We are now a few minutes into Friday and with the advent of the final weekday, I note that this is my 6th day off what my friend Erin has coined "the hard stuff".
Yes. Believe it or not. Me, the serial Dr. Pepper and Diet Coke drinker, quit cold turkey on Sunday.
I have not had any of the brown liquid that I used to refer to affectionately as the "nectar of the gods" since Saturday night when Ry and I went out to dinner.
So why am I doing this?
Part of the reason was that I felt like complete SH$@ (pardon my french, but crap doesn't adequately convey how bad I felt) most days, and beyond working and running the household and taxi-ing my children to where they needed to be, I did not feel like doing much of anything else or going anywhere.
How pathetic is that?
Plus my children had conveyed that they were a little bit embarassed of their mom. All my kids are competitive athletes. They run, play soccer, or they have danced. They are pretty fit. It's just not good for them to have a mom who looks run down 90% of the time. I know all busy moms feel tired and exhausted some of the time, but all my friends at least look pulled together. I don't and that was the things that was buggin my kids, and to be honest, me too.
My friend Belinda mentioned on Facebook that they were getting a group of friends together for a challenge where group members strive to meet their individual weight goals as well as participate in weekly challenges for fun and to push us along that one step farther.
After having a really tough year last year with health problems - high blood pressure, high cholesterol, back pain, joint pain, painful and heavy menstrual cycles, sleep issues, fatigue, etc. I knew something had to change.
I am only 38yrs old. Not 78. When Ryan and I traveled to Guatemala last year, we went hiking up the side of an active volcano. We encountered a couple in their 70's who trekked it up the mountain faster than we did. How awesome is it that this couple was climbing volcanoes in their 70s? I want to be like them! However, at the rate I have been going, I would more likely be one of those older people who couldn't do much at all. At 38, I was already feeling that way because I confess that trek up the mountain was HARD!
The buy-in for the challenge was not cheap and so I talked to Ryan about it and he agreed that it was something I should do and he would stake the money, but with a provision.
I have to pay him back double for each week I do not hit my goals. The challenge works out to be $10 a week for 10 weeks so failing to meet my goals set for each week would mean I would have to pay him $20. Thus, I have an extra motivator and I don't know about you, but I do not want to potentially lose $200. I could buy something fun for that kind of money!
So what are my goals?
- 1.5 pounds lost per week
- 1200 calories a day limit
- 2hrs of aerobic/cardiovascular activity 5 times a week
- giving up soda
And having just completed day 4, I confess it has been a little tough. Soda/caffeine detox is not a fun thing. Plus, it is a challenge to stay within my 1200 calorie limit. Like for example, last night my friends and I met up at Starbucks to just sit and chat. Most everyone got a hot chocolate. Do you know that one grande hot chocolate can be anywhere from 300-500 calories depending on if you add shots or whipped cream? I love Starbucks hot chocolate and it was hard to abstain! 2 hours of activity is no picnic either. I had to ice my legs twice this week and Monday I was in so much pain, I took pain meds to help. Also, my sleep issues make it hard. It is tough to exercise running on 3-4 hours sleep. I am going to try hard to get more organized, so that I can plan to get at least 7hrs sleep each day. I also am going back to meds to help me and then wean myself off them once I hopefully get into a regular cycle.
I pray thay participating in this challenge will be just the thing to help me turn my health around, help me lose weight, and help me get to a point where I can feel confident in how I look and feel on the outside. I know and I have taught my kids that what matters most is what is on the inside. However, Heavenly Father gave us each only one body in this lifetime and it is important that we take care of it. Right?
Maybe even one day, I will even bring skinny back (but not the fashion) . . .
(That is me on the far right in the bright neon green bathing suit. I was about 16 then)
P.S.
I also wanted to mention this awesome app my SIL Melissa told me about that is available for Iphone, Ipad, or Droid devices called My Fitness Pal. You can download it from the App store or Android Market for absolutely FREE! You input info about your weight, measurements, and fitness goals, and it lets you know what your calories should be each day. It keeps track of your calories and the exercise you did and lets you know how you are doing for the day. It also tracks your overall progress toward your goal when you update with weigh-ins and measurements. If you join, let me know so I can add you as a friend!