I know I haven’t written about this much, but I feel like it’s time for an update. I’m still losing weight. The process is very, very, very slow, but something about the slowness of it gives me comfort. I think it might be some psychological thing where I think that because it’s taking so long to get off, it won’t come back. True or not…the psychological comfort is helpful.

You want to know what else is helpful? Getting sick for a week. Or at least I thought it was until all of that weight turned out to just be water. It was quite depressing…gaining 6 lbs over night. Seriously. But all in all the process is going well. I’ve gotten below “mission fat”, praise all that’s good and holy! In case you don’t understand the term “mission fat”, this was how fat I was when I returned home from being on a mission for my church. Over the course of 16 months I managed to put on 35 lbs; “mission fat” was my all time a high…a weight I swore I would never ever see on a scale again. And yet…and yet…

I am now below “mission fat”. It feels great. My goal is to never see that number again (including whenever I end up pregnant) so I have a lot more to lose. I’ve been learning a lot of helpful things in my classes at school (interestingly enough). It’s not that I’m learning about weight loss, but I’m learning a lot about how to change behavior. And actually one of the books I’ve had to read does talk about weight loss specifically. The book is called Influencer and the authors (one of whom is my professor) have found three key behaviors present in those individuals who manage to lose weight and keep it off. Are you ready for this? I think your minds might be blown. They are 1) weighing yourself every morning, 2) eating breakfast, and 3) doing cardio at home. (Seriously, the book is worth reading.)

I know those of you who struggle with any kind of long-term trial/addiction can understand what I’m talking about. Losing weight, in the long-term, is about a lot more than eating less and exercising more. I have years of habits that have to be altered. Not an easy task. But I really do think those three behaviors are helping.

The good news is things are going well. I’ve had some set-backs, but I am managing the discouragement that normally accompanies those much better than I ever have. I’m being patient with myself. It’s kind of nice. Plus, I don’t really have any other option. With as busy as I am with school and life, and as much as I travel (not conducive to weight loss chez moi), I have to be willing to accept setbacks.

But here are my fantastic accomplishments for the week. Push-ups; I can do them and not on my knees. That’s kind of a big deal. The other one just happened tonight. I clocked a mile under 10 minutes. I realize a number of you out there could do that in your sleep (almost), but considering how little I’ve been running lately and how much I weigh right now, that’s a great feeling. Sometimes I think about how fast I’ll be able to run with 20, or 30, or 50 lbs less to carry and I get really, really excited. That’s the best motivation.

Speaking of motivation, are any of you watching The Biggest Loser? (I watch a total of three hours of t.v. a week generally…this and Lost. That’s it.) Seriously, I love that show. It’s so inspiring to me. Now, I would love it if I could commit all of my time to losing weight (and I think I’d kick some serious trash), but that’s not why I find it inspiring. What does inspire me? The fact that I have so much less to lose than the contestants.

And speaking of The Biggest Loser, if you want a great workout I highly recommend Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. Kicks. My. Trash. In less than 30 minutes. Seriously amazing.

And in case you were looking for some new tunage for your workouts…here are my latest favorites:

• I Hate This Part – Pussycat Dolls (yes…I am kind of embarrassed, but whatever)
• Welcome to the World – Kevin Rudolf and Rick Ross (I personally like the non-explicit version)
• Jai Ho – From Slumdog Millionaire
• The Way I Are – Timbaland (not new…but still fabulous!)
• Crash and Burn Girl – Robyn (yes…Robyn…the one-hit-wonder of the 90s)
• Le Disko – Shiny Toy Guns
• Day ‘N’ Night – Kid Cudi
• I’d Like To – Corinne Bailey Rae
• Hypnotized – Big Gemini (this is more of a cool down song…but I’m loving it)

Where am I finding all of these…the radio. Yes, I’m listening to the radio these days and with the help of Shazam, I manage to find and remember the names of all of the songs I want to download.

For some other favorite songs (not necessarily workout stuff), I’ve updated my sidebar!