Resolutions, revisited

Last week, I wrote out all of my resolutions, or rather GOALS, for 2012 and I've decided that even though it's only been a week, I'd report on my progress.


I started Weight Watchers Online again right after I finished the blog post last week.  I decided it was silly for me to wait until AFTER New Years to start.  So I counted my points (even through New Years Eve) and weighed in yesterday for a loss of 3 lbs!!  I was very happy, and that's motivated me to keep going!


One of the blogs I read posted about an 8-week get healthy challenge.  And I've decided I'm going to do it!  I'm so excited.  I'm rallying up a few of my friends and I'm going to start it as soon as possible.  Here's the breakdown (taken right from Six Sisters' Stuff):
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-This is an 8-Week Challenge that starts on a Monday (you pick what Monday to start on)

-Decide an amount that each person pays to enter the challenge (we did $25 a person)

-There is a weekly point calendar for each of the 8 weeks

-Beginning on Week #2 there is a double point challenge (highlighted in yellow)

-You can exercise each day, but you will only receive points for exercising 5 days a week.

-You can choose to not each sugar/treats each day, but you will only receive points for not eating sugar on 6 days (everyone needs a free day!).

-There is a sample food journal that you can use or you can use your own kind of food journal to keep track of what you eat.

-Weight yourself anytime each Sunday and tally up all points by 9 PM. Make sure that you weight yourself under the same circumstances each week (for example: Morning/Night, Empty/Full stomach)

-Choose someone in your challenge who will be the one you send a weekly email/text to with your totally weekly points and totally weight loss points for the week. They will have to keep track of everyone’s points and then have them send out an email or text with everyone’s standings on Mondays. We said that all points had to be emailed/texted by midnight on Sunday. If you didn’t send an email/text by that time, you received no points for that week. So each week you will send in 3 numbers: Your weekly points, you weight lost for the week, and your total points for that week.

-Daily contact with teammate: It’s amazing the strength that comes from encouragement from your teammates! We said that you could email, call, or text someone on your team to encourage them to have a healthy day. It helps knowing that you are all in this together and makes you accountable for what you do or don’t do.

-Example of weight loss points: You will get 5 points for maintaining your lowest previous weight AND 10 points for each whole pound. For instance, if you gained weight, you will report 0 points AND you don’t get any weight loss OR maintenance points in future weeks until you return to the lowest weight you had already achieved. If you maintained your previous lowest weight, you report 5 points. If you lost 1 pound, you would get 5 points for maintaining plus 10 points for that pound, so you would report 15 points.

-Cash prize money will be divided equally between the person who loses the largest percentage of weight and the person who has the most total weekly points.

Starting Weight from Sunday night: ___________

WEEK #1	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
1 pt: Contact with Teammate
3 pts: 64 oz Water
3 pts: Stop eating before 9 pm
3 pts: 2 Fruit Servings (1/2 cup each)
5 pts: 3 Vegetable Servings
5 pts: No Sweets/Sugary Treats (Only 6 days a week)
5 pts: Keep a Food Journal
5 pts: 30 min. exercise OR 7 pts: 45 min. exercise (Only 5 days a week)
TOTAL POINTS: (205 possible for the week)

10 Points per Pound lost AND 5 points for Maintaining Lowest Weight.

Total Points from Week: _________ + Points from Weight Loss: _________ =

Grand Total of Points from Week 1: __________

Each week continues like this (except that starting in week 2, different categories get you double points)

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So while I'm going to continue with Weight Watchers, I'm adding this into my routine.  This will help to get to my fitness goals (biking and running), and I'm super excited about it!  I have a picture on my computer desktop, to remind me of my current goal (this is what I looked like when I met my husband).  Once I get there, I'll revisit my goals!  One step at a time!

Resolutions

So, Christmas is finally over.  The cookies were baked, the toffee (aka Christmas Crack) was made and all the delicious traditional Christmas food was consumed (in copious amounts).  Now, it's time to make those New Year's Resolutions!


My friend Hillary made a post about Goals instead of Resolutions.  It makes sense.  Every year, I make (and usually break) the same Resolution - to lose weight.  Last year, I didn't make a resolution at all, because I knew I would just end up giving up on it half way through the year.  But this year, I'm setting up some goals.

1. Get Healthy.  I think it's really important for me to set a goal to be healthy, rather than make the "Let's try to lose 100 lbs" resolution.  We all know that never works.  I want to feel good about myself and not always feel so large and uncomfortable.  I think that I need to do a few different things to encompass the entire Get Healthy Goal:
1. Exercise at least 4 times a week (upcoming goals 2 and 3 will help with this one).  This shouldn't be too difficult.  Not only do I have a free (yes, free) fitness center right in my building at work, I also pay for World Gym.  I currently hardly ever use either....I need to get in the habit of bringing clothes to work with me, and either using the gym at work, or stopping at the gym after work.  I want to find exercises that I like and that don't bother my back.
2. Continue to follow Weight Watchers.  The program works, I just need to follow it.
3. De-Stress.  This may come in the form of exercise, or even yoga or meditation.  I bring a lot of stress on myself by letting things bother me all the time.  It's time to work on that!
2. Prepare for the 60-mile Tour de Cure and ride in May.  We purchased road bikes back in April, and we've gotten a decent amount of use out of them.  We rode last year with the Johnson & Johnson Team, and while we signed up for the 15-mile ride (as new riders, we weren't too sure if we wanted to go for the big ride right away), but we ended up riding 30 miles, and really enjoyed it.  It's time to bump it up and go for the 60.  Time to Train
3. Run the CVS 5-K in September.  You may think this is a whimpy goal, when other people are out there training for half-marathons and marathons.  Well, my goal is to run a 5-K.  I haven't run much since I tore my PCL two years ago.  But I think that a workout strategy will help me achieve this goal.
4. Read more.  I read (really re-read) a lot of Harry Potter.  I would like to read more variety.
5. Continue cooking and baking (and blogging about my food).  I really want to make more dinners and work on my repertoire.

I think that's a pretty hefty list of Goals.... But I feel that they're practical and I'll be able to stick with everything.


Here's to a great new year!