Celebrate each accomplishment...

...like 3 pounds lost this week!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

I am so happy that I achieved the weight loss amount that I had set for myself at the beginning of the week. I was NOT perfect this week but I did forgive myself for any mistakes and moved forward. This week I am gonna try my hardest to attain a 2 pound loss but with going out of town and being out of my routine, it might be hard but is possible. Now to review my week...

Goal #1 ~ Stick to menu plan...well, I did stick within my calorie range but did not stick exactly to the plan. I have decided that I want to eat what I am in the mood for then not what it says on the piece of paper. I am okay with that as long as I pay attention to the amount of calories that go into my mouth. I did TONS better when it come to eating breakfast which is one of the hardest things for me. I also did NOT munch. I found that I am stronger than I thought!!! I can give Sariah a snack without eating some myself.

Goal #2 ~ Workout 5 times...once again the weekend is my downfall. I did great until Friday and Saturday. But obviously adding the exercise into my daily schedule has still helped with the weight loss. I will figure out a way to get the weekends done, it might have to be something different like bike rides with the family or a walk to the park on Saturday. I might eventually have to just workout M-F instead of having Wednesday off. It is a work in progress.

Goal #3 ~ HYDRATE...I did great with this. I love water!!! I cannot believe how wonderful it is to not be drinking pop anymore. I drink water with all my meals expect on occasion I will drink a V8 Fusion or something else but NEVER pop. It feels great to be hydrated!

This week I am sticking with calorie counting, working out and hydration. These will be especially hard this week since I will be heading out of town. I already know Friday will have an Olive Garden lunch involved and Easter dinner on Sunday. Working out will be a challenge since I won't be home and in my routine. I am planning ahead though and will be working out on Wednesday instead of Thursday since Thursday I will be in the car all day. My post will be later next week since I won't be home until late Monday night. Look for the weekly review next Tuesday.

Happy Easter to you all!!!!

Off to a good start...

Today has been great. I woke up, ate my breakfast, worked out and continue to follow my food plan the rest of the day. I stayed within my calorie range and was able to add in a smoothie for dessert. I am feeling great!!! My working out no longer makes me tired all day. It is a great workout but now it gives me energy to get through the rest of the day. I am so excited!!!

Weekends...NOT GOOD!!!

I have decided that weekends are a problem for me. I get out of my normal routine and it makes it harder to stay on track. This weekend was especially hard for me. Sariah went to St. George with my dad last minute on Friday and so Jake and I decided to go out to eat that night. RED LOBSTER...not so calorie friendly!!! Then Saturday, I got to hold and play with Kenzli and get some uninterrupted scrapbooking done. So working out...not so much. Other than the weekend, I did have a good week.

Goal #1...eat 4-5 times a day. I did really good with this. I did not munch and ate breakfast. I am keeping this goal again this week and have gone a step farther. I have menu planned the whole week including breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. I am going to follow it COMPLETELY!!!

Goal #2...workout 5 times this week. Well, I did workout Monday, Tuesday and then had a rest day Wednesday. Then on Thursday, I was not able to workout in the morning but I DID push myself and worked out that night. I tried out a new workout video which is AWESOME!!! Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred is incredible. Only a 20-minute workout but it is really hard and makes you sweat. Unfortunately, I did not workout Friday or Saturday. I am gonna push myself this week to make up for it.

Goal #3...I did drink 72 ounces of water EVERYDAY!!! I have to say that I feel so much better. It is amazing what being hydrated can do for your body. I am gonna continue to drink as much water as I can each day this week.

As a side note, I have a bet with my dad to not drink any soda or eat after 10 pm. So far, so good. If you do either one, you have to pay $1 to the other person. I had two different times this week where I thought about giving him a $1. Each time, I was strong and decided that it was simply not worth it. I need to step it up though...instead of replacing soda with a sugary drink (fruit punch, lemonade) I need to simply drink water when out to eat. I don't want to drink my calories, I want to eat them.

Accomplishments

This week has been GREAT!!! It is amazing how energizing it is to feel accomplished. I accomplished so much this week. I set goals and stuck to them.

Goal #1 ~ Eat 4-5 times per day: This went really well. I found that I wasn't munching as much in between meals and snacks. I only had one day when I missed dinner but it wasn't in my control. I was told that something I was going to was a dinner, but it turned out to just be only dessert. I know to plan ahead now and have nutritious snacks with me always.

Goal #2 ~ Exercise Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat: Well I would love to say that I did this but unfortunately I missed Saturday. No good excuse...just tired because Kenzli had a rough night (she is teething). I did find that if I don't just workout in the morning, that it does not get done. I was too tired on saturday morning, so I decided to shower and get ready and workout that night...did not happen. Live and learn.

Goal #3 ~ No fast food: I had NO fast food all week. Sounds like a small thing but I eat fast food for lunch more than I would like to admit. I like the convenience of not having to prepare anything.

Now to set this weeks goals!!! It has been said that it takes 28 days to make a habit. So, I am gonna keep the goal to eat 4-5 times per day. I am also gonna keep the goal to workout 5 times this week. I am switching the no fast food to focus on hydration. I tend to be hit or miss with drinking water. Some days I drink TONS and other days it seems like at the end of the day I have only had like 1-2 glasses. With that in mind, I bought the coolest water bottle to keep with me ALWAYS. It has a tracker on the side of the lid that you can rotate each time you fill it so you know how much you are drinking. I have been doing it this week and usually drink between 3-4 bottles full (24 oz. bottle). So my goal this week, is to drink at least 3 (so 72 ounces) of these everyday.

Here's to a GREAT week!!!

P.S. Feel free to check up on me when you see me and make sure I have the water bottle with me! :)

Inspired

I just finished reading an incredibly inspiring books! Believe It, Be It by Ali Vincent was just what I needed. Through reading it, I gained insight into what some of my own reasons for gaining weight have been (a whole different blog post). I felt on fire and ready to conquer what I have said is too hard...to lose this weight once and for all.

I have been having such a great week. I feel so much better physically and mentally. I feel in control of my eating (a never ending battle) and have pushed my body physically really hard this week. Don't get me wrong, my body KILLS but it feels so good. I have stuck to my weekly goals and can't wait to set next weeks. I am SO proud of myself and it just fuels my desire so much more.

I am LOVING ME!!!

Feeling GREAT

I am feeling WONDERFUL, GREAT, FANTASTIC lately. I stopped drinking soda on Feb. 25th which has helped in so many ways. I feel more hydrated drinking water and can enjoy the taste of my food more fully now. Not to mention the calories that have been cut from my diet.

I am changing my weigh-in day to Wednesday mornings so that I can do circuit workouts Tuesday night while watching Biggest Loser. I will consider it my "last chance workout". I am also going to start calorie counting BIG TIME so I can keep track of calories in, calories out. I am sssoooo pumped!!!

My goals for March are:
*to fit into my wedding ring again!!!
*to workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday with Wednesday and Sundays as rest days
*pay attention to portion sizes and mindless munching

I will also set weekly goals that help with these monthly ones. So for this week I am going to really watch my munching. I want to eat 4-5 times a day: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and possible an additional snack. I want to workout out 4 times this week since I missed Monday and want to stick with my schedule above (tuesdays workout already completed). And last but not least, I don't want to eat ANY fast food this week!!!