I WILL Make It!

A good friend of mine asked me the other day if I felt like it was a good decision to go public with my weight loss journey of 2010. Without hesitation, I responded with a definite YES! Telling the world that I am on this journey is a humbling thing for sure, but it is keeping me accountable and on track. Even when things don’t go as planned, it’s so great being surrounded with folks who ‘get it’, who have been there, and who care.

So, first I think a big thank you is in order to everyone who comes to read, to comment, to share and/or to support in this incredible journey I’m on!

Going public, in my opinion, with any kind of personal goal means one of two things:
1.  You are really serious about reaching that goal OR
2.  You are starved for attention!

For the record, let it be known that I am REALLY serious about my 2010 goal of losing 120 pounds! Perhaps once I accomplish that I’ll be ready for the attention thing, but for now I’m content to stay comfortably in the background, thank you very much. :)

But, WOW.  120# in 12 months.

That means on average 10 pounds a month should be lost, never to be found again, to stay on track. Ugh. I am behind. The plan was (and continues to be) to manage my body in a responsible manner… to lose pounds and inches the HEALTHY way…no crash diets, no insane exercise regimen, and no BL ranch (though I really wouldn’t mind that last one!).

Will I make it?

I will eat normal food, but work on making healthier choices. I will exercise my body but resist the temptation to become a workout fiend. I will learn to deal with my emotions and personal issues square on instead of piling food on top of them. And, finally, I will tell you guys about it as I go along. I reiterate these things to remind myself of what I’m REALLY trying to accomplish.

I really WANT to make it.

But, I soooo hate being behind the 8 ball. Because I am SERIOUS about reaching this goal, and since I am NOT giving up, I took some time to take stock. What’s working? What isn’t? How does my plan need to be refined? Here’s what I came up with:

NEW GOAL #1

I will lose 120 pounds or 5 pant sizes in 2010, whichever comes first.

I was putting way too much emphasis on the scale, and was even considering skipping strength training so as not to gain muscle. Ridiculous, I know. My real goal is to change my body composition, fit into smaller clothes and be HEALTHY! If I get into jeans that are 5 sizes smaller than what I wear now, I will be HAPPY regardless of how much less weight that is!

NEW GOAL #2

I will work out first thing in the morning before my calendar for the day fills up.

My intentions to get to the gym are good and honorable, but there always seems to be one more thing to get done before I go. No more. Working out is a priority for me (more about that next week) and as such, is first on the list.

NEW GOAL #3

I will keep my plan simple.

I just don’t do complicated AT ALL. So, no fancy schmancy detailed annoying plans. Eating and living an active lifestyle isn’t supposed to be complicated, and neither should learning to eat and move for good health. I will remember that the quality of my calories is as important as the quantity, and in order to change my body and my life I need to do something different than what I did to get to this uncomfortable, unhealthy, unattractive weight.

So, there it is. This is simple. This is doable. This is challenging. This I can do!

I WILL MAKE IT!!

Now, I have one other thing to share that is VERY exciting! I met a local photographer through Twitter a couple of months ago, and just today he offered me a FREE photo shoot once I reach my goal! He said it’s his way of inspiring and motivating me to keep going! It’s so great when others believe in us, isn’t it? I’m already imagining what I’m going to wear and where I want to do the photo shoot!

So, thanks to Jerry Johanning for believing in me and showing it with this very kind offer! Can’t wait to show off the new me! (A side note about Jerry: he did most of the photography for Christopher from Project Runway season 6! Talented? I think so!)

This blog is, and always will be, about gaining all the signs of life back….energy, vitality, activity .... and sharing that journey with you.  Looking good is going to feel VERY good, and I CANNOT wait for the photo shoot, but more than that I am doing cartwheels about the prospect of being healthy again. And, thanks to all of you, I WILL make it.

As always, I love to hear what you think and any helpful suggestions you’ve picked up along the way to a healthy lifestyle! Please share in the comments or email me here.

Yours in the journey,

Cheryl

Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

Stress

One of the secret joys of living is not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing 

some imaginary letters along the way.

~Douglas Pagels

Stress. It is, literally, a killer.

It will kill your drive, your energy, your attitude, and your day. It will also kill YOU if you don't manage to manage it.

And, stress was a big part of my week, last week. Add to that, I was also a lady in waiting for TOM to arrive, with all the emotional baggage to boot. Overall, I had a good week with my workouts and nutrition, so was hoping that the scale would be nice to me. I talked nice to it, even.

No loss. In fact, that evil scale showed a .5 pound gain! Seriously? I wanted to throw the scale out in the snow. And, I know there are other elements of getting healthy other than the scale to look for, but THIS WEEK I was looking for the scale element.

I could go on and on about what was stressing me out or the significant biological challenges that TOM always brings with him. But, the main thing I learned this past week is that stress must be managed or it will manage you.

The following is nothing brand new, not original with me for sure, but just three simple things anyone can do ~ imaginary letters if you will ~ to keep the inevitable stressors in life from stealing your joy.

Here they are . . . simple and to the point:

• Exercise ~ It pumps up your endorphins, improves your mood, and calms and centers your mind to better problem solve. Its true. You can depend on it.

• Get enough rest ~ period. Stressful events, circumstances and relationships require more of us and we need to recharge. It has been said that the time to rest is when you don't have the time. Don't. Skip. This.

• Talk about it ~ don't bottle stress, it will be like a pop bottle in the freezer...it WILL explode. I promise! A trusted friend is often the best medicine you can buy, and its free. Usually. If not, repeat step 1 to problem solve for new friends ... or find new ones at the park or gym or bicycle rack. :)

Stress CAN be dismissed but CANNOT be ignored.

There are, undoubtedly, MANY healthy ways to deal with stress. Please share your own imaginary letters that have proven to get you from point A to point B with a smile on your face.

Let's talk,
Cheryl

Reaching Out

Do you have LOTS going on right now?

Do you look at your to-do list and sometimes not even know where to start?

That's exactly where I'm at right now.

And, we all know what that's like. When the work that is demanded of us mounts higher and higher, we can begin to feel like we've got our very own personal giant(s) that we must somehow slay all  by ourselves.

Right now, I've got THREE giants that are storming towards me, but as I cling tight to my commitment to face each one square-on, I hardly know which way to face. Feelings of overwhelmed-ness are looming.

That is, until I received this from my hubs this morning:

With all of those giants that you are facing, none are immortal. They can each be slain by YOU. I know that. You know that too. You are a strong woman. David didn’t put all 5 stones in his sling at once. He knew that one at a time was the way to go. Each hour/day, focus on Only. One. Giant. Ignore the rest during that hour/day.

The weight animal was put under submission by you less than a decade ago. You know how to do it. You have proven yourself capable of doing it. In fact you are much more knowledgeable now, and have so many more weapons available to subdue this wild animal. By choosing your weapons wisely, the battle will be won by you.I really believe that you can do it !!

Right now, I see your only goal is 10 pounds in March. Break it down. 10 little steps. April, May, etc. do not exist right now. Only March.

Now, how can I NOT have a great day after that? Support from those who love us is MONUMENTAL in our success!

In that spirit, I want to give a big, huge shout out to Jen at Prior Fat Girl for organizing a fabulous meet-up this past Saturday morning at The Beat Coffeehouse in uptown Minneapolis!

It was a solid two hours of meeting, listening to and talking with 40 other women all fighting for the same thing....a healthy, whole body that looks good and feels good. Thanks Jen for your hard work in putting this together!  It was fun and INSPIRING!

We simply must do much more of this reaching out....and, more often! Who inspires you, and who can you inspire today?

Cheers,
Cheryl

Inspiration: A Coat of Many Colors

I spent the noon hour yesterday with Heidi, a friend I met a couple of years ago.  We haven't seen each other for several months, but both of us are valiantly fighting the battle of the bulge this year AND both of us decided, independent of one another to go public with it.  When we learned we were following a similar journey, we made a date for coffee.

It was so cool to get together with her...Heidi is the proud mom of two beautiful children, adoring wife to a talented, amazing man and owner of at least one small business.  And, she's one of those energetic and real people that you just love hanging around.  What has always struck me about her is how transparent she lives her life, a trait that I greatly admire.  With Heidi, there is no guessing what she thinks or believes and wants, she's just right out there with it.  Not in an over-the-top sort of way...just the opposite.   She's one of the most affirming women you'll ever meet, and always sincere.  And, it'd been too long, in my opinion, since we spent any time together.

We had a great time talking about our individual journey's, the struggles, the victories, how we're feeling, recipes, strategies, all of it.  (You can check out her blog here.)  And, we had a chance to catch up with what else is going on in our worlds.  I left encouraged, inspired and happy . . . it was just what I needed early on in my journey when the motivation is still high and the desire to keep it that way is strong.  Just felt like that extra little boost that keeps the tank full and moving forward instead of running on empty and sputtering to a halt.

Who inspires you in your life and how do they do it?  Have you ever had a time in your life when you didn't have a "Heidi"? (I have.)  How did you manage?  Please share something in the comments....lets encourage each other along the way.

Listening,
Cheryl

Gathering Support

Doesn't that just make you smile?!  We all need friends like that whether we're in a really good place in our lives, struggling or facing big challenges ahead.  We all need that kind of love!

And, so I've been thinking about contingency plans for the year, pondering how to handle the days with the natural ebb and flow that I know my feelings are going to ride.  Yes, it's amazing to feel so motivated at the beginning, and yet I've been at this place enough times to know that feelings just don't stick around and are not terribly consistent.  Conclusion?  I can't depend on my feelings to get me through.

So, I'm reaching out, gathering support first from all you amazing friends and family as well as taking advantage of opportunities to join other groups of people who are rallying this year too.  Today I registered with the Pound For Pound Challenge.  I've seen the on-air segments during The Biggest Loser show, but never knew what it was really all about.  So, today when I realized that I needed some kind of a group style challenge, I googled for ideas.

PFP is pretty amazing actually.  For every pound I lose, the organization will donate one pound of food to a local food shelf in my area.  There's no cost to register, and there's a ton of support!  So while I'm becoming lighter and healthier, I am also helping someone in need of food to survive.  Beautiful! I was all over that and got all signed up.

Another resource of support is my local gym.  Tomorrow I have an appointment with Ashley Carlson, a personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness.  We've already done an initial assessment, and tomorrow she'll be setting up a plan for me for the coming month to begin moving more and in a way that won't cause injury.  I got so pumped this past summer when I started feeling better that I completely overdid my routine and ended up in physical therapy and off my feet.  Lesson learned!  I am really excited about tomorrow's meeting, and will let you guys know how it goes and what I'm doing.

If you know of other groups or resources for support...or if you have other ideas of how to stay on the path, I would love to learn about them.

Movin' out surrounded,
Cheryl

P.S.  Beginning January 11 and every Monday after that, there will be updates on the number of pounds and inches lost.  Hope you'll come back and check up on me and hold me accountable. ;)