Laurie's Journal

[Laurie]

I'm having a hard time keeping a journal....getting myself to write in it, for some reason. I don't know why.

I've been doing well with keeping up with getting a daily workout, of some kind anyway. I want to do a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio a day. It makes a big difference for me. The foods I crave are different when I'm keeping up on the exercise. I feel much more in control of what I am choosing to eat. I'm noticing that I'm needing to do a little more to to get my heart rate up than I did a few weeks ago, which is a good thing, increasing the intensity a bit, and also that sometimes when I get to the end of a 30 minute period of working out I don't want to stop because I feel so good. So, I keep going when I feel like it. For the most part my workouts are 45 minutes now.

I'd like to know how some of add your "stats" at the end of posts....you know, when you have your highest weight, current weight, goal weight, etc. It looks like you must have set it up as a "signiture" that automatically appears on each post? Is that how it works? I don't see how you do that.

My highest weight was 230. About a month ago when I decided that I was going to really work at changing my lifestyle as far as working out and food go, I was 228. Last Wednesday was the last time I weighed in and I was 220 pounds. It felt really good. I think the hardest part is trying not to think too much about how far you still have to go. Also, when you notice changes in your body, in the way your clothes fit, and feel excited about it, but no one else is noticing yet. I know that shouldn't matter, but I think that's something that many people beginning to attempt to lose weight find kind of difficult....somehow our mind tries to tell us that if no one else is noticing or commenting on the (slight) changes we notice, then maybe it's not really happening!

Anyway, I'm pleased with my progress, because I'm moving in the direction that I've wanted to for a long time and haven't been able to. Sometimes I almost can't believe that I'm really doing it, truly. That makes me feel kind of proud of myself. Just have to try to be patient and enjoy the journey. That's hard sometimes.

Laurie

[helena]

Well done for the weight loss!!! People will start noticing very soon!! You must feel fantastic!!!

[Missy]

Hi there, sounds like you are doing fantastic with your weight loss.

To put in your stats...about a quarter from the top there is a bar with different options on it...click on USER CP on the left side and then to EDIT SIGNATURE...write your stats in there.

[Laurie]

Thanks, Missy, for telling me how to set up a signiture...testing it here :-)

Well, I've lost 8 pounds in 3 weeks. Right about now, although I'm pleased with it, I am also thinking, "Man, I have worked very hard to get that much weight off, and I still have soooo far to go." I want to try to appreciate all the different stages as I continue to drop weight. That in itself is a challenge (because I want it to go faster), but I'm really going to try. I want to give myself credit for all the workouts, better food choices, different little decisions that I'm making every day, that in time will add up to success.

What I've been reminding myself of a lot too, these past few days, is that I really believe that saying that we will reap what we sow. So I tell myself I'm sowing the seeds now...and I keep on sowing and keep on sowing (in the form of exercise and food choices) and one day I will reap the reward. I know that this is true about everything in life, and why would it be any different with what we are all trying to do here?....working hard to lose weight we want to lose and get our bodies in good condition. So, it helps me to remind myself to just keep going and have faith. Even if I don't SEE as much progress as I'd like to, I WILL.

Along those lines, about the sowing and reaping thing....I have noticed several times in the past when I have worked hard to try to lose weight, and then gotten discouraged and stopped trying and went back to my bad eating and stopped working out, that I have been surprised that for a little while AFTER I have stopped (and started slipping backward) the weight is still coming off for a period of time. I'll notice all of a sudden that my clothes are looser, even though I've quit trying. Of course, then as I continue my bad habits everything does start going in reverse after a little while, but for a time I am still reaping rewards from the hard work I have done. That gives me hope now, that what I'm doing now is still going to show more in the near future, even if it's not immediate. For now, I'm delighting in the fact that I do have more energy than I had before, my body is feeling stronger....and it's exciting that my muscles feel stronger and stronger each day....I can think more clearly since I'm working out, and I'm looking forward to the future.

Laurie

[Laurie]

Originally Posted by pathoulihanuk

wow laurie your doing really well way 2 go

Patrick, you're doing VERY well yourself! Congratulations! (Wow, you're almost to your target weight )

[Laurie]

I was just thinking....

After having put this at the end of my signiture:
"Short term goal: 199 .... When I get below 200 I'm going to celebrate!
(No, not with a hot fudge sundae, don't worry!)" .......

What are some of YOUR ideas as to what a good way to celebrate would be?!! To tell you the truth, I have usually celebrated with food....a big, rich, sweet treat. Oh no, no more of that! LOL. So, any ideas? What have you done to reward yourselves??

Laurie

[Laurie]

I have weekends off work, and I've been doing this little thing the past two weekends. Just something that makes me feel proud when I go back to work on Monday.... From Friday when I get off work until Monday morning when I go back, I keep track of the minutes that I get in exercising...anything that's out of the ordinary and that I consider a workout for me, and that gets my heartrate up for a period of time. Like at the end of last weekend I think it all added up to getting 3 hours of workout time in during the weekend, and on Monday morning I felt a sense of accomplishment toward my goal of losing this weight/fat. I know that when I started out a month ago it was like an hour in a weekend, so that was an accomplishment indeed. It's kind of like a game to me, and seems like fun. Hey, whatever it takes! Haha. I'll report on how many minutes I put in this weekend before going to work on Monday morning. Oh yeah....and it's also kinda motiviating too, because on Monday morning I might get up real early thinking, "I can still get 20 or 30 more minutes in to add to my total!" Believe it or not, that excites me :-)

Laurie

[Laurie]

Regarding my post above....I've even written down my time spent on a whiteboard after workouts, and I like seeing the workout time written there, adding up! Yesterday when I got off work I went to Curves, so I started out the weekend putting in 30 minutes so far. Ok, now for TODAY.........

[littleloser]

First of all Laurie, well done for rhe weight loss so far. It is really interesting reading your journal because I have been through the exact same thought processes in the recent past. Everyday for me now is a new beginning and each decision to stay on the right path is a cause to congratulate myself. I dont treat myself when I loose weight but when I make very difficult decisions or go through a period where tempatations are all around and i resist.
I started at 155lbs 6 months ago and I am now 126lbs, 1lb away from my original target. If I can do that anyone can believe me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!
Take your time, Rome wasnt built in a day, take each lb as it comes and suddenly you will see the difference and so will everyone else. During the early stages for me no one noticed and then suddenlly they did although it was gradual right under their noses. People are like that.
Well done.
Take care
Littleloser

[Laurie]

Thank you, Littleloser. Very encouraging :-)