You Say You Want an Evolution: Weekly Review & Planning

My Goals for the last week are listed below, with comments on how I actually did in red:

1) Drink 6 liters of water daily. - Goal accomplished.

2) Do at least 1/2 hour of cardio (the class, walks, aerobics at home, etc) at least 5 days. - Goal accomplished. Did an average of 50 minutes of cardio 5 days this week.

3) Work out with weights at home at least 2 times. - Didn't accomplish, but did do 30-40 wall push-ups 5 days this week.

4) Because I've been doing this for a couple weeks and want to keep it up, and also want to keep track of the healthy habits I'm building, this week a goal will be to continue to write down everything I eat on my sub-blog. - Goal accomplished.

5) No binges - Goal accomplished, though did have a pretty consistently bad food day last Friday.

6) Write at least 4 posts on this blog - Goal accomplished.

7) I'm not sure if I will always want to make a certain number of weight loss a goal, and I'm already wavering as to its usefulness, but for now I'll keep it. So my goal for this next week is the same as the number I accomplished this last week: Lose 9 lbs, which will take me under 590. - Didn't accomplish. I lost 6 pounds.

You know, I feel pretty freaking great about this week.

I kicked ass physically, I ate well, and no matter the highs or lows of the week, my attitude/perspective/overall emotional well-being around this losing weight/getting healthy effort has remained amazingly grounded in objective optimism.

Awesome.

Okay, now, looking ahead. Below are my goals for the next week*:

1) Drink 6 liters of water daily.

2) Do at least 1/2 hour of cardio (the class, walks, aerobics at home, etc) at least 5 days.

3) Work out with weights at home at least 2 times.

4) Measure the cereal servings I'm putting in the big bowl I eat every morning, and if there's too many (I suspect there might be as many as 4 in there when I'm done filling it to the top) lower that number to a max of 2 servings anytime I eat cereal, all week.

5) No binges

6) Write at least 4 posts on this blog

7) In the interest of continuing to increase awareness in all areas of my life, expand my list of goals for 2009 to include a variety of areas and subjects. And keep them in an area where I can review them frequently.

*No weight loss goal.


This last week I worked out 5 days for 50 minutes of hard cardio and I lost 6 pounds. Last week I worked out only 3 days for 45 minutes of hard cardio and I lost 9 pounds.

So, in summary, I really cranked up the work-outs this week and my food was just as good as last week, yet I lost 3 less pounds.

But, check this out man, because this is blowing my mind...

I DO NOT CARE.


In fact, I am STOKED.

I am ECSTATIC.

Dammit, I feel GRRRRRRREAT!!

And why?

Because I am in this for the long haul.

I no longer need the scale to be my friend that I co-dependently look to and let define whether I'm happy or sad like I have during all my past "getting healthy" attempts. I also no longer need the love and recognition from telling friends and family I am losing weight fast and in big ways: "Hey, guess what? I lost 25 pounds this week! Isn't that awesome?! I did good, right?!?!"

The only reason I get on the scale once a week now is to allow me a chance to pat myself on the back, and/or to think about what I might want to tweak next week as my evolution progresses.

Because what does one week really matter when I'm in this forever?

Here's what I know to be one of the most powerfully true things I've ever realized, and more importantly, internalized: If I am now on a path, not just to get down to 225 lbs, not just to lose weight, but to really become a healthy person for the rest of my life - then nothing matters besides to KEEP GOING.

Nothing.

That is it.

I had an inkling of that fact when I wrote my very first post on this blog, and actually, I ended that inaugural post with a reminder to myself of that fact, that Most Important Weight Loss Tip of All Time.

I'll end this post with it too:


NEVER GIVE UP.