Tuesday, and Fire Up for Fall Update

247.2, up another 0.6 pounds.  It's last weekend catching up with me, and retained water weight.  TOM is right around the corner, too.  I am beginning to appreciate how hard it will be to control my eating when I'm with other people.  That 6-course tasting menu with wine wasn't really necessary.  There were plenty of other options involving less food.  The big bumps in the last week are all due to me not controlling myself when I'm socializing.  I can still make my goal of 230-235 by mid-December, but I was hoping to be lower.

I didn't exercise yesterday because I was exhausted after the all-night fire call Sunday, and today's not looking good either.  The elliptical got delivered this morning!  I had this idea that I'd be happily exercising away this afternoon, but that thing still needs to be put together.  I've got meditation class at 6 (yay!), and I want to check out a poetry slam afterward - so I'm not sure if I'll work out at all today - making it 3 days in a row with no workout.  Hm.  Looking at what I just wrote, I really need to make an effort to Do It today.

Can you see all the workouts in this box?  I'll try to take it out and put it together and give it a test run during the day today, but since I'm supposed to be working from home, I might should actually work.

Fire Up For Fall Update:

Two positive pictures from last weekend.  The first is the cargo net on the ropes course we did Saturday.  That's the bride-to-be shimmying across.  That thing totally killed a few of our group and a few didn't get across.  I didn't even try it.  I want to rock that net next spring!

The second is a picture of our group.  I'm the tall one in the middle.  I'm always completely surprised by how fat I am in pictures. When I look at myself in the mirror, I don't see myself the way I really am.  Pictures are the only way for me to see the "truth."  Mir wrote about this, and I've read that it's the same for others.  If this group gets together to do this again in the spring, I'll be thinner!  AND I'll do the cargo net!  It's not going to happen by magic - I'm going to work at it.

1. What have you done this week to achieve your goals? 

It wasn't a great week for eating, or for working out.  But I did socialize and have the start of small success making friends.  Need to work on these goals not being zero sum (ie, one gets worse when the other gets better).

2. What have you done to make yourself feel fabulous? 

I went on a date!  I spent the day (and evening) with some great girls that I didn't know at the beginning.

3. It's half way through the challenge, you can change 1 or more of your goals (max of 3) if you want to....what are you going to do and why?

Looking back on my goals, I guess I had 6 of them.  I want to change three.  First, I didn't really like my book, so I'm going to change this goal to be about the meditation class.  Second, I wasn't ready for Jillian Michaels or Power 90, so I'm going to change that one.  Third, even though I plan to continue with the volunteer fire department, I don't want to have it be a goal, so I'll remove it to go down to 5 goals.

- Lose 20-25 pounds, to 235-230 by the end of the year
- Look FABulous in my Christmas jacket by the end of the year.  Successfully complete the Christms Dress Challenge.

- Work through my Christmas Dress Challenge book and do all the exercises.  Find a second book and do that one too.

(new) Complete the Meditation Based Stress Reduction class.

- Complete Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and Power 90 DVDs. 

(new) Exercise for at least 30 minutes 6/7 days a week.

- Continue to invest time in my volunteer fire department. 

- Look at where I spend my time and energy and look for places and people that make me feel good and will lead to friendships. 

4. What's your worst bad habit and have you ever tried to tackle it? Do you want to?

I don't challenge myself enough physically.  For so many years I thought I was a low energy person, and never pushed myself.  (Completely forgot that I played field hockey in high school, which is NOT low energy!) I haven't tried to tackle this bad habit, but I'm hoping that the exercise goal and losing weight will make it not so hard.

5. Fun Time: Would you rather have Burgers for feet or Sausages for Fingers?  

Definitely burgers for feet!  I can't imagine not being able to use my fingers!