Is It Really Week 6?

     The last week has been an absolute rollercoaster.  My trip to California was bittersweet, and I made it back to Kansas just in time to turn around and begin a drive to Oklahoma.  This is when life happened and in the past it would be knocking me off track.

 

     I'll be completely honest, for the last week as I said goodbye to my dear friend Jessie, and then went to Oklahoma to speak at a ladies' Bible study, I didn't really think much about the transformation challenge.  When I left for the airport that Saturday, I had a feeling it would be difficult to stay on track.  I was talking to my husband about it yesterday, and determined that it would do me no good to retroactively track my nutrition for that week.  There's nothing that could be done about it at this point, and it would just leave me feeling bad.
     Instead, I have decided to focus on moving forward.  This week is about rebuilding a sense of normal for me.  On one hand, I feel guilty doing that.  On the other, I know that it's something I need to do.  The only way I can truly honor Jessie is through striving for my dreams and loving the life I've been given.

 

     I have learned that in very stressful situations, my eating is non-existent.  I did a mental check of what I ate while on my trip to California, and it wasn't much.  Sometimes it was because of circumstances like trying to make a connecting flight, and other times it was just the fact that I didn't even think about it.  In contrast, my Oklahoma trip was less stressful, and I was wanting to eat more comfort foods.  I feel like the two trips balanced each other out in that regard.
     I did do my progress photos, and will post them here.  I am not seeing huge differences yet, I do feel a difference though.  The trips reminded me of that.  When I am eating well and staying active, I feel so much better.  Just doing a short workout last night helped me stretch out.  I will persevere. 
     While I don't feel like I failed, the quote above is still a good kick in the pants.  Keep going.  That's what I have to keep telling myself.  It's about getting back into it more quickly than I did the last time.  Instead of letting myself be thrown off and wake up 3 months later wondering why I couldn't keep it up, I am back after a week.  That's progress, and that's what this is all about. 

All the best,
OkieGal

 

 

Wrapping Up Week 3

     Three weeks of the 12-week transformation challenge done!  Even with some rough points in the week, I finished strong!  It has been interesting to find out which of my focus areas are coming along and which are still a work in progress.  I am really impressed with how well the infused water pitcher is helping me keep up my water intake.  I have had above 70oz for nearly two weeks now, and most days are closer to 100oz!  That is a huge improvement from my past bests of around 40oz in a day!  I will say that the weekends are more of a struggle for me when it comes to this focus, and so I will be more intentional about it on the weekends moving forward.

 

 

     From a mental perspective, the fight over doing my workouts is diminishing.  I had no trouble jumping right back into it today after my rest day.  I still need to work through the physical aspects.  My body is still working through the transition from not working out to having a consistent workout regime.  Just keep going, and I know it'll continue to get better.

     One of my focuses is to be more thoughtful about my treats and to choose healthy food options.  I have found that by planning my treat meal in advance, I am less tempted to have treats the rest of the week.  I had set in my mind that it would be Saturday, and so we went out and had a great time.  It was part of the plan, so I didn't feel guilty.  This week we had Mi Ranchito, which is one of the Mexican restaurants in the area.  Had chips & salsa, cheese dip, and a great dinner.  We then went for dessert to a new place that opened up, Smallcakes Creamery.  Smallcakes is a cupcake shop and the creamery is a new concept store for them.  They basically take their cupcake flavors and put them into the form of ice cream.  I took a picture to prove I did indeed have a treat!  Two of my favorite flavors of their cupcakes are the Caramel Crunch and the Red Velvet.  Naturally, I got them both in a waffle bowl.  It was awesome!  When you plan your treat, consider them!  :)

 

 

     The other thing about the treats that is interesting, I don't want them during the week.  I had the dinner and the ice cream last night, and I was ready to eat healthy again.  I felt bloated and sluggish at the end of the night.  I don't regret my treat.  I just feel like my body is getting more and more used to the healthy options.  It actually wants them more often over the junk than it used to.  When I do have to grab a quick bite out, I'm making better choices.  That is great progress! 

     On the sleep front, this is definitely a work in progress.  I was in bed around 1 am last night.  Between the bloated feeling from the treat and the late night, my day started rough today.  As I ate well and got active I noticed I felt better.  Getting sleep is going to be important for me.  I may have to start writing it on my calendar to keep it top of mind.  That seems to be working for my workouts, treats, and water consumption. 

     I am excited and nervous for next week's measurements and progress pics.  I am feeling a difference, and it will be interesting to see if it shows when I check in! 

 

All the best,

OkieGal   



Wrapping Up Week 2

     Another week has come to a close for my transformation challenge, and I am happy with how it is going so far!  Currently I am enjoying watching my Sooners on TV after having my treat meal for the week.  Burger, fries, and ice cream for dessert.  It was glorious!  It's funny how after eating healthy through the week, the treat is quite a shock to the system.  I enjoy the treat, but I find myself ready to eat healthy again afterwards.  The best of both worlds!

     Overall things are going well.  My water intake is progressing.  Today I got off to a slow start.  I still will have had more water than I used to, so it's been great progress for me.  I completed all my planned workouts, and only cut one short this week.  Again, progress.  My nutrition goals suffered a little bit when we were running out of groceries late in the week.  I got a Costco membership using a Living Social deal, and replenished our supplies today.  It is a step in the right direction for setting me up for progress in this area.
     I am already starting to notice muscle building in my legs, booty, and abs.  My husband mentioned the other day that he was noticing slight definition in my pec muscles as well.  I've been doing a lot of planks and push ups! 
     For this upcoming week, I will work to continue my momentum with water consumption and workout consistency.  I want to give special attention to my nutrition to get more consistency with it.  I also will be working to get more sleep.  This is always easier said than done with a 7 month old in the house.  I feel like it will help me have more energy and get better results overall.

 

     I am thankful for all that I have in my life.  Especially those around me that have been so supportive.  It is a difficult process to look inside yourself and admit to changes that need to be made in your life.  It has been very important to have my husband, my accountability partner, the ladies of the No Excuse Moms groups, and many others that have continued to cheer me on.  This is so much more than a physical transformation for me.  It is building consistency in my life that will bring even more confidence in myself.  Thank you!

All the best,
OkieGal

 

Wrapping Up Week 1

     We are at the end of the first week of the 12-week transformation challenge. I want to take a few moments to reflect on what is going well and where I can improve as it goes into week 2.

     Having the fitness calendar in my dining room has been very helpful.  I can see all my fitspiration images and remind myself of my goals.  I also like only writing things down when I actually do them.  It may be very childlike of me, but I enjoy it like a sticker chart.  lol!  Finally, it is right there for my hubby to see too.  That keeps me accountable as well. 
     I have found myself continually improving when it comes to nutrition. Not only am I closer to my calorie goal at the end of the day, I also am seeing improvement in the balance of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Even more exciting for me was the fact that I allowed myself a treat yesterday, and found it difficult to think of something I wanted. Things that in the past would have been  a temptation, weren't as appealing as they used to be. I did have a serving of dark chocolate sea salt caramel, and enjoyed it.  No guilt.  It was an intentional decision, and part of my plan. 

     An area that I am going to focus more on this week is my water intake. Some days were better than others, just not quite where I want it to be. To help with this, I ordered a water infusion pitcher from Amazon. It holds 93 oz, so if I aim to get through the pitcher over the course of my whole day, I will be closer to my goal. Plus it will be fun to have different flavors of water to make it more interesting.  I found a website that has flavor ideas, and I look forward to trying some different combos! 

     Another area that I will need to give more attention to is getting to bed at a reasonable hour.  That can be easier said than done with an almost 7 month old, and a hubby that usually gets home after 9pm.  I usually am doing my workouts when Chickpea goes to bed for the evening, and then I want to stay up to spend time with my husband when he gets home.  There is still room for improvement here, and I will be working on it.

     When it came to my workouts, I did have to battle in my mind over doing them a day or two this week. The great news is that I did them!  You can read more about this topic in my post called Bumps in the Road.    

     With each area I know there is much more to be done. The important thing is that I continue to take one step at a time. This is just the beginning, and there is still the excitement and enthusiasm of starting the challenge. To help continued progress, I will need to find ways to tap back into that excitement when more difficult days pop up. 

     I will continue to benefit from the accountability that is obtained from writing here. I will begin adding things that motivate me to the mix so that I can read through them when I need a boost. 

     Week 2 awaits!

All the best,

OkieGal

      

     

Creating the Fitness Calendar

     As part of the No Excuse Mom 12-week Transformation Contest, I created a fitness calendar based on the guidelines and calendar print outs provided at this link.  I loaded up my son in the car, and headed to the store to purchase a few supplies.  By a few I mean poster board, and some wall hanging supplies.  I printed the calendars and filled them in.  I then added a little color with markers. 
     Honestly the most fun was finding motivation quotes and fitness inspiration on the web.  The hubby and I found all sorts of relevant images, including those of the body type that I am going to be working towards.  I don't want to be exactly like her, I want to become my own version of what she represents.  That is the strong, healthy, and fit Gina Carano.
     Here are some pictures of my fitness calendar and inspiration board.

 



     It will be fun to see the calendar become more colorful as I enter my fitness information over the next 12 weeks.  One of the motivational photos that we found was very appropriate given the challenge.

 

All the best,

OkieGal