One of my "weight loss sisters" challenged me to behave this weekend. There seems to be a common trend of doing a great job staying within daily calorie goals and exercising during the week, only to backtrack on the weekends by having cheat meals or even cheat days and being somewhat lazy. I know I repeatedly have this problem.
Sometime in the past two months, I lost my motivation. I made it to my half-way point for my final goal and felt somewhat content with my progress. In my mind, it was time to reward myself by indulging a bit more and taking it easier with the workouts. I'm sure you can guess what happened. I gained back about five pounds and bounced those same pounds around for a while.
Fast forward to last week, when I saw 198.4 on the scale for the first time since March, when I saw it briefly one morning. Now that I've seen movement on the scale again, I've found my motivation again which brings me to the weekend challenge. Yes, I mean challenge because there are a few events this weekend that will test my willpower; that being said, here is my plan. I'm posting it here in hopes that it will make me more accountable to sticking to it.
Thursday (today): My meals are planned for the day with a little leeway for snacks should I get hungry this evening after volunteering. I plan on doing a boxing video after volunteering.
Friday: I will plan my meals for the day in the morning and be sure to stick to it. For exercise, will with ride my horse and run or play tennis.
Saturday: Will go running or horseback riding in the morning. My challenge will be to really watch my eating at the birthday party will be attending in the evening. The hosts are fans of Leinenkugel beer and so am I! Beware!
Sunday: Walking, running or workout DVD in the morning. My challenge will be to watch the eating during the potluck lunch at the barn where I board my horse. After the potluck, I will be horseback riding with others from the barn.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Still Running...
What seems like eons ago, I started the Couch to 5k program because I always hated running. To me, the program was the ultimate challenge both mentally and physically. I told msyelf that once I got through the program, I would never have to run again if I didn't want to.
A strange thing happened. I finished the program. I'll admit, it took me much longer than nine weeks because some workouts took a few attempts to complete, then I'd take breaks from running. I always came back, though, which surprised even me. I figured I'd surely give up before completing the entire program; that's what I always did with weight loss or exercise programs. Why was this time going to be any different?
Thanks to my "weight loss sisters," many of whom also completed or are currently doing the program, I stuck with it because I held myself accountable. Whenever I'd be doing one of the workouts, I'd tell myself I HAD to finish because I didn't want to let them down. Granted, they would have been supportive regardless of what I did with the C25k program, but I told myself I needed to do it for them. Suddenly, this made it easier.
I officially finished the last Couch to 5k workout the first week of June, yet I continue to run at least one day per week. I don't have a gym membership and have found it's a great way to burn a lot of calories in a short time. I've learned that for me, running is more mental than anything else. I'm now capable of running 30-45 minutes without stopping as long as my thoughts stay positive. It still amazes me that the "chubby girl" actually passes other joggers occasionally! I've learned that the "runners high" exists and for me, it's the pride I feel toward myself when I've finished a run.
A strange thing happened. I finished the program. I'll admit, it took me much longer than nine weeks because some workouts took a few attempts to complete, then I'd take breaks from running. I always came back, though, which surprised even me. I figured I'd surely give up before completing the entire program; that's what I always did with weight loss or exercise programs. Why was this time going to be any different?
Thanks to my "weight loss sisters," many of whom also completed or are currently doing the program, I stuck with it because I held myself accountable. Whenever I'd be doing one of the workouts, I'd tell myself I HAD to finish because I didn't want to let them down. Granted, they would have been supportive regardless of what I did with the C25k program, but I told myself I needed to do it for them. Suddenly, this made it easier.
I officially finished the last Couch to 5k workout the first week of June, yet I continue to run at least one day per week. I don't have a gym membership and have found it's a great way to burn a lot of calories in a short time. I've learned that for me, running is more mental than anything else. I'm now capable of running 30-45 minutes without stopping as long as my thoughts stay positive. It still amazes me that the "chubby girl" actually passes other joggers occasionally! I've learned that the "runners high" exists and for me, it's the pride I feel toward myself when I've finished a run.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)