I'm not going to eat...

I'm not going to eat... I'm not going to eat....

This is what's been running through my mind the last hour. I'm at 1235 calories for the day, and I really want to stay under 1300. So I've been telling myself that I'm not going to eat for an hour now.

But you know what? I AM going to eat. I am two fruits/veggies short for the day (unless I count the sauce on my pizza today, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't quite count...) so I am going to eat 200 grams of strawberries. It will curb this hungry feeling, bring me up to 5 on my fruits and veggies for the day, and is good for me. Plus, it will take my calories up to 1297, so I get to stay under 1300. Win - win.

Tomorrow I am spending the day in Billings with Erika and the girls and we are going to the circus. I've never been and it sounds like fun! We're going to hit Hobby Lobby and take the girls to a park to run around, then head to the circus in the late afternoon/evening. It should be a good day! But I am not bringing my food scale, and I am not counting calories. I will try not to go overboard, but I am going to relax and enjoy the day. And hopefully we'll get plenty of walking in.

Now this is interesting....

According to this article on Spark People, you burn more fat if you exercise for 30 minutes, take a 20 minute rest, and exercise for 30 minutes more than you do if you just exercise straight for an hour.

Well, I might just have to find a windy route that will take me 30 minutes to walk to and from Bible study once the weather gets warmer! (I guess that's a long break than 20 minutes, but maybe it will help. The walking certainly will!)

I stink!

... and that's a good thing, because it means I ran on my treadmill! I can't do 20 minutes straight any more, as it's been over a month since I've gotten on that sucker, but I still ran 15 minutes (in segments) out of the 30 I was on there. I walked at an incline for the other 15 minutes. So that's good! The machine tells me I burned 350 calories in that half hour, and I'll take it!

And now I'm stinky and sweaty and sitting here enjoying a small bowl of flax pumpkin seed cereal because Susan Beth inspired me to buy it. Mmmmm! This stuff is good. I just wish a half cup were bigger! And I wish it had more fiber in it.

Gotta go shower...

Weigh Day - MicroChallenge Week 1

Weight: 120.0
MicroChallenge Goal: 115

I am SO close to being at 119. So close, in fact, that I weighed myself twice hoping it would dip to 119.8 the second time I weighed! Sometimes my scale fluctuates by .2 lbs, but today was not one of those days. So today I weigh 120 and I hope that I'll be at 119 by next Wednesday!

That was a close one!

Whew! I didn't think I was going to make my 2 liters of water today! It was 9 pm and I had only had 1 so far. But then I remembered I needed to take my antibiotic, so I filled up a 1 liter Nalgene bottle and... less than an hour later it's gone! And my bladder is full! But that means I got all my water in again today, so yippee! That's 3 days in a row. They say that if you do something for 28 days in a row it becomes a habit, so only 25 left to go, LOL! I think I'll stick with one day at a time for now, though.

I ended the day with 1245 calories and 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. I even had over 25 grams of fiber, which is exciting! My ideal is to get 25-35 g of fiber a day, and I often fall short of that. So when I am within that range it's exciting! Oh the simple things that make me happy....

No exercise today, but tomorrow is my next day scheduled for it, so I will get some then. And tomorrow I will actually be at home, not at Taylor's, so it will be easier to exercise while Ellie is napping.

Micro-Goal

I need a micro-goal. Something small to work toward that I can achieve relatively quickly. Having a timeframe or deadline really helps me get where I want to be (like the class reunion in September - I lost 15 lbs for that!), so I'm going to give it a shot.

I found out today that my mom is coming to visit in 6 weeks. I also have a semi formal event to attend that same night, so that is motivation to look good!

So my goal is to lose 5 lbs in the next 6 weeks, by May 10. That will put me at 115 lbs, the weight I was at the class reunion in September. It's a little under a pound a week. I think I can do it. Here goes.

How do you reward yourself?

I find small rewards very helpful while I'm working on losing weight. And I find that I basically reward myself for three things:

1. Staying under 1300 calories.

When I been conservative with calories and end the day with less than 1200, I will treat myself to a snack or dessert that I wouldn't normally get, like ice cream. I try to pick the treat that will take me to 12oo calories and send me over the least. My treat should never take me past 1300, but it still keeps me from feeling like I'm depriving myself, while keeping my calories low.

2. Drinking 2 liters of water.

One of the rules I have unofficially set for myself is "No soda until I've had 2 liters of water." I obviously cheat on this one more often than some of the other rules, but I am getting better, and it makes soda more of a treat when I have had water all day and have been looking forward to that cool carbonated beverage.

3. Exercising.

Usually I don't reward myself for exercising. It is often enough of a reward by itself. But when it has been especially difficult to motivate myself to do the exercise and I do it, then I like to reward myself with something little. Something I can use as motivation to start exercising or to keep exercising for the allotted time. Last night it was a hot bath. I told myself that if I stepped for 30 minutes I would soak in a nice hot bath and read. I also did Satin Hands for my hands and feet, and that is always a treat. I end the day feeling calm and relaxed.

So those are ways I reward myself for meeting daily goals. One is food related (which I know you aren't supposed to do while "dieting", but I really see these as lifelong changes, not a diet.) but motivates me to eat ENOUGH calories in a day, which I tend not to do if I am watching what I eat.