Why?

Yesterday I had a great workout. I walked on the treadmill.  I lifted many pound worth of weights. I pushed myself on the elliptical and bike.  I left the gym feeling like I had done a good days worth of working out.

And then I ruined it all by eating to much while watching the BYU/SDSU basketball game.  The cheese tray kept calling my name and I kept answering.  I ate 9 oz of cheese.  Yes, NINE OUNCES.  One half pound.  I know, I can't believe I did that either.  I swore I was going to be better and then my husband wanted to go out without the kids.  I swore I was going to be so good and then I discovered the deliciousness that is Naan.  Indian Flatbread. The warm garlic Naan called and I answered again.  What was I thinking?  I don't know.  I just know that in 10 hours I was able to undo an entire week full of hard work and sweat. 

What was I thinking?

I'm a people watcher...

Since the beginning of the year I had been working out (walking with my 2 year old in the stroller) on a pretty regular schedule.  I had noticed that the same people were showing up at the same time.  There was the girl who ran really fast with green earphone wires tucked into her ponytail.  The cute old couple who would hold hands as they walked.  There was the kinda creepy guy who carried a portable CD player with him ( didn't know they still had those).  Now, I know that everyone is different and has different workout routines and quirks, but since I have been going to work out when my husband gets home I have discovered a different group of interesting individuals.

I have lovingly named these folks from my observations over the last few weeks....

The crazy treadmill hog...This older gentleman arrives in his street clothes.  He enters the cardio room and scopes out his favorite treadmill.  Surprisingly the same treadmill is always available...it must know he is coming.  He steps up on the treadmill and unpacks his gym bag...two white gym towel thrown over the control panel.  One bottle of Costco water placed in the cubbie on the right side.  His cell phone and earphones are placed in the left cubbie.  He then looks over the control panel and turns the treadmill on.  He stands and watches it for a minute, gets off the treadmill and leave the cardio room.  I guess he thinks if its running while he is changing no one will take his treadmill (it usually takes about 10 minutes to get back from changing his clothes.)

The loud breather...this guy gets on an elliptical and goes all out.  The only problem with this guy is the loud rhythmic breathing.  Every other time his right foot goes down he lets out a loud "HUH".  Only the right foot and only every other time. 

The kid I wonder about...This very tall and very thin young man shows up at the gym wearing a beanie and a hoodie.  He works out for about 4 minutes on a piece of equipment and the switches to the next one.  He never finds a grove, he just bounces from one place to another.   I just wonder what he gets out of hopping all over.

I know we are all there for the same reason, but sometimes I just wonder about people. (I wonder what people think of the fat girl who sweats way too much(me)?

In other news, I finally feel like I have found a groove in the cardio room.  I have had a hard time with cardio because I find it REALLY boring.  I think about all the other things I could be doing other than sweating to death on the elliptical.  Over the last couple of weeks of working out on a consistent basis I feel like I could learn to enjoy it.  I have noticed that it is getting easier and my body is learning what it needs to do to be successful.  I have been working hard and I really hope that my body will respond sooner rather than later.

Being Real...

We are almost 2 weeks into this and I feel like I haven't made any progress.  Last week I worked out 6 out of 7 days for at least 45 minutes and really paid attention to what I was eating.  I know this will be a process, but I would really like some instant gratification to keep me going. I think I just need some reassurance that my hard work and neglect of my family will pay off.

So to keep things real, I have decided to post what I eat online for the whole world to see as a way of being held accountable for what I am doing.  Today is day 13 of our little adventure and in those 13 days the only sweet treats I have had are 2 Toosie Pop suckers from my kids Valentine's loot and I indulged in a Raspberry Sherbet cone at the BYU Creamery on Saturday.  I feel like I am doing a great job of staying away from the treats and I need to focus on the other things I am eating.  So here's what I ate yesterday...

Breakfast:  1/2 c. vanilla yogurt with 1/2 c. blueberries and 1/4 c. granola

Snack: 1 Banana

Lunch: 1 Ham and Cheese sandwich on whole wheat and a Mango

Snack:  5 baby dill pickles

Dinner: 3 Small cabbage rolls with 8 spears of oven roasted asparagus

After we put the kids to bed, my husband and I watched part of Inception so I made a bowl of air-popped popcorn with 1 Tbl of melted butter for the whole bowl.

I think overall I did pretty well for the day.  I think I need to try and add more protein into my diet to even things out.  What do you think?

Old habits...

I have been thinking the last few days about habits.  They say "Old habits die hard" and for the last 7 days I have been living proof of this.  It's hard not to wonder into the kitchen and grab the first thing I see.  And it's hard not to stop by my favorite convenience store and bring home a cup filled with my favorite fizzy drink.  But it's these habit that put me in the situation I am in and need to learn to create new, healthy habits from this day forward. 

It's hard to admit, but for a long-time food has been my best friend.  Food has become the thing I have turned to when I feel sad, lonely, depressed, stressed and even to celebrate the happy times.  Food has been the thing that no matter how bad or good things are, it's always there.  I have come to the realization that I need to recognize food as fuel for my body and not a way to dull or numb my feelings.  

I realized that many of the emotional struggles I deal with won't go away in this short 100 days, but I am hoping that this 100 days will give me the tools to fight a winning battle and not give into those old habits again.

Is this thing on?

Hello.

Is anyone out there?

I thought I would introduce myself to you all.

I was raised in American Fork.  My parents have lived in the same house for 40 years.
I have been married to my husband for 10 years.  His name is Nathan.
We have 3 sons.  Ethan, 8  Jensen, 5  Breyton, 2
I enjoy sewing/crafting and cooking.
My vices are Diet Pepsi and chocolate.
I am very excited to be part of this 100 day Heart Challenge.

Day 1:
I am nervous. I know I have a long road ahead of me even after this 100 days is over.

I know I need to be healthy for my kids.  I know I need to be healthy for my husband.  Most of important I need to be healthy for me.  I need to love myself.    As these 100 days pass, I hope I don't take this opportunity for granted and really do learn all that I can to make my future a more healthy one.