After finally getting a haircut yesterday afternoon, my head definitely feels lighter!  Too bad it won't help me in the final weigh-in on Saturday --

I've been thinking a lot about the papers that I found in the basement of my weight and measurements from eleven years ago, and that got me thinking about all the starts and stops, the umpteen exercise classes, all the different diets and all the different programs that have been part of my life.  Some parts stuck (two of my favorite after-workout stretches still are from the ancient Jane Fonda tapes -- minus the infamous leg warmers!), and at this time, I have a better idea of what I need to be doing (actually getting it done is the tricky part).  The Fitworks membership will be cancelled for now - and I say "for now" because it may work out for me at another time.  Right now the Slim & Fit exercise classes are a good fit because they're fun, each class has been different (which helps when you have the attention span of a gnat sometimes), and I'm finally making progress because the personal trainers make me work hard (harder than I would on my own right now.)

Nicholas had given us a "Skinny Jean Diet" at class which was seven days of meals & snacks to follow.  We were talking in class the other day about nutrition and one lady said that she'd tried the diet but it didn't work.  Turns out she tried it for only one week and not even a full week because she'd taken the weekend off.  One other thing I've learned is that you have to commit to working a program at least for six weeks - especially if it's been awhile since you've worked out regularly or eaten healthy.  And of course the mental preparation and mindset is the hardest to get started and then keep on track. 

The reason that you have to be prepared for a minimum of six weeks is because there's a good chance that nothing will happen the first three weeks.  (and this is only my opinion and experience). The first week your brain and other body parts are just laughing because they're saying, "What?!  She's going to try this again!?  What a joke - we'll just sit tight and let it  ride and she'll give it up."  The second and third week is when your brain and other body parts dig in their heels to hold onto the fat and bad habits.  But around the fourth week is when the other body parts start telling the brain that they just might be feeling better, they don't hurt as much, they have more energy, and maybe THIS time she's serious about this healthy lifestyle business, so maybe we should cooperate a little.   It's not until the fifth or sixth week (sometimes) when you may start seeing some noticeable results.  And it's hard.  And you feel discouraged and ready to give up too many times to count.  We're so ingrained with wanting immediate results and it seems like we're always looking for an easier way to get those immediate results and it just isn't going to happen.  You have to accept that this is going to take weeks, months, even maybe years.  And it's WORK -- hard work! 

Don't throw in the towel! (you'll need it to wipe the sweat off your face!)  The last weigh-in of this contest may be scheduled for this weekend, but it definitely is not the end of working towards becoming healthier --

Barb