status report

After a very frustrating morning of homeshool I thought checking out some blogs would help be feel better...but nothing new was up since last night so I thought I should probably write something myself.  Especially since I really wanted to write this yesterday, but didn't get to it.

I was inspired by this blog.  She has done amazing in changing her diet and exercise routine to get herself (and her sweet little family) more healthy and lose some weight.  OK, maybe I should say a lot of weight.  She's done awesome!  I wrote her and said in many more words, 'HELP ME!!!'  She is also a busy mom of three and has made it work, I want the same.  So in slightly copying her post I'm gonna do my own little status report.

--As you may remember I had a goal to lose 30 lbs in the last 6 months before I turned 30.  I was quite close to that goal, making it down 26 by that deadline.  Within a few weeks after I got those remaining 4 lbs off, but have teetered back and forth with about 5 since the end of March.  I haven't been consistant with exercising or counting calories. 

--I made it through the summer without really gaining but definitely not losing.  Just bouncing in that 5 lb. comfort zone but truly wanting to lose 15 more kilos or 33 more pounds.  I'll be quite happy with right at another 30.  From where I am today.  That will put me about 10 lbs lower than I got before our big move and allow me to fit comfortably in most of the clothes I own.  Like each day I wouldn't have to wear my yoga pants because that's all that really fits.  And going up the stairs at my friends' apartment complex won't nearly give me an asthma attack.  Cause let's face it, high altitude living is hard enough without being overweight and out of shape.

--Eating goals:  I am back to using CalorieKing to count my calories.  I've looked into several things, like the blood type diet, to give me a few ideas.  But overall I must say that calorie counting is what I know works.  Especialy since for my blood type (A+) it suggests being vegetarian.  AH HAHAHA!  If you know me you are laughing hard too.  But as a challenge I am going to try to have days where my protein comes from vegetable sources.  And I did find quite a few other food suggestions that I really feel could be advantagous to me.  And basically I know I will have to get more creative to not get bored and make this all work with what I have available.  Another big thing is that I'm going to try really hard to be consistant on the weekends.  I had been doing well during the week but then not keeping up on the weekends and basically undoing all my work.  Pretty counter productive.  So I'm committing to count calories even on the weekend.  Even if I go over, I'm gonna be honest with myself about it.   

--Exercising goals:  It boils down to having to do 6 days a week.  Of something.  I may not get in some intense cardio each day, but I will be moving my body.  When I think back to what has been the most challenging for me in the past, as well as giving me constant goals to work toward, I keep coming back to running.  I am so happy that my foot is doing much better.  Like, I hardly have pain, better.  I've found some things to help me keep the plantaar faciitis in check and so I am going to begin running again.  It releives stress like nothing else and can give the greatest amount of workout in the shortest amount of time.  So yesterday I did some intervals to ease back in.  My goal was to walk 5, run 5 and get at least 15 minutes of running in.  I did it.  Not beautifully.  Not speedily.  Not wonderfully.  But I did it.  When I first took off I felt good until I felt that familiar throat burning, chest about to expload feeling and looked down at my watch to see it had only been 3 minutes.  But I pushed through.  And I will continue to do so.  Because of scheduling I may only get to do two mornings each week, so it's gonna be a slow process.  Also, with the discovery of a nearby pool, I really want to start swimming a couple of days a week.  That's my first true love anyway.  And I'm aiming for yoga about 3 times a weeks too.  I'm hoping some days will be yoga and something else.  We'll see how it works with my free time.

--The one thing my friend said was helping was to blog about her progress.  Now I'm not saying I'm going to turn this into a food blog.  Or an exercise blog.  But I am going to write about some things.  Things I discover through this journey.  Things I want to whine about.  Things that I develope an obsession with interest in.  Lucky for you.  Stick around if you are intersted.  Don't if you are not.  If you do find it worthy of your time, and are perhaps good at eating and cooking healthy foods, I would love to get ideas.  Maybe a fun exercise activity.  Or some awesome healthy (and easy, please) recipes.  Do you read helpful blogs?  Send the address my way. 

So here we are.  I'm not exactly setting a time goal on this.  I mean I would like to have lost it all yesterday, but I didn't.  Mainly I want to be down before we head to the States, just under a year from now.  A goal of a year is really too long.  I'm gonna think on that part.  20 by the end of the year?  All of it by my next birthday?  I just don't know.  Right now all I know is it's not going to be any easier tomorrow than it is today so I'm done putting it off.