Progress

Not long ago I saw that there was a 10 lb challenge for the month of January.   I decided that I could use a little extra motivation and so I signed up for it.    My therapist and I had been talking about internal vs external motivation.  External motivation is what people tell you.   "A large waist can cause diabetes."  "Weighing 125 for your height is the most ideal."  "yoyo dieting is very unhealthy"   Internal motivation is based off of what you feel, or experience.   "when I eat green smoothies I am more energetic."  "Running on the treadmill increases my mood"   "When I drink enough water I am not as achy."   Notice the difference in the two.   Internal motivation is freeing while external is like a weight of guilt and shame.  The things you "should" fix or do.   External is good, but internal is even better.  
I have been focusing on my internal motivation.  The reasons I want to do things, how they make me feel.   It really makes a huge difference to do things because of me...not what other people, even experts say. 

I found some new water bottles that are really working well for me.   I got them at costco...3 24 oz bottles for $18, now I see (looking at amazon) it was a fantastic deal!  I won't let the kids drink out of them and they sit there as three trophies showing at the end of the day that I drank my water. 

I am also eating more fruits and veggies as well as consistently exercising.   I set up a new goal plan and weekly benchmarks to help me see progress.   I have completed all 17 days so far of the 10 lb challenge and am down 3 lbs.  :)

I realized that I can create the experience I want.   I can create my life, I can create my success.   I just need to create it.   So now that is what I am doing. 

All the best!

My apologies

It appears I was some how spammed, I have deleted the offending post!  I hope it didn't cause any issues. 

I have changed my password, hopefully it will not happen again!

Status update

I have been noticing that I am not nearly as careful with my choices as I was when I was posting daily.   I have not been planning the night before or the day of either.   I am working on ideas for that.   The good thing is that I have a new mantra of "eat at home".  Other than a few instances like hubby taking me out to lunch and our eat out night once a week, I have been coming up with ideas to make food.   Last night I cooked some chicken in the pressure cooker (4 frozen breasts with 1 cup broth and 1 cup water on high pressure for 12 min, which ends up being about 25.  Removed them from the juices and cut them up.  I added gravy mix to the juice and cooked it until thick adding the chicken in to warm through easy and quick!)

Mind Games

In a recent visit with my therapist we talked about motivation.   I have long term motivation.   What could be called "whys"   but that doesn't give me short term motivation.   The short term motivation is what gets you to make the harder choice in the moment.   Turns out that we as humans tend to take the easy way, almost all the time.  I know, I didn't want to believe it either.   It seems that faced with two choices such as eating the chocolate sitting on the counter or pulling veggies out of the fridge, we will pick the first because it is the most convenient.   I know that is how it works for me.   I am not lazy but more wired to find the ways that make something the easiest for me.  In some aspects this is a good thing.  But when trying to change my routines it isn't exactly the best.

So we talked of different methods to combat the laziness.  A rewards jar or an if this than I can have that scenario.  She said something that really struck me though.   It comes down to a constant negotiation with ourselves.   Even if we are having those thoughts of I don't want to, we can play a mental game with ourselves.   Our subconcious doesn't realize we are playing the game, only our conciousness.   So in reality if you trick yourself it has the same effect as if we had made the choice out of habit. 

Since we talked about this, I have started playing the game.  If I want to sit at the computer and I have a load of laundry to do, I will say I will sit down after I do the laundry.   Of course not out loud.  :) 
  If I want to watch a TV show, I will do the dishes first, or do them while watching.   "I can watch while I wash the dishes".   It isn't saying no to myself, but adding conditions.  

My trainer even mentioned something like this the other day.   When she wants a treat, she will tell herself she can have it later (tonight or tomorrow)   usually when the time comes she doesn't want it anymore. Interesting isn't it.   When I tried holding off on treats until a specific day every week, I found myself craving them more, hiding stuff in the freezer wolfing it down on Saturday.   Perhaps my waiting time was too long.  

So far the mental game is working for me in getting me up and moving instead of sitting and not moving.   I found Downton Abby last week...lets say that was rather dangerous.   I have been watching it quite a bit.  But usually (recently) while I am doing something else. 

If you try playing games with yourself, let me know how it goes!

Procrastination...Busted!

I've decided that one of my biggest steps in the wrong direction is procrastination.   It isn't always purposeful, but it is there.   Distraction must be a precursor to it as well.   I'm sitting here still in my exercise clothes at 1:15 in the afternoon.   No exercise yet.   I did get some cleaning done this morning, started out on the right foot but then I slowly began to slow down.   I have things to do.  Now to do them!

So how can I get out of the distraction/procrastination mode?

And now what?

I kinda fell of the radar a few days.   I think I needed to decompress a bit.  It has been nice to not be posting right before going to bed.  :)

My weigh in was 195.2 on Sunday morning.  I went to the doctor yesterday.   She told me that she would have certainly called me pre-diabetic 6 months ago.   Now she isn't worried at all and won't even check an A1c at the next visit.  Quite the changes!   So even though my weight has not changed by much.  (By office records I am down 4 lbs since my last visit 6 months ago) I am much healthier on the inside.   YAY!

Healthy Journey Day 365

It's here.  One year ago I started logging my days.   And I made it!   Crazy isn't it.   A lot has changed over the last year.  I now have a trainer, a therapist and I have accomplished some of my goals.   My A1c is lower than it has been since I ever had it checked.  That in itself feels like a miracle.   I am stronger than ever.   I suspect that if I tried I could squat 95 lbs.   I even bet if I tried I could run a 10 minute mile.   I will see this next week as I am really close.  I am able to do 10 full pushups.  They aren't all the way down, all the time, but I can do them.   I am amazed by my progress!  I started asking for help in the areas I needed it and I feel I am making it all work.   Sure I am not a size 8, I don't weigh 50 lbs less.   However.   I am strong, my insides are healthier and that is what matters!   Feeling Strong and Healthy was my ultimate goal and I definitely have made great strides in that department.   I am excited to see where the next year will take me.   The way I see it, I have made great changes on the inside.   As I start to improve my mental out look in therapy and continue in my training the inside changes will start to show on the outside.   I especially feel that way since my thyroid dose has been increased and my body should start working like a better oiled machine.  The extra weight will just start falling off of me now.  :)  Faster metabolism do your work!

Healthy Journey Day 364

Friday's get rather busy around here, I was tired this morning and didn't get up so early.  Truth is I would have loved to sleep in for several more hours. 
I skipped exercise, as I ran out of time, Running the kids to school takes a lot of my morning. 

Breakfast:  PB and banana on toast
Salad, the same as last night.  So yummy!
Chips queso, and donuts
Chicken taco meat with carrots and cucumbers.   I ate enough chips that I wasn't so hungry for dinner
Sugar cookie.   Wasn't so hungry but it called to me, ate it even though it wasn't tasting 100% yummy

Healthy Journey Day 363

Today was a good day.  I am starting to feel things come together.  I apparently take a while to have that happen, but all is good.  

It was just my trainer and me for our workout today.  It was really good...we worked every body part.  Heavy!  I was using my 45 lb bar and doing squats (like 20 at a time) then bench press and more.   Pretty crazy.  I am feeling strong but also like I will be sore tomorrow.  I definitely feel that my abs are my weak spot.   I have trouble keeping them engaged.  We talked about accountability..so I am now texting her every night at 8 pm to say what I have completed out of our goals.  Today was day one of that...I got it all.  YAY!  Now to continue

Healthy Journey Day 362

It was a busy day today.   I went to my endo today. The trip there ended up having multiple other stops as well.   Lab work was interesting.  Apparently I am not getting enough thyroid hormone...so my dose will probably be increased.   However my Blood Glucose level...the Hemoglobin A1c was lower.   5.4.  That is the best it has been in a long time!   I dropped 0.4 points.  YAY!   I was very excited to see that.

Because i wasn't home too long this morning, I only got in 10 minutes of exercise.  Not bad though.

I ate a banana for breakfast and my snack.

We snacked on candy while driving around

After getting home I was starving so ate a leftover chili cheese dog and some leftovers from monday.

Dinner was chicken noodle soup.   I have been craving Chocolate like crazy.  Ate some orange sticks, and really wanted to make some sort of ooey gooey chocolate cake.   never did but definitely thought about it.

Not enough water, steps or veg

Tomorrow's plan.

toast with pb and a banana

smoothie

salad

oranges

pancakes, bacon eggs.

Healthy Journey Day 361

I realized today that I have mis marked quite a few posts as being in the 200s lately.  Ooops. 

Today started out well.  Got up a little later than planned, but mostly got in my cleaning hour.   After getting the kids off to school, I found I got sidetracked.   I had to run something up to my hubby and then watched the neighbors kid for a little bit.   I started to feel sick too...my throat is really scratchy.   So not cool.   By afternoon I was feeling depressed and blah and just wanting to sit around.   I tend to fizzle around the time the kids get home from school. I don't know why it is right then, it isn't like I've been really active right before they get home.   Maybe I need some meditation time around 2 pm...

I didn't have all the ingredients to make the waffles this morning so ate fruit and donuts for breakfast.   Then kinda snacked.

I grabbed weinerschnitzel on the way home from the office, then remembered after the fact that I am trying to cut back on eating out.  I wanted chili...so had a chili cheese dog, I kinda wanted to try chili cheese fries, but figured that really wouldn't be good in the car.  We did get fries though. and a raspberry lemonade.  They have the best!

I did finally exercise...after noon.   Biceps and back.  15 lb weights and down to 12s,

I had last nights leftovers for dinner.  and then some mint ice cream brownies.  I realized I really don't like brownie mixes from the store.   It was hard and chewy and so not tasty.   So we ate the ice cream off the top and will throw out the rest.   I was feeling really lazy and let the kids watch tv while I lazed on the bed feeling yucky...hopefully I get feeling better soon.  I'm not even that sick, just not 100%

Tomorrow's plan.

Toast with PB and pomegranet seeds

smoothie?--I have a dr's appointment...we will see how that effects my schedule.  

leftovers

fruit/sandwich

chicken tacos

Healthy Journey Day 360

Crazy, only a few days left.

I have been working on my month long meal plan.   I have a hard time with making the decisions of what to make.   Decisions can be difficult for me!  
My trainer gave me a plan where you cook up a bunch of chicken at the beginning of the week and then use it the rest of the week.   I am going to do that today.   So I started 10 chicken breasts around noon on high in the crockpot.