WEEK 15: Progress Report

Some important progress this week, an early failure, and plenty left to do!

So far I'm meeting my most important goal of not letting my "splurge" thoughts get the better of me. Monday was an especially hard day on this task, but I kept my thoughts from turning into actions and my eating was pretty good that day. Each successive day has been a little bit easier (although still not easy). But it's true what Dr. Beck says about the resistance muscle, so I will get on top of this problem eventually.

My second goal of getting to all my exercise classes this week ended on the second day. I figured out I would have to miss my class on Tuesday (I still haven't perfected being in two places at once), but I promised myself I would take a long walk to make up for it. But when I got home, it was so cold, and I was so sleepy... I got as far as putting on my sweat pants and sneakers and then I gave up and curled up in bed.

That failure was a disappointment, but I've been doing well with the second part of that goal (putting effort into my classes). I've been working out much harder and focusing more on the exercise than on watching the clock. It's amazing how much faster the time goes this way! Last week, when I wasn't really engaged in the exercise, I would check the clock every time I got bored and I was looking every 1-2 minutes (and on one occasion, it seemed as if the clock had moved backwards!). This week, when I'm concentrating on my form and feeling the muscles work, the classes don't seem as long and drawn-out and they're more enjoyable.

My first goal still needs work (I've got 4 more days!) and I'll need to keep up with my other two goals, but I'm feeling more encouraged about all of it. It helps that when I stepped on the scale this morning, I was down another 1/2 lb!

It also helps that for 3 classes in a row now, someone has congratulated me on my weight loss. There was the angry lady, then a woman who wanted to know what I was eating, and today the grandmotherly one who whispered to me (as if it might be a shameful secret I was unaware of) that I was losing weight. When I responded positively, she brightened and told me I was doing a wonderful job. Then she asked me what my secret is. It's funny how all three women asked about "my secret", as if more exercise and less eating were an exotic idea!

What's fabulous is how all of them independently offered support right now, when I really need it. Bless them!