On to the Next One!

July is over! WOW! This marks the first full month that I have been blogging about this journey. I was looking back and reading some posts over the past few days; I am pretty proud of myself. Besides the pounds lost, I feel that I have grown mentally and have a better understanding of me. This reflection has energized me to start thinking about August and how to keep pushing forward. 

August is my birth month so I had to come up with SOMETHING extra. I want to look back on my birthday (the 30th...I love presents! hehe) and see some great progress, so I'm planning to work my ass off. July was good and we'll get the final number on Friday, but I know there's room for improvement. What can I really accomplish when I unleash my full potential? I want to find out. I thought of two things that I wanted to try for the month of August:

1. Workout 6 days a week

2. This Challenge from one of the facebook pages I follow:

Feel free to join me! And don't be surprised if you see a text message with this challenge :) There is nothing more awesome than toned arms and I need to get on my push-ups. Plus shared suffering lets us bond! Haha. I plan to take a  before photo tomorrow of my "guns" and we'll see what happens in 1 month. 

Other than that, business as usual. I've got pins to move!

Sunday Recap

So I was a bit too excited about my 6lbs and got off track this weekend. Saturday night I planned to have a salad for dinner, but that turned into a turkey burger with side salad, plus big soft pretzels and a beer. Today I had donuts for breakfast. And I'm caring right now. As in I physically feel like crap. I can feel all my bad decisions just hanging out because I feel puffy, stuffed, lethargic. I need a serious detox to flush it all out and get right. I can't even think about stepping on the scale right now. 

How did I fall into this little hole? Well I was exhausted from the week and Saturday was rough. I didn't actually start moving till about 11am. I had my normal Starbucks (grande lite mocha frapp) on my way to the dog park. After that, I took a nap. Then I got my butt to the gym and did extra cardio since I missed Friday. Next I rushed around getting some food for the drive-in, showering, getting Molly's crate, packing an overnight bag, then off to Fort Worth to hang out. By time we made a decision about dinner, I was starving since I only had a 160 cal frapp all day. Then I was up way late and didn't sleep well because I could hear Molly banging around in her crate at Jenny's. Sunday I was up early to take care of some baby shower stuff and then on my way back home, I decided I wanted donuts for breakfast. So I ate 3 plus chocolate milk, then passed out on the couch with Molly for 3 hours. I was EXHAUSTED and still am tired as I sit here writing in bed. 

Let's just say I learned that my head goes out the window when things start to get crazy busy. And it is hard to balance being healthy, having a dog and a social life. Even my top 3 suffered this week. 

Water: Well...3 out of 7 days. And I FEEL it

Workouts: 4 cardio days and 1 weight days....still chasing that 2

Sleep: I had my butt in bed by 9:30 all week except Thursday and I think that's what messed everything up for the weekend.

I'm slowly starting to develop a routine I can deal with. Monday is light weight day, Tuesday is bootcamp, Wednesday is elliptical, Thursday is run, Friday will be heavy lift day, and Saturday will be another run. Monday through Thursday, I went according to plan...I even ran 5 miles on Thursday with a ton of energy to spare! Now it's getting Friday and the weekend on track. My body is still adjusting to all this and I realize just how important sleep is! When I slack there, my body can't perform. 

TGI-Weigh In Friday (7.26.13)

It is that time of the week again....FRIDAY. Here's how I did:

I lost 1.2 lbs! 

This week has been a busy one, but I am trying to focus each day on hitting my goals and let the rest sort itself out. It feels good to see the pay off on the scale and those small steps are adding up. I had a non-scale victory this week too. I was able to wear one of my belts and I don't need to go buy another black belt. That felt damn good....better than cake good.

I've also been hitting the gym consistently at 5am and going to bed at a more decent hour so life this week seems more balanced. I'm a little sore and tired, but not as much as earlier in the week. Weird, especially since I ran 5 miles yesterday, but I'll take it! I am ready to have a great weekend, get some workouts in, spend time with the pup and friends, and relax. 

The board has also been updated and no long shames me as I walk by. 

Those pins are adding up! 6lbs down..... 61 to go! 

And almost out the 230s!!

Change in Attitude

I saw this and laughed. It sums up most days, though you could replace with pizza,french fries, ice cream, etc. It is getting easier to say no as I walk myself through my thought process and make better choices. And seeing results? Icing on the proverbial cake (that I am NOT eating!)

I am beginning to realize 2 things through blogging. #1. Why I have repeatedly failed to accomplish my goals. #2. The more I dig in and become committed, just how hard this thing is! 

Probably the most important thing to happen is that my mindset is changing. Its Wednesday, I'm sore and tired, but the thought I hear in the back of my head is..... Keep Going...Dig In....Almost Friday....

I no longer doubt my ability; its not a matter of 'can' but rather 'will' I? 

I read an article about motivation and one of the things it talked about was developing 

inner strength. 

"Developing inner strength is the equivalent of having a back-up reserve of energy and motivation when your main tank is running low"

So how does one develop inner strength? 3 things: join a supportive community, practice saying no, and learn how to play again.

Imagine my surprise when I started thinking about these and that I have touched on all of them in the last month. :)

Supportive community: friends, family, bootcamp trainer and fellow ladies

Saying NO: better food choices, more balanced life, quitting run group

Learning how to play: This blog! I have always loved writing and it was one of the things I missed after college. 

Overall, it feels like I am enjoying and appreciating my life much more than I have in the past. Sure, if you know me, you know I'm always determined to get somewhere on something and I have about 100 goals. But in understanding just how hard it all really is, there's something new in me saying not this time. I may fall, stumble, gain a few pounds, or make some wrong decisions, but I won't throw it all away and give up. And for once, I know...not just know...but CONFIDENTLY know that sometime in the future, I'll be posting about making it to goal weight.

Have you flexed your inner strength lately?

Sunday Recap

I swear the weekends fly by. Friday I passed out early on the couch and Saturday I helped my Aunt move all day. Sunday, I took Molly to the dog park, did my weekly prep, and laid on the couch. It's amazing how tired I am after a full week and weekend. These workouts are kicking my butt and I wonder if there will ever come a day where I am not completely wiped out by Sunday. 

I guess tired means I'm doing something right and headed in the right direction. It's not like I have any intention of stopping! I'm just going to keep pushing through and see what happens. I can always change something if I find it doesn't work for me.

So a recap of the Top 3: 

1. Water. I missed two days and I can tell. This one stays in the top 3. 

2. Eating Lunch at Home 5x a week: Accomplished! 

3. Working out: I got in 5 days of cardio. Because of my crazy sleep schedule, I was tired a lot this week. And I can't lift tired. 

Overall, I'm planning to make some changes. Here's the Top 3 for this week:

1. Water- A Gallon A Day 

2. Getting to bed by 9:30pm. I need to get in bed to ensure I am up at 5am to begin my day. 

3. 2 out of the 5 workouts have to be lift sessions. I keep skirting the lifting because it's mentally tougher than cardio. I can do cardio half asleep, but lifting? That is just a recipe for dropping a weight on my foot. 

So that's the game plan for this week. Hopefully a good hot shower will help take away some of this soreness. I swear sometimes my muscles are so sore and my brain so toast that I just want to roll over and forget what I need to do for the day. But then I think about my goals and that rolling over doesn't get me any closer. And I think part of the problem is not being consistent with the sleep. So tweaking and hoping for better results this week. Shower time so I can get this butt in bed on time :) 

TGI-Friday Weigh In (7.19.13)

This weeks results......

Lost 1.6 lbs. Yay! Quite happy with that. I have noticed that it's getting a little easier during the week. I eat lunch at home and going out is not an option. The simple dinners do make life easier, though it seems like life is busier than ever. I'm definitely stressed out, there are knots the size of small boulders in my shoulders, but I am not running to food for comfort. Ill be getting out the foam roller tonight and making sure I get 8 hours of sleep. 

I'm also committing to a healthy weekend. The past few weekends, I've had some indulgences, but then snapped back on Sunday. Its the last week of the month and I'd love to leave July and the 230s for good. Plus have a great number to report to my trainer! Finishing the month strong  :)

Moved another pin! 63 to go!

Saved by the Blog

I had one of those days. For some reason, I woke up at 2am and couldn't get back to sleep till about 5am. Finally got out of bed at 6:30 to begrudgingly begin my day. I dragged myself to work and definitely needed that cup of coffee. And the day flew by, I was busy non-stop. After work I had a chiropractor appointment that I seriously wanted to cancel, but I went anyway.

I walked in tired, grumpy, sore, and hungry. Then to make things worse, THE ENTIRE TIME, my massage therapist talked about chicken wings and pizza! This lady had me drooling on the table and it really got me to thinking.....pizza and plopping down on the couch sounded good. I had to open my work computer tonight, so why not treat myself? I started dreaming of pepperoni with pan pizza crust and damn, chicken wings sounded good too. I could order once I got out the door and by time I made it home, it would be ready for pick-up.

You know what finally snapped me out of it? This blog. I started thinking did I really want to post about how I had pizza and chicken wings? Ohhhh. No I didn't. And then I started thinking about how I wanted to move more clothespins this week and that we were halfway through July; the month I promised to crush. Next came the thoughts about how I was good all day and why ruin it now.

So what did I end up eating for dinner?

If your first thought is what the hell is that? Fine. Gordon Ramsey would never give me points for presentation and I don't make it pretty when it's just me. But I made scrambled egg whites with onions, mushrooms, spinach, and pepper jack cheese topped with mango salsa. Delicious, low calorie, and it's a ton of food! I learned that the secret is to stuff it full of veggies.

I also realized that I passed a little mental hurdle instead of just giving in and feeling super guilty tomorrow. Looks like I finally found discipline....I think it was hiding under my bed ;) 

Sunday Recap

Well hello Sunday, here you are again! Today I prepped for another long and crazy week. Again, it'll be easy meals because I don't see myself with too much time to cook fancy. But I had a great number on the scale, so I know I just have to repeat that. 

I'll be honest, my three goals were not as much as a cake walk as I originally thought. Here's a recap on each of them : 

1. Water -> 6/7 days. I missed Friday because I was busy drinking other beverages (oops). But the gallon a day is hard. I learned that you have to start early and be steady throughout the day. Otherwise you end up chugging your last 32 oz right before bed. (Which I am working on as we speak) The good thing? With all that water, you don't have time to think about drinking much else. I did notice a few times that after drinking water, the hungry feeling went away. And I think my skin looks clearer. 

2. Pack my lunch during the week -> 5/5 days. Talk about saving calories! This one was great and I really think I can give up eating out at lunch for the most part. I did have two days where I was crunched for time and thought about stopping, but really, it's no quicker than going home. I have to let Molly out anyway. 

3. 5 Workouts -> 5/5. I did get in 5 workouts, however they were all cardio. I ran twice, did boot camp class, and elliptical twice. With all the running around and not enough hours of sleep, I was too tired to focus on lifting. This week I am going to try to get in those lifts! 

I decided that I am going to stick with these same three goals for the next week. It wasn't as easy as I thought and I was dead tired at the end of the week. Besides, it takes 21 days to make a habit, so I think I'll give these two more weeks. 

I just finished my water and it is bed time. Another week is waiting. 

TGI- Weigh-In Friday (7.12.13)

AND this week the scale shows....

A loss! Down from 240 last week. Flushed my system of my indulgence and then some! I am beyond excited. I made it through a holiday weekend, work, and some social outings I had this week. The hard work and discipline paid off, which means I can do it again. And you know what? I'm not even thinking about all the unhealthy stuff I passed up this week. I am definitely tired, sore, and in need of some good stretching, but overall... This boosted my confidence and I am very proud of myself! 

I'd also like to introduce you to my visual board. I found it on pinterest and the idea is to inspire yourself by placing your goals where you can see them every day. Mine is on the back of my bedroom door so it's the first thing I see at the start of my day. Each clothespin represents 1 lb. I made this a few months ago, but I gained weight instead of losing it, so its been a pretty sad board to look at. BUT.....after months of it sitting empty, I can finally update this guy! :)

3.2 lbs down, 64.6 to go!

Called Out

The trainer where I take boot camp started this monthly weight loss challenge. Its free to join and you can win prizes as well as hit your goals. Talk about win win! Monthly you send in your measurements and progress is tracked by cars on a race track on.the wall for everyone to see. If you know me, you already know those little pink cars got my competitive side going. I was determined to be #1 and kick some ass!

Well, today I get an email from the trainer asking me if I was happy with my July results (lost 1.6 lbs) and if there was anything she could do. It was well worded, but man she called me out! She KNOWS full well those results are not where I want to be!

So I started writing her back, first line was how work got the best of me in July and I just didn't put my health as priority #1. That is a valid statement, but its also an excuse. The truth of it is that I also chose to make bad food decisions and didn't make time for exercise. I chose to ignore my goals. I chose to get in the way of progress. I chose to not be disciplined.

Sigh. That is pretty rough to admit to oneself. Then to admit it to someone else is almost embarassing. Its one of those smack yourself in the forehead moments. Because at the end of the day, no matter how busy I am, still gotta eat! And I KNOW quick healthy options. And I KNOW how to track my calories in fitnesspal. So at bare minimum, even if I had no time to workout, I can eat right! 

So I ended the email telling 

her all the things I was doing to combat my challenges. I WILL crush June's results in July because I cannot suck 2 months in a row. I WILL stick to my plan and NOTHING is getting in my way. It has been decided, time to work. I'm not one for making myself look stupid twice!

Sunday Reaffirmation

Sunday is my prep day. I went grocery shopping to get everything I needed to stay on track. I am still amazed at how quick I get through the grocery store now that the majority of my time is spent in produce, meat, and dairy. I also scaled back quantity since I noticed quite a bit of food went bad from the last grocery run. This week will be a busy one, so it's going to be simple meals all around. Not getting fancy in the kitchen this week! 

I've been meaning to do this for awhile, but I finally went through all my old magazines ripping out recipes to try before throwing them away. I am not one for eating the same thing day after day, week after week. It makes me feel like I'm trapped in a "diet" and the quickest way to have me grabbing something unhealthy.

I also started thinking about the week ahead and how I'm going to make this week better than the last. Just the fact that I'm not sick has already surpassed all expectations, but I wanted to reset myself on what I am trying to accomplish. So I am going to start picking 3 things on Sunday to be extra diligent on for the week. Some may be repeats, but if I focus on a small chunk each week, eventually those will become habit and I can pick new things to focus on. 

Here's the 3 for this week:

1. Drinking 128oz of water daily. Why 128oz? 64 oz is the bare minimum, it doesn't take into account being active. In taking with friends, trainers, and my own research it seems like I've heard a gallon a day or half your body weight in ounces. Half my body weight is 120oz (lucky me! not) , but I'm not even trying to count that. It's four fills of the Nalgene bottle above, which happens to be 128 oz or a gallon :)

2. Packing my lunch M-F. I have some dinners planned this week, so there is no reason for me to be eating out lunches too and going way over my calories. 

3. Workout 5 times this week. Right now I am aiming for 2 lifts and 3 cardio sessions.

If all else fails or the world ends, if I have done these 3 things, it is a good week. Next Sunday, I'll reflect, tweak, and start all over again. I'm officially ready to make this week great because I can handle 3 things, I multi-task for a living. 5am comes early, bed time for this girl!

Friday Weigh In

The scale is up this week. *breathe* 

I'm not surprised. I had a relaxed weekend and woke up with a nasty cold. It put me out of commission for the week. It took all my strength to get to work, keep fluids down, and basic molly care. I'm dying for a workout to sweat all this fluid out!

So after seeing the scale and the mini freakout that ensued, I started thinking about how to bounce back. Its not like I wanted to get sick, but it happened and I need to get over it. I've realized that I need to ease back into things and avoid running myself down. I need balance that I can repeat week after week without getting sick.

Today, was all about Molly. We went to petsmart and the park. Even though I wanted to start working off those 3 lbs, I enjoyed walking and tossing a tennis ball in the water. After that, we watched tv on the couch and relaxed. As I laid about, it hit me how much my body needed it and how dumb I was to expect to be at 100% in 24 hours. I made a grocery list and planned to tackle cleaning tomorrow. I also want to get in 3 miles if I'm feeling rested and full of energy. 

 Now its off to bed to give my body the rest it needs. I have a game plan, today was a good day, and tomorrow will be waiting.

Staying Healthy While Traveling P.2

I had quite a blast with Eric and Rebecca this weekend. I felt I succeeded in my plan of moderate indulgence. Here's a recap of the weekend:

Friday night dinner. Chicken shish kabobs with quinoa with smores for dessert. Also caught up with the latest news in everyone's life. 

Saturday morning we got up early to run a 5mi loop around the lake. It was perfect temp out and as we all took off at our own speeds, I really got to enjoy the beauty of nature. We had breakfast after at Dublin doughnuts where I got iced coffee, a flatbread sandwich, and two munchkins.

Then we headed to the pool and cracked a beer before noon. How I love early mornings! We had a light lunch in preparation for our naughty Italian dinner. It was worth every calorie and I really enjoyed great food.

Sunday was relaxed with brunch at a crepe place then out for some mini golf. Eric slaved away on a healthy BBQ. Chicken dinner while Rebecca and I got concert ready! After dinner we headed downtown for a few cocktails and then danced the night away reliving the 90s at the Boyz2men, 98 degrees, and NKOTB! (Don't judge) 

Monday morning came way too early, but we still got a workout in. Then it was off to the airport!

I enjoyed my visit and knew it was time to get back to business as usual. Eric and Rebecca have been very supportive in my journey and I can always look to them for encouragement or a kick in the ass. They also inspire me because they too are living a healthy active lifestyle with the same challenges I face! Can't wait for my next visit, I won't be last on the trail next time guys ;)