100 lbs

It's February 26th today.  In a year and a half, I'll turn 40 years old and in the same amount of time, I'm going to lose 100 pounds.  There, I said it and so it will be. 

When I share with people that I need to lose this much weight, they look at me like I'm crazy and say "no you don't".  Now, I can't tell if they're being nice or if they truly don't think that I have that much to lose.  I'm lucky that I'm fairly proportionate and I carry my weight everywhere.  Toes, arms, legs, back, neck, nose, backside, all over.  Since I've had children, things certainly have "shifted" a bit (a lot!) and I fear my breasts and stomach will never recover.  I don't expect to be the way I was before I had children though, I expect to look and feel better. I've always struggled with my weight and it's the one thing in my life that I feel that I have little control over as I never make the time to focus on my health.  After returning to work full time after staying home with the kids for 5 years, my life is busier than ever.  It's busier but it's also calmer, more organized, richer, more productive and I've found that I'm much happier working outside of the house.  This huge change in our lives has unexpectedly produced four key factors that are critical to me keeping myself healthy and losing weight.  .

1. Sleep - I get more sleep now.  It's extremely rare that I don't get at least 8 hours of sleep.  I'm so exhausted by the time the kids go down, that I find myself getting into bed before 9PM each night.  I have every intention on catching up on my favorite shows, but instead find myself falling asleep.  When I was home with the kids, I would stay up until 1 or 2AM and try to nap during the day.  My sleep schedule was so off that I would find myself getting angry and resentful and the kids if they woke me up too early.  I'm now very well rested and it makes all the difference in the world.  It's awesome. 

2. Preparation - I have to be more organized and prepared for the week.  Grocery shopping, errands, our schedules (school, activities, etc.) can't be put off for a later time or the next day...because there is no time the next day.  Planning meals and activities have to happen in advance or they just won't and don't get done. 

3. Stress - I'm far less stressed than I was when I was a stay at home mom.  Another added bonus and one that I hadn't anticipated.  Because I'm getting more sleep and because I'm more organized, my stress level has decreased in spades. 

4. Caring about how I look - I go into an office most days.  I run meetings and at times interact with Senior and Executive level professionals.  I do my hair and makeup everyday (big change for me) and actually give some thought to what clothes I wear.  When I first stayed home with Charlie, I hadn't intended on being a shlub.  I was going to get up each morning, get myself and my adorable children dressed and go outside to explore and expose my kiddos to the amazing wonders of the world, all in style.  The reality was me in workout pants (sans the workout, right?), hair up in a pony and I was lucky if I put on a bra.  Oh how the times have changed.  I care about how I look and want my health to reflect that. 

The Plan: I'm kicking this off by eating 1200 calories each day, no more and no less. I'm eating protein rich foods (gotta stay satiated), whole grains, fruits and veggies. I'm limiting my intake of carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol. I'm drinking at least 8 - 8oz glasses of water each day. I'm increasing my activity level by hitting the gym at least three times and week and taking walks at work during lunchtime, if time permits. This plan will change along the way, but for now, I'm comfortable with it and confident that I'll be able to meet my daily goals.

The #1 roadblock that will result in me not meeting my goal is myself.  I don't have the best discipline when it comes to exercising or avoiding the baked goods. This is going to be a one day at a time journey and I've decided that each day I will spend a short time to journal how the day went.  My success and failures, my activity and exactly what I ate each day.  I'll include any recipes or resources I'm using along the way and encourage your questions and feedback in the comments. 

Wish me luck, say a prayer, have me in your thoughts...however you choose to send out those positive vibes is up to you.  All I know if I need you to send them in my direction because I'm going to need all the help I can get.  Thanks in advance!

Elizabeth