I weighed my clothes today...

and anyone who has ever been a Weight Watcher member will understand what that means. Although I am now a Weight Watcher staff person, we still have to weigh in once each month and fax that weight slip in to our Territory Manager. We must be within 2 pounds of our goal or things start to happen. We are all Weight Watcher Lifetime Members so the same rules still apply except if we go over that 2 pounds, it can affect our paychecks.

But that's not what had me weighing my clothes today. After all I didn't lose the weight in the first place so I could work for Weight Watchers. I lost the weight because I want to be healthy and to live a long, active life playing with my grandchildren and future great-grandchildren. I still weigh in here at home every weekend just to keep track and this morning I saw a number on the scale I haven't seen in a long time.

Why did I see that number? For those of you who know me, you know that I am pretty strict with my diet, eating clean but not perfect although I do eat healthy all the time. I am also an exercise proponent, obtaining my Personal Trainer Certification last year and put into practice what I preach. I exercise regularly, both strength training and cardio. My cardio of choice is running and although I don't love it, I don't hate it either. You can read a previous blog about my love for cardio and you'll understand that statement a little better. :-)

So again, why did I see that number? Because I have been slipping. And I have been slipping for quite a while now. Yes, I still eat healthy but I have indulged in a piece of chocolate here, and a piece of bread there, and on and on. One little piece of chocolate does not do a lot of damage but when you repeat that "one" several times over the course of a few weeks, it adds up or catches up I should say. I've also been slipping with my exercise. Yes, I exercise faithfully every week. I work out with weights at least two times each week and I run.... Well, to be honest I haven't been running much and the intensity of my strength training has not been to the level it should be.

Going through the motions? Faking it 'til I make it? Whatever you want to call it, that is why I saw the number I saw on the scale this morning and that is why I was weighing my clothes to find something lightweight to wear for my monthly weigh in.

So what am I going to do about it? This morning I was promising God all types of things when I stopped and asked myself why I was promising God when I was the one who ate the chocolate and I was the one slacking off on my exercise. Plus I will be traveling this week which adds more challenge to getting back on track.

However I need to be the one to fix this and I will! This is my plan:

(1) Put the chocolate in the garbage disposal (DONE)
(2) Buy healthy, convenient snacks (tomorrow)
(3) Cook meals rather than getting take out because regardless of how "healthy" your take-out is, if you didn't cook it you can't be sure how healthy it is.
(4) Aggressive strength training on Monday and Wednesday of this week.
(5) Cardio (run) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.

My flight is on Thursday and although I will be working out while gone, whatever exercise I get between Thursday and Sunday will be icing on the cake over what I've already done.

That's my plan. I'll report my progress here this week and hopefully post an improvement in that scale number this week or next. Regardless of the scale number though, I know that planning is key for me...planning and accountability. The plan I have; the accountability I will have to find within myself because I am the only one who can make this happen. No one else can make it happen; they can encourage me, push me, threaten me, whatever, but none of this will work if I myself do not hold myself accountable for my actions.

Here I go! Off to work my plan!