Little Victories & the April Challenge Kick-off
It has been a while since I stopped to appreciate little victories. Today, for example, I was challenged by a baby shower at work. I had already prepared my food for the day and tallied up my air tight food plan. There was cake at the shower and some fruit and veggies. I overdid fruit last week at the work sponsored breakfast so I wanted to be especially careful about this shower. I took raw broccoli while everyone had their cake, one cherry tomato, and a couple of strawberries because they are lower in sugar - less chances of kicking in my cravings and appetite for more sugar. I nibbled the veggies all through the shower. No cake. That's the little victory, no cake. It would have been easy to rationalize some cake and it would not have been a tragedy to have some. One woman said she "spun" that morning so she could enjoy the cake. Fine for her. I am on a mission, though, to get to the normal BMI. Ignoring cake and foods like that will get me there. I did not feel deprived of cake. I felt good and I enjoyed the veggies. I kept thinking of my 50 pound milestone and how that boosted my confidence for this renewed push to the finish.
Another little victory happened this morning. I changed my plan to come home after dropping brother off at work, and stopped to have coffee with Manfriend. This left me without my packed lunch. It would have been easy to just go to work without and hit vending machines or go out for lunch. Instead I stopped at the grocery store nearby and bought groceries for work - my special bread, my turkey for sandwiches, yogurt, and all bran extra fiber, a bag of carrots. Now I have this stuff on hand for the rest of the week, plus I have today covered. Supplemented by the shower veggies I am in good shape.
Last little victory for the morning- baggy pants. These pants used to get loose after I wore them a while. Now they are baggy fresh out of the dryer. They are tens. So I know my body is changing.
I exercised this morning. Upper body and abs at home. I am going to the gym on my lunch hour for cardio. I can do that now since I don't have to go out for food!
I have decided to challenge myself for the month of April. Here is the plan:
1. Have a food plan each day that fits my parameters ... keep track of any diversions.
2. Work the abs everyday with my floor exercises. Do weights at the gym at least once or twice per week.
3. Cardio every day, using the gym for lunch hours on work days if I can, or walking dog, riding bike, or gym in the evening.
4. Track weight each day but use one day for the official weigh in.
5. Think positive, blog regularly and be accountable. Focus on behavior changes. Little and manageable ones.
That is enough for now. I want the normal BMI by the end of the month and I am only 8 pounds away.
Another little victory happened this morning. I changed my plan to come home after dropping brother off at work, and stopped to have coffee with Manfriend. This left me without my packed lunch. It would have been easy to just go to work without and hit vending machines or go out for lunch. Instead I stopped at the grocery store nearby and bought groceries for work - my special bread, my turkey for sandwiches, yogurt, and all bran extra fiber, a bag of carrots. Now I have this stuff on hand for the rest of the week, plus I have today covered. Supplemented by the shower veggies I am in good shape.
Last little victory for the morning- baggy pants. These pants used to get loose after I wore them a while. Now they are baggy fresh out of the dryer. They are tens. So I know my body is changing.
I exercised this morning. Upper body and abs at home. I am going to the gym on my lunch hour for cardio. I can do that now since I don't have to go out for food!
I have decided to challenge myself for the month of April. Here is the plan:
1. Have a food plan each day that fits my parameters ... keep track of any diversions.
2. Work the abs everyday with my floor exercises. Do weights at the gym at least once or twice per week.
3. Cardio every day, using the gym for lunch hours on work days if I can, or walking dog, riding bike, or gym in the evening.
4. Track weight each day but use one day for the official weigh in.
5. Think positive, blog regularly and be accountable. Focus on behavior changes. Little and manageable ones.
That is enough for now. I want the normal BMI by the end of the month and I am only 8 pounds away.
posted by Cindy at
12:56 PM
3 Comments:
You might be doing this already - but if all your ab exercise are of the crunch mode - consider rolling over and doing equal work on your belly. Swimming is the simpliest - laying on belly, arms and legs extended - and you move legs in an up and down little flutter kick motion while you do the same thing with your hands. Or you can just lay on belly with arms and legs fully extended and stretch. Good to do the opposite. Take it VERY easy so you don't pull anything if you are not used to doing this type of activity.
I am certain you are going to make it Cindy. It feels as though your mind has already created where the rest of you are going to. Wonderful that your pants are looser still. Envy you your progress with all the exercise. And really like Vicky's idea with the opposites. Never thought about it but it really makes good sense.
Thanks, both of you. I am going to try the swimming and stretching. It makes sense.
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