A Little Reflection

So like any normal human being, I'm going to touch on some highlights of my year as it winds down quickly.  I'm not the type of person that judges their life progress year by year, but it IS good to reflect on lessons, memories, progress, and life overall.

One of the first things I started up in January was my workout jar.  I rewarded myself with a dollar every time I got in a workout of 30 mins or more.  I had hoped to make a bit more, but considering all the hiccups I ran into this year I don't think I did too shabby.

I ended up earning $140 for the entire year up to today.  That means I worked out on 38% of the days this year!  That's a lot more than I could have hoped!  Now that it's all counted up, I can spend it on whatever I want or I can choose to just add to the jar through 2014.  I chose to splurge on myself and will be getting the Fitbit Force delivered to me in the next couple of weeks!

I can't wait to get it and try it out!  My walking buddy was given a Fitbit as well for Christmas so I'm itching to get mine so we can compare daily activity!  The remainder of my money will be kept in the jar to add to 2014's earnings.  I believe I will continue my same deal.  $1 for every workout over 30 mins and something I added in September is I will earn $5 for every 5k I walk or run. :)

 Susan G. Komen 5k

Ugly Sweater Run 5k

The other thing I did through out the year was I worked on my Motivation Board on Pinterest!   That was one of the mini challenges or suggestions of some sort from the Shrinking Jeans.  I love adding to it as I happen to come across workout plans or quotes that move me in some way!  I felt it was a great boost to my "feel good" senses.  I highly recommend everyone make one and add to it as things catch your eye!

My year came with stress like any sane or not so sane person.  I fell victim to them rather than fighting through them and while I can proudly say I did as much as I did, I cannot proudly say I did my best or gave it my all.  But I'm choosing to focus on the first part.  I did accomplish a lot this year.  My knowledge of fitness and health has grown immensely!  I will forever be grateful for the knowledge gained and look forward to adding more to it!

I am ending the year with more weight on than I started the year off with.  It's due to a lot of factors, none of which deserve to be written down as an excuse.  I know what happened and I know I'm trying and that's all that matters.  It's a health journey, not just a weight loss journey.  I do hope to see some changes in my body this coming year as I buckle down now that I don't have school stealing my focus on my off time! :) It's just important to remember that everything worth while takes time and effort.  I'm willing to put in the time.

This next year I'm hoping to go about things a little bit different, maybe a little stronger, a little tougher on myself.  Looking back on my Jan. posts, I feel like I just didn't have the hang of things yet.  But as the year went by, I got more comfortable in my skin, in my blogging, in sharing what needs to be shared, in motivating.  I hope I can continue doing these things, and learn to do it all even better!

Thank you to all that read my blog.  I certainly write for myself but I write for others too.  I feel blessed to be considered motivation for anyone!  I hope to expand my readers a bit more in 2014 as well so if anyone feels the urge to share, by all means please do!

2014 will be kicked off with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans weight loss boot camp.  I will not be participating in the dietbets as they tend to stress me out more than they help but I will be doing the weigh ins, the challenges, the projects, etc.  I look forward to seeing old and new names and faces as we all take 2014 head on by force!  I also HIGHLY recommend following these awesome ladies because they have a lot to share and they are amazing supporters!

And my last words of blog wisdom for 2013 to push us forward into 2014 will be:

Playing Catch Up! November and December!

Well it's not QUITE 2014 but since I had the spare time I figured I'd pick back up on my blogging.  A TON has happened in the last month and a half and with finals and graduation, I just didn't have the time to even think about blogger even existing!  So here we go!

At the end of November, Zach and I walked the Ugly Sweater Run 5k with a bunch of friends.  It was REALLY cold and overcast all day but we had a blast.  We ended up going out to lunch afterwards and then everyone went their separate ways, but those few hours together meant a lot.  It was such an awesome experience to have a lot of love and support there.  Two of our friends, Sean and Lisa, actually run 5k's and half marathons, so they ran and waited for us at the finish line which was pretty cool too.  They joined back up with us and went across the finish line again.  Here are some pictures from that:

 Working on our Ugly Sweaters!

 Zach actually decorated his own!

 Mine, front and back

 Here's the group! Left to Right: Lisa, Sean, Zach, Me, Amy, Hada, and Scott right up front.

 Getting toasty by the fire!  So many photo op's here!

Amy and Hada had headbands on so they pinned their hats on their back like bunny tails!

 The starting line with some random guy who shorted out the whole system.  The inflatable start line even started to deflate!  Good thing they got it back up and running quickly!

 Another photo op that caused a traffic jam.

 My tree in action! *sporting my Active Accessories Pouch that I LOVE!*

 At this photo op, they even had a snow blower for the pictures!

 Finish line pics!

Lisa and Sean had finished the race like 30 mins before this shot so I made them take the picture of us : /  Wish we had gotten them in here too!

Now on to why I've been such a slacker!  My college graduation!  It's been 7 years of ups, downs, and everything else but I finally made it!!!  Finals and the looming senioritis are what benched my time for blogging.  Here are a few graduation pics :)

 I was the last to walk the stage for my College (Criminology and Criminal Justice)

 Family above and my friends who came below :)

Zach and I :)

Now that we have that out of the way!  The last thought I have to share is that I had to take a step back from all my crazy walking.  I was trying to walk minimum 3 miles a day 3-5 times a week if I could.  Well that backfired horribly around the end of November.  I developed severe hip pains that I just could not stretch out.  So I took a few weeks to let the flare die down.  I've now started walking with my bestie Amy at work!  We walk during our first 15 min break and then we walk during our 30 min lunch as well.  We're currently averaging just less than 2 miles a day between both walks :)  It's not quite enough but it's a start back into the walking world.  I'm looking forward to doing more 5k's but I think I'll be walking them for quite some time until I can get a handle on this hip situation. : /

 Amy and I rocking out in our Ugly Sweaters at Work!!!

Well I think that's the short and sweet of it.  In the next few days I'll be jumping back into the regular swing of things to kickstart 2014 off right.  I'll tally how much money I earned in 2013 with my money jar (which I used to buy a Fitbit Force!!!)  And I'll get cracking on Jan 1st goals and look back at my letter to myself from last January!  Hope everyone had a great year!  Mine wasn't AS productive as I wanted it to be, but I was still active for at least a 1/3 of the year! :)

Holy Busy!

Well I have been walking up a storm in the last two weeks!  Last weekend didn't get a post because I was busy walkin' it up in Vegas!

Things have been really good, I've been trying to increase my distance at least once a day.  I have been walking a minimum of 3 miles every time I'm out and about!  Friday I walked 5.2 miles just for fun and I think I could have done more if I had the time. :)

 

(my legs are feeling pretty darn swollen at this point)

This week I will be starting the couch25k program with a friend! I am excited to start picking the pace up even more.  Let's hope my knees behave. : /  If you've never heard of it, I highly recommend looking into it!  The company also has a great phone app to help you train!

My Run for Your Life 5k was actually cancelled last minute.  That's why I ended up in Vegas last weekend.  The company went out of business.  But after all the plans for Vegas were in the making, some kind company picked up the event for free.  I was not able to attend. :(  But I've signed myself up for my first Virtual 5k.  These are super neat!

This 5k is in support of MS and I can do it anytime in December.  They send you a neat medal in the mail and you can post pictures after you run. :)

My dietbet is going well.  It ends on Wed and it's gonna be a close call.  I keep yo-yo'ing around 194 and I need to be under 193.7.  So I'm going to bust my butt for the last couple days to make sure I get my dolla dolla bills ya'll!

My motivation is going pretty well.  I am still having some issues on a day to day basis, but I find that if I have a bad day, I look forward to my walk even more than if I were having a good day :)  it's all about that mindset!  Here's to another busy/successful week!

 

Is it Sunday Already?

Time is just flying by.  I'm not even noticing the details of my weeks because I'm so jam packed with work, and school, and working out, and playing in my kitchen!  This semester has been a blur!

It's 2 weeks into my dietbet, only 16 more days to go!  I'm currently down another 2 pounds!  Woot!  While normally this would have discouraged me, I learned a few helpful tidbits earlier this year.

• Eat what you want.  Restricting your diet so much that you can't have your favorite foods will make you miserable.  Just keep in mind "in moderation."  Don't throw out those leafy greens because all you want are burgers and fries!  This was a particularly hard lesson for me to learn.  I am a cook.  I LOVE to cook, and I do it as often as possible.  At the beginning of the year I felt like the love had been drained out of my cooking because of all the restrictions I had put on myself.  No cheese unless absolutely necessary, cut WAY back on the Mexican foods, go fat free or low fat on the creamy stuff (cream cheese, sour cream) if I was even allowed to have them!  I learned very quickly that if you can't occasionally cook what you want, you won't be happy through your journey to get healthy.
• Muscles weigh a lot.  This is one of those that just gets people down at the beginning of their changes in life.  When people pick up physical activity, they expect immediate results.  The fact of the matter is, you're building muscles you didn't know existed, and they will put more pounds on the scale.  My 2 lbs lost this week would normally feel like a devastation with how hard I'm working, but I know I don't have these muscles in my legs developed much at all so I'm grateful for a negative rather than a positive number on that scale!
• Have Fun!  If you're not having fun, find something else to do.  I have tried a lot of different stuff.  Some for practical reasons (yoga for ease on my joints and injuries) to super duper fat burning (ANY Jillian Michaels DVD).  If you're not smiling at SOME point of your routine, then you're not getting all you can out of it.  I have 2 VERY bad knees.  I have not attempted walking or running for YEARS because of the pain I deal with.  That being said, I have enjoyed my walking for the last two weeks more than anything else I've tried this year.  I've got aches and pains and some frustrations with injuries, but I'm smiling and that makes me want to go out and do it again tomorrow.

It's amazing the little things we learn from ourselves without realizing it until we put it into words.

I'm currently still only walking.  I just don't have the breath, muscle, or endurance to throw some jogging in yet.  (I'm THAT out of shape!)  But that being said, I walked  13.73 miles this week.  I would have done more but I had some issues with my shins and didn't want to overdo myself before the 5k I have coming up on Saturday.

In that 14 miles, 3 of the sessions were full 5k's or more.  I am so proud of my determination rather than being disappointed in my giving up.  I've decided that after this 5k I'm going to do my training right and start the C25K program for the rest of the year to kick off 2014 right.

I want to be a runner.  I want to experience the exhilaration of crossing many finish lines.  I want to feel like I'm actually trying and succeeding. I'm doing, rather than dreaming and I couldn't be more proud of myself.

Here's to another week of walking.

Walkin' a Ton!

Wow what a week it's been!!!!  I started off my week with the AMAZING experience of a 5k walk for breast cancer.  What an awesome kickstart to my dietbet and my dedication is back on track!!!

I'm down to my last 3 classes in school. FOREVER!  I can't wait to have that stress completely off my shoulders.  It'll free up a ton of time for me to focus on me and my cooking. :D

I managed to squeeze in 3 more walks this week as well as one day on my elliptical.  What better use of my time than to walk while I wait for the boyfriend to get off of work?!  And tonight, I walked our apt complex in circles to get in 3.16 miles.  Boy am I beat!  And as my uncle so kindly pointed out, my paths look like I'm drunk, but really, I'm just going where my feet take me!

I also bought myself a new pair of kicks!  Man!  Running shoes make a WORLD of different.  I own a nice pair of New Balance shoes but they're not specific for running.  So I managed to find this sweeeeeeeeet pair of shoes for $40!  SOLD!  My walk tonight was 100% better than the 5k I did on Sunday.

I'm super proud of myself and can't wait for my date with Zach tomorrow.  We're gonna go on a walk together.  I'm shooting for at least another 3 miles. :)  No weigh ins yet for my diet bet.  I'm gonna wait until Sunday for my first weekly weigh in but I've been very conscious of what I'm eating and what I'm eliminating from my diet.  Here's to a great weekend and hopefully another great week!

Walking For Boobies 5k!!!

Well it's happened.  I started and completed my first 5k.  Mind you, we signed up for the walk, but still!  We walked for the tatas!

Last night I dyed my hair and painted my nails for the festivities.

My hair didn't turn out quite how I wanted, but there was still pink in it, so it's cool :)

I begrudgingly rolled out of bed at 6:15 on a sunday morning, didn't have enough time to get my morning coffee, and drove downtown to see if I could find some parking.  Met up with my bestie Catherine who was walking in celebration of her Grandma who is a survivor of breast cancer.  Starting to wake up a bit more....

Begin the festivities of free stuff!  We wandered and managed to get all kinds of good loots!  I got a new pedometer, a water bottle, some SWEET sunglasses, one of those antennae headbands, lots of pens, breakfast from Wildflower Bread Company (along with a banana), and some other random goodies.

 Took a few photos with Catherine as we waited for the race to start.

Had Catherine take a picture of my awesome Breast Cancer New Balance workout shirt!  (can't really see it all that well....)

And then, it was finally time!  Got all snuggly with a bunch of other strangers clad in pink at the starting line!

Had a lovely walk with Catherine, tracked the walk with my phone app Endomondo (really cool when you use it for distance tracking), and drank a tooooooooooooon of water.  There were cheerleaders, and supporters along the way cheering us on.  It was a ton of fun!  After about 2.2ish miles, my feet were feeling it!  But we were almost done!  And then we turn a corner and what do I seeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee???

Yay we did it!  We took our "finish line" picture and then crossed holding hands up in the air because WE DID IT!

Man was I sore.  Kinda tired, but the super hard wave of sleepies hit me after I went home with my treat to myself for doing a 5k!  A footlong double meat turkey with tons of veggies and no sauce! :)

Time to add my $1 to the jar for working out!  But I had this great idea!!!  $5 for a 5k :)  I'm all to willing to donate $5 to my working out fund for such an accomplishment that I never thought I would achieve.

And now, I'm in my kitchen making fajitas because I just have a hankerin' for some Mexican food!  I'm super proud of myself that I finished a 5k even if it was a walk.  It was a moving experience to walk with all those that have friends and family members affected by the cancer.  I plan to make it one of my goals to make it every year. 

The one thing I learned is that I am NOT ready for my Run For Your Life 5k that's going down in 3 weeks. O.o

What to do about it?!?!  Well, I just happened to sign up for another Dietbet that starts tomorrow night.  The entry fee is $30 and the pot keeps getting bigger and bigger!!!  I have a good feeling about this one.  I will make the next 3 weeks the hardest I've trained in a long time to prove to myself that I can do it.  I can make that difference in my life even if I lost track and drifted due to life getting in the way.  This 5k was a great kickoff to me getting back on track now that I'm almost done with school.  I'll have a lot more time to dedicate to me. <3>

Starting the Dietbet off at 201.8lbs.  This is the heaviest I've ever been and instead of being down about it, I'm excited to make that change again.  So here's to picking it back up and here's to motivation!