The word of the day : AFFIRMATIONS

You may be familiar with daily affirmations--it's just a short quote or saying that creates a positive energy in your mind and keeps negativity away, much like your favorite bible verse. I hopped online to read some, and I found so many great ones! I literally feel the negativity lifting when I read them! Here are a few I've found, and not all have to do with weight loss per se, but I believe that losing weight is a whole lot easier when we have positivity flowing through our veins :)

I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and I set my mind to becoming physically and mentally fit. I am physically fit and I am mentally fit.

I trust my body and know that it will naturally adjust to an ideal weight for me. Food is nourishment and I realize this. I make good and healthy eating choices based on my nourishment needs. I move regularly and enjoy every moment of it. I am healthy and slim!

I choose what I eat wisely and I listen to my body. I am my ideal weight and I am in good health. I look amazing!

I am at peace with my past. I choose to release the past now. I move forward by letting go of the past. I choose to forgive myself and others. I am grateful and happy to experience new joys in life.

Water refreshes and replenishes me. Water helps me maintain my good health and vibrant skin. I love water. I love drinking water. I drink enough water each day.

I am in control of my world and my body. I am responsible for myself. I release this unnecessary stress and allow my body and mind to relax into a comfortable state of being. I am calm and relaxed. I have a positive and optimistic mental attitude.

Back to the gym I go...

I promised myself I would start working out again, in order to kick-off the second part of my weight loss, and I did it! I got outta bed this morning and convinced myself to do it, even though I was bitching all the way to the fitness center! Once I got on the elliptical machine and started to work up a sweat, I started feeling better about it. I didnt push myself too hard, since it's workout #1 in this portion of my weight loss and I dont want to be sore tomorrow. I did HILL INTERVALS on the treadmill, which I truly enjoyed! I did a warm-up on the elliptical and ended with a mile on the stationary bike. I'm so glad I got that workout in today! Tomorrow will be even better, and I'm hoping to get more than an hour of cardio in!

Goal Weight for mid-April :

I've decided I want to get down to 210 lbs by mid-April. That's approx. 2 lbs to lose per week, which shouldnt be difficult considering I'll be doing cardio regularly. Fingers crossed! It's not gonna be easy, I can feel it...it'll be worth it, though.

Getting back on track... Eeeek :/

What's been happening:

So, the last two weeks I've only lost a few pounds, and I'm pretty much at a standstill @ 218lbs. I've not been tracking my sugar/carbs, I'm being less strict, and I've had several fast-food meals and sugary foods. I'm needing to get back on track...fast! I'm starting with drinking more water throughout the day to flush the crap I've put into my body lately. Oh, I've also had a few nights of drinking, which has dehydrated me and made me lethargic..yuck.

What I plan to do:
Workout. I am going to begin working out at least every other day! I would like to commit to at least 4 days of cardio in the gym, I think that's a good start.

Weight Goal:
I'm trying to think of a reasonable goal weight for this time in April.... I'll keep ya posted on what I decide.

My "cheat" day.... :D

I had nothing but fast food for TWO DAYS! Eeek! It was delicious, I'm not gonna lie, but I was worried about weight gain. I stepped on the scale this morning and I'm still below 220, so yay! And if you're wondering, I ate Jack In The Box, Pizza, and Steak N Shake--and I actually ate most of my shake, and boy was that alot of sugar!! My body knew something was up, it wouldnt let me finish the whole thing! Ha! But, anyways.... that's my cheat day(s). Today it's all water and salad! Toodles for now!

What it takes to LOSE.

What makes my current weight loss different than weight loss in my past is that I'm losing weight in a very healthy way. The weight has come off quickly, but don't assume it's because I've found a "miracle diet", it's really so much more than that. The first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning is how I can make today healthier than yesterday, and throughout the day I remind myself why I'm trying to be healthy in the first place. The Belly Fat Cure book helped me to totally reinvent the way I eat, and the way I look at food. Now I actually TASTE my food, I enjoy every bite, and I've fallen in love with cooking. I actually crave healthy foods! I've found ways to make unhealthy foods healthy, and I did it on MY BUDGET! I've always made comments about how expensive eating healthy can be, but honestly, I havent seen much of a difference in price and I'm eating entire meals and feeling satisfied when I'm finished. I'm gaining so much knowledge about foods, why they are healthy or unhealthy, the importance of listening to your body, and above all kicking myself in the ass for the foods I used to eat!! I'm serious! I was over 200 pounds when I was only 13 years old, can you imagine what got me to that point? I can tell you right now : Little Debbie snacks, chips and McDonalds. I remember eating four or five cosmic brownies in one sitting, entire Big Mac meals at only twelve years old, and the list goes on and on. That led me to 200 pounds at age 13, and I was so desperate to lose weight that I developed an eating disorder. Not only was I destroying my body by gaining so much weight, but I injured my body even more when I started to lose the weight in an unhealthy manner. This is why I'm so hell-bent on eating healthy and losing weight the right way, and my body is responding well to my lifestyle change...it feels amazing.

Scale says....220!

January Weight: 243lbs

February Weight: 222lbs

March 3rd Weight: 220 lbs

23 pounds lost so far!

Yay for meeee!!