2015 Goals

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!


Resolutions, Goals, Intentions, Plans.....they all mean the same thing and many people make resolutions at the start of the year, only to break them and fall off the wagon within a month.

I used to be part of this group, but I have decided to make my goals more attainable and work on progressing them forward throughout the year. For example, weight gain doesn't happen in a month, so you can't expect to reverse the holiday affects completely by the end of January. But if you stick with it, you will see progress that should keep motivating you to go further.

I'm not going to layout all my goals for 2015 in the blog, but I will mention a few that I hope to work towards in 2015.

1) I hope to continue to live my healthy lifestyle. I really kicked it in gear and figured out what worked for me starting at the end of June. I made attainable goals and kept working towards smaller goals to get to that main one. Anytime you complete a goal, I feel a reward is due and I gave myself small rewards along the way. The holidays were tough for me, but I'm excited to get back at it!

2) In conjunction with the healthy lifestyle, I hope to continue my running and working out. I really got into a groove and made amazing progress on running a faster 5k. Then a miserable cough (and a possible asthma diagnosis) took me out of commission for a few months. I didn't let it completely stop me, and I now know what I can do to keep working at my goal.

3) I want to continue to eat and cook healthy. I hope to cook more at home and received some great cookbooks for Christmas. My guy likes to cook too, so I hope we can blend our flavors together and come up with some really great dishes that we will then share with all of you.

And I won't stop the recreations of my area restaurant favorite meals. The duck confit flatbread from Bernie's will be accomplished this year....thanks to finding duck breasts at Woodman's (I really didn't want to buy an entire duck and fear having to clean it!) But don't worry this won't deter me from coming to the restaurants downtown - not even a little bit.

4) I hope to grow my blog. I have a few things already in place to make this happen, but I hope that I can grow my readership and one of the best ways to do this is word of mouth. I'm out of business cards and I hope to get some new ones made so I can pass them out around the city and get them in the hands of more people. But I also would love the help of my existing community of readers to help me get new folks on board by sharing my blog and Facebook page with your friends.

5) Renovations - My condo is great and I am very happy with it as my first home. But with all things that are almost 30 years old, some work is needed. I am hoping to renovate a bathroom and get the basement back into shape after the Great Basement Flood of 2014. I also am going to rip out some plants and do a little landscaping so I can enjoy my outdoor space more this summer. Other areas to renovate include the kitchen, deck and shower, but I won't put too much on my plate for one year!

Oh if only! Maybe in my next house!

6) Try more new things. My family already tells me that I am someone that always is on the move and trying new places to eat, checking out new stores, trying a new drink, making new recipes, going to shows, networking and meeting new people. I love that I do this and I hope to continue it. I hope to try at least one "new to me" place, thing or idea a month.

6) And overall, I hope to be a more positive person. I think that moods are contagious and no one wants negativity to spread. I know that not everyday will be sunshine and rainbows, but after completing the 100 Happy Days movement on social media, I can definitely notice a difference in myself and how I view the world. My friend gave me a jar for Christmas last year to put your happy thoughts in. I read them back and it made me really happy to reminisce. I will continue to fill that jar this year!

Those are my goals for 2015 and I hope you come along for the ride! It's going to be a great year! 

Happy 2015!

Healthy Living

This has been a long time coming but due to a recent push by my doctor, I have decided that I am finally taking the leap and putting myself and my health first. I'm not saying that I am ridiculously, but I am out of shape, have gotten a little too comfortable, and my food choices haven't been the best.

So I'm taking a stand and for the 46 days of Lent, I plan to really give it my all. What is that old saying.... you have to try something at least 10 times before saying you don't like it. Well I'm quadrupling that! I know there will be great results and some fails along the way, but I really hope that I can get my mindset trained on healthier habits and make working out a part of my daily life.

So how do I plan to start? I have been doing research for about a month and found resources that I will use and follow. Pinterest has been a major player in this. I have been pinning recipes and workouts nonstop. The workouts are things I can do at home or with a DVD (the library has an amazing selection), and the recipes are simple twists on my favorites. It's amazing how many calories can be cut by just swapping some ingredients.

Why am I waiting until Wednesday and not starting now? I did a 10 day trial run already this year and noticed some results. Then we had Polar Vortex #34978 and I just got a little bummed out and stressed. So I had a bad few days that counteracted the work. I think that was a good thing for me to see just how quickly I felt crummy after so many good days. So I picked a day that starts (for me) with a fast between meals, and will continue the healthy living at least until Easter Sunday. I really hope this is a lifestyle change for me.

By then, I think I will have some things really figured out and will have had the opportunity to realize what I can and cannot do in order to get myself to where I want to be. I have a goal weight in mind, but it's for me only. If I hit the goal, you guys will be told that I did it, but I don't feel there is a need to tell numbers. If I feel great and look great, isn't that really what matters? I don't need to be judged by my number.(I'll just judge myself with it until then LOL JK JK)

This doesn't mean that I am going to hole up in my house and not have any fun. This is a fun blog isn't it? I just have to make smarter choices and maybe not be quite so gluttonous when I go out. Downtown Waukesha has so many great restaurants with amazing homemade creations. There is no need to for me to special order, but maybe I just don't need to eat the full meal and have the second half of it later that day. Trust me Waukesha, there is no way that you are getting rid of me.

And once the weather warms up a bit more and I can tolerate being outside for longer than getting the mail, I will hopefully be frequenting the downtown area more. Even just for a nice stroll and if something catches my eye, I will just have to check it out in one of Waukesha's fabulous shops. :)

I am asking for support and I hope that some of you can use this for support in your world too. Maybe you don't need to lose weight or get in shape, but maybe you do need to put yourself first more. Or maybe one of my recipes will spur your creative juices and get you doing something you have always wanted too. Today is the first day of the rest of your life, so live for the future because you cannot relive the past.

Move-It Monday

April was an extremely busy month and I'm excited for it to be over actually. I had so many things come up out of the blue that I felt I had zero time for extra things. Unfortunately the blog fell into the extra things category. Hopefully May will free up more of my time. And maybe I need to read the book above??

Another thing that didn't seem to fit into my schedule was working out as much as I wanted to. But I got back to the gym yesterday for a kickboxing class and boy-oh-boy am I feeling it today. It's a different workout than the boot camps that I do, but I worked just as hard or harder and sweat just as much or more in this class. Boot camp usually makes me feel it in my core and quads, but kickboxing killed my upper calves and arms.

Tracie, the kickboxing instructor at Energize Zone comes up with some great combinations and she keeps a good speed to get us adjusted to the moves before picking up the pace. Because of all of the boxer stances and back-and-forths, I know that is why my calves are so tight.

My arms are sore from really going all out on the jabs, cross and hammers. I feel like I'm back in Poms and I'm hitting each move precisely - thus the sore arms today.

With my legs being so tight, I decided a walk would be the best for me. Big Bend is under construction so I took a gander down Clark Street to see the progress. It's pretty much down to one lane with large equipment and gravel everywhere. I hope they stay on schedule and get the road done quickly.

I headed down into the park to check out the river and although it was high, I got this amazing shot of the sunset. It really was so peaceful down there -- minus the bugs that kept flying in my face :)

I hope to get out for a lot more walks and runs and get to more kickboxing and boot camp classes in May. I must do it in order to hit my goal I set for myself. :)

I am also in search of my next run for 2013. I don't have anything on my plate until August, so if you have suggestions, I'm open to them -- 7k and under as I'm still working my way to a 10k and am not there yet.

Move-It Monday: Lori's Wellness Story

UPDATED!

Sorry for the lateness of this post. I definitely had a bout with Karma today and it came back for me. I had joked about someone else not fact checking yesterday before posting their story, and well, it came back to get me. If you read this post earlier today, it wasn't Lori's story. I apologize for the falsities of it and am here to right my wrong. 

While I continue my recovery efforts from my 7k this past weekend, that I will blog about soon (completed in under an hour and totally pumped for more running!!!), I wanted to share Lori's story of wellness from the Energize Zone.

 
I met Lori a few weeks into my challenge at Energize Zone and she is truly a rockstar. She started her weight loss journey in in the Fall of 2012 and she told me that it has completely changed her life.

Lori before

Lori was facing two amazing milestones before joining the Zone - turning 50 and having her 25th wedding anniversary. She wasn't feeling like herself, and much older for her years and after following a friend's Facebook posts, she decided to check out Energize Zone.

She didn't realize how much she missed working out, except the mile run that starts each boot camp class (even that she, and I, don't mind anymore). She was hooked fast and joined multiple classes a week to get to her goal.

My first impression of Lori was that she is very motivated and determined to reach her goal. She rocks it out and helps lead in stretches at the end of class so Coach Ken can get ready for the next class. I look to her as a leader as well and know that if I'm having a down day, she will get me pumped up to crush my workout!

"I went from believing that at my age losing weight was beyond my reach to believing any goal is attainable," says Lori. She now takes boot camp, cardio kickboxing and Zumba classes at the Zone. I'm hoping to up myself to three days a week, but living outside of the city makes this a little hard for me (excuses, excuses I know!).

Lori's after photo with other ladies of the Zone

Both her and I see how well informed Coach Ken is and the way he stresses the importance of not only exercise but proper nutrition motivates us. I agree 100% with Lori and Ken and see changes in myself after my Free Wellness Profile last weekend. I make a more conscious effort to watch what I eat and what it will do to my body.

Lori feels a part of a family at the Zone and loves the positive motivation from everyone while we all try to reach our goals. "I can't wait to see what new things will be coming at "THE ZONE" this year!" says Lori."

Lori and her hubby come to the Zone together for some classes and Lori has joined the 24 Challenge at the gym. This is the next level above the Body Transformation Weight Loss Challenge (that I am a part of now).

24 Challenge at the Zone

This coming Saturday, The Energize Zone is hosting a Spring Into Fitness Event. Sign up now to try two classes and some healthy snacks for only $15. Only 50 spots are available and this is an inexpensive way to come check out the gym for yourself. RSVP early this week to guarantee yourself a spot!

Next month, Energize Zone is hosting an Energize Your Life Expo that is open to vendors to sell their products and services (some exceptions apply). See the image below for the details and call Coach Ken to reserve your spot. 

Energize Your Life Expo - April 27

Compensation for this post was provided by EnergizeZone after I asked to feature the 'Zone. Opinions expressed here are my own.  

Move-It Mondays: Karen's Energize Story

I continue my featured posts today with Karen's story of wellness from the Energize Zone. I met Karen at my first class that I took at the Zone--when I was very intimidated and unsure what to expect. In that class, I saw that the ladies of the Zone are a tight group that motivate each other and help each other get through each challenging class. I couldn't wait to be a part of that and the intimidation has gone away.

Karen before Energize Zone

Karen, like myself, has struggled with her weight and tried all the diets out there. She found the Zone from an ad in the paper for one of Coach Ken's challenges and talked a friend into doing it with her. (I found the Zone challenge very similarly, on the Waukesha Patch daily newsletters!)

She credited her weight gain to a slow metabolism and poor eating and lifestyle habits and scheduled her free Wellness Profile with Coach Ken. Her profile results showed that she had an extremely high body fat percentage and almost started to cry (I almost did the same when I got my results - more on that in a future post!). But Coach Ken, in his amazing ways of keeping us motivated and positive said to her, "Don't worry, we got this," and she holds those words close to her as her motivation to keep going.

Join the challenges in March!

Karen started out with just the boot camp weight loss challenge class each week, but before she knew it, she was coming 4-5 days a week for classes. I have recently become a two-class-a-week attender and can vouch for how addicting and motivating the classes are. Any bets as to how long until I'm up to 3?

She shared with me about meeting the wonderful ladies of the Zone and how easy they are to talk to. "We started working out together, encouraged each other, laughed together and became friends," says Karen. "There is something different and less intimidating about working out in this kind of environment than working out in a regular gym." I agree with her 100%!!! I hated working out "alone" at the gym as I couldn't help but think that everyone was looking at me or I was doing something wrong. It isn't like that at all at the Zone. Everyone is looking out for the benefit of the group and getting the group to accomplish the skills.

With the fitness classes and improved nutrition, Karen has lost 45 pounds in 7 months! She is on the Wall of Fame at the gym and seeing her progress photos is a definite motivator to me. I'm not showing the best weight loss numbers currently, but I know I have it in me to do this.

Karen now loves working out where as before she disliked even just climbing a flight of stairs because she would get winded. Her lifestyle has changed completely; she is in better health, has made many new friends and loves being active. The nutrition information that Coach Ken shares is vital in her journey.

Karen in 2013

She can't wait for the weather to change so she can go running with her daughter. This really hits home with me as my mom and I are in a challenge together now at the Zone. We are both working our butts off each week to get into great shape and hopefully run The Color Run in August together again this year. But we hope to not feel like we were going to collapse at the end like last year and be able to enjoy the triumph of our completion.

I look to Karen in my classes that we have together as someone of motivation. When I don't know what a move is or if I'm doing it right, I know that I can count on her to perform it properly. She also leads us in stretching at the end of class so Coach Ken can make the smoothies that the ladies like so much. I haven't had an Herbalife smoothie yet, but I think this week is time.

If you want to test out the Zone and see what it is all about, mark your calendars for March 23 - try two classes, tea, a smoothie and some healthy snacks for the unbelievable price of $15. Only 50 spots are available for this event, so call the Zone today to reserve your spot 262-349-9983. And if you have any questions about the Zone, call Coach Ken! 

Compensation for this post was provided by EnergizeZone after I asked to feature the 'Zone. Opinions expressed here are my own. 

Pin-It Tuesday - Workouts

All of my Pin-It Tuesday posts have been recipes found on Pinterest (thus the name), but I assure you, and you can see from my 2,000+ pins, that I pin things other than food to my boards. Food does take up the majority of them, but I have found some really great workouts that my friends have posted. So this post is going to be a short review of the workouts that I have enjoyed and am glad I pinned. 

Tori Teaches Fitness

I will start with a favorite. This is a really basic workout that I have done a few times in the morning to wake me up and get in a little fitness before I shower. I have found that if I workout even just for 10 minutes before work, I am definitely more energized throughout the day.

I know that crunches are THE way to shrink the belly, but my back isn't always a fan of being pressed against the ground while I'm crunching away.  So finding a standing ab workout is right up my alley. I watched the video once so I knew what to be prepped for, but then woke up 10 minutes earlier than usual and did this workout in the small space of my bedroom.

She keeps her pep up throughout the video, but I don't think she actually counts during it because I feel I worked one side of my body harder than the other. I will definitely put this one on the top of my list as I felt it for sure the next day!

This next workout doesn't have complicated moves, but it really works. The first time doing it, I couldn't even make it all the way through. I am really enjoying Crossfit routines that give you a full, intense workout in a very short time, but they can also really wear you out. And your heart rate can really get elevated.

This video shows the movements at three different intensities too, so you can see how to modify without skipping the moves completely.

Finally,  Cassey at Blogilates is someone I found a year ago by just searching workout videos on YouTube. She is so fun and always bubbly and motivating but her videos are a bit tough for me. I did do her sleek and sexy arm video once and it took me back to Poms practice. We had this awesome coach Jennifer that toned us up each practice with an arm routine to Fat Boy Slim songs. Cassey's video has more variety than what we did, but the same pain resulted so I know it was working me well. I plan to try more of Cassey's video's in the future.

So between my boot camp at Energize Zone in Waukesha, potentially joining a Zumba class, and keeping up on my running, I see big things ahead. I ran a fabulous (for me) 3.1-miler Sunday in the chilly morning, but I felt GREAT after. I think the runner's high is still with me today, if that is possible. I signed up for the #chillycheeks virtual 5k run this weekend and if you are a runner, you should do it too. Run wherever you want, when you want (Friday - Sunday) and then just document it on the Charity Miles app or by emailing the organizer. This race raise money for the American Cancer Society and a Charity Miles organization of your choice (mine being Autism Speaks!)

I feel that 2013 is going to be a year of great changes in my physique.  This is a long time coming and I'm glad I have finally found the motivation to do it :)