13-in-13 Challenge: Week 4 complete

The hardest part of issuing self-challenges like this is facing up to it when you haven't been trying. Blah, blah, okay it was the holidays, but if I had really wanted to work at this, I could have. I didn't.

But I went to my WW meeting today, knowing full well the damage was going to be huge, and I paid her to tell me how much I gained. It was as bad as I thought. The receptionist (who is also the leader at the Thursday meeting) drew a line above today's weigh-in, and said it was a fresh start. Just move forward, stay on plan, and keep going. So that's what I'm doing. It's a new year, and I've got 9 more weeks left in this challenge; I can make real headway if I work at it. And I want to work at it.

1. LOSE WEIGHT.
Weight: 186.2
GAIN: 6.2

In 3 weeks, oh boy. Okay, onward!

2. Eat one vegetable-based meal a day.
I was lucky when we were at my in-laws to get any vegetables in the meal at all. Yikes! But I am making a concerted effort this week to follow this. We've stocked up on salad fixin's (which we love), spaghetti squash and sauce, and I just picked up a bag of shredded cabbage and mushrooms today. That makes the best stir-fry...

3. Do at least 2 different types of exercise each week.
I completed the first week of the Couch-to-5K plan this week, Monday Wednesday and Saturday. I'm glad I'm starting from the beginning, because it's not easy!

I did have to miss my Friday workout because I was, um, hungover after New Year's, but I made sure to get there today. Next week I will get my C25K workouts done during the week, and Saturday after my WW meeting, I will hit the pool! Looking foward to that.

But oh my gosh, it must be January 2nd. The gym was PACKED. There was a line waiting to get into an exercise class next to the indoor track, and the pool water was splashing up on the sides there were so many people in there. I have to get there early or I'll be irritated.

4. Limit my sweets/dessert/treats to 3-4 per week.
There were Christmas cookies, and I got 4 different chocolate/candy gifts from co-workers. This was hopeless.
But I did throw away all the cookies and most of the candy now, and the few that are left are put aside for my 3-4 treats per week. Even those might get tossed in a day or two...

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I'm not going to include them as part of a challenge or anything, but there are a few new habits I am trying to form now, to firm up my eating plan and really pushing myself to lose weight instead of continuing to gain.

-Eating a bowl of fruit with breakfast every morning. I read this new habit that What A Splurge had developed over last year, and it sounds like a brilliant idea. I have a platter of excellent fruit that I picked up for New Year's, and it's a great way to start the day!

-Tracking my food. I cracked open my WW journal again, and am even counting points this week.

-Eat more unexpected varieties of vegetable soup. I love soup, but when I think of "vegetable soup" I think of the cubed carrots, green beans, peas, zucchini and tomatoes that are in traditional vegetable soups. I hate all those veggies, especially together. So I bought a light Maryland crab broth soup, some light French onion, and a spicy black bean for this week's lunches. I'd like to make a non-creamy mushroom soon, and maybe a squash-tomato. They're still all vegetable, they're just not "vegetable soup".

-I've got to find a good dinner roll. With Medifast last year we gave up all bread and carbs, and that's not what I want to do this year. But I do want it in moderation, thus the dinner rolls; they're great with soup or to sop up the last bits of salad or spaghetti squash and tomato sauce. Natural Ovens used to have a great one but I haven't seen it in stores lately.

That's it for now! I have a good feeling about this week. Mainly because I CANNOT GAIN MORE WEIGHT. Argh!