more tips to help you stay accountable...

motivation...

*some people put their before pictures on the fridge to make them think twice....
i made a photo collage of things that i wanted...new cute clothes, a cute couple in suggestably intimate cuddles...and the words "what are you made of" in the middle.

*subscribe to the good magazines, and save your cash.
i subscribed to parenting, self, or the most recent...womens health to focus on what i want for me...to be a good parent and to treat myself better.
i traded up from cosmo which is laden with skinny girls and too expensive tastes...although i do treat myself :] glamour also has healthy tips, real life stories, and has recently been showing appreciation for the "regular sized" girls...who have meat on their bones and thighs that rub together : ]

*brita filters. when i was pregnant i craved bottled water. after i realized what it was doing to the environment and to my wallet, i traded up and always have fresh water handy.

*water bottles. what started out as a drunken order for 2 filter for good bottles to help save the environment, became a healthy obsession. i now have a water bottle in the car, at work and at home...so i can keep track of water consumption.

*blogging.
my friend Catrina, beautiful girl, loves blogging. and told me i should start. i didnt think i was much of a blogger, nor would i have anything worth reading.
but it REALLY is like my "me time" with my thoughts, and my confessions and successes. i can pretend no one is reading when i confess my guilty pleasures or my setbacks...or pretend someone else can find comfort and motivation to start fresh. i can tell about my secrets even embarrasing topics such as going to the bathroom, weiging in, my period even, and i can pretend no one is reading, or hopefully provide a laugh or smile or the silent nod from readers. do i have anything worth saying? who knows. but you're reading right? or are you? :]
i blog in this space about my weight loss, and blog in a couple other ones too. my favorite of all isnt this one, truth be told. its actually my blog of letters i write to my son. (dear-julian.blogspot.com)
its so nice to just record my thoughts.
it also holds me accountable. if i can pretend someone is reading, or just reread these entries myself, it can help me to get past temptation.
that and i LOVE to read other peoples journeys. i sometimes just google weight loss blogs and read these stories of these women and men, and get excited for them. sometimes its easier to read what they go through, and take their tips n tricks.
beautyandthebypass.blogspot.com
and journeytothecenterofjgirl.blogspot.com
are two friends who blog and i follow to watch and support, learn and become inspired.

*photos!
this past sunday was superbowl sunday. and it was superbowl sunday at my work too : ]
SO many teams had potlucks, even my own who arranged a nacho/burrito potluck...filled with things i shouldnt be eating if i want to continue to succeed.
ill post more on that later when i feel like uploading photos.
i snapped pictures of each potluck i passed with the plan on uploading them here and seeing exactly how much temptation i resisted!
for those interested, i had ONE tortilla chip with beans and olives on it from my teams potluck, and then a couple pieces of sliced meat.
i was VERY proud.

*friends...and acquaintences for that matter.
i see myself every day, and i regularly post how hard it is for ME to see results. but recently, people that dont see me as often at work will say something! especially recently, they have been saying "oh my! how much have you lost now?" or "you look amazing!" i posted a recent photo of me in my new dress (see previous blog) on my facebook, and got 15 comments of people who know my struggle with my weight, and who have never seen me in a dress...commenting on my progress...how that helps!

*being open and honest.
i am getting a new team of reps at work, and recently wrote them all a letter introducing myself. i gave in and admitted to them...i'm on a mission to lose weight.
and explained my success so far.
it will help me to be real, and allow me to have the support of my peers and my reps so they know what i am doing and how they can stand behind me and hold me accountable. i think it gives them a sense of being able to identify with me too.

*the biggest loser...i LOVE watching that show and knowing im not alone. its also easier to get in small workouts or eat better dinner while watching it. i love tuesdays!

*realism.
im an optimist, but also a realist.
i LOVE the biggest lose,r but i know that im not going to lose the 10+ lbs per week that those contestants do.
why? because i DONT work out every day, and my calories in calories out are not 1200 in 6000 burn.
i am not constantly monitored by trainers nor do i have a doctor monitoring me and telling me what to do.
im doing this on my own, and i have to accept that because im not doing what they are, i cant expect it.

*NOT getting disappointed at the needle not moving.
sometimes, im on my period.
sometimes, i have not had the best week for food.
sometimes, i just didnt make enough changes with my changing body to make the needle move. i cant cry or be upset, but i MUST look at not only the progress ive made weight wise, but also the changes ive made and acknowledge that i need to do something different.
i hold myself accountable.
if i eat bad...i cant cry when the needle stays the same.
as a friend told me "eat what you want, but no one is going to be there to hold your hand as you cry in the dressing room". i think everyone who really truly struggles with weight has cried in the dressing room when they grab a cute shirt and realizes...its not cute on you...or its too tight.
its a harsh reality, but we decide our destiny.

*not getting jealous...but also getting jealous.
my friend beautyandthebypass.blogspot.com, had weight loss surgery last year.
and she is doing so amazing. sometimes im jealous! because i didnt have to go through what she did, but also because our results are different. sometimes its hard to be happy for another, sometimes i just need to stop myself, sit back and revel in her successes and work towards my own. weight loss journeys are different for everyone. and NO ONE has it easy. dont think for a second gastric or lap band is easy. and dont think for a second that diet, exercise and eating healthy are either.
regardless of how the weight is lost, the maintenance and the upkeep is a lifestyle change for sure.
and its hard.
i love my beautyandthebypass, and im damn proud of her.

*text messages.
when you have a craving. text someone who knows what you want to accomplish and tell them.
Lady J has done that for me...and vice versa. whether its "i really want a blizzard from dairy queen" or "i want to eat...because i can but im not hungry" its good to have someone you trust tell you No, and then remind you WHY.

*my son.
i want to be healthy for him.
and i DONT want him thinking he can eat whatever he wants.
obesity is scientifically proven to be genetic in some cases...and in others its a learned behavior.

i need to teach him to work WITH his genes, and AGAINST what i had let become the norm for me.

i think im going to add to this later.
for now...i have other thoughts. tata!