Need to get organized? Check out WWChick!

I love being organized.  I love everything that has to do it with – the pens, the paper, the lists, the online trackers, the iPhone apps – well, you get the idea.  That’s why I was so excited when I discovered The WWChick’s blog. (Heather and I were both WW Walk-It Blog-It participants).

Heather is a WW leader in Ohio who lost 80 pounds and has KEPT IT OFF! since 2002.  She has created her blog as a resource for her WW members (and for anyone else who wants to read it).  Each day she posts several new ideas about how to take better care of yourself as you journey to lose weight.  Everything from low-point recipes (cheesy eggs look good!) to inspiring YouTube vidoes of running a 10K to the calendars.

Oh the CALENDARS!  These make me so happy, I can’t even tell you.  First of all, Heather spends all of this time and effort making them and they are so adorable.  All different versions, to fit all different types of people.  Want one?  Go here to select your own July Activity Calendar.  Here’s the one I chose:

How cute is this one?!  I love that she has dark hair!  I printed it out and posted it on my fridge, because even though I track everything in eTools online, it’s nice to have a visual reminder of all that I’ve done (or need to do), as the case may be.  In the “My Activity Goals” section I wrote: “To get at least 25 APs each week through a variety of fun workouts.”  And each day I write in what I’ve done.  So far, I have at least one thing on each and every day.  🙂

She also has calendars for this month’s WW Challenge about eating at least 5-servings of fruits & veggies a day:

Here’s the link to download it.

I think the calendar I appreciate the most is the one that has a different inspirational message for each day:

Today’s message is: “Persistance is far more important than perfection, don’t give up!”  Boy, is this a reminder I need all the time.  Love it!  You can click here to download the July motivational calendar for yourself.

So, if you don’t already know about WWChick, what are you waiting for?  Go check out her blog today!!  You’ll be glad you did.

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WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge – Official Numbers

Last week was the official end of my Walk-It Blog-It 8-week Challenge participation, but I wanted to write one more post to let you know just how successful this challenge was.

The PR rep I’ve been dealing with for the Walk-It Blog-It Challenge wrote this:

Good morning, Bella

Congrats again on being featured on WeightWatchers.com!

Thank you for your participation in the Weight Watchers Momentum Walk-It challenge, which encouraged members in participating areas to get moving. You made the challenge a success by walking/running, sharing your story with your readers and encouraging them to get moving. With your motivation, they walked, they ran, they formed walking groups, trained for eight weeks, joined a 5K, and motivated others to get moving, too.

We are excited to announce that 88,112 Weight Watchers members participated in the Momentum Walk-It Challenge this spring by either taking part in existing walking teams or by creating their own.

You played an important role in attributing to the success of the program. It’s great to know that you were an ‘official Walk-it Blog-it’ who had an enormous impact on the overall challenge.

We’re glad you shared your fantastic shout-out and interview. I hope you share the final numbers of the Walk-It challenge with your readers. We loved your enthusiasm and insights along the way. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Thank you again!

Can you believe how many people got out and got moving?  I can tell you that the walking bug bit me, and I know that it’s something I’m going to keep doing on a regular basis.  I’ve even decided to make a new stay-active plan by participating in 5Ks on a regular basis, about every month or so.

The Walk-It Challenge really did change my life and gave me back the confidence to walk, right when I needed it most.  If you didn’t participate in the program, why not start now?  In 8-weeks’ time, you’ll be ready for a 5K!

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WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge Update #8 – 5K signup

I can’t believe it’s been over 8 weeks already!  Time sure flies, especially when you miss a couple of posts because of the end of the school year.  Then again, I’ve been doing these daily walks for so long now, I can’t really remember what it was like not to do them, and that’s a great feeling.  I love the serenity and peace I’ve gained from the walks, as well as the sense of accomplishment I always feel after I’m done.

This week, I finally signed up for the 5K!  I was going to do the Dream Mile 5K, but it seemed like the timing was bad.  No one could do it with me, and although I really like walking by myself, doing a 5K by myself just doesn’t sound like much fun.

So, I found one that is taking place on the Golden Gate Bridge.  As many times as I have driven over the Golden Gate, I have never walked across it.  (It always seemed like sort of a touristy thing to do).  Yet, in the back of my mind, I’ve ALWAYS wanted to walk across it.  So when I found the MOVRun Golden Gate 5K, I knew it was the perfect one for me.

This run is being put on to provide free dance classes to low-income children.  MOVRun is an organization that works throughout California, and is just opening a chapter in SF.  Sounds like a good cause, but I want to walk across the Golden Gate Bridge so much that I really don’t mind what it’s benefiting, that’s just a bonus.

The site claims that this is the “greenest race in SF” and that they are “striving to leave the smallest carbon footprint on their races.” So, unlike other events where you might get a t-shirt or a tote bag full of goodies, this one doesn’t have that stuff.  It doesn’t even allow disposable water containers.  They’re serious about keeping the race green, which I think is great.  After all, I don’t need another t-shirt, and if I want to commemorate the 5K, I’ll just snap a few pictures while I’m doing it.

I’ve asked my sister to sign up with me, because I love doing 5Ks with her, but I’m not sure if she’ll be able to, since my niece’s birthday is the Wednesday before.  I’m not sure what type of party they’re thinking of having and when they’re going to have it.  I’m thinking maybe FavCousin would do it with me, since she lives in SF.  Or, maybe I can get Neece to do it with me.  Or Cynn.  I’ve emailed a bunch of friends and asked them to sign up for the 5K as my birthday present.  (My birthday is on July 2nd, so this is only a few weeks after).

When I think back to other birthday celebrations I’ve envisioned in the past, doing a 5K with friends was never one of them.  I guess that just goes to show how much different my outlook on life and health are now.  I’m really happy about where I am and how significantly different my viewpoint on exercise is.

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Summer Workout Plan

Now that summer’s here and my schedule is completely free, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to rev up my workout schedule.  Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

• Start each morning with the Wii Fit because it’s a nice way to ease into activity for the day.  It’s definitely not a hard core workout by any means, but I do like the daily check-in aspect of it.  Plus, the balance is a challenge for me (according to the Wii), so I’m determined to master it and to stop getting messages like, “do you trip a lot when you walk?”
• Continue my daily walking routine, but ramp it up.  The Walk-It Challenge ended with 45 minutes of walking, which isn’t enough time for me to complete a 5K.  At my 18-minute mile pace (on average), it would take about 55 minutes to complete the 5K.  In reality, though, the last 5K I did took about an hour and half.  I’m going to try to whittle that time down, if I can.  So from here on out, I’m going to try to walk for at least an hour each day.  Sometimes I’ll walk in the morning, but I can also see myself doing it at dusk.
• Ride my bike. A lot.  I love the ease of being on my beach cruiser.  Because of the way the handlebars are located, I love being able to sit up and enjoy the scenery.  I plan on riding it to my parents’ townhouse complex pool (see below) several times a week, but I also plan on riding my bike to the farmers market on Fridays and to the library.  And I’m sure I’ll go on longer rides on the weekends.  I want to try to borrow my dad’s truck (the only vehicle that’s big enough to hold my bike) and take it to Half Moon Bay again to ride along the beach.
• Swimming at the pool at my parents’ townhouse complex.  I really am looking forward to do this, but the weather around here has been fairly cool lately, which is strange for this time of year.  I’m hoping it will come up to normal sometime soon so I can start swimming outside.  I plan to ride my bike the 3 miles to my parents’ house and then spend a good portion of the day swimming, laying out and reading, and then biking back to my house. So, that will be a 6-mile bike ride round trip, plus however many laps I do in the pool.
• Aqua Class.  Over the last month or so, I haven’t had a chance to go to the Aqua class at 24 Hour Fitness as much as I’d like to, but I really want to get back into it.  Now that summer’s here, I have the option of going in the morning or the evening, which is nice.  I can play it by ear depending on my schedule for the rest of the day.
• Yoga. I still have quite a few classes that I can take at the yoga studio I was going to with BFF.  I haven’t been in months, but I think a bit of Bikram would be great during this summer vacation, especially on days when it’s not too hot.  Although, does it really matter what it’s like outside when the Bikram studio is over 110 degrees?  Plus, I have the Biggest Loser Yoga DVD that I bought a while ago, so either way, I’m going to make yoga an almost daily thing.  I can’t think of a better way to end the day that with a bit of yoga, can you?
• Kick boxing. CTLB told me a few months ago how much she was enjoying the kickboxing class she was taking, and since there are classes offered at 24 Hour, why not?
• Zumba.  I never made it to a Zumba class over Spring Break like I wanted to, so I’m definitely planning on checking it out this summer.  Again, since it’s offered at 24 Hour, why not?
• EA Sports Active.  This should really be higher up on the list, since I just bought it and haven’t checked it out yet.  In fact, as soon as I’m done writing this, I think I’m going to try it out.  I plan on doing this a lot over the summer.
• 30 Day Shred.  I did manage to stick with the 30 Day Shred, although I never raised it past level one, because that was difficult enough.  This summer I plan to really stick to it and make sure I can get through all 3 levels.

So, those are all of the activities I’m planning, but what about a schedule?  Since it’s summer, I’d rather not tie myself down to anything too specific, plus plans are always in flux, so I want to be able to fit the workouts in to the rest of my day.

I’m thinking the plan will go something like this:

Morning: Wii Fit and either 30 Day Shred or EA Active (everyday)
Mid-Morning or Early Evening: 1 hour walk (everyday)
Early Afternoon: Bike to pool and then swim laps (2-3 times a week)
Evening: A class at 24 Hour Fitness (Zumba, Kickboxing, or Aqua class) (2-3 days a week) This will be done on days I don’t do the biking/pool thing.
After dinner/late evening: Yoga on either the Wii Fit or BL DVD.  Unless I’ve gone to a Bikram class in the evening. (every night).

It sounds like a lot, I know, but what better way to jumpstart my weight loss and kick up my workout routine.  I know I won’t be able to maintain this type of schedule when school gets in, but I’m sure some of the activities will become a habit, and I’ll be able to maintain at least a few.

P.S. – I’ve decided that I’m going to quit smoking on July 3rd (the day after my birthday), so I want to try to shake up my routine as much as possible so that I am not bored and hopefully won’t crave a cig.  The more active I can stay, the better off I’ll be.

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HYC Update – I’m on WW.com!

You guys?!  I am so excited! I was featured in that article on WW.com!!!!

How did I find out?  By reading one of my fellow Walk-It Blog-It participant’s blog posts about it.  I had no idea that I was going to be included, especially because I’m an anonymous blogger and didn’t want to give a picture of myself.

I guess what I wrote about myself struck a chord with the author of the article.  It must have made enough of an impact that she decided to include me.

I am so thrilled!  Go read the article here, if you’d like.

Now I really better update my Walk-It posts this week, huh?

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WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge #6 – Walking with Friends

This past week I was able to go out for a walk on Saturday with DH, a close friend from high school whom I reconnected with recently, via Facebook.  She and I had such a nice time – getting some exercise, inspiring each other, and of course, catching up on lots of gossip.   I had so much fun!

We decided to meet at the Perc Ponds along the Los Gatos Creek Trail.  I had never heard of the Perc Ponds before, but once DH described how to get there, I realized that I had been there before, without even knowing it.  The LG Creek Trail is miles and miles long, and when I was with TNT, we had walked right by the Perc Ponds (and then way past them). I am so glad that DH suggested this spot, because now I have a beautiful place to go on my own.

How beautiful is this?  It was so nice to have such a clear, sunny day to talk our walk.  We met around 11am so that we could beat the heat.  I am amazed that these ponds have been so close all along, but I was oblivious to them.  I love finding new places for walks!

As I was waiting for DH, I decided to take a quick picture of this little fellow, since he (and his friends) were quite aggressive.  They must be so used to having people around that they just think of us as weird looking geese.  I guess.  At one point he was getting so aggressive that I actually moved because I didn’t want to get “goosed by a goose!”  🙂

I had to stop the walk halfway through so that I could get a picture of this.  I loved it.  On the far side of the picture, beyond the foliage, there’s a freeway, but you would never know it from this shot.  It’s amazing that there is a natural setting like this in the middle of a bustling city.

This, by far, is my favorite shot of the day.  I loved the gnarled tree against the vividness of the flowers.  There’s something so beautiful in the paradox, to me.  I would love to get a picture of this without as much sun. A more mystical view of it when there’s more fog, or an overcast sky.

Walking with DH on Saturday was great, and I can see why people like having walking partners.  The time flies by and you get a chance to catch up with each other. We walked for over 45 minutes without even knowing it.  We weren’t walking very fast, but I think we probably walked at least 1.5 miles, which is good.

I definitely plan on taking more walks with friends, because it’s a fun, healthy way to spend some quality time together.  But I know for myself, I’m more focused when I walk alone. It lets me clear my head and work out any problems I have swirling around up there.  Plus, I can push myself as far or as fast as I want to go, but I never feel pressured to do more than I feel I can (like I did when I was on the Walk Team with TNT).

What about you?  Do you like walking alone or with friends better?  Which ones nets better results for you?

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HYC Update – Pound for Pound Challenge

I wanted to remind all of you that we’re coming to the last days to pledge your weight loss in order to help feed the hungry.  The deadline for your pledges is the end of the month, so you only have a few more days to take action. The pledge deadline ends on May 31st, but the pledge is about how many pounds you plan to lose over the summer. 

Regular readers of this blog know that I’ve been struggling with my weight loss stats this year, but lately I’ve been seeing things moving in the right direction.  Part of this is because I’ve become active on a daily basis for the WW Walk-It Challenge.  It’s amazing to see what a little motivation and positive reinforcement can do. 

So, for added incentive, I’ve decided to pledge to lose 30  pounds over the summer.  I know that sounds very ambitious, but if you break it down, it’s really very realistic.  There are 14 weeks between now and the end of the summer.  30 pounds = 2 pounds/week + a little extra.  With all of the working out and activity I have planned for my summer, this should be no problem. 

It makes me feel so good to think that 30 pounds of food will be donated to local charities because of my weight loss efforts.  It’s a completely win-win situation.  Plus, knowing that each pound I shed helps those who are less fortunate eat a few extra meals that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to is a huge motivator for me.  How can I not succeed knowing that I am literally putting food into someone’s mouth by losing this weight? 

A Call to Action!

So, I urge all of you – go to the Pound for Pound Challenge website and pledge to lose weight.  You don’t have to pledge 30 pounds, even 5 or 10 pounds will make a huge difference in the lives of the hungry.  I know we can do this!!!!

In the comments, let me know how much you pledged!

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WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge Update #5 – WW.com “interview”

  Things have been going great with the walking this week, and I’m loving every minute of it.  I haven’t had a lot of time to go out and explore new places to walk, so the walks have continued to take place in my neighborhood, which is great.  The only thing is, these posts are going to get boring if I keep saying “the walks are going great” all the time. 

To spice things up, I decided I’d share with you the “interview” that I conducted with one of the WW.com editors.  I found out that I “may” get mentioned in the article that will appear on the sight.  (At first I was under the impression that I was definitely going to be included, but I think the editors may have decided to take the article in a new direction).

One of the things that may preclude me from being included is the fact that I didn’t want to send in a picture of myself.  Since this blog is anonymous, I really don’t want that sort of exposure.  The editor I was dealing with said that she’d see what they could work out.  So, I guess we’ll see.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll still be included. 

The Interview

Brief description of yourself (be as personal, private, silly or serious as you like) I’ve struggled with weight my entire life, and last year I finally decided to do something about it. I’ve always eaten fairly healthy, but my portions were out of control.  Last year when I joined WW, I told myself it was for the last time.  I have completely changed my lifestyle – my activity level, attitude, and outlook are all much healthier than they have ever been before. Thanks to the Momentum Walk-It Challenge, I’ve developed the “habit” of walking 6 days a week, and I am loving it.  Even though I still have a long way to go to reach my 140 pound weight loss goal, I am not the same person I was a year ago, and most of that is thanks to the support offered by WW, as well as the readers and writers I’ve met through my blog. 

Why do you blog? Blogging allows me to express myself creatively.  I’ve always loved to write, and someday I hope to write a nonfiction book, but for now, my blog is how I connect with other people who are also on this weight loss journey.  I have gotten tremendous support from the people who read my blog, and have learned so many great ideas from other people’s blogs.  It’s this entire online community of people whom I consider friends, even though we’ve never met.  We inspire, motivate, and cheer each other on every step of the way.  It’s amazing. 
How are you doing the Momentum™ Walk-It Challenge? With existing and/or new friends? Are you on a team? I absolutely love the Momentum Walk-It Challenge.  I’m doing it on my own, although I’ve encouraged a group of my friends to join the 5K with me, so we’ll all be walking it together.  As one of the 14 exclusive Walk-It, Blog-It Participants, I’m able to encourage my readers and hear about their progress with the program.  For me personally, this program has changed my life – literally.  I had joined Team in Training (TNT)with the hopes of completing a half marathon, but I was overtraining (doing too much too soon for my fitness level) and I got injured.  I was devestated that I had to drop out of the TNT participation, and very discouraged about my weight loss efforts.  I was depressed.  Then I went to the WW meeting that week and heard about the WW Momentum Walk-It Challenge and felt energized and excited about exercise in a way I hadn’t been in months!  I started that first day with my 15 minute walk, felt no pain, and knew I would be successful.  It’s been the best feeling in the world to know that I CAN fitness walk, I just have to do it slow and steady.  My pace is better now that it was when I was training with TNT! 

How has the challenge helped you set/reset/retune your goals? As I mentioned above, I’m completely re-energized.  I was experiencing a plateau with my weight loss for weeks until I started the Challenge.  Since I started the Challenge 4 weeks ago, I’ve consistently lost 1 pound or more each week.  It’s amazing how much of a difference being active makes.  By participating in the Challenge, I’ve come to really enjoy being active – it’s now a normal part of my daily routine.  I love the serenity and sense of accomplishment I feel after completing a walk.

Why are you blogging about it? I want to encourage other people to join the Challenge.  Plus, I share so much of my weight loss journey with my blog readers, I simply couldn’t keep this huge part of it out!
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Because this weekend is a 3-day weekend, I really want to try to find a place to get out and “explore” as I walk.  I have a few places in mind, so we’ll see which one I decide on.

The other major goal for me this weekend is to sign up for my 5K.  I picked it out a long time ago, but I keep forgetting (or getting too busy) to sign up.  I’ll definitely make it a priority this weekend.  I’ll tell you more about which 5K I chose next week. 

How’s your walking going?  Have you signed up for your 5K yet?  10K?  Are you encouraging others to join you on walks?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments. 

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WW Walk-It Blog-It Challenge Update #4 – Music!

The walking has been going phenomenally well.  It’s become part of the day that I  really look forward to.  A time when I can focus on myself, my goals, and what I want to accomplish.  No matter what kind of day I’ve been having (and believe me, last week I had a few doozy days), walking helps me destress and let go of all the “little things.”  It also gives me some time to figure out the “bigger picture” items that I need to give attention to.  I really can’t say strongly enough how much I have been enjoying the “me time” that walking provides.

Besides that, ever since I started the Momentum Walk It Challenge, I’ve been consistently losing weight!  No more slight gains.  No more plateau.  I’ve been seeing serious (at least a pound) weight loss on the scale.  Whooo Hoooo!

Since my walks this past week were all in the same neighborhood spots that I’ve written about previously, I thought I’d focus this week’s entry on my walking playlist. Music is a huge motivator when I exercise, so it’s essential that I have good tunes to listen to while I’m walking.

My current playlist includes:

1. Panic Switch – Silversun Pickups
2. Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down
3. Who Knew (Bimbo Jones Remix) – P!nk
4. Celebrity Skin – Hole
5. Proud (Biggest Loser theme song) – Richard Niles
6. Hot N Cold – Katy Perry
7. It’s a Fine Day – Miss Jane
8. Walkin’ on the Sun – Smash Mouth
9. Angels (Nip/Tuck Soundtrack) – Gabriel & Dresden ft. Norah Jones)
10. Lebanese Blonde – Theivery Corporation
11. Aganju (Latin Project Remix Edit) – Babel Gilberto

(The songs in blue are the ones that I use for cool down, the last 5 minutes of the walk).

I am planning to buy Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown this week, and I’m guessing it should have a few songs I can add to my playlist.

Which songs get you grooving?  I’d love to hear some ideas for new music picks in the comments.  I’m always on the lookout for new music.

How many of you have joined the Walk-It Challenge?  I’d love to hear from you about your progress.

If you haven’t joined the WW Walk-It Challenge?  What are you waiting for?  Even if you’re not on WW, why not join a similar training program to prepare to walk/run a 5K or 10K?  Walking is one of the best ways to move your body and take care of your soul.

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Weigh-In – Moving in the right direction!

 This week I had decided to switch my meeting day to Thursday evening.  I was really looking forward to attending the meeting, and was prepared to see a slight loss or even a slight gain, because I was switching from morning meetings to evening. 

I went home yesterday after school and decided it was time to take a nap.  I haven’t been sleeping well all week: waking up at 3am, 1:30am, 2am, etc.  And I’d fall asleep at night on the couch around 9pm or so.  I decided it was time to break the cycle and take a short power nap for about 30 minutes.  I set the alarm and everything.  Well, I’m sure you can guess what happened next, right?  Yes, I overslept, missed the meeting, and was so disappointed.  I won’t have time the rest of the week or weekend, because I’m booked up.  Ugh. 

But, I decided all was not lost. I got on the scale at home, wearing the clothes I was planning to wear to the meeting and waited to see what it said. 

I was down 1.5 pounds!  This is fantastic for two reasons – I was weighing in in the evening (after having eaten and drank water all day), rather than the morning (when I make sure not to eat or drink anything before the weigh in).  Also, it was right before my TOM (which came this morning, Happy Friday!).  Usually I gain weight with TOM, so to have lost 1.5 pounds on this week is really something. 

I know it’s because I’ve been keeping up with my WW Walk-It Challenge walks and that I encorporated the 30-Day Shred into my morning routine (most mornings, I’ve missed 1 this week, which isn’t bad). 

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am.  I am really breaking through that plateau/slight gaining streak I was on for weeks.  This makes me feel so positive and so energetic.  I may be giving too much power to the scale, but as long as that power is used to motivate me, hey, why not, right?!

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