Parts Two and Three. the rest of my story.

…. from Part One ...

I made some clear decisions on January 1, 2012.   You could say I was finally defined by something:  my decision making!

1.   I made a clear decision to change physically and mentally.  
2.  I made a clear decision that I am important too.  I decided that my goals and my health and my happiness are important too.  
3.  I made a clear decision that I would be defined by my actions.
4.  I made a clear decision to set goals and achieve them.  

I dubbed 2012 "My Year".   I have eagerly and successfully been living ever since. 

I sat down on January 1, 2012 and wrote down my resolutions.  I had never written them down before, and consequently had never kept one longer than about a week.    But, two years and going strong!

I am a structured person.  I take big risks, but chart out the steps needed for success.  I dream big, but make a plan to achieve my goals.   I'm not a willy nilly type of person.     I loved the process of getting healthy:  the research, the organization, the learning.   I just kept figuring things out for myself, what to do, when to do it.     I didn't realize it then, but now I know that I used specific tools in my quest for weight loss and fitness.   Over the last few weeks, when I was deciding what to talk to you about, I kept making notes about how I did it, how I lost weight, how I became active, how I didn't quit.   What makes me different from someone else who decides to get healthy but quits on it?   Why am I still moving forward?  

When I looked at my notes I could group them into tools, actions, and feelings.   Then I looked at my groupings and I thought:  there it is, that is how I did it.  Perhaps it's duplicable for someone with similar personality.  Perhaps it's a toolbox full of gold that someone else could open up and spend lavishly on their own health.   Perhaps it's a bunch of tools that helped me but are bunk to you.  No matter, here they are!  

Part Two  -   My Tools:

1.  Write down my resolutions in a structured way.  Post them on the wall where I will see them often.  Right above my home office computer.  Act on them.  Revisit often.
2.  Get my measurements, weight, pictures from front, side, and back.  Update these stats monthly or weekly.  Put my picture on my lap top screen saver.  
3. Choose a tracking tool such as myfitnesspal or livestrong.com.  Enter stats.  Be reasonable about goals.  Enter diet, nutrition, recipes, exercise into the tracker.  
4. Be active and participatory on an online forum- ask questions, get support, and information.  Community!   I chose livestrong.com forums and was welcomed. 
5. Add 1-3 new elements to learn per week (healthy foods, tracking, hitting targets, macronutrients, exercise, calculations, etc).  Tackle learning in small bits. 
6. Make a decision to hire a coach or seek a mentor through forums online for free.  I found a mentor free online and also hired a trainer from weightlossrebels.com.
7. Use Google Calendar like it's my job.  When a workout is in my calendar it's as important as an appointment with my boss; I'm not late and I don't skip it. 
8. Plan each week's workouts on Sunday and enter them into my Google Calendar every Sunday or monthly.  Make that calendar green (for go!) and name it "Fitness!"
9. Be public about my goals/activities/fitness to exact accountability.  I chose Facebook as a way to publicize and to remain accountable to achieve my goals.
10. Document my fitness life-  highs and lows and all the boring in-between. Either publicly or privately.  I chose public via blog. http://thegretalist.blogspot.com
11. Pay money to attend scheduled weekly fitness classes/activities- yoga, bootcamp, yogalates, personal strength training, volleyball.  A commitment is inherent with payment.
12. Keep trying activities until I find ones I like- insanity, power 90, yoga at home. Stick with an activity for one month before deciding yay or nay.  Do not skip.  Running <3
13. Always have a fitness goal and/or a strength or number goal in my Google Calendar.  Race, pounds lost, #inches lost, size of jeans to wear, register for new class, etc. 
14. Buy songs on iTunes that are motivational and exciting.  Make a list from internet sources and download them.  Make specific playlists.
15. Weekly rewards for the first 4 weeks, then switched to monthly rewards.  Enter the goal/reward/date into Google Calendar.                                                              Goals: weight, fit into, run certain distance, new knowledge in diet/calories/hit tracking numbers, lift certain amount, etc.                                                                  Rewards: iPod, measure cups/spoons, iTunes music, running socks, workout top, sports bra, blender, good sneakers, exotic food (brazil nuts), workout bag, garmin, etc. 
16. Change my password to a fitness related motivational password.  Entered so many times, it's a frequent reminder of my goals.
17. Enlist Alan's help and support.  He's on my side and helps me carve out the time I need to workout, to plan meals, to enter data into the tracker, to train for races, etc. 
18. Have someone to push me out the door when I hesitate, complain, want to quit.  Have someone to listen to me without judgement.  Have someone to cheer me!
19. Include my children in fitness.  Robin and I took classes together.  Running started with Robin-1 mile challenge on the treadmill.                                                          Robin biked around town with me while I ran.  Brett biked with me in my first 5k.  Brett and I went to snap and biked together.  Will ran a 5k with me.  
20. Nutrition is the key --  Exercise is the bonus!   Keep relatively rigid with my diet/nutrition.  Variety is the spice of life in my exercise.

Part Three --  My Changes:

Changes I've experienced since January 1, 2012:

• There was no where I wanted to go on my Resolutions sheet.  On my 2013 sheet I listed trips.  In 2014 I've listed destination fitness events!
• I turned the focus on myself through my writing making many major discoveries along the way (I'm risk taker, I'm adventurous).   
• I give myself high 5s now instead of guilt and hatred.
• I finally feel good.  I'm now an active person who also enjoys down time.
• Never have to or feel like I have to suck in my stomach anymore.
• I want to have sex now, and more often.
• My confidence has increased markedly.   My happiness is palpable.
• Communication in my marriage has improved because I've developed assertiveness that wasn't present before.  My marriage is stronger than ever. 
• My kids see a role model that has a life with them and a life of my own as well.  
• I have my own things to look forward to that don't include anyone else, or depend on anyone else.
• My circle of influence on other people's health and fitness has increased exponentially.  
• My social connections and support expanded: Crow River Running Club friends, Hardcore Hottie Challenge friends, Livestrong Sweat Daily friends, Bootcamp friends.
• I responded to an invitation to try out our friend's new Crossfit business with a resounding yes!
• I said yes to help demo and put siding on a house in the freezing winter cold.  Physically I knew I could easily be helpful.
• I like being outside now, I find value in the out-of-doors.
• I am physically strong and capable to help around the house- moved a 350+ pound therapy table from the house to the garage with my husband.
• I experiment with lots of color and different fits in my wardrobe and don't use clothing as camouflage.
• I am feeling fulfilled and actively seeking new challenges.