Mid-month check-in

I have been pretty busy and have a lot of things going on in my life right now, so the blog has taken a back seat. I hope to get back on it more because writing makes me feel better, but I also don’t know how much I want to share the Internet….

But I did want to check in on my monthly goals so I can figure out what I need to do over the next 13 days! I have some successes and some failures, but at least I have made some progress!

For the love of Travel

– Plan the NYC trip postponed until fall

For the love of Fitness

– Run at least 10 miles a week; My running weeks begin on Mondays, so week 1 was 13.1 miles (two races); the following weeks were less successful: Week 2 was 7.75 and Week 3 was 5.5 week 2….sigh

– Set at least one PR this month (I have at least 3 races) Four races and 3 PRs so far

– Non-running cardio at least 10 times. Three times so far

– Strength work at least 10 times (Hello Jillian Michaels) FAIL!

– Yoga at least 7 times (time to use those living social deals!) Going to TRY to go tomorrow night

For the love of Health

– Stick to WW (AGAIN); Jess and joined and we are going to tackle this together. I joined, but I would not say i am sticking to it…SIGH again

For the love of Beauty

– Pamper myself somehow (massage, mani/pedi…something!) Hopefully soon!

For the love of Food

-eat at least one new DC area restaurant (Vinoteca reservations have already been made) Vinoteca was cancelled, so I need to find something else. Josh’s mom is here this weekend, so maybe we will go somewhere

– go to the farmer’s market. FAIL!

For the love of Fun

– READ MORE!!!!!!! WIN!!!! I am on my fourth book this month!

– Have a girls’ night/brunch/etc… every other month. Well I did see Jess at the United game last weekend…

For the love of Money

– NO SPEND DAYS!!!!!! I got sick, so I had two of those.

For the love of Giving Back

-Contact BOMF to see what else I can do since my schedule does not allow for the morning runs. Why have I not done this?????

For the love of Learning

– Get to work on the new wine blog (details to follow) FAIL!!!

– Pick a language and get started!!!! Spanish, now to start!

What I hope to accomplish in 2011

My last post showed what I have accomplished on my 101 list. this one will focus on what I hope to do in 2011…it’s going to be a BUSY year!!!!!

TO BE COMPLETED:

For the love of Travel

Stay in a Bed and Breakfast

Go to NYC with mom

For the love of Culture

See a Broadway play

Go to Jazz in the Garden

For the love of Fitness

Attend a group exercise class twice a month (43/66)

Try spin class again, at least 10 times (2/10)

For the love of Health

Floss for a month (0/30)

Smile more, frown less

Feel comfortable in a bathing suit

Fit in my madras string bikini

Go vegan for one week (0/7)

Lose 30 pounds (15.8/30) (recommitted to WW on 30 September 2010)

For the love of Beauty

Eliminate all clothing that does not fit (my plan is winter clothes by 3/31/11 and summer clothes by 9/30/11.)

Wash my face before bed for a month (0/30)

For the love of Adventure

Trapeze School

For the love of Fun

Go on a picnic

Complete a jigsaw puzzle

Go to a drive-in movie

Play mini golf

Go bowling

Go ice skating

Go on a trip by myself

Throw myself a graduation party

For the love of Money

Shop with coupons every week for two months (0/8)

For the love of Family

Write a letter to Ann Hines

For the love of Giving Back

Volunteer (0/5)

For the love of Learning

Learn how to ride a bike

Learn a new language

For the love of Organization

Organize my jewelry

Organize kitchen cupboards

Organize bathroom

For the love of Domesticity

have flowers in the house just because they are pretty (3/10)

For the love of Everything Else

Don’t complain for seven consecutive days (0/7)

TO BE WORKED ON:

For the love of Fitness

Take the stairs at work one week per month (0/33)

Work out an average of 3/week (184/429)

For the love of Beauty

Pamper myself (mani, pedi, salon and/or massage) every 6 weeks (6/22)

For the love of Food

Eat at 25 new restaurants in the DC area and 20 outside (15/25) (18/20)

Go to the farmers market every other week (2/72)

Go to brunch once a month (10/33)

For the love of Fun

Read 100 books for fun (21/100)

Do something fun and free once a month (5/33)

Play tourist in DC once a month (5/33)

Go on a date once a month (17/33)

Have a girls’ night/brunch/etc… every other month (4/16)

Watch 26 movies I have not seen, beginning with the letters A-Z (18/26)

For the love of Money

Save an average of $250/month ($8250 minimum)

Have 3 “no spend” days a month (12/99)

For the love of Family

Spend more time with family (18/33)

For the love of Learning

Watch, read or listen to the real news twice a week (81/286)

For the love of Everything Else

Identify 25 things I like about myself (0/25)

Identify 50 things that make me happy (0/50)

Project 365

101 check-in

Well, I started my list just over a year ago. I think I have made some pretty good progress so far. I still have a lot to do to complete everything on the list, but I feel good knowing how much I have accomplished, considering I was in school, on top of my job, during year one of this goal

COMPLETED (17/101):

For the love of Travel

Travel to the West Coast

Visit India

Go to the beach

For the love of Fitness

Run a 5K

Run a race that is at least 10K

Learn how to strength train on my own

Be able to run for 30 straight minutes

For the love of Health

Rejoin weight watchers

Stick to Weight Watchers

Get prescription sunglasses

Stop drinking soda for one month

For the love of Beauty

Grow my hair past my shoulders

For the love of Food

Eat a Voodoo Donut

For the love of Learning

Graduate

Take yoga more seriously

Start a Blog

For the love of Everything Else

Share my blog with others

GOOD PROGRESS (11/101):

For the love of Fitness

Attend a group exercise class twice a month (43/66)

Work out an average of 3/week (184/429)

For the love of Health

Lose 30 pounds (15.8/30)

For the love of Beauty

Pamper myself (mani, pedi, salon and/or massage) every 6 weeks (6/22)

For the love of Food

Eat at 25 new restaurants in the DC area and 20 outside (15/25) (18/20)

Go to brunch once a month (10/33)

For the love of Fun

Read 100 books for fun (21/100)

Go on a date once a month (17/33)

Watch 26 movies I have not seen, beginning with the letters A-Z (18/26)

For the love of Family

Spend more time with family(18/33)

For the love of Giving Back

Donate to 5 charities that matter to me (3/5)

#reverb10 – 11 things

I have come across this #Reverb 10 on a lot of the blogs I follow. I am obviously not participating in this, but I like this prompt a lot and it has me thinking….

11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

1. School related stress –  this is kind of a easy way to start this list because I finished school last week, but I think  2011 is going to be wonderful because this is no longer a part of my life

2. Clutter – we have a very, very small apartment. It just cannot handle the excess amount of stuff we have, so I am getting rid of anything and everything we do not need!

3. Debt – I know I will not be able to pay off all of my debt in 2011, but my mission is to have at least one of my credit cards completely paid off by the end of next year. I can do this by limiting clothes shopping and eating out and taking that extra savings and giving it to Discover

4. Buying lunch – If I did this less, I could give Discover more money! I am going to make a conscious effort to keep healthy lunch foods in the house at all times and limit my eating out to once a week at most

5. Extra weight – I am going to stick to this running thing and Weight Watchers and I will feel good in a bathing suit for the first time in years!

6. Excuses – These are what cause number 5. I am just going to do it from now on.

7. Anxiety  – I am taking up yoga next week and I plan to find a new therapist in the new year. Hopefully the combination of these two things and the elimination of school will help my panic attacks and other stress related issues.

8. Excess spending – see 3 and 4. I should be saving, not spending every dime I make. I will be more conscious of putting at least $100/month into savings and leaving it there!

9. TV watching – Ok, let’s not get crazy…I am not quitting this, but I am going to make an effort to watch less. It would be nice to have an evening when J and I just talk and hang out. And less TV means more reading time!

10. Clothes that do not fit – I have already set deadlines for myself and I will stick to them. this will also help me stick to 5 and 6 because I would much rather toss clothes that are too big! 🙂

11. My inability to cook – I just need to get in the kitchen and do it.

This was kind of fun. Maybe I will revisit some of the other prompts later this week.

First gain

I am not surprised by the fact that my weight went up this week. I am actually surprised it went up by as little as it did! I have not been a very faithful Weight Watcher over the past few weeks and i have definitely been slacking on the exercise, so I suppose I should be grateful.

Today starts ANOTHER recommitment to tracking points. I have been eating so terribly lately, that I have been embarrassed to log in and really see the damage. But I know myself and I know seeing the cold, hard facts is the only thing that will keep me on track.

So this morning, I logged my new weight…and my bagel (with two cream cheeses…OOPS!). But I also got to log in a sweet two-mile run!

31 will be my year

I turned 31 on Friday. At first, I felt bad because there was a lot I planned to accomplish in my 30th year that i did not do. But then I thought of what I have done…

1. I ran a 5K

2. I ran a 5 miler

3. I ran a freaking TEN MILER!!!!!

4. I have lost almost 12 pounds the healthy way.

5. I have read a lot of fun books

6. I am slowly but surely making progress on my 101 list

I have a feeling 31 is going to be my year!!!!!!

on a more positive note

some really great things happened to me over the past week.

1. I am FINALLY getting my promotion

2. I ran 10 whole miles. Ok, I walked a lot of it, but I still did it and in less time than the maximum time alloted for the ATM.

3. I lost 4.8 pounds!!!!!!

4. J and I had a really great date. We saw Wall Street 2 (good, but a tad too long) and went to Indique. All the food was good but the shrimp appetizer I had was to die for!

5. my internship got waived and I officially applied for graduation. January 15, 2011….Hurry up and get here!!!!!!

6. I got an A- on my midterm. I was totally stressed about it for no reason

7. I took time to just relax this past weekend. It has been a long time since I did that

It feels good to not complain for once 🙂

thank you old friend!

i actually managed to stick to Weight Watchers this week…well, mostly! :0 I tracked everything I ate and drank, and while I wasn’t perfect, I do know it made me much more aware of what I was eating and drinking and I definitely consumed MUCH less than a normal week and I was never hungry.

And the payoff from this….4.8 pounds in one week!!!! WOW!!!!!

I know I am definitely in a different mindset than I was back when I attempted to restart WW back in January. I rarely logged my food and I never stayed on point. seeing a loss (especially one that significant) was nice. I know the pounds won’t drop that quickly every week, but what a nice jump-start 🙂

saying hello to an old friend

I rejoined Weight Watchers AGAIN! I know I will take it more seriously this time. I got a huge wake-up call after seeing a picture of me and my mother last week. My mother has always been overweight and often obese. She has done amazing things over the past year or so and lost over SEVENTY pounds on her own. I am super duper proud of her, but I never thought I would see the day I was bigger than my mother….well, that day is here and, while happy for her, I am not happy about myself. (I realize this post will probably make me seem like a huge brat…)

It may not be the best way to decide to get serious about a diet and it may not be the nicest way (Again, I am very proud of my mom, but still….this wasn’t supposed to happen). I am really just mad at myself for letting myself get to this size and weight. I am not happy with myself and the way clothes fit me. I do not like the size I have to buy in stores now. I do not like wearing bigger clothes than my mother. If this makes me a bad person, I am sorry….but I am being honest.

To my mother, I am so proud of you. Keep up the good work. And thank you for the kick in the pants. You are an inspiration to me!

To Weight Watchers, I am going to kcik ass with you this time, I promise.

To J, please help me stick with this. I cannot do it alone (especially since you are my cook!)

September’s List

what this blog may lack in pictures (I really need a better camera…and an iPhone!), it definitely makes up for with my to-do lists!

It is the first day of a new month and it is time to set some goals. School started yesterday, so life just even crazier and if I don’t have a handy little list, I may lose my mind!!!!

1. Stay ahead of the game on school reading (I am so bad about this!!!! I didn’t read my three chapters for today, the first day….oops! off to a bad start already!)

2. Run four times a week (My current training schedule calls for this. I know there may be times that I cannot do the full length, but every mile counts!)

3. Strength train twice a week (I have once a weeks with my trainer, so I need to get better on my own)

4. Limit going out to once a week (money saver and a belly shrinker!)

5. Pack lunch at least 4 times a week (a healthy money saver!)

6. Pack breakfast at least 3 times a week (another healthy money saver)

7. Do not spend more than $5 on pre-class snacks (This means pre-planning and packing before I leave for work those days)

8. Keep reading non-school books to give my brain a break! (Math is hard!)

9. Stretch after every run (MUST get better about this!)

10. Eight hours of sleep at least 2 nights a week (I know I should get that every night…baby steps!)

11. No more than 4 sodas a week (I will consider this a HUGE victory!!!!)

I think those are some pretty doable goals. They should keep me on track in school, fitness, budget and life in general. I will revisit them in two weeks and then again at the end of the month. Wish me luck!!!!