Virtual Motivation

I'm guest-posting this week over at 100 Miles in 3 Months about virtual motivation...and visual motivation.  Check it out here!

Are you looking for a fun way to stay motivated this spring as you shake off your bulky winter-weather clothes and transition into lighter spring/summer clothes (and - dare I say it - swim suit season?!)? 

We're only one week into Round 5 of the challenge, you can easily join in the virtual fun.  You don't even have to have a blog to do it - all you have to do is email Amanda (her email is on the Challenge's blog homepage) that you want to participate (see the guidelines here) and commit to walking/running (or logging exercise) to accumulate 100 miles between April 1st and June 30!  I can assure you - it is a totally attainable goal!  Each week Amanda sends out a call for miles and each participant leaves a comment with how many miles we logged for the week.  I track each work-out on my phone using the app: CardioTrainer, this makes it super easy to see what I've done for the week and drop a quick comment with how many miles I've walked.

I love that this challenge motivates me to get some miles logged each week (I've challenged myself for the month of April to exceed the miles I walked in April of last year - I may even try to beat the miles I walked for April-May-June of last year, but one month at a time!).   I also love knowing that there are women all over the country getting out and pushing themselves each week! 

Isn't this virtual world we live in awesome?! 

I challenge you to join us!  There are still 12 weeks left in the Round 5 challenge - that's only 8 miles each week - or just over a mile a day - you could probably get that in by walking a half an hour on your lunch break!

Week 2: Recap

{ Weigh in date: Saturday, March 30, 2013 }

{ Results: +3 lbs }

Well, crap.

I did not see this one coming. Okay...maybe a little, considering we were "on holiday" last week at my in-laws and that equates to snacking, snacking, snacking. And cocktails. And we got 8 inches of snow the second day we were there, so I pretty much just phoned in the rest of the week. And I paid for it this morning when I stepped on the scale.

Today I am working on getting my menus and my tracking in order and figuring out how to work in weekly work-outs and my gosh, I am overwhelmed! I want to hit my goal weight by June 30, which to me - the master of procrastination - seems like plenty of time, but I tend to see-saw so much from week to week, that it makes me anxious and sweaty and overwhelmed. 

 And then I stopped and stepped back and said to myself, stop looking at the big picture. The big picture always overwhelms me because I have such big plans. And sometimes my plans are unrealistic, although I think that 1.5 lbs a week is not unrealistic. And sometimes life gets very much in the way of what I want to accomplish.  HOWEVER, if I take it one week at a time, that's not so overwhelming. And if I break it down even further, one small change each day - whether it's 15 minutes of weights before I make the bed in the morning or skipping a snack that I don't really need - no matter how healthy - one small concession each day will make 1.5 lbs a week attainable.

Goals for this week:

1. Plan dinners for the next 2 weeks, complete with points and in pencil so I can change my mind if life gets in the way!  
2. Walk 3 times - weights 3 times.
3. No alcohol   No excuses - last week was indulgent.  This week, I am going to best friends with Betty Ford.

And also, I'd really like to beat my April miles from last year, which was 66.2 miles!  (I think I did nothing but walk last spring!)

Here's to starting a new week on a hopeful and realistic foot! 

{ Life-Style Changes so far }

• {Multi-Vitamin every day} - so far so good, I just keep them by my bed and take one before I go to sleep at night.  I do not like to take them in the morning because they don't sit well in my belly and tend to make me feel like throwing up.  I hate to throw up, so I just take mine before bed.
• {No caffeine after 12pm} - the days I cheat and have a Diet Pepsi in the afternoon, I am absolutely dying for the rest of the evening.  I could snack my way to bed time and beyond!  The days that I stick hard and fast to my rule, I have a much easier time controlling those cravings.
• {Water, water, water!}  - I just keep a glass of ice water full on the counter in a large mason jar.  It's fun to drink out of (I even have to share with Finn sometimes, but that's okay, I'm pretty sure he doesn't backwash too much!).  Sometimes I add a lemon or a lime, but mostly I just drink it plain.  And I thought I'd be peeing a lot more, but I guess my body really needs water, because I don't feel like I'm excessively running to the potty!
• {Exercise 3 times a week} - this one is getting easier now that the weather isn't ridiculously cold.  Also, my back has started to bother me again, so it is imperative that I get out and move for a couple of miles each day in order to get that beast under control.