Six Pack Abs - Still A Work In Progress

Hello Friends;

Well, my deadline for six pack abs has come and gone and those buggers still won't show themselves!!! It's not their fault, I know, its the fault of the owner of the six pack abs.

When I started this journey back in September I remember being SO pumped, SO motivated, SO ready to do this! I was off to a great start but allowed myself to become derailed in October when my Dad and his chocolate-toting girlfriend (love you Annette!) came for a visit. I just decided to let loose. I tried to get back on track and for a while I did but then our out of town family arrived for an early Thanksgiving. I have been struggling ever since!

Our last family member leaves today (We will miss you and your delicious crab rangoons, Tori!). It is time for me to recommit myself to this process. I have not given up on my goal. My next goal date is January 15th. Yes, I realize that Christmas and New Year's Eve fall in this time period but what I have learned is that there is always some event, holiday or chocolate-toting friend lurking around the corner. I need to learn how to navigate these "events" and not let any one of them derail my goal.

In the beginning of this journey I created some "rules". The only one that was easy for me not to break was no alcohol. I enjoyed a glass of wine at our Thanksgiving meal and have not had one since. I will continue with that rule as it is an easy one for me to adhere to but for now I'll loosen up on the others and see where this journey takes me.

I have included my "before and after" pictures. Not where I want to be but a definite improvement.

I hope this blog will inspire you to recommit to any of your goals that you are challenged by or to pick a new one to accomplish.

Hang in there, take it one day at a time and LOVE YOURSELF NO MATTER WHAT!!!!!!

Sixteen More Days to Six Pack Abs

Hello My Friends;

Yes, it's true. I have just 16 more days to go on this journey to six pack abs. Am I going to be where I had hoped to be? Probably not. I got a little sidetracked along the way but I have made progress. I am seeing a difference, not so much on the scale (which really doesn't matter much to me) but in the look of my abdominals. I still have that pesky layer of fat, but I think it's "thinning out". The Newman's Oreo that I just had to eat today to see if it was stale or not probably wasn't the best choice!

So here's where I am at with this process. Life gets in the way! Well, does it really? I suppose so or is just my inability or unwantingness to be disciplined, to say NO when someone brings me a treat? It goes back to that not wanting to offend people when they are kind enough to bring you a special treat. It means that they thought of you in that moment and don't we all love when someone thinks enough of us to do something special. I will continue to work on this.

My plan for the next 16 days includes more protein shakes, raw veggies, getting outdoors for a hike or walk at least once a week and stretching more. I may not have the six pack that I am looking for my November 26 so you might just have to keep journeying with me until Christmas!!

Where are you at with the goals you planned for yourself? Feel free to leave comments, thoughts or questions.

Six Pack Abs - Obstacles (Week 8)

Hello Everyone;

So, today marks the beginning of week 8 of my journey to achieve six-pack abs. I'm not there YET. Well, the abs are there, but they are still covered by a layer of stubborn adipose tissue (a.k.a. fat).

This week I wanted to talk about obstacles. They are EVERYWHERE!!! My Dad and his girlfriend arrived last Saturday which means that my normal routine has changed, including my nutrition plan. My Dad's girlfriend happens to work for a company that sells chocolate (in case you forgot, I decided to give up chocolate for the rest of this journey). Annette, being the sweet and generous person that I am learning she is, brought along a "few" samples of the chocolate she sells (now the picture makes sense). Here is where the obstacles begin. Not wanting my guest to feel slighted, I decide to sample some of the chocolate. I got to thinking about that. Did I really not want to offend my guest by not trying it, because I'm sure that she would have understood if I told her that, for right now, I had to pass on sampling the chocolate, or did I just want to eat the chocolate and using the "Don't want to offend" excuse worked really well to allow me to do just that?

YES, I really wanted to eat the chocolate, therefore, I used the "Don't want to offend" excuse to my advantage, or would that be to my disadvantage?? If Annette had brought Vegemite with her, would I have been so eager to "not offend"? Probably not.

So, I enjoyed (almost without guilt) a delicious dark chocolate bar infused with lemon bits over the course of two days. A few days later, when David opened up another bar in front of me (to my shock and horror) I decided to resist the temptation. The bar has been sitting there since, quietly calling out to me, but I have not answered it's call.

Yesterday, Annette showed me how to make cabbage rolls. I looked forward to eating them all day! They did not disappoint, nor did the apple crisp with vanilla ice cream that we enjoyed for dessert.

It's really hard (at least for me) to stick to eating perfectly clean when I have guests. Eating is such a social activity. It's fun to sit around enjoying a nice meal together, sharing time, stories and memories. You get caught up in that. On a positive note (because I am a positive person), it has not been a total disaster. When I know that I am going to eat a scruptuous meal, I am careful about my other food choices throughout the day. For instance, tonight we are going out to eat so I will keep it relatively light for the day and enjoy a great meal out with my family tonight. It's all about enjoying life!

I have four weeks left to go on this journey that I started in September. I am pretty sure that I won't be where I wanted to be, but I know that there will be a visible improvement. At this point, I intend to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner, then get right back to it until Christmas. I WILL achieve my goal of a six-pack, it just might take me a little longer to get there.

What are you working on this week and what are the obstacles getting in your way?

Six Pack Abs - Half Way There

Well, I may be half way there in terms of time but I feel like I have gone backwards instead of forward! I have broken every "rule" that I established with the exception of no alcohol. That is very easy for me. Luckily, for me, I am not the type of person to get bogged down in negativity so onward and upward!

I have decided that I have to eliminate chocolate for now as I just don't seem to be willing to control my consumption of it. Sugar is definitely my Kryptonite for sure! Over the next six weeks I am going to work on eliminating it from my diet. That will surely help with achieving six pack abs but more than that, I think I will just generally feel better.

Over the next six weeks I plan on really refining my diet. I will keep it simple, sticking to lots of veggies, fresh fruit and the best sources of protein available to me. I hope to include a little more cardio in my fitness schedule and would love to try running again but am still working on rehabilitating my right ankle.

I am including a picture that I took a week ago. I see a slight difference but I am hoping for much better results in six weeks.

A big THANK YOU to everyone who has been encouraging and supportive to me along this journey. I truly appreciate your kind words and thoughts. I hope that I have inspired you to work toward a goal that is important to you!

Six Pack Abs - Three Weeks In

Well, it’s been three weeks and I would like to say that I’m well on my way to a six-pack but that would be really stretching the truth.

I am certainly glad that I decided to give myself 12 weeks to accomplish this goal. The first three weeks have been a learning experience for me. Week two was probably the best so far. Week three was, unfortunately, disastrous. I spent the majority of week three in Fernandina Beach with my husband, David. The five days we spent there (alone in our new home for the first time) were glorious. The weather was pure perfection. We spent a couple of days soaking up the sun on Main Beach, a day trip to St. Augustine and watched the Patriots game at a local sports bar.

We arrived in Florida on Friday evening. For dinner we decided to go to our favorite (so far) sushi restaurant. My meal was consumed after 8pm. That’s where the rule breaking began. We ate out for most meals. As most of you know, eating out when you are following a specific nutrition plan is extremely challenging. I believe you can make choices that will support your nutrition plan but it’s not easy. I did poorly. I know that I ate food with a sugar content above 10 grams, I ate more carbs then I needed (and for those of you who don’t know, when you eat more carbs then your body needs your body stores the excess as fat) and consumed a few meals very close to or after 8 pm. The one rule of mine that I managed to stick to (easily) was no alcohol assumption. No problem there.

Okay, so what does this mean? Nothing really, except that I still have A LOT of work to do! Fortunately, I am not one to beat up on myself too badly. I believe that I will accomplish this goal and I’m enjoying the challenge (thus far).

This week I plan on ramping things up a bit. I’m going to tighten up my nutrition and add a little extra cardio a few days a week.

Eating undistracted or mindfully is still presenting a challenge. I found this blog entry at Zen Habits and am hoping to incorporate some of these examples into at least one meal per day.
http://zenhabits.net/mindful-eating/

Happy Goal Setting and Pursuing.

Week 1 - Six Pack Abs

Hello Fellow Goal-Seekers;

Well Week 1 of my Six Pack Abs journey is history. Here's what I have learned:

1.Weekends are challenging.

2. Evan and David will have to do without homemade oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies for a while.

3. I am not doing a good job of keeping track of four squares of chocolate a day.

4. Not eating past 8 pm is easy.

5. I was right about one of my biggest obstacles (eating while distracted).

6. This is going to get harder before it gets easier.

My workouts have been sporadic this week but I am back at the Y teaching H.I.T. so I'm guaranteed two decent workouts for the week.

I am doing my best to embrace this journey. Still feeling strong and committed and confident that by Thanksgiving I will have reached my goal.

Here's a picture of my Primal lunch today. Zucchinni with tuna, jack cheese and avocado.

Check out my Facebook page for a video I posted about Secrets to Achieving Six Pack Abs.

I hope that whatever goal you have chosen for yourself that you are enjoying the journey.

Stay strong.

Day 2 - Six Pack Abs

Well Folks, I am happy to report that Day 1 was a success. No major set backs or obstacles. That's not to say that it was a perfect day but it was close. Here's my list of rules (as requested by some of my "followers")

Rules for 6-Pack Abs

1. No Alcohol.
2. Eat breakfast and lunch “undistracted”.
3. Nothing to eat past 8. (If you are starving, a small piece of fruit is acceptable).
4. Nothing over 10 grams of sugar (with the exception of fruit, honey & maple syrup).
5. Good quality dark chocolate. (no more than 4 squares per day)
6. One treat meal per week.
7. Make up more rules if/when necessary :)

Rule # 2 will most likely be the most difficult one for me to follow. I have created the habit of sitting in front of my computer and "catching up" while eating. It's going to be a hard habit to break but one worth breaking!

Rule # 5 is my favorite :)

Have you come up with your goal and list of "rules" yet? What are you waiting for?

Quote for today: " Worthy goals don't have shortcuts".