You're not a dog!

How many of us automatically think about food when we think about celebrations?  Need to celebrate something?  Go out to dinner!  Miss your friends?  Meet them for happy hour.  So much of our lives revolve around food.  It's normal, obviously we need to eat.  However, I know I need to remind myself every now and then that food should not be a reward.  If I could only get it through my skull that food should only be looked at as fuel for your body instead of something to take pleasure in dieting would be a lot easier.

I've been back on the treadmill this week, Monday and Tuesday so far.  It has been easier with the time change so it's not pitch black out at 6am now.

There may also be talk of another get together with my internet friends next year with a race as the focal point and I'd like to be able to participate in the 5k if it happens.  Even if it doesn't happen, it's a good goal to work towards.  I certainly know I could walk a 5k, but it would be great if I could actually jog/run it.  We'll see!

Off the wagon

In all honesty, I've been very terrible about exercising since the Boston trip.  For the past two and a half weeks I haven't exercised at all.  It has been a combination of a cold, a busy Halloween schedule and being lazy.  Really there isn't any valid excuse.

The good news is that I haven't gained any weight back.  I am down 12.2 pounds, but I know I need to get back on the treadmill if I want to see any more off (which I do).

In the effort of full disclosure, I'm putting it out there.  Trying to hold myself accountable to the internet world.  Sometimes you just need that extra kick in the pants to get back on track.

Nobody's perfect...

Nobody's perfect, and if they are?  I don't want to meet them.

This morning I was awake from about 3:30-6:00am.  Right around the time I normally get on the treadmill I fell into a deep sleep.  I reset my alarm for 6:30.  But I was still sleeping so amazingly I didn't want to get up.  So I didn't.  I knew that in order to get through the workday today (which is proving to be a struggle) I needed that extra sleep.

I know that one day does not make or break your fitness routine.  But I'm going to get on the treadmill when I get home tonight.  There's nothing stopping me from exercising tonight, so mentally I feel like I need to do it.

This picture reminds me of my economics classes...

So true.  The greater the effort, the greater the results.  I like the visual.

Even when you don't want to...

I won't lie.  I was not planning on working out this morning.

I had a rough night of sleep and at 2am when I was laying in bed awake with sore feet, I convinced myself that I'd just turn off my alarm at 6am and enjoy an extra hour of sleep.

Well, 6am rolled around and I picked up my phone to shut off my alarm.  I got out of bed and was already dressed in exercise clothes before I remembered what I told myself in the middle of the night.

I was thiiiiiis close to getting back in bed, but I didn't.  I figured I'd start walking and see how I felt.  Honestly?  I felt fine.  I wasn't as tired as I thought I would be in the middle of the night.  My feet didn't hurt.  I was fine.  I walked for 30 minutes and was pretty proud of myself for getting up, even when I really didn't want to.

I think that's the biggest factor.  Doing what you know you need to, even when you don't want to.

Lifestyle Change

I'm finding a lot of inspirational quotes on Pinterest that definitely apply to me.  I want to share them to remind myself and to also possibly help and inspire someone else.

Anyone that has ever lost weight on a diet and then gained it back knows that this is true.

In 2004 I lost almost 40 pounds on Weight Watchers.  Sadly, I didn't treat it as a lifestyle change, but a diet.  Once I was happy with my weight, I gained it all (and more) back.

Why did the program stop working for me?  Let me correct that question.  Why did I stop working the program?

I believe that for a lot of people Weight Watchers can be a sustainable lifestyle.  You eat 'real' food as opposed to 'plan' food.  The program teaches healthy living tips and tools.  What you can't do is go back to how you were eating before once you're at a happy weight.

That was my mistake...I went back to my prior ways that made me overweight in the first place.  This is not to say that you can never have that treat again, you can.  In fact, you should...in moderation.

I feel like this time around I'm making the changes that will be sustainable life changes.  I'm not looking for the 'get thin quick' plan.  I know this isn't going to be quick or easy, but with the proper tools and planning it can be forever.

Making motivation be a habit

I really like this saying.  This is what I'm trying to achieve.  Right now I'm operating on motivation.  Motivation to look better.  Motivation to feel better.  Motivation to be stronger.  Motivation to lose weight.  Motivation to wear those smaller jeans taunting me in my closet.

I need this motivation to become a habit.  I'm working on it!

Inspiration

A week or so ago I saw this on Pinterest** and it really struck me.  For so many years now I have been that person on the couch.

I work 50+ hours a week at a desk job.  After work, I would go home each night and flop down in front of the TV with my laptop and stay there until it was time for bed.  There was

So when I saw this picture I realized that no matter what form of exercise I added to my daily routine it was going to be more than I had been doing.

My routine for the past two weeks has been to get up at 6am and get immediately on the treadmill.  I make sure I have my workout clothes and sneakers laid out upstairs before I go to bed so I have no excuses.  Although 6am seems so early to me (I don't leave for work until 8am), it's good for me to get up and get motivated.  I walk for 30 minutes and then shower and leisurely get ready for work.  My goal with getting up so early is that when I'm ready to up my walk time to 45 minutes or an hour I won't have to get up any earlier.

So I figure 30 minutes every day is a heck of a lot more than I was doing before, and that's a good thing.

**Pinterest is an amazing site where you can 'pin' various pictures you find online onto your profile.  It's easier than downloading or bookmarking all the neat things you come across daily while browsing.  If your interested, you can follow me here!

Goal...and going public

The saying "fat and happy" really applies to me.  I've never been happier in my life.  I have an amazing husband and we have a great marriage.  I love my house.  Even my job isn't terrible these days.

But one thing that really isn't great is I've put on a lot of weight.  I've debated about 'going public' with my efforts to lose weight.  There are the definite pros (the support).  There are also the cons (admitting to everyone you have a problem).

However, the pros outweighed the cons.  Not to mention that if you know me 'in real life' then you already know I need to lose weight.  Just putting that out there!

So I'm starting to make some life changes.  I'm not talking about a diet, because diets don't work.  The changes I need to make are true lifestyle changes.  A couple of weeks ago we bought a used treadmill and I've been getting up to walk each morning.  I've also started paying a lot closer attention to what I eat and tracking it on the livestrong app on my phone.  

There are the obvious benefits of looking and feeling better, but I'm also concerned about health risks.  I turned 33 this year and I'm not getting any younger.  The other major factor is we'd love to have a baby, but it's not healthy for me (or the baby) to get pregnant while I'm this overweight.

So there it is.  There's my big dirty secret that I'm ready to change.

For a little bit of inspiration I want to post a picture of me from May of 2007.  I wasn't thin here, but I was pretty happy with how I looked.  In fact, this was taken in Washington DC, the day after Pat proposed.  I was a very happy girl!

I hope you'll join me on my journey!