30-Day Water Challenge...Again!

In February, I posted HERE how I was going to start the 30-Day Water Challenge.  I felt the need to up my water intake and decrease my pop intake.

I went fairly strong for the first half and it got a little lack luster towards the end.  In March when the challenge was over...my water intake took a steep decline.

I told myself time and again that I would get back into it but I never did.  The reason was that I didn't print off the track sheet.  That little visual chart really kept me on track.  I promised myself I would get them all printed out and taped into my recording book for April.

So, for April I am going to try again.  Anyone want to join me?  I put it out there last time and I'm not sure if anyone joined me or not.  I know I had a few people who didn't feel they were up to the challenge and that 8 glasses of water a day was just setting themselves up for failure.

Here's the thing...it can't hurt to try.  If you currently are not getting in 8 glasses, you can't do worse right?  Even better....I can 110% guarantee that the police will NOT come for you if you don't drink your 8 glasses a day.  So, I suggest you try it, you might surprise yourself.  With the little check-list you might just do better then you think.  I know for me it helped that if I got in 6 and could see that I only needed to check off 2 more, it was easier to chug a glass then without it.

Come on...who's with me!?!?

Follow Through Friday - # 11

It's Friday!  It's Friday!  Link up time!

Let's look back and see how I did, shall we?  And just a reminder...my week runs from Tuesday to Tuesday, so by the time I post this on Friday, my week is almost over!

Last Week:

• Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
• Lose 1 lb
• Print out check list for the 30-Day Water Challenge until the end of October
• Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1559 as per Lose It)
• TOPS CHALLENGE - No potatoes

3.5 out of 5 (details below)

• I really don't feel like I need to touch on this one much any more.  While I still intend to keep it a weekly goal, it's not one I struggle with...that's why I like to put it first!
• I almost didn't make it to to TOPS to weight in this week due to a hectic schedule, but I'm glad I did.  I lost my required pound and it will encourage me to keep up the good work.
• I managed to get my sheets printed out and taped into my book.  I will start tracking again on April 1.
• I did journal everything and while I didn't stay within my daily limit, my weekly limit was under goal.
• I was out of this challenge the minute is was picked.  Firstly because I had done meal planning for the week and Wednesday night was calling for roast chicken and mashed potatoes.  Secondly, we are not big veggie eaters and potatoes or some other type of carb is our go-to side dish.

Goals For The Week

• Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
• Lose 1 lb
• Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1552 as per Lose It)
• Maintain my uncontrollable PMS eating this weekend.
• Be awesome!

Food

I think when I go shopping this week, I am going to buy myself a couple of extra chicken breasts and cook them up for lunch.  I may even buy  myself some lettuce and make a little salad.  I need to start doing this.  While salad is not terrible, it is not my favorite.  I need to come up with an alternative to potatoes.  Also, I will do well to control my PMS cravings.  I feel myself losing control...going from one item to the next and then on to the next without thought to what it is I really want or if I am hungry.

Exercise

March's leg of my walking challenge ends on Monday.  I have done really well with it this time around.  I am so proud that I am ahead and intend to stay that way.  I am also going to brainstorm  bit about another "mini" challenge I can add in.

So, there you have it.  That is my plan for the week.  If you don't plan your week out, it's really helpful to have a goal in mind to get you through the week.

Non-Scale Victory - # 20

This is a link up I really enjoy, but don't participate in each week.  Mostly because my personal victories are at a point where they are the scale.  My hard work is paying off and the victory I am most proud of each week is that with each new loss comes a brand new lowest weight for me.

One of the processes that is helping me reach that though is exercise.  I've blogged about it before, the walking challenge my girlfriend Julie and I are doing.  If you haven't gotten caught up on it yet, you can check out the post from last month HERE!

We did this challenge last year too and I flaked out on it at the end...meaning I gave up.  I ended up disappointing myself and vowed to do better with this year's challenge.  We have been at it for almost 3 months now and I will openly admit that I am addicted to getting in my exercise portion of kilometers each day.  I now walk every chance I get to see if I can get over the daily limit.  I have had to miss 2 days this week on the treadmill and it bothered me a LOT!

My non-scale victory is more than just creating that healthy habit for walking...it's that I have already technically completed my required kilometers for the month.  The required monthly total is 172.40 km (170 miles for my American friends, including Julie).  With 5 days to go, I am at about 174 km.  I am so pumped about this!

What is your non-scale victory?  No matter how small, it needs to be celebrated!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to make my TOPS meeting tonight.  I worked about 2 hours later than usual and had baking to do tonight for a fundraising bake sale at the school tomorrow.  On my way home from work, I had to stop off at my parents house to pick up Abby.  It was about 6:30, so I stayed to visit for half an hour and stopped in at the church on my way home to just weigh in.  I didn't stay at the meeting though.

Last week: 238.75 lbs
This week: 237.75 lbs
-1.0 lbs

I did it again!  I couldn't be more pleased.  I have doubts every week, but I must be doing something right...I am right on goal.

My BFF Julie is now joining me in on Tuesdays to weigh in and she had better be blogging about it too.  Go check out her site...if she hasn't posted something....harp on her will ya!?!

Follow Through Friday - # 10

This is my 10th contribution to this link up.  I just love it.  Because my week runs a little differently, I always write it on Wednesday and wait until Friday to post it.  If you haven't participated in it yet, I encourage you to give it a try.  It really is a fantastic way to plan.

Let's review,

Last Week:

• Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
• Lose 1 lb
• 30-Day Water Challenge
• Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1565 as per Lose It)
• TOPS CHALLENGE - No salty snacks

3 out of 5 (details below)

• I'm still knocking it out of the park with this one.  At this point, we are only half way through the month and I am well on my way to having my required km in by the end of next week.
• I lost 1 lb...no more, no less, but I am pleased
• I have not been doing so well with my water challenge and intake...the reason?  Laziness!  I have failed to yet print out the check list and tape it into my book for visual reference.  I clearly need that to make it work
• I managed to log everything, the good, the bad, the fattening...I did NOT however stay within my calorie limit.  Well, I guess I did if I lost a 1lb....that is what my weekly goal is set to on Lose It.
• Salty snacks are usually not my calling.  I thought I did well until I remembered I had a handful of chips on the weekend.

Goals For The Week

• Walk my required km for each day - 5.70 km
• Lose 1 lb
• Print out check list for the 30-Day Water Challenge until the end of October
• Food Journal EVERYTHING and stay within my calorie limit (1559 as per Lose It)
• TOPS CHALLENGE - No potatoes

Food

I want to try REALLY hard this week to stay under my calorie allotment.  I am not able to do that and refrain from eating back my exercise calories though...I need to exercise to give myself enough to eat.  I also have a real problem...when I have any left over calories at the end of the day...I mentally try and figure out what I can eat to use those up.  I am then driven to do so.

Exercise

I really am hooked on the treadmill.  I find myself getting on it twice on the weekends to deal with the afternoon boredom and the desire to snack.  I have also done a bit of running.  I'm not using any program, because I am not ready to commit to it yet, but I just watch the timer on the treadmill and every 5 minutes, I run for 1 minute.  It's not exhausting to the point where my legs are jello.  I have not decided if I am ready to increase it yet, because I don't want to risk injuring my foot again.  I also can tell I am getting more fit.  I can easily walk on the treadmill for a good hour and don't feel like my legs won't carry me when I get off.  I can walk up the stairs a little easier and my recovery time after is shorter.  

What are your goals for the week?  Join me in the link up!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

I wasn't sure how I did with the scale this week.  I thought I did fairly well with my focus on eating, but then Sunday came and I pretty much ate double my calorie allotment for one day.  Now, while I knew that wouldn't change it, I wasn't sure if it would linger and affect me a couple of days later.

Turns out it didn't.

Last week: 239.75 lbs
This week: 238.75 lbs
-1.00 lbs

I'm so pleased to have lost a whole pound.  I have my calorie counter set up for that goal, so it must mean I was spot on for food and exercise.

I also was the winner of the rewards basket at TOPS tonight.  Each week the members bring a contribution to the basket (valued at about a dollar)...and each week, the person who lost the most AND also lost or stayed the same last week, wins the contents.  While I was not the biggest loser for this week, I was the biggest loser that also had a lost last week.  It's a nice little perk.

Just one more thing to keep my focus going!

Picture Progress

I haven't taken many photos along the way in this journey.  Mostly because I don't really feel like I've made much progress.  I haven't dropped a clothing size in over a year.  Since I am on a wave of re-commitment and focus, I thought now would be a good time.

I really have a hard time seeing myself as different, but I think that's normal.  It takes others to notice.

July 2012 - 261.75 lbs

 

January 2013 - 247.50 lb

March 2014 - 239.75 lbs

I can definitely see a difference between the first set and the last set.  Not as much between the last two, but I can see I'm a little slimmer in the upper stomach area.  I plan to do them again when I get to 230 and each 10 lb loss after that.

Are you taking progress pictures?  Let's see them!