It's Not About the Numbers...

But let's be honest: they sometimes help motivate!

Here's a little graph of the weight per month that I've lost. Pretty interesting, and motivating- that is, to up the annie!

Inspiration: Frank Yazvac

Welcome to my first of many inspiration posts. Pretty self explanatory, but I think it's good to notice those in your life who are good role models for your journey or even just encouraging to you.

Frank is my sweet brother in law that I've had the priveledge knowing for the last five years. He's a super talented musician, great dad, sweet husband, and now even more of an inspiration to me. Last year he started to take a step towards changing his lifestyle by cutting out all carbonated drinks out of his diet. For anyone that's had any sort of food addiction, you can relate to how hard it would be to rid yourself of that sort of vice. Really, I think he'd been drinking them every day for years. His next step towards health that I noticed was at Easter this year when he told me he had started to count calories by using an app on his new smartphone. The next time I saw him at a restaraunt couple months later, he had lost over 30 lbs. You could certainly tell, and I noticed every detail of his meal that he chose: A salad, minus the cheese and croutons, and dressing on the side, with water to drink.

Fast forward a few months to my last connection with him, which was earlier this month ago at a family outing. In walked a younger, healthier, happier Frank who has lost 62 lbs and looked fantastic! I especially noticed the pride in his mom's eyes when she saw her son... so happy for him! Of course, I started talking to him about his weight loss, and he told me that he's still limiting his calories and is now exercising every day-waking up at 4:30 am to run around the local High School's track. I was with the fam for two days, and every morning I witnessed him staying true (even on vacation!) by waking up before everyone and exercising. I also noticed what he ordered that night when we went out to eat-- water with a veggie burger. Not the Frank I knew a year ago!

Way to go, Franky. Way to beat the odds. People make excuses every day that you are now conquring. They say they don't have time. They don't have money. That they want to spend all their free time with the kids. That they're the only ones working in the family. They don't have a gym. They don't have a personal trainer. Way to beat all those excuses down the drain and take control of your health! I'm proud of you and you're certainly an inspiration to me!

Left: 2009                         Right: July 2012! 

Note To Self

I was on a jog last night and was thinking about my rough day (nutritionally speaking)...and an old, scary thought came to mind: "Well, thank goodness I'm exercising since I ate so bad today."

Oh my.

I realized that last year I would think like that all the time! I would make deals with myself... saying that if I ate bad, it would be ok since I was regularly exercising. Or saying...well, if I want that dessert, I shouldn't eat much for dinner so that it would even out.

During my jog, I made a mental block. I don't want to think like that any more! I want to eat healthy. All the time. I don't want to make bets or deals with myself that will, in the end, result in failure.

So... note to self:

I'm exercising to become healthy and maintain a healthy body. I'm researching, purchasing, and preparing nutritious food to fuel my body so that together, I can lead a healthy lifestyle.

Goals#2: Revised

I've had these plotted out for a while now... truth!

This time I broke them up in three categories, as follows:

Short term:

• Learn how to swim for exercise
• Complete the Rossville 5K (and I've thought, perhaps, that maybe I'll try doing one 5K each month, and at each one trying to beat my time on the previous.... hm. maybe.)
• Complete the Steps to Life 5K (and you should, too! It's cheap and donations are for a GREAT cause!)
• Learn how to do the rowing machine with correct form
• Get in the 220's by September 1st

Ongoing: 

• Yoga once a week 
• Cross train for cardio three times a week 
• Blog a minimum of once a week 
• Fun a new friend to trail run with once a month
• Find, try, and post successful recipes
• Limit sugar intake to around 30-40g per day
• Drink 64oz of water, and at least 1/2 of that before lunch

Long Term (well, by the end of 2012)

• Under 200lbs by new year's eve????
• Coordinate a family 5K
• Research more about nutrition's impact on weight loss
• Throw out the birth control!
• Prepare, prepare, prepare for Christmas & Thanksgiving holiday eating (start new trends in healthy holiday meals????) 
• Finish a 5K in under 30 minutes