some days, we're just doing it for the shoes

So I think there are maybe three of us that are going to do this challenge.  There might be more of you lurking out there. That's cool. Fill your boots.  Not going to lie, I was going to do it anyway even if no one did it with me.  I do what I want.

Let's talk about goals, and what is realistic.  Be realistic.  You aren't going to lose 30lbs in 7 weeks. If you do, we need to have a different chat, sweetie, because that's not good.  Personally, I'm going to try and get rid of my "last" 17.2lbs.  I think it's a little less, but whatever.  Close enough.  The best way to tackle whatever you goal is is to chunk it down into smaller pieces that are more manageable.  I've wanted to lose 17lbs for a while. Clearly wishing it would happen has not brought the Weight Loss Fairy around (she's a feisty one).  So I'm going to take the Jillian Michaels approach and make a goal pyramid.  Fine, I'll make it look pretty too. 

Anyways, that took way longer than I anticipated.  Yours does not have to be pretty. It just has to be meaningful to you.  If you want help, let me know!

And while we're talking about goals, let's talk about what happens when you achieve them.  Sure, you get the satisfaction of knowing you worked hard for something and you accomplished what you set out to do.  That can be fantastic.  But so can shoes.  

I would highly encourage you to think about how you are going to reward yourself for climbing this mountain for the next seven weeks.  It could be clothes (a fancypants new outfit? Possibly including fancy pants?), shoes, books, going to a movie, whatever is going to excite you.  Is there a giant teacup at Urban Barn that you can't live without?  Is there a pair of Toms that keeps coming to you in dreams and calling your name?  If I'm in the middle of breaking a big plateau, sometimes my rewards are extremely outlandish for the size of the goal.  One week, I said I'd buy a pair of black ballet flats if I lost anything.  And I did, so I did.  

A few weeks ago I posted about what keeps you going when the thrill of working out just isn't cutting it.  I'm not going to lie - sometimes, I was just doing it for the shoes.  If you need short term satisfaction, consider little things like nail polish, books, the last issue of Oxygen (tear).  You know you best.  Figure out what little things you can do for yourself and help you look forward to the scale (or whatever measurement of success you're using) instead of dreading it.

This is going in bold because it's very important.  Do not, please, for the love of coffee (YOU KNOW I'M SERIOUS HERE), use food as a reward for yourself.

I remember during one of my (several) tries with WW when I would look forward to weigh-in days because then I could go get fast food for dinner and eat all the ice cream I wanted afterwards. I'd worked hard all week, I earned it.  This is such a bad habit, and I've broken it (luckily).  You should not be rewarding yourself for making good habits by slipping back into the "old ways." What's the message here?  You haven't really changed if you're still bingeing on the crap that got you where you are. If I want a white chocolate mocha with raspberry from Starbucks, I make sure I've allotted 350 calories (I know!) for it and I enjoy it.  But it's because I want it, not because "I've earned it from all this working out I've been doing."  If you're going to go out for dinner, go out for dinner, decide what you want to eat and if you really want the pasta (you can make better at home, just sayin'), and enjoy yourself.  

Imagine this: You've worked out four times this week, you ate fantastically, and your pants are a little looser.  You stepped on the scale and you lost 2lbs.  You are feeling awesome.  Now you go downstairs to your freezer, get out the pint of ice cream that you've been saving for a special time when you deserve a treat, and you polish it off.  That could easily be 1000 calories, probably more.  And it's loaded with sugar and processed crap.  How do you feel now?  Better yet, was it worth it?  For me, never was.  I've moved on to better things.

Are you curious what my 7-week, "happy birthday to me," "I've finally hit my effing goal!" present to myself will be?  

 

I'm thinkin' these bad boys.  With Missy Peregrym's abs, I'll be unstoppable.  Or just really, really, ridiculously good-looking.

So if you're doing the challenge with me, awesome.  Let's do it.  If you're not, it's all good.  Sometimes we're just not ready for this shit.  If you want to send me goals, or bounce thoughts off me, or whatever, you know the drill.

Also, it starts tomorrow. 

xo