The Finish....Day 1

Success! I got all of my goals done today!!  Recorded my food, a little above my amount needed for the day.  Ran 4.1 miles, got my water in, reached 10,000 plus steps, weighed and got my measurements. And I had a great attitude!!!

Tomorrows goals:

1. Record food - stay under allotted calories,
2. Drink water
3. Run 3.1 miles 
4. Get to bed on time
5. Blog

I am really goal oriented....but the goals need to be listed, otherwise I forget what I'm supposed to do.

In the beginning of my journey I had great success. I lost a lot of weight, I was focused and I had fun.   I really did not stress about the results. I just did what I was supposed to do and it worked. I've been trying to get back to those basics. 

The key for me.....is to not stress about what isn't happening, but to focus on what I'm supposed to do. And really just do it even if I don't feel like it.....every day....consistently and with a great attitude!!!

So that's what I did today.  At 4:30am, I got up and ran.  Did not feel like doing it, but I did it anyway. Really did not have time to record my food or blog, but I did it anyway.  For me that is the key.  I just need to do it!!! 

How about you.  Are you struggling to get it together?  Just set you plan and make it happen!!! You can do it!!!!

Have a fit day!!!

Are you doing your best? For you?

I recently heard some things from others that I find interesting....A couple of people have shared that as they are trying to make changes in their lives, the people who surround them are telling them with their words, that they are there for them, they will support them and they are excited for the changes that are happening, but then....

Their actions prove differently.....

I've heard....

There are spouses out there who will lure their loved one into to eating things they shouldn't! They stop them from going for a run or going to an exercise class. And/or they will bring home a favorite treat for a surprise.

I  also heard that there are some BFF's out there, who at lunch would say, "Oh, you must have so and so, oh and please have another drink, I can't be doing this without you?" Oh and here's a good one. "Oh, you are getting waaaay too skinny!" (Personally, I can't wait to hear that one!!)

How about at the office....This happened to me, someone brought in their grandma's best recipe for chocolate cake, and a co-worker practically shoves a bite into my mouth. (Sadly, a little made it in and frankly......it was not that good - wasted calories!!!)

Or here's a good one.....Do you, yourself sabotage your own journey....Do you fill your day so full of things, that you just have to put everyone else ahead of your own needs? Oh and because you are so tired, your kids beg you to go through the drive through...just one more time!! AND YOU DO IT!!!!!

If so, none of these things will help you reach your optimal health and fitness.

You are holding off your best because of something or someone else!!

Don't let it happen.....Don't let others tempt you.....Don't let them bump you off of your health and fitness goals. Don't you allow yourself to do it either!!

We have a lot of work to do!! We are important and we need to get this done!!! Stand up for yourself today and boldly ward of ANYTHING that gets in your way to your optimal health and fitness!!

ARE YOU WITH ME??

Have a fit day!!

Changing my Goal

When I started my health and fitness plan, my goal was to reach 160 pounds. At 274 pounds, I thought that that goal was achievable...That "one" day I would reach that number. Never thought I would even consider reaching anything less than that. NO WAY!

Once I got started and had some success, I decided that I could probably reach 150 pounds. That seemed possible.....

Now, with my new plan, I think I can reach 140 pounds!!! So doable!!

Inching my way to my goal. One healthy step at a time.

How about you? Are you ready to reach your goals. If so, let me know, I'd be happy to help!! Contact me at transparent.joy@gmail.com

Have a fit day!!!

Workin' it together!!

How cool is this. So this morning I'm on my treadmill running my fastest 5k ever ~ 13.68 minutes per mile. Wow that blasts out my 18 minute mile on  my last 8k!! Hey I'm working this thing and I want to get faster. Looks like I can do it!! So fun!!

Anyway, I'm running along and in comes my handsome hubby all decked out in his bike gear. He's been riding his bike to work every day!! Such a stud!

He's working towards riding the Seattle to Portland event next year and I'm working towards the Run Like Hell 1/2 Marathon in October.

So fun getting fit together!!

How about you? What are you working towards?

Focus on your goals!!!

Ready for a picture?

Well this is what I look like today - see picture on my side bar. (Under the About Me section) I'm getting there! My official weight right now is 209. I know my ticker says 204, but I had gained some weight back in January and I've struggled to get it off. My trainer thinks its muscle weight as I have increased my cardio and weight lifting a lot. My calories look good too, so I guess that is what the gain was about. I just have to rest in what is....This is where I'm at today and this is what I look like.

The journey continues on and I am more excited and determined than ever to reach my goals. My new trainer is a schemer....she plants these wild ideas in my mind and once they are in there....I just want to make them happen. Like....

• She says, "Don't you have an hour lunch hour?" And I'm like "Yeah......meh! Why?" She says, "Well you know, you can get more cardio in during that time. Would be good for you...so many benefits. More time moving, better concentration etc. I'm like blah blah blah while she's talking and then the next thing I'm doing is checking out the facilities in our building to see how I can make this work. We have showers and lockers there, so that is helpful. And then the next thing I'm doing is getting my workout clothes together, I bought a lock....Guess what? I'm walking at lunch!
• Then the another day, she says, "You know, you need something to shoot for. Have you ever thought of doing a 1/2 marathon?" And I'm like GULP ~ YIKES ~ HUH ~ ME? And of course I give her all of my reasons why I can't do this. Then the next thing you know, I'm checking out an event that is scheduled in June and Hubby and I are going to be riding (our bikes) on the race route to check it out. I want to see it visually first. We are riding the course this weekend!
• Then we were talking about my weight goal. I told her that I'm shooting for 150 and she says, "You know, I can totally see you less than that." And I'm like, "OK 140 then." She says, "No I can see you in the 20's. HUH? Nobody has ever said that to me.

I need to be on guard for every time she says....You know!!

She rocks!

So that is some of the stuff that I'm pushing toward. I'm starting to see myself using my lunch time as a productive time for my health, instead of playing games or goofing off. I'm starting to see myself as a marathoner! And I CAN see myself at 125 pounds!

Do you have people in your life who encourage you, like my trainer does for me? If not, you need to find new friends! It could be life changing!!

Keep focused!!

Looking Up!

Went to my fitness class last night. We do jump rope, jogging in place, jumping jacks, lunges, weights and a lot of other aerobic and balancing things. When I first started I had trouble keeping up, then gradually I was able to keep up with the young people....now, it's almost (almost) too easy!! WOW!!!

Don't get me wrong, I'm sweating like a pig, but I'm working this workout and giving it my all. I love it!! Last night we were doing this move.....like football players do. You know where you shuffle your feet and kind of hop shuffle across the floor. When I first started this class a year ago, I could not even hop. Last night, I was all over the floor. Flying across the room. NEVER thought I could do that! Never. I was so excited after my class that I ran from the facility all the way to my car and it was about 3 blocks away. Usually after the class, I'm so tired, that I'm looking for a cab to my car.

I tell you I was so excited on my way home!!

Food....Well I'm working on this. Seems I struggle....Well duh!! It's like I'm saying to myself....If you are working out hard...then you don't have to be so diligent with your food. Do you lie to yourself too?

For me right now....I have to focus on it all. So I'm on it.

You see I have a goal...and I need to get started now, if I'm going to make it!!! Right now...No more excuses!!!

I'm on it!!

How about you....are you on your plan?

Keep focused!!!

Back to normal

Well I'm back!! I lost my hard drive on my computer....With that, I lost my way and my desire to keep pushing on with my weight loss and fitness journey.....For just a minute!

So many of the things I needed to work my health and fitness program were tied to my computer. Isn't that amazing how we rely on these things? Oh yeah, I could do it all manually, but this losing weight process is very time consuming as it is and without my computer, I was just not able to keep up. I have just felt lost!

I was able to get on to the Bodybugg system and record my food (at work, with limited access), but not my activity level and steps. Without my computer, I could not look up calories, get help from my blogger friends and of course I could not blog. Anyway, I just need my tools. So happy I'm back up and running! I think the biggest thing was, it bumped me off my schedule and I spent so much time trying to make this thing work. The whole thing just added to my stress! Augh!

OK I'm finally going to listen to my daughter and abandon my 7 Month Focus Challenge. She has been telling me that that time frame is just too long. I get that now and of course, I'm feeling bad, that I've pretty much stunk it up for the past couple of months. I hate to give up and not try to reach this goal. I hate giving up.....I've done it so many times in my past.

However....

They say if you don't have a plan, you are planning to fail.....
Oh and of course
If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. ~Lawrence J. Peter


So I need to make some sort of short term goals. So here it is...
 
I need to lose 5 lbs this month!
 
That's it.....I know what to do to get there.....I just need to do it!
 
Hey I just thought of something......I'm not abandoning my 7 Month Focus Challenge. I'm still going to Exercise, get my 10,000 steps in, keep my calories at 1600, record my food, drink water and blog. I'm still going to do that. But now, I'm focused on getting results!!
 
Are you with me? We can do this!
 
Stay focused!!!

Day 110 ~ 7 Month Focus - The Death of a Berry

This particular berry was formed perfectly on a bush. It grew with help from the proper amount of water and sunshine and maybe even had a little added help from the Farmer with his fertilizers and pesticides. ~ Couldn't hurt right? Anyway our berry matured just how it was supposed to...and when it was ready...it was truly ripe for the pickin!

So with anticipation and excitement, which I'm sure all berry's feel moments before they are picked, our little berry waited for its life long journey to be fulfilled and that is to be enjoyed, savored and eaten!!

Soon the pickers came and it's our berry's moment to come off of the bush. It's then thrown into a box, just like the other berry's and shipped to the berry plant for processing. It's washed, the stem is removed and it's packaged and ready to go to the market.

So with added anticipation, with the moment of its final destination within reach, it sits and waits at the store to be purchased. Before this berry can go anywhere, it must first be scrutinized, touched and even smelled before some person picks it up, buys it and takes it home.

As our little berry waits on the counter, just sure that at any moment, it will be chosen for consumption....It plans and waits and waits for something to happen. Finally it sees a spoon approach it for its final travel to a mouth. And then something totally unspeakable happens to our friend the berry. It falls off of the spoon straight to the floor, with a thud. (a berry thud...not very loud!) It is devastated as it lies there hoping it will soon be noticed and picked up...Why it would just need a little washin' and it would be ready to eat. No harm done! It waits and it waits for its rescue and finally someone comes along to pick it up....oh no, the person does not pick it up....our poor berry just gets kicked around, from one side of the room to another. Oh NO!

With a smidgen of hope left, our little berry waits and finally another person comes in. It approached the berry.....but unfortunately, this time, this person does not see our berry friend and squishes it. Berry blood everywhere!

Do you sometimes feel like the berry? You know you were created for something, something amazing and you even kind of get to the destination you need to go ~ you are on the right track, you get it, you're almost there...but then you fall off your plan, get distracted by life and just simply fail to reach your goal!! Do you know what I'm sayin!?!?!?

Well I've been there. Even today, I decided to make good choices for myself. Had a reasonable breakfast,  snack & lunch ~ the whole while reading my nutrition book and then reading blogs. Healthy, good choices right? So after lunch, I'm not satisfied and I eat almost 2 bowls of cereal. Does that make any sense at all for a thin person to do?

I will never get to that thin person status unless I make better choices. Unlike our berry friend, it did not have a choice about what it does or what happened to it. BUT I DO!! I have every tool imaginable and I STILL FALL OF THE DANG COUNTER! I'm going to get smooshed and abandon my weight loss and fitness goals, if I don't get it together, keep it together and get some danged results!

I guess what I'm realizing is...I can have every tool to get this journey done ~ Trainer, exercise equipment, books, journals, support, great food etc. However, if I'm unwilling to do the work...to grit it out...to make my goals....to stay on plan.....IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!! 

To make it work ~ I HAVE TO DO THE WORK ~ EVERY MINUTE, EVERY HOUR, EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY MONTH and EVERY YEAR.

I can't waste the time I'm given. I must get this done and quit procrastinating! Quit making excuses!! Quit giving in to myself!!! I need to make better choices and I need to make them now!!!

All this berry talk came from a squished berry on my kitchen floor. Who knew it could mean anything other than a mess that needed to be clean up. I know, I'm a goof!!

Keep focused!

Day 60 - 7 Month Focus

My trainer killed me last night. After running in the 5k on Saturday and being sore from that, I did not think I could do much with my trainer. However.....I did not whine one time and just did what she asked me to do. There were a couple of times where I thought I wanted to throw up...But didn't! Whew!

I finally figured out how to jump rope. Not just with one foot at a time, but with both feet in the air. Last year I tried to jump rope and I could not even do it. I forgot how to do it. I could only get one time around with the rope, maybe hit it 1 time out of 5. Last night I started out that way and decided to give the 2 foot hop a try. I made one. Then my goal was 3, then 5....I worked my way up to 17 times without stopping. Rope jumping is fun!!!!

We were in the multipurpose room, which does not mean good things for me. There are weird things in there and she makes me do them. Most things we do hurt!! She had me do a bunch of stuff, stair steps, lunges, squat, sprints, shoving the big punching bag. You know who's face I was seeing when I was pushing that bag.....yep....my trainers face. She was killing me!! (I love her, I really do!!) Then it was back to the gym for time on the Elliptical and then we did weights and tummy crunches. I took a look at myself at one point and I was head to toe red, well and sweaty. It was at this point, she said, to go get a drink. As I went to the fountain, I caught the looks of the others in the gym, they were kind of funny. They were probably thinking, why is that trainer trying to kill that old lady? After I was done with my trainer, I put in 30 minutes on the bike. Anyway, I did not die......I made it and I did well!!!!

Today however, I can hardly move, so I will not be on the Treadmill this morning. I will go to my water aerobics class tonight.

Stats from yesterday....

Exercise: Trainer - Cardio, weights for 1 1/2 hrs
Steps: 10314
Calories: 1650
Track Food: Done
Water: 100+ oz
Blog: Done

SUCCESSFUL DAY!!

How about you.....are you reaching your goals?

Keep focused!

Day 56 - 7 Month Focus

Oh my goodness. I'm approaching month 3 of my 7th Month Focus Challenge. Time goes by so fast!

Couple things....

• Is anybody else having trouble leaving comments on other people's blogs? If you have not heard from me, it's because I can't leave a comment. Any advise?
• It's June already....And it's cold in Oregon....still cloudy and rainy.....wearing sweaters!! Not helping me with my attitude!! Can I just say....GRUMPY!!!
• Still fighting the blues....Seems the more things that happen to me or bad stuff I hear, the more down I get. I am so trying to get my joy!

7 Month Focus Update - Month 2 - DONE!

Last month was so good in many way and really tough in others. I worked through my Aspartame problem, some other health issues, a challenging month at work, and really pushed through some tough things. Also had a lot of success and challenged myself!

May Stats
8 Perfect days ~ Met all goals (Only had 5 perfect days in April)
Exercised: 22 Days (Plus I ran 1 5k, walked a couple 5k's and walked a 10k)
Steps: Hit 10,000+ steps - 14 days
Calories: 1600 - Only hit this 10 days
Tracked Food: 26 Days
Water: 100+ oz - 24 Day
Blog: 28 Days

Lost 2 pounds for the month ~ I actually hit 211 at one point (which would have been a 4 pound loss), but gained 2 pounds last week.

The first of the month I was really gun ho and the rest of the month I struggled. Obviously calories are killing me. I just can't seem to hit the mark.

Biggest struggle is my attitude and stress level. I put so much pressure on myself to hit my goals and when I come up short, I really beat myself up. Last year, I enjoyed the journey...This year, feels like I have a yoke around my neck and it's too tight, kind of chocking me, slowly....

Some my advise I stop my challenge, maybe I can't handle it. But don't we always hear that we need to set goals? I really want to be successful. I don't think I've set the bar too high. My problem is I still have my heels dug in and I'm fighting this journey right now. I just once want to do something big for MYSELF and make this happen!! I want to set my goals and make them! Why am I stopping myself?

Enough!

My new focus this week will be the 5k run this Saturday. I need to psych myself up and really focus! I need to get excited and pumped! I CAN DO IT!! (Margene is doing great!! We are gonna do it girlfriend!!)

How about you...Are you reaching your goals?

Stay focused!!