I've been feeling like crap lately, and I know that it's because I've gained weight. People have said I look fine, look great, etc - but I just. Don't. Feel it. I'm not the heaviest I've ever been, either - no where near. I'm still about 40 pounds below that mark. But part of the bad feeling is the fear of sloooowly creeping back up, there's no way I can let that happen. I worked hard to lose that weight, dammit!
Sooo, what's my problem then?
I put so many other things first. I'll procrastinate like no one's business. I know I make excuses, when I should really just power through a workout and get it done. I know I can do it, I have before. Two years ago, my boyfriend and I decided to try out P90X. It worked like nothing ever has for me before. I was down to my lowest weight ever, my pants for the first time since I was in the single-digit grades were in single digits! I could do CHIN UPS! With no support chair! I felt great.
But I got sick of it. I got tired of listening to the same guy on the DVDs, the same jokes, same everything. I stopped. And I've never really done consistent workouts since. I try to start again, and I don't finish.
I lost my job in October, and although it sucked, and I wasn't happy about it - I don't think I was depressed. I think it was kinda the opposite. After a few hours of self-pity, I realized it was time to move on from that job anyway. I felt revived in my career choice. Design was exciting for me again. With the help of some key freelance work, I was doing well for myself, and not worried about finding a new job right away.
But at the same time, I was working from home - and getting a little stir crazy. So, I'd go out and meet friends for lunch, because I had the time. Or meet a friend for coffee and a Starbucks-style snack in the afternoon. Not usually on the same day, but some times. That's where it started to add up. These social eating meetings have been terrible to me. Combined with actually being so busy with work at home - again, workouts got shuffled aside. I would do a few a week, but not enough to combat the poor eating.
So now it's time for me to make a change. I need to. If I don't, my mood is not going to get better, and neither is my health.
With that said, I would like to lose 40 pounds this year. I think by starting early in the year, it's attainable, and a healthy goal.
I'm hoping through this blog, and the support of you that read it, it will help me stay on track. I'm hoping you'll talk with me about what you all do to keep fit, or reach your goals. And hopefully you don't mind me suggesting things to you. Maybe it's healthy recipes, or things I do in my workouts, and even just progress marks.
Monday is February first, it's the day I get serious.
Here's my list of things to do to really kickstart this goal:
Workout, minimum 5 days a week
Ideally, it's 6. With a mix of P90X workouts for strength and toning, and Insanity workouts on alternate days for cardio.
Drink more water
I don't drink nearly enough, and it's already bitten me once. Goal starts at 1.5 L per day.
Eat better
This is where I've slacked the most. Nothing unhealthy will come into my house. Meals will be planned, and recipes will be healthy. I will allow myself one cheat day per week - because balance is key.
Weigh myself only once per month, at the END of the month
I so easily get off track when I see that I've made progress, or discouraged when I don't. I can't do this anymore.
Take a self-photo at the beginning, and at the end of each month
These will NOT be posted on the internet. I have limits, people. It's a pretty big step for me to even be talking this personally on here. I may get more confident as months pass.
Blog
What I've done, good or bad, for myself each day. Maybe if I see it in writing, it'll hit home faster. I hope so.
I think those are good starting points to aim for, and I have others in mind already for the next step. Do you have any others for me? I'm really hoping for all the support I can get here :)
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5 comments:
Good luck! I did a series where I blogged this stuff every week and, I'm not going to lie, it was awful! lol Once a month overall check ins are plenty, any more and even the most stable of us start to feel a little crazy.
That's a healthy set of goals, lady! You've got my support all the way.
That's exactly the reason I can't work out at home. It's too repetitive hearing the same voice doing the same thing over and over again. I have the attention span of a fruit fly so I always have to keep mixing it up. Do you have an access to classes? I never thought I would love group exercise, but something different always happens in there and it keeps me motivated.
I NEVER weigh myself because no matter what the scale says I'm never happy.
Posting stuff like this in your blog is great too for accountability. I'd like to shed off a few pounds. I don't really have time to do it before the wedding, but you've inspired me to do it once I get back.
GO AMBER GO!
Your goals are awesome. I'm totally with you, online and off (you know that).
For me, the meal planning thing is key. I need to plan for success, and I need to plan for REAL LIFE - doing things like making sure that I have healthy, yummy snacks in the house because I KNOW that I'll be trolling the kitchen for something around 8 or 9 pm (for me, it's popcorn or bananas + yogurt with a sprinkle of cinnamon or a tiny drizzle of chocolate sauce). I'll often keep a list of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas with stuff I have in the house each week. It just makes those decisions easier.
It also helps me to do lots of research ahead of time. Just going onto the Starbucks website and looking at the nutrition info on their snacks is almost always enough to convince me to eat something healthy at home before I go instead of indulging in anything more than a drink while I'm there :)
And it helps a lot to talk about it. Just make sure you know that those months when the scale doesn't say exactly what you'd hoped it would are NOT failures. It's a journey - and a long-term lifestyle change, if you truly want to be successful.
(Look at the girl with all the residual baby weight giving advice! hehe)
Thank you SO much - all of you. These words and encouragement (as well as a whole bunch of other things) make you all freakin' amazing.
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