Pre-Tanna, Cold Stone Loving Picture

Pre-Tanna (May 2008)

Before or During Challenge 2 (June-ish 2009)

Pre Challenge 3 (August 2009)

In the midst of Challenge 3 .. Yay! Go us!!

So as you can see a lot has changed in a little over a year, and I hope to put an even more amazing picture next April when it will be a year from the start of the very first challenge. So school is going, only 2 weeks left (actually 11 days!! ) Yippee!! Now if only I could get done with school so I can dedicate more time to working out. (I know excuses, excuses .. but the last two weeks before finals are always the no sleep, high stress times.)

Job

I knew there was a reason for me to go to a different church on Sunday, but I wasn't sure of the reason and these past couple of days have helped me to understand. On Sunday the Pastor preached about Job and how God lets you go through certain situations because you are mature enough and because they help you to grow. The devil can only impact so much in your life, but the one thing he is not allowed to touch is you physically.

This week I have been tested so many times and it just helps me to think about what I learned on Sunday and keep those words and scripture in my heart and mind. I keep telling myself I am in NY for a reason and at this school for a reason and all the trial and tribulations that come with it are necessary. Both yesterday and today I have been frustrated and normally I would go and eat my frustration away. Both days I went and worked out instead. It felt good to relieve my frustration in a different manner!

In honor of Thanksgiving I am going to list 6 things I am thankful for:

1. God loving me and the mercies he continually shows me,
2. My family - They may be far away but it makes going home for the holidays more enjoyable and manageable.
3. My friends both new and old- my friends who have helped keep me sane while I am away in NY and my friends I have "met" through the challenge. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity.
4. My health - I am healthy and alive.
5. The Gill's - They have made my time in NY so much more enjoyable. They continually go out of there way to make my experience 100 times better then last year.
6. Tanna - For starting the challenge. Without this challenge I would be a lot heavier and still dealing with unhealthy habits.

Happy Thanksgiving!! What kinds of things are you thankful for?

30 Posts in 30 Days

I am working on this 30 posts in 30 days business and recently I became oober busy and it became harder. But life is still going. I have been running on the track at the gym and I like that a lot and I added in some weights through this cool circuit system the gym has that tracks everything for you. So other than that I am just trying to get through the rest of the semester.

3 Papers (individual and group)

1 Presentation/Project (another group)

2 Finals

Case studies to become certified for Sexual Assault Counseling

That is a lot to have done in 3 weeks!! The case studies by Monday, and the presentation and group paper by the following week. There is just so much to do and so little time.

I did get an email yesterday that said 178 days until graduation and that made me happy!!

Really Really Back on Track

Last Thanksgiving Break .. At the American Girl Store in NYC

So I used to weigh myself every day and this helped me because it held me accountable throughout the day seeing that I had made a success from the previous day/days. Recently I stopped weighing myself every day and went back to the once a week for The Challenge. For some reason I decided to weigh myself and I am just about back at my start weight. But, I am okay with that because I have made so many other different improvements. It's funny because I made this blog to capture my life in NY and now I am capturing my struggle and success with weight loss. I think having these things in writing help me and any one else who is changing their lifestyle know it is possible.

5 lbs 5 weeks

Five pounds in five weeks is my goal for the end of the challenge. I need to step it up, get out of my comfort zone and finish strong. I will be at the gym bright and early tomorrow (5am) and hopefully every day this week working strong and hard. I figured out my weakness today and that is saying no to food when I am full, so this week I am going to work on that. We are so conditioned to eat 3 meals a day at the same time every day even when we are not hungry and I think that is a problem. We should just eat when we are hungry and stop as soon as the hunger cues come, so that is what I am going to do this week.

Push hard buddies and finish strong!!

Oh Saturday

I wish today had been a day that allowed rest and relaxation .. but instead it was spent on school work and work work! I had a group meeting in the morning, a group meeting into early evening and work into late evening. {Yikes} I am tired!! Only 4 weeks left of this gruesome school schedule and I will get a break in Texas!! SO I started off my day eating good - a banana, strawberries, carrots, chicken chili- then I came home to make dinner and had rolls and red or jollof rice. I told myself no dessert or you will need to use a cheat but I didn't resist temptation {sigh} such is life. I think that for these past couple of weeks I have let myself have sugar just about everyday and I need to break that habit!!

I didn't get into Teach for America, and I am okay with that. I guess it wasn't meant to be. Pray that I can find a great job in the DFW area, pray that I can come to a conclusion on what to do with my life, pray for answers about my future. As I took a moment to just stop and think today I realized that I was okay. This time last year I was depressed and boy have I made strides. I'm okay and I will be home soon!

A loooong day

I worked from 8 am until 930 pm tonight .. {yikes} We went to NYC came back and then I worked my second job! What a long day that made for! A plus to my day is that I bought some books!! Yay!! 3 books!! I am excited to read for fun!!

I started looking for a job yesterday. Hopefully I can find one at home!! I am excited to be at home!!

Thank you for all the encouraging words about the challenge. I am re-dedicated and excited about finishing strong.

Time to go to bed .. today has been long and tomorrow will be long as well!!

Back on track!!

Although I used all of my cheats for Challenge 3 {yikes} I am going to get back on track with my eating starting now. I have been working out hard but eating what I want and now I want to finish the challenge strong. I saw this idea on another blog and thought I would post something similar.

Reward List: Nov 13 - Dec 13

Workout 5 times a week - I can buy a new strap for my camera

Use no more than 6 cheats for the last 6 weeks - buy new music to work out to

Drink 8 cups of water at least 6 days a week - new water bottle

Meet my goal challenge by the end of the year - a massage

Things I Say To Keep On Track

1. Look how far you've come

2. Every little thing adds up

3. Taking the stairs will get easier

4. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels

7 Things I Hate About Being Overweight

1. Not being able to wear a cute bathing suit in the summer

2. Getting tired when walking up stairs

3. Not always finding cute clothes

4. Having a sister who is smaller than be

5. Being over 200 lbs

6. Not being able to trade clothes with friends

7. Not always having a towel that wraps around your body completely

10 Thing I Love About Getting Healthy

1. I feel good

2. I am happy

3. I am more confident

4. I fit in smaller sizes

5. I don't mind working out as much

6. I can run a mile on the treadmill without stopping (not all the time, but more than before)

7. Getting compliments

8. Buying more clothes

9. Thinking about what I eat before I put it in my body

10. Meeting wonderful people through The Challenge

I am so easily distracted ..

• Today was supposed to be my day to sleep in and enjoy the day, but instead it was jammed pack starting at
• 8 am with meeting my group at the library! Yikes!! Too early for me on a day off!! Then I stayed at the library to finish working on this paper!!
• I started buying the gifts for the angel tree kids at church in the midst of that i bought some fabric for this present i am making.
• I worked out today and got set up with this cool workout system
• I got a phone call from a friend today asking me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding!! I was so excited and so happy! I am glad they chose for me to partake in their special day!!
• I played on facebook.
• All of these random bullets all to say that I haven't read the article that I need to read for class tomorrow!

Friday is "To Write Love on Her Arm Day" .. go here to find out more .. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180283055427&ref=nf

You should do it! I did it last year. Sorry it's blurry its from my cell.

NoGoJoe

So .. I don't know what to say .. Everything happens for a reason but it still stinks!

Monday

Today was a Monday ..

Sundays are relaxing

Since I finished my paper last night I got to use today as a day to relax. I got up and went to church and then just came home and sat. It was so nice! After that I thought I was just going to help out at a birthday party for fun, but I ended up getting paid! The biggest plus about the birthday party was the cake .. red velvet cheesecake! Yum! My piece is in the fridge waiting for tomorrow. On my way home from the party I spoke with my friend Jennifer and this is our churches week to fast so I will be fasting all week! I am excited for this week, a lot is going on. I find out about TFA on Tuesday, Wednesday I have off from work, Thursday my paper is due. God is truly good and I am thankful for my life!!

The 6 Layer Cake is Only 5 Layers

So .. I had to make today a day "dedicated to Dr. Hoff" my health management professor since I have a paper due on Thursday. Good news, great news .. I finished the paper!! Yippee!! Now I just have to do some editing!! I am so glad that it is done and I believe and pray that I will get a better grade on this paper. So after 6 hours of working on this paper I decided I wanted to bake a cake ... but not just any cake .. this cake.

Here is my study station for most of today

So here it goes ..

I bought all of the supplies

I mixed the first 3 colors

I mixed the next 3 colors

My poor green layer split .. even after it had been cooled in the freezer

Final product .. not so pretty but it has character!!

All the colors minus green

6 layer Rainbow Cake

I am finishing up the last two pages of this paper and making a rainbow cake!! A 6 layer rainbow cake at that!! Pictures to come!! :)

Shopping

Today I went to Gap to replace some pants that I bought 2 weeks ago and they got a stain, I tried to remove the stain and now they are bleached!! So all I went into Gap for was the pants, but they didn't have them anymore. But instead they had all these good deals for $1.97. SO I went shopping and bought so much stuff for me, my brother, Erin (since she is in need of some new pants), and for a women's shelter! Fun day!! Now I need to get in bed because tomorrow I have to put my brain to use!!

Really hard and really amazing

::The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself::

I love this quote and just thought I would share!! :) Many times we strive to be the same weight as someone else or to find that "perfect weight" or we strive to be "perfect" in every aspect of our every day lives but that is not what is meant for us. We are meant to be ourselves and to love ourselves. In the process of striving to be someone else I have learned to find myself. There are so many things I can do now that I couldn't have done before striving to be the "perfect" that others wanted me to be. So when someone projects their thoughts and ideas on what you should be "perfect" at you should tell them thank you, but no thank you. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

I love taking pictures and baby M always makes for a good subject!! She is always fun to play with! So I thought I would share a pic from our trip to the apple orchards.

I am so very thankful that it is Thursday night! This means that it is the weekend!! Yippee!! This weekend my one goal is to finish writing my 6 page paper. That is all!! I want to be done by Sunday. Oh-I also have to do allll the reading for my class in which the paper is due because he said today that he will be calling on people next time. {sigh} I did work out today and had spaghetti squash for dinner again!! yumm!! And I packed some for my lunch tomorrow. Life is good .. I can't complain. I ran 1/2 a mile without stopping and then did the elliptical. I am bound and determined! It takes 14 days to form a habit and me and the gym are on the way to forming a very health relationship!! :)

Quick Quick Quick

I haven't read for my class tomorrow so I can't blog long .. today was good, worked out, got some more stuff together for my paper. I hope to do some more pages of my paper tomorrow night, and work out tomorrow as well. I am trying to replant this habit of working out into my body! I had too much halloween candy today .. like 6 pieces! yikes! but other than that my salad was yummy, my chicken and veggie pizza was yummy, and the pumpkin oatmeal bran flax seed muffin was great too!

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Running and Paper

• I ran 1 mile today in 14:26. (that's without stopping)
• Tomorrow I will run again!
• I got 2 pages of my 6 page paper done!!
• I had halloween candy in moderation.
• I worked out an hour on the cybex machine!!
• I will meet my challenge goal!!
• I will work out tomorrow!!

One year ago

Over the past year I have made some better choices towards my health. I think that people come into your life for a reason and God has everything set out so that it works out in due time. The Challenge coming into my life has been the difference. It has helped me to choose better. I may not make the best decision all the time, but I am working towards a better me. A year ago around this time of year I was depressed and hated NY. Now I may not want to live here forever, but I will survive living here until the end of May. What a difference a year makes towards everything in your life. I am so thankful for this experience. I have made great memories and learned many lessons that I would not have been able to make otherwise. I believe everything does happen for a reason and it is helping me to understand life more and to keep going.

This week I MUST finish this paper!! And I did go work out today. I went tonight so I could work out and watch One Tree Hill. I am on a salad kick and I am loving it!! Yum Yum!! Before the new year I want to have reached my challenge goal and I will succeed!! :) Only 5 weeks left of school!! :)

Yay for November

I am so glad that it is November!! The semester is almost over .. yippee!! So my wrap up for this weekend is a good one!

• On Friday I went with the family I babysit for as a extra hand to a birthday party and they had a haunted trail for adults that you had to go on individually! So fun! I love the thrill of being scared and not knowing what is around the corner! Then I went to a pizza night at the apartment of some girls from school and then came home and did homework and went to bed.
• Saturday I worked in the morning and took the girl that I work with to Malloween. It was fun to see all of the kids dressed up. A woman in the mall walked by me and was quite angry! She yelled out trick or treating is for outside. I think she was upset because she chose the wrong day and time to come to the mall! After that I went back to the mall to see if the pants that I ruined were at Gap. No luck! I did get some khaki's and $2 pants though! Then I went and went trick or treating with the family that I babysit for and to a friends house of there's who they always go and hang out with on Halloween. It was very fun! I had never been trick or treating and it's a fun experience! No wonder kids love it!! it was raining which was a bummer, but kids were out all over. One house had popcorn, apple cider, marshmallows to roast, cookies, and you could even knock on the door and say trick or treat! After this we went and hung out and had dinner! Yummy Mac and Cheese for dinner with even yummier wings! What a fun night! Albany is very much more enjoyable this year than last year.
• And today I went to my Financial Peace University class and then I worked out and then I did about 4-5 loads of laundry! It surely was a chore!! But while my laundry was going I got to learn how to make hummus! It was sooooo good! I had hummus and salad around 4 and I haven't been hungry for dinner since then. So I got to bring home the dinner I was going to eat tonight to eat for dinner tomorrow!! Yum! I also worked on that paper that I will make a passing grade on!! (we have to alll speak this into existence) Now I am baking pumpkin oatmeal wheat bran flax muffins to take to work tomorrow and then I am going to put up my laundry and get in bed! I will wake up to work out in the morning, I will wake up to work out in the morning!! :)