Countdown to 40 Begins Tomorrow!!

The verdict is in....you gained 20 FREAKIN' POUNDS over the last 6 months!!!!!! OMG!! You've gotta be freakin' kiddin' me!! But, I should've known it because my size 12 sweetheart Old Navy jeans, which are normally LOSE, are now fittin' a bit snugger than before, so, again, can you say REALITY CHECK!?!? So, I've finally decided to get my butt in gear for the final time. Yes, I've said this before which I think I said it a couple of months ago YIKES, but this time I'm soooo serious!!!
This extra weight is making it hard for me to attempt jogging again. So, here are my goals starting tomorrow, July 12, 2015

1. NO SCALE!!!! The scale is never friendly to me, so I'm just gonna pack it away!!
2. Exercise EVERY day!! A minimum of 90mins cardio and weights
3. Journal!! food exercise and mood...all important attributes to my "inch"loss efforts!
4. Accountability Buddy! My cousin/roommate, "Fuzz", will help keep me in check!!
5. 1 Gallon of water DAILY!!! More if possible! Try to have gallon in before 1pm
6. CLEAN EATING/PALEO!! No more fast food at least 30 days!!
7. $1/workout! Keep it in a jar and at 30 days, treat myself to nails, workout clothes, etc!
8. Positive thoughts DAILY!! Use stickies to write mantras for bathroom and desk at work.
9. Take at least 1 class per week at Golds or Sportscenter.
10. No negativity!! That's one of my big downfalls, so I'll work on that!

That's it!!! I'll do this for a minimum of 30 days beginning tomorrow july 12. No more excuses!!!

Amen!!

Day 4 #21DFX

Today was a bad day!!! Emotions and mood are a serious thing and it's not to be taken lightly!!! Well, the day started out OK, but as the day progressed, I get inside my own head and I talked myself out of working out. Today was supposed to be Lower Extreme workout, but I talked myself out of it!! Why? I don't know, but I kept making excuse after excuse and my excuses got the best of me and won! But now is my time to reflect on the day and try to understand WHY I allowed that to happen...I mean, was it me mentally or was it me physically, or a combination of both! I think it was a combination of both!! For some reason I was ridiculously hungry when I got home today. I drank my Shakeology this morning for breakfast, but not I feel I should've waited to drink it when I got home instead. I regret not working out today, but this is a small set back and I'll get back on track tomorrow.

And since today is April 1, 2015, I've decided I've gotta make some personal goals for myself for this month. Here's a rough draft of some ideas that I have, so let's see 'em....

1. 7 days a week workouts for more than 1 hr
2. Continue following 21 Day Fix Extreme
3. Write what I bite
4. 94oz of water DAILY (1/2 my bodyweight in ounces)
5. NO SCALE measurements...only clothes fitting goals (NSV)
6. find a daily mantra for each day
7. Be accountable on Instagram (@five4fit) daily
8. No more grocery store meats...only Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, etc
9. No chicken!!!
10. NO NEGATIVE THINKING!! Find the brighter side of life!!

Well, there it is...10 goals for the month of April!! I've really gotta get my but in gear because October is right around the corner...not really, but it'll be here before I know it! So, it's time to start lifting heavy and increase my cardio and workout times from only 30mins to 1hr per day!!

I can do it...I know I can!! Hormones and my emotions get the best of me some days, but I'm gonna give it all I got and do the best I can....Do my best to be my best!!!!

Day 3

Do you ever had a day where you felt like you were losing weight...then you get on the scale...and you've GAINED 3 FREAKIN' POUNDS?!?!?! What the heck is up with that?!? This shows me just how unreliable a weight scale, digital or manual, can be. Well, I've definitely decided to give the doggone scale a rest! As a woman, you'd think I'd know better than to get on the scale at any point while trying to lose weight, right?!? Well I guess I"m not that smart. But, I've learned my lesson and I'm putting the dreaded scale away!! All I wanna focus on is my eating, exercise, and my mood.

Anyway...today was a pretty good day. My energy level was better, but I still had that moment where I had to talk myself into working out. I worked out, but I was very hesitant...I got it done and I felt better for it once the workout was done.

So today, I didn't eat all of my food/containers, but I'm not hungry and I'm still eating clean and following the 21 Day Fix Extreme plan. I've got 18 days left in the first round and I'm so excited of the possibilities of the end of it.
Also, I'm trying to get better with writing my "colors" and taking pictures and uploading to Instagram (@five4fit). It's a good way to be accountable, but it's also a good way to share my experience with others.

I'm gonna do this...and I got this!!!!

Day 1, 21 Day Fix Extreme

So, I've been struggling over the past month or so, and I'm finally taking the jump to get my butt back on track!! I don't wanna be in Cancun in Oct looking like a frumpy dumpy 40 year old, Sooo that means I've get it goin'!!!!

Starting weight: 185.8lbs

Anyway, I order 21 Day Fix Extreme by Autumn Calabrese (beachbody.com) a couple of weeks ago, and I really like it!! I actually started on March 10th, but I had to start over because I had surgery on March 13th and it kinda set me back. So, today I decided to restart so I can get a full, complete, 21 days in before I critique it :)

Well, today was Day 1. I'm in the 1500-1799 calorie range so I can have 4 green containers, 4 purple containers, 3 red containers, 3 yellow containers, 1 blue container and 1 orange container.

B: Shakeology
S: apple
L: chicken sausage and whole grain bread
S: mixed nuts
D: tilapia sweet potato brussel sprouts greensmoothie
E: Plyo Fix Extreme

I'm really gonna give this 110% effort because I do NOT wanna be 187lbs when I turn 40 in Oct.
So, I'll do better with my journaling and being accountable for everything that goes into my mouth and my activty!!

Oh, and I'll start training for a 10k starting tomorrow too! I'm planning to run in the Race 13.1 race in Greensboro on May 17. I'll be doing the 10k, but if I don't get my butt in gear and start training now, it's NEVER gonna happen...not by May anyway :)

I got this, so LET'S DO THIS!!!

Day 9

B: boiled egg
S: craisins and dark chocolate chips
L: SW chicken Nachos
S: almonds
D: tilapia with green smoothie

Today started off kinda WHACK because of my coworkers...they are SP FREAKIN' LOUD!!! OMG!! It irritates me on a daily basis because I have to turn my headphones up to 10+ to try to drowned them out. It doesn't always work, but it does for the most part. I guess I gotta invest in some beats by Dre since I've heard they do such an awesome job knocking out sound.

Any..
Other than that, I'm trying my best to keep active EVERY DAY!! For instance, today I had to start training for my part time job. So when I got back home, I did weights, lower body, for about 15mins doing a dailyburn workout. It was rough because I didn't get started until 6:15p and I had to shower, get lunch ready for tomorrow, and settle myself down for the night!
Regardless, I put in 15mins, burned 70 calories, despite not wantin' to do ANY type of workout!!

Still working on Goals!
I set some goals for Feb, but I haven't stuck with them to closely, but I'm on track. I'm planning to workout 6 days a week and start jogging again! My Cancun trrp for my 40th birthday is in Oct and I don't wanna be fluffy and flabby!! So I know I gotta do weights.

Dailyburn LFT
I started LFT (lift to failure) workout last week. It's a 90 day lifting program on dailyburn.com. Tomorrow is the start of week 2, but I didn't do too great in week 1. The workouts are about 7mins-40mins, so I plan to do cardio on top of the LFT!! Gotta keep workin', gotta keep pushin;!!

Also, journaling my food is a good idea, so I'll definitely keep doing that. It's good to look back and see what I'm eating. Oh, also I'm gonna start "paying" myself to workout :D Basically for each workout I do, I'll "pay" myself $1. So, by the end of the month, I"ll treat myself, or I'll carry over the money into the next month. Then, shoot, I might just let the money add up for my cancun trip!! oh yeah!!!

Any, that's all for tonight!! I"m gonna keep going!!! :)

Day 5 Clean Eating

Today was an ok day. Unfortunately I'm still having some issues with irregular bleeding I started Provera today and I'll be taking it for 12 days. After the 12th day, it's expected that I'll have a period within 14 days of the last Provera pill.

Basically, I've been bleeding every day in Jan, and now, into Feb. I had periods, but after my period stopped, I start spotting. Ugh!!!!!!!! Hopefully, once my body gets used to the Provera, I pray the bleeding stops and that I don't have  any bleeding until March!!

Oh, well, on to the good stuff :D
Breakfast: steel cut oatmeal with walnuts and raisins
Snack: almonds and craisins
Lunch: chicken breast with mixed veggies
Snack: Oikos Caramel Macchiato greek yogurt
Dinner: BREAKFAST :D scrambled eggs, bacon, and oatmeal
Exercise: LFT (dailyburn) for 35 mins

I'm trying my best to stay focused and get ready for 40 in Oct!!! I start working my 2nd job on Monday, so I don't know how I'm gonna fit in my workouts on those days. I'm just glad I'll only be working about 3-4hrs three to four days a week. Since there's an onsite gym, I can workout when I get off work and then come home and crash :D

My plan for the rest of the month is:

• more than 1hr/workout, 6 days a week, but less on days I have to work my 2nd job
• drink 2 liters of water a day, preferably before 1pm
• gym at least 3 days/week
• no more scale to measure my weightloss!!
• write in my food journal daily
• add a blog entry at least everyday

For motivation, I'm gonna start putting a dollar in a jar for every time I exercise. At the end of each month, I'll reward myself with a non-edible treat :D

I'll come up with some more motivation ideas later! All I want to do right now is be ACTIVE 6 days a week!!

Oh yeah, and I'm gonna start "running" again! I know that was the best way I was able to get into the 170s, 179 to be exact. I'm gonna use the Nike Coach and train for a 10k. As a matter of fact, I'll sign up for a 10k later in the spring.

Setting goals is a great way to stay focused and to stay on track!

Ok, that's all today! I'm gonna get there...I know I can do it, no matter how long it takes, But I DO NOT want to be in Cancun with a flabby body ;)

Let's do this!!!!!

Day 2 Clean

My meals for Day 2!!

Today was a good day. I was able to not over eat, and that is a good thing for me lol! I also am now having issues with my period. Basically for the entire month of January, I have been bleeding Ugh! And it's so frustrating, because one day I'm bleeding and the next day I'm not bleeding and then the next day I'm bleeding again! So my doctor prescribed me Provera to begin taking on Friday this week. I'm excited about it and nervous all at the same time. But stopping the birth control pill in July of 2014 was a decision I made on my own. I have some regrets, but having to not deal with taking a pill everyday is very beneficial for me. So, I have to start clean eating in order to remove processed foods from my choice of foods! I don't eat a lot of processed foods, but sometimes it is easy to grab a bag of Lays potato chips, in a box of Cheerios. But I know with having PCOS it's better for me to stay away from grains, and processed foods. Eating clean it's not a hard thing to do, it just gets more expensive a little bit but it's worth it! 

Day 1, New Month, A New Start

3-1-2-1 Method

Today I am starting the 3-1-2-1 plan by Dolvett Quince of The Biggest Loser TV show. It's not difficult at all! I bought the book, and it's a very easy and understandable concept of clean eating and exercising.

Basics of 3-1-2-1

The simple basics of the plan is clean and cheat method which allows you to "not become bored" or feel as though you've gotta be restrictive with healthy eating efforts.

You will eat clean for 3 days, cheat for 1 day, eat clean again for 2 days, then there's another cheat day!! 

According to the book, this method will "confuse" the body by manipulating its NATURAL tendency to slow your metabolism down when calories are reduced. This allows the body to respond in a positive way that will help you lose weight "faster". I'm all about being a slow loser!! The slower you take it off, the longer it will stay off....but that's just me! I don't think there is any truth to it ;)

Here's some information on what clean eating is, and how it can be beneficial. Definitely be mindful of your eating portions!! Even though it's "clean", you still have to watch how much food in order to have the best chance at losing weight!

Also, here's another place where you can see more of the "basics" of 3-1-2-1 eating plan.

A New Beginning...A New Day!!

MLK Day 2015

First off, I want to say Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2015!! What better way to start a new beginning than with the observance of MLK Day 2015. He helped empower this country in so many ways...with the help of other leaders! I'm so happy to observe this day, and I hope everyone remembers the reason for this day!! I try to make every day MLK Day by remembering why he made the movements he did, and how those movements affect me every single day! I'm thankful I didn't live in those times, but I'm so happy that Dr. King dedicated his life for the equality for everyone!! Thank you Dr. King!!

Day 1

Well, today was pretty rocky for me. I planned to clean eat starting today, at least 80% of my meals, and so far, so good :) I was side tracked during lunch time. I went to a travel agency today to plan a 40th birthday trip to Hawaii, however, the travel agent helped me save a ton of money by suggesting another location....Cancun, Mexico!!! I had my heart set on Hawaii, but after Lisa (travel agent) explained to me that since I"m only planning a 4-5 day vacation, it would be more cost effective and time saving to visit Mexico instead. It made sense to me, and I'm excited to say, I'll be traveling to Cancun, Mexico on Oct 17 2015 to celebrate my 40th birthday!!!

Ok, back to my clean eating day :D

Breakfast: boiled egg with oatmeal

Lunch: Lunch at OCharleys, 1/2 BLT with small loaded baked potato soup

Dinner: baked tilapia with broccoli

The whole "pretty rocky" happened when me and my cousin, Fuzz, went to lunch. I planned to order a salad, but the lunch combo was more appealing and easier on my wallet. It wasn't a lot of food, and it was really good! I planned to workout when I got home, but I was so excited to find out more about the resort I'll be staying at when I visit Mexico, that I spent the rest of the afternoon on the Internet :D

I've done really well with my water intake today; 2 liters almost!! My goal was 4 liters, but I didn't make it :( But I'll get there slowly but surely.

Let the countdown to Cancun begin!!!!!

All In What You Put In

Today I started back on a regular workout routine. I've been out of it for about a month now due to some personal stuff...well, since I'm sharing, some days I just feel like CRAP!! I think I'm dealin' with a little depression and some hormone imbalances. The days I felt the worst are the days I didn't work out. Even though I tried to workout, I probably did 5 mins or less and I just couldn't push myself to get it done!!
No finally after close to 2 months, some weight has crept back on my body, especially my belly area. Now, I still have been eating pretty well...low to no bread, greens, and WATER, but without the working out, the eating doesn't really matter :D

All the effort you have is all in what you put into it!! I planned to only walk this mornin', but guess who ran?!?!? I did I did!!!! Anddddd, guess who went longer than 30 mins as she originally planned?!?! I did I did!!! :) To be honest, I felt realllyyy good afterwards!! Sure, I could've gone another 15-30 mins, but I knew I had some school work to finish up and I'm gonna watch my Colts whoop up on the Patriots for the AFC championship game today :-SS Let's Go Colts!!!!!

Tomorrow is a Brand New Day!!
Celebrations begin at home!! Since there's no one but me, I've gotta celebrate the good and the bad! The bad for me right now is that I haven't been eatin' clean very much AND I haven't been workin' out like a was a month or so ago. The good news is I have the chance to start over!!! And that's exactly what I'm gonna do startin' Monday, Jan 19, 2015! Not only is it a day to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, but it's also a day off work when I can really focus and start at the beginning again! That's the best part about failing...you fail, and you usually will always have a chance for a "do over" or a "redo", or simply, "start from square One! Well, that's what I'm doin' tomorrow...startin' from square One...A Brand New Day!

Plans for My Day 1
So, I'm gonna copy cat how I started out 2014 with my food logging and journaling/blogging. I'm gonna post pics as much as possible to my Instagram @five4fit and I'll clean eat. I'm takin' babysteps again, so I'm not gonna be 100% clean, but for the bulk of my meals, primarily breakfast and lunch, and my snacks, will be clean! I'm also gonna add pics of my workouts whether it's a dailyburn.com workout or simply running/walking some miles, I'm adding it here! I've gotta be accountable!!
Also, I'll be keep a written food journal as well starting tomorrow.

I'm practically new to Blogger, and I'm planning to upload a lot of my day thru my cellphone using the Blogger app. So please bare with me!! Oh, and I"ll be posting some pics of myself too!!

I got this!!

Ready....set....GOOOO!!!!

Never Giving Up

Today was a good day however I did not exercise. I ate the way I've been eating, which is low carb and healthy snacks, but when I got home, I just wanted to study. It was a little wacky today, but I was able to push through and get thru the day:)

It's NEVER too late...

Every day is a struggle for me. It was easy when I first got back on track with my weight loss journey 3 months ago. But for the past few months, I've lost my "drive" :( But I'm slowly getting back on track.

I normally use Instagram for motivation and inspiration to workout, but lately, it hasn't been working for me. I follow several women who were 250+ pounds and are now under 200 pounds. Their stories and pictures are very inspiring, but some days I just don't think about their stories, and I choose not to workout. 

I know that I'm one of the many people in the world that lose weight slowly, and that's fine with me, but it gets frustrating sometimes. I'm not happy with my body or my health at this point, so I know I've gotta get my *ish together and FOCUSED :-/ But it's NEVER too late to start over!! If I lose focus today, I can get refocused tomorrow!! Of course I don't wanna keep startin' and stoppin', but my drive and determination is at a stall, and I've gotta get it goin' again...and I will!!

Today is Thursday?

Uh, no it's not, homegirl!!! :D Well, shoot, I thought it was....was thinkin' it was Thursday all day :D but I now it's not! Usually I don't like to start anything at the end of the week. Since today is actually Wednesday, I decided to make a game plan for next week. I like to start a new plan on Sunday or Monday. I'll do my grocery shopping on Sunday mornin' after I've worked out (either cardio, or cardio and strength training). Being used to the same routine can get boring, and now it's time to make a CHANGE (*) \:D/

Final thoughts

"Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn."

Harriet Beecher Stowe

I thought about this quote when I read it, and it makes so much sense!!! Never give up...take each day as it comes!! I can't let myself to be so stuck on what I didn't do, and what I should've done...well I didn't, so all I have is tomorrow and NEVER GIVE UP!! I've come a long way over the last 10 years and I'm not turnin' back, I'm not giving up!! I WILL get refocused and GET...BACK...ON TRACK!! :)

Today

My workout

Today, I decided I had to start workin' out on a consistent basis, right? Well, today was HIIT (high impact intensity training) AND....

...Zumba for an hour!! For some reason I really felt a push to do 1hr 30min workout today. I'm really tired now though :D but it's well worth it!

My Mood
Basically, my mood today was mixed and all over the place :| I'm not sure why, but one minute "Ugh, I just wanna get back in bed!!", and the next minute "Gee, I feel like burnin' some calories!!" :-0
Anyway, I'm too exhausted now to worry about a mood or emotion :D
I think maca root (more about that later) has been helping my mood, even though it's not quite balanced yet. I try my best to find some type of positive thing to look forward to in the day, but some days I just can't muster up a positive thought. ::) But I'm tryin'...and prayer is a wonderful thing!! It's a relaxer as well as givin' me the chance to talk to God and get some feelin's off of my chest. Shoot, I don't have any body to really express my feelings too, so maybe I need some therapy...who knows!! But again, I'm tryin'!!

Much Better!!

Thank God I'm feelin' much much MUCH better today!! Whew!!! :) :)>- #:-S
I wasn't sure how I'd be feelin' today, but I'm soooo thankful that small bout of depression I've been dealin' with for the past 4 days has finally gone away!!! [-O<

However, on the down side is that I didn't "make" time to workout today!!:((  But I know today was only due to time constraints and not because I didn't want to...because I wanted too!! I was side tracked with searchin' for a piece of mail, and you know how it is when you can't find something...you keep lookin' for it until you find it, right?!?! :D Well, unfortunately, I still didn't find it, so I made myself stop, make dinner, study, and now I'm relaxin' about to hit the hay!!

Tomorrow my plan is to begin "clean eating" again! My goal is to start trackin' my food on www.myfitnesspal.com and writing here on my blog, and in my actual journal. It really feels good to type and write my thoughts and feelings, so even if I don't exercise, I'll still write my feelings, especially when I've had a stressful day!! So this is gonna be a reasonable and doable plan and I know I can stick with it. I'll be turnin' 40 in Oct this year, and I'm plannin' a nice trip to Mexico or Hawaii, whether I go by myself or not, I'm going!!!! ;)

Oh well, this is gonna be a journey, but I'm ready to take the ride and enjoy the sights along the way :) >:/

So blue

All in my Head?!?

Yeah, I think it's finally time for me to seek professional help. I've self-diagnosed myself as mildly depressed, but I haven't gotten confirmation or medical advice yet. I suffer from PCOS but I don't have a severe case of it. But for the last 3 days or so, I haven't wanted to talk to anyone and I can't find the motivation to workout. And I know exercise, especially running, has a way of making me feel sooooo much better!! For some reason, I can't beat the blues right now. I just started back taking St. Johns Wort and Vitamin D3, along with maca root. I've done enough research that those three supplements help with mood and depression. I"m praying I do't allow the mild depression to get outta hand, but if I feel it is, then I'll definitely call a professional.

I'm tryin', but it's just not enough!

Ugh!!!! Nope, it's not in my head, but my friends think I'm just being mean or I've got an attitude!! Yikes!!!! But, ummm, no....it's neither of those. The only think I can do is try to get refocused and get back to working out again. My eating hasn't been awful, but it could be better. So my plan is to revisit how I was eating this time last year (I'll tell you about it later). All I know is, right here and now, I don't feel good and positive about myself and I'm hoping it will change by tomorrow. Praying!!

Day 1

All I gotta say is I'm takin' one day at a time...one foot in front of the other...baby steps!!
Today:
30 mins exercise today...yeah, I could've done more, but my "mind" just wasn't in it!! Believe me, I tried, but I forced myself to do a minimum of 30 mins, and I burned about 200 calories. I started supplementing wiht Vitamind D3 today. I've been doin' a lot of research that shows VitD3 helps with bouts of depression in PCOS. Ugh!! Some days I don't even realize I feel down, but I'm tryin' my best to make a change so I can get back to my daily workouts and start losing this weight again!!

My thoughts;
Today was a slow day. I got to work this mornin' and I didn't wanna talk to anybody. I started to work while I was watchin' "House of Lies" on my cell. That helps make the day go by quicker. I told my friend Joel that I didn't wanna be bother today, and I just wanted to be to myself and not deal with any one else today! So, I'm prayin' the vitD3 will help, eventually, to shake these "blues" off and they'll help me get myself back on the right track to health and wellness!

I'm back..AGAIN!!

I've decided to start journaling again. At this point, I don't know where to start! I was supposed to restart my healthy journey on New Year's Day, but for some reason, in which I blame on my PCOS and hormone imbalance, I just can't seem to find my way again!! Each day has been a struggle for me to find energy to workout, or even to eat healthier. I'm so disappointed in how my body is treating me right now...or should I say, how I'm treating my body?!?! Ugh!! The bad thing is is that I started to do a workout this afternoon, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it...I started, but 5 mins later I said for get it and I ended up stopping. So now at 5:15pm I'm sitting here journaling and trying to make myself feel better.
Ultimately, I don't want to make promises to myself for, what I'm sure, won't last!! But I've gotta find some way to motivate myself again...but I think this is nothing by my hormones acting funky on me again.

My goals!!

1. a minimum 1hr exercise 6/d/wk
2. journal my food daily using MyFitnessPal and/or SparkPeople
3. 1 gallon of water/day (less if trail run/walk)
4. Choose and stick to a DailyBurn workout schedule
5. add vitamin D to my daily multivitamin
6. Begin C25k again.
7. NSV (non scale victories) once a month
8. $1/hr workout
9. Take classes at sportscenter 2-3 times a week including weekends
10. PRAYER!!!!!

Well, this is a start, and my goal is to shake off my feelings of "depression". I go thru these spells every now and then, but today, for some reason, is pretty, pretty bad! I feel like journaling will be a way for me to release stress and get myself back focused again!! I'll be talking about weight loss, fitness, and emotions. This will be my outlet, especially when I don't have anyone to talk to, I can use this blog (and possibly vlog at some point) to be a voice for myself and possibly for others.

So, let's do this!!!