Struggling to listen to my body

I have been training hard and eating well but apparently too much so. I was so very proud of myself last week Monday when I weighed in for my newest challenge group at the Y. I was down nearly 6 pounds and only 7 pounds from my goal. I am very sad to report that not only did I allow myself to over celebrate my son's birthday week and a visit to my parent's house. It wouldn't have been so bad but I have been babying my right bicep tendinitis from overuse and then, while running on Friday, I suddenly had a very painful lower left abdominal muscle. It hurts when I run, jog, climb stairs, twist, etc. 

Everything I have read says that I have over exercised or used improper form. I had signs; my bicep tendon started hurting a few weeks prior, my side has been hurting on and off when I've been running, however, I never felt that I was overextending myself. In fact, other than the few tender spots, my energy level has gone up and I've felt so much better.

This leaves me in a very uncomfortable position, in unfamiliar territory. I want to train, to run, to weight lift. I have taken a break for the last couple days but my side is still very tender and I know I need to re evaluate how I am going to face this week. Because of the damage I did with my diet over the past couple days, I know that being overly careful with my diet will not be enough. I also know that I need to teach on Wednesday. Keeping this in mind, my goal is to find a way to exercise safely this week. I have to find a way to not cause anymore damage but to burn some extra calories.

Those readers that were hoping for some cooking updates, no worries! Although I have gotten side tracked with my little injury pity party, I will be adding in my cooking adventures soon. :)

Striving to be "normal"

Many opportunities have arisen this past week. I will elaborate more when things are more concrete but I will say that it has motivated me to push myself a little harder. I am going to start a separate page on my blog dedicated to my new ambition, healthy cooking. As my friends and family know, I am not a cook. I can cook and do on occasion, however, I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful husband that enjoys cooking. My goal is to start researching healthy recipes with less processed food and to blog about my experiences and recipes... the ups and downs. My goals are to not only continue to fuel my own body with healthy foods but also my family's.

The upcoming changes involve me being more of a role model and helping others reach their health goals. In this sense, I'm grateful for this week and my four pound weight loss. I was looking up the BMI to see how close I am to my goal and realized that the range for my height is 111 lbs. through 150 lbs. I'll be honest, I cannot articulate how excited I am to be considered in the "normal" range. It's a little defeating to think that my ultimate goal of 140 lbs (which is sooo very close) is not actually in the middle of that spectrum. I know, I know... I should be happy and elated and I've worked so hard and I have muscle.. yada yada yada... I just think of others that are struggling and how long it has taken me to get here... I guess my real question is, how many people are actually in the normal BMI range?!?

I know that my senior year of high school I went on a crazy dumb diet and lost a bunch of weight super unhealthily and was in my BMI range. I also see some naturally thin people that I know are within the range... but realistically, I think many people are in the overweight range. According to Everyday Health over SIXTY percent of American adults are considered overweight or obese. What an eye opener! I also read an article by the CDC and have to say, although it is frustrating to realize that I am close, I need to push a little further to know I'm well within my normal & healthy weight range. The CDC mentions that adults that are overweight or obese are at an increased risk for the following:

• Hypertension
• Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
• Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
• 
  

SCARY!! But the silver lining is that weight is something that we can overcome and control/ maintain unlike other causes of diseases (i.e. genetics). Healthy life style changes are extremely difficult since it is very much mind over matter, but it can be done! Those of you struggling or just starting out, you do NOT have to do it alone. There are many tools, groups, people that range from free to very expensive that can help in your journey.

Like I've mentioned many times before, prayer, Weight Watchers, the YMCA, my fitbit, and myfitnesspal.com have all helped me. Later this week I'll compile a list of others that may be able to help those of us seeking assistance!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. everyone!

Struggle and Success

Happy Saturday!

This week was full of high stress and ended with elated joy. The great tundra of South Dakota, in which I call home, was more arctic feeling than normal. The below zero temps and return to school meant indoor recesses and the feeling of cabin fever. Despite the harsh conditions, I stuck to my guns and recorded every bite that I ate on my weight watcher's app and on myfitnesspal.com. I worked out every day and was even blessed enough to teach my first cycling/tabata class.

Yesterday I was very frustrated as I stepped on the scale and it revealed I had gained weight despite all of my efforts. Many negative thoughts crossed my mind; Should I give up?  Are all my efforts in vein? Have I reached a point in which I cannot lose anymore? Why try so hard if nothing is going to change? Is it worth it?  Does anyone even care or read this anymore? Should they? Needless to say I am constantly looking at the worst case scenario and need to work staying positive.

I also struggled emotionally this week due to our family's four year battle to sell our home in Aberdeen. We are so close to selling it to a lady that has been renting but keep running into snags. When it comes down to it, we will have lost a considerable amount of money but we are getting closer to having a huge weight lifted off our shoulders.

My hard work did, however, pay off. This week was definitely a lesson in patience and perseverance. I did finally make my lifetime membership status at Weight Watchers and cannot express the relief and elation I feel. I also think of my year long journey to a healthier me and the four year journey toward selling our house and know that it's God's doing. He has shown that only through tribulation can you experience joy and comfort in overcoming obstacles.

To those of you working hard for a goal, weight loss or otherwise, remember that there are no quick fixes and that success is journey not a destination.

WW Lifetime Member

33

Why I hate January!

Okay, hate is a strong word but I greatly, greatly dislike January.
Here are my reasons:
1) It's dark.
2) It's so cold that it hurts to breath the air outside.
3) It's the start of my husband's busy work season meaning single mom mode.
4) The gym is packed.

For all these reasons this months seems to be the LONGEST month of the year. To add fuel to the fire, I also just found out that I have bicep tendinitis... ugh! No weight lifting for awhile and that greatly upsets me! My favorite class is Chisel and now I have to take a break from it... but there is some good news.

I was asked to sub for a cycling/ tabata class starting next Wednesday throughout the legislative session and I am VERY excited to begin. I also signed up for a weight loss challenge at the Y, I have until March 9th to lose 13 pounds. I am very excited knowing that my final goal is so close and then I can work on maintenance!

Although I still exceedingly dislike January, I am going to focus on my silver lining.

I'd also like to give a huge shout out to all my friends and family that joined me in my Holiday Survival Challenge. I was so impressed and excited that so many maintained or lost weight during the tough holiday season!

2015 Resolutions

Resolution- a formal expression of opinion or intention made.

After much prayerful discernment, I have decided on two resolutions for the 2015 year.

1) Talking positively about others. This year I discovered that certain family/friends were talking about me in a very negative way. I'm still very hurt by this but will learn to forgive and move on. While I wallowed in self pity, I realized that I need to make sure that I am not doing the same, very hurtful, thing. 

I know that this resolution may be tricky as we all, from time to time, need to vent when others are creating undo stress and frustration in our lives. Therefore I will be doing a lot of mindful journaling, prayer, and running to help refocus when those situations occur.

If you are reading this and are one of my close friends/ family, please do not draw me into gossip. I love to catch up with how people are doing and what others are up to but it's a slippery slope into negativity. 

2) Reach my personal goal weight by March 9th and commit to maintenance. I do have specific goals & benchmarks to ensure positive results. I am no longer keeping pop nor alcohol in my house, I'm not forbidding myself to have either, as this would be a quick path to failure, but if they are not readily available, it is much easier to avoid. Also consistent and diligent tracking will be a must. Following all my own advise will also be a big part of ensuring my own success! 

*If you are creating your own resolutions today, I found this great article about resolutions:

Top 10 Signs You'll Fail to Reach Your Resolutions

Wishing you all a safe and blessed New Year!

Reflection

Decisions, decision....

I LOVE this time of year because the snow is a beautiful reminder of the hope of new beginnings and fresh starts. I get excited when I get a new planner (received a great Wizard of Oz one from my mother in law this Christmas :) ) and am able to fill in dates with birthdays, events and goals. The bitter cold is also a reminder of a sense of anxiety with limitless goals to be made and a look back at resolutions that were not fulfilled in the prior year.

Goal making, for me, gives me a feeling of excitement mixed with stress. I've discovered that one thing that helps me to create a realistic resolution is to also create a detailed plan. Example, you can decide that you want to quit smoking but you aren't going to be able to wake up one morning and say, okay, I'm done, and never smoke again. There has to be steps in place, nicotine gum, patches, activities to replace all the time that used to be spent lighting up and people to support you. The same is true for any goal. It's just like building a house, you need a plan, the proper tools and support system.

I have a few resolutions/ goals in mind that I will put in tomorrow's post, however, I'm struggling with the details. There are so many great options out there for people trying to get in shape. I've tried MOST of them with great short term results. I'm very content with sticking with Weight Watchers, using myfitnesspal.com, my fitbit, working out at the Y, and using shakeology as a healthy supplement. I ran a great Holiday Survival group that's finishing up this week and kept me in check over the holidays. My local Y is running a weight loss challenge group starting next Monday and the stakes are high, money is a great motivator. I was 100% sure I was signing up for it until I ran across another money motivator (DietBet), it's an online weight loss challenge site where you can join a challenge with the potential of earning money by losing weight. Either of these will be a great motivator for me, having someone else holding me accountable with the potential of earning money, who couldn't use extra money!?!

Today I plan on doing some self reflection to not only help me to decide between the two motivators above but also to look back at past mistakes, steps to ensure said mistakes do not occur again, and how I can move forward to create a me that I can be proud of, not just in body, but in mind and soul.

Take a moment of reflection today~ think of a person that you look to as a role model? What characteristics to they encompass? How could you make changes to be more like that person?

**If you like my blog, please feel free to share it on FB, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media! I'd love to have more readers and possibly more people to motivate!?Also PLEASE feel free to leave comments, I love hearing from all of you! :) **

Sunday Ponderings

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I had a blessed day celebrating the birth of our Savior and spending quality time with friends and family over the past few days.
I'm hoping that some of my tips helped you to get through the holidays. I wish I would have followed more of them myself but I did my best to fill up with water and binge on the veggie trays. I didn't get a workout in on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday but have decided that I'm okay with that. I am grateful for the time I spent with loved ones and now have a few days to get myself back on track. I'm looking forward to getting back into a routine and having a few days to clean house (focusing on the fridge and cupboards).

With New Year's Day coming in just a few short days, it's that time of the year to look back over the past few months, evaluate, and decide what your goals are for 2015. I spent our long car trip reflecting on this past year. I believe that I made a lot of steps in the correct path; I took charge of my health, joined WW and restarted my membership to the YMCA, I began running again and completed my first 10K, I spent more quality time with my children, and furthered my education. I am very proud and grateful for all these wonderful revisions I've made in my life, however I know that this is not a simple walk in the park, it's a journey on a windy, endless path. So here I am, looking behind at the uphill, rocky path and looking ahead at a similar path, perhaps not as steep but still with many obstacles awaiting me.

Over the next couple days I will create a plan for the upcoming year's resolutions and the best way to approach them (in my opinion). For now I'm going to assess 2014 and make a list of the positive experiences and the ones that I can learn from. Have a marvelous Monday!