Lord, I pray this holiday season for…

…Help in being a smart eater during the holidays
...Wisdom on making the right choices when it comes to eating and the self-control and determination to stick with those choices
…Plenty of time to workout

This gift of better health that I’m giving myself right now means so much. Thank you God for giving me the tools that I need to do this.

Reasons I Want To Lose Weight

I want to be fit.
I want to be healthy.
I’m tired of looking and feeling fat.
I want to be more confident.
I want to have more energy.
Lower the risk of weight related health problems.
Prove to myself that I can do this.
I want to feel better about myself.
I want to look in the mirror and be happy with what I see.

A Thanksgiving Challenge

This past Thursday (November 20th), I was training with Jeremy and was telling him that I’m worried about the holiday’s coming up and gaining weight. I wanted to make a plan that would help me combat this. So Jeremy gave me a challenge. It’s a two part challenge.

Part 1 of this Thanksgiving challenge is this – I had to lose 1 pound by yesterday (Monday, November 24th). If I lost the pound, then I could continue on to the next part of the challenge. If I didn’t lose the pound, then I lost the challenge.

The good news is that I lost weight. And not only did I lose, I actually lost 3 pounds!!! I was grinning from ear to ear when I left the gym last night. Now I am working on part 2 of this Thanksgiving Challenge.

Part 2 of the Thanksgiving challenge is this – Jeremy and I came up with a plan for how I can eat on Thanksgiving. If I follow this plan and if I lose 1 more pound by my next training on Monday, December 1st, then I win the Thanksgiving Challenge. The exciting thing is that if I do this, I win 2 free training’s with Jeremy!!!

I’m really working hard at doing this. It will be exciting at the next official weigh in to have lost weight and inches. Just as a side note, I think the inches are going to be down a good amount at the next weigh-in. It’s exciting seeing changes on the scale, in the measurements, and in the way my clothes fit.

Over the weekend, I went to an event at the gym. The first part was all about nutrition and not gaining weight over the holidays. I learned some good things about eating smart over the holidays and making wise decisions. One statistic that stuck with me is that the average person gains 5 – 10 pounds over the holidays (from Halloween thru New Year’s). I think they also said that it only takes eating 500 extra calories a day to gain those 5 – 10 pounds.

The second part of this was a boot camp. Even though it was a short boot camp – just 30 minutes – I was very excited about completing my first boot camp. I didn’t really know what to expect. When I think of a boot camp, I think of someone yelling at me to go faster, jump higher, and me feeling like I want to quit because it’s so hard. It was hard but that’s where the similarities end. Maybe other boot camps are that way, but this one wasn’t because my trainer Jeremy led the boot camp and he’s not like that. Just as a side note, I did feel some pressure to do my best because Jeremy was leading the boot camp and I know that he knows what I’m capable and not capable of doing.

I left the gym that day with a renewed anticipation of things to come. Since then, I’ve done a lot of thinking and planning about things that I want to do to reach my weight-loss goals and remembering what those goals are.

Progress

It was hard making myself go into the gym on Monday for training. I know that my session would begin with getting weighed and measured again. Even though I knew that the weight wasn’t going to be what I wanted it to be, I knew that there would be a loss with the measurements – and there was a 4½ inch loss! I’m especially happy because most of that came from the problem area’s I’d been working so hard on the last few weeks. Thanks Jeremy for pushing me to do more! It's been great because I've been wanting to go the the gym and workout rather than having to make myself go. Now I'm motivated to work harder and do even more so that the next time I get to weigh in and do measurements, it will be even better!

Sitting on my desk at work is a treasure – it’s a framed picture of a Heather flower in bloom. But it’s really more than just a picture because of what it means. This personalized gift came from a good friend to serve as a reminder of what my name means and of what I’m capable of doing. It was so exciting to get measured this week and see that all the hard work is paying off!

Never Give Up

The last few days have been exciting for me! Something’s changed and even though I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is, I feel like I’m ready to jump back into this full force again.

Today I was at the gym and doing cardio. As I walked in the gym, I had in hand a plan written out for what I was going to do and a determination to give it a 100% and finish it to the very end. And I did it! Considering that I’ve been having a hard time going in and working out on my own, I’m feeling happy about finishing what I set out to do.

While I was on the elliptical, I was talking with the girl next to me. Like me, she’s working on losing a lot of weight. The difference between the two of us is that she is farther along in the game than I am. We talked about struggles that we’ve encountered and about things that have helped us. As I left the gym, I had an extra pep in my step.

I’m learning a lot about myself through this. I’m learning how to stick with something – even when it’s not easy – and that that I can do this. I’m learning that with the help and encouragement of other people, I can do this. I’ve learned that giving up never solves anything. And most of all, I’m learning that I can do this!

Idea's Anyone?

I’m sitting here at work. My desk is full of things I’m supposed to be working on. Instead, I’m watching the rain fall outside and thinking about all of the things that I’m doing wrong. When it comes to this whole losing weight business, the list of things I’m doing wrong is long. Even though I’m working on changing that, it still seems overwhelming. For awhile it seemed somewhat easy. Now it feels like constantly fighting against myself to do what is right. Even when I know what the right thing to do is, it’s a struggle to do it. I worry about it all the time. If you have any thoughts or ideas that would be helpful, please let me know! Thanks!!!

He Increases Strength

Today, I was reading an e-mail from Joel and Victoria Osteen. It really seems to apply to me right now…

He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength causing it to multiply and making it to abound.
Isaiah 40:29 AMP

Whatever you have need of today, know that God is your source and supply. Do you need strength? God promises that He increases our strength and causes it to multiply. One of the ways God fills us with His strength is by giving us His joy. When we have joy, we have strength to overcome. Joy is a supernatural force that is deposited on the inside of you. As you meditate on the goodness and faithfulness of our God, you won’t be able to help but feel His joy. Like rivers of living water, joy will flow forth from you, refreshing and strengthening you so that you have the power to overcome every obstacle you may be facing. If you feel faint or weary, remember, there’s a harvest of blessing in store for you. Let faith rise in your heart as you meditate on His promises. Let Him fill you with His peace and joy so that you will have an abundance of strength. As you do, you will be empowered to live the life of victory the Lord has in store for you!

Recalculating

Have you used GPS before? It guides you from point A to point B. The best part is that if you make a wrong turn, it recalculates the directions and gets you going in the right direction again.

I’m sitting here today thinking of all the things I’ve been doing wrong lately. Not working out as much… Not pushing as hard when I do workout… Making some bad choices when deciding what to eat… Eating more than I should… The list keeps on going. I need to correct these things I’m doing wrong before it gets any worse. If I don’t, it will only be harder to correct later.

Sometimes doing this is hard. Thankfully, I’ve got wonderful friends and family helping guide me thru this. When I make a wrong turn, they’re there encouraging me to keep going, helping me make the right decisions. Sometimes it’s just an encouraging word, other times it’s an article or something related to what I’m dealing with. So as I recalculate and fix these problems, remember this – I’m thankful to you for the role you’ve played in supporting me as I do this. After all, it’s just weight…

I will admit I’m not totally sure how I’m going to fix some of these things. But I’ll keep recalculating and trying until I figure something out. I think maybe sheer determination is going to have to do for now while I figure something out. One good thing is this past week I was in the gym twice working out on my own. While it wasn’t technically on my own (I took a class both times), it was better than sitting at home, beating myself up for not doing anything. Combined with my 2 trainings, it’s a start…

I Believe

Do you remember the old Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street? It’s about a man who believes he’s the real Santa Claus. A court hearing takes place to determine if he really is Santa. In the process, the expression “I Believe” starts turning up – on buttons, on signs, etc. – all around town as people rally around and show their support that they believe in Santa.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself that I can do this and that I can lose this weight. I know that I can do it – deep down inside, I really do. My family and friends believe in me and know that I can do it. It’s overwhelming when I look at the big picture. I have a goal that I’d like to reach and wonder what it’ll be like when I reach it – What will I look like? How will I feel? What will I do to celebrate reaching that goal?

This week I’m really working on believing in myself. I know that I can do this. And even though it seems overwhelming looking at the big picture, there are small goals and victories along the way to be celebrated. I do believe…

It's been a struggle

Summer 2007 (a couple of months before I started working out)

Thanksgiving 2007 (I'd been working out for a month and a half at this point)

May 23rd (with Anjuli, my new trainer Laura and Jeremy)


My 30th birthday (June 2008)

Okay, I admit – the last couple of weeks have been a struggle. It all started about 2 months ago when my trainer got a new job so I got a new trainer. As great as Laura is, my workouts with her just aren’t as hard as they were with Jeremy. One thing led to another, and I started wondering if I should get a different trainer. I noticed that when it came to working out on my own, I wasn’t working out as much; when I did, I had to really push myself to go and wasn’t working out as hard as I used to. And all of this got me to thinking…

Whoever said that this was going to be easy didn’t know what they were talking about. It’s hard! It’s hard making myself workout when I’d rather watch tv, read a book or just do nothing. It’s hard eating something healthy like fresh fruit when I’d rather have a great big ole piece of cheesecake. It takes a lot of time and planning to know what I’m going to eat each day. If I don’t plan, it’s too easy to allow myself to make a bad choice. I'm so afraid of failing and not losing weight.

As much of a struggle as it’s been, I know that it’s worth every bit of it to get to where I want to go. I don’t want to be fat anymore. I want to be thin and healthy. I want to share clothes with friends, cross my legs, and not have to worry if I’m to heavy to sit on a chair without breaking it. Being overweight is not fun and it’s certainly not healthy for me.

So I’ve made a pact with myself. I’m going to get back on the bandwagon and give it 100% again. My trainings with Laura have gotten better, my own workouts have gotten better, and I’m eating better again.

I’m thinking of the accomplishments I’ve made along the way. I’ve already lost 32.5 lbs., over 29.75 inches, and 10% BMI. I’m working out and doing things that I never thought I could do in those workouts. I feel better and I’m not achy and sore like I was before all of this. My eating habits have changed and I’m trying new things. Most of all, I’m making a better life for myself. After all, it’s just weight!