100 minus 100

A Year From Now,  you may wish

 You had started Today

Karen Lamb

I know the title and the goal is ambitions.  I am a serial quitter.  I don’t know what I have typed in the past about making lifestyle changes.  I do know that when I was attempting it in the fall of last year.  I had to make conscious efforts to change.  Conscious painful effort to wake up at 5am, conscious effort to walk seventeen blocks 5 days a week.  I didn't make conscious food choices.  I counted calories and I kept a step app on me. I ate more than I burned that was not helpful to the cause but I learned my eating pattern.  For example when outside I eat responsibly, at home, I veg out and eat 3oz of cheese with a box of crackers.  That would be my first meal at 3pm in the afternoon.  Breakfast would be coffee, with a 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and evaporated milk.  I haven’t measure how much milk I put in my coffee.  It is something to research at a later date.  I will also have to work out the pros and cons of coffee.  It is after all a stimulant and diuretic; the debate will continue on another post.

This week is the beginning of the 100lbs gone in 100 days project XX (20).  I like roman numerals for things.  This starts January 11, 2015 to April 20, 2015. Cue for auspicious upbeat music. Every time, only twice, I have gone to a specialist to help me lose weight, they have recorded my measurements and weight.   I thought I would avoid that displeasure then I realized that it was a coward move.  Other people on the lifestyle change weight loss journey have been bravely honest.  Well actually I have only seen the bad a year after the good and new body.  But in my research to make this blog better, I reviewed many blogs or websites.  The top ten according to a magazine actually.  They have been going on for years before they were rated so at some point in their lives the bad was a reality.   

So this is a hard truth moment.  The picture above was taken about 3 years ago, I was about 210lbs.  I have gained 10-15lbs since then.  I fluctuate between 225lbs and 230lbs.  A Jenny Craig counselor told me that at my weight back then by this time I would be 250 or more. Suck it JCrg lady.  I don’t

love or hate Jenny Craig their programs have worked for many people just not me at the time or with my mind set. Not only do I serially quite I also self-sabotage.  But that is a post for another time.   I am talking about measurements.  I am comfortable in 2x shirts and size 20w jeans.  I also have three other sizes 18, 16, 14, I got rid of all my size 12 jeans they were depressing me.  I have clothes issues, this may lead to a blog post and it might not.  What is important is that no matter what I wear I feel like this on too many occasions.  Lumpy Space Princess from Adventure time.  Cartoon Network do not sue me, I have no cash.  I even sing ‘Whatever’ in my head. 

One of the goals of the life style change and this project is to improve on my confidence.  I have so many needs that go hand in hand with my wants that it can be frustrating when they are not met or half-assed.  I think it is worse when half-assed.  Since I am an adult.  I am facing the problems head on, me being the biggest obstacle.  I don’t think I will be able to do a 7day daily write.  Everyone needs a day and I think mine is the weekend.  I will do my best to keep all who are interested updated.  

Please leave a comment

27 Work in Progress

I thought writing out my issues with this new project, would help me find focus and a resolution. I would also have a post for this blog.  One of my most neglected accounts.  These are the word of a struggling writer with a goal of losing weight. 

There has been over 10 100-days self improvement projects.  I came up with the idea in 2009 or close to it.  I have personally introduced six of them.  I cancelled a blog or two before this one.  All failed  miserably and I go through this process of self pity and excuses.  Eventually I get over it, type an apology blog and start again.  

One of the many pitfalls of the other failed improvement projects is that there was never a clear plan.  I think and sometimes wrote about a vague ideas. But nothing was ever concrete.  

While I am coming up with my plan that will eventually become routine.  I wake up a 5am, pray, stretch, and write morning pages.  I might have to adjust my wake up time and give myself an extra 15 minutes.  I walk  7 and 1/2 blocks away from home, then walk 4 blocks to the Dunkin Donuts.   This is not an endorsement of the place.   It is just a way for me to trick myself the extra blocks.  I know my destination should be healthier me but cup of coffee is a better motivator. 

I have breakfast, a medium coffee and count calories.  I record  as much as I can, steps and burned calories.  I write or read about writing, then walk back home.  This takes about 3 hours, it doesn't have to but I have made it part of my routine.  I need time to find the creative writer I know I can be. But that story is for the other blog I have on Blogger. 

At home I do domestic stuff, clean, cook etc. with the walk-mate attached to my hip.  For the past two weeks,  I have burned 4313 calories.  My problem is that I am sure I eat more calories than I am burning.  In my last big attempt to loose weight I  joined a weight loss program. I was told that until I reached my weight goal, I should eat 1600 calories a day.  I was given prepared food and a menu.  Alas my finances wasn't able to keep my membership.  I left the group.  Finances are something else I have to make part of future project. 

I read over what I have been doing and what I want to achieve.  I see that I have to be more involved with my meal plan and I will probably have to meld an exercise plan in the routine along with the walking.  Maybe walk to a coffee shop farther away from my house.   I haven't made a final decision on it yet.  But it will be coming soon. 

In the next couple of weeks I will be coming up with a better way to conclude this blog until then enjoy this rainbow tree. 

17

This just in.  I learned some other woman is using the  100 days model.  She is bolder than me.  She has a work out video and it has gone viral.  I have never seen them but that is what Yahoo said.  I don't know how I feel about it.  If she is successful in her efforts, I should be happy but I think I will be jealous.  She is achieving in something I am having trouble with for years.  How to maintain the 100 days.

Last month,  I decided to work on eating a 1600 calorie day meal plan.  I failed miserably when at 7:30am, January 9, 2014, 7 jelly-top, cream-filled cookies made their way to my stomach.  The British call them jammie dodgers.  Yes, I am blaming the food b/c they can't talk back.  2 of those bad boys are 140 calories.  So before I had my morning coffee, I  was down 490 calories.  This has been a dilemma for me.
 This week I was seduced by the Tex/Mex dish known as haystacks.  This dish can be made in a variety of ways. However, I went the non-healthy route, using ground turkey, regular tortilla chips and whole milk sour cream and store-bought guacamole.  I haven't counted the calories.  I know that they are horrendous.

1600 calories are hard for me.  I know I have to work to get the body  I want.  I am just reluctant about that work.  I am so frustrated about my lack of motivation.  This week coming is all about motivation.  I lack motivation and I don't think about the important tasks I have to do to achieve my overall goals.  In fact, this is Wednesday and the rest of this week will be about motivation as well.   I also owe this blog to another post.  I want to complain about my work or the lack of it. But won't do it today.  Distractions.