I love your suggestions!

"Take the stairs at work. I know you've heard this before, but when you are on such a high floor like we are, it can seem a daunting task. So, take the elevator up to the 2nd or 3rd floor, and then walk the rest of the way up to the 5th floor."

"I will not step on a scale....My goal is not the number of pounds, its the number of sexy looks my husband gives me and how I feel in my clothes..."

Join Weight Watchers.

"Don't worry about pounds - take measurements and concentrate on inches lost."

"Sign up for an event - a 5K, an 8K, etc. You will likely work towards it so your money won't go to waste."

From a 2005 study at the University of Minnesota, researchers examined the self-reported weighing practices of many participants. Weighing at least weekly was linked to a lower body mass index (BMI), and daily weight measurements had the greatest weight-loss results in both groups.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/

"Throw all of that online BMI stuff out the window. It is not accurate."

Quotes

"You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there."
-unknown

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step."
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."
-Zig Ziglar

It's that time again

Here is a look at our fantasy football draft for this year. Jess won our league last year and has already started to run her trap. I seek to avenge the beatdown she gave me last year. No girls can come in and dominate the league like she did. I will keep you updated.

To rise above last week's performance

This wonderful advice is from a mentor. I needed to hear it very much, not just in the exercise and nutrition arena, but in other areas as well - work/school, relationships, faith, etc....

"Last week is gone. This week is full of potential. Pick one of those things for this week. Just one. You can do this." ~EP

Maybe this will be helpful to someone else too!
More later
Jess

Week 2 results & Week 3 goals

Week 2 results:
F, or F- or G if those grades exist

Well, I am very disappointed to say that Week 2 was a complete and total failure. It was so bad that I'm not even going to bother reporting on goal progress, because most of them would have a big fat 0% as the entry. I failed on the nutrition side, because, well, "who is watching? who cares? I can get away with anything, right, when I'm busy and have no other choice...I'll do better next time...". Those are things I tell myself anyway. I don't know why I am not successful these days when I'm only accountable to myself, but I just can't seem to pull it off.

In the exercise realm, the only time I achieved success is when I had a workout date - same problem w/ "self-accountability", and I just didn't prioritize it, so that when things came up this week, it quickly fell to the wayside.

I wonder if this is why WeightWatchers is a good choice - isn't it all about accountability?

So, Week 3 goals are a repeat of last week, and I hope for more success.

Nutrition:
~Only 2 soda's allowed
~Eat a healthy breakfast every day
~If drink sweet tea, make it half sweet/half unsweet
~only 1 unhealthy fast food (e.g., burger and fries) meal allowed this week

Exercise:
~Walk dog at least 60 minutes
~Pilates x3
~Walk briskly at least 60 minutes
~Jog 6 miles, b/w 4.8-5.3 mph (at most, 12:40 mile)

Jess

Week 2 goals

Nutrition:
~Only 2 soda's allowed
~Eat a healthy breakfast every day
~If drink sweet tea, make it half sweet/half unsweet
~only 1 unhealthy fast food (e.g., burger and fries) meal allowed this week

Exercise
~Walk dog at least 60 minutes
~Pilates x3
~Walk briskly at least 60 minutes
~Jog 6 miles, b/w 4.8-5.3 mph (at most, 12:40 mile)

Week 1 results

Nutrition: B
Activity: C-/D

Week 1 goals were to:
~Attack my soda consumption. For now, I can drink tea, water, gatorades, etc., but am only allowed 2 soda's this week.
Status: Close but no cigar. I almost made it w/ only 2 soda's, but ruined it on a stressful Sunday evening with my 3rd. Still, it is an improvement. Other healthy behaviors emerged as a result of this goal - for example, my water consumption increased (but so did my sweet tea consumption :)

~Eat a healthy breakfast - I have been skipping this all too important meal for several months now.
Status: 86%; I ate breakfast every morning of the week, which is great, and 6 of those 7 meals involved healthy foods, though likely still not enough calories.

~Walk my dog for at least 60 minutes
Status: 100%, goal met

~Walk briskly (3.5-3.9 mph) for at least 60 minutes
Status: 75%; walked for 45 minutes

~Easy run for at least 40 min (b/w 4.9-5.3 mph)
Status: 63%; ran @ 5.1 mph for 25 minutes, BUT, my knee was bothering me a bit, so I did do the elliptical for 30 additional minutes

~Pilates x3
Status: 33% - only able to do x1

I definitely had more success w/ the nutrition aspect this week, but hope to improve next week in both areas. That is what life is, right, continual improvement...

Other healthy behaviors that emerged as a result of my new view of health and nutrition were: eating a taco instead of a huge burrito at Moe's, not ordering cheese dip all week which is HUGE for me, snacking on pickles at night instead of grabbing a 100 calorie pack, and substituting grilled chicken for fried chicken all week. Also, I only had 1 migraine this week, and it did not last as long as usual, turning quickly into a regular bad headache.

Week 1 goals

Here is my plan for the week. I'll update you on how well I adhered to it next week. Keep in mind that I am saying no to dieting, and saying yes to a lifestyle change, so I'm taking "baby steps".

My plan for this week in terms of nutrition is to:
~Attack my soda consumption. For now, I can drink tea, water, gatorades, etc., but am only allowed 2 soda's this week.
~Eat a healthy breakfast - I have been skipping this all too important meal for several months now.

My plan for this week in terms of exercise is to gear up for my 16 week running training program that was designed by SmartCoach (see the link on the right if you are interested), and I plan to:
~Walk my dog for at least 60 minutes
~Walk briskly (3.5-3.9 mph) for at least 60 minutes
~Easy run for at least 40 min (b/w 4.9-5.3 mph)
~Pilates x3

For now, I can break these time intervals up however I desire. It doesn't matter how many days I work out for now, it just matters that I meet these weekly goals. This way I don't beat myself up for missing one of my workouts, and then end up in that cycle of "well, I missed Tues, I screwed up, this week is shot, I'll just pig out and not exercise the rest of the week and I'll start again next week", as I am prone to do. I'll have no such excuse - I can just make it up because weekly minutes are my goal.

That's all for now - more later!
Jess

Your response

Your responses to my "Accountability" post have been wonderful, and I thank you for that. I thought I'd post on the blog some of the info you guys have shared w/ me via private e-mails, so others could also reap the benefits. And, if anyone reading this has more to share, some tried and true method that has worked for you, leave a "comment" on this entry so everyone can learn and enjoy.

Re: Nutrition
--> Roasted sliced beets and radishes over a bed of shredded carrots, with a raspberry salad dressing
--> Green beans with salt and Italian herbs
--> Green beans with balsamic vinegar
--> Marinaded roasted eggplant
--> Substitute hummus for mayonnaise

Re: Activity
--> Do something at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes
--> Run in place, dance in place, or do crunches while waiting on toaster or microwave
--> Squeeze the old gluteus maximus while waiting in line
--> Invest in a treadmill desk OR make your own

More later
Love
Jess

My boys

Accountability

Well, I guess the best way to ensure accountability is to go public…and since I am in dire need of accountability in this particular area in my life, here is the public announcement…though it is a little embarrassing.

I need to, no, have to, lose weight…again. Many of you remember that a little over 2 years ago, I lost a lot of weight, 38 lbs to be exact. It was a long process, and I was only able to accomplish it by working out about 3 x’s more than the average person. Well, during the process of comps, a little depression, mucho family drama, etc., I’ve gained all but 4 of those lbs back (hey, I’m a comfort eater, what can I say?). It is time to stop playing games with my health (and with my knees), so starting today, I am back in my HARD CORE mode!

I am being so public about it because:
1) I would not mind at all if you to ask me how it is going, if you ask about the progress – I will be honest with my answers, and that will help to keep me on task.

2) I know I am not alone in this situation, of yo-yo weight loss/gain, diets that don’t work, exercise programs that don’t work, etc…., so if my situation, and hopefully, my progress, can be of any help to you, I am willing to be transparent.

So, my end goal is to lose 50 lbs, to go down 6-8 sizes, to run a half-mara (with a respectful time this time), and to complete an olympic distance triathlon.

I’ll keep you updated.
~Jess~

19 Days to go!!

Bout time we got some respect. Only 19 days to go! We don't have our tickets just yet, but they will be in our hands shortly.

Life lessons by Max Lucado

We have started a little Bible study – Josh and I talked about it months ago, as we both realized we were slacking off in our spiritual lives and were subsequently experiencing the negative effects in our lives. I found a series of study guides that I found really inspiring, and we finally made the group study happen.

The study guides are titled “Life lessons with Max Lucado”. I am currently studying the “Book of Philippians” life lessons, which is a “Guide to Joy”. I encourage you to check out this line of study materials. I have been a Lucado fan for a long time – I have most of his books (thanks in part to my mom who is always vigilantly looking for books for me) – and was excited when I saw these new materials. And he did not disappoint.

The questions are great, really make you think, and much of the time, kick my butt in terms of….”Do I really have to answer that question?”…”No, I don’t really want to address that issue in my life right now…”

For example, one question went something like this…”If Paul were to write you a letter about your prayer/spiritual life, what would he say to you? What habits or qualities would he praise?”
Another…
“How much of an encouragement to others is your normal response to difficulty?”
And another…
“If humbling oneself and serving the needs of others requires no special training or gifting, why is it so rare?”

So, check it out when you get the chance.
~Jess~