Game Change

For the past number of weeks, or even a few months, I've been struggling. You've seen it in my lack of posting, which usually means I'm not working out. You've seen it in my weight tracking. I've been yoyoing so much! And I'm tired of it.

The eating plan for 21 day fix is great. If you can stick to how restrictive it can be. The workouts are difficult, and they get the job done. It's a great program to help kick-start a change in diet and working out. But it's very utilitarian. I guess I didn't see that as much, because there's lots of color and the music is fun. But James saw it. I wasn't EXCITED to do my workouts. I was just doing them because that's what was on the schedule.

I go to Weight Watchers meetings because the weighing in somehow helps keep me accountable. But I can't stand the meeting. I mean, I just can't stand the amount of processed no-fat low-fat prepackaged food that they suggest people eat. It really bothers me. It bothers me that people can't talk about programs that work for them if they aren't specifically part of the WW rhetoric. It bothers me that I somehow need these meetings to keep in line. And so I start to rebel.

So I guess that means it's time for a game-change.

I struggle with finding the motivational model that works for me, so I'm experimenting with a new one.
I joined the 6 month Transformer DietBet I also got the tokens to weigh in each week. If this ends up working as a weekly check in and goal motivation, then I'll fully quit WW. The thing with DietBet is that you join the challenge, you put your money up, and then there are monthly goals to hit in order to earn back that money. The overall goal is to lose 10% of your body weight in 6 months, and if you do, then you split the pot with everyone else who has reached the goal. At a minimum, if you reach the 10% by 6 months, then you recoup all of your investment $. The challenge began today, and I weighed in after work last night as my starting weight (okay so I gamed the system a tiny bit since I normally weigh in the morning). The first month's challenge is to lose 3% of your body weight. I weighed in last night at 180.6 lbs (yikes!), so my goal for this first month is to go down to 175.2 lbs by August 1. Then next month is 6% cumulative, then 8% cumulative, then 9%, then 10% and finally to maintain 10% loss. If you don't meet your month's goal, you still pass on to the next round, except for the last round. In order to pass from round 5 into the final round, you must have reached at least 6% loss, so that you maintain healthy rates of weight loss and aren't encouraged to crash diet.

I also changed my workout program. I started Les Mills' Combat yesterday. James has been doing it for a few weeks and really loves it. I like the music in it, and it seemed like a much better fit for me to get excited about workouts again.

Add all that to the amount of packing I'll be doing in the next couple weeks, and we have a sure bet for losing weight. We need to get our house in shape to show, so getting rid of a bunch of stuff plus packing away a bunch of stuff is necessary. Oh, yeah. We're trying to move to a larger home out in the burbs. I'll miss my bungalow something desperate, but it's really the best decision for us right now.

~Katie