6 Months

I cannot believe it has been 6 months since I started my lifestyle change. It feels like it has flown by but at the same time it feels like it has only just begun. I will be the first one to tell you that this past month was difficult. I am not sure why I had such a difficult time staying on track but I do think I allowed stress and life get in the way. I don't consider this past month as a "wash" because I learned from my mistakes and my "bumps" in the road. Unfortunately, life enjoys throwing us curveballs and the only way to survive is to figure out how to deal with these curveballs. I am still learning. I had many "bumps" in my road this past month but I am already moving forward and have had a great start towards this coming month.

Weight lost this month: Stayed the same
Total lost since December 15: -52 lbs

Goals for this month:
-do 1 hour of cardio 3 days a week, 1 1/2 hours of cardio 3 days a week
-Body Combat class every Monday morning and Saturdays when I am in town
-Zumba class on Thursday nights
-Try 2 new recipes each week
-Focus on 1 workout DVD each week at home
-Work a lot on weight training

June 14

The Good: I had an awesome day today. I feel so great getting back into my healthy eating and workout routine. I did 5 miles on the elliptical this morning followed by a 30 minute arm workout that really burned from yesterdays kickboxing class, and then followed all of that by going to a Zumba class tonight. I tried really hard to eat right today which also helped. I had to add a little more to eat that usual because I worked out more than normal. I need to keep some things in my workout bag to eat right afterwards because I was starving this morning after I worked out.

The Bad: I should have been more prepared for snacks today, especially after today when I was starving after doing 5 miles.

The Ugly: I still feel like I am so far away from my goal. Some days I feel confident and others I don't. I am hoping more confident days are coming my way.

June 13

The Good: I went to my WW meeting tonight and I lost 3 pounds to put me back where I was a few weeks ago. The last few weeks have been a roller coaster ride for me. Some days I was counting calories and eating right and then other days...stress took a hold of the wheel and I derailed. I was surprised to see that number tonight because I honestly thought the best I would do is stay the same.

I also started back at the gym today and boy did it feel GREAT! I am telling you that I am slightly addicted to exercising. As hard as it was to get up this morning after going 3 nights without much sleep, it was SO worth it! I tried out a class today called Body Combat. I have been wanting to try this class out but it is only offered during times I can't do it of course. Now that I am on summer break, I am able to get back to working out in the mornings which is awesome. I LOVED Body Combat! It was definitely hard and intense but it felt great! It was basically a kick-boxing class with some good cardio. I am definitely thinking it is going to be one of my new favorites and I plan to take it every Monday morning until school starts back. I am taking a Body Pump class in the morning so I am looking forward to that one too!

The Bad: I didn't prepare much for meals this week since Shawn worked all weekend so when I went looking for lunch, I didn't have anything. I took a banana, raspberries and blueberries to the pool today for my lunch but they did not fill me up. I needed something with some substance. I will be sure not to make that mistake again! I also am having a hard time finding something I can take to the pool and the beach with me for lunch. Last week when I went to the beach I took a ham and cheese wrap which was good. I guess I need to make sure I get those ingredients to keep at the house if I know I am going to be at the pool during the day. I did not like how unprepared I felt and I also let myself get too hungry that I wanted to eat everything in sight. Won't make that mistake again!

The Ugly: Tonight after my success at the Weight Watchers meeting, I was not in the mood to cook so I ran by Chick-Fila. I got my usual but I also added a small banana pudding milkshake! Yikes!! I know, bad choice and bad decision but at the time I tried to justify it by telling myself that I worked out and hadn't eaten that many calories today since I didn't eat anything for lunch except fruit. It definitely was delicious but not as good as the amount of calories it has! At least I now can say that I tried it when people talk about how good it is instead of daydreaming about how wonderful it might taste.

A little inspiration from a man who lost 120 pounds!

Check out this incredibly inspirational video about a guy who lost 120 pounds! Definitely makes me want to get up and run tomorrow morning! And...I think I will! :)

Amazing New Find!

The other week my friend, Debra Dele, told me about an awesome water pitcher she bought at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. She was raving about how wonderful it made her water taste only by putting FRESH fruit in the middle of a tube that "leaked" into the water. Crazy idea I know BUT she said it was wonderful! I was so glad she shared this with me because I went out tonight and got one myself. :) I am always up for a fun new way to make something boring, fun and creative! The best part about the whole thing is that it is an ALL NATURAL way to make your water taste delicious. I used to love Crystal Light but after finding out that it is FULL of chemicals, I stopped drinking it and switched to adding fresh lemons to my water. I love that you can add whatever fruit you want to add to the center of it and create all kinds of different flavors for water. The package suggests strawberries, raspberries, lemons, blueberries, watermelon, etc. I look forward to trying LOTS of new combinations this summer! Thanks Debra Dele for the review! :)

Check it out online! Use your 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and you have a great deal on an awesome pitcher.

I'm Back!

Thanks for hanging on for the last week without me. I have had an incredibly crazy last week but it has been a fun one. :) I will be honest and say that I have not stuck to any plan for the last week and have not counted calories at all. I am going to get back on track tomorrow. I got through the end of the year at school, moving classrooms, going on family vacation, and welcoming a new niece into the world. I am ready to get back on track with my eating, counting calories, and working out. My goal is to lose 20-30 pounds by the time school starts in August. I am READY to MAKE IT HAPPEN! I am looking forward to setting up my gym schedule next week and deciding what my summer workout schedule will look like. Right now, I am thinking of doing a class in the morning and then cardio in the evenings depending on Shawn's work schedule. If I can't make it to the gym twice on a day, I will use one of my workout videos at home and/or my Wii fitness games. I will do my best to keep a log of my workout schedule this summer. :) I hope everyone is having a wonderful week so far and I look forward to losing more weight this summer! :)

Absence...

I am so sorry for my absence this week. This is the last week of school and it is full of moving classrooms, boxing up my things, report cards, permanent records, enjoying my last few days with my students, making their end of the year gifts, organizing the mess that I created throughout the year, etc. I am extremely exhausted and ready for next week to be here so I can relax and get back to my routine. Unfortunately, this week I had to put SOME of my healthy habits aside and create alternate plans to get through the week. Putting in back to back to back 12 hour days does not motivate me to go home and workout and/or cook so I have missed the gym this week :( and we have eaten dinner out every night. Not the best thing at all to do but at the same time, I honestly don't know how I could do anything else this week. I will get back on my program Sunday! Gym time and healthy eating time! Looking forward to this summer so I can workout, take more classes at the gym, try new recipes, create new recipes, and organize our house. :)

Please excuse me from updating until Saturday or Sunday! I have a few more days of mayhem before I get back to my life. :)