That FELT Awesome!

Woo Hoo... I just returned from a workout at the gym! First time in probably 5 months I have worked out... and it was AWESOME!

4.1 miles on the treadmill with an average of 3.8 mph and 15 minutes of HEAVY strength training. It feels awesome right now... I feel so energized.

Initially I was going to do half hour on the treadmill and half hour in the weight room...but once I worked through the tightness and pain in the calves and shins, it felt too good to stop so I set it for 50 minutes... it was still feeling GREAT so I decided I wasn't going to stop until I hit 4 miles... so I ended up at 4.1 miles in 65 minutes! Go Me!

Didn't really do a lot in the weight room. Didn't work much of my legs since I did so much on the treadmills... but did do some upper body and back with a couple leg workouts thrown in.

Now to just keep this motivation... I wanna look awesome when I go back into the single life... It would be awesome if I could meet Mr. Right at the gym! A health and fitness buff to help keep me motivated :)

OH... Not sure if I have mentioned one of my goals for when the divorce is final and I move back home... I am soooooo looking into and considering going back to school. I have really enjoyed my journey to become healthy and fit so much that it has been on my mind for 3 years now to get a degree in fitness and help teach and encourage others to make the life style changes they need to reach their health and fitness goals. I think it would be such a rewarding career... not only for myself, but each and every person I am able to help.

Hope everyone is having a Health and Fitness Filled day!

SMART Goals are ones that makes sense:

SMART Goals are ones that makes sense:

Specific– make a clear path to follow and you will be less likely to become lost along the way. Ask yourself the “who, what, when, where” questions.

Measurable– how will you know that you reached your goal if you don’t know what the criteria is? Ask how much (1 minute, 10%) and how many (5 pounds, 20 push-ups)

Attainable– give yourself goals that are within reach. If the goal is long-term, give yourself smaller markers to reach along the way. Safe weight loss is about 2 pounds per week.

Realisitic– decide what makes sense to your lifestyle and build on that foundation.

Trackable– document your progress. You m ay want to include a journal to explore your attitude along the way. Note improvements and how you have overcome hurdles.



NOTE: This was posted over on Sparkpeople.com by the Minot AFB Nutritionist so thought I would share it with you all! Great Tips in our weightloss & fitness journey.

GAG 2009 Final Weigh In

I'm happy to report, that I did meet my goal of reaching my goal weight again...but sad to report, I didn't reach my fitness goals I set for myself. I was up and down during the whole challenge as far as my fitness goes. I was pretty motivated the first couple months...then I lost it. Even joined the gym and I've been maybe once in the last two or three months. Thinking I will drop the membership to the Y if I'm not going to go...I'll still have free access to the base gym which is only a half mile from my house...

I've been going through a lot of emotional feelings right now...and hopefully things will change after the first part of the new year. I think that all my emotional thinking has ALOT to do with my lack of motivation on the fitness part. I'm just glad that I kept my head in the game and didn't let the stress and emotions cause me to eat mindlessly and gain back my weight...

Anyway... today is the Final Weigh In for the GAG 2009 Give a Gift to Yourself Challenge. My weight...

138.2 lbs That is 1.8 lbs BELOW my goal weight. I'm HAPPY with that even if I'm not as "fit" as I would have liked to have ended up being by the end of the challenge.

I'll post my pictures as soon as I can... as I'm having a few issues trying to figure out the self timer on my new camera. I may have to just pull out my old one which I know how to use...LOL. What the heck... I'll post what I got. I look like I'm falling over, but that's because I couldn't get in front of camera with a two second delay! LOL. Set it for 10, but won't give me that much time...

Congrats to everyone who took this challenge. I hope each and every one of you learned something new about yourself and have learned to face the demons within us that keep us from reaching our goals. Lets not just disappear into the woodwork though now that the challenge is over. We need to keep the support going for each other..

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Quiz Time... Let's see how much I really know...LOL

1. Women who lift weights will get bulky muscles. NO... women are not built like men, we will only tone muscles. Those that "look like men" are usually taking steroids!

2. "Spot reducing" (focusing on one area with exercises to see faster results in that one area) is possible. No such thing... Cardio burns fat all over... some areas just seem to loose faster than others. For me...and most, the hardest place to loose is the waist/stomach and thighs. Just keep burning calories on the treadmill, eliptical, or your favorite aerobic workout and you will see your problem areas go bye bye...

3. Exercise boosts brain power. TRUE!

4. No pain, no gain. FALSE every bit of movement improves our health... even if it's just a walk to the mailbox, cleaning house, etc...

5. Movement melts away stress. TRUE! Exercis will make ya just feel way better about yourself and life in general...

6. Exercise requires a hefty time commitment. Nope, put a little bit extra pep in your walk, speed up your housecleaning chores, dance around the room between commercials during your favorite tv shows... short bursts of energy is good for ya! And every little bit equal up to a big difference in our health so get out there and MOVE!

7. If you exercise, you can eat whatever you want. TRUE... and FALSE. You can eat whatever you want in moderation! You just have to make sure you are burning more calories than you are consuming to loose the weight... or burn/consume equal amounts to maintain! It's always best to choose healthy foods though more than the sugary, high fat foods... the "bad" stuff will slowly catch up to you though and cause other health problems. It's OK to have the bad stuff every now and then...but eat those veggies!

8. There’s a magic bullet (quick fix) out there somewhere. NOPE... loosing weight and maintaining it is NOT EASY. It MUST be a lifestyle change. Something you are willing to do for yourself or no diet or amount of exercise is going to help! You can't reach a goal weight and go back to your old habits. The weight will creep up on you again before you know it. The so called quick fixes out there just cause other problems with your health...stay away from them!

9. Exercise gives you energy TRUE! it gets the heart pumping, gets your body ready to conquer the world!

10. All excuses aside, it's actually not that hard to find some amount of time for fitness daily.: TRUE! We all have the same amount of time in our lives. If Jane Doe can squeeze in 20 minutes of exercise in her 24 hour day after a 12 hour work shift... there is NO REASON WHY we can't too!

11. You need a gym membership if you want your exercise routine to be most effective.: FALSE...go grab a can of soup... a rope from the garage, a steady chair, whatever you find around the house... you can "lift weights" with cans of food... jump rope with the rope in the garage... do dips on the chair... run the streets, swim in the local lake or river, jog in place, do whatever it takes to just get moving!

12. People who have exercise partners stay with their programs and reach their goals more often than those who try to go it alone. TRUE! Who wants to let their workout partner down by saying "I don't feel like going today"... Having a partner encourages us along... make it a fun competition and see who can do the most reps.... run the fastest. Push yourself to better your performance... HAving a partner also gives us that encouragement from someone else...they can give you praise on a job well done!

13. Exercise helps ward off disease.: TRUE! Gets the blood flowing, the heart pumping. Makes all our muscles and organs work stronger and healthier...

14. Exercise is good for the heart.: TRUE! Think I've covered that a few times already...LOL

15. Pound for pound, muscle burns more calories at rest than body fat -- so you can eat more calories and still lose weight if you exercise regularly. TRUE: a pound of muscle burns about 6 calories a day... A pound of fat burns 2 calories in a day. That's 4 calories more per pound of lean muscle! Let's get out the weights and tone tone tone... the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn at rest!

This Holiday Season...Put yourself First!

By Jillian Michaels

The holiday season is upon us, and this time EVERY year I write diet, fitness, and motivational tips (and now blogs) about how to not gain weight and let your health spiral out of control. In fact, I just had to write two others on this same topic.

It’s ironic that during a time when we should be celebrating the blessings in our lives, we are most prone to depression and dysfunction. The holidays bring out our co-dependency in spades: doing, buying, being for everyone except ourselves. And the symptoms of this behavior are obvious: Eating becomes gluttonous. Family issues become magnified. The gym becomes a distant memory. Stress levels go through the roof, and so on.

So I ask you… Are the standard tips about white meat instead of dark meat, or going for a walk before your Thanksgiving meal the answers to these problems? Isn’t it obvious that if you consume healthy foods in moderation and move your body more you won’t gain weight? And since it is that simple, the real question becomes, Why aren’t people doing it? The solution isn’t reiterating self-evident information, but rather discussing ways of remedying the problem's origin – lack of self-worth.

This issue is a major one and not something we can fix overnight, but by taking small steps like redefining our holiday experience we are moving in the right direction. Let’s start by shifting our thinking, behavior, and overall attitude to one of self-preservation instead of self-sacrifice so we are heading into 2010, and subsequently, many new years to come, with our bodies healthy, hearts happy, and minds centered.

Every day this season I want you to wake up and think about how the actions you take throughout your day will make you a happier healthier person. If holiday parties create temptation for you, avoid them. Find a healthier way to celebrate with your friends like a night on the town dancing. If stressful family reunions throw you off track, set boundaries and stay away. Take a healthy vacation with close friends instead. If the memories of holiday seasons past cause you to feel lonely, channel those feelings constructively instead of destructively. Take them as a sign that it’s time to form new connections. Join a club, support group, or online community where you meet new people and make new friends. If buying presents for everyone and their mother crushes you financially and puts you behind the eight ball, offer the ongoing gift of your love and friendship instead.

These things might seem impossible at first. You might be plagued with concerns about what people will think. Will they be angry or disappointed with you? Stop talking to you and so on? Honestly, who cares? If someone doesn’t love or appreciate you for putting yourself first they have done you a favor and identified themselves as someone you don’t need in your life.

So stop wasting time and start putting your health first, physically and emotionally. Make the holidays a time of inspiration and possibility, one empowered step at a time. And remember, taking care of yourself is a gift to everyone else because everyone ends up having a happier and healthier holiday.

Jillian Michaels is one of the country’s leading health and wellness experts. The New York Times bestselling author, trainer and life coach on the NBC hit series The Biggest Loser, and star of the upcoming NBC show Losing It With Jillian, has become a household name by helping people achieve healthier and happier lives. Every week she motivates 10 million TV viewers and approximately 3 million subscribers to her Web site, www.JillianMichaels.com, through daily e-mail newsletters. As a motivator and role model, Jillian has a unique connection with her audience that stems from her own personal journey toward wellness. Before she was a TV success, Jillian struggled with her own weight and was determined to reach her goals. Her dedication and hard work has empowered her to inspire others to achieve total wellness through bestselling books, DVDs, video games, weight-loss supplements, fitness equipment, and other life solutions. Become a fan of Jillian Michaels on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/jillianmichaels and follow her on twitter @JillianMichaels.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

TWAS THE NIGHT OF THANKSGIVING,
BUT I JUST COULDN'T SLEEP.
I TRIED COUNTING BACKWARDS,
I TRIED COUNTING SHEEP.

THE LEFTOVERS BECKONED -
THE DARK MEAT AND WHITE,
BUT I FOUGHT THE TEMPTATION
WITH ALL OF MY MIGHT.

TOSSING AND TURNING WITH ANTICIPATION,
THE THOUGHT OF A SNACK BECAME INFATUATION.
SO, I RACED TO THE KITCHEN, FLUNG OPEN THE DOOR,
AND GAZED AT THE FRIDGE, FULL OF GOODIES GALORE.
GOBBLED UP TURKEY AND BUTTERED POTATOES,
PICKLES AND CARROTS, BEANS AND TOMATOES.

I FELT MYSELF SWELLING SO PLUMP AND SO ROUND,
'TIL ALL OF A SUDDEN, I ROSE OFF THE GROUND.
I CRASHED THROUGH THE CEILING, FLOATING INTO THE SKY,
WITH A MOUTHFUL OF PUDDING AND A HANDFUL OF PIE.
BUT, I MANAGED TO YELL AS I SOARED PAST THE TREES....
HAPPY EATING TO ALL - PASS THE CRANBERRIES, PLEASE.

MAY YOUR STUFFING BE TASTY,
MAY YOUR TURKEY BE PLUMP.
MAY YOUR POTATOES 'N GRAVY,

HAVE NARY A LUMP.
MAY YOUR YAMS BE DELICIOUS.
MAY YOUR PIES TAKE THE PRIZE,
MAY YOUR THANKSGIVING DINNER,

STAY OFF OF YOUR THIGHS!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL

THANK YOU & my weekly weigh-in

First off, I would like to shout out a great big THANK YOU to everyone who nominated me last week in the GAG Challenge. I feel guilty about being away and not participating much the last few weeks as I've been in this slump lately... It's always makes me smile when I am awarded anything for my blogging. At times I just feel like I'm the "outsider" as I'm not really in to loose weight...but to maintain what I have lost & to share what I have been learning through my journey to a healthy lifestyle, etc. When I am awarded these blog awards, it gives me a bit more encouragement that maybe I am making a difference to someone even though I don't always feel like it. So, THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has helped me along my journey and to those who nominated me in the various categories. I really do appreciate each and every one of you!

This week has definitely not been great for me. I woke up Monday morning last week with congestion... as the day/days went on, it got worse and worse... major sinus infection wearing me down this week. Then to top that off, Sunday started TOM. Yesterday I was just miserable and even contemplated calling out sick from work. I had planned on making it to the Y a few times this past week, but being as congested, coughing, & sneezing like I was, I felt it best that I do not spread the germs with other members...

Considering the week I have had, I'm happy to weigh in that I at least maintained my 144 lbs from last week. Honestly, I have considered making 145 my "happy weight"... that seems to be where I stick to all the time when I'm not working out every day or at least every couple of days. That is, as long as I pay attention to my food intake.

I consider it, then I think... "Why?" Is that copping out on myself? Giving myself an excuse to not workout...? I really need to have my goals... to make "myself" happy...not just a weight my body is happy with. I know, it's only about 5-10 lbs from what my personal happy weight is for me to be happy with myself (135-140 lbs) . Decisions, Decisions...

I had today off, and got major housework and laundry done that needed to be done.... I have family coming this weekend so wanted to get things done. Still gotta sweep and mop the floors (which I hate as base housing is nothing but tile floors...other than the upstairs) and I still need to clean my bedroom/bath

... washed my daughter's laundry (she usually does her own) as well as ours from yesterday
... folded, and took care of clean laundry (weeded through ALL clothes and threw a bunch away)
... made up the guest bed and put my new quilt on it that my Mother In Law made. :)
... dusted the guest bedroom
... dusted pictures, mirrors in upstairs hallway and guest bedroom
... cleaned my office/craft room/workout room (vac floors & furniture) & dusted
... dusted breakfast nook, formal dining room, and put fall table cloth on in formal dining
... rearranged the things in my china hutch
... polished my kitchen cabinets
... tightened the knobs on cabinets which were becoming VERY loose
... took out trash in each of the rooms

As for last weeks challenge... I actually did participate but never posted my Thanksgivings here on my blog... LOL. I was already doing that over on Facebook when the challenge was posted! LOL. I know, the points don't count over there... But the Thanksgiving comments are what matters...right?

I will share here in this blog post my Thanksgivings... :) Better late then never right? LOL...


Today I am thankful for my "breakfast in bed"...well, it would have been breakfast in bed if I hadn't spoiled the surprise hubby was planning when I came downstairs to see what all the noise was...LOL.

Today I am thankful for all my friends who make each day a brighter day. I look forward to seeing all that everyone has been doing in their life and reconnecting with lost friends. Thanks everyone!

Today I am thankful that the Ad Set went well considering we had NO SIGNS to start with as the size we needed are back-ordered... Had to do a Request A Sign for just about every rack in softlines in another size...but we got it done. Three hours after the store opened, but it's done!

I am thankful for my family who supports me in everything I do... Love you all!

Today I am thankful for my In Laws who have always accepted and loved me as their "chosen" daughter.

Today, I'm thankful for my hubby who loves me unconditionally. Even when it's hard too! LOL....

Today, I'm thankful for my daughter, who even though can drive us wild, she is a kind loving daughter...and cracks me up at times with her silliness!

Today I am thankful that ND is not feeling the effects of the recession and I have a job that is pretty secure!

Today, I am thankful for my Grandparents...two of the most awesome people I know!


Enjoy your week GAGers and followers of my blog. It's going to be a busy busy week for me as we prepare for the Black Friday Sales at work... I know Wed. will be a BIG day for all of us next week as we have to set the signs for Black Friday before we leave...but after the store closes before we can set the Doorbusters! Will be a late night.