What's up this holiday season?

 

A recent picture of me and Randy hiking recently at Grouse Ridge, California.

I will be coaching in this 1st Phorm App until May of next year. After that, I will help people via phone, Signal text, and email. Do not ever hesitate if you wish. Email me via my google profile here or comment if you wish to get my contact information. I just left it all in the 1st Phorm App announcements for those still in there with me.

If you think you are alone in your struggle with weight and fitness, I assure you that you are NOT alone.

I recently went to a party with Randy's work group at the Sheriff's Dept. I was horrified at how tight my clothes were and had a difficult time finding something suitable to wear. Luckily, it was up in Reno where it is very cold and I kept on a jacket that was very flattering and wore boots with heels and felt comfortable. I made homemade cookies and little pizza pockets (yes, I made the dough too). I'm good at cooking and I won't stop making treats, but I told Randy that's the last for this season. 

I'm sticking to a meal plan that works for weight loss. I'm measuring out my food, consistently. The things that don't help with this are sugary and carb treats, breads and pizza doughs.

Therefore, I've decided to ignore Thanksgiving and Christmas treats this year. This does not mean I have to be a scrooge! I can stick to one carb/veggie/protein on Thanksgiving and Christmas day and have just one extra treat on those days.

Who says the Holiday season has to be about eating so much food? Why can't I just enjoy doing things with the people I love that doesn't involve food?

I just enjoyed my first Christmas movie without eating! We do not have to snack while we enjoy movies. It's okay to just enjoy it.

The reason I'm making this decision is that I put off all year really getting serious about my weight and meal planning. I started several times, then got off plan within a week or so. I didn't remain consistent.

So, I'm making my own rules this season and it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. My physical and health are a priority. It's not like I deprived myself of all the treats all year long. I took too long to get really serious and give this the sense of urgency it deserves.

I'm feeling a greater sense of urgency. I'm not happy where I'm at, especially starting my duties again back at work.

I will also have a treat on the day I run the California International Marathon on December 8th. It doesn't mean I have to go insane with food and have everything in sight just because I ran 26.2 miles (that will take me around 5 hours).

As this current challenge started I got off to a rough start. I've been on a roll this week. I don't have to do any more long runs as it is now the taper to the marathon, so it's a bit easier to stay consistent with meal planning.

I couple weeks ago I ran an official CIM training run, strategically planned 3 weeks before CIM (California International Marathon).

I'm on a roll and a big part of it is a few things on my mind:

• I want to feel good on my birthday in February.
• I want to feel good at the start of the year.
• I want to fit into my Sheriff uniform. I'm working my first shift this year wearing a slightly bigger uniform that I bought last year.
• I want to feel good in my clothes again.
• I don't want to feel embarrassed at the gym that I don't really look as fit as I would like to.
• I don't want to give in to the lie that I'm stuck where I'm at because I'm 63 and have had 5 surgeries in the last 3  years, and hormones and all that.

It doesn't matter. Healthy calories are all that matter. The right amount. And then do whatever exercise you can, as consistently as possible.

I weighed myself on Monday and it wasn't so bad. I'm right where I was at the beginning of the year. All my starts and fails and still not giving up kept me from getting so much worse.

The tools that help the most:

1. A food scale (even if you are mostly doing intermittent fasting and not a meal plan). Make sure you are eating under your TDEE for fat loss.
2. A body weight scale (even if you only check it every 1-2 weeks).
3. A tape measure (even if you only check your waist).
4. A mindset and reminders about WHY WHY WHY every bite you eat matters. My little note on the food scale is one of many reminders I placed all around the house. Also, keeping the food scale front and center on the kitchen counter is in itself a reminder.

I need all the reminders I can get, so that it's front and center on my mind from the time I wake up, to my thoughts when I fall asleep.

Now, challege or not, I'm sticking to my plan. I'm on this journey for life. I know that nothing will take me off this journey even if I am not perfect. I'm always willing to walk with my friends on this. Always!

So, never be afraid to reach out, even if just to say hello. You know how to reach me right?

Love,

Roberta

From our home in Gold Run, California (a view from my workout!)