A work in progress!

I don't even remember the last time I stuck with any program. I think I always got bored or didn't think the results came fast enough. Although I am not very close to my weight loss goal, that actually has become secondary to loving the strength I am feeling. That in itself is motivating and addicting! Even when it is pushing 90 with high humidity, I find myself in the basement working out in the air conditioning AND still sweating! The first time I felt a drop of sweat actually rolling down my face, you would have thought I had won the lottery or something. Well. maybe not quite, but I was excited! And then there was this "mirror" moment. It's just strange. I think we get to accustom to seeing how we look in the mirror that we don't see the reality of changes in our size and shape. I was in a hotel room at a convention and looked at myself in the mirror before I left the room. I had to look twice to make sure it was me! I HAVE changed! I was standing straighter, looked leaner and pretty darn good! Here is the amazing thing though--in the past I would've celebrated by binging or just going on a eating free for all. I made an appointment with myself right then and there to get to the gym at the hotel that evening and I did! So yes, I am still pushing play--no matter what!

made sense to me

As I was working in my "flower/weed" garden really rather irritated at how I had let the grasses grow enough to have tangled their roots around the flower roots. They were so tight I had to really dig up and hurt some of the flower roots I was trying to keep. My fitness journey as it is progressing is not unlike the work in the garden. My neglect of making good choices in food and fitness had tangled itself, in the form of bad habits, around the beauty of the "root" healthy me that is present, but hard to see and appreciate. Yes, it was work to get rid of the grass choking my pretty blooms, but I kept working at it until the bed was clean, healthy and beautiful.. I will keep working at cleaning out my old habits that are beginning to loosen their grip on the fit and healthy me. Sometimes it does get a bit frustrating, but if I just get it done-I feel much better. It's a process that I must keep pulling the weeds and pushing the play.

Love the rainy catch up days

Just when I was feeling a bit stressed about not getting my desk work done, I get a rainy day! I have to brag just a minute though-it didn't start raining until the barn and paddock work was done and the dogs got their 2 mile walk. My goal for the day was to get my workout done this morning, get the outside pots planted, and then sit down and get this book work caught up. So far I am on track and am feeling darn good about it. Don't you just love it when you make a plan and really follow through!?!? Some people are very good at that, but I'm not---honestly the littlest thing can knock me off track....like stepping on the scale and seeing no loss! Now when did that silly scale get the power to set my tone for my day? Well, I am taking that power back and starting to rely on how I feel, stand, & walk a little taller. It's a process and I am doing it!

I did it-oh yes I did it

Whew, got through the day differently than ever before--I am not stuffed full of chips, pop and hot dogs!
It really sunk in that there is always a "reason" to start a healthy program "tomorrow". If you really sit and think about it, there is ALWAYS a holiday, birthday, one last big meal day before I diet day, wedding, funeral, graduation, friends coming to visit, family visit. So if we kid ourselves into thinking that we will get our over eating under control when the time is right...well forget it!
The day we begin is the perfect day. There will always be challenges and triggers, we need a plan. I say try every plan until you find one that works for you. Then hang out with like minded people, people who really care about your success while working towards their own. I have tried just about every diet on the planet and the one I am doing now is THE one that is working for me and I am lovin' it.

The unofficial start of summer

This day is set to honor all the men and women of our military-past and present. It has also become the unofficial start of summer. Do we think of the sacrifices made for our country or are we more interested in stuffing ourselves with unhealthy food, lots of beer and celebrating a day off from work?
I am going to honor the men and women of our military as well as my own body with good nutritious food and exercise. Stuffing myself now will take me days if not a week to recover from too many calories and not enough exercise. Now that is not worth it!
Really.....think about it.

why is it so easy to gain weight and hard to lose it?

Well according to Chalene Johnson (a Beachbody® trainer) it is because our metabolism slows to a crawl as we get older. That being the case, we need to build muscle to burn the fat and rev up the metabolism. Some days, it is so easy to put off exercising, but we just can't do that anymore.

After 2 months doing a Chalene Extreme workout, I finally spotted a muscle taking popping up on my arm while drying my hair. HOLY COW!! I was so excited! Now I would love to be able to tell you that I have lost a bunch of weight, but nope-can't do that. What I can tell you is I FEEL stronger, stand straighter and ride better. The weight will come off, it really will. It takes time and I am building muscle. Well, it's hot and I am tired but I am going to go push play on the DVD player and work on that muscle I spied!