Tamara Shazam!

I'm growing super powers (& losing other things)

  • Shazam 101
  • The 100+ Pound Difference
  • Running
  • Favorite Articles
  • Links

Diary

The Weekend Doldrums & Determination

February 23, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Each weekend since I’ve started my 2013 weightloss project I have backslid. Like, I start out each Friday at my lowest weight number and end the weekend about two pounds heavier. For a while I thought it was a water issue – it’s always nicer to say it’s water, amiright?!- until the gain was consistently tied to giving into temptation every single weekend without fail, except one – that weekend I stayed consistent and driven and lost. I want that again.

This weekend my goal is to stay on track and hopefully leave one more decade behind by next weekend. And if there is no loss, at the very least, no gain will be much better than gaining those pesky 2-3 pounds back every weekend!

I was spending some time seeking motivation at my favorite weightloss blog yesterday (running for cookies) when I read her musings on motivation versus determination.
http://www.runsforcookies.com/2012/01/difference-between-motivation-and.html
I know it’s mostly just a game of semantics, but for me, it helped to think about my own power as a dieter, exerciser, health seeker and person. When you talk about motive, you’re often looking for external resources to keep headed in the right direction- I have piles of motivational stories and resources in my head for when I get to a tough moment. But it’s my determination that keeps me on track. It’s my determination that sends me walking around the block, that makes me run. It’s my determination that allowed me to only eat half of the donut yesterday instead of the whole donut followed by it’s brother and sister who never got claimed. My determination is what allows me to have confidence, to be to absolute and resolute, that allows me to walk the world and tell people I’m losing a pile of weight. Relying on motivation to pull me through rough moments is almost like not taking responsibility for my weightloss. Motivation gets me excited, determination gives me confidence. I always hear people say, “I’m so unmotivated.” I have said it often. But what we really are saying in that moment is, “I’m not determined so I’m not going to follow through.” Then I get all grumpy because there I am with that blasted two pounds on my butt again!
Yesterday and all last night when I was confronted with temptation, all I had to do was whisper to myself, “Determination.” Guess what? So far it’s Tamara:with all the points and Temptation: 0. Let’s keep it that way, shall we?
Determination.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary, Goals Tagged: determination, Goals, motivation

Dance

February 23, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Because today was a rest day, I didn’t feel terribly guilty about not working out in an official capacity. Instead, I did it Gangam Style:

Your browser does not support the video tag
Yup. That’s me in the red plaid shirt shaking it all around the sock hop. I (seriously) had the best time. School dances are still the bees knees.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: Dance, sock hop

I Ran. I Pushed Hard. I Hurt.

February 22, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

I ran today. I ran for about a song, total. And yes, my lungs felt like they were going to burst (really it’s my throat), my legs felt like rubber and I got super duper sweaty. But I also felt really strong.

So strong that I got home seven minutes earlier than I usually do from the same circuit with walking only. Feeling cocky, I texted Bradley and said I was going around the small block again. I felt great, so I started around again.

I did pretty well until about 100 yards from our house and 45 minutes into a workout I was really pushing myself hard through. Suddenly my hips said ouch and my knees asked why are we doing this again?

I limped into the house, oozed into the shower, settled into my jams and made some dinner. Who knew running for three or so minutes would be that tiring?! (wink wink). Stick a fork in me, I’m done. Until Saturday, at least.
***
(And yes, I ran during Firework. I’m a predictable cheeze.)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: first run, run, sore

Must… Eat…

February 10, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Know what my body is wanting to do today? Reclaim all the calories it has let go! Argh! Anxiety is a vile pile o’ stink. Worry not, I’m spending the time I’m not stuffing my face walking around and around the block. No joke – I’ve burned 900 calories today on my sneakers. I’ll beat these cravings if it’s the last thing I do!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: anxiety, binge, Exercise, hungry

Roller Disco Mama

February 9, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

I went roller skating last night. This is the second time in about a month and lemme tell ya- I rock at roller skating. This mama still has the moves! I got home and entered the calories burned and was in love with how many I burn at this weight (I earned 600 something calories burnt for an hour of skating! woot!) so then I got home and ate a bowl of reeses peanut butter chocolate cereal. And I ate cheese and crackers. SO, in retrospect it seems like a pretty reasonable ‘binge’ but at the same time it undid my awesome working out. Boo hoo. I’m fine. Just being an honest little reporter. who loves roller skating!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: Roller skating

Idaho

February 6, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Time to crow: I went to Idaho this past weekend to spend some time with my parents. I was freaked out that I would succumb to bad travel habits and lose my stride. The opposite actually happened- I was so strict with myself that I went from the zero to the five according to their scale!!! We’ll see what holds true but I may very well be hitting a super exciting milestone soon! It will be the smallest I’ve been since my wedding!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: Idaho, loss

Report from Idaho

February 4, 2013 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Idaho… We drove all day yesterday to get here. I didn’t squeeze a workout in but I did stay on my calorie count. When I work out I’m hitting right around 1000 calories (but I’m really intaking around 1500-1600daily). I started my month with a nine in the ones column and ended it with a zero in the ones column. I’m pleased as punch!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: Idaho, loss

Weightloss Warrior

January 25, 2013 by Tamara 1 Comment

I am a weightloss warrior. I got chubby as a tween and have never been able to break completely out of that mold ever since. But this time? This time I’m fighting clean and I’m fighting for more than just a smaller dress size. This time I’m fighting my weight for my family, for my life, for longevity AND the smaller dress size.

In my early thirties I learned that my unique set of hormonal imbalances and insulin issues coupled with my skyrocketing weight were a recipe for diabetes by forty. Heart disease runs in my family. I was lethargic, exhausted and unmotivated. Then I couldn’t get pregnant with my second baby. One day I was driving home from work and I heard a song. A totally cheesy song that landed in my life at the exact right moment. The song outlines the life of a man, stepping quickly from childhood through the different stages of adulthood to having but a moment left as he turns 100 to look back and see the richness in his life… And I realized that at my pace I didn’t have 100 to look forward to. I had anywhere from 10-30 years ahead of me if i was lucky. If I wasn’t lucky I could end up leaving my husband a widower at 40. Then I thought of that little three year old girl I had the privilege of holding each night and how I wanted to watch her grow up, how I wasn’t going to give that to her, how I was going to miss out on everything unless I got my act together. And the baby- how I wanted to complete our four-square with one more squealer.

So I decided. I picked family over fat and became driven and determined to lose enough weight. I was quiet about it at first, fearful that I would fail and wanting to do so privately. but it worked. I only needed to lose 5% of my weight to up my chances of pregnancy, but I got on a roll and ended up losing about 60 pounds. I felt great. Bradley and I were a machine! A team! We walked together, ran together, planned meals, ate healthy and admired our emerging bodies. I thrilled at no longer being over 100 pounds heavier than him! Life was great! We went to Disneyland and upon our return I found out I was pregnant. Goal achieved.

Although pregnant, I refused to give in to gaining weight. I decided to gain no more than necessary and I was going to be a workout mama throughout the pregnancy. Then I bled a little and decided to spend the remainder of the pregnancy on the couch. I didn’t gain weight at all during my second pregnancy because I had gallstones and hours-long attacks so I didn’t eat very much at all for the nine months. As soon as I had my gall bladder surgery though I started eating peanut butter and didn’t stop, pretty much, until I weighed almost as much as the first time I started losing weight. I had plantar fasciitis and stopped working out. I hit a horrible weight milestone and stopped gaining just shy of 20 pounds of my original starting weight (I think- my scale stops at a certain number so I don’t know how far over I was…). I needed to do something. So I started small.

I started anew about two years ago now. I’ve been on the ‘Slowest Diet in the World’ ever since. That means that I generally lose 1-2 pounds a month with a motivated 10 pound loss thrown in for good measure from time to time. I have allowed myself to backslide during holidays and birthdays so I have gone up and down a whole lot – really losing about 150-170 at this point if I include all the up and down.

In January I finally decided enough is enough. I need to ditch this fat and just get it GONE. So I decided to challenge myself to losing forty pounds before I turn forty in October. I don’t mean to sound arrogant, but this seems like a totally reasonable goal- that puts me at losing four pounds a month. I should be able to do that! I started reading blogs of people who have lost 100 pounds in a year and am very motivated to start cruising on this project!

My purpose here is to have a place to keep myself in check. Here I can lament the times I’m not doing so great and I can crow when things are going well. I can tell myself motivating things and look at my progress as it unfolds. I may seem self obsessed, but I have to be. I have to obsess and talk and think about losing weight so I can stay motivated. Come along with me if you like!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Posted in: Diary Tagged: Manifesto
« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 … 61 62 63 64 65

I’m growing Superpowers (and losing other things)

Mom. Wife. Teacher. Weightloss Warrior. Time Bandit.

Follow:

Facebook
Facebook
fb-share-icon
Twitter
Visit Us
Follow Me
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
Instagram

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Meanwhile…

  • Caramel Cheese Popcorn
  • Reality Check
  • Dance Fanatic
  • More Work, Less Twerk
  • Hustling

Categories

  • crow
  • Diary
  • Goals
  • manifesto
  • Motivational
  • Nom nom nom
  • Sticky
  • Super Powers (aka my diet tools and tips)
  • Uncategorized

Archives

  • January 2020
  • June 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013

Recent Comments

  • Padget on She’s Back!
  • Thea on She’s Back!
  • Anna-Beth Meyer-Graham on She’s Back!
  • Jessica gleason on She’s Back!
  • Lidia on The Art of Nothing
April 2021
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
2627282930  
« Jan    

Copyright © 2021 Tamara Shazam!.

Family WordPress Theme by themehall.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
%d bloggers like this: