Di’s Fitness Journal Week #11
Redefining the Homestretch
Starting Weight: 195
Current Weight: 174
Goal Weight: 165
Well, another one pound week this week. I’ll take it, though. I worked hard, and it was coming off of the heals of a really big weight loss week for me.
I’ve been thinking a lot this week about “the home stretch.” The idea that as you near your goals they somehow seem even harder to obtain. And, for me, that has definitely been the case.
For the first several weeks of this challenge, when I did the work, the pounds came off easily. But, now, I’m working harder to shed the weight because my body has become stronger- and it needs to be challenged that much more in order for me to accomplish my goals.
Di’s Fitness Journal Week #10
I Want This
Starting Weight: 195
Current Weight: 175
Goal Weight: 165
Finally: a good week of weight loss! I was so thrilled to see those numbers go down on the scale (4 pounds this week) and now I'm 10 pounds away from my weight loss goal!
One of my favorite sayings is the Buddhist saying, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” And that was certainly true this week. After a discouraging week last week, I knew that this week was the time to get it done.
Showing up at the Fitness Lab this week, it seemed like Dillon knew exactly what I needed to hear, when she said to all of us during Body Revolution, “your body can do it, it’s your mind that has to decide to get it done.” Those are such sage words of advice. On the days my head is in the game, my body does what is required.
More or Less, Seriously?
I’ve realized something about myself and it seems like an oxymoron. I take myself too seriously, and I don’t take myself seriously enough.
What do I mean by that? How can it be both?
If I have one setback (like I did this week), and I beat myself up and put myself down. I spiral into feeling like I’m not good enough or worthy enough to have the success I want for my body and my health. But, that’s just taking myself way too seriously. We all make mistakes, and it’s by brushing those mistakes off and moving on quickly that I CAN accomplish my goals in due time.
On the flip side, I have a hard time taking myself seriously enough. How can that be when I just said I take myself TOO seriously. Well, I have been running since high school, but I have a hard time admitting that I love it, that I want to get better, that maybe I do want to run a race or improve my personal best times.
Smashed Lentils & Ginger Carrots
Eating healthy and cutting calories is a challenge.
Daily journals definitely help, and can point out places where you’re missing on your nutrition. When I am working to loose weight, I typically need to supplement my diet with protein. Lentils are a great option because they are calorie-dense in all the right ways, and are a nice change from lean meat protein like chicken or fish. I make a pot of these lentils on the weekend and then have them for a quick meal back up during the week – inevitably I’ll get busy and it’s smart to have healthy choices easily at hand.
Mush is a Southern-style breakfast porridge made with cornmeal, but this bowl of steamed red lentils is so similar, I can’t help but think of it as red mush. The lentils are cooked on the side and then combined with fragrant and crispy spices that have been browned and toasted in a pool of coconut oil, alongside finely diced carrots. (Coconut oil provides a good fat!) On their own, red lentils don’t have a strong flavor, but with the addition of toasted Indian spices and finely diced carrots, they are a standout.
Di’s Fitness Journal Week #9
It’s Just a Cookie
It was another tough week (in the world of weight loss.) I didn’t lose a single pound. And, I know why: it was a week filled with celebrations for me. My husband got a new job. We’ve been hoping for this day for over a year now! On the night we found out, we had chocolates and champagne. Over the weekend we went out for dinner and dessert just the two of us. It’s been a while.
A little champagne here, a piece of cake there and poof! The week of healthy eating and any hard work I put in exercising (and I put in a lot!) went out the window. But you know what? I didn’t even feel that celebratory when I sipped that glass of champagne or indulged in that chocolate cake because I knew it would set me back from reaching my goals- and this week helped me realize I’m just way, way too set on reaching them this time around.
