bye-bye summer

it's the end of yet another week but it's also the last one of august, and technically the last one of summer... it's so hard to believe labor day is monday - seems like yesterday eric and i were sitting on the beach and watching the porpoises play in the water... we've contemplated going to the beach this weekend because of the gorgeous weather they're forcasting but it would be hard to find a place to stay at this point... it would be fun to take the motorcycle though... ;o)

monday is my 5th anniversary - another thing that's hard to believe... i had been unemployed for 14-months prior to working here (my previous company closed and it was hard to find anything after 9/11 besides temp work) and was thrilled when i got called-in for an interview... so in honor of the big day, my boss is taking me and two of my coworkers (my choice) to lunch today - i chose this italian place around the corner... yea, it's not the healthiest choice but i'm okay with that... :o)

i've been thinking a lot about setting new goals for september and since i've talked about taking a kick-boxing class - that's exactly what i'm going to do... the same program that offers my pilates class also offers an aerobic kick-boxing classes twice a week, for 5 weeks... i've been in a workout-slump since doing the 5K and not having anything to look forward too has really hindered my progress so i feel this will help... plus with the cooler weather, maybe i'll feel like taking a jog outside more often and MAYBE i can get eric to go with me... :o)

as far as the long weekend - i'm going to spin class tomorrow morning and then eric & i are heading to philly saturday night to catch the king tut exhibit at the franklin institute... we've been talking about it all summer and since it closes at the end of the sept, we figured we'd better go soon... we may also stop by the harbor and see the gazella (a tall ship he's worked on) and grab a late dinner somewhere - anyone have a favorite spot they'd like to recommend? and as for sun/mon - we have no plans besides taking the bike out for a ride and getting some much needed R&R... :o)

this week's top 5 comes from judith beck (author of the beck diet solution weight loss workbook) and this month's health magazine... if you're having a hard time getting back on track OR just starting a new weight loss plan - maybe some of these suggestions can help...

1. make a "why i want to do this" list
   write down all the reasons you have for wanting to lose weight and place copies of it around the house and office so you can be reminded of them daily.
   
   
2. enlist a diet coach
   share your progress w/a friend, family member, or online buddy once a week so you
   can be accountable for how well you're doing (or not doing).
   
   
3. set a goal to lose 5 pounds
   even if you want to lose more - start with 5 pounds and when you hit that goal, celebrate, give yourself credit, and set another goal to lose 5 more pounds.
   
   
4. make an exercise appointment
   treat your workout(s) like any other appt and put it down your calendar each day - make it so its not an option.
   
   
5. plan what you're going to eat
   write down everything you're going to eat the night before so you're less tempted to go off-plan - tell yourself that it's not okay to eat something you didn't plan for.
   

sorry for the long post today - i just had a lot to say! i hope you all have a great, long weekend! :o)

happy friday...