Day 12

And still going strong!  So far the only part that has really been tough is the 3x a week clause: weekends are easy but that ONE day during the work week is horrid!  Good thing the roommate forced me to get up this morning or I woulda lost it today!!  :)

Still not seeing much of a change, and this is very frustrating.  However, the challenge continues whether I see results or not.  Hopefully they start to come!  It is a good feeling though, going to the gym a lot more often.  And I know that if I just hold out long enough, I wills tart to see the change.  If I could put on the weight, i can lose it too.  Yay Challenge!  :)

30 Day Challenge

So, for the last couple of weeks I've been really good.  Little to no alcohol, little to no eating out, and more days in the gym than I think I've gone the entire year.  However, it's not enough.

It's time for a challenge in my life.  Not that things aren't challenging, but I need something specific, something with rules and check points.  Something that I can say "If I did this today, I was successful at taking a step towards my goal".  It just so happens I need to make some healthy changes in my life, and so the challenge was born!

The Challenge:
For 30 days, I will hold myself to the following:
1.  Some form of physical activity every day.
2.  Three days a week, I will work out right after I wake up.
3.  No fast food.
4.  Limited desserts and sweets
5.  No Alcohol.
6.  1 water bottle a day (for me this is HUGE, considering I drink 0 cups of water a day)
7.  A serving of fruits AND vegetables every single day (on their own, not "in" some recipe)

It makes it easier now that teacher friend, boyfriend, and roommate have joined the challenge!  The idea is to give me something to strive for, trying to create healthy habits.  My reward for completing the challenge is that new wardrobe I was talking about in the last post!  It's time to put-up or shut-up, and I'm ready to get down to business!

Day 1 is on!

Blah

Ok.  So, now that I have the new big girl job, I am well aware that I will need to buy a big girl wardrobe.  Those that know me know this is not something I look forward to.  But, TFA staff doesn't joke around with their dress, and the look at the office is "stylish professional dress"...  Black pants and a white shirt are not going to cut it.

Though it will cost me a small fortune, this is actually a good thing!  It will motivate me to work out.  BECAUSE, if I already have to spend money on something I don't want, it will SUCK even more if I have to spend that money buying clothes that make me uncomfortable or that I think I look bad in, when really it's my weight and body I am uncomfortable with, not the clothes.

So, it's on!  This week I've set a few goals, and so far I've met them all!

Goal 1) do something active (preferably go to the gym or jog) each day.
So far I'm doin' great!  Tuesday was not that great, but I did squeeze in a (very) short dog walk... but it counts!

Goal 2) Don't spend any money til Friday
Easier said than done.  I am notorious for buying coffee or snacks, things I could easily make myself.  By planning all meals and snacks over the weekend, and prepping coffee the night before, I've managed to not spend a DIME this week!  Go me!

Goal 3) Study for the LSAT.  Every day.
I figure if I take this thing piece by piece it will be easier.  So, I am devoted to studying about 1 hour a day, no exceptions.  So far I've had to squeeze this in on prep periods and in short chunks after school, but I've been successful!

One day at a time...  I will succeed!  :)

SO SORE!

But pretty excited!  Yesterday I went to a "GI Jane" class at the dance studio.  Not gonna lie, up until yesterday, the classes were more fun than workout.  I wasn't really that impressed, until yesterday morning!  I had actually signed up for a salsa class second, but there was NO WAY.  The GI Jane (yeah, boot camp style) class was SO good, and tiring.  And though I was sore yesterday, I could seriously barely move this morning!  I swear every muscle between my hips and knees is sore.  Yay!

I think I might make a weekly routine out of the boot camp class.  But to be honest, i need to go to the gym a bit more before I can go back.  I was WAY out of shape, and it showed!  But it makes for a fun and productive Saturday morning!  Workout, socializing, and fun, all before 11 am!

Today I really can't move that well, but I'll still try to get a good walk in.  As for balance, I've just spent all morning doing work, so now it's time to clean (yes, my idea of fun), grocery shop, and hopefully have some time to bake and relax.  I can't say I'm happy that spring break is over, but at least I'm ready for it, and I KNOW that my classroom is nice and clean and ready for me to come back :)

Now if only I could start studying for that darn LSAT....

Epic Failures and Small Successes

Ok.  So, not going to lie, my time since my last post was filled with failure.  Failure to work out, eat healthy, or find any sort of way to balance everything in my life.  To my defense, it was the last week before break, filled with conferences, report cards, grades, play-off basketball games, and a million other excuses.  However, i have taken some small steps in the right direction:

I bought a pedometer!  Now I'm one of those ridiculous people that counts her steps.  Not that I expect this to help me lose weight, but it will make sure that I am at least NOT living as sedentary a lifestyle as I could be.  Getting up and walking towards a goal can only help, right?

I bought a pair of Reebok Easytone shoes!  Not that I believe they'll actually "replace the gym", but it's kind of a cool concept, and at the very least, it motivates me to want to walk more, just on the off chance that they actually DO help me burn more calories!

I started taking Dance Classes!  Well, at least a week of them.  I'm trying to try out as many as possible in my one-week unlimited trial.  I'm planning on consistently going to one a week, and I want to try out the options so I Make SURE I like the one I go to :)  So far I've only been to one, but I have two scheduled for today, and two more for Saturday!  The studio also offers POLE DANCING classes, in a VERY dimly lit room.  Might be kind of fun!  And at the very least, motivation to get in shape!

The spring break has not done much for relaxation.  But that's ok.  I had enough time to get my house cleaned, I'm almost done gettin' the classroom put together for my VIDEO observation, and I do feel a little bit recharged.  At least, enough to make it through the last (and hopefully, the TRUE LAST) quarter of teaching.  I hope, anyway...

Continuation

So, tonight I am watching the season finale of The Bachelor, and though i am aware of the disconnect from reality, it still makes me think a lot about wanting to get my life together.  So that someday, when that moment comes for me, I can be certain I'm ready to give all of my love to someone, because I have truly come to love myself first.

So, I'm going to start with 100 days.  Seems like a nice round (or, square?) number that can be broken up into several benchmarks (10s, 25s, 50s?).  And, it's long enough of a time frame to actually see some results, if I can just stick to it.  So, healthy choices for 100 days.  Of course, some days will be healthier, but for now, I'll take what i can get!

Today's Healthy Choice:
Well, a continuation of the no alcohol plan, AND I planned ahead and brought a snack for after school, so I wasn't tempted to go buy an entire meal to eat before the basketball game.  Also, a healthy vegetarian meal that left me full! Tonight's basketball game did not allow me to workout, and tomorrow's championship will do the same.  Going to have to find an alternative...

Reinvention

So, maybe this is because I'm on a very silly kick from watching a movie last night.  (Julie and Julie... yeah,  I know).  But, I still very much like the idea of making life changes that, well, change your life.  Of course it sounds cheesy and unrealistic to think that a movie would be enough to motivate me to give my life a makeover, but why not?  I've been looking to change some stuff up for awhile now, so let's give it a try.

What I want: to become happier, healthier.  An right now, my happiness is almost completely tied to my physical and emotional health (that makes sense, right?)

I want health.  Mind, body, spirit.  The LSAT studying should occupy the "mind" side of me for awhile, so that means body and spirit are left.  I know HOW to fix the body aspect of my happiness... it's all a matter of motivation and accountability.  Spirit could be a little more difficult...  suggestions are always welcomed.

I need a plan.  A plan that can help to keep me on track, one filled with min-goals and benchmarks that are realistic and within reach.  A plan that incorporates exercise, healthy eating habits, and time for myself.  Whatever that means right now.

More to come tomorrow(or maybe even tonight?) after I've had a chance to give it more thought.  As for now, off to Borders to research!