FINALLY

I finally worked out today. My 4:30 class was canceled due to group meetings, so I headed home early and thanks to the 66 degree weather, decided to take Ryder for a long walk, spanning the entire length of the walkway behind my apartment. Just in case you were wondering, the path is 2.5 miles from one end to the other, and back again. I walked at a casual pace and did the 2.5 miles in 45 minutes. Not great, but at least I was moving. I hope to be able to run this 2.5 miles in 25 minutes by May 8th (Goal #2). Ultimately, I would love to make 1 loop with Ryder as a warm up, take him back to my apartment, and do a second loop alone following the Walk/Run Method I've been trying to stick to these past few weeks to build up my stamina and running ability. 

In addition to reading my cheesy fashion magazines--Cosmo and MC--I have become a fan of Women'sHealth.  I've found a lot of the tips useful and have been inspired by some of their readers. For example, in the April issue (out now), there is a story about a woman who at her heaviest weighed 314. She now weighs....140. That's right. 1-4-0.  She went from a size 22, to a size 4. And just received her certificate to be a personal trainer. It took her 1 year and 4 months to reach her goal. Incredible. Stories like this are inspirational and prove that you can lose the weight; it just takes dedication and commitment.  Hopefully, I'll be able to reach my goal of 64ish lbs by December (9 months away). 

Also in this month's issue, they listed the top 5 tweaks you can make to your lifestyle to improve your weightloss. Drum roll please.

Top 5 Lifestyle Improvements

1. Call in a support crew--Obesity loves company: Your odds of packing on pounds rise when your friends, family, and even neighbors chunk up. The good news: The reverse also seems to be true. A study found that spouses of dieters enrolled in weight-loss programs also lost flab--without trying. No one you know trying to cut calories? Use bluepont.com and find a diet BFF. (i guess that would be anyone who reads this and comments? thanks guys!)

2. Eyeball Ingredients--A 2008 report found that consumers read labels less often today than they did 10 years ago, and shoppers who do today end up confused. Use eBrandAid.com to help find red-flag ingredients in various products that are linked to weight-gain. Also swear off any food whose first four ingredients you don't recognize. (I've been trying to stick to the 'outside perimeter' of the grocery store)

3. Tweak your sleep schedule--Dieters consume more calories from Saturday morning to Sunday night than they do during the week--enough to add up to 9 lbs a year. What's the cure? ROUTINE. People eat more on weekends because they sleep late, eat big lunches, and overcompensate throughout the day. Set your alarm and stick to your weekday schedule. (this is probably my #1 problem area. I love my sleep and have a hard time not taking advantage of sleeping in on Saturdays. until 2. or later. )

4. Dust off the stove--Be a little bit more like the Iron Chef. Going out for a sit-down lunch can add up to 180+ additional calories to your meal than you would have had brown bagging it. The average diner underestimates their meals by up to 600 calories. YIKES! Cooking at home 3 days a week could help you lose a pound a week! (not only does this save calories, it saves major buckeroo's too!)

5. Invent Incentives--A recent study found that people whose employers paid them for each pound lost dropped as much as 12% more weight than those who didn't. Whether your boss pays your or not, coming up with incentives (whether you set aside $1 of your own money for each pound to treat yourself to a mani/pedi or for your favorite charity) helps motivate you. If that doesn't do it, but an outfit or bikini you would like to fit into and hang it somewhere you can see it daily. Also, use software like what is found on weightview.com; you can upload a full-body photo of yourself and they'll generate what you would look like downsized. Print that off for motivation! (I will list my incentives soon AND post my downsized picture. can't wait to see that)

source: Women'sHealth April Issue

In addition to weightloss, I said this blog was going to be about living the best year possible (and hopefully habits for a great life), thanks to Oprah and other articles. I should probably start incorporating some of these other ideas into my life for the maximum benefit. In an effort to feel like I'm making a fresh start, I'm going to tackle my first 'life' issue: clutter. But that. . . is for another day. It's 3am and I should probably work on lifestyle tweak #3 and routinely get the 8 hours needed!