Planning for Success

What a wonderful year this has been so far!  There have been a lot of quick changes in my life and I find myself on the go way more than before!  This month has come and gone already and I've barely stopped to take a breath!  Let's see a show of hands of people who feel the same way.  I have been working hard on my new career path which luckily includes working out, but without any real plan things get crazy!  I teach Zumba several days throughout the week so I'm definitely getting good workouts in; but as of late, my meal planning and eating habits leave something to be desired.  Nutrition is the backbone of my lifestyle change.  It fuels my workouts and my active lifestyle.  Without the fuel I am worthless.  I have been very fortunate that my weight has not increased, however.. my weight has not decrease either.  While I have a lot going on in life, I still must focus on the goal.  Thank God I'm not where I used to be, but I'm still not quite where I want to be.  I've not gone buck wild and gone back to my old habits, but when you're on the go and trying to grab healthy on the fly it doesn't always workout so good.  I have to make a plan for success.  The plan that I had a year ago won't work for me now.  My lifestyle is more active and my body requires more of the good stuff!  So.. time to invest some very important tools.  Pencil and paper.

"T" is for TRACKING Boys and Girls
Research shows that people who track their food intake or keep a food diary will lose more weight in the same amount of time than a person who does not track their food intake.  WHY??  Because we are accountable for EVERYTHING we put in our mouths.  Why are we so afraid to write it down?  Does it say keep a food diary and share it with the entire world? Nope.  Is it because we think we can lie to ourselves?  That one cookie or one bite of your child's peanut butter and jelly sandwich isn't all that bad?  That if no one saw me eat it, then I really didn't eat it?  Yeeeeeaaaahhhh.. that's probably more like it. LoL!  I learned early on through Weight Watchers that tracking equals success.  I tracked everything I put in my mouth for a solid year and a half.  Then I got into a routine where I was eating the same menu of foods week after week.  It was easy for me to see my intake.. it didn't vary much.  But like life.. things changed.  Sometime between then and now, my daily activities changed, my workouts changed.  But I never went back to tracking and make the adjustments.  I know that I had the GREATEST success when I tracked not only my intake, but my activity as well.  Tracking helps with so much!  I am accountable to myself for everything that I eat and do.  There is no reason to lie.. I am the only one seeing it.  I can remember when I was tracking and I'd have a night out or just let loose and drink myself silly I'd write notes to myself saying things like "LAWD what WERE you thinking???  BAD NITE"  or "This was an awful stressful day.. HALP!".  This would show me my own eating patterns.. stress eating, happy eating, I don't give a crap eating.  It's all there!  I was able to learn from my mistakes and make progress.  It was also a GREAT tool to help me plan meals when I was tired of the routine I was in.  I could go back a few months and see a meal that I had made that I'd really liked that I'd forgotten about!  It is a great thing all the way around.  It coaches you through your ups and downs.  As of this very day, I began tracking again.  The good, the bad, and the terribly ugly.

SCREAM it From the Roof Tops!
In 2008, I made a commitment to myself to become healthier and lose weight.  I had to make myself accountable to someone.. EVERYONE.  If I just told my best friend, husband, or mother that I wanted to lose weight they would just smile and nod and when I failed they'd never mention it again.  They would never come back and really hold me accountable.  I had to have a greater accountability.. thus.. my blog. :)  I really use this as another tool.. a journal.  I talk about my ups and downs.. occasionally I go back and read them.  I knew that by posting the first blog that someone would read it and hold me accountable.  Now.. was I expecting someone to haul me to the town square if I failed? Of course not!  But what has happened is that people occasionally follow my blog because they are interested in the progress I've made.  Turns out.. I've got some pretty awesome cheerleaders out there!  I've never been one to put my business out there but this was different.  It turned out to be one the best tools and motivators I'd ever had.  I get excited about my progress and OTHERS get excited about my progress!  Who knew?!  People really DO want you to succeed!  ..and for those who don't.. to hell with them. ;)  I've never EVER had anyone come up to me and say "Tina.. you don't look like you've lost weight.  Have  you given up?"  But every time I see someone who knows my story or hasn't seen me in a while, they compliment me.  Yes.. even on my worst, fat, unsexy feeling days.. someone will compliment me and that will turn my whole day around.  It makes me refocus.  It is a wonderful tool to have.  While blogging may not be for everyone, if you are interested in losing weight, I encourage you to tell people! Tell LOTS of people!  They are more supportive than you think!

I am AWESOMELY excited with the direction my life is heading.  I wouldn't change a thing!  So.. I'm NOT.. I'm getting back to the tried and true, tracking and accountability.  I've come a long way and there's NO going back.  It's time to progress further through this journey I call my lifestyle revolution.   So.. WHO'S WITH ME?!?!?!