Bonus Points

I had all real intentions this morning of waking up at 4:47, doing some weights, my quiet time, doing the dishes, and getting ready.

And then when I woke up, I heard the dreaded chirping noise - a fire alarm was dead and needed a new battery.  I thought "ok...so change it."  But I couldn't reach it on the step stool.  So (now my window to do my 20 minutes of weights was gone), so I wanted to sit down and spend some time in the Bible.  And when I sat down, I heard a TERRIBLE scratching noise in the kitchen.

A mouse.  Yes, a mouse.  We get them every fall like clockwork when the weather cools off.  But hearing that little guy in my kitchen just SET ME OFF.

And to top it off, we had our health screenings at work this morning, so I couldn't even have coffee!

Anyway, I woke Tyler up to take care of the problems....I've had my health screening, and now I'm eating my yummy egg muffin (do I get bonus points that it contains kale!?)....about to brew my first cup of coffee and get on with my day.

Yesterday I had two great Zumba classes....stayed pretty good to my food (got lunch out, but I logged it! and I made good choices!), my only mess up was having a serving of chips and dip with dinner.  And I do mean a serving.  I counted chips and everything. :)

I may have stepped on the scale this morning and was happy to see the number go down.  I won't officially report it yet because Fridays are weigh in days...but it's working! :)

Here's to a good day.

Bad Apple

I am weird with food. I can make a batch of something and eat it for days.  Then other times, I have an aversion to it.

Well, I made a batch of veggie egg muffins, and ate one yesterday.  Then this morning at work....it was the LAST thing I wanted for breakfast.  Just didn't sound good.

No problem, I thought.  I have an apple in the fridge.  So I washed it off, and as I was drying it, my finger went almost straight through the apple. It was so mushy.  Ick.  So no to the apple.

So here I am.  I had my 100 calorie Larabar mini for breakfast.  I know that won't cut it, so I may dig into my afternoon snack early.

But either way, I'm sticking with the foods I brought today.

I did well last night.  I DID have a little Skinnygirl Marg while I was watching DWTS (it's like 50 cals!), and I had an extra cup of coffee too (so a little creamer).  But I stayed away from the pie in the fridge....and I didn't binge while I was home alone for dinner.  #winning

I also hit my 10,000 steps yesterday.  Holla!

So goals today: stay on food plan (even with the bad apple), maybe take a walk at lunch, and get my two Zumba classes in tonight. Time to make it work!

Eating the Dadgum Celery

So today for a snack I packed celery and hummus.  And as the afternoon went on and lunch wore off - I was not looking forward to the celery and hummus.  To be honest, if I had a vending machine, I would have thought about caving.  But I DID have some snacks in my desk....but instead, I'm eating the dadgum celery.  It's good for me, it tastes pretty good (well, dipped into the spicy hummus), and I know it will help me move the scale down.

I'm already thinking about the weekend.  LOTS of friend time and lots of food.  Just having to make good choices. I enjoy sharing a delicious meal with friends. It's great.  And that means making good choices so I can still do that without blowing it. I'm prepared. And in the meantime, celery it is. :)

Small Steps

It was storming this morning.  A "I want to lay in bed because the bed is comfy and the world around me is thundering" morning.  But I got up.  And I drank my coffee, did my Bible study...and then I did my 10 minutes of weights.

I know that's not a lot...but when I've previously lost weight, I found that even doing 10-15 minutes of weights in the morning made me feel better and was a small step to starting my day off right. So I did it this morning.

I have all my food packed and prepped.  I don't think we'll get to walk on our break at work because it's raining....but I'm teaching Zumba tonight.  I may even challenge myself to do some weights and planks during commercials for DWTS tonight.  Small steps to victory, right?

Weekend 80%

Weekends are hard.  I'll just come out and say it.  Even if there aren't major celebrations going on, there's that "off work" mindset that makes it a struggle for weight loss.

However, I have a goal of making weekends 80% or better.  Because there has got to be room for some grace.

This weekend was pretty good for the 80%.  I did get a workout in on Saturday doing demolition at a friend's house.  That was tough and made me sore!  Sunday I took a walk with the family.  It wasn't strenuous, and could have been longer (but dad and the dog were finished)...but I still got moving.

As far as food, I was pretty good.  I had a glass of wine Friday night, but ate ok. Not perfect, but ok.  Saturday was good.  I just had normal breakfast, and had a sandwich/pasta salad for lunch.  Dinner Saturday was leftovers, and I had a popsicle.  Sunday, I had dessert at lunch, but I was actually pretty good with my portions, even though it was some of my favorite foods.

I have foods prepped for the week.  Breakfasts and lunches are ready to go.  And dinners will be leftovers, crockpot taco soup, church dinner (this week is potato and salad), and fend-for-yourself.

Thursday is boss's day, so we will have a potluck.  I've got to mentally prepare for that.  I think my game plan is to bring lots of fruits/veggies and watch my portions.

Next weekend will prove a challenge being out of town all weekend, but I just have to remember to make good choices.  Maybe if I psych myself up now I can stick with it! ha!

So there we go.  80% weekend.  I'll count it good.

Renewed Spirit and a Friday Weigh In

I spent quite a bit of time praying this morning, asking God for a renewed spirit about this journey.  I already feel better.  I know it's all about putting one foot in front of the other, so to speak, and taking steps every day. He has given me hope for this journey today.

I have my food planned out well.  I just have to say "no" to any things that may pop up.  I decided not to work out this morning, but spent some more in depth quiet time instead.  So that means later today, I'll have to get something in.  Either a DVD or a walk (if it's not raining).

I also did my first Friday Weigh In.  192.4.  That ain't pretty.  But it's somewhere to start.

I also took some "before" pics in shorts and a sports bra to compare every 10 pounds.

So at this starting weight, I have 32.4 pounds I want to lose.  While I may lose past 160, that's the initial goal.

So, that's losing 2 pounds 16 times.  I can do that. :)

Still on the Struggle Bus

I started this blog back in June...and it's October.  I'm still struggling.  I haven't found that motivation or the will to change.

I want it.  I have pants I want to wear.  I have things coming up I want to look/feel good for.  But it HAS to be about more than that.  Wanting it isn't enough.  I have to work hard and lose weight.

If you want to know the honest truth, I think I'm fighting this because I think I'm fighting God.

I KNOW this is what God has for me right now.  I'm not entirely sure why.  I'm healthy enough.  Doctors tell me I'm "ok."  But, I think God is wanting to use my testimony of transformation for HIM.

In the past, I've used it for me.

And I think I'm scared of that.  I think I'm scared of really trying again.  I'm scared of what God is asking me to do.  To get healthy.  To lose weight.  To work tirelessly day after day.  To pick up on this journey for the 1000th time and "start over."

But I know I HAVE to.  I'm defeated, and I know that is not from the Lord.

So here's my manifesto:

I will try.  I will not ask perfection, but I will try.  Every day.  Every meal.  I will try at every opportunity.

I will make better choices.  I will ask myself "Can I do better here?"

I will splurge responsibly (aka for a meal...not a whole day or weekend).

I will NOT live through food.  I will live through experiences and conversations.

I will meal plan.  I will pack lunches and I will pre-choose healthy items when we are going out.

I will ask for accountability when I need it.

I won't do anything I can't sustain (no juice cleanses, crazy 8 week boot camps, crash diets).

I will: count calories, workout 5 days a week, say "no" more often.

I will not set goals that are meaningless.  Working out 3 mornings in a week is good, but its meaningless if I follow my workout with a donut.

I will not be negative.  This is hard, but it's not impossible.  I will try not to complain about my choices.  I will try and see the joy in obedience.

I will not depend on willpower, I will make conscious choices.

I will weigh myself tomorrow, record it here and not look back.

I will reward myself.  Every pound is a song I can download. Every 10 pounds earns a massage.

Every pound is a victory.

I will work to be 160 again.  I will be 160 again.



That's it.  Day 1. Again.