Week 15: A Bad Finish, A Good Start

"Failure is the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently." -Henry Ford

The holidays have come and the deadline for my big goal is upon us.  The last two weeks I have kinda gone a little nuts.  I have eaten whatever I wanted. I have chosen to do other things over working out.  I have not made good choices.  After all my hard work over the past 4 months, I am returning back to the States at the exact same weight I left it.  I failed to accomplish my goal, or even to approach it.  

Yes, it was admittedly a major bust...IF I only look at numbers on the scale. The numbers on the scale are the same, but the girl on the scale isn't.  I am much stronger physically and emotionally.  I have an increased knowledge of what works and doesn't work for me.  I have almost no cravings for bad foods.  I don't even enjoy bad foods all that much when I eat them. I have started to be concerned about the health of others, particularly the children I work with.  I talk about health, fitness, food, exercise EVERY SINGLE DAY! Usually to multiple people.  I am committed to my health! Sure, I wish I could report some wonderful number of pounds lost, but I am glad that I have the chance to begin again as a stronger, wiser person.

I am home for the holidays and intend to enjoy myself in moderation.  I want to keep up with exercise and the goal is to maintain my weight for the next two weeks (although you won't hear me complain if I drop a few pounds!).  Then in January, I will be back on track, full force.  My goal is still the same--lose 30 pounds--but I want to do it over the next 6 months.  When I return home at the beginning of July, I will do so with the body that I want--strong, healthy, and fit. 

Happy holidays! Check back in starting in January to see how my weight loss journey progresses in the new year!

Love,

Candace

Week 14: Crashing

"If there is no struggle, there is no progress." Frederick Douglass

This week, I spent a lot of time crashing. The week started out normal, but on Tuesday, everything started going downhill fast. I went to the gym and hopped on the elliptical and was exhausted in less than 5 minutes (I always do 45 minutes with no trouble...).  Then I tried the bike and managed a measly 30 minutes.  And it only got worse! Wednesday, I went to work but just came home and laid on the couch for a while. I was so tired! I actually managed to play some volleyball on Thursday, but was so exhausted after that I regretted it. Friday, I couldn't even take a walk without feeling like I had just run a marathon! I have been fading in and out of total exhaustion!

I wish I could say that despite that, I ate really well this week.  Not so.  My diet crashed along with my energy! At first, I was just eating things like sugary granola bars and crackers because I thought it would give me quick energy.  I kept thinking maybe I wasn't eating enough calories. False. I ate way too many calories this week in the form of things I haven't even touched for months!

The frustrating thing is that all this happened for no apparent reason.  Even without exercising, resting more, drinking water, etc, I am not feeling any better! I want so badly to go to the gym, but my body just can't handle it at the moment.

Needless to say, with my lack of exercise and overabundance of bad food this week, I gained over a pound. I'm glad it wasn't much more than that, but it's still irritating to see that number go up! As disappointing as it is, I have to remember that sickness happens...it's a temporary set-back, but not a permanent one! I am going to do everything in my power to get back on track this week!

Here's to a healthier week ahead!

Pounds lost: 5.8
Pounds left to lose: 24.2

Love,
Candace

And a tribute to Nelson Mandela that makes me feel a little better about myself today!