Weight Loss Incentives

Earlier this week, Chad and I decided that we needed to have incentives to lose weight. Our big incentive, for when we reach our goal weights, is to have a weekend in the mountains with cross country skiing lessons (one of the ideas we had for our anniversary trip this year). The thing is, we have a long way to go (especially me). I suggested that we have incentives for smaller goals along the way. He agreed, and we sat down and discussed what would help motivate each of us. The only rule was no food rewards. 

Mine are:

• 10 pounds = Chad does dishes for a week
• 20 pounds = new nail polish
• 30 pounds = pedicure
• 40 pounds = Topgolf date
• 50 pounds = new stickers
• 60 pounds = Cross country skiing trip

Chad's are:

• 10 pounds = Rosa does grocery shopping for a month
• 25 pounds = get his bike fixed
• Goal weight = Cross country skiing trip

Chad has less incentives because he doesn't want to have more. He says he can't think of anything else that would help motivate him. I, on the other hand, need something to incentivize me throughout my journey. I don't know if this will help more than other things that I have tried including the fatty liver diagnosis, but I am willing to give it a try. I hate being this big. Thankfully, I am no longer married to someone who makes comments about my size, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to be more comfortable in my own body. 

Holiday Baking Championship

 

I stream shows while I work, and they often become obsessions for a while. There have been a few that I stopped watching before the end simply because they lost me in one way or another after many seasons, but for the most part, I watch them from the first episode to the last. 

My most recent show is the Holiday Baking Championship from the Food Network. I’m not normally a person that would go for a show like this, but I am loving it. I started watching it a few days ago because I wanted to watch something to bring the Christmas spirit to my day that I could start and stop around my daughter’s schedule for finals. I knew if I started a movie, I would be reluctant to turn it off when I needed to take her or pick her up, and I was potentially going to need to pick her up or drop her off every hour or two because of the crazy schedule she had one day. She ended up being sick and not having a voice they say I was concerned about, but I was hooked before she woke up. (I start work at 6am.) 

I have had fun watching this show. There aren’t many episodes per season which makes it even easier to get sucked in. I am currently in the middle of season 4 and still loving it. It has also made me want to bake again. My family will happily help me eat the things I will make for tomorrow. 

I don’t know if I will keep watching it much longer because it u in s a very seasonal show. I will have to remember to watch it again next year. 

Changes

I have another 5K coming up on August 12, and I am getting excited and loving how my increased activity has been affecting my body. It’s not just the obvious benefits. I have noticed that even the small things are getting easier. I am so glad that I have been signing up for eaves again to motivate me to keep going. 

Last summer, I was in pain almost every time I tried to exercise. It made the idea of exercising make me want to curl up in a ball. I kept trying. Each time felt a bit better, and I had the desire to workout. It just wasn’t enough to keep me going on a regular basis. 

This past spring I started taking walks with a friend once a week. It was a great start to increasing my activity level. Having someone to meet up with gave me a reason to get out and some accountability. I’m sure this friend doesn’t know how much I like our walks that give me some human interaction outside my house on a regular basis as well as a reason to move. 

As I find more ways to keep moving, I am reminded of how I felt in 2019 and 2020 when I was running regularly. I can’t wait until I get back to the level I was then.