Bonus Post: Setting Goals

When it comes to getting back in shape, having a goal usually helps keep the motivation going.  When I was losing weight with Weight Watchers, my goal was to lose weight each week no matter how much it was.  Yes, of course I was disappointed when it was only a .2 or .3 loss but hey, at the end of the day it's still a loss and that's always better than a gain.  Whenever a gain happened, I would get upset then move on and tell myself I'd do better next week.  Having a gain one week usually pushed me to try harder the next week.  I usually try to have a fitness goal and a weight loss goal since those things don't necessarily go hand in hand.  When I was still doing Weight Watchers, my weight loss goal always took center stage and I fit in the fitness when I could.  Now that I'm somewhat in a healthy weight range, fitness takes center stage.

My current goals:

• Run at least 3 times a week (to complete C25k)
• After completing C25k, run a 5k
• Consistently lose weight every week (no matter how little the loss)
• Get more lean.
• I realize this goal is ambiguous but I've been taking pictures of myself every week so I can see the difference.  Another way to track this is taking measurements every week.
• Do at least 1 activity on the weekend.  Doesn't matter if it's a walk, hike, playing catch, whatever.. Anything where I am not sitting on a couch and moving will count here.

On the other hand, having unrealistic goals or goals that seem too far away can be counter-productive.  Example: Say you need to lose 50lbs, looking at the total amount of weight you want to lose may seem overwhelming and you may quit before getting very far because only losing 1 or less pounds a week will make you realize how far you have to go.  Instead, work on celebrating every 5lbs which feels a lot more reasonable.

Another popular unrealistic goal (I've done this many times), is to try to keep a crazy workout schedule. If you have the time then maybe working out 6 days a week for 2+ hours at a time will work for you.  For the rest of us without that kind of time, setting a small goal that fits reasonably within your lifestyle is a lot better.  Whenever I started out doing too much I always just stopped because it seemed like too much to handle, and I'd get burnt out.  This past weekend, I was supposed to complete Week1 of C25k on Saturday morning.  As soon as I woke up on Saturday I realized that wasn't happening.  I enjoy my lazy mornings with my husband so to think I would get up early and run on the weekends seems silly.

Last one then I'll leave you alone: Starting a new "diet" that is super restrictive and thinking you'll stick with it.  Maybe some people can but I certainly can't.  That's what I loved about Weight Watchers; it taught you how to lose weight while still going out and enjoying yourself.  Any diet that completely cuts out something is usually something I wouldn't be able to stick with.  I love food and I still want to be able to enjoy what I'm eating.

alright that's it.  I'll leave you alone now.  see ya!

Week 1 of Doing it Right

EDIT:  Was supposed to post this last Tuesday but completely forgot.

This morning marked the start of it all.  I took before pictures last night which I'm hesitant to post on here so I think I'll wait until there is a noticeable difference.  I weighed in this morning at 157.6 which I think is due to all the junk I ate yesterday, like a huge Gyros which was uber delicious but definitely very caloric.  This morning I also went for my first run in months.  I did Week 1 Day 1 of C25k and it was tough.  I haven't done any sort of activity since Mencuha because of my surgery and it felt good to get out there.  Running in the morning is great because I love watching the sunrise and everything is so still. Once we get back into shape I think I want to start rock climbing again using the passes they gave us when we cancelled our membership.  It was a great way to build muscle and I felt really strong when I was climbing.

So that was last Tuesday. It is now Monday and I have completely Week 1 of C25k.  I ran in the morning on Tuesday, Thursday and this morning.  Here's the recap on time/distance:

Week 1
Day 1: 14:31 pace and 2.06 miles
Day 2: 14:24 pace and 2.08 miles
Day 3: 14:10 pace and 2.11 miles

So I'm getting faster which is nice :)  Weight as of this morning: 157.2 so slow going on that front but that's ok.  As I start running more and building up muscle, it'll help me lose the weight.  Doesn't help I'm still snacking like crazy on the weekends so I need to cut that out.  Tomorrow I'm starting Week 2 and I think I'll just run every morning except Fridays.  My husband got a new job and has to get up at 5:30 or earlier now so I've decided to just get up with him and go for a run then.  It'll give me plenty of time to get ready which will be nice so I'm not rushing all over the place in the morning.  Although, I did forget to put on deodorant this morning so maybe the extra time doesn't matter :P  I'll also have all weekend to recover from running.  I did try to tell myself that I would run on the weekend but really, that's not happening and I knew that.

well really that's all until I finish Week 3.  stay tuned for the update :)