It’s amazing how the habit of healthy eating can just come back. It’s as if I just realized again the over indulgences of food just didn’t make me feel any better. I am not buying new clothes, so now what should I do? Start again. So here I am and today I felt the most in control yet. Maybe it’s knowing that somewhere my Peloton is being made and that makes me feel like I will be getting the positive release I so desperately need. Maybe it was just time to come to my senses. I guess the thing is it is never too late to start over.
If 2020 has taught me anything it is this, I have a new found appreciation for the ability to feel optimistic. This is not to say that this year is in the rearview window, but for now, I am feeling optimistic about where I am. Someone reading this might be like, she is nuts. Why would she feel good after sliding backwards on her weight loss journey? To those people I might say, “Haters!” Just kidding. I think I would really say, “I discovered that I’m more resilient than I thought, that is a very good reason to feel optimistic. I’m back baby.” Oh I rolled over 2 SmartPoints and tracked everything. Woo Hoo!
Tracking a success today! Everything went into my #WW app. It doesn’t sound like much, but I feel really good about it. I am so appreciative of all the kind words of encouragement readers left me yesterday. Many thanks to you I am truly grateful.
The Purple plan on #WW affords 16 SmartPoints, and I did exceed that but the important thing is that I know that I did. So when one of my kids asked me if I wanted a hot cocoa, I said “No thanks, I have a seltzer.” Just being aware of what I have eaten today made a difference. So here is to starting small but starting non the less.
Have you ever lost something spent hours looking for it? Then as an afterthought, not really expecting to find it, you open the junk drawer in the kitchen and there it is looking at you in the face. “Hi, I’ve been here all along just waiting for you.” That is where I’ve been. I’ve been looking for my motivation to keep going on this journey to better health and weight loss since the pandemic began. I think I finally found the right drawer, in the very last spot I could have looked; and now, I am ready to begin again.
Beginning again, is an extremely generous gift I am giving myself. I have to confess, I have gained weight since #COVID19 took away the supports that helped me to get where I was. No more in person #WW meetings with my Greenlawn Goal Setters. The community that held me and kept me going has been dismantled by corporate and even though there are virtual spaces to “see” each other, it is not the same. I miss being with my dear sister every Saturday, carpooling to Greenlawn be with our friends. I have always maintained that it is the sense of community that makes #WW a successful program for me. This is not the only loss, #COVID19 has also taken away the 5:15 am spin with my favorite instructor, Michelle. Now I do not get the physical release that helped me deal with stress, and give me the boost to take on the day. And just when it couldn’t be worse, worry has been my constant companion throughout this dark time our lives.
The match that lit this flame to my newly found motivation was that my hubby convinced me to buy a new Peloton. I don’t have it yet, but just knowing there is one being made for me and that it is on its way is enough to stoke my inner motivation.
Arrival Date January 8, 2021
I’ve missed you, readers. I’ve missed the woman I am when I write for you too. I have felt like a failure, like an imposter, over these months. So many starts and stops only to dissolve into defeat. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not a failure, I am not an imposter. I have to keep telling myself my own story, that I have done this once and I can do it again. It’s not like I’m starting completely over. I am still way ahead of where I once was. I am going to keep it simple. I’m going to track my food in my tracker, next week I’m going to weigh in at home, and I am going to get enough rest. And if you’ll have me, each day I am going to write you and let you know how it is going. I hope you are well, Let’s just believe in ourselves together that we can do this. Ok? More tomorrow.
I was proud of myself for not eating candy at professional development, tonight. I said it aloud a couple of times, “I’m not eating any candy.” I left for home (two hours after the end of my school day). I ate my apple on my drive home, and when I arrived had dinner in the crock pot all ready to go. These were all the good choices I made.
Well… I just ate a little more than 1/4 cup of chocolate chips. How bad can it be? Pretty bad… 16 SmartPoints. The taste of chocolate still lingers, and I know this decision will have an impact on my weight loss this week. Maybe I should have eaten a piece of candy before, but I really didn’t want to, I want to reach my goal. Now I feel a little too full, and a bit disappointed. This blog is my place for reflection and truth so there it is for all of you to read.
The good news is, I don’t have to be perfect to be successful on my weight loss journey. Perfection is for sleeping babies, rolling landscapes, and a nice hot cup of coffee. My weight loss journey is about reflection, practice and personal growth. So after I hit “Publish” I will head into the kitchen pour myself a nice big glass of water and initiate a “do over!” I will forgive myself for a poor choice, one that takes me farther from my goal. Then after that, I will just add the decision to forgive and move on over to another good choice for today.
I intended to write a longer post than the one you’re about to read. I had a great day on plan:
I created a little gift to share so we can all start 2020 out with some daily goals that will help us take action to make meaningful change. I hand wrote the list for my WW community, and I created an online version to share here. The online version has links to articles, videos, and tools. I hope you enjoy it:
More tomorrow readers, may we all reach goal in 2020!
What does that song even mean? Whether old acquaintances should or should not be forgotten, most likely depends on who you’re thinking about I guess. I was thinking about my weight loss journey in this frame. Whether my weight loss journey one to be forgotten or remembered depends on my frame of mind. Lately, it’s be a rough road for me. This is hard to do all the time, and it’s especially difficult during stressful times. That is just the truth.
But I hold my weight loss journey close to my heart, and even when I falter, I believe I can turn it around. I will always choose to believe in me. There are lots of things I can do to help myself along the way. Here is what I’ve done today:
I got seven hours of sleep last night.
I went to 5:15 am spin class this morning.
My kitchen is stocked with healthy food options.
My inner voice is speaking to me with both honesty & kindness.
I am writing this post to reach out and connect and share.
Even though 2019 is ending with some difficulty I am hopeful for 2020. The thing is, I want to remind myself that there are ups and downs along the way, and I expect them I won’t be surprised when they show up. In the meantime, I can look for ways to support myself. Sometimes it’s just a friendly face, a word of encouragement, a show of kindness. Other times it’s knowing I can be that person for someone else.
We all have the power to change ourselves, and make a positive impact on our own lives. Be brave, be bold and believe you can do this and you will. I believe in me, I can do this. So can you. Happy New Year readers! See you next year.
This song took us all into a cool down from 5:15 am spin. West Virginia isn’t home, but I love the sentiment and it felt right this morning. I left class singing.
The holidays are extremely challenging when it comes to weight loss efforts. There is so much great food around, that staying on plan becomes difficult. Right now, in my kitchen there is a lovely apple pie and sitting in my freezer is a full tub of creamy full-fat vanilla ice cream. I am going to a family function tomorrow and this is my contribution ( I’m also bringing fresh fruit salad).
Something is working though, because I am down another 1.4 pounds! This is the fourth week in a row that I have gone down on the scale. Down, during a time of year when I usually go up. My WW coach refers to this time of year as the Bermuda Triangle, the time between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and December Holidays. So actually experiencing success right now is especially sweet.
I’m doing this, 100% I’m in it to get results and it’s working, and that’s just what I wanted this year.
Since it’s the day before holiday recess, I attended a nice festive breakfast during a meeting today. There was a great healthy option, Fage Fat Free Greek Yogurt with a nice fruit salad. It was really delicious. One of my friends had baked homemade cookies, and I decided that I would eat three (seriously they were tiny bite sized cookies). They were also delightful. Then I looked across the table at some bakery cookies that were cut up into wedges. Before I knew it, I kept looking at them, and all of a sudden I recognized what was happening, the want was back!
The only difference is something amazing happened, once I recognized it – it was quickly diminished. It was kind of freakish, it just went away. Maybe I’ve learned something extremely helpful through my challenging day yesterday. Not only didn’t I eat more cookies I said, “No thank you” to all of these foods:
I am thinking about my WW workshop tomorrow. I did not make my goal to get more sleep and activity. I think my time away from school will help me get my activity mojo going. I’m not giving up on that goal, I just need some more time to make it happen. I do think I’ll go down on the scale, but if I don’t I will try not to be discouraged because really, I’m proud of myself either way.
Getting to Goal 