Let the Little Victories Commence.

Little Victories, friends.  Little things add up to such big things.

As I've talked about in this here blog many times before, one of the truest of the most true things I can relay to you (even when I'm not doing it myself...) is this:  I will never cease to be repeatedly amazed at the mighty things that can happen when you simply choose to "do."  

Pyramids weren't built in a day, blah blah blah, insert cliche here, etc.  You get it.
(Speaking of pyramids, Fat Archaeology is SO happening again.)

While I most certainly have not been perfect since my last post, here's what I have been:

Honest.

With myself, that is.

Today, I didn't stick to my calorie goal.  But, I logged it.  I put it all in MyFitnessPal and I made sure to burn off what I ate.  My workout today may not make me lighter, but it will make me more fit, and I won't gain anything.  And working out most certainly did one of the things for which I love it the most:  it made me happy.  I ate a cookie, I had a piece of cheese pizza, I drank two Whitsuns with my work team, and I am still happy.  Not beating myself up, not angry about my poor decisions - content.  And even though I didn't stick to my 1500 calories, you know what I still am?

Happy.

Little Victories are so huge.  I have a tendency to concentrate on the very large, overall picture of where I know things need to and can be, and forget that it takes many a little goal to get there.  If we constantly think about the end result without breaking it down into smaller, regular, attainable and realistic goals, we set ourselves up for a feeling of perpetual failure.  I drive myself absolutely nutty and get nothing accomplished.  It feels infinitely better to meet lots of little goals.

If memory serves me, I think I may know a girl who did just this and lost about 130lbs once upon a time...

Here are my goals for the next week:
I will work out 5 times.
I will stick to my calorie goal a minimum of 4 times.
I will make a new, kickass installment of my Sweaty Beats playlist.
I will spend a half hour per day until Saturday tidying my bedroom.  My closet kind of threw up all over...
I must see How to Train Your Dragon 2.  Seriously, though.  It has to happen.

What've you got up your sleeve?  What would you like to tackle over the next little while?  Pick a little victory in your sights, or perhaps you've already had one recently!  Share away, friends.

This is how we do it. Part 2 - Log your food!

I'm a bit disappointed with my lack of creativity for the title of this "episode," if you will.  It is a very important episode, nonetheless!

I am convinced that it is not possible to conquer the formidable beast that is weight-loss until you've been very, very honest with yourself about your real eating habits.  They may not seem terrible, but you will be amazed at how quickly things add up, and how it causes you to reevaluate how and why you do things.

MyFitnessPal's smartphone app.

I started using MyFitnessPal's website and smart phone app on my iPod Touch about a year and a half ago as an occasional calorie calculator, but started using it as my food journal this March.  Maybe you're more constantly aware of what you're eating than I was, but starting to take stock of every little thing you consume during the day is interesting.  And sometimes disconcerting...  And sometimes challenging...  One thing it most definitely is, is enlightening.

There are lots of options out there for food journaling.  I've tried several, and have really found MyFitnessPal to be the best.  Not only can you track your calories, but you can keep regular track of your exercise, weight, measurements, and see instant progress reports.  The smartphone app is a particularly helpful tool when you're on the go, making it a little less stressful when you're out of your element at a friend's for dinner, out to eat, and so on.  It automatically syncs with whatever you do on the website, as well.  I use both the app and the website daily.  There are also these newfangled gadgets like pens and paper...  Whatever your preferred medium, keeping daily track of what you consume is essential.

Each day, I go online and I see my calorie goals, as well as a breakdown of carbs, protein, fat, sodium, and fiber.  These are just guidelines, and you can very easily change them manually if you want.  I go with what's suggested, and so far, so good.  I usually allow for more protein and a bit less carbs.  I am not an uber-advocate of low-carb eating, I just know how my body responds to things.

I'm fortunate that I already had a pretty good understanding of what's good for me and what isn't, so I look at my daily calorie allotment and figure out how I can maximize it.  If I've got 1500 calories I can consume today, I could eat a few things that aren't as good for me, or I could figure out a way to eat better food and snacks more often.

Which brings me back to the whole enlightening thing...

Logging my food has made me far more aware of what's going in, and inevitably causes me to rethink some of my choices.  Things start to add up really, really quickly.  It has also made me very aware of portion sizes.  There were many times where I'd measure something out and think, "That's IT?!"  Well, that leaves you with a few choices.  You can either work with it, find an alternative, or eliminate it altogether.

Goat cheese!

For example, I love goat cheese. A lot.  At first, a portion of it seemed like nothing.  However, 1oz of goat cheese really does go a long way.  Long enough to put it on 11 pretzel crisps for a very delicious 190 calorie appetizer or snack.  Are there other snacks with fewer calories?  Oh, yeah.  Of course.  But I want goat cheese.

So, step one to changing your relationship with food?  Start getting to know it by keeping track of it.  It has been the catalyst for all of the other amazing growth I've had in learning how to be in control and truly enjoy food more than I ever have before.

81 Pounds Get The Boot.

81 pounds!  HA!  

Good God, y’all.  What is it good for?  Aaaaabsolutely –

Well, it’s good for a reason to treat yourself to a sweet new jacket and some rockin’ ankle boots.  That’s what.   I weighed myself this morning and was thrilled to see that I’d lost 5.3 pounds and had moved into the 80’s.  1981, if you will - the year I was born.  There's got to be some double-rainbow-mind-bending significance to that...  

Or not.  

These last couple weeks have been interesting.  I don’t know why, but my body has changed a lot over the last couple of weeks, and it’s been really, really strange for me to try and wrap my mind around some of the things this has stirred up.  The more weight I lose, I am constantly surprised by the ways it affects me, both physically and mentally.  The mind grows, the body gets...  Ehhhhhh, weirder, apparently.  It would seem my body is getting better in some ways, and just plain odd in others.  We'll discuss the weirdness later this week.  It’s not all roses lately, so I've had to keep reminding myself that this is a very good thing.  

We've got a lot to talk about.

But for now, you might be wondering, "Well, Sarah, last time you had sushi to celebrate hitting 70 pounds.  How about this time?!"  

I did have salmon again, but the real celebration came in the form of suede, pleather, and a pleasing view of myself in the mirror.  My feet have finally decided to take part in this whole weight loss thing!  Some ladies are blessed and have lovely little feet and ankles, despite the rest of them not being quite so little.  Not I!

But, that has changed, and I have a rockin' pair of ankle boots to prove it.  I may or may not have also purchased a new pleather jacket at TJ Maxx.  (That, of course, means yes - yes, I did.)  Not only are my new ankle boots just plain awesome, they also happen to be deceptively comfortable.  Huzzah!!!

In honor of having lost 81 pounds, here are some photos of me basking in a brazen, wonderfully vain moment hearing Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" in my mind while checking myself out in my new goodies.  

Pleather jacket - can't find brand!  TJ Maxx - $29.99

Zigisoho black ankle boot wedges - $40 at DSW