"No Thanks" =D

Losing weight has two main principles that it runs on: eating better and getting active.

Seems like an easy mathematical equation, but its not!  There are so many components that needs overcoming to keep it going.  One of the most challenging "challenge" for me would be learning to say "no."  Sometimes I'll use excuses just so I don't have to deal with the nagging, and other times I'll go into a whole explanation of how I'm practicing saying "no" because I am on a mission.  Easier said than done.

We're all social creatures.  I live with two roommates, and both LOOOVE food and social meal gatherings.  I have a sister who loves food as well, and she's pretty stubborn when it comes to eating together.  And living in the south, comfort foods and meal time gatherings are hard to get away from.  If you want friends, you gotta eat with 'em!   If you want to go on dates, you gotta eat with 'em!  Now where does a girl like me start?

It's definitely easier said then done to join in on their fun and practice self control.  So here is where I start: I learn to say "no."  When asked to go bowling late in the evening, I say "no thanks" because staying up late tend to throw off my schedule during the week, which eventually leads to eating late and skipping workouts.  I say "no" to majority of the spontaneous "let's go eat somewhere" that I get asked on a daily basis.  I'm saving the dining outs for major events like a birthday celebration and dates set in advance.  I say no to about 80% of all the possible eating adventures I can go on during the week, because it helps me stay planted on my routine healthy home eating.  This tactic alone has  saved me from falling off the wagon several times.

There are so many minor challenges I face when changing my life around 180 degrees.  As I see each minor challenge accomplished, I find greater joy in knowing that I can really do this after all.  I typically record my weight every Tuesday, but I have been weighing myself every morning because the curiosity alone won't leave me alone.  Yesterday, I hit my 10 lbs mile marker.  I told everybody =) I told one of my roommates, and I can tell she was inspired.  As she watched my healthy diet and tuned into some of the health documentaries like "Foodmatters" and "One Nation Overweight" that I was watching throughout the week, little seeds were getting planted in her own life.  Mind you, she's 120 lbs and no where near out of shape, but she recognized that she herself can benefit from eating healthier.  I've stopped nagging people about making changes in their life.  I used to be the cigarette nazi and turned to when they needed some self control.  I realized that when I become a crutch to those wanting to change, I just end up feeling let down and they end up feeling guilty because the change wasn't made using foundations set within themselves.  But I do love seeing the ones I love around me change little here and there simply because they witness my lifestyle change.  I hope by bettering myself, I can become a better influence to everyone around me the positive way.  Positive affirmations and positive influence.

Like Michael Jordan said....

"If you're trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks.  I've had them; everybody has had them.  But obstacles don't have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it."

Food Blessings

Last night I was reading an article in the Experience Life magazine.  Towards the end of the issue, I stumbled upon a small article about the importance of blessing the food we eat.  I had a "light bulb" moment.

I am a Christian, and as a Seventh-day Adventist growing up, I was conditioned to be the good little Christian girl.  I went to church every week, read the Bible, didn't curse, and prayed every time I ate.  It was more of a ritual than anything else.  But a few years ago, I realized how empty my mealtime prayers seemed to be.  I'd throw up a "Thank you for the food, please let it nourish our bodies. Amen!" and begin gorging on fried chicken, fries, and soda.  I remember sitting around our church gym after a long day running VBS at our church.  The group of us decided we were hungry and deserved a treat.  Our dinner consisted of 200 McDonald's chicken nuggets, 10 McChicken sandwiches, and 10 large fries each piled up in the middle of the table.  Of course, we all bowed our heads to pray for food blessings, and then we started diving into the pile of food.  It was more of a competition to see how fast we can eat since the guys were eating twice as fast as us girls.  

I stopped praying during meals a few years back.  Well, I didn't rebel, but I stopped going out of my way to pray my ritual of prayers for all the junk food I was consuming.  I knew prayer was precious, and I really didn't know how to connect the spiritual act of prayer with all of the mindless gorging I was doing.

But as I am going through a change on how I view my food, the article's suggestion on blessing the food I am about to eat became more relevant than ever before.  As I am learning about all the nutrition I am consuming from the fresh carrots and spinach, I am more and more inspired to thank the Lord for all the blessings He has provided.  Knowing that a few juicy kiwis awaits me for my afternoon snack is a blessing.  Knowing that the more I eat well and exercise that I am detoxifying my body is a blessing.  Knowing that I've made all these horrible mistakes in the past to torture my body and mind, yet I am still able to make choices to bring it back to health is a blessing.

So I have decided that I am going to start praying again for my food.  I am grateful and so I pray.

New Beginnings

I made this blog to vent, update, and follow.  

I ran my first 10k this past Sunday.  1 hour 31 mins.  I went slow and steady, afraid that if I pushed too hard I might get too exhausted to finish.  But looking back, I probably could have made it about 10 min sooner.  All is good, I have 2 more 10k's to run this year, so I have room to speed up.

It has been approximately 1 month since my weight loss journey.  I have been weighing in every week, and the changes seem to occur at approximately 1.5-2 lbs per week.  I have lost 7 lbs so far.  Beautiful.  

My goal is to be a size 6 by my sister's wedding on 12/2/12.  I have 7 1/2 months to lose a total of 60 lbs.  Overall, I am so excited to be on this journey.  I spent the past month laying down some important foundational habits that is helping me from getting discouraged.  My groceries include lots of organic vegetables, protein, and whole grain.  My snacks consist of greek yogurts and fresh fruit.  I drink one cup of coffee in the morning, 40+ oz water throughout the day, and an occasional cup of green tea if I get the munchies.  I hit the gym 5-6 times a week, and alternate cardio and strength training.  I've been focusing more on running the past two weeks because the the 10k, but I'll be picking up more weight training again this week.

Here is a picture of me that I despise!  I actually have this on my computer as the main wallpaper to remind me of where I'm coming from.  Not only do I look morbidly big in this picture, you can actually tell how out of shape I am by my awkward hiking pose.  Definitely a "Before Picture" I'd like to use to compare all the progress I make.  =)