2024: I Will Make This Year Different

  July 20 -  Grilled burger with bun, ketchup, and pickle relish Doritos Lemon bar with almond flour crust Brownie Mixed nuts Raisins  Today I attended a barbecue hosted by the local GSA alliance for the county in which I live. My youngest son and my sister attended with me. We all have friends that are a part of the group and love hanging out with them. I usually attend the monthly meetings, because the members have been some of the most welcoming and kind people I’ve met since making the decision to be a little more involved in the community. After attending the barbecue we went to our respective homes and I took a trip to the gym. I’m really proud of my dedication to visiting the gym on a much more consistent basis. I hope to continue it past the 75 day challenge.  I was within all ranges for my food intake today. Yay!!! July 21 -  Brownie Salad (lettuce mix with carrots and cabbage, green peppers, bacon pieces, red peppers, cucumbers, croutons, grape tomatoe...

  Okay, I realize that July’s focus is on eating, but I decided to also workout in July since I failed so epically in June. The two experiences fit together well, so I figured why not. *shrug* With that being said, I needed some motivation to get myself back into the habit (which I know takes at least 30 days to build, but at this stage I’m over half way to that) so I did some research to find programs and motivation ideas that I thought would work for me. I’ve already explained the daily workout agreement I created with some friends where we pay $2 if we skip a day beyond our agreed upon breaks. But what I didn’t explain was the additional steps I’m taking during this challenge. I stumbled across the 75 Hard Challenge created by Andy Frisella. Now, I don’t know anything about him, his ideas, or any of that. But I was intrigued by the idea of the challenge. It consists of multiple parts, which alone can be helpful, but when combined together can help change your mindset and body co...

  ** All foods tracked are one serving, unless otherwise noted.**  July 6 -  Peanut butter toast  Seoul Taco Gogi bowl with rice and chicken 2 Hot Box Cookies Cottage cheese Tortilla chips Graham Crackers  Today I met a good friend in Columbia. We’ve started having monthly lunch dates to reconnect after we’ve both been swept away by life events. It’s wonderful reconnecting and I really enjoy our time together! I was really looking forward to the Gogi bowl and it did NOT disappoint. I’ve been craving one for a few months and it was so dang good.   I went for a blood pumping walk that morning with a different friend. We walked around a park in town that has rolling hills. She’s a good amount taller than I am so I had to hustle to keep up. We agreed to meet again for another round, but this time we’ll walk 3 laps, not two.   Thanks to the walk in the morning and watching what I eat, I was within appropriate amounts on all my areas of nutrition t...

Fitness June 29 -  I stepped on the scale today, after working out, but before my shower. I was disappointed to see that the number ticked up by one pound. However, I’m not going to let that stop me from continuing to work toward my goal of being fit to participate in a 5k at a moment's notice. You never know when one will pop up. LOL!  I went to the gym again today, but made it a point to go earlier than I usually go because I have a busy day today. And a lot of that business involves sitting in the car, driving, then sitting in a theater watching a friend and her daughter perform in a musical. So, to be a better version of me, I’m making the choice to get my booty in gear a little earlier today. I got up, did my 10+ minutes of reading (I’m so close to finishing the book I’m reading right now), loaded the dishwasher, started it, and then hand washed the remaining dishes from dinner last night. Which was delicious! My oldest son made a new recipe for the entire family and did ...