Weekly Report: May 18, 2013

Weigh-In:

Starting weight:  249
May 18, 2013:  244

Week 3 weight gain:  1 lbs
Total loss to date:  5 lbs

This was a not so good week.  A lot of activity, exhaustion and stress meant poor choices in food and beverages - too much caffeine free diet coke, too little water; too many pre-made meals, too few healthy homemade meals.  Bad for my eating plan.  Bad for my budget.

This was the week to start walking and I did not.

Time to reboot the goals and restart the plan.

I'm not sure how to stem the tiredness.  Sleep is elusive and early to bed is an impossibility.  Activity this week will be mostly deep cleaning the house.  I am hoping a thoroughly cleaned home will help reduce my stress level and increase my motivation.

There will be a bit more stress this week.  Mom will undergo surgery early in the week to repair the gaping wound caused by the Moh's surgery.  We spent most of the day Friday at the dermatologist's office having basal cell carcinoma removed from her face.  The doctor thought the cancer was a small spot.  It turned out to be more widespread than anticipated.  The first eraser tip-sized hole turned into a quarter sized hole.  Friday was a very bad day!  I will know later today when surgery is scheduled.  I think that will be a crockpot day!  The wound has been bleeding quite a bit.  This weekend will be spent making sure Mom keeps the bandage on, especially since she doesn't remember what happened, why it's there, even what it is sometimes.

I really need to pre-plan, pre-make and execute the menu for healthy eating with more consistency this week to counter-act the stress that is sure to come.

Goals:

1.  Pre-Assemble daily juice.  Baggies with all the ingredients in one spot will help get the juicing done with minimal prep each day.
1. Clean, peel, cut and bag the daily ingredients two days at a time
2. Set up the juicer before bed
3. Get up and JUICE!
2. Plan the weekly menu with most ingredients on hand by mid-day Sunday.  Prep as much as possible to make dinner easy to prepare when I walk in the door after work.  This will go a long way toward preventing the "I'm too tired.  Let's hit the drive through" phenomenon that took over this past week.
1. Inventory Pantry/Fridge/freezer
2. Create the menu
3. Make a shopping list of missing ingredients
4. Shop for the missing ingredients
5. Prep two or more days at a time
3. Institute the Post-It board to plan the deep clean.  Post the board somewhere that others might see and step up to help out.  If they don't, at least that will keep me on track to get it all done by the end of the week.
1. Pick a spot for the post-it disply
2. Divide the display room-by-room
3. Write each task on its own post-it
4. pick a post-it and DO IT!

Out with the Old, In with the New

2012 is almost over.  The past few years have been filled with many challenges and my blog has long been neglected.  I'd like to rectify that for 2013.

I am praying for a happy, healthy, prosperous new year for everyone I know and love - especially my family and friends.

May 2013 be the year

• for dreams fulfilled and goals achieved;
• for dreaming new dreams and planning new goals; 
• for keeping in touch; 
• for living each day to the fullest and seizing opportunities; 
• for opening our eyes and hearts to new experiences;  
• for charity; 
• for love; 
• for happiness

I make no resolutions. All my I resolves tend to dissolve in a day or two.  However, I do have plans - long range plans.  Each plan starts with one small step and continues with more small steps, until the plan is fulfilled.  I have decided, regardless of how small the step, as long as I move forward, and forgive myself for moving backward, I will make progress and my goal will be reached.

Long Range Plans:  

1. Debt Freedom (except the house) -- goal date:  Summer 2014.  
2. Hefty savings -- goal date: December 2014, my planned retirement date after 32+ years of federal service.
3. Weight loss -- Goal date: Summer 2014
4. Less Cluttered home -- goal date:  December 2013

I have started on one and four.  I will continue stepping toward those goals and incorporate number 3 beginning on January 5th.  The second goal cannot begin until the first is achieved, but I will keep my eye on that prize!

I have heard that a goal is not a goal until it is written down.  A goal cannot be achieved without a plan - a written plan.  A plan cannot be implemented without written steps.   And so I continue....

Debt Freedom:  I have a budget in place (written step); I have a debt reduction list with payment amounts and schedules (written steps); I am working on trimming the budget to free up more cash to add to the debt reduction step.

Less Clutter:  seven large bags have been taken to the dump in the last three weeks.  Two more are ready to go.  I am starting upstairs and working my way down.  Right corner of the bedroom is half done.  I will complete that and move to the left corner.  I have a book with a list of each room in the house and what needs to be done - my written plan with steps included.

Weight Loss:  I am planning menus this week to begin on Saturday (written plan with daily steps).  I will work through the stores on hand this week, eating as well as I can with what I have, and begin with the new menus on Saturday, January 5th.  The first two small steps begin tomorrow.  

1. I will begin juicing for a minimum of five days per week with the aim at daily juicing. 
2. Reduce soda intake and replace with water.

I took these two steps for a little over a month this past summer.  I felt better.  My cholesterol numbers and blood pressure numbers improved.  I lost 14 lbs.  And now I begin again.

There will be challenges to my plans.  Emergencies will occur.  Setbacks are inevitable.  I will pray for the strength, guidance and good fortune to weather the emergencies without getting off track.