Well, I did it! I was able to accumulate a list of 101 things I want to accomplish over the next 2 and a half years or so. It was kind of daunting. If you're interested in making your own, here is what I did: I sat down and typed as many things I could think of. I didn't worry about grouping them at all until I had a lot. For inspiration, I Googled "101 in 1001" to see what others came up with. There is also a website for The Day Zero Project, which can help you generate some ideas. Once you have those, then you can separate them into categories. Honestly, I went through several "organization" systems before I settled on mine.
My list includes "easy" things like try 3 new vegetables to "hard" things like have a baby and pay off debt and everything in between. There are no rules to the 101 in 1001 challenge, except that the goal must be measurable. I'm planning on blogging upon completion of each goal, but for the full list, you can find it up at the top of the page under the 101 in 1001 tab (imagine that!).
Jan 31, 2012
Jan 29, 2012
One Year Later...
My most successful resolution last year was to lose just under 30 pounds and get down to 200 pounds. You can see the whole reasoning behind my desire to lose the flab here, but here is my journey over the past year.
I lacked will power. I lacked drive. I lacked inspiration. I was aware that I was gaining weight and that I wasn't happy about it. My goal had been to lose the pounds for my wedding and I did get down to about 210, but it didn't stick. So for almost 2 years, I gained back the 8 pounds I had lost, and then some. I felt gross and unsexy (not good for a new marriage) and am ashamed to admit that I was lazy. Losing weight takes a lot of effort, after all. I was complacent with how I lived my life, how I ate, etc. Did I really want to put in the effort?
And then we took a trip to Memphis, went to the zoo, and took some photos. Like the one above. And this one (which, by the way, even though I hate the way I look in it, it makes me happy because I LOVE LOVE LOVE panda bears. And after looking at them, I realized I hated myself. I mean, not my personality, per se, but definitely the attitude I'd had. So I committed myself to losing the weight.
On January 1, I weighed in at 228 pounds. On January 31, I took a photo of my weight for my attempt at Project 365. 220. I was on a role! Haha. I outlined what I had done in this post. It basically consisted of knowing how much food I was putting in my mouth, drinking more water, and getting my tail to the gym.
I know that I have a little bit more to go, but the fact that I reached 200 gives me inspiration to make it down to 175. That is my ultimate goal weight. (As well as getting my swim back, haha. I want to be able to swim for 2 hours straight again without getting so winded!) But for now I'm focusing on maintaining the habits I've learned over the last year: lots of water, introducing more fruits and veggies, and portion awareness. With those 3 things in mind, I know that I can do it!
I lacked will power. I lacked drive. I lacked inspiration. I was aware that I was gaining weight and that I wasn't happy about it. My goal had been to lose the pounds for my wedding and I did get down to about 210, but it didn't stick. So for almost 2 years, I gained back the 8 pounds I had lost, and then some. I felt gross and unsexy (not good for a new marriage) and am ashamed to admit that I was lazy. Losing weight takes a lot of effort, after all. I was complacent with how I lived my life, how I ate, etc. Did I really want to put in the effort?And then we took a trip to Memphis, went to the zoo, and took some photos. Like the one above. And this one (which, by the way, even though I hate the way I look in it, it makes me happy because I LOVE LOVE LOVE panda bears. And after looking at them, I realized I hated myself. I mean, not my personality, per se, but definitely the attitude I'd had. So I committed myself to losing the weight.
On January 1, I weighed in at 228 pounds. On January 31, I took a photo of my weight for my attempt at Project 365. 220. I was on a role! Haha. I outlined what I had done in this post. It basically consisted of knowing how much food I was putting in my mouth, drinking more water, and getting my tail to the gym.
I know that I have a little bit more to go, but the fact that I reached 200 gives me inspiration to make it down to 175. That is my ultimate goal weight. (As well as getting my swim back, haha. I want to be able to swim for 2 hours straight again without getting so winded!) But for now I'm focusing on maintaining the habits I've learned over the last year: lots of water, introducing more fruits and veggies, and portion awareness. With those 3 things in mind, I know that I can do it!
Jan 16, 2012
Menu Monday
Before I start with this paycheck's menu choices, I wanted to recommend a website called Plan to Eat. It's the best thing this Type-A person could have found! The only thing that would make it better is an Android app, =) It's easy to store recipes, and then plan your meal -- just drag and drop! While they offer a free 30-day trial, it's not a free service. It's $5/month but seriously it's the best $5 I spend every month. Give it a shot. ;-)Onward, shall we? I've been pinning recipes like crazy for a while and try a new one each paycheck cycle. A few have been busts, but some have worked out well! I'll be marking my new recipe for the paycheck with an asterisk. We have a lot of other things going on, so on the nights we won't cook, I just won't put anything. There's usually plenty for leftovers, anyway.
Wednesday Jan. 18: Sloppy Joes & Baked potato wedges
J and I are big fans of sloppy joes. With the potato wedges, I usually cover the wedges in a mixture of olive oil and some seasonings -- salt and pepper typically but sometimes I'll jazz it up and add some oregano.
Friday, Jan. 20: Santa Fe Enchilada Bake
This one is delicious and so easy! I use fat free sour cream (shhhhh don't tell J!) and reduced fat shredded cheese, so all in all it's "delicious and nutritious!"
Sunday, Jan. 21: Pizza
I use this recipe for the crust and use store bought sauce and low fat cheese. Pretty much the only topping we agree on is pepperoni. I like pepperoni and bacon or pepperoni and green pepper, he likes supreme.
Tuesday, Jan. 23: Italian chicken & Roasted Red Potatoes*
One bottle of Italian dressing + 3 chicken breasts + 350 for 45 minutes = easy and delicious. I'm trying a new red potato recipe.
Wednesday, Jan. 24 Creamy Cajun Chicken*
Possibly my most anticipated recipe -- which means I might make it closer to, well, now. Instead of using cream, though, I'm using half and half. I'll let you know how this one turns out!
Happy cooking! Don't forget to check out Plan to Eat!
Jan 12, 2012
2011 Resolution recap
On first glance, my 2011 resolutions look like a total bust. I managed to keep up with Project 365 for about a month before I realized my life is sooo freaking boring I didn't think anyone would be interested in what I did each day, you know?
Resolution 1: Pay off 3 more credit cards this year. We paid off 2, so that's close!
Resolution 2: Lose at least 26 pounds and get below 200. Confession time: I have been to the gym, like, 3 times since July. I'm still paying attention to what I'm eating, though. I also haven't weighed myself at the gym (what I consider my official weight) since, like, October. My weight then was 205. At my mom's a few weeks ago I was at 203. So it's probably safe to assume I got pretty darn near my goal and I am so pleased with myself for this. I dropped almost 2 jeans sizes (from a 16 to a 14 as of July/August and even those are getting a little loose...)
Resolution 3: Read 5 books on youth ministry/faith. I read Weird and The Christian Atheist, both by Craig Groeschel. I also read Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss with a group of ladies I worked at the bookstore with in a Bible Study we had going for a while (and that I hope we'll resume real soon). 60% of that resolution... that's at least passing, right? ;-) The Groeschel books were FANTASTIC and I highly recommend them, especially Christian Atheist. Gave a lot of food for thought. The book's subtitle is "Believing in God, but Living as if He doesn't Exist." Powerful, right?
Resolution 4: Project 365. Haha. Yeah, right.
Resolution 1: Pay off 3 more credit cards this year. We paid off 2, so that's close!
Resolution 2: Lose at least 26 pounds and get below 200. Confession time: I have been to the gym, like, 3 times since July. I'm still paying attention to what I'm eating, though. I also haven't weighed myself at the gym (what I consider my official weight) since, like, October. My weight then was 205. At my mom's a few weeks ago I was at 203. So it's probably safe to assume I got pretty darn near my goal and I am so pleased with myself for this. I dropped almost 2 jeans sizes (from a 16 to a 14 as of July/August and even those are getting a little loose...)
Resolution 4: Project 365. Haha. Yeah, right.
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