Goals

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Resolutions
- I will grow my hair- Check been growing it since last December
- I will eat healthier Done
- I will take care of myself Yes indeed
- I will devote more time to Meditate and do Reiki - on & off
- I will exercise Yes, five days a week
- I will stop worrying so much working on this one
- I will not stare at my computer just because I don’t have anything worthwhile to do Yep, my laptop broke so I am on my computer much less these days
- I will update my resume and send it out Done
- I will spend more time with myself and nurture my own ideas & interests working on this
- I will give Liv & John more hugs trying.. I am not a naturally touchy person
- I will sing in the shower, and in the car oh yes
- I will take risks we will see what 2013 brings and how risky I feel
- I will talk more & tweet less this goal needs improvement, I like texting instead of talking on the phone
- I will watch the sun set- I did not achieve this goal
- I will tell the people in my life that I love them every chance I get yes, continuing with this goal
- I will enjoy every minute Trying
- I will smile more and try not to be so serious trying, I am Type A and serious by nature
- I will look into some college classes and research possible grants that I may be eligible for I did not achieve this goal


2013 Goals

working on compiling this list as we speak.


 

week 32

morning weight 135


doing well over here...feeling better. I managed to workout three days last week and then I squeezed a good workout in on Sunday and will get three days of working out in this week. I definitely indulged over the holidays.. but nothing too crazy.  I don't anticipate any weight gain. I need to do a grocery run today to stock back up on my healthy eating options. Looking forward to reaching new goals in 2013.

week 31

weight 134



Under the weather over here with a sinus headache that has been  constant & relentless. The kind that when you bend down to pick something up your head swims and you feel dizzy. I have missed 2 workouts so far and possibly will miss today's workout. Liv is also sick and I had to pick her up early from school.


Uggh.. wouldn't it be nice if we both are better soon? Hoping for a Happy & Healthy Christmas.


Merry Christmas to all of you.

Lauri

Week 30 pics

week 30- Brrrrr & vent

am weight 134

since winter is upon us and it was 20 degrees this morning, i am feeling less motivated to workout in the early morning per my usual routine. So I am changing things up and some times working out after work. I am always home by 4pm... so I have time before dinner to workout.  I don't know what it is.... but I just feel more sluggish in the am in the winter. I guess it does not matter really, so long as I get my workout in but I liked having it done and out of the way first thing in the morning. On a bright note my first pm workout in six months.. I had so much more energy and such a better workout.. so who knows.. maybe this is a good change. I will keep you posted.


I was in a pissy mood yesterday. I have worked at my job for over 3 years now and not once in 3 years has my birthday been acknowledged. Now I normally would not have a problem with this as I am not one to call attention to myself in my everyday life. Here on the blog... yes... in real life.. not so much. Anyhow my beef is that the office celebrates every ones B-day except mine. Cards are passed around, occasionally cakes are purchased, flowers.. etc... do these people think I hatched out of an egg?

I am not in the office much.. only 2 days per week... so I am sure this has something to do with it... out of sight, out of mind. It's not like they don't know.. our birthdays are displayed in the common mail area and we are a small office.... just 15 Ladies. It's hard not to take that personally and it stings a little. Oh well... my  husband & daughter make a big to-do over my birthday and just living another year is a blessing to me. I feel silly even complaining about such a trivial thing.

My guns

working my behind off trying to get some definition in these arms..I have naturally meaty arms being the big boned short girl that I am. I really envision having great looking arms this summer. working hard at it.

week 29- will power

weight 134


This has been a long hard week... let me tell you... tis the season for Domestic Violence and I am busier than ever at work. This has probably been the hardest week so far to muster up the will power to work out. My long emotional days at work just make me want to curl up in a ball. It's cold  in the morning and it seems to be harder to change into my skimpy w/o duds.  I have still been working out each morning, but doing the bare minimum 30 min of cardio, 20 pushups and then I am off to work. As I sit here and type this I am still in my Pj's and the elliptical is calling my name and I better get to it. The longer I put it off the harder it is... especially on my day off.



Just 1 lbs away from my original goal of 133.. I would love to reach that for my birthday next week.

I love my tassimo

I am loving the convenience of my Tassimo single serve beverage brewing system!!! I have no idea why I am so late in the game on these gadgets.. it's just as if I woke one day thinking that I would really like one of those and then spent time researching the difference between the brands and finally watching & bidding. It is a little indulgent... but cheaper than going to star bucks.





It bugs me a tad that the Keurig  K cups are everywhere and yet the T discs take a little more work to find. That is one thing the Keurig has going for it, while the Tassimo gets bragging rights to being able to make excellent lattes with the shelf stable milk discs. According to the Tassimo website Target, walmart, lowes, best buy and bed, bath & beyond are the local stores in my area who carry T discs.  Walmart had only two types of plain coffee.. but they had the best price, Target had about the same selection, none were available at lowes or best buy, bed, bath & beyond had every online flavor of T disc available . I was able to get a 20% of coupon to use in store. Bed, Bath & Beyond also offers free shipping and I got 20% off my online order. The nearest Bed bath & beyond is not very close.. not as simple as running to the corner store, however it is somewhat near my office so It won't be a problem to run in and stock up. I will prolly continue to shop online since they offer free shipping.




 I wish Tassimo sold a sampler pack of coffees so that you can try different flavors before committing to purchase and whole box.  I have tried the cappuccino, earl grey hot tea, Peach iced tea, Mastro lorenzo crema and  finally my favorite the Chai latte. I am waiting on my order of Gevaila caramel macchiato and French Vanilla coffee to arrive. The Iced tea was $7.99 for a box of 16 discs.. so 50 cents each. The lattes are more like $1.00 each.

I figured if I did not like the Machine I would re-sell it on ebay... but it's a keeper.

week 28

am weight 135


All is well over here.... starting to get in the Christmas Spirit. Liv is really into her " elf on the shelf" this year and she still believes in Santa ( thank Goodness). I found this website where you can create a personalized video from Santa for Free and Liv was just tickled pink about that when she got her special message from Santa. I like How Santa reminded her to keep working hard to control her temper and knew she was full of energy. I have a link on my Facebook if anyone is interested in viewing her special video or making one. John has been a little blue, he is saying business is the worst it's ever been.I have put out a few feelers for full time employment. We will see what life brings. I really like my job. I think John has a tough logical choice to face whether or not to keep working at his business or find full time employment.


I have a Birthday coming up.. the Big "45"... feeling pretty good at 45. Physically I feel great, I don't like how the skin on my neck & hands is changing.. not much I can do about that. I am getting myself in great shape, eating well and taking care of this body of mine... Life is good. I am very proud to say that since I began this commitment to get fit back in May.. I have worked out five days a week without fail.... No excuses. Only missing 2 days when Ill.


My Birthday Gift/week 28 reward to myself is a Tassimo single brew coffee machine. I can't wait until it arrives. After much research between the tassimo or Keurig.. I went with my gut and the reviews that sold me on the Tassimo. I got mine on ebay of-course ( $20 plus shipping... woot!). While Keurig seems to have cornered the market for K cups and having a wide variety available at stores, from what i hear Tassimo brews a better cup. Also I could get a refurbished Tassimo at a much better price than a used Keurig. I enjoy Latte's & specialty drinks, so I am willing to purchase the T discs online. I have already found them on ebay at a great price.

Lunch

still trying to keep my main meals really clean- this is tuna salad with a little bit of Mayo and spinach salad

Mini me

week 27

weight 134

I survived the thanksgiving Holiday without overeating. My older sister actually choked on turkey and ran outside. That was a very scary few minutes as she had it caught in her throat and nothing was helping to dislodge it. Finally it did go down.  That event curbed my appetite. I was really worried about her. I worked out really hard thanksgiving morning, a workout that left me too sore to workout on Friday.I am going to hop on the elliptical today and Livi wants to walk on the treadmill. I have a good chunk of my Holiday Shopping done already. I shopped early and got amazing deals.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.

Week 26

am weight 135 ( shocking after yesterdays lunch)


all is well over here, we celebrated Liv's 8th birthday this Saturday, you can see pics on my other blog. Seven has been a great year but the last month was a doozy. I am still doing my thing. Working out five days a week, eating healthy ( mostly)... I had more fun size Halloween candy that I care to fess up to.. but I did fess up. I accounted for each & every calorie on my open  MFP food diary . I really indulged on Saturday. My first fast food meal other than a salad in six months. I had a medium fry and a little over 1/2 a big mac and of course a little cake & ice cream. I felt so icky all last night after eating that fast food... no more for me for another six months.


I still want to change up my routine somehow... getting a little bored...so I have been finding inspiration in Pinterest of all places. Going to try and ramp things up. I have noticed that I am not sweating like I used to. Workouts that once left me a sweaty mess with a high heart rate just aren't challenging me anymore. I can get through them with hardly a sweat. I take that as a good sign that I am in better shape and in better cardiovascular condition. I really want to be in amazing shape come May.. My one year fit-anniversary. I want to really focus on shaping up my abs & core. 

I have seemed to hit a plateau with my weight loss.. I vacillate between 135- 137, I just need to dial in my snacking and ramp up my workouts and I am sure I will see my goal of 133 with a little more effort.

week 25

weight today 136

I just realized that I did not do my weekly update. Fun sized Halloween candy has gotten the better of me this week.. I have had about 4 treats a day... when they are so little you don't realize that they add up. I took Liv to my dentist who not only paid her $5 for her candy, but he donates to the united way and sends the candy to the troops. Speaking of the Dentist yesterday I had my core buildup and permanent filling done. The only painful part was when they put this clamp around my tooth that pinched my gums. I also did not like all the stuff in my mouth...cotton, a suction, a wedge to keep my small mouth open wide enough and the clamp. I just closed my eyes and breathed through the panicky thoughts.

 I am happy that is over & done with. My root canal-ed tooth had been tender at the jaw bone. While it got better it never seemed to really go away. I went back to the specialist because I was reluctant to put any more $$$ in my mouth with lingering pain. The Hygienist took my x-ray and said I had an abscess and needed my root canal retreated. The specialist however thought I would be fine and thought the dark spot was bone loss that would heal itself and he urged me to continue with my appointment for the core buildup/permanent filling.

My dentist  chuckled and asked me why i was listening to a hygienist and not the guy with more education .. I said " I'm here aren't I? " but I just thought he should know those varying viewpoints. So.. finger crossed that I don't have to worry about anything and am on the road to healing. I am only expecting complete healing.


My highpoint non scale victory of shopping was a size 10 pair of  burgundy skinny jeans being to way to big and being able to squeeze into a size 6 in that same brand ( 7 for all mankind). I needed a size eight which they did not have. Also I broke out the leggings that I was to self conscious to wear last year and I rocked those things with my new riding boots.

Non scale victory

Feeling confident in leggings

Edible art

I eat salad all the time.. at least 4 days a week if not more... I crave spinach... I really do.I also crave not so healthy stuff, I have been hitting the fun size treats a little to hard. I really need to get better at just cleaning, peeling, cutting all my veggies and storing them in baggies to make throwing together a salad faster. It's my usual lunch and I try to eat a small salad with dinner as well. I eat out for lunch once or twice a week tops and only when I am on a time crunch and can't get home & back to court in time. Usually when I eat out I get a soup & salad as well. I shop weekly for fresh produce. My fav lettuce is the 50/50 mix, part spring mix and part spinach.

My fav fast food salad is Chik- Fil-A's char grilled chicken & fruit salad with their berry balasamic or Wendys half size Baja salad, the baja salad is a little higher in fat but it has guacamole.

Reward Shopping Spree

I went a little cray cray with this months reward- but like I said before my reward 4 weeks ago was returned... so I felt justified doubling up. I try to keep it at $50 or less every 4 weeks. I reward myself for working out 5 days a week  for a month without fail. So far in the past six months I have only missed 2 workouts.

 Here is what I purchased:

New Nine West burgundy tote that is a look alike for the Micheal kors tote I love- bigger than I am used to but I just love it so much.

Three new tops/ One pre-owned Top ( ebay)

1 new scarf

a pre-owned pair of brown riding boots  ( ebay)

grand total of $105 for everything- I really made my money stretch by shopping at Burlington & Gabriel Brothers and of course eBay. 

I really want some burgundy colored jeans.. as pictured with the top I already bought. Maybe for my birthday coming up.

Six month fit-anniversary

Week 24

am weight 136

All is well.. my knee is just about back to normal, it gets a little achy now & then as does my body in general when I push myself. I am feeling like I need a new challenge or a change up to my exercise routine. while I am still doing my thing consistently- working out five days a week alternating elliptical & treadmill and adding heavy weights 2x a week. I am feeling a bit blah/perhaps bored.. that could be because it has been raining for a week straight and I tend to feel better when the sun shines.

so I am just brain storming on how to change things up, some of the ideas I have are maybe take a zumba class or once I get a new dvd player, check out some beach-body turbo fire workout dvds items on ebay. There is a local boot camp that occasionally has groupon specials or perhaps getting an in home trainer just for a few weeks to learn some new exercises. I am leaning towards Zumba just to get out of the house and socialize. I still plan on training for a 5k outdoors come spring. I did not give up on that goal, I just postponed outdoor training and instead run on my treadmill.

week 24 is my reward week.. woot! I really want a new outfit & new boots. My week 20 reward, my clarks shooties did not fit, so I returned them. So I really never got my week 20 reward... so it is only fair that my week 24 reward be a bigger one :)


and to celebrate my achievements and to serve a reminder to myself that all the healthy choices I am making are working..a picture of me at 146 lbs and then at 135 lbs...8 inches leaner, more muscle.... done the all natural way... slow & steady, one healthy step at a time.

April 2012- 146 lbs and a big size 12

Oct 2012- 135 lbs and a small size 10

Decide.Commit.Succeed, it works!

am weight- 135

 

John recently fessed up to me that he thought this all was a phase and that I would last a few weeks and then stop. He said he is proud of my commitment. He said he can't believe that I get up every-morning and workout. John now wants to purchase a bike, I keep telling him that we have an entire home gym that he is welcome to use... 3 cardio machines and an array of weights from 2- 20 lbs, kettle ball, curl bar, swiss ball.  I told him that this is a new way of life for me and I never plan on stopping. I hope that my fitness goals & routine will only grow & change. I also believe that it is 80% dietary changes.

Today was a hard motivation day... school was closed because of  Hurricane Sandy weather, many local roads were closed due to trees down and flooding and I decided to take a personal day to stay home. We are very lucky to have power, many in our area are without. So my typical morning routine had changed and I had to drag myself to do my workout. I so wanted to curl on the couch. I was feeling cranky, cold and blah!!!!. I started with negative thinking and was so close to not doing it. Today was probably the hardest day of all since I started this new way of being, to dig deep for the motivation.  I hopped on My Fitness Pal and posted on my wall and a fitness friend offered me the encouragement I needed. Also reading success stories help to motivate me.

 Decide, commit, succeed.... not working out is just not an option, unless I am Ill or injured. Every step, every good food choice, every workout.. counts! it matters, I matter!!! I mustered the motivation and did my workout.  I feel so good about that. Liv actually worked out with me today, she walked on the treadmill and I used the elliptical, Then we stretched and did some weights- she has her own little 2,3,4 lb dumbbells.My highlight was when she said " Woah Mama... your arm muscles look so good when you do that exercise". I am happy to be setting a healthy example for my little girl.

 

 

I do think I need to change things up a bit, challenge my body in new ways... when we get our DVD player working I may try some of the beach body program. Our dvd player is so old that it does not have a port for the hdmi cable we purchased. Time for an upgrade.

how do you stay motivated?

Detox

A big healthy salad For lunch To detox from All The snacks i enjoyed at our party.

Happy Halloween!!!

week 23

My weight this morning 136-



My knee is healing.. thank goodness. It is mostly healed but I am taking it very easy so as not to re-injure myself, I only did weights on monday. I have a hard time getting my heart rate up with just weights. I am just so used to doing 30 min of cardio & 30 min of weights. Doing just weights takes some adjustment. I really felt it in my upper body the next day. I am def addicted to that running high. I like to be breathing heavy & dripping in sweat to feel as though I really had a good workout. Tues & today I did 30 min on the elliptical at the lowest program... still broke a sweat..... something is better than nothing.


Tomorrow I am just going to do weights and rest my knee again since It's still a tad sore and then I will do the elliptical on friday. I am choosing the elliptical over my treadmill as it is supposed to be gentler on the body, less impact. I really like doing cardio 5 days a week, but I  have been thinking about dropping to a maintenance schedule of 3 days a week cardio and 2 days a week weights for the winter.



I fit into a size 8 dress recently...woot!!!! very excited about that.I am going to see my endocrinologist this friday and am eager to see if the healthy choices/changes I have made have had any impact on my thyroid or if I need an adjustment in my dosage. I am only three lbs away from my original weight loss goal of 133 lbs, I still want to meet that goal.. but I am not to worried about it. I am building so much muscle now and I know that I be at a different weight.... it's more about how I look & feel in my own skin than a number in my head.

Ok.. if I have to slow down.. I will

I did something to my right upper knee/quadricep- during Fridays workout I was trying to push myself running faster and then adding incline for short bursts of time. I was really pissed at Liv that morning and took my aggression out on the treadmill and apparently my poor knee. Last night it starting bugging me.. I applied an ice pack and then in the middle of the night it really started to hurt. Resting today- stairs are a challenge. Trying to think ahead of how I can modify my workout and rest my knee... treadmill and elliptical are definitely out until I am healed. I will be strictly weights I suppose. I am bummed. I try to be so careful in my training but I want to push/challenge myself and break up my routine. It was too much I suppose.


I am a little concerned if it will be feeling well enough for me to drive tomorrow.. I drive a stick shift. I may need a sick day..... but I am getting ahead of myself... let me just think positive and baby this knee. Tomorrow is a whole new day,, wouldn't be nice If I am back to normal by then? I will do everything in my power to feel better.

week 22

All is well over here..weighed in at 138 this morning- feeling healthy & fit... I still have a bunch of body fat I would like to lose and it's time to take my weight lifting to the next level and up my weights.Today I was running in the rain pushing a grocery cart and my size 12 pants fell down.. lol... time to visit a tailor for sure. I am saving for a fall/winter shopping spree.

Still doing my fitness thing 5 days a week- I am very dedicated to my exercise. Wouldn't it be nice if I could be as equally dedicated at giving up Sugar?. Baby steps :)  If i am in a time crunch- I do 30 min of cardio ( running 2.5-3 miles on the treadmill or elliptical) and 5 minutes stretching, but I try to do 30 min of cardio and 30 min of weight three days a week and just cardio the other two days so I can recover. I have loosely adapted the female body revolution and new rules of lifting for women to create my own little routines. I drink a whey protein shake with 1% milk  for breakfast on the days I lift as well. I am hardly as sore as I used to get now that I drink those shakes.. I don't know if it placebo or just the fact that drinking protein right after a w/o helps repair muscle. It was an easy, tasty change to adapt to and I get coupons online and snag the protein powder for a steal.

 I do a really, really good  job for my main meal choices...pretty clean & green, usually around 300 calories per meal and one of the following items.

 6 am -morning pre- workout snack- nutrigrain bar, 90 calorie nature valley granola slim bar, kashi bar - 100 cal & 3 grams of fat is what I try to keep this snack to.

8/9 am- breakfast- greek yogurt or flax oatmeal or omelet or protein shake

10 am- work snack- almonds, fruit, 100 cal mini yogurt, sugar free jello, 100 calorie pouch of fig newtons- again I try to keep this around 100 calories.

12 lunch- big salad with veggies & turkey or turkey wrap with veggies on whole wheat  tortilla w/ baked chips on the side, or a cup of progresso light soup & crackers or  lean cuisine in a pinch.

3 pm snack- this is where I get into trouble.. I am usually starving... and home... I have access to Liv's snacks. I have been sneaking Halloween candy i purchased for our party- only one here and there.. but I wish I had not bought them so early.

5 dinner- tilapa, chicken, chicken sausage, lean beef, pork- along with fresh veggies, salads, frozen veggies- small amount of carbs like whole grain pasta, rice or roasted potatoes.

7pm snack-  I try to have a big mug of herbal tea and a fake out cookie- like a graham cracker lightly spread with peanut butter, or a half of a 100 calorie bagel toasted & lightly spread with cream cheese, or a mini bag of popcorn which is very filling. skinny cow ice cream sandwiches are another fav- but loaded with sugar.

even with my errant snacking ways- I rarely go over my daily calorie limit which is 1400 to 1700 depending on how active I was that day. I am always over my daily sugar allowance... so I am still working on ways to cut out the sugar. All those low fat snacks are loaded with sugar.

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Fat Clothes

I don't like using such a derogatory term, but we all have them. Bigger/looser clothing we have in our closet. Today I wore one of my old outfits because I was short on time and did not plan ahead and iron my clothing. This is a jersey non wrinkle set with forgiving elastic waist that I could prolly stretch to fit another friend in here with me. I realized today why the old me was attracted to these Travelers type outfits. They are like wearing PJ's, hide flaws and deceptively allowed me to get away with my weight gain. I don't want to wear these kinds of clothing any longer. I will be selling this outfit pronto. I want/need buttons, zippers and snaps to keep me honest. These elastic waist wide leg pants never feel tight, but my jeans or other fitted items do a much better job at letting me know that I am on track. I really want new clothing. I need to spend an afternoon overhauling my closet and finding what I have that works.

on a side note I weighed in at 140 this morning.... WTF!!!!!!! how does one gain 5lbs overnight??????? trying not to stress.... still working hard. My main meals have been great ( open food diary on MFP if anyone is curious).. however I have been extra snacky.... sneaking halloween treats & cookies. I am just trying harder to choose fruit/nuts instead.

Really?

I love & appreciate my husband... I do! he does so much for Liv and I. I often don't give him due credit. I may have had to demand & delegate to get him to do it, but since I returned to work three years ago he has really stepped up to the plate. He takes Liv to school, makes her breakfast and helps in many other ways. I am so grateful to have him.


Recently he started making dinner on Mondays... now cooking is not his thing... he prefers to grill burgers or get take out. Burgers, kebabs, eggs or take out is about it for John. Today when I came home he told me he was making banquet" pot pies & tater tots".. I thought he was kidding but he was serious. He seemed a little frustrated when I told him that I was not eating that... newsflash... I am eating differently these days honey. I briefly thought of having 1/2 of the potpie & making a huge salad so as not to upset him, but it was not worth the fat & sodium. If I am going to eat that much fat, I am not doing it on a 75 cent potpie.

John said he understood. I did not want to hurt his feelings. I whipped up a quick veggie & chicken sausage stir fry and served it over rice..... so quick & easy and most importantly HEALTHY.


Oh well.. he tried and Liv was happy with her Tater Tot dinner. I am happy that John just makes the effort to lighten my load. Thank you for cooking for Liv tonight John.

Hooping

This is me hooping at my Agencies DV awareness campaign " Purple Light Night" , John looks on laughing at me... but he secretly wishes he had mad hooping skills like me.... the room was full of people too.... so I must have been feeling brave that night.



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Measuring up

current measurements- 10/12/12

Bust-
widest part- 38 band 34

waist-

smallest part 33 navel 36

Hip- 39.5

bicep-12

neck- 13.5 ( my neck has not lost inches and I am ok with that..lol)

I basically lost 2 inches everywhere in the past five months- does one add up the inches for a grand tally?


12 lbs , 8 total inches, 1 dress size- awesome progress achieved in the past five months and ofcourse the intangible rewards of being in better shape


I was thinking the other day as I am often prone to do.... what is the most important element of this journey... the food changes or the exercise? I think it's the food... the complicated relationship that we all have with food... especially with the Holidays approaching, the celebrating,our emotional ties to eating, etc... changing the way I have eaten is the biggest step and probably 80% of the key... While I have made great changes, whole grains, fresh veggies & fruit, lean protein and have given up fast food... 80% of my eating is clean & healthy now... but I still love my sugar/snacky stuff. Little 100 calorie packs of cookies/crackers.. fun size candy bars. I have not made a clean break from the sugar.... for now I am ok with that. I have made awesome lifestyle changes that will benefit my whole family.



as for the exercise I am hooked.....it still takes dedication, it's not easy.... but I do it every morning and feel better going about my day knowing that I put myself first. Today is my day off and I sit here in my workout clothing already, I change into them first thing.. a little trick to make myself get in there and do it... on days off when i have more time its too easy to lolly gag and put it off.... but once I am in my workout gear I am more likely to get my butt in gear.

Off I go to workout and then enjoy a Mommy/Daughter day since Liv has the day off of school.

Dinner time

When Liv came to the dinner table she said " That's it????... just salad?"... this was a big healthy salad w/ spinach/lettuce/veggies and fresh grilled chicken.. plenty satisfying for me... but I prolly should have had a can of soup and some bread & butter for my hungry girl.

Week 21

Feeling good at week 21, I  felt very svelte in my outfit of choice today. I think I need to start wearing trouser socks soon... toes are getting chilly over here. I need to get my size 12 clothing taken in- I have no idea what that will cost or if it is more cost effective to just buy pre-owned on ebay?  I know when I had the sleeves shortened on my winter coat it was more costly than I thought it would be. I just have one pair of black pants at the moment that fit me perfectly, my other pants fall off. I know... such problems I am facing. I am kicking myself for giving away so many of my too- tight clothing .... because a few of things I held on to with the intention of selling, now fit me. That is one thing about me.. I am not a pack rat or a saver.. if It does not fit.. out it goes. Oh well.... now I get to try on size 10's and get some new basics for my wardrobe.

I also need to take my new measurements... have not done that in a little while.  This morning when I weighed in, the scale initially said 134, I ran to get the camera to document my scale victory and then it was 135.... so here I am at 135... going up a few when sore from pushing the weights and back down when recovered. I am still as motivated as ever and doing my thing five days a week.

it's a hair thing

last october

oct 2012

I have been officially growing out my hair since this time last year. I had a shorter in the back, long in the front bob and now I am just trying to get rid of that cut. I have just been working with my stylist at slowly changing the shape, letting the back grow out and cutting the front shorter to frame my face. I go every 10 weeks or so to clean it up and give it some shape. I have seen so many cute short cuts and have been tempted, but I have been working at growing this out for so long that I want to see it through. I figure if by spring I am not digging my hair, I will go for the big chop.  I have baby fine hair so I need to keep it at a length that feels long enough for me but still holds it's shape. That asymmetrical bob did make my hair feel fuller and it was cute.. I just want something different. Today i am thinking I need shorter bangs.... we will see.


updated-

got it cut.. still looks exactly the same just a little cleaner and better shaped. Staying strong on growing it out.

Living with a moody child

I am a pretty even keeled,mild mannered person. I would not consider myself someone with a short fuse. Sure I get frustrated and have off days but generally speaking I am not moody nor am I negative ( usually). Liv has been diagnosed with a mood disorder and takes abilify.  I wish I could really put into words what that is like to live with a child who suffers from a mood disorder. This is way beyond a child who is just cantankerous, or age appropriately mad about something.

It will be like a dark cloud of negativity overcomes her " I wish I as never born, see this is why I told you this is the worst day ever, so now you hate me huh?, I hate my life, so everything's my fault, huh?". As a genuinely positive polly anna esque law of attraction person, this drives me crazy. It is as if while in these funks she believes the worst about life on the other hand when they pass she is the happiest, sunniest, sweetest girl you can ever meet. 


I know she can't help it.. I have taught her all my metaphysical tricks " clicking her fingers and saying  delete, delete, delete when she thinks a negative thought"... phrasing things like " wouldn't it be nice if Emily can come over after homework, rather than... I bet you won't allow me to have Emily over"... and this has helped a little. She has days where she really struggles and sometimes there is nothing i can do, say or try... we just have to let it pass.

as Liv's Mom, all I want to do is make things better. No seven year old child should have such negativity in her little head. 

Week 20 pics

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week 20

All is well over here- in the past 20 weeks I have only missed 2 workouts, one for a sinus headache and one while recovering from my root canal. I am really proud of my consistency and progress working out five days a week like clockwork. The other day I noticed I was only 1 lb away from my goal weight and it was not about the scale anymore. I was happy to see 134 on the scale, but I am far more invested in just being healthy & strong. A few of those lbs was from not being able to eat sufficient calories when I was in pain.  If I could say anything to myself 20 weeks ago or to anyone just starting out.... I would say be patient... just keep doing it, be consistent in working out, start small & add on as you feel stronger, challenge yourself, keep making smart choices with your diet.. all those small changes add up and soon you will feel & see the rewards.

I never want to go back to the old way I was living. I think I have found balance now in my healthy living and that is a beautiful thing. This week I fit into my old size 10's.. that was a nice moment. My thermometer jeans which were to small to even button but they now fit perfectly.I have rubbed off on Liv, she is reading labels and very aware of sugar content now. I always want to set a healthy example for her. so yeah.. Life is feeling really good. I can't believe it has been three years this month since I returned to work and went from SAHM to career woman.


I am going to take some measurements & pics soon.. I am still not done with my journey.. I still want to firm up & lose fat and get into a size 8.. this is a lifelong thing. You will see me on here in 20 more weeks with week 40 updates.


have you started your healthy journey yet? what week are you on?

My week 20 reward was supposed to be a massage... but I want new fall clothes more than I want a massage... so I finally bought some clarks shooties I had been coveting forever. I hope they come in the mail today.

Welcome back size 10

Post root canal update

so Monday I had my root canal and that night I felt ok, the next day I was a little tender but not to bad, by Wednesday it was menacing,constant pain that had me in tears by the end of the day. On Wednesday I went to my dentist and he prescribed me amoxicillian . I got the feeling that he was annoyed with me.. " it's only been a few days".... but it was his nurses that had me come in saying it did not sound right.  Everyone I spoke to said the tooth should not hurt since there are no nerves. He said it can take six months and pushed back my next appt for a month to give me time to heal. I was starting to feel depressed. I really started to regret doing this but John reminds me to think of the possible greater pain I most likely avoided. I am trying to have no regrets.


So Thursday came and after 24 hours on antibiotics I was still hurting and now my lower lip is numb & tingling. I called my dentist and they said give the antibiotics more time to work. I decided to seek out a specialists opinion, the endodontic specialist took an x-ray and told me the root canal on this tooth is very close to a nerve and that was probably aggravated which causes the numbness in my lip.. which is annoying more than anything.

I explained that while before I felt no pain, now I feel like I need a root canal.. pressure, jaw pain, a lump in my gum, half side of my face is numb & tingly. I fought back tears as he urged me to stay strong. I cried all the way home and  later he called me at home to prescribe me a script for medrol dose pack.  I told him it feels like my tooth has been tightly screwed into my bone and the tooth feels too full. The pressure is so bad that only sucking my thumb seems to help. How cute is that? a grown woman sucking her thumb.


This morning after my morning dose of the steroids I am feeling a little better, but still numb. If your the praying type please send a few my way.

Week 19

Going back to the dentist today to investigate some pain. I think I must be clenching my teeth in my sleep which causes me pain and wakes me up. I will reach my goal weight in no time on my soup and jello diet...can't wait to be able to chew again.

My root canal experience

I was really upset to hear that I needed a root canal. Once I wrapped my head around the idea that yeah I had a cavity.. my first in nearly 20 years...a really big cavity. I started to prepare for the process.. the most feared dental procedure. I even got a second opinion and found a new dentist. I asked around and most people told me that I had nothing to worry about. I googled it, which was a mistake. It was hard for me to face putting myself through pain when I was not in pain.. tooth 29 was not bothering me at all. It was a smart preventive step to save the tooth. Waiting until I was in pain was not a wise choice. I knew in my gut that I had to do this.

I opted to go for the laughing gas although many people told me that I would not need it, while others highly recommended it. The minute I sat in that chair I felt like crying... I don't know why.. pent up nerves. Everything is hard wired to my tear ducts. I am one of those people who cry when frustrated or angry. He gave me a topical and then a shot or six of Novocaine. That hurt. I was going to try to tough it out, but decided after the Novocaine to go for the gas and I am so glad I did. Money well spent. I know myself and I know that the dental dam  in particular would have freaked me out sans laughing gas.


The process took 1.5 hours.  The laughing gas made it go by much quicker. The doc asked me to let him know if the gas felt like it was too much. I told him that I had never had it and did not know what to compare it too.  He said some people feel panicky. At first I just felt very tingly and so heavy, not a care in the world. I felt so heavy that it was difficult to raise my hand to let him know if I was in pain. Then my chest felt very heavy and i could not feel  myself breath, I felt that slight panic feeling he spoke of and let him know.. he lowered it and then I felt better but more aware of everything.. too aware. I wanted it raised slightly. Eventually they found a happy medium with the Gas, i was aware of what was going on, heard everything, but mostly zoned out. That laughing gas is some good stuff. He tells me I won't need it at the next visit... darn.


I mostly just felt pressure and a little pain. The placement & removal of the dental dam clamp was the hardest part for me.. it really hurt my gums. The x-ray hurt too. I have a very small mouth and they always scratch my mouth when inserting the tool into my mouth. Today I have a tender mouth, jaw and a sore tooth... which is to be expected. I go back in 2 weeks to remove the temporary filling and do the buildup. We are going to try to hold off on the crown until we can pay off this bill.

Ten petals....woot!

I'm so excited that I finally earned ten petals on my Fitbit activity monitor. The max is eleven and I have never topped eight.  I was wondering what one had to do to get to eleven. I worked out for an hour today, three miles on the treadmill, then weights and cool down.

My laptop and computer are down....John is paranoid about allowing me to download the Fitbit software on his computer...so I really cant track anything until he repairs it....bummer.

Tarot

warning this is one of those Metaphysical posts again.. if this is not your cup of Tea.. just pass on reading this.


I just finished a 2 day tarot card course, offered by the Woman who gave me my reading. I emailed her inquiring about any possible classes. After dabbling with tarot cards for 11 years, I finally feel that I get it and I am excited to get the opportunity to give readings. In the past I only did a one or three card spread and now I learned the Celtic spread. I need lots of practice, there is still more for me to learn but that needs to come from actually reading for people other than myself or Liv .. Liv always wants to know if she is going to get a puppy and that answer is always " No..not until your an adult".lol. If you are local and would like a free reading... please contact me. I have done remote readings in the past and people have told me good things about those.

 I need to see a picture of the person I am reading for, if I am doing it remotely.. don't ask me why. I need to visualize who i am reading for. Don't laugh at me.. but I have actually sold readings on ebay in the past... but found that I was putting more time & effort into it and not asking for enough money. I would take pictures of the cards, upload them and send them along with a lengthy description and then my thoughts... way to much time for the little money I was charging.

 John has been unwilling to let me read for him since taking the class, however he has let me in the past. I don't want to shove this down his throat or anyone's throat.I really enjoyed the class and getting out of the house to do something for myself. I am already thinking about what class I can take next.In other news I have my root canal tomorrow ( hold me), I am less nervous than I was before, but still a tad anxious because I don't know what to expect. I decided to go ahead and get the laughing gas and since I made that decision I feel a little better. In a perfect world I will only end up needing a filling.

week nine/week eighteen

Before                                                                                        During

 

I can really see a difference in my core/stomach in these pics, the first taken at week nine and the second taken this morning week eighteen. Sadly I also see a loss in my bust ; (

Frumpy

John complains that I go from Fab to Frumpy as soon as I get home from work. The first thing I do is change, remove my jewelry and put my hair up. Coming from a guy who never dresses in more than a T shirt & shorts, I can't see why he is suddenly Mr. What not to wear. I like to be comfortable as I go about my after work routine of cleaning,cooking and just relaxing. I often wear constricting pencil skirts, spanx like undergarments and heels. I am not always comfortable in my business wear.. or it starts bothering me at the end of the day. I don't think john gets this. John has never had a job requiring him to dress up... he has not touched an iron in years. I am not going to cook & clean in my expensive clothing. I countered that if he had a white collar job and dressed in a suit & tie, the first thing he would do is remove that tie & roll up his sleeves & untuck his shirt. What I am doing is no different.

The truth is... if I was a stay at home Mom.. I would dress this way all the time.  I love yoga/relaxing clothing. When I was a stay at home Mom I lived in yoga wear/velour hoodie sets. John keeps ragging on me about this.. I said " what do you want... me to serve you dinner in my skirt & heels?" and basically that is it. I think he is upset that I am looking all good for work/court but look frumpy for him. He probably gets to see me for 5-10 min each morning looking put together and then the remainder of the evening and for the majority of my time with him.. I look frumpy.

But If I am about to stay dressed up for him, he better shape up the way he dresses to impress me.

any thoughts?

Booyah ;-)

My girl

my super energetic daughter who inspires me to get fit, so I can keep up with her. I have yet to beat her in a race since she was 18 months old.. girlfriend is fast

week 18

I started the female body breakthrough... well I am modifying it since I don't have some of the equipment needed. I am also not giving up cardio as recommended. I am using  30 min of cardio as my warm up on my weight lifting days. I am still working out five days a week.. that is my routine and I am sticking to it. I am feeling it already in my body... I am sore. I am still learning all the moves and focusing on proper form and using light weight/ body weight first. I learned my lesson with that Lat injury last week. I like all the variety and so far it is really working different muscle groups. I have also started drinking protein shakes on weight lifting days. I am feeling really strong & healthy and that is such a good feeling. Liv felt my bicep and said " wow Mom your strong like a Boy!"... I want to model for her that girls can be strong and feminine too.

My weight went back up to 140 while I was sore, then back down to 137 when I recovered and today I am back to 140.... very sore again. The book prepares you for a increase as you tax your body and then a drop. All is well with my food choices...I am still a snacker and I realized that is just who I am.. I eat small portions at meals and get my extra calories from snacks. I am making sure there are healthy options. I carry almonds in my purse and always have something handy. I am probably eating around 1500- 1550 calories a day these days.


all is well... my week 20 reward is going to be a massage... I really need one.

The nose knows

Remember how I was saying how Liv has been extra stinky this summer... if not  go here--------> and look under my  " Liv" posts. I finally realized after giving her a good sniff and basically smelling the stench roll off her feet, that  her feet are the culprit and man do they smell bad. No 7 year old sweet little girl should ever smell like that.. Long story short summer swim camp requires sneakers as they are on a playground for the morning and swim in the afternoon.  No sandals allowed at camp, except for the pool. Liv was breaking her flip flops weekly ( she walks like a Clydesdale..drags the top of her toes and breaks flip-flops easily)... so after replacing the umpteenth pair, I just had her wear her sneaks to the pool.


I will leave the rest to your imagination...... along with Liv's habit of slipping on her sneaks w/o socks and the hottest summer like ever... yuck. I threw those shoes away and will replace her sneakers. I am hoping this puts an end to our stinky problem. Next summer she is getting water shoes to wear from the dressing room to the pool.

What would you do!

I am throwing a Family Halloween Party-if everyone comes there will be roughly 11-12 kids present.. ages 1  to 12 years old.  Plus all the adults. Liv has a huge bedroom.. it is the room that was intended to be the master bedroom. We live in a bungalow so the whole upstairs is one big room. She has many, many things in that room, a desk full of art supplies, baskets of squinkies, pets, people, barbie stuff, games... etc...drawers of glitter, glue, etc.

I was considering restricting access to this room during the party,  because I don't for-see any adults supervising. Just because at Family party's that is what we do... just let the kids do their own things. My fear is that if we allow all the kids upstairs that the younger kids will get into everything. I am trying to save myself the headache of having to clean it all up.. in a perfect world the parents would ensure that the kids clean up before leaving and supervise.. but lets get real.. that does not always happen. I don't want to be babysitting and breaking up fights up there. I want to enjoy the party too. I can already see Liv freaking out over her little cousins getting into her stuff. She is just as anal as her Mama.

John feels we should just put up all the baskets of stuff... in my opinion that is too much  work I don't have anywhere to put the stuff since turning her closet into a reading nook.  If we allow the kids upstairs that frees up more space for the adults downstairs... our home is small. My plan is to have a craft table set up downstairs for coloring & crafts, and a few baskets of blocks & toys for the younger kids in the family room. I am hoping to keep the older ones entertained with crafts & games.

Any ideas?

Core & Vent

I am working hard to shape up my core... of course I am sucking it all in when I take these pics.. lol. But I am seeing progress... when I suck it in I can see the body I am working hard on molding. I really am paying closer attention to strengthening my core. That prone jack knife move is tough.

I love success stories with before & after pics. I get really motivated and inspired. If I am having a low day I just read a few stories and look at some pics and get re-energized all over again. What really bugs me are the before pregnancy pics that show a woman in her ninth month ready to burst...I don't think.. "gee that lady let herself go"... what I am thinking is that lady is pregnant... really pregnant... with twins possibly. I usually know that they are in their ninth month as they are in the wheel chair on their way to delivery, possibly crowning at that very minute..lol

 To me overweight & pregnant are two different animals. I know one can be overweight while pregnant and I hear that pregnancy causes weight gain.. lol.... I just don't like the use of pregnancy pics as an indicator of weight loss success. It just rubs me the wrong way and seems a little like cheating somehow. 

I have never been pregnant.. so maybe this is just something I am not getting. I would much prefer to see pic of her with the post pregnancy weight and then her new body she worked hard to create. Pre- baby, after baby and then her final results. I am sure it is a struggle to lose the baby weight and I am not in any way , shape or form diminishing the hard work it takes to get in shape no matter what caused one to gain the weight.

I am guessing that these Ladies are just posting the picture of them at their largest to have the wow factor.I guess I can't fault them for that.. they earned those stripes and carried that load. Kudos to them... honestly.
what do you think? maybe all my infertility woes have left me a little jaded and I am not getting it?

when your child does not want to eat meat..

Liv has recently expressed not wanting to eat animals...saying she felt bad that the animal has to lose it's life so she can eat.  I can see the wheels in her head turning and putting all the pieces together, realizing that animals are killed to get the meat. Liv would ponder this over dinner.. where does this meat come from?, which animal?, how do they get the meat? etc. She gets quite graphic which usually makes me want to forgo the meat myself and I have to stop the conversation. I always think I am a hypocrite.. If I am going to eat the meat, I should be able to talk about it. If I had to hunt and kill my own food.. I would never eat meat.


Liv has recently taken up catch & release fishing and was turned off eating Fish for dinner as she could think back on her recent experience with touching a fish & letting it go. As a former vegetarian... I like to think that I understand where she is coming from.  Liv has a heart for animals and I fully support her choice and will do my  best to make sure she gets proper nutrition & protein. These days I consider myself a flexitarian... eating many meat free meals a week.

So I told Liv that I was ok with her choice and that there were many meat free options. I told her that I may still cook & offer her the meat items I prepare, but i would respect her choice. I eat Boca or morning star meatless products and today for dinner I prepared her a meat free pattie with some veggies which she enjoyed. However Liv is not holding fast to her ideas..she decided to have some fried chicken at a b-day party... and that is fine.. she is seven.. I am not holding her to these on a whim ideas... however I support her.


how would you handle this type of situation? 

Week 17

My weight was 140 this morning.. trying not to focus on that because I know I am on track & working hard. I have only missed one workout in 17 weeks due to illness and I made that one up on the weekend. I have been pretty sore from increasing my work with weights and I know the body tends to retain water when it is repairing the muscle.... so no biggie and I really mean that. I am ok with going up on the scale if my body is getting smaller in size, leaner and firmer. That is a trade off I can handle. These pants in the picture were too tight/ small on me before and now they fit fine. I am comfortable tucking in shirts now too. I strained my lat muscle so I have not lifted any weights since Monday and instead am doing my morning cardio and evening core work on the Swiss ball.


 My new plan is to do 30 minutes of cardio M/W/F and do the weight lifting program on T/Th. Resting on weekends as usual. I may switch that up as I go along and learn the routine.  The book advises 3 days a week of weights and to drop cardio all together at first.. but since I am so sedentary at my job, I really feel I need that cardio.. so I am trusting my gut. I am modifying the plan to meet my needs and then I will see how it goes. 


I kinda decided not to pursue outdoor training for the 5k at this time. Running outdoors is something I enjoy, however I enjoy running on the treadmill more. I don't find that running comes very naturally to me.. i love the high afterwards....but outdoor running feels very rough on my body- hips, knees. I keep getting discouraged /frustrated that outdoor running leaves me so sore and is taking me longer to adjust to. I am still needing to stop often for walking breaks. I have been unable to get the pacing right to even run a mile straight.  Its a challenge and while I am still doing it on occasion.. I feel I need to focus on other goals where I can see results from my hard work.

now on to new goals.... I have always been interested in weight lifting and I think My large boned body type is going to respond well to it. 

Lunch

I ended up working from home today since our internet is down at work. This is what I had packed for my day at the office. I always try to pack extra snacks for the office, to avoid the tempting baked goods. Turkey, cheese spinach w/ mustard wrapped in a whole wheat soft tortilla, fresh fruit and Pop chips ( baked chips) Yummy... always try to eat fresh fruit when I have it on hand.

Dinner

Frozen Parm crusted oven baked tilapa, fresh sauteed green beans with a dab of butter & bacon bit, glass of Pinot Grigio. I should have also made myself a salad or some brown rice... this dinner felt very light. Those frozen Tilapa fillets are a time saver and so delicious. They are sold under the brand treasures of the sea and I believe available at walmart/big box stores- bj's, etc. I found them locally at marcs. This is a new addition to my diet, I typically don't eat much seafood besides albacore tuna in my salads. Trying to change things up and keep it interesting. I liked that these were still breaded.. but doable in calories & fat. The plain fish does not look appealing to me.

Do you like seafood?

-this meal not including the wine, but including the 1/2 pat of butter was 278 calories and 11 grams fat.

heavy reading

 

I am planning on starting this new strength training plan from the books pictured.. it is a 16 week plan and I am going to dedicate myself to 4 weeks and see how it goes. First off I need to make copies of the plans & exercises to tape to my exercise room walls. I have most of the equipment at home, weights, swiss ball, kettle ball, etc... I will just have to skip the exercises that require the chin ups, cable pulleys, etc. I am still reading the book and while I have not officially begun the program I have started upping my weights and I am so sore today. I was doing15 lbs on the lat row  and that is easy to complete the whole set,  upping it to 20 lb was to much since I am in pain today  The books really don't say how much to lift other than Women lift less than capable and to push yourself. You need to slowly increase the weight.

The Authors need to number and letter everything got confusing.  These workouts seem complex and are always changing week to week. There are 15 secrets and 14 workout principles. There are workouts A and B for weeks 1&2, 3-8, and 9-16. Within workout A for weeks 1&2, there are exercises called 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B. Within workout B for weeks 1&2, there are also exercises called 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, but they are completely different exercises. The problem is repeated for the next two sets of workouts A and B. Then you get to the metabolic exercises, which has a whole set of 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D exercises.

The other thing the book is very much anti-scale and more for measuring. They recommend getting a pair of thermometer jeans- 2 sizes smaller than what you currently wear and using those to show your progress as you work your way to fitting into them. They warn that while you may go from a size 12-6 and lose fat.. you may gain weight or stay the same weight. That is hard to wrap my head around.. but I do want to really change my body and not just be a smaller version of the same old body.

we will see.. I am hoping to start on monday.

New addition to my routine*updated

New plan recommends to have a whey protein shake 20 min after a w/o. I always envisioned these protein products for more heavy duty body builders, but from my limited research it seems this can be a beneficial addition.We will see how it works.. I was really on the fence about purchasing this... a $11 purchase ( it was on sale), but if I am going to do this new plan Fit Female breakthrough.. I want to do it right.


** tried this today after my workout... very yummy...tasted like a chocolate malt. I just added 8 ounces 1% milk into a cup with a tight lid, 1 scoop of the whey powder and a few ice cubes... shook it like crazy and drank it.  FYI walgreens has this on sale for $10 until sept 29th, it is regularly $15, also you can get a coupon online ( google pro-wellness whey protein coupon) for another $3 off...so that brings the price down to $7 which is a very good deal. I am going to pick up some Vanilla tomorrow to mix with fresh fruit.  They have many yummy blender recipes... adding Greek yogurt/fresh fruit/peanut butter. I had this at 8 am  and it kept me full until lunch. I snacked on 100 cal snack pack of almonds around 10 am.

I have read that women who drink whey protein shakes lose more body fat than women who don't... I am all for losing more body fat.


Sent from my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide

goals

This is the homework from the book I am reading.. since I can't write in the library book.. I am blogging it.


Goals- ( write your goals without considering if it's realistic.. be very specific)
 I want to be below the double digits in my clothing size... a size 6 would be lovely. I want to lose inches & body fat. I want to be lean and fit. I want to be able to wear a bikini and workout in a midriff baring sports bra & shorts. I was a toned trim body. I want to donate any " fat" clothing, anything that has a stretchy waist and does nothing for my body. I want to feel great in my own skin and never feel insecure about my body again.I want to look healthy & fit, soft & feminine with defined muscles. I want to feel strong and love myself inside & out.

what am I willing to do to make this a reality?
I will make the time for myself, I already wake up early to exercise, I will plan ahead for lunches & meals, give up fast food & unhealthy food choices.

What sacrifices am I not willing to make? My daughter comes first... so should she need me... she always comes first.. I will not put my goals in-front of her needs... however I have managed to workout 5 days a week for the past 4 months and I still meet her needs. I always can delegate to my husband and it's ok to say that it's my time.

How will I feel once I achieve my goals- I will feel strong, healthy, vibrant and amazing, being in the best shape of my life will give me boundless energy and renewed self confidence. I hope to have an amazing success story that I can share with other women. I want to encourage & inspire family, friends and strangers to be the best they can be.

What will drive me to do what it takes to become a Fit female? what will the repercussions be if you do not meet your goals?  I am a very driven person, and even when my motivation is dragging, I like to be focused on a goal. I do very well at breaking down a goal into baby steps and taking things one day at a time. The repercussions of not meeting my goals will be just the natural consequences of not taking care of my body & health.

come up with a mission statement

Just get started, nothing to it but to do it
Perhaps I am stronger than I think
One day at a time, each workout brings me closer to my goal
a one hour workout is 4% of my day- no excuses. 

Fake out salad

- blog is public for a minute

Back in the day one of my fav restaurant salads was the crispy chicken salad w/ house Ranch. You basically take a healthy salad, top it with cut up fried chicken strips, cheese and house ranch. I knew it was not the healthiest salad... but Hey it's salad? until you look at the nutrition info and faint chick fila crispy chicken salad- 700 cal 53 gm fat- numbers include the ranch dressing packet.

Here is my version of that salad

romaine mix lettuce
3/4 boca burger meatless chicken patty
generous sprinkling of cheddar cheese
cukes/grape tomatoes/red onion
1.5 oz of Kens steakhouse lite ranch dressing


under 300 calories, 14 fat ( numbers include 1.5 oz of Kens lite ranch dressing)

Still just as yummy... much healthier. I could do a fat free ranch and make it even lighter... but I prefer the taste of a light dressing with a little Fat then a FF one.