My Neverending Lists

I posted yesterday about taking control of my life and getting refocused.  As part of this process I stated that I was going to make out lists for every aspect of my life.....from school to home.  The purpose of these lists are to give me a starting point to accomplish everything I need to get done.  Raych from http://losingwithraych.blogspot.com left me a comment saying that she would love to see my lists so I agreed to post some of them today.  I'm still not done because my lists are always a work in progress but here is what I have so far.

I just began with a plain notebook and wrote down everything that I needed to do or remember.  Most of these lists run through December 31, 2010 and then I will start a new list.
1.  The first few pages in my notebook are devoted to my finances.  I won't go into detail on this but its just the bills I have due and when and what money I have coming in.  I also made out my Christmas shopping list because its only 66 days away. 
2.  The next 5 pages list all my daily and weekly chores and big jobs around my house I have been putting off.  I'm not going to post my lists here because then you all would know I'm crazy....lol... but I have it broke down room by room and outside jobs. 
3.  The next section explains what each one of my children are doing in school right now and what they need help from me on. 
4.  I have one page devoted to phone calls I need to make or return which I always seem to forget.
5.  I have my grocery list made out for the month.
6.  A page for appointments and special events
7.  All my assignments and tests for my photography class, when they are assigned and due.
8.  My college schedule of classes that I need to take to finish the photography program.
9.  And a chore list for each one of my kids.

The next few lists are about my weight loss.
10. I made out a calendar where I am going to write down my weight after I weigh in every morning.  Some people think this is unhealthy but it helps me to see where I am going wrong.
11. A page where I can set goals for my walking from now until the end of the year so I can meet my 160 miles that I'm trying to walk by New Years and I might even increase this goal.
12. I made out a list of the things I still need to work on to improve my weight loss and health.  I will be adding more things to this list but this is all I have right now.
     a.  Drink at least 96 oz of water daily.
     b.  Eat more vegetables.
     c.  Walk 5-6 times a week.
     d.  No eating after 6 PM.
     e.  Start strength training.
     f.  No drinking soda.
     g.  No eating fast food.
     h.  Take a multivitamin.
13. A page listing my weight loss goals if I managed to lose 2 lbs a week. 
14. And my recommended daily allowances.
I have most of these things listed on my blog but I want them where I can access them quickly if I need to remember what I'm trying to accomplish.

The last thing I have in my notebook is my bucket list.  If you don't know what a bucket list is its a list that you make up telling everything you would like to do or accomplish before you kick the bucket (slang for die).
So here is my bucket list:
1.  Graduate college.
2.  Get a job after I graduate college.
3.  Purchase a house.
4.  Get to a healthy weight.
5.  Go on a cruise.
6.  Run a marathon.
7.  Donate blood.
8.  Take my kids to Disneyland.
9.  Visit Niagra Falls.
10. Sell a picture that I have taken.
11. Take a photo everyday for a year.
12. Start my own business.
13. Visit the Grand Canyon.
14. Visit a foreign country.
15. Drive across country.
16. Have a picture I have taken published in a magazine.
17. Have a picture I have taken published on the front cover of a magazine.
18. Finish all my current scrapbooks.
I know some of these will probably never happen but thats the fun of making a bucket list because you can list anything that pops into your head.

Well I've spent most of the morning working on my lists and have yet to start doing any of the things so I guess I better get busy now.

Inspirational Weight Loss Quotes

I thought I would just list some motivational quotes that may help some of us get through the rough times. 

David Viscott
You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be.

Eleanor Roosevelt
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

Ralph Marston
Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.

George S. Patton
You're never beaten until you admit it.

Lee Iacocca
You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance.

Unknown Author
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Vince Lombardi
It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up.
 
Thomas A. Edison
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.

Thomas Jefferson
The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.

Carl Sandburg
The time for action is now. It's never too late to do something.

Harriet Beecher Stowe
When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.

Plato
The first and the best victory is to conquer self.

Vincent Lombardi
The good Lord gave you a body that can stand most anything. It's your mind you have to convince.
 
Winston Churchill
Never, never, never, never give up.

Random list

Things I have changed since starting my new healthier lifestyle:

1.    I drink skim milk instead of regular milk.
2.    I gave up sodas and drink water instead.
3.    I eat brown rice instead of white rice.
4.    I use whole wheat pasta instead of regular pasta.
5.    I snack on fruits instead of junk food.
6.    I eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread.
7.    Everything I cook is baked, broiled or boiled instead of fried.
8.    I feel my plate up with mostly vegetables instead of carbs and meats.
9.    When I eat out I pick the healthiest thing on the menu.
10.  I watch my portion sizes.
11.  I walk 30 minutes, 5-6 times a week.
12.  I stop eating when I'm full.
13.  I've learned to say no.
14.  I don't put myself in situations where I won't be able to control my eating.
15.  I've learned there is no such thing as a perfect day.
16.  I forgive myself for mistakes and move on.
17.  I write down what I eat and when I exercise so I can see what I need to change.

Things I still need to change to be healthier:

1.  I need to eat less carbs and eat more vegetables, fruits and protein.
2.  I need to drink at least 96 oz of water a day.
3.  I need to stop eating after 6 PM.
4.  I need to start strength training.
5.  I need to learn patience, this process takes time.

As you can see I have made plenty of changes and each day gives me a chance to improve on the last.  I still have things I need to work on such as my carb addiction.  I've always been one to pile my plate full of things like macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes and its hard to give up those comfort foods.  I'm trying to learn to replace those carbs with vegetables I love.  Tonight for dinner I ate a whole plate of veggies but I still had some macaroni and cheese but only a spoon full and I saved it for last so by the time I got to it I was already full from all the vegetables.  Making little changes at a time are going to keep me from becoming overwhelmed with this process.  These are changes I have to sustain for a lifetime or I will gain the weight right back if I go back to my old way of eating.  I'm still working on getting all my water in, I don't know why its so hard it just seems like bedtime gets here and I realize I haven't drank enough.  I guess I need to plan to drink it at certain times throughout the day.   It's the same problem with not eating after 6 PM, sometimes the day just flies by and I don't even realize its so late then I have to eat.  As far as strength training my husband does strength training so I will eventually add that to my workout.  My last goal is patience which I have struggled with my whole life, that's going to be a hard one for me but I don't guess I have any choice since the weights only going to come off so fast.