A Little Laugh

I was reading on a message board this morning about someone whose weight loss has stalled.  They said,

"Help!! I've hit a PLATO!!"

Having studied some of the great Plato's writings, not only did I roll my eyes but I also had a little laugh.

Little did Plato understand the vastness of people's inability to spell and communicate with the written word when he said,

"I'm trying to think, don't confuse me with facts." 

I also found it humorous that someone would misspell plateau with Plato since he also said,

"Never discourage anyone...who continually makes progress, no matter how slow." 

Hope you all have a great Friday!!!

Startup

Yesterday my health care provider approved me for starting up an exercise routine. Today I paid my opening gym fees and got on an elliptical machine for the first time in more than a year. I know what I have been capable of; and today was hard. I went at about 2/3 of the pace that was once my "easy" pace. I was really whooped after 20 minutes and pushed myself to go for 30.

It is hard to start a new good habit. It is hard to change lifestyle, and it is hard to take the first step in a good, worthy, change-making goal.

For me, anyway, it's hard.
You?
What successes have you had in making new changes? Feel free to brag and congratulate yourself.
What helps push you through from "hard" to "habit?" Feel free to share.

I draw on my healthy supply of stubborn.
I reflect often on my motivation.
And I turn to my support. I love having a workout buddy in the gym with me; but right now I go alone... so in lieu of an on site workout buddy, I'm calling to all you.

Pat me on the back, brag about your own work - whatever the goal, and pass around the encouragement.

Satisfaction

The scale reported no loss this week.  Eh.  Yesterday I was down a pound, but today that pound was back.

My weight tracker with Weight Watchers had this to say to me:

"If you’re satisfied with your weight this week, keep doing what you’ve been doing." 

It also said that if I wasn't to read some articles about plateaus.

I'm not at a plateau.  I'm just changing.  Two people in the last couple of days have commented on my looking-thinner-ness.  My husband keeps mentioning changes.  It is all good.  The number just didn't change this week.

But I had to think about those words,

"If you’re satisfied with your weight this week, keep doing what you’ve been doing."

Am I satisfied?  Am I satisfied with my weight loss efforts?  Am I satisfied in other areas of my life?

For me, the answer is yes.  Yes, I am satisfied with my weight loss.  I am making small, sustainable changes in my life that will naturally lead to a healthier me.  I'm satisfied with that number this week.

There are areas of my life where I'm not satisfied.  The reason I'm not satisfied, in most cases, is because I'm not giving those areas my all.  I'm not putting forth enough effort.  I'm not doing my best.

In my weight loss journey, I'm giving my best.  My best is different than your best.  It is mine.  And because I'm doing that, I can be satisfied with the scale and the physical changes I'm making.  My numbers may seem puny to what others can do, but it is MY best.  I'm satisfied.

In my parenting journey, I sometimes wonder if I'm giving my best.  I'm a religious person, but am I using that to help my parenting?  Am I praying enough for my children, for patience, for understanding, for an open-mind?  Am I spending enough time just being with my children and knowing them?  I had a form to fill out about my 4 year old a few weeks ago.  It asked me what his talents were.  I couldn't come up with one.  I felt like an awful mom.   I could have put "ability to charm the pants off anyone" but that didn't seem appropriate.  Do I really know my kids?  I know I could be doing better, therefore, I'm not satisfied.

As I look at the other areas of my life where I don't feel satisfied, I find the same thing ... I'm not giving those areas my best effort.  I'm coasting.  Coasting does not bring me satisfaction.

How about you?  Are you doing your best?  Have you learned to be satisfied with that?

Weekly Goals

How did your week of goals go?  Did you do all you wanted to?

I had a great week.  I went to the gym 5 days last week.  I did my classes and ran three days.  I walked anytime I could.  I even dragged everyone out for a family walk yesterday.  It would've been much better if I had forced Millie to ride in her stroller.  Instead she decided to push her baby stroller (complete with a baby) and wanted to be carried about 1/3 of the walk. Maybe we'll try again next Sunday.

I journaled my food, let myself have a little slack and still ended up losing nearly 3.5 lbs.  I'm now at the weight I get to when I can't move the scale anymore.  I'm hoping for a much better result this time around.  Josh and I have started eating dinner-lunches.  I think this shift of calorie consumption helped me out this week.  Plus it's been nice having a good and quiet meal with Josh. 

This week I plan to keep up on my classes, either walk or run everyday, journal my food, and keep going!

(To Mindy: I think this is your first full week of exercising, if I remember right.  I hope you do well, but if I may, I'd like to give a little Been-there-done-that advice.  Take it easy this week.  It's been 6 weeks, but you're still healing.  An emergency c-section is much harder to recover from than a natural birth or even a planned c-section.  Make sure you listen to your body and don't be too disappointed if you can't do everything you want to do right away or if you tire too quickly.  You'll get there!)

How did you do?  What do you want to do this week?

Gotta Eat Monday

Sometimes food is just food.  That's how I feel today.  My menu is nothing special this week (although that Tandoori Chicken last week was yum and the yogurt sauce that went with it was yummier - and fat free since I used fat free yogurt).

MONDAY:  Soft shelled tacos

TUESDAY:  Fish sticks and french fries (we didn't have it last week)

WEDNESDAY:  Pizza Pasta (aka, baked ziti)

THURSDAY:  French Toast and strawberries

FRIDAY:  Take-out night

SATURDAY:  Homemade pizza

SUNDAY:  Ham and potatoes in the crock-pot

This Week on the Biggest Loser

To watch this week's episode go Here or watch below.



****SPOILER ALERT****

I watched this a couple days ago but haven't had a chance to sit and write this, so I hope I remember all the good stuff.

This week started almost immediately with a challenge.  The winners got a night out on the town and the three losing teams had to spring clean the ranch. The challenge was interesting.  Can you feel out the distance of a mile?  Each team took a different approach than what I expected.  I thought it would be easy to run for the number of minutes they usually run a mile and count out 2000 steps (an approximate mile).  Funny how the team that was the furthest behind and wished more than anyone else that they had run ended up scrambling at the last second and winning.  The Black Team got to dress up and head out while everyone else scrubbed.

This week each team had someone/something that made them very vulnerable at the weigh in.

Blue Team: Bob's team worried this week that all of their hard work over the last several weeks was going to come back and bite them in the rump.  They hadn't played any games or thrown any weigh ins and were afraid this was going to be their less-lost week.  However, they won the weigh in and pulled great numbers, even though the have 2 smaller girls on their team.

Black Team: The obvious worry for the Black Team has been Rulon's recent admission of cheating on his diet.  Jillian sat down with him and they talked it out.  Jillian has a tendency to start the season out very rough-egded, and this season was no exception, but it's seemed to take a lot longer to like her than usual.  But I like her again.  To hear Rulon talk about "deserving" a treat..... it's exactly what I've told myself a million times.  I'm so glad Jillian helped him learn how to incorporate his favorite higher-calorie foods into his life.  I wouldn't have minded seeing a little more of that lesson.  The Black Team headed out on their prize trip and Hannah finally accepted the fact that she doesn't have to be the victim.  Finally.  Now maybe I can like her. 

Green Team:  Ken got injured this week.  Never a good sign.  Especially when he's been so constant and dependable.   But even Austin had a bad weigh in.  I thought for sure they were goners.  But I really want Austin to make it to Make Over Week.  Really.

Red Team:  Courtney was alone this week.  She rallied her friends to support her and they did.  Brett only had her to train and they worked hard together.  Yet Courtney only lost 2 lbs, not too shy from her target for the night.  I think it's a shame when anyone leaves at this point in the game.  They are all working hard and I hate to see them go.  But I must not have bonded with Courtney as much as the Ranch did because they were all a lot angrier than I was about Courtney's immediate departure.  I was, however, very sad to see Brett go.  I really hope this wasn't his last chance on the Ranch. Jillian is leaving the show, but I don't want Brett or Cara to leave too.  There was at least one season when three trainers worked together on the Ranch.  Maybe they'll bring that angle back.

Did I miss anything?  What did you think?

My Goal

I'm about to get personal again.

I need lots of friends to know about this goal.  I need lots of accountability.  And when I accomplish this goal, I'll need lots of praise.  I'll just throw that out there right now!

Fifteen years ago, my mom made me this dress.

 

At the time I thought it was fine.  Actually, I always liked the turquoise part.  I never liked the awful ivory jacket thing.  But my modesty (and distaste for my upper arms) required it.

That night wasn't all that great.  It was my Senior Cotillion.  I thought about telling the guy no.  He and I hadn't spoken in about year.  We had very little in common.  I wasn't really looking forward to it.  I might have told him no, too, except I'd already told one guy who asked me to the dance no.  That guy asked me with an "I Love You" balloon ... and I thought he was a bit creepy.  I couldn't say no to two guys!

So I went.  We danced MAYBE 3 songs.  I actually hid in the bathroom a lot just so I wouldn't have to dance with him.  Don't judge me.  He was a very nice guy, but that doesn't make a good date.

Anyway, that dress which my mom spent hours working on never got the chance to shine.  I loved the color, but the photographer didn't.  He hid me and my dress in this picture of a group of friends at that dance.  (I'm the floating head.)

I still wonder if it was the color or my size that he was hiding.  

So what's my goal?  I'm going to let that dress shine again!  It has been hanging in my closet for 15 years. I'm going to pull it out.  I'm going to put it on.  (I'm going to get a different jacket to cover my shoulders). 

Our church is having a Prom in a month.  I have friends who are going to make it silly and dress in 1980s garb and powder colored tuxes.  Ladies from church will be there in their Sunday Best.  Not me.  I'm going to wear MY prom dress.  After 15 years and 4 pregnancies, I'm going to wear my dress.

That's my goal.  I made a lady a church laugh when I told her about it a couple of weeks ago.  I told her that I had about 10 pounds to go before I got into my prom dress.  She told me that she would have to lose 30 and that's when I replied, "Well, there are advantages to having been fat in high school ... it's easier to get back into those prom dresses!"

Maybe there is some truth to that.  I wasn't super skinny then so I don't have to starve myself now, but it still feels like a worth-while goal.  It is one I'm going to accomplish.  I'm going to rock that dress!

And, on a personal note, I will not be hiding in the bathroom because my date and I have nothing to say to each other.  I'll be floating around the room in the arms of the man I love. 

Baby Steps

One of my favorite movies is What About Bob?  Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfus are hilarious. 





Bob learns to take baby steps to approach life.  Do a little at a time, don't worry about the big picture.

This weekend I had a conversation with my mom and my sister about losing weight.  The three of us have each struggled with this since having babies. 

I was listening to my sister and mom compare notes.  My sister talked about a weight loss supplement she wanted to try and my mom became interested.  To them, this supplement was going to give them the jump start they needed to get started to lose weight. 

It occurred to me that there are lots of us out there that want that grand gesture, that jump start, to begin doing what is good for us.  My crutches are generally, "I'll start Monday/next week/next month/New Years." 

It's not until we can lose that mentality that we can truly begin to make long lasting changes in our lives.  Yes, my family members may find some success in miracle pills, but they will be hard pressed to have lasting results.  Losing weight and being healthy has no quick fix.  It takes time, effort, and focus. 

There is no Easy Button.

But, oh, could you imagine if there was?  No!  Bad Shelly!  We mustn't think this way.

Stick to the baby steps.  One day, one goal at a time. 

Weekly Goals

Time to think about last week.  How did your goals go?  What did you do?

I went to the gym and tried out the classes.  They are very fun and I look forward to keeping them up.  During each class we use an entire song as we focus on different areas.  In the strength training class we work our shoulders for an entire song, our legs, arms, abs, etc.  The Combat class uses martial art and kickboxing moves.  We did sword training to one of the songs off the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack.  I loved it!

Despite all my training, healthy eating, and water consumption, I didn't lose any weight.  Not even an ounce.  I have to remember that I'm doing something new and this week should be better.

New goals: keep eating well, go to the gym 5 days a week, drink plenty of water. 

Here's to a new week, and even better results next week!

Meals, meals, meals

It is Monday again.  Time to talk dinner.

First, a report.  That fish recipe from last week ... I actually kind of liked it.  I used my Foreman Grill with tilapia fillets and I didn't have to gag it down or anything.  We'd already started dinner when Kevin came home (if you are late, we will start without you - it's the rules!).  The look on his face when he realized we were eating fish was priceless ... it was like he was trying to figure out who I was.  The boys all ate it without complaint, too.  Sigh.  I guess I'll keep making fish.

This week we start swimming lessons for the two older boys.  They happen at dinnertime on Mondays and Wednesdays all month long.  My meals for those nights will probably be simpler or more easily picnic-able since Kevin will be eating at the pool while waiting to bring boys home.

Here's what I've got planned:

MONDAY:  Leftover turkey sandwiches (this turkey baste was FAB yesterday) with this fruit salad (I added chopped pecans to the top) and a green salad

TUESDAY:  Tandoori chicken (I don't do tofu) with curry rice and a green salad

WEDNESDAY:  Fish Sticks and french fries with peaches and carrot sticks

THURSDAY:  German pancakes and fruit smoothies

FRIDAY:  Fast Food Friday (we'll go somewhere with a play area since it is Spring Break and that is a big treat for the boys)

SATURDAY:  Individual pizzas

SUNDAY: Chicken and potatoes in the crock-pot, jello, asparagus, and rolls