Whoosh!!!

Whoosh is a term I learned on the website titled 3 fat chicks on a diet! or 3FC (http://www.3fatchicks.com/). It's a word they use to celebrate a big loss. Well, I had a big whoosh this week. Before I talk about the numbers though, I want to share how exciting this week has been with my non-scale victories.

First, I committed to work out 6 times this week. As of Thursday evening, I had already worked out five times. One time Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and two times Thursday. That in itself, is a huge non-scale victory, regardless of what the scale said this morning. I also snuck in a quick and dirty 30 minute workout this morning and will be attending Zumba Saturday. That a total of seven times!

I committed to stay within my calories each day this week...and did! Another huge non-scale victory!

A member of 3FC shared an excerpt from a book she was reading, which said that the behaviors associated with successful weight loss had already been observed and documented in a study by The National Weight Control Registry. In this study, the participants who had lost 30 lbs or more and kept it off for 5 years or more, had the following behaviors in common:

• 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
• 75% weigh themselves at least once per week.
• 78% eat breakfast every day.
• 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.
• 94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
• 98% modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.

I have kinda sorta but not really tried to lose weight before and probably managed to apply two of these six behaviors. However, I was pleasantly surprised to read this and realize that, during the last three weeks, I've managed to incorporate all six! In fact, as I think I mentioned in an early post, my husband and I made the decision to cancel our cable so that we could afford the gym membership - meaning...no TV for three weeks! (Although I do watch about an hour of a Disney movie each week night with my 2 year old as he settles down for bed.)

So anyway, back to the numbers. I weighed in last week at 281.6 lbs and this morning...

276 even!  That's a loss of 5.6 lbs!

I definitely don't expect this type of loss each week but it's a real kick start for my motivation to help me KNOW, that without a doubt, I am making the right changes this time....the last time. I am already a healthier person than I was three weeks ago.

I sleep better at night.

I wake up feeling...refreshed, each morning.

I have naturally been able to cut out fast food and soda completely!

I can feel my body talking to me in good ways with the gentle ache in my muscles.

I have more energy during the day and certainly more energy when I get home in the evenings.

I know I'll have ups and downs, days when I don't want to work out, days when I really want that not good for me snack. I may succumb to those and that's okay. I'll bounce right back and keep the end goal in mind.

And everyday, I'll work to make good choices. Each little decision is an opportunity for a success.

And I'll remember...

"Don't trade what you want most, for what you want now."  (author unknown)