The End Is Near: 5 Days Until The Final Weigh In

Five more days until my final weigh-in with my sister-in-law and I couldn't be happier. Not that our competition is over, but for the progress I've made. I finally feel as though I've hit my groove. Now, granted, the last two weeks haven't been great on the workout front due to our hectic schedule but that still hasn't stopped me from dropping some lbs. I'm not ready to say how many but it's a good number, at least in my mind.

I'm not even done with this challenge and I'm already thinking about my next one. I believe I will be competing with my brother for about 6 weeks with our final weigh in taking place on the beloved turkey day. Glenn and I are trying to figure out our plan of attack. He wants to lose at least 20 pounds by Christmas so this will force me keep on my path through the end of the year. After that, the world is my oyster!

Stay tuned on Sunday to find out whether or not I crushed this competition!

The Scale Doesn't Lie...And That's a Good Thing!

My post today comes to you live from lovely Phoenix, AZ. I'm in charge of programming for a new conference in January so we're checking out the resort for planning purposes. So given that, I did my weekly weigh in this morning and was surprised by what I saw.

We were at my brother and sister-in-law's this weekend and I wasn't great about watching what I ate. I didn't overindulge but I certainly wasn't counting calories. And even still, I lost a couple of pounds. I am officially down 7.4 pounds in the last 5 weeks. Can I get a woot woot?!?!

I've got a little less than 2 weeks until my final weigh in. I would love to step on that scale and see a 10 pound weight loss but I'll take what I can get. It's definitely hard traveling for work. I'm trying to make good choices and walking around the property in this 101 degree heat certainly helps sweat it out but you don't always get to control what you get to eat. I've been implementing the "it's ok to not clean your plate" rule while I'm here. I just hope I don't see a weight loss gain when I get back.

On a different note, we took in a kick ass concert over the weekend. Nothing More, Hellyeah, Volbeat, and Five Finger Death Punch played the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. And let me tell you...Volbeat. Was. Awesome!! I would definitely go see them again. Too bad you missed it Jared!

Workout Challenge: Complete!

I didn't realize it until today but yesterday was the end of my 30 day workout challenge. I fulfilled all but one of those days but I consider this a huge win in my book!

What's so awesome is that the past month hasn't felt at all like a lot of extra work. Yes there have been times where the last thing I wanted to do was work out but I did it anyway. I'm still slightly in shock that I actually made it! 

Because this went much better than I expected, I'm pushing myself to another thirty days. Plus I'm adding to it. For the next thirty days, I'm going to actually measure my food rather than saying "yup, that looks like 3 ounces". I've only got three more weeks to beat my sister-in-law and earn myself that pedicure!

On a completely separate note, I'm considering selling Thirty One mostly to get out of the house at least once a month and earn a little extra money for funsies. Would anyone book a party if I did that? It's just an idea but one I'm strongly considering. 

You Inspire Me

Last night at my thirty-one party, the consultant had everyone go around the room and introduce themselves and then say one positive or encouraging thing about me. I heard that I'm friendly, I'm fun, I have a great sense of humor, I'm always willing to lend an ear, and they like having me as part of their lives. But the one that stuck with me the most was hearing one of my friends say that I motivated her. I loved every single one of the comments I heard but to have someone tell me that I motivate them gave me an overwhelming sense of pride. And also made me want to cry a little.

I've had people tell me before that I've motivated them for one thing or another but never when it comes to weight loss. My friend and I have similar struggles when it comes to our bodies so it was refreshing to hear that I, an overweight person, inspire her. And truth be told, she's an inspiration to me as well. It's comforting to have someone else that that can challenge you and remind you that you don't have to feel guilty if you miss a workout.

I have many friends (and family) who inspire and motivate me and I want to take a moment to say "Thank you". I haven't given up yet and it's mostly because of you. There have been a few days where I wanted to quit but I thought about what I promised myself and all of you and I kept going. Every day I get closer to my goal of losing weight and becoming a healthier, happier me. So thank you for being there for me, even if you didn't know you were.

Ain't No Stopping Me Now

Three weeks into my weight loss challenge with my sister-in-law and I'm down 5 pounds. Sing it with me..."Ain't no stoppin' me now"!

I've got more energy.

I feel stronger.

I. Feel. Amazing.

This weekend we went camping with my brother and sister-in-law and their two kids and I allowed myself to have a "cheat" weekend. I still worked out (with the exception of last night) and kind of kept track of my calories but still allowed myself to eat what I wanted. And while the bliss of drinking multiple beers and eating powdered donuts for breakfast was fun, I felt absolutely awful afterwards. Not in the sense of guilt but my stomach hated me for it.

Allowing myself to cheat on food confirmed that I was on the right path with this weight loss challenge. I'm certainly not a clean food eater but I'm definitely not where I was a month ago. That's definitely got to count for something!