An interesting observation…in Zumba class today, I was in a different position in the room, and I could see my backside reflected in the mirrors. I didn’t recognize myself.  Seriously. There were no rolls on my back, even at the bra line. When I shook my salsa bootie, it looked, well, regular sized. I could see muscle definition in my shoulders and thighs. The cellulite in my thighs has smoothed out, thank you thousands of miles on the bicycle.

Look at yourself from a different perspective.  Keep the Faith.

Today is the kickoff of Mir’s Christmas Dress Countdown Challenge, fourteen weeks to a new Christmas Dress! I’m playing along, because I would love love love to have a new dress. I haven’t had a new fancy dress in many, many years!

PRIORITY #1 “Do-It” : Get a smaller sized dress.
Okay.  Sort of done.  I’m still shopping for a dress.  Actually, I think the dress is the biggest challenge of all, because *gasp*…I hate shopping. I really do.  Malls make me hyperventilate, and little shops are just too pricey.  This is what is currently catching my eye.  I’d put a picture here, but darn if I can figure out how to break the coding on the Dillard’s website viewer thingie to snag the actual picture of the dress.  As for a smaller size, maybe not, because I hit my goal size this month, a size 10. I will commit to a figure hugging dress, though, very different from the drapey size 18 dresses I started with!  I’ll keep this “Do-It” updated as we go along.

DO-IT: Select a caloric daily limit.  All-righty then.  I’m a Weight Watchers fan, so I’ll stick to my points.  29 daily points 49 weeklies.

DO-IT: Exercise a minimum of 3x a week.  Yeah.  Got this!  I already exercise at least five days a week, so I’ll set a goal of 50 activity points per week.  I’ll get those points with biking, Zumba, Boot Camp, Swimming, Running, whatever.  I’m an equal-opportunity exerciser.

DO-IT: Strive to be consistent with healthy challenge habits.  Consistent I am.  Reliable.  Loyal.  Dang, I could be a labrador retriever!

DO-IT: Hydrate sufficiently. I have to work at this.  Most days I’m right on, but there are still times that I let my attention slip and at bedtime I realize that I’ve only had a few glasses of water.  My goal is 64 ounces a day, minimum.  More if it’s hot.  And yes, it’s still blazing hot here.  Summer is persistent this year.

DO-IT: Choose a book and work on your main obstacle-to-losing issue.
Refuse to Regain by Dr. Berkeley.  I am so very, very close to my goal weight, so I need to start prepping my head for maintenance.

DO-It: One initial post on September 11, 2011.  Well look at the date up there.  It’s September 11!!

DO-IT: One update post a week,  Got it.   As the co-pilot and substitute cheerleader, I plan to post weekly over at the Dress Challenge Website as well, showering you with all the advice I can muster.

DO -IT: Link up to your weekly updates.  Yep, I can handle this one, too.

DO-IT:  Be supportive.  THIS I can do.  I can cheer with the best of them, but don’t expect hurkies or splits.

Challenge Youreself.  Keep the Faith.