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!