Wagon Jumpers - November 2 - 8th, 2008 (Closed, Waiting List Available)
Welcome
(We are currently at 30. If you are interested in being on the waiting list please read below and e-mail me.)
Welcome to the Wagon Jumpers weekly thread. We are a group of CC members who have identified that one of our main challenges with achieving our weight loss, maintenance or general health goals is consistency.
This thread is designed to encourage long term commitment to our goals by publicly declaring them and asking the other members of this thread to hold us accountable.
Each member on this thread (listed below) has agreed to check into the thread at least once per week. If any member does not check in by the end of the week, we ask all members to politely and positively PM that member and encourage them to make a post and stay on track (or get back on track).
If you would like to be a member of this thread please see the guidelines below and send me a PM if you are still interested (there may be a waiting list).
Why is the participation capped?
The original idea of Wagon Jumpers was to create a close community where participants could get to know each other and hopefully form virtual-life and perhaps even physical-life bonds to create a support network as they attempted long term weight loss.
Over the first few weeks we experimented with an "open to all" concept and found that the thread became too long and confusing and as a result no one got to know each other and it became too much work for many members.
With a mid sized group (30) I am hoping to maintain the community and supportive goals of the original thread, and have enough people that if we are not all daily posters (as the only requirement is a weekly post) that the thread is still motivational and has new content day to day.
Interested in Joining?
General Guidelines for Joining
1. Are you a wagon jumper?
Do you know how to loose weight, you often have success but then you find yourself loosing interest in your plan, or sabotaging your plan. It's not the "how" to loose weight that is the problem, it's the "how" to stay motivated.
2. Do you have a long way to go?
This group is designed so that members can get to know each other and support each other. Ideally you are planning to be a CC member and part of this forum for at least 6 months or more to achieve your goals and hopefully stay in motivation for a further 6 months or more.
Yes. This is, a long term plan.
Still interested? Send Supersized a PM.
Wagon Jumpers Participants
Week 26 Riders:
Supersized (myself)
Week 24 riders - Congratulations on 6 Months!:
Week 23 Riders:
Week 22 Riders:
Week 19 Riders:
Week 18 Riders:
Week 17 Riders:
Week 14 Riders:
Week 11 Riders:
Week 10 Riders:
Week 9 Riders:
Week 8 Riders - Congratulations on 2 Months!:
Week 7 Riders:
KCerveny - Away until November 9th, 2008
Week 6 Riders:
Week 5 Riders:
Week 3 Riders:
Week 2 Riders:
Week 1 Riders:
New:
Missing In Action:
Missing In Action - 1 Week:
Missing In Action - 2 Weeks:
Current Membership: 30
Current Waiting List: 2
Outstanding Wait List Invites: 0
12 Week CONSISTENCY GOALS
(as set w/o October 19th, 2008)
By January 11th, I will be...
At least 8 weeks successful on my 12-week consistency plan. That is 8 weeks at an average of 1500 cal/day (weekly avg) and gym 4x/week 2 hrs/session.
Working out 5x week. I will be eating 1500-2000 calories a day dependng on exercise.
Sticking with the NROL nutrition (40%-30%-30%) and working out 3x/week. This should have me almost complete with stage 4 of the program.
Consistently drinking 4 500 ml bottles of water per day and working out 3 times a week, this can include running, weights, etc...
Maintaining walking 10,000 - 12,000 steps a day and adding both Wii Fit exercise 2-3 times per week, while achieving a calorie deficit of 500 cal/day.
Exercising 5 days/week (cardio + strength) and eating 1500 calories on exercise days and 1200 on rest days.
Be eating 1450 cal/day, except on non-exercise days (1300) and exercising 6 days/week on a stationary bike, increasing the distance each week by 1/2 mile with a goal to reach 10 miles/session by the end of 12 weeks.
Journaling my food on CC everyday, and getting 30 min of exercise 2-3 times per week.
Adding interval training - Fartleks - to my running to reach a goal of running a 5K at 6 min/km. While maintaining a 600 cal/day deficit.
Drinking a minimum of 64 oz of water daily and exercising for a minimum of 3 time per week for 30 min at a time.
Eating 5-6 fruits and vegetables a day, and working out 5 days a week.
Drinking 2L of water everyday, and eating at a 500 calorie deficit everyday.
Eating at an average deficit of 500 cal/day 6-7 days/week, and exercising 5 times/week for at least 20 min/session.
Eat an average of 1700 cal/day and exercise 4x per week, according to my plan
Eating at 1600 cal/day and walking for 1 hour 3 days/week.
Drinking 2 mugs and 1 glass of water per day and logging my food everyday.
Exercising two times a week for 60 minutes at the gym or at home, and logging all of my food.
Exercising 2 times a week.
Maintaining a complete food log on the CC website daily to remain on track. Exercising 2x a week for minimum of 45 minutes.
Going to the gym 4 times per week (maintenance). Drinking ATLEAST 2 litres of water per day.
Exercising at least 30 min every day. Logging my calories on CC every day.
Exercising for 30 min 3 times per week. Eating vegetables with 2 meals per week.
Previous Threads:
Wagon Jumpers - October 26 - November 1st, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 19 - 25th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 12 - 18th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - October 5 - 11th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 28 - October 4th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers - September 21 - 27th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 14-20th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers September 7-13th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 31 - September 6th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 24 - 30th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 17 - 23rd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 10 - 16th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers August 2 - 9th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers July 27 - August 2nd, 2008
Wagon Jumpers July 20 - 26th, 2008
Wagon Jumpers July 6 - July 21st, 2008 (another, two week special!)
Wagon Jumpers June 22 - July 5th, 2008 (two week special!)
Wagon Jumpers June 15-21, 2008
Wagon Jumpers May 25 - 31, 2008
Wagon Jumpers May 18 - 24, 2008
Wagon Jumpers Week 1 (May 4 - 10)
Wagon Jumpers - Anyone Need a Lift? (initial thread)
As always all members are encouraged to tag this thread so that it is easy to find.
THIS WEEK'S TOPIC
All or Nothing
The "all or nothing" position on healthy living is one that we wagon jumpers are very prone to. I would argue it's the key reason that this group will loose members over the holidays. We all have distinct plans, likely much more aggressive plans than the goals we have listed for our 12 weeks. As our lives get busy with work, family, friends, holidays, stress, and a host of other reasons it will become difficult for us to fit in all of our new life changes into our daily routine. We let something slide, and then some more stuff and then we decide that we're not doing it so we may as well dive into the holiday cheer and worry about this whole healthy living bit come the new year when things calm down.
The attitude that healthy living is something that we can only do when our lives are 'manageable', a state of life that is rarely achieved by anyone, is the reason we have trouble achieving our goals. If healthy living is a priority in your life, then it needs to be something you can fit into your life.
What are you doing to beat the all or nothing mentality?
Hello.
I really like this week's question to ponder..Because when I first read it I said I haven't a clue! for example when I gave my goals for riding the bike and adding a half mile each week, I had more or less done that for the weeks previous to stating them as fact...and once I read them on the board, I was like freaked!!! I had to do this, I said I would...I won't lie on this board, and say I did when I didn't..and now it has gotten harder to do each night..get on that bike and be consistant..I didn't make the goal, I averaged 5 miles over the 7 days..but started again this a.m. I rode 8 miles..I mean talk of all or nothing..I had to make up for the days/miles I sloughed off last week. I am having a hard time at not getting on the scale..I have had some ups and downs during my time here atCC+ but am now down under 200lbs!! that is the 1st time in 7 years,,,I think I can put it away now or I will try to just concentrate on eating healthier, making wiser food choices, embracing exercise on a consistant level!!
but I do not know how to get rid of the all or nothing mentality...and I need to do something with the holidays looming around the corner. Thanksgiving is the absolute worst for me being a carb fiend...I love my mother's stuffing and I want huge quantities because I only get it once a year...when will my comfy zone not include food? I got some upsetting news about my job on Friday a big shake up is in the works and not sure where I am going to end up..they keep saying that I will still have a job, but I have heard that before so that stress is definitely not needed or appreciated at this time.
on a more positive note my calories have not been bad to keep at 1350-1450 this last week.
I hope everyone has a good week!
Robin
Robin I think part of beating the all or nothing mentality is you take a hard look at what your goals are. Are you averaging your calories across the week? Sometimes you need to give yourself permission to maintain instead of reduce. The key is to determine in advance what success will be, and to ask yourself if your plan is setting you up for success. Adjust as needed. So, if you know you are going to eat the stuffing, make sure to make room for it calorie wise either through averages, or by allowing yourself a maintenance day. This way your are planning in advance what you are and are not going to do.
Weekly Check-In
I'm back on the wagon, if not in fully confident riding mode, I made it to the gym this week and ate well. I can't say it wasn't a challenge. I'm not back to that place where I feel all energized and happy and in control yet. But, hopefully that will come this week. I want to go to the gym Monday - Thursday and make it every one of those days in the morning. Eating is getting easier, as I'm cooking again. This helps reduce the amount of crap I'm eating.
I've got a little over 2 months to get everything under control before Christmas hits. So now is the time to build success so that I can make it through the holidays.
This Week's Topic
In the past almost year I think I've come a long way on this problem. If there is one key success I've mastered this may be it. Setting out these mini-goals and measuring them in terms of consistency rather than results has helped a lot. Before I'd set up a plan, not be able to do the plan consistently, not see results, get frustrated, berate myself, fall of the wagon for months because I couldn't do it all and then recommit myself with full force only to start the cycle again.
Now I've accepted that I will not get results if I don't do things consistently over a long period of time so I keep score of how well I'm doing on consistency and when I see that I'm only batting 40-50% then I'm not surprised that I'm not seeing results. This convinces me not to throw in the towel, but to say, I can do better than 40-50% and work harder. I have yet to see myself achieve 80%+ and not see results.
I hope this makes sense, basically measuring what I'm doing first of all gives me permission not to have to achieve 100% all the time, and I realize that is an unrealistic goal. Second, it gives me a benchmark on my expectations. I know that I need to achieve at least 50% of my goals just to stay at maintenance, so I start to realize that no effort = gain, some effort = maintenance and lots of effort = loss. This has let me embrace the idea of if I can at least do something, then I'm not going backwards. Rather than thinking if I'm not loosing then nothing is happening so I may as well bin it all.
Thanks for the congratulatory message on 2 months! Although I definitely have not been successful in losing weight, you're right, at least I've stuck with it mentally and that's something to be proud of. (Although I know I can do better and in these next several weeks, I'm going to prove it to myself!)
Last week, I totally fell off the wagon. The week didn't start off well as I was eating too much and then I just thought what the hell, may as well eat as much as I want of the most unhealthy food out there because I've already screwed up. I definitely have that all or nothing mentality and I really need to get it into my head that little steps is all it takes. If I start to fall off, it's not too late (and never will be too late) to get back on. Last week, I think I talked about how I had probably gained 10 pounds, and sadly I wasnt lying. I gained 6.8 pounds in the course of 2 weeks. That is just disgusting. For the month of November though I am ready to lose those 6.8 pounds. Yesterday I had a good day eating-wise and from yesterday until today, I lost 1.2 pounds. So, luckily mostly of the weight I gained so quickly is likely water weight and it should come off quickly too.
I realize to stay away from the all or nothing mentality, I need to focus on each day individually, rather than by the week. I have created a chart for myself to log the foods I'm eating and their nutritional contents, the exercises I'm doing, how successful I think my day went, and how I'm feeling (on a 1-10 scale) each day. I think that making myself accountable for filling out this chart every single day will help me take it little steps at a time. Just because I make one bad mistake in one day DOES NOT mean I ruined my whole week, or even necessarily that whole day. Further, I need to remind myself that every mistake I make adds up and only postpones my goal. But on the flipside, every good thing I do also adds to my progress.
This is a great topic for the week. I recently submitted some of my college applications and my essay was about straying away from this all or nothing mentality :)
Good luck to everyone!
Hi, everyone! Sorry for being MIA last week. This job that I have is crazy--no personal anything during the day AT ALL. I don't want to get too into it, but its just a bit different than what I'm used to. The bright spot is that everyone starts packing up at 5pm--at my previous job, if one left at 7pm he/she was seen as a slacker... I'm just trying to figure out my new schedule, so I apologize for being MIA last week. I'll try to do better!!
I've been on the wagon for 6 months. I'm so excited about that. The fact that I've lost some weight and have kept it off while continuing on an exercise program makes me feel so terrific!! I would like to have lost more in pounds, but, at the same time, I'm enjoying life, so I don't really feel all too terrible about it. As I write this, I think that I've become less of an "all or nothing" type of person when it comes to food, exercise, and weight loss. That makes me smile a bit.
Hi all!
The end of last week was not good. Talk about falling off the wagon and down into the ditch. My son needed cornbread for his Day of the Dead Fiesta in Spanish Class. I really like cornbread and don't often make it. It smelled heavenly and tasted great. I just kept tasting and tasting. Also Halloween is a big deal in my neighborhood especially that it was on a Friday. There were treats for the kiddies and the adults had their own. That was followed by the candy inspection which led to the Reese's cups. They are by far the biggest trigger food for me. Needless to say I kept my boys safe. 
Good news is I am back on the wagon as of today as most of the candy was donated to a group who makes care packages out of it for the troops in Iraq so it left the house this morning. The kids did get to keep some but none of the kind that sends me over the edge.
As to the question of all or nothing. That is an ongoing struggle for me. I do have to remind myself (often) that I am in this for the long haul. For all the upset that I have from 2 or 3 days off the wagon, it will not undo the months of effort. The activity part of this is the same. By not exercising as often as I think I should does not give me an excuse to not exercise at all. I find myself saying well I don't have time to do the whole workout so I won't do any of it.
I think for me loosing weight is so much of a mind game and my opponent is me. I have to find ways of getting around myself for me to be successful. I am grateful and appreciate all the support that I receive but ultimately it will be overcoming myself that will determine how successful I am.
Jen
Sorry for the MIA...GOT MY NEW KIDNEY!!! Dealing with the ramifications of that...feel like I have been hit by a truck. Things are far from great.....yet...but they will get there. Good news...lost 6 lbs! lol There is a bright side to everything!
Just wanted to pop in and make sure I wasn't thrashed off the list...I have 10 weeks at least out of work now...so I should have plenty of computer time!!
Original Post by wenchie58:
Sorry for the MIA...GOT MY NEW KIDNEY!!! Dealing with the ramifications of that...feel like I have been hit by a truck. Things are far from great.....yet...but they will get there. Good news...lost 6 lbs! lol There is a bright side to everything!
Just wanted to pop in and make sure I wasn't thrashed off the list...I have 10 weeks at least out of work now...so I should have plenty of computer time!!
Congrats Wenchie!!!!! I am so happy for you. I can not believe you had it and already are up and about. Just amazing!! I wish a continued speedy recovery.
Jen
I had lots of problems with my all or nothing mentality for quite a while. It was a hard thing for me to get over. Turns out i just needed to find a plan that fits better with my lifestyle. I enjoy lifting weights and i like being able to eat more. I was miserable of 1400 calories and each time i would screw up, it would just make it harder and harder to get back on the wagon. Finally when i started New Rules of Lifting for Women, i was not only thrilled to be lifting, but i was able to eat more, which made me much happier. My moods improved. i never felt guilty about going overboard, because i hardly ever did.
Im in a good place... i would say most of you could live by the 90/10 rule... as long as you do well 90% of the time, you will have a great week.
Wenchie - Congratulations! Feel better soon!
Hi msmeg1984,
Congrats on starting the weight program. I, too, just returned to the gym after taking the summer off. I've been doing weight training for many years now (actually I'm a personal trainer long time ago)so enjoy the results that one's body can achieve. this moring I got on the treadmill for 25 mins. then off to do the universal/free weights (2 sets each for starters this week). It felt great to get back into it and I love the feeling of accomplishment.
I carry a lot of muscle mass hidden under my "fat" so I'm eager to see it come out of hiding very soon! (ha).
Keep up the great work and for the record: It's never all or nothing! .....it's moderation, patience, persistence and faith that will guide you to the finish line!.
Take care,
Cheers,
Maureen
Maureen - i am really amazed by the changes i am seeing in my body. Not to mention the amazing self confidence i have gained. Working with weights has helped me in so many more ways than just with my strength. I also can't wait to see more muscles come out of hiding!!!
Another thought I didn't add to my last post - i think we all try to hard to make things work, maybe we overload ourselves so much..(.that was the source of my failings previously...) Then we take a small tumble off the wagon and think its the end of the world... because we have so many things to juggle at once. Getting healthy shouldn't make us miserable, and while its not easy by any means, it should be so hard. I think many of us are on the right track, taking small steps at a time - kinda like sara's plan with its phases. So, don't try to run a marathon the first time you put on your running shoes! Just like you train for that, you must train to body to be healthy again!
Have a great day!
Sarah That is such a classic example of the all or nothing mentality. I'm sure each of us has done it at some point, I sure know I have. I often find that saying it out loud or writing it here brings out how nonsensical it is. It's an emotional response. I failed at lunch so I may as well have a whole pizza for dinner. I ate poorly yesterday so I may as well continue the junk food buffet today and get back on track next week.
As well as saying it out loud I also have these little daily charts. I don't recommend them for everyone, because they are yet another thing to spend more time doing. But, if you are the type of person that likes them and is motivated by them I do find them great.
I think the thing that hit me one week was I got a 0% on my Health and Fitness goals. I realized that I had screwed up early in the week and just given myself a free pass to completely ignore all of my health and fitness goals for the week. The impact of this for me was (I take the weekly measurements and wrap them up to quarterly measurement) that I was reducing my overall effort in a 12 week program big time. It finally it me that this is why I set these different length goals. Because, even if I failed for a day, if I kept trying for the rest of the week it would add up in the long run.
DeFrog Sorry you are in a hyper-structured environment, not sure if I could do that. It is good though that part of their over structuring is an adherence to a more traditional work day. Try to find out what works for you with your new schedule. I do hope you can stay with the group as I'm sure we have all benefitted from your contributions.
Jen The "all or nothing" and weight loss, health and wellness goals are definitely about battling yourself. Although, I am still working on how I can re-phrase that analogy. The reason I don't like to phrase it as battling, or overcoming myself or seeing myself as the opponent, is that I must be doing this for me, for all of me and it has to work for all of me. If it only works for some of me then the result is that the other part is always there, always unsatisfied, always ready to come back and regroup. I find this is when I give into all or nothing, this is when I start thinking I've failed when I have a slice of cheesecake, instead of thinking it's okay to have the cheesecake just exercise a bit more and work it into the caloric average.
It is definitely a mental head game, but maybe we should put out a challenge on how to re-define that game in terms of winning for the whole self instead of beating part of ourselves.
Wenchie CONGRATULATIONS! I think we may just have to let that week slide :) Take very very good care of yourself, if you need some time off from the group let us know. These next few weeks will undoubtedly be tough on you. You are also of course welcome to spend all the time you want online with us if that helps as well.
MsMeg Yours is such a good example. It's not about depriving, punishing or battling yourself it's about finding out what does work. If you are constantly failing to keep the calories down, then find a way that you can eat more and feel better. As I am challenging myself to stay at 1500 cal/day this 12 weeks I'm also challenging myself not to go too far below it, and when I need to change my plan it needs to be about eating different foods, and doing different exercises not about more reductions. BTW love then new picture!
Maureen Really interesting that you used to do personal training. It's also great that we've got another person in the group that is already familiar with weight lifting. I started with free weights in April of this year, and will be looking to move onto I'm not sure what they are called but not the dumbbells but the larger bars used for presses and thrusts once I am finished my consistency testing.
Sara.
I really didn't want to get up to go to the gym this morning. I let myself sleep in a bit, and then I tried to say that because I had slept in that I should just put it off till tomorrow. I did manage to get up because I still had enough time to go before work. Then I couldn't find my clothes and almost talked myself back into bed. I did eventually manage to find my clothes and get to the gym.
I know I'm dragging right now, this past week, I also know that if I can just make it a bit longer I'll be feeling a lot better.
I managed to stay on track last week through bad TOTM, and I can do it this week. Then if I can just stay on an even keel it should be relatively straight forward sailing (says the person who knows nothing about boats).
Sara.
WEEKLY TOPIC AND CHECKIN:
This is a topic which is perfect for me to exemplify this week. To exemplify in the OPPOSITE way. LOL!
This really started as a breeze. I was motivated, I was happy to have "found my niche", I was able to "hold my composure" for my infamous 6 weeks... then... THEN... the truth rears its ugly head. Holding your composure is easy at first. I can make it wayyyy past the 21 days of requirement for forming a habit. AND... here I am!! I have arrived at the condition of "faking it".... BUT I can only be honest here, because I must be honest with myself. Faking it... is doing it, but not really. ITS that all or nothing problem we all face.
I have not had trouble keeping my calories under control. I knew from the beginning that those would be easy goals. I succeeded last week in that category again. This is due to the simple fact that I have had entirely too much experience at counting calories and dieting... LOL!
The most difficult category for me is the exercise. HERE is where I can give you the perfect example of HOW NOT TO! Talk about all or nothing...
It was Monday... I was sore from running on Sunday so decided to take a pass, and let my body rest.
Then it was Tuesday. I felt a little better, but had a busy day, and thought, ok, I have 5 days left, surely I can get 4 days of exercise out of that.
Then it was Wednesday. I felt as though if I didn't do something "today", then I would be at risk of falling off. SO... I proceeded to the mat and did my DD routine for 30 minutes. It was about half-hearted, because my boyfriend was spotting, and wanting to learn and participate as well. SO, I ended up skipping parts of it. It came to the end of the day, and he had left for his 3 day trip, and i was stressing about that some, so decided to go to the gym. It was cold outside so I decided to get my run done on the treadmill. I beat my last goal by one minute, and then I did weights for the rest of my time there. I thought to myself... dang, I feel good... three workouts in one day! YAY ME.. then I thought ... really? Who am I kidding?
Thursday rolled around. I had nice sore muscles (I do enjoy the feeling!) So, I figured I had hit three of my weekly goals already... all in one day!!!! NOT GOOD though! I had a very busy day at work, and took a pass for this day as well.
Friday, another extremely busy work day, plus Halloween. No workouts. Ugh.
Saturday, my boyfriend came home, so I guess I could consider all that housecleaning before his arrival as a workout, as it truly WAS. BUT, not part of my plan, so I can't count it, can i? However I DID walk (fast walk) to the store about 2 miles round trip... LOL! No scheduled workout this day either.
Sunday... geez. What can I say, "the day of rest"... (thinking to self: "now I am just making excuses...") but, but... I got in 3 of the weekly workouts, allbeit ALL in one day (Wed) I cleaned house extra hard, I walked to the store, I got my monthly (makes me tired!) I...I... Well.... I say I failed. Only because the consistency factor is missing. I went all or nothing. Just like I cleaned every single nook and cranny of the house all in one day. Granted I won't have to do that again for a while, I failed on consistency across the board.
AND... because of this... I am pondering the issue as to whether allowing myself a calorie AVERAGE is a good idea. Here's how that goes... one day I am at 1100, the next day I am at 2000... its that up/down, rollercoaster, on again/off again... all or nothing mentality.
HELP. LOL!
Don't get me wrong, I am being a little facetious with the "help" request. Truthful... but somewhat sarcastic. I know what I need to do! JUST MAKE ME.
Needless to say, I am repeating Week 4.
Happy Healthgain to all,
~Julie
Julie Sometimes recognizing these patterns for what they are is success. Personally I don't put too much stock in the idea that if you do something for _____ it becomes a habit. I think we will make choices every day of our lives. Those choices may become easier with time, but they will still be choices. Consistency helps us recognize that we feel good if we do a bit of exercise every day, and that we feel sluggish and tired if we do nothing every day for a while.
On the calorie average thing, one of the things I do is set myself daily goals do eat at the average level (1500), this way I get a little point if I do. These all add up to weekly percentages so that I can see on a life balance scale how I'm doing on my different goals and how hard I am or am not working. This becomes very OCD, but it helps me. Now, I don't get that little point if I go over 1500 cal, or if I go under 1,000 cal. This means that while I am averaging my calories across a week, I also know that I can't starve myself to meet my goal, which makes me average my calories a bit better.
Either way, you're right, it is a just do it scenario. And, we all go through these ups and downs of super motivated, to unmotivated couch potato. The best thing about this group for me has been that it has significantly reduced my unmotivated couch potato periods to days or a week at the most when before they used to be weeks and months. I'm hoping in the long run it will become days and I'll be doing my 90/10 pretty well. Right now I'm hovering between 50/50 and 70/30. My goal is by the end of 12 weeks to be getting 80/20.
Sara.
RE this week's topic. Oh how I can so relate to this week's topic as well as Julie's experience this past week. I would like to know how come consistency can come so easily when convincing oneself that I will get back on the wagon sometime in the future...like carrying on with unhealthy habits of waiting until after the holidays, or until after today because "there are 5 more days left before check in"? I started in March of this year to dream about being slim for our summer vacation which took place as of the second week of August this year. Well, March to August was a long time coming, so I came up with some excuse to convince myself day after day after day that I would start to get back on track tomorrow. Well tomorrow never came, and yep, when I look at our family vacation photos...no wonder I did not like what I saw. Did not look anywhere close to what I was dreaming about back in March. Then, felt worse, let my eating emotions take over, and the couch felt real comfortable.
Give my head a shake....yesterday, I had a great day...hubby, my youngest and I went to the community sports centre for the wave swim between 1-4. Not only did I get great exercise in, I had a blast with my family. Matthew's joy was precious...not to mention that we were all getting exercise and having fun doing it.
This experience is one that I would like to continue consistently. Swimming schedule has been set and carries on well into the new year, on either Saturday or Sunday. Not like my little one would not enjoy going swimming every weekend eh? He lives in our pool during summer.
I actually feel it in my body today...I worked my arms with flutter boards, resisting against the water. Hubby, who is a great supporter, even at one time had Matthew on a board, and he and I would pull and push him back and forth between us to work our arms.
It has only been two weeks, starting my third, where I have been working on my consistency goals, and I like what I am feeling, and the results I am seeing. I really do hope that I can break the vicious cycle and live through this year's holidays ON THE WAGON...
I am confident with continued support from this very active thread I will!!!!
Have a great week everyone!
Lee-Anne
As I say, I am always taking it one step at time. I am changing things. I haven't had a set exercise plan yet but I have been working exercising in by walking more places and I have been doing my best to watch what I am eating. That has been hard since I need to go the market. There is no tomorrow I am going to get back on track. You know what there shouldn't be off the wagon either. I am changing things and sometimes I might eat somethings bad it is not and I am still on the wagon.
Sara - Your insights are always so insipiring. I just read over my card for the week. I had forgotten that my Word of the Week is: DO IT. LOLOL!!
Now HOW did I know... 6 weeks ago, when i made these cards, that I would need to know that... NOW? LOL!
Alrighty, I am checking in for today. I may have to do this every day this week. I did my DD workout for the day. I want to focus more on consistency, and not let myself procrastinate, or try to cram it all in at the last minute.
I just realized. That is one of my personality flaws, showing itself right here. I have always procrastinated. Even when I was in junior high, I would sleep as loooong as possible, get up and get ready at the last minute, and run to the school bus carrying my shoes. I got the job done though, didn't I?
That's not going to fly any more. I have just had a revelation. This is a serious problem for me!! I am a procrastinator. I wait until the last minute to do EVERYthing. I even put off getting ahead financially. It has hindered me my entire life.
I am going to read up on this, and I will give you some feedback.
Thanks again, Sara.
~Julie
Lee-Anne I don't think it is consistency when we are putting off goals or giving into bad habits. Our actions may be consistent but I think of that more as instant gratification. Instant gratification is easy. I see, I want, I have. Consistency is about developing habits around something that does not produce results right away. We remain consistent in the face of changing circumstances. Instead of being blown by the wind of whatever grabs out attention at the moment.
Great idea on the swimming. We lived down the street from the Y in my home town and my parents took us there regularly, I think the saying was I learned how to swim before I learned how to walk. I loved winter swims, being in the big indoor pool and watching the snow come down outside.
Tiegurl I think off the wagon has to mean different things for different people and it will evolve for everyone. Right now for me it doesn't mean making a bad food choice. I've accepted that everything I do needs to fit into a lifestyle that I enjoy and that lifestyle is occasionally going to involve cheesecake. Off the wagon for me is when I feel I've given up on my goals. I'm off the wagon when I've said bin it all it's never going to work anyways, and then eat the whole cheesecake to cheer me up instead of because I want it.
Julie We have a magnet on our fridge, it says "I'll stop procrastinating tomorrow". I was always lucky that through school I didn't have to study much, I got good grades no matter how much or little prep I did, so now that I'm trying to navigate my own life, this schedule setting, goal making bit is all a little new to me. Okay I've been at it for a year or more now, but new in the scope of life. Sometimes I need the daily check in too. In fact I often do, it's one benefit of running the group, it gives me an excuse to do it. One day at a time, one step at a time, you'll get there.
Sara.
 |
New journal post Black Friday by clairelaine 12:39 |
|
New journal post Bad Cupcakes.. Literally by elyse3008 12:39 |
 |
theychangedmyname added blaskowskij as a friend |
|
New journal post Food diary 140 by merylwhite1 12:30 |