Destination #2 - Progress Update

I feel pretty good about the progress I've made with Destination #2.  In my original post I briefly mentioned participating in a family Biggest Loser Competition.  We weighed in for the final time recently and I was the Biggest Loser!  By eating healthy and occasionally exercising I lost 26.6 pounds.

Some family members are interested in doing a watered-down version of our competition for the summer.  So, we will take 2 weeks off (I am planning on eating chips, macaroni and cheese and drinking a lot of coke) before starting over.  I don't want to undo any of the hard work I've put in, but there have been some things I've missed.  I am hoping that I will be able to balance some of the foods I've pretty much avoided for the past 5 months and maintain my current weight (or lose some more). 

I still have a long way to go towards a healthier me, but at my journey's end I would like to be able to not avoid foods and eat what I enjoy (in moderation, of course) and maintain a healthy weight.  I think a 2 week hiatus will be a good test to see if the new habits I've developed are easy to maintain and find out what I still need to work on.  I view this as a practice period, and when I get to my goal weight I'll be able to stay there.

Vacation

You know what they say...hindsight is 20/20.  I recently went on a much needed week-long vacation.  It was wonderful and I had a great time, but now that I'm home I realize how many opportunities I missed to focus on my goals.  Let me share with you what I did and did not do so you can learn from my mistakes!

I did not eat healthy and I could have.  My excuse was "I'm on vacation and I am going to indulge myself."  Now don't get me wrong, it is perfectly acceptable to indulge yourself on vacation, but don't let your common sense fly out the window...use good judgement!  Moderation is key.  Looking back on it, I am most ashamed of not eating better because it was so easy to make good food choices.  Many menus had low calorie options that I just turned my nose at.  Oh self, so young, so foolish.  If you - like me - simply must have Chocolate Melting Cake every night for dessert, do it, but get one of the 390 calorie entrees!

I did not practice any instruments.  I really don't feel guilty about this.  Who takes their piano on vacation?!  If I had a more portable talent - say writing or drawing - I could have done that by bringing a pad of paper and a pencil.  So, if you can take your goal with you do it, but if you can't don't feel bad.  After all....you're on vacation!

I did not work on any music theory.  This is another goal that I feel bad about not doing, because I took my theory book with me!  I just didn't open it.  There were many hours spent in the car that I could have pulled this out and worked on it.  I could have done much better here.  If you do take your goals with you, make sure you do it!

However, I did do a lot of walking.  I did not take advantage of the gym that was available, so again improvements to my vacationing self are needed, but I am happy with what I did accomplish.

Most importantly I spent a lot of time with my husband.  This is the goal that I most want to excel in.  Despite all my failings this past week I have succeeded overall, because I was able to be with him with no pressure to keep the house clean, dinner on the table and no work concerns stealing my focus from him.  We had many conversations and talked to each other a lot.  He also shared a podcast (Stuff You Should Know) that he really enjoys with me.  I learned something new about him, and we both got to enjoy listening to several old podcasts he had on his Zune.  Sharing something you enjoy or are passionate about with your spouse is a wonderful way to bond and grow together.

You do not need to accomplish everything everyday or even most things most days.  If you only accomplish one thing a week you have succeeded.

What tips and tricks for success do you have while vacationing?

Eating Healthy

I used to eat a lot of potato chips, pizza, macaroni and cheese, McDonald's and drink tons of soda.  You'll notice that there weren't a lot of fruits or vegetables in my previous diet.  Fast forward a few months, and now I try to eat several servings of fruit and veggies a day.

A typical day now is:

Breakfast:  yogurt or applesauce (I sometimes add 10-15 almonds to my yogurt)
Snack:  carrots and/or apple slices
Lunch:  salad (with light or fat free dressing), a sandwich (with cheese, mustard and spinach - no mayo!), carrots and/or apple slices
Snack:  light or fat free cottage cheese with tomatoes and salt and pepper, or a snack size bag of microwave popcorn
Dinner:  chicken, brown rice, and vegetables, or stirfry, always a salad and sometimes more carrots and/or apple slices (can you tell what fruits and vegetables I do like?)
Desert:  Weight Watchers or Skinny Cow ice cream snacks - so far every treat I've tried is delicious

I also drink a LOT of water.  I decided when I changed my eating habits that I wanted to eat my calories, not drink them, and I happen to like water so this is not hard for me.

I know what you're thinking, and yes, I do eat a lot - and there are several things I could do even better in regards to my eating habits, but trust me when I tell you that I am eating so much better now than I was 4-5 months ago.  Not only am I eating better, but I feel better as well.  I still occassionally have a burger and fries from McDonald's, but that is an exception rather than the norm, and I can tell the difference when I do. 

I have found that what is easiest for me is to have my snacks ready to at.  So, yes, I spend more on pre-sliced apples than a person should - but if all I have to do is reach my hand in the bag and pull out an apple slice, that's just as easing as reaching in and pulling out a potato chip, but it's better and much more filling.  I have tried to make healthy eating as convenient as possible for myself so that I'm more likely to stick with it. 

What do you do to make healthy eating a habit for you?

Feeling Productive

Today was a giant leap forward for me.  I woke up earlier than normal and instead of rolling over and going back to sleep like I usually do, I stayed up.  I ate a little bit of breakfast, got on the treadmill for 30 minutes (working towards Destination #2 - being healthy and active), took out all the trash in the house (working towards Destination #3 - being a better spouse), got ready for the day, and went to the music store to pick up a D string for my violin (working towards Destination #1 - gathering tools to become a better musician) before coming to work.

Accomplishing these things has really given me a boost today.  I feel more productive overall, have been more productive at work, have been in a better mood and I know that all of these small steps are getting me closer to the person I want to be.

I hope that you have also been able to revel in your successes (whether they be big or small) today!

Making A Plan

Now that I have my destination chosen and my paths laid out for me, I need to make a plan so I can continually move forward.

To become a better musician I will need to practice each instrument 30 minutes a day, learn music theory and find resources to help teach me.  I will be teaching myself how to play these instruments in the beginning, so focusing on fundamentals, theory and technique will be important.  There are people in my life that play each instrument, so I can go to them for help so long as I don't abuse their generosity.

To be healthy and active I need to devote a minimum of 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week to exercise.  Proper form and technique are very important so I do not injure myself.  There are a plethora of resources on the internet that can be used to teach myself the right way to exercise.

In addition to exercise, if I want to be truly healthy, I need to eat well.  Eating more fruits and vegetables is a great way to increase nutrition without adding a ton of calories.  Also, I can make healthy substitutions to my daily meals.  For example, I can replace ground beef with ground turkey.  This is possible with almost any recipe, and I don't sacrifice flavor.  (Please consult a physician before embarking on any exercise and/or dietary changes.)

Lastly, to be more giving of myself.  I said before I don't know where I want to volunteer just yet.  Step number 1 is to write a list of organizations that I would like to give my time to.  Step number 2 is to research these organizations and find out what volunteer opportunities they have available.  If their needs meet my needs and capabilities I can then get a schedule and start.

As for being a better spouse, the first thing I think I should do is increase the frequency of housekeeping tasks when our schedules keep us apart so that when we are together we can focus on each other and not the dishes in the sink.

If you are in a situation where you are unable to finance lessons or tutors, etc to help you reach your goals, seek out your social network.  Perhaps you know someone that is talented in the area you are working on that would be willing to help you, or that would be willing to trade their talents and expertise for yours.  For example, if you are interested in writing perhaps you have a friend that is a writer or a teacher and could help edit and give pointers, in exchange for you helping them with a website, planting a garden or painting their fence.

Please share what plans and ideas you have in the comments.  We can all learn from each other!

Defining the Path: Destination 2

Destination #2:  Be Healthy And Active

• I want to maintain my healthy eating habits.  I have been eating extremely well since January 4, 2010.  Some of my in-laws started a Biggest Loser Competition and that was enough motivation for me to change the way I eat.  I would like to continue eating as well as I have been since January, even after my family competition ends.
• I want to run a marathon.  My family's Biggest Loser Competition has helped motivate me to be more active, but I definitely could be doing a lot better in this area.  I do enjoy running and would like to be able to do so for an extended distance without needing to use my inhaler. 
• I want to join an indoor sports league.  I really like to play soccer and football, although I have never played in an organized setting before.  I think that this would be fun and interesting, as well as a great way to meet new people. 
• I want to take Tae Kwon Do.  I took Tae Kwon Do for a while in junior high.  I really enjoyed it at the time, but I was always too shy to take the test to advance to the next belt.  As a result I never got past a high yellow belt.  As this was another activity I really enjoyed, not to mention a very active sport, I'd love to take this up again.  It also wouldn't hurt to be able to protect myself, though I hope I am never in a position where I would need to.