The Finish Line

From Lose it for Life Day by Day - March 1st:

I'm running hard for the finish line. I'm giving it everything I've got. No sloppy living for me! I'm staying alert and in top condition. ~ 1 Corinthians 9:26-27A (The Message)

There is no finish line in our quest for better health. Embracing a lifelong process, performed daily with no arrival point, can be daunting. In our old life of dieting, we motivated ourselves into deprivation by focusing on the idea that it was only temporary; that when we reached our goal weight, we would be able to splurge again. We strove for that finish line -- but it backfired on us. The deprivation dam broke when we allowed ourselves that splurge. And there we were, back to old eating habits and putting on pounds again.

In this verse Paul speaks about a finish line, but it's more like a rainbow--we run hard toward it, but we never fully arrive in this life. The rainbow is still out there ahead of us, so we learn to live well one day at a time. We let go of sloppy living by surrendering daily. We run this race with everything we've got--faithfully working out spiritual keys, diligently planning our food, energetically exercising our bodies. We stay alert and in top shape so that we feel enlivened, not beaten down by deprivation.

Today, Lord I embrace this daily plan of living well, running the race with the willingness to stay in top condition.

Fitness Friday - Part 2

I forgot to mention in my Fitness Friday post that I broke my pedometer this week. It flipped off my pants onto a tile floor and broke. I have been wearing a pedometer for about two years. I also have been recording my daily steps at www.fitnessjournal.org during this same time. My first inclination was to get a new pedometer, but then I decided to stop wearing one for awhile. It is probably "unnecessary striving." I have worn one long enough to have a pretty good idea of how many steps I am getting. To reach 5,000 steps on a workday, I need to walk at least 10 minutes on the treadmill. Desk jobs are horrible for getting high steps. I very seldom would good the 10,000 steps that "they" recommend. That takes at least 40 minutes of cardio - and probably running for me to get there. It was always kind of a pain to record those steps at Fitness Journal, which is why I called it unnecessary striving.

Fitness Friday

Having a plan last weekend helped tremendously. I didn't stick to it perfectly, but it gave me guidance and made me mindful of my weekend choices.

This week has been fairly good. My nephew's vigil and funeral threw some abnormality into my week and Tuesday I didn't do well on my healthy habits at all (eating was overboard, no exercise at all). However, I issued myself a 2-day 100% Healthy Habit Challenge for Wednesday (100%) and Thursday (only missed 2 for 93%) which got me right back in control.

Now I am facing a three-day weekend away from home. We are leaving for Dallas this morning (a 6 hour drive) and going to a concert tonight. We'll be staying with Sugar Pop's parents tonight and tomorrow and driving home Sunday. Trips like this used to really through me off my plan sometimes for weeks at a time, but I have gotten much better at eating sensibly away from home and resuming my healthy habits immediately. I have a small spiral that I started taking on trips last April. I use it to track my healthy habits, food, exercise, and tips to myself for future trips. This has proven very helpful. I can see what stumbling blocks to watch out for and can remember things that helped me stay on track.

Do I sound like a tyrant with myself? Don't start thinking that I don't allow myself to splurge. I am all about splurges, but it is very important that I keep them controlled. Losing control leads to binging and I am NOT going down that road again. I have made a commitment to myself (and God) to not binge ever again. (Today will be 105 days binge-free.) By keeping track of my eating and exercise, avoiding potential triggers, and relying on God for my strength, I will continue to remain binge-free. Journalling so extensively keeps me honest. When I stop all the journalling, unhealthy habits start to creep in and the pounds start to creep on. Journalling is not slavery to me, it is the tool I use to ensure my freedom from being controlled by food.

Fitness Friday

Welcome to the 2nd week of Fitness Friday. I almost forgot that was my new Friday topic.

Yes! My weekly average last week did end up in my goal weight range. Final number was 132.7. This week I am barely hanging into the range. The holiday in the middle of the week has thrown me for a loop. It was my own doing because I didn't have meal plans or exercise plans for the day. Tuesday evening I had a massage after work (it was heavenly) and then Sugar Pop grilled us a wonderful steak dinner. Later we went to Braum's for dessert. I went for the gusto and had the Double Dip Peanut Butter Hot Fudge Sundae (I didn't eat the entire thing - probably just 95% of it). That eating wouldn't have been too bad, but on the 4th we went out for greasy burgers and fries at lunch and then had Chicken Fried Rice for supper. I didn't get any exercise either day - not even my stretching! Thursday's weight was WAY up and I decided to leave it out of my weekly average computation because it was mostly water retention. That was very evident when I weighed this morning and I was down 2 lbs from yesterday morning.

Weekends and Holidays always seem to through me for a loop when I don't make a plan. I have made a plan for the weekend. I have planned meals and planned exercise and I am looking forward to all of it. Even though we have a party to attend tomorrow night, the weekend is going to look much different than the mid-week holiday.

Exercise Plan:
Tonight ~ I was going to run on the treadmill but was feeling too crampy from TOM so we went for a walk and do floor exercises (hand weights, abs, stretching) Saturday ~ Do a lower body Power Half Hour weight routine and at least a 10 minute walk on the treadmill, stretching and abs
Sunday ~ The Power Half Hour Arm Video, a Yoga Video, Run on the treadmill, abs and stretching

Meal Plan:
Tonight ~ Grilled sirloin, corn-on-the-cob, and salad. SF Chocolate Fudge Pudding for dessert. Saturday ~ Normal Breakfast, Big Salads for Lunch, Supper will be at the party (I think it is BBQ). Sunday ~ Normal Breakfast, Chicken Curry in the Crockpot for lunch, and (if the oven gets installed) Oven Fry Chicken for supper. If the oven isn’t ready, then I will do Garlic Lime Chicken.
I am really looking forward to the yoga video and the run afterward. I was able to do that combination a few weeks ago and I felt so AWESOME during the run because I had a really good stretch beforehand.

Next week will be another week at 24 points. The house is finally returning to normal. The oven is the only thing left to do in the kitchen and Honey will be back at her mom's. There shouldn't be anything to keep me from getting back into a good exercise routine. Hopefully, Sugar Pop will be ready to start going to the gym more often. If so, I will start doing Power Half Hour videos right after work for my strength training and then doing cardio at the gym.

Oh, I spent some time last night cleaning out the pantry, freezer, fridge and spice cabinet. It feels so good to look in there now and be able to see everything clearly. I still need to organize the coffee/tea/sweetener cabinet and then all the food storage areas will be nice and neat and my OCPD-ness will be happy!

Fitness Friday

This blog is supposed to be about spiritual and physical fitness, but I mainly been using it as my spiritual journal and don't seem to talk about my physical fitness much. I decided to make Friday's "Fitness Friday" and let you know I am doing physically.

This week my weekly average is going to be finally be in my (revised) goal weight range of 130-134. I won't know the exact number until Sunday. My original goal weight range was 127-131, but Sugar Pop thinks I look to thin below 130. I didn't believe him at first, but when I saw the pictures of myself from GMA Week I decided that I looked pretty good. So, if all goes according to plan (and I don't fall into a vat of candy and ice cream this weekend), I will be back to maintenance points next week. I am so excited. I will start at 24 points a day for next week. I may gradually work up to higher points. I want point I had decided that 27 points was where I needed to be to maintain. I may gradually add 1 point a week to get back to there.

I have set myself a strength training goal for July. I want to get in 4.5 hours for the month. The most I have had up to now is 3.2, so this will be a challenge. I hope to see some good results from the extra time.

Real Beauty

Dee posted this article today. I really liked it and want to save it for myself to read again.

You and I live in a world where beauty is a sad plastic imitation of the real thing. Real beauty is a thousand skin tones and languages, different smiles, personalities and hairstyles. Real beauty doesn't matter if you're wearing a frilly skirt and ballet flats or a lacrosse uniform. It has nothing to do with your jean size or your height.

It has everything to do with what He says about you, and He says you're a star. He says beauty is a heart place, not a physical place, and when He invades that sweet broken heart of yours, it is impossible not to radiate beauty. I hope and pray that you'll look in the mirror and start to see what He has said and affirmed in your life over and over.

He says that He loves you with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3). And He says that He's called you out of darkness into freedom (Psalm 107:14).

You're not meant to blend. You're meant to shine like a bright star in the darkest night. You're meant to be unique and original. In other words, being yourself is beautiful...

In a world full of plastic, I dare you to be beautiful. I dare you to let His love shine from your heart so bright the world can't help but notice.

You are a dream.

You were originated in the mind of God; woven and spun into the living, breathing masterpiece you are. Put simply: You're beautiful.

Beloved Partner

"The body you are given will be yours for the duration of your time here. Love it or hate it, accept it or reject it, it is the only one you will receive in this lifetime. It will be with you from the minute you draw your first breath to the last beat of your heart. Since there is a no-refund, no-exchange policy on this body of yours, it is essential that you learn to transform your body from a mere vessel into a beloved partner and lifelong ally, as the relationship between you and your body is the most fundamental and important relationship of your lifetime. It is the blueprint from which all your other relationships will be built." by Cherie Carter-Scott

That is something to ponder. I have never thought of my body as a beloved partner or a lifelong ally. But thinking in those terms makes this health and fitness journey I am on seem more important. I am not just doing this for myself, but for my beloved partner.

Settling into Maintenance

This is week 5 of my 6 week weight maintenance break. I was reflecting on the previous weeks and it occurred to me that it wasn't until last week that I really relaxed in maintenance mode. I was struggling with binge eating (which is part of the reason I decided to take the maintenance break) for the first three weeks. I would binge and then want to go back to weight loss points. Then I finally decided that binging was "no longer an option." I want to give it up FOREVER. Now that I have done that and feel like the issue is settled, I feel very comfortable at maintenance points. And interestingly, the scale has gone down about a pound after 11 days of no binging (even though I am eating 27 points a day).

I know I have to be on my guard though. I need to stay close to God because the "binge monster" could attack at any time. I reviewed my list of differences between a binge and a splurge yesterday, just to keep me on my toes. I bought some Ginger Chews at Drug Emporium yesterday. I could have easily eaten the entire bag (and made myself sick in the process, I'm sure), but I recognized I was on the verge of a binge and I did not want to go there. I do realize I need to be on alert though...I could have easily eaten through the entire bag before I realized I had just binged. As it turns out, I had five pieces - 100 calories. God is my strength and I am sure that He is responsible for alerting me to the danger I was encountering. I can't even remember how he "snapped me out of it" but I know that it was Him. I must watch and listen for His voice.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the awareness you gave me yesterday. I was tempted to eat that entire bag, but you rescued me. I am your little sheep who so easily wanders off and gets trapped in the brush or falls into the river. Please keep a watch on me and continue to rescue me when I get too close to danger. It feels good to have been saved BEFORE I needed it. Thank you. In Jesus Name I Praise You. Amen.

A Busy Holy Week

It has been a busy week. You will notice I missed blogging a couple of days. It's Sugar Pop's early week and my quiet time always gets cut short this week. Then I was spending time getting stuff together for Honey to go on the Chrysalis retreat this weekend. Monday evening I had a massage, Tuesday evening a haircut and color, Wednesday evening was Honey's night to come over for supper and then I went to the grocery store, Thursday evening we took Honey and her friend to the Chrysalis, and Friday after work I had a job interview. Whew! I'm tired. It was unusual for me to be so busy. I haven't got in any good workouts. I walked on the treadmill for 10 minutes on Monday & Wednesday. Tuesday Sugar Pop and I went for a 20 minute walk. That is it...I haven't even got my floor exercises and stretches done very many days. Today I will do the Couch to 5K workout, but I am going to start Week 6 over since it has been a week since my last workout. (Edited to add: I ended up doing Week 6 Day 3 anyway...it was a 25 minute run - my longest yet!)

Even with all this busyness, it has been a good week and I have been close to God. Since it is Holy Week I decided to do a little extra "fasting." Not fasting from food though. I gave up posting to the WW boards, to reading blogs, and to listening to the radio (I've been listening to worship CDs instead). It has been pleasant and I was much more productive at work. It helped me to draw nearer to God and listen for Him instead of listening/reading other people's words. I have missed the boards and blogs though. They are a good support system and I will be reading/posting to them again. However, this week has been a good reminder that my ultimate support comes from God and that I can always rely on Him.

Comparison to Successful Losers

Vicki had an interesting post today [yesterday by the time I finished this] and asked others to go to write their thoughts on this same topic. Here is mine:

"No Quick Fixes."
In the past I have tried so many different "diets." What I am doing now is a lifestyle change and there is nothing quick about a lifestyle change.

"Be Active."
I used to struggle with getting exercise in, but now it is just what I do. My goal is to get a minimum of 10 minutes on the treadmill a day (except Sunday which is my rest day). Some days it is a lot more than that - maybe an exercise video or going to the gym and using the elliptical or lifting weights. I also do some floor exercises [almost] every day - ab work, pushups, lunges, stretching. Nothing hard or heart pumping. It is just a little extra movement every day.

"Track Your Weight."
I weigh every day and record my weight in an excel spreadsheet that calculates a weekly average of my weight. I use that weekly number as my "official" weight. My goal range is 127-131. If my weekly number is a little high, I need to cut back until I'm back in the range. (Right now I am working on getting back in the range.)

"Enlist Support."
I am a lifetime WW member and I attend at least one meeting a month. Sugar Pop is good support most of the time because he cares about his health and weight, also. However, he is the only person who tempts me with trips to Braums for ice cream. I am also active on the WW Message Boards and post daily to a thread called "10 Cent Healthy Habit Challenge."

"Start Your Day With Breakfast."
I have always been a breakfast eater. My favorite is oatmeal made with milk and parched fruit or yogurt mixed with applesauce and fiber one cereal. Perhaps I should say those are my usual breakfasts. My favorite would be french toast, but that doesn't fit into my normal food plan. ;)

"Set Small Goals."
I'm good at this. Sometimes, my goal is to just make it through the day on plan.

"Find Motivation to Get Started."
I've always had plenty of motivation to get started and just haven't always had the motivation to keep going. I've been either dieting and gaining for years now. However, for the past few years I am really learning about maintenance and it is great. I love that when I do need to lose weight it is usually just 3-4 pounds not 15-20.

"Find Motivation to Keep Going"
I don't ever want to need to lost 20 pounds again. I want to be fit and healthy the rest of my life. That is my motivation to keep going.

"Set a Limit for Regaining Pounds."
This is where my weight range comes in. I like the weekly average because then I don't have so many worries about a high-sodium meal out and gaining a bunch of water weight. It will all even out in the average.

"Plan Ahead."
I am big into planning. I plan our meals for the week before I go to the store. I plan my meals for the day in the morning. I have a "travel journal" I use when I am going to be away from home. That has been a big help in maintaining my weight. Trips used to really through me off and lead to weight gain. Having a specific place to journal food, health, fitness, etc. for trips is great. I can look back and see what worked. I can write myself notes to read before the next trip.

"Figure on Plateaus."
Because I weigh every day on a scale that measures to .2 lbs, there is always a different number on the scale. I don't really feel like I have plateaus because I'm looking at the number every day. I do remember getting kind of stuck when I had 5 lbs to lose and I finally listened to the WW good health guideline to get healthy oils. I started making a salad dressing with olive oil and that helped me lose that last 5 pounds.

"Reward Yourself."
I love rewards. They are very motivating for me. My latest was to weigh less this past Monday than the Monday before. We were going out of town for the weekend and I was tempted to just eat anything and everything I wanted. So I set that goal and my reward was a new pair of Easy Spirit workout shoes. I met my goal and my new shoes arrived yesterday. :)

"Stick With It for the Long Haul."
Oh yes, I am definitely in this for life. I have truly made a lifestyle change and I know that I must continue it. I do not want to go back to the diet/gain lifestyle I had for so many years. It is great to know that all my clothes always fit (well, except for the one pair of capris that are a little snug right now - just a few more pounds and they will be comfortable again). I plan on always journalling my food and exercise, weighing daily and getting plenty of exercise. This healthy lifestyle makes me feel good and the longer I keep up my healthy habits the easier they become. I can't imagine going back to the days when I stopped for fast food almost every day for lunch, when I was getting candy bars and chips from the vending machine. I don't want to go back to those days. I felt like I was hungry all the time because my body wasn't getting any nourishment from those foods. I love the foods I eat now and I love exercising. Life is good. This journey has been worth it.

Curb Your Appetite

Curb Your Appetite for Trash by Phil Joel of the Newsboys
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is” (Romans 12:2, NLT).
I won’t lie to you—life in a rock band is amazing. I still pinch myself, half expecting to wake up as a 14-year-old boy who went to sleep surrounded by posters of my favorite bands and musicians. I’m having a blast, and touring in a band is a lot of fun. There are, however, a few challenges. One of the seemingly minor ones is that for a touring musician, the road is laden with burgers, fries and those crazy American “donut” things. Truck stops, fast food restaurants and backstage catering offer every fattening food option imaginable. Finding good nourishment can sometimes be very difficult. But, if I’m willing to put in the effort, it can always be found.
My pastor has a great saying: “You hunger for what you feed on and you feed on what you hunger for.” It’s really true! When I’m feeding myself with healthy foods, my energy levels increase and I find myself satisfied after each meal. I soon lose my appetite for the junk and become addicted to the way my body feels and functions when I’m eating well.
It’s the same principle from a spiritual angle. As Christians, we may be tempted to feed on the “junk food” of our culture: the wrong TV and Internet, pornography, the drive for fame and recognition in our own social scene, etc. If we give in to the temptation and spend little or no time with the Lord—reading His word, in prayer and intimacy with Him—we will continue to be stimulated by the “junk food.” Our minds will be coated in a “spiritual fatty layer” that will block our true potential in Christ.
The deal is this: There is an enemy of our souls. He has a plan to destroy us with a complete buffet of lifestyle garbage. I don’t necessarily mean those obvious, terrible and dark things that may tempt us. I mean anything that would distract us from pursuing God and feeding on His goodness and His words and ways. We need to ask ourselves, “Do I have a plan? How am I planning to grow and be deliberate in my pursuit of the Lord and His word?”
I’m writing about this today because five years ago, I made a conscious and deliberate decision to meet with the Lord every day arid spend time listening, learning and feeding on His presence. I renewed the simple, yet essential, practice of “the quiet time.” Rising and meeting with Him through the Bible and prayer is so important. It has radically changed my life. This is real-deal relationship-building stuff, and I need it. We all do! Without this time each morning, we risk spending our days as undernourished, ignorant, unfilled Christians who haven’t entered into the fullness of what Christ has for our lives.
In Psalm 19, King David talks about being hungry for God’s word and ways. He describes them as being “more to be desired than fine gold” and “sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” When we eat the right foods, we build and strengthen our bodies. As we feed on God’s presence through His word and prayer every day, we build and strengthen our relationship with Him. We hunger for what we feed on, and we feed on what we hunger for.
So what are you hungry for?

This was in a devotional I received in the mail yesterday from KLOVE. I get these because I am a monthly donor, but because I have other things I am reading, I normally just throw it away. However, I thumbed through it and this article caught my attention. After being out of town for a weekend and feeding on actual junk food, I was happy to return home and return to my healthy food. However, the first couple days I definitely suffered from some cravings and came real close to devoring hot chocolate (regular - not sugar-free) and cheez-its. Now I have returned to my return and those foods do not even appeal to me. The same thing happens with my quiet time. Anytime we are away from home for a few days, my routine is thrown off and I don't get my normal quiet time. It's disrupts me spiritually and I am always very happy to be home and resume my quiet time with the Lord.

Do Not Despair

Our courteous Lord does not want his servants to despair even if they fall frequently and grievously. Our failing does not stop His loving us. ~ Julian of Norwich

Praise the Lord that our failing does not keep Him from loving us. I feel like I've been failing a lot lately. I have been having problems with bingeing again. Not HUGE binges, but enough food (and of course it is junk food) that I feel overly stuffed and gross from eating. Yesterday was another one of those days. The prior three times this month, I was blaming it on cold medicine but that was not the problem yesterday (unless it was a sympathy reaction to Sugar Pop's cold medicine). So yesterday makes 4 times this month - the most since November 2005.

I am turning this over to God. This morning I pulled out the Dieter's Prayer Book and I will start reading it again. I have read through this book at least three times. It really does help keep me on track and I always seem to struggle when I am noting reading it. Actually, I should say that I am always struggling when I pick it back up again.

I am tired of fighting this binge monster by myself. It is time to let God fight him for me.

Heart Rate Monitor

I finally did it! I have been wanting a heart rate monitor for months and months. A friend gave me a $35 gift certificate at Amazon for my birthday so I decided to put that towards the Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor. I'm excited and looking forward to using it at the gym. The machines there do not pick up my heart rate well at all and so I can't assume I am working out at the right level.

Stability

If you lose your faith, you will probably do so gradually. In tiny increments you will get spiritually sloppy...Stability in the storm comes not from seeking a new message, but from understanding an old one...Ask God to help you become more faithful in anchoring your life in Jesus, even when there are no storms on the horizon.

This was from the Life Lessons in my bible reading today. I liked it because it stresses the importance of being consistent in our spiritual disciplines, so that we don't gradually fall away from our faith. I want to be growing in my walk with Christ, not falling away from Him. Also, it is important to work on this during the calm times of our life. By being strong in faith, when those hard times come they will be much easier to endure if we already have a strong faith.

This message can also apply to our physical life as well - to diet and exercise. It is important for me to remain to be diligent with my healthy habits. If I slack a little bit on day, it can lead to more slacking later. I need to work on making my habits such a routine in my life that when chaos occurs, I will be able to keep up my habits. I am definitely not perfect in my habits, but certain things are more natural to me. Like soda, for instance. Avoiding soda is one of my habits and it was difficult at first, but now the only time having one crosses my mind is when we go to a movie or travel and now I am comfortable with NOT having one (the last time I had a soda was October 7th).

Weekly Weight Average

Today is the day I calculate my weekly weight average. It was 130.9. Exactly the same as last week (totally amazing). I am THRILLED! At the beginning of the week I was afraid I wouldn't end up in my weight range (127-131) this week. I am excited to be there (even though it is just barely).

Today is my first Sunday to not where my pedometer or exercise. It is great. You know God really knew what he was doing when he invented the Day of Rest. I feel free today - free from guilt about not exercisings, free from worries about getting all my steps in, free to sit back and relax. I love it.

Worst Weight Entry Day

On D's recommendation I downloaded Weight Commander last week. I entered my weights for the last 90 days (that is as far back as you can go). This morning I entered my weight and a chart popped up and said, "

Sundays have been your worst weight entry day for the past twelve weeks. This makes it doubly important to be very careful today."

OK, I *knew* Sundays were bad because I tend to indulge on the weekends, but I didn't know that the gains on the past 12 Sundays added up to 12.2 lbs. That was an eye-opener. Fortunately I have had losses on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. So, I will be very careful today.

Weight Lost and Gained

Since October 14, 2002 I have lost 97.9 pounds and gained 80.4 pounds (17.5 net loss).

During 2004 I lost 27.5 lbs and gained 19.3 lbs, 8.2 net loss, highest - 141.4, lowest - 127.7
During 2005 I lost 23.1 lbs and gained 22.9 lbs, .2 net loss, highest - 136.0, lowest - 127.4
During 2006 I lost 12.6 lbs and gained 15.4 lbs, 2.8 net GAIN, highest - 132.8, lowest - 128.2

My weight fluctuations are decreasing. I want both of those numbers to be lower in 2007, but this year the weight lost needs to be more than the weight gained.

After the New Year's Eve festivities I weighed 133.6. This is outside of the 127 to 131 weight range I would like to maintain. Most of the difference between 133.6 and 131 is probably water weight and the results of snacking from 8:00 pm until midnight. My plan is to be back in my weight range this week, although I know it might not be possible for my weekly average to be in the range. This is not the time to slack off (not that any time is a good time). I have lost and gained too many times. I want to maintain my weight during 2007. I will maintain my weight during 2007!

Day of Rest

I've been reading a blog called "Out of the Shadows." Dee is definitely a Christian. She does not wear her pedometer on Sundays because it is the Lord's Day, a day of rest. I was getting ready this morning and thinking about that and rationalizing that it was ok to work out on Sunday because it was relaxing to me. BUT, Sunday was MADE for rest which means my body probably needs a day of rest from exercise even if I don't think it does. So, starting this coming Sunday I won't wear my pedometer and the only exercise I will do will be stretching. Now that I have made that commitment, I am looking forward to it!

Goals for 2007

Goals for the Spiritual Journey
Read through the bible using the Max Lucado Devotional Bible
Read A Year with C.S. Lewis
Read My Utmost for His Highest
Review "Memorize the Message" scriptures. I will at least review the current week but I won't stress out about memorizing each week.
Journalling

Goals for the Fitness Journey
Maintain weekly average weight between 127 and 131
Average 30 minutes of exercise per day
Keep track of exercise using www.fitnessjournal.com
Attend Weight Watcher's Meeting at least once a month
Set up at least one appointment with a trainer at the gym
Keep tracking of my "Healthy Habits," adjust them once a month, and spend the dimes I "earn."
Buy a heart rate monitor

Healthy Habits

I keep a list of healthy habits I am working on. Lately it has been 30 things at a time. Some of these are such habits, I really don't have to try. Others, I miss them more days than I complete them. For 2007, I will adjust them each month. For each habit I "earn" 10 cents and that money is to indulge on something just for me. The latest thing I got is a new cell phone which should arrive Monday!

Here is what I have been working on since November 5th:

Journal Food
Write in Fitness Journal
Drink Water - 4 bottles
Produce - 5 servings of fruits and/or veggies
Dairy - 2 servings
Healthy Oil
Nuts
Fiber One
Whole Grain
Caffeine~0-1 items
Alcohol~0-1 drinks
No Sugar
No Flour
No Junk - currently defined as popcorn, gum, hot chocolate in packets, soda, chips, frozen novelties, Fast Food
No coffee at work
No Elevators at work
No computer games (I can waste so much time with these)
Cardio Workout
Core Workout
Stretching or Yoga
Strength Training
5000 Steps Minimum
Remember Evening Vitamin
Keep in Touch
Bedtime 10:45 weedays/11:15 weekends
Clean or Fling - 5 minute minimum
Pampering
Bedtime Routine (wash face, brush & floss)
Use less than 10 Flex points
Binge Free