Brr! It's starting to get chilly outside which means as much as I don't want to admit it, summer is ending and fall is beginning. I actually love fall -- don't get me wrong, but I'm not so much looking forward to another long, dark winter. I was just starting to get outside and exercise!
So tonight I went to pull on a pair of jeans for the first time since May and guess what? They were loose! *happy dance* They aren't exactly falling off yet (perhaps another 15 lbs or so) but they are definitely not tight. They were very tight when I last wore them so this is an improvement.
Tonight I walked another 3.5 miles and am up to 120 crunches. I also went back to Weight Watchers (finally!) this week. I'm still hovering right at 12 lbs lost. I'm not sure I'll quite make my goal of 18 lbs for this first quarter (which is at the end of September) but since I started later in July that is okay. As long as I continue my trend of losing weight I am good with that.
Somehow, I know my mom is proud of me.
Showing posts with label weight watchers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight watchers. Show all posts
Friday, September 16, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Imagineering
Anne Shirley: Don't you ever imagine things differently from what they are?
Marilla Cuthbert: No.
Anne Shirley: Oh Marilla, how much you miss.
(from the movie Anne of Green Gables)
I can identify with the fictional character of Anne Shirley in a number of ways but in my opinion this quote captures it best of all. I have always had a great imagination. I had imaginary friends when I was a kid (they were even creatively named - that's a different story though) and was always thinking up creative stories when I played with friends. I think that may be why the "Harry Potter" books so enthrall me because those stories really capture my imagination.
As adults the imagination we cultivated as children can help us to achieve goals and overcome obstacles in our life. I played sports as a kid and before we ever took to the field for a game, our team always had many practices to prepare ourselves. In fact it would be crazy not to practice first, we certainly wouldn't be successful without practice. I do a fair amount of public speaking as part of my job and before I deliver a big speech or participate in an interview I practice (it only makes sense, right?).
So I can't practice losing weight (you either do or do not) but I can visualize the success that I could have by reaching my goal. Does that make sense? It's late as I write this and I realize it may not. To look at it another way, when you travel, isn't it always easier to go someplace you've been before? So by visualizing my success it gradually becomes easier to attain it. I don't want to sound too crazy. I'm not exactly just sitting around all day having visions or anything, ha, ha.
I love the English singer Adele (saw her in concert recently too!). She has an amazing song called "One and Only" and it contains the following lyrics which probably capture my muddled thoughts better than I am explaining them:
By the way, here's a link to that amazing Adele song.
Marilla Cuthbert: No.
Anne Shirley: Oh Marilla, how much you miss.
(from the movie Anne of Green Gables)
I can identify with the fictional character of Anne Shirley in a number of ways but in my opinion this quote captures it best of all. I have always had a great imagination. I had imaginary friends when I was a kid (they were even creatively named - that's a different story though) and was always thinking up creative stories when I played with friends. I think that may be why the "Harry Potter" books so enthrall me because those stories really capture my imagination.
As adults the imagination we cultivated as children can help us to achieve goals and overcome obstacles in our life. I played sports as a kid and before we ever took to the field for a game, our team always had many practices to prepare ourselves. In fact it would be crazy not to practice first, we certainly wouldn't be successful without practice. I do a fair amount of public speaking as part of my job and before I deliver a big speech or participate in an interview I practice (it only makes sense, right?).
So I can't practice losing weight (you either do or do not) but I can visualize the success that I could have by reaching my goal. Does that make sense? It's late as I write this and I realize it may not. To look at it another way, when you travel, isn't it always easier to go someplace you've been before? So by visualizing my success it gradually becomes easier to attain it. I don't want to sound too crazy. I'm not exactly just sitting around all day having visions or anything, ha, ha.
I love the English singer Adele (saw her in concert recently too!). She has an amazing song called "One and Only" and it contains the following lyrics which probably capture my muddled thoughts better than I am explaining them:
I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,
You never know if you never try to forget your past
Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all,
You never know if you never try to forget your past
Incidentally, Weight Watchers also identifies this technique in their "Tools for Living" section. They call it 'mental rehearsing' but its the same thing. It doesn't mean I'll never slip up, surely I will. It does help me get back up when I do slip and get back on the road to success. If you can see it, you can do it!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Goal #1
I promise I will share what my second goal is soon. I'm trying to be deliberate in how I tell this story so you will know that this decision isn't just a whim. That one will be a bit of a surprise for people...so I want to make sure I share my thought pattern behind it.
My first BHAG is to lose weight. Well actually to 'lose weight' isn't really a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). My BHAG is how much I want to lose. I have a number, which I'll share at the end but to put it into a percentage, I am trying to lose 50% of my current body weight. Yikes! Yes, that's a lot of weight but it wouldn't be a BHAG if it wasn't Big, right?
I've given this a lot of thought and want to make sure that the process is healthy, realistic and attainable. I've been tripped up many times in the past by trying to do too much at once. My goal is about 6 lbs. per month or 18 lbs. per quarter. It will probably come off faster than that at the beginning and much slower than that at the end. I'm not too concerned with the exact timing as long as I trend that way over many months.
I want to say right now that I'm NOT ON A DIET! :) I'm making a healthy lifestyle change. A diet is a short-term thing and this is something that I'm doing that will impact me for a much longer term. As such, nothing is off limits (so please...no food police - "are you supposed to be eating that?") as long as the portions are in reason. Of course, over time I will naturally start to select healthier eating options but I'm not making any drastic cuts. I am trying to limit my intake of some things (ie. mochas only on special occassions-drink hot tea instead, and severely cutting down on pop). In mid-August I plan to go back to Weight Watchers with my dad who is also joining me on this journey of weight loss. I've had success with their plan before and they follow my theory of nothing being off limits as long as you account for it.
I do have some exercise goals as well but those are more related to my other idea so more on that later. Since I'm doing this in honor of my mom, I've decided that every quarter that I reach my goal I will donate some $$ the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for that nasty, nasty disease.
So friends, I have a much more detailed plan, but I'll be weighing in on Wednesdays and plan to keep you updated. I'm pleased to report that the first week of this (which started before the blog) I lost 2 lbs! :) Making healthy choices, taking one step at a time and having an undiminished faith that with God's blessing I can accomplish this I believe will bring me success. Thanks for all the wonderful support. More to come soon!
My first BHAG is to lose weight. Well actually to 'lose weight' isn't really a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). My BHAG is how much I want to lose. I have a number, which I'll share at the end but to put it into a percentage, I am trying to lose 50% of my current body weight. Yikes! Yes, that's a lot of weight but it wouldn't be a BHAG if it wasn't Big, right?
I've given this a lot of thought and want to make sure that the process is healthy, realistic and attainable. I've been tripped up many times in the past by trying to do too much at once. My goal is about 6 lbs. per month or 18 lbs. per quarter. It will probably come off faster than that at the beginning and much slower than that at the end. I'm not too concerned with the exact timing as long as I trend that way over many months.
I want to say right now that I'm NOT ON A DIET! :) I'm making a healthy lifestyle change. A diet is a short-term thing and this is something that I'm doing that will impact me for a much longer term. As such, nothing is off limits (so please...no food police - "are you supposed to be eating that?") as long as the portions are in reason. Of course, over time I will naturally start to select healthier eating options but I'm not making any drastic cuts. I am trying to limit my intake of some things (ie. mochas only on special occassions-drink hot tea instead, and severely cutting down on pop). In mid-August I plan to go back to Weight Watchers with my dad who is also joining me on this journey of weight loss. I've had success with their plan before and they follow my theory of nothing being off limits as long as you account for it.
I do have some exercise goals as well but those are more related to my other idea so more on that later. Since I'm doing this in honor of my mom, I've decided that every quarter that I reach my goal I will donate some $$ the American Cancer Society to help find a cure for that nasty, nasty disease.
So friends, I have a much more detailed plan, but I'll be weighing in on Wednesdays and plan to keep you updated. I'm pleased to report that the first week of this (which started before the blog) I lost 2 lbs! :) Making healthy choices, taking one step at a time and having an undiminished faith that with God's blessing I can accomplish this I believe will bring me success. Thanks for all the wonderful support. More to come soon!
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