Sunday

I met many of my goals today, but not all.

I have one wish.  I wish people would be nice.  If they don't have anything kind to say, just shut up.  Really. Words can be like knives, they stab and cut.  It's uncool.

I got my big book/journal all done.  Tomorrow I will print the color photos of myself and a couple motivational sayings and have the book bound.  

I made myself a journal because I don't like what's out there, and I wanted everything mapped out in one place.  I didn't want to have to think, I just want to grab and go.  Here are the pages in my book:

Title
Favorite quote ever
Contract
Goal sheet
Countdown chart
Measurements
Quotes
Photos of me
Captain’s Log (data)
Supplements
Food--favorite recipes
Menu Planning pages
Training Regime
Video Breakdowns
Training Schedule
Workout Log



My quirky sense of humor had to be a part of it, so my health log was titled Captain's log, and instead of date, I wrote star date. It's the little things, you know.


I had contacted a few personal trainers and couldn't afford them. They also treated me as if I was stupid, like I still ate 100-calorie packs (never did), ate at McDonald's and knew nothing. For Pete's sake, I lost 108 pounds. That didn't happen by not researching, tweaking, and kicking a$!!! So I decided to give myself credit. I am my own coach/personal trainer now. I will work out at the gym, and use some Cathe Freidrich videos at home. I know how to eat, so I will.


I decided to name "my business." I don't need to share that here, but I made a beautiful letterhead, and put that at the top of 99% of the pages. It's in a pretty, girly font. I used my address and phone number. Did I need to? No! ha! I wanted it to look special, though, and I like professionalism.


The book is about an inch thick. The most important thing in it is the contract. I need to honor myself. I need to respect myself. I moved mountains. I will move mountains again. I'm that good. Yes, I said it!


So here's to me, a good, long progress, hard work, healthy eating, and honoring and loving myself.


Here's a couple pages from my book. My very favorite quote ever, which is at the top of my blog. Also, my captain's log.


Now it's time to crush it!!!

Deep Thoughts

I get overwhelmed sharing too much on this blog.  There are a lot of people out there that are not nice. And I tend to over share personal information.  On the other hand, I am most inspired by those who are real, who put it out there.  If I can help one person (like, oh, I don't know, myself??) okay, if I can help one person besides myself, it's worth it.  The world is a better place when we care about others.  So...

In short, awhile ago I moved into an apartment by myself.  I got a job, and the pickings were slim.  I barely made ends meet.  I lived in poverty.  I was happy.  I was happier than I had been in years and years. Except for the money.  So for many reasons, I returned back to where I started.  And a depression hit me.  Hard.

I quit my job, which I hated once I transferred. Plus it hurt my feet.  I couldn't get another job.  I couldn't get an interview for a minimum wage job.   I was 48 years old and felt like a complete failure. We are a society that revolves around winners.  I took all that to heart and wanted to die.  I had zero self worth.  I was a loser, and not when it came to weight loss.

One year ago as I was in bed crying, which I did every single day for a couple months straight, I realized I either needed to end it all or get up.  And as stubborn as I am, I got up.  What would I do?  School. Education is the answer. What precluded me from getting a job was the fact I only had two associates degrees which in the eyes of employers are worthless.  I thought for about 30 seconds about a career, and I knew.  It came to me immediately.  I knew.  I just completed my first year at a university working on a degree in social work.  And I did it with gusto, this kid got straight As.

The depression was bad all year long, the stress was phenomenal.  I thought I would break.  I made it.  I learned a lot.  I gained more than the college 15.  I gained 24 pounds.  Eeks.  It came to me recently, life is about balance.  I threw everything I had into school.  I had to, because I wanted to die.  I had no alternative, no other avenue.  I hyperfocused just to stay alive. I don't think I would have made it had I not done that, I was that bad.

So now for the balance.  I know I can do this. I know life can be good. I know it will be better.  I know I have to live in the NOW. And now that I'm not as stressed or depressed, I know I need balance.  I can manage my schoolwork and working on my body.  There is nothing greater than an endorphin rush from a workout--nothing. It's a high that I love and cannot replicate in any other way.  It's mine, and I need that good in my life.

I'm tired, I live with chronic pain, I have a lot of emotional pain as well, but it's time to balance and ALLOW good to come in.  Physical fitness always makes me feel good, so I'm making room.  I never quit working out altogether, but what I gave up was the consistency. When you are bawling your fool head off due to depression all the time, the energy it takes just to get up is astronomical.  I would force myself on occasion to get up.  Well, now it's not a matter of force.  It's a pleasure, an indulgence, ME time.

I thank my husband for finally allowing me to get a gym membership.  I have a place to go.  I still do workouts at home, too, but it's social, it's different, it involves being annoyed by rude gym members ha ha! which makes me laugh, but mostly it empowers me.

Life goes on.  It's going to be a struggle for me for a few years, that I know.  I'm going to treat myself along the way, though, and that means gym time, endorphins, and the self-confidence that comes with it.  Nothing greater than the gym owner telling me I had really good form doing an exercise.  Me?  Really?  Cool.

It's time to smell the roses.  My heart is still heavy, but there's room for a whole lot of good, too.

Crush it!

Thank You

I always knew in my heart that my blog helped me to get where I was going.  The supportive blogging community was imperative to my success.

And when I'm down and out, wow, the responses to my last entry left me teary eyed.  A heartfelt thank you!

Day one following my contract:  Success.

I met every single goal, including a little self-indulgence.  Calories, steps, workout--and the scale rewarded me, I got rid of some water weight. 

The indulgence:  an at-home spray tan.  Late last night, I exfoliated then sprayed.  I was a sticky mess.  This morning?  I'm a zebra!  I missed spots.  I look hilarious.  Actually, I see the humor in it.  I have an awesome sense of humor and look down at the streaks on my legs and just laugh.  If I can get this stuff applied evenly, though, I love the color.  This shall be my self-indulgence for awhile.  Why do I feel better darker??? It hides the fat. ha

Happy Sunday to all.  Let's crush it!

Contract

I typed up a contract for myself for a set period of time with provisions that I will follow.

Depression is severe, feet not doing well, and I'm just low.

I will get it turned around.

Silly that I have to resort to gimmickry such as a contract, but whatever.  It's all a mind game anyway.

A Midnight Rant

I've gained a few more pounds--ugh.  Up, down, up, down.  The same six pounds just don't want to leave. Up, down, up, down.



Positives:

Joined a gym again.  Really enjoying weight training.  A lot.  Have a great workout partner which makes it all the better.

Rehabbing my feet.  I'm up to a half hour on the treadmill.  OMG...this is a DREAM come true.

Plantar Fascia pain in right foot:  GONE!!!

Neuropathy in right foot:  GONE!!!

Pain in left foot:  Much, much better.  Still there, but almost healed.

Negatives:

Still have tendinitis in both feet.  That will get better.

I would say, aside from the darned scale, things are looking up.

Kettlebells are swinging, weights are being pumped, cardio being done.

Doing yoga on occasion, Cathe Freidrich's Yoga Max and Yoga Relax.

Two steps forward!!!

I'm Old

There comes a point in time in life when we must realize that we are no longer young and invincible. I am there.  It started with going back to school.  I'm 48.  In one of my classes, of the 160 students in the class, about 95% of them were first-year students: 18 years old.  Yes, I was momma age.  And the students that sat by me weren't very nice to me.  Can you blame them?  Who wants to be sitting by mom?  Being on campus was the first time I really felt old.

My body is old. It cannot do what it once did.  The desire is in my heart, the competitive nature is there, but my body protests.  June 2, 2012 I ran my first 5K and plantar fasciitis set in that afternoon.  Today, January 10, 2014 I am still suffering from it along with a ruptured plantar fascia, a ruptured tendon in my other ankle, tendonitis in each foot, and other stuff.  I can barely walk.

I'm old.  Well, I'm middle aged.

I get REALLY mad at myself when I look at this blog.  Why didn't I finish what I set out to do? Why have I had bumps in the road?  And I start to beat myself up because I should be DONE by now.  However, life happens. I am not perfect nor do I have to be.

Why am I judging myself so harshly?  Why?

Here's the deal.  I may be "old."  I'm no spring chicken, but I am still young at heart.  Age is just a number. I go back to my very favorite quote of all time, "Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use." ~Earl Nightingale  So what to age, so what to time. 

So I'm just picking up where I left off.  It's a struggle, it's hard to work out with physical problems, but I can do my best.  The weight will come off slower, but never give up.

October 12, 2013

One day at a time. It's not a race, it is a wonderful journey.  And instead of beating up on myself for gaining some back, I think I'll just celebrate the changes I've made and be happy that I'm human and that I don't need to be perfect. 

Onward! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

I sit here reflecting tonight on the year.  Many good things happened to me this year, life-changing things. I met amazing people, developed wonderful friendships, started back to school. It's always been a dream to have a bachelor's degree and now I'm bringing it to fruition.  Many negative things happened as well. There are mean people in this world who don't bat an eye about causing others harm or angst.

But, that's life.  There's good, there's bad, there's mediocre.

This coming year will be full of busy-ness, school, fitness, family, life.  Learning to deal with stress, fight off depression, stay positive, find the good, find the silver lining--that's what it's all about.  Life starts and stops at birth and death, but LIFE is what happens in the middle.  The day-to-day stuff is what it's all about, so our focus is imperative.

With that, I have set new goals for the future.

1) Get below 200 again
2) Get back to my lowest weight of 175 or whatever it was--I felt great then!
3) Get to GOAL
4) Heal my feet
5) Increase my FLEXIBILITY--I'm starting yoga (cough, sputter, ME, who hates all things yoga!)
6) Learn World Kettlebell Club style kettlebells!  This is an ongoing process. I love kettlebells, but I'm not very good. That's okay.  I will get better.
7) Get back in my clothes!  I have a closet full of smaller-sized clothes and I'm ready to wear them again!
8) BE POSITIVE
9) BE HAPPY
10) Love

Next Christmas, I want my gift to myself to be at my goal weight.  That's plus or minus 70 pounds.  I can and I will.  Watch me!!!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.