365 Days of Healthy: Week 1

The first full week of 2013 is in the books.  Nothing new on the job/move/life front, but I'm choosing to celebrate the little things. Like my first successful week of making healthy choices (technically week 2, but for 2013 Resolution Commitment sake, we'll focus on what's happened since the stroke of midnight).

The day before Christmas I made the mistake of getting on the scale. Hello, holidays! What was I thinking?!? Well I can tell you what I was thinking after I stepped off that god awful contraption. I thought about crying and attempting to projectile vomit out everything I had eaten in the past week. I thought about how the mystery of the snug jeans had been solved and how there is no way I would ever again contemplate putting on a swimsuit. Mostly I thought about how I had managed to gain almost 15lbs in 2 1/2 months. WHO DOES THAT???? Sure, I have a thyroid issue we're still trying to sort out, and there has been a tremendous about of change and stress during that time, but still. No excuses.  How did I let this happen to myself.

Obviously things had to change.  Instead of losing the ~20lbs I had been working on losing, I'm instead looking at 35lbs. Yikes. That's, like, a lot of weight to lose.  If we fast forward to 1/1/13 I had already lost 2lbs (yay!!), so that means the goal is 33lbs. I decided to take it month by month and try to break that overwhelming number into attainable benchmarks.  First goal is 8lbs by 2/1/13.

I should mention that this weight loss goal is a healthy, attainable goal.  It would put me at a number that I have been happy, healthy and fit at. A number that I have felt good about weighing. It's a goal weight that my doctor and I chose.  I'm healthy at the weight I'm at. No cholesterol concerns, strong heart, low blood pressure, and all that jazz.  All and all, I'm doing ok. But I know that I will feel better about myself, and that my joints and body will thank me, if I am at a lower weight.

So what did I do this week to work towards this healthy revolution?

1/1:  30 Day Shred
1/2:  30 Day Shred
1/3:  Run
1/4:  Rest
1/5:  Run 
1/6:  30 Day Shred
1/7:  30 Day Shred

I managed to work out 6 out of 7 days and focused on making better food choices. More fruits and veggies, a little more protein, fewer carbs, and way less junk.  I'd be lying if I said there was no junk, and that I went cold turkey on the carbs, but I did watch my portion sizes and worked on making better choices. I counted my calories all but 1 day, because everyone needs a cheat day.  Some days I eat the calories I burn working out, other days I don't.  I'm trying to learn to listening to my body, whether is hungry, tired, thirsty, stressed or bored and not run straight to the chips and cookies to solve it all.

What does all this add up to? Another 2.5lbs lost! If I can stay on this track, and keep making healthy choices, I will lose the last 5.5lbs I'd like to lose by 2/1.  That's less than 2lbs a week. I can do this.

I feel good about what I accomplished in the last week.  No, my clothes do not magically fit different, I'm still not sure I have abs, and I'm still running slower than I'd like. But I know that change is possible.

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January Goal 8lb

Start: 8lb

Lost: 2.5lb

To Go: 5.5lb

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Total Goal 35lb

Start: 33lb

Lost:  2.5lb

Current: 30.5lb

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#Healthy365

365 Days of Healthy

I realized just before Christmas, like really realized, that I was not at all happy with my body. That I had in fact reached an all time high on the scale and that my clothes were much less flattering than they could be. This is the sort of realization that made me want to eat a Culver's turtle sundae using French fries as my spoon. But that sort of coping mechanism is, in part, what got me here.

Sure, 2012 was a bastard. It kicked me more than once when I was already down. The past few months have been a shit-storm of stress. And sleepless nights. And finding comfort in food. By at the end of it all, I'm still stressed and now I'm fat.

Something had to change.

That's when I decided that I needed to start making better decisions. Eat smarter, sleep better, move my body more. And so, day by day, I am trying to do that.

So my New Year's
ResolutionCommitment is to be healthier.

Eat Healthier. Make better food choices, watch my portions, count my calories, be accountable.

Move More. Run, swim, bike, lift, bend and walk my way to a healthier me.

Stress Less. Heh. Right. But I can try to breath more and focus on what's important.

If I can commit to making better decisions every day I know that I will achieve my goals not only of a smaller number on the scale, but of a healthier, happier me.

So here's to 2013 and my 365 Days of Healthy.
#Healthy365

- Typos courtesy of my iPad

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Just one of the many reasons I should live in NYC.