My Downfall....

Where I went wrong with my health and fitness plan, is I lost my focus. Geez for years I was so focused on my goal, focused on what I put in my mouth, focused on what exercise I did...I was focused on everything.

Then somewhere along the way, I thought..."I got this!". I know what 3 oz of meat is, I know how many calories are in that. Sure I exercised 5 times this week. You bet, I got my water in.....When in reality, I was not tracking anything and obviously I was thinking wrong!! I was not eating in proper portions, I was not exercising 5 days per week, I was not getting all my water in.

Because you can't, at least I can't gain 12 pounds if you are doing everything right...right?

So I've been back on track.....really for the past couple of days. I've REALLY tracked all my food and kept my calories in line with my plan. I've exercised at least 3 days per week (hoping for more soon). I got all of my water in. Plus I've had a great attitude and in 3 days I've lost 2 pounds.

Not a lot, yet....but just putting the focus back on my plan and keeping my eye on what I'm doing is helping. Seriously, the past months it would take me a full week to lose 2 pounds.

So I'm encouraged. I have learned my lesson. I know now, that I will always have to focus and keep sight of what I'm doing to have success.

Ah....

How are you doing?

I'm going back to my....

Keep focused!!

Pep Talk

Miss Joy.....Right now you are in a tough place. I know you are disappointed....You are not doing what you should, you are not where you want to be, you've added some pounds back....12 of them! You are mad at yourself.....ashamed.....sad.....embarrassed....and you are feeling like such a failure.

But you know...the only time you are a real failure is if you quit!

In the past...dark....8 months you have not quit. Far from it!! Even though, it's not been perfect...you still were fighting. You're still here! You still have your focus, though off track at times...it's still there! YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN UP!!

So be kind to yourself today......Give yourself some grace and get back to your plan!!

For those of you who are in the same boat as me. It's not the failure that is the worse part. It's the quitting. You just can't let that happen. Even if all you can do is make one small good choice each day. It's better than nothing. Before you know it...if you keep at it...that one small choice will grow. And if you don't quit and you stay diligent, those good choices will grow and soon enough you will begin to see success!

I'm on my way back up! I've been at this climb for a while....each day I've added back my healthy choices....just one at a time and now....I'm back to where I was prior to the grand ole slide that I've been on. I'm tracking my food DAILY! I'm drinking my water DAILY! I'm exercising at least 3 days per week, sometimes four! (Not quite to where I was 8 months ago, but I'm getting there) Side note.....I have to brag on myself just a bit. Even though I've been really unhappy with myself and I lost my way for a while, and I added some pounds....I did not give up on my exercise. I still met with my trainer weekly and I kept running. I've done a 5k and a 15k race and I did one half marathon already this year. And even with the extra pounds I'm running faster than I did last year. Just think when I get this weight off, I will be even faster ~ so cool. OK enough bragging....anyway, back to the healthy things I've put back in place. Attitude...instead of fretting about where I'm not. I'm giving my plan and my body to the Lord and letting Him help me to make my goals. I have realized that I cannot do this journey on my own. The minute I yielded my plan to Him, I mean the instant I did this, I was so filled to overflowing with His peace and joy and it seemed the dark blinders fell off and I could finally see my direction. This is huge for me!

So I want to encourage you, should you need it, to just do one thing at a time and get back to it. Don't fail backwards....go forward and reach for your goals.

We can do this!!

No FEAR!!!

Checking In

I'm working it...working it...working it!!

Oh Yeah!!

Well.....Hello!

It's been a while! How are you Friends? I hope well. I have not had a chance to check in with your yet. I hope to visit soon!

Little update......

Still battling, just a little. But I'm feeling a lot better and more like myself. I've really been struggling the past few months...I did not totally abandoned my goals or my heath and fitness plan, but I did have some set backs along the way. Lets just say.... about 11 pounds of setbacks, and some injuries and some head stuff I had to work out ! Can I just say....I kind of lost myself for a while!

Frankly I got really tired of the journey. I got real tired of the pushing and doing and going and stretching and growing and learning and blogging and drinking water and tracking food and exercising and running and running and running and and and and and...I just got tired of it all!!!

So I stopped!!!

Most of it anyway. For a while, I did not track food or watch every bite that went into my mouth. I did not exercise 5-6 days per week. I did not obsess over the scale. I did not do much of anything about my health and fitness....for the most part.

And I gained back 11 pounds for my efforts. GASP!!!! Shocking!! I know!!!

It was not all bad...I did not abandon every thing all the time. Just was not consistent with my plan.

The things I did do....

I rested my body. I've had slight injuries to my back and feet for a while. So it was nice to let my body rest and heal. It needed it!

I did some healing of my mind. I quit obsessing about the journey...

I did reconnect with my Hubby, family and friends. Geez I did not know I was all about me for so long.

I did start running again and finished a 15k race and I ran my personal best! Really happy about that.

I did drop 5 of those pounds and I'm feeling a lot better!!!

I did get back to the gym ~ working with my trainer and taking classes!

I did get back to drinking my water....tracking my food....exercising and all the things I was doing before....

I'm feeling a lot better!!

The past few months have not been pleasant. I really really really don't ever want to go back to that place again. Frankly it was frightening! It's amazing how easy it was to go back to my old ways. It was like visiting an old friend and not a very good one at that!! It was awful to have had an extra 11 pounds on my body. I don't ever want to do that again!! Ever!


So now....I'm back on track!!!!

Whew!!

Have you been in this place before? Are you there now?

No Fear!!

At War!

Oh you don't want to see the 3 posts I just erased. Lets just say, I am at war. Please pray for me my Friends.

......For the adversary who would like to have my mind right now....let me just say...



YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!!


NO FEAR!!!!!

Is it an Issue of the Heart?

I heard someone talking about goals yesterday and they said something that really made me stop and think. They said, "That sometimes, when you are unable to reach your goals, it could be an issue of the heart. Huh?

You how sometimes you will hear something, that you may not even really understand, but it hits you right in the heart?...It kind of niggles at you until you take the time to stop and really think about what you heard. Ever happen to you? Well this was one of those times for me.

So I began to think about that. Hum......what issues of the heart do I have that may be keeping me from my goals. Well.....

Stinginess? Did not really think that's I'm stingy, but after playing this game on my Ipad I really began to see that I am quite stingy! I not going to tell you what the game is, because it's fun....really fun and a time sucker! So I'm not recommending it - - you and me...well, we have other things to do. Anyway, this game is one where you make things, sell things and give things away and if you don't have what you need, you hope someone will give you something. So here I am hoping I get stuff, but unwilling to give stuff. IT'S A STUPID GAME....THEY ARE REALLY NOT EVEN TAKING ANYTHING FROM ME AND I'M STILL UNWILLING TO GIVE STUFF AWAY!!! 

Another example of stinginess....When I go to the gym, I am the most closed up person ever. Here I tout that I want to help people with their weight loss and fitness journey....but when I'm at the gym, it's all about me! I don't really talk with anyone or try to make friends.

How about when I'm driving....STINGY!!!!

Stinginess is an issue of my heart!

Stubbornness... Unwillingness? I've been going to Weight Watchers for 8 weeks and I have not been willing to figure out the program. I've been working out with my trainer for almost 3 years and I'm still unwilling to take control of my own fitness. Nutrition! I've seen a Nutritionist and know what to do, but I'm unwilling to do the right thing. Church....Praying....reading my Bible....Unwilling to really dive in! Cleaning the bathrooms....well lets not go there!!!!

Stubbornness and unwillingness are an issue of my heart!

Commitment? Not really willing to go to the next level with my weight loss, running, weightlifting or other fitness activites. Just not willing to commit!!!

Lack of commitment is an issue of my heart!

Gluttony?  Don't even need to go there. I'm all over that!

Gluttony is an issue of my heart!

Pride? Oh yes, Pride is an issue of my heart!!!!

So I have some issues of my heart....these are just a few and I'm quite sure there are more!

But you know what.....Just since yesterday, with just a small willingness to explore this issue and having a willingness to give back and surrender....I've already seen some things happen. And there's another thing....something really sweet...something that I can't exactly explain. But with my shear WILLINGNESS to TRY to SURRENDER, even just a little, I've had a feeling, or an expectation  or excitement, of something that is telling me, that if I keep this up, the whole world will be open to me. That things will really begin to happen!!!! That the fruit of my efforts will be greater than when I was not taking care of these issues of the heart...

Couple of examples of things that have happened, just since yesterday....When I gave freely in my game. I got back more...And all my needs were met and I'm making friends - lots of them!!.

When I was at the gym yesterday, I encouraged this older lady to try and do push ups for her fitness assessment. She said she could not even do one and did not even want to try. I encouraged her and let her know that this was a baseline test only and after our fitness challenge is over in 3 months, that I'm quite sure she would want to know this information to see how well she improved. I advised that if she did not know how many she could do today, then in 3 months she would not see her improvement. So she decided to do it and you know what she did 5 push ups!! I could see her pride and excited gushing out of her. So proud of her!!!

While driving I've been letting people in and sharing the road. I tell you, I have a lot less stress and it's kind of fun Blessing people in such a small way!!!

These other heart issues....I can see that I need to work on them. Already in such a short time, with these small things that I've done, I've experienced this wonderful release (!?!) or whatever this is and I'm EXCITED to put the attention onto the other heart issues. I know some amazing stuff is going to happen!! So excited!! 

More to follow!!

Do you think you have an issue of the heart when it comes to your health and fitness?

No Fear!!!

Who Stole Yours?

When I first started losing weight and working on my fitness. I was having a blast ~ It was fun!! And you know with my new enthusiasm and success. It was!

Then a so~called friend told me that losing weight and getting fit is NOT fun, and that, I too would soon learn that this was true. She said, "Oh you just wait!"

You know....she stole something from me that day. Because since that day, this journey has not been as much fun...I have not had the enthusiasm I once had. And you know what? I've not had the great success I had when I thought it was easy and fun!

Hummmmm!!!!!!!!!!!

Then the other day I heard this on the Dr Laura Radio show. She was talking to a caller and I wrote down everything she said....except I changed the wording as if  I'm talking to myself...

Deciding something in advance usually limits me.

My decisions limit my body and my mind.

If I decide I’m not good enough or I can't do something.

Then I will prove myself right!

If I decide that this is something I want, like it's my next breath…

then I will push toward it!!!

When I first started my health and fitness plan...I had decided that is would be fun...it would be easy and I would have success. When I thought that way....I proved myself right!!

When I let someone steal my good and healthy idea about this journey away from me, then, I started thinking about what she said and then I decided it was hard and frustrating and I would never make it to my goal. And guess what!!!! Right now I'm proving myself right!! I stuck in a frustrating plateau, I'm not having fun and this is not easy. And I'm definitely not feeling very enthusiastic about my journey!

So I'm taking it back!!

I've decided that this journey is fun....it is easy and fascinating!! Do you know if you look at this like a scientist and keep trying and testing and doing and going forward...You will find the right mix for you and you will have success. I've done this in the past. I've lost over 60+ pounds (used to be more but I was listening to my defeated friends advise and I was going backwards) NOT ANY MORE!!!!

Losing weight and getting fit is something I want. I do want it like I want my next breath. And I am pushing towards my goals....EVERY DAY!!!!!

How about you....Did someone steal something from you.  Something you need for your success? If so, take it back. TAKE IT BACK NOW!!

This years mantra.....NO FEAR!!!!!

Now get out there and lets get this done!!

No Fear!!!