Today marks the first day of my journey. My goal is to lose 45 pounds. By August 2013. I will do my best to blog daily, in order to keep myself accountable of my actions. Accountability is key to discipline. At least for me anyways. Everything I eat. Exercises I do. Weight loss. I'll blog it. So let's go on a journey!
I found this page through Pinterest that lists 50 running tips. I read through it and so I decided that hey, I'm gonna run today. I used some of those helpful tips, and away I went. Like it suggests, I decided to start off easy. Especially since last week Saturday I Charlie-horsed my right knee and I still had pains this week. I didn't want to overexert myself and do more damage than good. So I kept a light pace. My goal was 30 minutes. Success! I have a New Balance HRT. You wear it like a watch and has all these different functions. I don't know how completely accurate it is, but it supposedly tells me how much calories I burn during exercise. I take it as truth. Why not? It's pretty fun to see how much calories you can burn, don't you think? I just ran out my door, around my neighborhood. Thank you tips! Haha.
Food Intake
Apple
Water S2B2 Smoothie
1tsp peanut butter
1tsp sugar
Bell peppers
Mushrooms
Spinach
2 eggs
1/4 cup Kraft Mexican shredded cheese
Water
Carrots
2 Tbsp Sabra Classic Hummus
See, it shows how long I ran and how much calories I burned.
Hebrews 12:1 NIV
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
So here I end. Having taken that crucial first step towards greatness. Let's see how far I can go!
It's funny. I feel like I've been trying and failing, trying and failing, trying and failing. At getting back to how I was. In August 2011 I decided that enough was enough. I was tired of being overweight. I was tired of hating the way I looked. The way I felt. I was tired of complaining and not doing anything to change. So Phylicia and I decided that it was time to do it. Lose the weight we wanted to lose. So she created this "contract." A contract that laid out the rules and terms for our weight loss competition with one another. I doing weight watchers. She following Naturally Thin/Skinnygirl book. John Hancock. Signed. Done. I signed up for Weight Watchers Online on August 2, 2011. It was a Tuesday. I kept to my targeted food points. I went to the gym basically everyday. In three months I lost about 45 pounds. I maintained through the holiday season. And on March 2, 2012, I reached my goal weight. I honestly could. not. believe. that I had done it. I was happy. But at the same time, I knew that I still wanted to lose a lot more. Get fit. I set a new goal weight and tried to continue on the path to a better me. But I lost myself along the way. Somehow I just stopped trying. I couldn't get myself to keep track of my points. Mind you, I was still working out. But as most of you know, it doesn't matter how much you work out if you are eating badly or too much.
I moved back to Hawaii late October 2012. Just living. Not focusing on what I was putting in, or exerting out. And although I haven't weighed myself, I can see it. My belly is slowly but surely coming back. My jeans don't fit as nicely as they used to. And I hate it. I hate that I am doing this to myself. No one is shoving the food down my throat. I am doing this all by myself. But I don't want to beat myself up about it anymore. Like I did back in August of 2011, I need to just to it. Be disciplined. Somehow. And. Get. 'Er. Done. Be responsible. Be focused. Be the me that I want to be. And I can't wait 'til tomorrow. Or the next day.
I don't have Phylicia to make a contract with. So I am going to make one with myself. I'll come up with it and post it here on my blog.
Am I scared? Definitely. I'm scared that I will fail again. I'm scared that I am not strong enough. And maybe I'm not. But I will never know unless I try. Put myself out there. Lean on God to give me the strength. Pray that He instills in me a disciplined spirit. I pray that I can treat my body like a temple. Take it seriously. Because this is my life. My body. I am in control of me.
What's funny is this. My sister and my cousin begged me to drive them to Jack-in-the-Box and 7-11. So me being the amazing older sister/cousin that I am, I agreed. As I sat in the car, parked outside 7-11, watching YouTube videos as I waited for those girls to come out, I saw one of my old friends from high school. He came over to say hi and how I've been etc. Then he asked if I was still paddling and that he would be this summer. The girls got back into the car. We drove away. And on that drive home I thought, "I'M READY." I want I NEED to get back into shape. I would want to look the way I do now and paddle. Not with this belly back in action. Not that I'm necessarily going to paddle or anything, but it's the mere idea that's changed me. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what I am going to do. I don't know if I will succeed. But I promise you that I am going to try. I am going to try with all of me. And as I sit here, typing this incredibly long blog post, listening to The Piano Guys, I feel determined. More determined than I have been in a long time. And that feels good. It feels great. I don't want this to be a fleeting feeling. So each day I will remind myself.
So I've been reading a lot of books recently. One of them is called Food, Fitness, and Faith for women that is about how God has a plan for me and for every aspect of my life, including (but not limited to) my food, fitness, and faith. I am doing this as part of a group. It's an easy read. Simple. To the point. Scriptures. Quotes. You should check it out if you feel like you need a little extra boost. As amazing as this little book is, I feel like I have just been reading, but not really following it. Not really living it. Which is not going to help. Obviously. Can you see why I struggle. Even the best sound advice won't help if you're not in a place to receive and follow through.
But I've also been reading quite a few Young Adult Novels I borrowed from the library. It's funny how when there's a topic on your mind, everything jumps out at you as related to your thoughts. For example, this one book I read was called The One That I Want. A typical tale. Girl sees boy. Boy sees girl. Girl likes boy but thinks boy likes another girl. Boy likes girl but thinks girl likes another boy. A little drama, but they end up together happily ever after. But this one had a little twist. Girl used to be 50 pounds heavier. Now she's hot, and finally meets this guy. Her insecurities get in the way. Even though he obviously likes her for her. Okay, the point is, there were good points in there. #1: On page 81, she's asked how she lost all the weight. She mentions how it was explained to her in mathematical terms. If you take in more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If you take in less, you'll lose weight. So she got on the internet, figured out how many calories she was burning a day and then added up what she was eating. - You see. So simple. Math. I like it. Just gotta do it. Like Weight Watchers points. #2: On page 82, she mentions another thing she was told to ask herself, "Am I hungry? Or do I just want something to eat?" - Great questions!! I LOVED that. My new thing to ask myself. Check. #3: Also on page 82, she mentions that she hasn't gone on a weird diet. She just eats less. "And no cobbler, ever." - You can eat. Just don't over eat. And sometimes you need to know your danger zones (ie, cobbler) and JUST DON'T GO THERE. #4: On page 83, she exercises too. - So if you limit what you eat AND exercise, well, you are good to go. So yeah. I loved the boy and the girl together (obviously,) but I took away far more that the cute little love story. I took away obvious tips and reminders to living a healthier lifestyle, and to lose the weight.
Another YA novel I recently read, entitled Revenge of the Girl with the Great Personality. I know right. Saying a girl has a "great personality" can sometimes kill. Haha. I love it. So her little sister a beauty pageant girl (like Toddlers in Tiaras,) and she's in this world, surrounded by people beautifying every little thing, and judging, and she doesn't feel beautiful. Then one day she puts on make-up, wears nicer, well-fitting clothes, and now guys are suddenly into her. But even before this, you can see how, even though she has a great body, she watches what she eats, watches her calorie intake, doesn't indulge. In fear of becoming like her overweight mother. The book doesn't delve into weight loss and such topics. But I like what she realizes in the end. how she says, "I'd rather be single and myself than try to fit into a mold of a person that I'm not for a guy", "...the only way for me to be truly happy is to be myself..." and how she's glad she went through what she went through because it made her a stronger person, and made her realize what's important. I like how she ends by declaring "I, Lexi Anderson, am proud to say that I do, indeed, have a great personality. And it's only a matter of time before the Beautiful People will be wishing they had great personalities too." I like that. Being happy with who you are. Who you want to be. Not being who others want you to be. And I want to be healthy and fit for me. For myself. To feel good about myself. This isn't about others anymore. Though for most of my life, it was (but that's a whole 'nother story.) So I decide. I want this. For me.
Thirdly and lastly, I recently read a YA novel, called Burn for Burn. The first book in a trilogy btw. And one of the girl's backstory is this. She was a fat kid. One day a new boy came to her school. Teased her. Everyone followed suit. She was bullied so bad. But when they were alone, they were like secret friends. Then one day it all came tumbling down. He pushed her. Hard. She fell. Hard. Into the water. She went home and. Oh, I totally don't want to get into all the heavy stuff. But after that, she moves away. Loses the weight. Looks good. Moves back. He's in trouble. I'm not going to go into detail about this book. I just thought it interesting how all these books relate to the crazy thoughts going on in my head pertaining to weight loss, body image, etc. So I just thought I'd share. Throw it out there.
2 Timothy 1:7 NIV
"For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline."
I'm excited! I'm ready! Wow, that was a lot of words. Here's something fun. No words. It's my current favorite from The Piano Guys. What Makes You Beautiful. :)
Yesterday after work, my mom pointed out this little guy. She said, "I love these. When you hold them, they're all sticky," and walked away. I immediately dropped to the ground and started taking pictures. (Cuz that's what I do) Ain't he a beaut? So I named him. Obviously. Tom. Tom, my little friend. Say hello, guys. Say hello to my little friend.
I put up a new video on YouTube :)
Definitely one of my favorite songs off of One Direction's new album Take Me Home. Actually, it's one of my favorite One Direction songs period. I did my little version of it. Cuz that's what I do...
Little Things. One Direction.
Go.
Happy Leap Day to you all!
I still think that it's strange that every four years has one extra day. A leap year. I know that it's to keep with the astronomical calendar, but it's still funny to me. What's also funny is the popular tradition in some countries that a woman may propose to a man on February 29. And if the man refuses, he then is obligated to give the woman money or buy her a dress. In upper-class societies in Europe, if the man refuses marriage, he then must purchase 12 pairs of gloves for the woman, suggesting that the gloves are to hide the woman's embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. In Ireland, the tradition is supposed to originate from a deal that Saint Bridget struck with Saint Patrick. This I read on wikipedia. Which reminds me of the movie Leap Year. That was a cute movie. Here's the trailer:
I just finished listening to an audiobook today. Room by Emma Donoghue. You may be wondering, Why'd you listen to it instead of read it? Well, I'll tell you why. So I actually read 20 pages or so before I had to return it to the library. I was reading other books at the time and I though I should finish those first. The next time I re-borrowed the book, I also borrowed the PLAYAWAY version. Side-note: PLAYAWAY's are so cool. They are these little mp3 players that is just the audiobook. So you just plug in your earphones and listen. No changing of CDs or downloading it to your ipod. You borrow it, or buy it, and it's ready to be listened to. I think they are one of the coolest inventions ever. Back on track: So I was planning on reading the book and then listening to it. I usually like to have read a book before listening to it. I know, I'm a little weird. Well, when I got it, I was curious to what it sounded like, so I figured I'd already read some of the book, so it could hurt to just listen to a minute of it. But ten seconds in and I was hooked. Each of the characters are read by different people. So Jack sounds like a five-year-old. Ma sounds like his mother. Even Old Nick sounds like a creep. The officers, her mom, anyone, you name them, they have a distinctive voice all their own. So listening to it was like watching a movie. And after I started listening to it, I came to the realization that I would be listening to it rather than reading it. So that's what I did. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. It really is amazing. The story is already amazing on it's own. But if you've read it, take a listen and see what I mean. No, he doesn't sound like what I thought Jack would sound like, but who really ever sounds like what we imagine in our brains? But by the end, he was the only voice for Jack in my brain. (Obviously.) I hope they make this into a movie. It definitely has that feeling about it. Who would play Jack? Hmmm. Well, that was my short little bit about it. I don't want to give away any spoilers (not that anyone else but me reads this blog anyways, haha) so I won't talk about the actual story here. But this book really makes you think. And I just loved it so much. So, goodbye for now.
Haha. So I know it was only yesterday that I told you guys about the song currently stuck in my head. Well, today I have a new one. It started last night actually. I was on YouTube listening to more Jamie Grace songs and came across this one that I absolutely love love love. It's called Come to Me. I just love it. Love. Love. Love. Did I mention that I love it? Well yes. This is my new favorite/stuck on replay song of the moment. So here it is:
I've just been so happy today. Thinking about how awesome God is and all that He has done for me, all that He is doing, and all that He will do for me. I just feel so lucky and unworthy to have Him in my life. He keeps my feet planted firmly on the ground. He always protects me and watches over me. I cannot count the blessings that He's given me. And I hope that I never lose sight of that. I pray I never forget the amazingness of God. This song has been on repeat in my head and on my ipod, so I thought I'd share it with you all. This song is You Lead by Jamie Grace. Enjoy!
So I finally downloaded Picasa yesterday. I know, you're probably like, "Seriously Kiko? Come on! That's totally not like you to not already have it." Well sadly, I didn't realize the awesomeness of it until I was reading blogs and searching on pinterest and realized that I'm totally missing out. I just created three collages today from the pictures I took on my trip last month to California. And they are so cool. At least to me they are. Haha. But yeah. Picasa. I heart that, oh so very much!
Here is one of the collages I did today of the kiddies :)
