The last two weeks and food choices

The past two weeks have gone pretty well. The week of May 9^th, I did three 100-minute workouts and one 80-minute workout. Last week, the week of May 16^th, I did three 100-minute workouts. Yeah, I kinda slacked-off a bit. I should’ve gotten a workout in on Saturday, but I went grocery shopping and then came home and I was cleaning and getting things done around the house, so I counted that as a bit of a workout. A total cop-out, right? I definitely know it wasn’t the same as a real workout. That’s okay; I just resolve to do better and be more diligent this week and that’s all I can do. =)

I’ve been doing much better with switching up my workouts. One day, I might do all cardio; another day, I might do half-cardio and half-strength-training; another day, I might do a lot of cardio with some strength-training. I've found that I work-up more of a sweat on the days that I incorporate strength-training, as opposed to the days that I do cardio only, so I pretty much incorporate strength-training into the majority of my workouts each week.

I took my measurements this morning, after my first 100-minute workout for this week (which I did to the tune of Jillian Michaels’ Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD). It’s been a little over three weeks since I last took my measurements (April 29^th); I’ve lost 1 inch around my waist (from 27.75 to 26.75), 1 inch around my hips/butt (from 39.25 to 38.25), and 1-1/2 inches around each thigh (from 25.5 to 24). Not too bad.

I still haven't weighed myself; I wanna avoid the scale right now and fully rely on other measurements to help me determine if I’m making any progress or not. I would recommend this to ANYONE. =)

One of the biggest things I’m trying to focus on right now is eating better. I’ve done pretty well with staying in my daily caloric range and making good food choices, but I know there’s always room for improvement and that I can always be trying to do better.

I allow myself one “blow it” day per week, but I’m wondering now if I should skip it and be super strict with my calories and maybe have a “blow it” day only every other week (or maybe even just once a month). OR if I should just be sure to be more strict with how many calories I can “blow it” with on my weekly “blow it” day. I don’t know… If anyone has any feedback on this, I’m open to it!

I also REALLY need work on doing better on the weekends. I’ve started trying to do a Saturday workout instead of taking the whole weekend off, and I tend to do better with staying within my daily calorie range on the Saturdays that I do workout, which also usually means that I have more motivation and willpower to make it through Sunday without blowing it. However, on the Saturdays that I don’t workout, I tend to lack discipline and willpower, and I usually end up going over my calories a bit, which usually continues on through Sunday. =/ :: sigh :: I REALLY need to fix this problem.

Incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet will help me immensely, not just with getting the nutrients that my body needs to be strong and healthy but also with helping me more easily stay within my daily calorie range. Being smart about how I “spend” my calories each day is crucial. And when it comes to fruits and veggies, for the most part, I’m spending less while getting more. It’s kinda like going to the grocery store and finding out they’re selling a pack of 10 rolls of paper towels for $18 and a pack of 20 rolls of paper towels for $10. Which are you gonna buy? …No-brainer, right? It should be the same way when we choose what we eat, but many of us, myself definitely included, lack the willpower to constantly and consistently choose the right things every single day. This willpower and motivation doesn’t come overnight; it takes time for the willpower to make better food choies to develop from a thought-out and planned action into a natural habit. This is why it’s so important for me to surround myself with healthy food choices and be smarter about what I buy at the grocery store and bring into my home. Allowing yourself to experience temptation so that you can be strong and learn to withstand it is great and all, but especially when you’re starting out and haven’t quite gained that natural willpower yet, you need to completely avoid temptation as much as possible. Once making good food choices is developed into a habit, then it’ll be easier to experience and withstand temptation. I’ve been asking my mom and a few friends for suggestions on great low-calorie meals and snacks, and I’m open to more suggestions! =)