Day 16 - long post, but please read!

Well, I thought I'd be in bed by now (being 11pm & all) but I guess that's what I get for drinking an energy drink before I went on the elliptical at 9 o'clock at night!

So I did 68 minutes... 7.8 miles & then some yoga to wind down.  Me newest thing is making a new playlist for each time I go on the elliptical... to keep things fresh.  I'm more into it if I don't know what song is coming next.  My top 2 songs for my "runs" are: "Telephone" by Lady Gaga ft Beyonce  (remix) & "If We Ever Meet Again" Timbaland with Katy Perry.  LOVE those tracks.  I get to do my fake spinning class thing on the chorus.  See this post to clarify what I mean by that.

I ate really well again today.  It's amazing that just a few short weeks ago I was getting fast food almost every day; sometimes twice a day.  Because a) it was easier than making a meal at home, b) I was out somewhere & didn't plan ahead to eat healthy, c) the crap in bad food makes it taste so good & addicting.  But since I've been eating cleaner, I've felt better & my skin is better too.  I'm doing lots of reading about things I should be incorporating into my diet; doing research on how I can be eating ever cleaner.  Because no matter how much you work out, a portion of your achievements comes from nutrition.  Here are some of my research sources.

Oxygen Magazine Great info & recipes





















I KNOW I've said this 1,000 times before, but I feel like THIS is going to be the time it really works.  I say that because I'm feeling good about how I'm eating & I haven't cheated because I haven't been depriving myself...so I haven't felt guilty & then fallen down a shame spiral... (that would've happened already by now... I would've gone out & gotten a blizzard or something)  And when I think about exercising, it's not like "Oh yuck, I have to workout" ... or I would've only done it if Alex was around, to impress him AND, I would've only done like 12-20 min on the elliptical... instead, I think, "I GET to workout & I'm going to do even more than I did the last time."  And with the fresh playlists & magazines to keep me occupied, I don't even notice that an hour goes by!

And this time I've actually been able to visualize my smaller, toned body.  I've never really been able to do that before, to envision what I would look like if I wasn't fat. (I HATE that word, btw)  But my sister, Shannon is getting married in about a year, probably in Mexico & I'd like to be able to feel great about being on the beach in a bathing suit. It's been almost 3 years since I've been in a bathing suit.  Isn't that depressing?  I haven't even taken Owen swimming because I'm too ashamed. ("These thighs aren't for anyone's eyes" is my mantra)  But I'd like to change that so I can have a good time in a place I've never been before. I've never been south of Utah.  It'll be exciting to be there & spend time with Shannon & Jason as they get married...

So that's my final timeline goal.  But I need your help... I want to set up a schedule for short range goals & rewards for those goals.  So in your comments, please suggest ideas for goals (# of pounds lost) & the reward that would go with that goal achieved.  For example... When I reach 30 pounds lost, I'd like to treat myself to a facial or a pedicure or something.  Other major rewards could include workout wear from lululemon, gel nails, highlights, new jeans, etc... Let me know what you think & then once I come up with a list of goals & their rewards, I'll post them.