Thank You Thank You Thank You

I first just want to say thank you to all of you who have commented, private messaged, texted me, etc. to offer such amazing words of encouragement and support. I truly am overwhelmed. I had a feeling (maybe the spirit) that publishing on my blog all the details about my attempt at weight loss would be a great help to me in some way and because of all of you, my friends and family, I feel more confident than ever that I can do this. Especially with all your help. Thank you for being my cheerleaders and offering me some really great advice, tips, and resources. I can do this and I am going to do it!

Now for some very real introspection.

I have learned in the past few years (especially since being married) when I decide to do something I do it all out. When I decide to cut my hair I am going to chop off 12 inches, when I decide I want to eat healthier I only want to eat raw veggies and fruit, when I decide I'm going to join a gym I go everyday for 2 hours, when I want to clean the apartment I'm going to clean out every cabinet, mop the floors, clean the baseboards, etc. I'm not the kind of girl to ease into things. I like to jump in the deep end. That being said, frequently I burn out with this mindset or I end up regretting my drastic choices.

So when it came time to come up with some goals for the new year well, I didn't just want to change one or two things. I wanted to change EVERYTHING! Luckily, those closest to me  are able to say, "Ellen, you're getting a little crazy." Usually I just get defensive and think to myself, "You don't know me, I can do it!" This time I am taking a more humbled approach.

With this humble approach I have decided to pair down and prioritize a little bit. I decided that I was going to choose 4 of these goals that are the most important to me and focus on those for the next 3 months. If I feel that I have done well with these goals (based on a system of accountability I have established in goal setting) I can focus on another one. I also think that I will still try to do the other things as I go along but I am not going to kill myself trying.

Even now, looking at my list and trying to choose four is really hard. They are all things I want for myself but I also want to actually accomplish some of them and so the others are going to be more like wishes vs. goals. So, my top 4:

1. Loose 50 lbs.
2. Scripture Study Daily
3. Talk to Far-Away Family/Friends
4. Date Planning

Okay, I think those are what I want to focus on first, but who knows, I might change my mind. Is that bad? I would like to say that I do have goal plans for each of these. I.e. accountability, consequences, smaller goals, etc. Chris gave me a "worksheet" of sorts that he used with the kids he mentored that I used as a guide. Obviously this is for academic goals but it applies to others as well. Here it is if you want it.

For a little update, I kept in my calorie allowance today! Yay! I wasn't even hungry but I was craving some serious baked goods, really anything would have sufficed.

Breakfast: Hard Boiled Egg and Green Smoothie
Lunch: Tuna Salad with Cucumbers and Cherry Tomatoes, Asian Pear
Snack: Hummus and Green Peppers
Dinner: Ground Turkey Orzo Stuffed Green Peppers

And I went on a lovely walk in the unseasonably warm weather around these parts. Life is good!

You know what I am excited for? Doing fashion posts again like this when I loose a significant amount! :) That will be fun.