Today was tough because Pyper brought me Belle at 2:30 am. There is no reason she should have been awake, but she was. She was up off and on for the rest of the night. I didn't get much sleep. I think today was my hardest day so far to force myself to get up and get my exercise clothes on and go out and walk. It would have been so easy to not do it, and even justifiable, but not okay. If I said it was okay this time, it would be that much easier next time.

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So today I walked my normal route and ran up my super incline. I might have done it a little slower today, but I did it.

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Now I am going to look up weight classes on Mom's website. I did 60 crunches and 20 leg lifts.

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It is definitely Monday but I can do this. I can do hard things. :)
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I forgot my numbers:

Neck                                        16 1/2                          16

Chest                                        41 1/2                          41

Boobs                                                                           46

Rib Cage                                   45                                42

Waist                                        47                                47

Abdomen                                  54                                54

Butt                                           53                                52 1/2

Upper Arm                                15 1/2                         15 1/2

Upper thigh                                27                               27

Calf                                            16 1/2                         16 1/2

So basically I stayed the same this week. I can live with that, as long as I am not getting bigger. :)

Friday

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So Friday I didn't walk because I was watching 2 of my nieces and Jacob didn't feel comfortable watching them while I walked......so......did I give up and just say, 'it's only one day. It won't matter.' NOPE! I got on-line and did one of my Mom's exercise workouts. I was concerned that it wouldn't do a good a job as my walking....boy was I wrong. I did a 45 minute dance workout and it really worked me. I was sweating by the end (and I am like my Mom, I don't sweat often or easily). Today I woke up with sore back thighs. It was a great workout! Oh and I also did 180 squats and my weights. I also did my music makers which is about 20 minutes of cardio. Those kids really get you moving. :)

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Saturday

Today I did my walk/run and my incline. I ran the incline as hard as I could and felt really good. :) I did 150 crunches. Feeling the burn! :) So, yesterday I put on my jeans and they were loose. The longer I wore them throughout the day, the looser they got. By the end of the day I could grab a bunch on my pants on each side. Woo Hoo!!! My stomach still isn't going down much but my legs (and of course my boobs) are shrinking nicely. So excited! :)

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PS I made cookies today for my grandpa's wedding anniversary. I had a bite of the dough and it almost made me sick. This no sugar or less sugar thing is really working well for me. I had a weak moment last night where I was feeling overwhelmed with our financial agreement. Normally I would go for my frozen dove candy. Last night I went to the freezer, grabbed 4 pieces and went to lay down in bed. I put the candy on the table next to the bed......it is still sitting there.  :)  I can't use food to solve my emotional problems. That was an eye opener from my. I wasn't doing it consciously and I have even thought about it. I thought I just liked eating chocolate. But now I know the truth about myself. It is a good thing. I am excited about it. Gives me more incentive to keep doing the right thing!

1.5 walk/run today with more running then I like but my body just wants to go, go, go. Usual incline, going a little higher this time. I also hit the incline again on the way back (it is at the bottom of the first hill I go down and the last hill I go up. :) ). I only made it half way up but I was proud of myself and I will make it further tomorrow. :)

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Forgot to do my weights yesterday so I did them today. Rested from my other exercises (it says to do that every 3 days and because of Sunday,  I usually pick a random day during the week)

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Pants are starting to fit a little looser. Maybe this thing really is working. ;)

Walked today 1.5 + a little extra. Did the incline and went a little further day. Starting to push myself. Running on the downhill, although I hate it, my body just wants to go.

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180 squats, 130 crunches, 60 second plank

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It is REALLY hot today. Hoping to keep cool in the house. Made for a hot walk this morning and lots of sweat but I still feel good. :) I know I am still in the euphoria stage but I love getting my body in shape. I love being able to pick things up off the ground without even thinking about it. It isn't about size (my clothes still fit the same, especially the pants) but about mobility. I am up and moving instead of feeling so exhausted all the time. Thank goodness. I want to be active for the rest of my life. :)

Forgot to post measurements: 

(thanks Connie for the chart to help me know what to measure and keep track)

Neck                                                    N/A             16 1/2

Chest                                                    42                41 1/2

Rib Cage                                              N/A              45

Waist                                                    48 1/2          47

Abdomen (6" below waist)                    55                54

Buttocks                                               N/A             53

Upper Arm (left)                                   16                15 1/2

Upper Arm (right)                                 16                15 1/2

Upper thigh (left)                                   27 1/2          27

Upper thigh (right)                                 27 1/2          27

There are other things that I measure but I am not going to detail all of those here. :) I thought the neck was a funny one and that is why I included it.

So....I didn't think I was making any significant change but I guess I am, little by little. I can live with that. :)

Saturday

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Walked 1.5 miles with the added incline. Did weights. It was a busy day but I was so glad to squeeze this in. It made me feel proud! Saturday night we went to a friends house, who has a super steep driveway. (remember Uncle Rusty's house that had that steep driveway? It was like that, except their is a nice parking area at the bottom) Always before I dreaded going down to their house because I knew I would have to walk back up the driveway and it would leave me breathless. 

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We were there for dinner with several other families. There were kids running around everywhere and having a great time. They would go halfway up the driveway and then roll Frisbee down the hill, laughing hysterically about where they would end up. Belle decided she wanted to play and was rolling the Frisbee down several times. Then she decided to skip the Frisbee rolling and just run up the hill. At the top of the hill was the road. I took off like a rocket after her. Not only was I able to catch up with her at the top of the hill, before she got to the road, amazing in itself, but I was also not out of breath. This was a shock to me. I didn't just walk up the hill, I ran and it felt GREAT!! 

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I am so excited to be getting my body healthy and in shape. I am not changing much as far a fitting into my clothes differently or anything, and sometimes that is discouraging, but I remind myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint and even if I don't lose any weight, at least I can be healthy for my family. Saturday night showed me that. :)

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SUNDAY

I don't exercise on Sunday but had a very nice day.

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MONDAY

I didn't exercise on Monday and it was AWFUL. Not only did I feel yucky from not getting in my exercise but I actually felt more depressed and short tempered with the kids. Part of that could have been because I spent all day in the car....but I feel I would have handled it better if I had, had a chance to exercise first. Our car broke. Our new car. So sad. :( Luckily it is covered under warranty. Unfortunately, getting it down to the dealership proved a challenge. Ben left in the blueberry and Belle and I in the van at 6:45am. We got as far as the high school (about 15-20 miles away) before we had to park the blueberry in the HS parking lot and I drove him to work (we still have about 20 more miles to the dealership). Then I had to go down to Sacramento to get fingerprinted for something, stop at my sister-in-laws and drive all the way home. The I had to take Jacob to the dentist for a tooth extraction (about 20 miles away). I then came home and got dinner going. After dinner we headed back out to pick up the blueberry again and try and get it the rest of the way down. It was a VERY LONG DAY!

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TODAY

Today I got up and did my 1.5 miles plus incline. I did 160 squats, 15 leg lifts (just couldn't do it today), 20 second planks, and weights. Feeling good today. :)

Today was going so well as I walked that I extended my stride even more and went even further than usual. Unfortunately I seemed to take too big of a stride and I seemed to have over stretched my right leg a little. Nothing serious but it was pretty achy on my way back to the house. It is still achy but not super sore or anything. 

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Walked past my 1.4 mark, but not sure how much further. Probably 1.6 total, plus my inclined driveway. And today was the first day I did the inclined part without feeling like I was dying. It felt good.

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150 squats, 100 crunches, 28 leg lifts, not sure how long my plank was but probably between 20-30 seconds. I also did my weights today.

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Feeling good!!! :)

Today's walk went really well and I wished that I had even gone further. I was cautious and glad for it but hopefully I will be able to push it next time. I also took my car and mapped the route. It turns out I was doing 1.4 on my low days. If I add my incline distance then I think I am doing at least 1.5 every day. Woo hoo!! Today was my break day on the rest of the exercise. Tomorrow we are leaving early in the morning so I think I will try out my mom's exercise class that is on-line. Can't wait for a little variety.

I feel like every day I am saying how tough it is, but it is. And I always follow it up with how worth it, it is and that is because, it is. I am so thankful to be starting this journey that I know will have to last a lifetime. There are no shortcuts for me, my gene's saw to that. I decided that I want to have a fit life and for me, that means exercising every day. It isn't going to be easy but it is the right time for me.

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So, changing your eating and exercising habits does also create some challenges with your body. My stomach has been churning all morning and I think I am releasing a lot of those bad toxins from my body, in not so fun ways. he he he he....

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I want to be real in the blog, because.....I don't know I guess because if someone reads this who is starting out, I want them to know things that are happening to them are normal. I have found, in my walking that it is difficult to always control my bowels. Sometimes walking seems to loosen things up a little.....okay, a lot. I have had to end my walk early and one time it was a very close call to make it home in time.

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I thought I was the only one. I thought there was something wrong with me. I thought maybe it had to do with the fact that I had my gal bladder removed (forever a ago). Then I talked to my Dad who has been running every day for as long as I can remember. He told me it is totally normal and a lot of runners/walkers have to deal with that and each person figures out a way (usually they have 'special spots' to stop along the way and being guys definitely makes it easier). 

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I was so glad to know there wasn't something crazy wrong with me and so sad to know that it was just part of life and not much I could do about it. :( I have taken some steps, however, to make it less likely to happen.

1. I do my indoor exercises and stretches before I leave to try and loosen things as much as I can.

2 I go to the bathroom before I leave.

3 I drink before I start my indoor exercise. Then I take a water bottle with me and leave it on the trail (after taking a sip) at the bottom of my last big hill (or the first big hill for dropping it off). That way, when I am at the tail end of my walk/run I can pick up the water bottle and get a drink without having to wait too long before reaching a restroom.

4 I wear a pad, just in case.

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Okay, so that is my friendly advice for today. I will say that, although my stomach was churning, a lot, today I was able to get in my mile with my incline sprint. :) I also did 145 squats, 90 crunches, and 40 leg lifts. Mom, I was able to do all those leg lifts by telling myself "I can do hard things". Thanks for the inspiration. :)

Today I did 140 squats, 90 crunches, 30 leg lifts, 30 second planks and ran/walked my 1.3 miles plus my incline sprint.

I am not sure I am losing any weight, but for the first time in my life I feel in control. Normally by this time I have several excuses on hand to not have to go out and walk.....this time, I want to. I mean, I don't 'want to' because it is exercise but I know how good I will feel afterwards and I want that, more than I don't want to walk. :) I know I am still in the euphoria state of things but I hope I feel this same way in 3 months, and in 6 months and even if I don't loose weight, which is possible PCOS, I know I am doing the right thing.

Monday 6/16/14

Okay, so I am probably not going to update Ben and Abby, unless I do the night before because I exercise in the morning and it is easier for me to report in the morning too. But Abby did run on Saturday, so yay for her! She is working really hard. Today she is at the school working out for 2 hours. I am so impressed with all she is doing. 

Today I walked a little further than usual, so I am going to say 1.3 miles plus my usual incline. I wish I could say it was getting easier, but I am not sure that it is. I am, however getting used to it. "They" say it takes 3 weeks to make a habit. This is the start of my 4th week, so hopefully that is true. :)

I am taking my measurements this morning. I took some last week but didn't post them I will post both today so I can see the progress, or lack of.....

CHEST              43                           42

WAIST              50                           48 1/2

HIP                    56                           55

THIGH                                              27 1/2

ARMS                                               16

Obviously I haven't done arms or thigh before so we will see how that goes next week!! I am not down a lot but I am down a little and that feels good. An inch all around makes my clothes fit a little better. My next challenge to add to this is to limit my sugar. My birthday is July 20th. I think I can go without desserts or extra, unneeded sugar until then. It will make my cake taste that much sweeter. I wish my Dad was here to make me red cake for my birthday. I sure miss him. Next year, red cake or no, he should  be here. :) Maybe I will attempt to make it for myself again this year or buy one from our cake shop. They do a good job but don't have all the small layers like I like. That would definitely be a reward for my sacrifice though! :) 

Saturday - I think it may be becoming a habit to walk in the morning. Woo Hoo! I got up today and got dressed in my exercise clothes without debating whether or not I wanted to go. It is still hard and I am tired today but it is worth it!! I did my regular walk, which I found out is actually 1 and 1/4 miles. Not a big distinction but it does mean that every 4 days I have walked an extra mile. Woo hoo!! 

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Also, my shuffle died earlier this week and I was in distress. Listening to music really helps me get through it all. :( So sad. Then, last night Ben put a card in my phone (I don't have a smart phone with the ability to just have music at my finger tips) and it gave me enough memory to download my favorite songs onto my phone. YAY!! So today I had music again and it definitely helped!!! 

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I am feeling good. I still need to get rid of all the junk food in my house. I am eating much healthier but still have a piece of Dove chocolate every night. he he he! I have cut my portions down. No going back for seconds now (except on the veggies, which I love) and eating almonds or crackers or fruit for a snack. Hoping this helps. My pants are feeling big but...they were my ones that were loose to begin with. The real test will happen over the next couple of weeks, I am sure. For now, I feel good and that is the most important part.

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I am looking forward to my break on Sunday. :)

Friday: Christy-130 squats, 76 crunches, 35 leg lifts (yay I got past my mental block!!), 30 second plank, and Music Maker's for my cardio (trust me, I get a GREAT workout there).

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Today I tried on a shirt that I bought at Disneyland in December and then couldn't wear because it was too tight and made me feel uncomfortable. It FIT!!! It is still fitted, like it is supposed to be, without being skin tight. :) So happy and excited!!

This is our first blog post. We are going to try and write what we do in order to get in better shape for our family! Really, I, Christy, will be doing these updates but I will include Ben because I want our kids to see us doing this together. :)

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This is us at the beginning of our adventure. I am hoping to show a very different picture in the coming months. Not that I don't love this picture, because we are in front of the temple and we are a forever family. I love that but I want us to be a healthy, forever family. I want us to be around for a long time.

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So, Ben and I are doing this for our kids and ourselves. There are several things that have inspired me at this particular time, other than my kids. 1st my brother Tony and my sister-in-law Rachel, are both loosing weight and they inspire me. 2nd we are going to 6 Flags at the end of July. This is obviously a short term goal, but last time I was too fat to buckle one of the belts on a kiddy ride and my kids had to get off the ride because we couldn't ride it without being buckled. I am not okay with that happening again. 3rd, every day my Dad posts about his mission and he always says how far he has ran that day or how long on his stationary bike. It is AMAZING to me. He has run every morning of his life for almost as long as I can remember. We have the same body type and I know he runs to stay in shape. If he didn't, he would be round like me. If he can do it to this day....at age 60.....then I can do it too!! :) Thanks Dad 4th, on my last flight home from Tony's house I couldn't wear the seatbelt on the plane. Not okay.

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So far I am loving it. I have so much energy and even though I am not having fun walking yet (it isn't horrible but not great) I love how I feel afterwards.

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So....I begin with my exercise for this week. Hopefully I can post each day or at least every couple of days.

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Monday: Christy-1 mile in our neighborhood which is a lot of hills. So there are inclines. I also sprinted up a steep inclined driveway. Sprinted is a relative term. I didn't go very fast but I was on my toes going as fast as I could. I came home and did 100 squats, 30 crunchies, 30 leg lifts and 35 second planks.

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Tuesday: Christy-1 mile walk, with sprinted incline,110 squats, 50 cruchies, 20 leg lifts and 38 second planks. Ben-Racquetball for 2 hours

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Wednesday: Christy-swam across river 4 times pulling/pushing kids in a tube. Ben-2 warm up laps, 1/2 lap sprints 3.5 times.

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Thursday: Christy-1 mile walk, with sprinted incline, 110 squats, 65 crunches, 30 leg lifts and 42 second planks.  Ben-2 warm up laps, ran 1 1/2 laps and then got an injured leg.