Produce with Amy

“When you wake up, think about winning the day. Don’t worry about a week or a month from now — just think about one day at a time. If you are worried about the mountain in the distance, you might trip over the molehill right in front of you. Win the day!”
― Drew Brees

September has arrived and I am embracing fall as a time to reset and follow through with goals that I have set for myself. Many of my Weight Watchers members are participating in a Fall Forward Challenge and we are creating charts and using our calendars to keep track of our success and keep ourselves motivated.

One of the things that being a Weight Watchers leader and member has taught me over the years is that I have CHALLENGE myself often and that a well established Routine can easily slip away when life gets busy. Tuesday marks my first day back in the classroom with students and I refuse to let this be an excuse to let my healthy lifestyle erode.

Not only do structured challenges help me but I have also found that REWARDS help as well. I have created five goals for myself and will keep track with colorful stickers. (Think back to childhood chore charts and how stickers helped motivate. I have found that stickers can still help keep me motivated!)

One of my friends Erinn said it best when she shared that at the end of the day if she has fallen short on a goal that the sticker gives her incentive to go the extra mile. “I want my sticker!” Erinn proclaims. For so many of us, there is satisfaction in the visual reinforcement of SEEING our success mapped out.

Erinn shared her calendar with me today and at the top she included a “key” with what each sticker represents. I decided to do the same. After all, research supports that when we write down our goals we are more likely to accomplish them. Thank you Erinn for always inspiring me to keep moving forward!

My calendar is displayed on the refrigerator for extra reinforcement.

My goals:

*Star = exercise 4 Activity Points Plus (My Weight Watchers Active Link will keep me accountable)
*Smile = tried a new recipe
*Butterfly = weekend organizing/cleaning project (when my house is clutter-free I am more likely to make time to exercise)
*Owl = blog post

Each sticker will be worth $1.

I also added one more goal
*Heart = Dairy free week
(I have been struggling with cheese…I want to be plant-based and feel frustrated with myself) A heart = $5

At the end of the month I will “pay” myself for the stickers that I have earned. The money will go to the purchase of new clothing or something special (I would love to start a fund for a juicer). Your reward may be an indulgence (massage, pedicure, a new bottle of nail polish) or a new cookbook or tool to help with weight management (new running shoes, a piece of exercise equipment, an Active Link purchased at your WW meeting, a yoga DVD…)

If you are on a budget do not underestimate the power of using smaller monetary amounts. A dime or quarter adds up quickly when you are accomplishing your goals on a daily basis.

If you are interested in joining me in this challenge please feel free to like my Produce with Amy Facebook page. I will be posting daily reminders. If you would like you can post your success and challenges. Please encourage others to join us on the Fall Forward Challenge. If there is interest, I will continue to post in the coming months.

The challenge begins today (but feel free to jump in any time) and I WILL have 2 stickers before I go to bed. (This blog gives me one sticker!) Thank you for joining me and I will post each morning as a reminder to us all to stay accountable. I am here to support you and cannot wait to follow your journey! If you are a Weight Watchers leader please encourage your members to participate. Remember, together we can achieve more.

Pin this challenge on Pinterest and do not forget to join my Facebook page.