Monday, August 6, 2012

Olympic Inspiration

I'm on my way to achieving August goals. I have increased my mileage to 125. I'm doing a 14 day ab challenge which is 225 crunches a day. I'm also working toward a one minute plank. Right now I'm at 30 seconds and it's a challenge. While on the treadmill, I'm pushing to shave time off of my miles. The final goal for this month is clean eating. As Stephanie says "You can't outrun a bad diet." I haven't been eating bad, but I haven't been eating clean. I've been a bit sloppy. After one week of clean eating I feel better and the scales are down four pounds. I need to make sure I am getting in a gallon of water each day. I've slacked on this too. I've been drinking much more tea and lemonade. I only have a lemonade a day, but that's still a lot of sugar. I'm certainly on the right track now. This is the last week I am off before I go back to work. I have really enjoyed having the gym to myself during my morning workouts or during the case of summer school I had it to myself in the early afternoon. I like to be able to do what I need to do when I need to do it. Going in the evenings that is not always possible. The gym is much busier. However, it will all work out just fine. I think what I really enjoy is the ability to go to the gym and spend an unlimited amount of time there because I have nowhere else I have to be. I can focus on my goals. It's a mind shift. I will make it. We have hired two new trainers at the gym and this Thursday I get to take part in a body sculpting class. Very exciting. We should have another class added before long too. GREAT. I like mixing things up. I like feeling challenged in a workout. This past week I spent a week taking classes or teaching classes for our district's professional development academy. Each day at least one person and sometimes more than one would compliment me on how I look or they have been reading my blogs and seeing my Facebook posts and are complimenting me on the challenges I have been a part of this summer. I'm not gonna lie. People dish compliments like that out and it feels GOOD!!! Today I went into my school for a couple of hours and the same thing happened. I tell people these compliments keep me going. What I don't mean and I don't want you to think that it gives me a big ego because that is not the case at all. It validates that the hard work I am doing is paying off. I see myself every day. I can't see the big changes that other people see. Of course, when my clothes are too big I get excited because that's a huge validation. Its the encouraging words that keep me going. Sometimes I'll be on the treadmill and think of a compliment someone has said to me and it will cause me to run that much faster. Those words are pure inspiration to me in the journey where I still don't have everything figured out and still get frustrated at times. Being part of these virtual challenges with people from around the world has also been a great source of inspiration. I enjoy cheering them on and I get so many ideas from them. While we are on the topic of sources of inspiration...let's discuss the London Olympics! I am an Olympic addict. I remember watching them at home growing up and I still do today. First, I feel it ignites within us a deepened sense of patriotism. We are Team USA. I don't have a preference over summer or winter Olympics. My favorite events in the summer Olympics are the swimming, diving, running, and gymnastics. There has been so much hate this year. So and so shouldn't have worn her hair that way. So and so might have tested clean for drugs, but I don't believe it because there is no way they could perform that well. Did you see her thighs? What were they thinking when they picked out those uniforms? Can we just let it go? These people are conditioned and perform at a level that 99% of the world can't. You do not just run onto a track or jump in a pool and break world records. The hours and hours and hours away from family to devote to training, the passion, the sacrifice...They are Olympians. If this kind of criticism continues we are teaching our kids that they will never ever be good enough. I've had it with this kind of thinking. I will be the first to admit that I am absolutely into the Olympic games. It's all I watch right now. I will have withdrawals next week. Olympians from not just the US, but other countries as well have inspired me and motivated me to do more with my health and workouts. Go TEAM USA and to the rest of you...Make it count. Every morning when you wake up say to yourself "I'm going to make today count."

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The purpose of this blog is to share my journey to a healthy lifestyle with others. Losing weight has been a battle my entire life. I had an eye opening and life changing event which propelled me to take action. Come and join me on this journey. We will laugh, cry, celebrate, and learn. And in the end, we WILL beat the bulge.