When Things Don't Go as Planned

Mondays are tough. First of all, its Monday and then its a Monday that happens to also be cold, icy, and nothing seems to be going right. I had plans, serious plans with a check list that I committed to getting done today.

So, I get my workout clothes on and make the trek to my yoga place for my 8:45 Hot Fusion class--only to find out it was canceled, and there are no more classes for the evening. This Monday kicked my butt and I needed that yoga class. I'm not going to lie, I had a little temper tantrum for about 5 minutes sitting in my car. But, then I just pulled up my big girl pants and moved on.

I could have totally given in and vegged out on the couch for the rest of the night but I got in 30 minutes of kickboxing. I didn't give up because my plan didn't work out.

Sometimes, life isn't perfect, which means the process to get healthy isn't perfect either.  Every day is a struggle to not give in to bad habits--and if I do, to not give up on the whole journey. While I haven't made as much progress as I would had hoped but small things can add up to big changes, and that's exactly what is needed as part of this journey.

Hope you got your workout in and did what you could to reach your goals!

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New Start, New Focus

I've lost and gained back the same 20lbs since the last time that I posted. I've honestly paid about as much attention to sustaining a consistent healthy lifestyle as I've spent on this blog: not much. It is the beginning of 2015 and I'm closing in on my 32nd birthday so I'm buckling down on my commitment to me.  Many years have passed where I've done the same thing over and over again.

The last year and a half was better. I can proudly say that I am more active and I try more often to eat well. The key word there is try. I'm better than the person I was yesterday but have a long way to go.

What I've figured out is that I, as many other Pisces, am very sensitive and take everything to heart. I've let unpleasant people have more control over my life than I do. These people are emotionally exhausting. Many other things that I won't mention here are also emotionally exhausting. My reaction to this has been hibernation... with my friend food...delivery, carbs, etc.

Now in the last week I lost 3lbs...so really we are back down to 17lbs and I'm reupping this blog to hold myself accountable as I track my weight loss and continued pursuit to live a healthy lifestyle.

The difference between now and last year is that I have support. I'm in a weight loss contest (of sorts) with a family member and I am part of a Beachbody support group that was very successful for me last month (not gaining weight in December--what!).

So, here's to a successful week...

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Progress

This morning I want to focus on progress. I'm seeing lots of great progress. I already talked about the pounds I've lost but today, I'm focusing on success off the scale. This morning I took my measurements because I'm starting some new challenges (more on that tonight). Since June, I've lost 18 inches off my body, which is AMAZING! I'm also down a full size in pants and (mostly) shirts. I'm eeking into the next size below in pants and dresses but it isn't always pretty. My body, my health, is my reward for the hard work that I'm putting in.
 

Part of blogging about my weight loss and get healthy project is that I want to hold myself accountable but the other part of it is about finding my voice again and standing up for myself. And, standing up for myself is admitting that I haven't treated my body the best I could.

In the last 6 weeks, I lost 5 1/2 inches off my body. It's pretty much on track with how I trended all summer but I KNOW that if I can really commit, I will see bigger changes, quicker.

I'm staying positive that what I'm doing is working but I could see better results if I double down. So, that's what I'm doing--every single day.

Here's to amazing workouts and positive attitudes!

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Meal Planning Helps Me Stay On Track

If you fail to plan, plan to fail. -Ben Franklin

No sentence in the English language describes my weight loss failures more than this quote from Ben Franklin. I can't tell you how many times I haven't planned for my meals, didn't pack my lunch, didn't thaw out meat, didn't go grocery shopping, didn't have a grab-n-go breakfast...I could go on and on.

In fact, it happened to me this past weekend. I've gotten better at meal planning but I still find myself in a bind too often. Half the time its from me falling asleep on the couch which is a whole other problem that I don't even have the energy to talk about at the moment.

I try to make a few meals on Sunday for the whole week when I have the time. This week I didn't quite get there. I did make a sesame chicken recipe in the crock pot, paired it with some brown rice and had some rockin' lunch. But, my snacks and my lunch were low on the fruits and veggies side of things.

I had a few minutes this evening to put together a meal plan for the week and figured what better way to hold myself accountable than to share it with you!

Tuesday

Breakfast- Bagel

Lunch- Sesame Chicken & Brown Rice

Dinner-Harvest Cobb Salad

Snacks- 1. Chopped tomatoes/Cucumbers & Hummus 2. Small fruit smoothie

Wednesday

Breakfast- Fruit smoothie & 1/2 a bagel

Lunch-Tortilla Soup and small salad

Dinner- Steak with Rajas, corn and squash

Snacks-1. Chopped tomatoes/Cucumbers & Hummus 2. 2 hard boiled eggs

Thursday

Breakfast- Vanilla Protein Shake & 1/2 a bagel

Lunch- Tortilla Soup and small salad

Dinner- Steak with Rajas, corn and squash

Snacks- Chopped tomatoes/cucumbers & hummus 2. Popcorn

Friday

Breakfast- Fruit smoothie & 1/2 a bagel

Lunch- Mediterranean Grain Salad & a small salad

Dinner- Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

Snacks- Chopped tomatoes/cucumbers & hummus

Weekends are still so so tough for me. I can walk to the kitchen any time I want but also its the time I plan the least. I was going to leave the weekend off but the truth is I need the weekend in my planning more than anything.

Saturday

Breakfast- 2 egg whites/1egg omelet with spinach, feta and tomatoes 

Lunch- Mediterranean Grain Salad & a small salad

Dinner- AT PARTY

Snacks- Popcorn, Hard Boiled Eggs, Small Fruit Smoothie

Sunday

Breakfast-Southwestern 2 egg whites/1egg omelet

Lunch- Mediterranean Grain Salad & a small salad

Dinner- Lighter Chicken Enchiladas

Snacks- Popcorn, Hard Boiled Eggs, Small Fruit Smoothie

So, here's to a fabulous, yummy food-filled week!

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Goals, Clothes and Motivation

Since I got my dog at the beginning of the summer, I have lost 15lbs just from walking. I walk a lot since she is an active dog. I hit the lowest number I've seen since I graduated from grad school, for a total weight loss of the last 2 years to be 40lbs! It sure does make a difference. All of sudden I have some more pants that fit me. I have 5 blazers I can wear again. I already feel amazing.

Now, don't get me wrong: I still have a long way to go. It may be easy for some people to run miles and miles or just say no to cookies, cakes and candy. But, hitting this 40lb mark has really set a new level for me. I love that I look a little bit more put together (because I have more clothes to make cuter outfits).

What I really need to get under control is my eating. I like sweets, and carbs, and chips, and breakfast sandwiches. These things are hard to break. I've been doing it slowly. My goal this week has been to start measuring everything. Its hard to do and I simply do not have the time to always do it. So, I'm trying to really hard to move my schedule around so that I can measure it. I'm doing this by making my lunch at night. And, then making mini quiche looking breakfast bites in my muffin tins.

So, portion control and measuring everything is my number one goal for this week! Who's with me?

Here's a helpful guide I'll be using... along with my food scale and measuring cups.  

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