Don't Get Defeated

I've been losing one pound after one pound these past two weeks. I have been reading blogs and looking at success stories for awhile and usually everyone is losing big numbers. Although, I use to get discouraged with the number on the scale, I'm not worried about it at all this time around. I realized I am not about to let the scale make me feel defeated anymore. Or have the scale determine how I am going to feel today, or tomorrow or for the rest of the week!

So my goals for this week are a repeat from last week... journaling and weekend workouts. I need to remember just because I have busy weeks, doesn't not mean that I have to give myself a silly reason to take a detour from my new routine that seems to be working for me and my family.

Here's a quick reminder to self:  GET IT TOGETHER GIRL!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

So this week has been busy! I'm getting last minute preparations ready for my Las Vegas Wedding. I have nine days to make sure we get everything in order. Blast me for not getting my shoes sooner. I have always been a procrastinator. I need to get me and things in order! It's getting crazy! So what I've notice is that I haven't had time to blog and concentrate on my goals for this week. My eating habits have been off this week. What I mean is I haven't been piling my plate full of veggies and fruits. I have, however, been on point with my workouts.
I should be a little better and goals will be a repeat for the week come tomorrow.

Moody Tuesday

I could bite off some heads around my household if they aren't too careful in my presence. PMS.... maybe. I could be fine one minute and the next I'm snapping to get some quietness. Of course being told SEVERAL times to calm down should get things into motion. I'm just being a cranky person! It's hot outside and I'm out of steam. I'm feeling frustrated and I should be in a good mood, instead I'm moody. I think I'll go work off some of this frustration working out. Endorphins make happy people, right?
I just need to remind myself to...

Goals

Let the goals begin!

On Saturday I had so much energy that I didn't know what to do with it. I had almost wished Curves was open on the weekends, so that I could go work it off. To get to the point, my goal will be to set weekend workouts! I have more than a few fitness DVDs to help me get with it or as a family we could use the Wii to get some activity going for us. I have that competitive edge that drives me to show off!

Next goal for the week will be keeping a journal. I'll track what time I ate, how much ounces of water I took in for the day, how I felt before I eat and how I feel after I eat. This will be to determine what gives me energy to get moving and what makes me realize when I have had to much to feel uncomfortable.

It's funny, when I was a kid I had goals. For a while as an adult, I forgot goals were a part of life. I hadn't really set them up. It's good to have rediscovered goals. It's a good reminder that goals DO set us up to reach success!

Some GOOD news

Speaking of Curves the other day, I had my measurements taken yesterday.... DRUMROLL PLEASE!

9 lbs. lost since April! (If you didn't notice... I like to hide away from measurements!)

29 inches lost all over!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! (Taking a bow.)

And although, I haven't seen much progress on my scale, I do see changes! I do believe in time I'll see that scale number go down. I just have to focus and remember that changes take time!

Curves

Curves, I've got 'em!

I'm actually talking about Curves For Women. I've been attending a little over a year now and I have had to really recommit myself into going 3x's a week. Sometimes I have to psych myself into workout mode to step through the doors, but once there... I'm giving it my all, plus some.

The employees are great bunch of girls, and the members are fabulous. It's like having a group support team waiting for you at the gym. Greetings of smiles and chatter, makes it a nice day.

What I have learned is that I feel so much better after I've had my thirty minute routine. Of course, by now if you haven't heard Curves provides Zumba. I have yet to give it a try. I'm not quite sure I can give it a go just yet, but I will once I feel confident in shakin' my booty, I'll dance away!

Let's not forget stretching at the end of my workout. I love stretching my body. A good stretch on my legs, my back, and my arms.

 It's relaxing.

Goals

I usually have weekly goals I assigned myself, but this week I'm going to focus on the family! I need to get creative... and I don't know where to really start.

Well maybe I do... focus on exercise, but the weather has been so hot! Too hot in the morning and still too hot in the evening... Mark mentioned going to the mall to walk, now that's a great idea! We'll focus on walking together in the mall where it's AIR CONDITIONED!

Family meals, would be another goal. I'm horrible when it comes to getting meals prepared. What I mean is that the main course is always done, but almost never are any vegetable side dishes made to eat. My RARE kid loves vegetables, there should be abundance of them to eat.

I'll focus my energy on these two goals for the week.

Bathingsuit Fears

Use to have them. Infact, if I could avoid going to a pool or lake or anywhere I needed to wear a bathing suit... I'd make an excuse as quick as the invitation was open to me. I have been reading a few blogs lately and some are dreading bathing suits. I'm here to say that bathing suit fears are simply silly.

Two years ago, my sister invited me and the family to go to a water park. It was family only invitation and I couldn't say no to my sister. I wore shorts and a t-shirt, played it safe. What I realized as I hide in the back, a shady spot where I could comfortably people watch is that no person there; young, thin, old, healthy, didn't have the perfect body. Thin people had dimples like me, sure it's cute if you have one on your chin or cheeks. Young people had cellulite like me. (If this sounds mean and it probably does... it was just me putting things in perspective.) The realization that came to me was I'm here in a water park, people are ENJOYING themselves and I was doing my best to avoid people by blending in the background. I realized I was missing out on spending time with my daughter and hoping this could be a memory she'd look back on where WE could survive water waves! Fears aside, blending in no longer.... I loosin up and began enjoying myself. I got wet, jumped in and out of waves and thrived at the water park.

When I got back home, I went bathing suit shopping and it was fun. I spent a lot of time picking out TWO bathing suits. These days, swim suits come in so many colors, lengths, two pieces or one piece. They look so fabulous and glamorous. My advice is simple, don't fear swim suits, it makes you miss out in happy memories with friends and families. Learning to love your body has to be a step in the right direction.

I'm enjoying the summers so much more and going to the pool is great! So, if I feel like I'm being judged or criticized... I shrug it off, because I'm not about to let some nobody I don't know ruin my family fun! They can worry about it!

Goals

I'm going to start tracking my food intake. Of course by now just about everyone has heard of SparkPeople. It's a free site and it's fill with many tips about weight loss or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This will be a great goal and it will let me see how much calories I'm taking in daily.
Check it out!
http://www.sparkpeople.com/

Next goal on the list will be to try new healthy recipes. I have many healthy cookbooks that I have been wanting to try. Lots of food swaps or original recipe swaps using low fat ingredients to make it healthy for me and my family.

My other goal is to find out why I haven't been sleeping so good. I am a mess and I have been missing my morning walks due to this. I haven't been able to just sleep through the night. I'm not feeling stressed and I have avoided tea, because I do believe I have a reaction to tea that causes me not to wind down for the night. So my goal is to figure out this problem. It's driving me nuts. All I want is to be able to sleep when I'm tired and sleep through the night to get that morning start out of bed!

Sleeping Soundly

This is what I want... sleep peacefully without a care in the world.

Take-Charge Attitude

Since my last breakthrough session, my attitude towards my eating habits have improved greatly! This is good news for me. I can honestly say that I recognize when my stomach is full and I mean not-miserable-full. I eat when I'm hungry, which is strangely feels like I am eating a lot less. I fit in snacks, no more than two. I do my best to savor each bite. This takes patience. I am really trying to follow the 20 minute rule. After all, it takes 20 minutes to make our stomaches realize we feel full.

WE'RE AWESOME;)

I figured all this out when I headed out the door to do a girls night out yesterday evening. Usually I dread nights out like this, because to me it means:    forget the diets and give in to all the food temptations on the menu. Lets not forget the encouragement from friends to try this, or eat this, or eat more. I love my girls, but I held my hands up last night and said "I'm full." Guess what? I didn't hurt anyone's feelings by denying more food. I even left food on my plate.
It's a start....
It's my take-charge attitude, it's okay to say no!

Goals

Ahh, I need to set my goals for this week. I'll focus on sweet treats. I need to get get creative with desserts. I'm not really a dessert eater, but Annaleigh loves sweets and Mark has the biggest sweet tooth in the family. Usually when I go grocery shopping I don't even go through isles that sell forbidden sweets. I'm going to get inventive and try to get creative with healthy desserts or treats for us.

I'm going to retry a goal from last week, I didn't get to eat much seafood or fish like I wanted to, but I am prepared this week to give it another go.

Although this last goal is not weight loss oriented, it's long over do. I'm going to spend a lot of this week organizing this house. I am in serious need of getting rid of many things that aren't necessary to keep. I need a professional organizer to come take over and clean up my act!

The Diet Mentality

What's this? Am I so focused on finding the perfect "Diet Mentality," that I'm forgetting an important issue here?

To reach my weight loss goal, I am zeroing in on the perfect diet for me. I want that diet to make me reach my goal and I'm assuming that when I get thin and feel beautiful that I'll be able to solve all the unhappiness I "think" I feel about me. WRONG! What an eye opener for me. It's suppose to be a lifestyle change. Diet vs. life, I can't diet for the rest of my life. I have to be realistic.

I have been blaming my weight for a very long time. It's insane! This is why I can't do this or that in my life. I can't even remember when I started telling myself that "IF ONLY" I lose weight I'll be happier with my life. Geez, wake up Christine!

I've been letting the scale and numbers on the scale reflect my mood for as long as I can remember.
Whats even more crazy... I'm NOT unhappy! Tears are flowing as I realize this... I'm NOT unhappy... if fact, I'm so happy I could burst!

My life is almost perfect! I have friends and family that I love and love me in return. Just for being me, without judgement on my weight. I have found Mr. Right! He's perfect in my eyes; no one else could put up with my silly rants or have all the patience in the world to simply love ME and ANNALEIGH! I have future in-laws, who treat us like family! I'm very happy!

So I want to lose weight to keep up with my daughter. I can do that! I want our family to be healthy. We can do that!

What took me so long to understand this? Do we all have this moment?

Maybe, what blinds us along the way is that one moment or one person or the hurt we were put through at one point in our lives; shatters that fragile self esteem.

This is my "aha moment!" I'm sure I'll have many more in my life and that's just fine with me.