Gone Fishing

Friday morning at 6 a.m. we had a jump rope class. I was not dying with excitement to go since I have not jump roped since elementary school (and that was a few years ago) but wanted to be successful in my life change. Heidi kept the group going and when we weren't jumping, we were doing push ups and sit ups. It was a lot of fun but let me tell you...I was sweating for two hours afterwards.

Saturday morning rolled around way to early and my 7 a.m. turbo kick class turned into a fishing trip to Strawberry instead. It was a good thing because my feet, back and ankles were killing me and I needed a day off. As you can see, we caught dinner that night.

Sunday I spent several hours washing fruits and vegetables and prepping food for this week. I even made some of Monica Sage's apple muffins (highly recommended). Check out her blog for some great recipes. This evening my husband and I took our three dogs for almost a two hour walk. You know the saying that if your dog is fat, the owner probably is too. Let's just say we are all working on it.

Back in April my brother started to help me get in shape by setting up an exercise program. As I look back at my exercise and weight log I realized since April I have lost almost 15 lbs. It is good to see some of the weight come off but more important is the fact that overall I feel better.

Earlier this week I was feeling discouraged that I was not doing enough but my trainer, Heidi, got me back on track and in the mindset I need to be in. I am working on staying positive!

My saying for the week is "I'm adding years to my life and life to my years!"

Emotional Eater

During these past few weeks I have learned a few things about myself. I am definately an emotional eater. Right after I started this challenge one of my friends passed away and since then one of my boys has had surgery and the other was in a motorcycle accident this weekend and during those times I did what I do best...EAT. That is how I comfort myself. I also have a tendency to eat when I am bored or doing things that do not require much effort/thinking.



The morning after my friend passed I woke up feeling drained and just wanted to stay home and cry but forced myself to go to the gym. Now that I recognize triggers that cause me to overeat I have really worked hard at getting out of the kitchen and outside for a walk or to the gym when I start to feel that way.



Friday a group of friends from work went out to lunch. This is the first time I have been to a restaurant since I started the challenge and to be honest, I really wanted something from the main menu and not the "yucky (low cal/low carb) menu". I ordered tilapia and broccoli but really felt like I was missing out. I know I need to change my mindset about the whole "yucky" menu.



Saturday brought another challenge...my son wanted to go to McDonalds after we did our grocery shopping because it was getting late. Normally I wouldn't have thought twice about it but all of that hard work at the gym popped into my head and that cheeseburger and fries wasn't so appetizing after all. Tyson was a good sport and came home to have a healthy sandwich and raw veges instead.



I have tried a few new exercise classes this week and now have a good idea of what classes/teachers I enjoy most. Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. I had a turbo kick class. I thought I was going to kill over and die. Let's just say the teacher was ENERGETIC and didn't have an ounce of fat on her. I liked the class so much that I am going back next Saturday for another beating and to humor my teacher.



My new motto: "Eat to live....not live to eat".

Catch Up

Almost three weeks ago I started the 100 Day Heart Challenge and amazing things have happened.

I started my challenge by completing a 5k (and no, I didn't run it). It was great to have the support of some of my co-workers (Gina and Linda) to keep me excited as I asked "are we there yet?" every few minutes.

The program allows us to meet weekly with a dietician and learn about portion control, balance in foods, reading labels, etc. Although I am not a die-hard calorie counter, I have cut my portion sizes down, changed the types of foods I am eating and best of all I am down to only one Diet Coke a day (coming from a 6+ can a day) that is a BIG accomplishment for me.

We also meet with a personal trainer once a week. Heidi has been awesome to challenge me and really helps me keep a positive attitude about exercising. I have found that exercising 5-6 times a week is actually pretty enjoyable and I can already see the results! I sleep better and my clothes are starting to sag. Hopefully I will be able to wear a smaller size soon.

I have a little bit of ADD and tend to get bored easily so I have really added a variety to my exercise plan. I have really enjoyed water aerobics, raquetball with my son, Zumba class (my favorite), weight lifting and tried a turbo kick class and yoga last night. My husband and boys have been a great support even though I am often gone to the gym after work and do not spend much time at home anymore. The next class I want to try is a spin class (riding a bike that is moving or stationary is not my favorite).

It has been great to read all of the other Heart Challenge member blogs and realizing we all have some of the same challenges and that there are days you loose motivation but get back on the bandwagon the next day.

More to follow....