My Summer Challenge & Goals!

Its JUNE! Which means summer is right around the corner! Actually its pretty much here, but technically around the corner. Anyway-I forgot about the Jump Start Diet thing until yesterday so I'm 2 days behind, I've been so busy and it just doesn't feel like its June already! But I really love the old Jump Start, its so simple but it really works, last time I can't remember if I made it to the end, all I know is it worked but I fell into my old habits, actually worse habits! :S Speaking of good habits, I'll list some of my new ones that I'm celebrating today!

• Drinking TONS of water! (Makes me feel SO good!)
• Eating slowly and consciously, it really really works! I've found a way to enjoy one square of dark chocolate for a good 4-5 mins, its like meditating! Only better! Try it, trust me!
• I'm back to working out in the mornings! Lights my spark for the day.
• I'm currently doing a food log, but I don't write it down ASAP I'll do it at night so it's a little less stressful, I'll usually watch a comedy or listen to music while I'm writing it down too.
• Doing hard core (literally!) and arms and going a little lighter on my bottom half since I'm a pear shape! Thank you Fitness mag for that! Actually I just started this one today, but its a good idea I'm going to stick with for the month, or maybe summer!

I'm also reading the book Why French Women Don't Get Fat its really great, sound advice for the most part. Similar to the Paul McKinna stuff with recipes and french humor and stories. Its inspiring as well, the author has a good story behind her weight struggles. (at least I think its cool!) But the book is helping me remember the mindful eating stuff, only it doesn't talk about workouts, only walking a lot. This summer I do plan on walking to as many of my destinations as possible, but lately its been raining hard, with some thunder storms thrown in. Not great walking conditions!

I am still determined to be cheerful and happy, in whatever situation I may be; for I have also learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. -Martha Washington

Good Luck & Happy Summer!

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!

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!

YAY! 2 lbs GONE!

Yesterday, I weighed myself like normal, well, okay sometimes my mornings are too hectic to remember! BUT yesterday I remembered, and I'm very glad I did because I LOST 2 lbs!!!! Thank God! I've been at my "plateau" of only losing 2lbs since jan 1st...since jan 8th maybe!?!? :S Although I did kinda give up, or not really give up just take a break from working majorly hard at losing the weight! So now I'm back on track!

Today I only got in one workout this morning, but I have started trying to squeeze in more strength and cardio bursts (like pretending to jump rope or some stairs) for just a few mins, and I've done some of that this afternoon! And I limited myself to ONE piece of pizza tonight! Very good for me! I def. want to encourage you to try the cardio and strength "snacks" :D throughout your day, I'm hoping all the calories I burn doing those will offset some of my snacking cals!

Happy Health,
Ash!

Weeks Goals

On sunday I came up with my 2 goals for the week! Goal 1= At least 200+ mins of cardio and 100+ mins of strength, weights, pilates, yoga, etc! I think I'm already at 130mins total! Pretty good! (100 of that is cardio! Half way there and its TUES! YAY!) And Goal 2 has a story! I was in my local grocery store looking at its VERY small meal replacement and protein bar section, when I looked up at a shelf I've seen one hundred times before!?!? And noticed low fat chocolate soy milk in a box thingy! So I decided to try it!!!!! I LOVED regular chocolate soy milk, but gave it up shortly after giving up coffee this fall. Mostly because I put it in my coffee, and it was high in cals & sugar. Now I'm back to coffee and soy milk! Only I don't have 1+ cups EVERY morning, more like a few times a week, and I only put about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in it, almost BLACK! :) And My GOAL this week was to trade my treats for a cup of soy milk. Since it's only 70 cals and has protein in it, I figured it would be more filling than a square (or 4) of dark chocolate, maybe, at least it would be chocolate with less cals, and still kinda healthy. Well....I forgot about it till last night, and I also temp. forgot this afternoon after my pre-workout fruit parfait thing! oops!

Updates on workouts!
Sunday: about 20 mins of kickboxing (a dvd)
Monday: Am before school-20 mins of elliptical
After School- nice out so I went for a run about 30mins
Today: Am-Pilates about 25-30mins
After School-started out with a kickboxing dvd (recorded from tv! lol) but realized I'd done it too many times, and it was too easy! So stopped and did my own workout :S so about 30 mins of kickboxing and some ab work on my stability ball.
I now need to get a new kickboxing dvd (any suggestions?) And get some sleep! I think I might be fighting off a cold, I'm pooped and I only stayed up till 10 last night, which is earlier than last week, and usually normal for me! I just realized monday night that 9 should be my new "bed time"! I feel tons better in the morning!

Good Luck,
Ash!