Being Organized

I have found over the last several months that being highly organized has been very very helpful for me.  I am a working mom with 2 kiddos and I commute about 78 miles per day.  My commute can mean anywhere to 40 to 60 minutes one way.  One of the very first things I did when I decided to change my lifestyle was to sit down with the hubby and figure out a workout schedule.  This schedule had to coordinate with the hubby's workouts too since my kiddo's refuse to go to the daycare provided at the YMCA I attend. 

The next thing that I did was to purchase a workout bag and I put some essentials items (deodorant, extra sports bra, socks, ponytail holder, ear buds, etc) in there that always stay in there. I made sure that I would have almost no excuse to miss getting some exercise in for the day.  Sounds pretty lame, right?  Well, for me it made a world of difference.

I also stepped up my weekly menu planning ALOT!  In addition to just purchasing the items that I need to have a weeks worth of dinners I started posting them in the kitchen so when I am in the middle of working out and preparing dinner was up to the hubby he would have no excuses (pretty sneaky, huh?).

I began planning my weekly snacks (2 a day) and breakfasts for the week.  The hubby and I sat down and wrote out an entire notebook sheet of paper ideas for snacks, breakfast, lunch and even dinner.  So on those days that I just don't have the energy to put my thinking cap on and try to figure out what I'm going to eat I can always fall back on 'the list' for some healthy ideas.

I bought a cute pink water cup with a built in straw to keep me in the habit of drinking water instead of soda pop, tea or coffee.  That pink cup goes everywhere with me!  Again, probably sounds pretty ridiculous - but hey, it's working for me!

Housework....omgosh, housework!  We all know it's never ending but for me and my new lifestyle it's IMPERATIVE that I keep up on the dishes and laundry - regardless if I am dog tired I know if I leave it for the next day, it will be twice as much the next day and COULD give me an excuse to forgo my workout to do housework.  So I suck it up and wash all the dishes every night and usually do a load of laundry about every other night. 

So there ya go, my thoughts on how being ubber organized helps with getting you on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

And with that, to date I have rid myself of 33 freakin' pounds - see ya sucker!!

Goal Setting

For me setting a long term goal is just too lofty and seems unobtainable.  Instead of giving myself one big whopping goal I use the concept of min-goals or milestones.  Here are mine and where I currently stand with them…

Feel comfortable enough with myself to stop wearing frumpy, big & boxy t-shirts and shorts to the gym and wear cute work out clothes instead. DONE!

Lose 15 pounds.  DONE!

Fit into my shorty shorts that I have been hanging on to for almost 4 years.  I RARELY wear shorts and they are never any shorter than just above my knees.  DONE!

Get into my pre-pregnancies jean size (11 years ago).

Fit into my wedding dress.

Get into a size SMALLER than what I was when I graduated high school (20 years ago).

Dash up the stairs at work without huffing, puffing and feeling like my legs were about to burst into flames.  DONE!

Begin drinking water, LOTS of water.  DONE!

Limit my coffee to one or none per day.  DONE!  I've even packed away the coffee maker in my home

Build definition in my biceps and triceps

Replace at least two meals a week with a vegetarian option.  DONE!

Get a bike and go on rides with my kids

Buy clothes that do not have the letter 'L' in the size

Run in a 5K