Week 1 Recap

Well, I did it! My first week through the challenge and I made it. It was actually way better than I thought it'd be. Here's why...

1. I made myself some little motivation signs and hung them around the house to keep me inspired. You know, corny little things scribbled with a Sharpie that say, "Don't Waste Today" or "Think Bikini Bod" or "You Can Do It!". Anyways, for some strange reason, those really helped me stay on track. I didn't have any major (or minor for that matter) slip-ups on the eating side of things, which is really huge for me.

2. I shopped like crazy! I must have bought about 6-8 different kinds of protein bars this week, as well as a bunch of other food I've never tried before like Greek yogurt and sandwich rounds. Last time around cottage cheese was the death of me. I know that if I want to make this a real lifestyle change I've got to find things that are yummy to prepare and delicious to eat. I want to replace what I used to love with new things to love. I figure the only way to do that is to try everything and keep what works for me.

3. Being on the go helped me stay focused. I had to prepare my snacks ahead of time and I wasn't sitting around the house all day looking for something to snack on. Keeping my mind occupied helped me think less about what I wasn't doing/eating and more on what I was doing/eating. Who knew this weakness could really be a strength?!

Plus, yesterday I got on the scale first thing (FREE DAY) and I was down 3 pounds! Seeing that number was VERY motivating to reign in my free day choices and not go overboard. Brandon and I planned to order pizza and watch BYU in the sweet 16 game. By accident we ordered a thin crust pizza which was probably good although I was pretty bummed at the time. Angie, a friend and great workout partner from the Y, met me for a killer workout she'd planned. It was a good way to end the week. I felt pretty proud that I made it and motivated that this will actually work for me if I can stick to it.

And the low points...

1. The workouts didn't exactly go as planned. I realized I'm not as strong/fit as I used to be but I'm expecting my body to do the things it used to do when I was in better shape. I need to give myself a break and realize I just had a baby, but I don't want to use that as an excuse either. I need to plan things out a little more and stick to the plan. The cardio was great - challenging and doable. The weight lifting on the other hand is something I need to study more and practice so I feel more comfortable doing the lifts and stop worrying that everyone is looking at me.

2. I need to sleep more (yeah right, not up to me) and drink more water. I should pay more attention to my caloric intake and not just think everything is okay because it's protein.

Overall, a great week. I would like to do my measurements in the next day or two so I have something to really compare to, although I'm sure hoping the before/after photos will be all the telling I need to never get back to where I am now.

Our family Shape Up contest starts this week, so I'll be motivated to keep it up at least a little longer! :)