The Mind is a Powerful Thing

I apologize for not posting recently. I've been struggling with keeping up on everything. It seems my knack for making excuses has been creeping in again . . . I did weigh myself last Wednesday and I am down another two pounds, to 288. That's encouraging. I've not been as consistent with walking and lifting and eating well over the past week or two. I'm finding that it is so important to keep the encouraging self-talk going. I also find that my visualizations do a lot of good as I am consistent and keep those images of getting healthy in mind as I feel like blowing off a walk or eating more than I should. It's a process and I'm still learning.

One of the things I've been doing for the past several weeks is utilizing an app on my phone to keep track of my walks. I'd like to share some of the statistics from this month so far, as I think it's pretty cool. So far in November, I've walked 17 times for a total of 17 hours and 12 minutes. The distance I've walked in that time has been 48.51 miles. I average about 21 minutes per mile, although today I averaged just under 20. Not bad for a brisk walk! I would like to be able to do 5k in under an hour. I'm pretty close! This is encouraging.

New Pictures and an Update

Today marks eight weeks since my first round of pictures. I plan to do them every four weeks, so here's what I look like as of today, compared to the first pictures:


                    Today (11/11/15)                                     Beginning (9/16/15)

                          Today                                                         Beginning

Yesterday I weighed in at 290 lbs. That's a loss of a total of 18 pounds since September 21st. I have found that I lose the most weight on the weeks where I conscientiously do my weight loss visualizations every day. I continue to walk for an hour most, if not every, day of the week. I've also started doing some weight lifts for my arms and push ups, planks, etc. Those are getting a little easier. I work to eat healthy most of the time, but do indulge a little now and then. I don't beat myself up for those times, though. It's a process. I'm learning more every day and looking forward to continuing this journey.

Losing Momentum

I hate to admit it, but I've been losing momentum over the past week. I've been tired and with the colder weather, walking is getting harder. I've tried to not focus on results and instead understand that it will take time, but I have to admit that I am getting impatient. I assume this is normal and I am trying to not get frustrated. I know that I just need to push through and keep moving forward. I didn't eat the greatest this past weekend (um, Halloween) and I could feel the difference that makes. The candy I splurged on didn't even taste that great. So, I am learning and changing. As for my impatience and wavering motivation: I just need to suck it up and keep going. Don't mind my pity party too much--I know it will pass. Thanks for your support thus far.