weigh down wednesday :: a rewards system

One thing that I think is important in any big endeavor is a rewards system.

Seriously, stuff is just easier to do when you have a little something to look forward to.

And I'm not talking about a HUGE something like a vacation or a car or anything.

Just one of life's little pleasures that you normally wouldn't buy for yourself.

Or, if it makes you happy, something that you do buy often, that screams TREAT to you.

I'm actually behind in my rewards for this whole weight loss journey.

I've only bought one and I really should have four under my belt for meeting goals.

One great thing about a rewards system is that you can make your goals as big or little as you want, just be sure to reward yourself accordingly.

For my first major goal of meeting 20lbs lost I got a new phone case that I had been eyeing.

It was $30, which I normally wouldn't spend on a phone case, unless it was my birthday or Christmas, but it felt more than worth it for me. 

I'd been really wanting the case for a couple of months and it's something that I get a ton of use out of.

My other goals/rewards are a bit smaller, because I feel like the more weight you've lost the slower it comes off.

My original plan was to get myself a little something for every 5lbs lost after 20lbs, but that hasn't happened.

Hmmm....I wonder if there is a correlation between my lack of rewards and my lack of motivation as of late?

So, it's time for me to get back on the reward train.

I think my big reward for getting back to my wedding weight will be a tattoo that I've wanted for awhile.

It seems fitting that a big goal get a big reward.

As Tom and Donna say, sometimes you just have to.....

 

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday :: weighing in

This is an often debated issue.

One that I believe has no right or wrong answer.

It all comes to down to what works best for a particular person.

The issue I'm talking about is :: how often to weigh in.

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I've personally done different things.

I've weighed myself once a week.

I've weighed myself daily.

And I've forgone weighing myself completely.

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For me, weighing myself daily is not only best in keeping track of weight loss,

but it also helps immensely in keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Now I know that weight can fluctuate daily.

There are many factors that can lead to either a stalemate or even a slight gain.

And I take that into consideration everyday.

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All of that aside, I find that the daily weigh in helps most when I start slipping on my diet for a few days.

If I can easily lose a few pounds in a week, then I can just as easily (or easier) gain a few in that same amount of time.

The number on the scale is often what I need to give myself a swift kick in the rear in getting back into my healthy eating habits.

If I don't have that visual reminder everyday, then it's really easy for me to under calculate my "cheats" on one day (or two) and convince myself that I really didn't do "that bad", so I can treat myself an extra day (or two).

Thinking like that is bad news for my waistline.

And I know myself well enough to know that I will think that way EXACTLY,

unless I have the proof in front of me.

And to me it's just easier.

I can tweak everyday accordingly.

And I feel like I get to celebrate my accomplishments more often.

It's a win, win for me!!

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What is your preferred method of weighing in?

Why does it work for you?

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday :: thursday addition

Here I am, closing in on my first MAJOR goal.

I have now lost 35lbs and am right at 10lbs away from my wedding weight!!

My goal is to ultimately be at that weight in time for my 9th anniversary at the end of October.

Oh yes! I *can* do it!

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One thing I've realized as the numbers on the scale recede, is that my body has unfortunately reshaped itself.

And NOT in a good way.

Having two kiddos (by c-section) in the last 6 years seems to have ruined my tummy.

And things have just shifted.

I've got pouches and pooches and saggies where I've never had them before, even when I was heavier.

But, alas! It was well worth the body change to have those two stinkers!

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So, I'll just need to work that much harder to get things tighter as the weight falls off. 

I'm planning on beginning to exercise sometime in the not too distant future.

I haven't started working out at this point because the weight has been coming off pretty steadily with just a diet change.

BUT, I'm not stupid and I know that eventually when I get to the point where I'm happy with my weight I will need to add in some form of exercise to help maintain as I add in a bit more to my daily calorie needs.

Plus, I don't just want to be thin(ner). I want to be fit.

And that isn't going to happen without the dreaded exercise.

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So now I just have to decide what I'm going to do.

I've thought about a Couch 2 5 K program, although the thought honestly scares me, as the last time I tried that (4 years ago?) I sprained both of my knees in week 3. OUCH!

There's also the 30 Day Shred, which I did pretty regularly at the end of last year. 

And IT WORKS!!

Then there's normal gym stuff, like the elliptical or stationary bike.

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Whatever it is, as a busy mama (who is just going to get busier this fall), it needs to be something that gives me bang for my buck.

Hmmm....lots to think about.

Until next week!

xoxo

jen.

weigh down wednesday :: motivation

Okay, time for me to fess up.

I've had a rough couple of weeks.

No, I haven't fallen completely off of the weight loss wagon.

BUT, I haven't been giving it my all either.

I've still managed to lose a few pounds, yet I know I could have lost more.

My "free" days are becoming more and more frequent.

Time to nip that in the bud.

Even though I know I've lost a huge chunk of weight, I'm not done yet.

So, it's time to take this trotting horse back to a full on gallop.

In an effort to motivate myself, I have turned, yet again, to Pinterest.

I have a health and wellness board that totally gives me a little extra push when I need it.

It's amazing how far a picture of an in shape person and a few motivating words can push me.

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See what I mean?

Now I know that I'll never be thin as the girls in those pictures, nor do I want to be,

but the point gets across.

Another motivating factor is that I have recently fit into jeans that I've haven't worn in over four years        (the last time I had weight loss success).

And I have more in my closet that I'm *this close* to fitting into.

And, boy do I want to fit into them SOON!

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What motivates you?

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday - a history

Hello there! Long time no write!

Today I'm writing the first post of what I hope will become a weekly series.

Bear with me, this post didn't turn out the way I had originally intended.
It ended up being a bit of history, and felt almost like a therapy session.
Sorry for the rambling in advance. :)

The focus? Weight loss.
Most of us, at some point in time, have struggled with our weight.
Personally, this has been on off and on roller coaster ride since puberty.
As a teenager, hormones/emotions mixed with a bad diet and a sedentary lifestyle cemented the fact that I spent my adolescent years unhappy with my body.
Of course, there were times when I would go on some crazy crash diet and lose a few pounds, but being that those diets couldn't be kept up long term, I quickly gained those pounds back, and then some.
I went into my adult years at my thinnest, but the blissful "newlywed" stage of my life led to lots of takeout and overeating. Quickly the weight piled back on.
A year and a half after getting married I was given the (wonderful!) opportunity to go on the Jenny Craig weight loss program. Over the next 3+ months I lost a bunch of weight (5lbs away from my wedding weight) and started exercising (yay, swimming!) regularly. Then, I got pregnant.
The first part of my pregnancy I had some morning sickness. But that morning sickness was basically just nausea that would go away when I would eat. So eat I did, quickly falling into the "I'm pregnant, I can eat WHATEVER I want" mind-frame.  All in all, I ended up gaining about 70lbs while pregnant, although, in my defense, a LOT of that was water weight due to pre-eclampsia.
In the following two years my weight fluctuated a lot. At one point I was only 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Then I hit a slump, I went through a "quarter life crisis" in the months leading up to turning 25 and since I had never learned another way of coping outside of "eating my emotions", the weight piled on yet again. This time it got out of control. At not even 26 years old I  hit my highest weight of all time (outside of full blown pregnancy). I was severely unhappy with myself and I feel like that affected my relationships with others, especially those closest to me.
Over the next year I lost a decent amount of weight without really trying. I started a full time job, where I was on my feet all day, which I think helped tremendously. But being that I had gained SO much weight, I was still FAR from any kind of "goal" weight.
Then, SURPRISE!!, a month before I turned 27 I  found out I was pregnant again. I remember being TERRIFIED, since I was no where near where I had started when I got pregnant the first time around. I was so fearful of gaining a vast amount off weight. This time around things were a bit different though. I was still working on my feet full time, PLUS I was SO SICK!! There were times when I could barely eat at all. And it wasn't for just my first trimester (the "normal" sick time for preggos), my all day long sickness lasted my WHOLE pregnancy. In the end I only gained 7 pounds, and that was all in my final month. My baby weighed more than that!!
After he was born I lost some and then gained some. And then, when he was 10 months old I finally buckled down and started a diet plan that has proven to work for me. This was started the last week of March 2012. And, I'm SUPER proud to say that since then I have lost 30+ pounds and am now less than 15lbs away from my wedding weight. I am bound and determined to hit that weight by our 9th wedding anniversary, which is 4 months away. After I hit that MAJOR milestone, I don't plan on stopping. I turn 30 in October of 2013 and I know, with hard work and determination I can have the figure and health that I've always wanted by then.

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Stay tuned for a look at how the last three months have gone.
What have I been doing?
What am I planning on doing in the future?
It will all be answered in the coming weeks.

a reading challenge

One of my resolutions goals just about every year, is to read more.

If you know me, or read my posts (like this one OR this one) , then you know that I'm something of a bookworm.

Always have been, always will be.

I did go through a bit of a dry spell when my daughter was little, maybe that's why I vow every year to check more books off of my "to-read" list.

 

One of the ways that I'm doing this is by being a loyal visitor of the Goodreads website.

Not only does this site track books that you either want to read or have read, it also lets you keep your friends up to date on the progress that you're making on books you are currently reading.

Add to that the ability to rate and review books and you've got one awesome site for book lovers.

Oh, but WAIT, you can also create your own reading challenge!

You decide how many books you want to read and the site keeps track of your progress (I really like that it tells you how far ahead or behind you are in your challenge by both book amount and percentage).

 

My personal goal for 2012 is to read 52 books, or one book a week.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) I  feel like I'm challenging myself even more by being on my third books already this year that has 750+ pages in it.

I have, however, been able to stay ahead of my one book a week goal, and am currently 2 books ahead, having completed 7 books so far this year!

 

One of my blog goals for this year is to also start posting more book reviews, so if you're interested in what I've read and what I think about those books, be on the lookout.

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Do you have any reading related goals for this year?

If so, what are they and how are you keeping yourself accountable to them?

xo

resolutions :: 2012 edition

Today is the day.

The day that everyone vows to change themselves; better themselves; do something different.

 

I, like just about everyone else, have made goals for 2012.

I want to read more, get healthier, enjoy my family more, be a better friend, etc., etc.

 But at the same time, I want to keep some perspective.

The time of year that I make these goals/resolutions will not ultimately make or break me.

Yes, it feels nice to have the "fresh start" that rolls around every January 1st (or beginning of any week/month),

but if I fall off my resolution horse, so to speak, it's okay to pick my self up, dust myself off and get back on, without calling it a failure for the year.

Honestly, I have to keep this in mind whenever I make a goal, no matter the time of year.

My natural state of mind, unfortunately, tends to be "all or nothing".

I find it  very hard to not feel like a failure when I slip a little.

And I tend to set VERY lofty goals, instead of smaller, more manageable ones.

Maybe that should be my goal this year....

To not over burden myself with goals that are too far fetched.

To be proud of my smaller accomplishments, and even celebrate them!!

Slow and steady wins the race, right?!

How about a dose of inspiration?

 

It really is the small things that make the biggest difference....

And because, sometimes, we should let out our inner child...

What are your 2012 resolutions?