Accountability

Since I am sporadic at best (ha!) about posting to this poor neglected blog, and have just been reading about the importance of accountability in Tom Venuto's excellent new book, "The Body Fat Solution," I've decided to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

As he explains, accountability is one powerful tool for keeping on track with fitness and nutrition goals. "Internal accountability is becoming accountable for your actions and results by measuring and recording them. External accountability is when you report those actions and results to someone else... ."

So, I've resumed writing down what I eat and how much I exercise (something I did when I was actively in the process of losing 50 pounds, but then kind of quit doing over a year ago). That's the internal accountability. Posting my actions on this blog...that's new to me. That's some mighty powerful external accountability, even if only 2.3 people ever read it ;-)

Why bother? Because since the fall, I've felt like I'm in that dangerous post-weight loss place where some of my initial sources of motivation have pretty much dropped off. My eyes have adjusted to my thinner reflection in the mirror, and the "you've lost weight" type compliments are few and far between (I do still occasionally run into someone I haven't seen since 2006).

Now, my motivation must purely come from within. That's fine, but it is a trickier source to tap. Which is why so many people can lose weight, but can't keep it off. And I am determined to keep it off!

So I've set some new goals for myself, so I have some shiny new carrots to chase after. These involve both body composition and dance performance, so I'll be logging my nutrition, general fitness and dance training activities. And since I'll be obligated to post here daily, surely I'll be inspired to post on other topics, too!

Monday, March 16
Morning workout: Autumn Ward's "Beautiful Technique" DVD (flow practice section)
Breakfast: 2 espressos with 1% milk; 7 oz. plain NF yogurt w/ 55 g. Kashi Go Lean Crunch; 16 oz. water
Snack: Apple; 10 raw almonds; 16 oz water
Noon workout: Jenna's "The Next Level" DVD (warmup and hip layering drills); Ranya Renee's "Baladi" DVD (Baladi 1, drills 1-4)
Lunch: Mixed green salad w/ 3 oz. orange pepper, 3 oz. cucumber, 4 oz. turkey breast, 1 oz. avocado, 1 oz. walnuts, oil and vinegar; Darjeeling tea; orange
Snack: Larabar
Post-work workout: Drum practice DVD (practice drills + malfouf, ayoub & masmoudi rhythm practice); Michelle Joyce's "Killer Ziller" DVD (zill rhythm drills + combo 1); Weightlifting (Tom Venuto's "Body Fat Solution" workout B); Neon's "Bellydance Rhythm Workout" DVD (part of beginner's practice flow)
Snack: Espresso shot; pea pods; 16 oz. water
Dinner: Black bean enchiladas w/ 1 oz. avocado & 1 tbs. LF sour cream; 12 oz beer; 16 oz water
Snack: 2 gingersnaps (small and storebought); 1/2 shortbread cookie (fresh-baked...had to taste test new recipe)