In the word of Mr. Christopher "Big Black" Boykins- DO WORK

Today I had one of the best workouts I have ever. I didnt do anything new, I just did every longer and harder. I had a circuit which takes me about 45-50 minutes to do. After that I went on the elliptical. Now I usually go on for about 20 minutes but today I was feeling rather B.A. So I decided to go on for 35 minutes. Yeah, I felt the burn and it was awesome. By the time I was done with the elliptical I took off my sweatshirt and my whole t-shirt was soaked in sweat...I smelled like roses-not.

After that I did these ladder drills, dripping in my sweaty t shirt and shorts. Man, it was funny looking at the people drive past my house while I did these drills in my driveway. It's like they have never seen a sight like that before in there life. I did the drills growing up in basketball practice and I always enjoyed them. There pretty much for speed, agility and quickness. My favorite drill out of all of them is called the Icky Shuffle..if you don't know what that is, Google it, youtube it- it's pretty fun to do and I'm not trying to be cocky but I sure am good at this one. I can say that I totally have noticed an improvement in my speed since starting these drills...My dad is a gym teacher and of of his quotes he always uses is "fast kids in front, fat kids in back", don't think just because were big, we aren't fast- that's right folks, big girls can be fast. Don't underestimate the power of Fluffy people.

Here are some pics from today's kick ass workout...

                                             Notice that my t shirt is all wet...that's sweat- DO WORK

It started soaking through my sweatshirt.

 

The result of my kick ass work out. Def worth all the sweat ;)

Hump Day

Hello fellow bloggers and readers!

Today is my off day- kinda to just give my body some time to recover. I also give platelets every 2 weeks and today I gave platelets. It takes about 2 hours for them to take a double unit from me. I watch a dvd and that usually makes the time go faster but today it felt like it was taking forever. I thought to myself maybe I should just give blood next time because that only takes about ten minutes. When I got home I was talking to my ma and she was telling me that while listening to the radio, a little girl was talking about how she had luekemia and that people who donated platelets had helped save her life. I think God is talking to me folks. I set up my next appointment for platelets right away after hearing that story.

After I got done talking to my ma I sat down and was reading through our local newspaper. I always enjoy reading my horoscope and seeing if it really fits me. Here is what my horoscope said today and I quote " Libra, Your physical strength is featured, and you can do more without strain and stress. You'll be motivated to achieve vibrant health. You will exercise vigorously and, once finished, feel gloriously alive." Once again, God is talking to me. Little things like that make you want to keep on going. Look up your horoscope, what does it say about you?

One last thing- I got a pair of new kicks today also. The new Air Max's- most comfortable shoe I have EVER worn. Happy Hump Day :)

P.S. If you have time in your day, go donate blood- You can be someones hero!

Just keep goin

Well I weighed myself this morning. Still not at the 200 pound mark but I still lost some weight. As much as I want to be under 200 I know its still a great accomplishment that I have lost over 25 pounds. I feel so much more healthy and I enjoy working out now- its no longer a chore but a time in the day where I can let loose. I know I will get under 200 soon and I just have to take each day as it comes. Enjoy life- don't let it pass you by.

15 reasons why I enjoy running, workouts and eating decisions

As I said before I am new to this blogging deal. As I have added bloggers to my list I have noticed that many of them are friends with each other and when I see what they comment on each others blogs its more like family. I think it's really cool that people band together so well when they are fighting for the same cause. I came across a blog that was on 263andcounting and this lady blogs a lot more then me. I need to get into the habit of trying to blog at least 4 times a week. She wrote down the 15 reason why she enjoyed basically becoming healthier. So here is my 15 reasons...

1. I feel a sense of accomplishment
2. I love the feeling of having a T-shirt full of sweat- it means I "Do Work"
3. I have inspired people, some of whom I don't even know
4. I love hearing, "Wow, you look great"
5.Seeing my stomach shrink, good bye love handles
6.I appreciate food for what it actually tastes like
7.I'm buying smaller clothes- shopping is fun now :)
8. My self-confidence has shot up tremendously
9.I can't wait for the summer and not feeling embarrassed in my 2 piece swim suit
10.I'm looking forward to the future
11.I feel like I am in control of my life
12.The 2 hours I spend working out relieves so much on my mind
13. Man, I'm going to look good in that brides maid dress
14.Cant wait to run my first 5k this summer
15. I feel that I am in the best shape that I have ever been in my life

What are the reason that you enjoy being a healthy person?  Stop being sick and tired of being sick and tired-Today's a new day, get up and move! Happy Earth Day!

Just thought this was kind of funny...

Success!

For all of you who don't know, I weigh myself every saturday morning. I call it the "weigh in". Last week I had gained three pounds. It was a horrible feeling but I didn't let it get the best of me. I worked hard this past week. It was different too because I had to juggle going to school, work and working out. But I did it and I realized how motivated you have to be. I woke up saturday morning and I pulled out the scale. I stepped on and I was feeling pretty good about myself. It took a couple of seconds for the scale to read what my weight was, but when the numbers popped up- I was in shock. The scale read 202. WOW. I had lost six pounds in a week, the most I have ever lost. It was such a good feeling to work hard through a week and the outcome is just awesome. I am hoping to reach the 200 or under mark this week. I don't think a lot of people really understand how excited I am to weigh under 200 pounds. I can;t remember the last time I stepped on a scale and it read in the 100's. I have lost 28 pounds so far and I intend to keep losing it.

Like I said before, losing weight is all mental. Yea, I gained weight- but that didn't stop me from continuing to work out hard. It pushed me to work out harder and harder each day because I have a goal to reach and if I gain weight in a week, I know I will be able to lose it. I'm not going to lie, it sucks to gain weight but when you lose it- that is the best feeling. I've been noticing that my clothes, which I usually wear a large in T-shirts or nicer clothes- they're now getting big on me. I may have to go shopping soon :) I have also noticed that my self esteem has gone up and I'm loving life more. Losing weight has so many benefits, I wish I would have taken my health in account sooner. That's life though, you live and you learn. I hope all of you have a great week! Get out and enjoy life.

The top pic of me is when I weighed 208, the bottom is me at 202. Do Work.

busy busy busy

Sorry for not posting anything lately but man I've been busy. How was everyone's Easter? Mine was very relaxing. It was very nice weather here in Wisconsin, it was in the 60's. As I we went down closer to the lake- it got a tad bit colder. My brother Cal and his fiance Jenn came down from Madison for brunch. They brought their new puppy Lucy. Her and my cat, Ginger were playing around in the yard. It was so funny to watch a puppy and a grown cat play. I went down to my uncle's house in Milwaukee. He took me my parents, brothers and two of my brothers fiance to brunch at a yacht club. It was a buffet and it was very good. I got an omelet with onions, ham, tomatoes and some cheese- it was so good. I didn't over eat like I usually do at buffet style meals. I for once had self control. It was a stepping stone for me I think. I felt full, so I stopped eating- I usually eat through the painful stomach ache but this time it was different.

The past couple of days I've been working at my local YMCA. I work there in the summer doing summer rec but I really need to make some money-so I've been working staycation. Basically, babysitting a lot of kids. The kids I would have to say are more well behaved in staycation than summer rec but you still get those one or two kids that just don't listen. The hardest thing about working early is that I've been having to workout earlier in the day than I have before. I know when I get off of work I won't want to workout-so I workout before work. I actually liked working out earlier because I felt more energized. I've also noticed that when I drink a cup of coffee before a workout- I really have a lot more energy and I feel like I get a better workout in. I would recommend it for people who workout later at night and are just not feeling like going to exercise. That's one of the hardest things for me in the summer, when I start working 40 hours a week- I am so tired that I don't want to work out, I just want to sleep. But you really have to push yourself to get a workout in.

I like being busy because then I'm not just sitting around being bored. When I keep myself busy, it's easier not to think about munching on food. Usually when I'm bored I eat and that was a big way that I put on weight. I've learned that chewing on gum or eating a mint can trick your mind into thinking that your eating something and that hunger goes away. I chew on gum all the time now and after I get done eating I pop in a mint to stop the cravings of food. Little things like that really help me along in my journey of losing weight and I hope they can help you too.

Today was a great day

Today could not have been better. I woke up and it was already 60 degrees outside. For all of you who don't know, I live in Wisconsin. We can go through all four season within one day. I'm not kidding. For it to be 80 degrees at this time of the year is unbelievable. I had to go to speech class this morning and all during class all I could think about was this wonderful weather and how I wanted to be outside and not stuck in this class. My speech class is the biggest joke/waste of time for me and the others in it. I kid you not, a elementary school student could pass this class. The worst part about this class, was all I did was look at the clock every couple minutes. Of course doing that made the time go even slower. I hate when that happens. Our teacher was feeling nice so she let us out 15 minutes early. Thanks June-your a peach.

After class I went to a luncheon with my friend Heebs. It was for NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) which is a great organization. No my friend is not a crazy, she has been having some problems with anxiety, it happens, we all can get it. I know I have had anxiety on numerous occosions because I worry about a lot of stupid little things. But she has gotten better with dealing with things that make her feel anxious.Like her boyfriend says, its a part of you-it doesn't define you. We had the luncheon at a restaurant called Thunder Bay Grill. They served us soup and salad, I usually am not that big of a fan but the salad bar was delicious plus it was free. "Shit, they say the best things in life are free". (Kanye West) They are having a walk at a local park to fundraise for the organization in May. My friend is making a team, which is called Hakuna Matata- it means no worries ;) I am on the team and excited to walk not only for my friend but for a cause that many people look past which shouldn't be.

I got home and I was supposed to go to the YMCA and run. But the weather tempted me to stay home and do my circuit in the garage. I did my circuit and I felt so good when I was working out. I had so much energy and I was getting my heart rate up and it didnt even feel like I was working that hard. I then went on the elliptical for 20 minutes and was "doing work" on it. I then got out a ladder, which helps with speed, quickness and agility. My dad used to have us do these drills all the time for basketball. I loved doing them because I showed everyone that big girls have fast feet too. At the end of my workout I was full of sweat, my shirt was soaked and I just felt so good. Being outside, working hard in the fresh air just made my day. My cat was outside working out with me too. I noticed while I was walking around my mom's garden how many of the flower buds are starting to shoot up. There were two flowers that had actually bloomed already, it was nice to see color in a garden that is full of brown. It's funny how something so small and simple makes you feel so much better.

I ended up staying outside to shoot hoops until the sun started to set. Plus, I smelled really bad and needed to get in the shower. As I looked at my heart rate monitor, I checked out to see how many calories I burned. You wanna know how many? 1,944! I can truly say that I was one of the best workouts I have ever done because I not only burned a lot of calories but the workout felt effortless. Keep working hard- It pays off.