#BellasSummerChallenge: #150bybacktoschool – Week 5 Check-In

How many miles have you logged towards Bella’s Summer Challenge this week?

Happy Monday, everyone!  This week I was back to working out 6 days, with an active rest day on Saturday, and my weekly miles reflect that.

I logged 33 miles this week, and that’s not including today’s workout yet. I’m really pleased with these numbers, especially the fact that I have already exceeded my goal of 150 miles by August 15th!  With over 2 1/1 weeks left, I’m going to aim for 200 miles! This week my miles included biking, swimming, walking along the beach, a stair workout, spinning, and of course, walking Sofi.

For this week’s plan, I’m thinking kickboxing, spinning, incline treadmill, biking, swimming, and walking Sofi.  Plus my TIU toning workouts.

What’s your goal this week? What workouts do you have planned to get those miles in?  Feel free to check in below, or message me on Twitter or Instagram.  And don’t forget to use the hashtags: #150bybacktoschool and #BellasSummerChallenge

Be sure to grab this chart if you’d like a visual way to track your miles.

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#BellasSummerChallenge: #150bybacktoschool – Week 4 Check-In

How many miles have you logged towards Bella’s Summer Challenge this week?

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope the past week was a good one for you, and you were able to get in lots of fun & fitness.  This past week started out strong and then kind of “petered out” by Friday because of some disappointing personal news (more on that in a different post).  Still, I’m happy with this week’s totals!

That’s a total of 17 miles I logged this week, which is a lot less than I’ve been doing in previous weeks, but still a decent number. I got strong workouts in Monday-Thursday, which I’m really proud of.  I also got back to the TIU toning workouts.  Thursday night I got some bad news, and it really affected me.  I withdrew a bit and spent a good part of the day on Friday and Saturday on the couch watching tv.  I know I would’ve felt so much better about myself if I’d have just gone out and gone on a walk with Sofi, at the very least.  There’s nothing like working out to help me change my perspective and feel better and less stressed.  The next time I’m feeling really down I’m going to do my best to get my butt off the couch and get out and move.

This week I did the stairs at Communication Hill with a friend this morning.  I’m looking forward to continuing to workout in the mornings with Tinkerbell Tuesday-Thursday. I’ll be continuing my TIU tonight workouts, too. I also plan to get in some good swimming sessions, as well as my daily walks with Sofi.  And hopefully another fitness class or two.

What’s your goal this week? What workouts do you have planned to get those miles in?  Feel free to check in below, or message me on Twitter or Instagram.  And don’t forget to use the hashtags: #150bybacktoschool and #BellasSummerChallenge

Be sure to grab this chart if you’d like a visual way to track your miles.

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#BellasSummerChallenge: #150bybacktoschool – Week 3 Check-In

How many miles have you logged towards Bella’s Summer Challenge this week?

Happy Monday, everyone!  I hope the past week was a good one for you, and you were able to get in lots of fun & fitness.  I left for a teaching conference last Monday – Thursday, but I’m really proud to say that I logged in lots of miles even though I was traveling.  In fact, because we walked around Sacramento so much, I think I got in more miles than I might’ve if I stayed home.  Either way, it was a great week. Here are my totals as of this morning, including this morning’s workout:

That’s a total of 46 miles in this week!  It was a lot of walking, but also included elliptical, swimming, and a lot of biking this weekend.  As a reminder, the TIU girls say that biking miles should be divided in 3.  So if you biked 12 miles, you’ll count that as 4 miles.  I myself just count the time spent doing the activity to keep the math simple.  So, since I biked for 70 minutes on Saturday, I counted it as 7 miles.

This week I’m going to fit in some fitness classes, something I love but haven’t been doing yet this summer.  In addition, I want to make sure to get in some swimming and biking, along with lots of walking.

What’s your goal this week? What workouts do you have planned to get those miles in?  Feel free to check in below, or message me on Twitter or Instagram.  And don’t forget to use the hashtags: #150bybacktoschool and #BellasSummerChallenge

So far it looks like I’m the only one using any of these hashtags, at least from my search on Instagram this morning:

Be sure to grab this chart if you’d like a visual way to track your miles.

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#BellasSummerChallenge: #150bybacktoschool – Week 2 Check-In

How many miles have you logged towards Bella’s Summer Challenge this week?

So my idea of posting the weekly check in on Sunday kind of went by the wayside this weekend. LOL.  I guess I was having too much fun on Sunday Funday.  In order to keep things consistent from here on out, I think I’m going to move the check in post to Mondays instead.

This week I clocked lots of miles toward the #150bybacktoschool –

I’m really proud of how many miles I got in this week!  41 miles in one week is awesome (if I do say so myself!), especially considering it was my birthday week.  But I did make a habit of going to workout first thing in the morning most of the days, and on the days I didn’t hit the gym, I did a ton of walking and biking.

This coming week I’m going to be in Sacramento for a teaching conference – I leave later this afternoon and will return on Thursday afternoon.  One thing we do a lot of while we’re there is walk, so I’m pretty confident that I can log plenty of miles.  The hotel we’re staying at also has a pool and a fitness center, so I really have no excuse not to get in some activity.

What’s your goal this week? What workouts do you have planned to get those miles in?  Feel free to check in below, or message me on Twitter or Instagram.  And don’t forget to use the hashtags: #150bybacktoschool and #BellasSummerChallenge  Be sure to grab this chart if you’d like a visual way to track your miles.

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#BellasSummerChallenge: #150bybacktoschool – Week 1 Check-In

How many miles have you logged towards Bella’s Summer Challenge this week?

I thought it would be nice to write a check-in post on Sundays because Sunday is a day that ends the week or begins a new week, depending on your perspective.  I spend a lot of time on Sundays reflecting on what I’ve accomplished and planning my workouts for the upcoming week.

This week I’m pleased with my progress toward the #150bybacktoschool.

These miles include yesterday’s Giant Race 5K, lots of neighborhood walks with Sofi, and an elliptical session.  I have to admit, I did let myself start my mornings slooooowly this week, and didn’t get in as many workouts at the gym as I usually do.  But I think every once in awhile it’s okay to have more of a milder week, especially considering all the events I’ve been able to enjoy this week.

I have tons of celebrations planned for the upcoming week, too, but I’m determined to get in stronger workouts and to log more miles.  I’m going to get back to C25K, do a spin class or two, hit the elliptical, swim, and of  course, walk with Sofi. I’m giving myself the goal of getting 24 miles in this week.

What’s your goal this week? What workouts do you have planned to get those miles in?  Feel free to check in below, or message me on Twitter or Instagram.  And don’t forget to use the hashtags: #150bybacktoschool and #BellasSummerChallenge  Be sure to grab this chart if you’d like a visual way to track your miles.

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#Reverb13, Day 10: Inspiration

Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb13: Reverb is a way to reflect on the past year and project into the next year with a prompt a day for 31 days.  December is the perfect time to reflect on 2013 and start to create intentions for 2014.

Day 10: Inspiration
What inspired you this year?  How do you think this will impact the year to come?

I don’t mean to sound conceited or self-important, but I can honestly say that this year I have inspired myself.

For so many years, weight loss was this elusive dream, this faraway goal that was just beyond my grasp. For every positive step forward, I’d do something that would take me 3 steps back.  This cycle went on for years. Yet through all the struggle and frustration I never gave up.  Perseverance was my mantra.

So this year, when everything finally clicked in my head and I stopped allowing myself to make excuses, I started to achieve what had been unattainable for so long.  My actions brought on positive momentum, and I started to motivate myself.  My new body meant that my outside finally started to match my inside. With each success on the scale, I gained strength.  I’ve always been a strong woman who believed in herself, but now I was unstoppable.

I have been inspired by my weight loss, and my greatest hope is that through this blog, through my photo status updates on FB, through my TBT pics on Instagram I will inspire someone else who is feeling as desperate as I have.

My story makes me proud. My journey fills me with joy.

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#Reverb12, Day 16: Who Inspired You?

Throughout the month of December, I’ll be participating in #reverb12: celebrating the successes of 2012, honoring the challenges of 2012, and planting the seeds for a rich and rewarding 2013. December is the perfect time to reflect on the year that has passed and start to manifest dreams for the new year.

Day 14 – Who inspired you in 2012? And why? What gifts did they give you? And how will you carry these forward in to 2013?

This question is so simple for me to answer.  I have been inspired by so many people this past year:

• My sister, who is a single mother of two adorable girls, with an ultra-demanding and stressful career, yet she still manages to find time to listen to me whenever I need her advice.
• My parents, who remain active every day, and though they are 65 and 72, seem as young and spirited as if they were in their 50s.
• My friends, who never question my need to skip dinners and drinks in favor of meeting for coffee or a movie to help me stay on my diet.
• My blogging buddies, who read my posts and are my biggest cheerleaders.  They inspire me to reach new heights on a daily basis.
• The WLS people I follow on YouTube, who have led the way and documented the good and the bad along their own journeys.

Each of these people have touched my heart in innumerable ways, and have given me more gifts than I can count. I’m blessed that these people will continue to be part of my life as I move forward in 2013.

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Quote of the Week – Decide What You Want

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want. — Ben Stein

This is the perfect quote for me this week because I have decided that I want quite a few things in 2010, but all of them boil down to wanting a healthier, happier me.  Moving forward, I’m going to keep in the front of my mind that everything I’m doing – tracking my food, training for the 5K, personal training, eating on plan with WW – is all for a healthier, happier life.

Reminding myself of that one, simple truth will go a long way in achieving all of these steps toward success.

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WL Quote of the Day – Do It!

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus

In other words, enough talk – it’s time for action!  Or, as Nike told us, Just Do It!  It’s a great advertising motto, but it’s also true.  The time for action is now, otherwise life will keep passing me by and I won’t be any better off than I am now.  I have very clear goals of where I what I want/who I want to be, I know the things I need to do to get there, and now all that’s left is DOING them.

Happy Friday, everyone!  Today is my last day of school for two weeks, and I am really looking forward to the time off.  I’m hoping to get myself back into workout and weight loss mode, as I was in the summer.  I’m going to refocus myself so that I can move into 2010 in the best possible mindframe and attitude.  Oh, and of course, action!

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WL Quote of the Day – Dare to Begin!

If you don’t dare to begin, you don’t stand a chance of getting there. ~ Unknown

They say that the hardest part of beginning any journey is the first step.  For me, I’ve had a lifetime of first steps, but the most difficult seem to be the 2nd and 200th and 2000th.  Starting is easy, the hard part is keeping it up.  So I read this quote and dare myself to begin a true weight loss journey.  One where I don’t give in to every small temptation, but one where I keep a renewed commitment to myself at the forefront of my mind.  If I can’t, then I’ll definitely never reach the finish line.

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