GOALS!

I've been so preoccupied with gathering as much information as I can about fitness plans and nutrition that I've quickly become overwhelmed. An important part of my journey is making sure I know what I'm working toward. In the short term, I want to lose inches around my legs which means losing weight all over. Some of my goals for July are specific to meeting this more general goal. I also want to work on my strength.

July 2013 goals

1. Complete Week 3, 4, and 5 of C25K program.

2. Burn a total of at least 3,000 calories/week in exercise.

3. Follow and complete the July Arm Challenge.

Measurements
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 127 lbs.
Arm (bicep): 10.5 in.
Chest: 34 in.

Waist: 26 in.
Widest part of waist: 29.5 in.
Butt: 41.5 in.
Thigh: 23.5 in.
Calf: 15.5 in.
Body fat %: 18%

I have always been a small size on the upper half of my body and a large on bottom. It is extremely frustrating finding clothes that fit my bottom and thighs, as well as my waist. I've been buying pants in a size 8, because they fit my butt and thighs perfectly, but it's so annoying since my waist is really a small/medium or size 2/4. I just can't deal...

Hopefully, I'll be able to see some overall changes in my body in the next few months.

Motivation!

An awesome change is happening. I am becoming obsessed with all things fitness and health! I took a break from my new active schedule yesterday and all I could think about was what I could do this week to make my work-outs and diet even better. Just thinking about getting in shape has motivated me in so ways. For the month of July, I've set some new goals for myself and am utilizing new tools to help me reach them.

My Fitness Pal

The application allows users to track their calorie consumption, water intake, and exercise habits. There's a database of just about every item of food imaginable, including the distributor, as well as the caloric value. Just type in what you ate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and this app will give you the calories in each meal. It will also subtract your consumed calories from your daily calorie allowance, which is determined based on the information you provide about your lifestyle, height, weight, and gender. It allows you to visualize your goal and stick to it. I've been using this app for a few weeks now and it's been an eye-opening experience.  Documenting everything that I consume is daunting in some respects, but generally, it's helped me make much needed changes to my diet. Some days, just the thought of having to input a lot of items into my daily diary stops me from eating so much.

Map My Run

I just downloaded this app a few days ago and haven't been able to give it a try, but I'm excited to get an actual number for the miles that I complete on my runs. I've been guessing about the distance and it hasn't bothered me too much, but this app will enable me to set goals and make sure that I see them through to completion. I plan on testing it out on my run later tonight.

The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

What a lively community of like-minded women! This site hosts monthly fitness challenges, complete with calendars so that you can mark off the progress that you've made throughout the month. July 2013 is all about getting slim, toned, and sexy arms. I'll be adding this challenge to my regular fitness routine and hopefully, I'll be able to show off some muscles in August!

Workout Playlist

I've decided to create a new playlist every month in order to keep me going during my workouts when I feel like giving up, which is often at this point. This month, my playlist is as follows:

1. Daft Punk - Doin' It Right

2. M.I.A. - Paper Planes

3. Passion Pit - Little Secrets

4. Calvin Harris - Sweet Nothing (ft. Florence Welch)

5. Ke$ha - Tik Tok

6. Lupe Fiasco - Go Go Gadget Flow

7. Paramore - Now

8. Chirstina Aguilera - Fighter

9. Tim Berg - Seek Bromance

10. Skrillex - Bangarang

11. Rihanna - Phresh Out The Runway

12. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child

13. Destiny's Child - Survivor

14. Robyn - Call Your Girlfriend

15. Paramore - Still Into You

16. Rihanna - Pour It Up

17. Florence and the Machine - Cosmic Love

18. P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason (ft. Nate Ruess)

19. Feist - 1 2 3 4

Total Play Time= 1.2 hours

I love taking time to organize a playlist, figuring out where to place a song and anticipating the moments in my workout when I'll need a bit more motivation. I've also included a few slower, more calming songs near the end to signal when I'll need to start cooling down. Creating this playlist has definitely pumped me up. Now, I just need to get out there and do my thang!

In conclusion...

July is SO my month. I got this!

Still on track (no pun intended...maybe)

So proud to say that I am still rocking with the fitness gods and working toward leading a healthier life. Thanks to Groupon, I've been able to find affordable gyms and fitness classes in my area that I love. I've been taking Zumba and boot camp classes twice a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Before the temperature rose to a million degrees, I started walking and jogging every day for about an hour. I even ran my very first nonstop mile EVER! It was super exciting and I felt so accomplished. This week, I enrolled in a trial period at a kickboxing studio. I'm allowed 3 classes during the trial and I just attended my second one yesterday morning. I made the mistake of telling the instructor that I wasn't sore after the first class (he asked, I just answered honestly), so he kicked my ass during yesterday's session. I'm definitely feeling it today!

I picked up yoga again through the awesomeness of a website online where all videos are free. When I feel more confident in my poses and abilities, I would love to join a yoga studio somewhere nearby. I'm also planning to join a gym like Fitness 19 or Curves so that I can continue to improve my running without worrying about the heat outside. Seriously, it's not even 9am and it's already sweltering outside. Welcome to the high desert?

This journey in regaining my fitness and health has taught me to be patient with myself. I suffered for a lot of years because of unrealistic goals. If I didn't see results immediately, I quit. I gave up on myself. I haven't seen too many changes in the physical appearance of my body over the past month or so and, I admit, it sucks. I would love for the world to be able to notice how much hard work and dedication I've been putting into this, but ultimately, that's not important. I feel SO much stronger physically and mentally. I have something to look forward to in my day, especially since I haven't been working since the end of May. I could easily slip into a depression, but my new lifestyle doesn't allow for that. When I feel boredom or sadness creeping in, I grab my yoga mat and work it out or head to Zumba and dance it away. It works and I feel like I'm just a step closer to realizing my full potential.

I'm far from giving up.

Wake Up CALL!

I recently had a major wake up call.

I am not perfect.

And while a part of me has known this for quite some time, I have continued to look at perfection as an end goal to my life. I have spent too many hours fantasizing about the perfect job, perfect husband, perfect children, and perfect body. Without expending too much energy, I realize that I have simply been waiting for the moment when everything will fall into place, packaged in a pretty box and wrapped in a bow. I have been waiting for the heavens to open up, for the stars to align, for the hand of God himself to arrange all the pieces of my life into a fantasy.

But I will never be perfect and life is not a fantasy.

The pieces of my life may never fit inside a perfect box. I may never get the job of my dreams, I might not meet Prince Charming, and I will probably never be given the body of Beyonce (a truly crushing realization.) But instead of giving in to defeat, I am making a conscious decision to remake my life, one day at a time. I am choosing to work towards happy.

And the first step is getting in shape.

Starting today, I am dedicating myself to my personal fitness and health. It won't be easy. It will never be easy. But it sure will be rewarding.