November Already

Seriously, where is time going?  How can it already be November!   Time is just rolling at one heck of a fast clip!   But here we are at the beginning of November!   The last week of October went by and before I knew it I was stepping back on the scales for my weigh in.  Another week in the books!

What did we do

My weigh in week started off with a weekend.  We were busy with errands on the weekend. And as usu enjoyed our weekend together.  We got a few Halloween decorations up and carved our pumpkins.

We did also get in a walk outside.  But it was a quiet relaxing weekend.   On the one day I totally crashed and ended up napping on the couch for like four hours. I guess my body really needed it!

Of course the weekend ended way to fast and the work week rushed in and life got back to crazy.  I am still working with some new agents and leading a training class….so my days are non stop.  Even my official ‘breaks’ are not really breaks as I am trying to catch up on emails and whatnot …things I can’t do when I am leading a training class.   The week seemed long to me for some reason….but there wasn’t anything horrible about it…just busy.   And like normal, I was ready for my Friday weigh in…because it meant that the weekend was upon us 

Living Healthy

Finally, after vowing to get back to being healthy habits after vacation I actually made some efforts.  It only took me two to three weeks!  (Which is actually shameful!)

I started by tracking my food.  My calories were NOT where I like and need them to be.   My calories were in the 1600 calorie range.  Which for me is either barely maintaining or slightly gaining.  So not exactly perfect…but my food was tracked!  I’m calling that a win!

As normal we walked every night after work (well except for the one stormy rainy night).  I also hopped back onto the exercise bike during my breaks on a few of my days.  To my shame I didn’t do it every day….but I did it three times…which is  better than none!  I also didn’t do my  10 miles that I was averaging before vacation. But I still rode.  With losing my breaks due to training, I call three days of shorter mileage a win!

So what happened on the scales?  Why I went up.  My weight popped up.  Some of that is due to the ‘mi that ick’ and that’s ok….but I can’t blame my weight entirely on that because I know my calories were a bit high! (For my body).

A new week for Weight Loss

I know that I wasn't entirely on track for weight loss this past week.  And that’s ok.  I am more proud of the fact that I started to take the small steps to reign myself in. Sooo, this week I am committed to expanding my efforts.  More miles on the exercise bike and lowering my calories to where they NEED to be so that I can get back to being a loser!

It all boils down to what do I really want.  If I want to be thin. If I want to be healthy, I need to take the steps to make myself healthy.  I can pray for it…I can talk about it…I can dream and lot and plan.  But if I don’t actually take the action to make it a reality, nothing will happen! If I want it badly enough, then I need to put in the effort!  This week is all about effort!!!!

Effort: the effect on weight loss

Effort.  What a simple word.  Defined by the dictionary it means “a vigorous or determined attempt”.    We put forth effort all day and every day.  On those mornings where it’s really cold outside and you just don’t want to get out of bed and have to brave the cold to go to work?   You expend effort to get moving.  You put forth effort when it comes to cleaning your house, cooking dinner, completing your tasks at work.   All sorts of effort is expended.  But what about effort when it pertains to weight loss?  What effort is there?  How do our efforts parlay into success….or failure?

A while back I saw a statement on a blog that I regularly read .  It talked about effort and there was something that stuck out at me….a connection that I made in my head.   I popped the phrase into my data base in my mind and I sat on it a while.  I may be totally twisting what the message was in the original post, but it’s what has come around in MY head from a simple post!  So without further ado, I have two mathematical equations for you.  Ok, don’t panic…they are SUPER easy!

1.         Effort   =  The joy of success

2.        Lack of Effort  = absolute  failure

I told you they were easy didn’t I?  So simply put….if I put in the effort, I can reap the joys of success….but if I fail to even make an effort I fail.  Woah now…. So one brings most probablesuccess and the other one is absolute failure?   What kind of nincompoop would chose the absolute failure?    Who wants to fail?  No one!  It is human nature to want to be successful in all of our endeavors.

So once we get to this point in our thinking we can safely assume that to have success, you must have effort!  I will go further and say that if you never put forth any effort, that you will never be successful.  (I will qualify this by saying that there are extenuating circumstances that can bring around successful weight loss without effort….I mean….we could all have some horrible accident that causes us to break our jaw, requiring it to be wired shut for months……a liquid diet absorbed in pain may do the trick without actual effort!  But the AVERAGE person will need to expend effort to show success!)

Is there risk in the effort?  Well of course.   There is always a risk in pushing ourselves forward and putting effort into something.  But what rewards would you be able to reap if you try????  Amazing, joyful success!  

So it really boils down to a decision.  You can weigh the possible risk with the possible benefits of success?  But in the end, really think about it….because if you never try, what hope do you have of success?   NONE!