I reached my goal. Now what?

It's been 2 months since my last update. That does not mean I've quit, it means I have almost no free time to come here and tell you how awesome you can become! Here's a little bit of what's been going on for me in my fitness journey.

About a month ago I hit my "long-term goal" that I set for myself at the beginning of the year. <yay!!> It was so great to finally see a number on the scale that I thought would be nearly impossible, back in January when my thought process was different. I was so used to failure in this area of my life, I just set the goal and never honestly thought I would make it there. I have to share a few things about what happened to me when I hit my goal. And rumor has it, this is pretty common.

When I reached my very first long-term goal, I was thrilled. I was so proud of my accomplishments, and all the hard work that I put into getting to that point. I danced around my bathroom, I texted my gym accountability partner with a picture of the number between my toes, and I was on cloud nine. For about a day or two. Something in my mind switched once I hit that goal. It was completely a subconscious thing, because I don't remember thinking this way then, but hind sight is 20/20.

So I hit my goal, but I somewhat relaxed my efforts. I still hit the gym 4 times each week, something was missing. I went in auto-pilot. I did what I had to do to cross it off a list. I wasn't actively working out with my eyes focused on my new goal; it wasn't in my cross hairs. I was temporarily blinded by my success. In my mind I was all "oh yeah, I'm so awesome, I did it", and maybe I said it out loud a couple of times too, but it took me about 2 weeks to realize that I had set a new goal (half-heartedly) and never sat down to calculate exactly what needed to happen in order for me to reach that new goal. So now here I am, still trying to decide what to do next.

On a side note, I'm a few pounds from that goal weight. Let me just say, I hate that stinking scale. It's about to get a one-way ticket to the creek behind my house. But, I have to remind myself of my last post, the number between my toes is not a conclusive gauge to my success. My clothes are fitting better, and I don't feel a noticeable change in my body as far as extra fat. Rather than get upset about it longer than a moment, I went straight to my measurement chart. I've added inches in the places that I'm working on: my shoulders are up 1 inch, and my biceps are up a half-inch! (yay!) But I've trimmed 0.25 inches from my abdomen and 0.5 inches from my hips. These changes have happened within the last 2 months since I've last measured.

Once I decide what my next goal is, and how I'm going to attain it, I will come back and post. And now, remember that every good thing you do for your body is a step in the right direction. You won't change overnight, but all the little good things will add up to one amazing change over time. Think of it as compound interest! Until then, more love, less handles!

......and I leave you with me having some fun at the gym......

 

Namaste.

The Numbers Between Your Toes

Over the course of this year I have come to realize that the number on the scale does not define my success in my weight loss and fitness journey. It's easy to get discouraged with my weight loss efforts if the only numbers I'm paying attention to are the ones between my toes. The number on the scale is important, but it doesn't have the final say. It is only one factor you should take into consideration when setting goals for yourself.

Lately I have been getting a little down about the rate of my success. It's hard to keep plugging away at the gym 4 or 5 days a week, all the while watching the scale stay the same for weeks on end. But the scale isn't my only judge. I was reminded of this over this past week, in a few different ways.

I realized I hadn't taken my measurements at all since the beginning of the year. Apparently I underestimated the importance of doing this! So I took out my trusty seamstress measuring tape and compared my newest numbers to when I began in January. I was completely blown away. (I measure 12 body parts - shoulders, chest, waist, abdomen, hips, thigh, knee, calf, ankle, arm, forearm, and wrist.)

I'm down 41 inches combined. I about fell out of my chair adding these up.

I also take progress pictures in minimal clothing. Nobody sees these except for me. Putting these pictures side-by-side each couple of months or so also puts things into perspective. It allows me to see where I am tightening up and what still needs improvement. It really helps to motivate me when I don't think I'm getting results. We get used to seeing our reflection in the mirror everyday, and it's hard to notice the small changes that happen gradually over the course of several weeks or months. Pictures help remind us of where we came from - and for me, where I don't want to go back to.

This past week I also hit a physical goal that I've been trying to do for months. I can partly blame my bum rotator cuff for the delay, but it was more mental than anything really. I finally did an unassisted pull up! *insert major cheering here!* And not just one, but two! It was a huge physical AND mental break for me! I was so excited, I can't wait to go try again tonight!

Last week I also had a couple pairs of jeans basically put out of commission for being too big, as well as my formerly-tightest-pair-of-capri jeans fit with plenty of room to breathe. So even though the scale still says the same number it has for a few weeks, my body is changing. It's getting stronger and leaner. Sometimes I just have to force myself to purposefully look for my progress in other ways and stop giving the number on the scale so much importance.

It's Monday, what are you going to do today to get you closer to your goals??

Running

Hello, my name is Heather, and I like running. 

Okay, that was weird. I honestly never thought that statement would ever come out of my mouth!


I have dreadful memories of being forced to run a mile in P.E. every year starting in middle school all the way through high school. (The Presidents Challenge, remember that?) Each time there were the select few, athletes, usually boys (like my husband!), that would clock in a six-point-something minute mile. Then there were those that gave it an honest effort, coming in below ten minutes or so. And lastly, there were people like me. These were mostly girls. You could spot them either complaining very loudly, gripping their cramped sides, or with arms extended over their heads gasping for air. Really, as I got older, I just used this time for social purposes, in trade for sweating off any makeup that may have graced my face. I was a fifteen-minute-mile kinda girl. My P.E. teacher would huff and puff, getting visibly irritated with girls like me, as she took her job very seriously! But nobody was going to make me run, not even the President. 


Fast forward.... Even up until this Spring, none of my friends could make me do it either. I've been asked a gazillion times to do those "Couch to 5K" group runs, ask any of them, and they'll confirm it. My infamous quote is "I'd rather starve myself than run". Well, not anymore. I still have a lot to learn, but I have the rest of my life to figure it all out.


And if I could go back and tell my teenage self one thing, it would be, "you can do it!" Never underestimate what you're capable of. Dream big, set your goals high, and put your mind to accomplishing them. I'm learning that anything is possible. Who knew? I like running!

Oh, and speaking of The President's Challenge, I was the "sit and reach" champion of my high school for both my Junior and Senior year. ;)

Patience pays off

I'll admit it, I'm not usually a very patient person. It's one of those character traits that I wish came naturally to me. When I was a teenager (and a new Christian), I once heard someone I would consider my mentor say, "don't ever pray for patience", then she went on to explain her reasoning behind it. As if God were going to dump a mountain of stress on me to test my patience limits, and then as a result of this, my patients would somehow grow. My opinion of that theory is different, but the one thing we all need to agree on is that we need to have patience in our fitness journey. And that can be really difficult.

Last week I had a major breakthrough. For eight whole weeks, my scale would not go below a certain number. It would fluctuate up and down, about four pounds, but never getting below the "sticking point". Eight weeks is a lot of time to wait for progress - that's two months! Especially when I was still in the gym four nights a week, working out for at least two solid hours each night. I never got to the point where I wanted to "throw in the towel", but it sure was frustrating. I tried flip-flopping my cardio and resistance training, I added in new or different exercises, I switched the days in which I focused on different body parts, but nothing seemed to be helping. But I kept at it.

Six months of working out regularly has formed a major habit. A habit that I could only dream about for the last ten years. I've always wanted this for myself, but never made the time for it. There were always excuses. And some good reasons too, but I never made this "me time" a priority. I was really good at quitting too, when it got tough, I would give up. Now, I never give up. I'm determined to set my goals high and accomplish them. (This is probably why my rotator cuff has tendonitis - I'm determined to do an unassisted pull up! I have tried, and tried, and tried... I'm not sure why that is so hard for me, but I will do it. Soon.)

Fast forward to last Monday. I was up four pounds from my "sticking point". I came off a weekend of not watching what I ate as carefully as I should, and it was time for "T.O.M." to visit. So starting the week, my mindset was "this is the week". Meaning, this is the week that I'm determined to breakthrough that number on the scale. I decided to strip my diet down to 1200 calories a day, to work harder, run faster, lift more, and go until I couldn't go anymore. I also acquired a new workout buddy to join me a couple times a week! I've always enjoyed working out alone, but there is something to be said about working side-by-side with a friend; encouraging each other, and strengthening our friendship. (Thanks for joining me, B!) We both have like goals and mindsets. We both refuse to give up. We'll both try anything. And I think she'll agree with me that we both refuse to weigh each other down. And the best part of course, we laugh a lot and have fun!

By Friday of last week, not only did I go below that "sticking point" on my scale, I went two and a half pounds below it! This is a huge success for me, and just proves to me that I can do whatever I set my mind to.

There is a new fire inside of me that burns hotter and brighter than it did before. And I'm so glad it's Monday because it's a new week in the gym. A new week for more progress. This journey does require patience, and if you are patient and keep up your efforts, you will be rewarded.

And to you... Keep going, you can do it! <3 Heather

And by the way, this breakthrough has me down 25 pounds total since January!! :)

Getting back on track, after falling off.

Staying focused can be difficult. This month I had one of those weeks where I took my eye off the prize. My diet was not where it should have been, and I had a battle with sugar, and sugar won. Temporarily. There is one week out of every month that used to completely derail my efforts, and if you're a woman, you know what I mean. Cravings would seem like they were out of my control, and before this year started, I usually gave in. Some months seem to pass on by now without a hiccup, but this month sure had me guessing where my appetite was coming from. And the worst part was I was craving foods that I know will not help me reach my goals. This photo is a good depiction of how that week went: 

So what did I do? Well, for starters, I avoided the scale for a few days. (I don't recommend this.) I actually put it out of sight. I knew it was going to be brutally honest with me, and confirm the reality of my poor choices. I embraced the "whoa is me" attitude for a couple of days (secretly, of course), and then after those few days were over, I pulled out the scale. Let's just say I was shocked. In about 2 weeks time, I had managed to put on eight pounds. I'm sure "Aunt Flo", and the inevitable bloating had some to do with it, but sodium was definitely not my friend either. Nor was the pizza, hot dogs, cookies, frappachino... oy, that's embarrassing. Anyway, I will endure this public mini-humiliation in an effort to help you! 

Here it is one week after getting on that scale and I'm back at my "pre-destruction" weight. I didn't skip a workout during those "dark days" either, which kept my gym routine safe and sound, but I've mentioned it before, you cannot eat junk and correct it with exercise. I knew my weight gain would be temporary, but this is the time that many people throw in the towel. My last post I talked about failure, and I'll admit, I had to take my own advice!

Failure.

Failure is the reason why so many people give up. Failure is not something that people aim to do, but it's something that happens to everyone. What you choose to do with your failure will define the outcome of your circumstances.

Yesterday (Monday), I decided I was going to strip down my diet again and closely monitor everything I was putting into my body. I won't bore you with the details, but one thing I didn't do was plan ahead. You can only imagine how hard it was to eat clean and turn my back on carbs when I hadn't gone to the market to buy fresh produce, chicken, or fish. I made do with what I had through lunch, but after opening the refrigerator door time and time again, new food did not magically appear in time for dinner. (I know I'm not alone with that thought!) So, when it came time to eat - completely rushed before a ball game - I ended up eating a PB&J. Translated: saturated fat, carbs, sugar.... FAIL! But did I thrown in the towel? Nope, I still went to the gym after the game and had a great workout. Knowing that PB&J passed through my lips may have kept me on the stairmaster a little longer, but contrary to what many believe, you technically can't work off the 'junk' you eat in the gym. Calories yes, bad nutrition, no. (Another topic for another time...)

Losing weight, making better choices for your health, and deciding to do something to work towards your goals all take work. Actually, hard work and dedication, right? ;-)  So just know there are going to be times when you fail. Expect failure. But don't hesitate for a moment while you're down. Get right back up and start again. If you eat a lousy breakfast, don't consider the rest of your day a waste, pick up right where you are and make healthy choices for the rest of your day!

My great concern is not whether you have failed, 

but whether you are content with your failure.

Abraham Lincoln