little progress is still progress.

For the past 4 weeks, I've been doing Jamie Eason's LiveFit program.

On Sunday, I completed Phase 1. I'm happy to say that I didn't miss one workout in the past 4 weeks. I even bought a day pass to a gym when I was out of town for the weekend so I could still get in my workout.

During Phase 1, the workouts focus on weight lifting with no cardio. This was new to me and at first I thought it was strange. But I soon found out that I love weight lifting and skipping cardio wasn't so bad either.

The LiveFit program also focuses on eating clean and taking supplements. Although I didn't miss a workout during Phase 1, I did slack on these two.

Monday, I started Phase 2 off with a bang and did back and cardio (Phase 2 cardio is adding back in).

During this phase, I'm hoping to focus more on eating clean (abs are made in the kitchen!).

LiveFit 12 week trainer.

I've decided to try Jamie Eason's LiveFit 12-week trainer program.

It's a 3-phase program that focuses on training, nutrition and supplements and the best part is it's completely FREE.

It's all planned out too! It offers daily workouts and meal/recipe ideas. There are also a lot of videos to help explain exercises and to help motivate during each week.

Today, is day #1 for me!

Some main points:
-  eat within 1 hour of waking up
-  eat 5-6 small meals a day (every 3 hours)
-  take a multivitamin
-  take one tablespoon of fish oil or flaxseed daily

This weekend I went grocery shopping to stock up on healthy food.

Then my boyfriend came over and we meal prepped for the week. We made: rhubarb muffins, homemade salsa, zucchini/turkey burgers, homemade granola bars, protein pancakes, lemon tilapia, baked chicken, hawaiian chicken & cut up veggies!

homemade salsa, protein pancakes, chicken breasts (for wraps)

fresh cut veggies & bananas

It took a couple of hours to prepare everything but it will save a lot of time during the week!

This morning I woke up and weighed myself and checked my body fat% and BMI.

After eating a quick breakfast, I walked to my gym and did the first workout (chest & triceps). I was quite nervous at first. I've lifted a couple times with my boyfriend but never by myself. But after asking the guy at the desk and walking around and checking stuff out, I started to feel more confident.

I completed the entire workout and felt great after!

My goals for this week are:
-  have 1 fruit & vegetable every day
-  no pop
-  do all my LiveFit workouts in the morning before work

I'm excited to start this new program!

something has to change.

I'm happy to say that I reached my goal this past week of going 5 days without sweets & pop. I went from Tuesday to Saturday.

I went home for the weekend and that was the hardest. When I got home on Friday, my dad offered me million dollar bars... blondie crust bottom, a layer of caramel and then a layer of chocolate on the top. They looked amazing but I resisted.

Then Saturday, we celebrated my brother's birthday as a family. My mom made homemade chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It was served with vanilla ice cream. I resisted and had a bowl of cantaloupe instead... there's a first time for everything!

It felt great to be able to resist things and work on having stronger will power.

Sunday, I had sweets. I don't think I over did it but I definitely enjoyed it.

Then I weighed myself Monday morning... I had gained a little weight.

It made me so mad. I've been gaining a little bit here and there each week and I've been in a great habit of working out 3-4 times a week.

That's when I realized it's time... it's time to change up something and that something is food.

I'd like to continue to workout but now I'd like to focus a little more on what I'm eating.

will power.

Today is the 3rd day with no sweets (for my 5 day no sweets goal).

To make this goal really easy, I wouldn't ever be around sweets therefore not being tempted.

But... that's not reality and that wouldn't help with having better will power.

Here were some big temptations so far:

     -  Day #1: One of my friends is moving and wants to get rid of a bunch of her stuff. She invited some of her friends over to see if we wanted anything before she donated it to the thrift store. When I got there (around 9pm), I saw that she had a bunch of snacks and drinks on the table... pop, funfetti dip, graham crackers, chips & salsa, iced popcorn, plain popcorn, etc. It all looked so good. I bypassed the table and went into the living room to look at the things she had set out to give away. A couple of girls were chatting and snacking on the delicious looking funfetti dip. I wanted that dip so bad and a pop. I resisted both and opted for some chips and salsa and some plain popcorn.

     -  Day #2: An hour into work, one of my coworkers brought in a big box of fresh donuts to my office. He said "take your pick." They looked and smelled amazing. I remembered my goal and politely declined (telling him about my 5 day no sweets goal). I decided to eat my peach instead. As I was walking to the bathroom to rinse it off, some of the guys saw me and started teasing me... "look at these tasty donuts"... "just eat one"... "don't they smell amazing"... I just laughed it off. Usually the donuts get devoured right away (and I just have to resist for an hour or so). But yesterday they didn't... they sat on the counter almost all afternoon. They just stared at me every time I walked by them to go to the bathroom or fill up my water bottle.

In the end, regardless of the temptation I faced, I was strong and didn't give in to it.

I'm sure each day of this challenge will be hard (each with different temptations).

I'm so glad I'm doing it though! Here's to another day being strong, resisting temptation and having better will power!

day #1 - no sweets.

I have a bad sweet tooth and need to work on getting it under control.

Back in March, I achieved my goal of going 5 days without sweets. It was hard and I almost gave in a couple of times. But when I accomplished my goal, it felt great!

So today marks the first day of no sweets. My goal is to go 5 days without sweets. I would like to eventually go 10 days but I'm starting small and working my way up.

I'm telling myself I don't want or need the following things:
     -  ice cream
     -  chocolate
     -  pop & sugary drinks
     -  candy
     -  donuts

Here's to day #1!

workout buddy.

Today, I am so thankful for a workout partner!

My friend Jeanne and I both are trying to get into better shape. We both have YMCA memberships and for the past month or so we've been trying to get into a routine of working out together in the morning before work.

Last night we planned to both go to an hour long Body Pump class at 5:45am.  My plan was to walk to the gym (1 mile), go to class and then walk back home. Then I proceeded to stay up too late watching a movie.

When my alarm went off at 5am, I snoozed it. At 5:30am, I started writing a text to Jeanne. It went something like this... "good morning. I stayed up to late and won't be able to make it to class this morning..." I just laid there in bed looking at my phone.

Then I remembered why I was doing this. I remembered I told her I would be there. I remembered how good I feel after a morning workout. I remembered that I want this... I want to lose weight and become healthier.

And with that, I deleted the text and got out of bed. Because I snoozed too long, I wasn't able to walk to the gym. But I'm so glad that I got of bed and worked out!

I never regret a workout when it's done and I'm all sweaty!

So... I'm so thankful for having a workout partner to help keep me motivated and accountable!

july 1st.

Happy 1st day of July!

It's a new month and that means new goals with renewed motivation!

I woke up this morning ready to take on the day. I went to an hour Body Pump class before work even!

When I got to work, there was a big box of donuts on the counter.... I resisted and before I knew it, they were all gobbled up... problem solved!

I decided to create 4 goals. I made these little charts and every day this month (that I follow my goal), I'll put a sticker on it!

I don't have a goal of how many days I'd like to follow my goals (ideally every day). I'm starting out small and hoping at the end of the month there are more sticker days than not.

10k race.

One month ago, on May 18th, I ran my 3rd 10k in the Fargo Marathon.

My goal was to beat my fastest time of 1 hour and 7 minutes.

Although I didn't beat my fastest time, I was quite happy with my time of 1 hour and 8 minutes.

I ran the first 5 miles without stoping and then walked/ran the last 1.2 miles.

Regardless of my time, I'm glad that I completed another race!

hydrate: drink water.

Drinking water is extremely important to our health!

Water Fun Facts:
   -  about 2/3 of our bodies consist of water
   -  every cell in our bodies NEED water
   -  water helps to replenish & moisturize skin & increases skin elasticity
   -  drinking water raises your metabolism because it aids in digestion
   -  drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu

So each day, make a conscious effort to drink more water... your body with love you for it!

 *facts and info were obtained from: Top 11 Benefits of Drinking Water and How*

two miles.

Earlier in the week, I made plans with a friend to run at 6am this morning.

Before going to bed, I set 3 alarms. After the 2nd one went off, I reluctantly rolled out of bed.

I met my friend at the gym and we ran 2 miles and walked a half of a mile.

Those 2 miles were hard... I kept wanting to stop and I ran them at an 11 minute mile pace.

But I kept going... I kept going because I saw my friend easily running along beside me at a 9.5 minute mile pace... because I knew I could do it... because I have a 10k race in 45 days... because it's not about how fast you run, it's THAT you run!

I'm happy I finished my 2 mile run without stopping!

my numbers.

This weekend I met with a wellness coach & had a wellness profile done.

Here were my results: (Saturday, April 13 @ 11:00am)

Weight: 212.2 lbs.
BMI: 30.5
Body Fat Percentage: 37.0
Skeletal Muscle Percentage: 28.7
Resting Metabolism: 1813
Body Age: 38
Visceral Fat Level: 6

(I'm 25 years old and 5 feet 10 inches tall)

What my numbers mean....

Weight: I'm considered obese
BMI: I'm considered obese
Body Fat Percentage: I'm considered obese
Skeletal Muscle Percentage: I'm in the normal range (yay!)
Resting Metabolism: I'm in the normal range
Body Age: YIKES!
Visceral Fat Level: I'm considered low risk

 

Seeing my numbers and hearing the word obese over and over, was quite depressing (to say the least). It was just the rude awakening I needed! I know I've gained weight but I never thought I was obese. Being obese has a lot of health risks attached to it and that scares me.

 

But then I realized... I did this to myself (no one else). And I'm the only one that can change this (and take the weight off).

 

So instead of getting down (and reaching for some comfort food), I'm going to make this fuel that feeds the fire under me!

 

I'm hoping to have these same numbers checked monthly and hopefully they'll improve!

gotta put in the effort.

The past 3 weeks had been going good but then this last week... I took a break from eating right and trying to change my habits into healthy ones and it showed...

When I weighed myself this morning, I had gained 2.2 lbs since last week.

It made me so mad! I had been an track and so close to losing a total of 10 lbs since the new year and then this...

I was pretty bummed. I made a protein shake for breakfast and went online. One of the first things I saw was this picture...

 

It was exactly what I needed to see. I didn't see the results I wanted to see because I simply didn't put in the work or effort.

 

I don't want to dwell on this downfall, but I want it to remind me that each day is a new day and that I need to keep focused on my goals. I can't afford to take breaks from the healthy lifestyle I'm working towards!

no excuses.

Should I workout today?

I found this picture online and thought I'd share... no excuses, just get up and do it!

hot yoga.

On Friday, I went to my first hot yoga class and this morning (6am), I went to my second class.

I'm really starting to enjoy it!

Before going, I'd only done yoga once or twice, so I was a little unsure at first. We did yoga positions in a room that was heated to 85 or 95 degrees. I love the heat... creates a good sweat!

I plan on going back for the 6am Friday class!

benefits of hot yoga:

   -  your heart can work the same way doing yoga postures in a heated room as it does when running a mile, and you never even leave your mat (yoganonymous)
   -  the way you stretch and compress your internal organs and glands also stimulates metabolism so you are burning calories quicker outside the room as well (yoganonymous)
   -  the postures themselves are detoxifying for your muscles, organs, and glands and sweating furthers that (yoganonymous)
   -  as you sweat, your pores are opened and cleaned allowing natural lanolin to release through the pores, softening and preserving your skin’s elasticity (bikram yoga)
   -  warm muscles burn fat more easily as the heat flushes and detoxifies the body (bikram yoga)
   -  your cardiovascular system is worked and strengthened therefore, the more weight loss benefits you will receive (bikram yoga)

10 lbs reward.

One of my goals in 2013 is to lose 35 lbs but I have to start somewhere and 10 lbs is the first big milestone to reaching that goal.

Once I've lost 10 lbs. I'm going to reward myself!

I haven't quite decided what my prize will be but here are two ideas so far...

motivation monday.

Regardless of how your weekend was... let's start this week off on the right foot!

fit friday.

The weekends can be tough to stick to routines and healthy eating.... so here are some pictures to keep you motivated to stick to your goals this weekend!

Make it a great weekend!

food prep.

"The key to staying on track is planning and preparation."

This week I wanted to set myself up for success. Sunday night I went grocery shopping. Then I spent a little time in the kitchen preparing the food I would take to work each day.

I bought a big tub of yogurt (cheaper) and divided it up into smaller 1 cup serving containers. I cut up a bunch of celery and carrots and divided them up into smaller bags. I made my own veggie dip (plain Greek yogurt and an organic ranch packet).

Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt
Simply Organic Ranch Dip mixed with Nostimo Plain Greek Nonfat Yogurt

 

In all, it didn't take very long to do BUT it made a huge difference. Each morning when I was getting ready for the day, all I had to do was make my sandwich and then grab a yogurt, some veggies and dip.

I'm hoping to continue learning more about food prep.

When I'm hungry, I want to eat now! So if I have to take the time to make something, I usually skip it and go to the 'quick fix foods.' And having healthy foods around, already prepared will help with this!

Here's to planning and preparation!

 

goals for april.

New month, new goals!

This month, I'm going to track my goals a little differently. I came up with 4 things I'd like to work on [squats, pushups, planks and exercise].

When setting new habits or trying new things, it's important to ease into them and to leave yourself a little wiggle room while still remaining challenging.

I have 4 goals each day....
   -   50 squats
   -   10 pushups (knee version for now)
   -   1 minute plank
   -   30 minutes of exercise

I'm a visual person so here's the tracker I created.

Each day, I will put an X on the picture if I've done it and the amount I've done underneath. My goal is to get 85% each week and overall 85% for the whole month.

I'm ready to get after it!

march overview.

March was a good month... from March 1st to April 1st, I lost 2.8 lbs [for a total of 6.2 lbs]!

These were my goals for March:
   1 - 45 squats a day (with 3 rest days in the month) this is on top of any workouts that I do!
   2 - go 5 days in a row without eating sugar (ice cream, chocolate, candy, etc.)
   3 - be active at least 4 days a week
   4 - do 5 miles of cardio a week

Did I reach my goals?
   1 - check!
   2 - check!
   3 - no
   4 - no

These were my work goals for March:
   1 - drink 4 bottles of water
   2 - sit on my Bosu ball for 30 minutes
   3 - drink 1 cup of green tea
   4 - go up & down stairs 8 times
   (do the following things 4 of the 5 days a week)

Did I reach my work goals?
   1 - check!
   2 - no
   3 - check!
   4 - check!

Although I only made 50% of my goals and 75% of my work goals, March was my best month so far!

In March, I tried to make healthier food choices little by little.

Eating right is the biggest challenge for me. I'm looking forward to April and what it brings!

down six.

I'm happy to announce that as of January 1st, I've lost 6.4 lbs!

I'm always excited about any amount of weight lost... that being said, this is a big step in the right direction for me!

I feel that losing 5 lbs can be done fairly easily... you can alter a couple things and you're down 5 lbs. But getting above and beyond the 5 lbs is a challenge [for me anyways]. It takes a greater commitment and the start to makring healthier habits.

one goal? check.

One of my goals this month was to go 5 days in a row without eating sweets... and last week I accomplished that goal!

Each day I made my goal, I felt on top of the world. So glad I showed restraint and will power to achieve this goal!

I must say though... that I did enjoy a couple Girl Scout cookies on Saturday!

sweet victory.

Today is day #5 (of my no sweets for 5 days challenge)! I've survived the past 4 days!

It hasn't been easy but it hasn't been as hard as I thought either.

Yesterday I had a big victory!

One of my coworkers went to Subway for lunch and came back with chocolate chip cookies for my coworkers and I. When he handed me mine (which I knew I couldn't have), I didn't want to be rude and decline (or explain my challenge) so I graciously took the delicious looking cookie.

I told myself that instead of throwing it away, I was going to bring it home to my boyfriend. So there it was sitting next to me on my desk at work... just staring at me with its chocolaty goodness.

I let it sit there for a while before realizing I was only taunting myself... so I wrapped it up and put it in my purse.

I'm happy to say that I didn't eat the cookie and in fact did give it to my boyfriend (while he enjoyed it, I ate some gluten free pretzels).

I'm glad I overcame my urge to eat it and became one day closer to going 5 days without sweets!

 

 

one day down.

Yesterday was day #1 of no sugar for 5 days in a row. I would like to go a full week  or even a month without sugar but I'm starting small.

During the day it wasn't too hard. I had a protein shake for breakfast. I brought peanuts for a morning snack at work and a sandwich and greek yogurt for my lunch. For supper my boyfriend made a cajun cream sauce that he served with shrimp and spinach noodles. It was fabulous!

At home in the evening proved to the most challenging time... Right when I walked in the door I almost grabbed a Thin Mint cookie before realizing. Later I was staging some photos for my new business (Reborn Boutique) and made a cup of hot cocoa to use in one of the pictures. After photographing it, I brought it up to my mouth before realizing.

I tried to keep myself busy (or occupied) for the rest of the evening so I wouldn't want or be tempted by the sweets in my apartment.

But I'm happy to say, I did it!! I survived day number one of no sweets!

**For these 5 days of NO SUGAR, I am NOT allowing myself to eat sweets (ice cream, chocolate, pop, sugary drinks, hot chocolate, candy, cookies, donuts, etc.) I am allowing myself to eat things that have sugar in them though (greek yogurt, peanut butter, fruit, graham crackers etc.) Maybe eventually I will be at the point of eliminating most sugar from my diet but this in itself will be a big enough challenge and I'm hoping it will curb my sweet tooth.

goals for march.

It's that time again... new goals for a new month!

a quick review of my New Year's Resolutions...
1- become healthier
2- become more toned
3- lose 35 pounds

So keeping my resolutions in mind, I've come up with the following goals...

March goals:
1- 45 squats a day (with 3 rest days in the month) this is on top of any workouts that I do!
2- go 5 days in a row without eating sugar (ice cream, chocolate, candy, etc.)
3- be active at least 4 days a week
4- do 5 miles of cardio a week

and I'm keeping my work goals the same:
1- drink 4 bottles of water
2- sit on my Bosu ball for 30 minutes
3- drink 1 cup of green tea
4- go up & down stairs 8 times
(do the following things 4 of the 5 days a week)

I'm excited to start the new month!

february overview.

February was a good month for working out and getting back into running but was a bad month for eating...

These were my goals for February:
1- squats (1st week 25/day, 2nd week 30/day, 3rd week 35/day, 4th week 40/day, 5th week 45/day... with 3 rest days in the month) this is on top of any workouts that I do!
2- be active at least 4 days a week
3- do 5 miles of cardio a week
4- lose 5 pounds

Did I reach my goals?
1- check!
2- no (missed 1 week)
3- no (missed 1 week)
4- no

These were my work goals for February:
1- drink 4 bottles of water
2- sit on my Bosu ball for 30 minutes
3- drink 1 cup of green tea
4- go up & down stairs 8 times
(do the following things 4 of the 5 days a week)

Did I reach my work goals?
1- check!
2- no
3- no (missed 1 week)
4- no (missed 1 week)

I met 1 of my 4 goals for the month (for work as well). I'm so happy that I made my squats goal for the month! This was a challenge but I turned it into a big achievement. Some nights I would be curled up in bed ready to fall asleep and remember that I hadn't did my squats and would get out of bed and do them!

I was active 19 of the 28 days this month (67.8%)!! Last month it was only 45%. I feel that I've gotten stronger and find that I enjoy working out again and it's become apart of my routine (which I love!). 

Looking back over the month, I'm bummed I didn't lose any weight (and in fact gained weight from last month). But it just goes to show how important good eating is! I love the pciture below... so true!

getting started: cleaning eating.

I've heard some here and there about 'clean eating' and decided to look into it a little further.

I found this great site (The Gracious Pantry) that has so much info about it... how to get started, recipes, shopping lists, etc.

It inspired me to get started... and thus begins the process of starting to eat clean.

Main concepts of clean eating:

1. Avoid processed foods (remove chemicals from your diet and body and focus on your overall health)
2. Eat lots of plants (fruits & veggies straight from nature)
3. Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher (avoid buying pre-packaged meats)
4. Eat grains that are still complete (brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains)
5. Read labels & eat fewer ingredients... try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients and if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body
6. Eat 5-6 small meals per day

"Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts."

It mentioned that the best way to transition your fridge & pantry over to clean foods is to buy clean foods once your normal foods run out. That way it's a slower transition and isn't so overwhelming (or costly) all at once.

I decided to order some 'staple' foods from Vitacost to start building my clean pantry.

 

Simply Organic Garlic 'N Herb

YS Eco Bee Farms Raw Honey

Eden Foods Organic Black Beans

Bob's Red Mill Soy Protein Powder

Eden Foods Organic Garbanzo Beans

Westbrae Natural Dijon Style Mustard
Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat Pasta Elbows
Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta Spaghetti Style
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats
Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter Dark Roasted Creamy

eating & working out.

I weighed myself yesterday and was a bit disappointed... although I should've known it was coming...

I started off the year with a good first month (losing just over 4 pounds). I was very happy with this number since I realize that losing weight (the right way) takes time.

But so far in February, I've gained some of that weight back and haven't been able to lose any.

I looked at my weekly weigh-ins and my workout check list.... and it didn't appear to add up.

For the past 6 weeks, I've been pretty faithful about working out at least 4 times a week and yet I'm not losing weight.

Then it dawned on me... FOOD!

I've been focusing on working out but have paid little attention to what I'm putting in my body... and these two things go hand in hand.

So I'd like to now start looking at the food (and amounts) I'm eating.

There are two magnets on the fridge at joefitness (where I have Bootcamp class) that I enjoyed... I think I might need to buy these and put them on my fridge as a reminder.

10k training.

Yesterday, was day #1 of my 10k training. I've decided to try and follow the program below (so I walked 20 minutes).

Since my goal is to try and get a 'personal best' for time this year, I figured I needed to get into training and be serious about it.

A friend of mine also signed up for the 10k, so I'm hoping we can encourage and keep each other motivated (and maybe do some runs together).

So here goes it... week #1 of training!

goals for february.

One month of the new year is behind me and I'm on to the second one.

With that comes new goals and the reviewing of my New Year's Resolutions...

Here were mine:
1- become healthier
2- become more toned
3- lose 35 pounds

So keeping my resolutions in mind, I've come up with the following goals...

February goals:
1- squats (1st week 25/day, 2nd week 30/day, 3rd week 35/day, 4th week 40/day, 5th week 45/day... with 3 rest days in the month) this is on top of any workouts that I do!
2- be active at least 4 days a week
3- do 5 miles of cardio a week
4- lose 5 pounds
(I'm also going to try and keep doing this one: don't eat McDonald's or any burger type fast food)

Work goals:
1- drink 4 bottles of water
2- sit on my Bosu ball for 30 minutes
3- drink 1 cup of green tea
4- go up & down stairs 8 times
(do the following things 4 of the 5 days a week)

I weighed myself this morning and I weighed 211.4 lbs (down 4.4 lbs).

"Results will show up when you do"
- Jill Koenig

january overview.

January had some ups and downs but I'm glad I stuck it out!

These were my goals for January:
1- lose 5 pounds
2- be active at least 4 days a week
3- drink aloe vera juice 3 times a week
4- don't eat McDonald's or any burger type fast food

Did I reach my goals?
1- no
2- no (missed 1 week)
3- no (missed 1 week)
4- check!

I met 1 of my 4 goals for the month. Looking back over the month, I'm bummed I didn't make more of my goals (especially losing 5 lbs).

On a positive note, I was active 14 out of 31 days this month (45%)! I think I've gotten into a better routine about working out and can feel that I'm getting stronger.

I'm a very visual person and my monthly calender (below) helped me to stay on track and see my goals.

This week I had a couple low points....
- one day at work I had 2 bags of cheese puffs
- someone told me that I'm a 'big girl' and that I'll probably struggle with weight my whole life
- went to Pizza Ranch and ate a ton of pizza at their buffet

I recognize these low points BUT refuse to let them define me. In fact, I don't want to focus on them but hope I can turn them into things that motivate me to push harder.

The HARDER the STRUGGLE the more GLORIOUS the TRIUMPH!

january: new things.

I like to try new things and have decided to jot down the new things I've tried each month. I'll try to make them health/fitness related.... but we'll see.

New things I've tried in January:
- kombucha - Organic Raw Kombucha Multi-Green
- reflexology with Tanya Fiebiger
- cut beef marrow bones courtesy of Euclid Hall Bar & Kitchen
- dry shampoo - Acure Organics Dry Shampoo

Let's see what February brings!

go far challenge.

For the past two years, I've done the 10k for the Fargo Marathon... and this morning I signed up again... 3rd year in a row!

This year I signed up for the Go Far Challenge. This includes running the 5k race on Friday night and then turning around and running the 10k race on Saturday morning.

I did it last year too... but last year I walked most of the 5k so that I could run most of the 10k.

This year my goal is to try and run both the 5k and the 10k (without stopping).

I also plan on running the 10k faster than 1 hour and 7 minutes (best time so far).

I haven't run for a long time. My goal is that since I signed up, I will start running again.

Let the training begin!

Past Race Results
2012 10k -     1:10:20 (placed 1997 out of 3254)
2012 5k -       0:44:13 (placed 4397 out of 8400)
2011 10k -     1:07:15 (placed 1457 out of 3099)

today is the day.

Today. Today is the day to make that positive choice you've been thinking about but are (or have been) putting off.

I've been guilty (on many occasions) of thinking up this grand, new workout routine or plan but then wait until tomorrow (or Monday) to start.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about today.

Why not start that routine today? Why not make that healthy choice to have water instead of pop today? Why not take the elevator one less time and switch to the stairs today? Why not resist that delicious looking doughnut at work today?

So today I am doing just that!

I've been going to this bootcamp class for a couple weeks now. I usually go to the 5:30pm class, right after work. There aren't any night classes though on Tuesday. So I usually find myself not working out on Tuesdays and considering it my rest day.

On Tuesdays there are morning classes and a noon class. I've told myself over the last couple weeks that sometime I'm going to wake up early and go or go over my lunch break.

Well today I am! Today, (this Tuesday) I will be working out. I brought my workout clothes with me and am going to the noon class over my lunch break.

I'm making my positive choice today. You should too!

"Yesterday you said tomorrow. Just do it!" - Nike

small victories.

Sometimes I have the tendency of dismissing small victories as not being important... but not this year! I've come to realize that small victories are just as important (if not more important than big ones).

This Friday, I had a couple of small victories...

Victory #1 - around 11am on Friday, I started having huge cravings for a pop and some junk food. Thankfully I didn't have any cash on me (for the pop or candy machine). But our office is less than half of a mile from a gas station. Multiple times, I contemplated quickly driving to it and picking up a snack... BUT I resisted!

I ended up leaving work early (around 3pm). My plans were to head home for the weekend (3.5 hour drive) and have a girl's night with my sister.

I don't know what it is about car rides, but I always find myself snacking. But Friday, I didn't! Although when I left work, I was still craving a pop and a snack, I didn't get one! I had already filled up on gas the night before (so I wouldn't need to stop). I had to stop and use the bathroom once but I decided to stop at a rest stop instead so I wouldn't be tempted to buy something. And I didn't!

Victory #2 - my schedule on Friday was pretty full and I didn't foresee having time for a workout. So I decided to do a car workout.

I started at mile marker #27. For 1-2 miles I would do an exercise, then I would rest for 1 mile, and then I would do a different exercise for 1-2 miles, and then rest for a mile and so on.

I did this for 110 miles! The exercises I did were simple and not very strenuous... quick feet, high kneels, bicep curls, abs, shoulder presses, calf raisers, etc (I'm sure people driving by thought I was nuts...).

I didn't count this as a workout for the week but it did make the time pass faster and I hope I burned some calories!

So instead of falling into my usual bad habit of snacking in the car (consuming calories), I made a couple positive choices and hopefully burned calories instead!

"Good habits are as addictive as bad habits, and a lot more rewarding"

green tea.

This week, I've been trying to drink tea at work... more specifically, green tea!

I've never been much (if any) of a coffee drinker and a lot of people drink it at work. We have a special little area for our coffee and all the different flavored creamers. The Administrative Assistant and I were talking and she ended up ordering a new pot for tea and a bunch of different kinds of teas.

While at work, I try to only drink water... that way I get my needed H2O for the day. But water can get boring and I find myself wanting a pop or something different. So I'm hoping that with our new supply of tea, I'll turn to that instead.

I've always heard positive things about green tea and that it has many health benefits.

- "studies suggest that green tea extract may boost metabolism and help burn fat"
- "drinking at least two cups of green tea daily inhibits cancer growth"
- "green tea and its extract have been shown to fight obesity and lower LDL 'bad' cholesterol"
- "incorporating at least a few cups of green tea every day will positively affect your health"

Part of being healthier is trying new things... and I'm excited about green tea! I'm glad there are potential health benefits (and if not, it'll at least be a positive alternative to the Dr. Pepper I turn to).

So far today I've already had two cups of green tea today (Bigelow Green Jasmine Tea)!

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/health-benefits-of-green-tea

the gym.

Last week was a bit of a struggle to get to the gym!

I didn't even make it to the gym once and I didn't workout at home... ugh!

In my defense though... Monday I was on vacation and Wednesday & Thursday I stayed home from work because I came down with the flu and was feeling pretty crummy. Luckily, I was able to get into the doctor and get some medicine. So this past weekend I spent relaxing and trying to get better.

But today is the beginning of week #3... the week where I WILL BE GETTING MY 4 WORKOUTS IN!

I find that when I start the week off by not exercising for a couple of days, it's easier to miss the next 2-3 days and then before I know it, I've missed a whole week of working out.

Well not this week! I packed my workout clothes & tennis shoes this morning before leaving for work. That way I have no excuse to not go to the 5:30pm Bootcamp Class.

I had a bad week but I'm not letting it ruin my whole month. I'm making the change today and getting back at it!

it starts in the store.

Sometimes I forget that a lot of the time, our eating starts in the store.

What I mean by that is... if I didn't buy junk in the store, I wouldn't have junk at home, and therefore wouldn't snack or eat junk as much.

So I decided to restock my fridge with some healthy options... and this is what I got!

- cucumber
- carrots
- celery
- lemons
- bananas
- cantaloupe
- blueberries
- eggs
- organic soymilk
- pepper jack cheese
- sliced deli ham
- Greek yogurt (coconut & blueberry)
- pistachios
- 7 grain bread
- salsa

happy new year.

It's been a great start to the new year! My boyfriend (Joey) & I went to Denver for a week to visit my friend (Megan) and Joey's sister & husband (Darika & Rob) and his dad (Joe). We were in Denver from January 1-7.

I'm happy to say that during my 7 day vacation, I worked out or was active 4 days. I think this was the first vacation in a long time that I tried to make a conscious effort to be active.

Day 1: no workout (travel day)
Day 2: 20 minute circuit workout
Day 3: 20 minute circuit workout & 3.8 mile trail walk
Day 4: 20 minute circuit workout
Day 5: 14 minute run, 4 minute walk & 1.4 mile hike
Day 6: no workout
Day 7: no workout

I'm glad that even though I was on vacation, I started working on my New Year's Resolutions.

Speaking of which... here are mine:
1- become healthier
2- become more toned
3- lose 35 pounds

I know becoming healthier & more toned are vague but I did that on purpose. I read somewhere that instead of having a couple New Year's Resolutions only, people should set monthly goals that line up with their resolutions. This way they can meet their goals on a smaller scale while staying focused on their resolutions throughout the year. I love this idea and am going to do it!

So for January, here are my goals:
1- lose 5 pounds
2- be active at least 4 days a week
3- drink aloe vera juice 3 times a week
4- don't eat McDonald's or any burger type fast food

Week 1 Overview:
- worked out 4 times
- didn't drink any aloe vera (because I was on vacation)
- didn't eat at McDonald's or any burger type fast food place
- positive attitude towards becoming healthier & ready for the changes needed to get there!

I'm ready to dive into week #2!