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Sunday, March 30, 2008

This weeks goals!

I hate feeling like my body is a work in progress! Its very depressing! So this week I'm setting a goal to abstain from red meat! I've always wanted to have a vegetarian day like once a week or so...but I've never actually accomplished that, I think I probably forgot around lunch time! And I do know that it takes 3-4 weeks to form a habit, but I'm not really looking to give it up completely, I'm just doing a trial! I've read that a red meatless diet can give you more energy! And hopefully it can help me with the weight loss thing!?! One small problem though, I had some major issues last week with my anemia! So this may make it even worse, but I'm going to be diligent with my multi, and check the labels on my food to make sure they have iron! I'll give you an update!

Stats:
weight-about 159! :S

"Every time you wake up and ask yourself, "What good things am I going to do today?", remember that when the sun goes down at sunset, it will take a part of your life with it." -Indian Proverb

Ash

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

old school workouts!

Think old school when it comes to workouts!

-frisbee (ultimate maybe?)
-softball/wiffle ball
-kickball
-hop scotch
-jumping rope
-bball
-tag

The great thing about old school workouts is FUN! And a workout! Hello! Killing 2 birds with one stone has never been this awesome! And most of these are or can be played with others, so you can also get in plenty of friend time! Or if you have kids, or are around kids a lot try some of these to help keep you all healthy!

"The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." -Allan K. Chalmers

Ashlee!

Saturday, March 22, 2008

Healthy Decisions!

When making a decision: whether its what to eat @ a restaurant or something bigger like a job offer or college. You have to look at that decision in an in the moment kinda way! Ask yourself what road is the BEST road for me right NOW? We have no idea what will happen in our futures, we can hope and dream, but if there's anything I've learned (& gotten better @ thank the Lord!) is living more in the moment! Yes, its true the decisions we make today will shape our future, but there's no way of telling exactly how. Or which decision now will take you down what road in the future. So my advice/challenge for you is to ask yourself "What choice is best for me NOW?" And let the rest go, and cut yourself slack for knowing you did the best you could at that moment, not knowing what was going to come around the corner next! Live with NO REGRETS!

I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't. ~Lucille Ball


Live, Laugh & Love!

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Back on track!

Writing down my little health victories at the end of each day is something I started a few months ago, but stopped! Lately I've been very much off track. I've been traveling the last 4 or 5 weekends! So its been a lot of fast food, and last weekend we stayed overnight so that equaled EXTRA fast food (for 2 days!) including a buffet! :S Plus I was PMSing! So I REALLY need to get back on track! I realized this after I weighed myself (for the 1st time in a week or 2) this morning and I was 163! :l I could NOT believe it, but I haven't been eating healthy and most of my workouts have been less than sweaty! But I'm back!

As you've probably figured out, I read A LOT of fitness magazines! And the other day I was reading an article that summarized a study of people who've lost weight, more kept it off by weighing themselves every morning because it reminds them to make healthier choices throughout the day. But I've always heard women who say they hardly ever weight themselves, they gauge how they feel and how their clothes fit, or their training and times, etc. Well I did find out today that not weighing myself for a while is BAD for me, but every morning is hard because I forget a lot, or if I don't like the number, it can kill my day! So I'm going to try to find a happy medium, maybe weighing myself every other morning, or like 2 specific mornings a week and trying to NOT let it negatively affect my mood. And I'm also thinking one day a week I'll try on my really cute, yet really tight GAP jeans and see how they fit! Maybe a combination of tactics will help keep me on track! I definitely need more motivation from somewhere! (Ohh! Try on my swimsuit once a week & maybe take pics for evidence good or bad!?!?)


What do you do to stay motivated? Let me know!

Ash!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Frustrastion times a million!

I am exasperated with myself! For the past few days I have been eating crappily.....eating nothing but fast food on sunday (gone ALL day) didnt help at ALL! And we also have 2 left over bday cakes, which I have attacked consitantly with a fork, and even a spoon yesterday! And my workouts have been anything but! I just tried to do the elliptical, didn't happen! Not even close, something is way wrong, I just kept stopping, after every 30-60secs! Thats crazy because I've gotten really good @ the ellip. 10mins is nothing now! Used to kill me which is sad considering how much I run during track! :S Anyway....I'm stressed, tired, and slightly pissed at myself for all this unhealthy stuff the last few days! And I weight myself this am (after breakfast so it only half counts!) I weighed almost 160! :O NOT COOL! I think now I'm going to try to salavage some workout time, since I have at least 2 hours of homework to do! And tom. night I'll be getting home late....maybe if I dance around/kickbox/jump rope/do push-ups and some random jazz I can get some of a workout in! Then its bed! Sadly I'm 17 and staying up till 11 watching Wildfire & October Road last night was too much, but I did have a sleepless weekend, so not that sad I guess! Hope you're all having better luck today! :)

"Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished: if you're alive, it isn't." ~Richard Bach

Ash!
Ash!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Weird (but effective) arm exercise!

The story goes...this summer I spent about a week with my friend and her family @ their camp, there were a bunch of teens there, so of course, we ate, and ate, and played old school video games, and watch movies, and all that normal jazz! But don't get me wrong! It WAS summer, and we were all (well mostly) really active athletic kids! So we also did a lot of swimming, lawn volleyball (sadly no actual beach, it was a lake!) tons more swimming, some bike riding, hiking, walking, tag & other crazy games @ played at midnight! :D So anyway....

After a few days of fun in the sun, I looked down at my arms and noticed that they were at least as muscular & strong as they were the past few months of lifting heavy weights during track! :O I thought for a min. and remembered how much my arms burned after swimming all around the lake! Light bulb moment! Have I mentioned I live in Maine? So I don't really have a way to swim during the fall/winter/most of spring! Maybe a few trips to the Y which is almost an hour away, or a chance stay @ a hotel! So I looked around my room, which is scattered with workout equipment, and saw my dumbbells! Doesn't matter if you sit on a stability ball, or chair or if you stand, just try to do the "breath stroke" with the dumbbells! (Review: push the dumbbells out away from you, with your palms facing down & out a little, pull them back in towards your chest! Works my entire arm!) Tip= Start with lighter dumbbells, I still use 5lbs, you feel it after just a few!

"Health is the thing that makes you feel that now is the best time of the year."
-Franklin Pierce Adams

Live, Laugh, Love,
Ash!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

May I Be.....meditating!

Hi guys! My new favorate stress reliver is....drum roll...meditating! Its not totally new to me, I have been (attempting to) meditate for a year or so, but I always had trouble staying on task, or focused (seems to be a recuring problem! lol). I did do the whole exhaling and saying something positive, so just maybe my subconcious will start to believe that I'm "fearless" or "focused" or "happy". Still, it only helped my concentration a little. So I was extatic when I read Fitness Mag a few days ago (old issue, just missed it the first 20 times I read it! lol) to relax by exhaling and saying May I Be...healthy, happy, focused, fearless, calm, relaxed, positive, etc. I tried it! And it works like a charm! Its so much easier to stay focused on the breathing, and I get to that dizzy, in my head, out of body kinda feeling after a few mins! Not like 15mins, which I could never actually do before! Give it a try, anytime you need a calming boost (studys show it can actually make you smarter, and help improve your focus in other areas of your life!) Just try this for a few mins! Let me know how it works for you!

"Prepare your mind to receive the best that life has to offer." -Ernest Holmes

Ash!

Goal Setting!

A few weeks ago I was reading Fitness mag....and they had a bunch of tips from the top personal trainers. I don't remember who said it but they said reach for the stars, pick a goal that is a stretch, like exercising 5 times this week for at least 45mins! If you don't reach that and you only workout 3-4 times, at least you did that much.

Well, I think it depends on your personality! Being the half full or half emty kinda person has a lot to do with it, but I find that for myself it's both!?!? If that makes sense, like stretching TOO far makes me frustrated and I get WAY off track, usually by cheating or slacking more than once! lol But aiming too low is selling yourself short. So for me I have to find a middle ground, but one thing I have some trouble with (other than having WAY too many treats a day :S ), is giving myself something to work towards, like a reward. I can say I'll do something like a facial, or watch my fav movie for the millionth time, or even once I reach my goal weight go shopping, as much as possible!, and get my ears pierced again, or getting a massage! Well, I'm not sure why, but I just can't make those seem to stick, I definatley don't take it seriously; not sure why!?!?! I think I'm going to try to think smaller, like if I workout twice today, (am for about 20mins and after school for about 20-45ish...lol) than I can watch a movie after I'm done with homework! Or something small like that, maybe I won't loose sight of my goal so fast! I'll give it a try and write updates!

Got any goal setting (and keeping!) advice!?!? Let me know by leaving a comment!

Fourtune cookie quote: "Look around; happiness is trying to catch you!"

Happy Health!
Ash!