Keep On Moving!

This weekend I participated in the annual Step Out Diabetes Walk with a few of my boot camp buddies! It was a wonderful event and also a great reminder as to one of the reason why I began this journey. I lost my father due to complications from Type II Diabetes so this cause has always been one that is dear to my heart. Knowing that I have a family history of this disease is why I will continue this weight loss journey. Two months went by way too fast! But I know that it takes time to change habits and to form a routine but I am committed to doing whatever I have to do to get there. This was such a great way to begin this lifestyle change and I really have learned so much. From the proper form for exercise moves, eating healthier, being more accountable to change unhealthy habits, etc. The list just goes on.

My next set of goals is to continue this challenge even though we are officially finished with this program. As I stated in a previous post I'll be starting the 21 day Food, Fitness and Faith Challenge. Really excited about that and I am going to continue posting to this blog every now and again to let anyone who is interested read how I am doing. 

Going forward I just hope that the Boot Camp Test group stays in contact. I found having that support system helped me tremendously in getting to where I am today. I still have more that I want to change with my weight loss goals and having friends to get you there helps so much. I am happy with where I am so far no matter what happens on our last measurement day! The fact that we all went through and finished this challenge is an accomplishment! I hope everyone else feels the same as we begin to wrap up our days as the first boot camp test group.  Just in case here is a little reminder that we should keep in our minds! Last week of this challenge - let's go!

Bonus Post - Food Pics!

So here's the deal... I have been taking pics of my food, but umm... at times I would forget to post them to FB! [Guess I was more focused on my positive quotes :-)]  This posting is just photos of the basic foods I have been eating daily. I thought it would be better to do it this way, instead of bombarding your FB notifications with all the foods I've been eating - LOL. Just want to make sure I am keeping up with all of the group requirements! I also take a daily multi-vitamin as I sure most folks do, but I didn't take a photo of that. Okay, here's my pics!

I basically eat a lot of fruit in the a.m. and as a snack throughout my day at work. So I cut them up and bring them in little bags so they are all ready for me to eat! FYI: I stopped eating cantaloupe after that little scare the FDA announced about cantaloupe making people sick ...umm, yeah.

More fruit....

 Also I actually like these little oatmeal bowls now. Just make sure you don't put too much water in them...yuck. 

I mostly eat Honey Nut Cheerios for breakfast with some fruit and orange juice for breakfast.

Or I will grab a yogurt with fruit for breakfast.

I also followed the same method of making my food for the week and putting it in containers! Really does make it so much easier when you are always on the go! The photos didn't turn out so great though! The food in the top left container are black beans, then there is corn, the container under those has a mixture of steamed potatoes  carrots and broccoli and then the last container is grilled chicken pieces with a few onions and green peppers.

Salad for lunch.

More salad, although I have weened myself off regular ranch to lite! I'm trying, I'm trying!

This is mostly what I've had for dinner, baked chicken and veggies. This is so easy to prepare! Just cut up everything and pop it in the oven!

This looks weird but it tastes good! Sometimes I just put a bunch of veggies in the skillet and lightly cook them instead of baking them with my meat.

Bourbon chicken from the mall with corn, brocolli, cabbage and rice.

Strawberry smoothie treat!

More salad...

More salad, this time with chicken pieces.

Focus on the Positives

This week I noticed that once again I had lost inches, but not really any significant pounds during the weigh-in. However, I am completely focused on the positives! One being, I have more energy and I am able to do exercises for a longer period of time than I was before. So to me those are definite signs that things have been working in some areas. And again as I stated last week, my clothing is also fitting loosely so to me that is another sign that the program is working and I need to go shopping soon! When I go shopping I will also make sure I pick out some new sneakers. I noticed that my calves had been sore so I received a tip from Maia to get some new kicks to see if that helps the issue. So I plan on doing that this week! I am also making sure that I stretch more during my weekend workouts because that could be a part of the issue as well.

My goal this week is to continue focusing on the positives during my workouts and outside of this challenge as well. I just purchased a new book called Food, Fitness and Faith for Women - A 21 Day Journey to a New You. As some of you know, I enjoy posting positive quotes not only to this blog but to my Facebook and Twitter accounts so I am always looking for inspiration from various sources. After this challenge I plan on starting this 21 day journey and continue on my weight loss goals. I think this challenge was just the beginning, but what a wonderful beginning it was to really start a lifestyle change. I am looking forward to the last few weeks in the program and in a way, can't believe how fast the time has gone. Wow. It almost made me sad for a minute that this will be done in two weeks! Shaking off those thoughts and getting ready to start another week with the boot camp crew! :-)

Mind over Matter...Inches over Pounds?!

"Woke up this morning... I put on

my happy face!"

This weekend I was able to experience the kazaxe and boot camp tag team workout. Can we say... awesome! I enjoyed the combo class and hope that it becomes a regular event at KZX. Had way too much fun working out! This weekend I also experienced some minor set backs since starting the challenge, however I didn't let those things get me too upset. Instead, I try to keep my mind focused on all the positives that I have achieved. I don't allow myself dwell on anything that gets me upset for too long. I think it is important to acknowledge what's wrong, then channel that energy into something more productive, which is something I have to work at daily! 

What I have noticed is that although I have been feeling like I am losing weight, (my clothes are fitting me loosely, etc) my scales at home have a totally different story - LOL! I've lost inches, but not anymore weight. In fact, I gained a few pounds back. It's sort of weird because all my friends and family have been commenting that I look slimmer, but my weight is at a standstill at the moment. We only have a couple of weeks left to go so I really plan on pushing it even harder so I can see a change in weight and inches hopefully. 


The great news is I am able to get to "Level 3" on some of the exercise moves, so I plan on trying to get to that level with more exercises this week. I absolutely love how the coaches walk around and demonstrate the correct way to do the move, then encourage us to push it even harder! Thank you so much to everyone who has done that for me! I really do appreciate how helpful everyone is in getting us to our goals. Positive people help you achieve positive results so I've also tried to limit my interactions with folks who I've noticed aren't really supportive of my goals. I remember when we began the test group Maia even said we may have some people in our lives not support us in the way we thought they would. It's disappointing to have that happen, but again, I don't dwell on things for long and continue to be thankful for all the wonderful things that have occurred! Ready for Week 7! :-)


One of my "happy" songs - :-)

"You attract people with similar attitudes and beliefs based on how you act. Be positive and positive things will happen to you; you'll also be surrounded by other positive people."

“If you believe that feeling bad or worrying long enough will change a past or future event, then you are residing on another planet with a different reality system.” William James 

#TEAMNOSLEEP

As we prepare for the halfway mark I am thankful to have made it this far in the challenge and for all the positive people I've met. It's incredible seeing people change, literally, right before your eyes! Of course I am seeing more changes in myself as well both physically and mentally- and these changes are all for the better. One more thing I wish I could change for the better is my sleeping pattern. Ugh! As I said in a previous post, I really, really, really (was that enough emphasis? haha!) want to give up my #TEAMNOSLEEP membership!  

I am not sure if it is due to working out more often in the evening, but I find I have sooo much energy, that I just don't want to and/or can't sleep at night. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this, or has any tips for sleeping after working out? In all fairness, I did have a weird sleep pattern before the challenge because I do a lot of side writing/design jobs that I have to complete after my regular 9 to 5. So I was used to being somewhat of a night owl prior to signing up for this process. Although one night after an excellent workout, I ended up having too much energy and I cleaned my whole house and made myself lunch for the entire week... Needless to say I was beyond exhausted the next day. That was such a bad move and I won't be doing that again! Since I have to be at work so early, I am hoping that I will be able to make it to some of the 6 am workouts for boot camp. I think that is a great idea and it would be amazing to have the type of energy I have after our 7:40 pm class during the day!

Besides sleeping more ;-) my goal for this week is to get back on track with my weight loss. I had gained a few pounds during our last measurement day and noticed that my legs had increased an inch - ugh again! Not what I wanted to happen at all. I am trying to see what I can do differently to stay on track for my goals as we come into the final stretch. One area I know I have to do better with is my eating habits. Sometimes I skip meals because I don't always have time to eat in the mornings. Which of course makes me want to eat even more at lunch because by then, I'm starving!!!  So I am working harder at preparing myself a better breakfast. I used to eat a lot of fruits in the morning, which is okay, but after learning more about food, it would probably be better for me to supplement that with other foods. I see that a lot of people are recommending oatmeal, so I am going to give that try. I am not really an oatmeal person, but I am open to change and to doing something to help myself become a more health conscientious person! On that note, good night folks since it is pretty late ...or is it early? :-)

 "I put a piece of paper under my pillow, and when I could not sleep I wrote in the dark."

~Henry David Thoreau

“My Eyes Are Green…. Cause I Eat A lot of Vegetables…” (No, Really I Do, Now!)


Get some veggies instead! ;-)

Since joining this challenge one of the things I have started closely monitoring is what I am eating. That’s definitely an important part of healthy lifestyle and I really wish I could’ve made it out to the cooking course this past weekend. I’m sure everyone had a great time and learned a lot of helpful tips as we have been doing this entire process.  I’ll admit, I’m not much of a veggie eater, but I’ve tried little by little to incorporate more of those foods in my meals.  And it isn’t all that bad once you get into the habit of eating those types of foods.


 

That's better!

I’m also taking more time to actually prepare my food for my lunch instead of always opting for those “microwave” meals that always seem to be on sale!  Even the meals that have the word “healthy” or “less fat” really don’t seem to be all that healthy or less fattening when you really take the time to read the labels.  Speaking of time, that’s another key component that I’ve been focusing on lately.  As I’ve said in earlier posts, there were always other things taking my time that prevented me from doing what deep down inside, I knew I should be doing (i.e. exercising, eating better, etc.)

Speaking to Coach Patricia during this past weekend’s Run/Walk Clinic I mentioned that my time management has gotten better in that I am actually planning my workouts, my meals, etc. so that I can be successful in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. And, I’m learning to take on less obligations so that I can have the energy to do all of these things.  However, after many moons of being night owl, I still find it hard to fall asleep at a decent hour. But I am working on that goal! I no longer want to be a card carrying member of #teamnosleep -haha!

My other goal this week is to increase my numbers in the fit test exercises in at least three of the moves.  Hopefully I am able to do that tonight! I have felt like I have gotten stronger since we are now officially mid-way through the challenge. I just want to continue to push myself even more during the second half of this program.

"You have got to plan your pleasure and your pain. I plan my pain when I go workout three times a week... I plan my pain, then I have my pleasure when I can get my jeans on!"

~Joyce Meyer

Stage Fright - LOL!

Well, here we are folks, finishing up week three. Can't believe how fast time is flying. I'm still feeling pretty happy about my decision and was even more excited to learn that I had lost 7 pounds since the start of this journey! Looks like I may have to up my initial goal of losing 10 pounds because I really do wish to lose a little more weight. I have a confession to make in that I originally made my weight loss goal lower than I normally would. Don't get me KZX coaches! I knew I wanted to slim down more than 10 pounds, but it has always been so hard for me to lose weight in the past and I didn't want to be disappointed...again. 


But, I see that I was wrong in not believing in this program, and even more so, for not believing in myself... as a man thinketh, right? I had even more of an opportunity, so to speak (haha!) to believe in myself when I was called on stage during one of our workouts! If it's one thing I have always been kinda good at, is blending in the background when I want to... LOL! Don't know if that is a good thing or bad, maybe it comes from being horribly shy as a child,  or growing up in a household with five (yes, five) siblings. It was kinda easy to drift off and do your own thing as long as you stayed out of trouble. Mom and pops didn't play that!  So I thought I had this blending technique perfected. Until I was called on stage! 

Mad random, I know! Went with my 

stage fright thoughts - haha! Plus 

this was a great series of books

I enjoyed as a child! :-)

The hardest part was just getting the nerve to go up there in front of everyone. After I stopped envisioning myself falling off the side of that thing, (clumsiness seems to be something else I have perfected too...) I began to relax and focus more on the movements in each exercise. I listened to Maia's voice as she directed the class and found out that I could do a little bit more, move a little faster, jump a bit higher, and so on. I see why going on stage is part of this program and I would encourage every one to try this because it does give you a different perspective. Now during the workouts, I try to pretend that I am on stage again which makes me focus even more on executing each move correctly and getting the maximum benefit from each routine. Like Maia would say, "Don't waste this time here, do your best with each move!"


My goals as we step into week four is to just keep pushing myself and to continue losing inches/weight. I'm seeing positive changes not only in my body but also in how I view working out and getting in shape in general. And that is a great feeling!

"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't --- you're right."

~Henry Ford