March 2013
1 post
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Body Gospel Challenge Update
For the past three weeks, I have been running a Lenten Body Gospel workout challenge. It has been such a good experience, I had to share.
The Lenten season is a time for sacrifice, to get closer to God. I always have the best intentions to open my bible and study daily, but more often than not, I fall short. Lately, I have also gotten away from consistent exercise, this challenge has changed...
February 2013
1 post
12 tags
After the Loving
Hey. Remember me? It’s been a long while since I’ve written. Where have I been you ask? Quite honestly, I’ve been in a rut, so I thought I should write because you may be in one too. We’re half way through the second month of the year and have endured Girl Scout cookies, the Super Bowl, Fat Tuesday, and now Valentine’s Day. Now that the lovin is over, perhaps it’s time to refocus and hop...
January 2013
3 posts
3 tags
New Year, New W
Please forgive my recent silence. The flu bug hit my house and it was ugly. I haven’t been that sick in a very long time. Anyway, I finally decided my health and fitness goal for 2013. I know it’s the right one because it’s a little scary. My goal this year (drumrole please) is to cross over into Wonderland (I think it’s really Onederland, but you know about me and my...
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December 2012
7 posts
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When will your new year begin?
For those who celebrate Christmas, I hope you enjoyed the day with family and loved ones and took time to recognize the true meaning of the season. Now that the holiday is over, my question to you is when will your new year begin? If you’ve been eating more and exercising less, will you continue these habits until January 2nd, or will you buckle down and make today your new year? As I have said...
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Fa la la la la?
We’re knee deep in it now - 3rd day of Hanukkah, 15 days away from Christmas, holiday parties, shopping, decorating, baking, covering for vacations at work…… stress.
So how do we make it through the rest of the holiday season without losing our minds and our momentum? By being realistic.
I think the reason so many people let their guard down is the pursuit of perfectionism....
November 2012
1 post
6 tags
End it Right!
I hope the Halloween treats didn’t trick you. We still have Thanksgiving and whichever winter holiday you celebrate to prepare for. On Friday, I got my first taste of the holidays, a team luncheon buffet. I started off strong with a nice salad with balsamic vinaigrette and a cup of Manhattan clam chowder. The soup was so good, I had another cup and of course two pieces of bread with...
October 2012
3 posts
5 tags
Knowledge is Power
I’m in week 2 of the AcCOUNTability challenge. If you have not started yet, today’s a good day. You are not behind. (see the post from 10/1 or contact me for details)
I try to change my challenges each month so that I don’t get bored and because I know everyone, from the words of Tamara Lowe, has a different “motivational DNA”. What gets you to act may not necessarily inspire me to act and so...
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WooHoo
I’ve turned into the girl who only buys something for herself out of necessity (my how times have changed from my weekly trips to Lord and Taylor!) Anyway, my everyday flat black boots had seen a better day, so I bought a new pair of wedge boots. I am so glad I did. My pants are getting so loose that I need the extra height to keep them from dragging on the ground. And to that I say,...
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AcCOUNTability
Yesterday marked the official end of the 3rd annual Back 2 School, Back 2 Fitness challenge. For those of you who were not part of the official group, but participated on your own, how did you do?
This month’s challenge is an AcCOUNTability challenge. It will run from Monday, October 8 - Wednesday, October 31. The focus is going to be on four behaviors that I have found to be critical in my...
September 2012
4 posts
1 tag
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4th Quarter
I’ve been in birthday celebration mode, so please forgive the long delay between posts. I promised to give an update on my 40 by 40 goal (see previous posts for more info). I did turn 40. I unfortunately did not reach my goal of 40 pounds lost by that date. I did, though, get to my lowest weight in about 10 years and my wardrobe has expanded. I can now fit in to some of those “one day I’ll get...
August 2012
4 posts
4 tags
It's That Time Again
Can you believe summer is almost officially over? Time sure does fly. The end of summer means it’s time for my 3rd Annual Back to School, Back to Fitness Challenge. This year’s challenge will run from September 10 – September 30. The focus is going to be on making small changes in your lifestyle. Of course, you must first start with a goal, so start thinking about which area of your health...
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Butterflies
Can you believe that today I am celebrating my 40th birthday and I still get butterflies of anticipation? I’ve always loved my birthday. It’s my special day; the one day of the year when I don’t worry about how much money is in the bank or what needs to be repaired in the house, or when I’m going to get past my weight loss plateau, or where to start cleaning my messy...
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Tick Tock
Time sure does fly. With only 14 days until 40, I am far from achieving my goal. I refuse to panic or do something crazy for the sake of reaching a certain number on the scale. If you’ve been reading my posts, you know I feel strongly that the number on the scale is only one way to determine your progress. My clothes are getting looser. I joked on my Facebook page that my micr0-mini skirts...
July 2012
5 posts
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40 by 40 -Gotta Keep it Real
Week 2 of my quest to lose 40 by 40 was not my best. I completed 3 workouts compared to a goal of 5. My eating was just okay and guess what, the scale reflected my efforts. Since the rear view mirror is smaller than the front view, I will not dwell on the past and look forward to what is ahead. To that end, I planned and prepared my meals for today and added 2 new foods to my grocery list -...
tbtpoe asked: Hey! So proud of your fitness journey! Shakeology is definitely the way to go. Are you using your beachbody coach to the fullest? He or she will have great tips to help!
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40 by 40 Update
July 5 marked 40 days before my 40th birthday. My goal is to lose 40 pounds by the time I hit 40. When I weighed in on July 5, the magic number was 5.7 pounds. I weighed on Friday and the new magic number is (drum role please!) - 5.7 pounds. Although the scale did not move, I am not discouraged. Here is why.
I can honestly say I focused on Working Out, Writing it Down, and Water, the first...
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40 by 40
Today marks 40 days before my 40th birthday. In recent months, life happened causing me to lose focus on my weight loss efforts. I am using the next 40 days to build momentum for a new decade. My goal is to lose 40 pounds before my 40th Birthday, 5.7 pounds. A group of my girlfriends are cheering me on while working to achieve their own fitness goals.
In order to achieve any goal, you have to...
June 2012
2 posts
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Summer - A New Perspective
In the past, when I thought of summer, I thought it was the ideal time to work on your fitness and weight loss goals. The weather is warmer, so you can no longer hide under an extra layer of clothes, which can be a motivator. The hearty stews of winter are replaced with lighter salads made from seasonal vegetables. Since the days are longer, there is more time for outdoor activities…
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May 2012
1 post
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Wagon
Today I broke a streak of 11 days without a workout. I have been down, quite honestly, borderline depressed over the trials of life. This was the longest I had been without a workout in over 2 years and though I know all about how the endorphins released as a result of physical activity are natural anti-depressants, I just couldn’t muster up the energy to do what is oftentimes the hardest part...
April 2012
2 posts
4 tags
Fighting the Funk
I haven’t been writing as regularly because I’ve been too busy being paralyzed by my problems. Having been raised in the church, I should know better, but I’m human. Since each day is a present that we will never get back, I’ve been making a conscious effort to focus on the positive things in my life (wasn’t that one of my new year’s resolutions anyway!!) To that end, I’ve been keeping a log of...
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Slow Start
As you may already know, I am a huge baseball fan and support my hometown team, the Phillies. This season, we’re off to a slow 1-3 start. I think we’ve scored a total of 8 runs in the first 4 games. Is all hope for the season lost? Of course not. There are still 158 more games to play. And there’s always faith that management will find the right line up and the bats will warm up in the next...
March 2012
3 posts
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Whisper
Last week’s week’s focus was about getting my “Wheel” turning or gaining and keeping momentum. I did okay, completed 3 intense workouts, but my personal goal is to get back to working out 6 days a week, so I had to do some more soul searching to try to uncover what is holding me back. I missed a couple of workouts because I didn’t feel like getting up extra early or staying up extra late to get...
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Wheels
At the end of each week, I assess how my week went and what area could use more attention in order to move myself forward on my fitness journey. Last week, I finally broke a plateau I had been on for far too long, so this week I wanted to focus on keeping the Wheels turning, or momentum. The weekend went well until Sunday. I was proud because despite the loss of an hour of sleep, I still got up in...
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Weekend
Just as the Chinese celebrated the year of the dragon this year, as I approach 40 later this year, I am celebrating the year of the onion, in which I am peeling back layers of myself to get to the core of exactly who I am. In regard to my health and fitness journey, I had been gaining and losing the same pounds for quite some time. When I took the time to be honest with myself, a big issue...
February 2012
5 posts
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When?
This past weekend was hectic. Between my two kids, I watched two basketball games, attended two birthday parties, had ballet class, took a trip to the library, visited my mom, attended church, and did some grocery shopping and laundry. At the end of the weekend, I was exhausted, but worse, one thing I did not add to the list above was a workout or any time for myself. I hear this same sentiment...
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Sacrifice
Today is Ash Wednesday. When I was younger, I would faithfully make a sacrifice for these 40 days preceding Easter. In the past few years, however, I gave up giving up things. Because I am still able to stand, have food on my table, running water, electricity flowing through my home, a warm place to rest my head, and transportation to get me around, all of which at some point in time during...
6 tags
I Missed a Workout, Now What?
Every week on my Facebook page, I try to focus on a different topic that will help on this journey towards better health and fitness. Last week’s focus was “Working Out”. While I have been fairly consistent with my workouts, I haven’t been as consistent as I have in the past. I made Working Out the focus so I could address the cause of my recent inconsistency.
Having...
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What's Love Got to Do With It?
Happy Valentine’s Day. Despite being a hopeless romantic, I won’t be receiving any candy or flowers today. Rather than sink into despair, I try to focus on some other good aspects of the day, such as the fact that February 14th is exactly 6 months from my birthday! This year, God willing, I’ll be turning the big 4 0, so that’s something to celebrate, right?
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Month in Review
I had a minimal weight loss in 2011 and while I’ve learned not to become a slave to the scale, I have to admit I was disappointed in my result. In an effort to avoid the same thing happening again in 2012, I’ve decided to track my progress each month rather than quarterly.
January really flew by. I’ll start with the positive. My Wii Fit calendar was stamped each day, which means I was...
January 2012
3 posts
4 tags
Excuses, Excuses
January 1, 2012 - I’m going to get in shape this year, but I’ll wait to start until all of my holiday goodies are gone.
January 23, 2012 – I’m ready to start getting into shape, but it’s Girl Scout Cookie time, as soon as that’s over I’ll be ready.
January 30, 2012, - Girl Scout Cookie time is almost over, but the Super Bowl is on Sunday, so I’ll wait until after the Super Bowl to get...
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Making Time for Me
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Year in Review
We’ve said goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. This is the first year I haven’t felt exhilarated by the idea of a fresh start. I think I have finally come to the realization that any day can be a fresh start if I need it to be.
The first of the year is a good time to set new goals and evaluate your progress on the ones you set this time last year. I am pleased with the progress...
December 2011
3 posts
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Crunch Time
Happy Friday. The holidays are officially upon us and I know you are extra busy shopping, wrapping, cooking, visiting with relatives, the list goes on and on. With all of the hustle and bustle, don’t forget about taking care of yourself during this season. You may have to temporarily shift some priorities, and may not be able to do everything you have been doing, but try to maintain at...
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Back to Where I Started
I have been crocheting for many years. All the practice has given me confidence in my ability, so I am constantly looking for projects to challenge me. Thanks to Lion Brand Yarn Company, I found one. It is a blanket that gives a weaving illusion. The stitch used is a very basic stitch, the challenge comes in keeping count of the stitches and lots of color changes. I found a good yarn sale,...
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There's Still Time to End it Right!
With 4 weeks left in this year, there is still plenty of time to makes strides towards your health and fitness goals. The compact version of My End it Right Challenge started today. If you need some motivation to help you build momentum for the New Year, there are still a couple of spots left. You are not behind. Today’s assignment is to create the goal you would like to achieve by the end of...
November 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Thanksgiving Survival Guide
Halloween and all of the goodies are behind us. This week brings the next test of the season -Thanksgiving, otherwise known as eatfest. My personal goal this season is to beat the average 8 pound weight gain and to begin 2012 with momentum rather than another resolution. Preparation is key. If you are hosting the meal at your house, there’s no doubt you have prepared a menu, a grocery...
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It's That Time of the Year Again!
All of the retailers are starting their holiday drives early, so I thought I should begin my holiday motivation a little earlier too. This is the scariest time of the year for me. In the past I have had the tendency to get a little lax with my healthy eating and exercising habits starting at Halloween and it has snowballed through New Year’s Day, at which time I would make a resolution to undo...
