Realistic Goal Setting

This week I posted on my social media a picture that says:
"As you reach your goals, set new ones.  That is how you grow."
That set my crazy mind in motion.  So I want to know...Do you set goals?  If so, do you write them down?  If so, do you look at them through the week/month and see how you are doing with them?

I never used to set goals.  When I first decided to get healthy, I didn't even have a weight loss goal.  I just knew I wanted to lose.  After I started losing weight a friend asked me how much I wanted to lose and I said I didn't know.  He said to me "You HAVE to set a goal.  You HAVE to have a figure in mind.  Otherwise how will you know what you are working toward?".  That made total sense to me!  So right then I set my goal, and I haven't looked back!

But for me, before I can set goals, I have to be organized and at least semi-relaxed.  So I spend a lot of my weekend preparing for the week ahead.  Yes, I know weekends are for relaxing, catching up with friends, etc.  But I need to be organized and prepared for the upcoming week so I don't stress about things like what are we having for dinner, are my workout clothes clean, and did I pay all of the bills for this week.  So that being said, I do "all the things" that I need to do to be organized and prepared by Sunday evening, and that includes meal prep and planning.  We use a chalkboard to list the week's menu, and lunch meal prep is done, including items that can be thrown into the freezer for a quick grab and go for the lunch bag.  These things are goals themselves since we are discussing goals.  But on to goal setting....

After I do "all the things", I find a quiet place to sit, and I meditate a little.  I think about the week ahead and check my planner to see what is scheduled.  Next up is my goal setting.  I generally set goals in four areas:

1. Health goals -- do I need to work harder on workouts this week?  Was I maybe not so good with my eating last week and need to work on that this week?  Or maybe I need a sleep goal for the week.  I get up at 4AM three mornings a week.  I NEED to get to bed early several nights.  That doesn't always happen, so sometimes I just set that goal for myself.  Sometimes there are multiple goals set for this category. 

2. Financial goals -- do I have a large quarterly bill coming up and maybe need to be more frugal this week?  Or do I need to show some creativity because the holidays are creeping up and I want to be smart with my spending?

3. Relationship goals -- Ok we aren't going to pretend that this is all perfect as is normally shown on social media.  I need a lot of help in this category.  My husband bears the brunt of my bad moods if my day doesn't go well.  He also spends a lot of time by himself while I work out/run, leave at 4:30AM for the gym, or work on my Thirty-One business.  He also owns his own business which is stressful enough without dealing with my issues.  We aren't perfect.  FAR from it, and there are problems.  But we are working on it, and working through it.  So maybe one week my goal is to spend more time with Troy, or plan a date night.  But there is always a goal for this category.

4. Business goals -- I am a Thirty-One Consultant, and a lot of my business is through Facebook parties.  I love doing this, but it also takes time and planning.  So every week, there is a goal for my business.  Maybe it's just to be more interactive in my VIP group, or maybe it's time for a new catalog and I need to do some serious studying of the new products/prints.  Whatever the case, I always try to set a goal for the week to improve my business.

There are additional goals in varying categories frequently.  Sometimes there are intensely private goals that I would never share with anyone, but suffice it to say that if it's a goal, it's written down somewhere.  The private ones are most likely in my private notepad in my secure folder on my phone, locked up with a password and fingerprint.  National security is tight here!  But all joking aside, goals are as important to me as all of the categories listed above.  

Just this morning I had a good friend ask me how to start goal setting.  If you aren't setting goals, here's my advice to you:  

*Decide what categories you want to set goals in.
*Start small with attainable goals.  Maybe your first goal is to set goals??
*Don't be afraid to set more difficult goals, and if you don't meet them, keep     working on them next week!
*WRITE THEM DOWN!  Yes, I am screaming that!  WRITE THEM DOWN!
*Read your goals regularly.  And if you don't write them down, you can't read   them. Read that one again!

So for what it's worth, that's my advice.  Remember, two and a half years ago, I didn't set goals.  Once I started, there was no looking back.  You can do this!
And the biggest benefit is that feeling of accomplishment when you look back at last week's goals and you crushed them!  Or even just crushed one!  

Remember, a goal not written down is just a dream!

Stay OFF the Scale...Umm...No!

You all know about this journey of mine to get healthy.  I won't bore you with those details again.  But since I've maintained for over a year now, I thought maybe I would try and lose a few more pounds just to fit more comfortably into the latest size clothes I'm in.  Some were a little tight yet, so I thought this was a good idea.

So I've been at this "trying to lose a few more pounds" thing for a while now.  And I have lost 1 lb.
Talk about frustration!  And I've been told multiple times by several different people "Stay off the scale"!  Well, I can't do that!  I really, really can't!  Yes, I know muscle weighs more than fat.  Yes, I know since I have been gaining muscle, the scale hasn't budged.  I really do know all of this!

But, this week, several things have happened that has made me realize that even though the scale is not cooperating, my workouts are!  I now fit very comfortably in those smaller size pants, today I'm wearing a shirt that was way too tight six months ago, and when getting dressed this morning at the gym, my belt was so loose in the last notch that I had to come to work and drill a hole in it so it would stay on.  Hmmmm...something is working!  Could it be that healthy eating?  Could it be the personal training sessions?  Maybe those Barre classes?  How about a combination of all of those?  It's funny how you don't see it and don't see it, and then one day, you see it all in one day!

I work very hard at this.  I do 2-3 Barre classes a week, personal training once a week (this week is my last one though. 😔), run whenever I get the chance and it's not 85% humidity, and do 60-75 minute workouts at the gym 2-3 mornings a week.  I eat healthy.  Yes, I cheat.  I eat pizza and dessert every Friday night.  I also eat two Double Stuff Oreos every single Friday night.  (Sometimes it's those little things in life!)  My Mom always has them in her cookie jar, and I just can't resist, so I limit myself to two.  I sometimes eat things I shouldn't on weekends when we are out.  But you know what?  It's not killing me!  And I work hard and eat well all of the rest of the time, so there's that.

I have a confession to make.  I have been on the scale for the past 3 days.  Tuesday I was brave and thought I better get on it.  I mean, I ate on the 4th of July!  And on the 5th, and on the 6th, and on the 7th.  We had a busy weekend!  And I enjoyed it all!  But, it was time to see how much damage I had done.  So with much trepidation, I stepped on that scale.  It went DOWN!  What?  So every day since, I have watched it go down a little more.  Tomorrow is my self prescribed weigh in day.  So I'm hoping it is good. 

So for those of you (Jeremy) who told me to stay off the scale, it is definitely motivation for me.  I need that!  And now that I can SEE the change in my clothes AND the scale, I will keep getting on that dreaded scale.  Sorry not sorry!

Meal Prep - Here's How to Love It!

I have people constantly ask me why I meal prep, and then how do I meal prep.

Let's start with why....

I work a lot of hours...I have 3 jobs.  I spend a lot of hours working out.  I have a very obsessive-compulsive personality.  I like things orderly, prepared ahead of time, and I will research the heck out of everything.  That's just who I am.  So when it comes to trying to be the healthiest version of myself, I need to know on Sunday that my meals for the week ahead are not going to be a problem.  And the only way to know that for sure is to plan them, and prep them.  My husband is about the same, so for us, this works if we plan.  We have a chalk board in the kitchen where the menu for the week is posted on Sunday.  Then, on Sunday after church and the grocery store, we cook.  We spend about 2 hours doing this.  Then, after working a long day and working out, dinner is not something I have to think about.  I know what it is, and I know it is ready.  I have no fast food restaurants around my house, but they are around my work, and even though I honestly can't remember the last time I ate fast food, I still know that convenience sometimes is NOT a good thing!  So, bottom line, meal prepping makes sense to me and my life.

Now on to how....

I research recipes constantly.  I use the Skinnytaste.com site very, very often.  I also just Google things like "Lunch Meal Prep Ideas" or if I have something specific that I want to use, I will add the "Chicken" or "Shrimp", etc in the search.  There are millions of recipes out there!  Trust me!  So for me, by Friday I usually have a list of recipes ready, a grocery list of needed items ready, and a menu planned for the upcoming week.  Then it's a matter of looking at my weekend and seeing when I have time to do the meal prep.  It's usually Sunday afternoon, but sometimes I have to actually try and squeeze the time out of another day or evening.  But it IS worth it!
I usually will do the following:
1 crockpot meal (There's only 2 of us, so this will be for at least one night and a lunch for each of us, or we use it for leftover night.  Yes, we have a leftover night each week!)
1 soup if it's Winter/Grilled meat in the Summer to top a salad
1 dish which uses either baked chicken or a pork roast/turkey breast that can be put together easily because the meat is cooked - think fajitas (and the veggies can be prepared ahead, also) or something where you can add veggies and a baked sweet potato and have a great meal
1 batch of breakfast muffins or egg burritos
1 batch of snack muffins (high in protein)
1 lunch recipe of either Mason jar salads with a protein in it, or taco salad, etc. - usually makes 4

I try to coordinate so that if I'm baking chicken, I can be baking muffins at the same time, or if I'm making something that takes a lot of chopped veggies, I chop everything at once.  Everything out, everything chopped, everything put away and cleaned up.

Obviously some recipes take longer than others, but the breakfast muffins are just a container of Egg Beaters, and whatever you choose to throw in the muffin cup with that.  I use spinach and cheese usually.  But no matter how long it takes, at the end of your meal prep session, when you look in your fridge and KNOW you are ready for your week, it is an awesome feeling!

Another option which my Son and his Fiance use is to buy bulk meat already prepared, then divide it into your containers with sides that you have fixed.  Sweet potatoes and veggies are their go to sides, but it can be anything that works with your diet and taste buds!  If you are in the Baltimore/Shrewsbury area, he uses Dickie's in York, PA and Jimmy's Famous Meals in Baltimore.  Jimmy's delivers free to our gym in Shrewsbury. 

So really the key is just wanting to be organized and ready for the week.  If you want that, you can find the time and recipes.  Just do it!  You will seriously get hooked!  I love the fact that if my fridge gets a little bare, and I can't find anything to take for lunch, I usually have leftovers in the freezer from my past meal preps that I can grab and go.  Then I am (A) not spending money eating out, and (B) not blowing my diet by eating out or ordering in!  And if you cook what you like, it's not boring when you pull that lunch out of the lunch bag!  And if you aren't sure, start small.  Grill a few chicken breasts on Sunday afternoon, throw them in the fridge, and use them for fajitas one night, and a salad topped with chicken the next night.  Also, maybe put that chicken in a wrap with some cheese, spinach and ranch dressing for lunch one day!  Guess what?  You just did meal prep!  Set the crock pot up on Sunday and let it go all day.  Stick that bad boy in the fridge.  Guess what?  You have dinner already made for Monday night!  It doesn't have to be big and bold and container after container full!  It just has to help you get through the week!  And it will help you budget AND help with time management!

If you meal prep regularly, and can add to this, please, please, do so!  I also have added an album in this page titled Meal Prep Recipes.  Please add your recipes in that album!  I have added a picture of each meal plus a link to the recipe.  The key to the success of this page is helping one another!  Let's do this!

Motivation ~ How to Get It and How to Keep It!

This seems to be a pretty regularly asked question to people who have been successful in the "Get Healthy" journey.  So let's delve in and see if we can find some answers.

Ok...first of all, there really are no solid, set in stone answers to this question.  I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but finding motivation is different for everyone, so you may have to do some soul searching to find YOUR answer.  For me, it was age.  I was turning the big 60, and I was tired of being tired.  I was tired of dreading getting dressed to go out somewhere.  Nothing fit well, and I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror.  So for me, something just clicked when I knew that birthday was coming.  Something actually went off in me like a firecracker.  I just KNEW I had to get started.  

In the beginning, I had no actual goal.  I didn't set a goal weight.  I didn't say anything like "In a year I want to be super healthy and thin and run a marathon".  Nope!  I just said "this week, I'm going to walk a little farther, and I'm going to eat a little healthier".  The next week I thought maybe I could try to walk a little faster, maybe drink more water, and skip that dessert I really wanted.  Then I started logging my food, water and exercise.  That was an eye opener!  I was eating a lot more than I thought!  And not the right kinds of foods!  So each week was something a little more, a little different.  Eventually, I settled into a routine with my activities, and I tracked my foods regularly, and I started losing.  Not a lot at first.  About a pound a week.  But that adds up.  And the more activity I added, the better I felt.  I started sleeping better, and as the pounds came off, the better I felt about everything.  I started setting new goals.  I still didn't have a goal weight.  I just wasn't there yet.  But I knew the key to getting there.  It was activity and healthy eating.  Oh, and drinking water.  Don't ever forget about drinking that water!  So with all of this came motivation.  I was SEEING a change in my body.  I was FEELING a change in my health!  

Now, what to do about that motivation before you start seeing and feeling the change?  Well, here's something I did.  Anyone that knows me well, knows I am a very organized (painfully so) person, and everything needs to be written down.  My To Do lists, my menu for the week, my schedule for the week, etc.  So I found an old chalkboard in a second hand store, painted it, hung it in my bedroom workout area (I have a dedicated area of my bedroom for workout equipment, etc., but I also wanted it where I would see it every single day, multiple times a day, and the bedroom was a good place for that!), and write my weekly schedule of workouts on it on Sunday.  When the workout is complete, I put a heart under it.  Two reasons for the heart....because I love that I completed my workout, and because my heart will be healthier if I continue this!  Here's my "Accountability Board" as I call it:

Now this board looks different every week.  Some weeks I run a lot, and recently I started taking a Barre class on Saturdays.  So it changes.  It keeps me accountable, and it MOTIVATES me!!!  I want to see that 💜on there!  

Another thing that motivates me is keeping an album of pictures on my phone of me in my workout clothes.  I have done this since the beginning.  I look at them and see change and I am MOTIVATED!!!  New muscle definition is my new thing.  Now that I actually have muscles, I am always looking for new definition.  So I flex a lot! And I take a picture of it for my "Me" album!

Here's some other things that may help you get and stay motivated:

*Schedule an event you want to be a little healthier for and countdown to it!

*Find a motivation buddy--be each other's motivation!

*Set an alarm on your phone.  When that alarm goes off, it means you need to either do or plan that day's activity

*Get an app to track your workouts.  I use Map My Run (Under Armor App), and you don't have to be a runner.  But you add friends from the community (all over the world), and you encourage each other and comment on each other's workouts.  I absolutely love it!  I have made friends that I will never meet, but it's a great atmosphere!  Very positive and motivational!

*If it's eating better that you have trouble with, start meal prepping!  It doesn't take forever, and if you have healthy food in the fridge, you won't be as tempted to eat other food!  I use Skinnytaste website for all of my recipes and I love them!

*Get into a routine.  I can't emphasize that enough!  When you have a routine, you just do it!

*Reward yourself!  If you have a great week, do something to celebrate!  Go out and enjoy a nice (Preferably Healthy) meal.  Let someone else cook.  I admit, every Friday night, I go out and have pizza, then I go to my Mom's house and have dessert...and cookies (but I limit myself to 2!)  But you better believe I'm in that gym Friday morning working my butt off!  But I DO enjoy my reward for a good week!

*Hire a Health Coach!  There are programs available for this very thing!  They will help you lose weight and change your eating habits!  If you need suggestions, get in touch with me!

I'd love feedback on what YOU use to motivate YOU!  What has worked for you?  Leave me a comment or two!  I hope this helps some of you!  And if you have any questions, or want to know more about any of the "stuff" I do to stay motivated, get in touch with me!

Next blog post will be on suggestions to help you remember to drink that water!

Welcome To Living Healthy to Live Longer!

Welcome to my new blog ~ Living Healthy To Live Longer!

First let me take a minute to thank you for reading this!  I have had so many people send me messages, texts, and emails asking me how I lost my weight, that I thought maybe it would help some if I starting blogging about it.  

Secondly, let me make a disclaimer statement here!  I am NOT an expert in ANY form on the subject of health, fitness, diet, or anything else related to this!  I am simply a woman who decided at the age of 60 to get healthy.  I decided to lose weight...and I do mean LOSE it.  I don't plan on finding it ever again!  I also decided that I needed more than just diet, so I started a "fitness" plan, and I use that term lightly because in the beginning, it really couldn't be defined as fitness. I was walking.  Yep, that's it!  Oh, and I went to yoga class.  But that was it in the beginning.  More to follow on that.  
But I feel it is absolutely necessary for everyone to know that I am not speaking from anything but my experience on this matter!

Thirdly, let's explore the title of my blog.  Living Healthy To Live Longer.  I picked that because it really defines my long term goal.  I feel that living a healthier life will help me to live a longer life.  And if you believe we all have a predestined time to die, then I just want to make sure the quality of my life is good, no matter how long I live.

Now, on to my story.  This will be the only time I will tell my story in full.  In future blog posts, I plan to discuss meal prep, prioritizing time to work out, dealing with people who try to sabotage your diet, sleep....yes sleep (I've learned something interesting about sleep since I've been on this journey!), and learning to read your body.  Your body will tell you a lot if you will take the time to listen!  Like how to tell if you aren't eating enough calories.  Weird, weird things happen when you don't eat enough (spoiler alert ~ there may be discussions of poop habits)!  But enough of that for now.  

My story.....

Two years ago, I turned 60.  To some that seems really old, but to me, I feel like the same person I was at 18.  And in some ways, I really am!  I may have gray hair and grandkids, but inside, I'm the same crazy kid that graduated high school at the age of 18.  The one thing that was very different from that crazy 18 year old, was the weight.  Over the years, I had gained weight, lost weight, gained more weight, lost the same weight, gained more weight....well, you get the picture!  I had lost 30 lbs multiple times.  But it always came back.  So I decided it was not going to ever get easier, and it was time to do this!

Decision made, I turned to my trusty friend My Fitness Pal.  I don't do fad diets.  Never did.  When I lost weight in the past, I did it with Weight Watchers, Diet Workshop, and My Fitness Pal.  So I started the diet....again.  
Then it was time to get active.  I already did Yoga class, and I walked with my neighbor.  But it was time to up my game.  I increased the amount of walking I was doing.  Gradually, we were walking 2 miles.  Then something weird happened.  I all of a sudden had a desire to run.  I ran when I was in my 20s.  But starting to run again at 60?  So I would run a little bit, then walk, then run a little more.  Then one day, I just ran.  Sounds like Forrest Gump, huh?  This was Summer 2017.  In October of 2017 I ran my first 5k.  I came in 1st in my age group.  

Fast forward to January 2018.  I was very close to reaching my goal weight.  I was running...a lot!  But it was winter and hard to run outside.  So I went to a local gym sponsored by a church and ran on the treadmill there.  But there were also machines there...you see where this is going?  I got hooked.  I realized I LIKED working out!  Then in March of 2018, my Son convinced me to try out Power Train's bootcamp classes.  I seriously expected to die during the first class...but I didn't.  I even liked it!  So from there, I did bootcamp classes twice a week, ran when I could, and worked out at home doing similar exercises as those in my classes.  And I did yoga.  I was working out almost 7 days a week.  And in May I hit my goal weight.  I. Was. Stoked!

In August of 2018 I ran a 10 mile race.  I came in 3rd in my age group.  Ok, ok, at my age the group is pretty small, so it's not hard to come in 3rd!  Around this same time, Power Train closed the location I was attending, so I switched to Gold's Gym and started my workouts there.  I was a little intimidated because I thought the place was full of bodybuilders and here I was an older woman just trying to burn fat and calories!  But I have learned to love it there, and I've kept my weight off for almost a year now.  And here's how I've kept it off:

*I Workout 7 days a week most weeks.  Some weeks I do take a rest day.
*I continue to eat healthy.  Do I crave pizza and chips and cookies?  Yup!  Sure do!
  Do I want to eat them?  Yup!  Every Friday night I have a slice of pizza and cookies!
  BUT every Friday morning I'm in the gym working my butt off!
*I have changed my entire lifestyle.  We cook healthy.  We meal prep.  If you have            healthy food already fixed, you are less likely to eat junk!
*I don't buy junk food.  I make a grocery list and stick to it.  
*I pack my lunch EVERY day!
*I sleep as much as possible every night.  Most nights close to 8 hours!
*I gave away all my bigger size clothes. 
*I still use My Fitness Pal religiously.  Every. Single. Day!  No slacking!
  That's where I get into trouble.  I need to stick with it every day!

Everyone is different.  Maybe you have an injury or illness that prevents you from working out all the time.  Ask your Doctor what you CAN do!  Maybe swimming is your way to get exercise.  Don't just dismiss it.  There is always something you can do to be active even if it's at a slow pace or not every day!

Along the way in this journey, I have learned so much!  I have learned about macronutrients.  I have learned that runners' toenails turn black and fall off.  I have learned that my resting heart rate is so low (from being a runner) that the nurse always checks it twice before asking if I feel ok.  I then remember to tell them I run, and they always say "Oh, Ok.  That's why!"  I've learned that you become more visible when you lose inches.  That's a whole other story for another day though.  Remember how I said I'm still the same person I was when I was 18?  Yeah, I'm the same person I was 55 lbs ago too.  Interesting how people react.  

To sum it all up, I feel great!  I feel better than I have ever felt!  Honestly!  I sleep much better than I used to.  And my energy level is so high I sometimes have to make myself sit down when I'm home.  

I'd love your feedback on what you would like to know and what I can help you with.  Remember, I'm not an expert at anything.  I've just been there, and done that.  So I can possibly point you in the right direction.  But if you want a fitness expert, hire a trainer.  If you want a nutritionist, hire a nutritionist.  If you would like a great lifestyle change program with a health coach that works with you, I know a fantastic person who can help you!  But if you just want to chat with someone who can say "Yup!  Been there!" then I'm your gal!  If you want a workout buddy, we can maybe get together sometime!  I would be happy to give you the name of some of the fitness people I follow on YouTube and Instagram.  I do a lot of workouts with YouTube videos.  There are some great people on there doing yoga, core workouts, etc.  So hit me up if you would like!

So that's my story.  Pretty basic really.  Just a determined woman with goals!