A Little Introspection

     I have a few things I'm trying to work through currently.  I know I have come so much further than I was before.  I am still having a challenge with certain aspects of healthy living.  At the foundation of my health/fitness journey, I feel like I am struggling with my "why." Meaning why it is important to me, and why I keep going. I am not yet at a point where I just love working out. It still hasn't clicked for me on a consistent basis.
     I completed the 12 week transformation challenge and did well, and feel like there are some great habits that I'm continuing to build on. I enjoy the DDP Yoga DVDs that I'm doing, yet in order to get further results I feel I will need to do more. Where I struggle is that it seems the fit body & healthy me hasn't been enough to motivate and excite me to do what I need to do each day.
     My husband and I were talking about it at length today, and I realized that one of the few time periods in my life that I didn't feel out of place in the gym was when I was doing karate. I was motivated at the gym because anything I was doing was helping to strengthen me for my karate classes. Our tight budget, which hopefully will ease up soon, was the main reason for dropping karate (I also paused when I had Chickpea, who is 11 months now). 

 
      Another piece of the puzzle is that in general I feel like the active, fit person who loves to workout is still aspirational for me currently. In a way, anytime I go to the gym, I feel out of place. It's almost like I feel as though I'm pretending. I can have a workout plan and everything written down to follow, and while doing it at the gym I feel awkward. I have only been working out from home since Chickpea was born, and I know that if I got someone to watch him so that I could go to the gym I would have to face that awkwardness.
     All these thoughts have me asking questions of others that are also working on their fitness journey.  The questions I asked them are:  Is it possible that the love of working out will never click, and it is something that I will always be forcing myself to do? When did it click for you? Did you have to find a passion?
      At the end of it all, I really do want to find a way to just enjoy working out. I want it to be a part of who I am. I currently feel like I'm a little kid playing dress up. It's something I'm playing at, but in reality it is not me. I want to be consistent, because I know that when I have fallen off course it really dings my self-confidence.
     I will continue to explore this, and plan to write more about it after getting feedback from others on it.  If you have feedback or thoughts you'd like to share on this topic, I'd love to hear it!

All the best,
OkieGal

Challenge Results and Overall Progress

     November 24th, 2014 marked the end of the 12-week transformation challenge that I was a part of with No Excuse Moms.  It was an interesting experience overall, and I am so glad that I participated!  The challenge was a contest, and had many amazing women that were awarded cash prizes.  You can take a look and find inspiration in each of their transformation stories if you visit the No Excuse Mom webpage.
     While I didn't win a cash prize or anything like that, I did gain so much from taking on the challenge.  I am sharing my transformation story here, along with pictures showing progress.  I took a moment to put me at one of my heavier weights from Dec 2010 next to my before (Aug 2014) and after (Nov 2014) pictures from the transformation challenge.  You will see quite a change!  I am excited for how far I have come!

     Here is my transformation story as submitted to judges for the challenge:

     For many years I’ve fought a war with health and fitness.  While I never had extreme weight gain, I wasn’t happy with the reflection in the mirror.  I fought a yo-yoing battle of gaining and losing weight, starting and stopping exercise plans, and going between feeling confident and feeling down.  My heaviest, non-pregnancy, weight was 138lbs on my 5’1” frame.  I knew I needed to be healthy and fit, but it wasn’t sticking.  Typically I started with excitement, stuck with it temporarily, and then something knocked me astray.  Instead of bouncing back, I said “screw it,” and found myself months down the road, spiraling back into bad feelings. 

     On top of my internal battle, people looked at me and asked why I was concerned with weight.  I thought that maybe they were right; maybe I wasn't being grateful for what I had.  However, I was the one seeing what they couldn't see beneath my clothes.  I felt guilty for wanting to improve, yet deep down I wanted change.  I began to lose weight and had gotten down to 125lbs when I found out I was pregnant in June 2013.  I was determined to have a healthy, active pregnancy.  I did well, and within 2 weeks postpartum I was back to pre-pregnancy weight.  With activity, healthy nutrition, and help from breastfeeding, I got to 110lbs. 

     Enter the 12-week challenge.  After finally tackling the weight, I knew I had the opportunity for more.  I could focus on consistency with the healthy lifestyle, and reach for goals hidden deep inside.  The night I decided to do the challenge I sat crying as I talked to my husband.  I didn’t want to admit that my goal was to have a defined, fit, and strong body.  Part of me felt like I didn’t deserve it, and feelings of being ungrateful crept back.  With his support I decided the challenge was what I desperately needed.  My goals were to create a consistent, healthy lifestyle so afterward I could focus on building and defining muscle.  I knew that I would struggle if I didn’t get my attitude and mind in the right place. 

 

     What an amazing ride!  I started out strong and excited, had bumps in the road that tried to derail me, and through it all I did better than expected!  I exercise more often than before, and my nutrition has improved by planning my treats.  The biggest battle was not physical, but mental.  I fought through excuses, and wanting to quit.  Sometimes I skipped a workout, but I bounced back quicker than before.  The biggest breakthrough was in week 11.  I realized treats that were no big deal before made me sick, so sick that I skipped my workout.  Not only does my body prefer healthy foods, for the first time in my life I was sad to miss a workout.  At 9 months postpartum, primarily I’ve gained confidence.  I made great progress and look forward to reaching my next goal!

 

     It was great to write out my progress, because it helped me to acknowledge how far I have come.  Truly the biggest battle I have fought was within.  Doing this has proven that I can follow through on what I set my mind to.  That gives me even more confidence, which propels me on to the next challenge.  I am currently trying a new program by adding resistance bands and allowing that to help take me to the next level.  My Nov 2014 pictures are my new before pics!  We have been told that in January they will be starting another 12-week challenge.  I will be joining again to help keep my momentum going.  I'll post when it starts up, and hope there are others that want to join in too!

 

All the best,

OkieGal

 

Winds of Change

     Today I have felt a change, a true change.  It's not the physical challenge that has been the most difficult, it has been a mental battle for me to take on this 12-week transformation challenge.  Today I have finally truly felt something that my husband has said he has for a long time.  I'll explain.
     It was my planned treat meal today.  My husband, Chickpea, and I had gone to the store, and then went to go grab something to eat.  The choice of meal and dessert that I made were both things that I have had before.  In fact, they were both places I had eaten as treats in the early weeks of this challenge.
     The first major difference I found, my body did not react well to the food this time.  Without going into too much detail, I had to leave Chickpea in a safe place on two different occasions this evening as once I threw up and the other time was other bathroom issues.  Not fun at all.  What it made me realize though is that I have made progress with my nutrition.  My body no longer handles well what used to be no problem.  Too much grease, and too much sweet is just more than it can take.  That is a good thing!  I am training my body to eat even better, which will help me to reach my goals even more!
     The second difference is quite a change for me.  I am actually bummed that my stomach is still so out of sorts that I can't do my planned workout this evening.  Let me say that again, I actually for the first time EVER am sad that I can't complete my workout!  That, my friends, is huge for me!  Hubby would tell me that he hates to miss his workout, and I just never understood.  Here I am with a bright, shining light bulb above my head because I finally get it.  If nothing else is, that is a sign of progress.

     Does this mean I'll never struggle with wanting to do a workout again?  No.  There will always be days that I am challenged.  Rising above that challenge more often than not is what will give me progress.  I leave you with a song that inspires me in many aspects of my life.  Take a listen and read the lyrics below.

All the best,
OkieGal

Alter Bridge "Before Tomorrow Comes" Lyrics:

I couldn't sleep I had to listen
To a conscience knowing so well
That nothing comes from indifference
I look inside of myself

Will I find some kind of conviction?
Will I bid the hero farewell?
Will I be defined by things that could have been?
I guess time will only tell
I guess time will only tell

[Chorus:]
So don't let it be
Before tomorrow comes
Before you turn away
Take the hand in need
Before tomorrow comes
You could change everything

I curse my worth and every comfort
That blinded me for way too long
Damn it all I'll make a difference from now on
Cause I'm wide awake to it all
Cause I'm wide awake to it all

[Chorus]

Does anyone care it ain't right what we're doing?
Does anyone care it ain't right where we're going?
Does anyone dare justify how we're living?
Does anyone here care at all?

[Chorus]

We could be so much more than we are
We could be so much more than we are
We could be so much more than we are
Oh this much I know

Turning a Corner

     Week 10 is coming to an end, and I'm finding that while they are small, little shifts are occurring in my life as it relates to health and fitness.  We have had guests over the last few days, and so I haven't been as diligent with my workouts as I usually am.  If I'm honest, that's just fancy talk for using it as an excuse. 
     Today I woke up early feeling sore and my joints/muscles felt tight, and I couldn't get back to sleep.  In the past this would have made me think that I needed a break from my workouts.  Surely it is the activity that is causing me pain.  This morning I decided to go downstairs and put in one of my DVD workouts to see if the movement would help relieve the pain in my back.  I am so glad I did!  Instead of being sore because of my workouts, I was actually sore from not having done one in a few days. 
     That is a great realization to have, and will only help me to continue to stay on track.  When I recognize that the healthier lifestyle is improving my quality of life, I will have a more positive outlook on continuing to be healthy.  The more positive view I have, the more I will make it a priority. 
     I know that the mental game is the most challenging part.  If I only see the negative or focus on it, that is what will continue to show up in life.  I will see the downward spiral instead of appreciating and enjoying the positive.  There is so much to be thankful for, and so much positive to find even in the most difficult situations.  This is true of life in general.
     I have turned a corner by having this realization.  Knowing the fact that a lifestyle will help me to feel better is only part of it.  I still will have to make choices to support that lifestyle.  I still will have to battle the thoughts in my head that tell me to just take today off, or have another treat here or there.  The great thing is, the more I remember feeling better after working out, the more I will want to work out.  It will begin to lay a foundation that makes it easier and easier to fight those battles.
     A small shift, yet it is an important one that I will continue to make and continue to capitalize on.

All the best,
OkieGal        

Midway Through Week 9

     It has been a busy few days.  With Halloween just around the corner, I was finishing up the costume I made for Chickpea.  It is a hoot to see him in it!  I plan to show more of the making of his costume later.  It was fun to do, and I am pleased with how it turned out.
     As I'm midway through week 9 of the transformation challenge, I am reminded today why it is a good idea to take progress photos!  It gives me a chance to see how far I have come to date.  The boost that it is giving me to see what I've done is just what I need in these last weeks.  I wanted to take a moment to remind myself of my goals during this leg of my journey.

 

 

     The 6 focuses I have set for the 12 weeks to help me get on the right path towards reaching my ultimate goal are here. 
Consistently and intentionally:
     - Improve my mental attitude towards health and fitness
     - Choose healthy food options
     - Choose to complete my workouts
     - Drink water
     - Make sleep a priority
     - Thoughtfully allow myself treats.

     Overall, I know that I have done well at most of these.  The sleep piece is honestly my hardest challenge.  I find myself wanting to stay up and catch up on shows, hang out with my hubby, and see what's going on around the internet.  The great news is that even when I was down or getting off track, I still was doing more than I would have done in the past.  That is progress!
     Seeing the progress helps remind me that the small choices I make everyday make an impact over time.  I am closing in on the end of the DDP Yoga program, and while I will be continuing to do a few of the DVDs, I will also be adding in more resistance band workouts.  Specifically looking at doing the workout I posted at the beginning that mirrors what Gina Carano does.  I will continue on this journey, and will make progress.  I'm proud of what I've done so far, and will continue to work for my goals.
     Take a look for yourself!

      

 

 

 

 

 

All the best,

OkieGal

 

 

 

Choose Your Challenge

     Life has a funny way of giving you what you need, when you need it sometimes.  This morning I had a leadership call.  You may remember me writing about the calls that set me down a better path for my life, these leadership calls are with that same group.  After I participated in Core Strength Experience, I knew I needed to continue the momentum.  I joined Michael Bernoff's leadership team, and therefore have the opportunity to participate in monthly leadership calls.
     One of the quotes that Michael mentioned today was a twist on "if you always do what you've always have done, you'll always get what you always got."  The change in the quote was, "if you always do what you've always done, you get nothing."  The concept being that if you already have it, you don't get it again.  So therefore if you keep doing the same thing, you no longer get anything more than what you got the first time.  This makes it important to keep learning new things, and continually doing new things.  I have to ask myself why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Then ask if it is getting me what I want.  If not, what can I do to change that?
     The other piece that hit me today was that no matter what we do in life, we will always have challenges.  Instead of just taking whatever challenges happen to come our way, why not choose a better challenge?  I am sick and tired of the challenge I have with being the kind of person that has a consistent, healthy lifestyle.  I've been back and forth with that challenge for a long time now.  By doing the 12-week transformation challenge, I am working to become a person that lives a consistent, healthy lifestyle.  I want to move past that challenge, and move to a new, more desirable challenge.  When I get serious about my health and make it who I am, I no longer have to worry about the challenge of being a healthy person.  I get to choose the next challenge instead of always dealing with the same one.

     How empowering is that?  I can choose to continue to have the same challenge for the rest of my life.  OR I can choose to tackle this challenge, and then move on to the next one.  This is true of fitness, finances, career, being a wife, motherhood, etc.  If I'm going to have to face a challenge, it might as well be one I choose.  It might as well be one that will get me what I want in my life!
    
All the best,
OkieGal

Got The Funk

     I have been in such a funk lately.  It's not really from a fitness and nutrition standpoint either.  I just really don't feel myself, and it happens to be impacting the rest.  It has been even more important to make myself eat well and complete each workout.  If I let myself go too much, I know I will only feel worse.
     It's really about managing my state of mind.  When my husband asked me what was going on in my head the other day, the best I could say was that I felt insignificant.  That wasn't exactly what he expected me to say.  Honestly, it sounds weird as I write it.  To be clear, I don't feel worthless or anything like that.  It's more that I was feeling like I'm going through the motions, and wondering if what I do each day really matters.
     When I take a step back, I know that what I'm doing each day does matter.  I saw a post someone shared on Facebook yesterday and it was what I needed to see.  It said, "We need time-elapsed photography to see a plant grow. The progress is so gradual that on a day-by-day basis growth is nearly impossible to see. But we can know for certain that the day will come when there's no denying the bloom!" 

     All this to say that it's important to take a step back and appreciate the big picture.  It's easy to get lost in the day to day and forget that I am making a difference.  Step by step, with each day I am moving towards my goals.  I am significant.
     When making my tea this morning, I read the tag.  It helped focus my day even more.

All the best,
OkieGal

Keep Fighting

     Slowly, but surely, I am getting back on track.  I have not really wanted to, yet I keep pushing forward.  One day at a time.  Hubby has started doing the DDP Yoga DVDs with me in addition to his gym workouts.  He told me that he thought gaining flexibility would help him with his weight lifting.  This is definitely true, and I know stretching out helps.  Part of me also has wondered if he could sense that I need the extra motivation right now.  It's harder to slack off when you have a workout buddy.
     The other thing I'm wondering is if my vitamin D levels are low again.  Several weeks ago I ran out of my vitamin D supplement, and have failed to buy more.  This may not seem like a big deal to some, but it is for me.  In the past I have experienced the overwhelming feeling of wanting to crawl in bed or in a cave somewhere and hide.  I wouldn't want to do anything and I was just overall feeling down.  When I went to the doctor they did blood work, and come to find out my vitamin D level was not at the 30-50 level they want.  Mine was at 17.  The symptoms of vitamin D deficiency are a lot like depression.  I started taking a supplement at to help get me back up to normal levels.  When I go off of it for a long time, I start feeling the symptoms again.  So for me, I have to stay on a supplement.  This was the case for me, may not be for everyone. 
     Add on top of the likely vitamin D deficiency me thinking a lot about my friend Jessie the last few days, and you have one unmotivated gal! 

     Again, I always feel good when I do my workout.  It's just flipping that switch to go from wanting to lay on the couch to working out that is a challenge right now.  I will fight through this, and I will keep going.  One step at a time.

All the best,
OkieGal

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

 

 

Nutrition Revelation

     This week has been an improvement when it comes to nutrition for me.  I have gotten within striking distance of my calorie goal, and am doing better on the ratios too!  I'm still feeling some aches here and there, yet have continued to stick with the workouts.  I've been modifying if needed to avoid truly injuring myself.  The infused water pitcher has been a great way for me to consistently get my ounces in.  The main area with some progress still needed is getting to bed & to sleep at a more reasonable hour.  I've improved here, just need to continue that focus.
     I mentioned before that my need to focus on overall health had, in part, to do with the fact that I have been told by the doctor several times that my cholesterol was high.  This is still the case, in addition there is another reason that nutrition has become a greater focus for me.  That reason is Chickpea.  From very early on, Chickpea was showing great interest in the activity of eating.  He enjoys watching us eat.  He thought it was funny at first, and then became more interested in what we were doing.  He wanted to try it to!

 

     This made me think about what I was modeling for him.  I knew that I wanted him to try real foods.  I had planned to make his food for several reasons.  One is that it would be easier to just make extra of foods we were already buying.  Two is that it's cheaper.  Three, I want Chickpea to get a taste of real food before anything that has been packaged or processed is introduced.  Fourth, it's easy and cheap! 
     I got myself something quick one day, and Chickpea was showing interest.  I sat there and thought, "I would love to share from my plate, but how can I do that when I'm not eating the things that he can or should eat?"  It made me think about what I was modeling and what I want him to see and do.
     Now that I'm getting my nutrition on track, I feel much better about what I'm showing him.  He will also see that it's fun to have a treat from time to time.  That's the point.  I'll be giving him an example of a balanced look at food.  He will have the opportunity to appreciate healthy foods, and also still be a kid and have a treat here and there. 
     I am learning a lot and really thinking about why I do what I do.  It became obvious now that Chickpea is here, I had to adjust what I am doing nutritionally.  Not just to make sure I am here for him for as long as possible, but also to make sure I am giving him the best example I can of a healthy, balanced life.

All the best,
OkieGal

Transition

     After a rough start to the week, yesterday and today have been better.  Chickpea was in rare form today, but it was nothing too crazy.  He mostly is wanting to explore and wiggle around, and he is still working on the whole mobility thing.  It ends up being a pretty funny combination.  He finds the most interesting ways to get around.  When he wasn't playing or wiggling near me, he insisted on clinging to me.  He finally got his wiggles out and is snoozing away.
     Today is a rest day for the DDP Yoga program, so I decided to get Chickpea out of the house.  He got a stroller ride to the park down the road and we did a few laps before coming back home.  It was a total of about 30 minutes, and while it was overcast the humidity helped get me sweating.  I opted for a quick paced walk today instead of jogging.  My knees need a bit of a break, and my goal was just to be moving, and ultimately give Chickpea a change of scenery for awhile.
     I feel like I'm falling into familiar territory with my workout.  While this is week 3 of the transformation challenged, I am on week 8 of the DDP Yoga advanced schedule.  The schedule is 13 weeks long, so I'm in the last half of it.  This is a time period with most workouts that I start to really feel it in my body.  I'm not injured, I am just sore.  My joints are achy and overall tired.  I know this is my body adjusting to it all.  In the past, this is also about the time I'd start letting up.  I would take more rest days until I wasn't doing much of anything.  Then I'd be right back where I started.

     I'm having to remind myself to keep going.  I'm glad that I'm still in the early part of the 12 week challenge while this feeling is hitting me.  I believe that it will give me the push I need to make it through this part of my workout journey.  I am going to apply something I learned from the labor and delivery process.  There's a portion of labor called "transition," and in my childbirth class we talked about it being the part where I would feel like I couldn't do it anymore and want to give up.  Having those feelings meant that I was almost ready to push.  It was remembering this concept that helped me get through transition and to pushing without asking for pain meds (my goal was a natural, pain med free childbirth, as long as baby and I were healthy.  Technically didn't have it natural since I was induced and they used Pitocin, but I did get through without pain meds).  I need to remember that my body is transitioning from not working out regularly to having fitness be part of my regular schedule.  I have to give myself a chance to fight through it.  Just keep going.
     This is where taking it one day at a time helps make it all manageable.  Day by day, I will continue this journey, and I will make progress!

All the best,
OkieGal
      

A Case of the Mondays

     What a day!  Today was just rough.  I woke up with a headache, and I can feel the tension in the base of my head/neck has built up.  I am not a fan of this, just because I know it has lead to migraines for me in the past.  Add on top of that the fact that Chickpea was also having some fussy time today, and it just made it difficult.  I also discovered that several of the produce items that I had purchased on Saturday have mold on them, so I was none too thrilled about that.  To give a visual, late in the afternoon my husband comes home from the gym.  He walks in and Chickpea is in the play yard crying, and I'm sitting in the chair next to it eating my lunch with tears rolling too.  Honestly, I think Chickpea was sensing my tension and also he was having tummy issues.  Long story short, it was just "ugh!"
     The evening was a lot better, and I found myself looking forward to my workout.  This hasn't been the case previously.  I was looking at it as a stress relief, and a way to end the day on track.  It felt good to stretch out, and I have the good after workout high to help my headache as well.
     During the early evening, I was playing on the floor with Chickpea.  He is working on crawling right now, and I noticed he has a pattern when he's learning something new.  Long before he can physically do the action (whether it is rolling over or crawling), you can tell he wants to do it so bad.  He tries and tries and gets so frustrated that he's not doing what he knows he wants to do.  He'll get so frustrated that he will just lay on the floor, arms folded with his head down.  He may not realize it yet, but he is so close to his break through.  He soon will have the physical motions down, and be able to accomplish his goal.  Watching him do this, I know he has to feel that frustration first.  Once he hits the frustration, it will drive him to do more.  Once he gets that drive, he accomplishes the action he wants to take.  If he reacts like he did with rolling over, he will also be seen showing great joy in his success.  Then he'll be onto the next thing to learn.

     This made me think about myself.  One of my several motivations for challenging myself is to be better for Chickpea.  He watches me, and I want him to see a confident Mama that shows him balance in life.  Eating healthy, while allowing for treats.  Working hard, while celebrating my accomplishments.  Appreciating who I am, while always striving to be even better.  Helping others, while also taking care of myself.  Living a life focused on the Lord.
     I also remembered that I am learning a lot from him.  I will have frustrations in life, and I may need to cry it out.  At the end of the day though, I will pick up and try again.  I will keep going, and I will be determined to accomplish my goals.  I will also celebrate the successes I have, no matter how small.  Then choose the next action to learn more about, and do it.
     I must remember it is about progress.  While today had a rough start, it is what I did with it that mattered.  I celebrate the lesson that Chickpea taught me today, and I will celebrate with him when he accomplishes his own goal!

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

 

Infusing Water For The Win

     The last couple of days have had some good progress.  The infused water pitcher I ordered arrived on Monday.  I immediately opened it up and washed it.  I added some strawberries to it, filled it with water, and let it infuse over night.  I was excited to give it a try Tuesday, and filled my water bottle from the pitcher.  I'm happy to say that it met expectations!  I enjoyed the light taste of strawberry in my water.  It was also successful from a water consumption perspective.  I didn't have to remember how many times I refilled my water bottle, I could see how much I had left by the water level in the pitcher.  I successfully got through the whole pitcher in one day!  That is 93oz! 

      That's a definite step in the right direction!  Today is the second day of using the pitcher method, and I'm happy to say that I am on my last 16oz of the pitcher!  It's been interesting to see how my body has reacted so far.  Of course there are more frequent bathroom trips, but I'm told that calms down after my body gets used to the new water intake level.  Another thing I've noticed is that the more I drink water, the more water I want.  It's like my body is saying, "hey, I like this stuff!  I want more!"  I went over my 93oz goal on Tuesday because of this fact.  The last thing I noticed as a breastfeeding mom, I was a lot fuller this morning.  I won't go further into it other than to say it was not a side effect I expected!  lol
    

 

     This is good progress for me.  My goal is to keep the momentum, and take it one day at a time.  It's overwhelming to think about drinking all this water every day from now on.  If I only think about it one day at a time, it doesn't seem like such an obstacle to overcome.  I'll be interested to see what other things I begin to notice as I continue to stay hydrated.  I'm also excited to try new flavor combinations and keep the water interesting.  We shall see!

 

All the best,

OkieGal

     

Let Your Light Shine

     When I first picked the blog back up at the beginning of the transformation challenge, I mentioned a journey that I started back in January of 2013 (you can read that post here).  I wanted to take at least another post to dive into that journey. 
     As I mentioned before, I had reached a point where I was sick and tired.  It's kind of odd to say, because it's not like I was desperately unhappy.  I'm married to my best friend, I have a nice home, live in a nice neighborhood, have a stable job, and am blessed.  While I had those things, I couldn't help but feel like there had to be more.  In reality, I knew, deep down, that I was (and still am) capable of so much more than I was giving in my life.  I believe that it is possible to be content (defined as "in a state of peaceful happiness"), and still strive to better yourself.
     For me, I felt like I was not doing all that I could with what God had given me.  I was capable of being an even better wife, daughter, sister, friend, employee, co-worker, and servant of God.  In short, I love who I am and what I have in my life, and I want to be even better for myself and those around me.

      I had come to a place that I knew I wanted more for myself, yet I didn't know how to go about it.  I joined that call (Call2Action), and something wonderful happened.  I was reminded that within me is so much potential, and I have a lot to offer.  I learned more about how my mind works, and with that knowledge I am able to better understand myself.  Getting what you want from life doesn't have to be overly complicated.  It's about making small shifts in your life, and taking action. 
     They reminded me the importance of letting my light shine.  A shining light is not about being complacent or comfortable.  To shine, "to be bright with reflected light; glisten; sparkle," or "to excel or be conspicuous."  In order to shine, I need to stand out and show my capabilities.  
     It is about being thankful for who I am, and strive to progress in all areas of my life.  It's about respecting myself, and knowing that hiding my potential does nothing for anyone.  I am capable of so much physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.   
     It has been so empowering to take ahold of my journey, make decisions, take action, and progress towards the life that I want for myself and my family.  Especially now that I am a mother, I want my son (and any future children) to have an example in me of how to live a happy and fulfilled life being the best you can be.   

All the best,
OkieGal

P.S.  If you're interested, Michael Bernoff recently did a free call where he talked about what he called "The 90 Day Deal."  It was a different way at looking at obtaining things that you want in your life.  I found it to be a great call, especially as I prepared for this challenge.  If you want to take a listen to it, check it out here. 

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