Saturday, September 22, 2012

Trusting the Process and Beginning Running



Over and over I hear to trust the process.  That if something is going to work- it's going to have to be done through practice.  And that practice leads to success.  To me, that's what it means to Trust the process- believing that sticking with something, even if there aren't results, will gradually bring you amazing results!  I read this blog post this past week that talks about what you need to know when you plateau.  And then, I read this article from several years ago that dealt with the same thing.  Take a look at both- would love to hear your thoughts!




Beginning to run- I began my journey in this area back in January on the treadmill.  I have never been a runner- it was not something I enjoyed- from the sprints, to the basketball drills, to the mile runs in P.E. class- I dreaded them ALL!  However, in January I started walking (under doctor's orders).  I eventually found a couch to 5K app on my phone that I downloaded and began using and found that I didn't mind running as much as I thought I did- then life got in the way and I quit.  Then I wrote this post and things changed.  I picked it back up again with a different app (one that I like better) and brushed my running shoes off to hit the road.  I currently am only running/jogging 1-2 times a week because I am taking spinning 2-3 times a week and walking with a friend another day.  I do have a rest day built in (usually Friday unless I do Zumba).  However, in less than one month from today I will be participating in the Color Run in Nashville- while this is for fun- I still want to do well so I will need to pick up some more running here and there.  Through this I have found that I have gotten so much stronger- the last time I ran using my app I ran 28 minutes straight- for me that is a HUGE accomplishment because 3 months ago I probably suffered through 5.  If running is something you have thought about then here's a great resource for you- Lindsay's blog- The Lean Green Bean had a great post on beginning running- check it out and see what you can glean from it!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

New Perspectives, Kind Words, and Joy

Random combination of words but all connected.  I'm going to hit each one of them and then close out this post with a link that I found over on Pinterest this morning

I'm going to start with New Perspectives: 

I found this over on pinterest this past week and I realized that I keep waiting until I get to my goal to feel proud of my accomplishments when in reality I should be proud of the fact that I am actually doing something.  I am setting an example for my students when I eat healthy at lunch and when I exercise alongside them in P.E. class.  I have overcome several obstacles in the past year- mainly physical but one big one is the mental block that I put up for myself by allowing myself to "talk down" to myself.  Be proud of the action!

Which leads me to Kind Words!  No pictures for this one- just a quick little paragraph and a link to an amazing blog that I read today that fits in perfectly with it.  It goes along with being proud of yourself and who God made you!  I'm learning- slowly but surely- to simply say thank you.  I had several people at church today tell me that they could tell I had lost weight and that I looked great- up to just a couple of weeks ago I would have simply said- thanks but I still have a long way to go- and honestly, I still struggle with not just saying that.  However, the fact of the matter is- it's a lifetime journey so it's something that I will always be working on and always have a long way to go so I need to stop with the negative talk and just say a simple thank you.  So, to those of you who have said those kind words to me- thank you, from the bottom of my heart.  Today I read this post- and it really hit home with me!  I'm So Sick of "F" Word   This beautiful lady is an amazing woman of God who has struggled with her own battles- but God has used those wounds to bring about an amazing testimony!  This post says it all!  We must stop this cycle!

and Joy- well, honestly I don't have much to say about that- other than making sure you are finding joy in what you are doing.  If you are then you will be more likely to stick with it and make it habit! 

One last link for today- Read this article this morning and thought it was interesting.  What is your best tip???

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Stress...

yep, when stress rears it's ugly head, well, it's just not pretty- physically or mentally.  This past week has brought up a tad bit of stress.  I have had minimal amounts of stress these last few weeks and what stress I have had I was able to work off at the gym.  The past two weeks my schedule has been anything but routine and that time has been a hard to find.  I have worked to try to find my way to the gym and then at the last minute something work related inevitably pops up, work needs to be done, lesson plans don't write themselves, and before you know it it's 11:00 and I am just then making it to bed- with a wake up time at 4:15.  *sigh*




Someone posted the above on my facebook wall this week (she knows what's going on).  That same day I was gone for a period of 12 hours for the day, all I wanted to do when I got home was sit- but at the same time I needed to fix dinner and eat, exercise, and work on lesson plans.  The first and the last things got done.  I have to come to grips with realization that it's okay if I miss a day of exercise- just means I need to work harder and "kick it up" a notch the next day.  The storms (aka the stressors) in life ARE going to come- I need to learn to run in the midst of those storms.


This one- I just like- I like anything by C.S. Lewis and think this is perfect for my journey.  I'm leaving many things behind- my old self, my weight, my doubts, my fears, and the list could go on- but ahead of me is so much more than I can ever dream.

So tell me, how do you deal with the stressors in life that affect your daily routine?

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

"Weighing in"

My blogger friend Dani over at That Fitness Chic is hosting a link up party on Wednesdays.  I thought I would "weigh in" on a few things that I have seen around the web these last few days.

-Did you see THIS NEWS???  The very first episode of The Biggest Loser I watched was the season where Jillian trained the black team in the desert.  They were the underdogs so of course I cheered for them!  That season got me hooked and I have watched it every season since.  I have laughed, cried, and hurt for the contestants.  They have inspired and motivated me and even now, several years later, I draw inspiration from so many of them- Tara holding her wall squat with a medicine ball for over 30 minutes, Tara pulling a car (twice), Ashley holding her own on the treadmill after a disaster on her first day, the multiple health problems being resolved, Ali being the first female winner, Michelle also winning and her witness today, and so many more!  I am thrilled that the show will be back on in January and as a teacher I am even more thrilled with a change in perspective on the side.  I have become more and more passionate about setting that example for the students and trying to figure out how to do that the best way.

-The following is one of my favorite pins these days.  After my last post (and my 
posting on FB of some pictures) I was lamenting the fact that I still had so far to go and one of my friends reminded me that I KNOW where my strength comes from, I know WHY I am doing this, and I know WHO I am doing this for.


-Lindsay, over at The Lean Green Bean, has a post from Tuesday with 50 Packable Lunch Ideas.  I haven't finished looking at them all but I have plans to go back and peruse this when I have time.  I pack my lunch daily and I am on the hunt for lunch ideas all the time.  Lindsay is in school to be a registered dietician and lives in the Columbus, Ohio area (Go Buckeyes)!


-And finally, I experimented with dinner tonight.  It actually turned out quite tasty.  The picture below is the best picture I could get- I don't have a table that I could take the picture on (well, I do but it's being used at the moment) but this gives you a pretty good idea.  I have seen several recipes for the zucchini boats.  I decided to put my own twist on it.  I ended up using 1 squash (because it was big) and 1 zucchini (a lot smaller).  I cut off the ends, cut it in half and then scooped out the center of each half.  In the meantime I had browned some ground turkey (16 oz), added 4 wedges of laughing cow light cheese, and one 8 oz. can of no salt added tomato sauce.  I then piled the meat into the veggie halves and then added a smidge of mozzarella cheese on top.  I put them on a baking sheet and baked them for 20-25 minutes.  They were quite tasty!  I was excited- this could be a good recipe to have in the rotation- now, I just need to find some bigger zucchini and squash.  My squash was a good size (and deep)- the zucchini was wimpy looking!  Oh, and each half is one serving- according to My Fitness Pal the calorie total for one serving (1/2 of one of them) is about 250ish calories.  I had both of these for a little over 500 (but my calorie count was lower through the rest of the day)

Sunday, September 2, 2012

3 months later...

Three months ago, on June 9, I wrote this post starting my long journey.  This is a journey that is far from over and even though I see physical changes and know that I have had some emotional changes as well.  I see pictures like this one taken tonight and know that I still have quite a ways to go.  In fact, even though I see the difference and can tell in my clothes, I see this and wonder if I have made any progress at all.  *sigh* I know it's a journey that for me will never end as I will have to work at this the rest of my life.



However, here we are 3 months later, over 14 lbs lighter, emotional issues being dealt with, trying new exercise classes and so much more- and yet, quite honestly, to be where my doctor wants me- I still have about 20 more to go.  So, go I must!


Picture taken: September 2, 2012 in Atlanta, GA after a Braves game

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Picture taken June 2, 2012 in Sevierville, TN on a hike





 




 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Motivation from others

These past few weeks have quite crazy with school starting and trying to keep habits going.  I have exercised pretty consistently, tried to get some sleep (not doing as well with that) and just generally tried to keep my stress level down.  The one thing that I have done is keep up with some blogs that I read and then, on top of that, I have found some new ones.  So, I am sharing with you three blog posts that I read this week that really stuck out to me (and only one of them is an actual fitness blog)

The Day I Became a Runner by Katie over Wish and Whimsy

He didn't make me fast, but I still run for His pleasure from the (in)courage blog team.  Loved this post- helped to remember why I do the exercising I do

and When Your Journey Leads you Downhill also by the (in)courage team- this post really has nothing to do with fitness but about following God's leading in your life- which for me ties into the food and fitness aspect.

and to round out today's post- my motivational "sign" for today:
It's so easy to compare myself to others around me- to get caught up in their weight loss (why isn't mine coming off faster?), their skinniness (I will NEVER look like that), and their talents/strengths/abilities (I'm not a runner, I'm not a weight lifter, I'm uncoordinated, I'm not fast, etc).  However, those are all lies- I am who I am, I am the way God made me- it is what it is.  I may not be the best, I may not be the skinniest (and quite frankly that's okay because I am not built that way), I may not be the fastest but, again, I am who God made me and that alone is a reason to NOT compare myself to someone else. 

BTW- I definitely am not perfect at this- I still deal with this and struggle with this on a regular basis but I am learning- I am learning to be content in who God made me and trust that He knows best (sorry if this seemed preachy- just felt that maybe someone needed to read it)