I am GREAT! No really, I am seriously GREAT!

Life has gotten the best of me and I haven't blogged in what feels like FOREVER, I really have no reason, just life is happening and I am trying my best to stay afloat!

Let's see what has happened in the last several months...

-I finished two more semesters of school, and am back at it this semester with a completely full load.
-I didn't work the entire summer, and stayed home with my kids! Best decision EVER!
-I joined a new gym on June 1, and haven't stopped since!
-Was accepted into a short-term study abroad program and will traveling to Greece/Italy on June 1 of this upcoming summer for 13 days!
-My little sister got engaged and asked ME to be her Matron of Honor

So let me tell you about the gym, because that is probably the biggest thing lately! I kept seeing this post on FaceBook about a 6-week challenge starting June 1, so I decided to check it out, I knew I wasn't going to be working all summer and I was worried I would be lazy all summer and gain even MORE weight than I already had in the last couple of years. I wanted to do something about it, and commit to something that would keep me moving all summer.

Well I did, and it was literally the best thing I have ever done! I absolutely LOVE my gym! The six week challenge was basically a kick start to a new healthy life routine, eating clean and committing to 5 days a week workouts.At first I was so scared, can I really do this? Um, yes I can and I did! I completely went for it and dove right in. When the six weeks was up, I signed up for 6 more months! I am currently on week 19, and have lost about 15/16 lbs, 3-4 sizes in clothes and about a billion inches! I feel fantastic, I look forward to going to the gym and my body has been craving clean foods, with the occasional splurge :) I follow about 90/10 rule... The workouts are group fitness, so we workout in a group environment, which I love! It is so motivating, and really keeps me going!

With so many upcoming events, traveling oversees, being in my sister's wedding I want to be at my best and feel good! There is no end in sight for me :)

Here are a few pictures my gym took of me at the beginning and then again just recently....

The picture on the left was on June 1, 2015 (Day 1), the picture on the right was week 15 (about a month ago)

Anyways, just wanted to pop in a quick update! Not sure when I will blog again, but some time in the near future :) All good things are happening!

Huge accomplishment!

After starting this many times and never getting past the first set, I have committed to this program and this morning officially started the last set of DVD's of Jillian Michaels 90 Day Body Revolution! 

This is HUGE! I have noticed many changes in my body, but overall I just feel great! 

This is me after this mornings workout! A sweaty beast but survived the hard workout! I look forward to finishing the set and starting something new and even more challenging :) 

What does happiness look like?

What does happiness look like? 

This...

And this... 

This too...

Kickboxing class. 

I attended my first "kickboxing" class this past Saturday, I signed up through the community ed programs thinking it would be a great cardio workout, and envisioned an aerobic style of exercise. 

Oh.my.gosh. I was wrong, like really wrong. 

I walked in, not knowing anyone, and I felt like Rocky. There was a boxing ring and big guys working out that I was actually afraid to make eye contact with. The people were really nice, and showed me where to go. I walked in, and saw an empty space surrounded by about 12 boxing bags hanging from the ceiling. Those can't be for us? I thought to myself... Holy shit. I had no idea what I had coming to me! 

The class started out with a "warm up", which I am not even sure why it was called that, it was the hardest workout I have had in a while. At the end of the 20 or so minutes, I was thinking (in my head) is that it, are we done now? Nope. Not even close, we had a straight hour of kickboxing, with boxing gloves...punching and kicking those bags. 

I thought I was dead, I actually think I saw the light. It was the hardest thing I think I have ever done, but boy did it feel good! I felt like I could throw out some serious whoop ass without anyrepercussions. After the class, I went to my car and was so shaky my fingers decided to basically stop working. For like a day. The next day, I could barely move, every muscle in my body ached. Things I didn't know could hurt, did. I laughed, and thought I broke a rib it hurt so bad! ha! But I cannot wait to do it all over again this coming Saturday! I am excited to see my progress in this class, it was so intense but in a good way. 

Side Bar... I went to the dreaded Perkins with my husband this morning and did my homework! I order the Spinach & Mushroom Scrambler, which was much better on points (13!) and I asked for no toast, extra fruit so it is even less than that now :) I would say close to 6, maybe 7 but I haven't added everything up quite yet. Here's a pic! It was delish! And those are chicken apple sausages, and were really good! 

Ok got to go! Class is starting :) 

Well the mornings are becoming much easier...

And still at it, working hard! Yes that's a sweaty beast at 5:15am after my morning workout. BOOM. 

Double workout Wednesday! Yes... you read that right

It's been no secret that I have had a love/hate relationship with exercise over the years, when I am into it I love it, and when I stop I seriously struggle getting back into it! Well I am on my game right now with my workouts and have been on track for 5 weeks - which is A-mazing! I have been getting up each morning before everyone (like 4:45am) and getting it in before the day starts. For me, morning workouts are my only guarantee that I will get one in. If I wait and "do it later" later never happens. The first few days were a BITCH getting up, and I honestly don't even think I was awake half the time but now I have been waking up before my alarm goes off and it is becoming much easier! 

Well I signed up for a yoga class on Wednesday nights at our local elementary school, and I was deciding on if I should still get up and workout in the morning or if I just go with the yoga in the evening because I knew it was still going to be a good  workout. I decided to still get up, and keep my flow going so I did TWO workouts yesterday, TWO. Hot DAMN! It actually felt really good, and wasn't that challenging to do them both and I still managed to get up this morning to do it again, sore and all :) 

Here's a little non-scale victory for me... my pants are getting baggy! YES! Not like poop my pants baggy, but I've got wiggle room in the waist so that's a major win! 

Anyways, class is starting in 5 minutes - I have got to go! :) Have a wonderful day! 

Ok Perkins, let's get with the program here!

This morning I volunteered at my kids' school before I had to go to my own class, after I was finished I had about an hour so I decided to get myself some breakfast at Perkins. 

I decided to go with an omelet, and went with their special... the Denver Omelet. I looked it up on ETools and realized that is was 29 points!!!!!!! OMG! That is more than what I get in a day for points! Good grief! Just when you think an omelet might be a decent option. What shocked me more as I was looking through all of the other items listed under Perkins, is that I hardly found any options that were considered reasonably healthier options. I remember this from a few years ago when I asked the manager if they had nutrition facts anywhere and she looked at me like I was crazy... 

Anyways, there was NO way that I was going to spend 29 of my 28 points on breakfast so I made some alterations to try and help. 

I asked for: 

Egg substitute instead of eggs

No cheese 

So on my omelet, there was egg substitute, celery, onion, and 1/2 of chopped sausage patty. Not too shabby for what it was to start with. I did get the hashbrowns, and ate them. It was just one thing I couldn't pass up.

But one other thing I noticed is that the toast is 8 points - for bread w/ butter? Um, no thanks. It didn't look that good anyways. 

Note to self, be prepared and look ahead of time - know what you are going to order and when all else fails, make some changes if needed! I seriously cannot believe 29 points! Anyways, there's my rant for the morning. 

Perkins, get with the program and come up with some healthier alternatives. 

Ugh, let's take a quick breath and catch up!

Ok, I finally have a moment to just sit and take a breath. Man, I am pooped out! So let's catch up!

1. I started college again last week, and man, I am old! hahaha... No really, probably the oldest one in my classes :) Oh well, what do ya do! I am ready and anxious to be back at it and feel very determined to finish with my head held high! Here's a picture my daughter took of me on my first day of school lke I make my kids do each year... 

2. I started work again last week as well! I had been off work since mid-October so starting both work and school in the same week was a definite challenge, but it felt good to be busy again! I work at the middle school and elementary school in our school district as a paraprofessional, and it's still really early but I really, really love it! For the first time, probably ever, I feel like I belong. Like I am exactly where I need to be! The kids are amazing, and it keeps me away from sitting at a desk all day long! It's pretty exciting, and I feel very blessed! 

3. I signed up for two fitness classes through the community ed programs - yoga, and cardo kickboxing! They start next week, I am really excited about them! I am happy to say that I am just finishing my 4th week in a row of doing Jillian Michael's 90 day body revolution. I must admit, this is very significant for me because I have started this program about 4 or 5 times and have NEVER made it past week 3! Last week was hard because of work/school and just feeling like I was on overload but I still got up early each day and did my workout... I missed two days, so I made up for one over the weekend and went for a nice brisk walk with my dog & daughter :) 

4. I have tracked my food EVERY SINGLE DAY! Really, everyday! This is major for me! I have tracked everyday since December 28! Yahoo! 

5. I am starting to notice some small changes in my body, nothing big, but little things that probably only I would notice but I will take it! 

Ok, well that's about all of my updates for the last couple of weeks :) Overall, I feel like I am doing really well, better than I have in a very long time! And it feels really good... Like so good that I actually look forward to my workouts and am making a very strong effort to continue on this path. I do think it helps that I haven't weighed myself (remember... RIP scale...) so I am basing my feelings on how I feel and little things I am noticing - it's been a huge motivator for me! 

Here's to a great week & weekend, cheers!