Time for an Update!

Hey Ya'll!

Long time no blog! It's been a couple weeks since my keys have hit the keyboard for the purpose of blogging so I think that an update is an order! The last time I posted was the 17th and a lot has gone on since then! Including one of the most insane work weeks of my life! Not to mention I was still dealing with more disappointing doctor's visits (more on that soon...) AND I still didn't have internet. Finally, after about 4 weeks with no internet I was able to find a provider that worked without needing to connect to any telephone poles or interrupt my landlord's life. Clear wireless internet works through cellphone tours (I think?) and all you need to do is plug it into the wall and voila! internet! The moment I finally had internet back in my life must have been similar to the first time Thomas Edison turned on a light switch (I'm an internet junkie, okay?)! I definitely did not leave my couch for hours... Plus I was finally able to connect my Roku player! Yay! My television was finally put to a use other than playing Harry Potter movies on repeat! On the downside I rediscovered Supernatural (one of my fav shows) and have been trying to watch all 9 seasons over again before classes start... a lofty and worthwhile goal for sure. So Annie, now that you have internet why haven't you been blogging? Well lemme tell you! I don't actually have a good reason. That also goes for why I haven't really been working out OR going to my WW meetings! Hmm... maybe there's a correlation? I definitely did get super busy with work and then after my hell week I had an interview in Nashville then the day after Nashville I flew to Washington to visit my family for a week. In the spirit of honesty despite my need for damage control I haven't really regained any control of my eating. Granted, I don't think I've gained any more than a pound or two I still haven't been eating vegan or really that healthy. So what's happened? I think that I finally reached the weight I was before I got sick and I'm happy here, well sort of. Anytime I'm not "fat" (I'm a yoyo-er remember?) I stay at this weight. I give up my healthy habits and sometimes I'll go up or down by 5 pounds. When I was at my smallest (since high school) I weighed about 155ish, maybe a little less. This was when I first started this blog at 19. When I look back at pictures from that weight I look great! I really couldn't take a bad picture, at least bad in the sense that I looked fat.  I've avoided putting my weight on here for a while, but, as Shakespeare would say, "boldness be my friend!" I weigh 161.8 pounds (last time I weighed in, probably 165 right now). I have a goal weight of 124 pounds. I know that seems really tiny and unrealistic but I've done my research talked to other girls that started at my weight (higher actually) and my height and have made it to the 120s in a healthy way. So... why have I let myself stay at 160 for so long when I have such an ambitious goal to reach? Well, one, I think that 124 is very daunting. That's almost 40 pounds to lose! Thankfully, I've been really great about setting small goals for myself. Honestly getting under 160 would mean more to me right now then reaching my goal! When I get to 140 I will probably lose my mind with happiness! So, to be perfectly honest 124 is hardly on my mind. I'd like to get to 132 by January but I'm in no hurry. I would like to get to 150 soon though. Hopefully by sometime in September, that would be wonderful :) More so, I think that 160 is my comfort zone. Every time I've made it here I usually stay for a while. I usually will drift between 155 and 165 every couple of months but for the most part I've chilled out at 160 for 3 years. I've also been pretty content at this weight. Granted, I've always felt like I would like to lose more weight but I don't feel so completely unhappy with myself like I do when I'm higher than 165. I'm done with being content though, feeling skinny sometimes or icky other times (which is always how I feel at this weight) I want to finally prove to myself that I can make it to 150 and stay there instead of always creeping back up 10 pounds, then make it 140 and stay, then 130, and finally 124.  I know I have it in me to do it. It's just a matter of staying motivated and not feeling complacent. I know that I would feel less self-conscious, better about myself, and healthier at a lower weight. It's time for me to FINALLY step out of my comfort zone and move past seeing these same numbers on the scale all the time! 

How do I propose to do this? By getting re-motivated!

1) Set Goals. I already have my goals set. I have my goal weight, measurements, and ideal body fat percentage listed on my tumblr. I don't know why I've been so hesitant about writing them here... I think it's because they can be perceived as unhealthy and give this blog the image of something it's not but I might as well share.

• Goal weight: 124 (I'm 5'7")
• Measurements: 34-23-35
• Body fat: under 20% 

 I also found a Groupon for MayDay books. They make really cute agendas and different types of journals. I customized the cover and then decided to pick a diet/fitness journal. It lists a space to track calories for what you eat and since I'm not a calorie counter I just track points. My favorite part about this is the water tracker as well as the "confessions" portion. It's small so I just throw it into my purse!

So how far away from my goals am I? 

• 37.8 pounds to lose
• 6 inches to lose from bust (totally doable), 10.5 from waist, 5.5 from hips
• 5.34% body fate to lose 

Being the nerd I am seeing this broken down into numbers is really comforting! I've already lost 28.2 pounds of course I can do 37.8! Why not? 

Don't worry I always have non-scale related goals!

• By New Year's Eve: Do a headstand (either forearm or otherwise)

• One of these by May:

• Run a 5K by November 

Turkey Trot anyone?

• Wheel by September 2013 :) CHECK Did this! 

• This kind of wheel by August 2014!

2) Plan. My plan is to workout for at least  30 minutes everyday until school starts. I've gone a while without working out so I need to catch the bug again! I'm going to attend workout classes until I'm feeling motivated enough to go back to solo workouts. Then I can do my yoga and Couch to 5K stuff! I'm going to finish reading Mainstreet Vegan for the second time and return to vegan and clean eating. I'm going to repeat what I did last time: stay prepared for healthy eating by packing lunches for work, avoiding the cafeteria, and staying away from all restaurants/eating with friends until I get my vegan superpowers of resistance to yummy non-plant based food! I feel better both physically and emotionally as a vegan but I need to get back to that mindset! 

3)  Set Reminders. I was browsing Tumblr (as per usual) and one of the girl's whose blog I follow posted this pic: 

(Sorry for all of the black space, that's what happens when you screen shot tumblr pics)

She had posted some inspiration up on her door and I think I'm going to do the same. Although I'm probably going to buy a bulletin board up then post on there. I don't really like to advertise my weight loss quest to my friends (I've talked about this in the past) plus something like this could be triggering to a few people I know.Thankfully I take a lot of tumblr screen shots so I included some "collages" of things that I want to add up on my fitspiration board! 

All of the sayings posted are really motivational and will help me think twice about skipping a workout or ordering in.  Plus it's really positive! My apartment can always do with more positivity! I'm also going to post my goals there :)

I also think that posting something in my car so that I can see it while driving past alluring restaurants will help as well as changing my cellphone lock screen to something fit-spiring.

4) Visualize. Once a week I want to do a "visualize" post. Something quick highlighting the things I'm most looking forward to about reaching my goal and the positive changes that have occurred in my life since getting closer to it. I'll probably do this Sunday after my WW meetings since I usually do a post then anyways.

I think that I'm set on the pathway to my goal! I figured that if I lost  about 30 pounds in a little over 2 months I can lose 40 by January for sure! (or at least 30)! I'm feeling really positive and optimistic. I just need to focus on everything I was doing before to reach the place I am now and continue that journey. I know myself. I know that when I am taking care of my body and feeding it good foods and exercising I lose weight. Blogger, Tumblr, and WW help keep me accountable and reminding myself that it's okay to step out of my comfort zone, try new things, and reach my goals will keep me on track to a new, better, strong body in no time!

Just to make this post a little longer... ;) I  thought that I'd add some body positive reminders :) If you don't love your body then you're not going to it the care it needs. I think that it's good to be reminded that the love we feel for ourselves should be unconditional :)

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