Struggles, Success & Current Challenges

Cassie and Karissa are hosting a linkup today to share struggles and successes with losing weight & keeping it off! Considering this is definitely a "challenge area" for me, I was eager to join - though a little apprehensive, because I'm not always totally open about struggles. I mean, who wants to be on the struggle bus, right? 

I've never been teeny tiny in the weight category - I've always been short, and I've been in shape (you can't successfully show sheep weighing more than you if you aren't!) but when activity declined (ahem, college) my weight went up. I wasn't exactly a frequent visitor of the Colvin Center. In my sophomore/junior year I started going to Tan & Tone America - mainly because I wanted to tan, but it wasn't a super intense workout so I enjoyed it, and the employees were so nice! Every day I went, and slowly, I actually lost weight. I was refereeing Upward Basketball games and not dying running the court (half court, because I had little kid games, but still - there's a lot of running at that age!). I had also stopped eating ice cream with my freshman year bestie every night (we lived so close to the on-campus convenience store and had practically unlimited meal plans!) so that helped, too. By my junior year, I felt great. 

I bought the smallest size jeans I remember buying since high school in late October of my junior year. I wore them one time before I was hit by a truck while crossing the street and my activity level went from "active enough" to not at all. That "not at all" activity level continued for far too long, guys. I had knee issues for a year, and a lot of pain even after my surgery, which meant I simply didn't feel like doing anything. But in addition to no activity, I didn't pay attention to what I was eating. 

Fast forward a few years and I am just in general unhappy with how I feel - not how I look, not the number on the scale, but how I feel. No energy, still eating whatever, etc. I started doing Herablife shakes, and they helped, but honestly, I didn't love drinking a shake every meal (or 2 a day). I didn't feel great still. Then I started running. I enjoyed running. I am not a good runner nor am I a fast runner, but I was living at my parents' home with miles of open road around me. I did 5Ks! I was toning up and starting to lose weight and paying attention to what I was eating! 

Then life happened. Basketball games up to 4 nights a week happened - running straight from working in OKC to a basketball game 30+ minutes away didn't leave much time to eat, so concession stand food happened. Cheer practice was 2 mornings a week and I enjoyed my sleep the other days, so I didn't do any sort of activity in the morning, and having basketball after work meant I wasn't working out after work, either. 

Then I got engaged! Hi, doesn't every girl want to "get into the best shape of her life" for her wedding? Sure! I started working out with a trainer and drinking Zeal. I liked Zeal shakes better than Herbalife, but still, I was drinking my meals. I continued to drink the shakes off and on throughout the time I was engaged. While working out with the trainer, I was up 3 mornings a week doing crazy intense workouts. I was exhausted at night and the other mornings - no way was running happening. I missed it, but I figured I would just start again right after the wedding (since I wouldn't be working out with the trainer then). I bought an UP24 to track my activity. I hurt my back halfway through training and was out for two weeks - spraining all the muscles from the middle of my back to my tailbone from dead lifting. I started working out again when I was "feeling better." The Tuesday before my wedding, I did lower back exercises and while dead lifting, once again hurt my back - this time to the point I couldn't walk. Thankfully I was walking again by wedding time. 

Well, we got home from Disney World and I was going to start running, right? I mean that was the plan. But I was setting up our house, I was busy cooking, I'm tired from work, it was too hot outside, I was just busy with whatever - I seriously am an excuse machine! I've ran a handful of times since the wedding, including last night. And every time I do, I'm like OH MY GOSH YA'LL I LOVE THIS! and wonder why I'm not running every night, or several nights each week. It's not like I have tiny humans to chase around and it's definitely not as though my 30 minute runs are seriously cutting into time I would be setting up the house (evenings are for relaxing, guys!). I also have some light free weights, a kettle ball, a balance ball and stretchy bands that I used to use that I am determined not to let collect dust any longer.

And then there's the whole cooking thing. I'm like Paula Deen when it comes to using butter, and cooking for 2 is hard! I have a "rotation" of husband-approved meals and I'm trying to include more variety, but it's slow going. I can make cookies and rice krispy treats like nobody's business, though. I live only a few miles from my job, and I've discovered going home on my lunch break is AWESOME. So, eating a healthy lunch most of the week should seriously be easy. 

Also, as I said earlier this week, coke is not my hiney's friend, and I'm absolutely determined to get rid of my "gotta have it" attitude toward coke (for those of you who don't understand, coke = any soda type beverage). Water, Sparkling Ice and lemonade are my main drinks this week, with some fruit juice in the mornings (I just can't do water first thing in the morning!). 

My goal isn't to be a certain size or weight. My goal is to be in shape, feel great and enjoy life. So, the current challenges part of this #RambleBlog: 1. Run 2 - 3 times a week and use the weights 2 - 3 times a week. I could easily get up just 30 minutes earlier, when Matt gets up, and make some of this happen, instead of laying in bed treasuring a few more minutes of sleep, though I really enjoy my evening runs, so those'll probably stay the same.  2. Eat healthy lunches. Grilled chicken, spinach and grapes are oddly one of my favorite quick healthy lunches, but I don't want to limit myself and get in a rut (that's almost as boring as drinking my meals). 3. Kick coke to the curb. #EnoughSaid 4. Start logging everything in MyFitnessPal again - I've already logged breakfast! 

Want to join me in this renewed getting fit journey? Add me!

MyFitnessPal: shaekenokstate

MapMyRun & UP24: I'm not sure how to tell you to add me on these - so if you know how, let me know!

Twitter & Instagram - because it only counts if you post about it, right?