Author: ChesneyMaltby2017RBL

Two feet on the floor.

So whether I like it or not, the best time for me to work out is early AM before getting everyone off to work and school.  Part of me hates that is my prime time, but honestly I enjoy it if I can just put two feet on the floor in the mornings and get out of bed.

I have spent a lot of time in my life wishing things could be different because what I wanted wasn’t convenient.  Well I have realized if this is something I really want, then I have the time in my schedule to do it.  It just may not be when I want to do it.  I truly love sleep, but do I enjoy being overweight more than I enjoy hitting that snooze but a few extra times in the morning?

I must start doing things when they are possible and not just convenient.  If I just focus on convenience, then I will still be sitting here overweight in another 10 years.

Stop the Stinking Thinking!

Well… I am embarrassed that it has been a while since I have blogged and honestly even more embarrassed that it has been a while since I have logged an ActivTrax workout.  The truth is that there has been a lot of change in my life over the last few weeks.  It has been positive change, but I have let RBL slip as a personal priority due to those changes.  Then I have let Satan slip into my thoughts and tell me it is too late to turn around and I might as well just quit.

I must stop listening to Satan!  After all, those voices are what has helped me gain weight throughout my life.  The thoughts help me start a diet on Monday, blow it on Tuesday, and then tell myself just to relax and start again next Monday.  So I end up doing good for myself one day a week and do bad the other seven.  Not to mention that I have just added another reason on the list of “why I dislike Mondays.”

Today – the negative thoughts stop.  I get back up and do what I should have been doing all along.  I ask for the forgiveness from those that are on the At-Home team whose spot I may have been chosen for.  I won’t fully waste this opportunity.  I will start, again, today!

How do you change your obsession with food?

Ok – so I am realizing more and more how much of an emotional eater that I am.

Examples:
I got a new job. – Yeah – we should go have a decadent dinner to celebrate!!! My husband and I had a little spat. – Boo – I should eat comfort food to help me get over my frustrations!!! My kids are whining today – Sigh – I need some good food to give me energy!!!

I need to figure out how to break this cycle of food addiction. I even realized I am passing this craziness on to my daughters.

Examples: Somebody skinned their knee. – Here have some hot chocolate to make it feel better. Someone got 100 on their spelling test – Yeah have a piece of candy as a reward.

I need suggestions on how to manage my emotional food reactions, but also have other rewards for my children that don’t involve food. I don’t want them to suffer from my struggles and I am leading them down the same path.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to help me do better and to be a better teacher for my girls?

Making a conscious decision!

One of the GIT YMCA mentors sent out a quote this week as follows:

“Losing weight is hard.  Being overweight is hard.  CHOOSE YOUR HARD.”

That statement struck me like a ton of bricks.  I have spent a lot of time blaming circumstances for my weight, but in all honestly, the weight was created by MY decisions not those of my circumstances.  Passive decisions are what created the weight and I must make concrete decisions to take it off and keep it off.  I need to choose my hard and there is more reward in choosing to put in the time and effort to take care of myself than “choosing” to let circumstances dictate my health and happiness.

What choice are you gonna make?

 

Getting Started Again…

Well I am starting this journey yet again… I could feel sorry for myself or get angry, but no good will ever come of that.  I need to forgive my past weaknesses and strive to do better for myself.  I, like most of you, know what I need to do to lose the weight, but too often I let life get in the way and make bad decisions and then I blame everyone else for those decisions because “they were out of my control.”  Well that is just an excuse and I need to put excuses behind me and move forward.  So I will start packing my lunch and keep emergency snacks with me to avoid hitting up fast food, or even worse, going to the grocery store hungry.  I will do my best to work out at least 4 times a week.  I know that I will stumble some, but I won’t let those stumbles derail me and turn me around.  I will succeed in the end even if I don’t get there as fast as I would like.  I have tried the “lose weight quick” regimens and always end up back where I started.  I don’t know why I keep thinking the next “diet” will be the answer because I always go back to old habits once I get close to goal weight and start over.  So let’s start this lifestyle change! That is the only way that I can get where I want to be and stay there for the rest of my life.

My legs are killing me…

So I decided this week to walk/jog a 5k on the road outside my office to prepare for the 5k on April 18th.  I downloaded the “Map My Run” app on my phone so that I could better gauge 3.1 miles as well as my speed.  I was so excited!  I decided to do it Tuesday, Wednesday AND Thursday.  However, I got to the halfway mark on Thursday and my legs/knees started screaming at me.  I haven’t tried to run/jog three days in a row for 36 years so I definitely let my excitement get the best of me this time.  The worst part is that my halfway point was actually 1.5 miles away from my office.  I almost called and asked someone to pick me up, but decided I could make it.  It was a slow steady walk back, but I did make it.  However, I reminded myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day.  I need to pace myself and give my body a chance to catch up with my enthusiasm.  Needless to say a rainy day helped me rest today, but I will be back at it tomorrow!  Bring it on YMCA 5k on April 18th!!!!

Great journey thus far…

I was talking to a friend earlier this week and we agreed that my approach to weightloss has been different in many ways this time than it ever has been before.  Not only has my resolve lasted longer, but I haven’t complained as much or felt so deprived.  I think this is because I am coming at this challenge with the focus that God is beside me on this journey.  Before I always believed in God, but felt that I was in control and weightloss was strictly about me.  However, since realizing that it isn’t about me but is about bettering myself for the Kingdom of God, it is easier.  God is giving me the fuel that I need and strength to persevere so that I am not solely focused on what I am giving up but on what I am gaining.  This is such a freeing feeling.  Thanks RBL for giving me this opportunity and using God as a platform to make me better.  I can do this!

An invaluable resource…

After starting this weightloss journey I did a google search for turkey chili one night.  I was getting ready for Superbowl Sunday and wanted to find a healthy option for the football game.  Well I found a recipe and it was really good.  The best part of this though was the website I found during the search.  The website is www.skinnykitchen.com.  I have tried many recipes from this site over the last 6 weeks and all of them have been great!  Also, if you use myfitnesspal, most of the recipes are already in their database so it is easy to log your food as well.  Most of the recipes have a short prep time too (15-30 minutes).  I could go on and on and on about this, but it would suffice to say if you need a new place to get healthy recipes that are quick and easy then this is your one stop shop.  They have ideas for all meals of the day and snacks too.  I just saw they have a skinny version of McDonald’s Shamrock Shake.  I think I will be making that as an early birthday surprise for my hubby this weekend!

Getting back on track…

Week 6 has been much better in this journey than the last two.  It has greatly helped that the kids have had a full week at daycare and there were no sicknesses or weather issues to deal with.  I have gotten back into my workout routine and have realized that I actually missed my workouts.  It was a little discouraging that things were harder than they were a couple of weeks ago, but it didn’t take long to get stronger once I started this 6 weeks ago, so a little perseverance will get me right back where I was.

I am also seeing solid changes in my body.  I still have a ways to go, but it is nice to know that the road ahead is not as long or intimidating as it was 6 weeks ago.

I can do this.  We ALL can do this.  Let’s support one another and keep pushing forward.  Thanks RBL2015

My week didn’t start off as I had planned…

I had planned to be in Canada for work this week, but yesterday I flew to Philadelphia for the 1st leg of my journey and got stuck.  Long story short – I got to GSP yesterday at 5:00 am morning and made it back to GSP at midnight last night.  It turns out due to weather and rebooking issues that they couldn’t get me to my destination until late on Tuesday so it was decided the best bet was to return home.

This blog really has nothing to do with weight loss because airports aren’t known for their diet fare.  (Although I must say I did do much better than I would have 6 weeks ago.)  This blog is more to note how I have changed mentally and spiritually over the last 6 weeks.  I tend to be a control freak and stress out when things don’t go as planned.  Therefore, yesterday could have been a complete nightmare.  Philadelphia ended up cancelling about 100 flights yesterday so you can only imagine how many angry and frustrated people were stuck yesterday and unfortunately some of them probably still are.  I prayed A LOT yesterday for God to give me patience and tolerance because there were a lot of people much worse off than I was (especially those with toddlers).  I won’t say that I didn’t get frustrated at times and it is possible that I was almost in tears, but I know that I got through the day with Christ who strengthens me.  I have been saying that verse a lot since Rob first mentioned on January 20th.  I have generally used it thus far in my weight loss journey to push through workouts and be strong to avoid food cravings.  However, this verse is perfect for all aspects of life and I am glad that I had been chanting it for 6 weeks so I had that to fall back on yesterday.  That is definitely what got my through a 21 hour day of standing in lines, staying on hold on the phone, and just being among a group of frustrated people.

Thanks RBL2015 for kicking off this journey which is taking me a lot of places that I didn’t anticipate.