Let's try this again....

I must admit, I fell off the fitness wagon for awhile. It started with a 5k where I came in 2nd to last place. Then the next month there was a 5k where I got passed by speed walkers.....So I got all pissed off and just gave up for awhile. I was still active, but wasn't very focused. I didn't workout 5 days a week, or even 3 days a week for awhile. I wasn't watching what I shoved in my face, and in a few weeks it showed. The jeans that I was so proud to wear again were suddenly getting tighter when they had been pretty loose. I had broken my habit of getting on the scale obsessively, and it sucked. When I did get back on the scale after a few weeks of half-assing it, I was pretty upset, but not all that shocked. I knew I deserved what I got. I had gained back 7 of the pounds I had worked so hard to lose.

I was pissed and sad, and the whole gambit of emotions, but it was enough to kick me in the ass. I pulled out my mini-goal jeans and vowed to get back on track...again. I thought about how much I love my new found activities. I have noticed that since I fell off the wagon my energy level stunk, I was tired and crabby almost all the time, all the things that had made me unhappy before. So in the last week I have been getting back into my routine. I have restarted C25K and I have gotten back into working out.

I'm back on the wagon folks!!!

In the last week since I have rejoined the fitness wagon I can proudly say as of this morning I have relost the 7 pounds that I regained during my extended pity party! I know that losing 7 pounds every week isn't going to happen. I get it, this journey sucks and it's going to suck for a long time. I LOVE FOOD!!! That's what got me into this mess, I never thought about what I was putting into my body. It tasted good so I ate it. I have a huge food addiction that I know is going to cause me some setbacks. But, I will not quit. I deserve it, my son deserves it, and I will do it. I want Parker to grow up learning healthy habits to hopefully spare him from having to start the same journey when he is an adult.

Yesterday my bestie Ashley proved once again how amazing she is. I had mentioned the day before that I was considering buying a fit bit flex. But, they are in huge demand and are out of stock and on back order everywhere. Her fiancée told me that there isn't a Best Buy in the entire state that has one. Well, anyone that knows Dr. Ashley knows that silly things like that won't stop her. She had one on backorder on Amazon, but just couldn't wait any longer. She managed to find a store that had some and grabbed us each one!!!! So I set it up yesterday and plugged it in to charge while I was at work. When I got home this morning I put it on right away. I have been exploring the way it tracks, and what it can keep track of, and after Parker has tae kwon do tonight, I am going to do my C25K and we will see how it tracks that. I am super excited. I know that being my size any diet changes I make right now will result in a weight loss. But, I also know that the more active I become and the more I workout that I will need to start keeping track.

This journey is about getting a healthy lifestyle, not just losing weight. Yes of course that is the main goal, but I want  to do it in a healthy way. I need to be aware of the calories I am eating as well as the calories I am burning. It's not healthy to have  calorie deficit that is too big. I don't want to starve my body, I want to fuel my body. I have learned so many things since I started my journey. I know that I have a long way to go and it's not going to happen overnight, but I also know that's how it has to be. There is no quick fix for a lifestyle change.

That said, I will stumble, I will fall, but I will get back up , dust myself off and do it again. As my journey marches forward I look forward to all the new adventures that lay ahead of me. The first of which comes at the end of June. The run of choice for June is going to be our first obstacle course run. I am both excited and scared. It's only a 3 mile course, so it won't be nearly as bad as tough mudder, however, it will hopefully be a good gauge of where I am at compared to where I need to be to not die during tough mudder.

Until next time!!

Sunshine!!!

Hey people, the sunshine has arrived!!!! And let me tell you that I have been enjoying it every day. This is awesome, but by the end of the day I am worn out, apparently sunshine makes you sleepy! Probably has something to do with all the activity that goes with it, but I don't care I am loving it!

This weekend was a totally awesome weekend! It started right after work Saturday morning. I drove straight to Manitowac to participate in a color run with my bestie, her little man, my beastie's sister and her boyfriend, and my little man. Parker has been telling me for a long time that he wants to run with me and this seemed like the perfect chance. Ashley rocked her half marathon a short time ago, but her knee is bugging her and she needs to take it easy for awhile, so inviting our little ones to "run" with us was a double win for us.

This is us after we crossed the finish line. Sorry it's a little hazy, that's actually orange paint powder that got over the lens of my phone camera. I also have the traditional finish line photo of Ashley and I of course. It's hard to believe that I am half-way through my goal of completing one run every month for a year. This run wasn't so much of a run, Parker started out running and we finished running and walked inbetween. I am so proud of that little man! I forgot how long a5k is for such little legs, but he never stopped moving once! He kept saying "I can't do it" but I kept telling him he could do it. When we were almost finished he finally said "Maybe I can do this." And of course he did it, I knew he would! I love him and I can say I am proud of him a million times, but I can't express how much that boy amazes me. He is going to do great things.

 

After we finished the run we got some lunch then we headed home. We rested a bit, actually we both ended up taking a nap. I hadn't slept from work the night before and Parker was just beat. After our nap he and I went to Scoops for some ice cream. I had promised Parker that if he finished the whole 5k we would go for some ice cream. I know that food especially junk food should not be the reward for activities, that's what leads down the bad path I was on, but really, we don't go for ice cream often. After ice cream we got some things to make supper, rented a movie, and headed home to enjoy our night. Brian was up at our cabin with his brothers for the night so it was just Parker and I for most of the weekend.

 

Sunday when Parker woke up he came in by me and he was a bit sad, and he said "Pretty much I just miss Brian." He really does adore Brian which is awesome, but I was all like, aren't I cool enough to spend more time with? Sunday we went to the playground to play and we packed a picnic o take along. Our adventure was pretty awesome, some ducks flew into the park and were floating in the river. Then they came up onto the bank near us and took a nap. We sat in a swing and watched them for a while and ate our picnic and played on the playground. It was really just a fantastic day!

If you look closely at the edge of the grass near the tree you can see the ducks just hanging out there. I love that Parker shares my love of nature. While at the playground Parker found some dandelions and he wanted to pick them for me (yes he still thinks they are flowers) so I suggested that we bring them home for ShelLdon. I had read in my research of Greek tortoises that they enjoy the dandelions so I figured we would try it out.

Guess what, ShelLdon loved the dandelions! I now have a use for the ones that I am sure will pop up in our yard soon enough!!!

 

Sunday evening Ashley and I had some super awesome plans!! We had tickets to see Jillian Michaels, live, in real life, in person.....get it, JILLIAN FREAKING MICHAELS!!! For those who don't know, I have a big girl crush on her, and she is one of my biggest idols.  People it was freaking awesome!!!! When we got to Milwaukee we parked, Ashley was awesome enough to drive, and then walked a block to the venue. We waited a bit, then found out we were waiting at the wrong venue, and had to walk a few blocks more to get to the right place. I must admit that I am ok with the extra walk after the three hours of sitting and oogling Jillian. It was late when we got out, but it was so worth it. She is so real and said so many things that I have been thinking about since then. She is so straight forward and I love that. I don't need someone that sugar coats things, I need someone to be real with me, and she is totally real with people. I am so glad that Ashley said we should go, it was  a life changing thing for me.

People, that is really Jillian Michaels!!!

And her little girl, so adorable!

 Can't really tell it here because my battery was dying and the flash wouldn't work, but the other person in this picture is actually Dani, the most recent winner of the biggest loser!

 

It was such a fantastic weekend, I am looking so forward to many more awesome weekends this summer!!! Parker loves anything outdoors, and Ashley plans on kicking my butt into shape.....have I mentioned how much I absolutely love having Ashley back living so close again?

 

Until next time,

enjoy your life, live it to it's fullest