Monday, February 28, 2011

My 30 Day Challenge

On Friday's post, I said I needed to return my focus to gaining good health and fitness, and stop worrying about the scale. When my focus is on health and fitness, I feel good about myself. At the beginning of the year, I noticed a few people challenging themselves to 30 days of activity (running, walking, biking). At the time, my heart wasn't into it, and I didn't join any of these challenges. But now I am ready! I am challenging myself to 30 days of running at least 1 mile a day. I am not sure how long this challenge will take me to complete, because we all know life happens and plans/workout schedules have to change. But I WILL complete this... if I have to skip a day, I will start back at Day 1 and try again...and I know I will get there.  I am competitive with myself, and I hope this will light a new fire. During the Winter Wonderland Warriors Challenge, I have began to try many new forms of exercise. (I love my new spinning class, and plan to go to a ZUMBA class tonight), but these new interests took time away from running, and I want to do BOTH!  I hope that by challenging myself to this 30 days of running, I will also be ready to go when the Spring 5k season begins! I would love any of your that are interested to join me in this challenge! I can't wait to feel that sense of accomplishment when I complete my 30 days!  I will keep you guys updated!

Winter Wonderland Warriors Update! Week 9


This Week's Picture.
(This should be a picture of my cleaned out closet :) WOOHOO! But I can't get it to load! Boo)



1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?This had been a great week. Lots of great eating, lots of exercise, and lots of water. Getting in the 100 minutes of Wii was harder this week, after being out of town, but I got them in late Sunday night :)

2. Today's the last day of the month - how do you feel you've done in February? February was a rough month for me, as I explained in my last post. But I think March will be great!

3. What is your go-to favourite meal to cook? Share the recipe if possible! Turkey Taco Salad YUM YUM! One of my favorites! Just ground turkey with taco seasoning, brown rice, and lots of veggies and salsa :)

4. Share a quote or saying that is inspiring you today.
The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning.” ~Ivy Baker Pries

5. Fun Question of the Week: What's your make-up routine? Wear any? Lots? Do you have a must-have? I don't really wear make-up unless it is a special occasion. My make-up routine is a little lip gloss at the last traffic light before pulling in the parking lot of the library :)

Friday, February 25, 2011

Weight Loss...

Four weeks ago, I started taking medicine to help with my hypothyroidism. I was nervous when I started taking the medicine...because starting any new medicine worries me a bit. But I was also hopeful. I was hopeful that this medicine could help in my struggle to lose weight. Last year, I lost seven pounds during the twelve months of 2010. I also worked out at least 5 days a week (except on the rare occasion that I was sick.) I ran my first and several other 5k's (even if it was at a turtle's pace). And I tried my best to eat a healthy diet. Of course, there were days when I ate more than I should, or ate too much sugar and not enough protein. But overall I felt I had a healthy diet. I tried to not focus on the number on the scale, but found my victories in my improved fitness...and I was happy. The last four weeks, I haven't been as happy. I wanted so bad to see the scale move because of this new medicine... and it hasn't. Well it has moved, but I have gained 4 pounds! I stopped finding as much pleasure in my workouts. I continued to workout, but I began resenting the fact that I was working out so hard and not seeing the results of my other blog friends. I wanted so bad to lose a single pound...honestly I would love a half pound loss. And yet, I would read people complaining over only losing 2 pounds during the week. And I wanted to scream! Why can't I lose this weight!!!
In being hopeful with this new medicine, I had lost my joy in gaining better health and fitness. Today, I want to start finding that joy again. I want to make fitness goals, and get excited to mark them off again. And I will. I am putting away the scale. I may never lose the weight I want to lose, but if I keep going joyfully and making the best decisions...I will be happy with my progress.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1. I had a great work trip, but am glad to be back to my normal schedule. The weather was beautiful while I was away, and it made me ache for Spring and minor league baseball :)

2.  Today I had lunch at a local Mexican restaurant. They were doing a fundraiser for the library and 20% of the bill went towards new books for the library. The good...I avoided the cheese dip and had a chicken taco salad minus the shell. The bad...my lunch was still probably twice as many calories as usual.

3.  I really need to buy new glasses...I just wish they didn't cost so much! In fact, I wish I could afford to have a different pair for every occasion :)

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

On the Road..

Yesterday, I hit the road for a meeting out of town. I actually worked half a day and then hit the gym for an hour before heading out. Overall, my trip down was good. There were a few hiccups that caused my trip to take a little longer(about 5 hours), but overall it was good. After checking in and grabbing some dinner, I took advantage of the hotel's pool and hot tub. It was AMAZING! I love swimming! Growing up, my family had a pool so I lived in the water. And it is something I miss so much! So it was great to be able to have an extra workout in the form of a swim. And then enjoying the hot tub was so relaxing. Back in the hotel room I took Amy's lead and enjoyed a nice mud mask.

( I always keep my mud mask in my travel bag, because I feel like I have more time for these things while out of town.) After the mud mask, I had a hot shower, enjoyed some time on the laptop and had a great night's sleep.
This morning, when my alarm went off at 5 to take my meds, I had a decision to make. Use the hotel's fitness room or drive over to the AnyTime fitness here. I have worked out at the AnyTime Fitness before and enjoyed it, so I decided to get ready, head over there and tackle this again! I LOVE the TREADCLIMBER!!! Do any of you use this equipment? I really wish my local gym had this...but then I would never want to do anything else. I was a HOT SWEATY MESS! and it was Wonderful!


I was so glad that I go up and got my day's workout out of the way. Now I am about to head to meetings. Hopefully it will be a great day, and I will head back home tonight. Hope y'all have a great day!

Monday, February 21, 2011

EReaders Anyone?

Do any of you use an EReader? The library has purchased several that we plan to add to our collection,, and the staff has been given the opportunity to take them home and acquaint ourselves with them. So far, I have taken home the Nook and LOVED it. In the coming weeks, I will also try out the Kindle, Sony EReader, and IPad.

I am a "bookie" and didn't think I would really enjoy using the Readers, but I Loved the Nook. Especially for reading in bed. While I don't think I would always prefer Ereaders to books,I found it very convenient and loved being able to browse the Internet without dragging around the laptop.  Tommy also enjoyed it, too. We both thought it would be great for when we are traveling during the summer. He was ready to purchase one this weekend, but but I told him we should wait until we have tried more of the options.

So what are your opinions on Ereaders? Do you have one? Do you think you would enjoy it? Which one do you suggest?

Winter Wonderland Warriors Update! Week 8

This week's picture....
This is a picture Tommy took last spring! I am ready for days like this :)


  1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals?Lots of moving, lots of water, and a little money saving :)
  2. Pretty much everywhere this past week experienced some mild weather – did this change have any effect on you? YES!  My mood lifted! And I used my lunch breaks for walks :)
  3. Walk us through your ideal workout.My ideal workout would start about 10am ( I love when I can workout midmorning, though it seldom happens. And would include a Spring outdoor run followed by an outdoor activity with my hubby :)
  4. What happened in the last week that you have to brag about? I did a Spinning Class!! It was HARD, but I loved it! And hope to incorporate it into my weekend workout routines :)
  5. Fun Question of the Week: Spring Fever has hit the stores… what’s your favourite thing to shop for in the Spring? I LOVE flip flops...(I am already wearing them!) and bright spring color tops :)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1. The weather this week has been GORGEOUS! It is hard to believe that this time last week we had snow and ice on the ground. I have walked everyday on my lunch break! Loving it :)

2. My Aunt Cathy is home from the hospital after her bypass surgery last week, and is doing well! Thank you for the sweet comments and prayers.

3. I have Spring Fever! And spring fever makes me want to take day trips. Maybe this weekend I can talk the hubby into a little day trip to the zoo :) But I would be just as content with a day at the outdoor mall an hour from here :)

Hope y'all are having a great week!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Winter Wonderland Warriors Update! Week 7

This week's picture:
My motivational picture this week is of my Mom and Aunt Cathy. Aunt Cathy went in for a regular check up and ended up having bypass surgery on Thursday. She is now out of the hospital and doing well. She has a long road of recovery ahead of her. Last Tuesday she stopped by the library with a birthday gift for me...a pink running jacket. Yesterday on the phone she said we would be out walking together soon! Please pray for a speedy recovery for her!



  1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals? This was a rough week, because quite a bit of time was spent at the hospital,  but I tried to stay mindful of my goal by keeping my water filled, hitting the gym whenever possible, and focusing on what I needed to get done in order to achieve my weekly goals.
  2. What goal are you doing best on? The bike at the gym is my new love. Getting those miles in is so much fun to me! :)
  3. What goal do you have to push yourself a little more to complete? I am really struggling with the foot mileage goal. With the extra cross training I have been doing finding time for the treadmill has been a challenge (because it bores me lately), but I know as the weather gets warmer and I can get outside this will become easier for me...I just hope I am not too far behind.
  4. We’ve talked about who pushes us to do better with our goals – is there anyone/thing that hinders you? I think I can be my own worst enemy.
  5. Fun Question of the Week: Happy Valentine’s Day! Do you have any special plans for the day? *We enjoyed spaghetti (I seldom make this at home because it is a trigger food for me.) and just enjoyed an evening together.

Sorry I Was MIA Last Week

Hey guys! Sorry I was MIA last week. Last Wednesday my Aunt had to have an unexpected bypass surgery. It made for an anxious few days, and I didn't have computer access.  Then this weekend was my birthday, a friend came to town, and I still didn't have time to get caught back up with the blog world. But I am back, and hope to have up my Winter Wonderland Warriors update by the end of the day :)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Winter Wonderland Warriors Update! Week 6

My positive picture of the week...
I really love this picture :)
  1. What have you done this past week to help you achieve your goals? This week I really bumped up my foot mileage...and plan to keep it higher the entire month of February in order to meet my goal. I did really good with food, until Sunday night...I made homemade chicken noodle soup. It was terrible but I ate it anyway (so did sweet hubby). It was just tasteless. After eating the soup, I was still hungry and grazed around the kitchen. I didn't go over my calories by too much, but it was mindless eating.
  2. New month! Fresh starts! How are you feeling in February? I am hoping February is a great month, and that I finally see some scale movement.
  3. Are you competitive? I am hugely competitive with most things. I want to WIN. In weight loss, I only compete with myself. I will be honest in saying that I get discouraged when my scale doesn't move and I see other dropping weight like crazy...I want that too. But this is my journey to health to to being a skinny mini...if I keep on doing the right things there will be a good outcome.
  4. What is your favourite outdoor winter activity? {Southerners can answer winter if they visit the snow, or just what you like to do outside} I really enjoyed sledding with we had our snow in January. I would love to vacation somewhere with lots of snow and ski/sled/tube. I think that would be awesome!
  5. Fun Question of the Week: What would be your ideal way to spend a Saturday night? Tommy and I don't "go out" all that much. We are 40+ minutes away from the "city" and he is not much for going out on the town. I love heading to town for dinner and window shopping :) and maybe a movie too if we are being really "wild" LOL :)

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Three Things Thursday

1. I am feeling kind of icky today. Everyone around me seems to be sick, so I am hoping that it stays with just icky and not full blown SICK!

2.  They are saying we could get some ice tomorrow and then a full out ice storm next week, so if you guys don't hear from me that is probably the reason.

3. I have now been on thyroid medicine for a full week. Honestly, I don't feel that different. I have noticed that my sleeping is a bit better. I have struggled with my sleep patterns for years, and that is one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. This week I have still been waking up during the night a couple of times, but can turn over and go back to sleep rather than staying away for an hour. My skin has also improved some. I was having horribly dry spots all over and those have almost all gone away. Hoping to see some changes on the scale, but will wait a couple weeks before reporting any scale news.The pharmacist told me it could take six weeks before the medicine started improving symptoms, so these small changes are exciting.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Strength Training

I am going to be honest with you guys. I struggle with Strength  Training. I always have.  I told myself for months that I would going to start incorporating strength training into my workout routines, but never stuck with it. When I started thinking about goals for the Winter Wonderland Warriors Challenge, I knew that I needed to make consistent strength training one of my goals.
I think more than anything, I was/am intimidated by strength training. So I needed something to get me started. After looking on Amazon , I found found this...





I will admit that the DVD is a little cheesy, but I have found it a very valuable tool for my strength training. The DVD contains three "workouts". It starts with "workout 1" where you basically learn the moves, and the importance of stretching. Each move is done for 12 reps and 2 sets with stretching in between. Then your workouts increase, and you end with "workout 3" basically being a strength circuit training.

I just wanted to let you guys know about this DVD in case any of you were struggling with how to begin strength training.

**I wasn't paid to review or tell you about this DVD. I just like it and thought you might like it too :)