Life Challenge #5

Wow! I almost could not believe my eyes when I saw that I am up to challenge #5 already. So hard to believe I have been adopting healthier habits for a whole month now. I suppose that explains the new bounce to my step and why I feel more vibrant than I have in a while.

Challenge #4 was an amazing week for me. Blue was out of town again and I was on my own with my goal to get moving. This was one challenge that I just seemed to run with, and once I built momentum, I taught myself how to embroider and I started embroidering a dish towel to give my mother for Christmas. I went for a couple walks, ran some extra errands that I had been putting off, did some organizing around the house, and some deep cleaning. It took me two whole days but I also tackled and cleaned my whole basement. Now that the disaster in the basement has been crossed off my list, my head feels so much clearer and calmer than it has in a while.

When I stepped on the scale on Sunday and took my measurements, I practically fell of the thing. I could just not believe my eyes! Not yet where I want to be, but less than I have been in a while. Just this past week I lost 2 lbs and 2 ½ -inches! I am still eating the same, none of that has changed; I have just slowly been working on my goals one week at a time. I originally thought they might cause me to slim down a pound or two, maybe even some bloating, but I honestly thought that I would not really begin seriously slimming down until I began to put my self on a diet and began exercising religiously. I can see that I have much to learn… All in all this month I have lost 5.2 pounds and 6 ¼ -inches… shaking my head in disbelief right now…

So, I will begin Challenge #5 with a quick recap of my goals thus far…
Challenge #1: Get on a sleep schedule (In bed by 12 pm up by 7 pm)
Challenge #2: Eat smaller meals more often
Challenge #3: Drink more water
Challenge #4: Get moving (No exercise routine just yet, just everyday activities that I have been putting off)

For Challenge #5 I have decided to eliminate mindless eating. This was inspired by a book that I recently heard about called Mindless Eating , by Brian Wansink. I have yet to read the book yet, but plan on picking it up tomorrow when I am in Lansing, MI with Blue. From what I can gather it is a physiological approach to eating and challenges us to focus on the moment while we are eating and making food choices.

I am looking forward to reading the book and hearing what Dr. Wansink has to say. In the meantime, I have decided to “be in the moment” when I am eating. No meals over the kitchen counter or sink and no eating while I am multi-tasking doing other things. The goal for this week is to focus on the taste, color, flavor, and texture of my food. To enjoy every bite, but to be more mindful in the process, to not scarf down a huge bowl of homemade caramel corn that we made this weekend, with out at least savoring every bite…

More Info on Mindless Eating:
http://www.amazon.com/Mindless-Eati...k/dp/0553804340
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story?id=2596723&page=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/d...e833064&ei=5070