Dear Jenny

Man, I am on a roll. I have been kicking butt these last two weeks. I’m down 4 pounds (two pounds a week, which is my goal) and running 4-5 days each week. I don’t know what has clicked in my head, but it’s all coming together. I think part of it is writing this blog and the forced self reflection it causes. I have a better understanding of the whys for getting fit and am realizing the benefits of resisting too much self indulgence (i.e., multiple trips to Dairy Queen). Again, only took me 20 years, but…

I was trying to think of some the daily things I have been doing to help keep myself on track to share with you in case they might be helpful:

I am a visual person and need conspicuous reminders of things to help me remember them. One of the tricks I’ve been using is to create a paper calendar for my bulletin board in my office that has my weekly goals listed on it. I weigh in each Monday and so on Mondays I have written in hot pink marker: GOAL: LOSE 2 POUNDS THIS WEEK. Then I write in blue marker my actual weight loss. I also write down the workout I want to do each day and then cross it off after I’ve completed it. I also wrote in big, bright orange letters across the top of the calendar, “Stay Focused on Your Goals. They’re worth it.” I stare at my bulletin board all day so it helps to keep me focused, especially when someone walks by with cupcakes. Which happens a lot, unfortunately.

I’ve made up these calendars through October because I have a doctor’s appointment then and I want to lose 14 pounds by the time I have the appointment. I tend to get overwhelmed easily when I think about this being a “lifelong” journey, so I’ve come to realize that shorter goals work better for me than thinking about the long term. When October rolls around, I’ll reevaluate and set another series of goals that will get me through Christmas and the end of the year. Oh, speaking of Christmas, I was in Costco the other day and they have all of their Christmas stuff out. Really? Christmas? I was pissed that a local store had Halloween stuff out in August, but Christmas? The thought of it makes me shudder. Don’t get me wrong, I’m no Scrooge, but come on. Even Santa himself would have seen that and thought, “Geesh, don’t I get a frickin’ break?” Anyway, once the end of the year hits, I’ll then start my training program again for the Batavia Triathlon in June 2012. So I’ll do another new calendar then, and so on. It’s also good for me to change it up after a while because once I look at something for a long time, I stop seeing it.

Not only am I a visual person, but I am also a distracted person. Very distracted, especially at work. I usually have a least 15 different balls up in the air and it’s easy to forget about my personal health goals. See previous comment about those damn cupcakes…I’m like a dog that sees a squirrel. I’m constantly on the computer, on my smart phone, on my iPad. One of them is always attached to me, unfortunately, so I found an app (yes, like I said before, there really is an app for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g) that is called Life Reminders. I set it up so that each day I get a text message that says, “Track your food. Make smart choices. Work out. You’re worth it.” I also set up reminders about upcoming events and to save my Weight Watcher Points for them so I don’t overdo it. I set them to pop up on my phone at strategic times (before I usually eat breakfast, lunch and dinner) and more than once a week I say, “Oh yeah” and open my Weight Watchers app and track my food and activity once I get my reminder.

Some other things that I’m sure you already know but have been working for me:

• Set running (or whatever you do to workout) dates with a buddy. Not only is it more fun, but you’re more likely not to stand them up (I stand myself up all the time!). I also always, without fail, run faster, longer, better, when I’m with someone else. I’m waaaaaay too easy on myself. Although I only run with someone else once or twice a week so I don’t depend on it. I need to be self reliant, too. That way I don’t do the whole, “So-and-so can’t run today, so I’m not going to either,” bit.
  
• Pack food the night before. I get my breakfast ready the night before and pack my lunch bag (one of my many bags I schlep on the train to work) with a morning snack, lunch and a train-ride-home-snack. That way, I’m not starving when I get home and can then have the presence of mind to cook a healthy meal rather than go face down in a sack of cheeseburgers.
• Have a weekly weigh in that’s monitored by someone other than yourself. Accountability is key and you can justify anything to yourself. Not so much with a tough-as-nails Weight Watcher team leader, your best friend, your spouse, your doctor, a friend at work, or someone else who will keep you accountable.
• Only weigh in once a week. Weighing yourself every day isn’t sane because you really fluctuate throughout the week. Although I have been weighing myself on Fridays to motivate myself to stay on track on the weekends since my official weigh in is on Monday. If I’m down on Friday, I want to stay down so I toe the line a little more on the weekends. If I’m not down, then I want to get down by the time Monday rolls around so I work a little harder on the weekend to get there. So, okay, don’t weigh yourself more than twice a week, I guess. Just don’t get obsessed over the number is what I’m trying to say.
• Lay out your workout clothes where you can see them before you go to bed. It will be easier to get out there and pound out some miles if you're not fumbling around in the dark trying to find a sports bra and socks in the morning. It will also make whomever you are sleeping with happier.
• Work in treats. In case you didn’t know, I love ice cream. Shocker, I know since I never talk about it. I work it in once or twice a week so I don’t go crazy over it. I’m not eating a banana split or anything like that, but a small hot fudge sundae (or whatever your favorite indulgence is) that’s budgeted for in your eating plan is not only NOT going to kill you, but you’ll still lose weight and be happier for it.

So, there you have it. My advice blog on what’s been working for me lately. Knowing me, what I’m doing will have to change because like the dog that sees the squirrel, at some point, I’ll bound off in a different direction. Hopefully I won’t get hit by a car.