Monday's Report...

I stuck almost to my food plan (I ate some crackers before I realized what I was doing!), I had just over 1500 calories , which was my goal for this week, then I'll drop down to 1200 for next week. Everytime I start counting calories, I am amazed at how much food I would eat before. I keep finding myself board and wanting to just put something in my mouth. I went to step class, and challenged myself by adding a second riser to my step. It nearly killed me but I did finish. I'm pretty sure the instructor was trying to kill me as well. My instructor, Jodell, is super woman. She teaches exercise classes as a full time job. As in 40 hours a week. Can you imagine if you exercised 40 hours a week, we'd all look like her, as in- probably has to shop in the kid section, she's SO skinny!  I don't really have any time I can go to the gym today, except maybe 10pm tonight, which I'm not going to do, so I'm going to break out the hand weights and see what I can accomplish.

Goals Week 2

Last week seemed to go really well - I started to realize though that I can put more into my workouts. This week hopefully I can do that. It takes time though - and I still have to remember to keep it simple for now so that I can actually reach my goals.

Monday - Run 20 Min / fast walk for 40 Min

Tuesday - Run 20 Min / Fast walk for 40 Min

Wednesday - Run 20 Min / Fast walk for 40 Min
- Stadium workout (if I can find a open one :) first time trying this one hopefully it works out) if not - Hike

Thursday - Run 20 Min / Fast Walk 40 Min / Stair Stepper 5-10 min
- Hike

Friday - Run 20 Min / Fast Walk 40 Min

Saturday - Run 20 Min / Fast walk 40 Min (Before work)
- Stadium workout or Hike

Food Journal goals: No Soda -
[I'm doing so good, I did cheat twice but considering where I was I'm good with that.]
[No fast food]

It's Friday.

5am came way too early this morning, but I dragged my butt out of bed and went to the gym. I saw the stair stepper when I got there and thought "Ugh! I really don't feel like running, I think I'll do the stair stepper"  WOW! 10 minutes on that puppy nearly killed me. After that I decided to focus on abs because that is the only part of body not screaming at me in pain. After at least a good 400 reps of abs machines/crunches, I'm confident it will also be screaming at me tomorrow. I also did just a few reps of arms with the free weights and then rode a bike for 10 minutes. I'm pretty sure I could have been a lot more productive, but I think I may have fallen asleep at one point on the mat, cause before I knew it I needed to leave.  I was dragging all morning, and my mouth actually started to water when I passed a Circle K on my way into work. But I was strong! (I am now on day 13 of my own personal soda challenge.)

It's All Mental -- whatever!

I've heard before that it's all mental and if you are able to mentally say you can do it - you can! Well, this might be true, but all I'm thinking mentally is that my body is falling apart. I was laying in bed this morning fighting with myself whether or not I really have to get up or if maybe I should just sleep in (I'm so tired - having a rough time sleeping at night probably because I'm actually counting down the hours before I have to get up). In the midst of fighting about rolling out of bed all I could think is wow, my knees are KILLING me. But still with all the pain, I finally got up, far later then planned, was able to bust out the 15 min run, 5 walk, and another 5 run. That part was all mental I just kept telling myself you've done this all week keep going. I did and feel good for it. Then I decided to try on this skirt that I hope to be able to fit into by V-day! Wow! I have a lot more work in front of me. But have to remember every day counts.

I hurt everywhere...

Ugghh!  I hurt everywhere! And I'm so tired! Tuesday I ran and did an arm/ab workout. Wednesday I did a step circuit class that worked every poor muscle I had worked the day before. Today I can barely lift my baby! I've definitely been watching what I eat, but I haven't been writing it down like I know I should, so I haven't been as accountable as I know I should.  I had some cookies yesterday, and a donut I didn't even want but that's a story for another day, so basically I'm afraid to weigh myself. My goal today is to go to a yoga class tonight, but I'm not sure that will happen because hubbie gets home late on Thursday's. That and by 8:00 tonight I might not be able to MOVE!

Personal Best

I ran a mile today in 11:08.  That's my personal best on the treadmill! I nearly had to sprint the last 1/2 mile, at times having to hold on to the dang bar to keep from falling off. The thing is, I ran a 5K on Thanksgiving Day ((it was totally awesome!)). But my time was 33:57, which means I kept a 10:56 mile pace. IMPOSSIBLE! How could I have done that?  It was very cold, and I really wanted to be done, but I didn't sprint the whole thing. I guess adrenaline probably had something to do with it. Running the 5K was one of my goals by 30, and I did with 6 months to spare! Don't you want to see a picture?? Of course you do. Don't mind my sweat marks. I'm a serious sweater even when it's 40 degrees out!

 

April, Me, Shay, Jace (Shay's 12 year old son, who kicked our BUTTS!)

Jean shopping...

... is HAZARDOUS to one's mental health! After seeing my "before" picture and nearly gagging, I decided I need to invest in some new jeans. So first off, I skip my step class to go to the mall so I'm already felling guilty. Then I go to a trendy type store, grab 2 sizes- the size I'm currently wearing and the next size up just cause the one's I'm wearing are old and stretched. I try them on and I can't even get the bigger size over my thighs. THIS IS WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD. Young girls are going to walk into that store and need jeans 3 sizes bigger than what they really should need, shattering their self confidence in the process. Then I go to a department store and find an awesome pair but notice the price tag at a whopping $155!! My dear sweet husband told me that if I lose those 23 pounds, he will personally buy me those $155 jeans. Isn't that sweet?  I called him a lunitic and kept walking.  I found a pair at another department store, in a NORMAL size and then topped off the evening with some Dairy Queen. Probably not the best start to this journey, but oh well.

Goals, Goals, Goals

Goals are great --- but they are just words you have to put them into action! My action plan for this week is slightly pathetic but gave me a wake up call for how out of shape I am.

Monday - Run at least 15 Min (I walk for like 5 Min then try another 5-10 min run trying to run 20 total but 15 Min has to be straight)
[DONE - both my knees are killing me though]! I wanted to Hike or do other exercises but I ran out of time.

Tuesday -- Wake up EARLY -- Run / possible fit in a leg workout --
Not the best start to the morning I managed to turn my alarm clock off while half a sleep got up still at 6:20 fit in my 15 min straight run, walk for 5 then ran 5 again. Time was short so I only fit that in before working from 8-5. Maybe I can still fit stuff in.

Wednesday -- Run
*Arm workout (Good run, no arms today maybe I can get a few push-ups in)
So - once again my daily alarm clock fight left me waking up around 6:20 instead of 5:30. It's really getting old since I already didn't sleep real peacefully last night -- so -- it makes perfect since to snooze my alarm every 4 minutes for 50 minutes meaning I neither got my full workout in or any extra sleep in. Brilliant! I was completely exhausted yet was able to still run - it starting to get easier and hopefully I can see some rewards so that I feel like getting out of bed earlier. But I have to be grateful for the things I do accomplish since I used to be in great shape it's a slow recovery but I believe that I will someday find what my perfection is.

Thursday -- Run
Hike the lovely mountains near my home (Change it up!)

Friday - Morning - Run
I work a half day so I'm hoping to go on a bike ride or hike

Saturday - 700am - Hike mountains (I'm gonna try to do all of them, there are 3 and it's sad but that's a lot for me) Maybe Yoga!

** Oh, an for my toughest challenge this week - no more soda even though it's diet I'm trying to stop drinking ALL sodas. Scary!!

• Day 1 No Soda!
• Day 2 No Soda!
• Day 3 - No Soda!
• Day 4 - No Soda!
• 
  

Starting now...

I woke up this morning tired, fat and completely unmotivated to get out of bed. I finally convinced myself to roll and I mean roll out of bed so that I can squeeze in a workout before heading off to work. Several years ago I tore my ACL and quickly fell out of shape, I am barely able to run 15 min then I rush to get to work. I work with my cousin Julia behind a desk the entire day. Jumping online one of the first things I see is a certain celebrity paying 40,000 dollars a year to stay hot!! Shocked and slightly disgusted that someone is able to spend that much on beauty treatments I thought "Wow - if only I had the ability to have enough money to make every imperfection I have disappear. How amazing would it be to be able to not have to be at work 8 hours a day and to have personal trainers, personal chefs', and more important time to get myself looking hot!"

Why do we pressure ourselves to look like people that have every advantage over us?

I don't want to be super model thin, let's face it, I can't be super model thin, but I can be in shape and satisfied with who I am. Regardless of the countless air brushed magazines telling me who I should be. Julia and I thought of this blog to show ourselves that we are who we are and the sooner you accept that the better. But that doesn't mean that we can't strive to be better in certain areas of our lives. One area that both of us struggle with is our weight, doesn't change the type of person we are, but for me I would feel far more confident shedding a few pounds.

We cannot wait for life to happen, we have to get up and make life happen. That is why Julia and I are starting now... slowly but surely we strive to find our own perfection in ourselves and maybe discover more about ourselves then we even knew.

Our "Before" Pictures

 Julia

Kami