Do It For You!

You always hear that you can't lose weight for anyone but yourself.  Just like a drug addict can't become sober unless they truly want to become sober for themselves.  It's actually pretty amazing to look at the similarities between trying to quit an addiction and lose weight.  I used to be a smoker.  I started smoking when I was around 16 or 17 and smoked until July 4th, 2005.  Funny how I know the exact date.  I still have the craving for a cigarette occasionally but I know I will never start smoking again because I never want to quit again.  That was some serious hard work.  I am determined to reach my goals and once I'm there I refuse to let myself go again.  I know it is going to take hard work and I'm already putting in the hard work.  Why would I want to keep doing it over and over again?  Why would I want to go back to unhealthy when I worked so hard to become healthy?

So, this morning, while on my walk/run, I was thinking about why I wanted to lose weight and become healthy.  I know I want to do it for me and no one else but me.  So here are a few of my reasons:

• I want to be healthy.
• I want to look good.
• I want to feel good.
• I don't want my thighs touching anymore.
• I want to wear high heels again.
• I want to wear the cute clothes I used to wear.
• I want to be confident when going to see my doctor.
• I want my boys to learn and know a healthy lifestyle.
• I want to live a long life and see how my family grows over the years.
• I want to travel the world.
• I want to be athletic.
• I want to be a runner.
• I want my body back.
• I want my outside to reflect how I feel on the inside.
• I don't want to be a statistic.
• I want to have energy to keep up with my boys.

I came across this picture on Pinterest today and went on a hunt to track down the original picture.  It is very fitting to my thoughts this week. 

~Heather

Home

I'm sitting at home, on reserve, not a soul in the house. No one to hold me accountable, the food is controlling me, although I haven't given it complete control.  I haven't gotten myself up off the couch to go into the fridge and get that swiss cake roll that is screaming my name, yet...

...and I don't plan on it.  So I turned to the blog.  A place I where can vent my frustrations about my husband even buying those stupid things.  Why?  Why does he insist on buying everything under the sun that I don't want to eat, but it is there, so of course I'm going to be tempted!  It's not his fault that I am fat, I chose to eat what I've eaten in the past and I can choose to either eat that swiss cake roll or I can choose not to eat that swiss cake roll.  Before starting the blog, and this whole life change, I would have said "screw it, no one will know, just eat it!"! I'm trying to remember I'm in control and you hold me accountable.

I feel like I am too early in this process to give in and let myself have a treat like that.  I haven't earned it yet (so I tell myself), maybe in a couple of weeks I will feel like I've earned it.  Maybe if I get up off the couch and do a little cardio, I will feel like I've earned it, but I don't see that happening.

Have I shared that I feel unmotivated to work up a sweat?  Heather and I have met the last 2 Sundays to go on our weekly walks, those are nice and we get uninterrupted chat time, but man I am so exhausted afterwards, that I just want to get home and crash!  In my mind, I know to maximize the benefits of Weight Watchers means that I need to get moving, but I continue to make excuses.  My excuse today is that I'm on reserve, which means I am on call.  I will have two hours to get dresses, out of the house and to the airport.  Not much time to get back home if I am out running!

I'm hoping that after my first weigh-in I will feel more motivated to get my butt of this couch!!  I heard a rumor that a friend of ours *cough, cough Ame* might be thinking about starting another boot-camp.  I did one of hers last year and felt wonderful after it was over, but that was short lived!  This time, I will not let my hard work go to waste!  This is a lifetime commitment...

~Kristie

Control

Before I ate something bad I would think, 'I 'm in control, I'm not going to let some diet tell me what to eat', so I would over indulge in whatever I was eating or drinking because I wanted control.  When I started this whole process I thought to myself I have to give up my control over food and eat with "they" (the diet) tells me to eat.

Boy did I have it all wrong!  In just two short weeks my mind has been completely changed!  I was reading in one the the Weight Watcher weekly pamphlet and came across something that has forever changed my thinking about control

"Go back to your inspirations: Why are you trying to lose weight?  Who's in control, you or the food?" - Kay

Then it hit me!  All this time, I've been thinking I'm in control, when really the food was controlling me!!  Now when I see something that I want to overindulge on, I'm going to remind myself that I am in control, not the food.  I've always wanted control over what I eat, and I did, I just had the wrong mentality for it.

Now, I just need to learn how to control my free time and work out when I have some, I'm totally failing in that area!!

~Kristie

Find Your Strong

With school starting last week, I've had a very hard time finding a time to get my walk/run in.  Carter has to be at school between 7:00 and 7:30 and Preston and Liam have to be at school at 9 and John starts working around 7:30ish.  The sun isn't coming up until around 6:45 and I'm not comfortable going out while it is still dark.  And it is so freakin' hot here right now, any time after 7:30ish is absolutely miserable.

I did work out yesterday for a short 30 minutes which is better than not doing anything.  However, I didn't feel like it was enough.  I worked out over at my good friend's house on her treadmill.  Definitely a nice change of pace and she helped me tons with encouraging words and pushing me a little further than I wanted to go.

This morning, I went out and decided to start the Couch to 5k program.  UUGGGHHH!!  That's what I have to say about that.  It was terrible.  I almost had to call John to come pick me up.  My shin on my left leg hurt so bad.  My first mile was about 17 minutes which isn't too bad for still walking A LOT but I was in so much pain by the end that I was averaging a 21 minute mile.  I guess I need to concentrate this week on building my endurance up a little to get back in the groove and start the 5k training next week?  Part of me feels like I'm making excuses but the last thing I want is to injur myself. 

I ran across this picture this morning and I really like it.  It says "Find Your Strong."  I think everyone has their own strengths and when it comes to getting healthy you need to do what is best for you.  My strong right now is not my running but I want it to be.  I know it's in there...I've had it once before.  I will find my strong again!!!

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!!!

~Heather

Cravings

You know how earlier this week, I posted that I was having a hard day and craving really terrible things??  Well, I have found that that craving is not going away.  Very frustrating.  So, today I decided that I just need to give in to the craving and then maybe it will go away.  Maybe??

In my quest for this craving I have eaten some pretty bad things.  And made some pretty poor choices.  However, I think that since I haven't actually eaten what I'm craving I'm still left wanting.  Does that make sense??

So, my big craving this week??..... Jalapeno Poppers

I did a little research this morning on good ole' Pinterest, because all the best are on there, right? lol (Have I mentioned that I love this site and think everyone should be one there?? {cough, cough, Kristie!!})  I came across a recipe for "healthier" jalapeno poppers.  I bought all the ingredients and now I just need to make them. 

Jalapeno Popper Recipe

It's actually a very cool website where I found them.  Hungry Girl.  This particular recipe she compares to Arby's Jalepeno Poppers and has the WW points calculated.  I will be sure to let everyone know how they turn out!! :)

~Heather

Weight Watchers

Yay!  I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting yesterday with Heather.  What a great experience!  I left there eager to watch my food intake, learn what food are "power foods" and what to stay away from!  I'm so glad that I have Heather there for good moral support and someone to bounce ideas off of.

Today, I learned that not everything at McAlister's Deli is good for you.  I had the Sweet Chipotle Chicken Sandwich and it was 16 (!) points! That's over half my points for the day!  I really had to watch what I ate the rest of the day.  The good thing is that fruit (within reason) is ZERO points, so I can eat that to make me feel more full.

Up next on my list is to stop by Luke's Locker or Run On to grab me some new runners!!

~Kristie

Weekly Weigh In {August 25th, 2011}

I went to my weekly WW meeting today.  I lost 1.2 pounds!  Yay, go me!!!