Rethink Your Shrink Challege: Project ME

So, one week into the Rethink Your Shrink Challenge and it has been a challenge thats for sure! This is my 3rd snow day and I gotta say I've had about all the snow days I can handle for the moment (although I'll probaby be wishing for one next week).

So the first project is Project ME! So I spent the week thinking about this past year and what it has meant to ME. Some of you know my story, most of you don't, so I'll just recap a bit:

In April of 2009, with spring in full swing, I had a epiphany.....(I guess you'd call it that). "Geez, I feel uncomfortable, I hate my clothes (or my body in my clothes), I feel sluggish, and lazy". So that was it. All my life (sorry in advance) I've been able to eat whatever I wanted and not worry about it a bit! Full fat/full calorie - our fridge had NEVER seen "light" mayo or cream cheese - in fact the "lightest" thing in our fridge was 2% milk! LOL! But now all of a sudden, it seemed it was all changing, so I decided to take control!

I joined Weight Watchers with a co-worker online, and we tracked, exercised, and weighed in together each week. A few months later I had lost 20 lbs! YAY! And that was all great....but the best part?.........I finally started recognizing the food (empty calories) I had been putting into my body. The lack of appropriate fruits and veggies, and began to see food in a different way!

I was exercising alone and with friends and loving every minute! So, thats what worked for me in 2009! And that's the path I'm still on (all-be-it I was slightly derailed over the holidays). I don't know that I have any stand out things that didn't work for me, so for now I'll keep on this path and evaluate it as I go!

That all said, I did not post a weigh in for the challenge on Wednesday of this week. :-( I don't have a scale at home, it's in my office, and as I mentioned, this is my third snow day in a row! But I'm confident that when I get on the scale I won't be disappointed! Maybe it won't be a huge loss, but I don't think there will be a gain for me either! So, I'll weigh as soon as I can and share with those in the Sisterhood then!

My challenges are going well! The working out hasn't panned out though, it is soooo cold here and the week has been so out of whack that I have allowed myself to use this as an excuse, but I'm not letting it get me down! I've been very proactive this week with everything else, so I'm counting it as a WIN!!

My other challenges were to try at least one new recipe a week, and to pre-plan my meals everyday the night before. I have followed up with these, infact, today I'll be making new recipe #3 for the week! The first two were Parmesan Tilapia, and Pulled Pork, both from http://sparkrecipes.com and they were BOTH a hit for me and my family! Today I will be trying Creamy Baked Potato Soup, a recipe from @goingforgoal that sounds so easy & delish! These recipes have made my challenge of pre-planning my meals so much easier! I hate trying to decide what to have for supper, and new recipes definately make it much easier!

So, that is my week one - two blog posts wrapped into one (sort of). And as soon as I can do my weigh in, you'll be the first to know!!

love comin at ya - Jen

Rethink Your Shrink Challenge

Wow!! Two blog postings in two days!! ME!! I guess thats a pretty good start to the new year!

So my dear, sweet, wonderful friends have encouraged me to join the "RETHINK YOUR SHRINK" challenge! I can hardly turn away from a challenge! But as @jeepjenn so kindly reminded me (a couple times), goals are not really my thing!

Maybe I should clarify something however. There are certain goals that ARE my thing, like saying "I'm going to workout 5 x's a week" - not my thing, but saying "my goal is to increase my activity level so that I feel strong & great" - TOTALLY my thing! "I want to feel attractive in my body and feel good about the way I look (aka Bringin Sexy Back - eh Dr. Mo?), totally my thing! "I must get the scale to tell me that I way "X" pounds" - nope - you guessed it - NOT MY THING.

Maybe these things aren't "goals" exactly, but they keep me motivated and that is all that matters! And if I don't get to the gym on say Tuesday as I had planned, I do not feel defeated, like I've failed myself, instead, I look for the next time I can go!

So here are my "goals" for the challenge:

1) Increase my activity level. Right now, once a week would be an increase for me, but I plan to get back to the activity level that I had a couple of months ago, which was pretty much some kind of exercise everyday! Some days it was a walk, sometimes cardio, sometimes strength, but something each day that kept my body moving!
2) I really want to increase the types of healthy meals that I'm preparing. I think I was stuck in a rut food wise and felt like I was having the same thing every other day - this was definately a stalling point for me! So any recipes or links are welcomed and appreciated!! I will try at least 1 new recipe per week - minimum! Along with this, effective today I will track track track my food and activity!
3) And then I will set an ACTUAL goal! I will plan out my meals for the next day the night before! I have found this is the best way to make sure I stick to a plan and get the most food for my points allowed! (I just planned for tomorrow!)



THERE...............I did it.........3 goals just for ME!! That said, here comes the hard part....my starting weight....166.6 lbs.

No Goals.....Just Life......

Hello all my lovely friends. I finally found some time to sit down and look through some well overdue blogs, and checking out every one's goals and plans for the new year! First off - good luck to everyone and I hope I can be a helping hand on your path in 2010.

I love the new year, while its truly just a date on the calendar, one can't help but feel the renewing start of a whole new year to keep your journey going, or to start down a new path.

I'm awful at resolutions, in fact, I'm not sure I ever bothered to make one. Goals aren't really my thing either! Long term is difficult for me - I have a hard time even telling you what the week might hold. While this may seem to be a personality downfall, I prefer to call it a "survival technique". My job does not allow for much planning - I knock em down as they throw em up - and I'm married to a "planning challenged" farmer (enough said). And then you can ask any of my friends, and especially my sister, I'm an instant gratification person. If I get something in my head.........NOW is the only way for me - my brain isn't hardwired to WAIT for anything!!

Somehow though, in 2009, I managed to join Weight Watchers, join the gym, and make a healthy change in my life, even though the goals and "resolutions" weren't exactly "planned out".

The past couple of weeks, I have slacked in all departments of my healthy lifestyle, but I'm not beaten! Not by a long shot. In fact, my lack of commitment to a long term goal allows me to not see the past couple of weeks as failure to reach my goal, but as a pit stop along my way. And now I'M BACK!!

One of the things that helps me stay on track when I am challenged by the lack of a "goal" or "plan", is my twitter relationships. You can't be a cheerleader and encourage your friends to do something if you aren't doing it yourself!

Exercise and eating right makes me feel STRONG!! That's a good enough goal for me!! And to all my planning and goal setting beautiful friends..........I'm right beside you.......every step of the way!! xoxo