No More "New" Resolutions?

As the last day of 2013 comes to close, I realized that for once I wouldn't be spending the greater portion of my night thinking of resolutions that I may actually be able to stick to. Instead, I will continue with the resolution I made for New Year's 2013.

My resolution for this year, is to continue on my weight loss journey, which I started on January 2, 2013 (read my first post on this blog, declaring 2013 as my year of change here).

For the greater part of my weight loss journey this year (2013), I was successful in the sense that I felt better about myself and I started to notice some non-scale victories. I tried not to focus on the scale, but I will admit that there were times when I let the numbers on the scale define my mood or my approach to the next steps on this journey.

I tried some new exercises and ventured away from some. It took me nearly a whole year to convince my knees that they could hold up and do a proper squat and lunge, but I was finally able to do some. I also mastered the plank for longer than 15 seconds, which is a victory for me.

I can't stop there and I refuse to stop there.

I declared 2013 as my year of change, but 2013 was just my warm up; 2014 will be my year. I will graduate from college in May and my goal is to be down another 15 pounds by then. By August, I hope to be down another 9 pounds (24 total at 3 pounds per month). By December, I hope to be down another 16 (40 total at 3 pounds per month).

Looking at my progress this year, I know that going forward, I need to stay focused by keeping my goal(s) in mind and accepting the fact that this journey brings a lot of highs and lows along the way. If I don't meet my monthly goal, I cannot dwell on that, instead I have to move forward. I have to understand that it is okay to treat myself to foods that may be considered "cheat meals" but only in moderation.

2013 was just my stepping stone, I am ready to move forward on this journey and see what 2014 has in store for me.

An Extensive Update

When I started blogging at the beginning of the year, I told myself that I would use this space to chronicle my journey. That included the good, bad and in between. For awhile, I was a 'daily' blogger. Then I started having trouble finding topics to discuss, so I became an 'every other day' blogger. Then time caught up with me and I quickly became a 'once a week' blogger. Finally, the semester hit like bag a bricks and I became a 'no longer have the energy to post' blogger.

Although the semester is finally over, I still feel physically drained. It's almost as if someone has run over me with their vehicle several times and I cannot pull myself off of the pavement.

My workouts have become nonexistent in a way. If I can get myself to pull up Nike Training Club and actually workout, I know it will be a good day (or in my case, a good night since that is when I tend to workout). The only problem, I have to get myself to actually get my weights and tablet so I can workout. I am not sure why it takes me so long to "get in the mood" to workout because I know that once I am done, my mind is finally clear, I feel good and I know that I am getting back into my workout groove.

Then there comes the issue of eating. The night before Thanksgiving, I ended up catching some type of cold (or perhaps it was a sinus infection, I am not quite sure), something that hasn't happened in nearly two years. On Thanksgiving, I literally felt like I was down for the count. I stayed medicated around the clock, but food and exercise were the last things on my mind. Five days and numerous boxes of medication later (they were never full boxes, I just cleaned up my medicine cabinet) my voice decided it wanted to get weak and my nasal congestion decided it wanted to get worse. Unfortunately for me, I had two presentations back to back. One where I had to take a break from my 3 minute portion to cough as loud as I possibly could and the other where it felt like I was straining for the entire room to hear me.

My voice eventually got stronger and my nasal congestion decided to linger around for another week but during this entire ordeal, my appetite decide it wanted to leave. In the span of a week, I lost 1.2 pounds from not eating proper meals. Any other time I would have rejoiced to see that loss but I knew I was doing damage to my body because I didn't feel like eating.

I have since gained that 1.2 pounds back (plus some) which I never thought I would be happy about but I am because I finally had an appetite again.

Fast forward to today, where I have not worked out once since December began, constantly feel hungry (although it seems that I eat all day long, I must be eating the wrong things) and feel like I have no energy. Therefore, starting tomorrow evening, I am giving myself a week to get back to working out and eating properly so by the time Christmas rolls around, I am back to my old self.

I have no excuse why I can't or won't be successful this week. I have new training cables, plenty of free weights, open space and MyFitnessPal which equals a recipe for success. I owe myself this Christmas gift because I have come too far on this journey to turn around.

No Scale November?

I have often wondered if I could go a month without stepping on the scale. I am not sure whether I should have been nervous when I told myself that this was my plan for the month or excited that I would not be limited to the numbers I saw on the scale.

I started November with this exact plan; "I won't step on the scale each week, but I will step on every other week." I figured that this was the best approach for me instead of giving up the scale all together for the month (part of me knew I wouldn't make it though).

I joined a new challenge on MyFitnessPal the other week and one of our weekly activities is to weigh in. I had already told myself that I was ready to commit to this journey once again and I wanted to be able to complete a challenge to the fullest potential possible. So, what did I do?

Stepped on the scale.

The number I saw was a gain since I had stepped on the scale five weeks ago, but it was a number that I had expected because each day my pattern of eating was getting worse. Case in point, a few days earlier I had eaten two mini sausage biscuits, oatmeal, pigs in a blanket, about a cup of lo mein noodles and three pieces of sesame chicken all before lunch. Then came the birthday dinner for one of my aunts where I had a salad, two pieces of bread, about 6oz.'s of steak, half of a baked potato and a portion of a Texas tonion for my appetizer. This wasn't even a cheat day!

That was my wake up moment which helped me come to the decision that it was time for me to commit once again. It also helped me come to the realization that I wasn't ready to go a whole month without the scale. It had been five weeks and I was already falling back into my old habits. Yes, I was logging but I wasn't doing much other than that.

Giving up the scale proved to me that there will be a time when I can go an entire month without weighing in, the time just isn't now. There will be a time when I can go a few days without logging and not fall back into my pattern of horrible habits.

Bottom line; in due time, a lot of things will become clear to me and I will have the willpower to make those things happen.

I Can and I Will

I thought about some of my goals this morning and knew that I am at a place in my life where I am ready to start working towards those goals. Goal 1 - get in shape for my college graduation in May 2014. Yes, I will have on my "graduation attire" but I want to be able to wear a dress in a few sizes smaller by then.

Goal 2 - start training for a marathon in either late 2014 or sometime in 2015. Thanks to the C25K app, I have discovered that I like running. I may not be the best at it, if that is even possible, but I have fun while doing it and give it my all.

I started this journey on January 2, 2013 and I vowed to myself then that I would be successful. While I was successful for many months, I hit a bump in August and then again in September. October was decent but November has been all over the place. I have some changes to make, big changes for that matter, but I am ready to get started.

Some of these changes may be more psychological. I know there will be times when that voice will pop in my head and tell me that I can't, that I will fail, that it is not worth it. But, those are the same times when I have to look at this image and tell myself "I can and I will."

October Update

It is hard to believe that October has come and gone, 2013 is truly flying by. I'm here to give my October update, which probably won't be much of an update at all.

In September, I fell of the wagon...hard. It is like I lost all motivation to be on this journey. I told myself, as I always do, that October was going to be my month. October came and 28 days passed before I committed to this journey once again.

I am an emotional eater and earlier in the month it seems like everything that could be dumped on me, mainly schoolwork, was dumped on me. It is like I was buried under an avalanche of tests, projects and more! Tuesday, was the first day I have had where I could come home and actually relax (which really meant I could come home and watch QVC) but it is also the day I decided to pick up the October issue of Fitness magazine that had been sitting on my ottoman and actually complete a workout.

Not only was I impressed with the workout which featured Jeanette Jenkins, I finally figured out why celebrities want her as their personal trainer, she knows her stuff (not to mention, she re-tweeted me; talk about excited). On paper, the workout looks like a breeze, but once you get into it, it is one of the most intense workouts I have experienced from a magazine.

For the past five days my eating has actually been better. I am logging everything that I am eating or drinking and have avoided sweets. If I am craving a soda, I go with a diet one, although that is very rare. It wasn't until today that I discovered I can eat a mini piece of candy and be as satisfied as I would if I ate the entire bar.

The last 5 days have been more successful than this entire month has but that just serves as my motivation for November. I realized that I haven't updated my measurements in a while, so that and a goals for November post are currently on my list. Hopefully November will be successful in terms of weight loss, life and school work. I only have one more month in this semester and I am ready to bring it!

Honesty

I have to say that honesty is a trait that a value highly. As much as I value it, there are times when it comes from the people close to you that it really stings.

Up until a month ago, I was logging regularly on MyFitnessPal. Some unexpected events occurred and my logging to a back seat. I have really struggled with getting back into the habit of logging everything that I eat and every exercise that I complete. But, I know that in order to be successful, I have to get back into what I was doing.

Yesterday, I happened to state (in front of my main supporter) that I couldn't get the numbers on the scale to go down. Their response, 'well you have been hitting the breads kind of hard'. Talk about an eye opener.

I will admit that I have let some of my old habits creep back into my life, which was never a good thing. Truth be told, I have been hitting the breads (and other carbs) very hard. To have someone actually mention that is what I was dong (from their observations alone) was pretty hurtful. It wasn't necessarily their comment that hurt me, it was the fact that their comment made me realize I was hurting my body by reverting to my old ways.

I tell myself time and time again that today is going to be the day that I begin working out again. Then their comes the main excuse,  'everything is picking up in the semester and I rarely have time to myself'. That alone should tell me that I have to make time for myself, no matter how much work I am buried under. Even if it is just 30 minutes a day, that is enough time to get in some type of exercise.

I downloaded a few apps from Zen Labs, LLC this past week and since they can be done indoors (the push-up trainer for example), I figured I would start there and then as the semester calms down (hopefully very very soon, a little over 1 month left!), I will be able to get back outside and start C25K over.

All of these ideas and plans sound great in my head and they are things that I want to do. I just hope I can start committing to what I blog about.

Fall Has Arrived!

Fall is my favorite time of the year. What's not to love? The leaves change, the temperatures drop, you can wear scarves without looking weird and you can drink your favorite hot beverage without sweating!

I have loved Fall for as long as I can remember. For the reasons above and also because if you are in the process of losing weight, you can find different clothing items to take you through that transition period. Whether scarves, boots, sweaters, belts, the list goes on and on.

My schedule has been packed lately and I must admit that my working out and eating healthy has fallen by the wayside. In a recent post, I described how I have been gravitating towards fast foods that are also unhealthy foods. In my mind, I tell myself that I am going to get back to C25K. The only bad thing with that is that I have told myself that very same thing for the last 3 weeks.

At times, I put too much pressure on myself. When it comes to C25K, I put pressure on myself because (for me) I have to burn more calories than I did the previous time because if I don't I feel like I have failed myself. The same goes for eating. More often than not, I will eat what I want but there are times when I won't eat something or will work out longer because of the fear of going over my daily allotted calories. Again, it comes down to me putting to much pressure on myself.

Starting today, I am changing how this blog operates. I have used this since January to chronicle my weight loss, the highs, the lows and everything in between. But today, this blog is becoming more of a lifestyle blog. I will continue to chronicle my weight loss (or at times gains) while also chronicling different aspects of my life; such as plus size clothing finds, the long road before college graduation and my dreams of making it in the public relations world.

So, why is this post titled Fall Has Arrived? Because, for me, Fall is a time to find myself, to be comfortable and once I have done that it is as if a new person has arrived. Today, that person is here and she isn't going anywhere.

Stressful Eating

I will never see any results if I don't go out and work for them. I start this post off with that one phrase because it is true. If I want to see any results, I have to work for them. They won't simply fall into my lap; or in this case, the weight simply won't fall off. 

This week has been my most stressful to date since the start of the semester with two exams only one day apart. I am not a strong test taker at all (like many individuals out there). I get nervous before the test, once the test is in front of me my mind tends to go blank and if the exams are timed (yes, I have one professor who is very cruel with the timing of tests) I panic when others turn their exams in because I feel that the time is dwindling down and I am not even half way done!

Now, what does that have to do with weight loss?

When I get stressed, I revert to my stressful eating habits. That means, I pick up the quickest food I can find and eat it. In this case, it only took me a week to go through a box of low fat strawberry pop-tarts. They were my weakness this week. Every time I looked, my hand was drawn to the cabinet, located the pop-tart box with ease, slid one package into my lunch bag or backpack and I was out the door. 

The next thing I knew, my hand was drawn to the shiny wrapper, I felt relief when it was opened and comfort when a piece of that strawberry pastry was in my mouth. 

I paid no attention to calories. I mean, I knew how many calories were in each pop-tart (who can really eat only one?) but I didn't let that interfere with my decision to eat them or not.

One thing I have yet to learn on this journey, is how to manage eating healthy even when stressed.

My plan this week was to get out and pick up with week three of C25K; unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, I am making that my plan for next week.

This semester will prove to be my busiest yet as a college student so there will be plenty of times when I have very little time to plan a meal ahead, have a group to meet with, phone calls to return, etc. and the temptation of picking up something fast (a.k.a. something unhealthy) will always be there hanging over my shoulder.

One way to combat that stress is to get all of my work done ahead of time (which is what I try to do) and sit down to plan my meals. I can also set time aside for myself each day no matter what is on my agenda. Or, I could continue to list things that I have already tried and sound like a broken record.

I am so close to hitting the 30 pounds lost mark that I want to be there before the end of October. In order to do that, I have to get off of my rear end and start putting some of these plans that I am coming up with in my head in motion. I know it will take a while to combat this stressful eating but with patience, endurance and the belief that I will succeed, I know that it will be possible.

On another note, this big event that I have been working on when it comes to my internship will take place next Saturday, so don't be surprised when you see a blog post dedicated to that!

How PR is related to Weight Loss (My Opinions)

It seems that life has just been zooming by. I haven't had nearly as much time as I would like to write but it seems that I have more than enough time to spend on school work (but, this is college life and that too will come to a close in 8 months!).

If you follow me on twitter, you will notice that my tweets have changed from being more weight loss related to focusing on Public Relations; this change will only be in effect until December (the end of the semester). My twitter handle has also changed but I am still the same person!

I am in the process of trying to figure out how to indicate what the tweet pertains to so you don't have to read any PR related stuff if you don't want to. I am thinking about including a 'WL' to indicate that the tweet will actually pertain to weight loss since most of my PR tweets are being re-tweeted (RT).

It hit me earlier this week that PR and weight loss share some of the same concepts. I actually sat down and thought about three of my top reasons why the two are similar; they are featured below.

PR is all about relationships, but so is weight loss: This is something that I have heard since the beginning of my public relations classes, relationships are key. At the same time, I have noticed that when I have some one to workout with or talk about weight loss with, I tend to lose weight. Essentially there is the potential to form relationships with those that I am working out with. In both cases, forming relationships are beneficial.

Introverts can succeed at PR and they can succeed at weight loss. I read an interesting article this week describing ways that introverts can succeed at PR  but the same is true for introverts who are in the process of losing weight. You don't have to be the most outspoken person in your gym class or in your running group; you just have to be dedicated. If I had to, I would described myself as an introvert (as would anyone who knows me). I do enjoy talking, I especially like talking with others, but I am not necessarily the first person to speak up. The same goes with weight loss. I love the idea of working out with others, but I normally am not the person to go out and form the group.

When it comes to PR, if you give a little you don't get much out of it, but if you give a lot, the possibilities are endless. The same goes with weight loss. If you sit around hoping the weight will fall off, it won't. On the other hand, if you make the necessary changes, the ball will get moving in the right direction.

These are just a few of the reasons why I see PR and Weight Loss sharing some of the same concepts. Of course, there will be differences, but I like to focus on the similarities! Bear with me this semester when it comes to PR and weight loss, I am pretty sure the madness will calm down eventually!

Back at It

The last week was one I really didn't plan for. Actually, I am not sure how anyone can really plan their week and have everything fall into place, but if I had that ability, last week wouldn't have turned out like it did.

I took the week off from blogging, it was not my intention, but things do happen for unknown reasons. I also took a week off from C25K and accurately tracking my foods on MFP, again unplanned. But, even in this week off, I only gained a pound.

I'm not too worried about that pound because I look at what I didn't do compared to what I did do. I did a little too much snacking and not enough logging. I did a little too much sitting around and not enough moving. So for everything that I didn't do, gaining a pound is not the worse thing in the world.

This week I am slowly getting myself back on track. First with exercising more, then with logging my foods once again. I seem to have more weeks off now than I would like, but the fact that I can recommit and get back to what I was once doing, lets me know that I am still in this and not afraid to get back at it.

I suppose the 'slow and steady wins the race' saying is definitely true. Because right now I am moving slower than ever, but still keeping a steady pace and I know I will win this race.

Trust the Process

This truly is a process that is going to take both time and effort. I didn't expect to see results overnight nor did I expect to see the results that I desired in month or two months. I knew that it was going to take a while to see something but I have to trust in myself and not get discouraged by what I do or don't see / achieve.

I took a look at my measurements since I started recording them in March. Since then I have lost some considerable inches. I am not saying this to toot my own horn or to gloat, but it shows me that although I may not see it when I look in the mirror, something is changing.

Since March I have lost:

• 3 inches from my bust
• 3 inches from my chest
• 5 inches from my waist
• 2 inches from my hips
• 3.5 inches from my thighs
• 2 inches from my calves
• .5 inches from my upper arms
• 1.5 inches from my forearms

Looking in a mirror, I wouldn't have been able to tell that. Lately, I have noticed some shirts fitting me differently in my lower midsections, which was a major NSV for me, but I know that I can't stop and get overly excited by what the numbers the tape measure are showing me. 

If I continue like I have been, who knows how many more inches I can lose or gain via muscle definition. Essentially, I have to trust this process and see where it takes me.

Weekly Weigh-In + Week in Review

Looking back on this week, it was an okay week. Of course it could have been better but I have never had a week that was so good that it didn't need improving on and I know that I won't ever have that kind of week because there will always been something that needs to be improved on.

I finished week 2 of C25K, well, I sort of finished week 2 of C25K. What do I mean by that? I completed day one last week and told myself that I would start the week over this Tuesday. Well, I did, but when I got to Wednesday and checked day two off, I knew that I should go ahead and count my day one from the previous week. And that is exactly what I did. 2 days from this week plus 1 day from last week equals 3 days total which is how long your C25K weeks run. So, technically I am done with week 2 (but I may or may not have cheated myself, I will figure that out later).

My eating slightly improved. I did visit Panera this week, but I didn't go as many times as I have been going in the past, so that is definitely an improvement for me. One thing I did notice was that I have been eating a lot of sandwiches lately mainly because they are what I have been craving. By now you should know that when I have a craving for something, I go ahead and eat it. Going into next week, I am going to try and lay off of the sandwiches a little, allowing myself to have one maybe once a day and not nearly every day like in the past. In my defense, those sandwiches from Panera were only half sandwiches, so that's technically one slice of bread right?

When it comes to weight loss, I didn't lose a pound but I didn't gain one either. I am happy about the last part, the fact that although I didn't lose a pound, not even an ounce for that matter, I didn't gain one. I like the numbers that I am seeing on the scale but as always, I try not to pay attention to those because they can go lower, higher or stay the same. Instead, I will be checking my measurements to see if anything has or hasn't changed in the month of August (they will be available on the progress page shortly).

Looking ahead to next week, I know some of the areas I need to work on:

• Less sandwiches (actually, less carbs in general would be a nice idea)
• Completing all of week 3 in one actual week instead of splitting it up (just a personal preference)
• Drinking water, not just filling my CamelBak up and throwing it in my bag, but actually taking the time to drink the water out of it

Here's to a new week, a new month and new opportunities that are ahead of me!

C25K: Week 2

This week, I am continuing week 2 of C25K. I actually completed day 1 of week 2, last week and today was a continuation but all I can say is that 20 minutes in, I was sweating like I was running through the desert. There really isn't much difference in the weeks, aside from the fact that you are running and walking longer; everything else stays the same. You still alternate between running and jogging.

Initially, at the beginning, I have this approach, "I can do this, no matter what, I can do this" and when I hit that 18 to 20 minute mark I have this approach, "My legs feel like they are going to fall off, the burn so bad". Either way, my mind is focused on one thing and one thing only; checking another day off of the app.

Of course, after taking a week off, I knew that things were going to be a little difficult to get back in the swing of things, but I also know that if I keep my eyes focused on the prize, in this case actually being able to run / jog / walk a 5K then I should be alright.

I also have this new-found love for Panera and will admit that I eat from there a little too much (is that even possible?) during the week and although this is going to hurt me to write, I think I will be limiting my Panera intake to once a week, if that for the next couple of weeks because the sodium intake on my Panera eating days is outrageous.

Hopefully, it will be easier to do than it was to say (okay, it wasn't that bad to state what my plan is) but that also means that I have to come up with some new lunch items because right now my mind is burned out and the only thing I can think of for lunch is Panera's pick two.

Let's hope I get out of this 'can't think of anything to eat for lunch' rut pretty soon because if not, I don't know what I will do.

Weigh In Day

I didn't know what to expect from weigh in day this week, mainly because I was only able to check one day off of my C25K app but I knew that whatever I saw, would be recorded. My eating wasn't terrible this week, my sodium levels on some days were higher than I would have liked them to be but taking a day off from where I was eating lunch seemed to help that problem out.

Although I was only able to check one day off of week 2 of C25K, I still managed to get out 2 days to walk, that 1 day to run and then two days were spent inside cleaning up; you would be surprised at the amount of calories you can burn just while cleaning or doing laundry for that matter.

To change directions and move this from a week in review, which it has become, back to my weekly weigh in post, I am able to record another loss of 1.8 pounds on here and over on MyFitnessPal. That means I am finally in the upper 230's! Which, is a number that I have been wanting to see for a while now, I'm glad to see it but I have my eye on seeing some lower numbers than that in the future.

I will continue with week 2 of C25K this week, I will actually be starting the week over since I only got in one day last week (more on that in a later post), I will also be working on my water intake and I may even venture into new territory and try almond milk (I know, random right!).  Either way, I am in it to win it and can't wait to see what next week brings.

New Rules (Fall Semester)

As a new semester rolls around, this is my last fall semester as a college student, I have to figure out how I can best manage my time when it comes to school, working and importantly, working out. I have started C25K and so far I am loving it. I will be starting my second week sometime this week and my plan is to complete C25K on Tuesday, Thursday and either Friday or Saturday. 

Of course, I have to fit my school work into my schedule and that always takes priority, but I feel that I have better control over the situation since I can complete C25K almost any time of the day and practically anywhere. 

To stay successful during this semester I know what I have to do. For starters, I have to pack my lunch on the days that I know I won't be in the comfort of my own kitchen. Luckily for me, that is only two days out of the week. There will be some days when I don't want to pack my lunch and if so, my new favorite quick eatery is around the corner from where I work and there is also one on campus. 

That location is Panera Bread. I wasn't always fond of Panera Bread and I tend to stay away from places after I have one bad experience, which is what happened one time at Panera, but my internship supervisor treated me to lunch one day and that is the place she suggested we dine at and I am glad she did. 

I also have to pack healthy snacks when I am in class, there is nothing worse than being in a class full of your peers, sitting beside two people, the room is quiet and your stomach growls; I've been there and done that on multiple occasions. 

I also have to keep water with me, I do that anyways but I have to make sure I am getting in my water intake during the day, even if I am drinking something else like lemonade or tea. I also have to keep my level of stress down and when I do get stressed, get up and get moving; whether it is walking, jogging or checking off another day of C25K. 

If I can stick to these rules I have established for myself during the semester, I should be able to make it and hopefully lose another 10 to 15 pounds in the next 15 weeks. Stick with me and see how everything plays out!

C25K First Week

My first week on C25K went very well. It was a bit of an adjustment since I haven't been "seriously" jogging or running since softball playing days but it was something that was easy to adjust to since you are running for 60 seconds then walking for 90 seconds.

My first day went better than I thought; I figured that I would be doubled over by the end but I wasn't. Sweating profusely, yes; doubled over, no. The second day was harder than the first. Not sure why that was the case for me but it was. I figured that my body was sore and didn't want to go through another day, but I did and I pushed through it. My third day was easier but my abdomen region was definitely feeling it. If there was any day that I should have been doubled over, it was the third day.

This weeks, bring another 3 days of C25K and those are three days that I am looking forward to. On the days when I am not doing C25K, I still walk / jog for 30 to 35 minutes mainly because it is something that I am really starting to enjoy.

Looking forward to next week and whatever C25K brings my way~

Weigh In Day

When I went on vacation last week, I told myself that I was going to be taking a vacation from everything; logging, those intense workouts I had been doing and more. I essentially went back to eating foods that I haven't eaten since I started this journey.

I also gained 3.8 pounds (this is last weeks gain) in the process. I was not shocked at that number nor was I upset. Mainly because I made the decision to eat those foods, skip out on logging everything and only complete a "lighter" workout 3 times during the week.

Last Saturday, my normal weigh in day, I made my mind up that I was coming back and would be better than ever. I started C25K (more on that in a later post) and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. I never imagined myself as a runner and although I am not there yet, I am getting closer. I have moved from the couch and I am closer to running a 5K than I actually was last week.

Spending the past 3 days (the weeks on C25K run for 3 days periods) running / jogging / walking has opened my eyes to so much. I have made healthier eating choices and have actually wanted to get out and complete another day.

Although this week went well, I didn't know what to expect on the scale. I can report a loss of 3.4 pounds, which means I am almost back to my pre-vacation weight! That tells me that something is working. It is either my new workout, my new approach to eating or perhaps both.

Either way, I plan on keeping this up, because I won't be reverting back to those vacation habits any time soon.

What I'm Doing Now

I don't like structured repetitive actions. I never have and I doubt that I ever will. The same goes with working out. I ended my gym membership in June and since then I have been focusing on working out at home with the help of DVDs, but that gets pretty mundane after awhile.

I love my DVDs but they feature the same structured repetitive actions and it starts to not only take a toll on my body but it takes one on my nerves as well. Therefore, I have been contemplating on what exercises I should complete next on my journey. I narrowed it down to Tae Bo (I know another DVD) and the Couch to 5K (C25K) app.

Yesterday, I started C25K and I am in no way a runner but I am not exactly coming straight from the couch. The app breaks everything down and really makes you want to push yourself for the full length of time. Yesterday I did a brisk five minute warm-up walk, followed by alternations of jogging for 60 seconds and 90 seconds of walking followed by a five minute cool down.

There are tones that alert you so you know when to walk or run, as well as a "female announcer" who does the same.

I thoroughly enjoyed my first day and can't wait to get back out there this evening. This program runs for 9 weeks which means I should finish up around mid October if I stay successful and stick with this everyday.

I am pretty sad that it only runs 3 days out of the week, but I will probably just repeat two days so I can get in 5 days of cardio on the weeks when I want to push myself a little more.

I will post updates as the weeks progress and also continue to post my workout results and scale pictures on Instagram.

Stay tuned!

Layout for the Year

I normally establish a set of weekly goals, but for the past couple of months, those weekly goals have been the same every week. I won't abandon my weekly goals but I will focus more on accountability for the next year.

• Weighing in weekly no matter how good or bad my week has been. In order to make sure I stay accountable, I may even begin to post my scale pictures on Instagram (not following me, just click the button to your right).
• Taking measurements at the beginning and end of every month helps me know what progress (if any) I am making even if the numbers on the scale don't reflect that. 
• Taking pictures of the scale to document my progress each month, these pictures will be posted to Instagram. 
• Establishing incentives along the way as I work towards reaching my goals. 
• Resting my body when it needs it.
• Logging every thing that enters my mouth, even if it is on a "cheat day".
• Weighing the pros and cons of each decision I make while on this journey. It doesn't matter if it is a decision of what food to eat or what exercise to complete. 

The next year won't be easy, it may not be fun, but it will be full of the decisions I make as I continue on this journey. Most importantly, it will be full of days where I determine whether or not I get closer to my goals or revert to my old ways. 

What Has (and Hasn't) Worked

I've lost weight on this journey, so that means that something I have been doing is working. Here are some of the things that have been working for me.

• Counting calories has become one of the most important things to me because I am able to see how many calories I am taking in and how many I am burning. It also show me that foods I think may be healthy actually aren't and those that I think may not be healthy actually are. 
• Having a cheat meal is important to me because it lets me know that I am human and not some robot that can only eat certain foods that contain certain calories. Aside from that, I try not to focus on cheat meals so much, mainly because they tend to be on the weekend and I am moving more then so I can afford to eat a little more. 
• Eating what I want when I have a craving is also important mainly because if I go ahead and eat it, I won't indulge on it later. 
• By not eating my exercise calories back, I am able to finish with a higher calorie deficit at the end of the day, which means I finish my week off with more calories and the numbers tend to go down on the scale. 
• Avoiding carb heavy foods the day before a weigh in has also been beneficial as has avoiding anything mixed with alcohol until after I weigh in.

These are some of the things that have worked for me on this journey and they are also things that I plan on implementing in the future.