"In order to succeed, your desire for success must be greater than your fear of failure."
-Bill Cosby
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
What a Feeling!
WOW, what a day I had! I am so excited after my training session at the gym.
My day started out as any other normal day. I had my breakfast, did some cleaning, and headed to the gym. I did my normal warm-up to get ready for my training session with Todd. We did the whole weigh and measure thing and I was down 12 lbs from the last time I was weighed at the gym. I had some small decreases in my measurement but I didn't write them down and I can't remember them to be able to tell you. My lean body mass is still going down but I think that is due to the fact that I have not been tracking my food lately and I am likely not getting enough protein so it is time for me to get back to doing that. My body fat percentage is down and I am very close to being in the normal range.
Since we were looking at all my numbers, it was time to set my new goal. Like I said in a previous post, my original goal was to get to 200 lbs because I knew that it was a goal that I could reach knowing that I would be able to go lower. But I have been getting anxious to set my new goal so we did that today. Todd said that I should be somewhere between 180 and 190 lbs so I picked right in the middle. So my new goal is 185. I can't wait for the day when I reach that goal! I am still going to celebrate (a small celebration) when I hit the 200 mark and then I am going to focus and get to my final goal. So that means that I have 35.8 lbs to get to my goal and that will put me at 27 or 28 percent body fat. I know that I can do it!
You may be wondering what has got me so excited today...so Iwill tell you. After our weigh in today Todd basically told me that he was going to show me what I was capable of. He said that our bodies are capable of doing amazing things and that it is our minds that limit us and hold us back from doing things. So, when we went to the treadmill, I have to admit that I was a bit scared. I have, well now I can say that I had a fear of running on the treadmill. I don't know why. I guess I just pictured the really heavy me, running and pounding on the treadmill. I pictured my knees hurting and felt it was just something that I just couldn't do. But Todd showed me that it was all in my head and that I was holding myself back. He is so smart...and ALWAYS right!
I bet you can guess what he had me do. Yes, I did it! I ran on the treadmill!!!! We did some intervals so that means that I would run for 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds. I started running at level 5 and did a few intervals there, then I went to 6, then 6.5, then 7, and 7.5, then 8, then 8.5, and then 9. Yes, I ran on the treadmill at level 9 for 30 seconds. It was hard and I really had to relax and remember to breathe, focus and take long strides...but I did it! Then we took a little breather and when I got my breath back, Todd said "I'd really like to see you run at 10". I said "I would like to see the same thing". So guess what I did next. I ran on the treadmill at level 10 for about 15 seconds. And that is what I am so excited about! I got over my mental block and ran on the treadmill. I have been secretly wanting to try it and actually thought about it last week, but I told myself that I would wait to try when I was the only one upstairs on the machines so that I didn't have to worry about making a fool of myself. I did it today and I did NOT make a fool of myself. Running on the treadmill was a really big step for me and I am really proud of myself. Thank you Todd, for showing me that I can do it!
We spent about 25 minutes on the treadmill and then we went to the stepper. The stepper is something that I tried a long time ago when I first started at the gym and I did not know how to work it properly and I really did not have the physical ability to do it at the time and I never went back to try it again. We were on the stepper for about 10 minutes and we did some intervals there and then we went to the elipitcal (EFX) for another 10 minutes. I have been using the elipical machine for a while but Todd showed me how to do intervals and really challenge myself on it. That was the end of our session and then I did my abs on my own and then I went back to the treadmill. I did intervals for 17 minutes and I tried different levels and different amounts of time.
After running on the treadmill today, I feel so empowered. I feel that I can do anything that I set my mind to and that there are no limits to what I am capable of. After I finished my work out at the gym I was in the shower thinking about what I accomplished today. I ran on the treadmill and jumped over the mental blocks that were holding me back from doing it all this time and I had tears in my eyes thinking about it. They were the good kind of tears. Tears of joy, pride and accomplishment. I feel so lucky to be able to challenge myself in this kind of way. I feel so happy that I am physically and mentally capable of running on the treadmill. I have come a long way since last year and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me.
A year ago today, I was wearing shirts that were size 3 or 4xl and pants that were size 26 or 28. I am proud to say that I am now wearing shirts that are large or xlarge and pants that are size 14 or 16. What a difference a year makes!
My day started out as any other normal day. I had my breakfast, did some cleaning, and headed to the gym. I did my normal warm-up to get ready for my training session with Todd. We did the whole weigh and measure thing and I was down 12 lbs from the last time I was weighed at the gym. I had some small decreases in my measurement but I didn't write them down and I can't remember them to be able to tell you. My lean body mass is still going down but I think that is due to the fact that I have not been tracking my food lately and I am likely not getting enough protein so it is time for me to get back to doing that. My body fat percentage is down and I am very close to being in the normal range.
Since we were looking at all my numbers, it was time to set my new goal. Like I said in a previous post, my original goal was to get to 200 lbs because I knew that it was a goal that I could reach knowing that I would be able to go lower. But I have been getting anxious to set my new goal so we did that today. Todd said that I should be somewhere between 180 and 190 lbs so I picked right in the middle. So my new goal is 185. I can't wait for the day when I reach that goal! I am still going to celebrate (a small celebration) when I hit the 200 mark and then I am going to focus and get to my final goal. So that means that I have 35.8 lbs to get to my goal and that will put me at 27 or 28 percent body fat. I know that I can do it!
You may be wondering what has got me so excited today...so Iwill tell you. After our weigh in today Todd basically told me that he was going to show me what I was capable of. He said that our bodies are capable of doing amazing things and that it is our minds that limit us and hold us back from doing things. So, when we went to the treadmill, I have to admit that I was a bit scared. I have, well now I can say that I had a fear of running on the treadmill. I don't know why. I guess I just pictured the really heavy me, running and pounding on the treadmill. I pictured my knees hurting and felt it was just something that I just couldn't do. But Todd showed me that it was all in my head and that I was holding myself back. He is so smart...and ALWAYS right!
I bet you can guess what he had me do. Yes, I did it! I ran on the treadmill!!!! We did some intervals so that means that I would run for 30 seconds and walk for 30 seconds. I started running at level 5 and did a few intervals there, then I went to 6, then 6.5, then 7, and 7.5, then 8, then 8.5, and then 9. Yes, I ran on the treadmill at level 9 for 30 seconds. It was hard and I really had to relax and remember to breathe, focus and take long strides...but I did it! Then we took a little breather and when I got my breath back, Todd said "I'd really like to see you run at 10". I said "I would like to see the same thing". So guess what I did next. I ran on the treadmill at level 10 for about 15 seconds. And that is what I am so excited about! I got over my mental block and ran on the treadmill. I have been secretly wanting to try it and actually thought about it last week, but I told myself that I would wait to try when I was the only one upstairs on the machines so that I didn't have to worry about making a fool of myself. I did it today and I did NOT make a fool of myself. Running on the treadmill was a really big step for me and I am really proud of myself. Thank you Todd, for showing me that I can do it!
We spent about 25 minutes on the treadmill and then we went to the stepper. The stepper is something that I tried a long time ago when I first started at the gym and I did not know how to work it properly and I really did not have the physical ability to do it at the time and I never went back to try it again. We were on the stepper for about 10 minutes and we did some intervals there and then we went to the elipitcal (EFX) for another 10 minutes. I have been using the elipical machine for a while but Todd showed me how to do intervals and really challenge myself on it. That was the end of our session and then I did my abs on my own and then I went back to the treadmill. I did intervals for 17 minutes and I tried different levels and different amounts of time.
After running on the treadmill today, I feel so empowered. I feel that I can do anything that I set my mind to and that there are no limits to what I am capable of. After I finished my work out at the gym I was in the shower thinking about what I accomplished today. I ran on the treadmill and jumped over the mental blocks that were holding me back from doing it all this time and I had tears in my eyes thinking about it. They were the good kind of tears. Tears of joy, pride and accomplishment. I feel so lucky to be able to challenge myself in this kind of way. I feel so happy that I am physically and mentally capable of running on the treadmill. I have come a long way since last year and I can't wait to see what the future holds for me.
A year ago today, I was wearing shirts that were size 3 or 4xl and pants that were size 26 or 28. I am proud to say that I am now wearing shirts that are large or xlarge and pants that are size 14 or 16. What a difference a year makes!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
My Day
How did I do today? I think I did really well.
My weight this morning was 222.2 lbs. I have 3.4 lbs to go to get me back to where I was before the holidays.
I did very well where my nutrition is concerned. Here is how my day went.
Breakfast 0930- my normal egg and egg white with 1 cup of cherries and my phytoberry drink.
Snack 1130- banana on the way to the gym
Post workout 1500- Protein shake (I got a new one, Promasil) and an apple
Lunch (it was a little late) 1530- strawberry and spinach salad with almonds and chicken
Supper 1800- Homemade Cabbage Soup with chicken
I didn't get my diet entered into Livestrong.com yet so I don't have the calories or percentage of fat, carbs and protein.
I drank lots of water today. I didn't really keep track of how much but I have been drinking and peeing ALL day.
I felt really good all day. I was not tired and I felt really strong in mind and body. My knees are a little sore so I am icing them and my achilles tendon is a little tender, but not as tender as it was yesterday.
I was tempted to eat a Werther's Origional candy this evening. I actually picked it up and opened it, then I thought to myself "What am I doing?". So, I put it in the garbage. I must remember to tell Joey to take them to work with him so they are not in the house. He bought a HUGE box of them just before Christmas so he has them for work. He needs to remove them from the house! Joey, when you read this, please remove them...Thanks.
Workout
I blasted my legs today. That is probably why my knees are a bit sore.
I supersetted these 3 exercises:
-Weighted Sumo Squats - 70 lbs x 15, 70 lbs x 15, 75 lbs x 15
-Weighted Walking Lunges - 30lbs x 20, 30 lbs x 20, 30 lbs x 20
-Modified Burpees - 10, 10, 10
Superset means that I did 1 set of each exercise before doing the second set with no rests inbetween.
Calves on the leg press - 180 lbs x 15, 270 lbs x 15, 360 lbs x 15
I supersetted the next two exercises:
Hip Adduction - 215 bs x 15, 220 lbs x 15, 225 lbs x 15
Hip Abduction - 205 lbs x 15, 210 lbs x 15, 215 lbs x 15
I supersetted the next two exercises:
Leg Extension - 65 lbs x 15, 60 lbs x 15, 60 lbs x 13
Leg Curl - 110 lbs x 15, 110 lbs x 13, 110 lbs x 12
Cardio
Treadmill - 6.5 incline, 3.8 speed, with arms pumping, 10 minutes
Bike - Level 14-15 with 1 minute at level 18, distance 6.2 (km or miles I am not sure), 20 minutes, 240 calories burned
EFX Elliptical - 14, intensity 6, for 10 minutes and 16, intensity 7 for 10 minutes, 290 calories burned
Something that I haven't posted on here yet was that the other day my trainer, Todd, got me to carry 2 x 60 lbs (total of 120 lbs) up the stairs 10 times.
Also, between Christmas and New Years he got me to bench press for the first time and I benched 100 lbs 8 times...I am not sure if that is good or not, but I was pleased and it gives me a starting point.
That was my day...in a nutshell.
My weight this morning was 222.2 lbs. I have 3.4 lbs to go to get me back to where I was before the holidays.
I did very well where my nutrition is concerned. Here is how my day went.
Breakfast 0930- my normal egg and egg white with 1 cup of cherries and my phytoberry drink.
Snack 1130- banana on the way to the gym
Post workout 1500- Protein shake (I got a new one, Promasil) and an apple
Lunch (it was a little late) 1530- strawberry and spinach salad with almonds and chicken
Supper 1800- Homemade Cabbage Soup with chicken
I didn't get my diet entered into Livestrong.com yet so I don't have the calories or percentage of fat, carbs and protein.
I drank lots of water today. I didn't really keep track of how much but I have been drinking and peeing ALL day.
I felt really good all day. I was not tired and I felt really strong in mind and body. My knees are a little sore so I am icing them and my achilles tendon is a little tender, but not as tender as it was yesterday.
I was tempted to eat a Werther's Origional candy this evening. I actually picked it up and opened it, then I thought to myself "What am I doing?". So, I put it in the garbage. I must remember to tell Joey to take them to work with him so they are not in the house. He bought a HUGE box of them just before Christmas so he has them for work. He needs to remove them from the house! Joey, when you read this, please remove them...Thanks.
Workout
I blasted my legs today. That is probably why my knees are a bit sore.
I supersetted these 3 exercises:
-Weighted Sumo Squats - 70 lbs x 15, 70 lbs x 15, 75 lbs x 15
-Weighted Walking Lunges - 30lbs x 20, 30 lbs x 20, 30 lbs x 20
-Modified Burpees - 10, 10, 10
Superset means that I did 1 set of each exercise before doing the second set with no rests inbetween.
Calves on the leg press - 180 lbs x 15, 270 lbs x 15, 360 lbs x 15
I supersetted the next two exercises:
Hip Adduction - 215 bs x 15, 220 lbs x 15, 225 lbs x 15
Hip Abduction - 205 lbs x 15, 210 lbs x 15, 215 lbs x 15
I supersetted the next two exercises:
Leg Extension - 65 lbs x 15, 60 lbs x 15, 60 lbs x 13
Leg Curl - 110 lbs x 15, 110 lbs x 13, 110 lbs x 12
Cardio
Treadmill - 6.5 incline, 3.8 speed, with arms pumping, 10 minutes
Bike - Level 14-15 with 1 minute at level 18, distance 6.2 (km or miles I am not sure), 20 minutes, 240 calories burned
EFX Elliptical - 14, intensity 6, for 10 minutes and 16, intensity 7 for 10 minutes, 290 calories burned
Something that I haven't posted on here yet was that the other day my trainer, Todd, got me to carry 2 x 60 lbs (total of 120 lbs) up the stairs 10 times.
Also, between Christmas and New Years he got me to bench press for the first time and I benched 100 lbs 8 times...I am not sure if that is good or not, but I was pleased and it gives me a starting point.
That was my day...in a nutshell.
Quote
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
-Vince Lombardi
My Plan For Success
As you know, I did not do so well over the holidays with my nutrition and I ended up gaining some weight. I have reflected on the past few weeks and I realize that I was not in the right frame of mind and I failed to plan and prepare ahead of time. In a way, I felt like I just needed a break (which is just an excuse, I think). I have been pretty strick with my diet and I felt like I just didn't want to have to think about it and I was getting bored with eating the same things over and over and over again. But that is done with now. Now I realize that I need to think about what I am putting into my body. My body needs the proper fuel in order for it to survive what I put it through and have the energy for the day.
Now that I am in the right frame of mind (I don't know how I got there...I just did, I guess) I can begin my planning. Planning for me means that I will plan and prepare my meals ahead of time. I will always have healthy options ready to go. I am going to find some new healthy, clean recipes. I will plan my workouts for the week at the beginning of the week to ensure that I get all my cardio and my weights in.
I need to plan my meals ahead of time and make sure they are prepared and ready to go for when I need to eat them. When I don't plan and prepare my meals I end up coming home with no healthy food ready to eat and when you come home hungry you want something that is quick and easy to make. The quick and easy to make food is usually not very healthy. It is loaded with salt, fat and sugar. Also, when I don't eat every 4 hours, my body is really hungry and usually wants simple sugars for quick energy which when eaten start a bad cycle of raising your blood sugar only to have it drop rapidly and you crave more simple sugar which repeats over and over again. It is not a good cycle to get into. Also, in the reading that I have been doing I learned that when you have a food that is loaded in fat, salt or sugar, your body craves more of that type of food for 3 days after you eat it. So that is why it is hard to stop eating that type of food when you start. Now when I think of eating a food that I should not be eating, I am going to ask myself "Do you want to put up with the cravings for the next 3 days?". Hopefully, my answer will be "No way, Jose!".
The key for me is to have healthy options ready to go in the fridge for when I need them.
When I started blogging, I had intended, on a daily basis, to write about the struggles and triumphs I had that day and how I felt about them. The hard part is I need to write about them when they happen and unfortunately they don't happen when I am home with my computer. When I would get home I would forget about the struggles and triumphs or they would not feel as important as they did at the time so I would not write about them. So in order to blog about them I am going to start journalling in addition to blogging. I will have my journal with me everywhere I go and I can write about things when they happen. Then when I get home I can blog about them.
I really want to have a detailed record of my days to make sure that I stay on track and journalling and blogging about them will make me more accountable and I will be able to look back and see the things I did that affected my weight in a good or bad way. The things that I will be journalling/blogging about are:
-My weight for the day (I don't weigh myself every day, but I do most days).
-My nutrition, so I can see if I am eating every 3 - 4 hours and eating healthy food also I can see how what I eat one day affects my weight the next day.
-My feelings/emotions. It is important because in the past I have been an emotional eater and I would also eat when I was stressed. This will show me if I am still doing it.
-My struggles. I will be able to read about my past struggles which will help me handle new struggles better.
-My triumphs. It would be nice to know the day that I reached a certain weight or did something at the gym that I was not able to do before.
-My workouts. I already track these at the gym but some people are asking exactly what I am doing that the gym and this way they will be able to read about it every day if they want to.
I plan to blog almost every day. The only thing is, is that there are a few days that I work and go to the gym and I am extremely tired when I get home. On those days, I may keep my posts a little shorter and not as detailed. I hope you don't mind.
One thing that I mentioned to Todd, and we will be working on in the next few weeks, is setting my final goal. I have a goal to reach 200 lbs. When I set that goal I was looking to set a goal that I knew I could reach. I also knew that I should be able to go lower than that, but I really did not want to set a goal that was not realistic. So we will be setting a new goal in the next few weeks. Stay tuned to see what it will be. I am so excited for the new goal even though I know it will be farther away than 200 lbs. I am ready for it! BRING IT ON!
That is my plan for the new year. What's your plan for success?
Now that I am in the right frame of mind (I don't know how I got there...I just did, I guess) I can begin my planning. Planning for me means that I will plan and prepare my meals ahead of time. I will always have healthy options ready to go. I am going to find some new healthy, clean recipes. I will plan my workouts for the week at the beginning of the week to ensure that I get all my cardio and my weights in.
I need to plan my meals ahead of time and make sure they are prepared and ready to go for when I need to eat them. When I don't plan and prepare my meals I end up coming home with no healthy food ready to eat and when you come home hungry you want something that is quick and easy to make. The quick and easy to make food is usually not very healthy. It is loaded with salt, fat and sugar. Also, when I don't eat every 4 hours, my body is really hungry and usually wants simple sugars for quick energy which when eaten start a bad cycle of raising your blood sugar only to have it drop rapidly and you crave more simple sugar which repeats over and over again. It is not a good cycle to get into. Also, in the reading that I have been doing I learned that when you have a food that is loaded in fat, salt or sugar, your body craves more of that type of food for 3 days after you eat it. So that is why it is hard to stop eating that type of food when you start. Now when I think of eating a food that I should not be eating, I am going to ask myself "Do you want to put up with the cravings for the next 3 days?". Hopefully, my answer will be "No way, Jose!".
The key for me is to have healthy options ready to go in the fridge for when I need them.
When I started blogging, I had intended, on a daily basis, to write about the struggles and triumphs I had that day and how I felt about them. The hard part is I need to write about them when they happen and unfortunately they don't happen when I am home with my computer. When I would get home I would forget about the struggles and triumphs or they would not feel as important as they did at the time so I would not write about them. So in order to blog about them I am going to start journalling in addition to blogging. I will have my journal with me everywhere I go and I can write about things when they happen. Then when I get home I can blog about them.
I really want to have a detailed record of my days to make sure that I stay on track and journalling and blogging about them will make me more accountable and I will be able to look back and see the things I did that affected my weight in a good or bad way. The things that I will be journalling/blogging about are:
-My weight for the day (I don't weigh myself every day, but I do most days).
-My nutrition, so I can see if I am eating every 3 - 4 hours and eating healthy food also I can see how what I eat one day affects my weight the next day.
-My feelings/emotions. It is important because in the past I have been an emotional eater and I would also eat when I was stressed. This will show me if I am still doing it.
-My struggles. I will be able to read about my past struggles which will help me handle new struggles better.
-My triumphs. It would be nice to know the day that I reached a certain weight or did something at the gym that I was not able to do before.
-My workouts. I already track these at the gym but some people are asking exactly what I am doing that the gym and this way they will be able to read about it every day if they want to.
I plan to blog almost every day. The only thing is, is that there are a few days that I work and go to the gym and I am extremely tired when I get home. On those days, I may keep my posts a little shorter and not as detailed. I hope you don't mind.
One thing that I mentioned to Todd, and we will be working on in the next few weeks, is setting my final goal. I have a goal to reach 200 lbs. When I set that goal I was looking to set a goal that I knew I could reach. I also knew that I should be able to go lower than that, but I really did not want to set a goal that was not realistic. So we will be setting a new goal in the next few weeks. Stay tuned to see what it will be. I am so excited for the new goal even though I know it will be farther away than 200 lbs. I am ready for it! BRING IT ON!
That is my plan for the new year. What's your plan for success?
New Years Eve
I was really excited for New Years this year. If you have been reading you will know that I wanted to get dressed up and dance for New Years. We were lucky to get tickets to the Holiday Inn Express New Years Eve Gala in New Glasgow. Our tickets included a bottle of wine, a buffet dinner, a dance and our room. It was great because we went with 3 other couples and no one had to drive home afterwards so we could all really enjoy ourselves.
If you read my post about dress shopping for New Years you will know that my experience in Halifax did not go so well. However, I did find a great dress at Sears.ca. I really liked the dress and was happy when it arrived and it fit.
The thing that I didn't buy ahead of time was shoes. I wanted strappy silver shoes and did not find anything online that I could order as I have wide feet. We went to New Glasgow early on New Years Eve and I found a pair of shoes at Payless Shoes...I found another pair of shoes too. Lucky me! We went to lunch with Susan & Matthew, and Nancy & Joe at Cafe Italia. It was busy but the food was declicious. Then we went to the Hotel and got ready for the Gala.
The food was delicious...even if they did run out of potatoes (Sorry Matthew...I guess I took too many of them). The dance was lots of fun. I wanted to dance all night and I am happy to say that I did...not everyone did. Joey and I were dancing and went back to the table for a little break around 12:30 and all our friends were gone! But that didn't matter to me and Joey...we stayed until the end and danced all night (except for pee breaks).
I had lots of fun...and a little to drink. I was feeling Ok the next day, only a small hangover. I have always said that the cure for a hangover is a dip in the ocean. So guess what I did. I swam in the ocean. I will try to write a post tomorrow about my Polar Bear Dip. I would do it tonight but I want to include the 2 videos and my internet is WAY too slow to even think about uploading a video. I am going to try and go to my mothers tomorrow and upload the video. So stay tuned for the rest of the story...
Christmas
Ok, I know that I am a little late blogging about my Christmas, but it's better late than never...Right?
Our Christmas Eve Tradition is to go to my In-Laws. We get together with them so Brandon can open his presents from them in front of them. They always open all their gifts so it is nice that we get to experience their Christmas with them. I missed it this year because I was scheduled to work Christmas Eve night so that meant that I went to work for 7:30 pm (Christmas Eve) and got off work at 7:30 Christmas morning. I was a pretty quiet night and I was tired when I got home and went straight to bed. Brandon said that he was going to get up at 6:00am on Christmas morning and I knew that he wouldn't because he is at the age where he sleeps in until noon. I got up around 11:00 and we opened our presents. It was really nice, quiet and relaxing.
Joey and Brandon wanted to make Christmas dinner but when Mom called, to invite us there for dinner, they decided that they would cook New Years dinner instead. I really liked that idea because it meant that I didn't have to cook either one. Yeah Me!
Dinner at Mom and Dad's was really nice and yummy and we spent a few hours chatting with them. From Mom and Dad's we went to my In-Laws (Anna and Wayne's) house for a Christmas Evening Party. It was nice to see everyone and Ralph suprised everyone by being there...he is from away and didn't tell anyone that he was coming.
I went to the gym on Boxing Day and enjoyed the rest of the day at home.
Overall it was a pretty quiet Christmas...which is the way I like it.
Our Christmas Eve Tradition is to go to my In-Laws. We get together with them so Brandon can open his presents from them in front of them. They always open all their gifts so it is nice that we get to experience their Christmas with them. I missed it this year because I was scheduled to work Christmas Eve night so that meant that I went to work for 7:30 pm (Christmas Eve) and got off work at 7:30 Christmas morning. I was a pretty quiet night and I was tired when I got home and went straight to bed. Brandon said that he was going to get up at 6:00am on Christmas morning and I knew that he wouldn't because he is at the age where he sleeps in until noon. I got up around 11:00 and we opened our presents. It was really nice, quiet and relaxing.
Joey and Brandon wanted to make Christmas dinner but when Mom called, to invite us there for dinner, they decided that they would cook New Years dinner instead. I really liked that idea because it meant that I didn't have to cook either one. Yeah Me!
Dinner at Mom and Dad's was really nice and yummy and we spent a few hours chatting with them. From Mom and Dad's we went to my In-Laws (Anna and Wayne's) house for a Christmas Evening Party. It was nice to see everyone and Ralph suprised everyone by being there...he is from away and didn't tell anyone that he was coming.
I went to the gym on Boxing Day and enjoyed the rest of the day at home.
Overall it was a pretty quiet Christmas...which is the way I like it.
Monday, January 10, 2011
It's Time To Get Real
OK, it is time to get real...and 100% back on track.
I have not written a post in quite a while and I appoligize for that. The reason I have not been posting much is that I have not been doing so great with my nutrition and I am kind of embarassed about it. I thought that the OLD ME and her way of eating was gone, but apparently she wanted to remind me that she is not completely gone.
There have been many temptations during the holidays. Not so much at home but mostly at work. I have given in to way too many of them and I am not really happy with myself for doing that. We had families bringing in sweets like boxes and boxes and boxes of chocolate, cakes, cookies and pie. I have eaten pizza, chinese food and things that are quick to make at home. Now usually things that are quick to make are not that nutritious and are full of salt. sugar and fat. My body was used to getting lots of nutritious food which it used as fuel. Eating the unhealthy food during Christmas left my body really tired as it did not have the fuel it was used to getting.
I still went to the gym every day that I was not working and that it was open. But I shortened up my workouts a bit. I went to the gym with some other people and I did not want them to have to wait for me to finish so I shortened up my workouts. (I know...it really is just an excuse). I have been concentrating on my weights because I absolutely LOVE lifting weights, so I always do them first. I would run out of time and end up only doing about 20 minutes of cardio. I know that I need an even mix of cardio and weights and I guess I didn't plan my workouts as well as I should.
Speaking of planning...that is where I went really wrong over the holidays. I really did not plan my workouts the way I had been and I certainly did not plan my diet the way that I know I should be doing. For me, in order to succeed...I NEED TO PLAN! I know that I need to plan and I know how to plan. I just didn't do it! That is going to stop right here, right now! I will tell you about my plan to succeed in another post to come later tonight or tomorrow.
Now for the part that I am most embarassed about. My weight...Oh Dear!
Ok, so my weight yesterday was 222.6 lbs and if you remember what my weight was before Christmas you will know that I did not do so well. Before Christmas I was 218.8 lbs. Now for the real truth. I have already let go of 6 lbs that I have put on over the holidays. So that means that I put on a total of 10.8 lbs over the holidays. It is not something that I am proud of, I was actually really disappointed in myself which is one of the reasons that I continued to eat whatever was in front of me. But you know what, I have since let go of those feelings of disappointment and discouragement with myself and I have moved on. Now I am focusing on where I am going with my health in the future and letting go of the past.
Now, here is a little something about myself that some of you may know and some of you may not...depending on how well you know me. I have this desire or need to do everything that I do, perfectly. When I feel that I did not do my best at something, I get really down on myself and I find it hard to get over my imperfection. I don't like making mistakes or doing something wrong. I really just want to do everything perfectly and no one is perfect. It is hard to live up to the standards that I have set for myself. I need to learn to accept and deal with my imperfections in a healthy way. Does anyone know how I can do that?? One thing that I do do well, is learn from my mistakes. I usually analyse my mistakes to see what I did not do correctly and I make sure to learn how I can prefent it from happening again.
So, what did I learn from all this...I have learned that I really need to plan for success!
My next few posts will be about my holidays, how I spent Christmas and New Years and about my Plan for Success...so stay tuned!
Dawn
I have not written a post in quite a while and I appoligize for that. The reason I have not been posting much is that I have not been doing so great with my nutrition and I am kind of embarassed about it. I thought that the OLD ME and her way of eating was gone, but apparently she wanted to remind me that she is not completely gone.
There have been many temptations during the holidays. Not so much at home but mostly at work. I have given in to way too many of them and I am not really happy with myself for doing that. We had families bringing in sweets like boxes and boxes and boxes of chocolate, cakes, cookies and pie. I have eaten pizza, chinese food and things that are quick to make at home. Now usually things that are quick to make are not that nutritious and are full of salt. sugar and fat. My body was used to getting lots of nutritious food which it used as fuel. Eating the unhealthy food during Christmas left my body really tired as it did not have the fuel it was used to getting.
I still went to the gym every day that I was not working and that it was open. But I shortened up my workouts a bit. I went to the gym with some other people and I did not want them to have to wait for me to finish so I shortened up my workouts. (I know...it really is just an excuse). I have been concentrating on my weights because I absolutely LOVE lifting weights, so I always do them first. I would run out of time and end up only doing about 20 minutes of cardio. I know that I need an even mix of cardio and weights and I guess I didn't plan my workouts as well as I should.
Speaking of planning...that is where I went really wrong over the holidays. I really did not plan my workouts the way I had been and I certainly did not plan my diet the way that I know I should be doing. For me, in order to succeed...I NEED TO PLAN! I know that I need to plan and I know how to plan. I just didn't do it! That is going to stop right here, right now! I will tell you about my plan to succeed in another post to come later tonight or tomorrow.
Now for the part that I am most embarassed about. My weight...Oh Dear!
Ok, so my weight yesterday was 222.6 lbs and if you remember what my weight was before Christmas you will know that I did not do so well. Before Christmas I was 218.8 lbs. Now for the real truth. I have already let go of 6 lbs that I have put on over the holidays. So that means that I put on a total of 10.8 lbs over the holidays. It is not something that I am proud of, I was actually really disappointed in myself which is one of the reasons that I continued to eat whatever was in front of me. But you know what, I have since let go of those feelings of disappointment and discouragement with myself and I have moved on. Now I am focusing on where I am going with my health in the future and letting go of the past.
Now, here is a little something about myself that some of you may know and some of you may not...depending on how well you know me. I have this desire or need to do everything that I do, perfectly. When I feel that I did not do my best at something, I get really down on myself and I find it hard to get over my imperfection. I don't like making mistakes or doing something wrong. I really just want to do everything perfectly and no one is perfect. It is hard to live up to the standards that I have set for myself. I need to learn to accept and deal with my imperfections in a healthy way. Does anyone know how I can do that?? One thing that I do do well, is learn from my mistakes. I usually analyse my mistakes to see what I did not do correctly and I make sure to learn how I can prefent it from happening again.
So, what did I learn from all this...I have learned that I really need to plan for success!
My next few posts will be about my holidays, how I spent Christmas and New Years and about my Plan for Success...so stay tuned!
Dawn
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
I have been kind of quiet on here lately. I have been quite busy and have not had very much time to myself. I feel like I need a break but it will have to wait until after the holidays. It seems that there is just too much to do and not enough time to complete it all.
I haven't been doing so well with my nutrition lately. I am going to the gym and working out lots, like usual, but I have been giving in to too many temptations in the past few weeks and not preparing healthy food ahead of time. My weight has stayed about the same, fluctuating within a pound or so. I had wanted to get another 5 lbs off so that my New Year's dress would fit a bit better, but it does not look like that I going to happen.
I really want to be at my goal weight but it seems that when the temptations cross my path, I forget that I have a goal...or maybe I want the temptation more than I want my goal at the time. It could also be more of an emotional thing. I used to be an emotional eater and I thought that I had changed that about myself. I guess I still need to work at it.
Right now I am very tired physically and emotionally and I want to eat all sugary and salty things. Thank goodness I don't have anything in the house that is full of sugar or salt because I would eat it all right now and I am too tired to drive to the store to get it.
I was so tired physically after the gym that I actually had a nap! I don't have naps anymore. It is so unlike me to be so tired. I think my body is telling me that it needs a rest. I will have a hard time getting to the gym over the next week or so because of my work schedule and that may be a good thing. Hopefully, it will give my body the rest it needs.
I also find myself really emotional today. I was doing the dishes and thinking about how I changed my life in a positive way and I teared up. I was wondering how my life would be right now if I had not worked on getting healthier. I definately would not be as happy as I am now. Then, I had feelings of being very selfish. I am spending a lot of time and money on going to the gym and buying new clothes and how a lot of attention has been put on me and my weight and I began to wonder if I am missing things that are going on in Brandon and Joey's life. I must take the time to talk to them about this. I was also thinking how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband and son.
I know what it is that I need to do to get my nutrition back on track, I just don't seem to be doing it. I need to start making better decisions. I am hoping that the New Year will bring my drive and determination to reach my goal back to me.
I haven't been doing so well with my nutrition lately. I am going to the gym and working out lots, like usual, but I have been giving in to too many temptations in the past few weeks and not preparing healthy food ahead of time. My weight has stayed about the same, fluctuating within a pound or so. I had wanted to get another 5 lbs off so that my New Year's dress would fit a bit better, but it does not look like that I going to happen.
I really want to be at my goal weight but it seems that when the temptations cross my path, I forget that I have a goal...or maybe I want the temptation more than I want my goal at the time. It could also be more of an emotional thing. I used to be an emotional eater and I thought that I had changed that about myself. I guess I still need to work at it.
Right now I am very tired physically and emotionally and I want to eat all sugary and salty things. Thank goodness I don't have anything in the house that is full of sugar or salt because I would eat it all right now and I am too tired to drive to the store to get it.
I was so tired physically after the gym that I actually had a nap! I don't have naps anymore. It is so unlike me to be so tired. I think my body is telling me that it needs a rest. I will have a hard time getting to the gym over the next week or so because of my work schedule and that may be a good thing. Hopefully, it will give my body the rest it needs.
I also find myself really emotional today. I was doing the dishes and thinking about how I changed my life in a positive way and I teared up. I was wondering how my life would be right now if I had not worked on getting healthier. I definately would not be as happy as I am now. Then, I had feelings of being very selfish. I am spending a lot of time and money on going to the gym and buying new clothes and how a lot of attention has been put on me and my weight and I began to wonder if I am missing things that are going on in Brandon and Joey's life. I must take the time to talk to them about this. I was also thinking how lucky I am to have such a wonderful husband and son.
I know what it is that I need to do to get my nutrition back on track, I just don't seem to be doing it. I need to start making better decisions. I am hoping that the New Year will bring my drive and determination to reach my goal back to me.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
My Personal Mission Statement
I am reposting my mission statement to keep it where others can find it easily. I read it from time to time to make sure that I am living by it. So, here it is...
I will cherish every sunrise, embrace and see each day as not just another day, but one filled with opportunity and excitement.
I will live each day with courage and a belief in myself and others.
I will live by the values of integrity, honesty, respect, freedom of choice and a love of all God's people.
I will treasure my family.
I will live each day with respect for myself and others, facing life's challenges as they come and learning from my mistakes in order to become a stronger person.
I pledge my respect to my employers and I will strive every day to earn their respect.
I will keep my mind and body healthy and strong.
I will enrich my life and the lives of all who cross my path or share my hearth, by caring, by affirming their unique worth in love, by giving what I have to give and by accepting what they have to give me.
I will be known by my family as a caring and loving wife and mother; by my coworkers as a hardworking and honest person; and by my friends as someone they can count on and trust.
I will help others as best I can and I will thank those who help me along the way.
I will behave in a manner so as to become a light, not a roadblock, for others who chose to follow or lead me.
I will show love rather than expect love.
I will continue to grow personally and professionally by stimulating my mind with new learning.
I will strive to be happy.
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