My journey

OK so while Ive been here before, swearing that i was sick and tired of being sick and tired...and tired of carrying around extra weight, blah blah blah, etc etc etc.......I had fallen in to yet ANOTHER slump since returning from San Diego in June...and just getting back on the right side of things a few weeks ago or so. Sure it was not a fun trip home, and that probably did not help sure, but dang it.......its SO PAST TIME for me to get with the program so to speak, stick with it and embrace a new lifestyle that I can live with long term....get this weight GONE once and for all...and stop coming up with excuses as to why I stop when i am totally on a roll.  I'm not going to just LOSE weight..cause I have NO INTENTION of finding it again later this time....hee hee!!  I want it gone, and gone for good this go round.

So, after pairing up with my friend Tanya at work, who shares my desire to see the extra lbs go away and never return, a couple brainstorming sessions and research sharing...we are pushing each other and supporting one another in this thing on a daily basis.  Hitting the gym across the street from work at lunchtime for a quick cardio session, and me getting up early for a pre-work workout, she doing hers after work.  We've also come up with a list, and August goals challenge so to speak....she made hers, I made mine...some stuff is similar, some not.  But it's good cause one thing might work for one person, and not another.  But we've written down these goals, made ourselves accountable to each other, and now to everyone as she has her blog, and I have mine.

Here is my list for the month of August:

*600 rep challenge - consists of a list of exercises and amount of reps to do (burpees, mountain climbers, squats etc) and the goal is to do these on the first of the month every month...time yourself...then track your progress as the months go by and you get stronger.
*NO SODA AUGUST CHALLENGE - a biggie for me...tried and failed at this many times...day two behind me with not a drop
*Eat one salad a day....either a "meal salad" or a "side salad" with a meal
*No carbs (other than the amounts in veggies) after 2 PM daily
*Up my protein intake significantly - I knowfrom past experience that this is how MY body performs its best, and how I best lose weight. Not going all Atkins crazy or anything, but the proteins, good fats and good carbs are the rule now.  Aiming for as close to 1 g of protein per pound of bodyweight as I can daily
*Weight train 4 times per week, split between upper and lower body (so 2x each)  And Im not talking little 5-10 lb weights, I mean true weight training....for true results.
*Cardio sessions for 30-45 min per session, 4-5 times per week.  To include 30 second sprints repeated 5 times, in each session
*Eat "real food" at least 90% of the time each week. Allows for a tiny bit of wiggle room...but back to shopping the perimiter of the store where the "real food" is primarily
*Try at least one new healthy recipe every week.  Avoid the boredom of the same ole same ole....

Big list....I realize this...but it's time to stop playing around and tackling this half assed and only "when I feel like it".

I will be updating my blog often, either with inspirational stuff, links to awesome workout stuff or recipes, or stuff that I have tried and liked, and want to share.

Eventually, when im more comfy with the idea, I may even share my "before" pics...compared to some new ones down the road "in progress"...and for sure with the "after" photos :)  Not quite willing to bare my soul quite that much yet though.......

So....anyone that wants to follow me down my road back to "me".....welcome!  If you dont want to, then that's fine too.....this is not about me bragging or thinking Im better than anyone...Im doing this as a central place for me to track my progress, recipes, info etc....and also because 'Ive had a number of friends tell me that my facebook posts about working out etc have inspired them.....that's who this is for.
I will end this first post with a few of my favorite links:

Once a Month Mom - Freezer Meal Menus
Six Sisters Stuff
Skinny Taste
Skinny Ms
I See Fit People
My Fitness Pal
Endomondo


And a few thoughts for the day: