Bad Day

Today was not a good day.  I am in quit a bit of pain and I feel more tired than usual.  I am still not able to eat solid foods.  I graduated to ground beef today. I cannot wait for life to get back to normal.  I miss running and working out.  I cannot wait to get back into the swing of things in the next few weeks.  I can't believe that it is November already.  The good thing about this surgery is that it has accelerated my weight loss.  I hate being in my room all day, stuck in my bed.  There is only so many emails and blogs that I can read in a day.  I have been watching the last season of Alias, but that will only last so long.  Hopefully, by this time next week I will be almost back to normal.

Have a great night!

P.S. Did I mention that my Volleyball Team made the Quarter Finals? YEAH! Not bad for a first time coach.  Game is on Tuesday.

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Featured Challenger: Lady Cyone @ Makings of Cyone:Destined to Be A Diva

Star of the Week for Week 3 was Lady Cyone.  I emailed her a few questions and here is what she had to say:

Why are you in this challenge?
I'm in the challenge because I do better with having a set goal and time frame in mind. It helps to have a support group and other people I can get motivation from. I also think that the goal is quite acheivable and want to end the year on a happy weight note.


What are the top 5 things you did this week to help you loss weight?
1. Tracking what I ate and sticking to the plan.

2. Cardio Trainer,pedometer, and playlist.Setting exercise goals for the week and having motivating music keeps my workout going.
3. Keeping my blog updated on a daily basis, it may seem excessive but whenever I was having a hard time I logged on and wrote about what I was feeling, even if I didn't post it, by the time I finished typing the craving usually passed.
4. Trying new foods or mixing things together.
5. Wedding websites, I have lots of friends wedding and my own coming up next year, browsing the different styles, reminded me that I will be beginning a new life soon and I want to go into it as healthy as possible.

What is the best piece of advice you can give to challenges?
Choose something that personally motivates you, doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense to others as long as it matters to you.

What keeps you motivated?
Motivation comes from my fiance, my family, and my friends, but mainly myself. I don't want to keep being the girl that can give you all the latest health information but is still overweight herself. I also want to become a registered dietician, its easier to give someone advice that they will follow, if you follow it yourself.



Favorite heathy meal/snack?
Sweet Potato fries and Mini Babybel Lite cheese.


What are your weaknesses/downfalls and how do you deal with them?
I can be impatient at times and quick to change plans. Finally realized the longer I take to switch with one thing and focus on making it work the longer it would take to reach where I want to be.


If you could describe youself in one word (maybe two if you must) what would it be?
Tenacious. :)

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 5

Today I am 210.2, that is down 2.2 from last week.  This is great! I don't know why I am not as excited as I should be.  Since I have come out of the hospital I can only eat soup and yogurt, since everything else hurts my throat.  I am sure that this has to do with the loss.  Hopefully, I can eat some solid food in the next few days.  While I was in the hospital, I came to the conclusion that I never want to go back there again and I will do everything in my power to stay healthy to avoid having any procedures done.  Diabetes and high blood pressure run in my family and I would like to avoid both of those as much as possible.  Besides these last 35-40 pounds that I would like to loss, I am in pretty good health.  My blood pressure is normal and nothing else seems to be wrong.

   I should have lost 5 pounds by now, but I will take what I can get.  I cannot do any exercise for 2 weeks, but maybe later I will go for a walk.  I have already signed up for the Santa Shuffle 5K race on Dec. 4 and I want to sign up for the Resolution Run 5K on Dec. 31.  I would love to take my time below 32 minutes.  When I am better I will sign up for the 10K clinic again, since I did not get to finish the last one and accomplish my goal of running a  10k race.  This spring I want to try the 1/2 marathon clinic and hopefully run the Ottawa half in May.   I still want to try hot yoga, take up aquafitness again and get in some swimming lessons.  Novemeber begins on Monday can you believe it?

I hope that everyone is doing well, most challengers have lost some weight so I am happy about that.  Have a great day and now that I am home, you will be hearing more of me!

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NYC in Pictures

Some of my favorite paintings frm the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Cupcake mania!

Purchased this baby outside the Met.

 Spiced carrot with cream cheese icing.

Super cute store located in SOHO

Located in Chelsea Market

Didn't actually get to go to the Oktoberfest, but I saw this guy smoking outside and I thought his outfit was too funny
Tomorrow is weigh in #5, I know that I have been slacking a bit, but I will pick up the pace in the upcoming weeks!

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Back Home

Hello!   Just wanted to let you know that the surgery went well and that I returned home from the hspital yesterday.  I am not in too much pain, but it does hurt to swallow and cough. I have to stick to a liquid diet for awhile, soup and yogurt.  Thank you so much for all your well wishes and prayers.

New York was amazing! Even though I was with 42 teenage girls, I had a great time. I saw Wicked and Billy Elliot.  We went to the Met and the MOMA.  I ate cupcakes in Chelsea and SOHO.

Pictures to come.

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 4

212.4, down 1.4 put still not at the 4 pounds I should be. Remember I am in NYC and then surgery so I won't update for a minute.

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McDonald's Boo

So busy preparing for my time off, that I haven't even thought about the actual surgery. I wish I had an assistant, I have so many things to do and I am not sure how I am going to get everything done in the next 24 hours.  I had some McDonald's today the first time in a very long time, I hate to say this but the real reason I had it was because it was drive thru and I was in such a rush and I was so hungry.  I wish Subway had drive thru then I would have felt much better about my decision.  I know, I know, I could have had a salad instead of the chicken mcnuggets but have you tried the salads at McDonald's? Not a fan.

Just a reminder that since I was away on Friday, 15 in 15 will not be updated until later next week.  My apologize in advance.

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I Love My Hair

Preach on lil sista!

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Ran 10 K Today!

For the first time in my life I ran 10K, 10.29K to be exact! Wooohooo!  I did it in 1 hour and 16 minutes can you believe it?  The funny thing is around 6K , I had to pee so badly, our group leader asked why I was going so slow, I told her I had to go, she suggested I go in the bushes, so I did!  Hahahaha.   Tell me why the scale is going up everyday?  Because of the surgery, I am not going to make my 83K in October, by the end of the week I will have about 64K, that's 77% of what I wanted to do.  I will have to take it easy in Nov., but I will be back in Dec. with a new goal.

This week\s work out:

S-10K run
M- Zumba (not sure if I am going to make we have a volleyball tournament)
T- 4K run and zumba
W-5 K run legs n arms/muscle challenge
F- NYC here I come!

That is the last of the working out for a while, Dr, said no working out for 2 weeks after the surgery, I think I can handle that.  I will try and maybe get out of the house and go for a walk.

Congratulations Brother Andre, you are now Sainte-Andre.

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Featured Challenger: I'm Annie @ My 30 by 30 Plan

Week #2 Star of The Week went to I'm Annie, I asked her a few questions about the challenge so far and this is what she had to say.

Why are you in this challenge?
I love challenges, but especially challenges that I know I can handle! 15 lbs in 15 weeks will be a terrific loss for everyone involved! We will feel GREAT by the new year!

What are the top 5 things you did this week to help you lose weight?
This week I tracked my calorie intake and tried to stay between 1200-1400 calories.
I made sure I ate enough fruits, veggies, protein and grains each day.
I drank at least 64 ounces of water each day.
I tried to get a good night's sleep each night (which for me, means more than 5 hours)
Most importantly, I reminded myself that I AM WORTH THE HARD WORK!

What is the best piece of advice you can give to challengers?
I think we all need to remember that we are, indeed, worth it. We are worth putting in time for ourselves, we are worth getting healthier and by dang, we are worth losing weight and looking hot!

What keeps you motivated?
I am mostly motivated by the fact that I own NO clothes that fit me right now. I have tons and tons of clothes in all the smaller sizes, from size 28 down to 20 and I can't wait to fit into all of them again!

Favorite healthy meal/snack?
My favorite healthy meal that my husband and I eat at least once a week is my Turkey + Veggie Taco Soup. It tastes AMAZING and is low calorie/low fat/low points.
(http://my30by30plan.blogspot.com/2010/08/recipe-taco-soup-with-turkey-veggies.html)

My favorite snack would be SKinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. Perfect size, perfect sweetness, perfect YUM.

What are your weaknesses/downfalls and how do you deal with them?
My downfalls would be my bad knees and bad back. My exercise is greatly reduced because some days I can hardly walk. So, right now I am focusing on losing as much weight as I can with little to no exercise, and then when I hit a weight-loss plateau, I plan to add in as much as possible.

My weakness is cookies. Tee hee! I love me some cookies! I used to eat so many cookies in one sitting, it was ridiculous. Now, when I get a craving for cookies (which are never ever in the house any more) I just eat something else that is sweet and it hits the spot.

Also, when I get a craving for any random sweet, I can usually have about 15 chocolate chips and that's perfect. I eat them one at a time and let them melt on my tongue. That way, they last longer. Then I follow it up with a small glass of skim milk and I'm all set!

Thanks Annie and keep up the great work.
P.S. Did I mention Annie is the one that designed the snazy challenge logo that we all use?  Thank you so much!

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THANK YOU!

Not one, but two blog awards!  Thanks a million!

Thank you Previously Plump...In Progress and  Bajan Beauty for these awards.

For the first award, I am suppose to tell you 10 things I love:

1. Working out, specifically dancing and weights (not together though, lol)
2. Teaching (Had a student tell me today that she didn't like Science last year and now she loves it, "The teacher REALLY makes a difference." *blush*)
3. Laughing with my friends
4. Reading books for teens (Yes, I have read theTwilight Series)
5. Shopping (I heart shoes, make-up MAC, I LOVE you)
6. My mom (If I can be half the person she is, I have done my job in life)
7. Travelling
8. The beach (I wish I was there right now)
9. Relaxing
10. Sunny days

The next award says that I am suppose to tell you 7 things you don't know about me:

1. I LOVE board games, Settlers of Catan and Cranium are the sh*t
2. In high school, I loved to play pranks, at school dances I would buy a soda, shake it up and leave it on the table forsome unsuspecting person to open *hehe*
3. I was a cheerleader for a bit
4. I used to oil paint
5. In elementary school I was called Dolly Parton
6. I was in a Sorority in University
7. I have been told I have a good voice, but was never interested in singing

I pass either of these awards to some new blogs that are really great:

1. I'm Annie
2. Previously Plump ...in Progress (You can have the Versitile blogger award!)
3. Solidice242
4. Moving Mertle
5. L A U R A
6. Ro
7. Gabby
8. Tammy
9. Dee

Have a great day!

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 3

Not the best week 213.8 up 2.8.

Hope your weigh in was better than mine.

One a happier note one week until NYC!

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Sorry About The Bullets

Sorry I have been away things have been hectic:

• Found out that I have to take a month off from work for the surgery
• Have to plan said month in a week
• Very nervous about the surgery
• Went to the hospital for all the pre op stuff; blood tests, urin tests, EKG, chest x-ray
• When asked my status I said, "single", when asked what medication I am on, I said birth control pills. Lady told me I was a "bad girl".  I wanted to say FUCK YOU, I'm 30 and you don't know why I am on BCP?  Maybe it's acne, maybe bad cramps (which it is)
• Ate too much during Thanksgiving, weight will be up tomorrow

Sorry that this is  so rushed.  I AM still reading your blogs.

xoxo

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Happy Thanksgiving!

To all my Canadian readers.  I have so much to be thankful for.  I am healthy and I am able to pursue my dreams of getting into better shape. I have a family that loves me, a job, I make a difference everyday.  I have wonderful friends.  I have heard so many sad stories in the last few days, that have really made me think that I am blessed.

We are having our Thanksgiving dinner tonight, yummy turkey and cranberry sauce, my favorite!  Tomorrow is my brother's birthday, so I will be having cake also.  I got to hang out with some of my friends who came in from out of town yesterday and whenever we get together, I realize why I love them so much and how much I miss them,  I am truly lucky to have such fun, funny, smart and beautiful friends.  Over the years, you realize who are your true friends, the ones that will stand by you through thick or thin, and I am blessed to have them in my life.

Today, I hit Bootycamp it was fun,mostly lower body exercises.  Here is this week's workout plan:

M- Bootycamp
T-Bootcamp (If I can make it), 3K run and Zumba
W- Hills (I have a feeling this will be around 8K)
T-Legs n Arms and Muscle Challenge
F- Rest
S-Tight n Toned and Zumba
S- 10K

Like I said, the surgery is two weeks from tomorrow and I am trying to get as much in as possible, since I am going to have to take 2 weeks off.

I went out last night and I felt really good about myself.  I looked good and for once I didn't feel like one of the biggest people in the club.  My instructor said that I am looking great and I am happy with the way things are going. I have come along way.

Have a great day!

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 2 Advice

Train as if there is no finish line --Unknown

Everyone is doing a great job!  We have about 21 active participants, and I am really impressed with the work that everyone is doing, keep it up.  The weight is coming off and we will be at 15 pounds before you know it.  This week's quote, reminds us that WE have to push for what WE want.  No one is going to lose weight/live a healthy lifestyle for us.  WE have to do it for ourselves, "I am the master of my ship, the captain of my soul.".  WE are the one's that make the decision what to eat.  WE are the one's that decide when to workout and for how long.  WE are the one's the smile when WE purchase a new pair of jeans in a smaller size.  WE are the one's that are in control.  Remember that WE can do this.  All we have to do is keep pursuing the dream that we want.  It IS possible and WE will achieve!

A huge woot, woot (hands in the air) to Annie who is this week's Star Of The Week, she lost over 4 pounds this week!  Way to go.  Look out for  a small feature on her later this week.

Did you know that women who sense that their workouts are easy regain less weight than those who find their workouts more difficult?  Like me, you want to make sure that the weight you have lost doesn't come back so here are some tips:

1. Keep it fun - If you like to dance take a Zumba Class, love the water try aqua fitness.  Do something that you love then it won't feel like a workout.  Workout in places and with people you like to be around.
2. Take it slow - Gradually increase the intensity of your workout.  You will not be able to bench press 50 pounds overnight.
3. Fuel your body - You ARE what you eat.  Try to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day and drink lots of water

This week`s BONUS CHALLENGE: Comparing yourself to others can be a source of inspiration, if you do it right.  Instead of negative thinking, try to  think positive.  Like someone`s arms? Jot down 2 exercises that you can do to work out the part that you admire.  Also, look at yourself, is there a part of you that you are proud of?  Keep it lookin sexy.  Write down 2 exercieses to keep yourself smokin.

Did you know that men tend to work out their best parts and women tend to work out the parts of their body that need improvement. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Thanks again to everyone and their well wishes for my upcoming surgery.  New followers, WELCOME!

CARPE DIEM! Seize the day!

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Sushi Overload and 9,5K

Last night I went out for sushi with some friends, I really over did it and I felt gross this morning.  The sushi was delicious and I couldn't stop myself from eating piece after piece.  One of them hada dipping sauce, which I am sure was mayonaised based, so you know THAT cannot be that good for me.

Today was a new day and I went for my long run ended up doing 9.5K, it was great but I was getting tired at the end. It took an hour and 10 minutes and burned 977 cal, YEAH! Bye bye sushi!   Next Sunday, I will be tackling 10K for the first time, yikes!

I will have a follow up challenge post later today. 

Happy Sunday!

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Pain

How I feel today. The good kind of pain, I have not worked my abs and obliques like this in a long time.  This is was a get for doing a weight class yesterday and today and Zumba. Every time I laugh it hurts, I love it. The weather is so nice today even thought it is 12 C.  tomorrow is my 9K run, yeah!

Happy Saturday!

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Sad News

I got a call from the hospital today and I am going in for surgery on Oct. 26, that is in 2 weeks!  The surgery will be the day after I come back from NYC.  I am sad because, I will not be able to run the 10K race that have signed up for and have been training for. The doctor says that I have to wait 2 weeks before I can do any physical activity.  This also means that I cannot finish the 10 K clinic that I have been doing and  thus I am not comfortable starting the 1/2 marathon one.  I am going to have to be home for awhile getting better I am sure and I guess that I will do the 10K clinic again and see it to completion and the in Jan. sign up for the 1/2 marathon clinic.

In happier news I finally joined a fitness studio today.  I did Cardio Insanity today and it was great, I was sweating like a mofo, but it felt fantastic to be back in the game doing something other than running. Tomorrow, I am going to do Tight-n-Toned and Zumba.  I haven't done Zumba in months, I am so excited to be back.  My goal is to get as much in as possible until the surgery.

Anyone who hasn't sent me their Challenge loss for the week, please do so, thanks!

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 2

Week 2 is here!
I weigh in this week at 211 so that is a 0.4 loss for the week. Not so great, but at least it is a loss.  Post your losses in the comment section.

Have a great day!

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Thank You

Thanks for all your kind words, thoughts and prayers on the last post.  I will take each day one at a time and I will keep you posted.  Things are going well, I am proud of myself that I am thinking about the challenge and NOT giving into temptations.  We are selling chocolates at school for a fundraiser and all the students are asking me to buy from them.  In the past I would have bought a few bars, but this year I declined and opted for a square of chocolate instead.  This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, I am REALLY going to try and do my best, I am a sucker for stuffing.

Another teacher and I are trying to get more teachers interested in running.  Today, we went for a run with one teacher for 20 minutes, 2 mins run, 1 min walk.  She totally blew us away!  Next week will be 3/1 (she doesn't know this yet *shhhh*)  We covered 2.5K, I told her, "That's half a 5K!"  She looked at me like I was crazy.

Missed running tonight, it was suppose to be more hill training.  At least I got the run in at school, so I don't feel so bad.  I do not think that I will be able to go tomorrow, because we are having an Open House.Friday I will do 5K and Sat.  I will do 4K, Sunday is another 9K and I hope that it stops raining by then, an hour in the rain is NOT fun. I am also going to get my butt back into some exercise classes, it has been too long.

Night ;)

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The Time Has Come

Some of you who have been around this blog for awhile, may remember back in June when I found out  that I have to have my thyroid removed. Well, the time has come.  I have to go for my pre-op blood work and other tests next Tuesday and I have been told that the surgery will be in the beginning of Nov.  I am scared because I have never stayed in the hospital overnight, yet alone had such a surgery, the closest thing I have had to this is in 2003 when I had a day surgery and had all my wisdom teeth pulled in the hospital.  I am sure that everything will be ok. I am scared because, one of the possible side effects is that my voice will change, the surgeon may have to go near the vocal cords to get to my thyroid gland and the thought of my voice permenantly changing frightens me.

*sigh*

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Featured Challenger: Melissa @ Get Healthy With Melissa

Each week I will feature one of the 15 in 15 Challenge participants, so that we can get to know each other better ;) This week I am featuring Melissa from Get Healthy With Melissa.  I emailed Melissa a few questions and these are her answers:

• Why are you in this challenge?   
 I'm in this challenge to lose weight of course, but also to be a healthier person overall. This challenge is just one of the steps in my healthy weight loss journey. 
• What are the top 5 things you did this week to help you loss weight? 
The five things I did this week to help me lose weight was:

1.  Tracked my food 
2. Exercised 
3. Stayed focused
4. Skipped all sweets (even low fat or sugar free ones)
5. Drank more water. 

• What is the best piece of advice you can give to challengers? 
The best advice is to not to give up!! No mater what the scale is doing, you have to keep eating right and exercising and the weight will come off. 
• What keeps you motivated? 
Looking in the mirror definitely helps keep me motivated, LOL!! There are so many cute outfits and clothes that I would like to wear but don't feel comfortable wearing because of my weight. When I picture myself in a sexy little black dress that definitely motivates me. Also, all of my wonderful blogging buddies really inspire and motivate me. Whenever I feel like eating a pint of Ben& Jerry's ice cream, I turn to my blogging family.
• Favorite healthy meal/snack? 

Favorite healthy meal is egg plant parmesan!! Absolutely love it!! This is definitely a dish where you can load up on all types of veggies and it's very filling. I even omit the cheese when I make mine and it's still delicious. You can't go wrong with this dish! 


Thank you so much Melissa!  If you are reading this can you post a copy of the Eggplant Parmesan recipe on your site?  Thank you in advance.


I hope that you are all having a great week!  I am up in the scale, but I am trying to deal with that by Friday.

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Feelin' Like A Million Bucks

I woke up this morning and went for a run with my clinic 9.15 K!  WHAT!  That is longest I have ever run.  We did our 10's and 1's (run 10 minutes and walk 1 minute) and it was great.  It took about an hour and eight minutes.  I was feeling so amazing!  I felt energized after the race yesterday, I must admit that my legs are a bit sore.  Tomorrow I will have to rest.

Here is this week's "tentative" workout plan:

M- Rest
T- Running 5K
W- Running 5K?
T- Sign Up for classes
F- Classes
S- Classes
S- Running 10K

I kept a tally and I realised that I ran a total of 75K in Sept., I am going to try and increase that number by 10% in Oct.  The goal for this month is to run 83K.
I know that this schedule looks super vague, but at this point it is the best that I can come up with.

Can I just rant for a moment, I am looking for tights in the store and they all have those charts at the back, why is that the XL only goes to 180 pounds?  I am so pissed that I can't find any to fit me.  I guess I will have to go to a plus sized store for that.

Gotta keep focused!

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5K Race: Interesting Conditions

Today I ran another 5K race, this one was completely different from any of the other races I have done:

1. It was on the grass in a park
2. Since it has been raining for the last week so the grass was very wet
3. There was alot of mud
4. Hills, hills and more hills

I finished in 33:04, not bad considering the conditions.  I was second to last in my age category, but came in around 45/60.  Honestly satisfied with how I did.  I need to invest in some:

1. running gloves
2. long sleeved dry fit material shirts
3. better socks

Hope that you are having a nice weekend!  Tomorrow is a 9k run, YIKES!

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15 in 15 Challenge: Week One Advice

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."-Buddha

First of all let me congratulate all the participants who posted their numbers.  If you have not sent me your lose/gain for week 1 please do so.

A BIG FELICITATION! (congratulations in french) to all the participants who lost this week.  I am so proud of all of you.  You are working hard and I know that this is going to be a great experience for all of us!  High five to Melissa who is the Star of the Week, she lost 4 pounds!  If you did not lose, do not worry!  This is only the first week, you are getting into the groove of things and I am sure that next week you are in for bigger and better things.  DO NOT GIVE UP!  The fact that you are here is already half the battle!

This week's quote (I am going to post a motivational quote each week), reminds us that we must focus on today.  I know that we all saw,"I will get back on track tomorrow".  Try to focus on the now, correct your mistakes immediately.  This is a journey, but it takes focus and planning each day to get where you want to be.

Here are a few exercise tips:

• If you have a muffin top....try oblique crunches
• If you have droopy breasts ...try inclined dumbbell presses
• Backside bra bulge...try seated rows
• If you have a flat butt ...squats
• If you have thick thighs...try walking lunges

If you do not know how to do any of the mentioned exercises, just youtube them and you will see a video on how to perform them.  Remember to do 10-15 repetitions and 2-3 sets.

Nutrition is a HUGE part of weight loss, this is the part that I struggle with the most.  When people ask me how I have lost the weight, I always say that I now actually WATCH what I eat.  We really need to be mindful of what we put in out mouths.  if you are conscious of your portion sizes, do a little research and see what the portion sizes of different foods should be.  You will be shocked when you see that the mountain of pasta on your plate is actually 4 portions!  Try to have a veggie with each meal. At supper, half your plate should be veggies.

This week's Bonus Challenge: Sunday night, prepare what workouts you will do this week.  Try to be active at least 3 times for an hour, if you can combine cardio and strengh training. If you have a blog post what you will do.  If you do not have  a blog write it down your activities and post it on your fridge

Have a wonderful weekend and on to WEEK 2! 

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15 in 15 Challenge Week 1

211.4!  Woooo Hoooo!  I am officially back.  I am ecstatic.  THIS is the way to start a challenge I am down 2.6 from last week!  Send me your loss so I can update the list.

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