31 December 2010

I didn't BLOW IT and Wrapping Up the HOT 100

Over 100 days ago I joined two challenges.

On Septmeber 15, Erika at "Fat Like Me" posted this gem. The gist of the challenge was to avoid undoing any of the hard work we'd accomplished this year by gaining the usual 5 to 15 holiday pounds. By losing 11.6 lbs, I have risen to the challenge!  I believe that without the encouragement of bloggy friends like Erika and all of you, it would've been a struggle this year. Intuitive eating flew out the window some of the last few days, just as calorie counting would've. So many times I thought "screw this, I'm eating for fun today" but because of the challenges and my aversion to total public humiliation, I maintained the downward weight trend, even though the line on the chart leveled off a great deal towards the end.

Here are my Hot 100 Goals Set for the last 100 days of the year which happened to have coincided with the beginning of autumn.

Health: Go to bed by 10 pm nightly


About 95% of the time, I was successful with this goal. Even when I did my sleep study, I was tucked in an hour ahead of schedule because I am now so accustomed to it. Hopefully once treatment is in place, 10 pm will be the only time I go to bed - no more 9 am and 1 pm naps.

Nutrition: Eat more fruit!
Our good friend Patrick at Responsibility 199 was key in setting and achieving this goal. Although I rarely eat the 5 servings that I know make me feel the best, I am definitely improving and eating fruit on a daily basis. When we went to my mother's for Xmas, I was astounded by the lack of fruits and vegetables offered for the holiday meal and then I realized - they were never a part of my life growing up, either. Occasionally we'd have canned processed fruit and veggies but not as a general rule. Hmmm. back then I was on an all-carb high fat diet and I was thin as a rail, and yet I was active all the time. Something to think about, although clearly not a good ongoing plan!  Thanks Patrick for getting me started on that!
Activity: Achieve BMI at or below 35
This is a goal that I should've never published. Putting deadlines and numbers together is almost certain to gaurantee failure when it comes to me. That must be some psychological impairment that I have that motivates me to rebel against numbers.  Maybe I should learn more about "Avoidant Personality Disorder." Or, maybe it's better not to know. I think I'll avoid it for now. At any rate, my current BMI is
36.33.  Obviously it doesnt agree with the BMI app on my phone, which I liked a lot better because it told me  what I wanted to hear. Still, I'm sticking with the Wii Fit's calculations.

Accountability: Blog at least 2x daily
For me, this ended up not being a very realistic goal. I ended up having to choose between reading lots of blogs or posting my own. I have a ton of unfinished blog posts sitting in my dashboard now for upcoming posts because I'd start the 2nd daily post and then remember that I hadn't read a few of my favorites. Plus, the goal had a number tied to it. Always a bad idea when I'm me.



Pay it Forward: Encourage hubby to join the journey
I'm going to count myself as successful on this one despite the fact that he isn't on board. I can do that, because I did encourage him. Of course, I can't control his actions so I can't make him do what I think is best for him. I'll keep encouraging and one of these days I'll even let him know that I finally weigh less than him. However, I need that spread to be a little wider before I share that paticular secret. I'm very competitive like that.


Thanks everybody for your continued support, advice, and comraderie. I have lost a total of 57 pounds last year through practicing mindfulness. With that came a lot of learning about controlling my ongoing anxiety issues as well. I find myself entering 2011 not only 57 lbs lighter, but also taking being less fearful of doctors and people in general. I'm becoming the best me I can be, which is a continous process. Several months ago when I started reading my BIL's blog, it didn't occur to me that there were so many other weight loss blogs out  on the interwebs, let alone that I would end the year learning from so many and publishing one of my one with over a hundred thirty followers!

Nobody knows what the next 365 days will bring. There will be successes and challenges, to be sure. We're all in this together, cheering one another on towards the goal of weighing less, living healthy lives, and making better choices. I'm confident we'll hear a lot more success stories, NSV's, weigh-ins, setbacks, injuries, excuses, meal plans, ideas, recipes, foibles, and maybe even a runner jogging into the side of a parked van here and there. 

Peace!

6 comments:

  1. Of all your goals and successes, I think I am most impressed, and jealous, that you can go to bed by 10 pm...good work on the 57 pounds, more in 2011!!!

    Polar's Mom
    www.polarspage.blogspot.com

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  2. Congratulations on your successes! Looks like the year ended on a very positive note. I wish you much success, joy, balance, and insight in 2011!!

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  3. Thanks for giving me the picture of girl running into side of the van. I just hope I don't have ALL of the injuries of 2011! How'd you do on squats today?

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  4. I haven't done them yet. I'll post it when I do. Unexplained kidney pain is slowin me down.

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  5. A lot of accomplishments to look back on. If we weren't blogging we may forget them. I really like the Pay it Forward and you have with me and other Bloggers just by posting the information and encouragement that you do. Happy New Year and all the best for 2011 (hugs)

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  6. A lot of accomplishments to be proud of. And look back at with a beaming smile! ;-) You rock!! HIGH FIVE!!

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