Laying It All On The Line

In my last post I told you about my new year's resolution to weigh less than 120 pounds by the end of the year. It has been a very long time since I have been anywhere close to that weight, but never in my life have I been so far away as I am right now, so this is what you might call a real "shoot for the stars" goal. Now for the moment of truth: I lay before your eyes my "before" stats, with a promise to you and to myself that my "after" stats, come December 31, 2014, will be significantly lower, come what may.

• Weight as of 1/1/2014: 179.2 pounds
• Body fat % (according to my not-so-accurate but fairly consistent scale): 43.3%
• Measurements:
• Waist: 41.5"
• Hips: 44"
• Chest: 42.2"
• Right Arm: 13.8
• Left Arm: 14.5
• Right Thigh: 22.5
• Left Thigh:  22.8

As you may have noticed, I will need to drop at least 60 pounds during the year in order to reach my goal. No problem. That averages to only 5 pounds per month, and I feel completely confident that I can meet and even exceed that amount. It won't be easy, of course, but I am not afraid to work for it.
And whether I succeed or not, I will not stop working and learning and progressing, so whatever that scale says come year-end, I will be a success.

So what is your "shoot for the stars" goal? Do you want it bad enough to work for it, every single day? Come and take this journey with me, and we'll enjoy the adventure together (which is, of course, much better than going it alone)! See you on the road to realizing our dreams!

January 4th and so far so good...

Well, my friends, we have reached the first weekend of our new year already! How is it looking for you so far? For me, it's a pretty good sight! Did you make new year's resolutions? I did, of course, because as you may or may not know, setting goals is one of my favorite things to do. I wish I could say that achieving goals is one of my favorite things to do, but I have to admit that I don't have very much experience with that part...yet!

Anyway, new year's resolutions. So, I have a very big resolution this year--well, one of 3 or 4 big resolutions. I am trying really hard to not over-resolute (is that a word???) like I have done so many times in the past. I am still aiming very high, as in years past, but I am limiting the number of big goals I set for myself. Anyway, back to the point (I feel like I keep getting off topic today--did anyone else notice that?). One of my new year's resolutions this year is to weigh less than 120 pounds by December 31, 2014. Now, before anyone jumps to criticize or judge my new year's resolution (I emphasize the my because I believe everyone has the right to set their own goals, free from others' judgments, so whether you think my goal is good or bad or awesome or unreachable or whatever, it's my goal so please leave me alone to set and work toward it as I choose), let me assure you that I have thought about this a lot, and I feel great about it, very optimistic, and yes, I can reach this in a healthy manner (no starvation or deprivation diets of any kind). Also, I would like to emphasize that health and skinniness are not synonymous, and I only chose to focus on weight because it is easily measured and wraps up in a nice, neat package several diet and lifestyle changes I would like to implement (permanently) over the next year. In any case, what I wanted to say about it is this: I want to not just share this resolution with all my blog readers, but I want to share my journey over the coming year as I take steps to actually realize this grand goal. I hope that by sharing my triumphs and my struggles, and with the support of my readers, I will find the strength and the courage to make better choices for myself and my body, and I will be successful. And this week, I am successful!

Thanks for reading! Come visit next week for more, including my "before" stats and more details about the daily journey. I hope you will join me and begin your own journey toward better health and overall wellness!

The Holidays--The True Test of Commitment

With Thanksgiving behind us, we are now officially into the holiday season. Tis the season of justifying excessively bad eating habits and easily rationalizing every missed workout (It's okay--it's the holidays. I'll start eating better and working out again come January.) Did you know that people gain an average of 7 pounds during the holidays? Did you also know that this weight gain is often not as temporary as we would like to believe, but may lead to long-term weight gain, far beyond what we bargained for with those justifications that sounded oh-so-valid to our ears? Take it from me, as one who for the last five years or more has exceeded that 7-pound average weight gain, that IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!! What kind of memories are you building for yourself with all these rationalizations? For me it has been mostly memories of feeling really lousy and hating myself when it's all over because of all the weight I have packed on. That is not what I want my holidays to be about. So this year I am doing things differently. I started a holiday fitness challenge with a small group of Facebook friends. Each person in the group has been asked to set their own, personal fitness/health goals, to check in on the FB group page every day, and to commit to seeing this challenge through until the end of the holiday season. We officially started yesterday, and I am very excited. My goals are to workout 6 days a week every week, and on January 2, 2012, to be able to say "I weigh 10 pounds less now than I did at my pre-Thanksgiving weigh-in." I have recently started the Beachbody RevAbs program, and it is kicking my booty! Seriously! It's tough, but I love it because I know I am going to see results as I stick with it and work for it every day. I am drinking my Shakeology every day, using my doTerra essential oils, and doing all of the things that have helped to bring me success in the past (e.g. EFT, scripture study, etc.). And now I have this challenge group to keep me even more motivated. How can I expect to motivate them to stay committed to reaching their goals if I am not committed to reaching my own goals? I had a really strong November (I'll post results for the month in a few days) and I know December is going to be even better. And you know what that means? It means I am going to feel great this holiday season, I am going to have more energy, and I am going to be happier and more able to enjoy the true spirit of the season! Those are the kind of memories that I want to make!

September report and where to go from here

Well, those September numbers were very telling. Here are the results:

Weight: 157 lbs.
Waist: 38.25"

So my weight was up but my waist measurement was down? What's up with that? Here's what I think. I still am not eating very well--in fact, the harder I try to stick to my meal plan, the worse I seem to do. Lots of emotional blocks there obviously. At the same time, however, I did start doing more weight training during the month of September, so that must certainly account for some of the counter-intuitive results. After all, muscle does weigh more than fat.

And now, where do I go from here? I'll tell you where I've been. Up through the first week of October I was exercising pretty consistently, and my eating was not great, but not too terrible either. Then, the second week, I stopped working out for the most part (I managed to get in a few 12-minute runs through most of the week, but nothing else) and my eating escalated--or rather tanked--to very terrible (still no sugar though, so I give myself credit for that). It was just a really, really bad week. I had no motivation to do anything, and I moped around all week feeling like I was never going to make any progress and I would never realize any of my dreams because they were just too out of reach, wah, wah, wah! I was in really bad shape. Now I have pulled myself back into the world of the optimistic and hopeful, and here is what I have learned:

• I did not read or study the scriptures one single day during the dark week; this week I have practiced daily, focused scripture study;
• I did not do any EFT during the dark week; this week I have practiced EFT on a daily basis;
• I ate a lot of nutrient-poor, processed food during the dark week, and lots of sweets and junk food (my no sugar, no hydrogenated oil, no artificial sweeteners, etc. type of junk food); since Monday I have partaken of no processed food and no sweets, other than a glass of chocolate almond milk on occasion;
• I ate lots of meat during the dark week; On Sunday I decided that I am going to transition to a vegetarian, whole foods diet (I'll still eat eggs, yogurt, and fish);
• I did little to no exercise during the dark week; this week I have gotten back into a regular, vigorous exercise routine;
• I allowed myself to wallow in discouragement and self-pity during the dark week; this week I have kept my thoughts positive, hopeful, and filled with gratitude.

I'll tell you, if you are ever feeling depressed, discouraged, or just in a rut, try changing a few of these things that I changed and I guarantee you will see a huge difference in the way you feel and your outlook on life. I'm excited to see where they take me from here.

Just a note on the six months to a six-pack goal: As I find the end of the six months drawing closer and still see how far I have to go, I decided to change the program to sixteen months to a six-pack. The point of this is not so much to give myself another deadline, or to allow lack of discipline and cheating while still earning the rewards. Rather, the point is to encourage myself to continue moving forward, with less concern for how long it might take and more concern for doing it the way that is right for me. I feel really good about this. So I guess I'll be doing these monthly check-ins for a while yet. That's great--I love seeing progress!

And the August results are in . . .

Well, what can I say? I'm following pretty much the same path that I have previously followed when starting a "Six Months To A Six-Pack" type of program. I've gained weight and inches around the waist. This is the point where, historically, I have thrown everything out the window and quit trying. "What's the point?" I would say to myself. "It's obviously not working, and the pressure is just making me fatter." So, I have reached a decision point. Do I throw in the towel like I have done so many times before? I admit that I seriously considered this. But of course, not doing anything doesn't seem to be working either, so maybe I just need to adjust my strategy and re-commit.

. . . *sigh* . . . Do you ever feel like a hamster, running on your wheel day after day? No matter how fast and how hard you run, you never seem to get anywhere. . . *sigh* . . .

Anyway, I've decided to re-commit. I REALLY want this! I am now working with a fitness/nutrition trainer (Melissa Guthrie--contact her at mgfitness321@gmail.com--she's pretty amazing!). Melissa has developed a meal plan personalized to my level of activity, my RMR, and my weight release goals, so that should take care of my nutrition. I started tracking my eating and exercising on MyFitnessPal.com (check out CoachMelindaAnn to see what I have been eating). Now, after taking a couple weeks off from exercising, I am easing gently back into it to ensure that I stay healthy and continue to move forward. And that is exactly what my new strategy is--to keep moving forward, no matter what. I am also really focusing on accepting myself--and my body--exactly as I am. I want to be able to say "I am beautiful exactly as I am" and believe it down to my core.

Just four months left--here's to my re-commitment to getting my six-pack abs! I WILL SUCCEED!

August results:

Weight: 156.2 lbs
Waist: 38.5 inches

Tomorrow has finally come . . .

You know how I ended that last post of about 6 weeks ago with "More tomorrow . . ."? Well, I guess it is finally tomorrow, because here I am ready to give you more.

So here is the deal: My sister and I both have committed to having 6-pack abs by the end of this year--yes, that's less than 5 months away. When we decided all this, however, it was 6 months away and 6 Months to a 6-Pack round 2 had officially begun. Only this time we are experiencing success.

Here is how it works: Every day my sister and I have certain goals to aim for, such as two full hours of exercise, getting to bed by 9pm, drinking a quart of green smoothie, etc. For each goal we complete each day, we earn money (up to $7 a week). We are allowed one non-sugar treat a week, and we have to pay $1 for any more than that. Also, at the end of each month, we get to weigh ourselves and measure our waistline to determine our progress. If we have improved, we earn an additional $5. If we have not improved, we pay $5.

So that's the plan--by December 31, 2011, I am going to have 6-pack abs. I will succeed. I am committed. I am determined. I am motivated.

And you want to know the exciting part? I started having some pain in my foot, so I switched all my runs to bike rides for the time being while my foot is resting. Now I realize that this may not sound all that exciting to most people, but for me it is. You see, I seem to have this sub-conscious need to sabotage myself whenever I start doing something like this, so I always wind up injured. This lovely pattern has been going on for years, and every time it happens, it sidelines me. I wind up on the couch, feeling frustrated, feeling sorry for myself, and complaining that I am getting fat and can't do anything about it (as I eat cheesecake and cookies to comfort myself). Well, not this time. This time, I just did a lot of praying and tapping (aka EFT) and changed up my workout so that I wouldn't lose momentum--or training time. And I have kept going. I wish I could articulate what a huge breakthrough this is for me. I didn't give in to anger, frustration, and self-pity, and I didn't use this as an excuse to give up. I have kept going, and my motivation and commitment are still strong, and I am still moving forward--and I WILL SUCCEED!!! Very exciting (for me at least!)!!!

Okay, this is getting long-winded but I have to do one more thing--record my weight and waistline measurement for all the world to see. So here goes: At the beginning of 6 Months to a 6-Pack round 2, I weighed approximately 153 lbs., and my waistline measured approximately 38 inches. So there you have it. I had actually gained a quarter of an inch at the August 1st weigh-in, and my weight stayed the same, but I know that this month I am going to see huge progress. Can't wait to report that on September 1st.

In the meantime, I'll give regular updates as to my experiences and how I'm feeling. My foot is feeling much better, by the way, and I plan to be running again within the week.

True Confessions: A 6-Pack and a 5-Minute Mile

I have a confession to make. I want a 6-pack. I have wanted 6-pack abs for as long as I can remember, yet despite my best efforts, this goal has always eluded me. Why is that? I even started my own “6 Months to a 6-Pack” program a couple years ago, complete with progress reports and pictures. What happened? After the first two or three months of seeing little or no progress, I just stopped. I gave up. I lost my focus, my motivation, and my determination.

I have another confession—I want to run a 5-minute mile. Not just one—I want to be able to run a 5k at that pace, and then a 10k, and then a half marathon, etc. By this point I am sure you are thinking, “She can’t even manage a 6-pack, and she thinks she is going to run a 5-minute mile? She has her head in the clouds!” And my response to you is, “Perhaps, but I can’t help it. I am a dreamer.”

The thing about me is, I have always been a dreamer. I dream big, but I don’t often see those dreams come true—at least not yet. I want to be married to my soulmate—I am still single at 36 years old. I want to be a millionaire—I am living paycheck to paycheck out of my mom’s basement as I try to pay off my debts. I want to own my own fitness and nutrition coaching business—I am working at an unfulfilling desk job because I haven’t worked out how to pay for the schooling needed for this drastic career change. I want a 6-pack—I have never come close to a 6-pack, not even at my most fit. I want to run a 5-minute mile—I currently can barely run a 10-minute mile. That’s 1 mile. Not a 5k. Not a 10k. Not a half marathon. 1 mile. Hmmm . . .

This week, however, I finally reached the breaking point. I am tired of not seeing my dreams fulfilled, and I am tired of not having the sexy 6-pack abs I have always longed for. So, the time has come. I am going to have a 6-pack by the end of the year. That’s right, it’s time for another “6 Months to a 6-Pack”, only this time I am going to succeed. I am committed. I am focused. I am motivated. I am determined. It’s time. More details tomorrow . . .

One month of . . . almost perfection . . .

Well, the month of perfection is now past, and my first triathlon in over three years is completed. So the big question is this--did I complete my month of perfection PERFECTLY, or did I fail?

Let's examine this question for a minute. What does it mean to fail? In one sense it means that I didn't perfectly complete every workout according to contract. By this definition it's an all or nothing decision, and I clearly failed. )o:

Okay, now let's approach it from a different angle: Why did I create and sign this contract in the first place? Well, it was to help me prepare adequately for this landmark event in my life. Now, I had about three weeks of perfection, according to contract, and the last week was probably about 75%, so really not bad. And did I feel adequately prepared for the Woman of Steel triathlon which took place this past Saturday? You bet I did! I can honestly say that I didn't even feel nervous the morning of the event. I was calm and completely at peace, and I KNEW that all would be well. I knew I could do the distances, that I could complete the event without collapsing prior to crossing the finish line, and that I had guardian angels with me to make sure things went smoothly. Wasn't this my goal, and the whole reason for the month of perfection? So in the first sense (the one the courts would probably hold up) I might have failed, but in the second, more meaningful sense, I absolutely reached my goals, and therefore, I deserve to be rewarded. (o:

Per the contract, my reward was to be a $100 clothes shopping spree with my twin sister (and training partner). As this was the contracted prize, and I did not technically fulfill the contract, I thought it appropriate that I not take the $100 shopping spree. However, since I don't feel right about punishing myself when I did so well and was so successful, I am rewarding myself instead with a 1-hr massage. I think I'll call and make that appointment now . . .