Made it!

I said I would be back, and here I am!

2011 has been a pretty good year for me.  Started a new job at the end of 2010 that got me another new job (and a raise).  I'm pretty happy where I am right now.  The low levels of stress are exactly what I need.

Hubby and I worked through a really awful money situation and now are up on our feet and feeling pretty solid.

My son moved in with me 'just for the summer' and now has decided he would like to stay rather then take out more student loans.  So, I'm getting to spend quality time with my kiddo (who I was estranged from for a number of years) as well as have an excuse to move into to a larger and very lovely home.

I'm involved in choir again - singing with a group is always fun!

I've met and gotten involved with some really awesome people who I now consider friends -- It's great to feel 'connected' with a group of people again, plus I've been staying in closer contact with 'old' friends and reconnecting with family members that's made me feel like a more well rounded person overall.

The only thing that hasn't gotten better this year has been my weight/health.  Maybe it's because I was so focused on getting the rest of my life in line.  But now I feel ready to focus on this.

My plan is about 25% diet, 25% exercise and at least 50% getting my 'mind' fixed.  I've been focusing a lot on cognitive therapy, Addictive Voice Recognition Therapy and other 'self help' type programs/books to get myself ready for action. And people, I AM ready for action.

Started working the plan on Friday, just like I said I would.  I even took a trip to the gym so I could do a leg workout.  I wasn't enjoying the workout much at first.  Seeing myself in mirrors on every side wasn't doing much for my mood but then I had a guy come up to me and compliment my 'short hair' (told me I Rocked it).  I stuck to my plan for the entire day/night and really felt good about it - woke up the next morning to a HUGE drop on the scale (that I think now was because I was dehydrated (duh).

Saturday - I stayed (pretty much) on plan as well.  Ate a big breakfast of eggs and bacon and then stuck to my meal replacement foods for the rest of the day.  I didn't eat anything at the bike festival we went to and even skipped eating at the restaurant that night because I had already had my meal.  However, I did have a beer at the festival and a Long Island Iced Tea at the restaurant.  Later, at karaoke I had several more drinks and then had some cookies at jack in the box at 2 in the morning on my way home.  Lesson learned is that I need a better strategy for going out.  Less booze and less 'slipping' after drinking.

Sunday I was up early and went to a Halloween festival with my daughter.  Had an excellent day, ate a huge salad when we stopped at the sandwich place and had grilled chicken when we stopped at Jack in the Box. Didn't drink anything and stuck 100% to my plan - whoop whoop!

Monday was good again - didn't get back to the gym as I had planned but I did stick 100% to my food plan.  Even avoided all the crap food they had laid out at choir.  there's always cake, cookies, chips and the like.  I just avoided going into the 'snack room' at all.  Was a good strategy for me.  Instead I sat and read through my 'reasons to lose weight' cards.

Today, I still don't have a solid workout plan in place.  My legs are only just now starting to recover from Friday's leg workout.  I want to get back into triathlons so I need to make time for running/biking/swimming (BTW - hubby and I biked to and from the festival on Saturday).  I also love to lift weights and really enjoy looking and feeling strong.  I just need to set myself a schedule for doing those things and stick to it.  I have more then enough access to gyms!

But to pull this back to the positive - food has been good - my head is in an excellent place right now.  This is a long term project, I know and every positive step is a good one.