I having been posting for a few weeks on the 100 day exercise challenge and decided to add a journal to help me with the other aspects of the program.

First my journey up to this point:
I have been dieting on and off ever since high school.  And as with a lot of other people it took me a long to realize that diets don’t work.  Oh, they do for a little while but the minute I went off the ‘diet’ I would just end up gaining everything back.  My last venture into dieting was over 5 years ago when I did Weight Watchers for about the 3rd or 4th time.  I lost 60 pounds but then I hit a plateau and after a couple of frustrating months I gave up.  I still did a lot of walking after that but eventually that stopped too.  And eventually the 60 pounds came back.  (luckily it wasn’t more).

So that is where I had been the last few years.  I would buy the woman’s magazines that had on the cover promises of diets that work.  So I would read about them and then but the next one, still looking for the one that would click with me.

Then I started to notice that I could no longer mow my whole lawn at one time, couldn’t shovel the whole driveway.  I was out of breath walking up the stairs at work - and I only work on the second floor! 

So at the beginning of the year I decided I needed to get into better shape.  I didn’t want to be so tired out doing my yard work or be out of breath walking up the stairs.  I started walking on my treadmill 3 or 4 times a week for 40 minutes.  My first goal was to be able to walk up and down my stairs 10 times without stopping.  At the beginning, I could only do 3 rounds of up and down but by the end of the month I reached my goal of 10 times.  My reward to myself was an iPod.

That is how I discovered MTM.  From the first podcasts that I listened to, I knew this was something that could help me.  And I got the click when in one of the podcasts Scott talked about Will Power versus Free Will.  It was then that I realize that I was in control, if I wanted to be thinner, healthier and stronger, then I could be.  I didn’t have to wait until I found that perfect ‘diet’.  I already knew what I needed to do and I have the power to do it.  I know now that I am not going to be dieting, that implies something that will have an end.  I will be making changes that be for a lifetime.

So I immediately signed up as a premium member and started the SMSM program.  Even though I know I am in control and responsible for myself, it really helps to have Scott talking to me and to read about everyone else’s struggles and triumphs in the forum.

So, I will be continuing on my journey, taking things slowly and making sure the changes stick.  My goal is to lose 80 pounds, I am 1/8 of the way there.  And once I get there, I will continue to move to stay healthy and strong.

I love the Click!

Living with intention, or living intentionally everyday, with everything you do, seems to make a difference for me

All our decisions make a difference....

Great job.....keep it up and looking forward to more of your journey!

Finally got around to doing my taxes today.  I’ve had everything ready to do them for over a month.
That’s something else, I have to work on, procrasinating.  I’ve got to get moving in other parts of my life besides exercise.  But I am finding the the exercising is helping.  It is giving me a lot more energy to get things done. 

Tomorrow, I start my second round of Start Moving, Stay Moving and it is going to be even better than round one.

We did our taxes today too… but it was NOT good news (too many deductions!)

OUCH!

Lost 2 pounds this week.  My goal is 80 pounds, I have now lost 11 pounds.  I am concentrating on 10 pounds at a time or 1/8 at a time.  So I have started on my second eighth.

I was all excited when I got up this morning and it was 45 degrees out.  But then when I got in the car and turned on the radio, they said that was the high for the day and it was going to get colder and we’re supposed to get sleet and freezing rain overnight.  Bummer.

Tonight is Biggest Loser, so I will be watching that as I do my LSB.  I don’t know if I would want to lose weight that way.  For one thing, it is a lot of work and so extreme I would think it would be difficult to scale it back once you get home and have to live a normal life.  I wonder how many of them have kept off all the weight.

I signed up for the first Daily Boost Live, I’m sure it will be good.  I need help setting goals for other aspects of my life.

Congratulations on losing 11 total pounds up to this point and for the 2 pounds lost this week.  Also great job on finishing the taxes as well.  I used to be a big time member of the procrastination club myself.  But the stress of doing too much at the last minute had gotten to me, so I have finally started to make some changes in that area.  if you want to change you will in that area.  Actually now that I think about it, you have gotten the taxes done earlier than most.  Keep up the great work with your weight loss.

Scooby

Worked on my procrastinating today.  Or maybe it was more just getting more organized.  I had three different calls to make to schedule appointments.  Nothing that was anything that I wanted to avoid, one was a check up for the cat, one an annual inspection of my basement pump system (to keep the water out) and one to set up some stuff for my IRA.  I would just keep forgetting to make the calls during the day.  So, first thing this morning I sent out an e-mail for the IRA and took the two postcard reminders with me to work and got those calls made.

Now I just have to make sure I don’t miss the appointments! 

Just heard Scott read my letter on this week’s MTM show.  He is right, it is great to hear your words read back to you (though he did do a little editing).

Today I worked from home which can sometimes be hazardous as I am so close to the kitchen.  But, I did good, just had my usual breakfast, a snack and a good lunch.  It was also nice because I could open the window in my office for a little while as it was 50 degrees here today.  Too bad it won’t last as we are supposed to have snow, sleet, freezing rain, etc tomorrow.

I am trying to make a better effort with my food.  I am more gooder than badder but still have lots of room for improvement.  I have tried writing it down and even using Fitday but can’t seem to keep up with that.  Maybe I burnt out with that from my old Weight Watchers days.  I’ll have to figure something out.

Now I really can’t wait to hear the show! Congrats on all the current weight loss! With all your hard work, you definitely deserve to see progress.

I’m with you on the diet thing, that’s the part I struggle with. I swear I work out just so I can eat chocolate.

Bree

Your doing awesome Eileen, and Congrates on your weight loss!  Tracking is one of my on-going downfalls too; At the WW meeting I said I was going to track everything STARTING TODAY..  not one drop of ink on my tracker yet. Hows that for procrastating!?!  I best go do that now while I’m feeling guilty! I cant wait to read more about your journey!  Have a wonderful, safe weekend.

I have decided that instead of just saying that I am going to work on improving my food decisions I need to set some specific goals (I’m jumping the gun on the seminar tomorrow night).  So each week I am going to have a goal associated with my eating plan ( I don’t use that four letter d__ word ).

Goal for this week which I started Sunday:  Stick to the 12 hour diet. 

One small change a week should add up quickly.

Goal for this week which I started Sunday:  Stick to the 12 hour diet.

Just realized I used that D word. 

Last week wasn’t my best as I wasn’t feeling great, wasn’t sleeping well and life got in the way a few times.  But I did manage to workout 5 of 7 days and I was able to stick to getting all my eating done within 12 hours except for one day.  I had to expand to 13 hours or else I wouldn’t get any dinner.

But yesterday I had a good day.  I finally got a good night’s sleep - 9 hours and woke up feeling great.  I got all my Saturday errands done in the morning and was able to sit down with a book for a little while - and even took a little catnap.  I made a batch of applesauce (sugar free) which I will have during the week for breakfast or a snack mixed with some fat free vanilla yogurt and cinnamon (yummy).  And I made a pot of chicken soup with lots of vegetables which I will have for my lunch or dinner all week.

Oh, and I got in two workouts.

This week’s goal is to make sure I bring my lunch to work at least 4 days and to continue with last weeks 12 hour eating plan.

Hi, Eileen! You’re telling a great story so far. Over the past year and a half or so I have made lots of self-inspections, and I work on procrastination too. Planning ahead and bringing my food to work has been very important to my success. I’ve learned to eat regularly, not to wait till I’m so hungry I want anything and everything.  The times I don’t manage to do this, I can feel the control slip away.

Slow and steady really does win the race. Another phrase I meditate on, because I get overwhelmed sometimes with things to get caught up on, is, “Do the duty which lies nearest thee. Thy second duty will have already become clearer.” (It’s from Goethe) Like those experts who say mentally carve a messy room into twelve wedges like 12-1 o’clock on a big clock face, and just tackle one area. The success of that breeds the future success.

Sometimes at work there’s always one project that goes to the bottom of the stack until someone calls me on it. It’s generally the one I either don’t know how to tackle, or find the most tedious and pointless, but those are the ones I have to just plow through. The projects that sing to me, they get done because I want the satisfaction of having done them. It’s really the same in my personal life, except I have only me to answer to.

Best wishes,

Ann

I hadn’t even realized you used the d word! But the 12 hour thing isn’t so much of a diet (in the sense of you can only eat A, but never eat B, because I said so), but a guideline to keep the eating of A&B;to a reasonable amount.

Good planning and prep on the food for the week! Planning makes it so much easier. And having it ready makes it a breeze.

Bree

Hi there Eileen!!

So glad to see that you had a good Weekend, and enjoyed your Saturday by taking time out for yourself with a good book and a Catnap! I took your suggestion, and did the same thing, minus the workouts. 

Your menu plan for the week sounds wonderful, and your doing so good!! You made my mouth water with all that fruit talk...yummmm is right. 
Very inspiring, and I cant wait to read more. 

Wishing you only the best!

Thanks Ann, Bree and Suzzy,

This forum is part of what is helping me ‘figure it out’.  Reading other people’s threads and getting feedback on mine gives me encouragement, gives me new ideas, lets me know I am not alone and motivates me.  Thanks to all the MTM members.