A Confession and a Trip Down Memory Lane

So, I've been out of town recently and have neglected my blog. Sorry!

If you've been on my blogs Facebook page today then you sort of know some of this already. But in the spirit of confession, I must tell you I've had a bit off time off from the 30 Day Shred and Jillian Michaels. It wasn't intentional. In the beginning, I missed a couple of days because of my parent's little apartment being crowded with people and having no privacy to do the DVD. I had no desire to humiliate myself in front of my family. :) And then I forgot my DVD at my parents house the night I stayed at my brother's house and then from then on out it was a downward cycle into inactivity all together. What can I say? It happens.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm not perfect. I don't have it all figured out. I am constantly learning, re-evaluating, picking myself up, and pushing on. Today, the temptation was there to continue to do nothing. I had plenty of excuses. But the truth is, the hardest move you'll make is the one where you put on your shoes and go for it. Whatever form of exercise you choose, making the decision to do it and sticking to it is the hardest part. I'm not saying that whatever activity you do will be easy. Jillian Michaels is a crazy lady! I find myself saying that out loud many times while I am doing her workout. "She's crazy!" "She's insane if she thinks I can do that!" "Seriously!" These are all comments you'll hear if you're anywhere near me while the Shred is happening because it's so darn hard! So as I sat down on the couch to put on my shoes, I was thinking about how much I really didn't want to do it. I would much rather sit back on the couch, relax, and watch a movie with my daughter. It was so hard to lace up those shoes but once I had them on and the DVD in, I didn't look back. Even while sweat was dripping off my face and my arms could barely hold my weight in the plank position one second longer, I didn't regret my decision. I posted this picture on Facebook recently and it totally sums up what I'm trying to say here...

I made a few goals for myself for this week to help me get back on track and to get the scale moving again. Here they are:

1. Go to bed no later than 10 PM every night this week.
2. Drink, drink, drink water.
3. Have a least 3 cups of green tea every day.
4. No unnecessary snacking
5. Start level two of the 30 Day Shred over.

I'm one cup shy of my third cup of green tea for the day and I'd better hurry up and finish this post if I want to be in bed by 10 PM but other than that, I've stuck to my goals for today. That's a great start!

As you all well know, tomorrow is Valentine's Day. I tried to drop some not-so-subtle hints to my hubby today. I'm not sure if he got them or not! :) But as I was thinking about Valentine's day, I decided to take a trip through memory lane. I looked through my pictures on Facebook from the February of the last two years. Sometimes I am still shocked at what I see in pictures from the last couple of years. I know that I've worked hard and lost a lot of weight but sometimes that "other" me seems so foreign! My friend Clara spliced together three pictures of me. The first is from February 12, 2010. The second is from February 14, 2011. And the final is from February, 2012...Saturday. It's pretty hard to look at the face of the girl in the first pic. I am so thankful that I decided to change my life and that the first picture is no longer my reality!

Hope you all have a fabulous Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica

30 Day Challenge: Days 8-10

Well friends, today I completed level one of Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred!!!

Man is she tough! Day one was brutal. I thought I might faint, puke, die, or all three! Today, on day 10, my heart rate was up and I was drenched in sweat when I was done but I felt great!

I'm a little nervous about starting level two tomorrow. I know it's going to be much harder but I know my body is ready for it. I'm really hoping to see some great results at the end of these 30 days.

This weekend will prove to be challenging to my lifestyle and routine. We have more family coming into town for my niece's birthday party on Saturday. This means more people in my parent's small apartment which means less time to get in a workout, especially if you don't want an audience while you do it! Trust me. It ain't pretty! :) This also means dealing with a weakness for me...birthday cake! I LOVE birthday cake! The key is moderation. I will be having a cupcake on Saturday! I'll only have one and I'll be sure that I eat well the rest of the time.

I hope you've been being active this week. It can be hard to stay committed when your out of town. The old me would have left my workout clothes at home and made excuses not to do any sort of exercise. The old me would eat whatever my heart desired whether it was good for me or not because, well, "I'm on vacation!" The new me, nearly had to bring an extra bag just for my workout gear! That's cool! I love the new me!

Peace, Love, and Healthy Living,

Jessica