New Goal Sunday

Time for new goals:

Drink 3 frozen mochas a week (I was back up to 7...yikes!)

Give up 1 fast food meal a week--down to 1 a week
--I think I mentioned this a week ago...I said it would be a 2-part goal, 1 week for recording how many times I eat out at fast food restaurants, and 1 week for actually DOING the goal. This is week 2. I counted the avg. number of times I go out for fast food, and it was 2-3 times a week. That is not much for me. I'm sure I've stated this earlier, but I used to be a McDonald's fan. I would eat there whenever I could. Burger King was also one of my choice restaurants. However, I have cut those two completely out of my life. I haven't been to one in YEARS. The ONLY exception is if I'm craving it extremely badly and NEED it. Then and only then will I give in and get a small fry or pop.

I still could do better though. Mom is making more meals at home because she has more time, Dad is on a 2 week "vacation" from work (his building shuts down for 2 weeks every summer) and Bro is...well, still working, but since Mom usually makes the meals, it doesn't really matter.

This week, I'm really going to strive to eat up the food we have at home. If I feel the need to go out, I would like to choose a somewhat healthier place to go: Subway, Jimmy John's...sub places are the best for me because I can get exactly what I want and can see it being made. I don't know why, but I love that.

Sidenote: Have not gone out for fast-food yet this week; had 1 frozen mocha already

I will be back tomorrow with measurements and pictures--finally!

Weigh-in Wednesday: The good, the bad,....

So, if you can't tell, I've fallen off the bandwagon...just a little. Actually, a lot. I just got back into going to the gym last week after not going for probably a good month, my eating habits are terrible, etc, etc....

Today, I got to the gym for the first time this week (weeks are Sunday-Saturday for me), and weighed myself. Good news and bad news:

Bad news: I gained 4.8 lbs from the last time I weighed myself a month (or possibly more?) ago.

Good news: I have put on what *looks* like a significant amount of weight. My pants are tight, shirts don't fit, and my stomach is getting visibly bigger. However, I only gained 5.4 lbs, and not the 15 I thought I gained.

Here's the details:

Starting weight: 412

Previous weight: 406.2

Current weight: 411

Change: -4.8

Goal weight: 126

Total weight loss percentage: .35%

Not 1% yet, but I'm getting there! Any percentage of weight LOST is a good thing.

Motivational Monday

Good day today! Had an interview at Marion City Schools, explored Marion and Bucyrus on the way home, tried a new jelly--Apple Jelly--from an apple butter and jelly factory, and just had fun! Some pictures of Marion and Bucyrus are on my twitter feed.

Who doesn't need a little motivation on Mondays? Have a great week!

~Be the kind of person that you want to meet.~

Also, check out my Goodreads profile, linked from the tab "other social media" (look above)!

It's that time of week again...

...time for new goals. I've fallen off the bandwagon lately, but I would like to hop back on, please. When do I not fall off the bandwagon? I feel like I constantly am falling. But, I always try to pick myself up again. This time, I did need a little help from Mother, who is trying to push me more and more each day. 

Here are my new goals:

Nutrition: Give up 1 fast food meal a week

     -- what is "fast food"? Anything eaten out... "anything? what's left to eat? you can't constantly eat at home, you." Correct. What's left? Subway, Jimmy John's...places similar to these that do not include a large portion of the menu fried in grease.

Fitness: Exercise for 10 minutes each day

     -- for this goal, I searched online for ideas for 10 minutes of exercise, and found 8 ways to incorporate small doses of exercise into my days; I'll be using those and updating you on what I did later in the week

Motivation: Get 8 hours of sleep

     -- Because who doesn't want more sleep?!

You might be thinking: "Hey, you, I've seen these before? Why do them again?" Because I need to, that's why!

Wish me luck, as this week, I am going to really push myself!

Uh...I'm not really THAT person. But I am THAT person.

Lately, I've been thinking about just how much my "weigh" of losing weight changes (pun intended). I have always been a person who embraces change. Change can be a good thing. The only proof I need is to look at my life. After high school, I needed a change, so I took a risk. First, I cut off 8-9 inches of my hair, dyed it to the complete opposite color, and then, I left. I went 5 hours away to a city I barely knew, walked into a school where I knew no one, and took a chance at a new life. Fast forward 5 years later, and I could not have been happier with my decision. I made life-long friends, I honed a craft that I love and keep falling more in love with, and I changed...for the better. I feel more confident, mature, optimistic, and happier than I ever felt before I left for college. I can honestly say I am a different person, and I love it.

Change can be a great thing. Look at my mom's gardening decisions lately (some pushed, possibly, by her wonderful children.... :) ). After 3 (or so) years of pushing, Mom FINALLY let me have a patch of her *sacred* rose garden for my mini herb garden! Yay! I just planted a fresh, living basil plant (I have the tendency to somehow kill basil...this plant is Basil III) and an oregano plant. I'm seeing margherita pizzas in the future. Brother also got in on the planting, making a little patch across from the herbs for his...hot chilis. I can't believe he planted those, and I'm not sure if I'll ever eat one, but Brother is into Creole/Cajun cooking, so I am sure those will fit perfectly into his recipes.

See? Change is good. Well....not all change.

One thing I will never change: my eating. Now hear me out: I'm not saying this in a bad way. I am merely saying that you will NEVER see me on a "diet". I used to be a yo-yo dieter-- ya know, "I'll cut this out. It's 'no that' week, etc..."But now? No way. I am not a dieter, and I never will be.

I might change up HOW I set goals, or what kinds of goals I set. I might change up how I measure myself. Or I might even change up my whole weight-loss ideal, but that is not a bad thing. In my mind, I call it...progress. I am growing and maturing each day, and I am so excited to see where my life takes me.

Me first.

These past few weeks have been rough on me. I have been busier than I ever imagined I would be at the end of the school year. Two of my four jobs are ending. One, I already quit (to move onto bigger and more full-time things, hopefully). The other will end after next Thursday. One is accompanying, the other, subbing. The summer currently looks relatively quiet, with piano lessons 2x/wk and church 1x/wk. Church choir is out for the summer after June 2, and the service moves to an earlier time, 9 am. I'm also looking for a summer job.

Nice peek into the future.

 Now back pedal with me to the present. I have multiple "things" going on each day. Sunday, it was a big church day because of Holy Communion, so it went from 10:30 to almost 12. Monday, I had accompanying from 8-1, recording from 3-3:45, and a concert from 6:30-9:30. Yesterday, I had a chance to work, but no sub was needed. The first piano lesson was cancelled, too, so my schedule was a bit empty. Today, I had a funeral from 11 to 11:45, then choir rehearsal from 7-9 tonight. Tomorrow, I have subbing from 7-3, then a piano lesson from 4:30-5. Friday, I'm working all day and then leaving at 3 for Marietta.
 OH YES. And during this whole week, I need to find time to pack for a weekend vacation, bake treats for said weekend vacay, apply for full-time jobs, and apply for summer work.

Needless to say, I'm feeling overwhelmed.

The thing I hate most about myself when it comes to scheduling is that in my eyes, if one thing "falls off" of my daily schedule, everything "falls off". Say, for example, that I forget to make my bed in the morning (or don't have time to). That just sets my whole day off wrong. Not that I have a bad day...I just can't follow a schedule for the whole day because of one thing not done in the morning. I used to be so paranoid that I would schedule EVERY MINUTE of a day:

5:45--wake up
5:50--shower
6:05--dress
6:20--hair
6:35--make-up
6:50-7:20--breakfast
7:20--prepare to leave
7:25--leave for work

On these days, if one thing ran over its time, the schedule would completely fall apart. I hate when I do that.

Even worse, the gym is super sporadic lately as I'm not working it into my schedule at all. I went yesterday, but I know that I have gained a lot of weight. And I don't weigh myself anymore. I'm too embarrassed.

It seems like everything is falling backwards. All of my hard work is failing because I am not taking good care of myself.

It's time to put me first.

Questions:

 1.) Any ideas of getting out of the schedule rut (scheduling every minute, one thing runs over, it falls apart)?

2.) What would you consider a "healthy breakfast"?

Back into the swing of things

First of all, happy Mother's Day! Today, my family (immediate, grandparents, and a surprise guest--cousin from Bristol, CT!) are going to a (somewhat) local Italian restaurant for dinner. Yum!

Second, I'm finally getting back into a normal schedule. I'm subbing more at my school district, choir rehearsals are getting shorter with less music as we wind down for summer break, and piano lessons are becoming more frequent. This makes me extremely happy!

Third, here are my goals for the week:

Fitness goal: Do something active outdoors each day

Motivation goal: Get up without hitting the snooze button

Nutrition goal: Eat a healthy breakfast

Wish me luck!