Appreciation

Well the 30DS kind of fell to the side, especially when the bikini series started. I honestly saw tremendously better results in the first week of the bikini series than any results I was seeing with the 30DS. I will probably do another 30DS (and complete it) in August or September when I'm closer to my goal weight and trying to crush those last few pounds. :)

Today is my reflection day and the Tone It Up trainers challenged us today to stop and take a minute to be thankful. I love how they stress the importance of being thankful - it's such an awesome reminder and it's always uplifting to remember why we should be happy instead of focusing on the negatives like it's so easy for us to do. 

1. My boyfriend for trying to adjust to my new healthy lifestyle
2. My friends and family for encouraging my weight loss
3. The TIU community for their inspiration and encouragement
4. My car for still working 
5. The ability to change my lifestyle. (Gym membership, juicer, internet, my health)

 Last week I missed the "Grab a Friend" workout for Saturday and the 45 minute walk for Sunday. I just made up the 45 minute walk for Sunday (plus did the 45 minute cardio jogging for Monday).  Also working on the #100bysummer challenge and personal challenge not to drink at all during the Cubs game tomorrow. :) Today I did 9.76 miles!

End of Drinking Fast

So today was officially supposed to be the end of my drinking fast. I didn't stick to it pretty much at all. Um, I am disappointed that I didn't finish but overall I'm just trying to minimize the amount I drink and for that I think I've been successful. I have continued to have a few drinks every weekend (boo me!) but I have for the most part cut back on how much I drink every time that I do, and I've made better choices about what to drink! So instead of beer I'll choose a vodka-diet or something. Eh, I tried! I'm going to continue trying to minimize my drinking because I think that's overall a really great goal to try for.

 I didn't do any workouts yesterday. I've had this awful headache since early on Wednesday. I pushed through it for my workout on Wed, but I couldn't yesterday and I went to bed at 5pm last night! Stayed in bed for 12.5 hours. I just took some migraine relief... I don't know why I have it but I want to get rid of it because It's MY BIRTHDAY!

I know I'm going shopping with my mom to pick out an outfit for my Bday dinner tonight with my boyfriend. I also have to give her her mothers day gift ((a nonspillable mug, dark chocolate bar, a ginger ACV drink, and a sweet almond bar of soap)) Sadly it's 50 degrees and raining so I'm not even excited anymore. We had 75 and sun all week, except today. :/

Right now I'm watching  "Into the Wild" and trying to relax with a cup of coffee. Just finished some Bday morning yoga to relax as well.

Healthy Thursday

Down 1.8 lbs

161.8lbs
32.4% fat
49.4% water
32.5% muscle

I added a measurement chart on the sidebar of the page to track my progress specifically with the bikini series. :) Not sure what up with the percentages, they seem a bit off compared to the last few weigh ins but whatev! Bikini series started today and I'm so excited!

Triangle, Tip Toe, + Warrior

Sunday seems to have become my yoga day. I hate going to the gym on weekends because it's so crowded and there are so many kids running around. All morning I was trying different yoga poses and routines (some from netflix, some from youtube). I was able to do a headstand for 20 seconds with no wall support. I tried again later that day but flipped onto my back. Lol. I'm glad nobody was there to see that!

Yesterday Mu upper back/shoulders hurt so bad! I think it was from all the strength training I had to do to balance my body for the headstand. That or its from the one time I flipped over. :) So I was only able to do 35 minutes at the gym yesterday which is better than nothing! And, again, no 30DS was completed because a lot of the strength routines in it focus on shoulders and  back so just in case I did tweek something from flipping over I didn't want to hurt it more by pushing myself.

I think yoga will be really great if I can keep with it. I don't know much about it but all I hear are amazing things! A year or two years from now I'd love to be able to do certain yoga poses and look back at this and have a good laugh at my excitement to even get into position, though not elegantly.

I made a board on pinterest to inspire me to keep trying more yoga. The benefit in restorative yoga are immense but personally I'm more interested in yoga strength and balance. Power Yoga is probably the closest one I can identify. I found this little infographic that is pretty funny. I was surprised to hear a few weeks ago that there were 4 types of yoga... then to see this, I couldn't help but laugh at my ignorance. It'll be enlightening to learn all the types and see which one suits me most.

TRY IT

Over the weekend I managed to do #8formartin. I was so shaken up by the tragedy at the Boston Marathon last week. Every time I heard something new about the case I just had tears in my eyes. I found out from the TIU community that a lot of people were running 8 miles in honor of the 8 year old boy, Martin, who was killed in the bombing. I wanted to do it earlier in the week but bouncing back from the over night was as hard as it always is so I went for it on Friday. I did it! Unfortunately my machine cleared my information after an hour so I didn't get any proof, but I went back to try again! I made it to 7 miles when my machine restarted again. So now I know they are programmed to clear at 60 minutes and there's no way to change that setting... LAME! But I did it. :) Saturday I was pretty tempted to drink. We got invited out to a few places and then started to make plans to go out by ourselves but in the end, we watched a few movies at home. I had chicken and greens, he had fried chicken and beer. :) Excited to weigh in on wednesday! This weekend has been pretty great except for the two beers and pizza I had on Friday. Oops? Haha

 Overall I think I'm really getting back on track. I'm back at the gym pumping out some hardcore cardio and I'm keeping up with my 30 Day Shred. Over the weekend I stuck to my cardio, but all last week I did the 30 day shred. By Thursday I was basically immobile. Lol. The arm workouts are what get me the most. I cant wait to weigh in on Wednesday and see if I made a dent in this rut. Even if I'm down to 162, I'll be happy! I just want to see some progress.

The TIU Bikini series starts this week so I'm kind of hoping that will also push me to see bigger and better results. I was feeling really frustrated over the weekend as I assessed my lifestyle. Basically it had to do with choosing not to drink and my boyfriend wasn't supporting it. By the end of Saturday night though he came to me and apologized and said he'd like to get active with my this summer and maybe join the gym come fall. He said my eating habit are a little extreme for him but he'd like to take part in the activity part. Lol. It's a start! I'll take it. I'd love his support and company throughout all of this.

Got me thinking though, what should we try? I know I will  be trying a yoga class soon. I have been practicing some poses on my own and I will either jump in a class at Lifetime Fitness or wait for my sister to heal so she can join me in a class as part of her physical therapy. My ultimate goal with yoga is to be able to do a back bend. :)

But as far as what I can do with David, I don't know! He wants to try kayaking and biking. I'm down for both of those but I would like to do some hiking, too. I wish there was a sport that we could do. He thought maybe tennis and I guess I'm considering that but then we have to buy some rackets and tennis balls. Maybe it wouldn't be too expensive. Could be fun! I'm just excited for warm weather! But it's not even in the forecast yet which is beyond discouraging.

The next warm Sunday I have plans to arrange a meetup with a couple TIU girls. I'm so excited about that I cannot wait for it to get warm! That community is the most encouraging and supportive thing I've found and it will be so amazing to meet some of the girls in real life and develop stronger relationships. A few of us were talking about doing The Color Run together in July and attending Workout in the Park in June. It feels so good to have people to do these things with!! This is going to be an awesome summer (if it ever comes!)

Week 12 Review 39-34-40.5

Small Changes

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

My weight has always been an issue for me and I wanted to show a little timeline of how it has changed. I cant say that I've had huge dramatic shifts but I've always fluctuated 20 pounds between 160 and 180 (actually I peaked at 190 in early 2011, and my lowest was 158 in 2009). I was only that low in 2009 though because I was essentially starving myself and binge eating every once and awhile. I lost weight the unhealthy way and I didn't look good at all by doing that. This time I am doing it the right way. I am stuck now at 163 which is closer to my lowest weight that I've been in awhile. It feels good but I still feel huge... and I remember feeling huge at 158 as well. I'm looking forward to approaching and passing my lowest weight and  reaching a new milestone! As much as I wanted to be at a certain weight by now, I have to remind myself that small progress is still progress. Whether I'm just building muscle now and not shrinking, or maintaining my weight loss, it's still better than creeping up! I keep saying this but I have to remember that it's a lifestyle change I'm making.... there will be ups and downs and it will always have to be a conscious choice that I'm aware of making... every single day. :) I cant wait to see what my 2013 picture looks like when I look back at the year. Eek!

/// Did 1/2 of 30DS today + 65 min. cardio

Yoga & Arms

 

Just click the image for direct links to the youtube videos I've been doing! :)

/// Did 1/2 of the 30DS today, plus 65 min. cardio

Eat Colorful - Trader Joe's - World Market

So on Monday I had to get out of the apartment for a few hours while our apartment complex had a few of our windows replaced. I drove 25 minutes to the nearest Trader Joe's! There happened to be a Farmers Market right across the street so I stopped there too. On my way home I stopped at Bed Bath & Beyond to look for a bed table for my sister and browsed their (new?) world market. Here are some pictures of my purchases and check out my pinterest Be Sore Not Sorry Grocery List for a look at some of my fun finds!

/// Did not do 30DS today

Up 0.2 lbs | 39-35-40.5

163.6 lbs (up .2)
31.2% fat (down .1%)
49.2% water
33.1% muscle (up .1%)
#RememberingMuscleWeighsMoreThanFat

 In two weeks: 
35" waist
39" bust
40.5" hips
40.5" abs
21" thigh
15" calf
12" arm
14" neck

Headstands

So on Sunday I thought...

 "I'm going to try a headstand!

 And I did it! My first attempt I got up and then two more attempts and I was able to hold myself up. Pretty cool since I definitely did not expect to be able to do it. After I had quickly conquered my feat, I decided to google the benefits. It being something I can do daily, I figured why not know what the rewards may be?! As I read through them, I found myself wanting to facebook or twitter every single benefit. "2. Headstands increase nutrients and blood flow to the scalp, decreasing onset of grey hair. Some yogis say that it will even convert grey hair back to its natural color!"  #bloodisflowing #notauntflow) Seriously though, there are a TON of benefits! The picture was too funny not to post. If sweat is sexy, I don't know what this is! Maybe one day I'll be able to do some yoga poses like her. And have a calmer, more relaxed look on my face. ha!

Mid-Month Reflection

Sundays Recap (since it was a pretty successful day!) lol
M1: Grapefruit & Kiwi + coffee and Bombshell spell
M2: banana
M3: Spinach salad w/ veggie chicken patty
M4: Chickpea/strawberry/cucumber/celery salad
M5: Med Salad from Noodles & Company 
**greek yogurt w/cinnamon & honey + cinnamon tea

WO: 5 miles walked at work
30 Day Shred
TIU arms routine
Yoga

I have been writing down my workouts so I can better track how often I do certain ones and also what levels I do things at so I can push myself and hopefully not plateau again. I'm still feeling good about my commitment to not drink until my birthday and about doing the 30DS every day. It's going to be a challenge, that's for sure but I know I can do it. I've gone 4 weeks without drinking before (when I started dieting) and I should have no problem doing it again. :) Just have to say no maybe 6-8 times. We all know why it's bad to drink - no need for convincing!

The 30DS is actually pretty challenging! It's only 20 minutes and each move/circuit isn't all that hard but when paired together I was seriously sweating! I have full confidence this will work. My favorite part is that halfway through when I want to quit, I just remind myself it's only 10 more minutes and then I'm done. Saturday I tried it and only made it halfway (*was hungover), then Sunday I did the full thing. Now I know I can do it, and it'll be fun to see when it gets easier. I'm thinking I'll spend 10 days on each level since there's 3 levels. The 14th-23rd (level one). The 24th-3rd (level two). The 4th-13th (level four).

I'm trying to do the TIU arms routine 3X a week.  No specifics about which days, but I look back at my week and check to see that I did it. I got off to a later start this month but I can continue on strong. I just do the killer buns and thighs workout when I cant make it to the gym. And I do Pilates a lot for morning bootycalls. It's really great. I finally feel like I'm getting into a good routine. I simply need to get this nailed down and continue hitting the gym. 

And lastly, since were halfway through the month already, I'd like to post an update on my April Goals so I don't lose track. 

UPDATE:
>> I am still struggling with booty calls. I do them like 2-3 times a week. Almost there!
>> I'm getting really good about not eating before bed. Maybe 1-2 a week I might have a really tiny snack within those 2 hours, like a single strawberry.
>> I am following really closely except a few nights this week I had sandwiches for dinner. I'd like to see myself steer clearer of carbs for dinner and stick to all leans and greens.
>> Failed my first attempt at 7DSD but will try again
>> Need to hit the gym a lot harder going forward!
>> I am doing good with my 30 min reflection time goal! Every Monday on right here!
>> Almost out of the 160's! Was at 163 last I checked!! :D

Week 11 review | Drinking Fast | 30 Day Shred

The scale is finally showing that I'm below 165 more than it's not which makes me confident that I've pushed through my plateau of 168. YAY! I did really good this whole week sticking to the TIU Nutrition plan but I did not complete the 7DSD. I was thinking of trying it again this week but I work over night on Monday so I'm not sure if I'm set up for success there either. I think I'll wait till my Perfect Fit Protein comes in so I can make pancakes instead of eggs. I just really cannot wait for my gut to come in. My waist, butt, and boobs have shrunk but that gut is seriously stubborn! Eventually it will come in though, that much I'm sure of. I ended up drinking Friday night and this time I wish I didn't. All day I told myself I wouldn't and I really didn't feel like it. Then after a few hours of running errands I started to want to drink (because people drive like idiots!!) but even when it came time to drink, I said I didn't want to. I was staying strong and I know I wasn't going to give in. My boyfriend didn't want to drink alone... He wanted to have another fun drinking night like we were having last week so I gave in (trying not to be a party pooper) and had a few with him. It wasn't fun and it wasn't worth it and I just regretted it. The hangover wasn't bad or anything, but I couldn't stop scolding myself for drinking when I wasn't dying to because ITS NOT WORTH IT! Ugh. Anyway, yesterday I decided to cut drinking for a month... hopefully this will get him off my case if he knows I've gone cold turkey. The next drink I plan on having will be on my 24th Birthday (may 10th) when we go down town to see Big Fish on broadway! eek! DRINKING FAST! Anyone with me?!! WE CAN DO IT! This is conjunction to Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred DVD.... I should be golden for my Bday.