Re-set

I've decided to reset my goals over at Sparkpeople, using October 31st as my new starting date.  There's just something appealing about a fresh new start, wiping the slate clean, starting over. (If only those do-overs were as easy in other aspects of life, right?) I am, however, keeping my starting weight the same since I think I should be given credit for those first five pounds lost in 2013, don't you agree?

Here's the thing: as noted in the countdown ticker at the bottom of my blog, it is 40 weeks until my 50th birthday. If I lose 1 pound per week, I will easily meet my goal. I would love to greet age 50 with an improved body, and perhaps a new wardrobe. *wink*  I'm determined, I'm capable, I can do this. I've done much, much harder things in my life than lose weight, there is simply no excuse.

So, here we are, weigh-in day, almost a week after vacation, how did I do?

I lost 2 pounds.

To say I'm happy is an understatement. I guess the healthy meals, even while away, lack of excessive snacking combined with lots of walking paid off!

In order to jumpstart my week, I purchased Happy Herbivore's weekly meal plan and intend to follow it as closely as possible for the next 7 days.  The structure will be good for me, but I also have the freedom to add/subtract from the menu to my own liking. I did all of the shopping yesterday, plan on prepping and cooking today, so be sure to visit me tomorrow for an update!

Have a beauty-full day,

Michele

Day of the Dead..and World Vegan Day!

"Sometimes a part of us must die before another part can come to life. Even though this is a natural and necessary part of our growth, it is often painful or, if we don’t realize what’s happening, confusing and disorienting. In fact, confusion and disorientation are often the messengers that tell us a shift is taking place within us. These shifts happen throughout the lives of all humans, as we move from infancy to childhood to adolescence and beyond. With each transition from one phase to another, we find ourselves saying good-bye to an old friend, the identity that we formed in order to move through that particular time....We can surrender to this process, letting go of our past self with great love and gratitude, and welcoming the new with an open mind and heart, ready for our next phase of life." ~ Daily Om

Today is Día de Muertos, Day of the Dead. I thought today's Daily Om was appropriate, especially since I've been doing some deep soul searching of my own the past couple of weeks.  Before leaving on vacation, I began reading a self-help book called The Emotional Eaters Repair Manual by Julie M. Simon. I haven't finished the book but let me tell you, just the first few chapters really stirred things up for me and made me think about exactly why I'm overweight.  Not just the surface reasons such as I eat too much and don't exercise enough, but the deeper issues, the emotional stuff that causes me to eat when I'm not hungry, to use food as a comfort and dare I say, a drug.  I talked to my friend Marion about this, not knowing how much to share on my blog, and I've decided to keep most of it private.  I'm just not comfortable baring my soul to the public, nor do I want to risk hurt feelings for anyone else "involved." I'm not even sure I'm going to stop with just the book and the exercises, have even thought about attending an OA meeting.  At this point I just know that I've got to fix the inside, heal the parts that need healing, and learn to deal with my emotions and not just shove them down with food.  I need to shed that old self, that past self, and hopefully along with her will come the excess weight I'm carrying around.

So, on to lighter things..Happy World Vegan Day!

 

I plan to spend the day cooking something healthy and taking a good long walk with Loki. How about you?

Have a beauty-full day,

Michele~