Easy Goals vs Challenging Goals

I discovered something about myself recently. The past year (or more) I've been trying the - "Be kind to yourself" approach. Trying not to diet (most of the time) and setting easy easy goals. Strangely enough what's happened? I gained weight. I gained a LOT of weight. (40 pounds in 2013)

If I'm truthful with myself there were some 'fuck-it' moments in there and those didn't help, but on the other hand I had thought that those were caused by my ultra strict dieting plans. Turns out that's not 100% of the problem.  So, by having this easy going - no crazy goals - diet plan,  I would lose 1/2 to 1 lb in a week for a few weeks, then have a 'fuck-it' week, gain five and have to start all over again - only from a higher starting point.

I also found that when my goal was 1 lb a week, that I tended to be a LOT less focused and spent a lot more days going - eh, I can focus tomorrow, it's only 1 lb.  And then a week would go by and I hadn't done anything.

So - I'm ditching all that.  I'm setting myself some aggressive goals for a short term deadline that's important to me.  I have a plan that's extra strict, but that I know will give me CLOSE to those results, but it'll mean sticking to it -- daily.

So, the plan...

I'm going back to Medifast, with a focus on convenience foods.  Bars and shakes.  Why?  Because then I don't have excuses.  Those foods are even easier then stopping for fast food.  5 Medifast meals + 1 lean and green meal. done and done

Exercise is going to be weight lifting only for three weeks. I want to give myself a chance to fully flip into fat burning mode. Then I want to slowly build up to training for triathlons again. I miss that drive that challenging myself on the weekends used to give me.  I'll stick to sprint triathlons at first so that I'm not pushing the 45 mins of exercise a day prescribed on medifast.  I'll also have to build up extra slow because I got runner's knee a few years back training for a 1/2 marathon and want to be able to run pain free.

I'll watch my body fat % numbers pretty close.  If that looks hinky I'll start throwing extra protein in the mix, but it's going to take at least a month of lean losses to make that happen.

The short term goal is 55 lbs before my chorus goes to competition in April.  Our costumes for comp are tight black leggings, tight black top and a leather jacket.  I want to look HOT...

Not a hot mess like I did for our Christmas concert