New Year's in September?

I'm starting to think in some ways I took the summer off.  It wasn't intentional. I won't go into the long list of excuses (if you've been following the blog you know some of them), but I basically maintained instead of lost - losing and gaining the same couple of pounds. 

I still want (and am going to) lose somewhere between 40-50 more pounds which means...

I really need to kick my butt into gear BIG TIME and soon. 

Why wait until January to make a big change? With the summer winding down, kids starting school again, colder weather coming, and the holidays creeping up, it's actually the perfect time to start something different/ramp up a goal.

I read most of this month's Health magazine this past weekend. It has lots of good info, but the part I liked the best was an article on page. 97 "One Month to a Wow Body". Now I don't like the title because we all know that it is false advertising, but I do like the content. It talks about setting a goal of completing a race (either a 5K,10K or half marathon) & also setting a goal to "reclaim your weight". Here is a link that includes some of the info, but the hard copy is better/easier to navigate through...so you may want to pick it September's issue, if it sounds like something that interests you...

We have company in town over labor day weekend, and I don't want to be overly strict then so I am reclaiming my New Year's as September 5th. I am already training for a race, so I have that box checked. But I need to be more strict about portions and overall food/drink choices. I am either going to do a magazine's meal plan for a few weeks, start counting points again, or try another recent meal plan I've heard about to ramp up weight loss (the 17 day diet). 

Again if you know me, I am against the fads/gimmicks and anything that promises immediate results but I just need something to jump start me back into portion control (and less cheese, wine and beer!). 

I'll report back soon with what I chose and how it's going. 

SONG THAT KEPT ME RUNNING THIS WEEK: Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks. I am not a big country fan, but to add this song to my playlist this week was a nice change of pace from my usual. This song makes me smile even while sweating profusely. 

RANDOM TIP OF THE WEEK: If you want a quick jumpstart, a lot of the monthly magazine's have weekly menu plans like Clean Eating, this month's Health (and sometimes Self) - these menu plans help take some of the guessing out of it in terms of portion control, variety etc. I really like Clean Eating's and Self's plans (when Self has them).

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE: Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad. This may sound like an odd combo but it is soooooo good. I've heard of people making this and then Gina posted her version and I had to try it. I love red onion so I added a bit more than hers has. The peppery arugula is completely offset by the sweetness of the watermelon and the tang of the feta and dressing. So good!

Arugula, Watermelon & Feta Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients: 
3 cups of chilled watermelon (seedless), cubed 

1/2 cup crumbled feta

8 oz arugula (washed and dried very well)

1/2 small red onion, sliced very thin (use a mandoline for best results, mine was only $18 and I use it all the time...) 

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
In a large bowl whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Then toss with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Nutrition: 163 calories, 11 g fat, 11 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 4 g protein, 4 pp+