A New Lease on Life

Today I did something huge, but really small. I made some delicious baked bread that is easy and crazy unhealthy. I love this stuff and have been craving sweets. Well, I made the awesomeness, took a few bites, and threw the rest away. I was sitting there loving it when it dawned on me that if I'm not thrilled with my body, maybe I should be more thoughtful about what I put in it. It was oddly easy to get off my butt and throw the tasty treat away.

In other news, I got a job! An honest to goodness fulltime job. I am a teacher and am thrilled to have found this position. It feels like it is going to be a perfect fit. The interview and subsequent tour of the school felt right. I believe in the initial vibe when meeting the potential employer and coworkers. This is the first campus I've ever been to where every person was friendly from the moment I stepped out of my car.

Which brings me to my last thought. I want to be in the best physical shape I can before school starts. This mean two months of consistent exercise and watching what I eat. I'm already a pretty healthy eater, but I definitely need to step it up in terms of movement!

My goals:

Aqua Aerobics

Yoga

And maybe Tai Chi and/or Pilates

It is so wonderful to have this new job - I am filled with hope and motivation.

Back At It

Today I am going to sign up for the gym again. It is important for my health that I get back into aqua aerobics and today is the day!

All I want right now is a soda. I am downing water and not allowing myself to have even a sip of soda. I realize I must seem as if I drink tons of soda, but I don't. It's just that a few sips a day are ever so nice. It was never my intention to drink a bit daily though. The time has come for me to cut it out again...

Which brings me to sugar. Last year I cut out ALL added sweeteners for a couple of months. It was a major challenge, but ultimately it made it possible for me to lose 17 pounds. Now I am debating - can I lose weight without eliminating all sweeteners? My issue is I don't want to go on a diet and I'm not sure no sugar will be sustainable for me. Perhaps it is a good way to get back on track. Definitely something to consider.

June is Busting Out All Over

Today is the first day of June. I have decided to really focus on losing weight again this month. In March and April, I did a great job of exercising and eating healthy daily - it became routine! In May, I continued to eat well, but was not as consistent with the exercise. This week, I've been exercising again and it feels great! So, I am back on track to make June my most successful month yet.

Here are my goals:

*Continue to not eat sugar

*Water aerobics five times a week

*Cardio before or after pool

*Drink lots of water

*Post daily progress on Twitter

This all seems totally doable and I am pumped! Feel free to join me in making June the best month yet and let me know how you are doing! Together, we can do this.

Possibilities

My body misses exercise. With my back in as much pain as it is, it has been hard to even walk through a grocery store let alone exercise. This morning I tried to figure out some things I can do without straining my body. This is promising and gives me much hope. Fingers crossed I will be able to continue this in the future.

Lately, I have been wanting to journal, but not in my lined paper journal. I feel like it's easy when journaling to get stuck in the negative when confined by lines. Is that strange? So, today I found a cute little non-lined journal that I had used for studying many years ago. Most pages are blank, so I removed the used pages. But now I look at all the possibility in the emptiness and don't know where to begin! Suggestions?

Last night I made Blueberry Muffins for the first time. They came out so tasty that my husband called them "a-maz-ing"! The recipe I used is the Blueberry Crumb Muffins from the allrecipes.com app. If I could figure out how to upload a photo from my iPad, I would. Next time I want to try the To Die For Blueberry Muffins. Yum.

All in all, 2012 is promising to be a better year than last.

I'm Back. For Reals.

I had to disappear for awhile. It was hard on me emotionally, but a necessary truth. There was a family emergency I had to attend to. Things are going to be okay, but we are not out of the woods yet.
Sadly, this means I slacked on the majority of my personal goals. How could I worry about my own health - physical/emotional/mental/spiritual - when my whole being was devoted to the care of a loved one? I know I did what needed to be done, but I'm still disappointed in how this effected me.
My back has gone out worse than it has in years. Walking from my car to inside the store and my back feels done and I just go home. I haven't been able to exercise or even do basic day-to-day cleaning. I'm really looking forward to getting back in the pool which I think should be within a week or so.
Life hasn't been all bad, just challenging. Luckily, I have an amazing (yes, the word is overused but he truly is) husband who has stepped up in ways I could never have dreamed. A few friends have really stood out as being true and solid. Incredible how in our toughest times our truest friends are right there with support.
Looking to a positive 2012 is filling my heart with hope. I am excited to get back in the pool - I can't wait to be healthier. My husband and I are going to start meditating and church shopping. Maybe I will actually learn Spanish for reals this time! One way I have started to take care of myself that I will definitely continue is reading books! I just love to read and am so pleased I have given myself the time to do so.
My family situation should be all over in a couple of months, and I don't want to look back and regret not taking care of myself for the entire length of our struggle. Please bear with me. All support is appreciated.

Water and Words

I'm still not able to exercise, but that's okay! I can watch what I eat and drink a ton of water. It is really strange because I love Coke - the real deal. But lately, I haven't even wanted it. When I watch football, I always think I will drink a soda with the game, but I don't! For some reason, my body just wants delicious water.

The Help is amazing. I love the writing style. She has done a great job of transporting the reader into a totally different time and place. I'm about a third of the way done. It is one of those books I'm taking my time to read because it's so good I don't want it to end!

Maybe next time I will write about my video games...

Frustration

Things are not going as well as last time I wrote...which is why I have been a bit. Quiet.

I injured my back a few years ago. Unfortunately, it still has flare-ups that are incredibly painful. Like I can hardly move kind of painful. This past week my body has been hurting more and more each day - just walking from one room to the next is a challenge. This means no exercise. Even the exercises my physical therapist gave me are too difficult. So, I'm totally behind on all my physical goals.

The good news? Yesterday my husband and I went grocery shopping and we did not have one unhealthy item in our cart! Major success there! Even though I am discouraged, I am still eating healthy and guzzling water.

Today, rather than sit and feel bad, I read. I love to read! Right now I am reading The Help and absolutely loving it. I noticed after reading for an hour, resting my back, and taking my pills - my back is better than when I woke up.

I don't want to complain on my blog, but I felt the need to share. Thanks for reading!

Small Success

I weighed myself on Saturday and am a total of just over four pounds below where I started! This is a minor success, but I am so proud of myself.

In the past, I would exercise for a week or so - maybe diet too - and then I would just stop. Give up. This time is different. This time, I'm not doing it for a bikini bod (although how cool would that be?). I'm doing this to change my life. To better my life. The pounds shedding off are a side benefit.

Today marks the beginning of the second week of the hundred pushups challenge I am partaking in. It feels amazing to have my muscles get so much stronger. I've also started stretching way more. Back in the day, I was super flexible and I'd love to be able to say that again.

Life is challenging right now. It would be easy to give up on this lifestyle change. No one would even blame me. But I'm sticking with this - and I hope those of you who are in this with me, stick with it too. Let me know where your journey is taking you.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

Being healthy is my ultimate goal. I want to look in the mirror and be proud of how I take care of my whole self. You know what? I'm already getting there. It's not about looking in the mirror and feeling like a beauty queen, but just knowing that I'm doing what I can to make my life the very best it can be.

I've decided to add to my workout plan. I'm doing the hundred pushups challenge, walking, hiking, and playing Kinect. I'm going to add sitting on a wall as my own challenge! And once I get out of my own head, I will go back to the gym for water aerobics.

I have a friend who loses weight by eating less. It doesn't matter what she does for exercise, she just needs to cut back on her calorie intake and the pounds will come off. It seems like most people need to watch what they eat and also workout more to lose weight.

When I was in college, I could eat whatever I wanted so long as I exercised regularly. As I've gotten older, I'm in my early 30s now, my metabolism has definitely shifted and slowed way down. However, I have recently realized that exercise is still the most important factor on my weight loss journey. I can cut calories, but those stubborn pounds won't budge! When I move more and exercise more, that's when I see a change in my body. That's also when I see a change in my own positive outlook on life.

So, what have I learned? To meet my goal of being healthier mind, body, and soul, I must exercise more. In doing so, I hope to be a better wife, daughter, and friend.