Day 15

Today I will not eat junk. Today I will focus on my goals. Today is a new day, and I can do this.

Scale Tales - Week Two

Well, I gained a pound this week for a total weight loss to date of two pounds. :( Last week was not good. I am trying to get back on track this week. I will not quit. I can do it.

Scale Tales - Week One

During Week One of my challenge, I:

Lost 3 lbs!!!!

I am very happy with my progress so far, especially since I normally gain 2 lbs the week before my "that time of the month." So if I keep it up, I might actually show a greater loss next week.

I did not exercise much last week, and I did splurge a little on Sunday. I'm glad it didn't hurt me too badly.

On to Week TWO!!

Day 7 - Back on track!

So yesterday I kinda splurged a little bit. We went to my in-laws for Father's Day and had a wonderful meal of steak, corn, and sweet potatoes. I did limit my portions, so I was proud of myself for that. And I only had 2 glasses of red wine, no beer! :)

Today I am back on track and still feeling motivated. Tomorrow I will have my first weigh-in. I hope to see some progress.

Day 5

Today is Day 5 of 365 of the challenge, so I am 1.4% done! The first 1% has been going pretty well. Last night we went out to eat and to a movie, so I had to really think things out so I didn't overdo it. For supper, I had boiled crab legs and a Miller lite. At the movie, I had a handful of Raisinette's and a bottle of water. Real exciting, huh? Actually, it wasn't too bad.

Day 3 - Thank God for my husband!

Today, my loving husband packed my breakfast and lunch for me. I had a Power Bar (my old staple) for breakfast, and for lunch it was a flatbread sandwich, applesauce, and fat-free pudding.

This afternoon, I started to get a familiar feeling that usually sends me to the vending machine. I wouldn't call it "hungry" like how I fee between breakfast and lunch, but more, "unsatisfied." Well thank God he packed me an apple, too! I ate that and didn't feel better immediately, but I'm feeling OK now.

I have a meeting to go to tonight, so I will be eating dinner on the run. But I know I will choose something healthy. I'm on a roll!

Day 2

Day One went really well. Other than not exercising, of course. I really watched what I ate, and I'm proud to say that I didn't eat anthing after 6:00 even though I was SOOOO tempted.

I had oatmeal for breakfast today and brough the other half of a Subway sandwich for lunch.

I plan to exercise tonight, either by walking or cleaning house.

Day 1 - Off to a good start

I was going to start on my birthday, but I decided to have a little fun on my last day before the challenge started! So here I am, it's Day 1 of my challenge, June 10, and so far I'm feeling good. I didn't get up and exercise this morning, though, because I haven't been sleeping well for the past few nights. :(

I had a homemade egg mcmuffin for breakfast and have already drank two cups of water today. Jarrod is bringing me lunch today, so I'm not sure what that is going to be, I told him to make it healthy though! For dinner I am planning on a salad if I can make it to the store to pick up some chicken.

If I don't get a chance to walk tonight, I am going to use housework as my exercise for the day. Lord knows my bathroom needs some attention.

My attitude today is awesome. I'm really looking forward to losing this weight and starting to feel better about myself!

And so it begins...

Tomorrow, June 9, I am officially beginning my challenge!

The idea first came to me in February 2007 when Jarrod made his 30th birthday. He was kinda depressed and down because he was THIRTY! Like it was the worst thing in the world. It was then that I decided that I wanted to be excited about turning 30, not dreading it! But how could I accomplish this?

Why not be in the best shape of my life?

But as I've pondered this goal over the past year or so, I have added some other things that I want to accomplish by 30 as well. I came up with five core values that I want to strengthen in the coming year (in no particular order, mind you):

• Health
• Family
• Finances
• Education
• Spirituality

Here is how I am going to go about strengthening these five areas of my life:

Health

The end goal is to lose 30 pounds, but the real reason I want to lose the weight is to be healthier. I want to live a long life and not be plagued by health problems. I want to be in good physical shape before I get pregnant so it's not so hard to lose the baby weight. I want to be able to walk into a store and pick out anything I want and not have to worry if it comes in my size. I want to be able to comfortably wear a bikini in the summer time.

Family

My family is everything to me, so my goal in the upcoming year is to communicate with them as much as I can. Whether it be through blogs, Myspace, email, cards, you name it. I want to remember everyone's birthday, and schedule as much family time as I can. It's hard when my family lives hours away, but it's not impossible.

Finances

My goal this year is to save more, and spend less. My husband and I are finally in a position to really make this happen if we just put our minds to it. I want to make a significant dent in our student loans and credit cards, and up my contribution to my 403(b) fund. I want to open a savings account and start putting away money for emergencies.

Education

My goal is to get enrolled in grad school this year. I want to be about halfway done by my 30th birthday. Learning has always been a passion of mine, and no time is better than the present to make that happen.

Spirituality

My goal this year is to go to church every Sunday. I go about 2-3 times a month right now. I am also setting a goal to pray more than once a day, and to read one spiritually enlightening book this year. I want to continue to make God the focus of my life, and to live how He would like me to live.

So as you can see, this blog is about more than just losing weight. It will hopefully become a diary of my transformation over the next year. My goal with this blog is to update at least 5 times per week so that I stay focused. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and for your support over the next year.