as i mentioned, i have been on a weight loss journey since last december. this began after i was looking at some pics with friends, and not fitting into my favorite clothing. those were the two main catalysts. i'm sure there were other identifiers that i just was not seeing (we all have our own blinders).
here's the thing, when i looked at myself daily in the mirror, i didn't notice the changes, because they were so gradual. and even more interesting, is it just me, or do most people naturally perceive themselves as they are in their most flattering pictures of days gone by??! HA!
by the time i finally decided to make a change (for once in my life..it's gonna feel real good gonna make a difference...gonna make it right..woMAN in the mirror-thanks michael for the inspiration), blahblahblah, make a change, i was about 30-ish pounds over what i wanted to be. the lobster mac and cheese, fresh sea scallops, traveling, inconsistency and poor habits caught up with me and were making a statement (on my hips, thighs and stomach...cue garth brooks only the lyrics would change from thunder to :and the stomach rolls...) ...so yes, it was time.
once i came to that conclusion, i decided to try the very motivating method i had tried a couple of times in the past when i needed to get back in control...once in a group challenge, in which i won $, the second time (last year), in which i did not meet my goal, and lost $. but it had helped motivate me. i signed up for HEALTHY WAGE (<- that's a link/invitation if you'd like to check it out), basically it allows you to bet on yourself to lose weight.
the prize increases the more you plan to lose, and you can adjust the amount you want to bet on yourself. so by meeting my initial goal, if i won back the money i had put into it every month, plus an additional 60%, i had made plans.
alright, so i signed up for Healthy Wage back around december 19th, pretty spontaneously after looking at those pictures. i wasn't happy with where i was, and this had worked before, i am a very self-motivated person. but then there's the holidays and food (maybe not the wisest choice to start in december)...and meetings and travel..and more food. uf. so, come march, i was NOT happy with the progress; i think i had only lost water weight. maybe. and the problem with that is i drank more water and gained it back. ugh. at which point, i was off track and figured i wouldn't get my money from HW...but i wasn't throwing in the towel yet.
in march i decided it was time to do something different, due to lack of results, and i decided i would start NOOM. (<- another invitation link for 20% off). i'd seen an ad, and wasn't sure what to think, but what i'd tried in the past wasn't working, so i needed to try something different. i downloaded the app and got started, figuring the first week free would give me a taste and i could decide. i chose to stick with it after the first week, and i have not been disappointed. it added the layer that i was missing.
what is it? they put together great research articles, and i got into a habit of logging my food and daily goals to hit a certain amount of steps. it really set me up for success, and every morning the first thing i would do is read the daily articles, and weigh myself. then, being a morning person, i get up for my #morningwalks. the big key is that it helped with the psychology aspect of breaking some poor routines and replacing them with healthy habits and thought processes, looking at food and exercise and goal-making differently. there is a personal coach, and i chose minimal interaction, because i don't need a ton of accountability, but if you do, you can request more interaction. i really wanted to set the pace, set my goals, and the coach would just check-in weekly to see where we are. then eventually you have a group and a group coach- a little more social interaction if that's your thing.
back in april, after a couple weeks of using NOOM, it was a treat yourself day...my phone wasn't accurately tracking my steps, so my treat was a fit-bit. this was part number 3 of my success. i began taking my steps more seriously, and made sure to get my 10k steps in the mornings before work (this meant getting up at 5:30...morning person) and the fit-bit also inspired me to get moving throughout the day- that 250 steps every hour, which was health-changing!!
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| when these are your morning walk views, you don't tend to mind mornings as much! and now that it's getting hotter in the afternoons, mornings seem an even better idea! |
the other plus is that i started to monitor my sleep habits and when my NOOM experience is over, it will help with the meal logging (just not the color-coded budgeting, which was so KEY when i began..fortunately over time, you begin to pick up on the color codes so that they become routine and will carry over after we're 'done').
may rolled around, and i had just been in nyc, i wasn't sure i'd meet my healthy wage goal, and i'd kinda' resigned myself to it, until i had a last minute push. i got a little militant for a couple weeks on my portions and exercise. then while i was at a PD session for work, in orlando, i was SO CLOSE!!! i went to our session, had a great day, went back to the hotel and weighed in...within 1/2 lb, so i went for an evening walk up the hill, back down and around the sea world park and back, before dinner or water, desperate to just officially do a final weigh in video and be done..(freakin' double tree warm walnut chocolate chip cookie from the day before-my nemesis!)...
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| it was an amazing conference...especially the second day;it was in spanish! |
i'd watched a ted-talks video that a colleague had post (thanks mike) and the one that followed was just as amazing, as it was titled the MATH OF LOSING WEIGHT. if you're into the explanation, physics, a little chemistry, it is pretty amazing! in fact, i was fascinated. basically one of the things he was saying was when we breathe out we release carbon into the air and that accounts for about 84% of the fat loss, i just wanted to sit and breathe more...but as he mentioned, that would just be hyperventilating, and eventually i would pass out. uf, another great plan foiled!
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| so yes, i did in fact get a check, not a hoax. (had it been, after all the hard work, i would have been hunting someone down!) |
because i met my goal, i was able to put the money i had invested back into savings, and i still had enough left with the 60% from the bet-won, that i was able to get an inflatable SUP board (stand-up-paddle board), which converts to kayak mode with a chair to sit in and conversion paddle. it seems a worthy use of the winnings to be able to continue healthy adventuring! i already had a first opportunity to take it out, here are a couple of shots on how that went!
i've learned a lot about thought distortions and planning, and so much more, so would i recommend this? yes. did i still have opportunities to eat what my mouth craved? yes (as long as i planned well). i don't think i felt deprived of anything...i mean, i even had the GOOD PIZZA in brooklyn!
i still have a few weeks left with NOOM, and it has been a positive experience. if all goes as planned, and i have learned well, i should never have to be in that situation again! smiles. as for the secondary goal, it is simply to get a little further down so that i am in a comfortable healthy range that can fluctuate a couple of pounds and still be comfortable in my own skin! the tertiary goal is just to get routines in place to tighten up and tone up!
it's not really even about the weight, it's more about the level of confidence and feeling healthy, breathing easy and not having to buy new wardrobe. looking forward to many adventures ahead. this is the only post i plan to do on this, and now we can get back to the business of what's been happening, and what shenanigans have we been into!
keep it real!
julie
P.S. here are the links again if you are interested in either or both programs i mentioned:
HEALTHY WAGE- personal weight loss challenge, they also have step challenges and smaller challenges https://hwage.co/243999 (you get a $40 added to your prize when you sign up-it gets added to whatever you 'bet')
and if you aren't the betting type, but you are interested in learning to break and replace habits and losing weight/getting in shape the RIGHT way:
NOOM- psychology, still eat well, it just makes sense! https://friends.noom.com/YUJIR0sxVFY3OmNm
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