Day 1: 10-Day Fitness Challenge 5/7/2010

I started a 10-day fitness challenge today (technically yesterday). It started on a Friday, which at first I thought would be difficult for me since it's Mother's Day weekend. I thought about it a little more and realized Friday is just a day like any other day - BUSY - and this weekend is just the same as any other weekend - BUSY. I realized that at this point in my life, there will never be a "perfect-heaven-opening-up-angels-singing" moment for me to take on a fitness challenge. I'm going to have to just make it with I've got and do my best. If I give in to some temptations along the way, so be it. I'm not going to just quit and give up. This challenge is a great way to jump start the workouts I'm already doing. I'm excited because the bulk of this challenge is online for me. I can check in with my accountability, log my calorie intake, log my exercise - all while I'm running around like a chicken with my head cut off (my normal state of being). Ember is awesome! She is really encouraging and knows great ways to fit exercise into a hectic schedule. Another plus about this challenge is that ten days from now will be 5 days away from my 30th birthday. What a great birthday present to myself - working out/getting healthy/feeling great! I can't wait.

So enough of my blabbing. Here are the details of the challenge:

• Drink 72 oz of water everyday
• Count every calorie that goes into your mouth
• 10 day challenge - 10 days of working out - plan ahead!- include push ups in every workout

The hardest part of the challenge for me today was drinking the 72 oz of water. I must be part camel, because I don't drink much. It's not that I drink other things instead of water. I just don't drink much period. So getting all 72 oz was tough. I really had to think about it, and consciously make myself drink a glass of water. Will it ever not hurt my stomach to drink so much water is what I want to know? Guess it is one of those things that I need to get used to.

Counting calories was probably the next biggest challenge. Who really wants to know the calorie content of the cheese burger they just ate? We haven't been to the grocery store this week, so I'm trying to use what I've got and either making healthy dishes with what I have or reducing the serving of the not-so-healthy stuff. I stayed in my calorie window as determined by Sparkpeople.com, but it really wasn't the greatest food. Breakfast and dinner were pretty good. Lunch was another thing. My girlfriend brought me lunch from McDonalds. I was in a hurry, so I just chose the hamburger Happy Meal with a diet coke. Not the greatest choice in the world, but it did keep the calories down. Someone was also kind enough to bring us some cake. Wasn't that sweet of them? I gave in and had a small piece. I'm just happy I didn't devour it like I really wanted to ;-) I did pass on one temptation, though. Chas and I went to go do a ticket giveaway for the ministry on Friday night. The church we went to had pizza for the group. It looked and smelled so good, but I passed. I opted for a plain ice snowcone instead.

While I'm on the subject of counting calories...can I just mention that there is a national chain of fast food restaurants with a meal deal that you would probably think was healthier because it's smaller portions - Ok I would think that because it's smaller portions. I went to their website and realized that that one meal from a few days ago was my entire calorie count FOR THE DAY! The moral of the story is, look before you eat.

Here are my stats for the day:

• drank 72 oz of water
• took in 1667 calories
• 30 minutes of yoga (outdoors)/20 crunches/10 push ups

Blessings!

O-R-A-N-G-E Orange!

What's that fable about not pleasing people all the time. Today kind of felt like on of those days. Except like I couldn't please anyone. Oh well. Some days are like that, but pardon me if I take this little blip of blog space to rant a bit. Tune out now if you would prefer not to read my rant. Go ahead. I won't hold it against you. My lack of "pleasy-ness" began this morning with C5. Let me back up and explain that C5 is a very picky eater. It's in the genes. My dad is like the world's pickiest eater. So C5 has the usual kid favorites - chicken nuggets, spaghetti, etc.etc. This is not from lack of trying on my part, but he is Mr. Stubborn and in the end it really just turns out that I'd rather make things he is comfortable with than fight with him. However, I decided this week that I am going to add one new food for him to try once a week. My rule is that if he doesn't like it, he doesn't  have to try it again, but he does have to try at least one bite of it. If he doesn't like it and can give me a reason other than "I just don't like it because", I won't make him eat the rest. I'm ok with that. Some parents may call that giving in, but it works for me. This morning I decided a fresh orange would be our first food of the week to try. We've tried oranges in the past, but he wouldn't even put them in his mouth. I cut up 3 little cubes of orange on his plate with his waffle. He eyeballed it and about had a freak out because it was even on his plate. I got that calmed down, and told him just to worry about the waffle and then he could try one bite of the orange. Let me just tell you that this turned into a 45 minute ordeal. After much screaming and crying - mostly on my part - just kidding- he finally tried one bite. This was after gagging repeatedly because his delicate palate wasn't sure it could handle a sliver of orange the size of my thumbnail. In the end these were his words: "It tastes like orange juice, but I don't like it. It's slimy like worms." Oh well. You win some. You lose some. I'm just glad he tried it.

Speaking of trying something new...well not exactly new but something I haven't done in a long time. I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the park tonight or not, so I decided that I would find a workout video to do from home before work. Working out before work doesn't usually work for me too well, but I thought I would go ahead because I didn't want to miss a workout. I'm already two days into the week and this is my first workout of the week. I dug through my videos and found a goofy aerobic dance video done by Paula Abdul from back in her popular days. As cheesy as the video looked, I was surprised to find the workout so challenging. It was good, though. I was able to keep up with it for the most part. I could definitely tell it has been awhile since I have done any type of dance other than belly dancing. 45 minutes of dance and my legs are screaming tonight, but that's a really good feeling for me. It lets me know that I actually did something good for my body. I don't know if this video will become a regular part of my fitness rotation or not, but I'm sure I will slip it in there occasionally for a little variety.

Tomorrow is going to be quite the busy day. It is National Day of Prayer and Worship Lounge. We are joining both events at our church this year, so I'm praying that everything goes as planned and runs smoothly. We'll see tomorrow. I will probably start the day off with some yoga to help get me loose since I know I will be running all over creation. Hopefully, it will bring my stress level down a bit too. With that I say good night.

Fork in the Road

My big 3-0 birthday is right around the corner. Just a few weeks to be exact. I love birthdays! I always have. Probably because I have always been surrounded by people who made them extra special for me. I'm sure this year will be no exception to the excitement factor. From Mothers Day til the end of June, our family indulges in full-on celebration because of multiple birthdays and holidays. You just can't beat it. This year I'm pretty stoked because I get to be a runner for Christian rock band Seventh Day Slumber who will be performing as part of the Ten Talents Presents monthly concert series (insert plug here: Tickets are on sale NOW!). A pretty fun way to spend my 30th, if I do say so myself.

So you're probably asking yourself, "Self, what does this have to do with a fork in the road?" Well weight has always been a struggle for people in my family. Whether it be the high blood pressure/Type II diabetes issues, or the roller coasters of dieting, weight issues have been prevalent for the majority of  people in my family. Obviously, I am no exception. I've never been tiny, but I was healthy. Around 24 I started gaining and gaining weight - 280 at my highest. Now I'm around 240. My blood pressure is in check, and I haven't had Type II issues, but I'm sure if I keep going this way it will be lurking around the corner for me.

As I approach my 30th birthday I keep thinking about something my dad used to tell me : "Missy, if you don't lose this weight by the time your 30 it will get even harder to lose and you might not lose it at all." Well here I am, 2-1/2 weeks from my 30th birthday and 100 pounds over weight. I feel like I am standing in the middle of this road and I have a decision to make. Either I will continue down this path of being a fast food junkie, or I will take my health into my hands and get down to the business of getting healthy. Over the years, it has seemed that I will take a few steps down the healthy road, and then BAM! I'm right back on the unhealthy road because it's my comfort zone - it's the thing I fall back on because I'm busy. I don't want to live that way, and I especially don't want C5 to live that way (or worse have to live without a mom because I haven't taken care of myself).

I thought the actual eating fork in the road was appropriate for this post. My faith is a huge part of this journey, and I keep thinking about a verse from Matthew 7 that says, "The gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it." If this journey was easy, everyone would be doing it.  I am worth more than wasting away in a vat of fast food disgustingness, and my son and my husband are worth more than that. They are worth me being my best. Living my healthiest, best life. I know that in my heart and my mind knows what it takes to be healthy, so why is it so difficult to commit? Why is it so hard to turn your back on something you know is KILLING you? How many times does my logical mind have to say it before the rest of me believes it and takes a firm step (not a willie-nillie try) toward getting healthy? 100? 1,000? 1,000,000? How many times til I'm really ready to make that change?

So here I am at the fork.