It Started With A Whisper

It started to sink in that my weight loss goals were a part of my 101 list, so not achieving them by the deadline was unacceptable to me. And then I heard about a website that gives you money for losing weight. Seriously. You front $100, and if you lose 10% of your body weight in 6 months, you get $200. Seriously. What's not to like? So last night, I signed up. Which means there's serious money involved, and that sure as heck better keep me motivated.

I've been doing really well this month training-wise, but have been royally sucking food-wise. I've basically maintained around the 189 lbs mark all month, with a few ups and downs in between.

This morning I ran 7.2 km. It kinda blows my mind. In some ways, that seems rather impressive. In other ways, it looks exactly like the 1/3 of a half-marathon that it is, and that's scary. I don't think it's the 21.1 km distance that makes me nervous, but the time. As a very slow runner, that means I will be running for about 3+ hours. THAT seems VERY daunting.

At the moment, I am prepping for goal #64; eating 40% carbs, 30% fat and 30% protein (basically The Zone Diet). I just like the thought of eating a little heavier on the protein side. I need to start being a little more scientific with my diet; basically be a little less half-hazard so I can actually figure out what specifically works best for me and weight loss.

I'm feeling behind on my goals. I'm only 22% done, and yet am 42% through my 1001 days. (how's that for math teacher?)  I know a lot of them are in progress; so many of them are lists of books, movies or cumulative things like swimming laps. Others are already on the calendar, like the half-marathon. But I'm feeling crunched by some that require nicer weather (like sleeping under the stars, or building a sandcastle) because I have no idea what summer will look like for us next year. We're aiming to buy a house and move the end of June, so summer plans could be sparse as we settle in. Which means I need to get as many of the nice-weather goals as possible done this summer just in case. Then there's the goals that cost money, like seeing a musical or going horse-back riding. Right now we are trying to save as much as we can for the down payment, so it would be frivolous to spend money on things like that. But once we're in the house, our budget will likely be a bit tighter, and we may not be able to afford them at all. The thought of not completely finishing my list is heartbreaking, and the end is still 582 days away! I have faith though, and I keep working away at it. I have to remember that my summer just started; I still have 5 1/2 weeks of vacation. While some of that time is for work around the house (I've already stained the deck, but still have the carport to paint, and I want to do a good clean/scrub/purge inside), some of that will be spent getting these goals done.

Despite all my melodramatic (and unnecessary) worry, I truly am enjoying my goal list. I can wholeheartedly say it is one of the best things I have ever done for myself.