Blue Moon Blogging

Oops. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The hardest thing about blogging after a mini-break is that I have so much I want to blog about!

So let’s start with the obvious: this week’s weigh-in. It was my last Biggest Weight-Loss class and as you might remember, I was aiming for losing another 1.5lbs before this past Tuesday. That would have brought me to an even 202lbs. The sad news is that I didn’t lose 1.5lbs. The good news?

I lost 2.5!!!

I now weigh 200.5lbs:) Yayayayay, happy dance! In the past 13 weeks, I have lost 27.5lbs in a healthy way!!! I am so pumped and excited for next week’s weigh-in (I reallyreallyreally want a massage).

I think the success of the last week can be attributed to my outdoor time. I had an entire day without work last Saturday! With 2 jobs I have some short days, but not many that are completely mine. And what did I do with my free 24 hours?

I woke up early(I know, ridiculous) and went on a hike with my friend M. It was foggy as I drove over bridges to pick her up and head into the Columbia River Gorge. But as we started hiking, the fog cleared and it was blue skies the whole way!

Hiking makes me feel free. I love jogging, and circuits in the gym, and walking my dog in our neighborhood, but on a mountain or in the forest I feel more alive. I don’t have to work hard to break a sweat. I just have to put one foot in front of another. And with a good friend, good conversation makes the time fly by.

I also went on a long jog with my puppy near a lake. There weren’t many other people out and about...probably because it was approximately 25 degrees outside. (The weather is sooooo cold right now. As in, my hair froze as I walked to a coffee shop this morning:)

It’s important to mix training/exercise up, and even doing the same thing in different places helps. Run inside one day, outside the next. Weight circuit at the gym, personal weights at home while watching Wedding Crashers. Mix it up!

A New Idea

I had an idea last week. More of a revelation actually. So here goes: I eat emotionally. And when I eat emotionally, I reach for comforting foods. Foods that remind me of childhood, or that I associate with certain memories of good times. (okay Losergirl, this is nothing new...It’s actually quite well known...and common...so get on with it)

What if, instead of reaching for comfort foods, I did comfort activities?! I could read a book I’ve read multiple times before. I could work on that dang afghan I have been making for the past 9 years. I could watch a familiar movie, or play with my dog, look at old photos, wear an old sweatshirt....there are so many possibilities not including food!

I was able to try this technique out the other day, and it helped me more than I thought it would. Instead of reaching for the bag of chocolate chips, I found my old copy of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and read the first chapter. My grandmother gave me a 1954 copy of the book, and the smell alone reminds me of the first time I read it about 10 years ago. That feeling of home, of familiarity was almost as good as the brownie that I was craving.

(side note: this good idea might not apply when a certain Losergirl is experiencing her womanly time and would consider punching a grandmother to get her hands on a chocolate chip cookie, chocolate ice cream, candies, or hot chocolate....because rules were meant to be broken and I am not giving up all of my excuses for indulgence just yet)

Resolutions

The New Year is getting closer my friends! And that means new year resolutions. Yay? You might remember a few weeks ago when I made my “before the new year” resolution (199lbs by 2010). I am well on my way, and I hope all of you who made your own goals are doing well and getting it done! Or at the very least, trying, and not beating yourself up.

I am hesitant to make resolutions, because I fail at them every time. Like last year, I resolved to treat my teeth better. I flossed until March, and now only do it once in a blue moon. And it’s such a set up. How many people truly commit to their resolutions? And why does the new year seem like such a great time to start? Why not, RIGHT NOW?

So a challenge to you: Think about something you want to change in your life. It can be a big change like, "stop hanging out with family and friends who bring me down," or a small change like, "write a letter once a month."

Write it down. Then write down how you are going to change it. The small steps, the big steps, whose help you will need, who will hold you to the change, what you will do when little failures occur. Then write down all the benefits you could possibly create with this change. Write them down in BIG LETTERS. Maybe give yourself an incentive, a prize.

Now, here is the kicker. Start your journey to that life change between now and December 31st. Be a rebel. By the time 2010 comes around, you will be on your way instead of just starting! In the next weeks, I will share my goals and how they are starting out, and I would love to hear yours!

Happy Friday!

My Current Life in Photos

I am going to be doing a barrage of posts in the next few days(yay for my awesome new followers inspiring me!), but I thought you might want some eye-candy before I start writing your eyes off...I don't think that phrase worked...but you know what I mean:)

So here, for your viewing pleasure, is a slide show of my life:

This me doing on of my goals for the past week! I went on a hike that turned out being about 5.5 miles...and I got to do it with a delightful friend and THREE dogs. I truly think owning a dog is one of the best things you can do for yourself healthwise, and they are cute and snuggly too!

This is the same three dogs racing ahead on the trail. You know you've done a good job when they are walking at the end of a hike, instead of running...or when they don't really move for the rest of the day:)

Katie and I at the end of Race for the Cure! Check out our sweet shirts! (and ignore the akward woman walking behind us...is she confused by our victory pose?)

This is a treasure my friends. To the naked eye it might look like a simple burgundy binder, but when you open it up...Bam! It's full of weight-loss success stories, tips, exercise plans, recipes, and so much more! I cut up magazines to save the stuff I find relevant or helpful, and semi-organize it in this binder for inspiration and help. That way I'm not dealing with a huge stack of magazines!

Me cooking dinner for my grandma, my mom, my sister, and I in a farmhouse in Iceland...in case you didn't know, I love food. And I really love baking. And bread. Fresh warm bread with butter. I just drooled on my keyboard...akward...


Next post will be about my future goals for the week, what I learned this past week, and other random what-not. For the next few weeks I will be weighing in mid-week with my biggest weight-loss team, so you will get that update later on. Happy Sunday to you all!

Month One has been rocked!

Well look at that, it’s been a month! And I am feeling good. Which is why I was exited, but not completely surprised, to see that my weight today is 228lbs. I have lost 16lbs in the last month with hard work, exercise, and better eating habits.

This past week my friend and I did the 5k walking Race for the Cure, I took my dog for a long walk on the beach, and I attempted the StairMaster AND the elliptical in a 31 minute span. Basically, I have been rocking socks.

But it is time to step it up. I think it is important for me to understand more about the calories I am consuming, and how I am expending them. The first meeting of my biggest loser team was a wake up call to being about my food. What gives me energy, what takes it away, how much should I eat and when? Also, how much do I strength train? How long should my cardio last?

So my goal for this coming week is to learn. Learn how many calories, how much fiber, protein, sugar, and sodium, is in the food I eat regularly. Learn how to organize my exercise schedule. Learn about the healthiest choices I can make for myself.

Oh yeah, and I want to go on a 5 mile+ hike...yeah:) No biggie.

(speaking of goals, I did accomplish last weeks. 1)I did 15 min on the StairMaster, and then 16 min on the elliptical, 2)I got more comfortable with the exercise ball, and 3) I worked on making my snacks work for me.)

The next post will contain more about my first meeting of my biggest loser team, my favorite foods, and the rewards I am giving myself as I lose weight...the biggest reward being better health!

Super Trouper!

I would like to dedicate this post to ABBA, and the Black Eyed Peas. They have gotten me through many a workout, and with a smile on my face!

Updates on the past week and goals:

I loved the Indian food! Okay, maybe not as exciting for you as for me, but it was delicious and I didn’t over eat, and I spent the lunch with a fantastic friend:) So a definite success. (Except for the green sauce that I thought was some sort of Indian pesto. Definitely not. Very spicy. Especially on my iceberg lettuce.)

So I not only tried the Stair Master this week (sweat central), I also tried a Latin Rhythms class. It was basically a room of women following a leader in dance moves, shimmies, shakes, and jumps. Great fun, except for the jumping part…not fun for my chest. That’s all I’m saying about that. Goal #1=achieved!

My dog and I went on a hour and a half hike in the woods on Saturday. She was so excited and energetic the whole time, and that helps me climb the continuous hills and stomp on lesser-walked paths. I like going to the gym and pushing myself, but something about outdoor exercise makes me feel more alive. The fresh air, forest/water sounds, and twisting and turning….ahhhh. Good times. The picture below is of my dog on a hike we went on last year, in the same spot (with another golden and a friend). She is the cutest inspiration I’ve got! Goal #2=achieved!