Happy Dance! Happy Dance!

This week I weighed in at 157.2 pounds.  THAT, friends, is the absolute lowest Post Offspring weight I’ve ever weighed.  Understand how significant this is:  my oldest child is now in college; the baby will turn fourteen in a few weeks.

So how’d I do this week?

PRIORITY #1 “Do-It” : Get a smaller sized dress. This is still only sort of done.  I went back to the website to actually buy that red dress from last week, and it’s only available in a size 2.  Who the heck wears a size 2?  Really?  So I’m on a quest for a red dress. I DID disassemble a size 14 suit and put it back together as a size 10 this week.  I praise my Mother’s Name every time I tackle a project like this, eternally grateful that she taught me how to sew.

DO-IT: I’m a Weight Watchers fan, so I’ll stick to my points, 29 daily points 49 weeklies.  This week I stayed at my daily allowance, and only ate extra points if I earned them with activity.

DO-IT: Earn 50 activity points a week.  Got this!  Exercised six days – biking, Zumba and a quick pickup game of basketball with The Architect.  He kicked my tail, because I couldn’t get a ball in the basket to save my life.  I earned 53 activity points this week.

DO-IT: Consistency.  Consistent I was this week.  No binges, no slacking on exercise.  I enjoyed some extra points on Friday, but exercised them off within 48 hours.

DO-IT: Hydrate.  Done!

DO-IT: Read a book. I purchased Refuse to Regain, but it was only available through Amazon in the Kindle format.  I haven’t made time yet to hack the file and convert it so I can read it on the nook.  I suppose I could read it on the iPad, but I’d have to pry it away from the husband and offspring.

DO-IT: One update post a week.  Okay…I’m giving myself credit for posting at the Christmas Dress Countdown site.

DO-IT: Link up to your weekly updates.  Done.

DO-IT:  Be supportive.  Okay – I could so seriously overdo this, but I have a job that takes priority.  And a family that includes offspring who need help with homework.  And I teach an engineering course at the university.

Cheer for Yourself.  Keep the Faith.

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.