Welcome! On this thread we set small weekly goals for ourselves, to work on perfecting habits that will help us in our long-term weight loss goals.

This is a one-week only project, so feel free to set whatever small goal you want for yourself and stop in as often as you like to report on your progress.

Last week I managed to meet my goals on 6 days out of 7, so this week I'm going to keep the same goals and see if I can't make it 7 out of 7 before I try to add anything new.

So my goal for the week of Oct. 2 is to do three things every day: eat a healthy breakfast before I leave for work, take all my meds, and get at least 12 minutes of exercise.

What's your goal this week?

Hey Angela! Think I'll join you!

The one thing I have the hardest time with is exercise...so I think I'll set a goal of 10 minutes of exercise every day - in addition to any walking I do to get to work. (I park 1/2 mile away usually so I get 20 min. of walking in each day.) Starting small here-for the first week I'm gonna count any exercise at all, weights, walking, eliptical, whatever! Just getting started is new!

I did say that my goal would be to drink more water. Well, I DID do that yesterday, but I'm not sure it helped me at all. I noticed last week, when I had to have all the preparation for the colonoscopy, that even though I was drinking more, I was getting more and more dehydrated. I have scales that measure body fat and hydration. Well, out of curiosity, I weighed myself a few times over those days and the more I drank, the more dehydrated I got. I tend to go to the bathroom LOTS when I drink more. I have tried for a few months now to drink more, as people said that your body would get used to it. Not mine! I still kept going to the bathroom heaps.

Anyway... back to my original point. I drank lots more yesterday and today I am more dehydrated than I was yesterday. I am just getting rid of everything I drink. It is not much fun to spend so much time on the toilet either. I am still going to try to drink more, but I think I will talk to the doctor about it. I am wondering whether I am getting enough liquid from all of the fruit and veg I am eating. I actually rarely feel like I want a drink. I have to always force it down.

Oh well... I am still going to make it my goal, because I know that drinking is good for you.

Zelma

Great to have you with us, Lilion.... I'm finding my 12 minutes a day challenging, so I know how it feels!

Zelma, sorry to hear that the water doesn't seem to be helping... I'll be interested to hear what your doctor has to say.

I'm 100% for the day... I really want to go 7 for 7 this week, so I'll feel confident in making a more ambitious goal next week.

But, Monday's down, here comes Tuesday.... have a good one, everyone.

Well, I suppose I did it yesterday with my 20 min. walk at lunch. As it's supposed to be 96 degrees today, I don't think that'll happen again...so I have to ACTUALLY do some working out at home tonight!

Bravo Angela!

Zelma, You've done so well, I wonder if you should change anything? Hope you make your goal as well!

This week: Water, vitamins, second 10 minutes of exercise... the things I promised myself I'd do last week that I didn't always get done. I feel so tired today, don't know why, even took a nap AFTER workout. That's weird. Maybe it's because I have bills to pay and banking to do today.

Anyway, I already missed the extra exercise yesterday, so I feel I owe it to myself to get with the program today. You guys have families and jobs that require lots of your time - I don't right now, and that's why I feel I really should be doing a little more while I can as far as the extra 10 mins of exercise. Heck, all I have to do is march or crunch or sonething in front of hte TV - anything. I'm up to 4 cups on the H2O already and took my a.m. pills, so I've got a good start today.

Well, 2 for 2! I did 10 minutes on the eliptical while dinner was in the oven!

Great job, Lilion!

Come on, Val, don't get discouraged.... it can be harder to find time when you have extra on your hands, at least I always feel that way. But you can do it!

I'm 2 for 2 so far this week... it's funny, the little goals I've set for myself are really, really little, but it still feels hard.

Thank! You!! Angela!!!
I came to post one last time before bed. Another day not quite making it.
BUT THEN, I read your post and I thought, Well, I can post another day that I didn't do what I said I was going to do... or I can go DO it.
SO> I just did 15 minutes on my treadmill. I was going to do just the 10 that I pledged here, but them I remembered that on my exercise chart I had already accidently filled in 60 minutes, but had only done 45. I owed the chart 15 or I'd be a liar, so I did it.

You're just quite the little kick-in-the-pants, aren't ya? Just what I needed. Thanks again!

Well, I have blown my goal already. I decided to see how I would go today, just getting back to my usual drinking habit (not much) to see whether I was dehydrated tomorrow or not.

I may have to set myself another goal in the future. Not sure yet what that could be. I've been focusing on food and exercise goals for so long that it is difficult to think of anything else. I may have to look at emotional/psychological ones. Perhaps something along the lines of finding something positive to say about me or my life every day. I should write them down, so I can read them when I am feeling down. I know that I shouldn't feel down that often, but hormones can play funny tricks on the system now and then. I still tend to have some nasty self-talk during those times and I would like to stop that.

So, I will leave the water goal for this week and try for a new one next week.

Lilion - You could be right. Things have worked for so long, perhaps I shouldn't mess with it. Thanks for that reminder. I need someone to tell me things like that now and then, as I lose focus of my achievements.

Makes sense, Zelma. It does sound like maybe you might want to focus on something other than food and exercise, since your maintenance seems to be going great.

GREAT JOB VALERIE!! WOO HOO!!

Lilion, how was day 3 for you?

I made it today, again.... boy, I don't know about you all... certainly Zelma's got will of iron, but my will seems to be made out of plastic wrap. Every day I find myself at the end of the day debating whether or not to do my exercise. And today I had to take my oatmeal in the car with me on the way to work, and eat it in the elevator on my way up! But I'm eating breakfast every day, which means I'm not ravenous at lunchtime, which is a good thing.

Anyway, 3 for 3 for me....

Have a great Thursday and make those goals!

Yep, Plastic Wrap...The cheap stuff that rips taking it out of the box, not Saran Wrap either.

I got home, changed my clothes, ate dinner, (Didn't FIX dinner, cause I got take-out) walked the dogs, and crashed on the couch where I watched TV and played on the lap-top until Lost came on, at which time I just watched TV. Started getting ready for bed at 9:30 pm. Felt guilty for not exercising so I went and got my little 5# weights from the living room and did a teeny-tiny amount of work with the weights...just enough to decide I'd done enough....and watched The Daily Show and went to sleep.

So, I don't really think I can say I did my 10 minutes yesterday...maybe 5. Still, it's something I guess and there's tonight to try, try again.

Angela, Your doing so great staying on track!!!

I didn't get my second 10 in yesterday, but I did my major workout last night at least, and added weight and effort. Today I promise - I'll get that second 10 minutes in! At least I'm doing ok with water and getting all my vitamins down whether I feel like it or not - mostly not on the second set.

Hang in there, Lilion... we all need a break now and then... you too, Valerie, 5 minutes extra is better than no extra.

Welcome candlemaker! Good luck on your 570 minutes in October! I'm shooting for 400.

Four out of four this week. I soooo want to make it 7 out of 7, because I know I need to take more baby steps before I'm going to see any real loss, but I feel like I really need to master a habit before I try to add another.... I've always fallen off the wagon so quickly when I try to change everything at once.

Here comes the weekend.... gird up your resolve, ladies!