First Goal Accomplished!

I set my first goal last week to work out 4 times between 3/14 to 3/20. I'm happy to say I was successful! I worked out 5 times this past week. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I varied it between walking, weight lifting and cardio. The mix of exercises helps me stay interested and motivated. I'm now looking at different group classes and plan to join a few to keep from getting bored with my workouts.

My new goal for 3/21 to 3/27 isn't as exciting to me. lol. But it's necessary. I need to clean out my fridge, cupboards and pantry of the foods I shouldn't be eating and no longer want in the house. I need a fresh start so I can start planning meals and tracking what I eat.

I also am setting a secondary goal to work out 5 times this week. I need the accountability again for the work outs.

Weekly Weigh-in

I admit, I'm a little confused. This morning's weigh-in showed no change from last week. No gain and no loss. When I checked mid-week I was down 2 pounds and a few days later, my weight is back to last Friday's weigh-in.

I've been working out almost everyday and I'm monitoring what I eat. I need to start tracking my food again, that's an upcoming goal. I'm sure I can make a few adjustments but I know I'm at least doing okay with my diet.

The most logical explanation is water retention. As a female that happens from time to time. So hopefully next week I'll have a nice drop in weight. Until then, I'm not going to stress about this week.

Grocery Shopping

My mom use to say, "Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach." She repeated that over and over as I was growing up. As an adult I realized she was right. If I stopped to get groceries when I was hungry I always hit the bakery. I'd buy sweets, chips and frozen meals too. Things I didn't want in the house but that were quick and easy to make. It really wasn't how I wanted to shop and it's not how I was taught to shop.

I've since discovered another piece of advice I wish she had taught me. It's one I'll pass onto my daughter.

The best time to go shopping for groceries is right after a grueling work out. I always feel great after working out and the last thing I want to do is ruin that work out with bad food. I stock up on fruits, veggies and lean meats. I buy good foundation foods like brown rice and whole grain bread. I avoid the sweets and sugars. I don't dare put junk food in my cart. A bag of chips or a tray of brownies has no power over me. It's a great feeling!

While some might be tempted to splurge after a work out I feel the opposite. I feel healthy and I want to continue it with good, fresh, whole foods. And it makes it easier to stick to my budget because I'm buying things on my list and controlling the impulse buys. Score!

New Exercises

Monday was my last hour with my personal trainer. She wanted to make me hurt. She did.

I wanted new exercises to add to what I already know. She had me doing toe taps during the regular planks. She added more weights and leg lifts to my step ups. And she had me doing side planks as shown in the photo example above. Wow. I was bad at those. My core is still far from where I need it to be but I kept trying.

Then I asked for more ideas for abdominal exercises. She gave me them and had me do them many times. The one I had never done was a reverse incline crunch. For mine, I used a bench at an angle and laid on my back. Then I grabbed the bar so I didn't slip down. Then I had to lift my legs. She had me do those in 3 different ways.

All I can say, is please don't make me laugh. It hurts. :-D

As if that work out wasn't enough, I also did my 3 mile walk around my neighborhood and cut 4 minutes off my time. It was a good day for my work outs!

Goal Setting

GOAL: The purpose to which an endeavor is directed; an objective.

To help me stay motivated I've decided to start setting a weekly goal for myself. This first week, it's simple, work out 4 times between 3/14-3/20. I already worked out an hour at the gym on Sunday and I have my last session with my trainer on Monday. I should be able to easily fit in the other 2 work outs before Saturday.

In the past, I've tried the typical goal of losing 15 pounds by a certain date. Even with something big, like a wedding, I never succeeded. I've found it to be a stress and I quickly lose sight of the "why" and I don't achieve it. So I'm trying something new; setting smaller goals. One week at a time. They might be small victories but in the long run, it will help me get rid of those bad habits.

I'm okay with small victories because I know it will help me reach my ultimate victory of losing this weight!

Accountability

Accountability...no excuses. It's been almost 3 months since my last post. And almost 3 months since I worked daily on my diet and exercise. I could make a few dozens excuses but that's all they are, excuses.

What it amounts to is I did not put myself and my health first. I let life, stress, work and every other excuse keep me from improving my health. No more! I'm back to working out, back to eating properly.

On a positive note, as a good motivator, I did not gain back any of the weight I lost last year. I maintained it the last 3 months. So while, my weight is the same, I'm happy with myself that I didn't have a gain, leaving my Project # at 55.

My task now is prevent another 3 month break. I have learned I need motivators. Once I stopped blogging my motivation quickly fell. So, I'm setting a goal for the next month to identify my motivators and list them.

I'm happy to be back!