It’s the last day of the month, which means we are almost ready to dive into May. I have so many great things planned for May – my cruise, brunch book club, and starting a new DietBet. But first… let’s talk about goals, yeah?
Recapping April Goals…
Lose 4% of my weight and “win” Amber’s Spring Shape-Up DietBet. Well, I can’t mark this as a pass just yet, but doing this DietBet has really changed the way I’ve attacked losing weight and eating healthy. I am so, so thankful that Amber did this DietBet, and that I joined it because it really forced me to look at my eating habits and get super serious about losing weight. Even if I don’t end up winning (which I don’t think is likely, as long as I don’t completely fall off the wagon!), I’ve seen such a change in the way I view eating and exercise, and my clothes are fitting better. That’s a huge win, regardless of what the scale says.
Set up a therapy appointment. Oops. I did not do this. It’s just one of those nagging tasks that I know I need to do, but I think I’m letting my fears hold me back. I just didn’t get much out of therapy from my first therapist, and I don’t know if that was me, or her, or both of us. So I’m just putting it off because I’m like… worried I can’t do therapy? Which just tells me that I really need to be in therapy. Once you start worrying that you suck at therapy, well, it’s all really downhill from there, isn’t it?
Work out every day. Nope, but I did start working out six days a week! And I consider that a huge success!
Make two meatless dishes. Nope. I’ve been searching for meatless dishes, but I just haven’t found a dish that looks appetizing to me. (I’m a really, really picky eater.) And the ones I do find that look somewhat yummy are usually pasta dishes, and I’m trying to stay away from pasta as much as I can. (No real reason… just don’t need all those carbs!)
Spend less than $150 eating out. PASS! I spent $137 this month eating out. I am very happy about this! That’s my lowest eating-out total in 2014, and I’m hoping I can keep pushing it lower and lower.
In May I want to…
Enjoy my cruise! I am super excited if that hasn’t been apparent. Mom and I leave this Sunday and we’ll spend five wonderful, relaxing days sailing and exploring Key West and the Bahamas. I think marking this goal as complete will be easy!
Join another DietBet and continue losing weight. I really loved participating in my DietBet this past month because it really forced me to get serious about dieting and losing weight. Knowing that I could win my $25 back (and possibly more!) has been super motivating for me. I would like to join a new DietBet around the week I return from my vacation, so I can get right back on track.
Find a therapist that accepts my health insurance. I wasn’t successful at scheduling my first therapy appointment so, instead, I am going to break this down into steps. The first step? I need to find a therapist that accepts my insurance. That’s it, that’s all.
Add at least $400 to my savings. I’ve been slacking on my money goals for this year, but once my cruise is behind me, I can get back on track. I am hoping to add at least $400 to my savings, which will put me halfway to my goal for this year.
Go back to church. I haven’t talked about it much, but I haven’t been regularly attending church for well over a year now. Probably closer to a year and a half. It’s just something I fell out of the habit of, and it’s hard getting back into it. Well, that changes this month as I’m going to start making a concentrated effort to attend church on Sundays and hopefully become more involved in the community.
What goals do you have for May?
Great job on losing weight and eating healthier – those are awesome habits to have formed! And yes to the therapy – maybe get some recommendations from friends and then call and see if they take your insurance? I always like getting a recommendation vs. finding someone online or cold calling.
My goals for May I think are to just survive! This month is almost total chaos as far as my schedule goes and while they will all be fun things, I need to take my down time when I get it. Next week I have two long days at work, a reception for Advocacy Day Tuesday evening, Advocacy Day all day Wednesday, and then I leave at 4:15 AM Thursday morning for a quick conference trip and I get back at 7 AM (flying a red-eye) Sunday morning on Mother’s Day. Three days later my sister graduates from college, three days after that is her open house party, the next weekend is Memorial Day, and the weekend after that we leave for a big family vacation!
Whew!
Way to go on your weight loss goal! I know you can do it so stay strong this week! It’s good that you have the reward of your cruise ahead of you! I hope that it’s easy to determine which therapists accept your insurance. My current insurance company makes it really easy as I can search my name or clinic or they will list all the people who are approved and I can sort through them.
My goal for May is to survive the chaos of my move and start strong at my new job and impressed them from the get go. There is a lot of pressure and high expectations for what I will bring to the table so I have to get in there and show them they made the right decision by hiring me!
What kind of flavors do you like? I can probably recommend some good meatless dishes. Any veggies that are a no-go?
I broke down my running goal because I wasn’t very successful. Last week I ran one time, for just over a mile. This week I want to run the same distance but twice in the week. Next week, also twice but maybe a little longer (I’m going out of town so three times isn’t practical). And so on until I get back into habits.
Also, I’m trying to spend more time with my kids where I’m actually paying attention to them and enjoying them, and not yelling. Yesterday I didn’t yell at all. I want to make that a habit. How many days does it take for a habit to form? 21?
Nice job with your goals! 6 days a week is huge!
I think Amber’s next DietBet is starting mid-June and I’m definitely planning on joining it! I agree that the DietBet has been really motivating. I am on track to win as well and I’m curious how much $$ it will be. Only a few days to go – we can do it! Way to go on the eating out goal, too! I wonder if it has any correlation to the DietBet? I know you’ve been really trying to curb that spending this year so awesome job. I’ve been trying to attend church 1x a month this year. My church is small and there are few young people (I’m literally the only one between 20-30 years of age) and I so wish the community was more geared towards my age group, but that’s not the reason I should be going to church.
Working out 6 days a week is awesome… so you should definitely consider that one a pass. 😉 Lol. Have the best time ever on your cruise!!! I can’t wait until I get to cruise again!
This may be a random thought on the therapy thing, but have you checked to see if your company offers any sort of “professional services?” Some companies contract with social workers/counselors and you can get those benefits for FREE via your employer. (Your mom’s employer may have it, too, and it’s usually extended to immediate family members living in your household. Just a thought). I also don’t think that because you’re afraid of therapy means that you need it. It’s a big step for a lot of people to take, to ask for help, to put it out there.
Way to go on the DietBet. You are kicking butt and taking names and I’m so happy for you 🙂 Can’t wait to hear allll about the cruise and see what’s in store for you this May. xo
Seeing a therapist was one of the best choices I have ever made in my life. I know it’s scary, but I’m willing to bet that once you have picked up the phone and made that appointment you’ll be glad you did!
Good job on working out more and eating out less! In April, I worked out less and ate out more. 😛
I’m so so glad to hear you got so much out of the DietBet! I really enjoyed hosting it and I’m looking forward to hosting the summer shape-up one as well. The money is a huge motivator for me, yes. But the social aspect was also a big motivator! Having all the support rallying around me really helped!
Hope you have the best time on your cruise!
I was really fortunate when I tried meatless dishes because my sister-in-law cooks a lot of them (her and my brother aren’t huuuge on meat) so I asked her for a lot of help. One dish that I really enjoyed was quinoa with grilled vegetables with a teriyaki sauce, or whatever you like really. I’m not really big on tofu, but you could also add in zucchini or eggplant or something like that, which tend to be a bit more filling!