Hiking is always easier if you keep to the trail

Or in Weight Watchers speak "If you work it, IT WORKS". Who would have thought?

Refer back to my post here and you will see how the title of this post fits and also two lists: 1 list of things I was going to do this week and 1 list of things I was going to accomplish. Ultimately, I'm not hyper-worried about that first list. This week life happened, and navigating around that was added to the list. I fully accomplished 3 out of the six things and mostly (in fractions 7/8) accomplished the other three. What I am concentrating on is the second list. What was going to come of all this focus. On my list, I had four things:

1. Run under a 10 minute mile. Twice. Well Wednesday: 9:54.75 and Thursday 9:57.06. CHECK
2. Lose 1.4 pounds. Well this week I walked into Weight Watchers, weighed, and guess what? 5 pounds. 5 GLORIOUS POUNDS!!!!!!! YYYYEEEAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Again, if you work it, it works. Seems so obvious now. So for this list item. CHECK.
3. Hope to lose 2.2. Refer to previous point. CHECK :):):):):):):)
4. Repeat and in 2 weeks lose a cool 5 pounds. Well I exceeded my expectations and lost the whole 5 in one week. Well then. Snap, snap, snap. Who's the Bomb-diggity? I'm the bomb-diggity. CHECK.

Now I get to establish new goals. Seems I actually work well with them. Something to push myself toward. Humph. Before I do that, I want to fully realize the effort I placed this week. I did run Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I tracked every bite I ate, I did not go over my points, and I measured EVERYTHING. I worked for every ounce that I lost this week. Every little bit. And all that effort WAS WORTH IT! Worth it enough to repeat and repeat and so on. When you work it, it works!!!

Now to celebrate. I cried (sobbed actually) out of pure joy. Pure, joy of what I thought had been unattainable. Now I know what I'm made of, that I can do it, and I have less to lose than I have lost!! I am between 26 and 30 pounds left. I am currently at 37.8 pounds lost (WOOHOO!).

Now for the hard part. I am going to want to slack off. It's human nature really, when achievements are reached before the time allotted. I have a solution to said issue. I am going to repeat last weeks goals with a few modifications:

1. I am going to lose 1.5 pounds this week. This will carry me to 39.2 total pounds lost.
2. I am going to *hope/aim* for 2.3. This will make it easier for #3 and will bring me to 40 total pounds lost. Wouldn't that be SUPER COOL?!?!?!
3. I am going to concentrate this week on running the entire mile, instead of aiming for a certain amount of time. Running the whole thing, I have a goal for 12 minutes or under. I am going to do this twice. That is running at 5MPH. I ran/walked an average of a 13 minute mile at the 5K, so an accomplishment all on its own.
4. I'm going to extend my running course to include a lap around the 1/4 mile track. So my mile will be 1/2 from the house to the track, 1/4 around the track, 1/4 back up hill towards the house, and walking the last 1/4 mile home, to allow my heart rate to slow. I like it. It works. Eat my dust.

As posted here I did these things to get back to the trail. Well, I'm back on the trail. The next step is to practice staying on the trail.

Until next time,
:)