10% and Gaining Control

First things first: LET'S CELEBRATE *I met 2 mini goals this week*  1. I lost another 5+ pounds (actually 6).  Weight Watchers celebrates every 5 pound weight loss in the meeting (but really at the scale you celebrate any loss - even if it is .2).  Never let my leader hear you say, "I only lost ____."  She will lecture you on a loss still being a loss.  After all, that is less you have to lose to reach your goal.  Are other WW leaders like that?  2. I have lost over 10% of my starting body weight.  I received a key ring to celebrate.  My leader talked about using the key ring as an anchor along my journey.  I have been vocal with her over my struggles with my journey.

I am 4 pounds away from my next mini goal of 25 pounds.  Once I reach that I will get token to add to the key ring I earned for reaching 10%.

Because, I have been struggling the past few months, I have been taking a hard look at my lifestyle.  I have been gauging things by what I “think” instead of actual.  It is everything from what I am putting into my body to how I spend my time.  It is now obvious to me that my perception is off.  I need more control over my life to be successful in my lifestyle changes.  Question: How can I gain control over my life?  Answer: Plan (If you fail to plan; you are planning to fail).

Cassie over at BTHR made herself a color-coded weekly calendar to help her adapt to a new schedule.   I did this in college to help with time management when I was a Resident Advisor working several part time jobs.  Taking inspiration from her, I am going to adopt a similar tactic in my life.  One obstacle: I am not a structured person.  My family life isn't structured.   I am going to try to add structure as much as I can, as I feel this will help me greatly on my wellness journey.  I think this will really benefit the kids.

I am going to plan my week out a day or so in advance.  I will allow for some flexibility, because we all know life happens (and can be unpredictable).  Below is how I plan to plan my weeks

• Time - I think I waste a lot of time, because I simply cannot think of what I should or need to be doing.  I think by giving myself a dedicated time on my calendar to my goals and other responsibilities I will be more successful in this journey as well as in the other roles of my life. 

• Activity - While I am planning my time for the week, I will schedule in activity.  Over the past three weeks I have noticed that I need to work out 6 times a week to see the results I want to see.  This is what works for my body, and what works for yours might be different.  I also know that I need to do at least 45 minutes of cardio in these sessions.  I learned this by tracking my work outs for the past month and comparing it to my weigh in results. 

• Meals - I have been pretty good about meal planning.  I plan my meals by coming up with 7 breakfasts (usually the same during the week), 7 dinners, the appropriate amount of lunches (in instances where there are not leftovers from the previous night's dinner), and fill in with snacks.  I do not assign a meal to a day and time.  This allows me to have flexibility if I only have a few minutes to throw something together or a child (husband included) decides they do not want a particular item for the meal.  I know what my PPV allowance is for each day and plan my meals to be within a certain range.  Currently, I have a 29PPV budget a day.  I shoot for 6-8 for brekkie, 7-9 for lunch, 7-10 for dinner, and the rest for my grazing snacks throughout the day.

In gaining control I need to give complete trust in the program/plan.  This is how I was most successful my first two months in Weight Watchers.  Leaving me to my own devices, systems, and cheats has lead me to do the scale dance far more than I want.  The proof is in the pudding :)





Taken 8/4/12