Before the holiday, I vowed that I wouldn’t try to count calories and, in exchange, I also wouldn’t over indulge and put on some of the weight I lost.

I will say that I did eat alot on Thanksgiving, and the days surrounding it because family was in town. But, I don’t feel like I ate as much as I would over previous Thanksgivings. I didn’t eat until I was completely stuffed this year, which is a good thing.

I had a lot of desserts that were high in fat and calories, I’m sure. But even with those, I think I cut my consumption down by at least a third, maybe even half, compared to previous years. I think that’s pretty good. It’s not great, though, because I still ate a lot.

I allowed myself to eat more than usual up until Monday because I felt like if I tried to restrict myself any more than that, I would’ve binged a day or two after T-Day. I’m not sure whether or not it worked. I weight myself once a week, usually on the same day at the same time. So, it might take a few weeks to see the effects of the meal on my weight.

I went back to walking on the Monday after Thanksgiving. I did two miles in the morning, and four miles in the evening. Tuesday and today, it was raining so I didn’t walk. That’s not the reason I didn’t walk, but it’s a convenient excuse. If it rains tomorrow, I’m still going to get up and walk. I can’t afford to miss three days after having such large meals over the holiday weekend.

Other than that, things have been going well. Had a physical before the holiday and my cholesterol was “excellent,” the doc said. My vitamin D was low, so he’s got me taking a supplement.

Anyway, I feel good. I feel pretty good about how I ate over the holiday, but I won’t truly know the effects for a few weeks, so we’ll see.

Anyway, back at it!

So, another week has gone by and things are going pretty well. I’ve continued walking daily and I have been consistent with my eating. I’m down a whopping total of 42 lbs down, which means I’m still on track. I try not to lose more than three pounds a week because I read somewhere that isn’t good for your body.

Anyway, I’ve been walking roughly four miles per day, two in the morning and two in the evening. The time in the morning allows me to get ready for the day. It’s a peaceful way to start the day. Personally, I liked it better when it was dark, but with the time change, it’s lighter and more people are milling about. Still, it’s nice to have that time to myself.

In the evenings, I walk with Nadia, which allows us to catch up on what went on during the day and really connect. We recently took a marriage course through church, and the instructor mentioned how he and his wife meet on their porch every night to talk/connect. When I first heard it, I thought it was kind of silly. But, now that Nadia and I are doing it when we walk, I can see the benefits.

I’m still on track to pay off one of my credit cards by the end of the year. That’s always good news. A large part of this YoD thing was to get out of debt. There’s no reason, at my salary, that I should be sruggling, so I need to become more financially responsible. Paying off this credit card is a good indication that I have done that, so I’m excited about that.

So, all is good in the hood…

A little over a month ago, I fell out of my rhythm in the Year Of Discipline, and began eating more junk. I also stopped working out. Up to that point, I lost 32 lbs and was feeling good. Then, I injured my back and developed shingles. After that, I didn’t really get back into working out.

Slowly, I gained weight. Then, I’d lose it. Then I’d gain more. Then I’d lose it. While my weight was fluctuating, I wasn’t being very disciplined. I did manage to avoid my old eating habits, but I wasn’t as disciplined as I had been.

So, at the beginning of October, I got back into the YoD. I began limiting myself to a 1800 – 2000 calorie diet and began walking regularly every morning and afternoon. As a result, I’ve lost 40 lbs. That’s a toddler.

I still have more to lose, but it’s nice to have dropped so much weight. It’s also nice to see progress. It helps me remain committed.

When you see the weight coming off, it serves as a reminder to stick with it, when you’re feeling like you can’t. It helps motivate me when I don’t feel like walking.

Just now, I received an email that there was cake in the kitchen. I love cake just as much as the next person. So, before the YoD, I would have been all over it. But now, I am not even tempted to eat it because I see how the discipline is working. I see the progress and I can fall back on that when I need it to stay motivated.

Anyway… I’m just glad to be down 40 lbs, and I feel great!

Sunday was a tough day because it was Halloween. It’s difficult to avoid candy when it’s in the house. And, because we buy in bulk to save money, we got a lot of Halloween candy this year.

Unfortunately, we had to look at a wedding venue Sunday late afternoon, and I think that’s when a lot of the kids came around. We only got two sets of trick-or-treaters, so we ended up with a lot of extra candy. Too much extra candy!

So, resisting the temptation was hard, especially Sunday. I had more candy than I should have, but I managed to stop myself before it got really out of hand. I didn’t go over my calorie count for the day, but I was at the highest point without going over — 2,200 calories. I try to stay around 2,000 calories.

Since then, it has been much easier to control. but, I still find myself wanting the candy. I pick it up and start to open it before realizing that I don’t need it, I’m just being greedy. I ultimately end up putting it back, but it’s still hard to resist. I think I’ve done a decent job of it, though.

I overslept yesterday, and had a late-morning commitment, so I didn’t walk. But, when Nadia came home, we went for a 6-mile walk. It was chilly and I was exhausted afterwards, but i’m glad we went. I also walked 2 miles this morning.

So, I’m still on track, plugging away.

Finally, I got back on track, and it’s been really good. I’ve been walking every morning, at least two miles. It’s hard to get up, but I feel so much better and more peaceful when I do it.

This week, I walked six miles on Monday, then a little over two miles daily for the rest of the week. I also monitor my calories and ensure that I eat between 1800 and 2200. 

I lost 32 lbs when I first started this year of discipline thing. I wasn’t really watching my calories. After my medical issue, I gained seven of those 32 back. I struggled with my eating and exercising for a while.

When I got back into it, I started with eating. I kept putting off exercise — consistent exercise, that is — until this week. And, now that I’m back on track, I feel loads better.

I am also happy to report I’m now down 36 lbs. I lost all of the weight I gained back, and then some. It feels much better to be back…

It’s been five days since my last posting, and I’m pleased to say that I’ve stayed on track with my eating. It feels good to say that. I feel like my eating habits are getting back to where they were before I let them lapse.

I’ve kept my eating in check for the last five days, and I feel good about it. I’ve been staying within my calorie count over the last five days, and I feel healthier.

Like I said before, I still need to get back to working out, but I have been trying to increase the amount I walk and Nadia and I take walks frequently during the week. Sure, I don’t burn as much as I did when I was working out consistently, but it certainly is something.

It’s only been a few days since I decided to get back on track with the Year of Discipline, but things are going okay. They’re not yet where they need to be, but they’re getting there — I can see some progress.

I’ve improved my eating habits a bit. I’m not as disciplined as I was before, but I am getting back to that level. I’m curbing the amount of food I eat, and eliminating some of the snacks that crept back into my life — mainly ice cream sandwiches. I didn’t buy them when I went to the store yesterday, which is a small accomplishment.

Last week, I would have. And, I would’ve had at least two. So, avoiding those is one of the many steps I have to take to get back on track.

I’ve also cut down on my TV watching. I still watch a good amount of TV, don’t get me wrong. Just not the amount I was watching before, which has allowed me to take care of some things around the house that I have been putting off.

I still need to get back into working out. I have a feeling that’s going to be my biggest struggle. I’ve upped my level of physical activity, but I’m still not working out. The goal, for now, is to ease my was back into it next week.

I’ve been known to procrastinate, though, so I have to be careful to make sure that I actually start next week, instead of saying I am going to and then not doing it.

Anyway, things are going okay. Again, not where they need to be. But I can see some progress is being made.

It’s been a while since I posted on this blog. I got out of my rhythm and stopped working out consistently. I never went back to my old eating habits completely, but I certainly didn’t stay as disciplined as I once was. I’ve been eating more — never to the point of being stuffed, just eating more than I was.

I managed to lose 32 lbs when  I was actively working out. But, after getting shingles, I stopped. I also changed hours at work, which gave me an excuse not to work out. The result is that I gained some of the weight I lost back.

Initially, I gained three pounds. Then, I lost it. Then I gained seven pounds and lost it. I’m currently at 27 lbs lost since I started, but that means I’ve gained back five pounds.

For those of you who don’t know, I got engaged last month, which is part of the reason I haven’t blogged on here in a while — trying to get things taken care of with getting the ring purchased and my proposal plan.

Anyway, now that I’m getting married, I’m getting back on track with the YoD. I want to lose more weight before my wedding, and I want to get in better shape physically, and mentally as I prepare for my marriage.

I’m pleased to say that financially, I have remained disciplined. I haven’t wasted much money and am making progress in paying off my debts. It feels good, even though it feels like it is working at snail’s pace. I know eventually, I will get there.

So, I need to refocus my efforts and get more disciplined with my eating. I’ve been making semi-healthy choices. And I’ve been walking semi-regularly. But, I need to up my amount of activity, and control the amount of food (calories) I take in to meet my goals. So… here we go again.

Time to get back on track with the YoD!

It’s been more than a month since I last posted, and things are not going as good as they once were. It’s not that things are going bad. I’m just finding it hard to find time to exercise. I changed schedules at work, which make it much harder to work out after work — part of it is just an excuse, don’t get me wrong.

I’ve also been eating more. I’m nowhere near where I used to be, in terms of what I eat and how much I eat, but I’m getting worse than I was. So, I need to get back on track. It needs to start this weekend.

I have some time to essentially shut down, recharge and refocus. I need that. I’ve got to get back to my routine and back to the level of discipline I had before I injured my back. I haven’t worked out since then, and if I don’t start soon I risk putting the weight I lost back on. So, it’s time to refocus.

That said, I made some huge strides in terms of financial discipline. I’m not in the biggest of holes, financially, but I’m nowhere need where I need and want to be. But, little by little, inch by inch, I’m getting there, and recently, I was able to see the progress. So, in that regard, at least one aspect of the Year of Discipline is back on track.

Also, I’m working on being more outgoing. So far, it’s in the early stages, but it seems to be working, at least a little bit. Making more eye contact and idle chatter (which I dislike, btw) with people. Not really a fan of it, but I do realize the value in it.

Anyway, that’s pretty much it.

Things have been going pretty good since I last wrote. After hurting my back, I haven’t been doing much strenuous activity, including working out, unfortunately. Tomorrow, Wednesday, is when I will resume my workout. I’ll take it slow and pace myself until I get back into it.

In the meantime, I have been walking a lot more. I was out of town last week for a wedding. We had a great time. And, I did a good bit of walking. The downtown area was more walking-friendly than driving-friendly. We also did quite a bit of walking during our visit to the N.C. Arboretum. Good times.

I didn’t really stick to the eating plan, this weekend. I haven’t eaten until I was completely stuffed all year. This weekend, I did once. It was when we went to the Mellow Mushroom. I ate a lot of pizza and was completely full. The first time in six months I’ve done that. It was the one lapse I had all weekend. Fortunately, it was early in the weekend. After that, I did more to pace myself.

I did eat quite a bit — more than I probably should have — at the rehearsal dinner. We had a BBQ buffet, and the food was excellent. But, I stopped before I got to the point that I did at MM because I didn’t want eating that much to become a habit.

Other than Mellow Mushroom and the rehearsal dinner, I didn’t over indulge on anything. I had pretty healthy breakfasts, making sure I got fruit each time. We stopped at the healthiest fast-food-ish places (Subway, Panera) and I avoided getting a lot of ice cream or milkshakes. So, all in all, it was a good weekend for the Y of D.

As far as money goes, I could have done better. I bought a bunch of things that I probably didn’t need this weekend including a camera bag, a tripod, and some swimming shorts. Still, I budgeted money for it and did not go over that amount, though I was close.

So, I’m still on track, I guess. I would feel a little bit better about how much I ate if I had been working out the past few weeks. But, since I haven’t, I really need to get back into it, so I don’t gain any of the 32 lbs. I lost back.