Oh my goodness, it's been so long since I have worked on this blog! When I look back at my old picture (which I will be updating soon), it makes me sad to see that I'm right back at the same weight pretty much. According to my home scale, I'm at 350 lbs, which means that I've gained back most of the 25 lbs I worked so hard for over the winter. I'll be honest, it makes me want to cry and just give up, but I won't do that.
I have tons to say, but don't want this first post to be overwhelming. Let me just say this - next year my husband I are will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary. We have been working on a pretty awesome vacation plan for next May to celebrate. Our anniversary is in August, but the trip will be earlier, to accommodate my husband's work schedule and because travel will be much cheaper in May than in August!
But it means that 1 year from now I have to be able (and willing) to fly. And the trip we're planning will be SO much better the more active I can be. At the weight I am now, with the attendant physical limitations I'm experiencing, this trip would be incredibly difficult for me to enjoy. I haven't set a specific weight goal yet, but my main thought is to simply focus, focus, focus and lose as much weight as possible before vacation time.
There are some details to work out, but right now I'm keeping that focus VERY small. No more than one week at a time so it doesn't feel like too much. So my goals for this week are:
1. Start attending WW meetings again, by returning to my Thursday afternoon group.
2. Track my food and water intake this week.
3. Enter my measurements into the WW site - something I've never done before!
4. Start easing into activity by trying my new seated cardio DVD and restarting my
physical therapy exercises.
5. Restart my blog! - oh look - I already met one of my goals!
There are lots of things I want to talk about and get off my chest regarding this journey of mine, and what's been going on these last 2 years. I'm having my husband take my picture tonight so I can update my site, and I may look into some design tweaks. But mostly I want to post weekly - I think it will be helpful to working out some of the psychological blocks I'm having.
I hope you'll come with me and enjoy the trip!
Showing posts with label goal setting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goal setting. Show all posts
Monday, June 1, 2015
Saturday, September 8, 2012
I'll be a Maine-iac this week!
So this week Dave and I are heading up to Boothbay, ME for a visit with his brother and sister-in-law. I wasn't sure we'd be able to go this year, so I'm really excited we found a way to work it out. I love it up there and we always have a great time. MANY thanks go to my nephew, Michael, who will be house-sitting and caring for our beloved Seymour.
I'm a little concerned about the week and what it will bring. I've had a really amazing run at WW these last few weeks (14.8 lbs in 3 weeks!), and it's probably time that the weight loss will be slowing down a bit to a more reasonable rate. But throw in a vacation week and my anxiety level is a little higher.
I'm bringing my tracking notebook with me, and intend to write down everything I eat. One of the cool things about where we're going is that there aren't any chain restaurants in the area, it's all local-owned. But that can make tracking a bit of a challenge, since my guesstimating skills aren't that sharp. I want to make as many good choices as possible, and with the abundance of fresh seafood I should be able to focus on that. My plan is to make the best choices I can, indulge a little in some of the unique things up there that I really love (hello Moody's Diner 4-berry pie!), and write it all down.
I also have a plan to get in some activity while I'm there. My brother in law's house is close to their local Y, so we can guest there a few times to swim a bit, or do some cardio. They also have a big soccer field and playground behind their house, so I can always walk a few laps. That's actually my preference - I'd much rather be outside than in a gym. The biggest concern I have is the plantar fasciitis acting badly and limiting my mobility. I really lurch around by the end of the day, even with only moderate day-to-day level activity, like grocery shopping. But getting some activity in is going to be crucial in managing the week. I'm bringing some pain pills with me and my anti-inflammatory rub.
I haven't set a weight based goal for the week. I think it's more important for me to set these behavioral goals instead, and let the scale fall where it may! Now excuse me while I go pack!
I'm a little concerned about the week and what it will bring. I've had a really amazing run at WW these last few weeks (14.8 lbs in 3 weeks!), and it's probably time that the weight loss will be slowing down a bit to a more reasonable rate. But throw in a vacation week and my anxiety level is a little higher.
I'm bringing my tracking notebook with me, and intend to write down everything I eat. One of the cool things about where we're going is that there aren't any chain restaurants in the area, it's all local-owned. But that can make tracking a bit of a challenge, since my guesstimating skills aren't that sharp. I want to make as many good choices as possible, and with the abundance of fresh seafood I should be able to focus on that. My plan is to make the best choices I can, indulge a little in some of the unique things up there that I really love (hello Moody's Diner 4-berry pie!), and write it all down.
I also have a plan to get in some activity while I'm there. My brother in law's house is close to their local Y, so we can guest there a few times to swim a bit, or do some cardio. They also have a big soccer field and playground behind their house, so I can always walk a few laps. That's actually my preference - I'd much rather be outside than in a gym. The biggest concern I have is the plantar fasciitis acting badly and limiting my mobility. I really lurch around by the end of the day, even with only moderate day-to-day level activity, like grocery shopping. But getting some activity in is going to be crucial in managing the week. I'm bringing some pain pills with me and my anti-inflammatory rub.
I haven't set a weight based goal for the week. I think it's more important for me to set these behavioral goals instead, and let the scale fall where it may! Now excuse me while I go pack!
Friday, August 17, 2012
5 pounds
Hello everone... just a quick post tonight. I believe I may have finally hit bottom in my self-pity wallowing. I am officially sick of myself. There's a lot to say, and more posts will be coming soon. But for now, let me just say that I've had it with myself. I've taken some awfully big steps backward, and undone a lot of good, hard work. But that's the past, and I can't change it. And I'm tired of moping. Time to take charge once again and do the work.
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately - too much, really. But one of the things I realized is that I need to go back to basics, back to the mindset I had when I started this journey. Back then, I wasn't overly eager to join and start working. I had just come to a place where I knew things had to change. I believe that the reason I had success was because I kept my focus small. Never more than a 5-10-25 plan. My short term goal was never more than 5 lbs away, medium range was 10, and long term was a 25 lb milestone. And I realized then that it didn't matter how long it took, as long as I kept making strides in the right direction. Those beliefs kept things feeling manageable. It helped me stay focused, because each food decision felt impactful when my goal was 5 lbs. When I started looking bigger picture, it got easier to start sliding on individual decisions. I got into an "in the scope of 100 lbs to lose what difference does one (fill in the blank) make?" headspace. And that way led to madness, and more and more sloppy decisions. When I was just trying to make it to the next 5 lb marker, it was so much easier to see the direct correlations between what I ate and reaching my goal.
So that's my goal. I'm going to a meeting tomorrow morning (Saturday) to face the music. Whatever has happened is now the past, and I'm starting from whatever I weigh tomorrow. I want to lose 5 lbs. That's all. Once I do that, I'll do it again. As many times as I need to.
I have been doing a lot of thinking lately - too much, really. But one of the things I realized is that I need to go back to basics, back to the mindset I had when I started this journey. Back then, I wasn't overly eager to join and start working. I had just come to a place where I knew things had to change. I believe that the reason I had success was because I kept my focus small. Never more than a 5-10-25 plan. My short term goal was never more than 5 lbs away, medium range was 10, and long term was a 25 lb milestone. And I realized then that it didn't matter how long it took, as long as I kept making strides in the right direction. Those beliefs kept things feeling manageable. It helped me stay focused, because each food decision felt impactful when my goal was 5 lbs. When I started looking bigger picture, it got easier to start sliding on individual decisions. I got into an "in the scope of 100 lbs to lose what difference does one (fill in the blank) make?" headspace. And that way led to madness, and more and more sloppy decisions. When I was just trying to make it to the next 5 lb marker, it was so much easier to see the direct correlations between what I ate and reaching my goal.
So that's my goal. I'm going to a meeting tomorrow morning (Saturday) to face the music. Whatever has happened is now the past, and I'm starting from whatever I weigh tomorrow. I want to lose 5 lbs. That's all. Once I do that, I'll do it again. As many times as I need to.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Little Tiny Goals
Been needing to recharge my commitment lately... I've been seriously half-assing this thing for some time, and it's got to change. I know I say things like that sometimes, and I've said it before. And I'll probably say it again. None of us are perfect, and I think that everyone struggles with their focus and motivation. When something is a life-long process, like weight loss and maintenance is, there's bound to be some fallbacks.
So I've decided to go back to basics this week, treating it as though it's my first week on plan. I've got some good food options in the house, including lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I have a healthy dinner already planned and ready to go for tomorrow. And while I'd like to get back to setting some more aggressive goals, I figured this week it would be good to start with some baby steps...things that are important for success, but not very difficult to achieve with a little work. Here goes:
1. Tracking EVERYTHING this week. My tracking has fallen seriously by the wayside, so I have a nice new notebook and a pen I really like all set out and ready to go.
2. WATER WATER WATER. I drink water pretty exclusively, so choosing it is a no-brainer. But making sure I'm getting enough is important. I have a WW insulated cup that holds 32 oz at a time. I must drink at least 2 of those cups full per day.
3. At least 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day. Going back through my materials so that I can accurately track portion sizes.
4. Activity - this goal is all about starting small. It's activity 4 times this week, for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Hoping that most of it will be bike-related, since it's good cardio, and easier on my hurting feet. Tendinitis in on foot and a heel spur in the other have led to some challenges, so I think that biking is my best solution this week. I do have a couple of other options in my head though, in case that doesn't pan out.
5. Motivationally, I will write a list of all the things that I want to achieve on this journey... the laundry list of all the benefits and reasons I started in the first place. It will be good to get it all down, to be able to use it to keep focused.
That's the plan for this week.... I'll post again next week to let you all know how I've done!
So I've decided to go back to basics this week, treating it as though it's my first week on plan. I've got some good food options in the house, including lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I have a healthy dinner already planned and ready to go for tomorrow. And while I'd like to get back to setting some more aggressive goals, I figured this week it would be good to start with some baby steps...things that are important for success, but not very difficult to achieve with a little work. Here goes:
1. Tracking EVERYTHING this week. My tracking has fallen seriously by the wayside, so I have a nice new notebook and a pen I really like all set out and ready to go.
2. WATER WATER WATER. I drink water pretty exclusively, so choosing it is a no-brainer. But making sure I'm getting enough is important. I have a WW insulated cup that holds 32 oz at a time. I must drink at least 2 of those cups full per day.
3. At least 5 servings of fruits and veggies per day. Going back through my materials so that I can accurately track portion sizes.
4. Activity - this goal is all about starting small. It's activity 4 times this week, for a minimum of 30 minutes per day. Hoping that most of it will be bike-related, since it's good cardio, and easier on my hurting feet. Tendinitis in on foot and a heel spur in the other have led to some challenges, so I think that biking is my best solution this week. I do have a couple of other options in my head though, in case that doesn't pan out.
5. Motivationally, I will write a list of all the things that I want to achieve on this journey... the laundry list of all the benefits and reasons I started in the first place. It will be good to get it all down, to be able to use it to keep focused.
That's the plan for this week.... I'll post again next week to let you all know how I've done!
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