It's been very easy to be hard on myself for not being perfect. So as I was out struggling to keep myself running today (some days are a lot easier than others) I thought that I needed a pick-me-up. And if I need one, maybe others do too.
So think of where you are. What have been some of your recent successes? Anything: physical, spiritual, academic, emotional, philosophical, whatever. What have you done well?
I saw a picture of myself today.
This is me on September 11, 2007. No, my t-shirt is not baggy on me. It's a 2X-Large. When I was that size, I had no idea how big I actually was. Now that I've been down about 40 lbs for nearly two years, I can see the difference between then and now. I still have more to lose, but keeping 40 lbs off for two years is a good thing. A very good thing. I still bask in the glory that I was recently told by the OB that I have a "runner's heart." A much better thing to hear than what the docs were telling me in 2007.
What's something good that you've been able to accomplish?
Short and simple: I did very little exercising this week. Crud.
This week's goals include my morning ritual and beginning the training program I found online for a 10k. I found this a few months ago, but didn't get past the second or third day. So I'm going to try it again. Why? Because I need to feel accomplished. I have no race I'm training for, but I think it would be amazing to run around the block -- an 8 mile feat. For no other reason than "I can."
What I like about the program is that it's a combo of running, strength training, and cross training. It suggests resting on Friday, but running on Sunday. I'm going to put my rest day on Sunday. I have to make whatever changes are in my best interest or I won't succeed.
I'm grounding myself from my computer tomorrow until I accomplish a long list of things to do, so I needed to put this up tonight (for fear that I won't actually get my list done).
I finally got to watch this week's Biggest Loser last night at about 11:00. I hope I can remember everything about it. For the latest episode, go Here or watch it below:
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode started out with what everyone has been waiting for: the official contest between the two teams. Red vs Black.... the Unknowns vs the Ranch. Now it's the usual competition: whoever has the lowest overall percentage goes to the elimination and votes off on of their teammates.
And the game began immediately with the Valentines chocolate temptation. Since I was craving chocolate last night, I realized that this temptation could easily be my downfall. But because I like chocolate not power. I always applaud those that resist the temptations, mostly because it seems they have their bearings straight. And those that win are often the ones that need the most help. This week was no exception. Of course, I wasn't surprised to see Q eat. He's been struggling from the beginning. Josh and I both screamed at the TV when Rulon ate. But the two of them combined didn't eat even a third of the number that Arthur ended up eating.
So the winner of this challenge was to remain anonymous as they chose if they'd leave the teams alone or if they'd trade two members of their team for two from the other. The trade was made: Jay and Jen (the former Green Team) on the Black Team were traded for Deni and Sarah on the Red. Because we didn't see everyone go in to the temptation, it was possible that someone could've eaten more than Arthur's 35 pieces. But Arthur felt the need to explain his decision as to why he traded the two strongest players from his own team for the two smallest members of the Red team.
Arthur's mind isn't in the game yet. He decided to get rid of a guy he doesn't trust (and why should he when he was the one that sent the Green Team to the Unknowns a few weeks ago and they weren't very happy about that) and bring over people that no one on their team has any loyalty for so they'd be voted off instead of him or his dad.
So what do you think of all of this? Did Arthur do the right thing? Was he acting out of desperation? Do you think you would've tried to best the temptation or taken handfuls? I told Josh I would've had to sit in the doorway in the fetal position to avoid eating just for the sake of eating chocolate\\=
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The heat began when the two teams had to share the gym. And all the trainers were in the same room at last. There goes my duality theory. Darn. I was really hoping for something theatrical. Oh well.
What do you think of the Red Team's extremely loud work outs? Was the Black Team justified in whining about it? Of course, I'll let you know what I think. No. They weren't. Have they never seen the show? I know that as a tv audience we don't get a real account of what really happens, but when Bob and Jillian have been head to head the gym seems to get pretty rowdy at times. I appreciated Bob and Jillian telling their team to focus. We are in charge of our own bodies. And I do think the Red Team pushed it a bit, but only a bit.
The Challenge: I hoped the Red Team would win, of course, but it's always a good thing for the contestants to get contact from home. Can you believe that Deni and Sarah missed a family wedding? The mother of the bride didn't get to be there. Crazy! I don't know that I could've made that sacrifice. And I'm pretty sure I would've been stumped on the calories challenge too.
The Weigh In: Who would've thought that the Black Team would've gotten so many huge numbers? I was shocked. Their defeatist attitudes bug me, but they did really well this week between the challenge and the weigh in. And seeing Q leave was no surprise. He never did seem to quite commit himself to the cause.
But as I watched all those double digits hit the scale, I had a bit of a revelation. The women who are approaching or in the 100s may only be losing about 5 lbs a week on the Ranch. Really, how much better is that than the 2 lbs I lost at home this week? It's a 3 lb difference, but nearly the same percentage lost. So maybe only losing a pound or two at home is really a good thing and nearly as commendable as a BL contestant.
You know what your goals are. You are working toward achieving them. Things are going well and then something happens. You aren't even sure what it was that happened, but something became a road block, a bump, or a stall on your journey.
One possibility: an enabler.
"An enabler in most definitions is a person who through his or her actions allows someone else to achieve something. Most often the term enabler is associated with people who allow loved ones to behave in ways that are destructive. For example, an enabler wife of an alcoholic might continue to provide the husband with alcohol. A person might be an enabler of a gambler or compulsive spender by lending them money to get out of debt. In this fashion, though the enabler may be acting out of love and trying to help or protect a person, he or she is actually making a chronic problem like an addiction worse. " (from WiseGeek)
In my own journey of weight loss, I see lots of enablers. The well meaning visiting teacher who brings a plate of cookies. The grandma who brings her grandsons Twinkies and offers me one too. Any function planner who thinks refreshments are mandatory, especially dessert types. Those who enable overeating are all over the place!
But the theory of enablers isn't limited to weight loss, gambling, or alcoholism. Maybe your goal is to simplify your commitments so you aren't spread so thin. Maybe you're working to get out of debt. Maybe you are attempting to clear clutter out of your home.
In each of those situations, enablers exist as well: the passive-aggressive PTA president who would love your expertise for the upcoming bake sale; the friend who shares all the best bargains and deals that she finds; or, well-meaning loved ones who shower your children with more and more gifts.
Road blocks. Bumps. Stalls.
So how can we all deal with these unintentional villains? Best Online gives these three tips.
1. Stand your ground – don’t be afraid to say no to anyone. This is your life and you make the decisions that are best for you.
2. Recruit support – when your friends and family are getting you down find others that will offer support and encouragement. There are many online peer groups or support meetings you can go to which are filled with like minded healthy supporters.
3. Turn on your blinders – ignore them, you are bulletproof and they can’t break you down. Eventually they will back down and either offer you support or move on.
Yes, I'm only one day late in posting this. Ha ha! I'm getting back on my game. But, in truth, my laptop was about to die yesterday and it was only because of my gracious BIL that it has been revived.
So, how did your goals go this week?
I feel the need to explain how my goal to exercise 30 minutes every day was completed.
The first few days of the week were great. Running, biking, weight lifting. It was very ideal.
Then Thursday hit.
At 11:30 Thursday afternoon I had to rush to pick up my nephew from the bus. I had to grab the two babies (Millie and her cousin Ashton) so we could brave the cold and drive to the bus stop.
As the bus rounded the corner, the engine on the van sputtered and I officially ran out of gas. Crap.
We live in a HOA area and I was worried about leaving the van parked in a bike lane. If I can't park on the street in front of my house, how many tickets could I rack up in the middle of a bike lane? So I ran home. Literally. Luckily, it's not very far and I was able to grab the car and return to get everyone very quickly. Then we went and filled up the gas can and returned to the van. Then I played Vehicle Leap Frog as I drove the car, parked along the street, ran to the van, drove it around the car, parked, ran to the car, drove around van, parked, ran to the van, drove around the car.... you get it. I'm pretty sure I got my 30 minutes, although not consecutively.
And then I spent hours grocery shopping on Friday. Lots of walking. And I saved over 50% off my grocery bill. Yee-haw.
So this week, my goal is the same. Start my mornings off right (scriptures and prayers) and exercise for 30 minutes every day. If I can just keep these two goals going, I'll be doing great.
I like to throw new recipes in occasionally. Not necessarily every week, but a few times a month. Sometimes they are great and make their way regularly into our rotation. Other times ... not so much.
Yesterday we had the Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. They were pretty good except for the bleu cheese. I was being daring. I don't normally like bleu cheese. I still don't. My husband said about the sandwiches, "They are really good ... except the moldy bread taste!" Without the bleu cheese, they were actually really good and super easy. Live and learn!
Without further adieu, my meal plans for this week:
Do you make New Year's Resolutions? Goals for the upcoming year? Or even just think in your head wishes you hope for?
I do. I love making goals and resolutions are a big part of my life. But after a long month full of Utah inversions and lots of illness, it is easy to forget about those big plans.
I am still on my way in my weight loss journey. I moved very slowly in January, but I was still moving toward that goal weight. However, I do need to exercise more. I know this. I do. I had even gotten really good at doing pilates (my work-out of choice) regularly ... and then I got sick.
So I'm back on the couch. It is comfortable here. But I know that it won't do much to help me burn off that yummy birthday cupcake I had last night. It is time to recommit.
That's so easy to say. "I am going to exercise regularly and get strong and slim and healthy." But doing it isn't always as easy.
Then I read a blog this morning. It isn't one I follow very closely, but I landed there and these paragraphs jumped out at me:
Having a strong reason for doing what we do, helps us get through the times when we don’t feel like doing whatever that thing is. For example, some Sundays I don’t feel like going to church. Do I just stay at home and let my feelings dictate my actions? No. I get up and go because I know the value of being there. I want my children to learn the importance of worship and I believe God wants me and my family to meet with the saints each Sunday. So I go.
The same is true for exercise. Just working out because you think you should, won’t keep you going for long. Think about why it is important. Maybe heart disease runs in the family and you want to do what you can to avoid that. Perhaps you simply want more energy to serve your family each day. (A worthy reason to be sure!)
Whatever your reason for exercising, keep it in mind.
Wow. I don't have any problems going to church. It is ingrained in my being. Can I make exercise the same? Can I find that level of commitment for my health? It definitely gave me something to think about.
Can I just tell you how much I love that NBC now will show the latest episodes of BL the next morning and not after 9pm the following Tuesday, which is like it used to be. Makes watching the show online that much better.
So here is a clip from last week's show. If you remember, the green team transferred to the Unknowns' gym and then fought on behalf of the Unknowns at the challenge. I wondered what happened when the Green Team returned to the gym and I found this clip, in case you are interested....
And here is last night's episode.
***SPOILER ALERT***
So this episode began with the weigh in we didn't get to see last week. Everyone did pretty well until we got to Irene and Don. Did anyone else just shake their head in disappointment when they each GAINED 6 lbs? That's a total of 15 lbs gain for Don in the last two weeks. Major setback just to sabotage the weigh in so he could go home. I don't understand. Is it not possible to just walk out? I hardly doubt the Biggest Loser Mafia will hunt people down if they realize they are so miserable that they absolutely must go home. I do hope he finds even more success at home, but I just wish he and his brother would've gone about leaving so much more differently.
So the Unknowns came back to the Ranch and began working out in the gym with the other team. But did anyone notice that Bob and Jillian weren't even in the gym with them at the same time? And none of the trainers made it to final weigh in.
Now, you have to move in closer so I can secretly tell you my thought and the Biggest Loser Mafia won't hear us. I think Cara and Brett are actually Jillian and Bob in disguise. It's a very "Mission: Impossible" sort of thing. Next episode I think Cara and Brett will enter the gym, rip off their plastic masks and reveal that they've been Bob and Jillian the whole time.
When it comes to the final weigh in, I think the Ranch players had an easy challenge to beat their previous week's weight total. Especially considering that two of the players had gained weight instead of losing it. I thought the challenge for the Unknowns was iffy. Pitting them against each other and not against the other team was a bit sly. And, yes, my bias toward the Unknowns is just as strong this week as it has been from the beginning.
I did learn two things this week that I've wondered about before:
1. Josh asked me once if I thought the gym had specialized equipment that was built to withstand the weight of the contestants. We've looked at getting pieces of our own home gym and have noticed that most exercise equipment has a weight limit, generally less than 300 lbs. So what happens when a 400 lb man sprints on a treadmill? Rulon showed us. They break. Two broken treadmills in his first workout on the Ranch. Go, Rulon!
2. I've often wondered how I'd feel if I worked my butt off to win a challenge but saw the hurt in someone else's eyes as they walked away empty handed. My eyes watered as I watched Rulon become emotional over his team's victory. But they had an ideal strategy and ran hard to get it.
So, finally, at the elimination we saw Larialmy head home to save her husband, Q. I think he was pretty admirable in saying he knew he couldn't lose the weight at home, but I also was grateful the rest of the team made him realize that he had to step it up and be true to his wife. If Larialmy was going to sacrifice herself, it had better dang-well be for a good cause. I really hope Q doesn't let her or the team down.
Probably the best quote of the week was by Bob. I wish I really could quote him, but I'll just have to paraphrase. He said that the priorities for losing weight must be: Thought, Food, and then Exercise. So true. If our minds aren't ready, the rest will be impossible to achieve. And it takes a lot less time to eat 500 calories than it does to burn 500 calories. (Just to give you an idea, last week I ran for half an hour and burned about 400 calories and yesterday I biked four miles in half an hour and burned a mere 300 calories.)
What did you think of this week? Why do you think there was such a massive difference between the two teams' weight losses?
I have to admit that by my obvious lateness in posting this, it's pretty clear that I've had one of those weeks. It's as if my cold went away but left me with fatigue and a periodic runny nose. Which is rough because it's such a great excuse as to why I can't fulfill any of my daily goals and why I think I must eat so badly.
So it's time to evaluate and refigure.
My accomplishments this week were so-so.
And so I try again.
Keep up my morning routine, exercise at least 30 minutes a day, and I'm having some fun with changing what and how much I eat at different times of the day. I'm going for a larger lunch and a smaller dinner. It's an experiment just to see if it makes a difference in my energy, how I feel, and my attempt at weight loss.
