I’m not one to gloat, but I think after last week’s bummer moment, I think I’ve earned a small chance to brag: I’M BACK ON TRACK!
I was pretty hard on myself last week after learning that I gained a few pounds back, but I think that motivated me to kick it in high gear in the gym. I’ve been working out every day this week. I played a few games of tennis, hit the treadmill, and took long walks with the dogs every single day. I’ve also been loading up on super low-carb meals. But I’ve had some help from some new friends — two of them, actually — a new pair of shoes.
After a less than stellar performance last week, I splurged and treated myself to a pair of AWESOME shoes. But these kicks aren’t just stylish, they also come with electronic recording device that documents my runs, calorie burns, and distances in to my cell phone (the future is here, guys!). So not only am I able to accurately document how hard I run, I can also embarrass myself (or get a round of applause) from my Facebook friends by posting my documented time on my profile. I don’t want to be one of those annoying over-sharers on Facebook, but I share these records on purpose.I knew that if I made my workouts slightly more visible to my friends, I’d get called out more often. You’d be surprised how motivated you stay when you don’t want to get teased for having a mile time the same as your grandma. The app is great because it even sets goals for me like a personal trainer! I feel like I’m literally playing a video game!
I don’t know if was the new shoes or the actual fear of being mocked by Facebook friends, but I ran my best mile and kept pushing my distance this week! It may not seem like a big deal to avid runners, but for someone who HATES jogging, it’s a big success. Plus, the best perk are the extra calorie burns. (And not to be gross, but I have the blisters to prove it! I have work out blisters!)
Aside from working out and lower-carb meals, I’m back on heavy calorie counting. I do this on a cell phone app, and I find that it becomes a game of how many lower calories I can consume one day to a next (you have to have fun with this some how, right?). The app I use is called Livestrong, and it has an incredible data base that helps document accurate food calories and exercise calories. It also tracks my progress with charts and reminds me if I’m going over in my allotted calories by sending me quick push notices.
I’ve also gotten good with my smoothies and evolved from green powder to actually mixing spinach in to my morning and/or lunch treat. At first I felt like a bratty kid having to actually drink spinach, but TRUST ME, this thing is delicious!
In the end, I’m getting right back in the game. I’m not saying there weren’t challenges this past week (Labor Day weekend picnics are evil for any dieter!), but I’m keeping my eye on the prize. That beach vacation I mentioned is only a month or so away and if I can just make that goal, I know that it will motivate me to stay in the game. It’s those first small wins that make such a big impact!
(Mentioning of any products are not paid endorsements and are only my opinions. I was not compensated for promoting any items mentioned in this blog post.)
