Each Day an Opportunity

When I woke up this morning, I knew today was the day. I spent all evening yesterday visiting with family and helping take care of my nearly two year old nephew who has the flu. When I came home, I came to the realization that I spent all last week either feeling like crap or being lazy. It's that simple. So, I spent all evening pinning health-related items and new meal ideas on Pinterest. So, when I woke up this morning, I knew it was time to hop back on track and not look back. It also helped that my new Leslie Sansone DVD: Walk it Off in 30 Days. This is by far the quickest and toughest Leslie workout I have ever completed. I was sweating before I was even 5 minutes into the workout. 419 calories burned in 33 1/2 minutes. I am ecstatic. Can't wait to see my 30 day results from alternating between this workout and the "Firm 30" disc that is also included.

But, that's not all... I was so excited that I pushed myself to work out today, that while on my endorphin high, I chose to do a 3 mile Leslie Sansone HIIT workout. It got my heart rate up, but I don't feel like it was as tough as the first workout. So...overall... I burned a whopping 1060 calories today for a little over an hour of hard work, sweat, and determination. Water intake was on track today and I only had one can of Diet Pepsi. I had completely kicked the habit previously, but around the holidays I let myself get away from many of the healthier habits I had created, so I am slowly but surely getting back on the right track.

Regardless of what any other person thinks, I believe in myself and even though I've had a pretty crummy two months that could have been spent being healthy and losing more weight, everyone needs a break from the "all healthy, all the time" lifestyle. You have to indulge every now and then, and if you fall down, you have to get back up. That's what I'm doing, getting back up, dusting myself off, and going on my own merry way. There may even be some skipping, who knows?

Now to get some rest and prepare for another stellar day tomorrow...

Until we meet again,
Ashley ♥

Introduction

It is a new year, but the second leg in my weight loss journey. Before I get into my goals for this year, let me first introduce myself to anyone who may not know about my journey thus far.

I am a twenty-four year old wife, sister, daughter, and grand-daughter. Within the last two years I have also added "Auntie" to an adorable little boy named Carson, and a sweet and beautiful little girl named Harmony to that list. I absolutely love playing the role of Aunt, and those kids mean the world to me! I am also a full time student pursuing a degree in Literary Studies, which I plan to follow up with a Master's Degree in Library Science. I also have a Bichon Frise named Toby, and two cats: Moo and Boo. Now on to the love of my life. We met in high school and got married the day after I turned 18, and unlike most people I know who get married so young, it was simply because we wanted to, not because we had to. My husband is my everything and other than to make MYSELF happy, he is one of the main reasons I am trying to lose weight. I love him more than anything in this world, and want to spend a long and happy life with him. Now, on to the part I have been dreading the most, my weight. 

I have been overweight my entire life. I have always been overweight and gradually I let my weight get away from me and got to the point I am at now. Most of my family is overweight and although I would try to diet and get discouraged and give up more often than not, I have just gotten to the point where I know that if I want to live, I'm going to have to make some MAJOR lifestyle changes. I  have high blood pressure, diabetes, and I also have PCOS. My hubby and I are both wanting to start a family and I know that my weight is a major factor that will be there to hinder me. I normally start dieting, get discouraged, then give up.

However, this all changed April 2013. I joined MFP over two years ago, but in April I started actively trying to lose weight as I hit my highest weight ever... 396 lbs. Over the last eight months, I have actively worked to change my eating habits, incorporate exercise into my daily routine that once only encompassed sitting on the couch and watching television. I have noticed a great change in my eating habits. I know the weight I am now took a long time to put on, so I know it's going to take time and lots of hard work to get it off. So, I'm making friends and trying to build a support system. I am blessed with many friends on MFP that have been a great encouragement and I strive to help encourage others. It is just so much easier with friends and people to keep you accountable. I have also been in a "Biggest Loser" style weight loss group on Facebook where I have gained many friends and tried to start eating cleaner.

Like many others, the holidays have put me in a rut. I ate things I shouldn't have and my exercise became nearly non-existent. However, this is a new year and I want to continue with the progress I've made. At the current time after post-holiday weight gain, I have lost 59 pounds. I am hanging steady at 337 pounds. Normally I would be embarrassed to admit that, but I've worked so hard to get to where I am. All of my weight loss has been done through hard work and eating right. I do all of my workouts at home and while I have dabbled with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and TurboFire, my favorite workouts ever are the Leslie Sansone walks. She is so inspirational and after a long day at school, I can come home and walk away my worries.

That's where this blog comes into play. I will be posting my workouts, my successes, my failures, my weekly (sometimes daily) goals, and anything else I feel will encourage others while keeping me accountable.

I am looking forward to the second leg of this journey and can't wait to see what 2014 has to hold for me. This is a year of progress, change, and hope. So...LETS DO THIS!

Love and best wishes,
Ashley ♥