Oops. Missed the Tuesday update post! Sorry, Schmoodle. I know you were really looking forward to it!!!

#1 - Train for and run my first marathon (September 2008) Still right on track! I passed my goal of fifty miles for this month and I still have a week of running left!

#2 - Focus on treating my body like a temple (I've realized that focusing on what I *can't* have has led to a negative attitude toward eating, so this year I am going to focus on treating my body well. One treat wouldn't sabotage those efforts, but stuffing myself with refined flours, food colorings, and sugar will. I need to treat my body respectfully so that I can accomplish all of the things I would like to do this year.) This one is a big struggle for me. I started the Extreme Fat Smash program on Sunday because I needed something that told me exactly what to eat when. I was getting tired of logging calories and making sure all the percentages added up. We'll see how this goes. I'm half way through the first week of the three week program. It's a LOT like Phase 2 (really, most of the diet crazes out there are all based on a whole grain, lots of veggies type thing) but it literally has three weeks of daily menus laid out for you with exercise suggestions for each day. It's good for me for right now. I don't expect to lose the four pounds a week the program promises...if I stay at one poundish a week I'll be happy, honestly. I also banished the scale this week. No more daily weigh-ins. I was going crazy wondering what I was doing to make that number jump up and down and it's just so much easier to go by how I'm feeling than by a number that doesn't necessarily reflect what I've done right (or wrong!) in my eating.

#3 - Expand my stretching routine (I have been slacking on my stretching and have noticed my flexibility is suffering.) Still going great here as well!

I've also added a #4 - Read two books a month (not including the stack of children's books I read the kids every day). I finished one and am in the middle of a second for this month.

How are you guys coming along?

Kara

Wow another week already. Amazing how fast tine flies when I'm not accomplishing my goals


1. Slow down when eating. I eat entirely too fast. Still a work in progress but I'm working on it every meal. I'm also trying to leave a little on the plate each meal (grew up with the mentality of eat everything because there are starving children in the world)
2. Get our finances budgeted and stick to it. Waiting on w-2 so I can put the tax refund to work this year on debt vs. presents for Dawn
3. Finish my Rosetta Stone Spanish lessons. Yep the box is still just sitting there

Dawn, you're hilarious! I think we'd get along smashingly in real life!!! Good for you paying down debt with your tax refund. You know, I have this huge compulsion to finish everything on my plate, too. I have a little trick when we go out to dinner. I ask for a take-home box right away and just put half of my meal away so that I can finish my plate and it's actually a realistic amount of food that should be eaten in one sitting. I've also heard that you can use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. Your plate is still full of food but there's less food on it than if you used a regular dinner-size plate. Then you don't have to feel so badly about finishing everything. Of course, that doesn't really solve the ingrained problem, but it's how I deal!

Kara

1. Start exercising and liking it.Went to Latin line dancing last night it was a blast. So I am atleast going to two dance class a week. I really need to step it up. I am going to start my walking program the first of Feb

2. Back to the Beach way of life, no excuses. I am doing really well with my eating. I wish the scales would show it. But I guess I am not going to wake up skinny.

3. Save for my Jamaica vacation. ( A year from Feb)- doing fairly well with this. I have been putting my toonies and loonies away and in three weeks I have 87.00 saved.


4. Love life and enjoy it. Today this is a challenge, my dh is driving me crazy. But for the most part I am loving and enjoying where my life is right now.

I am adding another to my list.

5. To organize my book keeping and to do my paper work monthly. Make my buget plan for the month and stick with it, no matter what I want to buy that I can't live with out. - So far this is going to plan.

Kara- That's a great suggestions about the to go box. Now I just have to remember when I go out. (BTW- I think we'd be great friends outside of the virtual world as well)

LC - You are rockin' the resolutions woman. Can you fit in my Rosetta Stone since I'm lagging on that one?

Schmoodle - Where are you? You can't leave me here with these overacheivers by myself

Okay, okay, you need me to make you feel better about your accomplishments?
I will make you feel much better because I don't have much progress to report this week.
1. De-clutter and organize my summer kitchen, attics, garage, basement, and office.
There is enough floor showing in my office that I can get the vacuum in here now. Haven't don it yet though.
2. Get on an exercise program and learn to love it (thanks, little chick, for the second part).
No progress here.
3. Get our budget in shape. I don't have any serious debt to deal with, thank goodness, but I've let things get a little loose in the money management department.
No progress here.
4. Get enough of the house renovations done that I can get my dining room table out of storage and have the family for Thanksgiving dinner next year.
No progress here.
5. Get my PESOH certification and PFS certification (work-related).
No progress here, but I may need to change this one. I may be making a big career change very soon.
6. Reach 100 lbs. lost goal.
No idea here, as I am on scale strike.

Oh Schmoodle No I didn't want you to make me feel better about my accomplishments. I wanted someone to commiserate (sp?) with.

It's all good Dawn. I'm happy to keep you company.

We're almost one month into this year! How's it coming, gals?

#1 - Train for and run my first marathon (September 2008) Going great. Look at that little girl running her way to the end of that ticker!

#2 - Focus on treating my body like a temple (I've realized that focusing on what I *can't* have has led to a negative attitude toward eating, so this year I am going to focus on treating my body well. One treat wouldn't sabotage those efforts, but stuffing myself with refined flours, food colorings, and sugar will. I need to treat my body respectfully so that I can accomplish all of the things I would like to do this year.) First week of Extreme Fat Smash went smashingly. I think I have issues with authority. If "someone else" is telling me to eat healthily, I have a much easier time than if I make up the meal plan myself. Another issue I'll have to address with my personal psychologist when I'm rich and famous...

#3 - Expand my stretching routine (I have been slacking on my stretching and have noticed my flexibility is suffering.) Yay for Gumbyish muscles!

#4 - Read two books a month (not including the stack of children's books I read the kids every day). I'll have to trade in some of my TV time if I'm going to finish my second book by Thursday. Still doable, though.

Kara