Well... it is Wednesday...
And I am a whooping .1 lb less.... NOT 1 lb... .1 as in point 1.
Truth be told, I am just grateful it wasn't a Weight Gain Wednesday. I started out pretty good and midway through I was even down 3 lbs... but then I got sick (AGAIN!) and here we are...
I did well on my diet for the most part, but it became clear... especially through being sick... that this journey needs to be more than about a dress and more than about a number on a scale.
For me, this ain't my first rodeo.
I have probably lost (and gained) more weight than a typical person weighs (and then some) over the years...
And, while I am not a professional, over the years I have learned that my weight loss has 4 parts to it... Diet, Exercise, Emotional/Spiritual and Overall Balance. If I ignore one of these areas... or if I focus solely on just one of these... I am white-knuckling a temporary solution instead of making a healthy life-style change.
So in addition to sharing the trials and tribulations of the almighty scale I am going to give myself a grade in these areas each week.
Diet
I have tried every diet under the sun... For me, I am most successful when I regularly eat a low fat, high fiber diet, focus on portion control and allow myself one day a week to eat whatever I want. That day is important to help me stay on point the rest of the week.
Exercise
Most of you know that I have a love hate relationship with my elliptical machine, El. But truth be told, I can't reach my goals without the needy girl. That and I truly enjoy yoga and working out with my Wii... as long as I don't weigh in with Wii... sheesh... that judgmental "oh" sigh during weigh in of Wii Fit gets me every time... just sayin'
With all that said, if I don't give El at least 45 minutes for a minimum of 3 times a week... my scale needle rarely moves...
As for this week... this is what El looked like up until yesterday...
Now... my housekeeping is not a part of the grading system...thank heavens. But, rest assure, Miss El got a bath and I did my time...finally.
Emotional/Spiritual
Life for me has to be about more than the daily grind. When I don't focus on the things I hold the most important, it shows up... on my thighs. So, a big portion of any kind of healthy life for me is to get heart and head in the right place.
First and foremost it is a God thing... and the best place to find Him is in His Word, so I have found a great online study tool that lets me choose scripture studies called Examen.me. I am a little under a week in and I really like it... it fits me.
Besides a relationship with the big man upstairs, I am a firm believer that keeping my head and heart in the right place has a lot to do with the books I read and the people I draw support from...
The internet has made that latter part a lot easier... from facebook to twitter to here there are AMAZING people online and I have the pleasure of knowing so many of them (on and offline) and I am blessed to talk with them everyday.
As for the book part, I have fallen in love with my Kindle App on my iPad. Right now I am reading through 1000 Gifts
(while giving El her time) and have several other books ready and waiting including Sarah Mae's 31 Days to Clean
E-book.
(while giving El her time) and have several other books ready and waiting including Sarah Mae's 31 Days to Clean E-book.Overall Balance
At the end of this month, I will have been working as a consultant for a full year. It has been amazing. I have amazing clients, projects I am passionate about and work I love to do... However, those things make it really easy for me to focus all the majority of my time working and not taking the needed breaks to reach a balance... because it doesn't always feel like work... and because I have a passion for what I do. However, I know I am healthier and a better mom, wife, friend and ultimately a better consultant when I take the time to take care of me... so... this is an area I need to pay attention to...
So, with all that said... below is my grade card for the week:
Weekly Weight Loss Report Card | |
Weight Loss | -.1 |
Diet | C |
Exercise | D |
Emotional/Spiritual | B |
Overall Balance | C |
Are you trying to get the weight monster under control?
I have heard a few of you are in the same boat and would like to do something together. Would you be interested in a weekly Weight Loss Wednesday Linky?
Regardless, I'd love to hear what is tied up in weight for you? Is it a combination of things or do you simply just love food?
Linked to: Works For Me Wednesday
8 GOODe Thoughts:
Love your transparency as always. :) As you know, I totally agree with the spiritual aspect. God will equip us to do anything that brings us more in line with who He has created us to be. I look forward to following your journey along with my own. Hugs!
I am so with you on this one. I lost 40 lbs this year, but still have 30 more to go. For me, what works is exactly the same thing as you. Although, I have found it much, much easier to stick to a diet if I have one cheat day each week. In other words, if I stick to it for six days straight, I get to eat one day what everyone else eats. The only exception is that I never, ever eat seconds. I had to do this because my husband cooks, and he never liked the fact that I couldn't enjoy his cooking anymore. I always save my day for the day he loves to cook the most. Now that he knows this, he totally supports me in my goals. Most of the time, on the days he cooks, he is still cooking healthier than ever. This week, for Mother's day, we are having blackened fish, one of my favorites and totally good for you. Life is good.
It sounds like you have the right attitude, and I have no doubts you will be very successful in your goals !
Best of luck!!
Hope you have a wonderful Mothers Day too :)
What an interesting post. To be honest, I hate artificial exercise. I don't mind actual work, but there's something about those machines that just make time stand still!
I have been on a slim down diet for about 2 1/2 months and have lost 12 pounds in the past 5 weeks! My goal is only 15 more! I got a little discouraged at first when the needle wasn't moving and so I looked into it...it takes 6-10 WEEKS for your body to have any kind of reaction to a new diet/exercise routine. So, you HAVE to stick with it! I'll share some of my secrets and what I've found by research too and maybe it'll help ya'll!
You HAVE to have a cheat day...your metabolism works EXTRA hard on that day because it's not used to the extra calories from your "diet days" so it works harder to burn them off. I always lose at least a pound on my cheat day!
Also, be careful with the eliptical...don't get "in a routine" or "in a zone"...it's about speeding up and slowing down your heart rate so your body burns more fat and calories througout the day. For example, warm up at 3-4mph for 1/2 a mile, then speed up to a 6-7 for a 1/2 mile then slow it back down for 1/2 mile and repeat....I do this for 5-6 miles. You will be burning calories ALL day as opposed to only when you're working out. Google HIIT training...that's similar, but a little more tiring....I prefer my 1/2 mile method. :)
Good luck!!!
I'm in! I like your four components! Stress is my main culprit, and I have to find a better way to manage it. UGH! When do we weigh in? My scale doesn't do the 0.0 thing, but if I keep my glasses on, I should be able to get pretty accurate! Hey how much do glasses weigh????
Good job! I'm totally with you on diet. I did Weight Watchers one summer to support my mom, and I always counted points for 6 days and then took 1 off. That one day off provided the motivation I needed for the other 6 - I wouldn't have kept it up without it!
I'm part of the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans family now, and I love their challenges - it's such a great community! If you haven't heard of them, you should check them out - http://shrinkingjeans.net.
But good luck...you can do it!
Great post Cris! I have found, especially since I am past that 40 mark, that it is going to take EXERCISE to lose this weight. I have a treadmill that sits behind the chair where I work on my laptop. I think sometimes it is glaring at the back of my head, lol! Maybe I need to give the ol' treadmill a name!
I have also found that if I don't eat after 8 o'clock at night and cut out soft drinks, that helps too. So I am working on that myself!
Good luck!
Bernice
http://livingthebalancedlife.com/2011/what-we-really-want-for-mothers-day/
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