Monday, June 18, 2012

Crash and Burn

That's right. I will be donating $5 to the University of Utah Alumni Association. Bah Humbug! That's what I get for not sticking to my goals.

Some things that I learned this week when trying to complete my three physical fitness goals:

  • I stink at running nowadays. I miss those days when I was fit and I didn't wheeze when doing mountain climbers. Part of it is probably my lungs still healing from all the pneumonia and junk, but part of it is just being plain out of shape. It's alright though! I'm just going to keep trying and listen to my body. Before long I'll get the hang of things.
  • I need to leave room on my menu for desserts. There is no way I'm giving up all snacks, sugar, and goodies for the rest of my life and so I need to plan these into my menu. That way I don't feel like I need to sneak yummy food into my mouth when Coach Brandon isn't home (like the pound of pie dough I ate last week).
  • I found a loop hole in one of my goals and so I need to alter it. Instead of make a menu every day of the week, it should be make a menu of most days of the week and stick to it. I have 24 hours to make any changes before the actual meal comes. This way I can't just change what I'm going to have when I decide that I want to chow down on more pie dough.
  • My Ultimate Race isn't going to work, so instead I will do some public challenges on MapMyRun.com and you all can see how I'm doing.
  • The fruit on the table is not working because it's not easily snackable. Next time we go grocery shopping, I'm going to try and get some grapes or something.

Other than that, things are going pretty smoothly over here. Brandon and I just celebrated our 1.5 month-iversary by going to a destination hotel (his parents house when they were on vacation). We ate at Noodles & Company, pretended we were driving to a resort on rocky cliffs above an ocean, and watched Star Wars Episode XI. It was the BOMB.

Be my fans!

Hey everybody! It's really been too long since I've written. I think I left off mentioning Brandon's and my anniversary all the way back in early December. It was really fun and a lot has happened since then, but it would be difficult to write it all out.

Brandon and I have been attending the family history class for our ward. I got re-stoked into trying to create my own personal history. It seems such a big task, but I'm sure I could do it. I'm also going to start having a lot of free time in the evenings. While Brandon will be at school with the car, I will be walking from work to my in-laws to hang out for a few hours until Brandon can pick me up. My mother-in-law and I decided that during this time, especially on Tuesdays, we can work on completing her family history work. Her mother was born in Scotland and so we were talking yesterday about going up to Great Britain in 10-15 years to go find some records. Can't wait!

Since December, I've been reading hard core, at least for how busy I am. I have read about 25-ish books in the last 5 months. One of these books is called Change Anything. It is written by a group of experimenters in Utah who have found 6 key components in changing a habit. I think my habit is not being healthy. I love junk food and lately I've been eating it at a much more alarming rate. Anyway, so during this past week with the help of those 6 components from the book, I have made my change to a healthier me plan.

  • I took a good look at what I would be and look like in the future. I imagined my grandmother who contracted (if that is the right word) diabetes, congestive heart failure, gallbladder cancer, kidney failure before she slipped away from us two years ago. I imagine I would be like that if I don't make a change. I also don't want to be a lazy mother. I want to play with my kids the best I can, even if it's on the floor.
  • I'm making it a game. On June 15th, I am challenging everyone to an Ultimate Race to see who can log in the most minutes of workouts. We will do so for a month before calculating the top scores. 
  • I created a list of crucial moments when I snack without thinking. They mainly consist of when I watch movies and read books. I have bought some gum and water to tide me over during those times when I'm not hungry.
  • I want to practice good refusal of too many treats skills. Brandon will be surprising me with trips to the ice cream parlor, snacks, etc. I will have to learn how to best handle myself in these situations... not that it's bad for me to go get ice cream or eat snacks, just not ALL the time. :)
  • I need you guys! I need fans and people to back me up. I need people saying, "How is your plan working? How can I help you better accomplish your goals?" And then just talk to me! Let me know I have a social support.
  • I have redefined normal. Normal people do not eat until bursting every meal.
  • I am taking advantage of loss aversion. Whenever I complete my goals for a whole week, I can put $5 into the charity fund of my choice. If not, then I put $5 toward the U of U Alumni Association (yuk!) ;)
  • I'm going to engage my autopilot by putting out fruit for snacking on and not keeping treats out in the open to eat.
  • I will also put up a weight/measurement chart to track my progress.
I can't wait! I hope all of you will be there to support me as I go through this change.

Love,

Jazlyn