Getting Healthy AND strong...One Day at a Time

Well life caught up with me and several months have passed since I last updated my health blog. This seems to be becoming a habit I think. Focusing on my new job has taken up a lot of time over the past several months but I finally have a minute to update and it feels great! I am happy to tell you all that my journey towards better health and weight loss is really finally starting to set in...in a super positive way. I have been training for almost 5 months solid at Melt Hot Fitness in Westerville. I take 3-4 classes there a week. Between their hot barre class and their hot yogasu class, I have really started seeing some amazing results. Also, about 3 weeks ago I started training for the Phitathalon here in Columbus. It is a 5mile race with obstacles throughout--something I NEVER imagined I would be capable of doing if you would have asked me about it six months ago. Every Saturday, I join team Melt Hot Fitness at the Alum Creek Dam to train for the race. We do a variety of strength training exercises: pulling the sleigh with weights, squats, bear crawls, burpees, advanced weight training, etc. For cardio AND strength we run the dam stairs..which to some may not look bad from far away but it is murder to your thighs and calfs. After about 20 minutes of intense strength we run 3 miles around the dam, again, something that I could not do 6 months ago. I have really built my endurance from these training sessions--let me tell you I am NOT a natural long distance runner by any means but the trainers have been amazing coaches to me, pushing me each step of the way, one foot after the other. I can not believe how much running is a mental challenge, more so than physical. I'm really starting to believe that your physical goals are more about your attitude and mental strength towards them! I have also been taking 30 min-40 min work out breaks over my lunch where I run or do the elliptical or the bike for as long as I can go. This, mixed with my healthy eating habits have really been toning and shaping my body in the way that I want. I'm still not losing the weight as fast as I would like, but my body has a tendency to really build muscle fast, and sadly muscle weighs more. I have a new diet consisting of only whole and clean foods which I am following to the best of my ability, allowing myself one meal a week, typically on a weekend night, where I can have what I want--but still not going crazy though. I am down 15.5 pounds from January and I have 40 more pounds to go to be where I want to be. I know it is an intense challenge, but for the first time in years I feel like I am truly on the right path, making the right decisions for  my health. It has taken a complete attitude change about exercise and food. I now look at food as something that we need to fuel the body. Eating isn't something we should do when we are bored, or stressed. We shouldn't eat necassarily for the taste. We eat for the nutrients that our bodies need to survive. Exercise is not a form of punishment for eating "bad" or drinking too much on a weekend. It something that makes me feel amazing. It is something that all of our bodies and our minds need to thrive so we must feed it! I recently got rid of a lot of baggage from my personal life and it has truly freed my mind and also helped me along in this process of bettering my health, and overall, my life. On that note, I will continue to thrive and try my best day by day. I don't get ahead of myself. I don't focus on weeks or months at a time like I used to. Day.By.Day. I'm sure I won't be back on for a month or two, and hopefully next time, I will have yet another update with good news on the weight loss. For now, I will leave you with some pictures of my progress, as well as some pictures of examples of healthy meals that I create on an everyday basis which have helped me become healthy. Enjoy!:)

veggie and hummus wrap

veggies with no guilt spinach kale dip

packing lunch at beginning of week

Taken may 2013

Taken June 31st 2013. 3 mile run

berries

squash spagghetti and salad