Day 1 of 100 Days

So yesterday was Day 1 and I thought I would do a quick update.

I DID take pictures, go me! I was very pleasantly surprised by myself at that one because it's not the easiest thing to take pictures of yourself in a swimsuit. Of course I will not be sharing those pictures with you, just me and my lil computer.

Also, the workout. The update is this: it is doable. I think! :)

I did the whole thing in about 30 minutes... which I am sure about 5 of those minutes were me just lying there on the floor in pain! :)

The squats were the hardest, the second set was mostly just walking, not much squatting I was so hurting! But I think it'll get harder for a few days and then slowly start to get easier.

Here's my plan... do as much as I can when I can but don't go overboard and pull muscles cause pains, etc... I took breaks when I needed to, stopped when I needed to. And even if I take days off and only do the workout 4 days a week we should be good.

Alright, that's all, if you did the workout, let us know how it went!! :)

The 100 Challenge

100 Days

100 Workout

10 Pounds (this part is subject to change...) *just gonna go with what feels right

Photo to document every 25 days

Reward = $100 to shop for clothes, sweet!

The 100 Workout Details:

100 Jumping Jacks
90 Crunches
80 Squats
70 Leg Lifts
60 Jumping Jacks
50 Crunches
40 Squats
30 Leg Lifts
20 Jumping Jacks
10 Minute Run

(originally found this on good ol' pinterest! here.)

* So here's the deal. I am doing great weight wise if you are just looking at the actual number. I am below pre-baby weight and even in smaller jeans, which feels great. BUT... I am not in shape, I am flabby, shabby, bouncy, flouncy, and well, that isn't so great.

I don't want to do some crazy diet, but I do want to do something to whip this body into shape, do a 360 turn around. I don't really work out at all right now, my muscles and joints are weak. I think I need to work things to get them healthy... which hopefully would tone me at the same time.

So here's the plan. I go hard for 100 days, which is just over 3 months. Yes it's a long time, and I may not do it, so very true. But if I do, and if I rock it, I give myself a reward. Who doesn't love a good reward? $100. To spend on whatever I want, as long as its clothes... jeans, tees, new bra, cardis, etc.

Fun.

I even practiced the other night to see if I could even do 100 jumping jacks. I did them alright. About 25 at a time. :)

So here we go. This is not a new years resolution, it's something I've been thinking about since I birthed a baby back in September, I just haven't been able to run or jump until just these last few weeks. But now I have an idea, a plan, and hopefully the will and desire to do it.

A'ight. So tomorrow we start.

I will take the first picture tomorrow morning, Dec. 27, 2011 - Day 1.

Feel free to join me.

(note to self: January 20th will be picture #2)

That's soon, so get crackin'!!

ETA: And while we're at it, don't forget to review my radiant necessities on the side there so we can all start this new year off better. I know I forget a lot of that stuff every day right now so I am going to try harder... love it. Happy Radiance Finding to you!!

Revelation of the Year

Isn't that quite the statement!? But I truly have had the revelation of the year, and here it is:

working out helps you eat better...
TRUE!

So I had pretty much given up and walked away from my attempt to get into shape, as I usually do a few months (or a few weeks) after I start each time. But then I decided to check out from the library a yoga DVD again, which I had not done for quite some time. I used that DVD twice and then my dear dear sister lent me a workout DVD of hers. She is currently doing, and rocking it by the way, the whole P90X system thing!

She lent me her Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD. And let me tell you, it is KICKing my butt, literally!


M is even enjoying working out more with me this time around. It is HILarious to watch her try and do jumping jacks with a cast on. First of all I don't think she could do them coordinated just right with the cast off and with it on it is just so funny. She mostly stomps back and forth and throws her arms around. She likes any of the moves where we are jumping, or lying on the ground.


One thing I need to take care of, even if I don't stick with this 30 day system, is that I need some actual workout shoes. I need trainers, or runners, or whatever. Any suggestions? The trouble is I don't want to spend more than about $40. Any ideas of brands, stores, etc?

These babies are certainly not cutting it! :)


Okay, so back to the revelation of the year, if you are even still reading this...

So I have been attempting to work on what I eat, what I crave, how to solve cravings and replace bad cravings with good cravings, etc. I have just this week discovered that the days that I do this crazy hard workout in the morning, I am sore all day and every time I want to eat I think to myself... will it counteract all the freakin hard work I put in this morning or will it help it?

Aha! Isn't that brilliant? I just have to say though, I do not think it works if you don't do a really hard workout. My old 20 minute yoga dvds were and are awesome, and I still would like to own them, but I think as far as using exercise as a diet helper you have to do a kick-butt routine for it to work, and you probably have to do it in the morning.

Okay, so that's all, just had to share that!

And by the way, I LOVE having this separate blog that pretty much no one reads so I can share random personal struggle stuff like this. A'ight, peace!

The Journey Never Ends...

At least this is what I have learned in the last few months.

So i started this blog to document a process I wanted to explore over a time period of one month. Well, that month is over, I documented a little bit, not a lot. But I did learn something.

I do well with a schedule, and a goal.

I do better in balancing my life when I am clear headed and have a plan.

This week I gave up a project I had been working on for the last few weeks. It was going to culminate next week but for some reason it brought me to a unique place. A breaking point. And in a matter of minutes I let it go. I moved in a different direction. I reevaluated my life and what my priorities are and I realigned those priorities. Now I feel free to focus on what I need to focus on.

Anyways, I just had to share that. I am going to keep this blog alive for my own personal sake and use it as a place for expression when it comes to areas of perfecting ones own self. Basically sometimes I want to share how my journey towards daily radiance is going. And here is where I will continue to share that.

I may try my own month long program again sometime. Maybe in the fall. But for now, here we are, and here we will stay.

G'night.

DAY 17

Healthy Body Intake=
Breakfast- Breakfast was on the run today. M and I drove Jordo to campus for a meeting and then we ran a few errands so I just had a Kirkland signature diet drink. And by the way, when those chocolate shakes are cold they are delicious!
Lunch- We ended up taking long enough during errands that we were able to pick Jordo back up to head home. We stopped at his brother’s house on the way so he could talk business for a few minutes with his brother, but then we went home for lunch. We had a Kashi frozen pizza, Mediterranean style. Yum! With sweet potato fries on the side. And who knew ketchup was as low calorie as it is!?
Dinner- For dinner tonight because we had a higher calorie lunch than normal with the pizza AND fries I made some basic grilled chicken with green beans on the side. Both just seasoned with a little calorie free butter spray. Simple, and very low calorie, but delicious!
*And for dessert… well just read on ahead and you will see the goods.

Physical Exercise=
I did yoga again today. And like always M was all over me. But today was particularly funny when I was in dolphin pose. It’s similar to downward facing dog, but you are on your forearms instead of your hands. She came and crawled up under my chest and went into a similar pose right under me… pushing up against my chest. It definitely meant I did not hold the pose as long as I should have! It irritates me when she interrupts my workouts like that, but at the same time it is just so cute I can’t stand but just fall down next to her and start laughing and giggling with her.

Creative Exercise=
M and I worked on a top secret art project for Father’s day. I cannot release any details at this time but stay tuned and you will definitely see the end product of our creative labors…

Scripture Study=
This morning I read in Luke about the prodigal son. A very well known parable. Every time I had read this parable in the past I had been curious about it. I understand that when a son or loved one goes astray and then returns that there is much rejoicing. I guess I just didn’t always understand why there isn’t ALSO as much rejoicing for those who stay in the straightway, who stay close and honest and true. Does that make sense? Sometimes I feel for the other brother, the one that is home and good the entire time. But then the father says this:
“Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”
It is interesting to me sometimes how and when blessings come. It can be hard to see sometimes that when we stay on the straight and narrow way of truth and light, sometimes we are not rewarded immediately but our treasure is laid up in heaven, awaiting us.
Anyways, that’s just something I was thinking about as I read this morning.

Bit o’ Joy=
Well, today I made a pie. An Almond Joy pie. For Jordan, for Father’s day.


Remember how this is Father’s week in our house? Jordan loves pie, all kinds, and I told him I would make him one for Father’s day. Well, just yesterday I told him I wasn’t going to make it until Sunday morning because we were busy Friday night and most of Saturday. He said he would rather I made it today so he could have small pieces every night until Father’s day and then even after maybe.
So I spent the afternoon and evening doing quite a few little steps here and there to create this pie. YUM. It was well worth the time and effort!
It had a lot of steps that you had to make something and then let it cool for 30 minutes, an hour, whatever, and THEN keep working on it. So it took me all night basically. I finished at 10:45pm and we sat down and had a piece, yum. It probably killed both of our calories, but oh well, it was fun.

(see my regular blog for more pictures...)

Additional Thoughts=
We had a NO TV day again today and it was great. A few fits here and there, but nothing a little snack or drink couldn’t solve. Oh my goodness, I swear it is making a difference! Try it! No TV or video games or whatever for one whole day. You have to get a little bit creative for some activities but you can do it! I think it really does make a difference in her attitude.

DAY 16

Healthy Body Intake=
Breakfast- um yeah… So today we had to go out to the grocery store, post office, and a few other places. And somehow, before we left I just forgot to eat breakfast!? No idea how that happened!! I planned to take a breakfast shake with me as I left but I guess I wasn’t too hungry because I completely forgot!
Lunch- So then I got home and M had fallen asleep so after I laid her down I started cleaning. And then I had a moment of realization that it was almost 2pm and I hadn’t eaten breakfast or lunch… weird!
Anyways, so I ended up just having a breakfast shake so I didn’t have to stop. I was on a cleaning spree trying to get ready for scouts, which was at 4.
Dinner- For dinner tonight we had one of my favorite summer dishes. A big chicken Caesar salad, with homemade croutons from fresh French bread. YUM! It’s one of my favorites. Actually, almost any yummy big chicken salad is delicious in my opinion.
*And for dessert… well I picked up some ice cream cones at the store today, 20 calories each so I plan on having a small cone to end my lovely day.

Physical Exercise=
Yoga was good this morning. I had been doing the weight loss yoga 30 minute thing all last week so it was nice to just have 20 minutes today and I always love those Sara Ivanhoe dvds I have talked about before. Love them! M as usual helped me out by turning on and off the tv as I worked, and crawling over and under me. Eventually (thank goodness) she found her little people and started playing.

Creative Exercise=
The most creative thing I have done today thus far was prepping for scouts today, which was about being an artist. Only two boys showed so we didn’t do everything I had planned, but I had prepped to play with clay, paint, drawing pencils, and collage. It was fun to put it all together. And I plan on finishing up my blogging as quickly as possible and then I am going to relax in front of a movie while I work on my charm quilt. Nice.

Scripture Study=
Reading was great this morning. I love how this blog has helped me to think about this almost every morning and make sure I do it. It has made a huge difference in how my days go. When I read I think it grounds me in a spiritual way that allows me to be more patient. Not just with M, but with myself, my husband, with the housework, with everything really.

Bit o’ Joy=
My bit o’ joy was two part again today. I tend to think about this throughout the day to make sure I get something in that is fulfilling for my personal self. Today I had half of an ice cream sandwich with the scouts and that was delicious. Because I had so little for breakfast and lunch I figured I could use those calories for a yummy treat like that. I shared my sandwich with M and she LOVEd it!
The second part is not exactly what I would think of as a typical bit o’ joy, but it has me smiling from ear to ear so it must count! On my list of things “to do” for like two months has been to clean out our pantry closet in the hallway. It was unusable because we haven’t cleaned it out since we moved in last fall and pretty much anything that comes up from the downstairs pantry and doesn’t get used gets put in there instead of going back down. It was ridiculous. Pictures speak louder than words, so here you go…
Before:


After:


Isn’t that fantastic? Wouldn’t that have you smiling from ear to ear too? Crossing off a to do list item like that is the best feeling in the world!



Additonal Thoughts=
Here’s a great side note for the day. Today I decided was a NO TV day for M. IT WAS GREAT! Okay, so she still threw a few fits here and there. But overall she was way happier today than she has been. Jordan even agreed when he came home this evening. So I think the rest of the week will be no tv as well. That way if we want to have a special movie time on the weekend then I don’t feel bad about it at all! Anyways, love you all!

DAY 15

Healthy Body Intake=
Breakfast- ¼ piece of cinnamon sugar toast and a chocolate breakfast shake
Lunch- Today I had one of my best girlfriends over for lunch. She’s getting married this weekend and I had missed her bridal shower since I was out of town, so we scheduled a quick lunch. It was so good to see her and chat about all the details I had missed out on. I love you A!! Anyways, we had salad for lunch. Complete with chicken, avocado, tomato, almonds, and toasted sesame dressing.
Dinner- For dinner we fixed up some spaghetti with leftover sauce and had a small side salad.
*And banana bread for dessert of course!!

Physical Exercise=
We did yoga again this morning.


I had to take back my “weight loss yoga” dvd from the library so I figured I better get one last workout from it. I LOVE that workout, it’s crazy hard, for me at least! M did it with me again. Most of the time she just cries or crawls all over me, and let me tell you it’s pretty difficult to do plank position with a 24 pounder crawling up your legs, ugh!! I tried again to get a shot of her doing her cute hand pose… she’s pretty cute at copying me with all the moves.


Creative Exercise=
I didn’t do much creative today. Mostly just household chores like laundry, dishes, cooking, etc. But I don’t mind that I didn’t do anything creative. I look back on the day with fond eyes. It was a good one.

Scripture Study=
I read for about ten minutes this morning. Not that long really, but it was a good read. The thing I remember the most was the part about the grain of the mustard seed growing into a huge tree and becoming shelter for birds. Reading that makes me feel that I can be amazingly great, even though I am just one among millions. Maybe that sounds cheesy, but that parable always makes me feel important.

Bit o’ Joy=
I think my bit o joy today was my friend A coming over. And my other friend E stopped by randomly this afternoon and that was crazy fun! I have the greatest group of girlfriends from my college years and I LOVE them! And I am sooo lucky that so many of them are still living close by. It won’t always be that way. But it is right now, and I really should take more advantage of it. I love you guys!!!!