Progress

No, I haven't been on blogging. But I'm still doing well!! I did have one week where I let myself go back a bit, but not all the way. I've since recovered eating habits. Haven't been out running lately....stupid snow. In my defense, it isn't wise to run with snow on the roads. But, I didn't use exercise videos, or other workouts inside either. That is my main concern--- I need to get back to running. I can't let myself go back to not running. I truly love it and I love how I feel accomplishing something new. I think....I KNOW I can accomplish my goals. It will just take effort. I'm so excited for my coming semester. It is going to be absolutely wonderful scheduling wise- giving me the time to focus on health and exercise. Food will always be an issue- not because I want to eat junky things, but because I can't always afford the fresh veggies and fruits. Hopefully, I can make good use of produce junction and the new produce at Amelia's to really balance my "need to eat" because of cost and fresh, natural foods.

I'm also using this last semester of "freedom" to branch out a little and try new things. More to come later.

My Goal

Goal: run this path by the end of this semester!

I am back in the game!

The last few tries of "re-starting" didn't feel as good as this.Before, I was holding on by a thread, making excuses, and giving up before I got into a second week! Plans change all for me! I feel so good this time. I'm not looking back. I hear that weight loss is a long journey. For me, it had a road bump, but not a huge one. By Christmas 2011 I'll be down to 130 and starting the next phase- true maintenance. I have until then to come up with a new plan that needs to stick. I'm hoping to be down to 150 by May. I know that it takes longer to lose weight once you are at a "healthy" weight, so I'm willing to be patient. Next Christmas at 130. Senior recital in a beautiful dress at 130. I think I can handle that : )

I Love Plans!!!!

I work best with a plan. It has always been that way. I'm not one to just jump right into something without having a plan of how to accomplish my goal....and when I have a goal, I intend on accomplishing it. My problem last time when I reached my goal was that I didn't have a NEW goal, which gave me benchmarks and rewards to stay healthy. I'm starting this time around with a clear plan that's neatly outlined in a book with easy to understand recipes and instructions. It's going well so far. I've lost 4 lbs since Monday and lost a bunch of bloat, so of course I feel better. I've also gone back to square one and wrote out a reward system, just like last time. This helped me a lot because I always looked forward to updating my caloriecount profile with the updated rewards : ) I'm keeping my starting weight at 208. This has been a long journey. Just because I made it to 142, doesn't mean that I was done losing weight.

OFFICIAL GOALS AND REWARDS
SW: 208 (Jan. 2009)
CW: 173.0 (34.4 lbs lost!)
GW: 130

5 lbs lost: Download a Zune song
10 lbs lost: Starbucks trip
15 lbs lost: Download sheet music
20 lbs lost: $20 for a new outfit
25 lbs lost: Go to see a movie!
30 lbs lost: Day at the Aquarium!
35 lbs lost: Download new sheet music and a Zune song
40 lbs lost: Mommy and Lauren (and friends) Day of Fun : )
43.6 lbs lost: Day in NYC!!!!

Same old, same old....

I sound like a broken record. I swear, every five posts on this blog says the same thing. This time though, I have a PLAN. Plans that actually work are hard to come by. Most diet "plans" look like Atkins or the magic acai berry diet or something. This plan comes from the Biggest Loser, a show that I watch a lot and subsequently get very encouraged and forget about what ever it was until the next week...

I found the 30 day jump start plan at Borders and after some tense decision making moments, I resolved to complete it. It changes both how you move and what you eat. I am a little nervous about the food part. After this month, I go back to campus and I have to buy my own food. I need to be able to afford food. Right now, I'm spending only $50/month on groceries. This is accomplished by getting all processed/frozen food. All of which aren't healthy and encourage sugary, lazy tendencies. Maybe I'll be able to afford this...if I work really hard....

My hope is that I can encourage my family to eat the same way. Most of the recipes make multiple servings, so hopefully they'll join in. If not, I'll freeze and save them for when I go back to school. Things will work out one way or the other.

Really?

Those posts that I wrote not even a month ago. Really? I'm totally disgusting. I'm losing it! I want to be healthy, and then I ate like a complete pig when I was in NH. I said I was going to run everyday...and ran once and did the easiest C25k. I need to save my life here. End of story. I need to get real about this. It's not about looking great or getting a great guy. It's not about people liking me or wanting to hang out with me. It's not about the size that I get to wear or where I can shop. It's about saving my life. It's about creating a better future for me and my future kids. Do I really want to see my kids go through what I'm going through?

New Rule for Lauren

After measuring out my dinner, like a great little calorie counter, I left the rest on the stove. After eating, I went into the kitchen to get some Smart Pop popcorn. While it was popping, I ate a whole other serving of biscuits and chicken.

New Rule: After making dinner and serving it, the rest gets put away in the fridge immediately!!!!

Luckily, I'm still only about 250 over what I wanted to be for the day, but still!!! I shouldn't have done that!