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MargieK

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  1. MargieK
    I've had good restriction for over 6 months now, and it still surprises me how much it can change from week to week. And what's funny is that I seem to forget this every month. Two weeks ago I was wondering if I should get a very small fill just to help me with these last 10 pounds. Then this past week I am so tight I have to watch how fast I drink my water and I'm down 2 pounds in one week (154.4 today – yay!). It seems to happen every month, about a week before and a week after my period I have only minimal restriction. And then right in the middle of my cycle I am really tight. I'm going through such wild hormonal changes I figured it would be best to get my fills in mid-cycle because I thought I'd be tighter when I got bloated right before my period. But it seems to have the opposite effect. Go figure. But after this past week I really don't want to be any tighter. I wish we could have the option to do our own fills. I love my fill doctor, but I really don't want to pay to see her every 2 weeks. So I'm writing this post so I can look at it in 2 weeks and remind myself that I do NOT want more restriction. This is good right here. It hurts to drink big gulps of water and I'm still full hours after I eat. I just drank some water now after our walk and I think dinner is still there 1 1/2 hours later.
    So here I am, PMS week is next week and I am feeling extra motivated because I broke through my plateau. Plus I am coming up on the last week of my 8 week challenge and I'm so proud of myself for making it this far. I have been thinking about the next big goal and I think I'm going to do the 18 week challenge from Bill Phillips – see www. transformation.com
    I think I might do 2 steps per week and see if I can do it in 9 weeks. I get bored after about 6 weeks, and I think I've already got a lot of momentum going from the last 6 months. I don't have the book yet, but I should have it this week. My 1st year bandiversary is coming up in September and I really, really want to be at my goal weight by then. Just about 10 more pounds and I'm there. I am so happy to know that I will not put back on the weight as easily as I have done in the past. I don't think I will put it back on, but if I do at least I know I won't let it get out of hand again. I'm really celebrating freedom this 4th of July.
    ----------------------------------------------
    Goals for week - focus on healthy snacking, continue with protein beg. of every meal, increase exercise intensity, strength training
    Wed-
    Exercise: 20 + 25 + = .75
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: too many sweets
    Thurs-
    Exercise: 60 + 25 + 10= 1 hr 35
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: 1 good, 1 not-so-good
    Fri-
    Exercise: 30 + 25 + 15 = 1 hr 10 min
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: lots of fruit & veggies
    Sat-
    Exercise: 90 + 25+ 20 = 2 hr 15
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: half good
    Sun-
    Exercise: 25 +15 + 20= 1 hr
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: excellent!
  2. MargieK
    Wow, I can't believe I'm starting my final week and I have less than 10 hours of exercise to hit my goal. I even got to 153.8 on the scale yesterday morning so I'm going to count that as 4 pounds lost in 7 weeks. I'm hoping to maintain that in the next week, which is a good goal for pms week. I am feeling great - had a hard time getting to my exercise goal this past week because of a big work project, but that was done Wed. morning and I am now back to a somewhat normal pace. And I even lost weight during all that stress. I'm not sure if it's from good restriction or if all my emotional work is really paying off. Food just doesn't have as much allure as it used to when I'm feeling upset or stressed out. Now I am turning to exercise and yoga stretches. It's so nice to be in this place.
    I am so excited about my trip next week. I want to decide on my next big goal before this one ends. This daily tracking of exercise and eating habits has really worked for me. I still can't believe it's been almost two months since I've been doing this. Slow and steady always works for me in the long run. I'm not a very patient person, so I have to keep reminding myself that I will get there eventually. And this time I'll be able to stay there. That is the best part.
    Goals for final week - focus on veggies for snacking, continue with protein beg. of every meal, increase exercise intensity, strength training
    Mon-
    Exercise: 1 hr 15 + 20 + = 1 hr 35 (ent 1.5) 5 min over
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: great

    Tues-
    Exercise: 20 +10 + 15 = 45 (ent .75) still 5 over
    Eating goals: good - not very hungry
    snacks: very good
    Wed-
    Exercise: 30 +50 +20 = 1 hr 40 (ent 1.75)
    Eating goals: missed lunch
    snacks: not good -craving salt & carbs (pms)
  3. MargieK
    This is my very first blog post. I don't know if anyone will ever read this, but I'm going to use it as a motivational tool for the next two months. I realized today that I have exactly 8 weeks to go before I take a trip in July to see some work colleagues who I usually only see once a year. Last July I was pretty depressed about my weight and hadn't made the decision to be banded yet. I got banded in Sept. and am really happy with the results right now, 8 months later. I'm at 158 pounds right now, and would love to be in the 149s this summer.
    So my goal is 1 pound per week for the next 8 weeks. I think that is doable for me. I'm going to use this blog to make myself accountable to my weekly goals.
    Today my goal is to get 1 hour of exercise in today and eat less food for dinner than I did last night. I have gotten a little sloppy in the amount of food I've been putting on my plate. So I'm going back to eating out of a bowl, and having about a handful of protein and about a cup of veggies.
    One small goal each day, I know that's all I need to do to stay on track.
  4. MargieK
    My third week of my 7 week fitness challenge had some ups, and some downs. I am doing great on my fitness routine. I went to the gym twice, and have an appointment with a trainer on Thursday.The little muscles on my arms are starting to pop out (love the rowing machine) and I have achieved some of my goal levels already. I made an appointment with a trainer at my gym for a fitness test. I know that I need actual numbers to help motivate me, so this is just one more gimmick to help me stay on track.
    I was looking at my spreadsheet where I keep track of all my hours and everything. I had started out setting goals of about 5 hours a week so I wouldn't overwhelm myself starting out. But now I really need to do about 8 hours a week to make sure I complete my goal on time. I think I can do that, this past week I did almost 8 hours. I didn't make it to the ski park yesterday, but I'm going to try again this week. Or else do a really long hike - or two fitness classes at the gym. What really helps is for me to have a plan B and a plan C, and keep track during the week so I know if I need to adjust.
    So my goals for this coming week include 8 hours of exercise, and getting back on track with my eating habits. I think my hormones may be a little out of control, and I'm hoping the scale is just showing extra water retention. I am happy that I am doing well on the fitness, and I know once I get back into feeling more fit then I usually start eating better too.
    Once I hit 25 hours I will be half-way there. It should happen in the middle of this week, but it might be closer to the end. It feels good to be almost half-way there, but it is also a little scary because I realize I'm running out of time until my trip. But whatever it is, it is.When I count my blessings I realize I have a lot to be thankful for. And I am going to celebrate when I reach my goal, no matter how long it takes to get there.
  5. MargieK
    I made my fitness goal for the week - did better than goal actually. And I made it to the gym twice. So far so good. I have been keeping track of my fitness hours in a Google spreadsheet, and I just finished planning out the coming week. It really helps to plan out every day, and have backup plans if something doesn't work out.
    My goals for week 2 include doing a little more than I did last week, and also cutting back on the sweets a little more. I need to remember my goal when I find myself at the grocery store with all the Easter candy displays. It's crazy how the holidays end up being all about treats and food. But it's all up to me, and I can choose differently.
    One week at a time, that's all it takes. One day... and one meal at a time too.
  6. MargieK

    New fitness challenge

    By MargieK,

    Today starts my new challenge. I was so successful the last time I did this blog last summer. Even though I don't know if anyone will read this, I was surprised how motivating it was to check in every week and report on making my goals.
    My target date for this new challenge is the first weekend of May. I will be seeing some family then, and I want to be healthy and fit and look great. That gives me 7 weeks, and instead of trying to do 10 hours a week of exercise, I'm going to shoot for 7 and make 50 hours my goal. I would also like to be wearing a size 8, but that is not as important as getting back on track with my fitness goals.
    I haven't posted anything since last July, but my band has been working pretty good for me. For those of you who are wondering, I have been at a plateau around 158 lbs. I am wearing a size 10, and most times my pants are loose. I feel great and I think this is pretty good for going through the hormonal changes. After going crazy on sweets over the holidays I finally found the right eating plan that works for me. It is mostly veggies and healthy fats, with some very dark chocolate every day. I don't really like dark chocolate, so I won't binge on it.
    Since last fall the only exercise I have been doing is walking our dogs every day. I actually made it to the gym today and I am so proud of myself. My goals for this week are to make it to the gym one more time this week, and get about 4 hours of cardio in this week. I am going to work into to my weekly goals slowly, I have learned that making realistic goals each week is what will be successful in the long run.
    Now I just have to remember how to change the little gadget thing on my blog
  7. MargieK

    Starting week 7

    By MargieK,

    I have been so busy with work the last 2 weeks I haven't had a chance to write my blog. But I have been keeping up with the exercise even though I've had to do a lot of driving to meetings and classes. I started teaching a summer class at night, which really screws up my schedule. I'm thinking this is why I have such weird night time eating habits. But… no excuses. I am so happy my band keeps me from eating huge amounts of food at night on the drive home. I will be ending my 8 week challenge exactly two weeks from today. I'm already starting to think about my next big goal. I want to change things up, I'm already feeling a little bit bored with this one. But I am still in awe that I've actually done 10 hours a week for 6 weeks. I almost didn't make it this past week. I tweaked my knee while gardening so I took it easy for a few days. I love that I bought a cheap knee brace years ago and I can just put it on to help me not twist or hyper-extend it.
    Oh, and I was at 155 for two days this week, but the scale crept back up today so I'll just see what happens. It's kind of funny because almost all the clothes I have are baggy on me. But I just don't want to buy anything right now. I am planning on going shopping on the way home from seeing my friends in two weeks. I figure that will help motivate me to not each too much chocolate while I'm there. I would really like to be able to wear the size medium pants I bought. I'm not quite there yet, but I know I will be wearing them sometime this summer.
    I've got a big deadline to meet the end of this week, but then I think things will slow down a little for me and I can start going back to the gym. So… my goal for the next 7 days is to go to the gym on Friday and do some weights at home this weekend. I also want to start my morning walks a little earlier since it's getting pretty hot during the day. For eating, I'm going to keep on watching my snacking. I also need to figure out a better eating plan for the nights I teach. Then I only have one more week after that. It's still hard to believe that I've been doing this for 6 weeks.
    Goals for week 5 - focus on healthy snacking, continue with protein beg. of every meal, increase exercise intensity
    Thurs-
    Exercise: 1 hr 20 min + 15 + 10 = 1.75
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: had cookies, but no late night eating
    Fri-
    Exercise: 20 +10 + 20= 50
    Eating goals:good
    snacks: so -so, no night eating : )
    Sat-
    Exercise: 25 +20 + 25= 1 hr 10 min
    Eating goals: y
    snacks: not good
    Sun-
    Exercise: 20 +20 + 15 = 55 min (
    Eating goals: ok
    snacks: too many calories
    Mon-
    Exercise: 1 hr 40 min + 35 + 40 = 2 hr 55 min
    Eating goals: missed dinner
    snacks: could have been worse

    Tues-
    Exercise: 25 + 20 + 30 (arm weights at home) = 1.25
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: good
    Wed-
    Exercise: 25 + 30 + = 55
    Eating goals: dinner on the run
    snacks: not good
    Thurs-
    Exercise: 65 + 15 + 15 = 1 hr 35 min
    Eating goals: ok
    snacks: ok
    Fri-
    Exercise: 20 + 20 = 40 min
    Eating goals: ok
    snacks: ok
    Sat-
    Exercise: 20 +20 +15 = 55 min
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: ok
    Sun-
    Exercise: 30 +15 = 60 min
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: good
    Mon-
    Exercise: 35 +20 + 85 = 2 hr 20 min
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: not so good (late night cookies after class)
    Tues-
    Exercise: 55 + 15 + 20 + 15 = 1 hr 45
    Eating goals: good
    snacks: ok
  8. MargieK
    I am feeling very good today. I finished a big work project last night and what was even better was that I didn't do a lot of stress eating this week. I took a lot of little exercise breaks instead of lots of big eating breaks. Working at home can be tough, but I found that it really helps to have fruit and other healthy snacks. My plan to get back to band eating rules has also really helped. I don't crave carbs as much, and then I don't have the sugar rushes and crashes if I eat too many carbs as snacks.
    It's really interesting keeping track of all of this. I do not like to food journal at all, but I love keeping track of my exercise minutes and since I'm doing that it's been pretty easy to put a y or n down for every meal for keeping on track with my goals. It really helps seeing it in black and white every week as feedback on whether my strategies are working or not. So my second celebration this week is that I am back on track with eating protein at every meal. And really it just took some simple fixes, but it took me awhile to figure it out. What I need to do is make sure I make it very convenient for myself. I usually don't feel like cooking at lunch, so I need to make sure I have sliced turkey or chicken in the fridge, cans of salmon (got tired of tuna) and leftovers ready to heat and eat (or mix cold in a salad). Just that simple strategy of buying the right stuff at the store has made a huge difference.
    Oh, and I'm also celebrating that I am getting fitter and healthier - and smaller. I try to not make a big deal out of the number on the scale, but it is so so nice to see some movement in the right direction. I was at 157.8 this morning, which is down over a pound from last week. I think I'm just going to stick with a pound a week and not stress about the scale. What was really nice today was that I tried on some size medium pants I bought a few weeks ago. I knew they would be too tight, but they were on sale and most of my other clothes are so baggy. Today they are just a little tight, I'm thinking I'll be able to wear them in another week or two. And my butt is looking perkier - all this hill climbing is paying off.
    Which brings me to my last celebration. There are now less hours on the ticker for the remaining number -I am over half way to my goal. I've also noticed in the last week that I can up the intensity of my hikes. I am now going farther in the same amount of time. When I started my goal of 10 hours per week I honestly didn't think I'd be able to do it every week. I thought I'd be starting out slow and then doing extra time at the end to catch up. But after a month it is actually starting to feel routine (total surprise to me). Sometimes I still can't believe I'm actually doing this every week. So these next 4 weeks I am going to start doing some interval training on my longer hikes and try out some other ideas for high intensity stuff. Can't wait to get into those size mediums. It's got to be over 10 years since I've been able to do that. ... and the fact that I'm doing this in a healthy way - now that's something to really celebrate.
    Goals for week 4 - protein beg. of every meal, 2 snacks (1 healthy)
    Thurs-
    Exercise: 1.75 hrs (yes!) + 30 +15 =2.5
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: yes
    lunch: yes
    dinner: yes
    snacks: good
    Fri-
    Exercise: 20 + 20 + 10 = 50
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: good - until late night
    Sat-
    Exercise: 20 + 20 +15 = 55
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: y (no night snacking:))
    Sun-
    Exercise: 30 +30 + 20 = 1 hr 20 min
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: so-so
    Mon-
    Exercise: 1.5 (makes goal!) + 10= 1 hr 40 min
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: n (work stress)

    Tues-
    Exercise: 30 + 20 = 50
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: n
    Wed-
    Exercise: 25 + 20 + 10 = 55
    Eating goals:
    breakfast: y
    lunch: y
    dinner: y
    snacks: good, except for late night eating
  9. MargieK
    I have been very busy with work so I didn't do my normal weekend update. I'm doing great on my workouts, it's only Thursday (2 days into week 4) and I'm already over 35 hours. I have got a very good habit for getting my 10 hours per week, so I'm not even going to plan my daily goals there. What I need to work on is my eating plan. I've still got a few more weeks of intense work stuff (which sometimes causes stress eating), so my goal for the next week is to continue starting my meals with protein, and keeping my snacks down to 2 per day. My snacking has gotten out of hand the last month, I think mainly because I wasn't eating protein at meals (well, that and PMS). I weighed in at 159 today, the scale hasn't budged but I'm pretty sure I lost some inches. I think I might revise my weightloss goal from losing 8 lbs by July 15 to losing 5 pounds and getting to 154 by July 15th. But I'll wait until next Wed to decide, when I'm at my half-way point on my 8 week goal.
    I was feeling a little discouraged earlier this week, but I got a lot of hiking/walking in today and I'm feeling much better about myself right now. I'm changing my lifestyle, and sometimes you just have to keep experimenting to find something that works. Being really strict about my food now would just result in rebelling later (and major food eating spells). My lowest weight in the past 10 years has been about 162. So I'm maintaining at a little bit below that and I can appreciate that I'm in for the long run, not just the sprint to quick weightloss and then gaining it all back plus more. Been there done that way too many times.
    But I will be pretty happy to report that the scale is moving in the right direction, so I am going to keep trying new strategies every week until I figure out what will work for me.
    Thurs- do 2 or 3 dog walks = 1 hr
    Actual exercise: 30 + 20 + 20 = 1 hr 10 min
    Eating goal: dinner yes
    Fri- gym?, 3 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual exercise: 30 + 25 = 55
    Eating goal: yes lunch, had beans for dinner
    Sat- long walk or video = 2 hrs
    Actual exercise: 1 hr 25 min + 20 + = 1 hr 45 min
    Eating goal: yes!
    Sun- do 2 or 3 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual exercise: 15 + 20 +15 + 20 = 1 hr 10 min
    Eating goal: yes
    Mon- long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual exercise: 1 hr 50 min +20 = 2 hr 10 min
    Eating goal: dinner yes
    Tues- 2 dog walks = 1 hr
    Actual exercise: 20 + 30 + 20= 1 hr 10 min
    Eating goal: yes
    Wed- try something new = 1.5 hr
    Actual exercise: 30 = 30
    Eating goal: yes
    Thurs:
    1.75 hrs (yes!) + 30 +15 =2.5
    Eating goal: yes
  10. MargieK
    Today marks the beginning of week 3 of 8. I met my exercise goal of 10 hours for the second week in a row. Hooray!! My weight, however, has remained at 159. Which is either good or better, considering this is PMS week and I usually gain 2 lbs in water weight before my period. I've also had a couple of chocolate binges this week. It's so weird how chocolate makes me feel better. One thing I have done to limit the calories on my binges is to not just eat chocolate by itself. Too much of a slider, so I make sure it's attached to protein (best choice) or some kind of flour or other filling stuff. My thinking is that if I deprive myself of chocolate, I'll go even more crazy on the binges. I may be justifying here, but I think it's also good to be realistic.
    My hormones have been out of control the past few years. Since I got the band I have real hope of getting through perimenopause alive. I think it's mainly because of the exercise, but we've also been eating a lot better since I have to be so mindful about what goes into my mouth now. So... back to being realistic. I am not losing as quickly as I'd like, but my clothes fit pretty good and I am so much happier and healthier now. So the scale isn't cooperating, but that is something that will happen eventually. Or, maybe not for a few more years, but honestly, I could live with my current weight and still be happy. I am so glad I got the band when I did, things would be a lot worse now if I hadn't. I can be happy where I am because I know I could easily be 50 pounds heavier than I am right now. But... I am going to keep my weight goal for another two weeks and then re-evaluate at the 4 week mark. By then I'll know if I can get back on track with the bandster eating rules.
    Speaking of which, I created a new ticker to help motivate me. It takes 3 weeks to turn an action into a habit, so I'm counting the days I succeed. It might get a little tedious updating 2 tickers every day, but I really like seeing the visual results. I've only been doing the eating goal for 4 days now, but I am really learning how my daily schedule is not helping me. Will have to think about that for a few more days to figure out a new plan.
    Here are my results and plan for the rest of the week:
    Goals for next 4 days
    Fitness goals are specific per day, eating goal for the 4 days is to have 4-6 oz of meat protein at the beginning of lunch and dinner.
    Sun- do 2 or 3 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual exercise: 25 + 20 + 20 = 1 hr 5 min
    Eating goal: snacked thru lunch, good on dinner
    Mon- long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual exercise: 1 hr 20 min + 20 +20= 2
    Eating goal: yes!
    Tues- gym (easy workout), 2 dog walks = 1.5 hr
    Actual exercise: 20 + 15 +20 = 55
    Eating goal: yes
    Wed- try something new = 1.5 hr
    Actual exercise: 1 hr 10 min + 1 hr 5 min (gym) +15 = 2.5
    Eating goal: yes (barely)
    Goals for next 3 days
    Thurs- do 2 or 3 dog walks = 1 hr
    Actual exercise:
    Eating goal:
    Fri- gym?, 3 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual exercise:
    Eating goal:
    Sat- long walk or video = 2 hrs
    Actual exercise:
    Eating goal:
  11. MargieK

    First week results

    By MargieK,

    Week 1 down, 7 more to go. I am thrilled that I actually exceeded my 10 hour exercise goal. I had over 10 hours by Monday, so it was nice to really take it easy on Tuesday and just do 2 regular dog walks and nothing else. It was cold and rainy yesterday and there is supposed to be more of the same the rest of this week. But I got a new workout from Blockbuster in the mail yesterday. We increased our Blockbuster online plan from 2 movies at a time to 3 and now I just make sure I always have a workout video to do at home. FitTV also has workouts during the day that I can do to switch things up. One thing I know for sure is that I get bored doing the same thing week after week. It's a good thing there are so many old logging roads around our house. I can pick a different trail/road every day.
    And I made it to the gym on Sunday, I hadn't been there since the middle of April. Hooray! I know I just need to get started a few times with the gym and then it will start to become a habit again. I think it helps to be balanced in my workouts, and I always end my weight workout with about 20 minutes of yoga stretches. Actually, the yoga is like my reward for the workout. My gym has this giant padded table and I love to do my 'floor' work on this nice comfy table.
    As for my weight goal.. well, let's see how I can put a positive spin on this. I am up about a pound since last week. It's disappointing, but not surprising given that my husband and I went on a little bit of a dessert binge last week. But that's ok. I gave myself 8 weeks to lose 8 pounds, and when I'm really in alignment with myself I can lose 2 to 3 pounds per week. I know it's just my wild child rebelling a little bit, but I can calm that down once I get my exercise routine in full swing. I started rereading Martha Beck's 4 Day Win book to help me deal with this. I highly recommend this book. I'll have to write more about this in another blog post, it's getting time to walk the dogs.
    Excercise Goals for past three days:
    Sunday - go to gym, do 1 or 2 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual - 20 +20 + 30 + 60 (gym) = 2 hrs 10 min
    Monday - long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual - 65 min in am, + 15 = 1 hr 20 min
    Tuesday - easy day, 3 short dog walks = 1 hr
    Actual - 20 + 25 = 45 min
    Weight goal: started at 158, goal for week 1 was 157.
    Actual - 159 on 5/26
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------
    Excercise Goals for next three days:
    Wed- go to gym, do 1 or 2 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual -
    Thurs- long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual -
    Fri- gym?, 3 dog walks = 1.5 hr
    Actual -
    Weight goal: started week 2 at 159, goal for 6/2 is 158. (PMS week and I usually gain 2 lbs, so this might be pushing it).
    Actual -
  12. MargieK
    It's Sunday morning, and I'm half-way through my 2nd week of my 8 week big goal, which is to lose 8 pounds and log 80 hours of exercise. I learned about big goals from the fitness coach I hired last November. It was such a good investment. I'm pretty good at setting goals anyways, but she taught me the value of having daily/weekly plans and goals that lead up to a big goal. She also taught me how important it is to have some kind of public accountability. So that's what this blog is, and I'm surprised how much it is working for me. It is giving me that added motivation to figure out why I can't seem to stick to my eating plan, but I am doing the exercise plan, which I thought would be a lot harder.
    So back to the subject of big goals. What a big goal does is help give you some focus for setting weekly and then daily goals. It should be something that you can think about and smile, something that is big enough to help motivate you through the tough spots. I picked 8 weeks for my goal because I'm taking a trip to see some really good friends in mid July. Most of them I haven't seen since last July, when I was much heavier and extremely depressed about my weight. There are so many different levels of motivation for this goal - it's perfect. But... a week and a half in I can see how well I'm doing on the exercise (pleasantly surprised on that one) but I am doing terrible on seeing the scale move in the right direction. One pound a week should not be that hard given all the exercise I'm doing and the fact I have this band that doesn't let me eat too much at one time.
    Since I'm coming to my draft blog every day writing in my exercise times and then logging them into the ticker every night - it became very obvious why I'm not doing well with eating. It's because I'm not doing a daily plan like I am for the exercise. One thing about having goals that actually work, they need to be specific, measurable, and have a time element. (Google SMART goals if you want to find out more). I need to have a daily plan for my eating - and it needs to be one that will actually work for me. What I like about my exercise plan is that I can choose what I want to do, I just need to get the minutes in. And if I don't make them on one day, I always have a plan B in place to catch up the next day.
    For my eating plan I know what doesn't work for me. I don't like counting calories and keeping track of everything I eat. But I do like being mindful of how much I'm eating and the total calories for the meal. I did really well when I was following the band rules, but I just got tired of eating meat at every meal. I do really well on a diet of protein, veggies, and good fats. But I just don't like eating meat that much. So the past month or so I have been focusing on cheeses and beans for my protein. The problem is that these are kind of like slider foods for me. They fill me up, but they just don't have the staying power that 6 oz of chicken or turkey does for me. I guess that's what happens with the band, you are continally finding out what does and doesn't work.
    This blog entry is getting really long, so I'll wrap it up. Thanks to anyone who has read this far, I hope my learning process helps someone sometime. So today I've got my exercise results and my plan for the next 4 days listed below. And starting today I am going to start with some specific eating goals for me (that are reasonable given this is PMS week). I am going to try Martha Beck's 4 day win strategy from her book, 4-day win. I am almost finished with reading the book for the 3rd time, but I've actually never done the process she recommends. I guess I'm finally ready to try it. So my first set of goals will be to get back in the habit of eating meat protein for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is not something I have a problem with, so I'm leaving that alone. Once I get back in the habit of doing that I think it will be easier to cut back on the snacking and other things I'm doing to sabotage myself.
    Accomplishments for last 4 days
    Wed- go to gym, do 1 or 2 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual - 20 + 75 (gym) + 30 = 2 hrs 5 min
    Big win - did not stop at the store after the gym for a treat!!!
    Thurs- long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual - 70 min + 30 + 30= 2 hrs 10 min
    Fri- gym?, 3 dog walks = 1.5 hr
    Actual - 20 + 15 = 35
    Sat- ? = 1.5 hr
    Actual - 1.75 (weights at home + hike) +20 = 2 hr 5 min
    ==============
    Goals for next 4 days
    Fitness goals are specific per day, eating goal for the 4 days is to have 4-6 oz of meat protein at the beginning of lunch and dinner.
    Sun- do 2 or 3 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Actual :
    Mon- long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Actual :
    Tues- gym (easy workout), 2 dog walks = 1.5 hr
    Actual :
    Wed- try something new = 1.5 hr
    Actual :
  13. MargieK
    I did 1 hour and 45 minutes on my dog hike today. Thank goodness I have two young dogs who love to hike in the woods as much as I do. My hardest thing with exercise is getting started and they have no problem letting me know when it's time for a walk - 3 times a day, every single day, rain or shine. It was actually snowing this morning when we took off. I figured I would do an hour, but we just kept going. 1 hour and 45 minutes - woo hoo! I already updated the ticker, but I still have two more walks left for today.
    I started thinking about my goal of 10 hours of exercise every week and I was wondering if that was too much. I usually do 8 hours a week, so I didn't think 10 hours would be that much of a stretch. But then I figured out it would be 1 1/2 hours a day 6 days a week, and an hour on my rest day. I'm going to keep the 80 hours on my ticker, but if it takes me 9 or 10 weeks to complete it that's ok. It's still a good goal to shoot for and I think I can do it if nothing totally unexpected happens.
    I also figured out that I can save my blog posts as a draft, so I've been recording my exercise every day and I think I"ll just post on Saturdays and Wednesdays. I weigh myself almost every day, but I'll report on my weight on those two days as well. So here is the recap:
    Thursday I did a little over an hour and curbed my dinner time eating.
    Friday: morning: 1 hr 10 min walk, plus 10 and 15 = 1.5 total.
    Eating was not good yesterday. I was hungry all day long, but I did focus on fruits and veggies as much as I could. I made a veggie curry for dinner and that was pretty good. I do best on a diet of high protein, veggies, and good fats, but I'm just not that into meat right now.
    Sat: 1.75 hrs morning, will record rest later. Edit - did another hour, so the total for the day is 2.75 hours. If I can do this two days I week I'll be able to make my goal no problem.
    Plan for next few days:
    Sunday - go to gym, do 1 or 2 dog walks = 1.5 hrs
    Monday - long hike day, plus 1 or 2 more walks = 2 hrs
    Tuesday - easy day, 3 short dog walks = 1 hr
    Wed - gym again, 2 dog walks = 1.75 hrs
  14. MargieK
    It's noon on Thursday and I had a great nsv (non-scale victory) today. The scale has stayed the same over the last month or so, but today I tried on a pair of pants that have been too tight in the thighs. I only tried them on because I didn't want to wear my baggy jeans and I it was too cold this morning to wear my capri pants. Surprise, surprise, they fit! And they didn't fit two weeks ago, so I've lost inches even though I haven't lost pounds. I am so happy. This is exactly what I needed to help motivate me to the next step.
    Yesterday I did meet my two goals
    Exercise: about 45 min dog walks, 45 min tv dance workout. It was raining most of the day, so this was pretty good.
    Dinner: did eat my goal portion, but didn't do so well on eating the rest of the day. Oh well, at least I did a few things right.
    Today I'm keeping the same goals. One great thing I learned from my fitness coach is if you don't meet a goal, don't try to overdo things to catch up. Just keep it the same until you do succeed (or figure out why it's not working).
    I'm still smiling about the black pants. They were even a bit baggy when we got home.
  15. MargieK

    Two weeks down

    By MargieK,

    The second week is done and I'm slightly ahead of my goal. I only made it to the gym once but I am already feeling stronger and fitter. We had some crazy weather so I'm glad I did get all my cardio in for the week. My eating was better this past week as well, I am hoping to continue that this coming week.
    Usually the first couple weeks of a goal are easy, you have the motivation from a new beginning. But the following through part can be tough. I am hoping to get a day of cross county skiing in next week. I haven't been skiing all winter and I just found out the park is closing on April 10. It is a great way to get in cardio for me, it's just a hassle because I have to drive about an hour and a half to get there. I"m hoping I can meet up with a friend, but it's hard to plan because the weather can be crazy this time of year. Geez, it feels like I have nothing but excuses. OK, so that's what having a plan B and even a plan C is all about.
    So my goal this week is to stay on track and do at least two days of weight workouts. I also want to do a little better on eating this week than I did last week. I also need to find my list of non-food rewards. It's crazy that I have to write a list - food unfortunately is my first choice. But I have to keep remembering my ultimate goal - I want to look great in the pictures that will be taken on my trips in May. I am feeling good, and I want to feel even better. I've got a little over 5 weeks left - I can do this!
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