My 3-Day Goals for This Weekend

I haven't written much about the three-day goals I've been setting and working on, mainly because I've picked things that are hard to measure. It's like saying, "I'm going to eat better"... what does that mean? It's not a measurable goal because "eating better" could mean anything. But saying something like, "I'm going to run three miles today" is measurable, because you either did or you didn't.

Black or white. I need to make my three day goals be the black or white variety.

So, for the next three days, these are my measurable goals:

*I will walk or run three miles each day. Things are getting busier now with Eli's baseball starting back up, so I can't say what time I'll be walking or running; but at some point each day, I'll do three miles. (This photo is from when I finished my 3-3-3 Running plan in December)

*I will drink a minimum of three quarts of water a day. When working in the garage (which I do for several hours a day), I get super dehydrated. I am pouring sweat the whole time, and I know I don't replenish enough. So, three quarts per day. No exceptions.

To be honest, the "water" in this photo was actually a vodka tonic--but it looks like water, so we'll count it for a photo of me drinking water! ;) (This was from 2017--I miss being thin!)

*I will go to bed by midnight. Whether I'm tired or not, I will lie down in bed and at least try to sleep. But it will be lights out for me by 12:00 each night. Along with being dehydrated, I'm sleep-deprived. I know I'll feel better if I do those things. The only thing that really seems to get me tired enough to fall asleep is reading a book before bed. I'm not committing to doing that, but it'd be great to try to lie down at 11:30 and start reading.

Joey never sleeps with me, so I have no idea why I have this picture, but he's cute!

So, those are my three goals for the next three days. I don't think these are too hard--it will take some mental work, but I can certainly do them! And I promise to try to write on Sunday about whether I stuck to them. (If I don't mention them again, it's probably because I didn't follow through *eyeroll*)

Continue Reading...

Setting Short Term Goals (3-3-1 Goals)

So, after finally facing the scale after avoiding it for weeks (months?) I've written a few times now about this idea of goals for just three days. Instead of thinking 30-day, 60-day, 90-day, etc, I decided to try out writing some goals to do for just three days.

Three days!

That's enough time to feel like I accomplished something, but not extremely difficult to actually complete.

Someone commented on a recent post about making three goals for three days (with one day off per week--so it would be two "three goals for three days" sessions, then a day off, and repeat). I really like the idea of choosing three goals!

I think when choosing too many goals, it gets overwhelming. That's how I've felt the last few days, because I chose several goals to work on. I'd like to try this 3-3-1 approach, and see how I do.

I've learned that getting enough sleep is EVERYTHING when it comes to running in the mornings. I had planned on running in the mornings again for another three-day set, and I just couldn't drag myself out of bed with the energy to run.

The first time I made the three-day goals, I did great! The only difference is that I went to bed early the night before. So, I think that in order to get up and run in the mornings, I need to get in bed by a decent hour. Right now, I go to bed at around 2:00-3:00 (yikes!). And then I get up (without an alarm) at 7:00 or 8:00. So, clearly, I need more sleep.

I felt really good about myself during the first round of three-day goals. However, doing my hair and make-up just seemed pointless because I spent the rest of the day in the garage working on installing insulation. So, I'm going to narrow down my goals to three--hence the 3-3-1 approach.

Insulating the garage has been fun, but a challenge--moving everything around makes a huge mess and I'm constantly having to step over and dodge things while I move the ladder around. I'm almost done though.

Today, my older brother, Brian, came over to check it out and give me some pointers. He said I should drywall the ceiling before I do the walls, and I'm super bummed about that. The ceiling is going to be a huge challenge! It's too high to do it without ladders, and I'm going to need the whole family out there helping to hold up the drywall so I can screw it in.

After drywalling the ceiling, I have to insulate it (I'm going to use a spray insulation) and then I'll finally be able to drywall the walls of the garage. I knew this would be a big project, but I didn't realize just how big until Brian explained all that to me.

Anyways, I digress... three goals, three days, with one day off after two rounds.

I have a strong feeling that tomorrow is going to be extra hard to accomplish anything (I'm almost done insulating the garage, Jerry will has his first day off in over a week, and I have a lot of housework to catch up on). I want to do well on this round of goals, so I'm going to start them on Sunday.

That means I'll do a three-goal challenge on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday; and then reset for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday; and I'll take Saturday off. Then repeat.

I realize I'm probably overthinking this entire thing! But right now, being cooped up at home for "quarantine", I overthink everything ;)

I'm going to write my first set of goals here now... three goals for three days:

1) Go to bed by 12:00 am. This is going to be SO HARD for me, because I am never tired that early! I don't really get tired until at least 2:00 am. To accomplish this, I'm going to turn off the TV at 11:30 and then read a book from 11:30 to 12:00. Reading makes me more tired than watching TV. I'm not going to set an alarm to get up (I always get up naturally between 6:30 and 8:00).

2) Run within 30 minutes of waking up on Monday. Since I'm following my training plan for the Detroit Half, this is important. I am scheduled to run 2.5 miles on Monday. I like getting it done in the morning. Since this is just for Monday, I am also going to set the goal of walking Joey two miles on each of the three days.

3) Cook dinner all three days. Lately, I've been asking Jerry to grab something on his way home (I've been really into Jimmy John's for some reason). We really don't need to be ordering food, because I am home and certainly capable of making a decent meal. But since I spend so much time working in the garage, I am exhausted when I come in and I don't feel like cooking.

We're supposed to get snow(!) this week, which really sucks. We got snow for the last couple of days--I don't know why I was surprised, because we always get snow in April--and it really put a damper on my mood. I was so excited for spring.

It has since melted, but I was not happy to see this!

Finally, I just have to say how stinkin' cute Luke and Riley are. I LOVE seeing pictures of them, since I can't be around them right now. I got to see them in their car for a minute, and we could blow kisses to each other, but I couldn't hug them.

Anyway, here are a few pictures. I cannot believe how big they've gotten! Remember how excited I was to become an aunt? It feels like it was just yesterday.

What good is an Easter dress if you can't get down and dirty with it?

This girl... <3 a="" accessories="" age.="" any="" called="" computer="" eli.="" eli="" filled="" folder="" hahaha.="" have="" he="" her="" him="" i="" kind="" li="" like="" loved="" me="" much="" my="" nbsp="" of="" on="" p="" photos="" reminds="" s="" so="" this="" to="" was="" wear="" when="" with="">

She reminds me so much of Eli when Eli was her age! He loved "accessories"--I even have a folder on my computer called "Eli's accessories"--all photos of Eli wearing fun things like Riley in the photo above. So cute!

Continue Reading...

3-Day Challenge Recap and Plans for Another

As I wrote a few days ago, I'd finally gotten on the scale and faced the number I'd been dreading for a while now. I really want to work on getting the extra weight off, but I'm tired of not following through on any of the goals I set for myself.

I love to make challenges for myself--and they always involved 30-, 60-, or 90-day commitments (or even a year). I rarely last more than a few days. A week, if I'm lucky.

So, I had the idea to try a three-day challenge. Since three days is usually when I start to wane on any challenge, I thought it sounded like a good amount of time.

My challenge for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was as follows:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

I wrote about Day 1 and Day 2. They went really well!

Day 3 (yesterday) was almost as good, with the exception of cooking dinner.

I went for a run first thing in the morning (well, after I took photos of the squirrels' antics!):

I showered, dressed, and did my hair and make-up.

I drank a quart of water as soon as I was done with my run.

I took Joey for a two-mile walk.

My back has been in a lot of pain lately, and when it was time to make dinner, I just asked Jerry to pick up Jimmy John's on his way home from work. I couldn't stand the thought of being on my feet any longer. When he got there, they were closed. He tried a few more places, and nothing was open.

Finally, he ended up getting McDonald's. We NEVER eat fast food for dinner! But by that time, we were starving and I was just desperate. I really need to start making my kids cook dinner sometimes.

Anyway, other than the McDonald's for dinner, the day went well.

Thoughts on my 3-Day Challenge:

*I love that it's only three days! If there is something that I really don't like about it, I know that after three days, I can alter my plan.
*It pushes me out of my comfort zone, but not so far that it's miserable.
*I FEEL a lot better about myself--going for runs, doing my hair and make-up, walking Joey... it just makes me feel like I'm doing something healthy for myself.

So, I'd like to continue these 3-Day Challenges! Today, I was totally unprepared to start something new, so I didn't. But it gave me an idea. I think I'll do two back-to-back three-day challenges, and then take one day off. That will work out to a week at a time.

By taking a day off, I don't mean going crazy by binge eating and wearing pajamas all day. I mean taking the day off of running, wearing my black stretchy pants and an oversized sweatshirt, and skipping the hair and make-up. Maybe getting Jimmy John's or something for dinner instead of cooking.

So, for my next plan (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), I'm going to write different goals for each day. I'm starting back up on my half-marathon training plan, so I'm going to follow that schedule plus add in some walks.

Tuesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk.
*Work on insulating the garage.
*Cook dinner (salisbury steak and mini potatoes).
*Start knitting a sweater.

Speaking of insulating the garage, the insulation and drywall was delivered today! I even started working on installing the insulation. I'm so excited to get this project done. And to have heat in my garage in the winter!

Wednesday -
*Run 2.5 miles within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a one-mile walk
*Cook dinner (unstuffed cabbage)
*Work on clearing out inbox.

Thursday -
*Take Joey for a three-mile walk within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Drink two quarts of water.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Cook dinner (baked ziti)
*Work on sweater or another project.

It's very similar to the last few days, but I rearranged the running/walking a little.

I really like this 3-3-1 Challenge idea (3 days, 3 days, 1 day off). I feel like breaking it up into chunks as small as three days really changes my mindset! And then I can look forward to taking a day off after the second round. :)

Continue Reading...

Day 2 of 3

Today was day two of my three day challenge.

I did really well with my goals for today! I really like this three day challenge. Knowing it's just for three days is so helpful with sticking to it. And after three days, I may make another challenge, changing up a couple of things.

For a quick recap of Day 2:

I got up at around 7:00, and dressed into my running clothes right away. I think making the "run within 30 minutes of waking up" rule has really pushed me to get going without even thinking about it. And it's so nice not to have the run hanging over my head all day! By noon, it feels like the run happened yesterday.

Anyway, I went a little slower today because I was a bit sore from yesterday. I wasn't paying attention to my pace until I was pretty close to home, and I noticed that if I really pushed myself, I might make the two-mile mark in under 24:00, meaning a sub-12:00 pace.

I tried hard, but I didn't do it. Oh, well! It was close.

Once I finished my run, I went inside to shower and do my hair and make-up. I was dreading doing my hair and make-up more than I usually do running! Haha. But I did it, because it's only a three day commitment...

I spent the entire day working on cleaning out the garage. I ordered insulation and drywall a couple of days ago, which will be delivered--hopefully soon--because I'm going to insulate and drywall the garage! I'm excited about doing that. But it means I have to take everything off the walls and get it all prepared.

I had a Skype date (game night) with my high school friends (the third week in a row) at 8:00, and I finished the garage at 6:15. I still had to walk Joey for two miles! I quickly grabbed his leash and started walking him, and a mile in, my back was hurting SO badly. I was in tears. When I'm on my feet all day like I was today, my back pain is horrible. I'd been on a route that would've been 2.5 miles, but I called Jerry to pick me up as soon as I reached my goal of 2 miles.

When I got home, I had to help Jerry set up his Skype for our call (and cook dinner in the process). I was DYING to sit down with my heating pad on my back. I made an old favorite soup of mine--Spinach and Tortellini Soup. (I'll post the recipe soon!)

So, I finally got on my Skype call at 8:00. We played a game called Scattergories Categories (Amazon affiliate link). It's a very easy game to play via video chat! Everyone just needs a notepad and pen, and one person needs to own the game. It was fun! (Jack is missing from the top right)

Now I want to just chill and watch a couple of episodes of Nip/Tuck with my heating pad. I hope my body is feeling better before my run tomorrow. Two days down, one more to go! :)

Continue Reading...

Day 1 of 3

Thank you all SO very much for the comments on yesterday's post. It sounds like so many of us are in the same boat! Gaining weight just plain sucks after spending so much time and effort to take it off. I will try to reply to comments tomorrow.

Like I mentioned yesterday, I'm going to do a three-day plan to just make myself feel better in general. I've been feeling terrible about myself lately, and I think these things will help. I started them today:

*Drink a quart of water immediately when waking up. Get dressed in running clothes.
*Run 2 miles, starting within 30 minutes of waking up.
*Count calories on Cronometer.
*Take Joey for a two mile walk.
*Knit, crochet, do a puzzle, play a game, or anything else that is "hands on" in the evenings to avoid snacking.
*Cook a family dinner each day.
*Get dressed in "real" clothes and do my hair and make-up every day. Even though I'm not going anywhere, it makes me feel better about myself.
(Bonus): Write in a journal. I'm not sure I'll be able to stick with this one, but I will try. Maybe if I make it a routine to do while I eat breakfast after my run.

Today was Day 1 of 3, and and I have to say, going into it knowing that I'm only shooting for three days helped a lot! So here goes...

First thing in the morning, I woke up and dressed in my running clothes. My body isn't used to drinking a full 32 oz bottle of water first thing in the morning anymore, so I drank half of it and saved the rest for after my run.

I headed outside for my run (one of my unspecified goals was to do my runs outside rather than on the treadmill). I'd put on just a t-shirt, but I was freezing, so I went back inside to change. I don't have any long-sleeve tech shirts that fit me right now, so I put on a sweatshirt.

I got about a half mile into my run before I realized I hadn't turned on my music. I was wearing ear pods, but listening to nothing!

I ran at what felt like a semi-comfortable pace (it was hard, but I didn't want to die, so I just ran at a pace that felt kind of hard but do-able).

I know a perfect two-mile lollipop route, so I did that. I didn't check my Garmin the entire time, because I really didn't want to know what my pace was. I just wanted to get in the distance, and that's all I cared about.

I felt so good afterward! My day hadn't even started yet, and I'd already accomplished something :)

It wasn't actually 6:52 when I started. It was 7:52--forgot to change the watch forward. I was actually kind of surprised to see that I ran at a 12:00/mile pace. I expected it to be slower.

After my run, I jumped in the shower. Then I got dressed in jeans and a gauzy sweater top rather than my black stretchy pants and a big sweatshirt.

I can't even tell you the last time I blew my hair dry or curled it or anything like that. I ALWAYS wear a messy bun! I was a little irritated about taking the time to do my hair and make-up (it felt like a big waste!) but I'd promised myself I'd do it and I knew I'd feel better about myself.

So, I blew my hair dry, and while I was waiting for my curling rod to heat up, I put on some make-up. (Now, I am not a make-up artist by any means, and I don't do contouring or use a million different brushes or colors or anything like that--I keep it super simple!)

Once my make-up was done, I used the curling rod to add some soft curls to my hair. I have to admit, I felt a LOT better about myself when I looked in the mirror. My weight hadn't changed, obviously, but I think I looked better and it gave me a little mental boost.

(I totally didn't intend to match my shirt to my couch, haha!). The necklace I'm wearing (I never wear jewelry!) was a gift from Jerry--it's a squirrel inside of a heart. I love it :)

I spent the afternoon cutting down some boards that my brother gave me--I think I'm going to build some shelves for my bedroom with them.

Later, I took Joey for his two-mile walk. I liked the thought of listening to a podcast while walking. We walked to my parents' house, where I stopped and chatted with them in their driveway (keeping a good distance away).

Then I walked down the street to a park that has a boat launch--Joey loves to run in there and wait for me to throw rocks for him *eye roll*. I just wasn't in the mood to throw rocks today, so I kept walking. I let him off leash at the park because nobody was around.

I could see a couple heading toward us with an off-leash dog (who looked like it was a black lab or a lab mix) and I leashed Joey before the other dog noticed us. Joey was DYING to play with him. I asked the couple if their dog was friendly with other dogs, and if they could play together. They said sure, so Joey made a friend today!

When I got home, it was time to start making dinner! I decided to make Italian-Style Lentils & Rice. This is a different take on the Taco-Style Lentils & Rice I shared the other day. You can find this recipe here: Italian-Style Lentils & Rice.

It may not look like much (I used crushed tomatoes instead of diced, which makes it look mushier, but that's what I had on hand), but it's SO good! Jerry and I both love this dish. My kids don't like Italian sausage, so they aren't into it. But this is a must-try if you like Italian sausage (I like the hot kind).

I counted my calories all day--I'm still going to have a snack in a little while, though. But I did great with that!

The only think left on my checklist today is to do something to keep my hands busy this evening. Jerry and I are about to watch a show, so I'm going to get out something to knit while I watch.

I'm pretty impressed with myself for making through the day and getting everything checked off! Feeling positive for day two tomorrow :)

Continue Reading...