drop it LOW

W.O.W.


seriously pathetic, how long it's been since i last blogged anything. a LOT has been going on. jim being home now is like he never left. crazy, how that is. we've been doing a TON of remodeling which has been extremely stressful and overwhelming. i was without a kitchen for a super long time and had to blend my shakes in my bedroom vanity area and wash dishes in my bathroom sink. SO glad we are past that now. i will never take for granted a working kitchen ever again!


zumba has continued to be my passion and my escape. i am so grateful i found my beloved friend, michaela. honestly, if it had been any other instructor, i am not sure i would have gravitated to it as much as i have. she was there for me, bringin' the sweat and the smiles during the most difficult time in jim's deployment and i am forever grateful to her...for her talents, positive nature and friendship. i never thought an instructor at the gym would turn into one of my best friends, but she has. i've also made other friends which i can easily say will be lifelong ones.


i've been stuck around 130+ pounds, which has been highly abnormal and annoying for me. even with all my exercise, something wasn't working. i finally splurged on a heart rate monitor and discovered what i was *actually* burning. you see, when i'd work out, i'd assume i was burning 800+ calories per hour, and so i would eat my calories. the garmin on my wrist told me otherwise. i felt defeated...even thought it was broken?! haha... nope. i had to face the fact that i am on the smaller side and just don't burn that many calories when i exercise. in reality, i burn 350-400 per hour. my turn-around was the combination of: zumba, shakeology, heart rate monitor & myfitnesspal.com. myfitnesspal has been an excellent resource for tracking my weight, calories, water, etc. BAM. the weight began to come off. i am pleased to say i have lost about ten pounds, which is exactly what i wanted. 


remember my BEFORE photos? 

here i am now, at 121 pounds:

                    

i still have a bit of side roll going on, but i am going to faithfully continue what i've been doing because - it works!! and if you want to join me at zumba sometime, let me know - i'd love that!

like, woah.

sooo....yeah.

it's been wayyy too long. although i've continued to zumba like crazy....and even did a few personal training sessions....my soldier came home and it totally put my eating habits into whack. i blame it all on him!! how's that, for accountability?  *teehee*

i've been starting to weight train with one of my zumba friends before zumba class. i think that has helped. jim and i are using the gym as "date night" from time to time. that helps. still....i need to be drinking way more water than i do. AND, the biggie....my sweet tooth. it rules me. i am powerless over it. problem is, i need to set myself up for success not failure. i buy the bag of twizzlers when i'm craving it, then wonder why the bag is completely gone by the end of the night.

knowing i have such poor willpower, i know i can't be bringing goodies home because i can - and WILL - eat them. not only will i eat them, i will munch munch munch 'til they're all gone. it's pathetic really...but it's reality.

here are my new goals:

• drink at least 80 oz. cold water, daily
• have at least one Shakeology, daily
• Zumba at least three times per week (easy to do!)
• do at least 20 minutes of weights, 4 days out of the week, especially before a workout
• don't buy sweets to bring home. period.
• if i want a treat during a movie, it can be a stick of Extra dessert gum
• abs before bed, like i used to
• when i have the munchies: raw almonds, apple slices, carrot stick

i could very well be pregnant right now, and i always start my pregnancies off in great shape with a ripped stomach. i've had four kids and i'm pushing 34, so that may not happen this time...but i definitely need to get to a better place than where i am now. in my adult life, i have always kept my weight around 120 lbs, without even trying. ever since i turned 30 and had my 4th baby, my weight has crept closer to 130 lbs and that's WITH effort. it sucks, but it's the new reality. i think if i can get my sweet tooth under control, my body and my health would be amazing!

here we go!! had a Shakeology for breakfast,  followed by Ab Ripper X (yowza!!!) and half an hour of Zumba...with more Zumba tonight at the gym. yay!