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Call out for Healthy Recipes & a Video Confessional #MamavationMonday

July 9, 2012 By 14 Comments

Happy Mamavation Monday!  Yes, I know it’s been OH so long since the last time we saw each other!! I can’t believe I was doing so good and then travel happens (as it always does) and boom!  I’m off the wagon faster than your head can spin!  This week I’ve got a little video, perhaps how I’ll start doing my check-ins (simply because I’m a narcissist and seeing myself on video is a good motivator.

Let’s start with my confessional!! (HA! I’m not giving it away, you’ll have to watch to see what I’m confessing…it’s nothing big or life changing or anything, so don’t be underwhelmed :D ).

I pulled out the treadmill again last night (I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it and what a great focuser it was!)and logged 30 minutes on it, which at midnight was a big feat for me. I stopped running just after completing the Couch to 5K and was a little bummed to see that so much of the stamina that I had fought so hard for had vanished…clearly, I’ll have to work back up to the time I was logging before.  Still though, I wasn’t back to the terrible – out of shape point I was at when I started the training, so that’s something I suppose.

So as I mentioned in the video, I have gained 5 of those hard fought pounds back and need to focus a little more on my eating and exercise levels, so I would love for you to share any links or suggestions for healthy delicious recipes in the comments for me to share with my family.  I’ll try some of the recipes you guys suggest and report back in a vlog next week!

Filed Under: Healthy Living, Impact Video Tagged With: , , , ,

Post-Blissdom Gut Check – Mamavation Monday

February 27, 2012 By 4 Comments

After spending the past week in the Opryland Hotel for Blissdom, I’m back to the real world today.  Jumping back on this bandwagon after several weeks of missing you all!

Being at Blissdom helped put a few things in perspective for me:

1) I’m not as strong as I thought I was…or as I want to be.  Rising early Friday morning, I joined about 25 other motivated women, including our very own Leah @bookieboo, for a barre fitness session with Suzanne Bowen.  Suzanne’s motto is #ShaketoChange, meaning the more your muscles shake the more your body changes.  Let me just tell you: I was shaking!  A mixture of barre aerobics, Pilates, and yoga – it kicked my butt and I am ordering her video today!

2) I am in better shape than I was a year ago.  Last year I would not have gotten up early or even have had the desire to do so.  While I didn’t make it to the early AM Saturday class, I still wanted to and that was a huge switch.

3) I need to buy some new jeans.  All of my jeans are too big!! YAY!  The downside to that is one of my roommates asked me if I owned a pair of pants that fit…when I answered no she looked at me like I was insane. New jeans have been put on the shopping list as of now.

4) I still have 15+ pounds to lose. Sooo I’m starting a new goal #15byDisneySMM that gives me 58 days from today to lose 15 pounds.  I’ll be tweeting helpful and tasty recipes, my weightloss, my challenges, and my victories using #15byDisneySMM so follow along with me…heck, JOIN me!

So over the course of 5 days I was reminded how much I need to work out regularly and how much I enjoyed it – how much I thrive when I’m working out.

What have you learned about yourself this week?

Filed Under: Healthy Living Tagged With: ,

Mamavation Monday – Feeling Better

January 15, 2012 By 6 Comments

After weeks of sickness, everyone is well enough in my home to start exercising again and we have.  With a vengeance. I had forgotten how my body yearns and aches for my time in yoga and how the soreness in my muscles reminds me that I am strong.  I need that.  Especially now.

I don’t really have a lot to say this week.  I’ve been following the #2weekchallenge exercises with Mamavation.  The exercises have left me feeling exhausted and spent.  I haven’t really been feeling like myself; I’ve been feeling weak, drained, and emotional recently so exercise is super important right now.  I know that if I can drain my body through exercise then my mind will calm and I will have some focus.

So I push on.

I push my body daily to places that in November would have been a piece of cake…now take all I have.

Why is it so hard now?

Maybe it’s the stress. We’ve got a lot going on right now and I’m not handling all of it as well as I would like to be.

Maybe it’s that I haven’t really pushed my body since then. (Yeah, it’s probably that huh?)

So here I am…working on myself again.

I’m not just working on the outside though, I’m re-reading Frances Scovell Shinn’s collection of wisdom and I’m trying to make time to meditate for at least 5 minutes a day (that hasn’t been working out so well though).  I need this kind of comprehensive plan right now, because it’s not just the outside of me that is suffering at the moment.  I need to be strong; mentally and physically.

That’s what is important right now.

I’m down another 2 pounds this week. (17 pounds total) SO YAY! for that.  I’ll be taking part in the #2week challenge which will have me doing a ton of push ups, weight lifting, and lunges this week.

I’m also trying to be more present when I’m eating…I ate an entire bag of carrots last week sitting at the computer. An entire bag people. Yeah. While that probably wasn’t terrible for me, it could have easily been a bag of chips or something else not great for me. And it’s mindless eating. I wasn’t tasting or enjoying those carrots.  I want to work on that this week.  Focus on what I’m eating when I’m eating it.

Also on the agenda for this week: More Water Intake.  Yeah. I fail at this for reals. So totally going to be focusing on that.

So to wrap this book…I mean post…up, this week I’m:

  • *participating in Mamavation’s 2 week challenge and including daily yoga afterwards
  • *trying to meditate daily for at least 5 minutes outside of yoga
  • *being present in my life and eating
  • *thinking positive
  • *taking care of myself
  • *drinking more water

What are you doing for yourself this week?

Image Credit: Danielle Moler

 

Filed Under: Healthy Living Tagged With: , ,

#Mamavation Monday – Rein Me in Sistas!

December 12, 2011 By 9 Comments

You know how we all have that one ‘something’ that we just can’t give up?  Yeah, well…for me it’s Cherry Coke.  Effervescent bubbles of caffeinated delight tickle my nose while traces of artificial cherry flavoring trails it’s way down my throat.  I love it.  Shamelessly.

Normally I can convince myself that I don’t need it…I don’t need to spend the extra money on liquid calories that get me no where (except fat).  And then it happens.  Yep.

Kroger – or insert your favorite grocery story here – decides to break my resolve with one of their Cart Buster Sales.

3/$11

Buy 10 Save $5.00!!

You name it…if my grocery store can convince me it’s a deal I’m a goner.

I will seriously buy what I consider 6 weeks worth (3 cases), because you know…I’m only going to have 1 per day.

Yeah. Right.

That’s cute.

I am adorable.

Today, for instance, I have had 3 (count ‘em Sistas!)!

Somebody stop me before I really do some damage!

What’s your weight-loss vice?

Image Credit: Like_the_Grand_Canyon
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Mamavation Monday: Move Along, Move Along

August 29, 2011 By 10 Comments

Here we are, another Monday, I know I’m late on this post…but bear with me.  I didn’t weigh-in yesterday due to the tight schedule and looking back over the past week it’s only one of the dozen or so things I would change.  Happy Mamavation Monday to my Sistas.  Today was my weigh-in day and sadly I had to pay up; $5 to the county’s Biggest Loser campaign. {Hey, at least it’s going to a good cause right?!} Oh and hey, I’m guest posting about reclaiming my fit me on Ciao Mom so go check that out…go on. I’ll wait.

….still waiting….

All done? Thanks for reading! What’dya think?

The Numbers

Date: 8/29/2011

Weigh-in: 166.8 (+.2) {I’m choosing to believe this is muscle gain.}

Goal Weight: 140

Non-Scale Related Triumph: A member of my Biggest Loser team just asked this on Facebook, so I’m just going to paste here what I told her. “I can hold poses in yoga that used to just kill me, I’m WAY more flexible, I can run faster and harder, I’m drinking lots more water, and fast food makes me nauseous.”

Healthy Living Breakdown

Exercise:  I am not impressed by my exercising last week.  I did burpees every day this week except Friday and Saturday, walked for 2 hours at a leisurely pace on Monday with friends & 45 minutes at a killer pace with Starr on Thursday, and did various EA Sports Active workouts.  I did not, however, spend even a single day practicing yoga; by Sunday I couldn’t even bend over without being in pain I was so stiff.  Lesson learned.  I didn’t do any sort of working out Friday/Saturday and only did yoga last night…so in that sense I was definitely slacking.  I’m adding some new music to my playlist this week, including some Flogging Molly and The Dropkick Murphys…I’m on a bit of an Irish rock band phase and the upbeat tempo pushes me.

Water: Filtrete Water sent me a water pitcher {disclosure: as a thank you for representing this at BlogHer11} this week, so we’ve been filing water bottles up and keeping them (and the pitcher) full in the fridge.  I did really great all week with drinking until Friday and then I started slacking.  (Seems Friday was the trigger day for me.)

Eating Habits: Another mixed result week here.  I probably didn’t eat enough on most days and then beginning on Friday I ate terribly through the weekend.  I can’t blame it on anything other than laziness and the mood I was in.  Note to self:  Your desire to eat is not contingent on your mood.  Take me at my word when I tell you it wasn’t pretty this weekend and had I been working out those days it might not have made a difference…but I didn’t.

SO yeah…probably if I’m being honest that .2 in weight gain didn’t come from muscle addition.  I’m looking for a better week nutritionally, physically, and mentally.  I can do it!

Each week I am posting an updated picture to help motivate me and to hold me accountable…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s your triumph for the week?

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Mamavation Monday – Motivation to Keep Moving Forward

August 21, 2011 By 15 Comments

Happy Mamavation Monday everyone!  I’m feeling mighty proud of myself this week after two weeks of sluggery.  I’ve been doing SO much better eating and exercise wise!  I even told Leah (aka Bookieboo) last week that I could feel my muscles growing.  I had forgotten what an exhilarating feeling that is.  And then yesterday after the weigh-in, after I got some relief (more of that at the bottom of this post), it reminded how motivating weight-loss was and how good it felt to know you were making the right choices and the work you’re doing is paying off.  It’s just a really good feeling.  I do want to give you a hint though I didn’t have to pay $5 this week!

Yesterday though, I allowed myself a rest day…with the exception of some Burpees (I started my own 100 Day Burpee Challenge since I missed out on the official Mamavation one.)  I spent the week being grateful for the awesome encouragement from Mr. Bookieboo to keep trying to do push-ups, a little at a time, and from my Sistas who kept me motivated and supported all week long.  Thank you all for that.

Let’s get to the weekly break down.

The Numbers

Date: 8/21/2011

Weigh-in: 166.6 (-1.8) (Not too bad if I do say so.  At least the arrow’s going in the right direction now!)

Goal Weight: 140

Non-Scale Related Triumph: I have already washed all of our fresh fruit for the week and have all of my snack pre-proportioned into serving sizes, so that I can make positive choices all week and save time while doing it!

Healthy Living Breakdown

Exercise: Ok.  I feel like I’m doing pretty decent here right now.  I’m playing a variety of Wii workout games, mixing it up with a little EA Sports Active More Workouts daily and some Fit-in-Six mixed in as well.  I’ve also been practicing yoga daily and honestly that’s where I feel the strongest, where I can feel the changes my body is making the best.  When I am practicing yoga my body feels strong and solid…I love that.  I’ve also talked a group of my friends (my fellow Biggest Loser HC team members) into walking for the two hours twice a week while KG was in cheerleading.  We even raced up huge hills and around blocks, it was fun and we pushed each other a little more each day.  I’m looking forward to continuing to do that!

Water: I have to say I think I did pretty darn good this week with the water.  I consistently drank 4+ bottles (equivalent to 8-8 Fl. Oz. glasses) daily and cut down my coffee consumption…some. You do not want to see me without coffee. It’s bad.  I didn’t drink any soda this week, but I did enjoy a glass of sweet tea last night…ok, maybe two.

Eating Habits: I did a little better this week with my eating choices and really I’m telling myself baby steps.  I did have some days when I chose (yes, I made the choice each time) to not eat super healthy, but overall I think I did much better.  I have been much more conscious about what I’m eating this week and plan to continue to make better choices as the weeks and months carry on.  I’m still allowing myself small treats (and occasionally not so small), but I’m also following these allowances with more working out to compensate for some of it.

Each week I am posting an updated picture to help motivate me and to hold me accountable…

 

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