LGC: week one

("Look Great in 2008" Challenge = LGC)

Week one of the Look Great in 2008 Challenge is over, and I'm worse off than when I started. Much as I'm not going to mention anything about my losses, I guess it's okay to say that I went UP in my weight -- by 4 stinking pounds! -- this past week. :-? But, I know it's because I pigged out on chocolate-caramel cakes. Hubby had a 'craving' for them, so we bought the bulk-box (baaaaad idea!), and I finished off most of them. :-(

Also, I haven't really put any effort at all into my weight loss journey this past little while. I've gotten tired of fighting this battle. I'm tired of this being constantly on my mind. I just want out of this crazy cycle.

But, as the title of this blog says, I'm "pressing on"!

I'm not giving up, but I'll be redoubling my efforts. First, I need to put on some "armor".

I have to say, too, that I've been going 'round in circles. I seem to be chasing after that elusive (read: non-existent) "magic cure" for my "problem"... I keep reading books about weight loss, health & nutrition (as evidenced by my last post -- all of the books I've read in the last several years) but I never apply what I read. I just read it, take notes, think "That's a GREAT idea!", and then forget about most of it a week after I set the book aside. :-(

I realized, the other day, that things aren't going to change for me if I don't start putting in some serious effort. As Oprah once said, "Any goal worth reaching always requires HARD WORK."

I have to make a committment to myself, to do what I need to do to get healthy, and to take care of the body God's entrusted to me.

Here's to a new month (soon) of pressing on, and taking steps toward getting healthier! ;)

Health & Fitness Books I've Read

• First Place - Carole Lewis (B)


• The Ultimate Weight Solution - Dr. Phil McGraw (B)


• Walk Away the Pounds - Leslie Sansone (A)


• The G.I. Diet - Rick Gallop (B)


• The Weigh Down Diet - Gwen Shamblin (C)


• Thin Within - Judy & Arthur Halliday (A)


• Overcoming Overeating - Hirschmann / Munter (C)


• Fit For Life - Harvey & Marilyn Diamond (C)


• Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates - Jill Fleming (B)


• Why Weight? - Geneen Roth (B)


• Win the Weigh Game - Sarah Ferguson & Weight Watchers (B+)


• Intuitive Eating- Evelyn Tribole & Elyse Resch (A)


• The Secrets of Skinny Chicks - Karen Bridson (B+)


• Mindless Eating - Brian Wansink (B+)


• Back On Track - Carole Lewis (B+)


• The Best Life Diet - Bob Greene (B)


• The F-Factor Diet - Tanya Zuckerbrot (C)


• The Portion Teller - Lisa R. Young (B+)


• Fattitudes - Jeffrey & Norean Wilbert (A-)


• Eat Smart, Walk Strong - Leslie Sansone (B+)


• Thin Within [non-Christian version] - Judy Wardell (B)


• The Sugar Solution - Sari Harrar & Prevention Magazine (B)


• Look Great, Feel Great - Joyce Meyer (B+)


• Get With the Program - Bob Greene (B-)

Look Great challenge - Goals

Well, the challenge has begun. And, already I'm off to a slow start. Due to a silly (but, thankfully small!) injury, I've not been able to start in with my exercise like I'd planned. And, I've not really done anything with my eating habits, yet, either.

Irregardless, I'm still going to "press on". ;o)

For the challenge, I plan to:

* drink more water
(keeping a water bottle with me throughout the day; drinking at set times when I already do other things... trying to "link" them so it becomes habit)

* consistently exercise
(walking, etc. for 30 minutes, at least 3 times per week)

* follow my hunger cues
(eat only when physiologically hungry, and stop before "stuffed")

* let God lead
(trust that He knows what's best; stop giving in to my own whims)

* get enough sleep
(seven or more hours a night would be best)

* keep snacks to a minimum
(90% of the time I should choose "healthy"; the other 10% can be indulgence)

* eat more fruits, veggies & whole grains
(I don't eat near enough, so I need to make this a habit)

* watch my portion sizes
(already use a smaller plate, but tend to pile it... gotta watch that!)

So, hopefully next week I can get back to exercising Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. And, I'm going to start tomorrow morning with the other bits. There is no excuse. I am the only person standing in the way of my reaching my goals.

Oh, and just for the record, my goal is to be at least 15 pounds lighter by the end of the challenge... but, I can't record my progress in that area, so you'll just have to guess by whether my posts are full of "progress" or "stuck-ness". ;-P

Look Great in 2008 Challenge

I've not been successful with other weight loss challenges in the past, but that doesn't mean I won't keep trying!

And, to that effect, I'm joining in on the new "Look Great in 2008 Challenge" hosted by Tales From the Scales.



The challenge goes from September 19th, 2007 -to- January 11, 2008. All you have to do is post every week about your progress, and "check in" at the Tales From the Scales website every Tuesday (sign your name on the Mr. Linky).

I'll be posting here, to this blog, about my progress, weekly. But, a word of warning: I will not be posting my weight ... meaning, I cannot post whether I've gone UP or DOWN on the scale. It's a "God-thing".... So, thank you for understanding. ;o)

Rest assured, though, there will be plenty of other things for me to write about, and for you to read. ;-P

I dare you to join in the challenge! ;P

TBR: "Fit From Within"

"Fit From Within" by Victoria Moran

Book Description (from Amazon):
"Each year, Americans invest more time, more energy, and more money--$33 billion! --trying to lose weight. Yet, the rates of obesity and related illnesses, such as diabetes and heart disease, continue to climb at an alarming pace. Statistically, heroin addicts have better odds of kicking their habit than food junkies do of kicking theirs. After decades of crash dieting and self-recrimination, Victoria Moran chanced upon a very basic truth about weight loss that allowed her to lose 60 pounds and keep it off for 17 years and counting. In Fit from Within, she shares with you what she learned and outlines a complete mind-body approach to attaining and maintaining your ideal weight.

Writing with the sensitivity of one who's been there, she helps you to understand and confront the emotional and spiritual roots of your unhealthy relationship with food and to make the personal transformation from a prisoner of food to being free to live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life."

I heard about this book, the other day, in a group I'm in online. A friend had posted a chapter or so from the book, and it had me curious. So, I went and looked it up on Amazon, and found out that I'm VERY interested in reading more of it! Now the book is on my wishlist, and I'm planning to buy a copy in a couple of weeks. ;)

Toward the Prize

This is going to be a place for me to just ramble about my weight loss efforts. I strive to be healthier so that I can be there for my family, but I also desire to be thinner, too. Somewhere there's a balance -- not having to give up everything I want, but also choosing the best options along the way.

I believe in the "everything in moderation" philosophy, so I will not restrict. That only makes me crave things more. I also know that there have to be some limits. Move more, eat less... that's my current motto.