Monthly Objectives
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Lovemyveg
Posts: 474 Member
I have started a new thread where we can post any objectives we have set ourselves. My January objectives were buried deep in the "Let's get Started" thread and I wanted to put them somewhere I could find them easily.
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My objectives for January 2016
Food:
1) to cut right back on cheese
2) portion my food properly by weighing it, and
3) get back to eating breakfast regularly as I've got into the habit of skipping it.
Exercise:
To achieve 50,000 steps a week (subsequently adjusted to 70,000)0 -
Great idea, LMV. My first response was that I would look forward to reading these objectives but probably wouldn't post since I am writing weekly goals in my diet log. However, in the interest of sharing I'll try to add something here. Excuse me if I miss a turn!
So January 2016
Food.
1) cut back on sugar radically
2)measure and weigh all appropriate foods ( do not bother with spinach, chard, or such like)
3) eat at home whenever possible; avoid shopping when hungry as much as possible ( there are a couple of market stores that have large self-serve buffets; it is completely possible to have a healthy lunch there but there are also temptations to be avoided)0 -
My objectives for January 2016
Food:
1) to cut right back on cheese
2) portion my food properly by weighing it, and
3) get back to eating breakfast regularly as I've got into the habit of skipping it.
Exercise:
To achieve 50,000 steps a week (subsequently adjusted to 70,000)
Time to review January and the above objectives.
My new regime of sensible eating and exercise started on 6 Jan with the aim of losing 7lbs a month.
Weight: 15lbs lost
Food: Single 26gm slice of low fat cheddar on about 5 days out of 7 days
Everything weighed and tracked
Breakfast eaten on most days
Exercise: I have been moving much more and 50,000 steps exceeded every week and 70,000 some weeks. However, will struggle to make 50,000 this week following illness.
Overall, really pleased with my progress.
So, February objectives
Weight: to lose 7 lbs
Food
1) After a dry January, I feel so much better without alcohol, so, keep February dry
2) Continue January food objectives - it's working at the moment so don't change it
Exercise
1) Continue to aim for 70,000 steps a week
2) Salsasize with Rosemary a minimum of 3 times a week
Not ready for the "J" stuff yet, maybe next month!
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I have looked at my January log and am quite pleased.
My main goals were to cut back sugar, weigh and measure appropriately, and avoid unnecessary eating out and shopping when hungry (basically a mindful eating goal) I notice I did not post exercise goals but did in my log where I set a goal of 5000 steps per day/ 5 times a week.
I am very pleased with my effort to reduce sugar and until the end of January, nearly all days were under 12g, some had no added sugar. The only baked good I had was when my sister brought me a sample of her winter crisp made with cranberries, walnuts and apples with a oatmeal crumble topping; it was only about 1/2 cup and I made it into two servings which I had with Greek yoghurt. I have been able to keep the tin of cookies that were brought to me in the freezer and the three muffins my sister also brought. I had prepared food from the market store once but it did not involve added sugar. Except for the week with the sore foot, I exercised at least 5 times or more and often did more than the 5000 steps.
February Food Plans: By my standards, I dieted quite aggressively January with my somewhat modified version of a 2, 2, 3 plan I had read about. The first two days emphasized moderate protein, lots of varied veg, fruits (mostly berries and apples) and starches (3 servings, usually 1 oatmeal and 2 slices of bread), with little fats (although I did use nut butters up to 1 tablespoon a day. The 3 days were basically the same but included a little more good fats. The other 2 days were the challenge because the goal was to eat high protein, only green vegetables plus yellow snap beans and little else. For me, I added a small amount of Greek yoghurt usually with a teaspoon of orange juice for flavour, and small amounts of condiments like a teaspoon of ketchup, a couple of teaspoons of grated parmesan or 1 teaspoon of almond butter with my tea for dessert. I was very compliant to this plan for the four week period. However, this week have not followed it, partly because of being out for the lunch/afternoon period and partly because I found the breakfast particularly hard and reached a wall in my tolerance of poached egg whites even with a bit of parmesan or ketchup.
What I like about those days was that it gave a sense of pulling back and resetting so that after the second day, when I returned to more varied food choices, it seemed as if there were no restrictions. So this is my plan, I will give myself the option of doing those 2 days the same as before, modifying them a bit (say, 2 meals a day with the plan and the third a bit looser or just following the eating pattern of my other days.
I plan to keep sugar reduction as a goal as I am sure this has not been solved so easily.
Weighing and measuring seem necessary to avoid 'calorie creep'.
My journal has a spot for daily goals which I do not always fill in but plan to improve on.
I also sometimes fall down on water intake, so that will be a focus.
In sum : 1. Monitor sugar
2. Stay with the same general eating plan with the option to change two days.
3. Weigh, measure, and record promptly
4. Water 4-6 glasses a day.
Exercise: Have seen progress in how much and how intense I can do but will keep the base of
5000 steps with a plan to do over 6000 at least twice per week.
Also to add indoor biking or exercise video at least twice a week for at least 15 minutes.
These are quite modest changes and I hope to exceed them but will be content to reach them.0 -
Excellent plan Bracken and as always, extremely thoughtful
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'The time and energy for dieting and exercising will never magically appear - but remember it's 100% worth it' Beck
I came across one of my many little notebooks where I record my weight, measurements and thoughts... this one dated July 2014 and due to a jelly belly and my smart summer clothes feeling tight and pinched, I had succumbed to desperate measures and gone over to the 'dark side' for help! Ten days of the lovely Jillian cracking her whip, I'd lost 2 pounds and more importantly airbrushed 2 inches off all over and my summer wardrobe once again fitted comfortably.
Well I'm currently 2.8 pounds off my target weight, don't have a jelly belly (I'm lighter) but I am wondering if I did Jillian's kick box DVD which I remember enjoying, would it help give me the confidence to wear the 'streamlined silhouette jeggings' by the time I go to the UK beginning of March?!
So my February objectives
shift the 2.8 pounds standing between me and my target weight
continue walking 70,000 steps a week
salsacise with Rosemary 5 times a week
and attempt to do two 20 minute sessions of whisper it 'Jillian' a week!
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Beck is so right! Go for it MITM. Would you be up for shredding again? I'm definitely going to do it, just haven't quite decided when yet xx0
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Ambitious goals, MITM, but I totally believe you can achieve them. I'd bet money on you wearing those jeggings.0
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Revised February Objectives
Record steps daily on the exercise thread
Start writing down what I'm eating
2 Jillian sessions a week
Salsacise with Rosemary 5 times a week
And get back to 9.9 by the end of the month.
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Great solid objectives MITM
Re Shredding, I'm thinking soon. Might start this week, what do you think?
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Why not indeed!0
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Tomorrow? (Eek....am I saying that?) xx0
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You'll no doubt hear me squealing!0
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Lovemyveg wrote
So, February objectives
Weight: to lose 7 lbs
Food
1) After a dry January, I feel so much better without alcohol, so, keep February dry
2) Continue January food objectives - it's working at the moment so don't change it
Exercise
1) Continue to aim for 70,000 steps a week
2) Salsasize with Rosemary a minimum of 3 times a week
Not ready for the "J" stuff yet, maybe next month!
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February Review
1) Weight - objective to lose 7lbs, actually lost 9.5lbs
2) Food
Dry February - not completely dry, but very limited alcohol consumption
Continued to weigh everything, monitored my cheese intake and ate breakfast
3) Exercise
Kept my step level up, salsasized and added in some Jillian
Overall, really pleased that I stuck with it through February
On to March Objectives
March contains my birthday, Easter and we have just agreed to go on a last minute skiing holiday to France with friends so realistically I will not lose as much.
Weight - lose 3.5lbs which will bring me to 2 stones lost
Food - monitor cheese consumption
- keep portion sizes small, particularly when on holiday
- no excessive alcohol
Exercise - complete the 30 day shred during March
- 50,000 steps a week
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Well done LMV great results for February and achievable realistic goals for March.
I'm in the UK for most of March, danger zone for me as there will be hot cross buns (which I'm addicted to) everywhere! Fortunately I have given up chocolate for Lent which I hope I will not break. This time, last year when I was home I ate so many packets of crisps, hot cross buns, cream cakes (?!) and chocolate I came back well over my 1/2 stone allowance. I do not want to go into that zone again but it did convince me to give up Walkers crisps (which you can't get out here yet) and I haven't had a packet since.
So my objectives are basic to try and come back no heavier than the weight I am at present as there will be lots of meeting up with friends and family etc. I will also have to do lots of walking to burn off the extra calories...0 -
Thanks MITM. Your goal of not putting any weight on while you are in the UK is also achievable, but have you worked out your strategy for dealing with the temptations and social occasions? Crisps and chocolate are dealt with, but what about the hot cross buns and cream cakes? Maybe you could instigate a weekly ration system to ensure you don't overindulge? I find reminding myself that the tea shop will still have my favourite coffee and walnut cake the next day so I don't need to have a piece today means that I haven't succumbed yet this year!
Will miss you while you are gone. Check in occasionally if you get a chance.
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Well it's April 5 already and I haven't taken stock of what went on in March.
Weight
I set a modest objective of losing 3.5lbs but unfortunately I didn't achieve it. I've lost track of the weeks a bit, but I think I only lost 1 or 2lbs this month. I've been reflecting on this and there are three main reasons for the drop off in my weight loss performance. Firstly, it was my birthday/Easter/holiday so for three weeks I haven't weighed and logged my food at all. Secondly, I relaxed and allowed myself more alcohol, cheese and after Lent, chocolate. Thirdly, my exercise levels dropped off. I have effectively stopped paying attention and working at my weight loss. The consequence of all this.........no real weight loss, but fortunately, no real gain either.
Exercise
As I have already said, my exercise levels dropped off both in terms of doing it and recording what I did. I didn't complete the shred and my steps decreased although I probably did average 50,000 steps a week. I know that exercising is critical to my weight loss so I must remedy this in April.
Overall - not a high achieving month, but one of consolidation. Time to move on.
April Objectives
Weight - I would like to drop 6lbs this month. Weighing and tracking is a priority starting from right now
Exercise - steps, steps, steps. From experience I know that this is the key for me. It's weight-bearing exercise and the more steps I do, the speedier my weight loss. Salsasizing increases my steps so I'm concentrating on walking and salsasizing for April. Jillian is great for inch loss, but I don't enjoy it and my priority for this month is to get those lbs coming off again. My goal is to average 70,000 steps.
Despite the fact that I have stood still this month, I think it is still a success as previously I feel sure I would have gained during a month like I've just had.
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Well LMV your review for last month got me thinking... I too did very little exercise and I didn't calorie count - quite the opposite in fact! So all in all, I count myself rather fortunate to be starting this month, 4 pounds from my target weight and not a whole lot more...
But I also think it's still something of a success as I only have to look back and compare my weight to this time last year. I'm somehow in control, still indulging without over indulging to the point where I go up to, or over my 1/2 stone allowance as I regularly did. I have maintained my current weight or lower for 9 months now, never higher so I must be doing something right!
Once my birthday week is over and I've returned my daughter, I fly back to Austria next Wednesday I'm cracking on. I too intend to salsacise and walk as I can feel the difference, my fitness levels have dropped after one month resting on my laurels! And I feel like I've been chocolate coated in a layer of flab!
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