Staying Motivated

So, I've been feeling pretty good about myself. Getting lots of compliments from folks, fitting better in clothes, moving down clothing sizes, more energy, etc. But I realized this has made me slack off - both with cardio (which I always hate) and with food & my food journal. I'm nowhere close to where I want to be. So this week, I took a hard look in the mirror and am renewing my commitment to my health. Because this isn't about fitting into a certain size or seeing a certain number on the scale. This is about getting as healthy as I can and then staying healthy. I've made great strides to that goal, but I still have a ways to go.

So how to stay motivated?

Well, taking a hard look in the mirror helps. Yes, like most women, I'm overly critical on myself. But at the same time, I can't just think oh, I'm doing so good because my clothes are baggy. I have to appreciate my success, but then acknowledge I have many miles to go. For me, taking a hard look in the mirror sans clothes helps with this. I see areas that I'm still not happy with, which makes me put on the shoes and move, even if I don't want to.

I've also set up some rewards - both short and long term. First, if I do the cardio I need to do during the week and stick with that schedule for the month, then I'll reward myself with a new pair of shoes. Ahh... new shoes. Is there any better reward? Then, if I get to where I want by August (which is bathing suit ready), I'll go shopping for a new outfit PLUS shoes (always have to have the shoes & I'm thinking a really good pair, like Badgley Mischkas). Then my long term reward is a shopping spree for a new wardrobe. Because if WHEN I get to where I want, I'm gonna need them. ;-)

I want to encourage two things. First, in previous attempts to get healthy, I used certain foods as rewards (like ice cream). Clearly, this never worked for me and is almost counter-productive to my long term goals. I recommend using non-food rewards - whatever works for you. For me, it's shopping and shoes. Second, take out the "can't" and "ifs" in your vocabulary (notice I stuck out the "if" in the previous paragraph). Be like Yoda - do or do not, there is no try. It is amazing how changing your vocabulary will effect your mental state. I WILL do my cardio and WHEN I meet my goals, I get new shoes!
So, that's my plan for staying motivated.

Results at the end of Month 2

Today ended Month 2. At the end of the second month, I've lost 7.5 pounds and 7 total inches. Although the body fat % didn't go down that much, Jovonn was quite pleased to see I'm still losing significant inches, especially in the waist & hips, which is a difficult place to lose.

So only 6 more weeks to go, as I leave Carlisle on May 16. At the end of month 3, I'm hoping for another significant loss to rocket me into summer where I'll be doing this all on my own. With the days getting longer and warmer and my increased energy, I am trying to stay focused on my long term goals and not get discouraged by where I think I should be versus where I am. Let's just hope I can keep up this trend until I take the bar at the end of July.

One Step at a Time

It's been a few weeks, so here's the update.

Spring Break was the week of March 7. I went back to Tennessee with good intentions of getting out everyday & at least walking 30 minutes. Well... that just didn't happen. First, I was mentally exhausted. Second, it rained the majority of the week. But, I did keep to my goo eating habits and when I got back to Pennsylvania, I had lost a pound. A week off sometimes does you good.

Then back to working out regularly... well... again that didn't happen so well. The first week back, I did have 3 strength training session (an extra one to make up for my week gone). But I didn't make it into the gym on the other 2 days to just do cardio. But no worries. I still lost another 1.5 pounds.

So this week has been back on the bandwagon. I didn't make it Tuesday because of meetings and errands, and I hate going after 4:00pm because it gets so crowded. But I did go today and did my 75 minutes. The best part is I ran a 1/2 mile without stopping - and that's saying something since I run slow. Yep, I felt pretty darn awesome, especially considering 2 months ago I could barely run one minute. Plus, I'm doing low, mid & high incline intervals now. Here's what I did:

0-4 minute: 3.7 mph @ 5% incline
4-9 & change minute: 5.3 mph @ 1% (my 1/2 mile)
10-15: 3.7 mph @ 5%
15-20: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
20-25: 3.7 mph @ 2.5%
25-30: 5.3 mph @ 1%
30-35: 3.7mph @ 2.5%
35-40: 3.7 @ 5%
40-45: 3.5 mph @ 7.5%
45-47.30: 3.7 @ 2.5%
47.30-50: 5.2 @ 1%

Then I did 20 min on the eliptical. And although incredibly sweaty (I don't glisten, I sweat), I have felt fantastic since - almost hyper. It's incredible how much energy I have lately, then you add a runner's high on top of that. Oh man, what a great feeling.

Next Wednesday is my 2 month measurement. I'm a little nervous, but at least this time, the scale is starting to reflect my hard work. If you remember, my first month, the scale didn't move AT ALL! But I still lost 15 total inches and 2% body fat. So never go by the scale alone. But it is nice to see the scale move.

Until next Wednesday...