Holiday Hurdles! Cookies, Candy & Bread! OH MY! :)

For those of you who are amazing supporters & encouragers of me... thank you! Many of you have been asking when I am going to update my blog & how I am coming on my progress. It has been quite a while and I deeply apologize. I have been very busy and the holidays seem to be full of parties, gatherings, shopping, planning & preparation. Also, along with those... comes food temptation. Nothing rings more true than the title of my last blog post... truly the REAL challenge has begun. Being in the program was a sinch compared to being alone. Not to sound like scrooge but I am ready for the Holidays to be over just for the sole reason of the cookies & goodies to disappear! If you don't have it around- it doesn't tempt you. But when you're not in control of what's around... that's when you're own self-control is really tested.

And yes- I know you're all wondering what my status is and what I have done over the holidays... I have eaten some cookies & things I look forward to every year. Just in moderation... but now it's time to kick it back up a notch. I have been maintaining weight which was my goal for the Holiday season. I finished off with an amazing meal with very dear friends at maggianos in charlotte (which is heaven on earth but not a friend of someone trying to eat well) but now it's time to get running now that the snow is melting here at home and kick my booty in to high gear for the new year & on! Every year, I have been one of those faithful people who set a resolution to lose weight and faithfully follow it with cookies & laziness. I am so pumped about going into the new year with momentum in my goals and really continuing this journey that I desire so much for myself! The next challenge starts in January, too, and I will be mentoring my trainers team! I am very excited about being in that environment again for sure! The Try Sports ambassador team starts racing in 2010 too so lots of things to work towards and keep me motivated!

I know that there are going to be struggles in my journey so I am daily preparing my mind, heart & body for those. I know the success principles that I have been taught though and I know deep in my heart that this is a life long journey for me rather than a temporary "fix it." So I cannot let the speed bumps and hurtles that occur slow me down-- I am looking at them as an oppourtunity, not an obstacle. They have definitely been a opportunity for me to learn!

Thanks for reading & hopefully it won't be as long before my next post. :) I love you all and wish you a very Merry Christmas and blessed New Year! May you all realize the seeds of greatness which the Lord has planted inside of each and every one of you- you're blessed and highly favored children of God!

The REAL challenge has begun...

A lot of you have been asking for blog post- I apologize for the lack of them. The holidays got the best of me you could say! The MUSC Healthy Charleston Challenge is over and honestly I am really feeling that now is when the REAL challenge begins. Words cannot express how much harder it is to do this without my trainer & my team. I really have been struggling. It has been thirteen days out of the challenge with Thanksgiving, of all things, thrown in the mix. 

Many people were asking me what I was going to do over Thanksgiving! I'm sure they were assuing that I would eat a leaf and be on my way. Oh contrary!  I decided that I would enjoy myself over thanksgiving but just not go overboard. Since I have started the challenge- it is my goal every week to lose weight. My goal for thanksgiving, to be honest, was to maintain! I was just praying not to gain any. I did really well overall with eating and maintained weight. No loss.

It's so funny now that I am not in the challenge how easy it is for my mentality and determination to slip since I don't have the trainer and team to hold me accountable. I have been "off" for 13 days and this is the end of it. I have got to get back on my game- FOR REAL! I have done so well and made so much progress but my overall goal is still very far away! 150 pounds total leaving me with 105 left to go! I know I can do it but having that team definitely was a plus.

On Thanksgiving day, I ran my very first 8K race! My brother and I ran the Charlotte Turkey Trot! It was an awesome day. I really enjoyed the company of my brother and I am proud of myself for running the entire 5 miles. I ran it in 1 hour and 12 minutes. Not the greatest time but my goal was to just run the entire time. I ran pretty consistent miles and kept great pace so that is awesome. It was funny...  my brother, Justin, said he would start out with me and stay with me for a while. He is a firefighter and in great shape-- so needless to say, after a few shuffles and he is pretty much walking beside me as I drag myself "running" along... I looked at him and said "really. It's ok. Please go!" And he took off to the finish. He ran it in 40 something. I am excited about making improvement throughout the year and it becoming a tradition with me and my brother! Thanks Justin! :) You're awesome! 

Tonight was the first meeting of the 2010 Try Sports Ambassador Team. I am so excited about getting to run with this team and for this opportunity! I got my team shirt that I will race in and my shorts. I got another Try Sports shirt and two water bottles. Everyone that was there one the team seems pretty hard core. I am hard core at heart but my body is not quite at that level yet so I'm going to be a bit behind them but that is ok! I am doing this more for compeitition against myself rather than to win the races. I am excited about stretching myself and becoming better, stronger & faster every single day!  I will start running races very soon! I really really really want to do a Triathlon but I don't have a bike so that kind of makes that impossible. If you guys know anyone who has a nice bike that would be good for that- that they don't use or they'd let me borrow/rent or something let me know. I really want to have my own but I figure borrowing will project me closer to my goal then just not doing anything to get towards my goal of doing  triathlon this year. 

Please go to try sports! If you are in Charleston (Mt P), Charlotte, Raleigh or Wilmington (or close surrounding areas).. seriously- you need to go to try sports! They have amazing customer service, phenomenal products and just a really amazing mission and belief about sports & healthy lifestyle.  Let me know if you are in the market for sports stuff- I can give you a referral card to help you save a bit of money and get your hands on some good products with people who will help you in any way they can! 

I am blessed! :)