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Okay, so I haven’t been here for a long time, but I have decided that I really need the support that Scott and this site (and it’s members!) offer… so here I am again.
This challenge is going to be good for me… I like to be held accountable and get a long string of days to feel proud of.
So here goes:
Day 1 - 1 hour morning swim team workout + 30 minute walk with rambunctious dog.
1. To go to swim practice consistently for 5 days a week most weeks, sometimes just 4
2. To qualify for national times in my breaststroke and IM events by the 2009 national meet
This is where it gets tough. I have about 70 pounds to lose. I have found that I can’t set a long-term goal (i.e. lose 50 pounds by September) because I lean towards procrastinating and putting it off. So, I am trying to break it down into smaller goals:
1. Eating more regular meals and not grazing - I use food to take a break from work, especially when I am stressed out.
2. Not use food when I am stressed out!
3. Become a better “mother” to myself. I have a higher standard for my child than I do myself. I don’t let him make excuses for not trying and eating a bunch of garbage, why do I let myself do that? This includes encouraging myself to get my butt out of bed and to the pool in the morning and not let my “morning self” sabotage me.
4. Not sabotage myself!
5. My immediate weight-loss goal is to drop 5 pounds by the 18th and then continue breaking it down by 5 pounds until I either lose what I want to reach my goal weight, or learn how to wrap my brain around higher numbers. I have to take it step by step.
6. To continue… and continue… and continue: posting, swimming, walking, motivating myself, working towards my goals, being positive, not beating myself up, not GIVING up, not dropping out, not continuing in the same patterns that have led me to THIS point in my life.
7. To realize that change is sometimes hard but it is necessary to break the old patterns. Change feels good. Change is uncomfortable, but do I want to be “comfortable” and maybe it’s about time I redefine what I want comfort to feel like.
That’s my Duke, we got him about a year and half ago and he’s one of my biggest fans! The look in his picture is him anticipating a walk, it’s hard to resist!
Wow… to qualify for national times in the breaststroke and IM....... Wow! what a cool goal.
I have just begun swimming (the most I ever have done was chase my surfboard after my ‘leash’ broke).
I have fallen in love with swimming.....being in the water is therapy, and I feel myself getting stronger (not necessarily faster).
The first part of a Triathlon is the swim, and I used to think of it as ‘something to get through’, but the more I swim, the more how I love how it feels....and something I can do forever!
Great goals...you said you wanted to lose 5 lbs by the 18th?....thats two weeks....
It’s an aggressive goal, and i would not be disappointed if you only lost 3-4.....1.5 lbs to 2 lbs a week should be the max you lose, so you can continue to maintain the weight loss.....
Everyone here at MTM supports you and are cheering you on!
I find that swimming is very therapeutic and meditative for me, especially the team part of it. For a long time I had a workout and would go swim by myself, but having the team support not only pushes me harder, but makes it easier to drag myself out of bed and to the pool each day. It’s also nice having that social time with smart, funny, dedicated, independent, inspiring people.
As far as the losing weight bit, I feel very conflicted by the whole setting goals. On one hand, I want something small and manageable to aim for instead of just saying, “Yeah, I’m going to lose 70 pounds.” But at the same time, I don’t even want to think about losing weight. I would much rather just try and make the lifestyle changes and “hope” that the rest falls in line. But that hasn’t worked either. I need to have some way of knowing that I am headed in the right direction, but I don’t want to find myself obsessing about it and then being disappointed when the other positive things that I am doing are making me feel great. I don’t really want it to be about the weight loss, but in a way it is. If I don’t think about it, nothing happens, but when I do think about it, I get sick of the whole thing and over-think it. I really need to find that happy medium.
I think that I am going to listen to your advice, Tom, and make a goal that I am more likely to achieve. I’m not incredibly concerned about how long it takes as long as I am actually heading in the right direction. It’s not a race, it’s not a competition - I have swimming for that - and I have to remember it.
So my modified goal for the 18th is 3 pounds and then I will go from there. Baby steps! I’ll be more happy with getting my goal than being frustrated that I didn’t. Good call.
And the times I’m going for are the Masters national times for my age group, not National OLYMPIC times (just in case you thought I was being aggressive with that one, too!)
And Bree, he is my walking adventure, but he’s getting better and better the more we go. I also got him a harness and he seems to “remember” that I am the one walking him, not vice-versa.
Welcome back!!! I think you are one smart cookie by keeping your goals small and attainable. When I say small, hey, I don’t really mean small, 3 lbs would be a great loss and quite the accomplishment now wouldn’t it? You know what you have to do, you are smart and realistic about it so I bet success is around the corner!!! Good Luck. Cute puppy by the way!!!!
Day 4 - 1 Hour swim team workout - sprint free day and some fun relays. I really like how I am feeling, and I have done a good job keeping my food in check. I have been using fitday to keep track of my calories and it has really helped me have a good estimate for how much I eat, rather than the guessing that I have done in the past.
It’s really nice to have something that I can do that I don’t have to plan ahead - I just know that I have to be there and work hard. I think that if I had to be in charge of my workouts I would have a harder time maintaining exercise. I really give the people that vary their workouts and/or plan them themselves a lot of credit - I don’t think I have that kind of discipline.
I am really also trying to keep up my positive self-talk and it has gotten easier. Instead of saying, “Oh, I can’t make that send-off” or “that’s too hard”, I have been saying things to inspire myself - and I feel great!
for me, putting a goal i front of me.....a race, a weight goal, body fat % ....or whatever....more sleep, more efficient use of my time at work etc ...that always motivates me.
but one thing i need to do...in whatever the goal is, is to be as specific as possible....and monitor along the way....so i know how im doing
1 Hour Swim team workout. Grueling IM day with descending sets.
Made my goal of attending all 5 workouts this week! I felt stronger everyday, and it feels so good to end the week with this accomplishment.
Also, I am already down 3 pounds - Here’s to the next 3 and reaching 210 by the 22nd.
