Still Working It....

Even though I have not been around much, I am still quite focused on my journey!! Now it's not only about weight loss....it's about the total package! For me, it's just not good enough to get my body fit and healthy. No it's about all aspects of my life.

• My walk with the Lord....Am I praying, reading my Bible, going to church, serving Him? I can say yes to all these things!
• My home....Is it clean and organized? Yes it is!
• My yard....Is it done? Yes...with the help of a yard service. I really can't do it all!!
• My work...Is my desk manageable? Yes and all of the projects that I was procrastinating on...are done!

Not only is all of the above done, but I'm still working hard on my health and fitness. I'm at the gym or exercising at home at least 5 days per week or more! Still eating healthy and I've got my focus on!

I heard some where....that if you can just focus on the moment and not get distracted by other things you can accomplish a lot. I've put that into motion and I find it's true. 

When I'm at work, I work! I don't think about my worries, or home, or going to the grocery store. I just focus there. Boy you cannot believe the stuff I can get done!

Same thing at home. I allot a certain amount of time for house stuff and then I focus and before you know it, my task is done and I even have a little extra time for more! 

Just like when I'm in the gym. I am not thinking about what I'm going to eat next, or about the skinny woman next to me or, I don't even think about going home. I'm focused on my task...putting my all into it. And I always leave with a great work out!

Now because of this focus and with not having so much hanging over my head, I am finding time to do crafts, read, garden, spend time with friends and family....I am having a lot of fun!

Anyway, that's what I'm up to! I am enjoying life!

Next up.....Going deeper into understanding food!

How about you...What are you up to?

Keep focused!

Oh Yeah We Got This!!!

Are you with me?? We can do this!!

Push through!!

JUST DO IT ANYWAY!!!

Keep focused!

Just do it anyway!!!!

Today, are any of you not interested in your health and fitness plan? Are you tired of exercise? Tired of eating plans? Tired of recording food? Tired of drinking your water? Tired of the focus on all of this?

Is that you today? It's kind of me today. OK it is me today.

Well even though you and I are tired of it all.....JUST DO IT ANYWAY!!!

Each day we put our focus on our health and fitness....it's one more day we are closer to our goals!!!!

Don't give up!!! Stay the course!!! And DO IT ANYWAY!!!




You won't be sorry!!!

I'm off to my treadmill!!!

Keep focused!!

Focus on the "Do's"...Not the "Don'ts"!

I got this little tip from one of my new favorite stores ~

Weekly Tip-Off

Focus on the "Do's"...Not the "Don'ts"!

Ever catch yourself thinking more about the food you shouldn't have, rather than the food that'll make you feel better in the long run? Sometimes focusing on something you shouldn't do, makes you want to do it that much more! Here are a few tips to help you stay focused on eating healthy, and balanced. This way, you won't find yourself ravenous mid-afternoon, ordering that pizza before you can stop yourself!

Eat breakfast
Eat 5 times a day (3 meals, 2 snacks)
Pack snacks each night for the next day
(nuts, vegetables with hummus, rice cakes)
Have meals with protein, carbs and healthy fats
Keep a food journal!

I don't know if their tips will help you, but it's something to think about.

Personally, I'm finding, since I've started really looking at my diet and cleaning it up, that I'm thinking WAAAAYYYY to much about food. I'm thinking about what I can't have, instead of thinking about the healthy choices I'm making and how good I feel. 

That's it ~ I'm switching my thinking!

I feel healthy....I feel good....Yeah!!

How about you....Are you thinking about what you can't have?

Keep focused

Reality

I'm still up 6 pounds from my trip to Austin. Things have been so difference since I've been back. Came home the first week having to prep my house to be painted, work and just life stuff. The next week and a couple of days were spent painting and visiting with our son. This week, I've tried to get back to normal. Since Austin and with all of the busyness of life, I have been so lax on my morning Treadmill time and I've lost my variety in food selections. I feel I'm on auto pilot.....but going nowhere with my weight loss.

Just now, I have my workout clothes on....yes....I'm getting onto the Treadmill....even if it kills me....Anyway, I happen to look down and my legs looks soooo fat. I have not seen this for a while, have my legs changed that much in 3 weeks. I mean, prior to Austin, I was on the Treadmill 5-6 days per week. Since I've been back, it's been, maybe 3 days per week. (I have also made it to see my trainer and other classes, but I've been lax with the treadmill) Can this short a time, of inactivity, really make that much difference. That is scary!!!

Right now, I feel as big as I did when I weighed 274 pounds. That is a terrible feeling!

This weekend I will be facing nothing but food situations that will be out of my control. Frankly I'm worried for myself, as I can't seem to get on my path.

Anyway, all I can do for today, is make the best choices I can. I'm going to exercise, drink my water and eat my healthy food.

I will let tomorrow worry for itself and when I get there, I'm going to still make good choices and do what I know is the right thing for me.

How are you going to handle this weekend - with all the football parties and festivities?

Keep focused!

Craziness is Almost Over!

One more tree to decorate...

A bunch of cookies to make...

Fifteen more Christmas cards to fill out and mail...

Some stocking stuffers to pick up...

A couple of more presents to wrap...

Christmas Eve meal to make...

Three bathrooms to clean...

One and a half days of work...

AND THEN I'M DONE!!!


WHEW!!

Still eating well, drinking my water and exercising. 

Down one more pound......

70 pounds lost!!!!!!!!!!!


Woo Hoo!!

Even with all of the busyness ~ you can still make a difference in your health and weight loss!! Don't give up and wait for the New Year. We still have time!!

Keep focused!!

Are you waiting?

Are you waiting for the New Year to get started on your weight loss and fitness plan? Or maybe are you coasting on your plan until the New Year or are you even thinking about quitting your plan until then?

Now is not the time to quit!! Now is the time to focus!

Even though my schedule is packed, my list is long, and my to do's are many I not waiting for the New Year to keep going on my weight loss and fitness plan.

The worst thing for me would be to wake up on January 1st and have to face pounds added back on. I would hate that! I'm striving to have a loss! I lost weight during Thanksgiving...I can do it again during Christmas!

I am working my plan in spite of everything else I need to do. I'm not stopping! I'm still exercising, keeping my calories at 1600 (using my small dishes - they work!!!), drinking my water and keeping a positive and joyful attitude.

You can do it too!!! I encourage you to make this December the best one ever! How cool would it be to wake up on Christmas morning smaller than you were last year? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!

There's still time to get this done!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Keep up the good fight and stay focused my Friends. Lets end the year with results!!

Keep focused!

I'm focus!

Looking ahead for the day....I'm prayed up...I've got my plan....my food is ready, got the water bottles full, my attitude it in check and, today, I'm ready to make stuff happen!!!

This has been my attitude for the entire month of November. At the first of the month, I was logging in at 214 pounds tipping almost to 215 ~ Yikes!!

Focus, determination and just plain hard work is getting me closer to my goal. Today, I finally got back down to 208 pounds. I feel like I'm on my way again!
You know...if I work really hard and stay focused...I could almost be in "wonderland" by New Years!!!!Wouldn't that be awesome?

How about you ~ are you focused?

Just do it!!

Day 110 ~ 7 Month Focus - The Death of a Berry

This particular berry was formed perfectly on a bush. It grew with help from the proper amount of water and sunshine and maybe even had a little added help from the Farmer with his fertilizers and pesticides. ~ Couldn't hurt right? Anyway our berry matured just how it was supposed to...and when it was ready...it was truly ripe for the pickin!

So with anticipation and excitement, which I'm sure all berry's feel moments before they are picked, our little berry waited for its life long journey to be fulfilled and that is to be enjoyed, savored and eaten!!

Soon the pickers came and it's our berry's moment to come off of the bush. It's then thrown into a box, just like the other berry's and shipped to the berry plant for processing. It's washed, the stem is removed and it's packaged and ready to go to the market.

So with added anticipation, with the moment of its final destination within reach, it sits and waits at the store to be purchased. Before this berry can go anywhere, it must first be scrutinized, touched and even smelled before some person picks it up, buys it and takes it home.

As our little berry waits on the counter, just sure that at any moment, it will be chosen for consumption....It plans and waits and waits for something to happen. Finally it sees a spoon approach it for its final travel to a mouth. And then something totally unspeakable happens to our friend the berry. It falls off of the spoon straight to the floor, with a thud. (a berry thud...not very loud!) It is devastated as it lies there hoping it will soon be noticed and picked up...Why it would just need a little washin' and it would be ready to eat. No harm done! It waits and it waits for its rescue and finally someone comes along to pick it up....oh no, the person does not pick it up....our poor berry just gets kicked around, from one side of the room to another. Oh NO!

With a smidgen of hope left, our little berry waits and finally another person comes in. It approached the berry.....but unfortunately, this time, this person does not see our berry friend and squishes it. Berry blood everywhere!

Do you sometimes feel like the berry? You know you were created for something, something amazing and you even kind of get to the destination you need to go ~ you are on the right track, you get it, you're almost there...but then you fall off your plan, get distracted by life and just simply fail to reach your goal!! Do you know what I'm sayin!?!?!?

Well I've been there. Even today, I decided to make good choices for myself. Had a reasonable breakfast,  snack & lunch ~ the whole while reading my nutrition book and then reading blogs. Healthy, good choices right? So after lunch, I'm not satisfied and I eat almost 2 bowls of cereal. Does that make any sense at all for a thin person to do?

I will never get to that thin person status unless I make better choices. Unlike our berry friend, it did not have a choice about what it does or what happened to it. BUT I DO!! I have every tool imaginable and I STILL FALL OF THE DANG COUNTER! I'm going to get smooshed and abandon my weight loss and fitness goals, if I don't get it together, keep it together and get some danged results!

I guess what I'm realizing is...I can have every tool to get this journey done ~ Trainer, exercise equipment, books, journals, support, great food etc. However, if I'm unwilling to do the work...to grit it out...to make my goals....to stay on plan.....IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! 

To make it work ~ I HAVE TO DO THE WORK ~ EVERY MINUTE, EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH and EVERY YEAR.

I can't waste the time I'm given. I must get this done and quit procrastinating! Quit making excuses!! Quit giving in to myself!!! I need to make better choices and I need to make them now!!!

All this berry talk came from a squished berry on my kitchen floor. Who knew it could mean anything other than a mess that needed to be clean up. I know, I'm a goof!!

Keep focused!

Day 49 - 7 Month Focus

I am in such conflict with myself. I am kind of driving myself crazy! This is the 23rd of the month already. And each day of the month, I only have, six things I need to focus on, for my health and weight loss goals, and as of today, I have hit those goals, all of them, only 8 days. Please note: For the most part, I hit most of the 6 items each day, it's just that the point of the challenge is to hit them all - EVERYDAY! (Better than last month, I only hit all of my goals 5 days for the entire month!)

This is supposed to be a "FOCUS" challenge. I am supposed to be putting my energy into those 6 most important things. Yet I am all over the place....worrying and fretting about everything else....except for my goals.

Now why am I doing this? When I take my eyes off of my goal and try to fit in too many things, then I get really upset with myself, as well as wear myself out. Like today...I don't want to do anything....

Obviously my head is not in the game......How do you get your head into the game. What do you do?  I know for me weather plays a big part. Last year we had more sunny days. It really helps when I know the sun is up, I spring right out of bed at 5:00 and get started. This morning, I could barely drag it out at 6:30!!!! That is so late for me! Plus sunny days gives me hope and drive to push through. It's been so rainy and cloudy lately, so I have not been able to get any motivation from the weather.

Then hearing about the tornado last night, here I'm whining about rain....Geez I have a house to live in and all is well. I'm complaining about rain.

Then I'm whining about not having energy and feeling tired and I have all of my limbs, no serious ailments, a good mind (well it works anyway), a great support system at home, good food, all the tools I need and a personal trainer - I have no excuses not to get this done!!

And I'm still having trouble getting my head in the game.

Do you struggle with this? How do you get it turned around?

Keep focused!

Finally the scale is moving!

Last weeks focus has paid off!! Finally hit 219!!! Can't even tell you the last time I was at this weight. Feels great!!! Next milestone 215.

Have experienced a plateau since September. Got to 221...then some things happened ~was under a ton of stress, then I got an exercise over use injury (Tennis Elbow) and had to work through that. Lots of doctors visits and physical therapy. Then depression set in. Christmas with all it's stresses, parties, and indulgences was next and I did pretty well - no significant changes in my weight ~ up and down a couple of pounds. Then the Monday after Christmas I hurt my back. Fourth injury in one year. Depression really hit me!!! Then found I was up 4 pounds and holding. Hopelessness, disappointment and frustration set in. But I did not stop my plan. Just worked through it. Whined, cried and complained a little ~ OK a lot, but I kept going!!

Couple things helped me break through....

1.) All of the support I got from my hubby, family, friends and you helped so much!! So grateful to have people in my life that understand what's happening. I believe without this support I would have abandoned my weight loss and fitness journey. I mean this is why I always quit before. I just did not have enough tools to work through the ups and downs of this journey.

2.) Persevering even though I did not want to. So many days I went to the gym or worked out when I did not want to, did not feel good or just plain felt rebellious. I did it anyway. Crying through a couple of sessions with trainer and experiencing a lot of occasions where I wanted to run away!! But I just pushed through.

3.) Made some decisions to really understand how this whole thing works. Taking nutrition classes, tracking my food and really looking at the amount of food I was consuming. Started measuring and recording everything that went into my mouth.

4.) Increased the intensity of my workouts. Pushed myself to new limits for me. I found I can do more than I thought.

With spring on its way, my new focus and a little success I'm fueled to keep going. So excited!!! I am thankful to have some tools in my pocket to help me through the next rough spot. I have learned so much during this time and I am really grateful that I did not quit!!!

So whatever you are going through, even if you feel you can't, push through. Make the best choices you can each day. DO everything you can to reach success. And remember things will turn around.

Keep focused!!