Setting myself up for success

It's pretty important to me that not only do I make these health choices a part of my normal lifestyle, but that I succeed in doing it routinely.

I have a tendency to be easily persuaded. I'm aware of it, and so I deal with that aspect of my personality. For instance, I've been educating myself daily on things like cooking with fresh ingredients, and knowing what my food contains, reading labels, cutting out the bad stuff...and blogs have been an AWESOME resource for encouragement and knowledge. They've also kind of made me feel like a high school girl who wants to fit in. Oh you remember the days, don't you? I need UMBROS! I need NORTH FACE! I need JANSPORT! I need these things to make me belong, because it's what everyone else is doing!!!

Guess what. That's a big ol' fail. I'm nigh to 30, and if I've learned anything it's that doing it because someone else is doing it is DUMB.

A lot of women and men who are reducing their processed food intake and increasing their fruit/veggie intake are doing so in great healthy ways! Part of this process for them has involved making all their own foods from scratch, or eliminating certain convenient food items because they involve preservatives or artificial sweeteners (ie splenda).

I had to do some soul searching on this over the last few days. Setting Lacy up for a win means doing it her way, and being okay with it. Trading in my very easy and fast instant weight control oatmeal for steel cut takes-30 minutes-to-cook-oatmeal probably isn't going to set me up for a win. Baking my own whole wheat bread instead of having my loaf of pre baked pre sliced oatnut whole wheat bread isn't gonna make it easy for me to make a right choice. So I'm going with something easier for now.

Also, success means measuring, accountability, goal setting and rewards.

I set a mini goal in January to eat more fruits and veggies. Eat only whole grains. Lose 10 pounds! Quit snacking mindlessly. I did it! I feel GREAT about meeting that goal! I want to be successful AGAIN! Because success begets success! My February goals are pretty simple. Keep meeting January goals. Lose 8 more pounds. Exercise 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes a session. Take my measurements and compare them to next month's measurements. Keep trying new recipes.

I gotta be honest. I'm kind of excited about this last part of the success idea: rewards.

I truly believe that being fit and fabulous is going to be more than enough reward for me. I'm already reaping the benefits of my choices and feeling rewarded by it. However, I also love knowing that at the end of a quantifiable time I can look back and see if I met my goals and then reward myself with something lovely.

I'm a girl, and I like pretty stuff. I especially like pretty clothes. I ESPECIALLY like pretty dresses. When you are overweight and sluggish and unhealthy, you tend not to spend money on things like dresses or makeup or jewelry. You (or I) feel like, "what's the point! This is as good as it's gonna get!" I feel differently today. I own my body and I'm in control of how I feel and look and I take pride in that as a wife and mother. I found the most fabulous dress shop online and since I so rarely (okay never) buy anything that isn't on sale/clearance or thrifted, I felt like buying a quality made, tailored dress that made me look and feel dazzling would be an excellent motivator/reward to meet my immediate health goals.

Here it is folks...here is my dress!

and then the back...

I love it, and I'm printing it out this week, putting it on the inside of my food pantry, and writing underneath it "Picture yourself in this, dancing with your hubs!"

Talk about encouragement to succeed...