End of Year Weight Loss Challenge Update

I have been m.i.a. and I apologize!  Life has been really busy lately and to be perfectly honest, I really have not felt like myself.  I'm burning the candle at both ends and I'm downright exhausted.  I've stayed up very late much of the past week working on our Halloween costumes and that, combined with the fact that Jack still isn't sleeping through the night, has meant that I've been more tired than usual.  I didn't realize how tired I was though, until I hit a wall last week.  I have anxiety issues that are triggered by lack of sleep and while I typically experience this only in my postpartum days, I clearly haven't been getting the rest I need lately, as my anxiety reared its ugly head.  So I have been trying to go to bed earlier so that I feel more human, thus the lack of blog posts this weekend.

We had our annual Halloween party this weekend and it was a pretty low-key affair, which was really nice.  I will post some pictures later this week once I upload them from our camera.  We also went up to the college where I work yesterday for their annual Boo Fest, which was a lot of fun.  It's an annual Halloween festival geared towards children with diabetes, so it's a sugar-free event with lots of games, fun activities, and bounce houses.  It's always a great time! 

It's about time for my update on my end of the year weight loss challenge, The Final Nut of 2013.  Since I last checked in at the end of September, I've lost .7 lbs.  Kind of underwhelming, but a loss is a loss, I say. I've lost 8.7 lbs total since August 25th, so I'm moving in the right direction.  

I have decided to re-state my goal for this challenge, though. I originally set out to lose 24 lbs between the end of August and December 31st and while I'm not one to back down from a challenge, I feel like I need to set a more attainable goal.  I really pushed myself this summer to meet my birthday challenge, but I did so in ways that aren't sustainable for me in the long run.  For example, I worked out 4-5 days a week on my lunch break plus one day during the weekend.  Guess what, though?  I really like having a lunch break, so after the birthday challenge, I treated myself to having my lunch break back and have had a hard time getting back in a groove.  I'm going to try to give myself some balance by working out 2-3 days a week on my lunch break and letting myself enjoy my break the other days.  So with that in mind, I want to set myself up for success and re-think my goal.  

My revised goal for The Final Nut of 2013 is to lose 18.7 lbs total by December 31st, so I have another 10 lbs to go.  I think losing another 10 lbs by the end of the year is still challenging, particularly this time of year, but it's also a reasonable goal.  

If there is anyone who would like to join me on The Final Nut of 2013 challenge, let me know in the comments below.  Your goal doesn't have be to lose 10 lbs in the next two months; it can be whatever goal you set for yourself.  Maybe you want to try to walk three times a week or perhaps you want to run a 5K by the end of the year.  Whatever your goal is for the next two months, let me know below and we can hold each other accountable!

Great quote below that I need to commit to memory!

"You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way."