Back At It

Hello and happy Saturday September 5th!!  I think this has been my longest break from my blog.  I didn’t even do it on purpose either!  What have I been doing?  What have I not been doing!?  Here are a few bullet points of the last 2 months!

• Family family family.  July and August we had family in town and we were going going!
• Injuries!  Probably my most major set back ever!  Stress fracture.  For some reason this one threw me back big time.  I started biking which helped A TON, but I wasn’t myself without my crazy cardio sessions and lifting and then of course I went WAY downhill in the food department.
• First Bike Race!  Loved loved biking through the beautiful mountains where I live.  Absolutely breath taking.
• Climbing back from my stress fracture and I strain my calf muscle!  Luckily it wasn’t major and I’ve been trying to stretch more!
• Started running and training for a 1/2 marathon at the end of this month.  Never been more slow in my life except after pregnancies!  It’s killing me!!  I’ll get there.
• Finally figured out a good eating plan for me!!  I’ve been trying to follow the Oxygen Challenge and I’ve had a hard time following the DIET of course.  I’ve started over many times and binged too many times.  My NEW challenge is 1 in 10 days.  Every 10 days I take 1 day off!!  So far, this has been a miracle for me.  I only struggle the first 3 days after eating crazy and then I’m fine with my healthy eating.  I’ve been loving cooking healthy meals and snacks lately and I feel much happier.  I crave healthy sugars like oranges, watermelon, and PEACHES (:  My body changes so quickly when I CUT out the sugar.  Eating healthy motivates me to EXERCISE.
• Speaking of exercise…I’m addicted if you haven’t noticed.  Right now I’m following a Jamie Eason program that I love.  I’m lifting 5-6 days a week, running 3 days a week, and teaching my wonderful HIGH class!

Here are a FEW pics. of my latest and greatest events!

HIGH FITNESS crazy workout party! How fun to be a part of a teaching crew for 300+ people!

Summer dates with my kids!

Bike racing with my besties!

Working the T25 on vacation with my sis!

My family !!

Summer family reunion! Love them!

School is in full swing now and my life is hopping and hopping!  We keep busy!  Now that I’ve caught everyone up with my life, I’ll share my FITNESS TIDBIT of the day!!!

DO NOT DEPRIVE YOURSELF!!  Whenever I go too strict with my diet, I get in a big mess with my head!  Keep challenging yourself, make goals, fall off the wagon, and rethink your plan.  Work Hard, Lift Weights, Get Sleep, Eat Healthy, and SMILE!

I’ll share some meal plans next week!!  Hopefully, I can blog twice a week!  Meals on Monday and Workouts on Wednesday with pictures of life on both days!  Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

10 days and something new

Hello!!  It’s super late.  I’m up finishing laundry and making lists (: I should be sleeping!  November!!  Here already and one of my favorites!  Halloween about did me in.  I’m soooooo glad it’s over.  It gets a little ridiculous at some point.  Thanksgiving has always been my FAV!!!  Sweet, simple, yummy, and happy!  I have several goals and tasks on my plate.  Every day is numbered this month.  I have an order of TO DO’s.  Here’s my LIFE list for November, not just fitness!  Writing this down helps me remember.  Finish and turn in Reflections, prepare a lesson, prepare a talk, finish planning an activity for next week, church volleyball, memorize The Living Christ, water and plant bulbs, organize play committees, hold play meeting, meet with principal, create flyer and send, start and finish Christmas shopping, plan a winter getaway, get ready for ski season, buy Piano Guys tix, signups for Junior Jazz, tumbling class, personal train…I’m going to end there.  I will share a sweet pic. from Halloween.  We visited my in-laws before the Trick or Treating!  The weather was fantastic!  I love my beautiful children.  My husband was playing the part of his costume…yard guy and MIA (:

Now that that’s out of the way, here are my fitness goals.  I have a  10 day weight goal I’m working on.  It’s also a measurement goal.  I have 4 lbs. to go.  I’m pretty good at playing the weight loss game and I know I’ll do it.  November 15th is my weigh in day!  This will be fun!  I’m loving my weights and everything else.  I love to plug my music in and lift.  I used to very much dislike lifting weights, but once you start seeing results, it becomes a little addicting.  I’m following Jamie Eason’s Phase 3 workouts and diet.  LOVE IT!  All my protein powders are running low, so I thought I’d try something new.  I read about a new stack endorsed by Jamie Eason and I’m going to give it a try!  I’ll have to post a review.  It’s protein powder, multi vitamins, krill oil, and anti-bloat capsules.  I found the best price through bodybuilding.com.

I’ll end with a few FAVORITES as of late!!!  An outfit, a quote, and a song.  Here’s a new combo from my wardrobe.  The sweater was a gift from my very stylish friend and the sweet tiny polkadot red jeans were purchased at a boutique in St. George.  My husband found the cute red booties one day at the Sundance Outlet!

 

Next, my quote of the day was shared by a fitness Instagrammer I follow.  I read it a couple times and thought, I love that and I love birds!

Lastly and most favorite, is a song by David Archuleta called GLORIOUS!  It was written for an incredible movie called Meet The Mormons.  I love the piano and his voice.  I could listen to it over and over.  Have a beautiful and happy FALL day!  Count your blessings.

Feeling Grateful

Happy Monday!  I just have a minute to write a few thoughts about today and this weekend.  Number one is right here!

A family in my neighborhood is getting ready to move.  A couple friends and I were helping them pack up the house today.  They have challenging circumstances.  The mother is in a wheelchair for life due to complications from a surgery.  They have 4 children at home, two of them have special needs.  The mother was in the hospital last week with pneumonia.  On Sunday, emails and phone calls were sent out to all those in the neighborhood.  I’m humbled by the blessing it is to be able to help.  To have a healthy body that I take for granted almost everyday.  To see so many others stand up and offer what they can to help another.  We spent much of the day with their 14 year old daughter.  She needs to stand up and be Mom most of the time.  It’s amazing what you can do when you have to.  When life’s adversities fall upon us we somehow find the strength and hope to keep going, to learn, to be happy, and to overcome our weaknesses.  It’s experiences like these that put my thoughts and actions into perspective.  What really matters?

Running and races are much like life.  This last Saturday I was able to be a spectator and helper runner at the Ogden marathon.  I had 3 different friends running, all at different times.  I’m grateful I was able to be there for them.  It made me think of our journey called life and those times when we have friends to lift us up and help us along life’s road.  It was a beautiful day and a beautiful race course along a canyon river.  I saw my first friend coming down at mile 20.  She’s a strong runner and probably didn’t need me, but it was good to talk to her and keep her mind off the miles.  I ran with her till the last mile and then her son met her for the rest of the way.  I went back to catch my next friend.  I was happy to see her cruising along.  We ran all the way through the finish line together.  It was a hot day and as always marathons are no easy task.  My last friends were especially sweet since it was a father and son running together, good friends of ours.  This was their first marathon.  The son is 11.  Many people might think this is too young.  Running has been the activity in their family that brings them together.  They love it!  They were happy to see someone who wasn’t draggin’ and could give them a little pep talk.  Amazingly, the boy picked up his speed on the last couple blocks.  It was hard for me to keep up with him!  The cheers from the crowds were inspiring!  Much like life’s race, we have people along our path sent from heaven to be with us in our time of need.

My friends look better than me in this picture and they ran the marathon!  Keep makin’ goals and working hard.  Celebrate the little victories.  Celebrate life!

How to find JOY in heartache

Life is  always changing, full of surprises, challenges, AND pure joy!  Experiences and opportunities help us become more understanding and caring to  lift others around us.  Despite my crazy busy life as a Mom of 5 kids, I hope and pray I will not get caught up in my own worries and selfishness to forget those in need of comfort around me.  Absolutely EVERYONE has struggles, hard times, despair, and lack of happiness throughout the journey of life.  When we show compassion and empathy for another it helps us with our OWN trials and brings us greater JOY!  I look around at the people I know and see sadness from miscarriages, deaths of loved ones, financial trials, marriage troubles, and the list goes on.  Most people don’t outwardly ask for help.  It doesn’t take much to say a kind word, to listen, or to make a REAL phone call and ask, “Is everything o.k. or How are you doing?”

Today I was up and running (not literally) at 7:00 a.m.  I haven’t done the dishes, put away laundry, or many many others things that I NEED to do and that’s O.K!!!  I want to stop hurrying around and notice what really matters.  Here are a few ideas to help bring LIGHT to ourselves and others!!

• Call your Mom or Dad.  They love you more than anyone.  Ask how they are doing and tell them you love them.
• Make cookies for your friends.  If they are health nuts, make the effort to alter the recipe (:
• Read the scriptures and pray.
• Take time to BE with your kids.  Put away the phone, ipad, itouch, laptop, or any other distraction and be THERE listening, talking, and helping them with something.
• Go for a WALK and listen to music.
• Make food at home!  You’ll be proud of your dinner, it’s healthier, and MAYBE you can actually sit down together and enjoy the meal.

I could add many more!  What helps you when life gets tough?

Here are a few inspiring words from Harry Potter, a favorite of mine.

REMEMBER

Laugh and Smile!  Worries and Hard Times will be but a brief moment!  ALWAYS SMILE!!