Friday Check In

It's Friday! That was the day most of us agreed to weigh in and sound off. So, how did you do?

I was not excited to weigh in. I honestly felt that I had not done well this week - I was warding off a migraine that was trying to take me down for a couple days and then yesterday was ... well, it was just a bust. SO, I only got one REAL workout in all week. I got mini stuff in and was careful about food and drank more water than I had in WEEKS ... and it paid off. I lost 3 pounds this week, bringing the grand total to 32 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK, so my goals for this next week are as follows:

*KICK IT in the workout department! I need to just get up and do it!

*Step it up in the water department (although I did MUCH better this week, I still have a long way to go!)

*REALLY step it up in the food department! I'm gonna let you in on a secret and tell you that one of my major goals here is to have healthy food in the house for my HUSBAND to choose from as well as myself. He is having some major back pain lately and I know it's because he has gained some weight lately. (Now, do not get me wrong - I still think he is hot stuff, I just want him around for as long as possible!) I think we BOTH need to surround ourselves with better choices so that those are easier to make than the wrong ones! PLUS, I need to make the choices available for my sweet girls. Teach 'em right early!

OK, so let us know how YOU did and what your goals are!

We are in this together, remember? Let's love, encourage and carry each other through!

Back On The Train

Hey there friends! I've decided it's time to get this baby back up and running. I don't know about you but I REALLY need to get serious about this fitness thing. I had been doing GREAT - and then the move happened and I lost my mojo. I even gained two pounds ... BUT, I did lose those two again, so I am back to where I was before the Nashville/Atlanta extravaganza!

So! Today I declare a new beginning! I have reset the scale and am starting fresh.

Who wants to join me?

Many of us did this together last spring and then, slowly but surely, we all kinda fell off. There is safety - and accountability - in numbers, we all know that. So, let's use it to our advantage. I say we stand together against the flab!

Here is what I propose:

*Weigh in ONCE a week - (I KNOW this is a tough one, but I have learned that weighing in only once a week takes a lot of stress off.) We all fluctuate a bit here and there, so by weighing once a week - at the same time each week and wearing the same thing (I choose first thing in the AM and buck nekked!! - TMI?) we get a true picture of what we are dealing with. I will be weighing in on Fridays - although I did weigh this morning to get a starting point set - you can pick any day of the week that you want, no pressure.

*Workout - Some kind of activity, you pick the level, at LEAST 5 times a week. Walk, run, Shred, Zumba ... whatever - you pick. Just STICK TO IT! I know, for myself, I like a little variety so I will be pulling out a DVD, hitting the treadmill or heading out the door for a walk/jog/bike ride/swim. Whatever you choose to do, just DO IT! And, stick to it!

*Share/Vent/Encourage - this works soooo much better when you don't feel like you are in it alone. I know that having Dedra counting on my texts/calls is HUGE in getting me motivated. I could NOT have come this far without her! So, pick a partner and do whatever it takes to keep yourself motivated and on track! We can even use this sight as a way to do that. We can be each other's sounding boards!!!

WATER - Drink it and drink a LOT of it! Seriously, this alone will make a difference. The minimum amount we should be drinking is 64oz per day. I have even heard that if you divide your weight in half you should be drinking THAT number of oz. (I don't know about you, but for me, that is a WHOLE lotta water!! I know some people even set a gallon as their goal. Whatever, just drink it! (Here is a trick. I am NOT a water drinker - I like a little flavor with my drink - so I fill my water bottle to just below the top and then top it off with a little crystal lite. Just enough to flavor it up - makes all the difference in the world!)

Lifestyle - do NOT think of it as a diet, think of it as a lifestyle. If you go hog wild and completely deprive yourself you are so much more likely to fail. SO, eat thoughtfully. I am not saying never have pizza or cake, I am saying do not eat like that for every meal. THINK about what you are putting in your mouth - if you want pizza have ONE piece - not ONE pizza! If you want cake, have a couple bites, just enough to enjoy it, but not so much that you will be miserable and feel guilty afterwards. And if you do fall, shake it off and jump back in. Also, compensate - you had pizza for lunch? OK, have a salad for dinner, go an extra half mile, do an extra 10 minutes on your treadmill - just make up for it. It's OK - one fall does NOT a fail make! Just get back up on the horse and ride on! One day at a time and one VICTORY at a time!

Rethink "Victory" - Does victory, in your mind, mean reaching the goal weight? Well, that is - for some of us - a LOOOONNNGGG way off. So, rethink your victory - make them small and think of it as one day at a time. For example - you passed on the fudge covered oreos? VICTORY! You made it through the Shred and only cursed once? VICTORY! You got ALL your water in today? VICTORY! It is all in the way ya look at it. SO LOOK HARD if you have to, but find your victory today!!

OK, who is in? Let me know and let's do this together! Accountability ladies!!!

I love you tons and we can do this thing!

Here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!