Saturday, September 24, 2011

Fat to Fit Friday Accountability

  Down 3 pounds, so far this month. Not too bad since I didn't start until the middle of the month. This week I kept a food journal. I was really tempted to scrap it on occaision because hormones wreaked havoc on my brain and will power for a day or two.  Weight loss studies have shown this to be key in successful weight loss. Maybe it's the accountability or that writing down every thing you put in your mouth makes you a more mindful eater. It's probably a combination of the two because, when I think about it, the two really go hand in hand.
   I also moved more. My kids' school is 3/4 of a mile from my house. I drive them to school in the morning because, well, it's morning. Do I need another reason? But I do walk them home most days. That's a mile and a half I wasn't walking before. Plus, there's a good "dip" in the road so I really do get to walk uphill both ways. 
   10,000 steps or approximately 5 miles is recommended but all steps count so I'm trying to increase my steps in other areas of my life. Taking the stairs, walking to the corner store for a gallon of milk instead of driving to the grocery store and taking my own coffee cup back to the kitchen instead of waiting for someone else to head that way and asking them to take it with them are a few of the ways I've tried to increase my over all activity.
    I also started roller derby with the local recreational league because exercise should be fun, too. If it becomes work, you'll be less likely to do it. Also, there's something about being part of a team and having a set time and place where they expect to meet you. Would that be accountability? Maybe, but it's a recreational league and I'm not required to go. So maybe it's more about me holding myself accountable, deciding I'm going to do this and, daily, being accountable to myself. Because, at the end of the day, the only one who can really hold me accountable is me.

Monday, September 19, 2011

weird talents

  A co worker of my husband won second place in a national chicken calling contest. She even showed off her prize winning skill for him and let him record it on his phone. I watched it. She's pretty good. Her cousin took first place. I would have liked to have been at the next family function. I wonder if there was any enmity or if they gave one another pointers. Come to think of it, if cousins were THAT good, that one took first and the other took second place, family functions were probably pretty interesting to begin with.
  I am able to pick things up with my toes. I never thought this was remotely interesting until my husband and I were dating. In fact, until that point, I never really thought about it at all. My mom would do it if her hands were full and I just picked it up from her. My grandmother probably did it, too. I guess if we learned to carry things on our heads like women in Africa, we would be able to keep our hands free. But I digress...
  So one day after JR and I had been dating for a while, he dropped something small and after a few fumbling tries, picked it up with his toes. He beamed at me like a kid who'd just learned to ride his bike. I looked at him like you look at someone when it dawns on you that they're crazy.
  "Did you see that?! I picked it up with my toes. I can do it, too." I blinked my eyes as I tried to figure out how to politely say I just remembered I had to floss my cat tonight. "You pick up stuff with your toes all the time and you're gonna look at me like I'm crazy?"
 Now it was my turn to feel a little 'off'. I did do it frequently and sometimes caught myself trying to pick up stuff when I was wearing shoes. Like I said, I never thought about it. It's funny now but a little awkward then. I have passed my gift on to our children and they all at some time or another use their toes as a third set of fingers. And my husband is still a little amazed.
   What strange, bizarre, weird or "just a little quirky" talents do you have?  And do you keep your ability under wraps or do you let the world know just how fabulous you are? I'd love to hear your stories. I'll be in the next room trying to balance a basket of fruit on my head.
   Thanks for hanging out with me!

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Fat to fit Friday

  From November 2009 to April 2010, I lost 33 pounds on Weight Watchers. On the way out to Oregon from Alabama, I fell off the wagon and so far, haven't been able to stay on for any length of time. Consequently, I have gained most of the weight back. Several factors contributed to this but I don't want to go into that just yet. The important thing is that I have made a conscious decision to change it. My goal is to lose 5 pounds a month for a total loss of 73 pounds and give a weekly update on Fridays.
  Looking back over my old WW journals, I realized that was about my average. Some weeks were great with a 2-3 lb loss and some were not so great and I either stayed at the same weight or gained a pound or two. I learned that while the destination is important, the journey is equally important and what I learn on the journey will help me sustain my forward momentum.
 Another goal is to accomplish this in a way that fits our single income budget. I know lots of hints and tips for weight loss. I should. I've been on some sort of weight loss program since I was 12. But knowing what to do and putting it into practice are entirely different things. I'm ashamed to admit but I've really developed some bad habits over the years. They've become ingrained and I'm having to reteach myself. I'm sure every step of the way isn't going to be easy but some things I've started changing have been easier than I thought they would.
  I intend to educate myself as much as possible from all the cheap to free resources I'm able and use this information to keep myself focused. Then I'd like to share interesting findings here for anyone else that may benefit. One of the things about Weight Watchers that kept me motivated was the accountability. A moderator saw what I weighed and kept a record of it. Plus the other participants would always be asking each other how much they'd lost that week. That was pretty motivating to me! So I also intend to share how much I've lost each week and (briefly) what I did to accomplish it. Or...if I hit a plateau/ gained- what didn't work. Finally, I'll share my goals for the weekend and the coming week.
  To that end, my goal for the weekend is to make smarter food choices than I usually do on the weekends and to find a way to incorporate fun activity into my schedule, like playing tag with my kids or going skating with them. During the week, I want to start studying the WW cookbook I bought at a yard sale last month and see what my family will eat and modify some favorite recipes so they're healthier and lighter.
  Thanks for coming with me!