I'm on my way...

I'm on the way...

It's been awhile, but I have not been absent from the goal. I weighed in today at 217 lbs. That means,

I've lost 5 lbs!

I have been in a period of fasting with my church and that has definitely made a difference. My church is in a 14-day period of fasting and prayer. I am participating through the Daniel fast (cutting out all meat, dairy and sugar). It's been good. Not that my goal was to lose weight, but that has been an added plus.

I plan on beginning the actual training for the half marathon this weekend. I need to get going. It's been hard motivating myself to get out and run in the cold / dark evenings. But, I just need to make the plan and go for it.

I've been hoping my old company would send out my W-2 so I can get my taxes done. Why? Because I plan on using my refund to purchase a treadmill (that will solve the motivation problem of the cold / dark evenings). I've already been looking and have a few models in mind. I just need to see how much I'm going to get so I know how much treadmill I can purchase.

Well, work is calling. Have a great day!

...to lose weight in 2008!

Good Intentions...

WE all have them. We set our goals, we set off to accomplish something great, but then we find ourself not exactly going in the direction we want.

Anyone who has struggled with their weight knows what I'm talking about. I've set the goal, I go after it. After 1-2 days, I fall. I have a free lunch. I see my "favorite". Then, it becomes a few days when I've eaten outside the plan.

Before you know it, I'm right back where I started!

OK. Now what?!?!

I start over. I begin again. That's it.

I have good intentions...I have a goal, a plan.

I've started running again. Good. I've got that going for me. Now, I just need to get the calorie counting thing going for me. I've cut the Coke from my diet, but then again, I drank a lot of sprite this week. Hmmmm??? What's the difference (minus the caffeine)?

It's a new week. Time to get serious - AGAIN!

I checked in at 222 lbs this morning. That's OK. We're going to make it.

Setting Goals...

I love to set goals. I can't help it. There's just something about setting a goal with action steps that you can measure and ultimately, achieve your goal.

With that in mind, I have signed up for the Lehigh Valley Half Marathon on April 26th. I started my 16 weeks of training tonight. I have a whole chart with when to run and how fast and when to rest and do nothing (my favorite days). In the meanwhile, I just might see some pounds fade away into the past to never return again!

I started counting the calories that I am consuming - watching carefully to balance my diet. I won't starve myself, but I WILL make good choices. As I'm typing this blog, I am eating a healthy grilled chicken salad with walnuts and green apples while smelling the wonderful aroma of pancakes that my roommate is making. She is so mean!

But that's ok.

I'm a big loser!

Speaking of Big Loser, my favorite show is on in a few minutes, "The Biggest Loser". It makes for a great reality show, as long as all the whiners get voted off in the first few weeks.

Back to goals. I ran 2 miles tonight. I squeezed into my spandex and went to the Middle School track to put in my mileage. I ran it under the suggested time by the "chart". I did my lap warm-up - 2 miles of running - lap cool down. It felt great. No aches or pains to complain about, at least not yet.

I checked in on the scale this morning - lost 1.4 lbs! We're on the way to 5 lbs in January!

The Beginning...

STARTING WEIGHT: 226 lbs.

Every journey has a beginning.

This is my beginning...It's not pretty! No, not by any means. But it is my journey, nonetheless. I have determined to lose weight in 2008 - it's my mantra.

LOSE WEIGHT IN 2008!

Is there a definitive amount, maybe...I have made a personal goal of 5 lbs a month. That doesn't seem all that difficult. I have always believed in setting tangible, reachable goals.

How do I do it?

First, I am making myself publicly accountable. Yeah - like putting up this profile picture of me is something I do all the time. Here I am - it doesn't get any better than this. I had my roommate take this picture right after I ran 2 miles. (OH yeah - I'm a runner).

Second, I have made some slight changes in my diet. I am cutting out all sodas. I am a coke junkie. To be more realistic, I am allowing myself to drink one Coke per week. That's doable. I am making better food choices. Instead of french fries, baked potato or rice. Instead of 2 helpings, only one. I'm drinking more water. I'm eating smaller portions, more often (you know the whole keep the motor running thingy...). My roommate and I have already changed our diet to mostly vegetarian, cutting out most meat. We eat a lot of raw foods and organic, natural products. I will continue to adjust the diet as necessary.

Third, I have registered for my second half-marathon (I told you I'm a runner). I registered tonight. My unofficial training has just begun. The official training starts the end of February. You'll see me blog about that. I'm looking for a more consistent time of exercise (running, snowboarding, strength-training, walking). I'm up and down stairs all day at work - that's a start. I have been considering using part of my lunchtime for walks or jogs. I'm open for other suggestions. I'm in the market for a treadmill, especially since it's still dark at 5 p.m.!

I'm looking forward to this journey. There's a lot of opportunity for me to grow (hmmm???) in discipline. Discipline never hurt anyone.

Here's a freebie: When I set my mind to something, I'm determined and will go after it. The fact that I'm blogging about the journey - that's a pretty determined step for me.

So, won't you join me on my journey. Maybe you just cheer for me as I pass by or you can jump in and join the adventure. I'd love to hear where you're at!