April 2018 Goals

Bringing this one back to the basics, peeps. To be totally up front with the 4 of you that read this, I’ve just been functioning on work, unpacking, nannying, sleep and repeat this month. This will be the first time that I’ve sat down to think about April goals.

I want to start off on a continuation from my last post. While I haven’t made much of any progress the last few months, like I intended. I am holding myself accountable by writing here. If anything at all, it can be used as a tool to look back on in the future. With that being said.. I do, in a sense, feel like a weight is beginning to lift. The weight of stress and the past that I’ve been referencing the last few months.

I still have some things to do at my old apartment yet before I can break ties there but actually being in my new apartment and starting to see it put together, I feel a little more okay than I have in months and months. So, even though I haven’t seen any physical changes, I am seeing significant progress mentally.

This months goals have a central focus: Routine. Now that I’m in a new apartment and metaphorically starting a new “chapter” in my life, my routine has been thrown off and I need/want to get better control of that.

1. Meal Plan: Just meal plan, plan my meals for the week (Saturdays) and go grocery shopping for those items. I want to be sure to plan in cravings, desserts, and a substitute or two. My goal is to not deprive myself here or set myself up for failure. The better I plan, the less likely I will be at eating out because I don’t have what I want at home.
2. Water: I’ve been doing pretty good on this as an “overall” but the last week and weekend, I fell way back off track. I was pop-less for nearly a month but jumped back on that train because I’ve been extra tired. (And no, I’ve never been a coffee drinker [ishta!]) While I still get plenty of water in, I’m nowhere near my 1/2-my-body-weight-in-ounces goal.
3. Practice Self-Love: Self-confidence, self-acceptance, self-everything.. Whatever you want to call it. I’m not ready to divulge, but I’m entering the phase of my post-breakup life where people are going to begin asking questions. Are you dating? Are you seeing anyone? Talking to anyone? The list goes on.. All of those possibilities scare me and give me knots in my stomach more than I have words to explain. Not only am I terrified to go through, fall into, get hurt, etc like I have been in the past.. but I can’t even get past the “why would anyone even look at me?” part of the equation. I don’t see what I know I should in the mirror. I never have. I don’t see what my mom sees or my closest friends. I don’t see what my niece, Emma sees or what my ex-fiance ever saw. That’s why I want to put some significant effort into accepting me for me. I want to lose weight and get healthy,  I will. But in the meantime, I need to begin the road to self-love. Because even WHEN I lose the weight, I won’t be a flat stomached, non-flabby woman. No point in wasting another 28 years hating what I see in the mirror. Right?

There you go. Those are my April (and probably longer) goals. I would love to hear how your year is going. What progress have you made or haven’t, that’s okay. Do you have any tips, websites, or book suggestions that discuss and offer solutions to low-self esteem? How do you look in the mirror and not let it prevent you from living the best life each day?

Okay, I better go. My name (AUNTIE) is being repeated and repeated and repeated and repeated and..

Find of the Week!

I am now the proud owner of a 101 ounce water bottle! Water Warriors, say what! I bought this at T.J. Maxx yesterday when I was hanging out with my mom in Grand Forks. I needed to have it. I’ve been doing good on water since I made it a goal last month but making sure I get all my water in is a pain on the daily because I’m trying my hardest to do 1/2 my body weight in ounces per a bagillion articles I’ve read.

When you’re significantly overweight, 1/2 your body weight in ounces is a butt-load of water. I need to drink nearly 2 of these giant water bottles each day to achieve that. Can you drown? On an average “good” day, I’ve been getting between 120 – 140 ounces. That’s just over (5) 24 ounce glasses which is hard to keep track of during a busy work/life day. Also, I often find myself stuck at my desk for hours and hours at a time with an empty water bottle. Too busy to get up, you know.

My goal is to drink this entire bottle at work; that’ll already set me up better than a regular day because my water intake from sunrise to sunset is usually split 50/50 between work and home. If I drink 101 ounces at work, then I’m already doing finnnnnne by the time I hit home.

Today is only day 1 of this awesome WB. It’s just before 5 and it’s empty! GOAL ACHIEVED! I’m always looking for ways to make my goals as easily attainable as possible and I’m confident that this is one of those ways. #WaterWarriorOut

January 2018

Welcome back, us! It’s been a very long time since I’ve graced the WordPress-world-wide-web blank slate, empty and open white box of nothing waiting for my fingers to start typing. I have a lot to say but at the same time, no words to say what I have to say. Either way, it’s far too long for this post.

I hope to, in the coming weeks or month update my blog to fill you in on all my fitness and health happenings, goals, etc.. of my life. Spoiler alert, it hasn’t been too drastic. Key word there is “hasn’t” BUT with the New Year comes new motivation and new possibilities for a happier and healthier life physically and emotionally.

I have debated whether to post on any platform for some time now. Not even just here either, my non-health oriented platforms have been mostly dormant as well. I had told myself I wasn’t going to post a single thing until I had made some progress in my journey (Ex. 25 pounds down or something wild like that) but alas, that hasn’t happened because my magic fairy wand is broken.

At the absolute least, I’ll be posting my monthly goals here in the form of a cutesy graphic and some ramblings from yours truly. I began the goals you see at the top of this post at the beginning of the year and have been doing better than average so for a boost of motivation, I decided to make them public to you few beautiful souls who see this.

They may seem simple but they aren’t for me. And there are far more “things” I’m trying to do this month then are condensed down on my short list of three but I’m doing my best not to set myself up for failure. So, although I’ve been logging into MFP, weighing in, and have been partaking in some physical activity; none of that is regular or a top priority in comparison the three goals I’ve listed.

In short, this is what I can promise,: that I’ll be posting monthly goals and giving you a recap on how they go towards month end. What I can’t promise, but would like to do, is to post more regularly.. Share weight and status updates, “before” photos, food shots, etc. We’ll see. But baby steps are the mode I’m in for the time being. We’ll talk soon, internet people!

Step 3: Slow & Steady Wins The Race

This last week I decided to take it down a notch. I wanted to “continue” on but I didn’t feel entirely comfortable committing to something new or adding/cutting out something completely. I’m still trying to get comfortable with the fact that for the rest of my life, I’m going to have to fight for my health.

Eating breakfast everyday isn’t easy. Sometimes I eat my breakfast at 8:10 when I get to work and sometimes I don’t get it in until 10:00 because I’m so busy. Cutting my eating out in half has actually been the most obvious change for me and the least difficult. While it is easier to run up town or grab something after work instead of coming home and making something for supper, I’ve actually been excited to come home and make something. We are still going out to dinner 3-4 times weekly which still seems excessive to some but considering that I haven’t been up town or down to the employee “grocery store” for 2 ½ weeks is a remarkable feat for me.

I’ve been doing so-so on cutting out pop. Well actually, I’ve probably been doing damn good. The only time I’ve had Mountain Dew the last few weeks is on a weekend restaurant outing. But I would like to zero in on that more.

So what did I do this last week?
For the week in question, I’m going to focus on Sunday – Thursday. This week, I basically continued on from steps 1 and 2 but focused more on an agenda and planning my days out. I made a very conscious effort to eat my breakfast before 8:30 in the morning. I also did my best to get more water in. I didn’t reach half my bodyweight in ounces on any of the days but I did get about 80% of the way there each day this last week. Over 150 ounces is a hard goal to reach.

I also started walking each day on my lunch break. This is something that I’ve never in all my life, done. A gal from work asked if I wanted to go on a walk the week prior so we did. She showed me this awesome skywalk downtown less than a block away from work. A place that I can walk indoors and is totally accessible? Now I literally have no excuse not to get activity in. Monday through Thursday this week, I continued walking. I’ve only been getting about 18-23 minutes in each day due in part that I only have a 30 minute lunch break. I’d like to elaborate on walking in a future post. I promise to do so shortly.

Another thing that has helped me the last few weeks that I haven’t mentioned is my mom and I have given each other small but doable challenges. A couple weeks ago she challenged me to do yoga stretches and I challenged her to go for a mile walk or take the stairs down at work. We accept each other’s challenges as well as do them ourselves. We’ve done this in the past and it gives us a bit of pip in our step. Knowing that someone else is counting on you to do something is a motivator. Thanks, mom. ❤

So, in short.. This week has been about tightening up the reigns. Eating my breakfast by a certain time, making a point of staying hydrated, setting goals to get my steps in and exceed from the day prior if at all possible.

How have the last few weeks gone for you? I’d like to hear what you’re doing. What works, what doesn’t work?

Ready For Week 1?

Me either. I will be weighing in weekly on Thursdays. That’ll be the day that I don’t want to but feel that I must share with you my weight. I’d like to tell you that I’m full of excitement and energy going into this first week of my blog and weigh in but I’m not.

Yesterday I went to Sonic for breakfast/lunch and had a few drinks with friends last night. Today I stuffed my face with everything Zorbaz but you know, balanced it out with a few hours of swimming. Basic math right? I had planned on going grocery shopping today to kickstart my week on a positive note but I didn’t get around to it. Too busy swimming remember. That’s okay. I’m not perfect. This isn’t going to be a perfect journey.

I plan to have oatmeal and a slice of peanut butter toast for breakfast tomorrow for “day 1.” I’ll have a shake around 10:00 and then I have nothing planned beyond that point. If I can push through the McDonalds craving I’m sure I’ll have, I hope to go down to the mez at work and grab a salad. I’ll be going to the store tomorrow right after work so I’ll probably be updating you with my progress on day 1 tomorrow.

Remember DRINK YOUR WATER! Let’s do this!

By the way, I went swimming today in public and didn’t bother caring what other people thought. Take that fat-shamers.