Reward Yourself.

I heard time and time again on many of my podcast I listened to that in order to keep motivated you can set rewards for yourself once you meet a goal. I though of many ideas. Ice cream, pizza, new shoes, new outfit, tattoo :). I marked off the food rewards, even though I still wasn't eating the greatest I knew rewarding myself with food for losing a certain amount of weight was not the brightest idea. I thought about new shoes but they can be expensive and I already have a lot of shoes. A tattoo, kept going back and forth on it but decided to leave that reward for reaching a bigger goal. A new outfit, was a good idea but I was still thinking of other ideas. Finally dawned on me, I had been talking for a few weeks about needing my hair cut! I had my reward! Once I reached 30 pounds lost and under 300 pounds I was going to the salon and get my hair cut and colored!

During the Thanksgiving and Christmas I had gained 5 pounds. Although it bummed me I knew I needed to get back on track. Starting the intervals really jump started things and I was heading in the right direction again. I kept hitting little distractions along the way, birthdays, my sister's wedding. Finally it was heading toward the end of March and I hadn't met my goal! I had been working for 6 months and hadn't lost 30 pounds yet?! So I had to sit myself down and have a discussion with myself.

I am not a morning exerciser. When I wake up in the morning I need a shower and still don't wake up until about an hour after I get to work. I tried a few times and got up to workout but my body and mind didn't coordinate well and I felt like a bumbling fool trying to do my biggest loser videos in my living room at 6am. So I workout after work in the evenings. I made it a rule that I can't sit down, turn on the TV or computer until after I workout. I started to try and drink only water and not pop or even my beloved sweet tea from Chick-fil-a. I tried to put more random acts of fitness in my day, walking during my 15 minute breaks, parking in the parking spot furthest from the door, I even walked to the Target which is around the corner from my work for lunch.

March 31, 2009, was weigh in day. I was 302 pounds. I was hoping for at least a 2 pound loss just so I could be at 300. Lately though my weigh in number had only been half a pound here, then no weight loss, then one pound then no weight loss. So I wasn't sure what was going to happen. When I stepped on the scale it read 299! So I stepped off and back on again, 299. I moved the scale and stepped on again 299!! I had lost 30 pounds!! Yippee!!! :) I was so excited I went back to my desk and made my hair appointment that day to get my hair cut!

I finally felt I was making progress. My size 24 jeans which were super tight when I started were beginning to get baggy. I had ran for the first time on the treadmill and was working hard at increasing my stamina to run longer. And finally I had reached a milestone... 30 pounds lost and under 300 pounds!!