Still At It....

Gosh, it's been so long since I've posted anything on the blog. I haven't forgotten about you, but I have been busy, busy, busy!

As you read previously, my life was FULL of big changes and lots of stress.  Luckily for me, things have settled down considerably and I find myself (finally) now feeling like I'm actually living instead of just surviving.

Since my last post, I've worked hard to change my diet, focusing on eating the majority of my calories from fruits, veggies, beans and legumes.  At first it was hard to give up the pasta, grains, bread, sweets, etc.... but now after more than a month, my body craves the whole foods and reacts badly to the junk.  Oh, I still get some junk in, don't get me wrong, but I feel the junk inside almost immediately, which is a great reminder of my consumption goals these days.

The other change that seems to have stuck lately is my activity level is WAY up these days. I'm out hiking, backpacking, sailing, riding bikes, walking the town..... and all of it is helping me to achieve my goals.... it's also helping me to love my life and the more I love my life, the less I want to fill myself with empty calories.

I truly want the energy that comes from eating a healthy diet.  Don't you just feel better when you eat right?  I know I do and that feeling is what is driving me to continue..... I feel good when I eat healthy and that is my goal - to feel good!

I'll share a few pics of all my activities lately and here's the latest pic from the scale.... this one just might need a frame!

I'm truly thankful for everything in my life these days.....   =)

How are you doing?  Drop me a note or leave a comment to let me know.

K

Down another 10 pounds!





Monterey Bay Aquarium with my Mom

Camping trip to Coyote Lake

A Giants game with Rob





Sailing on Monterey Bay

The Power of Habit

What habits do you have?  Anything?  Good ones?  Bad ones?  Anything you would like to change?

I've been asking myself these questions and I've decided to change one thing - my morning routine.

Usually when I get up in the morning, I have the same routine:  grab my robe, hit the bathroom and then head downstairs to make coffee. With my coffee in hand, I'll have my first smoke of the day and also read my daily devotional.

But for the past three days, I've changed my morning routine to this: grab my jogging clothes/shoes, hit the bathroom and then head downstairs and out the door (with iPhone and headphones in hand) for a jog.

The first day was easy.  The second day was a little harder.  Day three, this morning, was REALLY hard, but I dragged my butt out there and now I'm reaping the rewards of LOTS of energy.

Why am I doing this, you ask?

Well, I started reading a new book, The Power of Habit, and it has completely captured my curiousity.  Plus, my life is literally a clean slate enabling me to remake it in any fashion I want.  I know I want to be fit, energetic and vibrant.... so it seems that starting my day off with a jog gives me just that.

Will it last?  Stay tuned and let's find out together! 

K

The Working Girl

Since my last post, I've started a new job and moved into a new home. There are other things also going on that add even more stress.

Needless to say, my fat loss is the furthest from my mind, at the moment. But it is still in my mind and I'm trying to at least observe the food choices I make as I live through momentus change in my life.

The good news is that my weight has stabilized... I've not lost anymore, but I haven't gained anymore either. For the moment, I'm simply maintaining and this is good.

Eventually, life will settle down and enable me to establish new and healthy routines. What is important, though, is to not let life's upheavals throw you off track. I have noticed a few bad traits reappear as I deal with the stress of each day, but for now I'm simply taking note of them and trying to address what drives them. Only with this understanding will I truly be able to change my habits for good.

How are you doing? Have any crazy stress in your life that sends you straight to the kitchen for a snack? I understand, truly I do! Drop me a note or leave a comment and tell me what you're dealing with and lets support each other in achieving our fat loss goals!

K

Still Going Down

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to New Year's!

This morning I decided to step on my scale and was delighted to learn that my weight is still going down even with all the holiday celebrations and goodies. My weight today is 174.5, which is down another three pounds since my last weigh-in.

The other good news to share is that I'm now officially wearing my size 10 jeans.

I'm doing the happy dance... again... !

How are you doing with your goals? The holidays can be tough for those trying to maintain or lose weight so don't get discouraged... just keep your goals in mind every time you lift some food to your mouth!

Happy New Year!

K

Another Great Milestone

The holidays are upon us and, already, the goodies are making their way into my home no matter how diligently I keep watch over the front door. The latest entry was home baked persimmon fruit cake. I have a Persimmon tree in my yard and usually give most of them away. In return, I always receive Persimmon baked goodies. This bread is sooooo delicious... I polished the entire thing off myself in less than a week. Oh my goodness......

Thinking about the wonderful bread I finished off last night, I was feeling a little guilty walking passed my scale this morning. I've been avoiding it and that's been on purpose. I don't mind gaining a few pounds during the holidays as long as I don't go overboard.  Five pounds, tops.

With this new thought in mind, I stepped on my scale. I might as well know where I'm at so come January 1st, the damages will be clearly identifiable.

All of this worry for nothing as when I stepped on the scale, I almost fell off as I couldn't believe what I saw.  My last weigh-in on November 4th I was 186.0.  Today.... well, a picture is worth a thousand words!

I almost fell off the scale when I saw this! Happy dance time...

That's 8 1/2 pounds in little over a month.... a great rate for losing unwanted FAT! I'm thinking I could be wearing my size 10's for Christmas!

How are you doing with your goals? I would love to hear from you and offer you some encouragement. Do drop me a note or leave a comment to let me know.

K

The Long Haul

I've been thinking a lot about what it takes to truly stick with something for the long haul. Whether its a career, marriage, civic involvement or something else, what drives a person to keep working at it over the years?

Of course, this question translates into one relevant for this blog: what drives a person to stick with changes they have made regarding lifestyle, especially after they have managed to take off a significant amount of weight?

This blog has documented my ability to achieve weight loss, no question about that, but this blog has also documented my inability to keep the weight off, which in my mind is the real victory. So what's going on?

For me, it all boils down to choices, but what drives those choices?

By far these days, my budget drives my food choices more than anything else. Currently unemployed, I find my trips to the grocery store to be strategically planned and executed. Trust me when I say, with limited funds, there is no junk food coming into my house these days simply because I refuse to spend my money on "junk." I'd rather buy a symphony ticket instead. When I'm working, though, I find that I do tend to purchase the junk and bring it into my home. I consider it a "treat" to have such things around, but is that really the right way to think about it? Instead of it being a treat, I should think of it as poison.

Time available and my current schedule also factor in. What have I committed myself to? Who has expectations of me? Where do I need to go and what do I need to get done? Have you ever asked yourself these questions at the beginning of a busy day? Do you remember also asking yourself when you'll get to take time for you? What will you have time to eat and when will you be able to get some activity into your day?

Finally, priorities is a consideration and, frankly, probably the most important as it applies to both budget and time, as well as many other aspects of our lives. What is your priority? Do you have a "big" priority for your life? Does it translate into your daily priorities? For myself, I find that I do have "big" priorities, but somehow they get lost in the daily needs of everyday life. Budget, time and the needs of others often crowd out what is a priority for me and my world.

I think this is an important realization and one that you may find in your life, too. Getting back to the original question, what drives our choices?, the bottom line becomes priority and what we give our time to each and every day.

Where are you on your priority list today?

K

Size 12

Nothing feels better when you're losing than walking into a trendy store and finding a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and are of a size that feels good to purchase.

This happened to me last week when I purchased a new pair of size 12 jeans at The Gap. I know, I know... some of you hate The Gap. I hate their prices, but their jeans fit me better than any other brand so I paid the money and came home happy.

As I enjoy my new jeans, I am already thinking about my next goal, size 10, which I previously achieved in January of 2010. I have a stack of size 10 jeans purchased throughout 2010 that I haven't been able to wear in months. As much as I like my new jeans, I cannot wait to wear all those size 10's again.

Also, I'll point something out here. Notice how I'm focusing on my "size" and not so much on my weight? I do step on the scale from time to time, but it is my size that matters to me. I know from previous "dunk" tests that I have a LOT of muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat so if I only focus on my weight, I could get discouraged. Using my clothes to gauge my size is a much better way to determine if my body is actually getting smaller and isn't that the goal? You can accomplish the same thing by regularly taking your measurements, but I find it easier just to use clothes for this... no numbers to track!

I'll end by giving myself yet another pat on the back for this achievement. Have you given yourself a pat on the back lately for something? If not, I encourage you to find something about yourself to be happy with - something real you can acknowledge and truly feel good about. I'm sure you'll think of something and when you do, give yourself the love and encouragement you deserve. Feeling good about yourself and your life will help you no matter what your size.