Hold Me Up + Goals

Some days I just really have a hard time doing this healthy eating thing for me.  Some days I just want to scarf pizza and eat entire pints of REAL ice cream and have a bunch of sushi even if it is going to make me sick…because I just wanna (Or don’t want to do it…however you look at it)!  So while I can do it on my own most days because it really is my ultimate decision on what I do and don’t do (exercise, food, etc), I also enlist a few different little strategies to help me stick to what I want to do.



For starters I type this post every Monday.  While these goals don’t always relate to food or exercise I give myself goals each week to try to push me past what I would just normally do so I’m challenging myself.  I try not to pick goals for things that I would 9/10 do on my own.  Those aren’t really goals in my mind.  But I’m not exactly setting a goal to run a marathon each week (although that would be totally cool if I got my bionic body).  Instead I try to push myself just past my comfortable zone so that I have a challenge each week instead of just going along with the same old same old.



Second I actually give Hunni permission to be the food police.  Okay maybe not the food gestapo…criticizing every bite that goes into my mouth…but he knows what my trigger foods are and the things that make me sick so I give him permission to remind me of these things.  Now I sometimes get stupid and choose to eat them anyway.  My mind has already told me they will make me sick and if Hunni reminding me doesn’t help I’m bound to get sick anyways.  But it is kind of like that Caution Bridge Freezes Before Road signs that let you know to slow down in bad weather.  You might already be going full speed ahead and that causes you to rethink your decision.  But if that little reminder doesn’t help you could be in for a heap of trouble.



And finally I play a little Weight Watchers kind of game/challenge with some of my friends.  You get a point for every healthy decision you make each day based on the Weight Watchers Healthy Guidelines.  So I strive to hit them all each day with my food choices and to get in my exercise.  I try to challenge myself to get a 10 (max points) every day so that I can give myself a pat on the back for a job well done.  Of course I’ve been slacking off in the past few months just because I’ve been super busy.  Not that I haven’t been making healthy decisions (I have for the most part) but I haven’t been recording them.  So now I’m back in the game and it is really helping me stick to it instead of blowing it off if the day gets hectic.



Having a few checks and balances for myself on the days I may not always make the best decisions on my own helps me to not get completely derailed when I slip up a bit.



What checks and balances do you have in place for yourself?



Last Week’s Goals:

• Work my schedule. Okay so we all know I was out in sick land all week.  But being flat on your back so you don’t pass out gives you a lot of time to mindlessly play on twitter work on things on the laptop.  So I added some great things to my Google Calendar like my swimming days and when I hope to get some quilting done soon.  I’m still working on it but I’m pretty proud that I even did any of it between the zoning out and naps to recover my energy.
• Rest. I will admit I tried to rush back and do a ton o’ stuff after I was “finally over my drug reaction” and I ended up back on my couch.  But the bonus was that I ended up back in bed and took some great naps in the A/C during the heat wave.  I didn’t even know how hot it was until I went out for my doctor’s appointment to fix the dizziness.  I also finished two books and snuggled a lot with the pups.  It was quite…relaxing.
• Plan quick and light meals. I got a few made up and in the fridge and I have the recipes for 2 more to make as soon as the heat decides to take a mini vacation too.  I didn’t eat much this week due to the nasty reaction but Hunni had some easy meals thanks to my quick tutelage and we have some quick meals for lunches and the next couple of days.
• Slow and steady. I tried really I did. I stayed in bed all day Monday even though it was my only real day off in a while…and I took a half day on Tuesday after Hunni forced me. The rest of the week I begged off because I didn’t want a repeat of Tuesday…but I survived.  I’m still learning this slow down bit.  Slow and steady but learning.
• Date Night! Despicable ME!!!!!!  It was cute and a fun afternoon out on Friday.  Kind of funny that 3 of the last 4 movies we’ve seen recently have been cartoons…I guess we are just kids at heart.  If next Friday isn’t too bad maybe we’ll hang out at the lake.  We went on Sunday for our church picnic but that was work making sure the kids didn’t go nuts.  It would be nice to just hang out and read in the sun (with sunscreen of course) and maybe go canoeing 🙂

This Week’s Goals:

• Limit my purchased tea/coffee habit. I have the ability to pre-brew and chill both coffee and tea.  Yet during my busy few weeks and then my crazy sick week I got into the habit of purchasing it.  As in I thought Stop & Shop having a 10/$10 Honest Tea sale was so good I purchased 20 in the span of 3 days.  Yeah y’all need to be calling INTERVERTION soon.  So this week I’m not going to completely eliminate it (because come on that is a great deal) but I’m going to limit it to maybe 3 teas and 2 coffees.  Trust me that is cutting back 😀
• Take a dip. Or two or three or maybe even 5.  And we arent’ talking Hummus and black bean.  We’re talking in the POOOOOOL!  I have them scheduled on my calendar and cross checked with Hunni.  I’m ready to get wet…and smell like chlorine again 🙂
• Pull off a covert mission. Sorry details of this cannot be revealed…yet.  But let’s just say it would be totally awesome and I’m really looking forward to it if it works.  I’ll know tomorrow…and I’ll tell you Sunday if it worked 🙂
• Start lifting again. Okay I admit part of this will be I’m okayed to go back to PT this week.  But I also need to follow through with the exercises at home.  I’ll be doing some at home and getting to the gym to do some.  But my back is sore and I need to work on my strength so it goes away.
• Enjoy some outdoor fitness. Okay this all depends on weather the heat decides to cooperate but I’d love to get out and use my bike shorts (oh and bike) or walk the dogs or go for a hike or something that doesn’t involve the indoors.  We only get so many months of beautiful weather around here and I don’t want to waste them all indoors with the A/C.  Please God can you cooperate on this one?  Please?

What are your goals for the week?