waaaaaaaa

I'm sucking big time! I have no excuses except that I have to calm down my social life around my busy schedule. I need to do it anyway but MUST buckle down now. I have worked out most of the days I say I will but not cooking at home and going out will ruin anything I have tried to do. This week will be different. I have one lunch that will likely be bad (taco tuesday) but I am locking myself out of anything social until Friday where I plan to celebrate my bff's bday. Saturday night I work so that will keep me good for the most part (at least out of the social drinking world even though there is another birthday I am supposed to stop by on my way home).

This week: (I'm adding personal goals here too because it holds me accountable to myself and I need the structure)

Today: Gym, tan, laundry. Just kidding. No tanning. Maybe no laundry. Plan out vacation for my boss, send itineraries. Lunch with puppies. Read for 1 hour. Clean room. Cook up my cauliflower for dinner. Yum!  So that didn't work out! Got caught up with emails and work this am to help my sister. Did lunch with 2 pregnant gf's and now going to work at the restaurant. I will be up late finishing computer work after closing down the restaurant. Momma needs the money! And I guess walking for a few hours counts to burn calories. Right? ;)

Tomorrow: Breakfast. Gym. Lunch with co-workers. Goodwill to buy birthing books. Work. No more than 1 beer after work. (Sort of a weekly tradition to hang with co-workers on Tuesdays)

Wed: Pack my lunch. Work lunch shift. Davis for badging. Grocery shop. Run at the arboretum. If it's too hot, go to the gym before going home (no sitting down until I've worked out!). Cook a healthy dinner at home. Read 1 hour.

Thursday: Gym. Shakes, make all meals at home. Read 1 hour. Go to class.

Fri: Lunch pilates class. Sauna. Read 1 hour. Dinner with the girls.

Saturday: unknown. Work dinner till close at 11pm.

Sunday: Work morning shift. Hike. walk. golf. enjoy the sun. Something outdoors.

By next Monday I will be back at my weight of 135. Then I can set my intentions for the next week. If I don't keep these promises to myself then what good is my word? I commit to a good week and getting a lot of homework done while also preparing the majority of my meals and shakes. I know things come up and I have training for a new job that hasn't even been scheduled yet so of course things can change but I will do better this week. This I promise! 

Week 1 - Month 3

It's the beginning of our last month together and I want to soak it up and do my best! My challenge to you is to set your monthly and weekly goals. Adjust each week as needed but set some structure for the month. Create a shopping plan, work out plan, what ever plan you need to make this your best month yet. This is the last chance you have to dive into your real issues and work on them with the support of the rest of us.

My monthly goals are as follows:

Do everything at my best. Make each day important and count.

Work out at least 3-4 days a week.

Read more. Study more.

Cook more, eat at work less, more vegetables, less cheese.

Focus on my jobs and the tasks that need accomplishing with the highest of priorities.

My life is likely about to go through a bunch of changes over the next month. I find out today if I get a new job at the airport. If I get it I will be training while working my other waitressing job. My 2nd Doula apprenticeship starts so my time will be quite hectic. My SF condo is also going on the market and I will be getting it ready in 2 weeks. Financially I don't know how I'm going to survive the 2 months following while waiting for escrow to close and putting money in to get it ready for Market. The pay out will be worth it but you can't make it appear out of nowhere. I'm stressed about it. I'm trying not to think about it because I could easily cry. It will all be over before I know it but I will be finding a lot of comfort in our support group in the coming month.

For this week:

Yesterday I went on a great and intense hike with my nephew. I was going to the gym today but I'm actually pretty darn sore! I'm going to do a few minute arm video and work tonight which will be a lot of walking.

Tomorrow I will run around the arboretum in Davis after my 2nd screening at the hospital for my job. I'm meeting an old childhood friend for Happy Hour so my plan is to go after eating something so I don't eat unhealthy and that I have no more then 3 beers and if I eat, I eat a salad.

Thursday - Kickboxing video or run outside - Lunch with my cousin, my 2nd Doula client and then class that night

Friday - Work lunch shift - go back to Doctors in Davis and either run in the arboretum or go to the gym on the way home

Saturday - 5k run in the morning with friends.

Sunday - unknown. Maybe a round of golf.

A nice little article on how not to waste your life: One of them is take care of your body. Good job to us! http://elitedaily.com/life/motivation/youre-wasting-life-afraid-admit/

Another post will be coming soon to announce the winners of last month! Good luck this week ladies!!

Last week, last few days of Month 2, crunch time!

Sorry, I'm writing so late in the week. I can't believe it's already Thursday! I don't think there is much time for a challenge, if you end up getting time to read this at all. We weigh in on Monday again and by the looks of it, we are a skeleton crew crossing the finish line, which means even better chances at the prizes, so find your motivation and kill it!

Last week was pretty bad for me. It started right after I posted my blog (that motivation didn't last long!), I went to meet my sister and friends at the restaurant I work at and ordered nacho's and ate them all! Then the next day, same thing, bad food. Hardly any exercise, lots of bad food, my monthly vistior and now I'm trying to recover. The scaled said I gained 3lbs and I felt like it! It appears I have gotten back to the weight I started this month at. Not sure I will weigh in any less but I did weigh in low, water weight or something, cause I gained 2lbs back the next day. So if I am under 135 then I will have lost something. I think I was so bad because I legitimately got down to 135 and not just a lucky morning on the scale. I was liking it, I felt like I looked good and felt good. So what did I do? Ruin it.

I went for a 40min run on Monday at the park, it was hard, I'm out of shape again, far too quickly. Tuesday I went to the gym and am sore! Wed off. Today I will go to the gym, do the eliptical, the arm cycle machine, stair master and then some weights, finished by a few minutes in the sauna. Tomorrow, repeat or go for a hike/run out in the sunshine. I'm still deciding if I want to do a pub crawl on Saturday or do something healthy and then work that night (So if anybody wants to do something fun and healthy, let's do something!). This week should end up being pretty good. I'm feeling the energy in turning around the damage I've done by getting too excited and too comfortable. I still want another 5lbs gone and know I can do it. I would simply die if I got into the 120's with out the same kind of work I put in to get there before. I like that this time I'm losing and still enjoying my life, I feel like I have continued to make positive changes that are easy to keep up and make a normal part of life, making it so I can stay in a healthy weight.

I think the 2nd month was less exciting for many of us. It's hard to stay on track for long periods of time, especially if you aren't getting the results you wanted. If this is something you really want and are willing to give yourself the time and energy into, then you have the remainder of the month and 1 more left to do it with us to support you. Don't waste anymore time. Everyday counts! Next month my goal is to give more of me to you. Do more educating, offer more support and lose those last 5lbs myself.

Good luck this week! I'm cheering you on!!

I need a boost too!

I'm slacking and need a boost. I find reasons to eat bad, skip workouts have that 1 extra drink etc. but I want to keep on track, not just for me but for you too. It definitely has it's own pressure added to it, having to sort of be in charge. I don't think I'm going to get to actually writing about each person. It might be hard to line up the time for the "interview" collect a photo, then write and post. So, I was thinking if any of you are so inclined, or willing to share your story and a picture of yourself, that will surely get you a little more connected to your readers.

I have not had the best weekend but until Saturday afternoon I did do pretty well, worked out in the morning, had a shake but went to a baby shower starving and their non-meat options were cheese, crackers and about 5 more types of cheese and crackers. Mixed with some champagne... not such a good day on the calories (considering how much I had to eat to get full). Dinner was pizza after waiting and waiting to eat and trying out 2 different spots, we ended up getting pizza by the slice for a friends bday dinner :(

The remainder of this week I'll be in the clear. No plans for anything fun that will take me off track, the only night I could even think about it is Friday since I work and have school the other nights, so each day I can fit in a solid work out, good meals and get myself back down to the 135 weight on the scale. I'm going to turn this week around!

I know I've mentioned having hot lemon water in the morning before anything else and here is a taste on what the benefits are: http://foodbabe.com/2011/12/27/habits-for-the-new-year-and-beyond-1-drink-lemon-water/

More benefits can be found here:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/11-benefits-lemon-water-you-didnt-know-about.html

I would love to challenge everybody to boost up their lemon intake. I buy lemons in bulk because I get at least 4 extra for free. It's crazy how a bag costs the same as 2 lemons. There really are countless benefits to adding the alkaline back into your body.

Did you also know that cold water is not good for your system and also hard on your body when eating? Your body temperature is much warmer than that water, it has to work to warm it and digest it along with your food and often won't absorb what it needs if it is too cold and passing it through. If you want to give your digestion a boost, then ask for no ice, or even warm/room temp water with your food. After learning this I try not to make my drinks so cold. We are programed that that is the way we like them. In Kenya when it's hot, they drink hot drinks, that's what they are programed to do. We wouldn't even think of it. Our coffees become iced, our waters frozen... but does it actually cool us off if we are taking extra energy away to warm them up? When what your body actually needs is the water to replenish it's own storage through out your body. Food for thought.....

What have you got to lose? Except a few lbs, right?! ;)