closer eye on that. It's now back in the safe zone of pre-Vegas, but I'd like a bigger safety net than 2 days.
Saturday's physical challenge was 21 squats. I pulled up YouTube to make sure I got proper form and found a squat challenge set to (and the length of) "Call Me Maybe". I threw myself into it, to hell with proper form, and did it. Felt pretty smug, but it would come back to bite me later. Mental challenge was to think about what I did right on the last day of the previous week. I didn't make notes on this one, so the only thing I remember thinking was that I avoided snacky stuff in the evening specifically because it was the night before weigh-in and I always think "Come on, you can make it one evening." Here's a thought - maybe EVERY night should be the "night before a weigh-in"!
Sunday: Physical was 30 wall push-ups. Did it in 2 sets of 15. I always forget that it's kind of cool to have that sore feeling in a particular muscle and know that you worked it. (Not like injury-level sore, but you know what I mean.) Mental was some VEGAS preplanning! This was my favorite challenge of the week, and definitely inspirational.
Monday: Physical was 2 sets of 15 knee ups. I did them. I was not happy. Mental was to envision a perfect day and follow through. I had good intentions, but the day was definitely far from perfect. Monday was a generally grouchy day. Oh, and I had a bonus to find a delicious new healthy recipe, and I kind of half-assed it.
Tuesday: Physical was two wall sits for as long as I could go. Holy crap, wall sits are hard. But again, I dig the "Oh, I can feel that I actually did something" burny feeling. Mental was to go to Fitness Blender and pick my own physical challenge for the next day. A really cool site with thousands of videos, exercises, workouts. . . . I chose a classic crunch because I'm a simple gal.
Wednesday: Did 50 crunches for my physical. Hooray for abs! Mental was to start a running workout playlist on the blog, which you have already seen.
Thursday: I woke up with a searing muscle rip of some kind in my back, the same place that had been vaguely twinge-y since the stupid Call Me Maybe squats. So I was unable to complete the physical challenge, which was to go all out with my steps. Backup was to stay at or under my calorie limit, which I did. Mental was to pretend I was down to the last 10 pounds, and that I was already the girl who had gotten me to that point. That was a good one, as I feel like I'm constantly striving and failing to be that girl.
Friday: Physical was car dance party! I completed this one with relish. Mental was to make a list of all my obstacles and decide if they were true obstacles or excuses. I didn't want to face this one because I KNOW most of my obstacles are excuses! I've said before that I'm allowed to lose weight, no one is holding a gun to my head and making me eat donuts. It's just freaking hard. But basically the only true obstacle I have is the living situation. And all I can do is find ways to work around it, and work to change it as soon as possible. Hating exercise and being addicted to junk food are excuses. All fat people hate exercise. Everyone is addicted to junk food. (I read Salt Sugar Fat too!) And all my mental obstacles (not trusting myself, having trouble with consistency, building momentum, yada yada yada) boil down to just getting over it and doing what I know I need to do. So.
*WEEK 8 CHALLENGE*
Speaking of consistency and momentum, I'm doing a simple challenge too. (We've had an intense couple of weeks!) Just do better than you did last week. Whether that's a better final result, being more consistent with exercise, making better food choices, just make a marked improvement in one area or another.
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