WEIGH IN WEDNESDAY

All throughout October, as I was writing only about weight loss, I kept thinking how freeing it would be to able to write about whatever I wanted come November.

Um... No.

Going through a bit of a boring spell right now, I guess.

Anyway, thank goodness for Wednesdays! I can share my weigh in results!! I didn't go to WW last week. The week before I gained the 1.6 that I had lost the previous week. I really wasn't sure what to expect last night!

Thankfully, I lost weight!! I actually lost 1.6 (!!!). So I'm back down to 11 pounds lost overall (at WW, anyway). I'm excited to have lost, don't get me wrong. It's just that I'm also a little frustrated in this roller coaster thing I've got going on.

But, it's my fault.

I'm not trying to throw a pity party or beat myself up. But, here is the cold, hard truth. I'm getting out of this EXACTLY what I'm putting into it. I just tried using the thesaurus for the word I want to use here (half-a**ed) and nothing quite captures that sentiment. So here's the deal: I'm getting those kind of results because I'm putting in similar effort. Plain and simple.

I mean, it's a pretty basic concept that we all sort of know. You get out of things what you put into them. Right? I mean, save for a few exceptions... that is how life works. I wont tell y'all I've given 100% on this journey. I won't even pretend to have given 75%. I have probably averaged around 50% and I think my results are proof of that.

And? Honestly? I'm not okay with this. I wish going to WW and sitting through my weigh-in and meeting were enough. I wish more than anything that WANTING to lose weight was all it took. I would be tiny! Ha. But, there is hard work involved. You have to make changes to see changes. (I'm all about the cliches today). So, I'm really challenging myself to find areas where I'm being stubborn about not making changes. And then, TACKLING them!!

This week I'm going to continue to try and track my points everyday. I think this is the best measurement of my effort. And, for whatever reason (probably because of my lack of effort) it is something that I have a hard time doing day in and day out. It's not a time thing for me (it seriously takes 2 seconds to track my food each meal) ... it's a bad habit thing. And maybe one of those stubborn things I mentioned earlier.

Hope y'all are having a great week!

STUFF AND THINGS

When I saw Ryan's post today, I thought I would jump in with some random updates. So, I'm linking up with Kristin and Joey for the first time!

:: One of my 101 in 1001 is to watch 10 classic films. I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's a few weeks ago for the first time. It is SO not what I thought it was. But I thought it was really really cute. I did get super upset near the end though (with the cat thing). I almost turned it off.. thankfully things turned around pretty quick! Ha. Do y'all have any suggestions for other classic movies?

:: I'm reading like 6 books currently. Seriously. I have a book in every room, one on the stationary bike for when I work out, and a few in my car. I just pick up whichever one is close and start reading. Somehow, I can keep them all separate in my head.  I need to do a post on all my recent reads.

:: I'm about out of all my makeup. I always wait until the very last minute to replace things. I LOVE to go to Ulta and get my shop on. But, I'm not super fond of the hit our bank account takes. So, I've been going makeup free most days. I've been making lists of things to try and I should really go before the list gets any more out of hand!

:: Speaking of makeup... do y'all worry about what's in your makeup? I am trying to get stuff that is paraben free. It's been a struggle. It has REALLY limited my eye makeup options. Mascara is the most difficult for me to find that is paraben free and good quality. Do y'all have any suggestions?

:: The Dallas Cowboys are playing in London this week. I SO wish I could be there. I've always wanted to go to England. I blame it on all the chick lit I've read (Shopaholic series... I'm looking at you!).

:: We are going to the car show tonight. I haven't been in a few years, but we are hoping to get me new car in the near future and C's sister works for a dealer so she got us tickets. Also...my husband LOVES to go to the car show. He's pretty excited!

:: When we were out driving around one day last week, we found an antique sewing desk in front of a house. They just wanted to get rid of it... so we got it for FREE. YAY!! I was looking for a sort of side table for the living room, and this fit perfectly.

:: We are refinishing our media cabinet (it's really just an old dresser) this weekend. We may actually get our living room pulled together. We've only lived here 8 months.. I guess it's time.

NOT SO WEIGH IN WEDNESDAY

I didn't weigh in last night. It was cold and rainy and C worked late. And well, I just didn't feel like going.

But, I did weigh on the scales at home (like I do everyday) and I'm fairly confident I'm at least back down to where I was before last week's gain. I am SO SO SO close to dropping a "decade" on the scales at home. But... they are about 3 pounds off from the scales at WW, so it's all so confusing.

Since I gave myself "permission" to loosen the reigns on Whole 30 (until the new year).... I have struggled. Putting the restrictions of the program in play made me want a soda like a madwoman. But, when I told myself that I could have a soda IF I really really wanted one (and acknowledged that I was indeed having one... not just doing it mindlessly)... I went crazy. Soda for breakfast. Soda for Tuesday. Soda. Soda. Soda.  Also, I feel weird typing soda...as I typically call all sodas "coke". But then I didn't want to talk about my addiction to "coke" on the blog because I always feel like I need to justify that it's soda not the other. Ha. That is how you know you have a problem (with a sugar addiction AND with over thinking EVERY LITTLE THING!).

Anyway, I have done some activity. We even got really brave the other night and went to the gym. Watch out world!!!

I just feel like I'm staring at this HUGE mountain. Sometimes I feel like I've got a really good hold on things. I mean, I know that it is going to be a long journey and everything... but I feel like I've got it under control. And then there are other times where I feel like any footing that I did have goes crumbling and I slide back to starting position. It's so frustrating.

But, the good news is that I haven't lost motivation! I'm still getting up everyday and doing what I can. Instead of climbing the mountain and sliding back down it, maybe I need to try MOVING the mountain. Getting it out of my way!!

Sidenote: I'm reading a book about the Bible (not about weight loss at all) and the author uses the "move a mountain" analogy when she talks about learning/studying the Bible. She says to do it, you've got to do it one spoonful of dirt at a time. It's a lot like something I remember telling me one time about a spoonful of water being able to fill a pool. Sure, it's a super slow method... but it will do it a lot quicker than never adding water to it at all.

I think the same can be said about my weight loss. Some people get a big ole shovel or backhoe and are able to plow through their mountain (weight loss journey) fairly quick. Whereas most of the time, I feel like I'm working with a flimsy little plastic spoon. But? That little spoon will do more damage than doing nothing. Right?!

My "goal" for this week is more of the same. I'm just going to keep tracking (I did pretty good.. maybe 70% last week). I'm also doing better with my sleep issue... which I think makes a HUGE difference!!

Okay, enough rambling. I promise to post about other fun things (ie not weight loss related!!) soon!!

Have a great week y'all.

HAPPY NOVEMBER

source unknown

It is finally feeling a bit like fall here!! I think the high today is in the mid 60's!! I can get on board with this kind of weather!! We are headed out the door to my nephew's playoff football game and this will be the first time it will actually feel like football weather!! So exciting!!

1.  Celebrate our SIX year anniversary!

2.  Go to Roadhouse on Terry's birthday (this is a new tradition C and I started last year!)

3.  Exercise at least 8x  

4.  Read 5 books

5.  Try to do some stuff on my Fall Bucket List 

6.  Get Christmas decorations out of storage and organized (and decorate, if there is time).

7.  Go to church 

8.  Refinish media cabinet

9.  Get curtains for living room

10. Paint dining room chairs and buffet

11. Get accepted to teaching program (need to send in application)

12. Get hair colored (NEED TO DO THIS!!!)

13. Get family pictures done 

14. Picture a day 

15. Finish (and win!) the diet bets I'm participating in

16. Organize paperwork

17. Unpack 5 boxes from storage

18. Deep clean apartment

19. Continue working on budget

20. Watch the Cowboys WIN (I'll need help with this one!)
* BONUS: Make our Christmas Bucket List

It would be JUST LOVELY if I marked everything off. But, in the spirit of really trying to be a bit easier on myself, my main goal for this month is to be more intentional with my time. That's kind of a vague/open-ended goal. But, I have noticed from the past few weeks that I get caught up in non-important things (social media and games on my phone!). I never really thought it was that big of a deal... I mean it's just a few minutes here and there, right?! But, I'm noticing is that it is a lot more here and there than I realized. 

So that's... my focus for the month. Putting the phone away and doing self checks (like asking myself: "Is this a good use of your time, Tricia?"). Hoping this helps me to be more present in social situations (C and I are both really bad at looking at stuff on our phone at dinner). And, it would be nice to free up some time to actually do the things on my to-do list. Ha.

Have a great weekend!!!