Work out

I didn't sleep very well last night.  I think it was after midnight at the earliest when I finally got to sleep.

Working out today was very difficult.  I did get about a mile walk in to clear my mind before getting back to work on the school's website.

It is difficult to be on a schedule in the summer.  Being back at school will help me.

We get the kiddos tomorrow, I know I'll be exhausted but I need to get moving more this week.  Fingers crossed we don't have many kindergarteners that tantrum or mess themselves.  Fingers crossed we don't have any runners.

Going to bed early and taking something to help me sleep.

Until tomorrow...

First Day of School (kind of)

Today was a day of meetings.  All that new information is exhausting.

Tomorrow is classroom prep day.

Spent the day hungry.  Had a few snacks but didn't really eat except for lunch.

We get our kiddos on Wednesday.  It's always an exciting and scary time, even teachers have the first day of school nerves like kids do.  I have a cute outfit planned and ready to wear it :)

To all of my New Stanley readers, we are starting a new year, it was great to see everyone and I hope we have a great year!

To everyone else... cross your fingers for a great year for us!  We have lots of changes and need all the strength we can get.

Until tomorrow...

Whoops!

I didn't blog for 2 days!!!  Yikes!!  I thought did on Friday and yesterday I just did for some reason.

With the start of the new school year tomorrow, it's time to think about how to continue what I have learned over the summer.

One thing I have learned is that I need to eat more often to keep hunger away.  Mostly just something as simple as a few baby carrots or a hand full of grapes.  That is difficult when you are teaching.  I will definitely have to figure it out.

Having my classroom in the teacher's lounge is difficult as well.  People come in and get things out of the food cabinet or microwave something.  Keeping the hunger at bay is difficult there too.  I'll just have to keep the fruits and veggies handy and remember to drink lots of water.

It's time to crawl into bed, take some ZzzQuil, and get a good night's sleep.

Until tomorrow....

Thought of the day:

Skin

As you all know, I'm pretty honest and blunt about my body.  Weight loss isn't pretty... in fact, it's a little gross if you think about it, especially if you have quite a bit to lose.

When I was getting out of the shower today I noticed something... unpleasant.  Saggy skin!!!!

It was scary!

Honestly, I had the saggy skin of someone fat... You know the more "solid" saggy skin, the skin with a thick layer of fat underneath. It's extremely unpleasant to think about.

As I am losing the thick layer of fat (winter might be hell, don't have the flubber to keep me warm!  LOL!), I am toning up.  Strength training is definitely helping on that front.  You can't tone up the skin but the muscles tighten and then the skin tightens.

The skin that really bothers me is the tummy skin around my pelvic area.  Although my tummy is shrinking, the skin is being overcome by gravity... Damn you Gravity!!!!  I can tell that it is tightening and I can feel my ab muscles (OMG!  I have muscles there!).  Unfortunately, the skin is sagging down around the fold between my upper body and my thighs.  Not pretty, I'll tell you that much!

By the way, I can see my collar bone *woohoo*

It's one thing to clean the rolls of fat, it's another to clean the rolls of excess skin.  It's just disturbing!

I would rather have this problem then the problem of having fat layers under my skin!

C'est la vie!

Water

Ah water... I love the stuff!  I love to drink it, shower in it, swim in it, and walk in it (rain?!  What's that?!)

My ladybug cup with a 

pink and black color changing straw

Research has indicated that over 75% of the US population is chronically dehydrated.  That is really scary!!  I really try to drink as much water as I can.  A while ago I bought a 2.5 gallon jug at Wal-Mart for $5.00.  Since I don't have water and ice in the door of the fridge, I can keep water cold at all times.  I drink more water that way.

Drinking water has many many health benefits.  Just a few include...

1. Weight Loss~ replacing water with high calorie or chemically inundated beverages cuts unnecessary calories from your diet.  Also if you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water you are probably dehydrated.

2. Energy~  I can tell when I haven't had enough water while exercising.  I got dizzy and weak.  I was dehydrated and felt like passing out.  My trainer made me stop and drink water. 

3. Headache Cure~ dehydration can lead to headaches, sometimes drinking a glass or two of water can cure your headache.  Now if you are like my friend Cindy M., then the headaches are caused by something entirely different.  Get better soon Cindy! 

4. Healthy Skin~ Want a healthy glow?  Drink water!

5. Digestive Health~  In order to digest food, your body needs water. Eat fiber and drink water, no constipation and a regular tummy!

6. Cleansing~ We have so many toxins and waste in our bodies that it's no wonder we get sick.  There is something to be said about body cleanses.  They are unhealthy but drinking water can help remove waste and toxins from your body. 

7. Better Exercise~ being dehydrated slows down your exercising and makes you feel weak.  Drink water before, during and after exercise.  I keep a reusable water bottle with me.

Not a water drinker? Want to become one?

Here are some tips to start drinking more water....

1. How much water?~ That eight 8oz. of water a day recommendation is a myth.  There are so many different factors that you need to take into consideration.  Does your food have water?  All fruits and veggies do!  You are getting a few ounces of water by eating many fruits and veggies throughout the day.  It also depends on how much exercise you do or how sick you are. 

2. Schedule?~ I have seen many websites say that you should make a schedule, set a reminder or something like that.  If that works for you awesome!  Do whatever it takes to keep yourself from being dehydrated.  If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated. 

3. Cup, Bottle, Mug?~ it doesn't matter what you put the water in, just make sure you are drinking it.  I have many many many reusable bottles.  I LOVE them!  I also found some fun straws (color changing) that I like to use.  They are BPA free bottles with fun designs, the one I'm using now has a ladybug on it (See above).  You are more likely to drink water if you have it with you then having to track it down.   

4. Track It~ If it helps you, write down how much water you drink and when.  Put it on a sticky note, put it on the calendar in your phone or whatever works for you. 

Just remember, you are 80% water and you need to replace the water your lose throughout the day.
Just please don't drink water like my cats :)

It's Tuesday

It's been one of those days...

I've been in a funk, kinda pissy and craving chocolate.  It is creeping up on my TOM so that explains it.  Still though I have just wanted to hide. 

I'm caffeine free 2 days in a row now, it's not intentional, I just haven't had any.  No headache or anything but that might explain some of the funk I'm in as well.

Oh well, hopefully this no caffeine will help me get to bed early tonight.  I need to start getting back on a sleep schedule for school.  Truthfully, I'm yawning at 8:30 at night so I'm taking this as a good sign.

Tomorrow is a busy day of work outs, grocery shopping and continuing to drink enough water to drown a fish.

Until then...

1 week

I have less than 1 week until school starts again.  I'm not ready for my summer to be over just yet.  I still have some things that I need to do.

#1 Watch all of Mad Men on Netflix
#2 Finish cleaning out the closet and dresser
#3 Finish another book
#4 Go to the Titanic Exhibit
#5 Go to the Zoo
#6 Go to the Nelson
#7 Not leave the house for any reason

I don't think I have time for all of these things but I'm sure as hell going to try.  The zoo might be the only one I can't get done.  It's just too damn hot out there!

On a side note, I ate like crap last night and today.  Back to better eating tomorrow

ABC's Part 3

Sporadic postings this week, sorry about that.

Now to finish what I've started....

N- Never Give Up, Never Surrender~ This is a lifestyle change.  I shall never give up the fight to be healthy.  I will never surrender myself when I have an off day/few days/week.

O- Options~ There are a lot of options out there for people trying to get healthy.  I have found foods that I love and things that I would rather eat instead of the crap.  I love my options.

P- Patience~ It didn't take overnight to put on the weight, so why would you take it off overnight.  I think my patience is getting better.

Q- Quit?!~ I will never quit!!!!!  Healthy is a lifestyle!!!!

R-Reassurance~ I have to reassure myself that I can do it.  Sometimes when I feel like giving up, I look at my pictures and can see the changes in my body.  I look at my arms and can see and feel the muscle tone.  These times make me realize that I can do it and will do it.

S- Stamina~ When I started working out, 20 minutes was way too much.  When I made it to 30 I celebrated!  When I made it to 45 I celebrated!  When I made it to 60, I knew I was there!!!  The stamina to work out and get healthy takes time.  I'm also building up my jogging stamina.  Friday night I would jog for 2 1/2 minutes then walk for a minute.  I did this for 30 minutes and felt awful yet fantastic!

T- Temptation~ Oh ice cream, chocolate and cheese... How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways!  These are my biggest temptations for me.  It's all about figuring out how to work with your temptations and not let them over run you.  One piece of Dark Chocolate Honey Mints from Trader Joe's seems to work to get rid of my cravings. Cheese is a good protein for a snack, I just have to limit myself. Temptations suck!

U- Understand~ You have to understand a lot about yourself in the process.  I understand that I have a long ways to go to get healthy.  I understand that my body is changing during the get healthy process and I have to change with my body.

V- Victim~ I WAS a victim.  A victim of well-meaning family.  A victim of domestic violence.  A victim of depression/anxiety.  A victim of my own self-loathing.  Now that I have decided to not be a victim but to be a survivor and a changer, my outlook has changed.  Well meaning family can not be changed, I just have accepted that they were well meaning and move on.  The person that was violent towards me was a bully and not a very nice human being.  It was his problem, not mine.  Depression/anxiety is something I will fight with the rest of my life.  Medication is something that I will probably have to be on, it's in my DNA and I can not change it but I can control it.  Self-loathing is a difficult thing to change.  It has taken many many years and tears to stop hating myself and start loving myself.

W- Weight~ Although my weight is not changing rapidly, I am seeing a difference in my body.  That to me shows that I am doing something right.

X- Xanthippe~ I am not a xanthippe!  Please look this up!  I would like to think I am happy.

Y-Yummy!~  There are so many healthy foods out there that are yummy.  You have to find what you like.  I am really into tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, Ranier cherries, bananas, and plums.  I also love sweet potato chips, hummus and pita bread.  In moderation all of these things are really yummy and really healthy.  You just have to find what it is you can't get enough of.

Z- Zaftig~ I love this word!  I am zaftig, it's a great way to describe someone that looks like me.  If you don't know this word, look it up!

Glow Run Pics

The front of my shirt, bib and medal

Bib and medal

The front of my shirt, I can't figure out how to turn it... sorry!

The back of my shirt

Finish line photo, I look like a spaz!

ABC's part 2

Nobody wrote anything on my last post :(  Oh well, I won't cry about it.

It's coming up on 7 months and I can't help but toot my own horn since this is the longest I've ever done anything healthy.

Here are my ABC's...

A- Attitude~ I have definitely changed my attitude towards working out and getting better.  There are days that I don't want to go work out just like anyone but I miss it if I don't go regularly.

B- Butt~ It's not as flabby and cellulite-looking as it has been.  It's tightening up and even the old guy at the gym thinks it looks good on the treadmill.

C- Cellulite~ My cellulite is slowly going away.  Although it will never been gone, the look of it is lessening at that is okay with me.

D- Determination~ I have more determination to get and stay healthy then I have ever before.

E- Exercise~ I've stepped up to 4 times a week now.  Feeling good about it too!

F- Fat Girl in the Corner~ Although she will always be a part of me, I'm committing metaphorical murder. The Fat girl in the corner is no longer welcome, wanted or needed.  By exercising, eating right and getting healthy, she is going away.

G- Gratitude~ I honestly don't think I can say thank you enough!  I have so many people in my life that are rooting for me and cheering me on that I just don't think I have enough thank you's in my vocabulary.

H- Head Games~ I play games with myself, just like we all do.  I tell myself to give up, I tell myself I'm not good enough, you know, all though things that you tell yourself to self-sabotage. I'm really trying to be positive and not self-sabotage.

I- Ice Cream~ Oh how I love ice cream!  Sometimes you just have to give yourself a little treat.

J- Jiggle~I have lots of jiggly loose skin. By doing strength training, I am firming up my skin.  Most likely I will have to have some nip/tuck happen but at least I know I've worked my butt off to get to that point.

K- Knees~ Well, it's just my right knee... I sit down and hear crunching noises, I stand up and hear crunching noises, luckily when I walk it doesn't happen but it can hurt after a few miles of walking.

L- Learning Curve~ Wow!  Eating healthy has been a huge learning curve.  Eating out has been the biggest challenge to eating.  I'm getting better at picking food but it's still not that good.  I'm also having snacking issues.  It's also a learning curve but you know, I've discovered some foods that I really like and they are healthy foods with tons of flavor!

M- Motivation~ Motivation is a tricky sneaky friend.  Sometimes she is right there telling me that I can do it and that I'm awesome.  Sometimes she is a horrible friend and tells me to give up. Motivation's twin sister is Head Games.  They work together!  When Motivation and Head Games are helping me in positive ways, I want their friendship.  When they are being negative, I want to break up with them.  It's so hard!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow (or later tonight) I will post the rest of the alphabet.  I've got some good ones! 

Until then...

ABC's part 1

With the heat wave going strong in KS (106 is the high like 3 days this week) I've decided 2 things.
#1 The pool and I are going to become friends
#2 I will not leave the house unless absolutely necessary!  All the shades are drawn and every possible fan is on high.

Poor William is a long haired black cat and has parked himself in front of a fan with belly exposed.  I tried to get a picture but when I got up, he moved.  I'm determined to get one!  Take care of your animals!

Anyway onto my post...

With 6+ months gone, I've had a lot of time to think about my health.  I decided to do an ABC's of Me.  But as I'm writing this, I think I'm going to ask you, my readers, to pick a letter and describe something about my journey or blog.  I have my list already made, I'm just curious to see what you have to say...

Bonus points if you can come up with a Q, X or Z :)

Good Luck!  GO!

One last word

I promise... no more about the Glow Run after this.

I forgot to say that I was disgusted and shocked to see that there were dead birds on the bridge that had an overpass.  You would think that they would want the squashed dead birds off the road.  It's not like they just fell right around the time of the run, they were rather flat. 

Seriously disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!

Post Glow Run Analysis

Don't feel like spending a lot of time on the Glow Run anymore.  I wasted too much time already on something that I have no desire to do again.

To start with the disorganization from Friday continued over to Saturday night.  We were like sardines packed into the KC City Market.

At one point, some lady comes pushing through the crowd of people and elbows me right in the kidney.  I'm a little bruised from it.

My water was gone before we even started so I didn't get any water until mile 1.5.  I was so thirsty when I got there that I chugged my water.

A little after mile 2 I felt like I was going to throw up so I had to sit down.  Probably shouldn't have but it was good to rest for a minute.  Right before the black light tent I had to sit down again.  I was extremely light headed at that time. I finally got up and finished the race but stopped one more time to put my head between my knees so I wouldn't pass out.

Between the heat, lack of water, getting elbowed in the kidney and being smushed while waiting to start, I felt awful.  I chugged my bottle of water when I got through.

Unfortunately when I got home, I puked.  Luckily it was all water. I've never felt that way after a workout.  It was awful!

Someone asked me if this has discouraged me from doing another one.  The answer... Definitely NOT!  I just need to take some time and get my body in better shape.  Erika and I want to do the Jingle Bell Walk 5k in December so that's what I'm shooting for.

I'm just happy that I finished.  I feel good about it today. It was a long frustrating night and I'm just happy to be waking up another day.

Here are my results
Results: Age 627 out of 713 Time 49:57.6 Overall 4274 out of 4840 not bad for getting sick and having to stop

Pre- Glow Run 5k

Alright friends...

In less than 5 hours I will be doing my second 5k within 2 weeks.  Exactly 2 weeks ago was the Color Run.  I will be at the River Market. 

I've got glow sticks, glow in the dark finger nail polish, glow in the dark puff paint, LED shoe laces, and something really fun but it's a surprise and you'll have to wait until tomorrow for pictures.

Off to eat some protein and carbs and begin gathering what I need for tonight.  I'm hoping to get my face painted so we have to get there really early. 

More tomorrow!

Thought of the day:
Yesterday you said tomorrow.

Must... blog...

Today I went to pick up my packet for the Glow Run.  I'll try not to be all over the place with this :)

When I got there at 1:30 (pick up was at 2) the 2 people running the show were standing outside the door waiting.  About 5 min. later someone came and opened the door for them.  Although there was a hand cart sitting by the van, it was not loaded with anything.  After they were let in, it was then that they decided to go load up the cart.  Now, I would have loaded the cart while waiting for management to come unlock the door but then again, I have common sense. 

There were only 2 official Glow Run people.  It was a mess!  Once the volunteers got there, they finally decided to unload things off the hand carts after standing around "talking" about what they were going to do for 10 minutes.  The lady next to me in line and I were rolling our eyes at the mess.  They finally get everything ready time to start the process....

I was 5th back in line so I thought it would take a whole 2 minutes... WRONG!

The table had no organizations other than alphabetical.  There were 5 people behind the envelope table (3 volunteers).  One would ask you for your last name and take off to find your envelope.  While I was waiting for the lady to get mine, 3 other people back there asked me for my last name.  Eye roll!  If it were me, I would have 4 sections set up A-G, H-L, M-R, S-Z or something like that.  It just makes so much sense to me! 

I had asked for an extra large men's shirt (fits perfectly BTW).  I was told "not many people wear shirts that big, that's why they aren't out".  Um... EXCUSE ME!  WTF?!  RUDE!  The dude in front of me got a men's XL shirt.  It was a volunteer but still... I had a hard time not reaching over the table and punching her in the face.

I finally got out of there and was very happy to be away from there.

If today was any indication, tomorrow night will be just as jacked up.  I most likely will never do the Glow Run again.

For those of you reading that are doing it, what was/is your experience?

I need to keep hearing this every day all day.  With my self-doubt talk lately, it's needed!

What was I thinking?

To be honest I'm not looking forward to the Glow Run on Saturday.  But I've decided that I'm going to  lace up my shoes, get out there and do my best. I'm not really sure why I thought it would be a good idea to do 2 in 2 weeks but I am.  

I'm hoping this attitude is just temporary.  Last time I felt better about the whole thing a few days before but this time, I'm completely apprehensive, indecisive and am wondering if I should sell my spot.  I know I won't but those are my feelings.

I hate feeling like this :(

Thank you to Erika for letting me vent tonight and helping me with my shirt!  You rock girl!  I will post pictures of it when it's finished.

I'm Bouncing Flouncing Falling All Around the Show

I came across this video last night when I found something for my step-sister about pugs on Etsy.  


After watching Loca, I've decided to take his/her? attitude!  Although I only ran a very small part of The Color Run and won't be able to run much of the Glow Run on Saturday, "the thing that makes it all okay, my family luv me!"  I will take Loca's attitude, inability to run and look like a spaz with me on Saturday and do my very best.  


Not only does my family luv me but my friends luv me!  I continue to thank you for the support and I truly mean every word!


As a side note, his inability to run is caused by a neurological disorder called ataxia, which is in most cases neither life-threatening nor painful.

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I haven't been entirely honest with you but...

I HATE exercise, I'm addicted to food (especially chocolate), and I wish I could just be lazy.

Comment below and finish the sentence

I haven't been entirely honest with you but.....

Off Day

I have felt off all day.

I woke up after having some strange dreams and just couldn't get my day going.  I truly hate when this happens.

I've been crabby and frankly have just wanted to stay in bed all day. 

I went for a short walk to the mailbox when I got back from the store but other than that haven't done much. 

Hopefully tomorrow won't suck so much and I'm feeling more like myself. 

Crappy eating

Yeah so I went to the All Star Game Fan Fest on Saturday and today.

I ate LIKE CRAP!  Stadium food is so not good for you.  I need to step it up the next few days.

The Glow Run 5K is Saturday night. I'm not ready, I'm sore, I'm having issues.  I decided not to shower before bed so I can take care of my knee with some Icy/Hot.

I'm falling apart!

My body is just craving a salad and something healthy.  Can you guess what I'm eating tomorrow?

Tomorrow is not only healthy eating day but it is also proper workout day.

It's been a fun and exciting few days but it's time to take care of me.

If you don't take care of yourself who will?

Celulite

I hate celulite!  Those dimples on my thighs and butt suck.

I've had celulite for as long as I can remember.  Some of my senior pictures make me sad.  You can clearly see that my thighs look like craters on the moon.  I've tried everything to make it go away.  Okay, well, not EVERYTHING, just over the counter stuff.

None of the "treatments" I've tried worked!  Any guesses as to why?

Well, celulite is fat.  Plan and simple.  It's fat!  According to Prevention Magazine "Everyone has strands of connective tissue that separate fat cells into compartments and connect fat to skin. In women, these fibers form a honeycomb-shaped pattern, so any increase of fat tends to bulge out like stuffing in a mattress."

Read more: http://www.prevention.com/fitness/strength-training/how-get-rid-cellulite-fast#ixzz205qf38e4

Joy!  Stuffing in a mattress... I'm feeling a little um offended.

So to get rid of celulite, guess what the solution is... exercise!  Surprised?  I'm not to be honest, I just never tried it.  

Now that I'm working out, I have noticed that my celulite is going away!  Who knew?!

So I guess this working out and healthy life style is paying off!  Score!

Get moving and your fat will go away!

10,000 Views!

Today at 12:08pm Central time, I hit 10,000 blog views! 

Thank you to each and every one of you that view my blog.  Even though we may not communicate, just by you reading my blog, you are my supporter.  Wow!  Amazing!  Keep up the good work!

Body image

Christa Dubill posted a picture today of this...

http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/water_cooler/baby-bikini-onesie-raises-eyebrows

I have shared the story of my grandmother putting me on a diet when I was about 10 years old.  If you haven't read it yet, take a peek somewhere in January.

I have had body image issues for the majority of my life.  I look at pictures of myself and hate the way I look.  I don't think I've ever had a picture of myself that I like. If I'm alone in the picture I'm okay with it but if there are others, I compare myself to them.

I don't know if I've said this in my blog yet but I'll say it anyway...

When I was young, I had very blond hair and one of my favorite movies was Splash!  My grandmother used to tell me that she hoped I would grow up to look like Daryl Hannah, you know, tall, blond and thin. I have compared myself to her most of my life.  I hate looking in the mirror because all I see is someone that will never be Daryl Hannah.

So tonight, I've done some research.

Unfortunately, many parents and family members contribute to the body image issues of many children.  It could be something as simple as telling a child that the girl in the dress on TV looks fat.  After hearing comments like this over and over again, children will begin believing that unless they are thin, they are not beautiful.

As an educator, I see and hear things that really bother me.  The school I teach in is a uniform school.  A few times during the year the kiddos don't have to wear their uniforms (school pictures etc.).  Two years ago, one parent dressed her two young girls (kindergarten and 1st grade) in a completely inappropriate dress. The girls were wearing booty shorts, spaghetti strap tops, and those annoying knee high Converse shoes that look like high heels.

When it comes to young children, it is up to the parents to make appropriate decisions.  Many parents think it's cute to dress their kids that way.  It is not cute, it is giving your children a complex.  You are telling your children that it is okay to dress like that, then other kids will make fun of them.  It is a vicious cycle.

This is a very sensitive subject for me.  I could go on and on about this but I won't.

I guess it boils down to this, you have to be careful what you say in front of kids, what you say to kids, and learn what is appropriate.  I guess common sense isn't so common.

Body image starts at such a young age, please think before you speak or dress.

Heat

With the excessive heat here in good ol' Kansas, it's difficult to want to get out to exercise.  It is nice that I am a part of a gym so I can work out there.  BUT if you must go outside to workout, please please please take great care!

Heat puts extra stress on the body.  The problem with exercise and air temp is that is raises the body's core temp. We sweat to cool the body down but if the humidity is high, sweat won't evaporate and the body won't cool and self-regulate properly.

Until I did some research, I wasn't completely aware of the heat-related illnesses.  Now that I know what to look for, I can take care of my body better.

Heat Cramps- painful muscle contractions in the calves, quadriceps and abs., body temp is normal but muscles feel firm.

Heat Exhaustion- Nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting, weakness, cold and clammy skin. All of these symptoms come from when your body heat rises as high as 104 F.  It can lead to heat stroke

Heatstroke- Life-threatening, occurs when you body temp is over 104 F.  Skin may be hot but you will not be sweating.  You may feel confused and irritable.  Call 911 immediately!

When out in the heat if you are having or see someone with the following signs, HYDRATE!  Water is the best but sports drinks are okay too.

Muscle Cramps
Nausea or Vomiting
Weakness
Headache
Dizziness
Confusion

If after 30 minutes call 911.  

If you insist on exercising outside follow these tips:
Watch the temperature
Get acclimated
Know your fitness level
Drink plenty of fluids
Dress appropriately
Avoid midday sun
Wear sunscreen
Have a backup plan
Know your medical conditions

Please be careful out there!  It's early summer and we've had extreme temps. and it will only get worse.

Take care out there!

Thought of the day:
STAY HYDRATED!!!!!!

July 4th! Happy Birthday America!

I woke up this morning so sore!  I'm not sure which exercise worked my abs yesterday but I'm feeling it today! 

I haven't done much today, went to Wal-Mart, painted my nails (did you know they like make scented nail polish now?!), and watched a Criminal Minds marathon.

I think I'm going to go to the pool in a bit.  I probably won't be going to watch the fireworks anywhere.  I may just sit outside and hope I can see Corporate Woods firework show. 

It's just too dang hot to do anything.

Christa, the heat is just getting to you!  You haven't had a "beverage" but I'll drink one for you later :)

Thought of the day:
Drink lots of water!

Confidence

While working out with my trainer today, I was able to do my exercises with little to no problems.  In fact next time we are increasing the weights.  I was surprised that I was able to do 10 pull-ups in a row without too much problems. 

My trainer said that doing the 5k on Saturday increased my confidence.  I agree!  I now know that I am stronger than I thought I was in many different ways.

Working today with the trainer is what I needed to kick my butt into gear.

I made a simple Home Exercise Tracker today

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/64685033/home%20exercise%20tracker.pdf

Feel free to download, print and share it.  I have to actually see it and write it down.  Tracking it on MyFitnessPal is awesome but seeing it daily on paper is what I need as well.  I will be tracking it in 2 different ways.

I hope you find this tracker useful.

Thought of the day:
How can we help each other get the confidence back to move on with our weight loss journeys?

Homemade laundry detergent

3 Cups Borax
3 Cups Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 Bar Whole Foods Brand Lavender Bar Soap
1 21 Cup Cereal  Saver

Measure out the Borax and Super Washing Soda into the Cereal saver, replace lid and shake well.  I like using the bigger ones for the mixing process. Take a potato peeler and shave the bar soap into a large bowl. After all the soap has been shaved, break up the soap.  You can use a cheese grater but I just didn't want to fight it.  Pour the soap into the cereal saver, replace lid and shake well. 

For a large load of clothes you only need 2 tablespoons of detergent.  If it is a heavily soiled load, add 2 more tablespoons.  It does not create suds so don't panic!  My whites are whiter and my clothes have a light scent. 

You could probably substitute any smell bar soap or no smell if that's what you want.  You could also use Zote or any of the laundry bar soap in the laundry aisle.  A lot of the recipes I saw suggested using Ivory but with my sensitivity and the bumps on my arms, I wanted to know exactly what was going into it.  The bar soap at Whole Foods is all natural so that is why I picked it.  I've only washed 2 loads of clothes but I'm already loving the soap! 

Comment below if you a) already make your own, b) try it, or c) have any other suggestions!

6 months!

Happy 6 months to me!  It's crazy that 6 months ago today I started the blog and this journey.

Although this journey isn't going quite as I anticipated, it's going well.

Looking back to my initial goals...


#1 Arrive at the Y by 4:30pm, 3 days a week, and work out for at least 30 minutes.
#2 Not buying cookies and ice cream, if it's in the house, I will eat it
#3 No fast food! If I eat it, choose wisely!

I think I needed that reminder.  Things haven't been going as planned in regards to my goals so I think I need to change things up.

#1 Arrive at the Y by 4:30pm, 4 days a week and work out for a least 45 minutes.
#2 No buying cookies, ice cream or candy, if it's in the house, I will eat it
#3 No fast food!  Just say no!


*Changes are in bold

I am by no means discouraged by my outcomes, for crying out loud I walked 3.1 miles in under 1 hour. I could not have said that on January 2, 2012.

These new goals should help me get my buns into gear again.  I've got the Glow Run in 12 days and plan on running part of it this time.  Starting tomorrow I am going to be training for it.  Now that I know why I can't breathe, I can make it work!

It's time to look at your goals and make the appropriate changes.

Thought of the day:

The Color Run 2012

I had a blast yesterday at the Color Run!

I power walked 2.6 miles of the 3.1.  I made a promise to myself that I would run across the finish line.  So I did!!!!  The Bad Teachers had way more fun than should be allowed.

Before

After!

As you can see we all had a lot of fun getting dirty!

Here are some more pictures:

My dad and I, he's not in white :)

My step-mom!  I love all the supporters in my life

I didn't have my feather tutu on but you can see how dirty I was!

All in all a fabulous time was had by all!  Now to get my butt moving so I can run more of the Glow Run than I did the Color Run!

Six months ago this was not possible and now look at me now!!!!!!!!

Thought of the day:

Keep it going, you can do it, don't give up!