twitterature - 8-15-13

linking up with the Modern Mrs. Darcy today to talk about summer reading...i thought i did more of it, but these are the only books i can recall from the past two months.  i'm guessing the others weren't memorable.  but i wish i could recall them if only to tell you not to read them!

so what do i remember reading?

The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe

the only one i didn't finish.  it wasn't too bad, but just not my thing.  #bookaboutbooks #notintoit

What Alice Forgot, Liane Moriarty

i really loved this one. it completely spoke to me. #funnyandquickread

The Chance, Karen Kingsbury

finished this one in a day.  made me cry...a few times! #lovestory

The Lost Husband, Katherine Center

what a beautiful story.  and so much wisdom about parenting woven throughout.  #quickbutmeaningfulread

Leota's Garden, Francine Rivers

another beautiful story.  moving and makes you think about what's important. #inspiring

check out the Modern Mrs. Darcy's Twitterature for more quick book reviews.

i love it!

i started focus t25 beta phase yesterday.  so far i've done the core cardio and speed 2.0 workouts. i love them.  and the best part is that they aren't as hard as i thought they'd be.  they are fun and go by fast.  and i feel great at the end.  like a million bucks!

now i am a little sore in the arms and shoulders from the core cardio workout that i did yesterday.  there are some plank moves and burpees which challenged me.  my upper body's not the strongest.  i really hope to see a big difference in my strength by the end of these 5 weeks considering all of the planks and burpees.

i'm so glad i bought focus t25.  i think i'll be ordering the gamma add on next.  i guess it's more of a strength based workout.  that will be a nice switch.  overall, i'm just loving getting a good workout in every morning without it taking up too much time.  25 minutes is just right for me right now.  it's a reasonable amount of time that doesn't scare me away from getting up and exercising every morning.  and for now, that's most important to me.

i think i have to see some noticeable changes in my body and fitness level if i stick to this along with not going over my calories in myfitnesspal.  it has to work, right?  i sure hope so!  it may take a while, even a long while, but i'm sure results are on their way!

halfway

today i finished week 5 of focus t25 which means i'm done with alpha phase and halfway through the program.  i've really enjoyed the workouts, especially because you do something different every day and the schedule is different every week.  knowing i would be doing a different workout each morning really made it easier to get up and go.  monotony is a sure way to squash my desire to get in shape!

so, results?  not so great.  but i blame my vacation during what was supposed to be week 2 of t25 on that.  a week full of wine, frozen daiquiris, and delicious food isn't really part of the t25 plan.  that week really set me back.  i bet i'd have seen some real results if i hadn't gone on vacation but it is what it is.

here's how i did weight-wise:
start - 132.5
return from vacation -135 (yikes!)
today - 132

even if it's only a half a pound, at least i did lose something.

inches-wise i've lost 2 inches.  half an inch in my waist and the rest in my arms.  my arms?!?!?!  i really wasn't concerned about my arms.  i don't care if they get smaller.  next thing you know i'll be losing inches in my fingers or my feet. while my belly stays nice and fluffy.

but i really don't think that's true.  i have a feeling these next 5 weeks will be amazing.  no vacation to derail me.  the knowledge that i've already seen some results.  and the strength i've already built.  i cannot wait to post in another 5 weeks.  i may even share my before and after pictures then.  maybe.

but in the meantime the pictures you see here are some iphone faves from our vacation.  i still haven't uploaded the ones from my camera.  perhaps i'll get around to that someday...!

faves on friday

i'm so glad it's friday!  this week has been a long one and we have a lot of fun planned for this weekend.  i can't wait to get home and get the party started!

i'm trying to spend less time online, but i still have some faves this week.

blog posts:

i'd rather be a little fluffy, thanks - this post explains how i feel about fitness so well.  i want to be fit.  i want to take care of myself.  but i don't want to be obsessed.  or miserable.  or no fun because i am so focused on counting calories and working out.  a must read!

breathe - this post came at the perfect time, thanks simple mom! this was a busy week at work and boy did i need the reminder to just calm down and breathe.

website:

free range kids - what a great mission!  reminding us that our kids need freedom to be kids.  i plan to come back to this site again and again.

books:

The Lost Husband - a great read that i could really relate to.  while it is a love story, it really approaches the topic of being a mom in a great way.

Fat Land - i'm still not done with this one.  slow read, but an important one.  reminding me of the little bad habits that can have a horrible affect on our health.

quote:

as i work my way through focus t25, i have to remind myself of this every. single. day.  and i definitely can say that i am making progress.  but deep down, i'm still wishing for perfection.  hopefully the more i say this, the more at peace i will be with where i am now, knowing that i am making progress every day.

happy friday all!  i'll be back tomorrow, i hope, with an update on my focus t25 progress!

a thursday with thoughts

it's my second full week of work since june.  it's tough.  but it's a sign of things to come.

school starts in less than two weeks.  dance in three.  high school football is underway.  yes folks, fall is almost here.

for some reason, last year, i had a hard time with fall (and the winter and spring that followed).  i'm working really hard on getting a good start this year and not letting the end of summer get me down.  we have a lot to look forward at our home this year.

hubby has returned to high school football and it looks like it is going to be an amazing season.

big sis is in her last year of elementary school.  it sounds like she's getting to compete in 4 dances this year in her dance company (last year she did 3), which is what she was hoping for.  she's getting taller and smarter and more grown up every day.  it's hard to believe.

and lil' sis is starting kindergarten.  yes, i now have two kids in school full time.  life is really going to get busy now!  she's also starting a dance program where she'll get to do a lot more.  she's really excited about that and asks every day when her classes will start.  this year will be full of firsts for her.  riding the bus, buying lunches at school, learning to read.  i cannot wait!

as for me, nothing has changed personally, but i will get to enjoy the changes my family members are experiencing.  i'm working out faithfully, reading a lot and dreaming.  mostly, this year, i just want to enjoy each day as it comes.

so my promise to myself is not to stress.  everything will turn out the way it was meant to.  i need to breathe every day.  take time to enjoy the girls.  support my husband and his new football team.  find as much time as possible for fun.

i have a feeling it's going to be a great school year!

double day

we have a busy weekend ahead of us so i went ahead and did a focus t25 double day.  normally i just add a sixth day to get in all six workouts, but i figured i'd see what it was like to do two workouts back to back.

it was tough.

but i loved it.  maybe, just maybe, i'll try insanity soon.  i woke up ten minutes earlier but had no problem getting in the 50 minute workout.  i had to be more focused this morning and had less time to dilly dally, but it got it done!

today's double was speed 1.0 and abs.  i love the speed 1.0 workout because it isn't as intense as some of the other workouts.  you get to stretch between a lot of the cardio exercises.  i am terrible at stretching and have noticed some tightness in my hip flexors and hamstrings, so this workout felt really good today.

the ab workout kills me.  i cannot do v-sits very well.  i don't know if it because my legs are tight or just because my abs are weak.  needless to say, there were many modifications during the ab workout.  i honestly don't know if i'm getting stronger...

week four of focus t25 is now done.  one more week of the alpha phase and then its off to beta!  i'm really excited because there's at least one workout in beta that includes weights.  i miss my weights! so much so that i'm dying to get gamma as i think all of those workouts are strength based and require free weights.  but that time will come soon.

for now, i still have to finish the alpha phase!

the thief

for some reason the following scripture has been playing over and over in my head for the past 24 hours:

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:10 (NIV)

not sure how this got stuck in my head, but God must be trying to tell me something.  i have been thinking about how some things steal my joy...mainly comparisons, perfectionism, too high expectations and jealousy.  i have also been thinking about bad habits that steal my joy...for example, too much time on social media, procrastinating, and junk food.

i guess lately i have been falling for the thief's (satan's) tricks instead of seeking Jesus.  i've been easily distracted by the things that steal my joy. i'm not sure why i'd let anything get me down, but i have.  this past school year, in particular, was a real tough one for me.  i was down more than i was up.  

now that the new school year is upon us, i have to admit that i'm a little nervous.  will i fall back into that slump i was in last year?  or will this year be better. i guess the answer is in God's word.  i know where my focus needs to be.  here's to keeping it there!