Today kicks off my very first DietBet, a 6-month Transformer!

Ever since the birth of kiddo number 2 (almost a year and a half ago), I've struggled to get back to my happy running weight. I KNOW the healthy habits and routines I need to follow to get there, and I manage to do so for a few days at a time, but then sleep deprivation and the general stress of parenting two small kiddos conspire to convince me to sneak one indulgence too many after the kiddos go to bed (or sometimes while hiding in the laundry room when they're awake!). That one indulgence leads to another and then to another, and then all of a sudden, I'm back where I started. I've lost and gained the same 4 pounds SO MANY TIMES during the last year.

I need to do better at not letting one poor choice result in a series of poor choices. I'm hoping that putting some cold, hard cash on the line will help me get back on the mindful eating wagon faster (and eventually get me falling off less often). When I'm the only one holding myself accountable, it's too easy for me to decide to try again tomorrow or next week and to keep making the less than ideal choices I'm making right now for just a LITTLE BIT LONGER. That's not a healthy way of approaching things, but so far I've been unable to change this thought pattern through sheer willpower. Now there's a hard deadline that I can't change... and money I stand to lose if I don't meet that deadline.

Here's to external accountability!

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The (easy!) rules of engagement for round one:

(1) Aim for 3-4 runs, 1-2 cross training sessions, and 1-2 strength/flexibility sessions each week.

(2) Record all food in food journal BEFORE it enters my mouth.

(3) Plan for at least one (small) food indulgence each day, but aim to avoid unplanned ones.

(4) When an unplanned indulgence happens, write it & the circumstances down, then MOVE ON.

(5) Weigh in daily, using moving average weight (from Happy Scale app) to track progress.