July 27, 2015

Motivational Monday #115


Happy Motivational Monday! It's been a few weeks since the last MM post, so I apologize for that. The MM submissions have been getting more and more sporadic, so I may end up doing just one Motivational Monday post per month, instead of each week. I want to make sure you know that Motivational Monday is not just about HUGE accomplishments, like losing 100 pounds or running a marathon. It's meant to be a place where you can shamelessly brag about an accomplishment you've made, no matter how big or small it may seem.

I have not had a very good week on Weight Watchers, unfortunately. My pre-paid WW meetings ended on July 20th, and I actually haven't weighed in for two weeks! I should probably go back and pre-pay for another 12 weeks, just to keep myself from backsliding. I had made good progress, even though it didn't show up on the scale so much--my clothes were fitting much better, and was able to wear some things that I hadn't been able to in a while. I felt really good, so I don't want to lose that.

I just feel like I need to come up with a short-term reward for staying on track. That's how I've always been able to do it in the past: I think of a reward that I really want, but I don't allow myself to have it until I've been on track for two weeks, or a month, or something like that. I'll have to give it some thought today and hopefully come up with something!

Anyways, today is Motivational Monday, and there is nothing motivating about my being off track ;) Here are some motivating readers' stories to start your week!


Kristina lost a lot of weight several years ago, but like me, she struggles with binge eating. She's been struggling with the same eight pounds, going up and down, and had a "screw it" mentality. Earlier this month, she went to a women's conference, and attended a workshop about healthy eating and living. It was a wake-up call for her, and she made a few changes that have been really helpful to her: 1) Drinking a green smoothie for breakfast; 2) No added/refined sugar; 3) No artificial sweetener; 4) No diet soda; and 5) No processed/boxed foods. She lost over five pounds the first week! Last week, she also went for a kayaking adventure with her mom--for 6 miles! She's feeling really good about the changes she's made.

(At the end of her email, Kristina added, "Thanks always for being an inspiration to keep pushing. I hope that someday, I can do the same for others." I found this so interesting, because it was SHE that inspired ME when I started to lose the weight! We started reading each other's blogs in probably about 2005-ish, and I loved seeing her progress photos as she dropped her weight. I was envious , and hoped I'd be able to do the same thing one day! So, Kristina, trust me when I say that you've already inspired people more than you know.)



In January 2011, at 215 pounds, Katie was extremely unhappy with her appearance and fitness level. She began tracking her calories on My Fitness Pal, and being smarter with her portions while continuing to enjoy her favorite foods. Late that year, she started the Couch to 5K program, and was very winded after running just a quarter-mile--she didn't think she'd ever improve! She ran her first 5K in Spring 2012, then continued to lose weight and run more 5K's and even a 10K. In April of this year, she decided she was ready to train for a half-marathon. She and her boyfriend, Tarik, signed up for the Shipyard Old Port Half-Marathon in Portland, Maine. As they trained together, they even set a goal to finish the race under two hours. It was extremely hot on race day, and much tougher than she'd imagined it would be, but she ended up finishing in 1:58:50! She celebrated with a much-deserved ice cream cookie sandwich and a cold beer ;)



Last Monday, Virginia was very proud of herself--she ran for a full 30 minutes straight! She usually does a run/walk method, and had worked her way up to a ratio of 8:00-run and 2:00 walk. That day, she decided to try to run the entire first mile, and she did! Then, instead of going back to the run/walk method, she wanted to go for the whole 30 minutes of running, just to see if she could. It wasn't easy in the New Orleans humidity, but she pushed through, and completed the full run! Virginia is now down 15.5 pounds with a combination of Weight Watchers and running--something else to be very proud of.


Mara has dropped a total of 60 pounds, and she started run/walking in August 2014. She tries to do at least one race per month, but recently signed up for 7 races over 37 days! The first of those was June 27, when she ran her first 10K. She had a goal of 1:06:00, but the hilly course and stiff legs made that difficult, and she finished in 1:07:00. She was happy that she had managed to run 1.3 miles without a walk break! The following weekend, on July 4th, she ran a half-marathon relay--hers was the first leg, at 6.75 miles. She set a realistic goal of 1:12:00, and ended up finishing in 1:08:28! Even more exciting for her, she ran the first 4.15 miles without a single walk break, which more than doubled her previous best run distance.



A huge congratulations to all of you that had a great week! I love reading these stories, because they certainly motivate ME :)

8 comments:

  1. Can we get the link to Kristina's blog?
    The reward thing is usually what gets me going again as well. I plan on rewarding myself with a few new workout shirts!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The site that we used to blog on was removed a couple of years ago, unfortunately. I don't know if Kristina is blogging somewhere else now, but I'll email her to ask!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousJuly 28, 2015

    What great stories!! Congrats to all.

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  3. Awesome stories :) Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Thank you for the kind words Katie! <3

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  5. Thanks for sharing! I think it's great that you provide an outlet for people to give themselves a little pat on the back. Reading about everyone's accomplishments helps to motivate me!

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  6. aww Kristina has been my online buddy for years :) (along with you). and yes I still lurk. :) (you know me as lessoff)

    ReplyDelete

I used to publish ALL comments (even the mean ones) but I recently chose not to publish those. I always welcome constructive comments/criticism, but there is no need for unnecessary rudeness/hate. But please--I love reading what you have to say! (This comment form is super finicky, so I apologize if you're unable to comment)

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