Losing Weight is a Journey, Not a Ride

My short term goal is to lose eleven pounds by Easter. This is my journey since I began:

2/14: 181
2/21: 178
2/28: 177.5
3/7: 180.5
3/14: 177.5
3/21:
3/28:
4/4: Goal: 170

As you can see I had a tough two weeks. Stress and lack of planning can get you every time. Planning can overcome stress, but it's not always easy. Sometimes my best laid plans are interrupted by life. The meal planned for Tuesday doesn't happen because my family's schedule goes awry.

I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to go beyond planning. I must prepare. I'm fighting the battle of my life, and the only way I can win is to strategize and be prepared. This week is spring break. The time off gives me a chance to refresh, recharge, plan, and prepare. I'm also going to try out new recipes this week.

Goals for this week: (1) Get back into the habit of drinking water. Cut down on the diet sodas (one a day is more than enough). (2) Get back to the gym and work out. (3) Get back into the habit of taking my vitamins consistently (I always take my fish oil and chelate minerals, but I've been bad about taking my multivitamin). (4) Try out new recipes. (5) Plan and prepare for the week after spring break.

Be Prepared: My son is a Boy Scout, and the scout motto is to be prepared. I'm going to act like a good scout mom and prepare meals ahead of time. Next Sunday I will boil a dozen eggs, fry up a batch of bacon (to microwave throughout the week), prepare snack packs (beef jerky, eggs, hard cheddar cheese, small low carb pickles, olives, celery, cucumber slices, nuts in measured amounts, and strawberries), bake 2-3 dinner casseroles, and a breakfast casserole.

Eating low carb requires cooking, but sometimes, I just don't have time. Sometimes everyone in my family has to eat at different times. This requires planning and preparing foods that can be thrown in the microwave. This also ensures me that I have something to carry to lunch each day.

There are times when I'm away from home and must eat on the run or out. I look for places where I can get 0 carb chicken wings, grilled chicken, salad (watch the ingredients and dressing for sneaky carbs), grilled fish, grilled shrimp, steak, or a bunless bacon cheeseburger.

This week I am going to post as I go about the business of getting my head back into the game, and my body readjusted to a new level of intensity. I will add menus and recipes throughout the weeks. I have a couple of awesome finds to share as well. So check back throughout the week to pick up new product ideas, recipes, and more.

Join me in my challenge and post your results in the comments section each Sunday. I'm going to begin posting challenges and results each week on my blog.