Question(s) Of the Day:
Briefly Introduce Yourself.
Briefly tell us your plan for the next 31 days, any potential struggles you'll face, and how you'll overcome them.
Hey guys!
@courtneybeth, thanks for leading us around DL this month! I'm still at the entrance to the esplanade, so I guess I'll have to hustle to get myself through the gates and catch up with you.
(The above picture is actually the first picture ever taken of me on Disneyland property)
For those of you who don't know me yet, I'm Sarah. I'm 29 (gonna be 30 next month ... ahhhhh!!), fairly unemployed (and not happy about it), and I live with my parents and two siblings in the 'burbs of NYC (I technically live within the borders of NYC, but I'm in a very suburban area that's not really what you think of when you think NYC). I've been doing these challenges on and off for just short of two years now (almost as long as I've been on the boards), and while I haven't been as great about losing weight as I should be, I love having a group of people who motivate and support me (and I love being able to support others on their journeys!).
My weight loss goals didn't start with any one thing - I was never really heavy, but I always knew that I wanted to be a little thinner. I've been trying to lose weight since high school, with some ups and some downs (some of which were medication-related). My ultimate goal is to get down to 120 lbs, but I think I'd be okay if I settled around 125-127 lb, which is about where I was in college. I weighed in at 145.5 lb this AM, so ... only 25.5 lb to go!
My goal for the month is a super ambitious one for me - 5 lbs. I don't think I've ever lost 5 lb in a month. I don't know if I'll be able to do it. What I do know is that after a few unsuccessful months, I need to make some big changes, and I think that a big goal is the best way to get me there.
My
exercise plan for the month is 3 days of running per week (for a total of 10-15 miles, divided up differently based on the week and the weather) and 3 days of non-running exercise per week (including at least 2 days of cross-training, and the third day can be either cross-training or walking depending on how I feel). I also need to do some stretching/flexibility every day, and I plan to do my knee exercises every other day (a nice leftover from my most recent round of knee problems).
In terms of a
food plan ... I don't follow a particular diet, but I do try to make conscious choices with my eating. I definitely need to work on my food tracking. The current plan is to track breakfast before bed, lunch after breakfast, and dinner after I fill my plate but before I eat (because half the time I have my cell phone at the dinner table anyway). We'll see if this works well for me, and if I'm still struggling, I'll try something else mid-month.
I'm also mandating "
Sarah fun time." I'm doing a three day alternating cycle - one day Netflix, one day reading, and one day religious studies. Last month I struggled with taking time to myself, but these are things that I can do as Sarah Time but can also incorporate into my daily to-do list, so hopefully it will give me a 30-60 minute period of calm even on my most hectic days.
Another thing I want to do to help keep me on track is start a journal for my healthy lifestyle and general life stuff. The plan is to write something each day about my exercise, my eating, and some general thoughts about the day and my mood. I've done it before and I think it helped, but I stopped because I didn't feel like I needed it anymore. Now I think I do need it again. So I'm going to try starting it up again. I'm doing things a little differently than I did last time, so I'm still ironing out the kinks in this idea a bit.
My biggest
obstacle is that I get in my own head. I can make good choices. I can say no to temptations. But then I tell myself ... why should I want to? Especially because I'm just going to fail at this anyway. There's a voice in my head that tells me it's not even worth trying.
Overcoming that obstacle ... is dang near impossible. But I'm working on it and trying to ignore the voice in my head telling me to just give up.
Bonus question: When you walk through the main gates, do you head right or left first?
I don't really know my right from my left, but I think we go right. Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters is our favorite "first attraction" at DL.
(We do the same thing at MK ... go right and start with Buzz)
On the 23rd of July, I will be running a 2 Mile Race. In July. In Kansas. I am Nuts. This is official.
You're not alone. There are lots of nuts runners here. Welcome to the club!
Bonus Question: (we have only been to wdw) We start at the RIGHT! We always go to Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin!
YES!!! Best way to start!!
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Hey guys! Happy Friday and Happy Canada Day to any Canadians we may have here! Reading through and typing up my intro has taken up more time than I thought it would, so I don't really have time to chat now, but maybe I'll be back later. In case I'm not ... have a great weekend, everyone!