Lacking Motivation

It seems that I'll never get there.  There's just too much weight to lose.  For the summer fun of weight loss, I have been gaining and losing the same ten pounds.  Ugh.  It's awful when all you want is to lose weight, and get caught in a cycle of losing and gaining.  Pity Party, huh?

Well, I haven't exercised like I should, and I have no excuse.  I'm a hermit of sorts, and my jobs keep me pretty isolated, except Thirty-One.  That's when I can chat my little head off.  Love it.  Back to me and whining...

It's not like I'm going to be Miss America or anything.  I'm no Angelina Jolie.  Not close.  I never will be.  BUT, my daughter, and only child, is getting married in November, and I really want to look and feel great.  I've already picked out my dress.  I just won't know the size for a bit...

I'll stop the whining, and try to change tomorrow.  Anyone have some motivation techniques?

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Dressing the Package and Treating Yourself!

You must treat yourself for losing weight.

Just because you may be big, like me, doesn't mean that you can't do what my friend, Lou, says, and "dress the package."  Your package may not be what you want it to be right now, but it will be later, so there's no reason to wait until then to dress yourself like a normal person.  I can tell you that I'm in between sizes right now and without a lot of clothes, so I'm doing the best I can to keep the "basics" in the size I'm in.

I'm between an 18/20 and 22/24, depending on the clothes, and I even need to shop for shoes!  Why?  Well, I'm back to narrow feet and not medium to wide!  I also need to get ring guards.  These are all good non-food rewards.  I really feel great getting out of sweats and elastic!  Here's some more:

1.  Massage
2.  Main/Pedi or just one of them.
3.  A trip to Bath and Body Works!
4.  Go to a department store, like Macy's, and let them do a makeover on you!
5.  Throw a party for your friends and have all your new healthy food.
6.  Buy something at www.mythiryone.com/poppies/  (Had to throw that in.)

Some tips for clothes shopping:

1.  NO BLACK! lol
2.  (Basic Black only for mix and match.)
3.  LOOK at yourself in the mirror.  It really isn't as bad as you think it is.  Look around you.  We're like in the fattest country in the world! Everyone is thinking the same thing!
4.  You're too hard on yourself.  Cut it out.  The mirror will show you what looks good.  Really.
5.  Try on things you wouldn't normally try on.
6.  Forget flabby arms.  You wanna sweat with your long sleeves to cover the "swing," or do you want to be cool?
7.  Buy ONLY pants that zip.  Except one or two pairs of yoga pants or shorts, or course.
8.  Buy jeans.  I started wearing jeans again at a size 28, and it made me feel human again after all those years in lycra and cotton elastic pants.  YUCK!
Take someone who will be totally honest AND NOT CRITICAL with you.
9.  Buy cheap while you are losing.  (Walmart, Target, Thrift stores in rich neighborhoods --HA!)
10.  Are your friends and family proud and don't know what to do when you hit your mark --except throw you a party with food you can't eat?  My family and friends have told me for years that once I hit my goal weight, they would get an outfit or two for me.  Ask your friends to take you shopping for an outfit, a girl's day with cocktails or coffee, and celebrate the new you in style.

Sex as a Workout

That's right!  According to Jillian Michaels web page, 30 minutes of sex burns 70 calories.  That may not seem like much, but it depends on your routine.  Just think, losing weight having FUN?  That's an awesome way to get motivated.  

Not in the mood?  

There are other activities that are fun, where you don't have to go to the gym.  Here's some great calorie burners:

Basketball:  Even just shooting at the basket and playing horse, keep away or some such game, can burn up to 461 calories for 30 minutes.  Now, that's a workout!  This is my favorite, because it is fun, challenging, and it burns so many calories!

Yoga:  230 calories for 30 minutes, but even if you think that's not enough, yoga will strengthen you and build muscle.  It also helps immensely with balance, which is important in your older ages.  Why?  You don't want to fall and break a hip, do you?

Biking:  230 calories for 30 minutes.  That's on a 0-10 MPH pace.  Of course, it goes up from there.

Bowling:  219 calories for 30 minutes.  Not bad, considering that you usually stay at the bowling alley for well over 30 minutes.

Swimming:  334 calories for 30 minutes at a light pace.  Faster paces can burn up to 564 calories for 30 minutes.  All-time favorite exercise.  (Besides the title. :)

So, check it out ... What do you do on the weekends?  Are you a couch potato?  Are you active already?  What's stopping us from having fun, just because we have gotten older?  Get out there and swim, go for a bike ride, and play basketball.  Do some yoga for strengthening and building muscle.  

Going to do my Jillian yoga right now.

Losing What I Gained

Ugh.  I gained 8 pounds over a couple of weeks.  I lost 7 of them last week.  That's a good thing.  Every once in a good while, I plateau, get frustrated and eat a handful of pounds on.  I need to remember to exercise it off.  It's ridiculous, really, to keep playing with the same pounds.  I know, it's hard with all the cookouts and summer parties, but there's always something to celebrate.

I went to a party the other night, and ate like I would at home.  I ate half a plate of delicious salad, some meat, and a spoonful of mashed potatoes.  I even passed up the oowie gooey dessert my friend made and her chocolate cake.  It looked so good, and some even had a slice of both, which I have been guilty of myself in the past.  But ...

I've had enough cake in my life.  It's back to my commitment and back on track.  Are you with me?

Let's start with yoga!  Let's all do this 35 min yoga video.  Just push play!  It's Jillian!

New Me and New Book!

Hello!

I know it's been a good long time since you've heard from me.  I've lost a lot of weight.  Unfortunately, I have just that much more to lose and then some.  That's depressing, but at least I know I can do it now!  I'll get back to weight tomorrow, as I am now in the middle of writing my first novel and second book.  Called Pieces of Mother, you can access info at INDIEGOGO, where I am collecting donations to aid me in promoting and selling this book about domestic violence.  It is one of the most important subjects, for women in particular, but men as well.  See below for the amazing details!  If you would like to donate and check out all that's about, go here: DONATE  Thank you!

Ever wanted to write the Great American Novel? 

Pieces of Mother, the story of 13 year-old Jude spoke to me.  She lives in a 1970's household full of violence and alcohol.  How will she save herself and her sisters?  A gripping story of one young girl attempting to escape her cruel stepfather and her mother, who may just have given up.  This book is about the violence we witness, love, death, and redemption.

Excerpt from Pieces of Mother:

"Jude put their loot in the flowered basket at the front of her bike and they were off! She pedaled very carefully around the church, as everyone was spilling out of church and filling the street, and went home to find the car gone. She went into the house with Beth, scuttled downstairs to the finished basement, and made a fort with chairs and sleeping bags. She threw all the couch pillows into the hole she made, and put in her tape recorder, the candy and drinks, and crawled in. Beth crawled in after her. Jude put in her Barry Manilow tape. They stayed in there the rest of the afternoon. 
‘Til they heard the door slam"

Since I am self-publishing, I will need the money for my ISBN number, books to sell, table and event fees for selling, gas and toll $ for traveling to independent bookstores, conventions, and book fairs.  Thank you!

To see more of my work, including the non-fiction book, She's So Bipolar at Amazon:      http://www.amazon.com/Shes-So-Bipolar-Veronica-...