One year anniversary!

It was in December of 2010 that I set out on a new path of health and fitness, and decided to share with you along the way. I'm very proud of myself and how far I've come. There is only one goal I had hoped to achieve this year that I will for sure have to do in 2012 and that was run my first 1/2 marathon. There have been triumphs and trials along the way this past year but no bad could ever outway the good that has come from this. In the past year I've lost over 20lbs, dropped several sizes and have maintained a size 4 for about 5 months now. And as for this blog, I never cared if anyone even read a single post, I knew it would still be a way to log my progress and vent my frustrations, but I like to think that some good came from this blog this past year also. It's made me glad to know that my honesty  has been an example and encouraging to others. I've had people come to me for advice, ask my opinion, and look for ways to better themselves.
I decided to invest in myself this past year in a way I never have before and the return has been nothing less than great. I like to think I have truly changed for the better, a year later and I could never picture myself going backwards or letting go of this new love I have.
As the new year approaches I know many people are setting fitness goals. Instead of your goal being to lose "x" amount of pounds, let it be to not give up when it's too hard or no fun. To not make lame excuses. And to not give up on yourself!

Then...wowza! lol



Now!



Follow up to yesterdays blog...

So yesterday I gave you the run down of a day in the life. Again today I had plans to be up at 4am but I must confess I slept through my alarm. You see I HAD to stay up and watch American Horror Story, and then woke up a million times during the night so I'm not surprised I didn't want to get up after only about 5 hours of sleep. BUT, where there's a will there's a way, right?? So as soon as Steve and the kids were out the door this morning I put on my sneakers, grabbed Chloe's leash and we went for a quick 30 min run. Better than nothing right? It was only 28 degrees, but that's what Under Armour is for!

neither of us look thrilled, but it was a good run!

In other news, someone passed along a link to a new fad diet to me today. Some bogus 13 day lose 10lbs crap. A crash diet that pretty much consists of not eating. It's not a diet, it's an eating disorder. I wasn't really sure how to take it, I mean is this person telling me I need to lose 10 lbs? Are they aware that I bust my ass in the gym and could never eat this little, nor do I ever want to...

Here's the "diet":

13 Day Danish Diet Menu

1st Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white)
2. Lunch: 400g of spinach (cooked), coupled with two hard-boiled eggs and a tomato
3. Dinner: 200g steak (any kind, grilled), with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

2nd Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with single cube of sugar (either brown/white)
2. Lunch: 250g of ham with 1 cup of yogurt
3. Dinner: 200g of beef (roast) with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

3rd Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) and a slice of plain toast
2. Lunch: 1 slice of ham, with 1 cup of lettuce and 2 hard-boiled eggs
3. Dinner: 1 tomato, with 1 piece of celery (boiled) and 1 piece of fruit (your choice)

4th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) and a slice of plain toast
2. Lunch: 200ml of any fruit juice (freshly squeezed or all natural) with 1 cup of yogurt
3. Dinner: 250g of fruit (assorted bowl) with 1 hard-boiled egg and a carrot

5th Day

1. Breakfast: 1 carrot with lemon juice
2. Lunch: 200g of cod (boiled) with lemon juice
3. Dinner: 200g of beef (roast), with butter and celery (1 piece)

6th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) and a slice of plain toast
2. Lunch: 2 eggs (cooked the way you like it) with a carrot
3. Dinner: ½ a chicken (boiled) with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

7th Day

1. Breakfast: Tea
2. Lunch: Water
3. Dinner: 200g of lamb (grilled) with one apple

8th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white)
2. Lunch: 400g of spinach (cooked, coupled with two hard-boiled eggs and a tomato
3. Dinner: 200g of beef (roast) with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

9th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white)
2. Lunch: 200g of ham with 1 cup of yogurt
3. Dinner: 200g of beef (roast) with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

10th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) with a plain slice of toast
2. Lunch: 1 slice of ham with a cup of lettuce and two hard-boiled eggs
3. Dinner: 1 tomato, with 1 piece of celery (boiled) and 1 piece of fruit (your choice)

11th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) with a plain slice of toast
2. Lunch: 200 ml of fruit juice (freshly squeezed or all natural) with 1 cup of yogurt
3. Dinner: 250g of fruit (assorted bowl) with 1 boiled egg and carrot shavings (1 piece)

12th Day

1. Breakfast: 1 carrot with lemon juice
2. Lunch: 200g of cod (boiled) with lemon juice
3. Dinner: 200g of beef (roast) with celery and butter (low-fat)

13th Day

1. Breakfast: Coffee with a single cube of sugar (either brown/white) with a plain slice of toast
2. Lunch: 2 eggs (cooked the way you like it) with carrot shavings (single piece)
3. Dinner: ½ a chicken (boiled) with green salad, lemon juice and oil (dressing)

Looks healthy right? That weight loss will totally last...
Come on people!

Where there's a will, there's a way...

Let me be blunt...
"Excuses are like assholes. Everybody's got one!"

It's true, we all have excuses for all the things we either don't want to do or aren't willing to make a priority. I do it all the time with my school work or any other mundane task that doesn't interest me.
But one thing is for sure, when it comes to health and fitness people are full of excuses, and one seems to be more popular than the rest...I don't have time. I get it, we're all busy. Kids, work, school, commuting, laundry, dinner, homework, the list goes on and on. We make time for what is most important to us. I have chosen to make fitness a part of my everyday life, it's important to me. But that doesn't mean it gets moved to the top of the totem pole, because there are plenty of things of higher importance in my everyday life.
So many people want to be fit, and healthy and thin, but aren't willing to really be serious about it. Instead they think of an excuse. Honey, those arms aren't going to magically tone themselves.
I know what you're thinking, "Oh yeah easy for you to say Sheri, you've got time." Ok then, lets take a walk in my shoes, I'll break down yesterday for you...

6am- make lunches/pack snacks
630am- shower/get ready for work
730am- get kids up, dressed, and ready for school
8am- kids breakfast
9am-5:40pm - work
6pm - walk in the door and start dinner
7pm - dishes/clean up, makes steve's lunch for following day, get kids out of the bath/jammies on
8pm - sit my but down for 30 min
830pm- put kids to bed/attempt to work on my paper while watching SOA finale
930pm - goodnight world!

So when did I work out? Yesterday my alarm went off at 4am and I was at the gym by 430, back home by 6 in time for Steve to leave. My day was packed, but I made my fitness a priority. There was no way I was going to let it interfere with time with the kids, or stuff at home so I got my butt up EARLY and I did it again today too and tonight I have class right after work, until 9. Where there's a will, there's a way.
BTW, Steve's day was just as crazy and he made it work too, squeezed in a workout on his lunch break even though it meant he had to rush. It can be done.

leg press 225 lbs RAWR! lol