Weekly check in

Hey everyone! Wow, what a day. I'm going to try to make my weekly check in quick because I am exhausted and still have a couple quick things to do before bed... One of those days!

First, my weigh in! Let me preface this by saying I think my number is correct but my day has been crazy since I woke up so I didn't get to do my weigh-in at the normal time, under the normal circumstances. But, I'm pretty sure it's within a 1/2 pound, so I'm gonna' call it good and deal with the difference next week if I'm wrong. :)

Anyway, this week: -1 lb.

Whoop, whoop! I love that number consistently going down, I have to tell you. Especially because the reality of this week definitely did not look anything like my plan (as you'll see momentarily). So to have continued progress despite what could otherwise be classified as a rough week is very, very nice.

That brings me to 7.5 pounds lost so far this year. My first goal to reach is 10 pounds by Valentine's Day, which means I have 10 days to lose 2.5 more pounds. I'm of the slow and steady sort, so that's kinda' pushing it, but we'll see what happens! The goals are just a guideline, so if I meet them a little late I'll be OK. But wouldn't it be nice to reach the first goal I set for myself in the new year? Yes, yes it would.

Next, a quick checkup on the Perfect 10 weekly challenge goals.

1. Lose 15 pounds.

   Getting there! 7.5 pounds lost so far, which puts me at the halfway mark. And what do you know, we're halfway through this challenge.
2. Complete the 35-mile bike loop near my house.
   OK, I'll be honest, this one isn't going well lately. My original intention was to gradually ride more often during the week, but then I signed up for my very first 5k and I've been focusing more on preparing for that. I'm still working toward this goal, but it's just not at the forefront of my mind lately. However, the main idea is just to exercise more consistently, and that I've definitely been doing.

3. Walk/Jog 2+ hours per week.
   This, I'm proud to say, has been happening without fail. First 5k is a good motivator!
4. Complete the first two phases of CLX.
   I'm also kicking butt on this. I'll be done with the first phase in just a few more days.
5. Learn about and apply nutrition to my life more fully.
   Yes, actually. I've been learning a lot and trying to keep it in mind when I go grocery shopping. This week, though, I was tested a bit more with eating out and I think I did pretty well, quite frankly. Obviously I didn't do terrible, at least, since I still lost weight!
6. Make a weekly meal plan and stick to it.
   Um, complete and utter failure. I didn't really set a meal plan, I just had "an idea," but it wouldn't have mattered anyway because somehow eating out kept coming up (e.g., my dad came to town unexpectedly, and my parents love eating out so when they're only here for a short while, I generally go with them). Again, I don't think I did terrible, I just didn't stick to a plan.
7. Log what I eat 5+ days per week.
   Sometimes my brain, it farts? This was one of those weeks. For some reason I just forgot to log my meals for most of the week.
8. Get to sleep by midnight 5+ days per week.
   This might sound silly but I'm honestly not sure exactly how often I was able to go to sleep on time. I will say that, generally speaking, my sleep was of better quality, though, and I'm gradually training myself to at least wake up earlier (whether I go to bed on time or not) because I have that 5k coming up at the end of the month, and it starts at 7 a.m., and I'll be honest... I have concerns about waking up for it. I'll need to wake up that morning no later than 5:30 a.m., and that's just not something I've done for, oh... months. Many months. If I can sleep well and wake up at a decent hour, I'm not as concerned with the actual time I go to bed.

So, that's everything! As you can see, definitely not a perfect week, but I'm happy with it. Real life slapped me in the face a whole lot, and I slapped back.

And the quick fact about me: My favorite ice cream, my treat of treats, is bubblegum ice cream from Baskin Robbins. I haven't eaten it in more than a year. I remember, because my boyfriend and I drove many a mile that night just to find a stupid Baskin Robbins (the one down the street from our house had closed without us realizing it). I used to be able to find bubblegum ice cream in one store I knew of, but not anymore. Apparently it's not very popular? When I order it I like to have it in a cup, with the bubblegum on bottom and a sherbet on top. Mmmmmmm.....

By the way, thanks to everyone stopping by from the Healthy You Challenge! I will definitely be checking out your blogs in the next day or two. In the meantime, have a wonderful evening/morning everyone!