Fine By 2009: 1 Week to go!!
I can’t believe that it is only about a week to go in the challenge. Didn’t the time just fly by?
Of course this is going to be the hardest week of the year. Parties with all kinds of temptations are looming everywhere you turn. If you’ve been consistent throughout the challenge with your exercise and watching what you eat, this week will be just another blip on the healthy living radar.
Or if you’ve been like me, you have already eaten your calorie allotment in cookies for the entire week. 
I will post the last check in next Monday. Please let us know how you did even if the results weren’t exactly what you hoped they would be. I know my results aren’t going to be good but I will post anyway.
This week’s workout winner is Jen E. from Momma Blogs Alot! Way to go Jen!!
Have a great week everybody!
![[Post to Twitter]](http://dailymishmash.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
Fine By 2009: 2 Weeks To Go!
I’m going to make this quick because I’m feeling a little under the weather today.
Last week’s Silver Workout Medal winners were Jen @ Momma Blogs Alot and Andrea at Red Knows How.
Way to go girls!!
Here are a few tips that I ran across this week that I thought might be helpful to everyone as they continue on their journey to fit:
-
Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away. (ie fruits, veggies, and other healthy snacks)
-
Enjoy your treats away from home. (An example they give is going out for ice cream instead of keeping a half gallon container on hand. Keeping them outside your own house makes it harder to indulge as frequently.)
-
Spice it up. (Adding spices to your foods will be more satisfying so you don’t eat as much.)
To see the other tips in this article, click here.
Do you have any other tips to add to this list? How did you do this week?
Mister Linky is not working today for me. If you wrote an update post, please feel free to leave the link in the comments. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Fine By 2009: 3 Weeks to Go!
So, a few days ago I got the following email from a friend:
By the way, how is your dieting going? I noticed you stopped mentioning your own personal weight loss on Mondays.
I thought I had been doing a great job distracting you with the David Beckham pics that no one noticed that I hadn’t actually been doing my own weekly check-ins. Leave it to my oldest and closest friend to call me out on this.
Actually, the truth is that I have been avoiding the scale. I can tell by the way my clothes are fitting (TIGHT!!) that I’m not making any progress. I haven’t been exercising, and although I’m trying to watch what I eat, I’m not really cutting back enough to make a difference.
The results are putting me at about the same weight I’ve been for the past few months. No more, no less.
I could wallow in my failures or I can take this week to start over and try to once again commit to a healthier lifestyle. I’m choosing to start over.
Let’s take a look at who gets a Weekly Workout Winner Medal this week:
Gold Medal= 5-7 Workouts:
Andrea @ Red Knows How
Jen E. @ Momma Blogs Alot
Please go over to their blogs and congratulate them for their efforts. I am so proud of them!
I am skipping the Beckham picture this week, because I was thinking he was a curse to my workout efforts, so I’m switching it up and going back to my true motivation:
Oh you thought I was going to say that I want to get healthy, tone up, have more energy. Yeah all that, but I also want to be light enough that my husband (or Ryan Gosling) can easily pick me up to act out this kiss scene.
So dumb, but so true.
And if you are thinking about buying a Wii Fit, check out this mom’s incredible weight loss success story with it. I may consider buying one after all.
So, how was your week?
Fine By 2009: 4 Weeks to Go!
Let’s take a look at the medal winners for this week’s workout challenge:
Remember I changed the qualifications to 5-7 workouts for Gold and one person was able to step up to the challenge:
Congrats to Jen E. from Momma Blogs Alot for being a Gold Medal Workout Winner.
Our silver medal (2-4 days) workout champion is Andrea from Red Knows How.
David Beckham is happy for our winners but seems a little disappointed that there were only two.
Ok, so maybe he doesn’t exactly look disappointed in this photo, but I’m hoping the way he is glaring at us will do something to get us off our butts this week and moving.
A few months ago, I was over at one of my favorite blogs, Even the Nice Ones, and I happened to read the following:
Last year, I lost a bit over 75 lbs. Au Natural (if you call running your ass off natural). I literally could not run to the end of my street in August of 2007. Last Saturday I ran 10 miles.
I was completely in awe and wanted to know more so I emailed her and asked her how she got motivated, stayed motivated, etc…
Here is part of her reply:
I got motivated in a few different ways. The first was that I looked at pictures from my son’s 8th birthday party (april ‘07) and freaked out. I hadn’t realized that I let myself get THAT heavy. I knew I had gained weight, but I seriously didn’t recognize myself in those photos. It was scary.
I also realized that I was going to turn 30 in a year from then. It was a wake up call. Was I going to enter my 30’s the heaviest ever? Or would I begin them being in the best shape of my life?
I immediately began modifying my diet a bit that May. I dropped about 15 to 20 pounds by 4th of July that year. After that, I started Atkin’s. My husband had radical success with Atkins in ‘02 so I did that.
By the end of August I had dropped a significant amount of weight, maybe 30 more pounds. I also got serious about running on my kids first day of school. I started with Couch 2 5K. I just ran every day. And every week I pushed it harder.
I did my first 5K in November. I cried because I never thought it’d be possible. By Thanksgiving I had gone from a size 22/24 to an 18. By Christmas I bought a size 16. By late January was a 16, and running over 20 miles a week. I competed in my first 10K. I also got really tired and was just not in spirits. In talking with my doctor, I just wasn’t eating right. I needed more carbs and less exercise, so I changed the diet. I maintained my weight.
On my 30th birthday I ran my furthest distance of that year…8 miles. It was a big deal. I was wearing a size 14 which was just fine on my frame. I am not a thin person, bone wise. I actually want to drop another 40 to 50 lbs but have been told by many that would look funny on me. I was a size 16 the day I graduated from high school, so I was happy
Don’t you just love success stories like these?!
Here are some of the other tips the Nice Ones recommends (I was specifically interested in how you start a running program):
All great tips!! Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
So how did your week go? Leave a comment or link up.
Also, if you are a runner and have some other tips for getting started (and not collapsing after one minute) please leave feel free to let me know your secret.
Fine by 2009: 5 Weeks to Go
A lot of people have asked me why I would want to start any type of weight loss plan before the holidays. They claimed that there were far too many obstacles with all the temptations of cookies, pies and other holiday treats.
Well, it is true. This is a bad time for a diet, but when you really think about it, there are many days in the next month that are not full of temptations.
Let’s take this week for example. Thanksgiving is only one day. I still think if you eat really well the other six days you should be fine. Here are a few other tips for not overdoing it on Turkey Day:
- Set realistic goals. At a holiday dinner or party, indulge in some goodies, but eat smaller portions. Have only one glass of wine or Champagne. Take half a slice of pie.
- Avoid skipping meals before a big holiday meal. You don’t want to arrive starving and then gorge yourself on sweets and other unhealthy fare.
- Drink lots of water.
- Use moderation and relax. If you break down and eat a high-fat dessert, just go easy on what you have the rest of the day or cut back a few calories tomorrow.
To read the rest of the tips from this article, click here.
Now for the awards ceremony from last week, I present our host and motivational trainer, Mr. David Beckham:
I love that picture of him!!
Now, remember you have to leave a comment to win a medal. As far as the question about whether or not the Wii workout counts, I really have no idea since I don’t have a Wii (yet). I would say if you break a sweat and your heartbeat is elevated for an extended period of time that it should count but I guess I’ll leave that up to you to decide. If you feel that it counts for a workout then feel free to leave a comment.
The Gold Medal winners are:
Jen @ Momma Blogs Alot
Andrea @ Red Knows How
The Silver Medal winners are:
Jenny @ Runningamuck
Jean @ Momma 247
For next week, I’m changing the requirements a bit. Here they are:
Silver: 2-4 workouts
Gold: 5-7 workouts
How is everyone else doing with their progress. I pulled my back out again. Ironically, I was trying to do the “Bend it Like Beckham” kick with a ball that was in my way. I must have moved in a way that upset the precious alignment of my spine or lower back muscles because I am in so much pain today. Ugh.
This is EXACTLY why I need to be doing more exercise. I think if my core was stronger I wouldn’t be constantly pulling out my back.
And if that wasn’t motivation enough, I just made plans that included me in a swimsuit in January. I thought I had another 6 months before having to face that horror again, but Mickey made me an offer I couldn’t refuse and we are boarding the Disney Wonder for a 4 night cruise (sans kids-it is a travel agent special that would be too pricey with the kids) in January. Can’t wait!! (Except for the bathing suit part.)
How is your progress coming? Link up if you have did a check in post:
Fine By 2009: 6 Weeks to Go!
Our Fine By 2009 personal trainer and motivational coach, David Beckham, is back this week with a public service announcement for all our workout challengers:
Thanks Becks!! Now let’s see who is getting a medal this week…
Our SILVER medals go to those challengers who completed at least 1-3 twenty minute workouts and left a comment on last week’s post to check in.
Here are our Silver Medal Workout Winners:
- Jean @ Momma 247
- Wawa
- Jen (Me)
- Andrea @ Red Knows How
And now for the GOLD medals!! These go to those participants who completed 4-7 twenty minute workouts this week and left a comment on last week’s post to let me know.
Here are our Gold Medal Workout Winners:
- Jen @ Momma Blogs Alot
- Susan @ Life in the Psych Ward
- Jenny @ Runningamuck
Congratulations to all of the workout winners!! Feel free to grab your fake medal and post it on your blog or print it out and tie a string and wear it around your neck. I’m sure your family won’t think you are too weird.
I think we’ll try this again this week. Bookmark this post and come back to check in every day that you workout. Please leave one comment per workout please (it is just easier for me to keep track–thanks).
Here is your motivation to come back to this post again and again this week:
Leave me a comment and let me know your workout goal for the week.
Also, feel free to post your weekly check-in if you did one here:
Fine By 2009: 8 Weeks to Go!
I lost track of what week we are on so I’m switching things up to show how many weeks we have left in the challenge. I’m hoping that having more of a countdown will motivate me to reach my goals and keep me on track.
This has not been a very good week.
Eating Lots of Candy + Being Sick with a Cold – Exercise = Gained Another Pound
With 8 weeks to go, I can still reach my goal of losing 15 pounds, toning up and feeling more healthy. It will just take being consistent with my efforts.
I had 57 people comment on the original post and most said they were going to participate in the challenge, however I’ve only had about 7 or 8 people checking in each week. I’m thinking we need to rededicate ourselves to our goals.
My goal this week is to move at least 15 minutes each day. That means EVERY, SINGLE DAY!! I think when I do the whole “4 day a week” thing that it is in my procrastinating nature to wait until the end of the week and try to fit it in on those last couple of days. That just doesn’t work.
To get myself in the mood for exercising, I have decided to watch the following video everyday to help to motivate me:
I’m not really sure how much it will actually motivate me, but I will enjoy watching it EVERY, SINGLE DAY. And it does raise my heartbeat, so that is something.
How was your week? Who is still with me on this challenge? Who liked the Ryan Gosling working out video?
Fine by 2009: Week 8
We are getting really close to the halfway point in this challenge.
YIKES!!
I realize that there really is no ending point and that this really needs to be lifestyle change, not a short-term thing. I just wish I was making better progress and seeing more results.
I took a few weeks off to celebrate my birthday. Luckily, the scale gods were gentle with me and when I got on today, after eating terribly and ZERO exercise, I hadn’t gained any of the weight back. Thank you scale gods.
This week’s goals:
-Get to sleep by 11:30-12 (Mon-Fri)
-Workout at least 4 days (Govt says we should be getting 2 1/2 hours a week according to this study)
-Eat 2 fruits a day (should be more but I’m shooting low since I really don’t love fruit)
Since I didn’t have my linky up last week, I want to point out a couple of posts that you need to go and read and comment on:
Susan from the Psych Ward wrote Growing up Fat–A great post about body image.
Make sure to go over and cheer on Shannon at Simply Shannon who has lost 10.5 pounds since starting the challenge! Way to go Shannon!! She is doing something right!
_________________________________
Link up to let us know how you are doing with your goals!
Fine By 2009: Week 6
This week’s mini-goals seemed to work out really well for me. I completed half of the two goals I set last week by exercising 4 days (actually 5, if you consider the hiking I did yesterday). Although I did not record my food at all, I did watch my portions and snacking.
The result was that I lost another 2 pounds, making my total pounds to date a whopping 7. I’m not sure if I would really say that 7 is whopping but I think it is a healthy pace for 6 weeks. I am also starting to see a difference in the way my jeans are fitting around the mid-section. I’m far from having a flat stomach but I’m making some progress.
How did everyone else do? Are you up for setting 3 mini-goals this week? Here are mine:
1. Exercise 4 days this week.
2. Eat at least 2 fruits and 2 veggies a day. (I know this isn’t 5, but trust me when I say it will be an improvement.)
3. Get into bed by 11:30pm at least 5 days of the week. (Again, this may seem late to some, but it would be an improvement for me.)
Last week’s reward was a 30 minute massage. Since I only completed half the goal, I only got a 15 minute massage. It was more of a back rub but I’ll take whatever I can get.
Honestly, I’m not setting up any rewards for this week. I think the weight loss, toned muscles, extra sleep, more energy, etc… will be reward enough. Maybe that is just setting myself up for failure, but we’ll see.
Leave a comment or link up to let me know how you did this week.
Fine By 2009: Week 5
Once again I’m checking in without making any progress. I didn’t gain, but I didn’t lose. My clothes are still fitting on the tight side. I’m pretty much disgusted with how things are going.
If I’m being honest, I really haven’t been giving the challenge my complete attention and that isn’t fair. It isn’t fair to my other participants and it especially isn’t fair to me.
I deserve to be healthy. I deserve to be fit. I deserve to be looking fine by 2009.
I could tell you all about how I pulled out my back last week so I couldn’t exercise or how my husband tried to sabotage my efforts by bringing home creamy salsa and tortilla chips for Thursday’s premiere of The Office. The fact that I couldn’t keep my hands out of the opened bag of chocolate chips all week and that I ate two pieces of ice cream cake at my daughter’s birthday party is not what you came here to read.
You want motivation. You want inspiration. You want dedication. I feel like I’ve let you down because I know I’ve let myself down.
I think a big part of my problem is that I’m a procrastinator. January 1, 2009 seems like forever away. I guess in my subconscious I feel like I can slack off and at the very last month work really hard to catch up and meet my goals.
Obviously this is no way to create a healthy lifestyle. It isn’t about quick results, but about changing your habits every day and eventually seeing things change.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle
I’ve decided to make a short term goal with a short term reward.
So, for this week, my goal is workout 4 times and track my food at least 5 days.
My reward is going to be a 30 minute massage from my hubby. (He doesn’t know this yet, but I’m thinking if I ask nicely that he’ll be a good sport. Plus it will be part of my birthday extravaganza so he can’t say no, at least if he knows what is good for him.)
How about you? What are your mini-goals for this week? Do you have a mini-reward? How are you doing with the challenge? Leave me a comment or do your own post and link up.
Daily Email
GosWatch
All Ryan...All the time!-
Credits
