Week 2 Recap and Self Evaluation

Hello all!  I can't believe that I'm already two weeks in to my serious fitness journey, healthy lifestyle changes!  This week was a pretty normal week in general, no holidays, birthdays, or major events to contend with.  I discovered having an uneventful week can have just as many pros and cons as an eventful one.  For week one, I had a lot of unhealthy food options tempting me, but I was so busy I was constantly on the move.  For week two, I didn't have so many unhealthy food temptations, but I wasn't as active as I was during week one.

Per my FitBit's weekly report, I had a decrease in many things including total steps for the week, overall miles, avg. daily calorie burn, and total active time.  However, I'm making progress and seeing results, so right now I'm not overly concerned at this time.  Per the weekly report I did have more restful sleep, saw a decrease in my resting hear rate, and I experienced some weight loss (which I'll elaborate on later).

Goal #1 - Hydration

Staying hydrated has been a real struggle for me, for as long as I can remember.  I did do better this week but still didn't reach my goal of 75 fl. oz. of water a day.  However, I did manage to meet and exceed on a few days and came pretty close on most days.  As you can see from the report below, I was significantly under my target intake on Sunday.  This was semi-intentional.  As many of you know I am a recreational pilot, and on Sunday I did some flying.  When I fly, I typically don't drink several hours before being airborne, quite simply because my little plane doesn't have a restroom on board.  I should have planned better and hydrated more earlier, and remember to hydrate extra after the flight.  I also noticed that the days that I had a cup of coffee in the morning were the days that I under-hydrated.  Apparently proper hydration is something I still need to work on.

Goal #2 - Avoid Carbs and Processed Sugars

I may not have elaborated on this well enough on my last post, but for this past week it was my goal to back off on unnecessary carbs, and to avoid sugary sweets.  I'm a big lover of carbs and sweets, so this is a bit tough for me.  I did well in the carb department, I cut out my morning slice of toast and substituted flour tortillas to make wraps instead of sandwiches with bread.  Though I ate less sweets than normal, I still did have the occasional piece of chocolate.  I did count every piece I ate in my calorie budget and I did well not to go over my allotted caloric intake.

Goal #3 - Fruits and Veggies

I love veggies, I could eat them all day long but I hate preparing them.  I was able to make salads on a regular basis, so that made eating more veggies pretty easy.  Fruits on the other hand are just difficult for me.  Even though I like sweets, fruits just don't "do it" for me.  I did force myself to eat a few apples throughout the week, and I used banana to make protein pancakes, and I even had a couple of oranges.  I know I'm still on the low end of the daily recommended values, but I'm happy that I ate some fruit (probably more than I've eaten in months).

I am really enjoying Country Heat, its really fun and I work up a good sweat.  I was initially having some minor trouble with the friction of my sneakers on the rug, but I have since been using a laptop (the great part about Beachbody on Demand, you can stream it to any device, even your phone as long as you have internet access) in an area where I have wooden floors, so I no longer have that problem.

Even though I was not as active this week as I was last week, I managed my caloric intake much better.  This resulted in me seeing more progress in weight loss this week than I did last week.  I started this week off at 148 lbs and yesterday I weighed in at 143.8 lbs.  This morning I weighed in even less but we'll save that for next weeks report.  That's a four pound weight loss this week and a six pound weight loss since I've started.  Already some of my clothes are starting to feel too loose!  I still have a long way to go but I am so pleased with the changes that I've made and the progress so far.

Goal #1 - Hydration

I am still not happy with what my intake has been, so I'm going to continue to focus on this.  I have a plan on how I might fix this problem.  If I'm successful with it, I will let you know in next week's report.

Goal #2 - Stay Active Throughout the Day

This last week I found myself being inactive for long stretches throughout the day.  I'm hoping to change that this week.  In addition to workout, I'm hoping to incorporate outdoor walks and dance sessions with the kiddos to help keep me moving throughout the day.

Goal #3 - Stretch More

This may seem like an odd or unnecessary goal, but for me it is a very necessary goal.  Throughout both of my pregnancies and since, I have had problems with my hips.  Bad enough that I had to do several months of physical therapy.  From the pregnancies and from being over weight I have put unnecessary stress on my hip flexors.  Now that I am working out more, I'm beginning to feel just a twing of discomfort toward the end of the week (the rest day really seems to help).  I'm sure that if I incorporate a daily stretch regiment to the mix, this will alleviate my discomfort.

  

I am really looking forward to moving on, I've already done my first routine for week three.  That means I'm already past the halfway point of this program.  I'm having so much fun, and I'm feeling so much better already.  I hope you find my journey inspiring, and if you are this journey with me I hope you find your success.  See you soon.

Just Me,

Nail Confession

Hello Lovelies!  I know it has been an incredibly long time since, I've done a nail post here or even mention my nails.  I have been incredibly busy with life in general, and in late fall I went through a bit of funk that kept me from enjoying anything nail related.  It is with great shame that I make a few nail confession.

Early last fall, I overwhelmed myself with nail art projects that had committed deadlines.  I was so excited to be asked to join so many collaborations that I didn't want to say no.  By late fall, I was so burned out that I didn't even want to look at my nails let alone paint them.  So, I decided to take a bit of a nail art vacation.  However, this quickly turned to nail neglect.  Life gets busy, as I'm sure many of you know.  For me, when I fall out of a routine I really crash and burn.  My nail routine got put on a back burner and I ignored it completely.

By the time the Christmas season came around my nails were a mess.  Being the impatient person that I am, I decided to try an at home acrylic kit.  I have never done my own acrylics before, but new from salon experiences I had decades ago, that they are bad.  My thoughts were, since I'm doing them myself, that I would have control and I know better than to buzz down the surface of my nails.  I was pleased with the initial application.  I did not expect that doing a fill would be extremely difficult, and being a bit of a perfectionist, I wasn't happy with them after I had done the first fill.  I let them grow out until I couldn't tolerate them anymore which wasn't very long.

I spent an entire afternoon soaking them off, only to reveal that I had filed down the surface of my nails more than I had intended to.  Sadly, it gets worse, because my nails were so thin, brittle, and abused they kept chipping and ripping.  It was so constant that I could not grow my nails even a millimeter.  The endless ripping and tearing lead me to fall into an old horrendous habit,  nail/finger bitting!  I haven't done this in years, and I am really ashamed.

I've decided that it is time to stop making excuses, and feel sorry for my nails.  I miss doing nail art and am ready to do something about it.  For Valentine's Day, I bought myself a lovely set of nail care goodies from Lilly Anne's Garden.  I have made purchases from Misty for some of my nail friends in the past, but had not yet tried her products for myself.  I decided that this was the perfect time for me to test out her goodies.

The set included a sugar scrub, body whip, cuticle oil, waxes melts, and chap stick (which I can never get enough of).  Each product came in a different scent too, giving me an opportunity to enjoy a handful of lovely fragrances.

I started with a sugar scrub to help remove dead skin. This scrub smells divine and did a good job off minimizing skin freys.

I then did some much needed moisturizing. I started with the body whip, slathering my hands completely. I followed that with the application of cuticle oil. I rubbed both on my hands and nails but did not rub it in completely, allowing my skin to absorb it at its own pace.

For the past three days I have scrubbed my hands once a day, moisturized with the body whip 2-3 times a days, and applied the cuticle oil every hour or every other hour as needed. This is a similar routine to what I've used in the past but never with Lilly Anne's Garden products.  I love the scents of these products and they are doing a good job of getting my hands and nails back to normal.

Though my nails still have a long way to being fully recovered. They look and feel far better than they have in weeks. Not to mention they smell good, even my husband has commented on how wonderful they smell.

I will be participating in the upcoming Mani Swap Circle on Instagram and have a few nail art designs in mind that I would like to create soon. Thanks for being patient with me, and thank you for sticking with me here and on my other social networks. If you haven't, feel free to check me out on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Thanks for stopping by!

Just Me,

Week 1 Recap and Self Evaluation

Hello all!  So, it's the end of week 1, and I thought it would be great to reflect on the week, re-evaluate, and set goals for this week.  Like most week's there were ups and downs, but there were a few things this week that were (for me) especially tough.  There were many times this week when I asked myself, why in the world did I chose this week to get serious.

The first trial came on Monday when I had to make cookies for my daughter's preschool class.  I love to bake, and I love cookie dough.  I often eat more cookie dough than I actually use to make cookies.  However, I did well and only had a small nibble to taste test the dough (as any good chef or baker does).  I was also challenged by all the goodies and sweets at my daughter's preschool Valentine's Day party, but I managed to pass on all the sugary sweets.  When it was time to leave, there were leftover cookies too.  Instead of bring them home where they would tempt me endlessly, I left them with the staff who was more than happy to take them off my hands.

The second trial came on Tuesday, Valentine's Day!  Typically, my husband and I do not observe this holiday, mostly because we just don't see the need, when we show each other we love one another all the time.  However, our life has been very stressful lately and he thought he would be sweet and surprise me with some chocolate and a flower.  Chocolate is my biggest weakness, I will usually sit down at night and eat an entire XL chocolate bar in one evening.  Though I did enjoy some of this chocolate, I shared it and only at a few pieces throughout the week.

The next trial came on Wednesday, when I made brownies for my daughter to take to preschool for her birthday.  Just like cookies, brownies are another big love of mine.  Again, I did well, only taste tested to make sure the batter was correct.

Friday went smoothly, but Saturday...Saturday was the day that I let loose.  It was my daughter's 4th birthday party.  There was pizza and, of course, cake.  I did allow myself to indulge but not as much as I normally would have.  I refrained from eating chips, candy, and soda (I substituted flavored seltzer water instead).  I also kept the pizza and cake to reasonable serving sizes.

Sunday, I faced another small challenge (compared to the rest of the week).  I took my daughter out for a mommy daughter date.  We went out to lunch, but I just ate from the salad bar (I probably could have gone a bit lighter on the salad dressing and bacon).  Then we hit the movie theater, I'm not big on popcorn so I got some for my little squish some, and refrained from buying any sweets (though I was really tempted).

But what about my workouts?!  As I stated in my last post, I got a membership for Beachbody on Demand and after previewing some of their programs I decided to start with Country Heat.  The first week's calendar involves two different routines for six out of the seven days.  I did manage to do all six days, however I had to switch my rest day from Sunday to Saturday only because I had too much going on with my daughter's party.

I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun this program is!  I was concerned about the music but it turns out that I like country music more than I remembered and the steps are fun to do.  Each routine, has a breakdown video, that breaks down the moves.  I highly recommend, that if you do this program, that you take the time watch and do breakdown videos for each routine.  You can jump right in if you want to, the instructor demonstrates each step sequence before you do it, but it really helps to see and do them a bit slower first.

The only minor issue I had, was that the areas in my home I can workout in are carpeted.  The friction between my sneakers and the carpet made some of the steps difficult.  I often found myself loosing count and tripping over my own feet.  I know they make socks for this particular reason, so I will probably invest in those soon.

At the beginning of last week, I set three goals that I wanted to focus on this past week.  I find focusing on small changes and making them a habit is the best way to make the changes a true part of my lifestyle.

Goal #1 - Stay Active

Following the workout schedule made this very easy to accomplish.  Not to mention that my busy schedule kept me on the run.  I use my FitBit to monitor my activity, and have not yet increased my target steps, miles, calorie burn, active minutes, etc.  On a couple of days I saw four green circles on my dashboard, which is not something I've ever seen before.  That means, it's probably time to up those targets.

Goal #2 - Caloric Intake

Being a very sporadic eater I aimed for no less than a 1,000 calories and no more than 1,200 calories.  I expected this to be extremely difficult, but it wasn't as terrible as I had anticipated.  I did fail to accomplish this two out of the seven days.  On Monday, I fell short with 989 calories and on Saturday I went significantly over with 1,812 calories (I should have had one less slice of pizza).

Goal #3 - Hydration

This for me is a real struggle.  For the last several years I have lived on coffee.  It was the only source of liquid I would ingest besides an occasional soda or adult beverage.  My target for the week was to drink 75 fl. oz. of water a day.  I am sad to say, I only accomplished this one day.  However, I did drink some water each day, and more than I have consistently in a long time.

Screen shot of FitBit dashboard of water consumption 2/13 - 2/19

I am a very self critical person, I usually judge myself harsher than anyone else I judge.  So, I am trying to look at myself as if I am a complete stranger.  This is not an easy thing to do but if I am to make any long lasting changes I need to be a bit more forgiving of myself.  There are several things that I focused on and I did well, such as eating more uniformly (if you don't include Saturday), I ate more fruits and vegetables than I normally do.  I didn't binge eat sweats (though I really wanted to), and even though I didn't meet the targeted water intake I wanted, I hydrated more than I usually do.  I also, stuck to and enjoyed the workouts, even though my schedule was busier than normal.  So, all in all, I declare this a victorious week.

I did not do full measurements for this week or pictures, I decided it might be a hindrance to my positive outlook.  I will report those when I complete the 30 days of Country Heat.  I did, however, track my weight throughout the week, mostly because it is easy to do and because I've never taken my weight seriously.  (As I said in my previous post, fitness for me is about feeling healthy.)

Screenshot of Fitbit dashboard 2/13 - 2/19

On Monday, I weighed in at 150 lbs and by Saturday morning I saw a low of 146.2 lbs.  I account this to water weight, based on past experiences.  This morning I weighed in at 148 lbs.  Again, not all that bad, a lose of 2 lbs, that most likely would have been more if I hadn't indulged over the weekend.

The real question is how do I feel?  I feel...WONDERFUL!  I am sleeping better, I have more energy, I'm feeling physically less bloated, and my kids are having a hard time keeping up with me (which is a huge bonus).  My muscles ache in all the right places, and for once I know why, so it makes the ache worth it.  I've also had less cravings than I normally do to.  I am loving how I feel and know that it's only going to get better from here.

I am going to continue with Country Heat, and will still be focusing on my caloric intake but my three primary focuses this week will be:

• Averaging 75 fl. oz. a day, hydration is so important to so many parts of the body.  Though I did well this past week, I really want to make this a true habit, that is why I'm making it a primary focus for the week.
• Staying away from unnecessary carbs and processed sugars.  These are a big weakness for me and from past experiences they are the reason I have a hard time achieving results.
• Eating more fruits and vegetables.  I did really well this past week eating more fruits than I have in months, and eating more vegetables than I typically do, but I want to make it more of a focus.

I faced many personal challenges this past week, but I feel I managed them well.  I accomplished things I was feeling discouraged about, and I am feeling wonderful.  I have already done my workout for today (Monday) and can't wait to do some conditioning tomorrow.  I hope you find my journey inspiring, and if you are this journey with me I hope you find your success.  See you soon.

Just Me,

The First Step

Hello All!  This post comes with many mixed emotions.  I am pumped to get going on this path to a better me, I am excited to encourage others to follow me, but I am also nervous about the bumps in the road, and I'm terrified of what others might think of me.  However, I can't focus on the negative, I need to stay positive, otherwise I'll never find success on this fitness journey.

Just a bit of background on what I have been doing to be fit so far.  For the last couple months I've been tracking my calories on my FitBit at a level to maintain my weight, and I've been working out about three or more times a week.  I've been using a home fitness program called the Firm Express, and on some days I hop on the treadmill for 20 minutes or so.  About a month and a half in and I'm already getting bored and I'm not seeing any results.

Unfortunately, living in the Northeast the weather isn't conducive to being active outdoors, unless you like snowboarding and freezing your buns off.  Though I am looking to rid myself of my buns, this is not quite the manner I was planning on doing it.  With two little ones in tow, who have two very different, and time consuming schedules going to the gym isn't feasible either.

I'm super excited because I have just opened a membership to Beachbody On Demand (click this link to find out more about Team Beachbody).  I was introduced to this program by my kid sister, Michelle, who has been a coach for a bit now.  She has been seeing amazing results, and has really changed her lifestyle for the better.  The big reason I signed on is because the all access pass gives me access to all their programs.  This means I should never get bored with the workout programs, because there are so many to choose from.  Not only that but I can workout at home, when I have time.  I don't have to worry about gym class schedules or settling for a workout I don't want to do. Not to mention they are having a special on their annual membership till the end of the month (click this link for Membership Options).

Though I intend to follow the workout program, I do not intend to follow the meal plan rigorously.  I know many that use this plan, stick to the Shakeology and container program but right now it doesn't work for me or my family's lifestyle. I have considered that this will slow my progress, but its all about making changes I can sustain.  However, I do intend to monitor my caloric intake and cut back to a weight lose intake versus the maintaining intake I have been targeting.

After reviewing some of the programs available through Beachbody on Demand, I've decided to start of with a fun low impact program, Country Heat.  I know many people rave about this program, saying its so much fun you don't even feel like you are working out, so hopefully I'll enjoy it.  The only negative part of this program for me is that I have no love for country music.  So, I hope that the music doesn't hinder me from getting the full benefit of the workout.  I know it might seem strange to hear that as a problem, but for me music is a great workout motivator.  If the music doesn't move me mentally it also doesn't move me physically.

Image Source: soreyfitness.com

Alright, here is the really hard part of this post.  The first weigh in and measurement.

Weight - 150lbs

Left Arm - 11 5/8"

Right Arm - 10 3/4"

Chest - 35 3/4"

Waist - 38"

Hips - 43 1/4"

Left Thigh - 24 3/4"

Right Thigh - 24 3/4"

Total Measurements  - 188 7/8"

In order to make long lasting changes, I have decided to focus on three things each week.  For this week I've decided to focus on:

• Being active and sticking to the workout calendar.
• Not exceeding 1200 calorie intake a day, and not eating less than 1000 calories a day. Sadly, sometimes I fail to eat.
• Drinking approximately 75 ounces of water a day.  I am terrible at drinking water, I sometimes go days without anything but coffee. I have a feeling this will be my hardest goal to accomplish this week.

This is the beginning of an all new me, I'm ready to get moving!  How about you?  I'll report in next Monday, with a look back on this week and updated stats.  You can follow me on my Facebook page, feel free to find this post on my page and share your weekly stats too.  You can also keep track of me on Instagram, @Me_Crystal_B, were I post random things throughout the week.  I hope to see you soon.

Just Me,

Super Hero Valentine's Pops

Hello All!  Welcome to my latest blog segment, I am calling Kid's Corner.  As most of you know I am a mom of two, which means I spend the majority of my time hanging with the littles.  My daughter is currently in pre-school and this is her first real Valentine's Day (my husband and I are not big on this holiday).  Of course, her school is having a Valentine's Day Party and it's encouraged that the kids bring Valentine's to share with the other students.  Originally, I intended to hit up the store buy some goodie bags and some generic cards for her to hand out.  Than I got to thinking that this would be a wonderful opportunity to do some mother-daughter crafting, which is one of our favorite past times.

Like most people I hit up Pinterest for some inspiration, and after narrowing down my search I came across a pin for some adorable Super Hero Valentine's Day Pops.  Being that my daughter loves super hero, is obsessed with Batman, and often pretends to be BatGirl, this was a perfect idea for us.  There were so many pins for this idea, and it didn't look all that hard to re-create, so I decided to just wing it.

Materials we used:
Lollipops (about the size of a Tootsie Pop)
Construction Paper
Heart Stickers (you can always make hearts out of construction paper instead)
Scissors (Safety scissors for the little ones)
Wavey or Chevron Scissors (optional)
Hole Punch
Markers (crayons or colored pencils will also work)
and Tape

I started by creating my own templates for the cape and superhero masks.  For our capes I started with a rectangle about 2 1/2"W x 4" L, and I curved one end of the rectangle to give it a cape-shape.  I used my template to trace multiple capes onto construction paper.

I then had Briar cut out the cape shapes.  This is a task I knew she could execute, even if they would not be absolutely perfect.  They are after all her Valentine's for her classmates (as a perfectionist and control freak this is a hard thing for this Momma to except).

Parent tip: cut the smaller pieces out of the larger sheet of paper to make it easier for inexperienced little fingers to hold and maneuver while they are cutting.

After Briar finished cutting the cape-shapes out, I trimmed the edges using a wave chevron pair of crafting scissors to give the impression of the cape flapping in the wind.  I also used a hole punch to make a hole at the "shoulder" area (center of rounded end), where the pops will be inserted later.

I then had Briar place heart stickers on each cape, another task I knew would be easy for her to complete.

Parent tip: remove the sticker cut out and leave just the stickers on the backing.  This makes it easier for little fingers to peel the stickers themselves.

While Briar took a lunch break, I went about the arduous task of cutting out the little superhero masks.  I don't really have any good pointers for these pieces, other than to make sure, to make them long enough to wrap around the pops so that they are easy to tape on when you get to the assembly part of this project.  I also colored black lenses onto the super hero masks and wrote super hero Valentine's Day sayings on the capes.

When Briar was done with lunch, we assembled the pops together.  She inserted the pops into the capes and I applied the superhero masks by securing them with a small pieces of tape on the backside of the pop.

Dun-Dun-Duuuuunnnnnn!!!!

We had so much fun crafting this super cute Valentine's Day pops.  I like that they are unconventional, and Briar loves that they are superheros.  It was a great way to spend some mother-daughter time, and Briar had an opportunity to work on some fine motor skills cutting out the capes.  Plus we used this time as an opportunity to review colors and counting.  All in all it was a constructive project.

From my little BatGirl and I, to you, we hope you have a super Valentine's Day!

It's Just Me,

P.S. The catastrophe that was my kitchen counter at the end of this project.

My Fitness Journey

Hello All!  For my first new genre on this blog, I'd like to add a portion about my fitness journey.  Like many individuals I have struggled with my image, my weight, and my health in general for almost my entire life.  I've been working toward being a healthier version of myself for a while now but I'm ready to take it to the next level.

Why am I going on a fitness journey and what exactly does that mean?  These are two questions I have been asking myself for the last several months.  My history with fitness has seen both ends of the spectrum.

At one point in my life I lived off fast food, and the only exercise I experienced was any mobility that was required for me to function as a human being.  When I was nearly 200lbs (I'm only 5' tall), I went through some personal struggles and found myself motivated to change who I was and how I felt about myself, both mentally and physically.  I then began trying fade diets and trendy workout routines and managed to shed about 50lbs.  I was proud of my accomplishment but settled for where I was and fell into all my old bad habits.

Then I met my future husband (though I didn't now it at the time), and I spent time enjoying life, which included a lot of food and cuddling on the couch.  Neither of which were good for my waistline.  Fast forward a few years, my future husband and I are still together but find ourselves in a long distance relationship.  With nothing to do and no one but my boyfriend's dog to keep me company, I found myself spending a great deal of time hiking and enjoying working out.  In fact, I enjoyed working out so much that I spent the majority of my free time either on the trails or on bad weather days on the treadmill.  In the six months my boyfriend I spent apart I became more fit than I had ever been and was down to a very trim 135lbs.

June 20, 2009

Since, that time so long ago my boyfriend and I became husband and wife, and now have two kids.  Life in general has been very hectic and though I haven't fallen in to all of my old bad habits, I have too many that are hindering me from being the person I want to be.  For the most part I have learned to except my body, it's not perfect but its mine and like most things in life there is always room for improvement.

The real reason I am taking this fitness journey is because I want to be a better me for my children, my husband, and myself.  I want to set a good example for my children, and I hope they learned to love and take care of themselves sooner in life than I am. I want to be physically fit enough to chase them around and play sports with them as they get older.  I want to be around for as long as I possibly can, and not be a burden on others because I failed to take care of myself.  If I shed some pounds and inches along the way, all the better.

Image Source: idealbit.com

For me being fit and healthy is not so much about how much I weigh or how I look but more about how I feel.  (Though weight and body measurements are the easiest way to track progress.)  When I workout regularly I feel better, I sleep better, I feel stronger, I feel younger (not that I am all that old yet), I feel healthier.  I miss those feelings, and I want them back.

The other why, you might be asking is: why am I blogging about my fitness journey?  In all honesty, I'm blogging about my journey more for myself than for you, my reads.  The hardest part about staying on track is motivation and accountability.  I believe that by sharing with all of you what I am doing and how I am progressing that it will keep me heading down the proper path.  In away I am making you my accounta-billa-buddy, and  I do hope to motivate others through this journey, because I know I am not on this path alone and this journey is not always easy.

The second question was, what do I mean by fitness journey?  It is my opinion, that for a person to be truly fit and healthy they have to turn bad habits to good habits and make it routine to make a proper health conscious decisions.  I call this a journey because I am committing to change various aspects of my lifestyle that will take me from where I am now to where I want to be in the future.  I also suspect that as time goes on and changes are implemented that I will have other fitness goals that I will want to reach.  I see this as a never ending journey, a path that will have many forks ahead.

Image Source: www.newsweaver.com

As I progress on this journey, I have a few immediate obstacles to overcome to get myself going.  The first being my tremendously bad eating habits.  I am an all around terrible eater!  I like to reward myself with food, I eat when I'm stressed, I eat when I'm bored, and I am a social eater too.  Worst of all I am a sporadic eater.  At times, I will go an entire day without eating, and than eat whatever I want because I am starving.  And as far as my food choices, lets just say if it's bad for you I love it, the sweeter, the salter, the better.  Fruits and veggies are nearly non-existent in my personal menu.  This is one of the hardest but most important hurtle I will have to fight to overcome and remain on track with.

Image Source: www.choiceusavending.com

The other obstacle I immediately face is time management.  Like most people I have barely enough time to do the things I need to, along with spending time with my family, and doing things that I enjoy.  This is why I often put exercising on the back burner, in my mind taking care of myself has been a low priority item.  It is time to change that.  I really need to learn to better manage my time, and re-prioritize things to make more time for taking care of myself, preparing healthier meals and working out regularly.  I have already started working toward this over the last couple months by making time to work out 3-5 times a week for about 20 minutes, and I have been preparing meals at home more regularly than I did previously.

I have a long way to go, but I feel I am beginning a good foundation for the changes I want to make and stick to in the future.  It is my opinion, that in order to make good habits stick they should be implemented gradually and worked on until they become routine.  My current goal is to implement one or two minor changes a week, so not to overwhelm myself and fall off track.  I think this will help me be more successful in the long run.

On this blog I intend to share weekly updates that will include stats such as weight and measurements, what I did through out the week, and future targets and goals.  I also plan to share health tips and healthy recipes too.  And because I am human, I am sure that I will have some set backs and I plan to share those with you as well.  The desire being to learn from my experiences.

My overall goal for this journey and this segment of my blog, is to create a healthy lifestyle for myself and my family, and to encourage others around me to do so as well.  If you are on this path I hope you find my journey encouraging and if you are planning to start this journey as well, I wish to inspire you.  Whether you are cheering for me from the side lines or traveling down this trail with me, thank you for joining me.  Stay tuned for my first weekly stat report, I plan to report on every Monday, check back soon.

Just Me,