Back In The 'Paign

I am back in the 'paign after a much needed hiatus. While I was home, I must admit I was not as focused on my weight loss goals as I should have been but the thought was never far from my mind. Now, that I am back in the 'paign I have two main focuses: the completion of my degree and my weight loss. These two goals have one major thing in common- the need of a team.

In order to be successful with my goals, I must create a team to help me. As my followers and friends, you are a part of the team but I need a core of professionals. My professional team will include: my physician, a trainer, a nutritionist, and counselor. The concept of thinking I can do it all by myself was a little faulty. A good friend of mine shed some light on the situation by saying I can still progress toward my goals but in the initial stages I may need more support. Once I have met some smaller goals and have the tools needed to make changes; then I can do more by myself. I agree with her so it has begun.

I have already begun by making appointments with my physician and personal trainer. Tomorrow, I can make the appointments for the nutritionist. The counselor is always on call.

I am back in the 'paign and on my way!!!

Keys To A Long Life

Over the weekend I visited my great aunts in Charlotte. There is almost 200 years between them and they are still in excellent health. My Aunt Marian kept mentioning the perfect bill of health she received from her physician. She drinks wine everyday. My Aunt Nola kept saying "no one does anything for me. I make my bed every morning. I walks. I drink milk everyday. I don't eat sugar because it's fattening." So this is what I learned to be the keys to a long life:

• Drink wine regularly
• Exercise- all I need to do is stay active
• Drink Milk- make sure you get your calcium. I'm not a big milk drinker at all
• No Sugar- this is a challenge

The only thing I do on this list is drink wine regularly but not daily like my aunt. She definitely encourages the wine. If I try to incorporate these things into my daily life; I know I will be on my way to long, healthy life.

Failure

Have you ever felt like a failure? Have you ever felt like no matter what you did, how much you tried, or what you changed about a situation you totally failed? Well, that's how I am feeling at the current moment and not necessarily about my weight loss. Even though, I have not made a major overhaul in my habits; the little changes have been enough to have me lose a little weight. I am enjoying the exercise but admittedly I need to be more consistent and focused on it. How do you focus on your goals when you are personally distracted by the other areas in your life?

I am definitely a proponent of life is not as bad as it seems and most of the time I am a pretty optimistic person but when you feel so unaccomplished in a particular area of your life; what do you do to stay focused on your goals?

A woman once said you can never be successful at everything. If you are successful personally; then professionally you will suffer and vice versa. I am finding this to be true.

Another 1.5 Down

I am so excited that even after my Tour of Food, Birthday Cake, and lack of exercise over the past week. I am down another 1.5 lbs. I have been a little more conscious about what I eat but I must admit I have still been eating french fries and you already know about the burger. One thing I have been doing for a while and I am so glad it has carried over since I've been home is not drinking so much soda.

I did exercise for the first time in a week today and it felt so good. Exercise really does relieve stress. I didn't even know I was stressed until after the workout. I just felt so much lighter and happier.

Anyway, the saga continues....

I'm Back!!!

Hello My Lovely Followers,

It's been a little over a week since I posted. I took a little break to celebrate my 30th birthday and now I have recovered from my week of activities. I am been celebrating non-stop since my car pulled up to my parent's house last Wednesday. However, I did not forget all I needed to do and why I needed to do it.

Getting a pass to the YMCA was more difficult than I thought but I finally acquired a 7 day pass. I had the crazy idea that I could exercise outside but unless I plan on working out at 5:00 in the morning; it's not going to happen because it's blazing hot in Atlanta. Anyway, tomorrow will be my first day of exercise in a week so it will feel like I'm starting over but I will not give up.

Food is still a struggle and since I have been here every single meal has been more delicious than the next. The burger I had at Flip Burger Boutique was ummm ummm good. My niece scolded me at the table for not eating breakfast. So, knowing the nutrition aspect of this new lifestyle will be challenging I am still continuing to pursue my goals.

A plan is necessary, especially, when you are travelling because without one you will most likely fail. I had a plan but it was a little flawed. I'm reworking the plan. Does anyone have any tips for staying on track while travelling?

On The Road Again

I am leaving for Atlanta in the morning and I will be gone for the rest of the month. So, what's my plan for keeping it together and continuing to lose weight?

Here is the plan. I am going to join the local YMCA for a month. The director normally gives me a free pass because of my sister and brother-in-law's contribution. I can definitely get my fitness on while at home. The food---hmmmmmmmm- what to do? The first weekend I plan on going of the Tour of Food for my birthday and I must, I mean, I must have birthday cake. In order to counteract this, I will have to exercise and plan my meals better to compensate for the lushiness and goodness of all the Top Chef food. After Monday, the dread begins because I seriously want to cut out all white stuff from my diet for about 2 weeks or maybe even a month. No white stuff means sugar, flour, potatoes, rice, pasta, or anything I think is yummy. This will take some discipline but I know it will work.

I lost 1.5 lbs since last week. It falls right in line with the 1-2 lbs you should lose each week for healthy weight loss but I feel like I can do more. I think I can at least do 2.5- 3 lbs for the first few weeks. Baby steps, right. I am proud of myself for what I've lost but I know I will have to be more consistent and focused on my goal.

Keep sending me your feedback. I have been so encouraged by it all. Love Ya!!!

Accept the Things I Can't Change

I woke up this morning with a headache, stomach ache, and cold sweats. As the day wore on the headache and sweats subsided but the stomach ache was touch and go, needless to say, I didn't work out today. Last night, I packed my workout clothes so I could exercise midday right after I had a little lunch. In my mind, I had it all planned out but nothing went according to my plan (as goes my life). Instead, I spent another day resting when I was not going back and forth to the bathroom. I cannot change the events of today but I can still plan to work out and eat better tomorrow.

In the past, I would have given up on tomorrow because I didn't meet my six times a week of exercise goal but knowing I have to write my blog has me excited for tomorrow. I may not hit my six times a week goal but I am definitely moving more and being more conscious about what I eat than before I began my blog. I may not be able to change everything all at once but at least my attitude is starting to shift ever so slightly.

A Little Rest Goes A Long Way

Today, I was able to grocery shop, cook, workout, and talk to a couple of friends without feeling like I was going to fall asleep immediately. I don't know if it's all the worry I carried for my students while they were on campus for six weeks, the anxiety of writing so I can complete my degree program, the lack of a significant other to share my life, or the thoughts of whatever but whatever the reason I have just been physically exhausted. All I ever want to do is lay on my sofa and watch television. However, I got some good rest yesterday after my students left and this morning and today I was able to accomplish everything on my to-do-list today. I must incorporate more quality rest in my life. How much rest do you need?

Time Management

I missed writing and exercising yesterday. These are the last few days of the summer bridge program I coordinate so I have spent the last couple of days preparing for my students departure. Anyway, it has taught me that incorporating exercise and healthy eating will be a challenge when my time is limited. I suppose to overcome this challenge I should have better time management (as I always stress to my students).

The best time to workout is in the morning, however, I am not a morning person at all. The thought of waking up an hour and half to two hours earlier to exercise makes me cringe. Honestly, I just don't want to do it; I appreciate all the sleep I can get these days. On the other hand, I have to give up something to get something (the basis principle of opportunity costs) so I guess I will have to give up my morning sleep to gain a healthy life. Oh my goodness, all of this is overwhelming.