michebill

I reached my first mini goal finally.  I’m actually 1 pound below my mini goal and I’m down 17 pounds since May.  I’m pretty psyched!!

Not resting on laurels, I’ve already set another mini goal to lose another 11 pounds.   Setting goals and having this site to track progress and blog really helps keep me going.  I really appreciate the encouragement I’m getting from other members.  I’m also getting tons of benefits from losing weight.  I noticed on my walk this morning that my pace is improving dramatically.  Then, while I was song leading in church today, I noticed that I my breathing and singing are stronger.  I have lots and lots of reasons to keep going.

I am 2 pounds from reaching my mini goal.  One of my goals this week is to finally reach my mini goal. 

Coming off a week of vacation and Labor day, I need to refocus and step it up.  I will add two strength/toning workouts to my schedule, as well as increasing my workouts to 40 min - 1 hr.

Starting Dr. Ian’s new 4 day diet plan.  A bit more complicated than the Dr. Ian Fat Smah plan, but the shorter module eating plans should help me to avoid boredom with eating plan.

My major goal for this week is to get a family membership for the YMCA.  I want to make sure I have workout alternatives lined up for when it gets to cold for walking outside.

Haven’t updated my blog for awhile.  Too much time on FB and MapMyWalk.  Anyway, I came back to my blog because I’ve hit a plateau in my weight loss.  I’ve been bout the same weight for about three weeks which is making me a little bummed and frustrated. 

BUT I’m glad I came back to my blog because while updating my Tracker I realized that although I’m still haven’t reached my Mini Goal, I am down 10 pounds from where I started!  I’ve earned a red star which is very cool.  So, once again, I’m not moving fast, but I’m moving.  My walking and training routines have changed my body and lifestyle.  I enjoy walking and working out.  I’m down about 2 sizes and I feel better about my body image. 

I am anxious to get to my Mini Goal, get my BMI into the 20’s, and most of all start running.  So, the plateau is frustrating.  But, I’ve come pretty far in the past couple of months and persistence is paying off. 

I’m in a 10mi race tomorrow and planning to participate in a 10K walk Labor Day weekend; gearing up for the Freep 1/2 Marathon in October.  Back in May when I started my blog, I’m not sure I imagined being this active and having this much fun!

I am down 9 pounds!

Over the past few weeks, there were days that I didn’t think I’d ever see progress.  I seem to be past that wall and back on track with my first mini goal. 

I am so into my 1/2 marathon training program that I was able to keep focused on those goals during the time the weight loss seemed impossible.  Now things seem to be coming together!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had ups and downs with my weight loss.  I am a little discouraged by the fact that I”m not as close to my mini goal as I’d planned to be.  I really wanted to be in a better place by my b-day.  Not making this goal in the time I’d planned is definitely bad news.

Now for the good news.  I started a walking regimen about 2 weeks ago and have stuck with it.  I decided to register for a few walking events over the summer and I’m training for 1/2 marathons in the fall.  I really love it!  That’s not just good news, its GREAT news.

So, I will hit my 45th birthday much heavier than I want to and I have a big famiy event to attend next weekend and I’ll hate the ‘fat pictures’ that will come out of it.  But, I’m on a really exciting journey.  I’m challenging myself in a number of ways and I feel really good about that. I am sticking to a good eating plan.  I’m not perfect on the eating, but I’m sticking to it.

 Bottom line, the bad news is that I’m not where I’d planned to be.  The good news is that if I keep on my current path, I will be able to achieve my goals for fitness, life balance, and weight loss.

So I’ve now completed the first week of my fitness plan and lost about 6 pounds!  I started the week struggling to get into an exercise routine and finished the week pretty psyched about working out.  All in all, it was a good week.

I must admit, there were a couple of pitfalls.  It is really difficult to totally cut out alcohol, but I am working hard to manage those extra calories! 

This week (Week 2) I’m going to continue working on exercise.  I started wearing my pedometer to track my steps daily.  Although my work schedule did not allow me to get in a mid-day walk today, the pedometer is a reminder that at some point today, I need to get in additional steps.  For some reason I like the silent visual nagging.

My plan is to also move from phase 1 (detox) of the Fat Smash diet to phase 2.  Phase 1 is great because you get quick results, but excluding meat and other proteins for too long is not good, so I want to gradually add those items back into my diet. 

So, Week 2 is off to a good start.  My energy level is higher than its been in a while and I’m excited about the progress I’ve made so far.  In six more weeks, I am planning to celebrate my birthday a few pounds lighter and maybe a size smaller!

I am on my third day of recommitting to my fitness plan and goals.  When I weighed this morning, I was down two pounds!  This is encouraging weight loss, which I really need to help keep me focused.

I have started working in short exercise routines into my schedule.  Ten minutes to fifteen minutes here and there just to make sure I get in some type of aerobic exercise each day.  I know this level of exercise won’t get me where I need to be, but its a start.  If I add one or two minutes each session, I will eventually get to 20 - 30+ minute sessions.

I broke my rule about alcohol.  I had a glass of wine after work with a colleague.  Social drinking is such a challenge for me!  I know drinking impedes the weight loss process, but its a struggle to totally avoid alcohol. 

I’ve been working on my weight loss goals for some time.  I have to admit I’m definitely a yo-yo dieter.  I’m hoping that doing some blogging and putting some thought into why I keep falling off the wagon might help me. 

I’m starting the 9 day detox of the Fat Smash diet today.  I’ve done this diet off and on for the past year and it works pretty well for me when I stick to it.  My 45th birthday is about six weeks away and I want to be at a lower BMI and weight before the big day.

In addition to sticking to the Fat Smash plan, I need to improve my consistency on workouts. I’m working out only once or twice a week. I need a minimum of five times a week for the Fat Smash plan. I’ve seen the best results when I’m working out three or four days a week. To improve working out, I need to get on a schedule of morning workout and add walking @ work. I HATE getting up in the mornings. I’m going to try getting to bed earlier, which means I’ll need to give up my addiction to FB Texas Hold ‘em! That really blows. Its a matter of choices and my weight loss goals are more important than poker tournament play.

Food Log

Exercise Log