accountability – This Crazy Life of Mine

Tag: accountability

20
Apr
2017

Small Goals Lead To Big Results

categories: accountability, commitment, fitness, goals, health

You have goals and dreams. Things to you want to accomplish. Some big, some small. No matter what they are, anything is attainable if you put in the hard work.

For me, setting small goals along the way is key to success. Going into the gym this year and wanting to get in shape helped me realize that I wanted to lose 50 pounds. That’s the big goal for the year, but I started by setting a starting goal for the first 12 weeks. Setting small goals as you work towards your BIG goal helps keep you on track and that big goal doesn’t seem so far away or so hard.
Another thing I’ve realized is that as you work towards a big goal things can change. That 50 pounds I want to lose will likely change because I am building muscle as I lose weight. I may lose 35 pounds and be perfectly happy because of all the muscle I’ll have built. I’d rather be a strong 155 pounds than a weak 140 pounds.

Here are my tips for setting goals…

Write down your goals, big and small.
Keep track of your progress often.
Be flexible and know that it’s okay for your goals to change along the way.
Know who your support system is and share your goals with them for accountability.
Don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you wanted to reach your goal.
Break your big goal into several small goals.
Reward yourself for reaching your goals.
Be true to yourself along the way.

What is a goal you are working towards right now?

24
Mar
2015

3-Day Refresh Awesomeness!

categories: 3-Day Refresh, accountability, Beachbody, challenge group, clean eating, healthy eating, Shakeology, support, Uncategorized, weight, weight loss

For the second time, I completed the 3-Day Refresh and had great results. I had fallen back into some bad eating habits and was feeling so bloated and I knew I needed a reset. The 3-Day Refresh does just that. One of the things that works best for me that this offers is structure. It tells you what you can have and when you should have it. Other than the initial planning ahead for it, you are ready to go. For someone as busy as me, this is very important.

The basic structure of the 3-Day Refresh is:

Water all day long.
Shakeology for breakfast with fruit
Mid-morning Fiber Sweep
Vanilla Fresh shake for lunch with fruit, veggie, and healthy fat
Afternoon snack of fruit, veggie, or juice
Vanilla Fresh Shake for dinner plus a meal from the 3-Day Refresh recipe list
Drink green tea throughout the day – I aimed for twice a day

The day before I started, I stocked up on fresh fruits and veggies to have available, quick and easy. Celery, carrots, cucumbers, and hummus, as well as bananas and pineapple. I made a large batch of iced green tea that would last the whole 3 days. I also made a very specific list of what I would have and when based on the plan.

I took everything with me on all 3 days so I didn’t leave anything to chance. Day 2 was the trickiest day simply because I was going to be on the road all day long. I packed everything, including ice, and it worked out perfectly. For me, being on the road is when I’m most likely to make bad choices like fast food because it’s easy to do. This made it easy. I knew what I was going to have and when.

Day 3 had a challenge of it’s own, with a family lunch at Red Robin. But I had a salad and a side of steamed broccoli and it all worked out. It can be very empowering to make healthy choices.

The hardest part of the 3-Day for me, more than anything, was probably the no coffee in the morning. And it’s not that you can’t have coffee, you just can’t have all the extra such as creamer and sweeteners, and that is how I love my coffee. Other than that, I was fine and didn’t feel like I was missing out on much. I was never hungry, I felt full and satisfied.

Here are photos of my dinner options. The cucumber and tomato salad was from the 3-Day Refresh recipes. The squash and cucumbers I just through together for dinner on the last day because I was craving it. It is not hard for me to eat like this because I love these foods!

I took a photo, did my measurements, and weighed myself the morning of Day 1. I did the same thing again on Day 4, the morning after completing it. I knew I was down, I could feel it in how my clothes fit. And I was right… I lost a total of 6.75 pounds and almost 5 inches (waist and hips together). I like to say that I was feeling extra fluffy before I did the 3-Day, I was so bloated, and that is obvious in my before picture. I am much happier with my after photo, feeling confident again in my favorite jeans.

Since completing the 3-Day, I’ve been keeping up with several aspects of it. Water all day long, green tea twice a day, fruit and veggies for snacks, and whole foods. I’ve tried to limit the processed foods. And while I did have fast food once, I kept it to a small, and it was just one day, not every other day as it had been for awhile.

I mentioned this was my second time to do the 3-Day Refresh. The first time I did it seemed harder for me, and I’m sure it was because I was in the midst of marathon training and running ALOT. I was hungrier throughout. This time around, it was much easier and I feel like I got more out of it.

I will definitely do the 3-Day Refresh again as needed. I think it is a great way to reset your body and get rid of those pesky bad habits that have a way of creeping back in. I believe in all things in moderation but over time, for me, the bad foods have a way of outweighing the good foods. After the 3 days of healthy choices, it’s easier to stick with it.

Questions? I’m happy to answer them if you do… Leave a comment below!

20
Apr
2014

WW Update!

categories: #beamazing, #expectamazing, accountability, running, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Somehow, I have not posted my weekly WW weigh-in since March 9! It’s been crazy around here… Work always keeps me busy, I ran the Sarasota Half Marathon and ElectroDash in March, squeezed in a few T25 workouts, my aunt was in town, we went to Las Vegas, I went to Orlando for my first Super Saturday event, and Iron Girl last weekend – my 10th half marathon. Whew!

Since my last WW post on March 9, I have been to 4 meetings, including yesterday. Yesterday was my first week back after missing 2 meetings. I always love the meetings, but when I return from missing a couple in a row, it’s a reminder of how much I miss them when I don’t make it. And how much I need them not for my accountability.

So catching back up, here’s where I’ve been…..

03/09/14………………155.6

03/15/14………………150.6

03/22/14………………154.2

03/29/14………………149.0

04/19/14………………155.6

Ironically, my last check-in here was the exact same weight as yesterday. Clearly, there has been a lot of fluctuation in my weight this last few weeks. I also may have eaten my way through Las Vegas, but I enjoyed every minute of it. And at the end of the day, I am still WAY below my highest of 178.

It’s been a bit of a challenge getting back into the swing of things since getting home. I may still be in vacation mode. But I am determined to get my mind back in the game and get to my goal.

Where I need the most work is getting back to tracking. I need to make that a habit again. We went grocery shopping on Friday and being prepared will help with that as well. It really all boils down to a healthy mindset.

In addition to the eating part, I need to get back to running regularly. Hubby and I went out to the causeway this morning and ran 3 miles. It felt great. I have missed going out there weekly and I hope we can make it a routine. I am also setting a goal to run 2-3 times during the week. I need to build my base back up for when marathon training starts in July.

I will say, though, despite the ups and downs on the scale, I am still having fun with buying new clothes. I have probably bought more new clothes in the last 6 months than I have in the last 3 years. I used to hate it. HATE it. There is nothing worse than shopping for clothes when nothing fits right. And now I am stepping out of my comfort zone and buying clothes in colors and patterns I would not normally buy. But I certainly don’t want to wear the same thing I’ve always worn. What fun is there in that?

Yesterday, I scored 8 cute new tops from JC Penney, all for $67. I saved a whopping $120. One thing I don’t’ want to do when clothes shopping is break the bank, so I have to get the most for my money.

As soon as I have more rewards built up and a more coupons, my next purchase will be more shorts! This girl is absolutely wearing shorts this summer.

How do you handle setbacks in your weight loss?

07
Jan
2014

The one where I talk to Jessica Simpson about Weight Watchers…

categories: #AskJessica, #SimpleStart, accountability, ambassador, Google +, Hangout, Jessica Simpson, journey, Simple Start, video, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers

Over the weekend, I received an email from Weight Watchers, asking if I would like to participate in a live Google+ Hangout with Jessica Simpson and Weight Watchers. Space was limited so I had to reply soon and I emailed them back immediately. It was such an opportunity, I couldn’t possibly pass it up. Not. At. All. I am still in shock that they asked me!

Almost as exciting as being asked to participate in this event, was when I shared the news with my meeting leader, Beverly. She was beside herself and we must have been on the phone for a good 45 minutes talking about all of it. She could not wait to watch it and said she was going to share with several others. Thank you for your support, Beverly!

Jessica Simpson is the current Ambassador for Weight Watchers and she is promoting the new and exciting Simple Start plan, a two week jumpstart for both new and current members that puts the focus on power foods.

I have never participated in Google + Hangout before, but I was very impressed with the time and attention their tech department gave each of us in preparing us and making sure everything was just right. Everyone I spoke with was very nice and it was a fun time all around. I am usually terrified of any video camera, but my excitement outweighed my nerves. There were four of us, “special guests”, and we would each get to ask one question. Before the segment went live, we did an audio / video test and we each able to introduce ourselves to Jessica and she said hi to each of us.

At 12:30 yesterday, the Hangout went live and started with Aransas, a Weight Watchers leader in New York City, introducing Jessica Simpson and talking to her about how she is doing as a new mom to two young children, how she likes Simple Start, and a few fashion tips. She then introduced each of us and we each got to ask Jessica a question. My question was:

What is one piece of advice you would give someone if they are not sure that Weight Watchers is for them?

I was very impressed with Jessica Simpson and how she feels about Weight Watchers. Everything she said about it, tracking points, staying on plan, not being deprived, and more is exactly how I feel. I really believe a great Ambassador is one who you can relate to, and I absolutely feel that way about her. She’s a real woman, lives a crazy busy life between her career, planning a wedding, and chasing her two children around, and makes Weight Watchers work for her. And she looks AMAZING!

I am so excited to share the link to the video with you… It is 30 minutes long and if you have the time, you should totally watch the whole thing.

Live Chat with Jessica Simpson & Weight Watchers

What a fun time it was. I hope to be able to do more like this in the future. I never realized when I started blogging about my journey that it could lead to something like this. One thing I never tire of is talking about Weight Watchers and sharing my love of it. It works, it really does. If you have been on the fence about joining, I urge you to go to a meeting and check it out.

Do you have a question about Weight Watchers or Simple Start? Feel free to ask here!

30
Dec
2013

Goalgetter2013 – How did I do in December?

categories: #goalgetter2013, accountability, December, goal, goals, meeting, progress, scale, tracking, weigh-in, weight, weight loss, Weight Watchers 360

Another wrap-up post to end the year… When I joined in the first Goalgetter2013 post in January, I hoped to keep it up all year. And I did! I set different goals each month. Some I met, some I did not. But what I learned most from all of it, is that setting short-term goals is the best way to tackle them. it’s much easier to look at things for one month than to tackle something for a whole year. That’s actually one of the things we talk about at Weight Watchers – be specific when setting goals. Set a specific goal, for a specific amount of time. It really does make sense.

So, how did I do in December? As a reminder, here is the goal I set for this month….

I did not hit 145 pounds. The lowest I’ve gotten down to is 148 two Saturdays ago, and then I had a gain this past Saturday. I am, however, still in the 140’s.

But, I am not upset about this. Like I mentioned in my weigh-on post on Saturday, it’s really hard to be upset about a gain after buying skinny jeans the day before. And that’s the truth. I have come so far this year, I’ve worked HARD to lose weight, and I feel the rewards of it every day. It’s not just about how I look in the mirror or the clothes I wear, but it’s all physically how I feel. Gone are the days of being so uncomfortable and feeling so blah. No more. I will continue to work towards my goal!

Going into 2014, I will continue to set small goals. It works for me. There is so much I want to accomplish in the new year, to keep pushing forward towards my weight loss and fitness goals.

A look back at my goals for the year… It’s been fun!