Shrinking Jeans - 21 Day Challenge Finale

It's all about the habits, right? Do the same thing for 21 days and you'll have formed a new one. And I can honestly say that of the 3 new habits I tackled, I didn't successfully form even one. But there was a habit that I did form and it resulted from this challenge. Everyday for 21 days I was aware of whether or not I exercised, whether or not I counted all my points, and whether or not I got a good night's sleep. I got in the habit of being aware and maybe that's more important than the other three that I was focusing on.

I haven't given up on the three basic habits that I set as my goal habits just because the challenge ended. I still intend to incorporate them into my life. It'll just take a little longer.

My first goal was to get to bed at a reasonable time every night. I truly believe that being sleep deprived sabotages everything. So I did better. I just didn't do good. This is something that I will continue to work on. I just need some self-discipline which is something I lack. (Might that be how I got so heavy in the first place?)

My second goal was to eat regular foods in reasonable amounts and count my Weight Watcher points religiously. The first part was very inconsistent but the second part, counting my points, I did well. Even when it hurt or when it was hard to at least estimate them, I counted them and recorded them. I think this is an important step if we're going to acknowledge why our weight loss efforts have or haven't been successful.

My third goal was to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. I credit this goal with my getting back into any kind of exercise routine. The first week I walked two miles every single day for seven days. The second week I walked 2 1/2 miles every single day for seven days. And the third week I walked three miles on five days. Dang! The first day I missed because we went to a Cubs game and I was tired (violins in the background?) and the second day I missed? I just let it slip by. It was easier to let it go, I guess, because I'd already missed one day. That's how I am. Once there's a crack in my resolve, I tend to let it all fall apart.

I'm excited about our next challenge but I'm not going to let this one go so easily. I intend to conquer these habits. I will walk 3 miles a day for seven days this coming week and maybe next week I'll increase. I will got to bed earlier and I won't just go to bed earlier and read a book. And I'll count my points as I stay within them. And that's gonna feel good.

Even though my 'new habit' efforts weren't completely successful, I lost three pounds since last week. Part of the reason was that last week I stayed even so I was due for a drop and part of the reason was that although I wasn't perfect, I stayed the course - thanks to Shrinking Jeans.