Hitting the Reset Button...

Some of you from FB have asked about the Reset plan I am currently doing. This is a plan I made for myself based on my current needs and goals for this month. It is a simple, back to basics approach and one which I truly feel will help me get back on track. 

Why do I need this plan? Well, to be honest, I need it because I have failed to be consistent with my workouts and my strong nutrition and now, it is time I reach new goals and try to lose some weight in order to get back to where I was last year. 

The plan is from April 29th -  May 22nd as we are leaving for our vacation the 23rd. I am making my goals one week at a time. My focus for now is getting back to consistency and posting for accountability.  I cannot think about my long terms goals as of now as they can be overwhelming seeing where I am now compared to where I want to be. So for me, I am taking my goals day by day and only one week at a time to establish a fitness/nutrition routine once again. 

Week 1 - April 29th - May 5th 

Goals - The main goal for this week is to get back to posting. Every day, I will be posting my goals and a short recap of the day before. What did I do right, where did I go wrong. Evaluate, then move on to the next day! 

Week 2 - May 6th - May 12th 

Goals - Repeat goals from Week 1, then add in accountability for foods!! I will be taking photos of my meals to increase my accountability and to bring a focus back to proper nutrition and portion sizes 

Week 3 - May 13th - May 19th

Goals - Repeat goals from Week 1 and 2. New goals include listing details regarding my workouts. Number of pull ups, pushups, burpees etc... again, to bring focus on daily accountability. 

Week 4 - May 20th - May 22th ( only 2 days this week as we are leaving....) 

Goals - Repeat goals from Weeks 1,2 and 3....

*For Nutrition - 

My focus is on two things. Greens and lean proteins. I am limiting my carbs as of now, especially since I am not currently in full marathon training mode. There is no need for a large amount of carbs for me as of now. My carbs sources will be from sweet potatoes, some fruits, quinoa and occasionally some GF oats....but not too much. Oats are my weakness :) For now, for me....I do best without them. 

*For FItness - 

I am getting back to what I love most, running and circuit training. My body responds very well to running in combination with sprints/hill intervals with strength training ( Push ups, Burpees, Pullups, Rowing, TRX and Medicine Ball work ). 

*Small Daily Goals to focus on - 

1. Stress eating. This gets me every time!!! I need to THINK before I eat! :) 

I need to ask myself if I am really hungry or just eating to chill myself out or eating mindlessly while sitting at the computer. Before every meal, every snack -- THINK! Think about the quality of the food, the portion sizes....everything. ALL the little bites of this and that ADD UP throughout the day!!! Trust me on this one :) 

2. Make sure I am drinking enough water. Not from coffee....which I am really good at doing :) But good old fashioned WATER! 


As I mentioned in the beginning. This is a very straight forward plan. I have found through my years on this weight loss journey that it does not matter how simple a plan is, if you do not follow it, nothing in your life will change. Consistency has to be the foundation of ANY program. Regardless how you go about losing weight, consistency has to be key!!

In June, after we are back from our trip, I am starting another challenge, which will be 7 weeks long. 

I cannot tell you how much your support and encouragement is helping me!! Thank your for taking the time to cheer me along as I try to regain my fitness and reach these goals....Thank you all :) 

Day 3...

Reset Day 3....

Goals - Same as yesterday but with an additional ST session. I am not working at 100% right now as I still have a cold, but I can still give this day my all. I did well yesterday, but I can do better! I did not complete my PT work as I should have.

My goal every morning needs to be seeing where I can improve on the day before, allowing my weaknesses and mistakes to strengthen me! This is how we rise after falling. We gain wisdom, then we press on.....

Day 2...

Day 1 went well. I could have lightened up on the guacamole but overall, I did very well. I am still feeling sick so no running but I am going to be doing my PT work today and will strive to keep pretty strict on my foods.

Todays goal - LOTS of greens and making time for my PT work.

23 days before we leave for Paris...GOTTA STAY STRONG!!!

Ready. Set. Go!!

It is time to hit the reset button once again. Forget the mistakes of the past. Eyes forward. No looking back. It is going to be hard, and there is no doubt in my mind that I will have challenges before me which will test my commitment, but I know in my heart, I will NOT let anything stop me from reaching my ultimate goal.

Today I press on with a new sense of purpose and a strength in my heart knowing with God, ALL things are possible!!

Rejoice with me in the fact that we are blessed with another day to hit Reset and make the most of this life that God has given us!

Ready. Set. Go!!!!

35 days to go...

As of this morning I have 6.2 lbs left to go in order to meet my goal for our Paris trip in May. I have 35 days until we leave and I must do all I can to stay on track. This trip is so very important to me for so many reasons. Paris, like London is a special place for me as it was there where I had my big "before" photos and seeing these helped me make the change I needed in order to lose my weight. It will be my 5th vacation to Paris and really want to take some more before and after photos in some special places as it will also be my 36th birthday!!

That is all for now. A short, very short blog today as there is much to do around the house. It is a cold and rainy day....perfect for organizing :) I am also going to get in some good yoga and my PT work later when Kayla takes a nap. 

Starting off this morning strong with my VM green and then some greek yogurt with stewed prunes...which has become my favorite thing to eat...SO good!!  I also made some eggs with spinach to have later with some turkey breast and avocado. 

6.2 to go......I CAN DO THIS!!!! 

The weigh in...

It is right around the corner. My weigh in I have been dreading! I am giving myself until Monday then it is back to weighing in every morning and working as hard as I can for my trip coming up in May. I have from now until May 23rd to DO THIS THING!!! I need to get back. While I am ok with the fact I am heavier now than last year, I want so much to lean out again......but sitting here wishing will not make it happen. So, I am back to square one....once again.

This has been such a rough start to 2013 for me and my weight. Maybe when a year starts off hard it just means God has great things right around the corner!! I just need to keep holding on, keep smiling and doing all that I can....

Will report back on Monday....gulp!!!

March totals so far...

They are not the totals I was hoping to post but all I can do is keep reaching...

Weight loss - not even going to talk about this one. The scale is going in the WRONG direction.
Miles - 8.42/50
Pull ups - 9/50...unassisted but embarrassing totals
Push ups - 270/1,000
Burpees - 85/500...a new goal added as they are so very effective

Lessons learned so far this challenge -

1. Take things one day at a time
2. The scale is evil and can change SO much daily based on water, salt etc.....
3. Watch the nuts. Too many calories if you do not watch your portion size
4. Do not allow yourself to get hungry, then you break and crave BAD carbs
5. Relax, it is just weight. It is just a number. Focus daily on the positives in your life
6. Stretch.
7. Think before you eat. Are you hungry or thirsty....
8. Stop trying to make it happen overnight. You let yourself go over the past several months, it will not come back instantly.
9. Watch the salt.
10. It is going to be hard getting back, but worth all effort. Stay focused.

Next weeks schedule -

Sunday - Run/walk easy with family, pull ups and push ups
Monday - Run/Walk 4 miles and KB's at the gym
Tuesday - ST circuit at home
Wednesday - Run/Walk 4 miles and KB's at the gym
Thursday - Walk - 6 miles
Friday - Walk/Run 4 miles and KB's at the gym
Saturday - Long walk with family
Sunday - Rest or long walk with family

Nutrition goals - Greens, greens and more greens.

And so it begins.

Day one of my new challenge. I cannot tell you how many  times I have sat down at the computer, motivated and ready to make the most out of a new month only to fail because I did not remain consistent with my goals. I think part of success is recognizing where you have failed in the past, facing it head on and then moving forward knowing where you can improve.

I need to set aside time each day to log my foods and record my daily results. For me it is key. It may be different for others but for me, logging my daily intake and fitness is what helped me get to where I am today. Speaking of where I am today, I had a hard dose of reality this morning when I stepped on the scale and took my measurements.  I am about 4 inches up over all and my weight, well it has increased so much I feel almost embarrassed to say, but I need to in order to move on. I have gained 14.8 lbs since my all time low in 2011 and I have gained 8.6 lbs since July when I was at my leanest. I was heavier at this time but I was strength training and leaner than before, it is my goal to get back to where I was in July by my 36th birthday in May.

I am hoping to lose 8 lbs this month and try as hard as I can to lose another 2 or 3 lbs the month of April....but let's get through March first. 8 lbs in a month is huge for me so this will be an enormous challenge...but not impossible!

As I said yesterday, there is no need to sit and feel sorry for myself. I just need to work hard to do something about it. If April 1st arrives and I have not given my 100%, then I have no one to blame but myself. If April 1st comes and I did my best, I worked hard and left nothing back but I did not reach my weight loss goals, then I can rest in knowing I did all that I could and I will be proud.

Now, blogging does not make the weight come off, it takes ACTION so here is my plan for this next week, then I will leave you, get off of the computer, and head out to enjoy this glorious day with my baby girl and savor this precious time!

I am just now getting well after being sick for a week so if my workouts look short this next week, it is because I am recovering.....

Schedule for 3/1 - 3/8....

Friday 3/1 -
Goal....just MOVE! Head out to walk the trails with my girl.  For my ST, my goal is to finish a simple, fast circuit workout just to get my body back to working out....still a bit sick so it will be so very light.

ST for today -
Push ups - 50 military reps
Pull ups - 10 reps unassisted in sets of as many as I can
KB  two arm swings - 100 reps
Chops with sumo squat - 100 reps with MB

Nutrition for today -
Clean! Clean! Clean! Stay away from the bread, it does me NO good. Focus on lean proteins, greens and super good fats....avocado, coconut oil etc...

Saturday 3/2 -
Walk/Run 3 miles
Push ups - 50 reps
Pull ups - 10 reps

Sunday 3/3 -
Same as Saturday

Monday 3/4 -
ST workout at gym
Run intervals on tread as part of ST circuit
Rowing

Tuesday 3/5 -
Rest, stretch and PT

Wednesday 3/6 -
Same as Monday

Thursday 3/7 -
Walk/Run 5 miles

Friday 3/8 -
Rest

March Goals. Time to get serious.

I have big goals for this month. Let's just say it is my attempt to get back to where I was last year. I am going to keep this blog short and to the point. I measured this morning and not only have I gained weight this past year but several inches as well. No use complaining about it. I just need to do something about it and move on.

Goals to reach in order to get back on track....

1. 50 miles - run, walk and cycle
2. Lose 8 lbs this month. This would be huge for me. I have not had a loss this big in a LONG time!
3. Push ups - 1,000 military reps
4. Pull ups - 100 reps....can be assisted
5. Log foods on Spark

I need to change. I must change. I must get back to where I was. I am not happy with my size and where I am in terms of my fitness journey. I took the lazy way out the past few months and now I am paying for it. Enough is enough...

Back to Blogging?

It has been far too long since I have blogged. So many has been going on, I do not know where to start. I am using my FB page far more these days and so I am debating on whether or not to keep this blog going. Apart of me does not want to stop as this is the blog I started in Russia when I lost all my weight. For now, I will continue posting my workouts via Daily Mile and FB until March 1st. Then I will try to start back with daily results etc....as I used to.

Excited about new workouts and new goals for this next month. I NEED to get back....

Blessings to all. See you on FB....