The ups and downs (literally!)

Ah, heath and fitness. I get so frustrated with myself. I know what I need to do to be healthier. And yet.... we fall into gluttony, laziness.

I will say that over the last few months, my mentality is changing. I need to feed my body - so it works well. I need to feed my soul - so it is at peace. I need to feed my brain - to keep it strong.

So for me right now, it is all about conscious choice. Staying active. Drinking water. Eating in balance. Simple lifestyle choices.

Still making progress!

I am happy to reveal that I am still making progress. I feel amazing. I am never out of breath, I love being active, am continuing to lose weight and tone, and it is showing. I've purchased new jeans - 2 full sizes down! I still have a long way to go, but I am doing it the right way - making smart choices, practicing moderation, and staying active.

Where to pick up?

Since leaving corporate America 3 years ago, I have slowly been regaining my life. Walking more, being active. The removal of the stress factor in my life has been unbelievable. And it's really starting to pay off. Having purchased a café in May, I am now finding myself on my feet 16+ hours a day. And the weight has started to come off. I've lost over 50 pounds since leaving corporate America, and am hoping to continue. The biggest reason is movement. Using my app, I've found that most days I take more than 15k steps. I am no longer winded... and I love that. My muscles are getting stronger, my body leaner. I've gone down 2 sizes in the last seven months. And it feels amazing.

Feeling good

A friend asked me how I was today, and my immediate response was "ok". But I immediately added. "No. Better than ok. I am exercising well and I feel GOOD!"

What a great feeling, to be feeding your body what it needs with food and exercise. Joints stop hurting, muscle aches go away faster, more energy, sleeping better. It's like a steam roller of good..... just getting better and better!

Starting fresh after an off week

Last week was a struggle. I struggled in workouts. I didn't eat well. I didn't drink my water! I have no idea why.... But I'm glad to know that having an off week doesn't mean it's over and done with. It simple means I need to give myself a new chance - starting fresh. It's so important to remember that I am making lifestyle choices - to feed my body what it needs, exercise my body to make it strong.

Week two progress

After 2 weeks of trying to put my health first, I am down 6 lbs. More importantly, I'm enjoying exercise again, and I've started making choices. If I have a meal I feel is not healthy, I balance it out with the rest of the day, with a little more cardio, and GOOD food the rest of the day.

I am trying to help another friend in her weightloss journey as well, and she was completely discouraged this morning to only see 1 lb off from last week. Her 2 week total is FIVE POUNDS! Which is fantastic! But she's already getting discouraged. I'm trying to help her understand that we are looking for long term lifestyle changes. Slow, steady weight loss, better choices. I also explained that every week will vary - and if in the long run, we are going in the right direction, that is what matters.

Shows like the Biggest Loser, and some of the talk shows like Dr. Oz have completely distorted our idea of what weight loss is, or should be.

It can't be 10 lbs a week like the biggest loser if you're not isolated on a ranch under complete control. We still have to feed our families. We have other commitments that don't allow us to work out for 4 hours or more a day.

And it shouldn't be a drastic 2 week diet that sheds 20 lbs.

We need to feed our bodies with the right fuel. With real food, veggies, fruits, whole grains... We need to drink water. We need to fit exercise into our daily regime. We need to choose activities with our family that are physically active. And we need balance. Good balance, that allows us to make those choices, enjoy life, and get healthier, one day at a time.

I will continue to try to help my friend understand her misconception. And retrain her thought process to understand that she is making steps to improve her health for LIFE. I wish that society would stress this as well. We need to live life as God intended us to... not a life of excess, or quick fixes.

Workouts continue

Really starting to get "into" my workouts again, and I'm so excited. I'm sleeping better, feeling better, more energy...

Still not drinking a ton of coffee - just a couple of cups a day. This is a big change for me, and one I am proud of. I've replaced it with water for most of the day - another bonus.

Workouts are doing really well. Four in this week already - and each one better than the last. Upped the resistance on my elliptical this week and over 4 workouts have been able to get back under 30 minutes for 2 miles - so I will continue the path of increasing resistance once a week, and then working to get under the 30 for 2 miles. But at some point I will want to increase to more than 2 miles, to begin building stamina. For now, I'm just trying to really get back into it.

Food has been OK. Not snacking much, and that is a big difference. I've been eating pretty "normal" foods - not doing anything drastic. If I have a big meal, or a meal out, I balance it with the other food for the day being mostly fruits and veggies.

And all of this seems to be working. As I said, I'm feeling great. Very proud of putting myself first!