Monthly weigh-in and fitness goals--June

Oops, I thought I had posted this when I wrote it a few days ago, and apparently I just saved the draft instead. I just realized my mistake, so here it is! And I should also add a note that since starting the challenges mentioned below, I've lost a little over 2 more lbs. and am only 1.8 lbs. away from my first goal! Yay!!

My weight-loss efforts really seemed to stall in May . . . I ended up gaining .8 lbs. over the course of the month, after yo-yo-ing up and down a lot. I wasn't too terribly upset because I knew I didn't do that great with portion control, although I did well with exercise and drinking my water. But it's still a bit frustrating to be within 3-4 lbs. of my goal and STILL not be there!! I've pretty much maintained the same weight (give or take a pound or two) over the past two months. So this month, I am trying something new. A new challenge! Or rather, TWO new challenges! Last month I participated in (and finished--yay!) the "Stay Committed" challenge from Fat Chick Fed Up at Daily Feats. It was very motivating to me when I was able to accumulate points each day and know that I had a goal in mind. Even though I basically just maintained my weight, I was still happy to finish the challenge and know that I had accomplished something! So I knew that I wanted to find some kind of a challenge for myself this month, too. I started searching around online a little bit and came up with two that I wanted to try.

The first is the "skinny plate" challenge from this site. I actually am adapting this somewhat for myself (I didn't officially sign up for it at their site). I am using a salad plate for my meals and only eating 3 kinds of food (including any dessert) per meal, but I am not being too exact with sticking to a palm-sized portion of food. I'm just being moderate and not piling up my plate. I am also allowing myself two small snacks per day, if I need them, and of course continuing to drink lots and lots of water.

The second is the "June Tune-Up" challenge from Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. I found this one and immediately knew I wanted to participate. I teamed up with my sister-in-law (you have to have a team of two people) and we are going to give it our best shot! Every Weds. we will post a weigh-in on the site. The top 10 "losers" will be posted every Thursday, and the team who loses the most will receive a prize at the end of the month, plus they are awarding prizes to a random team each week. So who knows, maybe we'll even win something! Mostly it is just fun to have a little competition and see how much we can shrink in a month. :)

I am also on my way to completing the 30 Day Shred this month--I am just over halfway through, and am quite excited about that! I love that I can actually see results, and even though the workouts are tough, I am pushing myself through them and even enjoying them (kind of :)). It's rare for me to find an exercise DVD that I actually like and don't end up bored with, but this one goes so fast and keeps me pushing so hard, that the time flies by and I feel really good when I am done.

So anyway, now for the stats. Here's how I did last month:

• Exercise 3-5 times each week (this week has been good so far . . . a 2 mile walk yesterday and a 20 minute workout this morning)--DONE!
• Start the 30 Day Shred DVD (first workout was today, and OH MY, am I sore now!)--DONE!
• Drink 3 bottles of water (75 oz.) 5-6 days/week--DONE!
• Lose 2-3 lbs. (I would LOVE to see my goal weight by the end of this month--wouldn't that be cool?! :))--Nope, not done!
• Limit sugar--Did so/so with this; I let a bit too much sugar creep into my diet, which probably didn't help with my weight loss or lack thereof. :)
• Complete the "Stay Committed" challenge from Fat Chick Fed Up at Daily Feats--DONE!

And here are my new fitness goals for June:

• Reach my goal weight (I know this may be a slightly audacious goal, but hey--I'm going to give it my best shot! :))
• Continue to drink lots of water and limit sugar
• Complete the 30 Day Shred
• Complete the skinny plate challenge and the June Tune-Up challenge

By the way, I am trying not to be fixated on my goal weight, but I really would like to reach it because it would just be exciting to get to a weight that I haven't seen in 10+ years, and I know I can do it! But I do realize that my worth is not defined by a number on the scale. :) The most important thing is that I'm working toward being more healthy and fit, and trying to glorify God even in my food choices and disciplining my body toward a healthier lifestyle.