Minor Blip = Back to the Basics

My weigh-in tonight was a disappointment. I actually gained 0.8 lbs :-( ACK! I could make lots of excuses, however, the fact of the matter is that I strayed from some of the good things I had been doing during the first two weeks. First though, I need to reinforce what I have been doing well!

What have I been doing well:

1 - I have been getting my water in!
In the morning right when I get up, I have been drinking my water. I have also been sipping my water throughout the day. 

2 - I have been preparing all of my meals. 
This is a big one for me! Prior to this program, I was eating IN and preparing lunches for work less than 25 % of the time. I have stayed on course with meal preparation and I'm pretty darn happy with it. 

3 - I have been moving a lot more. 
Taking walks either in the morning or at lunch, playing volleyball, and of course the BL6 workouts. Additionally, my workouts have been more intense and I've really pushed myself. 

4 - Logging all of my food and completing my gratitude journal. 
Yes, it can be a pain in the ass, but studies have shown that people who log in what they eat are more successful at losing and maintaining their weight! This is a habit that I am building for life!

Ok, so not bad at all! 

So what can I do to improve this week?

1 - Eat according to plan - Measure portion sizes. 
I have a feeling that my portions have been creeping up a little in size (i.e., 2 cups of beef soup has become 3), so for the following week I commit to measuring foods that need measuring.

2 - Make sure to get enough sleep. 
Again, studies have shown (I WILL dig out some of these studies and reference them at some point I swear!) that sleep is essential in weight loss. I have not had much sleep in the past week for a variety of reasons, but mostly cause I am staying up to work :-S I commit to 7 hours of sleep per night this week.

3 - Swap out coffee for green tea. 
For some unknown reason, I decided to have coffee this week (after having given it up for the first 2 weeks of the program). I commit to substituting coffee with green tea this week.

4 - Morning walks. 
Although our trainer clearly indicated that morning walks - before even eating - are great to rev up your metabolism, I have only been completing them on weekends. Going forward, I commit to walking for 30 minutes every morning before breakfast. 

Well, I've got my plan - goals have been set and I am ready to rock this week! 

On a side note, but ever so important, I must say that I am finding so much strength and inspiration within the group of Biggest Losers that are with me on this journey. All 20 people have their own stories, their own struggles, their own dragons to slay. 

Just tonight, one of the participants told some of us that in 3 weeks, he has brought his blood sugar down from 8.8 to 4.9 - an amazing feat! This man's goal is to reverse his diabetes and get off his medication, and I am absolutely certain he will do this. 

These types of interactions lead me to ask myself what drives me fundamentally, what will keep me on this track for the weeks to come and for the years to follow? 

I guess it's a question that also leads back to what Adrian is trying to get us to discover in ourselves : our greater purpose and our life's "mission statement". 

I'm working on this every day :-)