Non-Scale Victories!!

Heyo!  How are you, dear reader?  I hope you are eating success for breakfast (with skim milk!)!!

In one of my videos, I talked about not being a number on the scale - because that is true... we are ALL so much more than what the scale says.  The hardest part of weight loss, for me, is when that scale refuses to budge... for any number of reasons.  This Wednesday, I was back up to 270, but Mother Nature played a stupid role in that part (Sisters of the world, raise your hand in unity!!)  So, I know that I will kill it next week!

I talk to my Sensei nearly every single day - about my journey, about what I am eating, what I am NOT eating... He is wonderful to let me blow up his phone nearly every day with good or bad reports, even silly questions!

One thing he CONSTANTLY reminds me is that it's not just about the number on the scale.  Case and point... I spent nearly 3 minutes fighting a Judo match.  That may not sound like much to some people, but it's like constant burst of energy.  My heart was pounding, my lungs were screaming, my mind was racing, and I was trying NOT to get thrown (which I didn't!)  This is a Non-Scale Victory!!

Here are some examples of Non-Scale Victories from myself:

I lasted my match

I bear crawled across my gym - TWICE!!

I RAN ON THE TREADMILL LAST NIGHT FOR ALMOST A FULL 30 SECONDS!!

The last one sound silly, but I can barely walk a straight line on a treadmill... so going faster than walking, to me, is pretty good!

Non-Scale Victories can also include lifting a heavier weight (if weight lifting is your thing) Climbed stairs without stopping.  Grabbed a water at the gas station instead of soda, without even thinking about it.  

There are many things along the way that show your improvement, that will not show up on your scale.  Are you losing inches?  Is it becoming easier to choose healthy over junk?  Are you FEELING better?

The scale is important, but it is not the end all be all of your journey.

So you didn't lose any numbers this week, but where else have you improved??

Weigh In Wednesday!

269.4!!!! Can you believe it!!??

Got my steps in today... 6184 to be exact, and I haven't started getting ready for bed yet!

I sure hope this is motivating you as much as this is motivating me.  It's really helping me stay focused and on task.

How are you feeling?  Are you enjoying this? Are you hating this?  Please like and subscribe to my channel, and join us on FACEBOOK!!

Did you weigh in today???

Hi... my name is Shanna... and I am an ADDICT!

Kind of a harsh title, but it shares a little bit of truth that I don't normally like to talk about.

I am addicted to food.  I want to eat all of the time!  When I am sad, give me a Big Mac.  When I am happy, give me some pizza.  When I am feeling my depression or anxiety creep in... give me everything in the fridge!  

There isn't too many food items I would turn down - except mushrooms.  Allergic and don't feel like dying... so no mushrooms.

I am sitting here right now, pounding my water, because I KNOW that I don't need chips.  I ate my breakfast, I drank my vanilla ice cream snack... I don't need chips!  I don't need anything else until lunch!  It's a struggle.  And I know I am not alone.

I want to say something, and I want you - lovely reader - to listen (or read) to me very carefully.  Addiction is no joke.  Addiction of any kind - food, drugs, alcohol, exercise, gambling, WHATEVER!  I was addicted to alcohol... I would drink to make everything stop.  And I would drink heavily.  So please PLEASE don't think that I am making light of addiction.  I am not.

I have seen first hand what drug addiction can do to a family - both to the user, and the family they have left behind.  Now that I am sober, I realize what my drinking had done to my friends, family, and even potential jobs!  

I have an addictive personality.  If I get involved with something, I jump head first into it.  I want to read about, study it, watch movies/documentaries about it... you name it.  I have to know everything.  And I have noticed this tendency in my training aspect too.  I have watched my judo competition video 102397875480977978 times, looking at my game and where I need to improve.  

Food addiction is a very serious thing... and out of all the things you can be addicted to, I feel it's the hardest to get over.  You can go to rehab to get away from drugs or alcohol... but you still need food to live.  

I have taken steps to stay accountable.  For instance, I am in constant contact with my Sensei, my nutritionist, and even our facebook group.  I know how it feels to have to face the music for stuffing my face at McDonald's... It helps to keep my sugar levels steady - when they dip, I notice my depression and anxiety run wild!  

There are so many things I used to hide, because I felt ashamed of them.  My food addiction being one... I can't keep quiet anymore.  That doesn't help me, and it won't help someone else.  So, here I am... taking the steps to admit:

My name is Shanna... and I am an Addict.

I will always struggle with food.  It fills my stomach, and it fills voids.  BUT with the house full of good, healthy things, at least I will be filling up on fruits and vegetables.

Anything you want to share?!

#LosingtheFatKid

**Watch for a weigh in Wednesday video tomorrow!  I have been forgetting my camera to make videos for you all... FAIL!  Any suggestions for content??**

Wow... A Week??

My gosh!!!  I can't believe that I haven't blogged since Tuesday!!  So much for blogging every couple of days...

So, the "Ice Storm of 2017" turned out to be a real downer... But, for safety, my office closed - which was greatly appreciated.  I didn't say it to my manager, but I was super worried about driving on Friday.  And then I received the glorious text that we were closed.  Since Brandon sleeps during the day, I snuggled back in for what I thought was going to be only a few hours.  I woke up at 4pm... oops.  I must have been tired.

However, I am thinking that it's time for me to add a Post Workout drink to my regimen.  After the Judo tournament, I literally slept all night, and all the next day.  I am thinking that my body doesn't quite know how to process hard work at the moment, except to sleep it off.  Maybe a Post Workout will help.

I have spent this weekend, "snowed in" to my house, and thought about the new week that starts tomorrow.  I always think to myself "a new week, a new change to get it right!" So, I think it's time to add weekly challenges to myself, and my fellow "Fat Kid Losers" (to be honest, I don't know what to you call you, dear readers and followers...  Maybe you all can suggest something, and then we can have a vote??!!)

Most of my friends either were a FitBit, or a step counter of some kind.  We are also tracking our food/calorie intake and even workouts.  If you google "how many steps should I take in a day?" just about every webpage that is found suggests 10,000.  That is 5 miles... I have to be honest, with a sit down job... the only way I would be able to make those steps is if I walked my entire lunch hour, and after I got home. 

SO...

I have a challenge, to at least get myself started on this. And I would like you, dear reader, to also take part!!  With creating the facebook group (message me if you want to join us!! It's private and closed, so everything posted and commented on is protected from people who are NOT in the group) I am finding that while not a single one of us are following the same eating plan, workout schedule, or even water intake... we are ALL in this together.  It truly takes a village.  When one person is down, everyone rally's!  It's great!

A while ago, I saw something on youtube called the "Bring Sally Up Challenge"

There are all kinds of these challenges!  Squats, Squats with barbells on your back, Pull ups... the possibilities are endless!! (sort of)

So, here is my challenge - Everyone strive for 5,000 steps each day!  That is HALF of what is recommended, but you need to start somewhere.

Each Monday, I am going to pose a challenge to all of you.  This is week 1 - 5000 steps EACH DAY.  Even on the weekends.

I know you can do it!  Tomorrow kicks it off, tomorrow is a new start, tomorrow is the first day of the new week to make it right!!

#MondayChallenge