My Blog

The final stretch

Emily — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 05:33:37 +0000

I’ll admit it – I have not been as committed this month. December is just a crazy time to focus on anything, especially losing weight. That being said, when I stepped on the scale yesterday, it said 125.6 ! I did a little happy dance. I really wanted to see 125 again this year. So, my goal is to push past 125 before the end of the competition.

Brownies

Emily — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:36:35 +0000

I am so mad at myself. This last week should have been a losing week for me. I exercised well and I ate well…….but then I made brownies, and those are a weakness of mine. The problem with making them is that there are always leftovers and they don’t seem to tempt anyone else in the house except me. So, I maintained this last week, but I really want to lose, so no baking for me this week. I need to just remember that once I get to where I want to be, I can have treats more often because as long as I’m exercising and eating well otherwise, I can easily maintain. So this week I am going to focus on delayed gratification.

I’m still here

Emily — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:39:27 +0000

So November was kind of a blur. Our Disneyland trip totally threw off my groove. I didn’t eat as carefully as I had planned, and came home a few pounds heavier. I hit it hard when I got home so I could lose that weight, and I ended the month exactly where I started. December will be good for me though. I have been really consistent on my exercise the last few weeks, and I am seeing progress.

Random thoughts

Emily — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:46:01 +0000

I am feeling pretty good about my progress so far. On one hand, I feel like I am making good (but slow) progress, which hopefully means the weight I’m losing will stay off. On the other hand, I’d like to be rockin’ like some of you are. This month will be a little challenging because we are going to Disneyland next week, and vacations always throw my groove off. So this week I am ramping up my exercise before we head out. Last week was super crazy for me, and I didn’t exercise as much as I would have liked, so hopefully I can make up for that this week.

At the beginning of all this, I said my “happy weight” is 125, and I’m hoping to see that this month. My goal, though, is to push past that and see if I can find a new “happy weight.” More important that the actual number, though, is that I want to feel great about the way I look, and feel confident in a swimming suit:) I can’t remember ever feeling like that. For the first time in a long time I think it might be possible. I was reading an article the other day about a mom of 5 who gets up and works out for 2 hours every day before her kids get up. She commented that for her, exercise and fitness is as important to her well being as food – it is essential. It was a good reminder to me how important exercise is, and that for me to keep it a consistent part of my life I need to schedule it in each day. Most days, that means early mornings. I love when I am done with my workout before the kids are up. It feels like I have so much more time and can accomplish a lot more.

So……November goals: push past 125, exercise in the early morning most days (unless I have an alternate plan), and start doing strength training again

2 more days

Emily — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:27:24 +0000

I’ve eaten really crappy this week. Out to Chili’s, ordered pizza, leftover pizza, scone from Great Harvest, 2 pieces of Halloween candy. When I get busy, I tend to make poor food choices. So I’m recommitting for the last 2 days of the month. I’ll be exercising today & tomorrow, and I’ll be eating well. Yes, I will have a treat tomorrow, but I will not go crazy – I’ll have one of my mom’s homemade donuts and maybe a candy. Thanks for keeping me honest, ladies. On a side note, I haven’t seen 130 on the scale since my last post. Let’s keep it that way!

And P.S. for anyone who reads this and notices I have not been a great commenter on all of your blogs. I have checked in on all of you – I will take the time to comment on everyone’s at least once next month. THANK YOU for being inspiring! You are all doing a great job, and your challenges and successes have helped me stay motivated.

Flirting with the 120′s

Emily — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 03:33:07 +0000

So in the last week or so, the scale has read 129 a few times and 130 a couple of times. I’m feeling momentum. Hopefully this week I won’t see 130 anymore. Besides doing the obvious exercise & diet, I think success in weight loss has a lot to do with the mental aspect. If I am feeling successful and thin in my head, it seems to happen for me. When I am feeling momentum in my head, it’s easier to eat well and to workout everyday. Then I see success on the scale, which just continues the cycle. So here’s to more momentum this week!

Inspiration

Emily — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 18:00:35 +0000

This week I have felt inspired. I saw a couple of things on TV that left me feeling like, YES, I can do this. There are so many people that are conquering all kinds of hard situations, and here I am, so blessed, with so much….surely I can conquer this weight loss thing. I have felt grateful that I have this body, which is pretty healthy, and lets me do so much. I can show my gratitude by taking great care of it. So I have been working out a little harder – and on the treadmill, which is not my first love. I would rather be outside (but I guess not enough to make it out of bed to run in the dark Eating has been a little harder this week, because I’m getting the kitchen cupboards refinished and my kitchen is out of commission. So we’ve been eating out every night. I have been making good choices, though. This is an UP week for me!

A new month

Emily — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:02:24 +0000

Well, I didn’t do quite as well as I would have liked to last month. I lost 2 pounds. But, I have been much more consistent in my exercise, and my eating has been much more in line with where I would like it to be. I think to do better next month, I need to be more careful in my treats – maybe just choose one day a week for a treat or something. I have learned in the past that I do have the willpower to completely deny myself of treats, but then I overdosed when I was done. So I’m going for moderation for now. And I have to say, for the most part I did pretty well this month on the treats. But I can do better. So this month my goal is to push past 130. I WILL see the 120′s on the scale! And I just want to say thanks to the other participants for the inspiration. I have had several days this last month where I thought about not working out, but then read something that reminded me of what I really want, so I hopped on the treadmill.

I do like that this contest is divided into months, so I can kind of start over each month, and recommit to my plan.

The Weekend

Emily — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:43:48 +0000

Weekends are my weakness. We eat out more. Life is more relaxed. I get out of my routines. Sometimes I think I do great all week, and then undo everything I did on the weekend. So this weekend I will be sure to get a run in tomorrow, make smart choices when we eat out, and especially, limit the treats to tiny portions I find when I have a plan, everything goes better. Happy Weekend!

Progress

Emily — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:55:46 +0000

I discovered about a week and a half into this that I needed a more committed exercise plan. I just wasn’t getting it done every day like I wanted. So on Thursday I set some more specific goals and I’m holding myself accountable. This week I’m 3 for 3 on workouts (2 6am runs, and 1 weights). I love the way my day goes when I start it with a run. I just wish it wasn’t dark – it’s definitely harder to drag myself out of bed. I still have a weakness for treats, but I’m happy to report that I’m exercising self control on the amount & frequency.