20 days till the NEW YEAR!!!

So, Like I mentioned last week, I joined the gym w Chad, Amanda & Mike.  The gym @ lunch routine is working out really well.!!! I love knowing I have a set time everyday I know I will be able to go and get it in...And it doesn't mean waking up at the butt crack of dawn...Or taking me away from family time, homework, studying, cooking, having dinner w friends or whatever else goes on in the afternoons. Its quick and dirty and over with in less than an hour, Works for me! This is the first week in idk how long that I have only had one real day off. And even then, Sunday consisted of lots of shopping/walking and I even took a little walk down our street w Bella & her baby in the baby stroller :D I am LOVING this feeling of accomplishment!  I am surly noticing all the soreness from these work outs, hopefully I will start to notice the physical difference in my body & maybe..just maybe..On the scale! That being said, here is the breakdown/pics of my week...   

Monday->Gym:Chest & Triceps

Tuesday->Gym:Cardio/Treadmill 1mi./9:58&StairMaster10mins=38Floors=103.2Cals

 Wednesday->Gym:Back/Biceps/Abs 

Thursday->Cardio/Ran 2.53mi./25:34mins

Friday->Gym:Legs/Chest/Abs

Saturday->CrossFit &ChristmasNOaks Race/2miles +Wlk through ChristmasNOaks

Sunday-> Day of rest...

This weekend was the Christmas in the Oaks Race with the family (pics above). I was very proud to be out there w my babies walking our first race together as a family. Its super important to me to not only focus on my own healthier lifestyle but to create that for my kids. Getting the kids (esp C) to eat healthy is NOT an easy task but one thing I can promote is keeping them ACTIVE! I feel like thats a start. They did pretty good, CJ complained the whole time but he kept moving forward and thats all that matters. Bella was a champ! She walked/ran and occasionally took breaks riding in her stroller but she had fun...And that brings a smile to my face! We caught up w Amanda, Hannah & Kinsley around the mile 1 mile marker and we walked the 2nd mile with them.

I am setting a personal goal to loose AT LEAST 5 lbs by Jan1st! 

 Anyone want to join me? What goal are you setting to do by Jan 1st?

I know all the band-wagoners will go crazy come Jan 1. The gyms will be packed with people again and everyone will start setting all there list of goals for the year, Which is great but I just feel with this being the holiday season...I am kinda doomed to pack on weight UNLESS I choose the other path of not letting this be a time to slack just bc its the holidays. So, that's why I'm setting this goal. I need & want to get over this hump and I don't feel like waiting around till the New Yr to start making things happen! My 5 lb goal may seem like a small one but I have been pretty active for the last 8 months and my weight has been at a stand still! Mainly due to my eating, Im sure...But like I said..     20 days..Balls to the Wall...WE CAN DO THIS! Who's In?  

 I will post a pic of the scale, for accountability, each week. 

This mornings weight: 181.4 

You don't have to do what Im doing or how Im doing it, the goal is just that...To set a goal & GO FOR IT! Good Luck! :D I added the pic of Amanda & I in the Photos page.

Ive also added our family Christmas Pictures to my page. 
Enjoy & Merry Christmas!! 0</:)}

Not Good But Not Bad

This week was not as eventful as it should have been.  A sick day on Monday, followed by an all-nighter in the ER with my aunt made this week a rough one for doing anything besides sleeping!

Here's a quick rundown of my week:

Monday - 2.75 miles on elliptical, 30 minutes in the pool, and 10 minutes of rowing
Tuesday - 30 on elliptical and 30 on treadmill
Wednesday - Nothing
Thursday - Nothing - Dinner at 7 with group
Friday - Nothing - Worked late
Saturday - CrossFit workout, nearly died, and walking at Christmas in the Oaks
Sunday - 2.5 mile walk on Jean Lafitte's Palmetto Trail and the visitor center's trail

Not great but not horrible. 

I'm SO SORE from the CrossFit workout.  The squats I did have my legs on FIRE!  It's better today than it was yesterday, but it still hurts!

My eating also hasn't been good but it hasn't been horrible either.  I need to step my game up! 

How is everyone else doing?

Goals for this week...GET AT IT!

It's a short post this week because I'm busy busy at work.  Have a great Monday!

F you, Bread Pudding, F you

I did not do one bit of exercise yet this week.  It's "that time" and I have been feeling blah.  I disappointed myself.  But, that doesn't mean that I get to slack when it comes to what I'm eating.  Today I had my FAVORITE sandwich from Subway, the meatball sandwich.  lol  I don't feel bad for eating it, because breakfast was only a fiber bar and dinner was a plain ham sandwich.  I have been keeping up with drinking water.  I drink at least one bottle a day.  That is a HUGE improvement from drinking ZERO water EVER.

The 14th is sneaking up on me and I don't think I'm ready.  I do not think that the numbers will go up, I just think I have not done as well as i should have and could have. 

For the next five weeks, I do not have any excuses.  I JUST finished my last final for this semester and am off until mid January.

Wait, I will be getting some walking in this week - we are going to Christmas in the Oaks tomorrow night.  That will include a TON of walking.  I'll use the Endomondo tracker - IF I remember.  I seem to be suffering from short term memory loss lately.

I need to get my exercise in check like I did with my eating.  I am able to pass on foods that I normally submerge myself into.  It feels good.  I jut remind myself that while the food will taste SO good, that will last for only a few seconds while losing weight, and keeping it off, will last longer and feel even better!

Struggles suck ass.

Oh, a HUGE deal for me - I passed on BREAD PUDDING this week!  My friends know that I absolutely LOVE flan and bread pudding.  For me to pass on either of those really shows my commitment.  I keep reminding myself that I owe it to myself to get healthier.  The more I stay away from those bad foods, the easier it is to pass up and not wish for it or be angry with myself for not having it.

It feels good to have self control.

-Courtney

7 out of 30 ain't bad!!!

Good morning all. Let’s get to the goods first:

Workouts:

1.) Thursday 11/29

C25K

1.86 miles

Pace: 16:38

2.) Sunday 12/2

C25K

1.92 miles

Pace: 16:07

3.) Ab focused Yoga (7 minutes)

So I didn’t get my 4 workouts in but the reason is by far no excuse this time. After having my husband laugh at me while I was attempting the following moves:

i gave in. The DVD is 30 minutes long but I think it was the last one that did me in!!! I swear I was sore until this morning and even now my back isn’t too happy! I plan on attempting this DVD twice a week and I figure that will build me up! My next yoga goal is to make it to 10 minutes of the DVD!

 I had every intention of going to work out after my kids Christmas play (to get my 4^th workout in), but on top of the soreness and Reginelli’s… I caved. =( BUT my kido’s were super adorable as usual!

 On a better note, for both of these workouts, I was able to jog continuously for the 3 and 5 minute intervals! For 11/29 my speed was 4.1 mph and for 12/2 it was 4.2. for the jogging portions. I’ve decided that every time I do the C25K program, I will up my walking speed and my jogging speed .1 mph.

I started today doing the “take a picture for accountability” motivation that Nicole started. It probably won’t last for me but heck, anything worth a try!

Any who! I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL WEEK!!!!

21 Days till Christmas!!!

After last weeks challenge, I fell right back into my slacker trap! [Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon] I made NO time for dedicated workouts, besides the things I try to count as my wkout...cleaning house, leisurely walks, etc. Monday, I extended the holiday, took off wk and had a lazy day! Come Tuesday...I was headed in the same direction. I didn't do anything in the am, went to work and didn't have a planned lunch workout, family time in the afternoon and I just didn't wanna do ANYTHING! AHHHHhhhh!!! I thought...This has got to STOP! What this girl needs is to continue that little theme of "Accountability"!!! Thanksgiving, I did pretty good bc I knew I would have to report it bk, pics of what I ate and I also ran that morning bc I wanted to not feel guilty for whatever I did eat later in the day...I think it worked well. So, Why stop it there? I like the fact of having to make myself be accountable for whatever I am doing (eating/exercising). I was thinking it would help to keep me in check and I always feel when I take the time to get a workout in I don't want to ruin that by eating badly so its easier to keep that side of it in control, as well. (Don't want to waste a workout, ya know?) I decided as an accountability incentive for this week to post my workouts and a food log. It went well for only a few days. I kept up with it Tuesday & Wednesday and then by Thursday I was forgetting to take pics.  So it all went downhill...Here is the breakdown: Monday:SLACKER
Tuesday: I did this Fitness @ Hm routine w Chad. We did it 3xs w a 1 min break in bw sets. We sweat our butts off and we even got the kids involved. Bell was doing it w us and CJ did the whole last set! Fun! 

Wednesday:Gym-Elliptical:(Program:Weight Loss, Resistance 10)

30 mins + cool down=3.29 miles=418 cals burned

 

[Pics go downhill from here..but this is what I did/have..lol]

Thursday: Ran 2 miles on treadmill in 21mins; Ate @ Dos Gringos 

 Friday:Ab WkOut; Ate @ Olive Garden

 Saturday: Ran 3 miles w Chad in 31:10; Ate Lunch @ CFA & Dinner @ Chili's

Sunday: No WkOut; Ate @ Mannings

As you can see...The weekends are killer! Slacker! Slacker! Slacker! 

Goals for this week: DO BETTER!

I have joined the gym w Chad so I look forward to having that extra motivation to make it to the gym everyday at lunch! My plan is to go [AT LEAST] 3 days a week; M, W & F. Tuesday, Thursday & weekends will be for cardio and I can get that in various ways.

 
This coming Saturday, I am SUPER excited that we are doing our 1st race together as a FAMILY! I signed us all up for the CCC Celebration in the Oaks Walk. The course is 2 miles through City Park. It starts with pics w Santa and ends with admission to see all the Christmas lights! Bell has been wanting to "Do a race w mommy" and She is super excited! Her excitement has me STOKED! ***This is Bell when I came hm from the Saints 5k. She said then, She wanted to do a race w mommy! Love my girl! :D***

New Month/Fresh Start

Welcome to December!  With the new month comes a fresh start.  I was in a funk after the Thanksgiving holiday.  Whenever my mom and step dad come for a visit and then leave, it's hard on me.  I passed by the park near my house the other night and cried!  I cried because when they were in town for the holiday, we took the dogs to that park twice and we threw around the football and just enjoyed being together.  It was like that big happy family I wish I had.  But let's face it, holidays are never that great for me.  At 30 years old you'd think I'd be used to it, but it still gets to me.  I miss them a lot and all I want for Christmas is for them to come back!  We'll see.  My step dad said they are discussing coming in for Christmas but nothing has been made official and no decision has been made.  My mom is the one teetering on the idea.  My step dad, he'd move down here in a second if my mom said they could!  Kinda makes me angry, kinda doesn't surprise me. 

Enough of that though.....

Here's a recap of how this past week went for me (Keep in mind I was sick, I was upset, I was exhausted, and I was riding a junk food high!):

Monday - Nada! - Sick
Tuesday - Nada! - Sick
Wednesday - 1 mile walk/run intervals, 1 mile elliptical, 30 minutes in the pool
Thursday - 1 mile walk/run intervals, 1 mile elliptical
Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday -

Not a pretty picture.  It felt very uninspired and was seriously lacking motivation. 

But with the new month comes a new start and I'm hitting the re-do button! 

I made a December calendar outlining my workouts for the entire month....

Ambitious much?  Maybe.  But I'm a visual and organized kind of person.  I need to see it, I need to plan it, and I need to know what's next.  I am also big on checking things off a list.  Daily workout done?  CHECK!  It will be nice to get to the end of the month and see all the little check marks next to my workouts!  I made up this calendar and printed it 3 times; one for my desk, one for my purse, and one for my house.  No excuses!

The 14th is my monthly weigh-in so from now til the 14th I'm hitting it hard!  I need to stick with the program and hopefully bust out some good numbers here.  Thanksgiving knocked me off my socks and then some.  Truth be told, I'm not going to be shocked with a less than stellar weigh-in!  Expect the worst, hope for the best huh?  We'll see.  I'll be happier that I got back in the game regardless of what the scale says!

I should find out some time this month about the Heads Up Program.  I know I'm in the program, I'm just waiting on the phone call to setup the January appointment.  From what I've been told, you do the physical and they go over the program all in the same day.  You get sent home with everything you need to start but have to wait about 3 days.  Once they get the results of the physical and all the tests, they call you and give you the green light to start the program.  I'll keep everyone posted as soon as I get the call!

mmm...Panera

I haven't done quite so well with my walking this week.  So far, I've only walked Monday.  I'm not throwing in the towel though.  I plan on walking tomorrow at lunch and go for a walk again on Saturday.  I didn't get a chance to walk at lunch today because I had a dental visit.  My mouth f-ing hurts.
Anyway.  I went to lunch with Shannon yesterday.  We went to Panera.  WARNING!  Panera WILL cause you to eat TONS of oh so warm and soft and fresh bread!  lol  It was FABULOUS.  I had my first bread bowl (potato soup).  lol
I don't have a whole lot of time to post tonight.  I have some homework and studying to do as finals are coming up next week.
So, this is me cutting it short for the second week in a row.  :(
-Courtney