In need of inspiration

I have been feeling a little lost lately, not just with my weight loss but life in general. It is for this reason that my weight loss has not been progressing.
So far this month I have been working out on my elliptical and doing housework and chores on the weekends and walking a greater distance to and from class on Tuesday nights. Other than that I haven't been doing anything special and the results (or rather lack thereof) are proof.
If I have done anything right lately (other than the weekend exercise) it has been food during the sunlit hours of the day. I am able to eat my premade lunch (reasonable portions of chinese 'fried' rice I made about two weeks ago and froze) and drink my water, but then by the time the sun goes down and I am sitting at home I am not as good. I am not terrible, the extra things that are going in my mouth are being counteracted by the weekend workouts, but it means I maintain instead of lose.

Chris comes this weekend and I am hoping that she and her super awesome weight loss inspires me to kick my butt into gear...otherwise I don't know what will.

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Despite my efforts…

Despite my efforts, this past month was not a good one for me. I tried to get back to Curves, and though I did not completely fail at that, I did not achieve my very low goals. I was, however, able to burn at least 1000 calories each weekend on the elliptical and then do a great deal of walking or housework as well. I intend on keeping this last part up throughout this month as it was actually pretty easy (well in relation to how hard it was to do anything else this past month). I also felt really great after doing it and often rewarded myself with a nap while watching the boys play video games.

In terms of food, I was able to make healthy meals to eat during the day, but then the evening would come and I would end up eating one thing almost each night that I really shouldn’t have. I have realized this and am trying my best to entertain myself with something else so that I will not eat, though it is quite hard.

This month is going to be about getting back on track – or rather getting more on track than where I am now. I need to figure out what I need to do to reward myself that doesn’t cost money or have calories. I really don’t know what that will be just yet --- if you have any ideas, let me know.

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Mid-January Update

So it is nearing the middle of January and I have determined that I should update you on my progress.
Dots/Exercise
The dots program worked really well the first week but I have missed a few dots since Saturday and am now deciding if I need to make them up or if the slate is wiped clean at the beginning of each week. I know the pros and cons of each side and just need to make up my mind on the matter.
The exercise while doing the dots was quite easy. I worked out on the Wii most days, but did do some time on the elliptical machine. On weekends, I ensured my workouts were sweaty and required me to shower afterwards, while weekday workouts were much more lenient in the intensity department.
Weight
I have lost a little bit of weight, but need to determine a new starting base as I think I creeped above the previous one :( I believe I am now at -3 lbs from the new zero, which was higher than the old zero. I know that it is impossible for me to lose weight without calorie/fat decreases AND exercise - so I really need to work on getting both going simultaneously instead of these one at a time things I was doing last week.
Blog Feature
I forgot to post the most recent Tasty Tuesday and for that I apologize - I have a few recipes stored up on my computer and just need to get them posted here. I thought I had one scheduled for the latest feature but apparently I was wrong. It is almost time for the next one anyway, so I will make sure that one gets up for you guys.
Personal Challenges
My personal Florida Challenge turned out to be a total bust and I am only a few pounds lighter than I was when I started. Unfortunately, I was once again side-railed by an over abundance of work and a complete lack of self-motivation and will power. I need to determine a new goal to work towards, something that will help me reach my long term goal(s). As I can't think of much else before it, my birthday seems to be a good marker. As it is nearly two months away, I think 10lbs should me manageable for me. So there it is - 2010 Birthday Goal, -13lbs total.
Florida
Dave and I are going on vacation shortly and I need to set some guidelines for myself. Since we will be staying with his healthy-eating parents, I am not too concerned about my food intake while we are staying there. I am also certain that there will be long walks around their town and the many beaches therein - if not to get in culture and the beauty of the area, then to take photos of everything. It is Disney that I am worried about. Though the park is big and one would think there would be lots of walking involved, it is easy to sit on trolleys and stand in lines all day. And of course, it is ridiculously easy to eat your weight in treats everyday. I am not going to restrict the treats I want, but when it comes to meals - the healthier the yummier. Like I said, they are guidelines, not rules, as I am on vacation and need to relax and be happy as when I get back to work it is crazy workload time again.

I think that is pretty much everything I needed to update. We all know I am really good at making plans and goals and figuring out what I need to do to reach them - but like a lot of people in my situation, I am really bad at implementing them. I have moments and days that are truly wonderful, but most of the time I just don't do it and that is why I am still where I am. Now, if only admitting your faults meant that they would be fixed...

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Looking Back - Reasons to Lose Weight

I refreshed my blog page the other day to verify that my most recent post had published and was referenced back to a post entitled Top 10 Reasons to Lose Weight (via LinkedWithin). I decided to read it and feel that the reasons are all still as valid now as they were when I first wrote them. I had this list taped near the door of my old room (which also happened to be near my elliptical machine) and feel that I need to make a feature of this list once again. I plan on printing it off and putting it on the basement wall near the workout equipment.

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Slacker

I haven't been one lately but every once in a while I feel like one. It usually has to do with my workouts but sometimes is due to other non-weight related issues (eg. work, photography, etc). Before this week I had been just planning and planning for my weight loss but not really doing anything which lead to be feeling like a massive slacker. I am doing little things now while I wait for the weather to get better so I can do more. I am going to spend the spring and summer trying to get into walking/jogging/running on a regular basis. My reward for doing so will be a treadmill for the winter months when it starts to get too nasty to go outside.
I haven't set on anything too strict just yet, I will probably think about that today, but my current basic goal is to be having Thursday workouts with Chris (they usually last about 30-45 minutes but perhaps we could work on getting them longer), jogging/running about 3 times a week, at least one weekend photography walk (these are usually about 2-3 hours long minimum) and cycling on Sunday bike days (once they get started). If it rains on one of the days I am supposed to go outside I will try to use my elliptical machine instead. It sounds pretty intense for me, but I am going to ease into it. Right now I am doing Thursday workouts and little things on the weekends and will add the photo walks in a little while.

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Musical Motivation

I bought myself an iPod (see this post on Great-Abyss blog). Like the other post says, I have wanted one for quite some time and resisted purchasing one. One of the main reasons I bought one yesterday was for motivation. I used to listen to music while on the bus and while walking around campus but as I no longer do either of those things I don't really use MP3 players any longer and stopped being able to rationalize a big purchase of such an item. I figure I am a relatively cheap person and do not like spending money on things I will not use - so if I spend money on an iPod then I will need to find ways to use it. I have been using it around the office today but that will stop when I have things to do which need my full attention (eg. reports). One significant way I plan on using it is while working out whether it be on the elliptical, stationary bike or when the weather gets better and I am able to bike outside and start walking/jogging outside on the canal. I have high hopes for my cheapness to finally come in handy.

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TreadClimber

Bowflex has come out with a new piece of exercise equipment - the TreadClimber. It is a combination of an elliptical machine, stepper and normal treadmill. It has two separate tracks which move up and down in a way that is supposed to decrease the strain on your joints that occurs when walking and running on normal treadmills. The motion is very similar to an elliptical machine which I know from experience has such smooth movements that your joints rarely feel the treadmill pain. When I was on a business trip I kept seeing commercials for this product and looked into it. There are three models ranging from $1500 to $2500 - all too expensive for me and I knew that would be the case when I started my investigation. I was really just interested in the product since it seems like a really neat idea.
The TreadClimber can be changed into a normal stepper or treadmill as well by either locking the tracks to each other in some fashion (treadmill) or stepping on them with the moving components turned off (stepper). I thought this was pretty neat until something was made clear to me. The way you walk is different from the way you run and therefore you couldn't use the TreadClimber in treadmill mode to run as you run in a straight line (one foot in front of the other) and not side by side like when one walks. Therefore if you wanted to run in the winter in your home, you would still need a regular treadmill - that is unless it turns out the conclusions made here are wrong. Either way, I can't afford one (nor do I need one as I have an elliptical machine) but they seem neat.

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