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Friday, July 30, 2010

August

August has come too soon. Too soon. August is the 8th month of the year, meaning at the end of the month we'll be 3/4 (three quarters) through the year, is that almost believable?

While, I won't go crazy now with the eats with the intention to start over on the 1st of August, I intend to start my own challenge come August. I joined the Summer Slimmin' Challenge hoping that by August 6th I'll have glorious resulst to show, but alas, I'm still where I was when we started. I did well for the first few weeks then totally backtracked. This time I intend to start my own challenge, just for me, one that I do just for myself, all my own goals, adn only myself accountable. That way, hopefully, I will be more inclined to follow through...

Have a nice weekend and see you in August!

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Free blog bling is frustrating!

To say the least! I loved the look of my blog, but then I got a notice that the free background will expire on August 1st...so I went ahead and checked out what else is there. But I still preferred the current (at the time) look of my blog and tried to reinstall it, only to get a plain background - or was it no background at all? Anyway, I tried something else, which didn't work for me. THEN I went back and used the code for my old background, and IT WORKED! That's how excited I was. Until I came back today and we were back to a plain/no background. Well (..sigh..) I suppose unless I pay up I have to find something else...

So, it may be you're looking at a different picture than you've seen if you've been here before, or next time you come you'll find something else. Well, hope I find something I like almost as much as the big and bold flowers I had up before.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Hard, but true

I had a perfect glutton's weekend this weekend. Looking back, it was really gross, but each time I overindulged, especially in horrific things, I felt justified. I had all the meanies people - between last week and this weekend I had - KFC mini wrap, chicken n chips, pops, Spur rib n wings, crisps, coke (after how long?), ice cream, seconds at home, buttered toast, buttered toast and buttered toast. I just about lost it and didn't care! Can you believe that? Of course I was hungry, out in town, didn't feel like cooking, etc. but I could have made better choices.

It was actually at the back of my mind all the time that I shouldn't be doing that, yet I threw caution to the wind. Even after my gain last week and my intention to 'get back up again' I still went ahead and sabotaged myself. Well, obviously I had another gain. All of 3.6 lbs. In one week! I can wish this is just water, but I know I deserve it just through the extra calories I ingested. And no activity at all.

Well, time to really go back to the drawing board. Make goals and stick with them. Today has been super clean so far. And I'm tracking again.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

We fall down...And we get back up again

Get back up again! Love that song. I can still hear Denise in my head belting it out on stage during a student association dinner back in 2000 or 2001. That girl can sing!!

That song and me
Looking at my track record over the past few weeks, it was inevitable that this day will come. The day when I will report my first gain after so many weeks of ....nothing? Well, let's call it maintenance. I had 7 weeks of weight losses, no matter how minute (talk about a 0.1lb loss), and there is just no way I'm going to dismiss that as a small matter. I did something I've never done before, something that I hope I can keep doing over and over until all my small losses add up to a substantial loss.

So, my car broke down and I had to release my maid who was making my life absolutely miserable, meaning I had to use public transport and/or rely on others and I had to do extra work around the house especially caring for my son. Then we had the holiday month - July's really nice because we have 2 long weekends - one was FIVE days long, the other 4 days, and this was a sure recipe for disaster. I totally lost track of my plan and should I say threw caution to the wind? I ate. And I sat and watched the new season of big brother. And yep, I gained back 1.8 lbs. I had that one coming. And it was no suprise really when I saw that number on the scale.

Get back up again
I know myself. Once I fall it's soooo difficult to get back up again. I usually spend days where tomorrow I'm getting back on plan, and sure, for the past more than a week I've been saying that to myself. Thankfully I wasn't too overboard with the overindulgence or it could have been worse. The thing that really went wrong was the choce of food types, more than the amount. So that it what I need to adjust back - less sugar, less carbs, more protein and more fresh produce. That's my mantra for getting back on track. I just need to readopt my healthy eating, and stick with it until it's second nature. I wonder how long I need to do it for it to really stick...

Anywho, for myself; I'm going to go over my menus, reintroduce them as they are, with no modifications that aren't beneficial to me. And from there on, we move on. And I'm telling you, I will get back up again!

Ugh - a plan blog - I didn't even process that until now that I'm done. Well, this one was warranted.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Slow and Steady...

...wins the race, right? In that case I'm definitely a winner, just give me time. Well, that's me being sarcastic I guess? At 1.2 lbs in 4 weeks, that's an average of 0.3 lbs a week, and 15.6 lbs a year - I really see how I can(t) be a winner - it would take me 6 years to reach my Weigh-Less goal at this rate!

BUT
I started Weigh Less 7 weeks ago, and I have not gained once in that period! That is NEW and I plan on maintaining the staus quo. No gains, just losses, no matter how small (even maintaining will do). I am not in a race to lose the weight, I'm trying to get fit and healthier - and weight loss will follow. However, I still need to do quite more to reach a comfortable level of both. And I will continue to pursue both for as long as it takes, no matter the number of detours along the way. As long as I'm going in the right direction I'm ok.

Summer Slimmin' Challenge...
...Is definitely more of a challenge that when we started out. BUT - in all honesty I'm rocking my Cookin' Meals, Eatin '5+ a day and Trackin' It! I am. Drinkin' water becomes a problem over the weekend, and unfortunately I haven't had scheduled Movin' Its yet. My problem is that cooking sometimes becomes an issue when I overdo it - too much! So, my sweet reward - Losin' Lbs - has been slow.
I;m pulling my socks up as we speak!

Other than that, I'm ok. Car problems, so I might be depending on others for transportation for upwards of a week! With the winter here being as bitter as it is at the moment, it's a big challenge to walk to work from the public transport stop. But I've been through worse times so I'll survive! And God is great, so everything will be ok.

Friday, July 9, 2010

Good week

Sure, I said I'll post weigh-ins and today's not weigh-in day (Monday)...so what am I doing here? Valid question. But I just needed to celebrate that I've had a good week so far. I've stuck to my meal plan with the exception of bits here and there during meal preparation and what my aunt pushed down my throat when I went to visit. She could well have done it physically because she left me no choice having said no like 5-6 times!

Anyway, that's that. I'm crossing fingers for a good weigh-in Mondays because I feel like I've made the effort now I just want to see the pay off. See, none of that I'll do this or that, but rather, I DID and therefore... Well I hope I do well over the weekend.

Hope everyone has a good one!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Summer Slimmin' Update? And a decision

Summer Slimmin' and Weigh In
I survived the long weekend! Well, barely. But I'm here, and reporting DID NOT gain should cancel all that's bad that happened, right? Right? But I didn't lose either. It's an absolute miracle that I did not record a gain this past week! So, I'll TAKE IT, because I don't deserve it...

Yep, unfortunately this past week was my biggest fail as far as the Summer Slimmin' Challenge. But this is a new week and I'm on it like it's going out of fashion. Well, may be it is...with less than half the time left. Which means I best hurry up and do my utmost best if I want to see that sweet reward of drinkin' water, cookin' meals, etc.

Decision
You know, I was looking at my weight loss stats earlier today. I know I'm on a journey to be healthier and fitter and I'm focusing on 'things' that will help me achieve that. But I also know very well that what the scale says at this point in my journey -- early days -- is reflective of the strides I'm making towards achieving my health and fitness goals. So, yes, I get on the scale a lot. And so, seeing how I lost SIX pounds the first week on the Weigh-Less plan, and have lost only 5.4lbs since then (5 weeks), I feel like I'm not doing well enough.

As I was thinking about it earlier, I just felt like coming on here to say I've lost 0.4 lbs or 0.0 lbs is really under par. So I thought how does it help me to blog about that? And I thought, may be rather than blogging often about my goals and my plans and not showing any results, isn't it better to just shut up and do it?

So I thought, what if I prove to myself that I can lose the weight without annoucing plans that fall by the wayside all the time. So I thought, may be I should step away from the blog, and only return when I've lost 10 lbs. Wouldn't that be a motivator enough to get me going? May be.

Sooo, I'll be posting my weekly weigh ins, but not talking so much about what I'm going to do. Focusing on doing, rather than telling.

Let's see how long this will take.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Back home

I'm home and I'm finally recovering from the monster cold that started on Monday, as is my poor little boy. Thank God for that because it was really hard.

My week
Well, the week sure went by fast, I can't believe it's already Friday! I also kind of wish it was Monday so that  I could give the week a different outcome. Eating off of a buffet and depending on take-away can be very difficult for someone who is seriously influenced by visual cues. Am I the only one who could swear that I will eat this and/or that, but then because I see something else I go for that and forget all my good intentions? Surely not.

I'm sure you get the drift already. The week didn't work out the way I wanted... If I even maintain this week it will be a huge miracle. But since  I've been back I've tried to be more selective and focus on eating healthier. And I intend to be more so over the weekend.

JULY - Into the 2nd half of 2010!

Goodness, time does fly doesn't it? We're in the second half the year already. Time to take stock and recommit to my healthiness journey. What's past is past, I can only take lessons from it because beating myself up with should haves and could haves will not benefit me much. I pride myself in the fact that at least overall I have lost weight this year so far. I weigh less than on the 1st of Jan and I have no intention of going back up! The only way to go is down.

So to start here's my plan for July:

1. Go back to Weigh-Less Rebalance Step 1 - to revive those great food habits .
2. Turn on the treadmill and walk - At least 3 times a week - beginning this weekend.
3. Recommit and successfully finish the Summer Slimmin' Challenge - ends August 6th.

That is all. That simple. And I will reassess in August.

How are you planning on furthering your healthiness or weight loss journey as we enter the 2nd half of 2010?