Goals

Last night I joined a Twitter chat session of Fitblog. I did this for a class assignment for my online Social media class but really enjoyed the hour. There were soo many people tweeting in the chat and they all had blogs about the same general topic that I do! Very cool! I added my blog to the list of blogs and have started looking through the list and choosing some blogs to read. I read one this morning. The women is about the same age as me and going through the same journey I am. She set a long list of goals for herself. She listed some great goals on there that I hadn't thought of. When I started my weight loss journey I decided I only wanted to set 2 simple goals for myself!

1) Lose weight!
2) Be Healthier!

Then, the outcome of my goals will be to feel better, stop hurting, move faster, etc. With these 2 simple goals, I wouldn't feel like I had failed all the time if I didn't reach a goal I set for myself. Or what if I never reached one of the goals I set for myself or it wasn't really obtainable to begin with?! I didn't want to ever feel like what I had done wasn't enough, start feeling like I was a failure and then give up and return to the same unhealthy lifestyle I was living before.

I don't think about how much weight I really need to lose or what weight I am supposed to be at to be considered Healthy. If I think about that all the time I will stress myself out. Some people might think of that as motivation but it would seem like an unattainable goal to me and make me stressed.

So I take my weight loss a day at a time. I feel proud of myself for whatever I did that day. Or if I do have an off day I don't dwell on it. I look at the next day as a new day. There is no way to eat soo much in one day that I would gain even a pound! So, if I have an off day I go for an extra walk the next day or I just start over... It's OK to eat a piece of birthday cake at a party. You should allow yourself something you enjoy to eat everyone once in a while. Don't over indulge, just enjoy! :) Just try to plan around it if you know you want to have it. Eat lighter the rest of the day or plan an extra walk that evening. :)

So, be proud of yourself and keep moving! You'll feel better in the long run! :)

Food Choices...Smart Choices

I have been on the go all weekend! Ugh! It's hard to eat well when you are doing soo much! Saturday I had to eat lunch in-between errands. When you need to eat fast food because you are not home to make something Subway is always a healthy option. So we got a footlong sub to split and a bag of chips to share. For dinner I was able to cook. I make a yummy pizza with pre-made whole wheat crust and turkey sausage and turkey pepperoni and WW shredded mozzerella cheese. It was very tasty.

Yesterday I had chicken salad I made with light miracle whip on a whole wheat wrap for lunch. Last night I went to concert in Canandagua and they don't allow you to bring in any food or drink. So we had to eat there. I chose a BBQ chicken sandwich (instead of Pulled Pork). Then later I had a plain soft pretzel (no salt) and then allowed myself to have a small ice cream. I stayed within my points for the day. :)

Also, at the concert I was soo proud of myself! At CMAC there are a lot hills and a lot of walking. I was able to walk up and down those hills without getting winded! YAY! I really am getting in great shape! Also, I was soo busy I didn't have time to just work out but I did dance all night at the concert...Great Exercise!

Making smart choices are a key to doing well on your weight loss journey! Gotta get going again. Still so much to do... having Turkey burgers on the grill tonight! :)

Weigh in Day!

I weighed myself this morning as planned and I was worrying about last Sunday in NYC for nothing! I lost 3 lbs this week! That's 2 good sized weight loss's in a row! I lost 2 1/2 lbs last week! My total weight loss to date is now 34 lbs!

I think all of my exercise is paying off! Of course eating healthier is essential but getting moving is also very beneficial. I feel like I am in better shape. Each week I start to feel like I move easier and don't get winded as quickly. As you can imagine carrying around so much weigh makes it hard to breathe.

This morning I walked to work as I promised myself and usually it takes me about 35 minutes to walk that distance. Plus, I usually move slower in the morning just because I don't have a lot of energy and I am not quite awake yet. But this morning I walked that distance in only 30 minutes. I sometimes am hard on myself because I walk slower than other people. But I have to remember I weigh a whole lot more than they do. I will work up to their speed but it comes with time. As my water aerobics instructor always tells us..."If you can't do something just keep moving, that's all that matters!" Plus, if you think about it...because I weigh more, I am burning more calories with every step I take. Just gotta keep pushing myself!

I like to reward myself when I accomplish something! And of course my favorite thing in the world is food. (That's how I got this way!) So, I plan on eating Chinese take out tonight and then going to a movie with a friend. When I order Chinese takeout, I order from the Diet menu where the entrees are steamed and the sauce is served on the side. My favorite is Chicken with vegetables. I also order brown rice with my meal instead of white or fried rice. Brown rice has more fiber and will fill you up more. Also, soup is a good precursor to the meal because it is lower in points and will help to fill you up a little before you eat the main entree. They give you soo much food when you order, so I first will measure out how much I should eat and put away the leftovers before I even start eating. Portion size and knowing how much you're eating is very important! I don't pour my sauce on the entree I just dip my fork in the sauce with each bite. That way I still get the flavor but without the excess points. Egg rolls are my favorite part of the meal, so I do allow myself to have one (so I don't feel deprived). Egg rolls are high in points because they are fried. I just plan for the points through out the day. It's all about planning! It's too easy to make mistakes or eat too much if you don't plan. Now when I go to the movie later, I will have already eaten (so I won't feel hungry) and will only get something to drink for during the movie. Although, I love popcorn and will sometimes just get a small plain popcorn (no butter)...just enough to get the taste. Just remember to plan for the points! :)

Why I chose to blog about my weight loss journey...

My name is Martha and I am 30 years old. I have struggled with my weight all of my life. I have tried many different diets and supplements in the past to lose weight, including (but not limited to) Atkins, South beach diet, diet pills to suppress appetite, just eating low fat, etc... The one diet that has really worked well for me is Weight Watchers (WW). I have lost over 75 lbs before while following WW but gained it all back over time.

This picture on the left is a picture of me in February of 2010. I am currently back on the Weight Watchers diet. This time around feels different! I really feel like I am dedicated this time and trying to change some bad habits I have developed and make some new good habits. This time around I have been working on portion sizes and exercising more. I still allow myself some of my favorite foods but in moderation and try to stay fully aware of how much I am eating.

I started WW in March of 2010 and have lost a total of 31 lbs so far. This picture on the right was taken a few days ago on May 31st.

I started trying to lose weight because I was going to be in a wedding and I did not want to be in front of people the size I was. Since then, the wedding has been canceled. I started trying to losing weight because I was embarrassed to stand in front of other people...now, I want to lose weight for myself, because I feel better and healthier already and I want to continue to feel this way. I still have a long way to go but try not to set goals for myself. I take it one week at a time and celebrate my small accomplishments.

I chose to blog about my weight loss journey to share with other overweight people my struggles, challenges, triumphs, and experiences. I hope that what I learn will help others in their own journey's.