Checking In

Eeek! It's been a while again. Sorry about that. Post ideas are always swirling around in my brain but I never seem to get them to the blog. I will definitely be adding a blog related goal to the list for 2016.

But today I just want to check in and fill you in on a few things that have been going on.

The Christmas Fix Challenge :: I joined a challenge group hosted by Erica and we just wrapped up with that earlier in the week. I wasn't on my game the whole challenge but I do know I was much more aware of when I wasn't doing as well as I would like thanks to checking in daily. Accountability buddies are a huge help to me when it comes to making healthy choices. When others know I want to skip the soda or go to the gym on a certain day I've increased my chances of doing those things. No on wants to explain why they didn't when they said they would.

#letsbelivin :: I was featured on Lex Be Livin' the other week all for using the hashtag #letsbelivin on my Instagram posts.  You can check out the post I was featured in here. And if you want to learn more about the hashtag you can read all about it here.

Beyond the Scale :: Earlier this month Weight Watchers launched their new program, Beyond the Scale.  I'm still learning about the program and want to share my thoughts on it soon. But the main concept is that weight loss is about more than just the scale, it's about you as a whole. I love the idea of it and can't wait to really start working the program to reap the benefits of it.

But speaking of the scale, my weigh ins have been moving in the right direction again! Yay!

Starting Weight: 224.4

November 30: 221.0

December 4: 219.2 (1-.8)

December 11: 219.0 (-0.2)

December 18: 218.8 (-0.2)

Just one more day to make it through if you're like me and have to work Christmas Eve.  We can do it! Or at least that's what I'm telling myself every time I look at the clock.

Merry Christmas everyone!

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?

It's Mine to Move

SW: 224.4

July 3: 217.8

July 10: 217.6

Change: -0.2

Total Loss: -6.8

I've been having an off week. Not sure what else to really say about it. Thank you Aunt Flo for visiting last week but why do you have to mess with the week after too?

Looking at my goals for the month I'm not doing great with them but not horrible either. It's time to buckle down to turn the rest of the month around. This is me recommitting to my goals and to making this lifestyle change happen.

And because I need to remind myself of this daily I'm sharing this again.

How was your weigh in Wednesday? (Yes, I know it's Thursday :) )

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!

Short and Sweet

Real quick I want to check in because its been a while again.

I realized tonight that I have been blogging since 2009 (maybe even 2008)! No matter how many breaks I have taken from blogging I have never walked away from it completely. And now that I have a new blog design in the works I'm feeling excited about blogging once again! Be sure to check out Erin if you're looking for a new blog design, a button, or even invites! The girl does amazing work.

Now it's time to get down to business...weigh in business.

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 224.4

May 15: 214.6

May 22: 214.4 (-.2) 10 pounds lost!

May 29: 216.0 (+1.6)

Total Loss: 8.4

That May 22nd weigh in was a big one for me. Over all of the years that I've been trying to lose weight I have never lost 10 pounds! It was exciting to be able to say that I had lost 10 pounds since I joined Weight Watchers. Even though I gained the next week I'm sure I will get back down to that 10 pounds lost mark again and move on to the next milestone.

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.

I Confess...

It's Wednesday which means we're half way through the work week. Can I get a heck yeah?!

Wednesday also means hump day confessions with Melissa. So here we go, I confess...

...that I am addicted to cappuccino.  Until recently it was french vanilla but now I'm all about the English toffee. And yesterday morning I saw a vanilla bean flavor that I will have to try soon.

...that I am easily hooked on commercials. The Sprint commercial with the narwhals? Yeah, I sing that over and over. And some oldies but goodies, the Geico commercial where the pig pays his bill and then goes back to vacation mode and sings boots n pants and we can't forget the AT&T commercials with the kids sitting at a table with that one guy. My favorite was the island made out of candy and the little boy that asked, "What about the animals? What would they be made of?" I randomly bust out with commercial quotes. Drives my mom up the wall!

...(speaking of my mom) to being extremely jealous of her vacation. She's on her way to Myrtle Beach with a friend to visit another friend. The weather is actually shaping up here in Wisconsin so it's not the nice weather I'm so jealous of but what she gets to do while she's there. Drinking at beach bars when I'm at work and seeing pit crew practice at Stewart Haas. (Yes, I'm a NASCAR fan. :) )

...that I am LOVING the spring like temperatures we've been experiencing lately. It is so so nice to not need a jacket or the heated seats and to be able to open the sunroof in my car and windows in my apartment.

...I wrote this post on a post-it note at work yesterday.

...that I had a rough first week of March as far as my goals for the month go. Up until yesterday I was back on the Dew all day every day.  I skipped the gym last week outside of Body Pump Monday night. Once a week I'm "treating" myself to Chinese takeout when it should be more like a once a month treat. Meal planning was poor horrible which made my grocery shopping trip terrible and then my meal prep non-existent. And I only blogged once. But it's a new week so I'm working on turning things around.

...I've been skipping the scale and posting on Weigh In Wednesday because I feel like I'm repeating myself because I keep losing and gaining the same few pounds over and over again. I have thought about weighing myself less, like only once every two weeks or once a month, but I'm not sure if that would be a good idea for me. Sometimes I let the scale get me down, like today, and I know that's not a good thing. But I also think the accountability of having to step on the scale every Wednesday could help me make better choices. What are your thoughts on weighing in? And here's to turning things around going forward.

SW: 222

Feb. 4: 219.8

Today: 224.4

Change; +4.6
Overall Loss: +2.4

Weigh In Wednesday: February 4

Well it's been a hot minute since I have posted a Weigh In Wednesday post but don't worry I'm back! Must be that new "ready" feeling I have to accomplish my goals that I mentioned yesterday.

To catch you up here's how my last couple of weigh ins have gone.

Dec. 10: 215.6

Jan 14: 222 (+6.4)

Jan 21: 217.4 (-4.6)

Jan 28: 218.2 (+0.8)

Up and down as usual it seems. But overall January wasn't a bad month for me besides seeing that two twenty something number up there. Just goes to show that little changes can go along way and add up to something bigger.

Now for today's weigh in...drum roll please!

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 222

Jan 28: 218.2

Today: 219.8

Change: +1.6

Overall Loss:

May the scale be ever in your favor. :)

Weigh In Wednesday: December 10

As I'm sure you have all been able to guess based on my lack of posting, getting back on the healthy living wagon isn't going so well.  I'm always really motivated for a couple of hours or a day or two but then that motivation fades.  When the motivation fades it takes something called discipline to keep doing what needs to be done even when you don't want to.  Right now I am definitely lacking discipline.

I know I'm not alone in this struggle.  Even people who have been successful losing weight, like Carolyn, struggle with doing what needs to be done day after day in order to see results.  I've read this post a couple of times now and I will probably read it a couple more times to remind myself of what it takes to see results.  And even if I don't take the time to read the entire post again I will at least remind myself of two simple things.  "Motivation gets you to work out when you want to work out.  Discipline is what gets you there when you don't."

It's a relief to know that I'm not alone in the struggle to be disciplined when it comes to living a healthy life.  But yet I feel very alone because I feel like I am the only one that isn't getting it through my head that I need to be disciplined with working out and making healthy food choices if I want to see results.  I know what needs to be done and I know how to go about doing it but I'm still making excuses and talking myself out of doing what needs to be done.  And I won't lie, it's super frustrating and makes me think about giving up.  A lot.

But then I look at myself in the mirror, see a picture from a few years ago, or think about the plastic tote full of clothes that currently do not fit and I'm reminded why I want to change my life.  So I'm not giving up.  I will keep tying as many times as it takes for it to stick with me.

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 213.6 215.6

Nov 13: 212.7

Today: 215.6

Change: +2.9

Woof!  What a kick in the gut that was.

Weighing In

Well hello there! Guess who's back?!

It's 9pm on Friday and I'm sitting down to write this blog post that has been a long time coming. Just call me grandma I guess because I'm happy to be in my pj's finally reconnecting with my blog. And I'm excited that I'm going to be linking up with two great link ups.

First up, Weigh In Wednesday! My last time linking up with July 30th. And I guess it's safe to say I "fell off the wagon" since then. It's frustrating to know that I've made absolutely no progress since that last weigh in. In fact, I have gained and have reached a new highest weight. But I'm not throwing in the towel yet and I have no where else to go but up (or down) from here!

Height: 5'7.5''

SW: 208.1 213.6

July 30: 207.5

November 13: 212.7

Change: +4.6

Raising the bar (in the wrong way) is a hard pill to swallow but I'm moving forward. I lost almost a pound from the time that I weighed in at my highest. And hopefully I see about four more pounds fall off before the new year.

Which brings me to my next link up!

The lovely Carolyn started a link up so that anyone pledging to get #fit4fifteen has a place to find support to reach their goals. Be sure to check out her post here and link up if you're joining us!

Like I said, I want to lose 5 pounds before the start of 2015. This can be accomplished if I stick to the plan which might need some rethinking now that winter has set in here in Wisconsin but overall is still holding true. I have a home run goal that I would be ecstatic to reach but it would take me on point every day. And I'll be honest, I'm human and I don't think that's possible for me. I'm going to enjoy some Mountain Dew here and there. I'm going to indulge in some Red Lobster (tomorrow probably actually). And I'm going to enjoy the holidays with the special treats that we only have once a year. But despite all of that, I can still see progress and end 2014 in a better place than I am right now, at least 5 pounds lighter.

Are you getting #fit4fifteen? Do you join a gym for the winter months or do you tough the weather to continue exercising outside?

Weigh In Wednesday: July 30

I'm back as promised!

Encouraging news from the scale these last two weeks. After getting knocked on my ass two weeks ago by seeing a number I've never seen on the scale these last two weeks have been slow progress away from that number. I skipped "class" last week and didn't post about my weigh in so this week you get a double. Lucky, huh?

Height: 5' 7.5''

SW: 208.1

July 23: 207.7

Today: 207.5

Change: -0.2

Total Loss: 0.6

It's slow progress but progress still so I'll take it!

Way back in June I posted about my comeback which was basically how I was going to get myself back on track with this whole healthy lifestyle thing. I wasn't quite successful with sticking to it even though I never told myself I was giving up. After some reflecting on why I wasn't successful in sticking with it I believe it's that crappy plan I had. I said it was the foundation that I could build on. Basically it was, just the ideas behind the plan I needed to build. With a little help from Carolyn I've taken the ideas behind the plan and actually turned it into a plan (built on that foundation I laid).

With Carolyn asking the questions and offering advice and guidance based on what I told her I came up with the following to be my plan.

Fitness

• C25K - T/Th/Sat or M/W/F or Sat
• Home workouts for non-running/strength (DVDs or Sworkit)
• No TV, laptop or reading until workout for the day is DONE!

Food

• 2-3 meals per week (ex. 2 recipes, 4 servings each)
• Winging it: protein (chicken, turkey, sausage, lean ground beef) veggie and whole grain
• 80/20 rule for better eating
• No Mountain Dew or ice cream will be bought from the grocery store.
• No Mountain Dew vending machine purchases at work.
• 1-2 (12oz cans) Mountain Dew on weekends ONLY.
• No gas station stops for Mountain Dew or grab & go food (junk).
• Monday = grocery shopping day
• 64+ oz of water a day

I believe this is a much better plan than what I came up with two months ago which was just the basic concepts of what I needed to be doing. Now I have some set "rules" to follow. And I use the term rules very loosely because life happens sometimes and I am not going to beat myself up over an indulgence that takes me off plan.

With that being said, I do need to remember to actually stick to the plan and push through when I'm not feeling it. I started off great last week by running Tuesday and Thursday as planned but then life happened and I missed my run Saturday. I had the opportunity to make it up but didn't. Then the plan for this week was to run Monday but I decided not to and told myself I'll just do it Tuesday since I'm going to be busy Wednesday after work anyways. Well Tuesday has come and gone and I did not run.

Going forward, so this doesn't happen again, when I'm on the verge of talking myself out of a workout I need to ask myself: do I want to give up (again)? Or do I want to be triumphant? And in addition to that I need to remember that letting myself live with trade offs (I stayed strong and said no to Mt Dew so it's okay that I don't run) is letting myself settle for where I am. My healthy decisions need to propel more healthy decisions and then I will see a change. (Thanks Carolyn!)

It's in my hands. The greatest support system in the world does not make decisions for me, I do. I have a great support system but they can't do a damn thing for me if I don't support myself and push through the mental garbage that gets in the way of doing what needs to be done.

I've been loosely following the plan I made and it's helped me to see the little changes in the scale these last two weeks so I can just imagine what would happen if I followed the plan 100%. I'm going to find out, that's for sure!

Weigh In Wednesday: July 16

I'm going to make this short and sweet today for two reasons. First, I have about 13 minutes to leave for work and I still have to slap some war paint makeup on my face and brush my teeth before I go. And second, my weigh in kind of knocked me on  my ass this morning. But at least I was bit by the motivation bug yesterday so I'm ready to kick some ass!

Height: 5' 7.5''

SW: 207.7

Last Week: 207.7

This Week: 208.1

Change: +0.4

Total Loss: none

See what I mean? It knocked me on my ass seeing that I have reached a new high on the scale. Sure, it could be just a fluctuation that I caught on the scale and it's less than half a pound so it's not that big of a deal. But to see 208 on the scale, woof!

I still have plans to join Heather in taking measurements on the first weigh in of the month so starting in August I'll be able to judge my progress on something other than the scale.

Happy Hump Day friends!

Weigh In Wednesday: July 2

Before we get down to Weigh In Wednesday business, remember how I mentioned Friday that I stepped outside my comfort zone at work? Well today I take that a step further and could really use some positive vibes and your fingers crossed. And hopefully not too soon after today I'll be able to fill you in on what's been going on one way or the other.

Now onto the real business here, Weigh In Wednesday. I'm maintaining my highest weight which isn't the greatest thing to say but it's also not the worst. I'll be honest and just come right out and say it, I haven't really been putting any effort into this whole weight loss/healthy living thing. It sucks but it's the truth.

In addition to my own scale telling me that I'm tipping the BMI charts into being obese {isn't that a slap in the face?!} I had my yearly check up with the doctor Monday and she too reminded me of that lovely little fact. Thankfully my doctor didn't go ape shit on me that I've made no progress since the last time I saw her. I don't think I would respond well to that. She did talk to me about what my plate should look like, how much of each food group I should be eating and all that fun stuff. And without nagging me about she made it clear that I need to work on shedding the pounds.

With all of that said, I'm not giving up. I won't ever give up on myself.

Height: 5' 7.5''

SW: 207.7

Last Week: 207.7

This Week: 207.7

Change: none

Total Loss: none

My goal for next week is to see some movement in the scale {obviously a loss}. I hate seeing that I'm back at the beginning and my progress shows nothing. I think I'm going to join Heather in taking measurements on the first WIW of the month, starting next month. {Or sooner than that if I get my hands on a tape measure before then.} Hopefully then I'll see progress in another way besides the number on the scale.

Do you take monthly measurements to see results in other ways besides the number on the scale?

Recommitting

Look who finally showed up for class! Yay me!

As usual I don't have a lot of time because I was resistant to getting out of bed despite all of the things I wanted to do this morning so I'll keep this short and sweet.

Since my last post I celebrated my 24th year of life {a week ago} and have thoroughly messed up my comeback. I'm talking back to drinking a crap ton of Mountain Dew and no water, not giving a shit about what I'm eating, and being the biggest couch potato ever. Just to get it over with, here's my weigh in.

SW: 207.7
June 11 Weigh In: 204.6
Today's Weigh In: 207.7
Overall Loss: 0

I'm back at the beginning again which is super frustrating but really what did I expect when I just let it all go? The awesome thing is, I can start over as many times as I want/need to. I signed a contract with myself saying I WILL succeed, I CAN do this, and that I AM worth it. So I am not giving up.

Before I leave you guys I want to share a link to this post by the beautiful Ashten from Always Ashten. I relate in so many ways to looking at my workouts as fitness rather than my lifestyle. Workouts to me are about losing weight, "looking hot", and making the size of clothing I need go down. After reading her post I've decided that going forward I'm going to do my best to look at it as part of my lifestyle instead. It's just part of what I [will] do in my every day routine. That's exactly what it should be because as my weigh in proved today if I give up the good habits and revert back to my nasty old ones I will pack on the pounds again.

I have no goal date in mind for when I want to reach my goal weight. I'm on this journey for the long haul here people. However long it takes, it takes. This is me recommitting to that contract I signed with myself.

Did you struggle with having to start your journey over?

When it finally stuck what changed for you?

Feeling Off

It's really late in the day to be posting, like 10pm late. But despite feeling off all day, not sure if I'm getting sick or just not handling Mother Nature's lovely visit {to tell me what I already know} very well, I didn't want to miss recording a weigh in. Especially since I took the time to step on the scale when I almost didn't.

SW: 207.7

Last Week's Weigh In: 204.6

Today's Weigh In: 204.6

Overall Loss: 3.1

Holding steady is alright with me. As long as I'm not taking huge steps backwards I'm okay with whatever the scale has to tell me. I'm thankful that while I don't particularly like what the scale has to tell me right now I'm not obsessed with the number on the scale and it usually doesn't affect me emotionally a whole lot. So I know how I felt today wasn't a result of not seeing results on the scale.

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day and I feel more like my usual self. The bright side is we're over half way through the week so I only have two days to make it through at work before I can go home and enjoy more time with my family and my main guy Bo.