February 21, 2018

Making Bold Statements to Reach Goals

While it's true that I haven't been nearly as concerned about my weight over the last year as I was for years my whole life prior, the recent gain I've had is starting to nag at me a little.

I'm usually cautious about announcing, "Okay, my weight loss/maintenance mojo is back, and I'm doing great!" because I know how easy it is for my motivation to go up and down about as quickly as my bipolar episodes. A couple of weeks ago, I was very confident that it was my turning point as far as the weight goes because my mood has been pretty stable. But I may have spoken too soon. (I know, a real shocker, right? Hahaha)

My weight has seemed pretty steady for the most part, too--at least compared to the past, anyway. Over the years, I'd gotten so used to gaining weight SO quickly--it wasn't unusual to put on 20 pounds in a single month. Now, putting on 2-3 pounds a month feels like nothing. It feels like I'm maintaining.

But those months add up!

It's been about four months now since I started gaining little by little. I haven't been tracking my weight much lately--I actually didn't even weigh in today, on "Weight Loss Wednesday", so I can't even tell you the exact number, but it's been roughly 142-144 lately. And 144 is the very top weight in my "healthy BMI" range, so I really don't want to gain any more.

A 10-pound gain spread out over four months' time seems to go almost unnoticed compared to what I'm used to. I didn't think much of it at all. But what's been bothering me lately (more so than the actual weight gain) is that my eating habits have gotten out of control.

(About the photo: The way I felt over the Fourth of July weekend last year was the best I felt in SO long. Totally in control and happy--and it actually wasn't even about my weight (I don't remember how much I weighed in this pic). I just felt... healthy.)

I haven't been binge eating, so I have that going in my favor. But, I've been eating more than my body needs, and more frequently than necessary.

The number one most helpful habit that I implemented when I was losing and/or maintaining my weight was eating four times a day--no more. I ate breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a bedtime treat. That alone helped me to cut back drastically on calories, because no matter what was in front of me or calling out to me from the pantry, etc., if it wasn't time to eat, I didn't eat it. I never even took a taste of something between meals. That method may not work well for everyone, but it was crucial for me.

And starting at the beginning of the holidays, my schedule got all screwed up and I just never seemed to get back to it again for the long term.

BUT, I am now declaring here for the entire internet to see: I AM DONE. I am going to focus on changing the bad habits I picked up and getting back to what worked so well for me all last year. I'm not ready to start counting calories or anything again just yet; I'm going to first try to get back to what I was doing last year (a little like intuitive eating, but with some other guidelines that I made up for myself--such as eating four times a day on a schedule).

I have a few things in the next several months that I'm looking forward to, and I'd love to be at my goal weight for those: Jerry, the kids and I are going to Boston for vacation next month; I am running the Martian Invasion half-marathon in April; I'm going to visit Andrea with Caitlin and Bonnie in May; and Thomas is most likely coming to visit in May (as an incentive for me to get back into running, he said that if I complete my whole training schedule, he'll come visit--so believe me, I'm not going to quit!).

There are 35 days until my family leaves for our vacation, so it's possible (although not very likely) for me to get to my goal weight before we go. But even if I don't, I'll be happy if I can just get back into my good eating habits. When I traveled last year a few times, I was able to manage my weight very well--even while enjoying all the foods I wanted on my trips.

A couple of days ago, I dusted off my old bullet journal and made some blank food plans. I'm not going to be measuring out food or counting anything, but I thought it would be a good idea to plan out my meals each night for the following day. Hopefully, that will help me get back in the habit of not thinking about food all the time--only at meal times. When I know what and when I'm going to eat, it's easier for me to shut off that little switch in my brain that always wants to think about food.

(I will write my plan down the evening before, and stick to it the next day!)

Another big motivation for me is that I'm race training right now. I want to feel my best for my runs, and going for a run when I feel full or gassy or bloated is miserable. Now that my long runs are getting up there in mileage (on Sunday, I have to run eight miles!), I need to make sure that I'm feeling as good as possible.

Finally, I started working on a "vision board" (or my version of one, anyway). When Oprah talked about vision boards on her show waaaay back in the day (I believe it was when the book The Secret was published), I decided to make one. Only I couldn't come up with anything that I wanted to put on it except that I wanted to lose weight. So, my entire board just had a copy of the cover of People Magazine's Half Their Size issue (before my blog, before I was on The Dr. Oz Show, before I even lost the weight, I had dreams of being in People's Half Their Size issue).

Side note: One of the requirements to be in the issue is that your story cannot have been featured in the media before; and when I was contacted by The Dr. Oz Show to be a guest, I was having a hard time deciding what to do! If I did the show, I wouldn't be eligible for the magazine (not that there was any guarantee of the magazine anyway); but I (obviously) chose The Dr. Oz Show.


Regardless, the point is that it worked for me. I lost the weight and became the "*Results not typical" success story. Whether the board had anything to do with it, I have no idea; but I like the idea of making a board with goals (not just weight loss, but in several areas of my life--financial, mental health, physical health, etc.).

I bought a poster board today and started jotting down some ideas for it in a notebook. I'd like to make the board roughly the size of the console on the treadmill so that I can prop it up over the console when I run--hahaha! I usually cover the console with a towel so that I can't see the numbers creeping so slowly by; looking at my goals in a visual way will be much more entertaining.

Well, this whole post boils down to this: I don't normally like to make bold statements on my blog, because it's embarrassing when things don't go as planned or I change my mind or whatever. But sometimes, those bold statements are what I need to get my ass in gear.

Take my 10K personal record, for example. I talked about that for MONTHS, saying that I was going to PR my 10K. Deep down, I didn't really believe it at first; and there were countless times that I wanted to quit training altogether! But I would have been horribly embarrassed to write a post saying that I quit the goal I boldly announced that I was going to crush, so I kept going.

Right now, I want to get back into my good eating habits and get my weight back down in the low 130's (my actual goal weight is 133). So, here I am, boldly announcing: This is it! I'm going to drop 10 pounds this spring before the 10 pounds I gained becomes 30 or 40 pounds. I will get back to weighing in regularly and even doing mini goals here and there to give myself smaller things to achieve in the midst of a big goal.


Now, I'm going to fill in my meal plan for tomorrow and then go to bed. Anyone want to join me in boldly announcing your goal to the internet? ;)


23 comments:

  1. This has come at EXACTLY the right time for me! I'm pretty good with meals, I plan them and make sure I'm organised, so on the whole we eat quite healthily. However, I'm terrible with snacking. Especially on chocolate, I can't resist. I think sticking to eating four times a day might work for me too - it means I can have a snack after work if we're not eating until late, or I can have a snack in the evening if we eat early. I only want to lose about four pounds, but I wanted to lose them by end of Feb and well, it just didn't happen! So, my target: stick to eating four times a day. If I want the snacky chocolate, it's got to be part of one of those mealtimes!
    Good luck with yours - from reading your blog you are usually extremely committed once you've decided and announced your goal, so I have complete confidence in you!

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  2. i made a vision board during my weight loss journey, i put it where i could see it from bed so i could look at it every morning to start my day off right !! i cut out quotes from ww magazines , quotes from pinterest , and charts for marking off my exercise and pounds lost. it was extremely helpful ,and it worked . i lost around 100 pounds and have been under goal for almost 2 yrs !

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  3. Ugh I have so many goals... my first and most important goal is to get a handle on sleeping more than a few hours a night and to stop having panic attacks. #2) Stop living paycheck to paycheck. #3) Catch up at work so that stops adding to the panic/anxiety. And lastly...I have gained a bit of weight recently, which is actually fine...but it was 10 pounds in about a month and if that rate keeps up...well, that's not good, also having bipolar and struggling with all the fun mood stuff. Soooo I want to figure out better eating patterns and work-out plans. Rebounding has been good for me because I super enjoy it, but I haven't been very good at being consistent. Maybe it's time for me to bust out my ole bullet journal again, or make a vision board too. Thanks Katie! Let's catch up again soon! XOXO.

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  4. Yes! I lost 30lbs in 2012. I haven't been at my goal weight since my son was born (he turned 3 in January). Thankfully I haven't put all the weight back on, but I'm struggling with 10-15 extra pounds.

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  5. I do love reading your blog.
    Sure, I'm in. I have 120 lbs to lose, so I will start with the first chunk. I WILL lose 20 lbs by my birthday, June 1. That is thoroughly doable, and I have a good start with the exercise. I just have to focus on my food intake. I may borrow from your only eating a certain number of times a day, as that will help with my mindless noshing at my desk.I'm also going to get back to my blog - I've been ignoring it for a month, as I'm ashamed at my lack of discipline. So, yup, 20 lbs by June 1! Let's go!

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  6. Okay, I'm going to 'bite the bullet' and make a goal statement. I'm up 16 lbs. since October. I just lost focus. Plus with the cold weather (I'm a Hoosier) I'm not walking nearly as much as I was. And it shows! So here goes! Easter is April 1st. I am going to lose 10 lbs. by Easter. That gives me 5 1/2 weeks. I too like to stick to three meals per day plus a night time snack. So many people say 'don't eat after dinner'. But I find it helps me greatly and I just figure it into my day. I CAN DO THIS! And it starts TODAY!

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  7. I'm with you! I want to lose the 20 pounds I've gained back this year by my 50th birthday in June! I love the bullet notebook, writing things down also helps me. I notice if I don't have to "think" or make my decisions about food in the moment when I might be hungry or tempted, things go much better! You can do this! We can do this!

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  8. I'm going to lose the last 15lbs of lingering baby weight (my daughter is 2) and then lose another 25lbs so that way my husband and I can be healthy and ready to try for baby 2 at the end of the year!!!

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  9. Katie, I'm so glad you are running again! I'm a fellow Michigander, so I struggle with running outside, and the lack of sunlight in the winter (although lately it's getting a little better lately). I signed up for a Half Marathon in Wisconsin to get motivated in late winter. My Half is scheduled for the weekend after yours. I'm planning it in conjunction with a girl's weekend, with three of my friends. It's so cool because for one of my friends, it will be her first Half. It's been so exciting to see how your training program parallels mine. This is my 7th Half(I try to run one each year) and each time training feels hard. My first four halfs, I was 20-30 lbs lighter, then life happened and I had some major health issues, and had to I work night shift for a few years...SO I am boldly declairing I am going to lose 19 lbs (how much I need to lose to get back into the healthy BMI range). That's a pound a week, for me. And, I want to run this Half in 2:30. It's still 12 min off my PR, but it will be much improved from my Half last year. And you've inspired me to do a Vision board,too! Thank you, Katie for all your inspiration and motivation this week. It's just what I needed! Have a great week!!!

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  10. I lost 100 pounds in 15 months a few years ago. I have put on about 35lbs of that and cannot seem to shake them, or even get into the groove to drop them. I have read your blog since I was just beginning to loose weight. It is comforting to know that I am not the only one that will more than likely always have to be aware of what I eat. Not necessarily always so strict, but just aware, always! So here is my very public declaration, I will stop with the "I deserve it" eating, I will get back to my happy weight!

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  11. You can do it! I'm looking to loose 10-15lbs this spring/summer for my wedding in October too so I'm with you. I mostly want to just tone up and get in better shape. I already eat pretty healthy, but definitely love to snack at night so gotta stop that. I live in Canada, and I'm really hoping the weather cooperates so I can get outside and walk more too so I know how you feel when you want to run outside but its too icy or cold! Story of my life here. Lets hope for an early spring!!! Love reading you blog!

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  12. I've been dragging my feet on this, but I really want to actually commit to sticking to Weight Watchers this month and not cheating at all. And to getting back into my half marathon training program. This post was just the motivation I needed!

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  13. I’m going to just do it and get it over with. I’m going to lose ten pounds by my half marathon walk in June. I will achieve my goal by walking 4 days a week and by cooking dinners at home. No more ordering pizza or fried take-out four days a week!

    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  14. I made the decision to go back to Weight Watchers this weekend and try and lose the 15 pounds that have been creeping back on. I think I'm more successful with some accountability and I'm looking forward to trying their new plan. My health insurance reimburses WW fees up to $200, so I'm hoping to make the most of it and get back to my goal weight!

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  15. I am 144 and want to be 133 as well! Would love to get there by the time we go on a Disney Cruise on May 21st!

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  16. You got this! I will run my first half marathon at the Dam to Dam (the very last one ever so I can't back out) in Des Moines and I will do it in 3 hours because I'm not running 13 miles and not getting the medal!

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  17. You may have picked up some bad habits BUT you need to be more fair to yourself... EVERYTHING says if you start a new training program you may see a gain on the scale, even if your body composition is changing for the better! You are starting fresh and training for a new program... of COURSE you are more hungry! I think it's a great to have a new goal and a focus but please don't beat yourself up too much either Katie! The scale may not be giving you the full picture here... check other progress milestones too (do you take measurements?)

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  18. Good for you and given your history I know you will do it. This blog really touches me as I've been maintaining a 80 lb loss for about 5 years and for the last 2 was in the 139 - 141 range. When we had our dog I even dropped a little. After she died I was in the 140 - 142 range and that is fine.....now it's more like 142 - 144 and some of the skinny jeans are a bit snug. You've given me the incentive to nip this in the bud and remember ALL the good habits that helped me to lose the weight and keep it off.
    We can do this!

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  19. First, I have been reading your blog pretty religiously for the past 3 1/2 years. I wanted to lose some of the "baby weight" that kept adding on from my 3 boys. I ended up losing 40 pounds! We then decided to have one more child and I ended up putting 60 pounds back on! (It was a girl by the way!!! Finally!)

    Well my daughter is now a year old and i found myself at 156 pounds (I'm only 5'1"). I started a weight loss challenge with a few other teachers from my school district 5 weeks ago. I am so happy to say that my current weight is 141. My goal by June 1st is 129 pounds! Thank you for the ideas and motivation throughout the years. So thankful I stumbled across your blog!

    ~Elisa R.

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  20. Ok, I’m going to announce my internal goal that I have never said out loud. It’s quite embarrassing but here it goes. I’m at 208lbs. My goal is to lose 2lbs/week so I can reach 150lbs by my birthday in August and be able to sit on my husband’s lap comfortably. I used to be able to do that many moons ago and I really want to be able to again. Ok. There it is. Out loud. And written for the world to see ��

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    Replies
    1. Awwww, I love this goal! You go, girl!

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  21. Congrats on the Dr. Oz show guest appearance! Just so you know... I am not sure where you got the information about the People Mag Half Their Size issue. It is not true that you "can't" have had your story published and covered in the media previously to be considered for the issue or appear in it. They never told me that. While working on the shoot they did say that we can't take on new interviews until the story is published, but they never said that you couldn't have appeared in the media previously. And not only did I appear in it, but I landed on the cover for this year's issue and my story had been shared all around the world before People Magazine :) Always go with what your gut tells you and I hope to see you in it one day! <3

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  22. This is what I needed to read. I eat healthy meals, it's my snacking that is a problem. My weight has crept up since October and I just got lazy with managing it! I'm running a half in April and know that training will be so much easier with less weight on my body! My goal is to loose 15-20 pounds by June 1st. I just want to feel healthy again; not bloated and uncomfortable in my clothes!

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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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