Hey!

Where'd that 4 pounds go?

Changing our Habits

My blogging has fallen on the way side. I'm sorry for the lack in posting and updating. I guess I need to at least give ya'll a nibble once in a while, huh? :)

Things are going well. I'm feeling great, I'm eating well, I'm increasing in my exercise routine each week. My clothes are getting more and more loose! YAY! My total weight loss to date is 16 lbs. We haven't measured recently, but I know I've lost even more inches.

Thanksgiving week was difficult. Not with my eating on Thanksgiving day. The odd schedules with meals and exercise threw me off a little, and I gained a pound. BUT...I didn't let it get me down. I'm even more focused and on track this week, so I'm counting on making up for that pound and losing even more. :)

I shared these thoughts with some dear, wonderful cheerleaders of mine....

Seriously...one day at a time here....but I'm really very excited about my journey right now and where it may possibly take me. I have these crazy ideas that get me all giddy inside. :) I'm really beginning to feel my habits changing.

So....my goal for this week is to stay focused on the health aspect of what I'm doing and make a more conscience effort to change my daily habits.

Happy Health and Bountiful Blessings!
Kim

Set a good example!

It has come to my attention that my Thriver Journey blog has been recommended for viewing as an example of journaling, sharing experiences, etc. Well, my fellow Thrivers, obviously I'm not so good at keeping up with my blog, because it's been 12 days since I've updated! UGH!

So here goes...as we are already into the week of Thanksgiving!

I'm going to pass along some great advice...given by my illustrious trainer!

This is a LIFEstyle change we're making. NOT a quick fix. We're changing bad habits that we've made over the course of several years, if not our entire lives, into good habits and it's going to take a while to do this.

Thanksgiving comes ONCE a year. Enjoy it! Don't gorge yourself, but allow yourself to taste all the amazing Thanksgiving food without ANY of the guilt. Have a piece of pumpkin pie! But have a smaller piece. Have some stuffing, but just have a couple of bites instead of a cup or two! (speaking from experience here!)

My plan is to eat a few less calories the day before and a few less the day after.....it will all balance out! I don't want to show a gain this week because of what I ate, but I'm also not going to feel guilty for one bit of it.

I'm thankful for SO much this year, but in regards to my new, healthy lifestyle....I'm incredibly thankful for The Greatest Thriver program. I don't know what is different for me this time, embracing the new habits, exercise, etc., but Thriver has given me the push I needed and Laurie (and Amber!!) encourages me every step of the way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

This picture was taken several weeks ago...




And this one was taken just last week...I can tell a difference, can you? :)

I'm shrinking!!! :)

Yesterday was measurement day!!! 6 weeks since I started my journey. 11.6 lbs lighter, and 14 inches G.O.N.E. from my body!! I'm thrilled with the way I'm feeling, both physically and emotionally, about myself, my journey, and the new and improved way I'm looking at food! :)

Victory...deep within

I think I'm getting it....a little teeny tiny step at a time. :) I showed another 2 lb loss this week, but more than that, I'm starting, just STARTING to finally get it in my heart what I've known in my head for so long. This is a true lifestyle change. And I'm making life long choices. And I don't have to DEPRIVE myself of things I love, just make BETTER CHOICES!! ;)

Laurie told me that it's almost like a grieving process we have to go through....grieving the loss, whether good or bad, of the lifestyle I used to live. Not really giving a rip and paying for it with my health. Now, as I fight this battle within myself of good vs. not so good, I'm finding small victories that I can absolutely celebrate and accept and move on to the next one!!

I'm going to a yummy restaurant tomorrow night and we're having a fried chicken dinner. Am I going to pass on it?? NO WAY! But I'll make better choices and have very small portions and savor EVERY.SINGLE.BITE.

Find your victories in each day, rejoice in them, thank God for leading you through them, and make good choices!

Love and Blessings!
Kim

I need a KICK!

In the butt!!!!!!!

I'm in a slump. I know that every single day I can't be absolutely THRILLED that I'm working out, etc., but I want the excitement I first felt a month ago!

Any suggestions?

It's Been A Rough One Folks!

I'm going to pray that some grace will be extended for the past few days of not writing down one single item that went into my mouth. I know that there were undoubtedly a few things I "shouldn't" have eaten, mostly because of the amount of calories they contained, but I didn't go overboard and hog wild. I was just simply too busy to have ANY order to my eating OR my journaling. The wedding (my niece got married this weekend) was sweet, the reception, food, cake, etc was well received, and I did a whole lot of NOTHING yesterday! It was nice.

BUT......

I'm focused and back on track this morning, ready for a new week. :) I had a breakfast full of protein, and my morning snack held a lot of protein as well. I've already been through 48oz. of water, and I'm working on my next bottle full. This way I'll be ready for my workout, postponed from this morning to this afternoon.

I'm ready! Look out world! Here I come! :)

Mid-week Update!

Hello out there to those of you who are still following me on this journey! TeeHee...it's only been 3.5 weeks...ya'll are gonna get really tired of me at the end of 8 months. :) Either that or you'll join me on my journey and comment and let me know your own progress! :::hint hint:::

So, I had my weekly meeting with Laurie yesterday and once again my BP was completely normal. :) I'm thrilled about that! She was amazed that I'm not on BP meds...but that I've made this much change in it just by working out and eating right! :)

And...I lost another 2 lbs.....gone forever!! I was a teeny bit disappointed in that, only because I've been working SO hard, not missing my workouts and being careful about counting my calories. But Laurie was VERY pleased with me, and said it was exactly the way I am supposed to take it off, so YAY ME! ;) Then tonight I was talking with my friend Jessica and she pointed out something really cool....."Kim, do you realize that even if you lose 2 lbs a week for a whole year, you'll take off 104 lbs!!" Well, when you look at it that way, then.....WOOHOO!

Today was a good day, and tomorrow is another, so I'm ready to tackle it head on!!

...And What A Week It's Been!!

It's been a busy, good, sad, challenging, triumphant week. But all in all, in terms of my Thriver Journey, it's ended on a good note.

My greatest challenges this week were making sure I got all the veggies and fruits I need while still on the run constantly. So that's going to be my focus this next week. I was feeling really wiped out and tired on Friday morning, and really did NOT want to go work out. I TRULY am thankful for the accountability I feel this program holds me to, otherwise I would have seriously made some excuses this week. It's a day by day, sometimes moment by moment process. But once I got to the gym every day, and pushed through the exercise, I left feeling triumphant every time. ;)

My BP was COMPLETELY normal this week...even with some stress I was feeling early on in the week...and I lost another 3 lbs., so I'm forging ahead on my journey! I'm excited to see where I'll be in a year, but not focusing on the that. Praying that in the end, the glory of it all goes right back to God.

On a lighter note, I wanted some chocolate today....so we got a small bag of m&ms and I divided them into 4 snack bags. 26 m&ms have 55 calories. ;)

Anxiety that comes with facing the truth.

I've been embracing this new journey that I'm in the midst of. With joy and excitement and exhiliration!

For the first time this weekend I had extreme anxiety. My heart raced, my breathing became rapid and I had a little mini panic attack. I had to withdrawal from my family for a while, go to the bedroom and lie down, slow my breathing and pray.

All of this was the result of the Greatest Thriver participant's numbers being posted on the website. Now, in all it's glory, I had to become public about my weight. And why the anxiety? Why does it matter? Why did I feel threatened by a NUMBER??

I'm not sure if I was always able to "fool" people about my real weight. Seriously folks, I've never ever, in 20 years, even let my hubby know how much I truly weigh. I don't know if my feelings are prideful, and I think that as long as people don't know the REAL number, that I will never be that heavy. I just don't know. I still have a lot of praying to do about this. About how I'm feeling, and the thoughts I need to process. And I know, TRULY, that the number really DOESN'T matter. I just need my heart to know that.

And for the record...my hubby doesn't care either. ;)

I haven't let this get me down, btw. I was at the gym (my walking partner at the fitness park couldn't come) doing my cardio this morning, listening to my praise music, kickin' some butt!

Me? Love exercise??

I never would have thought I'd be saying this, but I am LOVING my workout times! I don't know if it's the challenge, the adrenaline, the time I get to just worship and pray as I'm doing it, or what, but I'm truly enjoying it and look forward to going each day! I think a good bit of it is the accountability I feel with this program, and also the challenge. I am determined to win this thing! :) And as I run into fellow "thrivers" out in the public or at the gym, I'm even more driven! ;)

I don't think I've said much about my calorie intake so far. Laurie put me on a plan that reduces my calories in different increments, slowly getting down to 1,100 over 15 weeks. (as my workout regimine increases at the same time) I love the gradual process. I allows me to see the true lifestyle change I'm making, not seeing this as just a "quick fix". I'm doing this for life. I've said that before, but by not having someone to guide me, I've always just drastically reduced my calories all at once, making myself feel like I was starving from the get-go.

My calorie program is as follows:

1900 for two weeks (almost to the end of this two weeks!)
1700 for two weeks
1500 for one week
1700 for two weeks
1500 for two weeks
1300 for one week
1500 for two weeks
1300 for two weeks
1100 for one week

And then we'll reevaluate where I need to be as far as calories/exercise. I have a "meeting" each week with Laurie, to go over my food/thoughts/workout journal, and to get weighed, bp and oxygen taken, etc. I'm even looking forward to those! Who'da Thunk?

Drive-by posting!

So sorry I haven't updated everyone, and I'm sorry I have to make this a really quick one right now, but so many have been asking how it's going, so thought I'd better take a few minutes at least and let you know that progress is happening!!! YAY! So far my BP is down, my oxygen level is MUCH better, and I've lost 6 lbs!! GO ME! I'm LOVING working out! Truly. It's been a real time of prayer and praise and worship for me and I'm SO thankful for it. More later....promise! Love and Blessings to all!

Now, get out there and move!! ;)

Music is good for the soul...and for the workout!

Working out is fun for some, difficult for others, boring for yet others....but I've found that the music I listen to really has an impact on how I feel about exercising. It truly does make the time go faster and motivates me to push through to the end.

I just have to remember that I have earbuds in and I really shouldn't sing out loud....

haha

I currently have a mix of my favorite worship songs on my iPod, but I'm going to change it up each week to give myself some variety...such as the playlist here on my blog!

What is your favorite music/songs to work out to?

Blessings!
Kim

A Good Night's Sleep

I'm finding it more and more crucial that I get a good night's sleep in order to function well the next day. I knew this before, but as I'm changing my diet and working out each day, it's essential for my energy level. I'm going to have two particular goals this week...along with working out, and eating right. Making SURE I get all the water I need, and going to bed early every night...no matter what I'm going to miss on TV. (I can always watch it later online, right?) I drink water most all the time now (except for my morning coffee), but I need to increase my intake especially on weight resistance days. My muscles rebelled a little bit yesterday and it HURT! UGH!

Set a goal or two per week and focus on them! What would your's be?

Headed to the gym now!
Blessings!
Kim

My workout schedule

Tammy asked about my workout schedule...I guess that would be some helpful information, huh? ;) If ya'll ever have any questions or challenges for me, bring them on! ;)

The company my husband works for recently put in a fitness park on their work grounds. This is for all employees and their families. It has a walking track and outdoor fitness machines.

The Greatest Thriver program provides personal training at two different facilities for the participants of the program. I am working out at Health Ridge. (this is where my personal trainer, Laurie, is also)

So....

Mondays: I'll be doing one hour of walking at the fitness park.
Tuesdays: Meet with Laurie and do cardio and weight resistance for one hour at Health Ridge.
Wednesdays: One hour of walking/fitness machines at fitness park.
Thursdays: One hour of cardio and weight resistance at Health Ridge.
Fridays: One hour of cardio at Health Ridge.
Saturdays: One hour of cardio and weight resistance at Health Ridge.

Only on Tuesdays will I be meeting with Laurie to talk about my week, weigh, etc., but she and her intern are there every day. And let me also say, Amber, Laurie's intern is wonderful as well! She and Laurie are SO encouraging, and the rest of the staff are as well.

That about sums it up for now. As I get further into the program, we'll be changing this up a bit, but this is our plan for right now. :)

And if I have one bit of advice for you, it would be to exercise with a smile on your face! :)

Blessings!!
Kim

You can call me Red! ;)

It's going to be a little bit more of a challenge than I thought to keep up with this daily, so I think it's going to have to be every few days, unless of course something is on my heart or mind and I need some butt kicking or encouragement or attaboys. :)

The Hubster is joining me on my journey, not only in supporting me, but in looking forward to being healthier physically as well. He's set some goals of his own, and I'm really excited to see him achieve them. Look for him on a bike more often! ;)

Part of my challenge right now is the calorie schedule. Laurie has me on a gradual decrease of calories each week, which obviously is smart, so my body doesn't think it's starving immediately and I can learn new habits, etc. I think my struggle is that I'm so afraid I'm going to eat TOO much that I have it in my head that I should be eating less than I really should. Does that make sense? Anyway, I'm keeping VERY busy counting every single calorie that not only goes into MY mouth, but into Mike's as well, so that's a full-time job! That, and working out...which I'm loving right now, btw, and keeping up with housework, and family schedules.

I know that it's going to get tougher...I'm realistic...but right now, I'm loving the adrenaline that the exercise is producing. I'm trying to get more sleep at night, because I don't want to become overly tired...it's then, especially when the weather changes, that I tend to get sick. I'm standing against sickness this winter and I'm going to exercise it all away! :)

I went to get my bloodwork done on Monday and got the results in the mail today. It would be easy for me to excuse my weight because almost (with the exception of one) EVERY blood level in me is NORMAL! But I've seen the BMI and THAT is the shocker. THAT is what I want reduced. It doesn't have to be weight necessarily, I just want the BMI to go down.

Okay, I've rambled enough...I have workout today at 3:30 and I've got a weekly workout schedule made for myself now. I'm SO excited about it. :) 6 days a week people!! If I can do it, SO CAN YOU!!!! ;)

Blessings!!

oh, and P.S. the title is because of the picture...I'm no longer a blond. I needed a sassy color to go with my new sassy, kick-butt attitude! Thanks Carmen!!!

And the winner is....

I don't want to come off as arrogant or prideful when I say that I truly believe that I AM Henry County's Greatest Thriver. I WILL succeed at this challenge, and I WILL live as an example to others that they CAN do it! I believe it with all of my heart.

Lord, I commit to you, and to all who are following me through this journey, that I will give it my all. When I get discouraged, I will call on you, and when I succeed, I will give YOU the glory.

thriv·ing. thrived or throve (thrōv), thrived or thriv·en (thrĭv'ən), thriv·ing, thrives

to prosper; be fortunate or successful.
to grow or develop vigorously; flourish: The children thrived in the country.

advance. See succeed.

To make steady progress; prosper.
To grow vigorously; flourish

One who thrives, or prospers.

The Journey Begins

I was a little bit apprehensive last night, getting ready to go to our first official meeting. Not knowing what to expect, I was trying to keep an open mind, but all the insecurities I keep hidden down deep inside myself started bubbling up, causing some anxiety. I was also excited at the realization of what was about to happen. My anxiety and excitement came through in my elevated BP! And I don't normally HAVE high blood pressure! The scale and measuring of body fat, etc was difficult to swallow, but it's okay. I knew it was going to be hard, and in 8 months, I'm going to look back at this new beginning and be oh so thankful for the incredible blessing.

I'm familiar with all but three of the other people involved in this journey with me, and hope to get to know them all in a more personal way. My trainer is Laurie. Laurie and I go way back and I couldn't be more happy that she's going to be the one kicking my butt! I know she'll be motivating, encouraging, and downright TOUGH! 4 days a week is required of me for training/exercise, but this is a 24/7/365 journey I'm on and it starts NOW! BRING IT ON!!!!!!

"I've called to inform you that you've been selected!"

To participate in "Henry County's Greatest Thriver" contest!!

(maybe this is going to be our version of THE BIGGEST LOSER)

I cannot possibly explain to you in words how excited I am about this!!!

Information meeting: Tuesday
Official start: Next Monday

WOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!