February Goals

Did a whole month really pass between my blog posts?! It's crazy how quickly the last month went by. I last posted about my goals for 2016 and while goals for the year are great it is also important to break down those long term goals into some smaller goals. A January goals post was supposed to happen but somehow it slipped away from me.

Really quick, [because I want a record of it here on the blog] here are my January goals and how I did with them. Workout 12 times: 9/12, not bad. Drink 64oz of water each day: meh, I had some weeks of no water consumption. Work the WW program: I tracked more but didn't really work the program in meal planning and prepping foods that fit into the program. Blog once a week: oops! Reach 5% weight loss goal: I was so so close to this one. I ended the month at 214 [7 pounds lost for the month!] which is one pound from my 5% goal. She Reads Truth Genesis study: I fell behind and it was just hard to get caught up again.

Now onto the February goals!

Workout 12 times - just three workouts a week and this goal is in the bag.

Track every day on WW app - self explanatory here. I just want to focus on tracking and being more aware of what I'm eating and how much for the month. No pressure for big changes.

Blog once a week

Drink 64oz of water a day

Mail V-day cards - Checking this one off already because I dropped them in the mail yesterday!

Eat breakfast - I've been known to skip breakfast because I'm behind schedule in the morning and really can't afford to be late for work.

8 hours of sleep & wake up with alarm - This will help with the breakfast thing and will also make my mornings less stressful and give me a chance to put a little more effort into my appearance.

She Reads Truth - The lent study is coming up and I want to stay on top of it this time. Time to devote some time to "me time".

What are your goals for the month?

Got My Shitkickers On

I take the fact that the weeks, months, and years just seem to be flying by as a sign that I am getting older. It does not even seem real that 2015 has come and gone already. Where did the days go when I was a child and time just seemed to move so slowly?

Roughly a year ago I set some goals to make 2015 the year of me. Reflecting on how the year went I wouldn't say that I was as successful as I would have liked but I did make some progress and learn about myself. Sad as I am that I can't say I accomplished all of my goals I can say that I am ready to take on 2016 and my new goals...even if a lot of them are repeats from last year.

A photo posted by Amy (@lnlbyamy) on Dec 21, 2015 at 6:48am PST

2016 Goals

1. Drink More Water - Pretty self explanatory. More water less soda.
2. Work the Weight Watchers Beyond the Scale program - The program works when I work the program. Last year I didn't have guidelines and was just trying to "eat healthier" and I found it just wasn't working for me so I joined Weight Watchers. Lack of commitment to the program was the reason for my lack of success. This year I have the guidelines and the structure I need to truly eat healthier but still allow for indulgences sometimes.
3. Move More - Working out will become a normal part of my life this year. My body can do more than I give it credit for. Time to let its abilities shine.
4. Tracking Spending, Budget, SAVE! - I fly by the seat of my pants a lot when it comes to my financial situation. I have the money to cover the bills so past that I don't really worry too much. This year I want to do a better job budgeting, tracking where my money is really going, and replenish my savings account.
5. Organize / Clutter Free - This year I want to establish a better housekeeping routine to avoid cluttering up my counters, couch, and floor. Being on my own I basically leave things where I set them and they're out of my way. But lets be honest, my place looks a lot nicer when I've taken the time to put away those odds and ends. And after completely spacing on a rent payment last year [so thankful for understanding property managers!] I will definitely be staying organized with my Plum Paper planner and fun Plan in Color planner stickers!
6. Me Time - I tend to have a lot of me time in my life being single and having long distance friends but I want to be a little bit more intentional with some of it by spending time reading the bible and working towards my goal of reading 100 books.
7. Skin Care - This could kind of fall under me time too but I think it deserves its own goal. Time to kick the bad habits of sleeping in my makeup, forgetting to moisturize, and washing my face less than I should.
8. Send More Snail Mail - I love to drop a little something in the mail to put a smile on friend's face. Who doesn't like to see something besides bills and junk in their mailbox? I know smile any time I find good old snail mail in my mailbox from a friend.

I've got my shit kickers on and am ready to get started! Do you have any goals for 2016?

Struggling

I'm just going to jump right in and let you all know that I am struggling lately.  I set some goals for the month and so far I haven't really done anything to make progress on them.  But like Tammy Jo said today in her blog post while there are things I cannot change there are plenty that I can.

Honestly, I'm sick of repeating the same crap on here about how I'm struggling.  It's the same old crap every time and I am certain that you are sick of hearing it.  Time to pull on my big girl panties and deal with the crap that is what I have made of the healthy living part of my life and get my shit together.

I'm just going to end this here tonight because thinking about what I haven't been doing lately has made me rather grumpy.  So, this is me recommitting to my October goals which I know I won't fully achieve but I can give it my all with the time I have left.

And because yesterday was Wednesday here's my weigh in.

Starting Weight: 224.4

October 2: 220.2 (+2.4)

October 9: 217.0 (-3.2)

Total Loss: 7.4

October Goals

Not that I want to wish away time but gosh am I happy it's Wednesday.  Work has been kind of slow lately so the days seem to go by extra slow for me. But I know things will be picking up in the future so I just have to keep plugging away.

Even though I am glad we're halfway through the work week I cannot believe that it's the last day of September already. As an adult it seems that the months and years just fly by compared to when we were kids and only summer seemed to fly by.  With the end of the month comes the perfect time to set some goals for October.

- Finish the C25K program!  I had a slow start to my 5K training but since coming back from vacation I've been running every day that I'm supposed to.  And I've been enjoying my runs and feeling good on them!  I've started C25K multiple times but this time feels different, like it's finally my time.  To cap off the program I'll be running the I Ain't Afraid 5K on October 31st. And I'm following up my virtual 5K with a Turkey Trot 5K Thanksgiving morning!

- Track with Weight Watchers.  Since last week all I have been tracking on the WW app has been my workouts.  It is well past the time to get back to tracking my food.  The Weight Watchers program works for me, but only when I'm working the program.  By not tracking my food I am only hurting myself as proven by my weigh ins the past month or so.

- Drink 64oz of water a day.  I have been drinking more water this past week than I have in a long while but it still hasn't been consistent.  When I'm chugging water I don't have time to have a Mountain Dew and that is exactly what my body needs.

- Hit my step goal 4 days a week.  I should be running three days a week so it shouldn't be a problem to reach my 5,000 step goal on those days but that fourth day I will have to push myself.  It's time that I make it happen.

And before I forget, here's my weigh in from Friday.

Starting Weight: 224.4

September 11: 217.8 (+0.2)

Total Loss: 6.6

Where I've Been

The post it note this blog post is coming to you from is dated 8/26/15.  Yeah, I've been holding on to it for almost a month and am finally putting my fingers to the keys to share it.

The month of August was spent enjoying cold beer and seeing Tyler Farr perform at the fair, catching another cold (second one this summer, womp womp) and then being on vacation in the northwoods camping for a week.  All of that led to three weeks of no workouts, one week of horrible food choices (every. dang. meal.), no tracking, and no water (lots of Mountain Dew).

September has started off in much of the same way unfortunately.  I did get back to Body Pump and threw in a run here and there but did not get back to tracking or chugging water.  And last week I was in California visiting my girl Chelsea which was fantastic and much too short of a visit.

But now we're here, I'm home and it's time to get completely back on track!

I met with a personal trainer with my friend Flora (cheaper rate for a 2-on-1 appointment) at the end of August and was so sore!  Like, holy cow, never again will I double up personal training with Body Pump in one night.  I am looking forward to more appointments once Flora is back from vacation.

Speaking of Flora, we're going to be workout buddies!  Even when she can't make it due to work or what not it still pushes me to get to the gym because in a way I want her to have that fear of missing out.  I mean that in the best way possible of course. I want her to join me at the gym and make her fitness a priority in her life.  And I know she wants that too.

Three goals to focus on for the rest of the month.  1) 64oz of water a day!  2) Track with Weight Watchers!  3) Figure out a plan! How should I use my PP for the day?  What meals fit into that plan?  And GO TO THE GROCERY STORE!  (Still struggling with that, a lot!)

SW: 224.4

July 24: 214.6

July 31: 217.7 (+3.1)

August 7: ?? No weigh in

August 14: 217.0 (-0.7)

August 21: ?? No weigh in (Camping)

August 28: 218.2 (+1.2)

September 4: 217.2 (-1.0)

September 11: 217.6 (+0.4)

September 18: ?? No weigh in (California)

Those weigh ins certainly speak for themselves.  Not being focused on making healthy changes in my life has led to some weight gain.  Like I said earlier though, time to get back on track!!

Weigh In Wednesday: July 29

SW: 224.4

July 17: 216.6 (-1.0)

July 24: 214.6

Change: -2.0

Total Loss: -9.8

So the scale has been moving in the right direction and I'm less than half a pound away from that ten pound loss mark again! I won't lie, it was a bit frustrating to have to lose the same old pounds that I lost once before. Now that I have them all lost again I hope to never find them ever again.

I've got a short list of things I want to share with you on this fine Wednesday night.

Failure to plan is planning to fail! I don't know how many times I see this while browsing Pinterest or how many times I've talked about this already on the blog but until I'm actually planning I will keep reminding myself about it.  It is a such a true statement.  Without a plan for what I will be eating for the week I tend to not even buy groceries which leads to poor choices like not eating much or choosing unhealthy foods.  To fix this issue I think I'm going to have to move my departure time up from my parents' house.  I've been staying there until 9pm on Sunday nights and I'm not in the mood to hit up the grocery store before returning to my apartment let alone cooking at 10pm or later. Even though grocery shopping and meal prepping on Monday nights works it leaves Monday morning and the midday to chance which isn't starting my week off on the right foot.

Weekends are tough.  I'm haven't been tracking on weekends and am much more relaxed with my food and drink choices.  Even though I've been seeing results on the scale I know that I cannot continue to only change my habits during the week if I want to continue to see results and be able to maintain a new lifestyle for the long term.  I am also very lazy on the weekends.  My step count suffers terribly Saturday and Sunday every week.  I need and want to work on being more active on the weekends.  Bo would love it if I took him for a walk or two or three/four so there is absolutely no excuse for my couch potato ways.

I've been bitten by the running bug.  I've been having the itch to run but haven't given in yet and scratched the itch.  I've even thought about signing up for a 5K in order to give myself something to train for. But how do I find a 5K race to sign up for?  Runners, I need you help!  What are your tips for finding races?

I'm loving Body Pump! I killed it at Body Pump tonight and I loved that feeling.  I'm looking forward to continuing on this Body Pump journey to see where it takes me and increasing the number of reps I complete and increasing my weights as well.

I will finally try RPM tomorrow. I am strangely excited to try this new form of torture called RPM (cycling).  Pray for me.

I joined a DietBet.  I joined Erin and signed up for a DietBet Sunday night.  I submitted my weight Sunday night and now have until August 23 to lose 4% of my weight.  For me, 4% comes out to be 8.8 pounds which would put me at 210 pounds.  You might be doing the math based on the weigh in I shared above and be thinking that I should have a goal weight less than that.  And you would be right, except I weighed in on Sunday night.  Strategy my friends, strategy.  It may not be the correct way to go about it buuut I'm running with it.  When I am ready to submit my final weight I will weigh in in the morning, much like I do for my Friday weigh ins.

How was your weigh in Wednesday?

Tracking Equals Weight Loss

SW: 224.4

June 5: 217.0 (+1.0)

June 12: 216.5 (-0.5)

June 19: No Weigh In

June 26: 218.4 (+1.9)

July 3: 217.8 (-0.6)

Total Loss: -6.6

Over two months ago I was so excited to share that I had lost 10 pounds since joining Weight Watchers. But since that day all I have done is gradually gain some of those lost pounds back. I'm disappointed that it happened but I know it didn't just happen. I did something to cause those gains. Or rather I wasn't doing something.

This loss, although small, was huge for me today. I have now lost 10 pounds since joining #WeightWatchers! I have never lost 10 pounds before at any point in my previous weight loss attempts so this is a first for me. Even though I have been off my game the scale has still been moving down almost every week so I must be doing something right. #fitfam #weightloss #fit4fifteen

A photo posted by Amy (@lnlbyamy) on May 22, 2015 at 4:59am PDT

Last night I took the time to log into my Weight Watchers account on my computer and take a peek at some of the progress reports that they provide. It was when I looked at the monthly report that I noticed that tracking equals weight loss and not tracking equals weight gain. The amount of activity points earned one week versus the next didn't make a difference. For instance, 6/19-6/25 I earned 14 activity points but tracked 1/7 days and I gained 1.9 pounds. Then the week of 6/26-7/2 I earned 14 activity points and tracked 4/7 days and I lost 0.6 pounds. The same amount of activity points were earned but the number of days I tracked my food was obviously greater one week to the next.

I also feel like I should note that the entire time I have been following the Weight Watchers program I have never changed up my eating a whole lot. I have continued to eat a lot of the same foods I have always eaten but either in smaller portions or by making smarter choices at other meals to balance out a poor choice. This is one of the reasons that I love Weight Watchers and believe that I can make a lifestyle change with the program. I can eat whatever I want! I just have to be smart about it.

I will leave you today with this.

How I am approaching this journey going forward.

How was your weigh-in Wednesday?

Weigh In Wednesday: June 10

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 224.4

May 29: 216.0 (+1.6)

June 5: 217.0 (+1.0)

Total Loss: 7.4

Woof! Since joining Weight Watchers this is my first time with two gains in a row. This is definitely not the direction I would like to be moving in.

I'll just be honest with you guys, I've still be slacking on tracking my food and really trying to meal plan for the week ahead. The Weight Watchers app reminds me to track but when I'm eating crap and a lot of it it's much easier to avoid tracking it. Tracking my food does it's job, it makes me think about what I'm eating and evaluate my choices. But when I'm off the program it's not fun to track that to have proof that I've messed up. But I know on days when I don't track or only track a meal or two that I went off the program and quit caring. I've been tracking the last few days even if my food choices haven't been the best, so we'll see where that gets me. Next week will be better once I actually have some good food to eat in my fridge.

Today I attended my second Body Pump class of the week. I've been going to Body Pump once a week for a while and have thought about adding a second class but never pulled the trigger on it. Without someone to go with it was always easier to not go to a second class because no one was expecting me. It's an excuse for sure, I'll admit it. And I'll even admit that the only reason I went twice this week is because I had people to go with me each time. The plan is for it to continue to be that way so I'm going to keep on this twice a week Pump regimen. And even if one of my Pump buddies can't I'm going to do my best to go it alone. No reason not to, right?

Group fitness classes seem to be my jam because since trying Pump for the first time I've been the most consistent than I've ever been with workouts. So even though I've slipped up on the monthly goals again this month one thing I want to do before the end of the month is try a RPM class. And I'm going to have to overcome my fear of trying new things alone because neither of my Pump buddies are interested in a cycling class. Wish me luck and that I survive the first one!

Until next time friends!

Weigh In Wednesday: Results but still Struggling

Hi there! Welcome back to my little corner of the blogging world. I'm glad you're here. Why don't you grab a cup of coffee or whatever tickles you fancy and pull up a chair so we can chat a bit.

The last time I was here I shared with you the exciting news that I joined Weight Watchers. And not only that but I had already been seeing results! I'm still a Weight Watchers member but I am struggling a lot despite seeing results. During a slow morning at work the other week I was thinking about why this is because in the past I felt I was struggling because I wasn't seeing results (The struggle to keep on trying to make changes without any reward is real!). I discovered a few truths about why I struggle whether I'm following Weight Watchers or doing it on my own, seeing results or not.

The truth is... Weight Watchers or any plan to be healthier takes work. Woah! No way, really?! Yes, really. As much as I like to think I am organized and a planner I'm not like that 80% of the time. Weight Watchers takes some work to plan ahead for the week and even just the next day. What will I need to pick up at the store in order to have something to cook? What can I make ahead and have portioned out in containers waiting for me? What will I need to make right before eating? What am I going to pack for lunch tomorrow? When will I work out and what will I do? The questions just keep coming! And like I said, about 80% of the time I am not a planner who has all of these questions (and the countless others) answered by Sunday night so I am prepared for the week ahead. It's definitely something I need to work on.

The truth is... old habits die hard. (Side note: does anyone recognize that as a Justin Moore song featuring Miranda Lambert?) Drinking Mountain Dew and being a couch potato are probably the worst old habits that I have. I made it about a month without drinking any Mountain Dew but once I had one they started to slowly creep their way back into my daily habit. And now I'm back at square one because I've been having Mountain Dew pretty much daily and skipping the water. And being a couch potato has almost always been my thing and I have rarely if ever really truly broken that habit. Both are huge mental battles, to just not have a Dew or to just get up and go to the gym. Why are mental battles with ourselves like the hardest thing ever??

The truth is... being social requires more thinking than just what to wear and how I should do my hair. Weight Watchers doesn't give you a free pass if you want to go out for a night with your friends. But! It also doesn't restrict you from doing that if you want. Weekly points are my friend but they need to be used wisely which means I need to have a plan of what and how much I'm going to eat and drink on my night out. And maybe the hardest part is tightening things up the rest of the week and staying within my daily points. Easier to do for sure if you know ahead of time that you'll be going out but when those nights out surprise you it might change your beverage plan depending on what your points situation is looking like.

The truth is... I have a routine that is not in line with all that needs to be done to succeed. I hit the snooze button way too many times every morning. Hitting the snooze button leads to leaving for work at the last possible minute. Leaving at the last minute means I don't have time to pack the lunch I should have had ready the night before. And why didn't I have my lunch ready the night before? Because I was too "busy" watching TV. Yeaaaah. It's terrible and I know it.

Having said all of that the best part is none of these things are permanent. I can change each and every one of those things that I struggle with. And I'm going to. :)

Now I can share with you those results I mentioned!

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 224.4

March 27: 216.8

April 3: 218.0 (+1.2)

April 10: 216.2 (-1.8)

April 17: No Weigh In

April 24: 215.2 (-1.0)

May 1: 215.2 (no change)

May 8: 216.8 (+1.6)

May 15: 214.6 (-2.2)

Total Loss: -9.8

A few ups and downs but as laid back as I've been about my eating and my lack of workouts it's to be expected. I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far and am looking forward to seeing what can happen when I'm more on my game.

Weigh In Wednesday: I Joined Weight Watchers!

I am excited to share some big news today. After a heart to heart talk with a friend that grew from her comment on my last Weigh In Wednesday post I decided enough was enough and I joined Weight Watchers. What did I have to lose? Absolutely nothing.

And it was the best decision I've made in regards to my weight loss. Before Weight Watchers I was trying to eat healthier on my own and it just wasn't working. Mountain Dew, Chinese takeout, and crap fast food dominated my diet and I excused it because it was "only once in a while". But let's be honest, it was more than that based on the weight gain I was seeing on the scale.

Weight Watchers has given me some rules and guidelines to structure my diet around. I can still treat myself and enjoy the foods I love that aren't actually good for you. But I'm encouraged to make better choices 90% of the time. Based on the success I've been seeing the last three weeks I think it's safe to say that rules and guidelines work for me.

Height: 5'7.5''

SW (March 11): 224.4

March 13: 220.0 (-4.4)

March 20: 218.6 (-1.4) 5 pounds lost!

March 27: 216.8 (-1.8)

Yes, you're reading that right, three losses in a row! It's strange really because every Friday morning I wake up and worry if I'll see a loss. I step on the scale and hope for the best. But it's not hope that's making those losses happen, it's dedication to the program. Since joining Weight Watchers I have been drinking 76-100oz of water a day, skipping the daily Mountain Dew, and making better food choices. I have been tracking every day religiously too. Guess this just goes to show that your diet matters a lot! I mentioned yesterday that I haven't been working out except for my Monday night Body Pump class so I'm not burning a ton of calories every week to see a loss on the scale.

I decided to change my weigh in day to Fridays so when linking up for Weigh In Wednesday I'll be sharing my weigh in from the Friday before. Next week I plan to have taken some pictures. I'd love to be able to participate in transformation Tuesday one day and have some awesome before and after pictures to show off.