You Are Here...

But is Here where you want to be?

I am here and here is 256.4lbs. Here is not where I want to be. Here is not the top of my mountain. Here is where my journey has to begin for real.

And I have no excuses. I am the reason I am Here. I am the reason I gained 4lbs this week. I did not work out for 3 days. I ate too much every day. Not always bad, not always a lot, but too much. I did not follow my plan or do what I know I needed to do. And it is my fault. No one forced me to sit on my butt, no one stuffed my emotions down with food but me.

I am Here and I am the reason for it.

I am Here and I need a plan. I am Here and a I need accountability. I will keep my self accountable this week by posting meals and workouts on Twitter (please follow me if you don't already - I can use help staying accountable).

I will keep myself accountable by weighing in on Wednesday and on Sunday and posting it online. On Flab to Fab, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Workout Plan
Half Marathon Training Schedule (Cardio) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Long Walks (Cardio) Wednesday, Friday (much slower than training pace)
Strength, body weight or machine training/lifting Monday, Wednesday, Friday

I know there are no rest days in this list, but when I take one rest day I take 3. Not every day will be hardcore, some will be "active rest" but I will move every day this week.

Meal Plan
Keep it at 1800 calories every day
Emphasis on Fruits and Vegetables - at least 8 servings a day
Good fats
good/lean protein
fewer grains (no more than 2 servings a day)

If you want to help keep me accountable you can follow me on Twitter or friend me on Lose It

I am Here, and I can go a little longer.



This week's Mamavation Sistahood Question, brought to you by Grunt Style - a fashion site by Veterans that helps to support those who serve and their families.


What body part are you proud of right now and why?

• I am extremely proud of my calves. They are rock solid muscle from all the hill running I have done this summer. I can't wait until more parts of my body have the same definition and strength that my calves do.

Variety

If you can name a workout DVD infomercial program I probably have it.

• TurboFire, Check
• Zumba, Check
• Zumba Exhilarate, Check
• P90X, Check
• Insanity, Check
• Hip Hop Abs, Check
• the Firm, Check
• Slim in Six, Check
• Brazil Butt Lift, Check

I have them all, I have tried them all, and I have come to the realization that DVDs are not for me. I like the schedule. I like having something specific to do. Sometimes I even like the lack of planning - I don't have to think about my workout, I just have to pop in the scheduled DVD and do it. But after 2 or 3 weeks of the same program and the same rotation I am so bored I want to cry! It takes more effort and will power than I have to do the same workout even one more time. I just can't stick to the schedule. I hate it, I hate myself, and I give up on my fitness goals when I try to force myself into the DVD mold. 

But running. I love running - I tolerate treadmill running, but getting outside to do my run excites me. Every workout is different. Different air, different time, different scenery. Even when I run the same road over and over again, it changes as only the country side can change. My music is on shuffle, so I don't even get the same songs or playlist with every workout. 

And I think about getting out on the road every day. Practically every minute of every day. "When can I get my run in? How will this (weight, food, water, pace) affect my run? Should I take the boys in the stroller? Should I take the dogs? Should I go by myself?"

I see more changes in my body from running. I have rock hard calves. And I can feel tight, strong muscles in my quads - even if I can't see them yet. 

I love running, and I only wish I had found my pace and my place on the road before now.

What workouts do you look forward to? 

What is guaranteed to get you off the couch and moving?

I am not the best

It never really occurred to me before, but I am extremely competitive. I want to be the best - at everything. And if I can't be the best, I don't want to do it. I want to be the best mom, the best students, the best teacher, the best wife, the best friend, I want to be A#1 perfect.

And I am not. I am not perfect - far from it my family will be happy to tell you. And recently the monkey has decided I am not the best mommy, but I think that is just to mess with me :) 4yr olds, go figure.

I am good - in some cases very good. But I am not the best. And I need to let go of the mentality that I need to be the best. Have a good day running is better than not running - and sometimes better than be the perfect best runner. Have a good day eating is better than bingeing on cookies all day long. Getting a 97% on my test is better than the rest of the class did, and should be good enough for me (it's totally not though!)

Image from Pintrest

Getting out on the road or in the gym and doing my workout is good. Cooking and eating health foods with my family is good. Studying and doing all my homework is good. Taking the time to appreciate my life, my family, my friends, and the good fortune I do have is good. 

I don't need to be perfect. I just need to be. 

Veggie-girl

Vegetarian-vegan. The idea has seriously scared me in the past. My best friend in high school went veg almost 20 years ago - I flirted briefly for about a week to be cool but never made the switch.

Until now! 3 weeks so far meat free. I am having trouble giving up cheese though. The creamy melty-ness of cheese is hard to resist - and hard to replace. And almost nothing compares to the comfort-food factor of cheese. But there is almost nothing that triggers a desire to overeat in me more than cheese does. So I am making a switch and cutting it completely out of my life.

In my new quest to live an animal-product free life ( at least for me I am not forcing anyone to make the switch with me) I am researching and discovering a variety of ethnic dishes and figuring out how to make them at home. Yesterday was hummus (OMG! on the yummy scale) today is falafel (baked), fresh pitas, and my own creation of a veggie filled Thai inspired satay stew. Tomatoes, zucchini, onions, mango chunks, peanut butter, garlic, a dash of brown sugar, and a tasty hit of Sirrachi. Mmm, yummy!

So I am going to spend the summer making tasty vegan and vegetarian treats from around the world and inside my head and post the results here. I will also get back to updating my fitness progress and programs. Happy eating and exercising to us all!