making your mountain into several small molehills.

I was thinking (after I wrote that last post...you know, the one that said something) that I have a tape that kicks in when I want to skip the gym.
It is in direct opposition to the tape I used to have..
old tape: I need to finish this closet...I can wait to work out.
New tape: I need to stop doing this and work out...working out can't wait.
You know how I flipped the tape...
by flipping it.
I walked by walking.
I went to the gym today by putting on my shoes, putting on my clothes and going.
I don't allow any other voice to interfere.
You can't.
I haven't felt like doing a workout for about two weeks now.
I do them anyways....
Before, going to the gym seemed like scaling a very tall mountain to me.
Now it's an annoying molehill.
Things always seem bigger before you do them.
Like having a baby, or getting married.
Once you've done it, it doesn't seem so impossible.
How do I make myself go to the gym.
By going.
This isn't to be a smart ass.
But really...
How do you do anything?
There are many things in life you must do.
How do you do them?
How do you scrub the toilet?
Do you need to 'feel like it'?
Does it really matter if you feel like it?
No.
It has to be done, so you do it.
That is how you work out.
Once you realize that there is not a viable alternative...(granted, it seems a lot of people will do ANYTHING to avoid this realization.)
There is no alternative.
No magic pill of exercise happiness.
No magic pill to shrink your rear..no matter what the bimbos in bikinis say at 2 o clock in the morning.
There is no magical motivation pill.
It all comes from inside.
From the spirit.
If your mind and spirit are not in accord with your will, then  you need to get your mind right.
That is why I blog so much about the mind.
You can logically WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT.
But mentally, you could be sabotaging yourself.
But sometimes there is no self sabotage.
It's that you don't want to, or aren't ready to make the changes necessary to see this thing through.
When that is the case, and I know cause I've been there...
any excuse will do.
I don't have a babysitter.
I don't have time.
I don't have a good metabolism.
I don't want to starve.

I had excuses for  years.
I didn't want to be 'one of those mothers' who only thought of herself.
I had all the excuses above.
I couldn't stand the idea of giving up food as comfort and to be honest, it is still a struggle.
But it isn't some grand mountain....
It's little molehills you get your foot caught in...and you will only stay caught if you want to.
Life will always be there.
Like I told someone the other day.
There will always be a month, a holiday, or an occasion, or an annoying boss, or a stressful relationship.
But the crux of this is, do you want to be healthy, or do you want a reason not to be.
Like I said before, for years I had reasons.
Years.
What changed from May 3rd to May 4th last year?
The excuses....the reasons....the world.
Or me.

Have a great night guys,
Hugs,
Chris

today was productive...

But I am very tired.
I came in at 1600 calories consumed and burned around 580 at the gym.
Meaning I have a 500 cal. deficit.
oh well...
I have been working around the house and I have been doing those workouts at the gym...
I may be burning more calories than I think I am.
Right now I am retaining water so nothing  is showing on the scale.
I have a good post in me but I am too tired to type it out tonight.
I hope everyone had a  good day.
Talk to you all tomorrow.
Good night.

You've Got to remember WHY!

Hey all,
Is anyone Having post July 4th let down?
Consume too many calories?
It's okay, it's just one day.
Today is a new day...let it go.

I was thinking as I drove to the gym today
(I reaaaaallllly didn't feel like it.)
I have to remember why sometimes.
Why do I need to watch what I eat daily?
Why can't I just have a hot dog or stuff myself silly with any ole thing that is put in front of me?
Why should I count every calorie?
Every cracker?

Well,
Maybe this happens to you...
Sometimes it gets a little fuzzy...mostly because these days I am   feeling so good.

I can do most anything.

I don't get tired out all the time.

It would be easy to eat more than I should daily,
In the spirit of "treating" myself.

Today as I was cleaning my youngest daughter's closet out, and making really good progress I might add, I was tempted to skip the gym and finish it.
But luckily I have a built in tape that starts to play whenever I get these foolish notions.
The tape says:
"Not going to the gym is not an option, if you don't take care of yourself...there will be nobody here to take care of this closet...remember how you used to feel".

And then I do.
I remember.
I remember how I used to have a hard time standing for any length of time.
I remember being too tired to dig in the yard,or take a walk or clean out the closets.
I remember that I nearly put myself in an early grave trying to "take care of everything but me."
I also remember how it felt to be looked down on.
I remember going to the  rodeo and having the girls in their skinny jeans parade by  my husband and smirk at me.
I remember having the door swing back in my face because no man held it open for me.
I remember being mooed at.
I remember the heart palpitations and the back and joint pain.
I remember how my feet and heels used to hurt so bad in the       Morning I could barely walk.


Today I shaved my legs without worrying about my belly getting in the way.
I put lotion on my feet and noticed how thin they looked.
I have lost half a shoe size.
I have lost 14 pants sizes.
So, sometimes...when you are tempted to not workout..or to have things that aren't planned.
You have got to remember why you are doing this.
And treat yourself to a better life.
Not more food.
Hugs,
Chris

Happy 4th of July

There is No better country in the world!

Saturday snark from the seventies...

There are days when I Thank God I was born late enough in the history of the world that I never had to buy a hair pick for my hippy husband..
Just sayin'.

Tiggers and Mileys and gyms...oh my!

Hey,
Well, with my new workout schedule in hand...I went to the gym yesterday and today and burned a crap load of calories.
I ran all over the place today.
My youngest has a birthday coming up and My brother in law and his wife just had a new baby boy.
So I had to pop on down to Joanne's fabrics and pick up a blanket kit.
The last time I had a nephew coming I decided to crochet one.
I got halfway through by the time little Nic was born (three months early in my defense).
I never completed it.
So this time I got a fleece kit and should have it done in one sitting.
It's winnie the poo, piglet and tigger playing leap frog on the front and it's yellow underneath.
All I have to do is cut and knot.
Then I stopped off at party city to pick up some Hannah montana party supplies.
My daughter is 9 and has no idea miley has taken to using stripper poles and becoming 'untamed'.
I am not about to enlighten her.
So there I am in party city.
I say "Do you have any Hannah montana birthday supplies..
He says "yeah, if you got down this aisle, it's right after the pole..."
I say "that's funny'.
It took  him a second.
Then he laughed.
oy.
Luckily it was all half off.
hmmmmmm...
wonder why.
lol.
So Tomorrow is saturday..A high calorie day (1800)
But I decided to stick to 1500 and then move my 1800 calorie day to sunday.
This was also a part of my plan.
To make it flexible enough to incorporate special occasions.
I will be doing the same thing for my daughters birthday.
Instead of having that 2500 calorie the previous Saturday, I will save it till the 14th.
In this way I don't have special days AND high calorie days.
If there is a special day..move the high calorie day to fit it.
ON the saturday I skip, I will simply eat 1500.
This will keep me closer to plan and get me to my goal quicker.
Then the next saturday it reverts....
The only months where this really occurs are February, March, May, July, November and December.
The rest should be Saturdays as usual.
I got very little sleep last night and am VERY tired.
Will be heading to lala land here shortly.
Just wanted to say that the posts out in blogland have been great lately.
I love reading them.
It's always giving me new ways to think.
Keep up the great work guys.
Hugs,
Chris
oH yeah...PLASTIC JOY AWARD...
name your five fictional crushes.
You'll have to scroll down to get the picture..
Kimmie @ saving my life.
that'll be you

in the spirit of nepotism I gave it to my daughter at pessimistic days.
my husband couldn't believe it..
I had to remind him she's 16 and a half...at 19 I was married with a baby.
He didn't like that lol.
it's all in good fun.

um....hummmmm..
sue o lear....I hear your name echoing in my brain.
I think this would be perfect for you..
Can't wait to see this.

Shelaigh White from 60 is good.
I want a european perspective.

I'll do one more...
TJ.
I never see her blog about completely useless crap.
So TJ...this is your opportunity to turn off your brain.
lol
Have fun you guys.

For the rest of my life....

Hey guys...
Well, like I said the day before yesterday, I have a plan for July.
This plan is much like the plan I intend to have for the rest of my life.
I may have to up the calories when I hit 132 to maintain my goal weight.
But other than that...this is it.
I am 155.
I have 23 lbs to hit my 'goal'.
I have 15 pounds till I hit 'normal'.

Another thing I didn't mention.
The lowest I had ever gotten on any weight loss attempt prior to this one was 156.
156 was my last hurdle to my wedding day weight of 138 lbs.
I am only 17 lbs away from that weight.
I have done the calculations..and with a 500 calorie a day deficit I should make my target weight by December 31rst of this year.
So it's 1500 calories a day 6 days a week...on Saturdays it's either 1800 or 2500....every other saturday alternating.
This way I can have the occasional high calorie meal or popcorn at the movies.
It's easier for me to be strict and then have a free day than it is for me to go 1800 all the time.
I want one or two days a month where i can eat dinner without counting...and this plan should do it for me...
I should lose about 3 to 4 pounds a month this way.
I will also being doing 6 days a week of 60 minutes of cardio and upper body toning three days and lower body the other three.
Saturdays are my days off.
I won't be doing the kickboxing.
I went to inquire about the price and it was 88 dollars a month with a 12 month contract.
I would rather spend that money toward fixing my ten speed and other things.
That is  1056 dollars a year.
Considering I have a gym for free, that is too much for me...so I will keep my eye open at my gym for kick boxing classes.
For now it's going to be three days (M,W,F) of ellipticalling with upper body work.
So,
60 minutes elliptical
150 situps
36 flies
36 lower back extensions
45 lat pulls
45 tricep extensions

Then Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday
two mile walk, 1 mile jog (will up the jog and lower the walk as I feel comfortable)
30 minutes stairstepper
36 squats
36 leg/hip lifts each side
36 calf raises each side
36 quad extensions
36 hamstring curls

This is the work I am willing to do.
What sort of body it produces, I will have to wait and see.
So, welcome to the final leg of my weight loss journey...
As I lose my last 20 or so pounds and
cross into maintenance.



P.S. please tell me if my new design is good or not.
I don't want anyone unable to read it.