Welcome to the third check-in for the Summer Shed!
Here is the back story about this support group/blog hop for those trying to be accountable for the positive changes we are making in our lives in 2013. After ten weeks of doing the Winter Shed and thirteen doing the Spring Shed, we have moved on to the Summer Shed. Whether you are trying to shed weight, find more balance or let go of something else that is dragging you down in this third season of the New Year… We can do this — together!
Now to report on how I did during week three of the Summer Shed and week twenty-six in 2013:
1) Healthy Eating
I did very well with this, especially portion control to help with shedding weight! I am so close to my goal weight and thus decided to kick things up a notch this week, to really try get there. My upcoming 20 year high school reunion is definitely a motivator, as is BlogHer here in Chicago at the end of the month.
2) Keeping Fit (Physically/Emotionally/Spiritually) & Shedding Weight
Technically I exercised 4 out of 7 days this week, but two other days I was very active. This included walking with my mom on Friday, running 5K, walking and toning/stretching on Sunday. On Monday Sean and I rode our bikes all over town (with Abby in the trailer and groceries at one point) for a total of about 9 miles! 🙂 On Tuesday evening I took my second Modern Dance class of the summer and walked to/from the studio before and after class. On Wednesday, I didn’t do any formal exercise, but it was an active day (including power shopping and walking to/from seeing fireworks). On Thursday, the 4th of July I didn’t do any formal exercise, but did lots of walking to/from the parade and at the 4th of July activities at Willard School in Evanston (including a jump rope contest for women over 18 years old and two three legged races with Sean and Bob).
I lost 2 lbs. since last Friday and since Friday, December 28th I am down 11 lbs. (in 26 weeks)! 🙂 I have tied my lowest in recent weeks and am 2.5 lbs. from my goal weight.
Physical therapy this week was very challenging, as my therapist has returned her focus more to my scar tissue area, which is very painful when she works on it. I get why it is important/necessary, but it isn’t easy or much fun. I also need to work harder on remembering to do my PT homework, as that will help my healing.
3) Housekeeping & Purging
Didn’t do a lot here, as it was a busy week and we were not home much. Next week this will be a major focus and I am looking forward to getting a lot done!
4) Family, Friends & Faith Focus
We spent quality time this week with both sides of our family in Evanston and Sister Lakes, MI. It was nice to be in two of Bob and my favorite/most nostalgic places.
Last Friday the kids and I had our first “Evanston Adventure Day” of the summer, including visiting my parents there and going to the beach, where the kids love to play in the sand and lake.
That weekend we enjoyed short, but fun, trip to Sister Lakes to spend time with Bob’s extended family at their summer cottage there. En route to MI we stopped at a Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World store, which we had never been to before. It was huge, awesome and overwhelming (in a good way) and we enjoyed exploring it on a rather rainy/overcast/chilly day (for being the middle of summer).
I began re-learning how to wear contacts this week, after briefly trying back in Winter 2009-10 and deciding they weren’t for me. It has been going fairly well, but after a year of exclusively wearing glasses all of the time, it has been adjustment. It is nice to remember what I look like with just two eyes again.
On Wednesday, I took the kids to see Despicable Me 2 on opening day in the theater, which was a lot of fun for all of us! After that they humored me while I did a little power shopping at the mall and got some new things to flatter my getting fitter figure.
We spent the 4th of July and the eve of the 4th in my hometown, which was a lot of fun, including going to see a fireworks show, participating in family focused games and activities at the neighborhood school where I went from Kindergarten through 5th grade, followed by watching the Evanston parade. A highlight of the day, besides spending time with my family and dear friends, was running into many old friends around town, which got me even more excited for my upcoming 20 year high school reunion later this month!
As with last week, I also spent a lot of time this week planning and preparing for my 20th high school reunion, since I am on the committee organizing it. I am really looking forward it!
5) Writing & Reading
It was such a busy week that I did not write and share anything since my Summer Shed: Week Two check-in last weekend!
Other than keeping up with my weekly Us magazine subscription, I also did not do much other reading this week.
As I shared in the intro to my Winter Shed Series…
When I reflect on what has helped me to shed weight, get/stay in shape in the past, prioritize housekeeping tasks and find more balance in my life, accountability is huge! I have kept myself accountable various ways in the past, but this time I am finding doing so publicly here on my blog have been effective.
Once a week, on Fridays or sometime over the weekend, from now until at least mid-September/Fall, I will continue to check in and share how my week has gone in the key areas I am working on. My hope and intention is that knowing I have this self-imposed report card to file will continue to motivate me to stay focused on my goals.
For those who want to join me in this “Summer Shed,” I will add a Linky Tool to my weekly Friday posts and you are welcome to link up to your Summer Shed blog entries, and/or you can comment here on how you are doing from week to week, so we can support and encourage each other, as well as share what works and what doesn’t for each of us when it comes to striving towards our goals.
Please join me and we can cheer each other on as we kick off the third season of 2013 strong (and stay the course long past February 16th)!
We can do this — TOGETHER!
You are welcome to grab the code for the Summer Shed button by clicking here and put it on your blog. The link will take you to a Google Doc where you can copy the code. If your browser does not allow access to your computer’s clipboard, you can use Ctrl-C for Copy and Ctrl-V for Paste, or use your browser’s Edit menu.
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