31 December 2012

Friend Makin' Mondays:2013




fmm
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
2013
1. Share one thing that you plan to do for yourself in 2013.  I plan to start eating clean.
2. Share a good habit that you will continue doing into the new year. I'm going to continue to follow my morals and eat vegetarian.
3. Do you make new year's make resolutions? If so, do you typically stick to them? I usually make them and work on them throughout the year, but I never end up actually keeping them.  This year I am setting goals for myself instead of resolutions.. Lots of shorter term goals. 
4. Do you have any health goals for the new year? I need to stop eating sugar.  Seriously.  It's like some crazy snowball effect where I eat one thing sugary and the next thing you know, I am rolling in a giant vat of donuts or something. Disgusting.
5. Share one thing that you plan to do in January. I'm throwing Deven's first big deal, big boy birthday party.
6. Do you have any travel plans for the coming year? If so, where are you most excited to go? I'd like to go to NYC with my family, to Boston again with my family, of course to Maryland.  We probably should go to Alabama or South Carolina, too.  Some of the fun stuff might have to slide.
7. What are your plans for New Year's Eve? My dad and his partner are up for the new year.  We will have a laid back event where we eat healthy, drink too much, and enjoy my family.  Plus my dad's partner and I are going to Kohl's. She has Kohl's Cash.  PLUS we are going to go to David Bacco so I am going to end the year with some extra delicious chocolate.
8. What are your resolutions for 2013? Swear less is my resolution.  Everything else on my list are goals.
9. What are you looking forward to most over the next 12 months?I plan to spend a good amount of time knitting, hanging out with my besties, who are thankfully doing my Q1 fitness challenge with me. 
10. Share something unique that you hope to do in 2013. I don't have anything particularly unique, but I hope to need to cycle through thinning out our possessions further, being a better housekeeper and getting fit.

Now it's your turn to answer this week's questions!  Don't forget to come back and link up in the comments, and say hi to someone new!  Happy New Year!!!!!!!

Goals Not Resolutions.

I'm starting a clean eating and fitness challenge that will culminate with a 47 flight stair climb to benefit Lung Cancer.  I'd prefer that that not kill me, so I am going to need to do some substantial training and remove some weight.  Since that stair climb is at the end of March, I am going to shoot for removing 10% of my body weight in Q1.  That would make a substantial difference in both my body and my health.

In  addition to that, I have some specific fitness goals.

My first goal is to lose about 30% of my body weight.  I need to lose more than that, probably, but 30% would put me in a really wonderful place. (Fit and healthy, not fat)  BUT, I don't expect that I *HAVE* to lose all of that this year.  I want to lose it by 6/6/2014- the day I turn forty.  So I need to get my rear in gear, so to speak.

My next goal is to keep my promises to myself.  If my promise is that I will get up before work 3x before work to do 20 min of Zumba, that's not that hard, not that unreasonable and that's going to start my day a good way. (Ohhhh, sounds like I am going to be making that promise to myself.)  But as part of my goal to be nicer to myself, I will be making sure that I keep my promises to me.

Be nicer to myself.  It's time to stop flogging myself for my transgressions. If you made some mistakes, would I walk up to you and say "Hey, you moron, why are you such a failure? OH MY GOD, YOU SUCK!"
No?  They why would I do that to myself? I'm constantly guilty of this.

Eat clean.  I want to MAKE my food, not buy it ready for microwaving.  I keep telling my dad that everything has two costs, one to your wallet and one to your health.  (In this case, the first cost is to my time).  I'm not so busy that I can't take the time to make some real food for my family instead of buying a bunch of processed, packaged nonsense.

That's it.  That's all that's on my agenda.  I think it's enough for Q1 of 2013.

Happy New Year!

19 December 2012

A New Challenge

On Friday, I got an email from a friend.  It's a 'Not Your Usual' Challenge. 

It runs from 1/6/2013 - 3/30/2013

It's setting goals, not resolutions.  Included in the challenge fee is

Initial Body Composition Analysis at program kick off
Before pictures at a professional photographer
Weekly Group Training Class (limited to 8 people per class)
Weekly Fitness Challenges
Weekly Foodie Focus including eating clean, super foods, recipes, healing through nutrition
A weekly group coffee chat and counseling sessions
Final Body Composition Analysis at the end of the challenge
After pictures from a professional photographer
and a team challenge to either run a 5k or do a 47 flight stair climb.

I've been thinking about it a lot.  I think I am going to train for the stair climb.  I might do the 5K, but I already know that I can move my body 5k.  I may not be able to run the whole thing, but I can definitely get myself down the road for at least 6 miles with little difficulty.  The stair climb is a real challenge.  I also think it's a pure test of fitness.

I think this is just the kick in the pants I have been needing.   The best part is that my two best friends are doing it, too, so I have pure support from them.

I'm very excited.  I will be coming here once per week to talk about these challenges.

Oh and by the by?  I've received two Klutchclubs and it's not for me.  I am going to be cancelling.  The items contained there are just not for me.

17 December 2012

Twelve in 2012 FMM

How do you feel about 2012?  Let's discuss it, shall we?
Now...If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Twelve in 2012


1. What was your greatest personal accomplishment in 2012?  I stuck to being a vegetarian, even when I wanted to make a different decision.
2. What's the best thing your did for your health?  I kept trying.  That's always my goal.  I have a tendency to just say "eff it", throw my hands up and walk away.
3. Share one thing that caused a significant change in your life this year.  I started training to transition to a new position at my company.
4. List a few things that you experienced for the first time at some point over the last twelve months.  
- I did my first full quote at work.
- I went to my first Passion Party
- I went to my son's first Graduation (from Preschool to 4k)
5. What was the coolest place you visited? I went to Boston.  Boston is absolutely my kind of town.
6. If you could change one thing about the last year what would it be?  I would have worked harder to keep my focus.  As it is, I am going to end the year heavier than when I began.  Depressing.
7. What is the best meal you ate this year? There is this restaurant here that makes vegetarian meat loaf.  YUM.
8. Tell us about a new friend you made.  I started talking more to a coworker.  Additionally, I have strengthened a lot of friendships this year.
9. What did you hope to accomplish this year that you did not? I had hoped to lose at least 20 lbs this year. I am heavier than last year.  Heartbreaking.
10. Share something you learned in 2012.  I am working on treating myself with respect. 
11. Share an odd and unexpected thing that you experienced this year.  I don't think we had any unexpected things.
12. How do you think 2013 will differ from 2012?  I will be in a new position at work, I will also be kicking off the new year in a fitness challenge with several friends.  I hope this gets me on the right track.

Now it's your turn!  Don't forget to go to All the Weigh and link up in the comments! 

12 December 2012

Struggle, always struggle

I'm not sure where to start on this.  It's another come to Jesus post.  I have one every few weeks. I've been trying to lose weight for as long as I remember, but I am not trying hard enough.  I continually look for excuses not to be on plan.  It's very unhelpful.  I've been working on loving myself more, but that's also hard when you keep gaining and losing the same 15 pounds over and over.  I'm very frustrated.  Moreso at how easy it is for me to just fall off the plan and resume eating not just unhealthfully but horribly.

I keep thinking that I need to switch programs because this or that isn't working for me, but let's be real.  What isn't working for me is ME.  Any of these calorie reduction programs will work if I log my food and stay within my range.  I don't need to change programs. I just need to stay on one.  ANY one.

I keep telling people (because it is true) The common thread in all of your problems is YOU. 

Now, don't get me wrong.  I think I'm awesome.  I'm a loving person.  I am terse, certainly, but I am caring.  I'm a good mom, if too distracted by this and that.  I'm a good employee for the most part.  But I stink at self discipline. I'm a reasonable and reasonably healthy cook. I'm turning into one hell of a knitter.  But I am the mayor of creating problems for myself.

I've put my poor husband in a tough spot, because I keep asking him for help, but then I get pissy when he helps.  This man, this poor, long suffering man, loves his wife no matter how she looks.  He just wants her to love herself.  But instead, I keep veering off my diet whenever it is inconvenient, then flogging myself for not losing or worse gaining.

So today, I am counting my calories.  I am avoiding the treat trap in the kitchen.  I will do Walk Away The Pounds tonight.  I will go up and down the stairs 4 times at each commercial break while watching TV.  It doesn't have to be big stuff, but it does have to be something.

I can do this.  I can end this year lighter than I am right now.  I can move closer to my goals next year.  I could even REACH my goals given enough discipline, but for now, I will settle for just doing better than I am today.

I know I can.  I know you can, too. 

08 December 2012

I'm back

I'm doing less than the normal holiday struggling, but I am struggling plenty. 

Mostly, I just keep letting life get in the way.  Back from vacation for a week, I had my work holiday party.  And lunches out.

But now I am home, counting calories again, happy to be home.

I'm really just endeavoring to make it through the holidays not gaining weight. After that, I will get serious again and try to go on South Beach. I'm not sure how South Beach works for vegetarians, though.  I have NO desire not to be a vegetarian...

03 December 2012

A good weekend, but not an on plan one

Saturday, I did really well staying around my calorie range.  Sunday, I didn't even track.

I did go swimming for 2.5 hours yesterday.  More importantly, I went to see my high school friend,  Chad Elliott perform.  I'm sorry to say that there wasn't much of a crowd, but I think he made some new fans.  He put on a great show, as always.

If he comes to your area, you should go see him.  You don't have to like Folk Music.  It's stirring to see someone so passionate about what they do.

I am back on plan today :)  Have a great week, everyone!