Here we go again...

I have a little under eight months until Ironman Canada. It's not a lot of time. Yet, it is. But, my first goal is to trim down this body a bit again (sigh!), since I put back on 20 of the 30 pounds I lost last year. So, for the next four months, I will concentrate on that. Building my fitness base and trimming the pounds. After all, if I have 20 less pounds to get up the big hills, it will be that much easier. Then, I have four months to build my endurance and put in the time for the distance stuff.

I know where I strayed. Truly. When I was on track, I was very disciplined. I exercised every single day. Some days were tough runs, others were easy walks. I incorporated weight training, biking, swimming, sometimes the elliptical or stair machine, sometimes a bootcamp style workout. I was willing to do anything to simply keep my body moving, following Newton's law of an object in motion stays in motion. And really, you almost crave exercise after doing it every day.

The other big stray, my eating. When I was on track, I used the Livestrong, MyPlate to track my eating and exercise. It's fantastic. The app on the iPhone is only $2.99 and literally, since my phone is practically an appendage these days, it's never far from me, and so it is easy to track the eating. And, the database of products is so immense that it includes breads from my local bakery even!! And, if something is not in there, you can add it! And you can add your own recipes that you make at home. It really made me accountable for what I was putting in my mouth. I mean, still I would eat things like ice cream or special treats, but I really planned for them, to make sure it worked into my program. And I was successful. I lost 30 pounds. It was pretty great. And then, I slowly stopped tracking, and then I slowly added more and more treats, and then I slowly started putting the weight back on... grrrrrrr... I saw it happening literally, right before my eyes (sigh), I knew it, and yet I did nothing to stop it.

So, here I am again. It's a new year, and my big goal is in August. I want to be successful. I know I can be. I just need to be disciplined again. So, I start again. Today's weighin, starting weight (insert sad faced kicking myself in the pants for this expression) is 192.0. Ugh. Why oh why must I be here again. It's saying I am 40.1% body fat. I am disappointed in myself. However, today is a new starting point. And today I begin again. Today is the first day. Today I can make good decisions. Will I stumble? I'm sure. But will I succeed? Of course. So, back to tracking what I eat. Trying to include more fruits and vegetables and holding myself accountable for what I put in my mouth and for putting my body in motion.

Enjoying December...

So my streak continues along. It's not a lot, but it's something every day. Even on days when I don't want to do anything, I still get in, at the absolute very least, one mile. Next up we shall attack the eating a bit, but who are we kidding, we are going into the toughest time of year to stay disciplined and on a program. So, rather than start today and fail, I will concentrate on portion size and including all the food groups, with an emphasis on veggies. And keeping up my liquids, mostly water or tea.

My best find lately, is from the Edelweiss Village in Calgary. They have Strawberry Raspberry tea. This takes me back to Germany. My former roommate even sent me this tea once. Mmmmmmm. And it's really just a fruit infusion. There's no actual tea in it. It's just a super awesome way to spiff up your water. I highly recommend it. It's the best way to have a nice hot drink without adding on empty calories. It doesn't need milk. It doesn't need sugar. It's just plain awesome the way it is. So, if you have a little European store to shop at, specifically with German teas, try and see if they stock something similar. You will not be disappointed!!

Next up will be finding myself a program for ironman. It's about that time. I need to have a plan, because without a plan, I will likely not get the workouts in, and I need a strong base to carry me into my long days starting in the spring!! And I may need to pick a race or two as well... just to keep myself on task...

How is your December treating you??

Life is busy. But, I truly believe Newton had it nailed. An object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest. So, far, December is starting to prove that once again, I can be in motion!! A friend told me about Strides Running Store December Streak challenge, to go one mile every day in December. Minimum. Every single day. You can do more than that, but you can't count anything above the mile as miles for the next day. To make it a streak, it has to be a mile every day. Including Christmas. No excuses. No exceptions. Find the time, to go one mile.

Well, today is December 13th, and so far, I am 13/13 for going a mile a day. Most days I go more than a mile. But every day, without fail so far, I have gone a minimum 1.6km. And funny enough, when you make it a priority, it fits in. An object in motion, stays in motion.

It's not too late to start. I mean really, there is no set date to start a streak. Today can be your day one. No excuses, just do it!! You'll be set and in a routine before the new year even hits!!