Fit4Life Friday,..and oh so much more!

Happy Friday to you all! I hope you have all had a great week. I'm still having a serious case of most-of-the-time sickness these days (not complaining!), but I'm hoping that will let up a little sometime soon! I can barely stand to be around myself, I know this is definitely beginning to wear on my husband, son, family, and friends. Don't believe me? Let me give you and example.

Today I made the idiotic mistake of thinking that I could feel decent long enough to drive to a town with a Walmart, and preferably a Sally Beauty Supply, and a Cracker Barrel, since I have been dying for one of their Grilled Chicken Salads. All this with a 16 month old in tow.

I called on the way to order my salad to go, the lady said "10 minutes" but I knew that was a big fat lie. It was 12:30 PM and that place would be packed. Not a problem, I had at least a 20 minute drive ahead of me, I was prepared for this.....they always say "10 minutes". It's usually 30. ( I also craved this with Carter,....different CB, but they apparently all practice this deception....I don't care, their 1000 Island dressing is so good, I could eat it with a spoon....even NOT pregnant, so I tolerate their little fibs)

On the way there, there was a big traffic jam. Evidently, somebody's truck caught on fire. I know this, not because my beloved J103 gave this over their station, which I was listening to, but because I had to change the channel to a COUNTRY station for a traffic update. I will forgive J103 for taking their dear sweet time to do traffic today, because 1. The Bible says I must forgive them, and 2. They did happen to be the station who brought Toby Mac to town last week. Therefore, their bumper sticker will stay on my vehicle.

Anyway,....(this is really getting long)... I finally get my food, and make it over to Sally. I have naturally curly hair, and have recently decided that since the humidity is down somewhat and you can no longer see my hair from the 4 surrounding states on a bad day, that I will attempt to wear it straight. The problem is that I am out of Biosilk, which is a MUST for when I wear it straight. So, I get Carter out of his seat, carry him to the sidewalk, and then hold his hand while we walk in to the store. I know right where what I need is, get it, proceed to the counter where Susie Smile Alot is helping a woman who is evidently a sucker for beauty supply products.

This woman had at least 15 nail files on the counter, Tons of hairspray, and at least 27 other products which Susie Smile Alot had to manually type in on the register. Half way through the transaction, Susie asks the woman if she has seen their new something or other, ( I couldn't hear her through the steam blowing out my ears). They leave to go get 3 or 4 of these to add to her purchase.

At this point I have been holding (I mean, wrestling) my little 25 pound bundle of energy for at least 10 minutes and he wanted DOWN. So, I let him. (hehe,....that'll show them!) He proceeded to run up and down the isles, hollering and singing at the top of his little lungs. Thankfully, he didn't touch anything,..he just wanted to run. After I let him get out some energy, stupidly thinking it was almost my turn, I went to get him. He was mad! I just let him cry it out thinking it might hurry Susie up if she had a screaming toddler hurrying her along. Nope. It didn't. About 10 minutes later I finally just gave up and left my precious Biosilk on her counter. (I didn't throw it at them, while shouting hormonal nonsense, as I wanted) I just turned and walked out. See what I mean?

On a good note, my birthday was Tuesday, and I didn't feel terrible. My Mom & Sister brought me a very sweet gift, my Dad sung to me, and my sweet friend Jenny( who also happens to have an amazing voice) sang a beautiful "Happy Birthday" message on my voice mail. My husband and child woke me up at 5AM to give me a birthday spanking. 32 whacks, 1 to grow on, and a pinch to grow an inch. Kyle better hope I give birth on his birthday, otherwise, he has had it! I didn't have cake, but! There is a bridal shower on Sunday, and I'm saving up for some Mrs Mann cake!.....yummm!

So, for my exercise this week, I:

Walked from car to store...

Pumped some iron in the form of a wriggling 25 pound toddler,....numerous times

Walked (stomped) from store to car...

My diet was pretty good. I don't have the stomach for much these days. Although the salad was really good! (what little I ate of it)

I didn't mean to have a 5000 word post this week, but thanks for letting me vent!

I will be out of town next Friday, so F4LF will pick back up on the 26th. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Fit4Life Friday....

I hope this Friday finds you feeling wonderful and maybe even a little lighter than last week. I haven't lost (of course!), but I haven't gained yet, so that is good! I apologize to those of you who post your own F4LF that I didn't get a post up last week! Hopefully that will be a one time thing.

This week I have walked most days. It's still pretty humid outside, and the heat gets my nausea churning, so I have been doing my "Walk away the pounds" video. I put on my ipod so I don't have to listen to the goofy video music, or if Carter is awake, turn down the volume and blast our own music. He gets a big kick out of Mom doin' her exercise moves! It's almost offensive, really. It can't be THAT funny, Carter!

My diet has been pretty good this week. My Aunt Wanda's garden fresh tomatoes are beginning to dwindle so I'm gobbling up as many as humanly possible before they are gone for the year. My husband did have a sympathy craving last night and wanted Wingstop. Woo Hoo!! Count me in! It was sooooo good!

I hope everyone has done great this week, and has a wonderful weekend!! I'm off to see TobyMac tonight, so I know I'll be having a good one!! Also, my birthday is next week so I'm planning on really living it up before I get another year older....(seeing as how I'm a party animal and all!)

Fit4Life Friday....Finally!

First of all, I'd like to say a big thank you for your patience with me today! I had to make a not so quick trip to the middle of nowhere for my husband to pick up some things he needed for this weekend. SO! How has your week gone? Mine has been better! For the last couple of days I have felt somewhat human for most of the day, which is definitely progress! Maybe, at nearly 11 weeks, I'm almost over the hump!

As far as this past week goes. I did walk a couple of times. Barely. But my diet was good, except for one day when I wanted pizza bad! I caved and ate a little. My husband has actually been pretty funny. He came home a couple of nights ago with french onion dip and white cheddar popcorn (not to eat together though!) During my pregnancy with Carter I had serious craving emergency (as in I stormed off to the local store one night in my PJs and overcoat for french onion dip due to the fact that my husband didn't respond quickly enough to my craving request! I saw some of his coworkers there, so he evidently wants to be sure to prevent this happening again!) Anyway, I said, "You just brought some dip home the other day. It's still in the fridge. Why'd you buy more?" He said, " I figured you might have already eaten that and need more."...lol. I said "no way! The smell of that stuff makes me sick! I haven't touched it." He just stared blankly at me. I probably should have warned him that I might not crave the same things this time around!

Anyway! I hope you guys have had a fabulous week, and can't wait to read all about it!

Fit4Life Friday

Well, this week I should change my title from Fit4Life to Fit4Nothing because I have been a total and complete slacker this week. I have tried to walk a few times, really I have! But I get hot, and I get sick. Not that I am complaining, I see that as a blessing (the sickness part) because I'm told that means my hormone level is going up. BUT! I have to be able to drag myself off the couch for at least 30-45 minutes per day for a walk...not just for my health, but for mine, and Carter's sanity! He misses being outside! I can tell by the constant, seriously whiny...MAMAMAMAMAMA that he spouts endlessly while following my every step. Poor thing! (I meant me!)

My diet hasn't been terrible. I have been craving strawberries and limeade (which I make with Spenda) so that's okay. The downer this week has been that I have been ingesting sandwiches with ham, cheese, lettuce, and my beloved tomatoes for lunch pretty much daily only to look through the OB packet from my Dr to see that I am to have only Limited, like once or twice a week, amounts of packaged lunch meats. WHAT??? So, am I supposed to keep a fresh pig in the yard for my daily ham fix? How can they do this to a now pregnant lady who had lived off of this for the whole entire summer? Evidently, if you heat it to the point of steaming it's okay, but I ask you ladies, who wants a HOT sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and my special colby jack cheese?...I wonder, if I heat it up then put it back in the fridge to cool off, does that work? Any input?

Anyway, I hope you ladies aren't depending on me for motivation this week. I myself will be coming around to your blogs looking for some myself, so please, I beg of you.....motivate me!!!

Also, I've had a few people want to know if it's too late to join in! Definitely not! Everyone is welcome, anytime!

Oh! One more thing, I'm posting this a little early, because my body has a newfound passion....SLEEPING IN!! If you are looking for me at the walking track,....look for me late!

Fit4Life Friday....Week 10

I hope this Friday finds you feeling fit and fabulous! I have done pretty well with my walking this week. 5 out of 7 days. Not too shabby! My eating habits haven't been too terrible either, with the exception of yesterday when I had pizza for lunch ( I did eat a salad too!) and then Mexican for dinner....Let me just say, I enjoyed that burrito to the very tips of my toes! Plus, it was karaoke night at the mexican restaurant and there is just nothing like a bunch of rednecks singing their heart out in an itty bitty restaurant. It's hilarious to say the least. If you live around here and have never experienced this,....you simply must go next Thursday! Call me, I'll happily go with you! My poor husband gets embarrassed beyond belief when the fake Elvis in the VERY real spandex comes on the scene!

My goals for this coming week are:

Continue with the walking and strength training. I have no control over what my belly will become at this point, but at least I can shoot for svelte arms and legs, right?? (At least I'll keep telling myself that!)

Keep a check on the diet! My only cravings so far are tomatoes and pineapples (fresh ones, not canned) which are actually a workout in themselves to just get to the edible parts!

I hope everyone has had a terrific week and can't wait to see how you did on your goals!!

Don't forget to visit each other and offer your encouragement!

Have a wonderful weekend! It's Mule Day on Monday here in our little town! Thousands pour into our little one horse,...I mean, one mule town for the Labor Day event! Don't worry! I'll definitely have pictures next week!!

Fit4Life Friday....Week 9

Happy Friday everyone! And can I just say, that around here, it really IS a happy Friday, because the high school football season gets started off tonight with a pre season Jamboree! The "official" season begins next Friday night, but tonight will be a great preview of several area teams! Our nephew, Brett, who is in the 11th grade, starts at wide receiver. I actually had one of my first "hormonal" moments yesterday when Brett drove up my driveway.....by himself! It's the first time I've actually seen him in a car,....alone! It was a big moment for me (I think he thought I was nuts, you know, with the tears and all!), and you better believe he got the "be careful, wear your seatbelt" speech before he left! He has also gotten that particular speech in his Birthday card, and basically every time I've seen him over the past year. So I'm sure he's over it by now,.....too bad! Are you still there? Waiting for the Fit4Life part to start already? Sorry, I kind of went off in Left field or should I say the "football" field, there for a minute!

Ahem,....okay, Fit4Life Friday! This week I have walked every day except Monday, which is a feat considering we have broken some sort of heat record pretty much everyday! I had to stop alot, and one morning I basically started walking at daylight (to avoid the heat) but I got it done! I have been trying to be really careful with my diet. Lots of fruit and fresh veggies! Which isn't hard, since meat kind of grosses me out at the moment. And I think I've drank enough water to sink the Titanic, since now I feel guilty when I drink caffeine or aspartame (which is in EVERYTHING, even my beloved Crystal Light!) Grrr!

The morning sickness is in full swing these days, Sunday night and Monday were the worst so far, then basically just when I get too hot, and for some reason about 3 AM this morning. I'm not complaining, my doctor has told me before that sick is a good sign, so I'm rejoicing with each bout of it! It's not bad, no vomiting, just nausea and dizziness so far. Anyway, I say all of that to say this,...I actually lost a little weight this week. 3 pounds.

My goals for next week are:

Continue with healthy diet and exercise.

Continue my quiet time with God.

Last Sunday our preacher really had a message that was for me. Instead of asking for something every time we pray, how often do we just say "God you are awesome, you are sovereign, fill me with your holy spirit" and just worship Him in prayer? For me, not so often lately. I have spent much more time worshiping God through my prayer and have felt incredibly blessed by that this week!

I hope everyone has had a great week! I can't wait to stop by and read your progress!

Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you (THIS IS SOOOO IMPORTANT!!)...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment! Have a wonderful, healthy week!

...for all of you who haven't been participating....it's never too late to start! Why not post some goals and join us next week? We can always better ourselves in some way,....why not do it with some girlfriends who can cheer you on along the way??

Fit4Life Friday......Week 8

Well, needless to say my life took an interesting and exciting turn this week! A very unexpected turn! For those of you who haven't read my Shock & Awe post, we discovered this week that I am pregnant! So, as you can imagine my Fit4Life focus has shifted a bit. Rather than trying to loose weight, in the beginning of my pregnancy, I will be trying to just maintain. Then as I move into my second and third trimesters(hopefully! By the grace of God!) I will try to gain only a moderate amount of weight and not the 58 pounds I gained during my last pregnancy! I also want to keep up my exercise and remain active throughout, and hopefully that will make for an easy recovery period.

My main focus will need to be healthy eating habits. Lots of fruits and veggies, and just an overall well-balanced diet.

I will also be really focusing on my quiet time. I so need to spend as much time with God as possible. When I first discovered that I was pregnant, a very familiar fear took hold of me again. I have had two miscarriages in the early months and weeks of pregnancy, and I when I was pregnant with Carter, I basically lived visit to visit. I would not let myself be excited because I was so afraid of what I just knew would happen. It didn't. He was perfect. But that fear is very real and very much present again. I know that God is in control, and that He knows the future. But I also know how hard it is to deal with that loss. And I am afraid.

As for my doctor visit yesterday. I got a good report. He did a sonogram, but since it is so early 5-6 weeks, there wasn't much to see. He said what he can see looks good so far, but that he will feel much better when he can see and hear a heartbeat. (Me too!) Hopefully in a couple of weeks! He started me on progesterone shots, which I took with Carter, and will be doing some bloodwork, (I should have those results this afternoon) and told me to come back in two weeks.

Please pray.

I hope everyone has had a great week this week! I can't wait to see how you did and read about your progress!

Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment! Have a wonderful, healthy week!

...for all of you who haven't been participating....it's never too late to start! Why not post some goals and join us next week? We can always better ourselves in some way,....why not do it with some girlfriends who can cheer you on along the way??

Fit4Life Friday...Week 7

Week 7 has not been nearly as interesting around here as week 6 proved to be, No police were involved in any of my excersise sessions this week! I have actually opted to walk on the treadmill (which I loathe!) or ride my excersise bike indoors most days this week just because of the terrible heat! I feel a bit guilty forcing my toddler to bake in the stroller for an hour while his mom goes for her walk! We are going to give it a try outside this morning though, maybe it won't get too hot!

This week I lost 4.2 pounds for a 7 week total of 29.3 pounds!

WOOOHOOO!!

I have to confess, I did make a run to Wing Stop this last weekend,...and I must say, It was worth every.single.calorie! I actually think I probably worked harder this week just knowing I'd had such a splurge on the weekend!

I'm still eating tons of tomatoes,..I hope they keep coming in for a while yet! I am still walking/biking on most days and strength training 2-3 times per week. We also walk a lot of evenings just for the simple fact that Carter gets pretty fussy around 7ish but it's too early for bed, so we go out in the stroller for a look at the cows and tractors.

In the coming week I want to:

Continue to focus on my quiet time. I can tell such a difference when I spend time with God first thing in the morning.

Keep up with the walks and increase my speed and distance.

I hope everyone has had a great week! I can't wait to read about your progress!!

Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment! Have a wonderful, healthy week!

...for all of you who haven't been participating....it's never too late to start! Why not post some goals and join us next week? We can always better ourselves in some way,....why not do it with some girlfriends who can cheer you on along the way??

Fit4Life Friday....Week 6

6 weeks have already passed,.....can you girls even believe that?? Time really does fly when you are workin' your behind off, starving yourself, and uhhh.... having fun!..lol. I am truly glad to be able to type out this post today. You see, while on our walk yesterday morning, Jenny, Lisa, & myself and a bit of a brush with the law! (did anyone notice that I linked myself? I crack me up!...I also, evidently, need sleep!) I'm just amazed that we didn't end up in jail!

Well, it wasn't really that dramatic, but we did aggravate (to put it mildly) THE 2 city workers, 2.5 police officers, and a few ladies at the city hall in our big town!...all with a morning stroll around the park! Let me just give you girls one tiny piece of advice,.....if there is a post drove up in the ground with a chain and a padlock attached that just happens to be stretched across your walking path, you probably should call someone before the three of you hoist the post out of the ground in all your farmgirl glory,..okay?

'Cause really, once they are peeved at you, it doesn't make one bit of a difference whether or not you go home to get a sledgehammer (thank you, Jenny!!) and drive the stupid post back down in the ground!

That little morsel of priceless advice was completely free, but any donations you wish to give will be set aside in the event the 2.5 police officers are waiting at the park this morning to drag us to the city jail! Strollers & all! If nobody hears from us by 9:30, somebody call the preacher (Lisa's husband) to come bail us out!

Okay, back to business!

This week I lost 4.4 pounds for a six week total of 25.1 pounds! WOOHOO!!

I really haven't changed anything this week. I do, however, believe I know the secret! It has been 90+ degrees here the past week and the humidity is at least 1000%. It's too hot to eat!

And!

My grandmother's tomatoes are ripe in her garden, and I have basically lived off of them for a week now! No kidding,..I have eaten so many of them, I have little sores in my mouth,..does that stop me?..nope! My mouth can heal after the fresh tomatoes are gone!

So basically, my tips for this week are as follows:

Walk every day in the 100 degree/1000% humidity. Dehydration aids in weight loss.

Go on the North Alabama Diet. It's like the South Beach diet,...Only, it originates in North Alabama, and you can only eat tomatoes, and well, salt. Because every self respecting southerner knows you have to eat salt on your tomatoes!

My goals for the coming week are to keep walking, even in the smothering heat, (when it's 80+ at 8 am it's not always easy to get motivated!)..and watch my diet!...I am really feeling a visit to Wing Stop coming on! A girl can only deprive herself of hot wings, fries, and ranch dressing for so long!

Seriously girls, keep up the good work! We have hung in there for 6 weeks, which is a real victory in itself! Keep working out, drinking your water, and most of all, having fun! I am so glad you are all on this journey with me. This has been a tough week for our family (will post about that in a day or two), and I am really tired. So this week I probably wouldn't have bothered to post anything about my goals had I not known I was accountable to you guys. Thanks for hangin in there with me! I can't wait to see how you guys did this week!


Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!


...for all of you who haven't been participating....it's never too late to start! Why not post some goals and join us next week? We can always better ourselves in some way,....why not do it with some girlfriends who can cheer you on along the way??

Fit4Life Friday

When I was in high school, I can remember getting ready for school on Friday mornings to the tune of all the "Friday" songs they played on the radio. The only one I remember any actual words to went like this...."I don't wanna work, I just wanna bang on these drums all day" They really pumped me up for the final day of the week! Are you still "pumped" about your Fit4Life journey? I sure hope so!

I am, but I found my nutritional habits this week leaving much to be desired. I don't know if it was hormonal or what, but I just wanted everything "bad" this week! ...and it isn't even "that time"...Oh well!

I did walk every day except for Sunday. Some days I also walked in the evening. My child gets hard to deal with sometimes around 7ish, but it's still to early to put him to bed, so we walk! He checks out the cows and tractors and dogs while I burn off supper. I did do my strength training 2 times and added in some ab work a couple of days too.

This week I lost 2.1 pounds, for a 5 week total of 20.7 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Lay off the junk food!

Keep up the walking and strength training.

Increase my "quiet time". I'm hoping for an hour!


I'm wondering this week, What's your favorite music to workout to? I'm loving TobyMac Portable Sounds right now. When I have to walk by myself, it keeps me moving!

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

Fit4Life Friday...

It's hard to believe it's Friday again already! I hope everyone has had a great week! Hopefully all of your hard work is paying off with big results, and big rewards for you!

Last week I didn't get to meet up with my walking buddies, but I have done that 3 days this week. I did walk at home by myself a couple of days for a total of 5 days this week. I actually walked one day without pushing my son in a stroller and felt like I was on a break! It's amazing just how much it adds to a workout to push that stroller! I also managed to do some strength training 2 days this week as well.

I have really tried to watch my diet this week. I cut way back on the bread, and have been adding in as much water as I can possibly drink and cut back on the diet cokes. At this point I might drink one a day, but not every day. I think as you get used to not having them, you just don't want them! At least that's what I'm telling myself!

Drum roll please! This week I lost 3.8 pounds for a 4 week total of 18.6 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Continue walking and strength training.

Add in some ab work. This is an area I really want to work on. I do some crunches on a ball when I do strength training, but I have a great pilates video(Windsor Pilates, 20 minutes) that has worked wonders for me in the past...I hope it will again!

Continue to watch my diet and eat healthy foods. I don't want to hit a plateau anytime soon!

Wish me luck!

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

Fit4Life Friday

I hope this Friday the 13th finds you feeling great, and getting more excited about your journey! Hopefully, you are seeing the results you want as you work toward attaining your "better you" goals! I know I sure am! I can feel myself getting stronger, and have even gotten a few comments on my weight loss thus far from people who didn't have a clue what I have been doing. Which is always nice to hear, right?

I haven't been able to meet up with my walking buddies so far this week, but I have walked 4 days this week, and rode my stationary bike 1 day. Since I haven't been making it to my usual walking spot, I have been walking at home this week. It is a challenge to say the least! Between our driveway, and the roads that go around our farm, I can really get in some distance. And there are lots of hills so it doesn't take long to feel the burn! Plus Carter loves checking out the tractors, trucks, cows, and dogs along the way from his stroller...Our 2 labs serve as our escorts!

Last week I mentioned that I wanted to add some strength training and make time for stretching. I did stretch before and after every workout and did some strength work one day this week.

And it paid off! This week I lost 3.7 pounds! For a 3 week total of 14.8 pounds!

In the coming week I want to:

Continue with my walks, and continue to add time and intensity to them as they become easier.

Add 1 more strength training session,..up to at least 2 a week.

Pay really close attention to my diet. I know that you loose more weight in the first couple of weeks of your diet, and I hope not to loose momentum by changing things up a bit. I definitely need to add more fresh fruits and veggies...and loose some of the bread! I did resist temptation tonight. My husband decided tonight as we left the grocery store that he'd like to have an ice cream...I drove him through the drive thru, ordered his ice cream (2 scoops), handed it to him, and drove him home while he ate it....never once did I want one bite! It was such a proud moment! (Confession:..I DID look longingly across the parking lot at the Wing Stop as I ordered his ice cream though!)

I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!

Have a wonderful, healthy week!

P.S. If you would like the code for the button,..to add to your post or to your sidebar, just shoot me an email. I don't know how to put it in one of those scroll things!

Fit4Life Friday....

....I hope this Friday finds everyone feeling good and excited about your journey! I sure am! This has been a busy and difficult week, but I still managed to get in my morning walks 5 mornings this week! Sat, Mon, Tues, Thurs, and Friday! I am definitely feeling better for the effort. I actually got a bit over eager on Monday and did a few too many squats and lunges. My squaters and lungers were reallllly sore on Tuesday!

I have been working on drinking lots of water, and I think this is really paying off! I feel much better, and my skin even looks better! This morning after my walk I had a nice healthy glow instead of looking like I had a big sweaty tomato head! Definite improvement, wouldn't you say??

I am trying to eat healthier and haven't done too bad this week, especially considering the holiday! I eat so much healthier when we eat at home, so I'm trying to eat out as little as possible....(Bonus!.....Dave Ramsey would be so proud! If you haven't read his book Total Money Makeover, you should...it's fantastic!!) We actually did eat out on the 4th but my child acted so terrible at the restaurant that I only had a few bites, so it worked out okay for my diet.....not so much for my nerves,..but that's a whole other post!


This week, (drumroll please!) I have lost 4.6 pounds, for a 2 week total of 11.1 pounds!


In the coming week, I want to:

Continue my daily walks, but I want to start adding a lap every week or so, and increasing my speed little by little.

Make time for stretching before my walks.

Add some weight training.

Focus on my quiet time, and journal my daily studies...(thanks for the idea, Jenny!) I'd love to be able to go back in a few years and see what I studied during a particular season of my life!


I hope that if you are joining me in this journey, you'll post your progress and your goals for this week. If you are just joining this week, welcome! I'm so glad your here! Please remember to visit each other and offer encouragement and tips that work for you...and of course, don't forget to sign the linky and leave a comment!


Have a wonderful, healthy week ladies!!

Fit4Life Friday......

.......Well, okay girls! Here we go! Last Friday's post (along with the 347 reminders I've put at the bottom of my posts since then) were greeted with excitement and willingness to participate in this endeavor,...so! Let's make ourselves better, shall we?

The concept of Fit4Life is to share our goals for our lives and how we are going about reaching those goals with others. These goals can be anything that makes you a better "you". Ideally, if you have a blog, you would post these goals and your progress toward them there each Friday, then sign the linky so we can all encourage you as you work toward your goals. If you don't have a blog, leave your goals and progress in comments, or email them to me,...or both! And, of course, everyone will be leaving encouraging comments here, 'cause I need me some encouragement....yes, I do!

Okay?

I had hoped to have a button ready by today, but it's not ready yet, so maybe by next week!

So! Here are mine:

1. Get into better shape. I used to run/walk 4-6 miles every day before work. Needless to say, I have not done that in a while. I felt so good,...and was really comfortable with my weight at that point. I want to work towards that level of fitness again, and hopefully loose weight in the process. As my child gets older, I want to have the energy to keep up with him!

2. I want to focus on taking better overall care of myself. As in, what I put into my body. Food & drink, as well as time. I have been blessed with this body. I am healthy, and what right do I have not to treat myself as God meant for me to?

3. I also want to work on managing my time better. Some days I seem to work all day and get nothing done, then end up being stressed out and still have nothing to show for my efforts. I want to be able to enjoy the time with my child without feeling like I have so much left to do....all the time.

Now, for my progress since last week!

I have walked 5 of the 7 days this past week. I have tried to walk a minimum of 2 miles each day, which to some people may not sound like a lot....but to someone who hasn't done a whole lot of exercise in a while,...it's big! There have been a couple of days I had to break it into 2 walking sessions, due to lack of time, energy or patience of my child...but I did it!

I have also been mindful of what I have been eating. We haven't been eating out as much lately anyway...which always helps! I am even trying to cut out my beloved Diet Coke...or at least cut waaaay down, and drink lots more water!

This past week....I lost 6.5 pounds!


I hope you'll take part in Fit4Life Fridays with me! I look forward to reading your goals and encouraging you along the way! If you are joining in, please sign the linky below.....and don't forget to comment.........Good luck girls!!

Fit 4 Life?

.......Okay, so seeing as how I am the local fitness guru..................(I'm just giving you time to stop laughing.)........................(done yet?)... Anyway, some of my girlfriends and I were talking at the Ladies Banquet at church a few weeks ago about how we need some type of free weight loss motivational program. Kind of like Weight Watchers,..only not! And since I have recently started working on my own "live better" type goals, I figured this blog might be a good way to go about it. Now, with that being said I realize there is a weight loss challenge going on right now on another blog, and have no desire to take away from that whatsoever! But! I need accountability. I need to know that if I don't post anything, that when I see you at the grocery store, you'll say....."how's it going this week, Deedra? I didn't see it on your blog!" or I'll get an email from a fellow blogger if I don't post anything.

Also, this wouldn't just be about weight loss, it would be about anything that makes your life better. ie: a great new Bible study, a girls night out,........anything you do that makes you a better "you"......

I was also thinking that maybe I could get one of those "linky" things and let everyone sign up and comment on their tips and progress for the week. (if anyone has a clue how to get this, let me know!) So, basically, this is just a "feeler" to see if anyone is 1. interested in my progress? or 2. interested in participating? or 3. has any suggestions? or 4. doesn't give a rip?


This is what I'm thinking,.....do it on Fridays, because something else is going pretty much every other day of the week, and....if you are trying to watch your figure, Friday would be a great way to motivate you to be good on the weekend!

Anyway, If you guys are game, we'll start this next Friday. All you lurkers, I need you to come out of the closet on this one, okay girls?...and boys? Tell me what you think! ....(be gentle, please!)