Day 169: I Shape Me

"Today is my tomorrow. It's up to me to shape it, to take control and seize every opportunity. The power is in the choices I make each day. I eat well, I live well. I shape me."

I was looking for some weekend inspiration this morning and I came across this quote. It's so true ! Where my life goes is up to me and the choices I make. I decide what I'm going to eat. I decide if I'm going to exercise. So however the day goes it's on me, no one else. There have been times in my life that I've blamed my circumstances on others but in retrospect perhaps I could have done more to take charge of my own life and steer it in a different direction. I can't change what has already happened but I can use those experiences to keep myself from making those mistakes again. I also can't sit back and expect things I want to just happen without any effort from me. If I want to lose weight I have to work at it. I have to eat right and I have to exercise. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I thought about weight loss surgery, but in the end I didn't want to take such a drastic step. It sounded like the easy way to drop the weight but I couldn't bring myself to even consider that without trying to lose weight on my own. I had done it before so I had no reason to believe I couldn't do it again ... and I have ! I crushed the 50 pound mark, I'm approaching the 70 pound mark and I'm setting my sights on the 100 pound mark ! On Day One I couldn't think about losing well over 100 pounds. That would have put the goal too far away and I felt like it would be too easy to get discouraged. I look at it like walking from New York to California. Each state line you cross gets you one step closer to your destination. I have a lot of state lines to cross ! So I went with mini goals and it works for me. I do the same thing when I'm working out. The workout I'm currently doing lasts 33 minutes so I break it down .. 8 minutes 15 seconds is the 1/4 mark .. 11 minutes is the 1/3 mark ... and so on. Reaching each milestone brings my goal a little closer, whether it's pounds lost or minutes on the treadmill, and I'm able to get through it. I need those little milestones because this is a long journey. I'm taking more photos of myself these days and that motivates me too, because for the first time in about 20 years I actually like what I see. At first I didn't trust what I was seeing in the mirror but I can feel AND see the difference now. Liking what I see in the mirror motivated me to get off the couch tonight and get on the treadmill, because I know I still have a long way to go. So I can't sit back and think "I'm good" because I'm not. I'd say "I'm better" but there is still much more work ahead of me. 

Breakfast was a 2.1 ounce 180 calorie cinnamon roll with French vanilla coffee. Second cup was triple chocolate. Morning snack was a 155 calorie chocolate shake with peanut butter powder. Lunch was a 4 ounce 220 calorie bbq chicken melt with raw carrots. Afternoon snack was 3/4 cup yogurt (90 calories) with a snack cup of diced peaches (80 calories). This left me 475 calories for dinner and an evening snack. Dinner was a 5 ounce 210 calorie broccoli and cheese stuffed chicken breast with a bowl of roasted veggies. My evening snack was a 3.5 ounce 130 calorie ice cream sandwich. Total calories for the day are 1065 and I got all 64 ounces of water in.

It was cloudy when I left for work this morning and it had rained overnight but the sun came out not long after I got to work. It looks like the weekend is going to be beautiful for a change ! I have nothing planned at the moment but I don't see myself sitting at home. Today we said goodbye to a few more associates, most of whom are moving to Florida with their jobs. Only 5 more working days and they'll all be gone. Next week is going to be a tough one. 

I did my workout a little later tonight and it seemed easier. I'm thinking it's because I wasn't so full from dinner. I can't really do that during the week because I wouldn't be able to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. That being said, I'm tired and headed for a hot shower and my comfy bed. I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow !