Bali and Thailand here we come!!

I will not be posting on here for the next 3 weeks as we are finally leaving for our big vacation to Bali and to Koh Samui, Thailand! I am so excited!!! All my hard work has paid off as I feel stronger, leaner and in better shape than I have been since I was 18 years old!! The last time we were in Thailand 2 years ago, I was 53 pounds heavier. I did not want to be on the beach without a coverup and I was very self conscious of how I looked. This time there will be no cover up and I can go and enjoy all of the beach activities and feel confidant in how I look in my swimsuit. It is a big deal for me. I am tired of having to hide behind fabric, always thinking about my weight. That is what I did for years, well I say no more, I want to get out there and live it up! I still have allot of work ahead of me when I get back. I have several goals that I want to reach before the end of the year, but I know that I will reach them if I work hard enough! 

I will be taking my HRM with me on our trip and I assure you I will keep working out while we are gone. I have even made a list of goals to reach for while we are on our trip to ensure I stay on track! Yes, I will treat myself, but I want to be active and feel good about what I did, because soon it will be time to get back into my routine and measure and weigh again. 

Goals for our vacation - 

1. To burn at least 6,000 calories while on our trip through strength training and cardio. 
2. To continue to lift at least 3 times a week. 
3. To watch my portion sizes and be mindful of empty calories!! 

I will be logging my calories burned and workouts in a notebook and will report back with what I have done. I will not be logging my foods in terms of a caloric deficit each day, however I will be watching closely the portion sizes and types of food I am eating. 

The resorts we are staying at have amazing fitness facilities and I plan to take advantage of them! One of the resorts we are staying at is a health resort. There will be chefs to customize our meals however we wish, personal trainers, yoga/pilates instructors..etc. So I can tell you I really will be focused on keeping this vacation one in which we have an amazing time but one that I can come back from and feel great about how well I did!! 

I want to thank everyone for your support over these past 12 weeks that I was getting ready for this trip! It was worth every second of hard work! I want to say a special thanks to my Loosing the Weight in 08 group and our amazing leader Shawna. The idea for the group Olympics really challenged me to take my workouts up a notch and helped get me ready for this trip! I look forward to coming back and starting a new challenge! 2009 will be here before we know it so I want to work hard and make the most of 2008 while I still can!! 

My best to each of you - see you September 17th!