madermouse's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9/3/01 Sorry for not writing sooner, but I have a reason. My mother always told me that if you don�t have something nice to say, don�t say anything at all. Well, this is kind of like that. I promised that if I didn�t have anything poignant, intelligent, descriptive, moving, or motivational to write about - I wouldn�t. In other words, I wouldn�t write just to hear my own pen flapping. And it seems that lately I�ve had less to say. However, I finally DO have something to say - and I wanted to share it with you! I did weigh in this week, and I stayed the same. I seem to know how to do the �maintenance� thing pretty well. I can maintain my weight on about 2,000 calories and moderate exercise 6 days a week. And that�s about what I ended up doing last week. (with the exception of my step-aerobics class that totally kicks my butt) Funny thing is, I don�t even feel one single solitary twinge of guilt about not losing....and that�s a good thing. This month has always been a good time of year for me. I usually feel particularly strong, in touch with myself, and confident. It�s the change of the seasons I guess. But there is something about the sights and smells of October that stirs up old, happy memories for me. As I walk home from work, I see wood smoke curling from the chimneys and leaves transforming into colors of gold and burgundy. I love bundling up and sitting on the front porch with a hot cup of coffee and watching the neighborhood. Kids, back to school, trek home carrying finger-painted pictures for mom, or paper-mache� Halloween masks. The smell of home cooking, beef roast and potatoes or fresh baked bread, wafts on the breeze. Then, when the sunlight dies down and the wind picks up, the living rooms around the neighborhood warm up with cozy fires. I go inside and snuggle with my hubby, or get in the kitchen and bake something wonderful to take to the neighbors. (My neighbors eat well!) There�s something about October that just really feels right to me. So, I was looking at the calender for this month and realized how close I am to my half-way goal. I only have 8 pounds to go. Then it dawned on me that I might actually be able to do it in a month�s time. And, considering it was October, my best time of year, and it was only the 2nd, I just felt it all click into place. I�m going to do it (or at least try like hell). I�m starting what I call the �Mouse�s October Challenge�. Its 8 pounds in 30 days - watch as one woman reaches to grasp the half way point in her weight loss journey. I feel motivated, I feel ready. I feel like I�m damn tired of being on this side of 100lbs. I�m prepared to make the effort, to go that extra mile, to really watch what I put into my body, to push myself with exercise. And October is the perfect time for me to do it.... Or is it? I made up my mind to do this. And THEN I looked at my social calender. In the next 3 � weeks, this is what I already have planned....and in each one of them lies an opportunity to eat. An all-day birthday party A wedding on the beach with barbeque A two-day trip to the coast A bridal shower An office potluck A Hawaiian Luau A dinner date (with a friend, mind you) at an Italian restaurant I realized all the food involved in each one of these events and my knees buckled. (No, not my real knees, my psychological knees silly!) And I started to back slide, in my head, thinking �Well....maybe I should wait until things calm down in November�..blah blah blah. The other side of me stood her ground, insisting that NOW was the right time, and waiting would only give me an excuse to �maintain� another month. �Do you want to maintain another month?� I asked myself. (Yes, people, I realize I�m arguing with myself here.....don�t try and pretend you never do that.) The answer was clear and obvious. No, I didn�t want to �maintain� another month. I didn�t want to be on this side of 100 pounds any longer. I felt ready and willing to give myself a push, and I needed to act on it. To wait, despite I knew the time was right, would be the lamest cop-out ever. And I don�t plan on copping out! So here I go... Watch me at the birthday party eat only a smidgen of cake, and a few healthy snacks that I pack with me to the party. See me on the beach, munching on salad and popping my own chicken breast on the grill while others wipe pork butt off their mouths. Observe me at the office potluck when I take one small plate and don�t go back for seconds! Follow me to the Italian restaurant where I scoff at the free bread basket and immediately put half of my pasta into a doggie bag! Don�t forget to catch me at the bridal shower, sipping on bottled water - knowing that with each cocktail I forgo, I�m another step closer to my goal! I realize I may not make it to my goal by Nov 1st, but I just have to try. And I urge each and every one of you to come along with me. Is there a mini-goal you want to set for yourself this month? Its not too late! Do me a favor and e-mail me with your �Mouse�s October Challenge� goal, and I�ll post in on the site. Let me know if I�m free to post your e-mail address (so we can support each other) & tell me a couple of sentences about your goal and why its important to you. At the end of the month, I�ll post up all the winners who made it to their goal, and we can celebrate together! Its 8 pounds in 30 days - watch as one woman reaches to grasp the half way point in her weight loss journey. Come and join me. 12:56 p.m. - 9/3/01 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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