Spring Toward Summer Workout Playlist

 

 

 

Thank God that it's finally spring, because I know how sick we all are of the wintry weather.  We made it through one of the worst winters in years - not always patiently, but with prayer and perseverance, here we are on the other side of the snow.

 

There are still some chilly days, but we can finally get some outdoor workouts in.  I mix it up right now, since on some days the weather still doesn't cooperate.  This playlist will work well whether you are stuck on the treadmill or hitting the trails:

 

Happy - Pharrell Williams

 

Stronger - Mandisa

 

Automatic - Miranda Lambert

 

On Top of the World - Imagine Dragons

 

Heaven Knows - Donna Summer

 

Chainsaw - The Band Perry

 

Don't Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet - Hayden Panettiere (Nashville Soundtrack)

 

Counting Stars - One Republic

 

Let It Go - Idina Menzel (Frozen Soundtrack)

 

I Hold On - Dierks Bentley

 

One Way Or Another - Blondie

 

Beat of the Music - Brett Eldredge

 

I Ain't Leaving Without Your Love - Jonathan Jackson/Sam Palladio/Chaley Rose (Nashville Soundtrack)

 

Wagon Wheel - Darius Rucker

 

Mixing up the music also keeps me going, since the variety of genres prevents boredom and appeals to the many sides of me that all need to come out to play - or work out, as the case may be.  It's always good to keep it as interesting as possible!

 

So...please share with me any songs that you love to work out to right now.  We can all keep each other motivated as we move through spring an toward a fitter summer!

School's Out! June Workout Playlist

School's - out - for - summer!

Now that you have Alice Cooper running through your head...have you started thinking about your workout music for warm weather?  I always love to mix things up - to keep workouts fresh.  If you change up your music from time to time, you're more likely to avoid being bored...and more likely to stick with your run, walk, cycling, etc.

So in addition to "hangin' with Mr. Cooper", here are my latest additions for summer:

Try - Pink

Next to Me - Emeli Sande

I'm a Keeper - The Band Perry

Little Bit of Everything - Keith Urban

Roller Coaster - The Partridge Family

Sunshine and Summertime - Faith Hill

Fortunate Son - John Fogerty with Foo Fighters

Hush Hush - Pistol Annies

Voulez-Vous  -  Mamma Mia Soundtrack

Thing Called Love - Bonnie Raitt

Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall


Please leave a comment with your favorite workout songs...we're always looking for more suggestions.  And get out there and WERK it!!!

June Fitness Goals!!!

Happy June 1st!  It's been a rough week with stress including a death in the family, but I know I have to get myself back on track.  And what better day to do this than the first of the month?

So here are the goals I've set for myself for the month of June:

1. Lose 10 pounds - doable as I commit to the other goals below.
2. Play more tennis!  I try so hard to get better and have so much fun I don't realize I'm exhausted until afterward.
3. Get back to drinking more water.  Over the holiday weekend and the stressful few days that followed, I drank diet soda more than I should have.  Time to cut that out!
4. Keep up with Spinning and Pilates.
5. More fresh produce - my fruit & veggie count wasn't that great this week either, and now is the perfect time to get the good stuff in!
6. Walk/run on days I'm not playing tennis or spinning.  I've done a lot of walking, but it's time to step it up more with running intervals.
7. Come up with more healthy alternatives for favorite foods that are not so good for me.  Limit treats!

My plan is to rock June!  How about you???

Biggest Loser Withdrawals - Or Not?

So the Biggest Loser finale was last week...two weeks earlier than it would normally be for the winter/spring season.  I'm sure it was because of the walk-off and having less people competing toward the end.  But it still means no BL to watch - not only for the next two weeks, but all summer and possibly longer.  (Still hearing from various sources that there will be no fall season!)

What are you doing to combat Biggest Loser withdrawal?  Or were you just so fed up with this past season that it doesn't bother you?

As happy as I am to be done with the nastiness and drama from certain contestants this season, I'm still missing BL.  Actually, I've been missing the BL of past seasons since January...you know, the seasons with more inspiration and motivation than drama.  So I've been having a type of withdrawal already. 

My plan is to watch old clips of past seasons to be inspired all over again.  And I'm doing my thing - spinning, Pilates, walking, eating healthy...pushing myself to be my personal best.  The one way to overcome someone else's drama is to take the focus off of them and concentrate on yourself and what you need to do to make your own life better.  Don't let any negative people, whether on TV or on real life, bring you down with them.  Live your own life to the fullest.

What are you doing to motivate yourself without Biggest Loser?  Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with me!

Biggest Loser 13 Challenge - Much Needed Success!

I really needed this...thank you God!!!

After missing my weigh-in last Sunday due to being sick (partially stress, partially stomach bug) I was nervous about it this week. After all, it's been a rough one, which I posted about in my blog a couple of days ago. I wasn't sure what I'd see on the scale today.

Well, I saw a loss of 2.4 pounds! I allowed myself one Shamrock Shake on Monday night after the "I-knew-it-was-coming" fiasco earlier in the day, but other than that I ate healthy foods. Just because one thing went wrong, I wasn't going to let everything go wrong.

I also think it helped that I was able to walk a lot outside to help deal with the stress, instead of eating my stress. I prayed and thought things through on my walks...and I burned calories! Even though I still have stress from the situation, I'm making the most of every day and moving forward.

Which means I'll be back to Pilates and spin this week, stressed or not. At least the stomach bug part of things has calmed down so I can get stuff done. Also, since I don't need ginger ale for my stomach now I can drink even more water to clean out my system.

So I pray that this week will be much better, and I will do my part to make it so. I'm pulling the positives out of the situation (like my 2.4 pound loss) and working to improve in all areas. And I know - God will do His part because He is faithful!

My Own Personal March Madness

March Madness has new meaning for me.

I guess it started as February
Madness, with the new job I'd started in the middle of the month. At first things seemed to be going well...it was a medical billing position with a lot to learn but I was picking up some of it quickly. I was also told that it takes more than two months to really get everything down, so I kept that in mind as I took on my tasks.

As March began, more pressure was put on me to know everything immediately. (Mind you - I'd only been on the job for two weeks at this point.) I was thrown into several tasks that I had not been trained for, and if I asked questions because I wanted to do it right I was met with anger for asking. But if I tried to do it on my own they got angry as well. Over and over, everytime I didn't do it right or asked a question, I was told that if I couldn't get this part of the job down then I wouldn't be able to stay on. (I was also misled as to my job description when I was hired, but I won't get into that now.) When I asked for help so I could learn it properly, I was told to just keep trying by myself and was refused help or additional training.

Needless to say, this all was bound to come to a head. And it did on this past Monday. I don't have the job anymore, and I'm looking for something else to help pay this bills. I believe this is actually a blessing, since the way I was treated gave me panic attacks and I almost threw up a few times at work. My thought is that they decided they didn't need the additional person in the billing department, but instead of telling me that they put pressure on me so I couldn't perform my job. You also can't perform the job if you are not trained properly. It's been a rough week, but I'm finally able to think about it this way...not every job is the right fit for every person. There are good days and rough days no matter where you work, but there are also times when you realize that something didn't work out because it was a bad fit.

I'm thankful for the month's worth of paychecks, and with that I move on. I've already been out and about putting in applications at several retail establishments. That kind of position is more "me", and I'll be able to balance my writing with this type of job. And I have an interview at one of them on Tuesday, so I would appreciate your prayers.

I know God will lead me to the right place, and He's taught me some very important lessons this past month. I appreciate the beautiful weather He provided this week, to go out and apply at other places and help me get back into my fitness routine. Being able to take long walks outside is helping me clear my head and think, along with working the tension out of my body. Plus my editing and revisions are moving along better without the anxiety and pressure playing repeatedly in my head.

I trust God. I have faith in Him. And I know He will provide so I'm operating now from a place of calmness. He doesn't want me to be anxious for anything, but to place my trust in Him. So I will make it through my March Madness and into peace and joy...and I will be a better person for the experience.

Biggest Loser 12 Challenge- Week 5!

Here we are, 5 weeks into our #BL12Challenge. Time once again to check the progress after all of our hard work, as we pray for good results.

I lost 1.4 pounds this week, putting me at 8.8 gone for the Challenge. All of the walking, spinning, and Pilates have paid off with a lower number on the scale...but also as tangible proof of my effort I can fit into some clothes that were too tight before. This not only has me overjoyed, but keeps me motivated to stick with it. Of course, my body feels so much better from all of the workouts that I was already motivated!

How did you do this week? Please post a comment here or on Twitter at #BL12Challenge. I want all of us - not just the contestants - to rock the finale!

Week 1 of Biggest Loser 12 Challenge: How Did You Do?

The first week of my Biggest Loser Season 12 Challenge is in the books. Last week we set our goals...how much are we going to lose by the finale?

I weighed in this morning feeling pretty confident. I did have one piece of birthday cake at my son's party, but otherwise made smart choices. I had two spin classes and Pilates, in addition to my regular walking routine with a little dancing thrown in. So what do you think my scale told me?

It said "Congratulations!" (Well, it didn't actually speak, even though that would have been cool...yet scary.) I lost another 2.4 pounds this week so I've lost 4.6 so far toward my goal of 30 gone by mid-December.

I'm on my way and feeling better...healthier and more positive about myself.

How about you? How did you do? If you haven't joined my challenge yet you can still post here and set a goal. Let's work toward this together, and we will all be able to celebrate on BL12 finale night!

Staycation - Good For Body and Soul!

As some of you may have noticed, I haven't blogged in a little while. The first few days were not by choice...I had to get a new modem and then catch up on my other work first. But the last three days were definitely by choice.

I desperately needed a vacation, but there are no funds in the budget to get away from it all. So it was time for a "staycation"...having a holiday at or near home to recharge when you can't afford a big trip. I made a conscious decision not to log on to the computer for three days, not even to write. You see, if I had turned it on to write, I would have been tempted to check my mail or social networking sites. The whole idea was to relax and enjoy the time without distractions, so I could be refreshed when it was time to get back to business. Since I don't have a Blackberry or iPhone, there was no tempatation in that department.

We never ventured far from home...we swam every day, went on long walks, and watched movies. I got to spend some uninterrupted time reading as well. I stuck to healthy foods except for one treat - ice cream on Sunday evening. I still drank plenty of water, especially with all of the time spent outdoors exercising.

The plan worked...I am now recharged and ready to tackle more writing and other ventures, plus I didn't wind up gaining any weight on this little vacation. In fact, I lost a little over a pound! How often do we go on any type of vacation and lose weight, unless it's at a spa or weight loss retreat? Not too often!

I highly recommend a staycation to all of you...even more so if you can't afford a regular vacation. With the stresses of life we all need to unplug and refresh our souls, so we can be more productive in the long run. Besides, we all need to enjoy ourselves now and then!

God's Pedometer

What if God has a pedometer? A unique one for each of us that keeps track of every step we take with Him, and the ones that we try to take on our own?

As I've been working on increasing my step count this week, I began to really think about that special walk...my walk with God. How am I actually doing on the journey with Him? I am doing a lot of soul searching, wondering just how many steps I attempted on my own without His help. Things that I've worried about or tried to force to happen on my time schedule, in my way. Problems that I wanted to solve by myself instead of praying and turning to Him about them. On the other hand...how many steps have I taken the right way, hand in hand with my Savior and placing all of my trust in Him? Have I let Him carry me when I needed him to?

Our walks with God are always the same in that He wants us to journey through life with Him. They are different each day, however, in that God leads us down all kinds of paths with many twists and turns. We have to trust that He is our Compass and will guide us down the correct ones. Deciding which way to go on our own will only get us lost, but if we turn to God He will get us back on track. Sometimes we don't know where the trail is leading, but God does...and He will get us exactly where we need to go.

Over the last couple of days I've gotten the step count on my earthly pedometer up to 7,000, and I will keep increasing that number. I now also realize that I need to continually add to the number on God's pedometer for me...making sure I don't increase the amount I do on my own, but instead focusing on getting the number of steps I walk with Him higher and higher, until they reach infinity!

Keep On Walkin' It Baby....Baby Baby Baby

Now that I'm getting my butt in gear, I looked around the house and located my pedometer. You've got it...it's been THAT long since I've used it. It was in a very safe place...so much so that it was even safe from me! I had it on all the time for quite while (well, except in the shower!), and it kept me honest. Meaning, I wasn't just guessing at how much I was moving all day long. I could actually see what I'd been doing and work on improving.

I found my pedometer on Monday evening and clipped it on yesterday after I woke up. You're supposed to get to at least 10,000 steps each day, and when I wore it consistently I always hit the mark, sometimes getting to 11,000 or a little higher. It felt so good to reach that goal, which also made me want to eat better. I didn't want to undo all of the good work I did!

Yesterday was a big wake up call for me. Even with a workout, I only got to 6,000 steps. Since I freelance from home, a lot of my time is spent sitting at the computer just as if I had a desk job somewhere else. I have to work harder at getting enough steps in each day, because my work is sedentary for the most part. When I worked in an office, I used to find extra reasons to get up and walk around, like delivering messages in person instead of picking up the phone to talk to my co-workers. Every short stroll around the office added to my step count.

I will be working hard at increasing my step count each day. The 6,000 step mark is just a new starting point. It goes to show how my little month long "vacation" affected me, moving around less than I should have been. I needed this jolt to realize that I was going too easy on myself during the times that I wasn't actually performing a workout. Just because you go for your walk/run or use an exercise DVD, it doesn't mean you can "relax" the rest of the day. It's time to REALLY get my walk on!!!

Autumn Workout Pleasures

*photo courtesy of Runner's World Magazine.

You cannot imagine how happy I am to see the sun shining today! We've had several days in a row of rain, rain, and more rain. I was ready to cast the new sequel "Marie Almighty" with my fellow Clevelanders and go to Home Depot to get enough wood and supplies to build my own ark. On top of a couple of already stressful days, the constant downpour and gray skies were depressing, to say the least.

After being relegated to my treadmill and DVD player for the past week, I'm ready to get outside to do my walking and sprints. Soon enough it will be winter and I will be stuck indoors more often than not, so I want to take advantage of every nice day I can. Now that it's October, some of the leaves are beginning to change to their bright autumn colors; while some trees are still green, others have completely turned orange, yellow, and red. There's nothing like a brisk walk or run through the fall foliage, and the cooler temperatures are welcome. God is the true Artist, painting the most beautiful pictures throughout this world. He inspires me to create, and I thank Him for the gift of words that He has entrusted to me. I can only hope and pray to use this gift to the full potential that He has in mind for me!

The weather and fall scenery are already putting me in a better mood. I can't wait to go outside in a couple of hours and enjoy every minute of my workout. Thank you God, for this wonderful world, and please help me do my part in making it what You want it to be!

More Songs For Your Workout Playlist!

Keeping your workout playlist fresh is extremely important. If you exercise to the same set of tunes for too long, you will get bored with your exercise routine. Putting your playlist on shuffle does help, but at some point it's still the same old songs, just in a different order. It's vital to add new music to keep yourself excited and motivated to work out.

Here are a few of the songs I've recently added to my walking/running playlist so I can keep it moving!!!

Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

Whip It - Devo

Hot Blooded - Foreigner

New Found Freedom - Taylor Hicks

Stuck Like Glue - Sugarland

Giddy On Up - Laura Bell Bundy

Enough Is Enough - Donna Summer/Barbra Streisand

Only The World - Mandisa

I Like It - Enrique Iglesias/Pitbull

Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida (Step Up 3D Soundtrack)

Airplanes - B.o.B./Hayley Williams

I love all types of music, and the variety of styles keeps me going, so I'm never bored. What's on your playlist? :o)

Dealing With Rude People During Workouts

Many of us have to deal with this as we walk or run through our neighborhoods and parks. Some of us also have to put up with it at the gym. In fact, I'd venture to guess that the majority of us run into this problem more often than we'd like to admit.

What problem am I talking about? The rude people who think it's OK to ridicule or taunt larger people when they watch us exercise. The laughs and cat-calls, the crude comments, and general nasty behavior is uncalled for. For one thing, how do these people think we would lose any of the weight without getting up and working out...do they think that we can just sit in our house and imagine it away? Or do some of them really think we can unzip our "fat suits" like actors and actresses do for certain roles? We have to get out there and exercise for our health, and people of every shape and size have that right.

I remember one walking excursion when I went to a local park for a change of scenery. A car full of teenage boys drove past me, with all of them yelling comments at the same time...whale, cow, circus lady, you name it, they said it. I didn't say anything to them because their car was already halfway down the road, but I held my head up high and kept up my pace. Later on as I finished my hour long workout, a lady came up to me and told me I was doing a great job and to keep up the great work. I don't know if she was present at the time the boys drove by, but whether she was or not doesn't matter. She gave me a wonderful mental boost just when I needed it the most.

I still have ignorant people of all ages make comments, but I'm better prepared to deal with them now. Quite often as I walk or run by, they are watching me from the comfort of a lawn chair or standing outside smoking. I take into account that I'm working on my health as they sit on their butts or inhale their cancer sticks. If I'm in the zone I just ignore them and keep moving...but sometimes I wave or yell hello to them, which totally catches them off guard. I even had one man smash out his cigarette after I looked at it in his hand. He probably realized the irony of the situation, and I hope that moment helped him quit smoking for good.

In impassioned moments, I have yelled out, "Hey, at least I'm not sitting on the couch!" or something to that effect. Sometimes I'm listening to my I-Pod and the tunes drown out the rude folks, but if I'm not listening to music, I just concentrate on the scenery and the sounds of nature. I also think about how much stronger I'm getting every time I get out there and exercise!

I advise you not to let these people get to you. Sometimes it's difficult, but you have to train your mind so you focus on the positive and let the negative fade away. You can try some of the tips I mentioned, or if you have any other effective strategies, please share them so we can all help each other. Don't let anyone stop you from your journey to health and fitness...and if you see someone else doing their workout, cheer them on. You never know when it will help them on their journey!

Beating The Heat...In My House!!!

No, I'm not wishing for it to snow yet...there will be plenty of that here in Cleveland when winter comes around! I'm staring at this picture and trying to stay cool. The temperatures have been in the high 80's and low 90's the past few days, and our air conditioner has gone on strike. We found out that we need to get a whole new unit, because there are several leaks in this system...and they aren't making the parts for this cheapo brand that the builder used when this house was constructed. (Gee...I wonder why our builder is no longer in business???)

We're trying to get several estimates for a new unit, because we're still catching up on bills from when my husband was laid off. It's been a rough year and a half, but things are looking up. The first few days without air were fine, because the daytime temps were in the low 70's and it was around 60 at night. But the past few days have been miserable, especially for sleeping. I've been doing my walking in the upstairs hallway in the evenings, when it's a little cooler and there's a nice cross-breeze flowing from the bedrooms. There is no way I'm using the heat as an excuse not to work out...I'm through with excuses!

We are drinking a lot of ice water, and we even went to the mall on Monday to get cool. I got a good workout walking the mall, and since I can't really shop yet I didn't stop that often to look at stuff. Well, except for a really cool pair of running shoes that I saw, which will be going on my wish list for Christmas...or sooner if we can. Eating lighter foods really helps in the heat as well, and using the stove and oven as little as possible. Lots of nice, cold fruits and veggies for me!

Right now God just sent a gorgeous breeze through my home office window...thank you God!!! I will also look at that picture of Squaw Valley some more...and let it remind me that I want to be in shape for ski season. Stay cool everyone!

Walking...By Faith

"Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride, nobody gonna slow me down, oh no, I got to keep on movin'..." So, do you remember this song by Matthew Wilder? (Or am I showing my age here?) This is one of those songs that always puts me in a great mood, making me feel like I can accomplish anything.

And you know what? I really can accomplish anything! I just need to put in the work, stay positive, set goals, and enjoy the process. It's true that once you reach your goal you will feel amazing...but all of the steps on the journey to that goal are important. We all need to enjoy each moment and all of the smaller goals we meet along the way. Everything is a part of the process, so don't miss the moments that teach you something about yourself, or life in general. Those lessons will help you build up to your ultimate goals, and small victories should be celebrated just as much as the major ones.

I'm feeling so much better now that I'm back to eating healthy foods...I already was doing that, but in the last month I indulged a little too often. Treats are meant to be occasional, not all the time. You appreciate the treat much more when it's not an everyday occurence. My body really let me know that I was way off base - and I'm not really talking about the scale. I was more sluggish, got winded more easily just like before, and my stomach was not too happy about what I was sending down to it. I had lots of veggies yesterday, and my evening snack was Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries and cinnamon. I can already feel the difference.

I kept on exercising during this past month, but I did drop back a little while I enjoyed my vacation. That's OK, because I needed a little break. Now I'm walking regularly again, working on getting up to running speed. I'm dancing more, and that is one activity that I don't have to "make" myself participate in...because I enjoy it so much! It's true: Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I will keep walking with God by my side, and I have the faith that I'm on the right path. He would never steer me wrong!

It's Doesn't Have to Be a Marathon...Just Get Moving!!!

*photo courtesy of Junonia.

If you watch a certain weight loss reality show, you may think that the only way to get the pounds off is to immediately jump into a full-fledged boot camp type workout. More power to you if you can do it this way without getting hurt, but the majority of us are not built to withstand this much pressure on our bodies without bringing on trauma or injury. Seeing someone rushed to the hospital might make for supposed "good" TV drama...but it's not fun for the person in danger and it is not worth risking your life for. Most people do NOT start their fitness programs with a 26 mile bike ride or climbing a mountain.

If you have not exercised in a long time, you need to move into it gradually. Depending on your fitness level, you may need to start out with a brisk walk around the neighborhood...or even a slow stroll if you find yourself out of breath and need to work up to a faster pace. Swimming and yoga are easier on the joints, and you may want to start there if your body is not ready for the pressure of pounding the pavement. I have also found Pilates helpful in strengthening my body, and I will elaborate more on that in another post.

The main idea is to get moving in some way. Exercise is good for your body and mind, whether or not you lose pounds because of it. Chances are you will lose some weight as your body burns more fuel, but what's important is treating your body well, not what size you end up at. Don't expect to be able to run a marathon right away. Do what you can and enjoy the feeling of movement.

Tomorrow is National Dance Day...and I encourage all of you to get up and dance, no matter your size, fitness level, or level of dance experience. Just feel the joy of expressing yourself, and get moving!!!

What Helps You Avoid a Binge?

Let's face it...people of all shapes and sizes binge at times. The stereotype is that plus-sized men and women are the ones who drown their sorrows in ice cream, fast food, chips, and pizza. The reality proves, that binging is not limited to those above a certain size. Anyone who breaks up with his or her significant other, loses a job, or has to deal with a family member's illness can be prone to bouts of binge eating. The tragedies and stresses of life do not only happen if you wear a double-digit size. In fact, the slender binge eaters are less likely to think it's a problem, since the results don't always show up on their hips because of their metabolism.

It is not good for you to binge, no matter your size. Just because you are thin doesn't mean that you aren't stressing your body with these food fests, and on the other hand just because your natural body size doesn't allow you to fit into a size 6 dress doesn't mean it's OK for you to eat unlimited quantities of food at a sitting. It messes with your metabolism and other bodily functions, and too much sugar, salt, or anything is not healthy for your body. Moderation is the way to go in all things.

Now, what if you usually use food to cope with stress? What can you do instead to deal with it in a healthier way? Find something non-food related...go for a walk, go dancing, read, or talk to a friend. Something that always works for me is writing it all out. I write poems and songs, or find a way for one of my characters to work out stress on paper. You can also write it down...even if you don't write for a living like I do, start a journal and write your feelings in it. It doesn't have to be something for anyone to read except you, unless you wish to share it. That way you can say whatever you want and get it all out without worrying that you will offend someone. Once it's all on paper you will feel better and probably won't feel like eating the junk anymore. Writing it down may also help you find a solution to your problem or find a new way to deal with old hurts.

Think before you grab that food and start digging in. You are a wonderful person and worth treating your body well. If you have techniques to help you deal with stress that work for you, please share them here. Size does not matter...but health does. Find a way to do what's right for your body and treat it well. You deserve it!

ACTIVE Holiday Weekend!!!

On Memorial Day Weekends Past, we didn't do a whole heck of a lot. The most that would happen was attending BBQ's and eating a lot, then sitting around and talking with family and friends. Of course it was nice to catch up with everyone and have those conversations, but we were certainly not burning off all of the calories we had just eaten. In fact, we were too full to even feel like moving out of our chairs. We only got up to get another drink or more dessert.

Now to Memorial Day Weekend Present...we only had one BBQ to go to, and healthy food was served. We grilled at home as well, keeping to chicken or lean turkey burgers with salad and plenty of vegetables. Instead of big bowls of ice cream, we cooled off with sugar-free fudge pops. We went on long walks and bike rides, and played tennis. This is the first time I've ridden a bike in years. Until now, I had trouble balancing my extra weight and getting my legs to pump fast enough to get going. I still have a lot of weight to lose, but it's much easier to get on that bike now that I'm 35 pounds lighter.

The best thing is, we actually FELT like exercising! We didn't eat those heavy meals that would make us want to sit around or take a nap. We enjoyed our food, and it was fuel to help us do all of those fun activities. We drank plenty of water to stay hydrated, and didn't even miss all of the greasy, heavy foods. When I finally did sit out on my deck to read, I was able to really enjoy it because I had already gotten plenty of exercise and earned the time to just chill.

This is going to be a great summer. We are going to make the most out of every single day, just as it should be. I can't to see what our future holiday weekends have in store!!!

Independence Day

I'm declaring my independence from fat. This has still been a crazy week, but I'm doing so much better with my eating and exercise. Walking, dancing, and tennis are my calorie burners of choice right now, but I'm sure I'll mix it up a lot more to keep it interesting. Dancing was the perfect activity on Tuesday when I had a migraine...the music helped me to not think about the pain, and once I got moving it helped to loosen up those tight muscles.

This migraine also proved two things to me: first of all, I really can work through the pain. Now, I know sometimes you still need a day of rest when the pain level is excruciating. But...I always used these headaches as an excuse as to why I couldn't work out, even on the days that they weren't that bad. Then I would feel sorry for myself and fill up on chocolate or fast food. I'm sure that's part of the reason I got so out of shape. By now you know how I feel about excuses...no more!!!

My second discovery concerns magnesium. A friend of mine who also suffers from migraines told me a deficiency in this is linked to migraines, along with other joint and muscle problems. A few weeks ago I started taking 250 mg of magnesium oxide daily in addition to my regular vitamin, which does not have enough this element in it. I have not had a migraine since starting the supplement...but I ran out and missed taking it for 5 days. Lo and behold, I got the first migraine that I've had in almost 2 months. As soon as I started taking it again, the headache went away and hasn't been back. I've learned my lesson - I will make sure I never run out again.

On this Fourth of July weekend, remind yourself that you also are declaring your independence from fat. Celebrate the freedom to dream, dance, and be who you want to be. With God, there is nothing that is impossible. Also make sure you say a prayer for all of our soldiers, past and present, who fought and still fight to keep our wonderful country safe and free. Happy Independence Day to all of you!