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July 2015

For those of us who think visually, this may do the trick for water

First things first: I lost 2 pounds this week on my super top secret 12-week book pre-release plan.

{cue the balloon drop}

image from balloonbaron.com.sg

Aside from the fact that my body decided that there's no time like the present to surprise me after 3 months (yeah, that) I soldiered through the PMS and followed the plan.

I also got in five straight days of exercise and threw in a Saturday workout just cuz I felt like it.

Blogilates water bottleThis week I'm building on my success by really focusing on the water thing. 

Oh, the water thing. I really, really don't drink enough plain, unfettered water. So I bought myself a gift -- yet another water bottle. I found it on Cassey Ho's Blogilates site and I knew I had to have it because it has markers for every hour from morning 'til noon. When you finish that side of the bottle, (it says "Do It Again") you simply fill it up and go from 2 to 6 p.m.

I got it in the mail right before we went to the gym, so I made up for lost time and drank the entire quart on the bike during my 10-minute warmup. (Note to self: Don't do that. It's hard to workout when you're sloshing full of water.)

But for those of us who think visually, having those one-hour hash marks to polish off makes getting the water down super easy. 

It's not a little sippy bottle; it's a big ol' chug bottle so the o-z's go quickly.

Today was the first time I drank 8 glasses of water in quite awhile and I intend to keep using my new gift to myself.

I especially love the message on the front of the bottle:

Bottle front


Tunes for Tuesday: Mad World, by Tears for Fears

Every time that Taco Bell bacon something-or-other ad comes on, that haunting song gets stuck in my head. In case you are a youngster, the song is a remake of "Mad World" by Tears for Fears. The 1983 (college!) song was redone by Halsey exclusively for the ad, so you can't download it (yet). But the original tempo is a little better for working out to anyway.

image from 2.bp.blogspot.com


12 weeks. I can do 12 weeks.

Unproofed galley

That photo above? That's all I can show you of what I'm starting today. A certain doctor whose work I respect has a book coming out later this year and I agreed to follow the doctor's program for the next 12 weeks.  I had to sign a contract saying that I wouldn't reveal any details and part of the paperwork was a release for television. 

Which means it behooves me to knock this out of the park so I can be a shining example on the teevee.

The eating plan is a lot like what I've been doing so I'm not making any big changes to my diet. I'm just going to (drumroll, please) ...

FOLLOW THE PROGRAM.

I had to submit "before" photos wearing a sports bra and workout capris, shooting angles from the front, back and both sides. No flattering angles, no Photoshop. 

As I looked objectively at those photos I thought to myself "It is what it is. Look at it this way -- you'll never be bigger than you are right now." 

And while I've always said that while the scale hasn't gone down at least it hasn't gone up. I was looking over my weight stats on the Withings page and I can't really say that right now. From March 2014 to today, I've gained 10 pounds. Bleah. (Funny aside: Just as I was typing this sentence, the golf commentator on the TV uttered the word "Inexcusable." I feel the same way.)

I have no problem being hard on myself, so don't tell me that 10 pounds is no big deal because for me it is. 

Those 10 pounds really are inexcusable. Sure, there may be a few contributing circumstances (IT band problems lessening my cardio, the start of perimenopause, Costco-sized bags of leftover party snacks -- you get the picture) but at least I haven't had to buy bigger clothes, so there's that.

I'm really motivated to do well for these next 12 weeks. For the first time I think ever, I have outside sources depending on my compliance, and I don't want to let them (and myself) down. 

I went back off the electronic grid and returned to using my Fitbook. I pulled out a fresh, new Fitbook because each book is 12 weeks long, and I want to have a standalone document of this program. I'm also, for the first time, going to use all the pages in the Fitbook, not just the food journaling ones. I'm planning out my workouts and my meals, logging my measurements and writing down the good and bad of the week and what I hope to will accomplish.

I'm one meal down (a peach smoothie and coffee) and have a fridge full of produce. After I hit "publish" I hit the gym with my kid. I have vowed to drink more water and also vow to find a new hobby after dinner (like, perhaps, obsessive brushing and flossing) so that I keep the evening polar bear at bay.

And here's something for my FitBloggin' friends

image from fitbloggin.com
Remember that session I led about keeping the momentum going and blogging through the good and bad? I got a lot of great comments on my post-FitBloggin' blog post on that, and one of the comments, from Denise, asked: "Were you thinking about doing some sort of weekly link up or check in? If so, count me in."

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: I'm writing something in the next week or so for the FitBloggin' blog on that very topic and we'll either have that link-up or check-in there or here. 

So, I repeat -- Who's with me?


Tunes for Tuesday: Every Little Step, by Bobby Brown

I was thinking about this song when I saw my friend Christine's Periscope chat on making small steps toward big changes. Of course, this is also the premise of Roni and Carla's book, What You Can When You Can: Healthy Living on Your Terms. So to make this song even more useful, I've not only posted the 1988 video, I've also posted two instructional videos so you can dance along!

EVERY-LITTLE-STEP_thumb-220x124