Day 59

It's a day of rest....and a day of reflection. I have been less than consistent and need to get back into a regular schedule! Mallory is almost here and I want to be on a regular schedule. We're committing to do some healthy things together this summer, so I don't want to be "starting over" with exercise when she gets here!

This upcoming week is busy, so I need to figure out right now how to put in a workout everyday.

MONDAY: I work until 2:30. So I will come home and rest for 30 minutes, get changed and go for a walk up to Wasatch Blvd to the old Stake Center. (3 miles)

TUESDAY: I work in the morning and have YW at night. So I should be home by noon. Get changed and convince Diane to walk to Bell Canyon Park with me.

WEDNESDAY: I have workmen here until late afternoon. I'l either talk to Megan about meeting me at the gym, or just go myself and do 45 minutes of biking (BORING!)

THURSDAY: It's Blake Day until 5:30 and then a meeting with the landscaper. I think an evening walk up to the Turkey Farm would be the best.

FRIDAY: Another full day with workmen. On their lunch break, I'll walk over to Draper through Mtn Oaks Ward.

SATURDAY: Zumba at 8:00 am!!

I'll check in everyday with my success stories!!

Who knows?

Who knows what day it is! I did go to Zumba today and I felt the lack of exercise that I had done this week. 

You would think after 50+ days it would be impossible to quit working out everyday… But it is really quite easy. So I am really committing myself to get back into good health habits. Even when life is difficult, the best way to feel better is  physical labor

Day 55

Had a fun workout today at the gym. 

 I worked up a sweat and felt like I really put in some good effort. Feels good to do something productive today

Day 48

Just when I start thinking that 100 days is kind of overkill for a challenge, I have a day like today. A friend told me to try attending Silver Sneakers, a class taught by Lindsi at Life Center. She said it was a great workout even though was for old people.

I arrived at the class a few minutes after it started and people were so kind to get my chair set up and all the weights and everything that I would need. I looked around and saw the class was FILLED with really old people! That was okay and I kept working out. It was a nice class.

But as the class continued and I kept glancing at all the old people....it made me start to think of my mom. Lindsi would've done so much for her to be in a class like this. She is so sweet with all of these people.

Throughout the class, Lindsi kept telling us to look in the mirror and see if our posture and position was correct. I did so, and I was shocked at how I looked. That's when it all came together as I started thinking about how my mom would feel about how I look now.

How did I get here? How did I let it get so bad? It makes me sick to see the way that I look. I'm sitting here in the car with tears rolling down my face because I'm so amazed at how awful it look. Will I ever have enough stamina to look good? I don't know if I have it in me. Do I even have enough time in this life to keep myself healthy again? It's not like I think I'm going to die tomorrow, but to think that I would only have a few more years left after I get myself healthy is pretty rotten. I wasted a lot of time enjoying food and junk rather than enjoying good health. Is it too late? I know logically that it's not, but it seems like such an incredibly long journey

Day 47

I made it! I'm completely exhausted, but I made it! I got up and went to Aqua Aerobics and then went straight to Zumba. I thought I would die before Zumba was over! But, you know, I didn't!
I may have pushed it too far, but it was fun trying. 

I'm not sure I'll do it again but at least I proved I could do something hard. I'm going to have to see how this affects my knees by the end of today, and then I'll make plans for the future. It's fun to see how far I can push myself… Without killing myself!

Day 46

Though it is my Day Of Rest, I've been thinking through the week and making plans for my exercise program. 

I talked to a woman last week at Aqua Aerobics. She said that she uses the swim class to loosen up her knees so she can go directly to the next class which is Zumba. That sounds like a perfect idea to preserve my knees. So tomorrow I'm going to try that and see if it works little bit better for me 

Day 45

I have finally returned from sickness! I went to Zumba today and it felt great. My knees have been killing me all day, but it's worth the pain. I'll ice them today and see if I can get them back on track. 

It feels good to be moving forward again… And not just moving forward to the toilet!

Sick Day

Didn't work out. Don't care. I feel like crap! Can't get a doctors appointment until tomorrow. 

But it's been a great way to lose weight! I've lost the 2 pounds that I gained on the cruise and now I lost another two. Not a fun way to lose it though.

Day 39

It was so nice to get back into a schedule again. My knees are KILLING ME so I went to Aqua Aerobics to get them loosened up. I'm starting to think the problem with my knees came from sitting on an airplane for 8 hours. I'm not sure, but hopefully if I ice them and am careful....I'll feel better again.

A lady in class today told me that she does Aqua Aerobics as a warm-up to Zumba every week. Great idea! Zumba class is right after Aqua Aerobics, so that would be a great DOUBLE workout!

Day 38

I'm thrilled to report that I weighed in this morning to check my pre- and post-weight from the cruise.......I only gained 2 pounds! I am THRILLED by that!

Now I'll put the scale away and continue working hard on exercise.....

Day 37

I finally made it to the Fitness Center!

We had a day at sea, so I knew we would not be doing anything terribly active. I spent 45minutes on the bike, watching the Atlantic Ocean out the huge windows in front of me. I really pushed hard and felt GREAT when I finished! It was hard to push for 45 minutes when I hadn't done it for a week, so I'm very glad I did!

I found that working my sore knees on the bike actually made them feel better!!

Day 36

My knees are so sore! I  assuming it's the humidity here, but both my knees hurt.

Today was not a very successful day, as far as a lot of activity. We took a taxi ride for 2 hours and he took us to cool places in Barbados. From small shacks to the $5000 a night place that Tiger Woods uses when he golfs.....really interesting. We even took a look at the neighborhood that Rihanna grew up in! Yippee. 

I'll do less mental activity and more physical activity tomorrow. 

Day 35

Today our workout was an awesome hike to Emerald Falls in Dominica. The hike in was kind of rough on my knees, but it was BEAUTIFUL!

To start off, you hike through a rain forest with a well worn path and occasional wooden steps to make the path workable. It's all downhill.  After you hike for awhile, you turn and see a gorgeous waterfall and pool. Wow! I kept thinking how much Megan would have loved to run this trail! It's Bonneville Trail times 100!!

After I played around in the pool, it was time to return. Wes had already started on his way back. I looked up at that trail I had hiked down and realized I would need to hike UP to get out. I was somewhat intimidated because I was the last one in our group to leave the pool, so I had the tour guide right behind me as I hiked up and up and UP! I didn't want to be the weakling that hiked a few steps and then was wiped out and had to rest.

So, once again,  I thought of Megan and her love of doing hills. I decided if she could love these...so could I. I hiked straight up and tried to enjoy the experience. I didn't stop once! I was so dang proud! I finally was able to see the results of my increased exercising over this last month!

Day 34

Once again, by the end of our shore excursion....I ended up being exhausted! I honestly thought that with the 25+ days of workouts I would be more able to get around. 

We went snorkeling and I actually worked at doing the exercises I had done in aqua aerobics--right in the middle of the ocean! It must have looked pretty strange with my fins and snorkel gear on! 

Day 33

I haven't been to the fitness center, but we've certainly walked A LOT and I'm tired! When Wes puts his mind to it...he can go hours on his feet longer than me! 

As I planned, I haven't been super strict with food, but I've just been careful. Luckily these foods are so "gourmet" and fancy that the desserts are usually too strange to be tempted by. My favorite Royal Caribbean chocolate chip cookies are nowhere to be found! They do have the sugar free ones and they're quite good. Lucky!

Day 32

Wes wanted to see San Juan, so we took off and walked along the beach and through town. I made sure we walked along the beach for a long time, as that is more difficult. Ultimately, it didn't produce much sweat (other than the humidity) and increased heart rate on me, but I felt great that we were doing something together. It felt good to be active.

Day 31

 Sitting on a plane handing to Puerto Rico. Finally!! I didn't get an official workout in, but I did crank up the music and clean the house with a vengence! Does that count for something? I hope so.

Wes has agreed to workout with me on the cruise. I know that doesn't mean go to the fitness center, but he's willing to walk around the decks and that will be a great thing to do together. I'd still like to get in some heavy sweat time, but working out with him will be awesome!

Day 30

I've skipped a few days in writing, as I am preparing for this vacation that is insane! With handyman here fixing the bathrooms and trying to pack my bags… It's got a little crazy!

I weighed myself this morning for the first time in a few weeks and I've actually lost 4 pounds! I wanted to weigh myself this morning before we leave for this cruise so that I can see the difference once we return. 

I want to be careful on this cruise to be sure I work out every day and am aware of what Im eating. I'm not going to go crazy with not having food or not participating in the deliciousness of the meals, but I am going to be conscious of not eating a lot of super fat foods, a lot of sugar, etc. Hope this works!

I'll add to this blog as my Wi-Fi connection permits, but otherwise I'm keeping the journal on a piece of paper and I will put ut online when I return.

Day 28

I had a wonderful evening at Zumba. Thank heavens for the Democratic Caucus. They made us cancel YW and so I could actually go to Tuesday night Zumba. It was luxurious! For some reason I love this class so much more than the Saturday early-morning one. It was a good workout.

I reread what I wrote on yesterday's blog where I was concerned because I was at Day 26 and it was still not a habit. But yet when I realized that we would not have young women's, my first instinct was to go to my Zumba class! So maybe it's becoming more of a habit then I first realized. That was a great feeling!

By the way, the date says this was written on Wednesday, but it's still Tuesday and I waited until after midnight to post this!

Day 27

It struck me today on my Day of Rest....it has been "scientifically proven" that it takes 21 days to change a habit. So why the heck isn't this daily workout a HABIT?!! Maybe at Day 42 (double the 21) I'll be able to say that is true.
 
I'm getting ready to go my cruise this Thursday. I'm really working things through in my head of when I'll work out and how I'll make this happen.....no matter what. There will be no support, no blog (though I plan on writing on my phone and transferring it over when I get back) and Wes will be my Sabotager Extraordinaire. I'm hoping to get him to join me in the gym so I can make it all work.

Day 26

Another proof that writing in this blog works! 

I woke up this morning after having sat up with Wes and listening to music on his iPhone until 2:00 am...and I was pretty tired! 

And yet, the night before I had told myself on my blog to "tough it out"! So even as the excuses started to fill my brain of why I didn't need to get up, I remembered what I wrote and I got up. 

I came to Zumba, saw there was a substitute and almost quit, and then made myself go in and had a great time at Zumba with Karen H Brown, Leslie Cook, and Kris Weeks (of course)! 

It feels great! I've got a full day and some exercise at the beginning will only help.

Day 25

I've skipped!! Spring Break isn't just hard for Mallory! It's hard for her mom!! With her here, my schedule is off and I end up goofing off at the house...thinking she and I will go to the gym "later". What a DUMB thought! Either go NOW or you won't go!!

I can only hope that week 5 will be a completely different experience....in a good way! I'm hesitant to go to Zumba tomorrow because I don't want to mess up my knee for the cruise I'll be on in ONE WEEK!!

Tough it out, girl!!

Day 23

I went to Aqua Aerobics this morning and really tried to push it hard. It's still hurting my knees, but I felt much better after I finished. I focused today to be aware of my eating habits....and that was frustrating. I HATE the pressure of hungry vs emotional eating, etc. I know I need to be really aware of sugar because that is what I'm craving the most. It will take a few days of walking away from it and I'll be fine....but those few days are usually miserable!

It's so strange! I guess I need to watch out for the "even" weeks and rejoice in the "odd" weeks. Week 1 was motivating, week 2 awful, week 3 was a happy discovery, and week 4 has been filled with anger! I know this is a "live and learn" process, but I wish the Roller Coaster wasn't so wild!!

Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle and enjoy the ride!

Day 22

I end today totally exhausted, but no workout in sight! I was at work all day (should have gotten up early to take a walk or something) and went straight to YW and Board Meeting. I even tried to walk home, but the YW Leaders freaked out about me walking home alone.

After being SO proud about working out in Price--I completely BOMBED that night. It was a way low moment in my 100 Day challenge.

At about 5:00 pm I decided I just had to have ice cream. Honestly, I knew I wasn't hungry.....but I was going to have some ice cream, no matter what! So I went to the only ice cream store in Price...Cold Stone. I ordered a milk shake. I was given a choice of a tiny one or a large one and I chose the large one. At this point I was not hungry at all! Even the thought of eating a whole milk shake was making me kind of sick....but it was like I was completely determined I was going to drink that shake! No one was going to tell me not to! After they made my Oreo Chocolate Shake,  I walked out to the car and took a sip of it---and was disappointed. It wasn't very good. They hadn't done a really good job on it. But you know what? I drove along and made myself  drink that whole thing. It was like I was standing outside myself watching me drink this not-so-good shake and I was mesmerized at the picture of it. Why would I keep drinking it?

But that's not the end. I had told myself I was going to have a small personal pan pizza delivered to my hotel room. IDS was paying for it and I was going to have it! Once again, I wasn't hungry. In fact, I was pretty stuffed and sick from that stupid milk shake.....but I ordered that pizza and a 2 liter of Root Beer and I ate that whole pizza. I drank some of the root beer and was finally beyond sick. I stopped in total amazement.

I lay in bed that night and was SO angry. I knew that eating better was not a part of my 100 Day Challenge, but I had crossed over into sabotaging myself by the increased amount of garbage I had shoved down my throat! My hotel room was small and there were mirrors everywhere I looked. I couldn't help but see what I looked like and how far beyond gross my body was. That was a painful sight! I lay in bed with the worst case of heartburn you can imagine because of all the junk I'd eaten and I re-thought my pursuit of good health.

Ok. I know I can't make overwhelming goals or it destroys what I'm going after. But I did determine that I needed to get a handle on my eating habits. So....

• cheat days are only on Friday date night, and cheating is never over the top!
• Ice cream is allowed once a month. That's it!
• No crazy diets, but be aware of sugar, fatty foods...be aware!

Another item I thought through is that I'm at a point of "phoning in" my workouts. Currently, if I'm biking and listening to a book, it has just become boring--not sweat producing! I need to dial it up a couple of notches so I'm dripping in sweat. I need to listen to crazy music and get the heart rate up and the intensity WAY up. If I'm doing Aqua Aerobics, I need to push it hard. I can really do that in that class because my knees aren't at risk. When I walk outside, I need to push the speed so that it is a workout, no a walkout!!

If I'm putting all this effort into something this important and I'm doing it for 100 days....I better darn well make it worth the effort or that time will have come and gone with nothing to show for it!!!!!

Day 21....I'm legal!

I've had a successful out-of-town day here in Price, Utah. I found the only gym in town and they charged me $3 to do 45 minutes on the bike. It was well worth the price! My knees are killing me from Saturday's Zumba, but I'm just going to push through it and keep up the work every day.

Day 19

I went to the one hour killer class of Zumba. It's hard on my knees, but Lindsi explained a great way to safeguard them......moving on your toes instead of stomping down on your feet. It takes the impact away from your knees. But I will admit, it's harder that way! We did 16 pushups in between each song!!

Mallory came with me to the gym and worked out on her own....no way would she stick her head in Zumba! Who wants to look that dumb on purpose?! ME!!

I need to take a hard look at next week with my out of town visits and hanging out with Mallory. She'll help me get to the gym, but I need to make plans!

Starting tomorrow I will have finished 1/5 of my challenge! That doesn't sound like a lot, but it gets me excited. I feel good now....how great will I feel by day 100??!!

18 is my lucky number!

I had a great day at Aqua Aerobics. It's kind of scary to think how well I get along with all these old ladies. There are really several in the class that are my age, but it's cute to chitchat with the elderly ones!

I learned an interesting lesson today on the way out of the gym. I passed a woman who was about 80 years old. I've seen her there many times over the years. In fact, when I used to go regularly five years ago, she was in my Zumba class. I saw her today and started thinking about how she must be crazy to be that old and still be at the gym. Like maybe she doesn't have anything else to do with her life. Then it hit me! She has created that daily habit that I want and she's still at it! She's healthy and will live longer in a healthy situation, than if she had just stopped because she was too old to work out. I should be so lucky!

I am 17 going on 18....

If you didn't get that subject line....sucks for you (Sound of Music)!

I learned another good lesson today: If you're slipping and feeling like you're not going to make it---call someone to help you out! Workout with ANYBODY you can find! I had the feeling that by the time I was done teaching 7 hours at Indian Hills Middle School I would NOT feel like running to the gym. I put my clothes in a bag and stuck it in the car with the hopes that I would just go to the gym and change there after work. But I was so tired after work, I knew I was going to go home, so I called Megan and asked if she'd meet me at the gym at 5:00.

Ultimately, she and Taylor didn't come before I had finished my workout--but that didn't matter! I got there and started. It was a tough push on the bike to keep myself going to finish, but I did! I need to make up a list of Poor Suckers who will drop everything to workout with me so I don't get stuck alone. Mallory's coming home next week for Spring Break, so that will be nice to have a Workout Buddy all week long!

I am a little concerned because I have to be out of town on Monday and Tuesday. I need to find a way to workout when my familiar places are not there!!

I wish 100 days had passed and this was a habit set in cement. I sometimes feel like I get up in the morning and then struggle to re-make the decision whether or not to work out that day. I need to dig deep and commit to that concept of a daily workout. Fighting the daily battle wears me out!

I mean, I don't make the decision every Sunday to go to church! I've made a deep commitment to go to church every week, so when Sundays come around...I just go. I don't re-think the decision. I just do it. It saves a lot of grief!  So where do I find that same sense of commitment to do a daily workout??

That needs some more thought......

Sweet 16 and never been.....

Today will be wild. I'm spending the day with Blake (who is sick) and then the RS Birthday Party is tonight. I guess I could cop out and say there  is not time for a workout! BUT NO!! That was yesterday's lame story!!

Today I got up at 6:30 and got ready and I walked! I only finished 20 minutes of my 45 minute goal, but now I will plan on walking to the RS Bday Party and I will get my 45 minutes in. YAHOO!!

This morning was hilarious with all the potential for NOT working out. Everything went wrong. I couldn't find my workout socks. My phone had died during the night, so no music to walk to. All my workout clothes were down in the freezing car.....it went on and on! There was every reason in the world to ditch the walk, but I was determined to make this happen! And it did!!! That is a great feeling.

A great effect of this 100-Day Challenge is the energy level I have. Especially in the morning. I had started developing some BAD habits of sleeping in until 9:00 or 10:00 everyday that I didn't go to work. Then I'd sit around and do the very minimal amount of housework, read books, do computer work, or watch TV. I was slipping into an entirely NON-active lifestyle. Just the simple act of walking or swimming or dancing around like a Zumba Geek has energized me to the point that after watching one show on TV.....I'm done. I am anxious to get up and get something accomplished. That is a great feeling!!

What a day! What a life!!!!!!

Day 15

Today was a BUST! It's the YM/YW Chili Cook Off and the day has no room for a workout. Yet now that I think about it....I could have woken up early to get something done. There is NO such thing as "no room for a workout". That will have to be the case tomorrow too!

It's 9:30 pm. I'm going to bed. Tomorrow is another day.

Day 14

I did my second day of Aqua Aerobics. The regular teacher was not there, so they did Aqua Zumba. It was hysterical! It was a good workout, but it was sure funny! Especially compared to what Lindsi does on Saturday mornings. It was still fun and there were a lot of people there. More of the 80-year-old women in the pool. Still had a riot. 

During the last 15 minutes of the class, I had a kind of weird experience. A couple of women got up to leave early and as I looked at them as they walked out… I noticed how big they were. The first thought that hit my mind was "is that what I look like?" It was unnerving to me. It was really kind of deflating. 

I shouldn't be judgmental of someone who looks like that… Especially when I look the way that I do. But it always makes me wonder if people look at me and see the body before they see ME. Yet,  I don't want fear to be a reason for me to lose weight – being afraid of how people see me. It needs to be a healthy outlook on my life, not fear of judgment. 

When I got to my car, I picked up my phone and Googled "fear of fat people".  I wanted to know what the actual term was. The first response was – "Racist". I started laughing so hard, but it was the truth! 

Good learning experience. 

Lucky Number 13

It's Sunday, so I have a few minutes to rest and reflect. I feel such a sense of accomplishment....just because I made it through Week 2! That has always been my worst week. But Friday and Saturday changed things a great deal.

Friday I attended my Aqua Aerobics and it felt like I was working hard, but my knees weren't exploding after I was done. Then Saturday's Zumba went much better than last week. The week before I twisted and pounded my knees and it was not pleasant at all--just painful. This time, I used some caution in the way I exercised. I was still sweating buckets, but I wasn't pounding my knees.

On Day 5 I mentioned how Megan had asked me how I was feeling and I told her I felt awful. But after Saturday's Zumba class I realized that I felt GREAT. Later on that day, I noticed I was running up the stairs! I can't remember the last time I ran and did anything!


LESSONS LEARNED THIS WEEK:

• If you just keep pushing through the UGLY days, you'll make it to the Celebration Days.
• Even if you skip a day, don't fall apart and quit....just start clean the next day
• Not all Aqua Aerobics classes are filled with 80-year old ladies

GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Plan each day the night before
• Even if the day looks busy, DO NOT put off exercise until night time. It's too hard!
• Focus on healthy and active actions during the day

So, last Sunday I was just grateful to not have to exercise and this Sunday I'm excited to kick it in and start tomorrow!

A perfect dozen!

Day 12 started off wonderfully! I feel so good! I actually woke up on my own and went to Zumba all by myself with nobody holding my hand. All the people I needed to see were there in class dancing along with me (but they looked a whole lot better.)

 I want to keep this momentum going....it's feeling pretty darn good! I'm exhausted, but I can live with that.

I stared at my scale this morning with a big urge to weigh myself, but I thought "no! If I do that, the numbers on that scale will determine how I feel about myself all weekend." So instead I went to Zumba and worked my butt off (I wish!). 

Day 11 (don't those two 1's look tall and skinny?)

I did it! I went to Aqua Aerobics. It was a great workout. 

There was no need to fear jumping in the pool with all the 80-year-old women!  The class has changed since I attended years ago. There's a new instructor who seriously tries to beat the heck out of you and the majority of the class are women my age! So we worked hard and I could feel it! 

I plan on attending that class every chance I get! Plus, the 10 minutes in the steam room when I finished was heaven!

Day 10!! Yahoo!!

After yesterday's failure, I felt myself slipping and was so discouraged! I worked in the morning and when I got home the internal struggle was HUGE. I kept thinking "forget it", "it's too hard", "I'm too tired", and every other excuse I've come up with over the years. But the thought of coming to this blog and admitting defeat was overwhelming!!

I had texted Megan to see if we could work out together, but she had already made plans with her friend. I was on my own. And "my own" was not looking too promising! Then, as I sat on the couch struggling over how I was going to accomplish a workout, I got a call from that angel, Megan. Her plans with her friend had fallen through and she needed a workout buddy.....ME! It was all I needed to push me into that gym. Thanks so much, Megan!

I was pretty psyched after I finished, I realized that it was NOT a big deal to just get in my car and drive to the gym to make something fabulous happen. I'll admit that the first 5 minutes were a killer, but I pushed through and felt totally energized by the time I was done.

A mind game I play....when I reach the 11 minute mark in a 45 minute workout, I think to myself: "I just need to do that 11 minutes three more times". When I reach 15 minutes, I say "I just need to do that 15 minutes two more times". I know it sounds silly, but it seems to break up the time into manageable chunks!

Day 9

Day 9 was FAILURE! I had it all worked out and Wes called at the last minute and needed me to help him at home. I was SO mad! After that I had meetings that lasted until 10:30 pm.

I need to get a jump start! I knew the second week would be hard....it always is. But I had no idea how hard!   

The most difficult thing seems to be that I eat more because I'm exercising more!  I know I keep saying that I'm not dealing with food intake in my 100 Day Challenge, but my increased appetite makes me crazy! In reality, it's not an increase of appetite… It's just an increased desire for food. I don't get it!

Day 8

I forgot how difficult the second week of starting a new program is. I couldn't go to Aqua Aerobics because Wes needed my help in doing some business this morning. So I went for a 45 minute walk up Oak Grove. 

 I'm glad I have this 100 Day Challenge in front of me because it's going to help me push through the lack of momentum I feel today. I'll just keep pushing every day and I know that some days will be better than others.

Day 6

 Though I didn't work out today, I still counted it as part of the 100 Day Challenge. I rested my body and tried to be healthy.

But that wasn't totally successful. I had a lot of family time sitting right next to a buffet table. I ate way too much!

Even though this challenge isn't about food intake, it is about being healthy! I ate lot and I feel awful tonight! That is something I need to watch if I want to do well with this challenge.

Tomorrow morning I will start doing Aqua Aerobics at the gym and see if that controls my knee pain and still offers a decent workout. I'm a little intimidated by jumping into the pool with a bunch of 80-year-old women… But if it works, I don't care!

Day 5

Did I mention that Zumba was going to kill me? It practically did! 

I met Karen Brown at Life Center and we had a great time but it was exhausting. After the first 10 minutes I looked up at the clock and was amazed that only that short amount of time had  passed. 

They added a new thing to the workout (as if Zumba by itself wasn't enough!) After each song or dance, you had to do 10 push-ups. I did them against the wall, but it was tiring after the 6th series!

 

My knees are killing me, but I know if I go home and ice  them I'll be just fine. I will admit I've never been more excited to have the Sabbath day tomorrow where I get a rest!

 

I read Taylor's blog and noted that he is putting in weight gains and losses, etc. I made a conscious decision this time around not to weigh myself. I think that would just be more discouraging than anything for me. I'd rather just focus on being healthy and active. For 100 days I think I can do that!

The great thing is that I believe I can do this! Megan asked me today how I felt and I told her in reality, I feel AWFUL! Mostly because of my knees. But I DON'T feel discouraged. I'll just keep going and this will work itself out!

LESSONS LEARNED THIS WEEK:

• make sure the workouts have a good variety, 
• try to do your workouts at the first of the day and not make up excuses to postpone it, 
• get other people to exercise with you because it makes the time go faster, 
•  blog every day. It's a nice way to think through the experience and create new and fresh goals for yourself.

GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK

• Find a way to do upper body workout every other day to rest my knee
• Ice my knee every night
• Make plans in the evening for the following days activities
• Get excited about how good you feel!

I'm on my way......100 days is the perfect challenge.

Day 4

I learned a great lesson today. When you say you're going to work out first thing in the morning… Do it!

 I keep letting things get in the way and  then the day slips away. So at 9:00 after Wes and I went to a movie, I knew I could not let the day end in failure. 

My knee was really bothering me today and so I iced it for a while. I knew I needed to give my knee a rest so I looked for an upper body workout on TV. They weren't that exciting, but it was better than nothing. I need to get some sort of workout to give my knee a break a couple times a week. 

It's frustrating. My knee is bad because I put on the weight, but when I try to get my weight under control...my knees hurts worse! 

Tomorrow morning is Zumba,  so that ought to kill me! But what a way to go!!!

And on the third day…

With a lot of heavy breathing I'm walking to my car after a great workout in the gym. I haven't been here in a while, and it felt good to spend 45 minutes on the bike.

I was a little concerned how I was going to do my workout today because it was my day to watch Zac and Blake. But out of the blue, Megan and Taylor texted me to meet them at the gym tonight at 5:00 to work out. Perfect!

I kind of think that is how the Lord is going to help me make this happen every day. As long as I am willing, he will find a way to make it happen. So on this third day I feel great! I'm on my way!

Day 2

Lesson learned! Don't get up in the morning with every intention of working out....and then put on your warm robe instead of your workout clothes!! Suddenly I was reading the paper, doing some computer work, reading a book, dropping off to sleep in a chair---and finally at 11:00 am realizing I still needed to go walking!

By the time I got outside it had begun to lightly snow. I thought, "oh, I'll wait til this passes". But NO! If I did that, the workout would never happen. So I put up my hood and kept walking. I decided that variety in my walking course would be helpful, so I went down High Mountain to the  north and west and then came back up (puffing mightily) and went around the block. I listened to a book on CD which makes the difficult parts pass more quickly! It felt good at the end and I even went 10 minutes over! (All that puffing takes more time!) 

I was glad I kept going. So no more warm robe in the morning!
 
I think that not having a set schedule in my walking routine (ie. "walk everyday at 8:00 am") will be the hardest part of this challenge. With work and other responsibilities, I need to schedule a time every night and then push myself the next day to make it happen. Then again, that's just another part of personal control that needs to be exercised....don't let life dictate what you can accomplish! It's YOUR choice!

PS. My new shoes feel awesome! My feet don't bug me a bit!

100-Day Challenge

It's February 18th....my birthday. Today I start the 100-Day Challenge. I have committed for 100 days to exercise for 45 minutes, 6 days a week. I am to write on this blog everyday to create a record of my journey. So I have a beginning, middle, and end. Let's see where this goes.....

I've been very aware of the need for change in my health. I've felt a very spiritual prompting that I will be given the power and strength to make this happen. Even as I woke up to my first day, I noted on Instagram the scripture that showed up was:

"But if ye will turn to the Lord will full purpose of heart, and put your trust in Him, and serve Him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, He will, according to His own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage." Mosiah 7:33

Perfect.

So today began my first 45-minute walk. With my newly purchased Asics and the overly-expensive inserts...I began. I did the easy walk up Oak Grove while listening to a book on my iphone. Though I was continuously interrupted with Facebook wishes of Happy Birthday and a Happy Birthday call from Mallory....I kept going. I was amazed at how strenuous this familiar walk was. Dang it! My knees are a little sensitive, so I'll be careful.

I really struggled today at making myself arrange a time to go. I found the best solution was to start the night before and work out a schedule of when to get up, eat breakfast, walk, leave for work, etc. It felt better that I wasn't making the schedule this morning. That is always when it is the hardest. The night before is a perfect time because I feel like I can do anything!

So the 100 Days begins.

Thanks, Mug! Great birthday gift. Megan is the one who introduced me to this concept. Taylor has been doing it and it sounded perfect for me. She encouraged me NOT to add anymore to the goal, like eating patterns, etc. or else the overwhelming details would sink me before I got started. Very true.

That's what daughters are for.....