Friday, January 1, 2010

Happy New Year!

Oh what a difference a year makes...just when I started thinking that I hadn't lost that much weight in 2009, I came across a picture of me, taken December 25, 2008:
Not sure how much I had lost from my starting weight in May, 2008 (I know it was at least 50 pounds), but I was happy with how I looked in this picture at the time - I felt like my hard work was beginning to show!

Compare that picture to the one below, taken on December 26, 2009:
Well. I guess I really have lost more weight. The one thing that I have tried to not stress too much over on my journey is the number on the scale - because weight alone does not define my success. I have never had a specific "goal weight" number in mind because I really don't know what the number will be that I will be comfortable at. I think when my stomach is flatter and my thighs are smaller, that's when I will know that I'm at goal. Right now, I think I'm about 20 pounds away from it. I do know, however, that I weigh more than people think - and that, my friends, is due to working out and making my body more compact. Score one for fitness!

I am so glad I've become a camera whore taken pictures along my journey - I really do forget how far I've come and boy, do the photographs bring it all back!

And now, on to my resolutions and theme (thanks for the idea, Roxie!) for 2010:
  1. I will lose 20 more pounds by June, and reevaluate where I am to see if that is a good goal weight for me;
  2. I will work on losing my belly flab - and this includes actively working to hold in my stomach (or core, if you prefer) during my workouts (I've been pretty lax about doing this);
  3. I will run a 5K and have one in mind for February 26th (it's an evening run);
  4. I will set aside at least $25 each month to go toward another vacation - it will take a while, but we want to go back to Maui;
  5. I will protect my diet by not allowing certain foods (Dove Dark Chocolate Promises, I'm looking at you) to derail my progress; and
  6. I will work on my writing - specifically, I want to get my story out in a book. More on what has inspired this in a later post.
And my theme for 2010, in case you haven't already figured it out, is FITNESS. Right now I am in the best shape of my life, and with putting FITNESS first I can only get better. This means that I will continue to workout with my trainers, putting my goals in their hands and allowing them to push me beyond what I think I am capable of doing, to lead an active lifestyle by walking more and driving less, to exercise more on the days that I don't work out, to caring for myself by making sure I have the right shoes and clothes for my workouts, and to always remember to keep FITNESS in mind throughout my day.

Now...onward and downward...2010 is going to be a great year!


P.S. Jenn over at Slim-Shoppin' has featured me in her "Weight Loss Success Stories" today - go check it out! Thanks, Jenn!

27 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Shelley!

    I love, love, love your plans for 2010 and having a theme too. I suppose it's my theme kind of too because my workout goals are more important to me than my weight losing goals because I believe that when I work at these goals the weight loss will follow automatically.

    I look forward to following and supporting you this year and I finish by saying: look at you girl! What a progress you've made in a year! Congratulations!

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  2. I love your goals/plans and I love the year picture! (Just like I put on mine yesterday!!) You look absolutely amazing and I'm so happy for you!

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  3. Happy New Year! Good luck with your goals :)

    And you look great!

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  4. I love your goals! I love that you are more fit now in your 40s than any other time :D It's awesome isn't it?

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  5. Look at the difference, i'm so amazed by what you have accomplished!!

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  6. Very ambitious goals, Shelley! I'm anxious to hear about your book-writing!

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  7. Love your resolutions! Your pictures are an inspiration! Hope I can show similar ones of my self this time next year!

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  8. Oh Shelley, I LOVE the idea of a book from you! Can't wait to hear the details. And book publishers actually love camera whor....picture takers like yourself. I'm so excited for you.

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  9. Saw you at Slim Shopping ... you have such a wonderful weight loss story and you've done amazing!! : ) Keep up all your awesome hard work!

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  10. Happy New Year! I love your goals and I look forward to watching you rock them!

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  11. Enjoy your posts every time. You look terrific and I bet you feel the same.

    Happy 2010!

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  12. I would love to read a book about your journey. You are so inspirational! Look at you in this most recent picture...all fit and trim and looking great. I aspire to be like you!

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  13. Yes, you can see the difference. You are such a motivation.

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  14. Happy new year, sweetie! You've had an AWESOME, highly accomplished 2009, and I expect the same/no....MORE from you in 2010! You are gonna rock it even more in 10, girlie!!! YAY YOU!

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  15. I love your resolutions and theme for 2010 . . .and I think it's absolutely great that you're thinking of writing a book!

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  16. Shelly,
    You are so inspiring! You inspire me to keep working out.Wow! What a difference a year makes. Keep up the good work.
    Susan

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  17. What a great reminder this post is to put fitness first over getting to a specific weight. Love it.

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  18. This blog really drove home to me why it's important to have pictures. I'm such a camera dodger... but seeing how different you look from one December to the next makes me glad my daughter took some pics of me over the holidays. I'm hoping I'll have the same obvious difference by December 2010!

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  19. Well yay! I am so excited to meet a friend that is on the same journey!

    Looking forward to reading more!

    Hugs.. Amy

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  20. Shelley, I need you (or your sons LOL) to email me. I got a domain, I thought I set it up right, and I have, in that if you type the new domain name it takes you to my blog, but the blog address is the same. Not the new domain name. I think I want to reverse the process, but when I try, I get in a loop with blogger saying want to redirect, and when you say yes, keeps taking you back to the same message, until I repoint blogger back to their own domain. Me = stupid. LOL

    My email is:

    gwen0916@yahoo.com

    Thanks!

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  21. *Happy New Year Shelley* Wow. I loved the before and after pics you posted. Congratulations on your hard work and success. I'll be first in line for a signed copy of that book you're planning to write!

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  22. Shelley,

    I loved reading your story @ slim-shoppin'! I do have a question though, what do you consider good protein for eating after working out? I'm assuming something small, but suggestions/ideas would be awesome!

    Happy New Year! I like your idea of putting aside designated money each month towards vacation! :)

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  23. You look amazing--wonderful transfirmation from last year.

    I'm with you, this is the year of fitness. (Well, they all will be, but...)

    A book? Do spill when you're up to it!

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  24. You really look great Shelley! Can't wait to see what this year has in store for you!

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  25. Awesome goals Shelley! I almost signed up for a 1/2 marathon that's is in my town at the end of March - but I think I need to start smaller.

    I will find a 5k today and sign up - thanks for the inspiration! :D

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  26. Thank you for sharing your pictures. It is really inspiring. The diffference only one year makes....amazing! I have had a hard time sticking with it and am feeling a little discouraged, seeing your blog shows me that sticking to it pays off!! Thanks so much for sharing your story!

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  27. I love to see before/after of people losing weight! I hate that I have so little "before" pictures of myself because I would always delete them because of how fat I looked. Now I like to look back and see the progress!

    I think that having a goal of being "Fit" is really great. I think for myself it finally clicked when I decided to get "healthy" and not "skinny!"

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