Project Me ? Chicks on Bikes

I?ve been contemplating doing this for a few months but now seems like as good a time as any. There are a few things in my life that I?ve had difficulty starting, sticking to and completing. I?m usually a doer?conceive of an idea, hatch a plan, take action and achieve the ultimate goal. Sometimes I never consider the prospect of failure. Other times I just find myself in the midst of an opportunity and slog or charge ahead going to an unknown destination but enjoying the trip.

I recall several years ago I embarked on a self-improvement project that had 4 prongs: De clutter and be more organized, get a handle on my spending and finances, pursue a new job, and lose weight and get healthier. This was around 2006, I had a big foam core board, established a matrix, plotted weekly activities toward each goal, kept track of my daily activities as all the self-help get organized books tell you to do. I got distracted, despondent, and possibly depressed and didn?t achieve much I?d set out to do.

It bothers me that on occasion my husband laments that I seem to not be able to complete a goal?the persistent one is losing weight. I have talked a bit on this blog about my attempts. I have gradually gained about 40 lbs more than what my ideal weight should be. I?m about 20 lbs heavier now than I was when my husband and I met 7 years ago. He, on the other hand, has lost more than 20 lbs. I will take all the credit for that achievement as he lives a more healthy lifestyle since we met. I cook at home, he exercises nearly 6 days a week, stopped drinking soda and drinks far less alcohol than he used to. If you?ve never met my husband, he was never what one would consider heavy. Now he?s darn right aerodynamic and lean. It?s a bit frustrating that I out weigh him by at least 25 lbs.

I?ve recently attacked persistent clutter spots in the house (all my stuff) such as my sports shelf, where all my cycling gear is kept. My husband?s shelf was a tidy array of shoe boxes neatly labeled by what each contained. Mine in contrast was a melee and Hodge podge of items piled in no apparent manner and every time I wanted to find something, I had to pull everything out, sort through it and try to find a pair of gloves, my arm warmers, and a hat. Ultimately I end up buying multiples of nearly everything because I can?t find the ONE item I need. I own 3 pairs of toe warmers, 6 pairs of spring/summer gloves, and 3 pairs of winter gloves, not including my super warm lobster gloves.

A place for everything and everything in its place.

One day I got tired of the chaos, made a list of like-items that would need a ?box? and off I went to Home Depot to find storage boxes. I bought a variety of large, medium and smaller boxes and brought them all home and instantly went through my shelf organizing and labeling my stuff. It felt good to get rid of the things that weren?t working and be able to see and find all my stuff when I need it. I wish I?d thought to take a photo of a before and after shot. I was super proud. Who am I kidding, I?m still proud. Just as I?m proud that my shelf in the linen closet is now organized. It was just a smaller version of my sports shelf and juxtaposed against my husband?s shelf that is again nice neat and organized. This could serve as a bigger theme for our personalities in general. But that?s getting too deep and a bit off topic.

I haven?t made a whole house project of my flurry of organizing but I thought about making a project of me?not that I don?t love the person I am but I don?t think that my external me reflects the internal me.

I eat too many cookies, forget to drink a lot of water, think about exercising but forget or get distracted (this really hits me in the winter months), don?t eat enough vegetables and whole grains. I?ve consulted more nutritionists, dietitians, exercise gurus, personal trainers and all manner of weight loss specialists than I care to list. I?ve been on Weight Watchers, The Atkins Diet, some crazy HGH diet where I ate 500 calories per day, and South Beach. I stick to each for about 3 months, see progress then get bored, distracted, or both and go back to my old habits of eating carbs, sugar and fat and not only regain the weight I just lost but 3-4 more pounds. It?s no wonder I?ve expanded over the last few years. Most women my age are carrying around some excess weight but a lot of that extra weight is left over from having children. I don?t have that excuse. Frankly in my peer group, type A, uber athletes, most mothers not only regained their pre-pregnancy weight but lost additional weight.

Will be doing this only once a week.

What?s my point you may ask? I?m considering adopting my own creation that is realistic for me and making a concerted effort to once and for all change the way I eat, exercise and just approach daily life. I will call it Project Me.

No race to train for, no starvation diet to follow, no deprivation to endure. Just a lifestyle change. Since I left my job, and actually while I was still working, I had an idea to create healthy meals for busy people. So far it?s been a lot of talk. However, I?ve signed up for a 20 week cooking class (fairly intense) to cover the basics of cooking. This is a serious program that includes a chef?s coat, knives and 3 hours a week of instruction. I?d like to develop home-style meals that satisify a broad audience: gluten free, vegetarian, and just plain healthy. I?d like to have these meals served in reusable glass containers and be the sort of thing you?d fix for yourself if you had the (a) inclination to cook, (b) the time and energy to do so, and (c) the creativity to plan ahead. One of the hardest parts of cooking and eating healthy is the planning. The cooking (for me at least) is the easy part.

Right here and now I?m making a commitment that starting January 9, I will exercise 4 times a week for at least 30 minutes, incorporate more healthy meals into my diet and chronicle my journey to reveal the inner me so that the external matches the internal.

Source: http://chicksonbikes.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/project-me/

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