One Month and Al's Run

One month ago I committed to changing my lifestyle and becoming healthier. It's been a roller coaster to say the least! I've made great strides in that short amount of time. From making better decisions about what I eat to being able to jog for 20 min straight on the treadmill! The scale has not been my friend, but we're working on that! I haven't gotten a chance to do my normal weigh in for the day but the one I do in the morning was promising! According to that scale first thing in the morning I've lost 10 pounds in the last month! W00t! I also took my measurements and lost 2" in my waist and 1.5" in my hips!

To celebrate my accomplishments I've decided to take part in the Briggs & Al's Run & Walk for Children's Hospital. There running and walking options. I don't quite feel up to doing the running yet, so I've chosen to do a walk. The walk options are 3 and 5 miles. I do about 3 miles every day with the dogs so I figure I will try the 5 mile option since it will be more of a challenge! If you would like to make a donation you can visit my Firstgiving page: http://www.firstgiving.com/hhilde99.

My journey has just begun and I look forward to all the fun and positive changes to come!

Week 4 wrap-up

This is now my 4th week eating better and going to the gym 5 days a week. Week 4 was just an "off" week. Ever had those weeks when you just feel as though something is just not right? That was this week for me. Tuesday's Dance it Off class kicked my but! We did some bridge move where you lay on your back with your feet flat on the ground and lift your butt off the ground for the entire song. I felt that move all the way through Thursday! Thursday's run was hard I had the hardest time jogging and I even walked most of the 40 min. on the treadmill and THAT was hard. Today I skipped the treadmill and used the elliptical instead. A few less calories, but a lot easier on my tired sore legs!

I did ok on my eating this week. Tried a new tuna salad recipe and just could not eat it. The fishiness made me sick, so I had to go get a sub instead. Then I created the same recipe with chicken breasts and that was all good!

My weight seems to be stuck again this week. I had a couple nights where I didn't get a good night's sleep and I know that plays a part in it. However, I am a bit frustrated. To help with this aspect I've decided I would use my recent bonus from work to hire a personal trainer at my gym. She's actually the instructor for the Dance it Off class I take twice a week. The lady at the check-in desk said people usually go for 30 min sessions to start off with. So I purchased a package of 10 (30 min) sessions. I start off with the assessment next Friday then we'll start training from there. I'm pretty excited about this!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Changing My Life One Step At A Time

About 3 weeks ago I made a decision that I was going to change the things I do not like in my life that I have control over. One of these changes was my weight. Weight has been something I've struggled with all of my life. And as I'm getting older I'm starting to notice the effects the extra weight is having on my body. The one thin I noticed that really pushed me into making this decision was the pain in my hips. It was getting to the point where I had a hard time taking the dogs to the park, something they needed an I enjoyed. I knew from previous experience that it had to do with my weight, so I decided to make the commitment to changing my eating and exercise habits. Almost 1 month later and I don't have that pain in my hips anymore, I have more energy, and I can even jog for 20 min straight - something I have never ever done my entire life! For 3 weeks now we have only eaten out once a week instead of 3+ times a week. I feel awesome about that change as well and we're saving a ton of money! Who doesn't like that in times like this!

I have also decided to do something about my "style" or lack there of. 95% of the time my attire is jeans and plain old t-shirts. I feel frumpy in this attire. So my goal here is to gradually replace my t-shirts with other types of shirts. Out of each paycheck I will be purchasing 2 new shirts that are not t-shirts. This weekend I'll have my work cut out for me! I didn't purchase any new shirts out of my last check therefore, I have to find 4 that I like. This is not a easy task for me as there are certain features I do not like to show.....such as this muffin top. LOL! I did purchase 2 new shirts a few weeks back and I just feel different wearing them, so this will help that frumpy feeling as well.

Next stop is my hair. I want to do something different with it, I just don't know what. I have a natural curl to it, which hinders a lot of styles you see in magazines etc. It just does what it wants when it wants to! And I can't even THINK about bangs...unless I want to spend HOURS trying to get them to sit right and not do a spiral curl! I am also very low maintenance on my hair. I prefer a brush and go tactic, most of the time without blow-drying. So this change is just going to hang out there for a while, until I can figure out what to do with it!

My last change thus far really has nothing to do with my life really, but it makes me feel good anyways. I've started using the reusable shopping bags when doing grocery shopping. I just feel good not wasting all those plastic bags anymore helping the environment.