MIdyear update: Where I'm going from here...

Shauna and I went to the gym about two times a week until my husband returned from deployment in April.

THEN, he made me work out with him, lifting weights using Jim Stoppani's Shortcut2Shred.  Sometimes we worked out at Planet Fitness, sometimes in the garage (we have a weight bench--it's been used to hold boxes for the past year while hubs was gone, if that tells you how I felt about weight lifting).  Honestly, it was torture at first for me.  The last time I worked out with hubs was in March of 2008 when we ran the Azalea Trail Run in Mobile.  And we didn't really run it together. He finished before me, and I was glad because I vomited water at the end, and at that point in our marriage (almost 6 years) I had not vomited at all, not even in front of him.  Oh, memories.  But ANYWAY, I prayed that the Lord would make me come to love working out with him because it was quality time with my hubs doing something that he liked to do, that he had been doing, and slowly, it didn't suck as much.  Haha.  :D

That lasted about 5 weeks, and then we went on vacation to North Carolina and hiked to the top of a small mountain, about 8 miles round trip...and I was SO glad that we had been working out.  So many times I wanted to give up, but I just couldn't face it if I had to turn back!  So, we made it to the top!

And, since we've been back, we haven't really worked out. I turned 37, he turned 36.  I checked out some books from the library about food, and I've THOUGHT about changing my lifestyle.  I just am not an initiator when it comes to exercise.  Then my 5-year-old son found my phone and took some photos of me in the midst of his 1,234,567 selfies and videos.  And I looked 5-months pregnant.  I'm not.

I don't want to be THAT woman--I'm not talking about fat.  Fat, whatever.  I'm talking about the person who has no self control when it comes to sugar and eating whatever I want whenever I want.  I want a healthy lifestyle.  I want to take care of me.  I'm pretty sure the body shape tendency is genetic.  I look at my family and I know this to be true.   Except my oldest sister--and her philosophy is that your belly shouldn't stick out father than your boobs, and we're a fairly small-chested family.  I need to adopt that mentality.  So, I'm including a picture of me today, July 1, 2016.  I decided to get on board with the LuLaRoe wagon, and ordered a tee and leggings, and this is me.  All the curves in the awkward places and everything.  There it is; this is me.

So, I'm going to try to jump start my month of July with good decisions.  Forget the three cupcakes over the course of the day and the ice cream cone I had tonight.  The important thing is that hubs is out of town and I EXERCISED on my own.

A few years ago, when the librarian and I used to work out a couple times a week after school, we worked out to this, and then I purchased it on Amazon Video.  I love this program.  So, tonight, I loaded up the Amazon and did the first 15-minute segment, Abs and Waist.  

So, that's a start.  I'm hoping to maybe TRY a green smoothie challenge from Simple Green Smoothies, and maybe I can get my school year off on the right foot in August.  In the meantime, I am going to try to make a few other good decisions, too.

• Drink more water.  8 cups a day goal
• Exercise daily.  Something, including cardio.
• Take my vitamins.  I have some Jamberry Beauty Boost that I've been meaning to be consistent with.
• Eat a healthy breakfast. Green smoothies?  Maybe.  We'll see.  I have some Flat Belly Diet recipe books that I got JUST for the breakfast recipes--I feel like I can never get this right, and I end up overeating, or eating way too much sugar.

Okay, so that's the scoop.  Let's see how this plays out.  :D

Early Bird

I didn't have to work today (MLK holiday), so I got up early and hit the gym, hoping that someone would not show up for their Design-Your-Own-Program appointment.  Unfortunately, they all showed.  BUT, there was hardly anyone there at 6 a.m., so the circuit machines were pretty much unused.  I played around with them while there weren't as many eyes looking, and I think I feel confident to use them in the future.

I had a conversation with hubster recently and he suggested that I tone my arms, back, and shoulders since he met me when I was a cymbal player in college, and evidently I had really hot arms, back, and shoulders.  I don't really remember this, but that's because that upper body strength was a blip on my radar.

When I got home I looked online and found a sixteen week circuit workout that I will think about.  http://blog.lafitness.com/2016/01/05/the-sculpted-in-16-weeks-total-body-new-years-workout/

I did walk/run on the treadmill for a short bit, too.

I also took body measurements today.  And "before" pictures.

Three babies and too many carbs have done a number on me in the midsection.  This is the place where I want my jackets to fit.  And my pants...and my lacy underthings.  I'm thinking if I work on the midsection, the butt and thighs will follow suit.

Part of the reason I took the pictures is because I have a friend who has talked me into trying ItWorks wraps (and it helps to have before/after pictures, so I needed practice), and I intend to try the System, too.  BUT, I'm still in the weaning process with the baby (she is day-weaned, but not happy about it, and I'm hoping to have her night-weaned very soon), so that stuff will have to wait until February.

Until then...Denise.  Cardio.  Circuit.  Portion Control.  Lots of water.

Also, I'm looking into the possibility of a trainer...we'll see.

Dance Dance Yeah

The dance was a ton of fun.

I danced for about an hour straight.  In heels.  If that doesn't count as a workout, I don't know what does.  Oh, yeah.

Denise Austin 2

Thursday here:  Denise Austin #2

I don't think we've done this one before.  I really liked it. :D

When we were done, I was sweating and feeling good.

Thursday nights I usually (okay, I have good intentions to) go to the gym with Shauna, but tonight we decided not to because tomorrow is the middle school dance.  We will be burning calories!

Denise Austin 1

So, we're back.  I have a Tuesday/Thursday workout buddy, a friend that I worked out with two years ago, but then life got in the way.  We are both even heavier than we were then, and we need the accountability.  So, Carrie and I will be working out in my classroom to workout videos twice a week.  Pilates, Biggest Loser, that kind of thing.

Today, we did a few workouts from Denise Austin.  This disc:

I actually really like Denise.  She's so cheery, but also encouraging.  I think that if I were fit, I would be annoyed, but since I'm not, I can use all the positivity and encouragement I can get.

Time to Keep It Real

I stepped on a scale today after being "off" in everything over the holidays, and I have tipped this scale to my highest non-pregnant weight of my life.  Yikes.  The last five months  have been stressful, and I've definitely been overindulging in the carbs and sugars.  Oh, how I love carbs and sugars.  

I am 5'7" tall.  So, here's the BMI issue.  I used a calculator at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm.  Guess what.  I'm overweight.  (Not a surprise.)  I've been hovering around 25 for the past couple of years.

Honestly, I don't have a specific weight goal or anything.  I mean, I would love to lose 35-40 pounds and keep it off, perhaps.  Mostly, right now, short-term goal, I would like to be able to zip up my jackets without them being tight around the midsection.  Also, seriously, I want to look/feel hot in lacy underthings.  I know that just exercising will make me feel better both about myself and my body, so really, the second part of my short-term goal will be accomplished when I work on the first. :)

So.  Here we go.

Shauna was not feeling well tonight, so I went to the gym by myself and watched the national championship game (Roll Tide!).  I ran on the treadmill and then looked at some of the circuit machines, but there were a lot of people over there, so I only got to try about 1/3 of them.  It was a little intimidating.  But, I am so proud that I went by myself!!!  That's huge for me.

New Year, New Motivation

Shauna and I made it to Planet Fitness about once a week since November.  Not enough, but something.  I took pictures of the machinery summaries, etc., but I'm not going to take the time to post them.  Christmas was classic overeating time, so we were just trying to get something done.  No podcasts, just good old fashioned chatting while we ran on treadmills, rode stationary bicycles, tried the stair climber (oi).  More updates to come!