Saturday Sessions

So, it is only two hours away from not being Saturday anymore, but I was determined to get this post in when it was actually Saturday.  This week has been extremely crazy for me.  I have had something going on every day this week and I have something planned every day of every weekend until January 3rd.  As much as I love having plans with friends and family it can be hard when you don't have any breaks to relax on the weekend.  Tomorrow I have no plans except for grocery shopping, working out and relaxing.  I have my laundry all done and I am nearly ready for the holiday week.


Recap of last weeks goals...


1. Change up my work-out routines.  As my brother-in-law calls it, muscle confusion. 
I think this went pretty well.  I made it to Soul Grooves, Zumba and Hip-Hop this week and mixed some cardio in there.  I am going to buy Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred to take to my Mom's house with me next week since I will not have access to a gym and we are supposed to have the coldest Thanksgiving weather in 21 years here in Minnesnowta. I still have not tried Deep Water, the MIXX or strictly strength at the gym and I really want to, so although I did mix it up this week there is still room for improvement.


2. Organize my closet, try on clothes and get rid of what doesn't fit.
I have started bags to go to the good-will and bags of clothes to hopefully give away or maybe sell for cheap.  I just really want the clothes to go to someone who will use them and maybe someone who is also in the process of losing weight and just needs something to wear until they make it to the next milestone.  I also got a little OCD with organizing my closet.  See photo proof below.

This is my T-shirt collection organized from ROYGBIV. I know, very over the top.

These are the clothes that fit me now, small amount, but I have a lot to look forward to...

This side of the closet is clothes that will soon fit me even though most of them are old.  I will wear them to get down even lower :) Some of the clothes on the far right if the picture are ones that are already too big!  Such a great feeling!

Jeans and pants that do not currently fit, but are organized by the next size I will be in all the way down to 4 sizes smaller than I am now.  I am really excited to just keep moving down the ladder. 


New Goals 


1. Make it a holiDAY and not a holi-week or longer.
Sarah at Fat Little Legs posted earlier this week about not letting your holiday turn into a holi-month or holi-year and I thought that was great.  I think it is important that people eat things that they are craving to a certain extent.  I think if you completely say everything is off limits you will fall off the wagon and gain all the weight back that you lost and then some.  I also think that some things are worth splurging a little bit on and some are not.  I think that too often around the holidays people take a holiday and turn it into a holi-month of bad eating.  It is a vicious cycle and it is not good for your waistline. I plan on eating some things that I never get, but still in smaller portions than I normally would.  I also plan on exercising heavily before the big meal and getting right back on track the next day.


1. Start keeping track of my mood more often. 
A lot of people say that our behaviors are a directly related to our mood and I could not agree more.  I think that people's actions correspond with their mood and more specifically that there is a reason why we eat poorly, over indulge, make excuses and don't work out.  I am trying to pin-point my mood and emotions throughout the day and week to see what kind of triggers I have to start thinking about a cheat day, or not going to the gym.  I want to spend this next week focusing on my mood and how that effects my eating and exercising habits. 

Must-Have Monday-Newbie's

Today, I met a friend for happy hour at the restaurant Crave in the new trendy area of the twin cities known as the West End.  I had not seen this friend in a year and a half, which is always a good bad feeling for me. On one hand I am ecstatic to catch up with my friend that I haven't seen in a long time and on the other hand I am always nervous about what they think I look like (in comparison to the last time they saw me, as in I hope I am not bigger than I was before).

I am also nervous to tell people that I am eating healthy and not drinking.  This is not because I am afraid that I won't have willpower, but it is because I don't want to make other people feel bad for their drink and food choices because I am choosing to live a certain way.  So far it has NOT been an issue.  I am actually not sure what I am afraid of.  Is there a chance that someone would actually say, "You're eating HEALTHY!?! What a crock of sh**!"  No, people wouldn't say that even if they think that.  I have also found an interesting behavior pattern emerging.  My friends who are thin, healthy and active are totally understandable and supportive of my decisions, while it seems that some people who are heavy or who enjoy a poor diet are always saying things like, "you can't eat like a rabbit forever, you will fall of the wagon some day!"  I know, i know this is NOT rocket science.  Of course people who are overweight want people to eat like them because they want to continue to tell themselves that it is okay for them to eat that way.  As I was thinking about this in the car today all I could think was..... WOW!  This used to be me not that long ago.  I used to love when someone would say let's just veg out and eat snacks and lay around all day and order take out.  I used to be the person who I have now just figured out.  I have just foiled my past behaviors.  This was a mini break through of sorts for me.  I know that this journey is more than just changing my willpower and outlook on life.  It is more that just determination and hard work.  It is a large part about changing my behavior and how I look at food.  Losing weight is not just about what you put into your body, but also what you take out of it.  The bad thoughts, the negative images, the poor behaviors.  I am not where I want to be in a year, but I am better off than I was a year ago or yesterday for that matter.

Alright.... after that moment of personal growth I would like to start my first ever Must-Have Monday post.  I am going to post three things that I can't live without every week.  This is a time to give thanks and to spread the love. This week's focus is on new items that I have discovered.

1. Boca Crumbles- Honestly, I just discovered how amazing this product is and I am already trying to dream up things that I can cook with it.  I made a healthier take on Mexican pizza using this as the meat and it was FABULOUS!  I will post the recipe tomorrow.  It is NOT healthy as in as good for you as a salad, but it is a much healthier way to get a Mexican fix.

2. Trader Joe's Chicken Sausage.  They have many different flavors and they are all really good.  One sausage is about 100 calories and between 4.5 and  grams of fat.  This is obviously not as healthy as regular chicken breasts or other lean meats, but it is a nice change of scenery and good to have every once in awhile. They sell similar chicken sausages at many other grocery stores if you don't have a TJ's by you.

3. Pears- It doesn't mater which variety.  Pears are rocking my world as of late.  I am loving them and eating one a day it seems like.  They must be in season because they are relatively cheap right now and super delicious.