New motivation!

So today I joined another weight loss challenge group on facebook.  You're probably thinking "Why?  Don't you already run one of those?"  Yes. Yes I do.  But one of the girls in my group has a group of her own and is doing a 6 week holiday blitz that I am hoping will be the extra push I need to get back on track!  I love running my own group, but I think it will also be nice to have something a little different...and something I don't have to stress over being in charge of!

The challenge for our first week in that group is to give up one bad habit and adopt one good one.  I chose to give up soda.  I gave it up once before and went months without it but for some reason I've gotten back into drinking it.  I don't drink it like water (like SOME people I know...HI FAMILY! haha) but I want to try to erase it from my diet again if I can.  The good habit I'm going to try and adopt for the week is NO eating after 8pm.  If I had to pick one thing that has always been the hardest for me and the biggest ruiner of my diet...it's eating late at night.  So no more late night burritos!!  And hopefully not just for this week!  They taste so good though :(  Stupid Betos.

As for my Jilly's Losers group, our challenge this week is to simply have everyone with a loss instead of a gain.  It sounds simple enough, but it's amazing what stress can do.  I gained 2.2 lbs this past week and it makes me really angry.  I worked out 5 days in the gym, but my eating was out of control.  If I hadn't gone to the gym I can only imagine how much higher that number would've been!  I'm glad that Thanksgiving will be here at home this year.  I'll have a lot more control over what's made and eaten and I think I'll be able to control myself a lot better.

Between these two groups, I'm really hoping to shed another 20 lbs before Cami's wedding.  I've got 2 months to do it.  It's completely possible.  I just need to do it.  No excuses.

Gotta buckle down...again.

I should thank my friend Angie for posting her own weight loss blog entry this week because it reminded me that hey...I have one of those!  I didn't realize that my last post was all the way back in JULY!  I really need to start writing again if for no other reason than it helps me to sort out my head and get back on track with my goals.

The good news is that I've now lost 71 lbs, but the bad news is that I've kind of been stuck there for a longgggg time.  I have exercise down to a science now, though I'll admit I'm bored of it lately.  I try to mix up different cardio machines with swimming laps...and regular weight lifting with circuit training but I'm just...bored.  It will be nice when spring comes again and it's warm enough to start doing more things outside.  I'm really starting to hate my gym..though at the same time, I miss it when I don't go.

Food, as always, is my enemy.  When I think I've kicked something, another weakness rears its head.  I can't seem to kick my habit of stress and comfort eating.  And it really doesn't help that my favorite Mexican place is open 24/7!!!  Late night burritos make for a very unhappy next morning.

My sister is getting married in 2 months.  Back when it was announced I thought, "Hey, this is great.  I have plenty of time to get down to 200 lbs and look hot in a dress!!"  And now I'm thinking, "I'm never going to fit into the size 18 dress I bought and I can't even seem to get under 250!!"  This "plateau" of mine is really really frustrating.  I guess I should be grateful that I finally got under 260 after being in the 260's for 6 months, but it's just not enough.

I keep telling myself to just take it 1 day at a time, but I can't seem to have more than 2-3 good days in a row.  I need a good WEEK.  It's been a long time since I had an entire week where I was in the gym 5-6 days and kept myself to that ONE indulgence day/meal.  I need to.  Badly.  Maybe then I'd see a weight change of more than .4 or .6 and it will motivate me to try even harder.  But I have to start somewhere...and it's Monday.

So off to the gym I go!