12.30.14

What. A. Year.

As I sit here on the second to last day of 2014 I can't help but think about how much I want to kiss 2015 when it arrives. Like not just kiss it, make out with it.

2014 was a hard, but beautiful year.

I worked hard on my fitness goals and made great strides in the "New Year New Me" category.

I was selected to be part of a leadership program through the Iowa Farm Bureau. I grew and learned a lot and the best part was meeting some wonderful new friends.

A dear friend lost her battle with cancer and went to go be with Jesus in May. I miss her, her encouragement, and her joy...so much.

I fell in love with a boy. He's the best thing since Kate Spade (but better!) and there is no doubt I want him by my side until my last day.

I decided to take a leap of faith and move back to my hometown in July. This leap came with a new job, selling my house, saying goodbye to dear friends, moving back in with my parents for a few months, and eventually buying, remodeling and closing on a new house.

In August my cousin was in a fatal car accident and also went to be with Jesus. I miss him like crazy. Moving back to my hometown 2 weeks before this happened (which is also his hometown) is God's timing. We were born seven months apart and did a lot of living in this place. In an odd way it makes me feel close to him, and I'm thankful for that.   

I went on a cruise with my mom, 5 aunts, and 5 cousins in October. It was lovely in a million ways.

To sum up 2014 in as few words as possible, I cried more in this last year than I ever thought I could.
I also laughed more, loved harder, and had more moments of pure joy than I probably deserve. It's been quite a year.

Cheers to 2015, friends. May it be full of blessings for you and yours!

P.S. - I promise I'll start visiting and writing here more soon. As you can see ^^^ my life has been a little bit of a roller coaster these last few months. But I promise I'll be back!

It's Been A While...

Hey there friends!

I'm sorry that I've been neglecting you.

There has been a lot happening in my life and blogging hadn't even been a thought until my co-worker said to me today, "Hey Michelle! Remember when you used to blog?"

Guilt ensued.

So, to sum up the last couple months of my life in as few words as possible:

I moved back in with my parents. (WOOO HOOO!!!)

I started a new job.

I bought a house.

I sold my house.

My cousin suddenly passed away in a car accident.

I started remodeling said house I purchased.

I packed and moved my belongings.

My house is unlivable so I continue to live with my parents until it is completed. (DOUBLE WHOOO HOOOO!!!!)

I started working out with a new trainer.

I've been living out of a bag and running on little to no sleep, which means I am super great at all the irons I have firing at the moment.

It's been a crazy couple of months, and I swear I will be back to this bliggity blog of mine on a regular basis at some point.

Because trust me when I say I have A LOT to share with you.

Remember how I'm remodeling a house? :)

But for now, I'll leave you with my last project I finished up this weekend.

My boyfriend celebrates his 25th year today, and I made this to give to him because it is his favorite quote.

 

I promise I'll tell you how I made it at some point.

 

Then I'll tell you all the things I would do differently if I was making it again.

 

Starting with buying thinner wood.

 

Let's just say I don't think this puppy will be hanging on any walls :)

Hope he loves it!

Busy...

The last two weeks of my life have felt like a whirlwind.

I told my Sioux City family I was moving away and ever since I've been busy.

Busy learning to love kale and quinoa... (I'm not kidding...it's SO delicious!)

Putting my cute little house on the market and having a showing at least once a day since...

Finishing a BEAUTIFUL quilt I had barely started 4 years ago in record time with one of my dear friends...

 

Then throwing a party underneath of it, because it was late and we were delirious and we could, so why not!?! 

Baking for my favorite co-workers one last time...

 

I may or may not have outdid myself this time. Just sayin...

 

And semi-breaking the "no halter top" dress code at work because I'm a rebel like that... ;)

 

 

I'm moving back home to the farm and starting a new adventure.

 

And it really hasn't sunk in until this week that it's happening.

 

It's all so bittersweet.

 

I'm stressed.

 

I'm sad.

 

I have moments where I have a dramatic meltdown and think to myself "What have I done!!?!?! I had a great job, an awesome house, I was surrounded by people who loved me... WHY did I do this?!"

 

But then I think about what is to come and I get really happy and excited.

 

Because it will be so great to be closer to family and the farm that is so near and dear to my heart.

 

I've cried...a few times.

 

And probably will a few more times in the weeks ahead.

 

Because a house is just a house that can be replaced by another one.

 

And I can be happy in any career I embark on.

 

But it's the people who make this whole "moving on" process so much more messy.

 

Because I'm overwhelmed by just how much these people mean to me.

 

I'm going to miss them so so much.

 

But it's not goodbye...it's see you soon, Sioux City!

New Chapter

 

I've always had a dream to move back to this place and be involved in the day to day happenings there. Because when I'm there I can...

 

 

...check cows whenever I want...

 

...run seed to my Dad during planting season...



...and be a part of harvest, not just on the weekends.

On Monday I found out that dream will become a reality.

I'm so excited.

But I can't ignore the fact that there are a lot of changes about to happen in my life over the next few weeks and some of them are going to be hard. 

Because change is hard.

It means saying goodbye to people.

And leaving things that make you happy.

And selling your cute little house on Willow Street.

And facing some unknowns.

But change is good.

Because it means I can spend time doing other things that make me happy.

And I'll get to be around my family more.

And my boyfriend won't live 3 hours away from me.

And I can start writing a new chapter in my life.

So while it will be hard to leave my current life, there are so many good things to look forward to.

I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life back on the farm!

Detox Update

You know whats better than swinging back and forth in a hammock chair on a humid summer morning at the farm without makeup because the cows don't care what you look like?

Losing 12.4 pounds in a week!!!!

You guys, I am ecstatic.

Not only did I drop a significant amount of weight this past week, I had a few amazing things happen that I want to tell you about...

I went back to the farm and didn't ravage cupboards to find the Wheat Thins, nor did I have a cookie for dessert with my Dad after almost every meal. I did decide to indulge in 5 bites of the most beautiful apple pie and homemade cinnamon ice cream, but after 5 bites I was satisfied and I walked away. The next day I got right back on track. And the best part about all this? It wasn't even that hard because I wasn't having cravings for any of the bad stuff!

I wanted to wear a particular pair of black dress pants this week that at one point in my life were ridiculously tight on me. I got them out and put one leg in, the other leg in, pulled them up, buttoned the pants, and they fell back down. Did you hear me screaming? Because that's exactly what happened at that moment and I swear you could have heard me in China... I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real life.

I went to the store to find new black dress pants, in a smaller size, and while I was there I saw the most adorable maxi dress. They were out of my regular size so I almost didn't even try on the smaller size, but I thought what the heck, I'll give it a go....and it fit! And it looked awesome. I bought it, of course, and proceeded to wear it like a boss all weekend. My body is changing and it feels SO freaking good!!!!

They say you're not supposed to workout much during the detox, so I took it easy this week. I know I always tell you on this bliggity blog of mine that you can't outwork a poor diet. But, I am going to be very honest with you right now and tell you I didn't practice what I preached. Because I am an idiot. No other reason. But you guys, I don't remember the last time I took more rest days in a week than workout days and to have my body change as much as it did? Craziness. I am now truly a believer. Losing weight and getting healthy is 80% about what you put in your mouth and 20% about burning calories. Not the other way around, which was my mentality for years.

On Friday morning (this was 3 days into the detox) I got on the scale to check my progress and I distinctly remember looking down at the number on the scale and thinking to myself, "Is this real life?!?!?!" with my jaw on the ground. I got off the scale, then got back on to double check it wasn't lying...same number!! I hadn't seen a number that low on that scale since probably high school. High school. Amazing!

And the most awesome part this week? My trainers face and reaction when I stepped on the scale this morning and had a 12 pound loss. I'm not even going to try to describe it in words... It was priceless!

The amazing stuff is only beginning friends! :)

Detox

I told my co-worker yesterday that I was starting a detox today.

He quickly replied, "I didn't know you were addicted to anything?!?"

Why yes, witty co-worker, I am highly addicted to something.

That something, would be sugar.

And the scale would be a true testament of that.

Because the bitch hasn't budged.

Turns out when you deprive your body of things and don't eat balanced meals your blood sugar gets all out of wack and you stop burning fat and in my case I ended up eating more sugar, too! 

And the worst part?

You can kill yourself in the gym and run 9 miles on loose gravel but you're still not going to un-do what that pint of Ben and Jerry's did to your insides.

So, thanks to my friend Kim, today is the day I get back on track.

It is day 1 of detox which means a few things...

Today is day 1 of not feeling like my bloated show heifer back in 2002 when she ate too much hay. Poor Sally girl...that wasn't pretty.

It is also day 1 of getting my blood sugar back in check which means I'm going to have more energy and burn more fat! *Fist pump!*

And finally, today is day 1 of eating good clean foods, again.

For you curious minds this detox isn't anything crazy. I'm simply eating food (one ingredient foods) and very carefully watching my portion sizes. Yes that means I bought a food scale and now weigh everything that goes in my mouth.

I'm fully prepared to have a headache the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined for these first couple of days due to the lack of sugar and sodium my body has become accustomed to.

I'm also fully prepared to feel like the petite little pile of  dog poop I stepped on on my run this morning. Someone wasn't being a responsible dog owner............................

And I know that I will have little to no energy the first few days so I spent over 3 hours in the kitchen last night getting all my food prepped for the week so there will be no excuse to go off plan.

With all that being said, I'm excited to reset and refocus. 

Because I know as a result the scale will move and I'm going to feel healthy and fit again.

NYNM...Or Not?

I went into 2014 with a quest to become a "new me."

It sounded good.

You know?

So romantic...promising...fulfilling...hopeful.

It's June.

I've been at this almost six months.

I've managed to shed 35 pounds.

My body has shrunk allowing me to get rid of old baggy clothes and buy new fun ones.

I have muscle definition when I look at myself in the mirror.

I can cross my legs like a lady now.

And I walk with a little bit more pep in my step and confidence in my stride.

While I'm happy with the changes that have been happening, I have to ask myself, have I really changed who I am these last six months?

Am I a new person?

A different Michelle?

I had a moment yesterday where I was forced to think about the idea of a "new me."

And the more I thought about this, the more I just felt silly for thinking that in 2014 I could become her.

Because lets be real for a minute.

When I think about a "new Michelle" she is a healthy and fit person who can't wait for her next workout and can eat whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, and she will never, and I mean never gain a pound.

See why I said romantic...promising...fulfilling...hopeful???

Because when it comes down to it, six months into a mission to change myself, I am still struggling with the same things that I've struggled with my whole life.

I still love desserts.

Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

And I still sometimes can't make myself stop eating them. 

When I'm exhausted I still find myself wanting to throw in the towel and forget that I care about being healthy.

Sometimes when I'm so sore it hurts to move, I find myself pressing snooze too long and have to cut my workout short, or I miss it all together that morning.

Some days I go home from a stressful day of work and I just want to order a pizza and eat the whole thing. Then make cupcakes. And instead of eating one, eat three...or four.

I still drink beer.

I love working out, but there are times when I would rather give up my left arm to not have to drag myself to the gym.

I sometimes still find when I'm feeling overwhelmed, bored or sad (to name a few emotions) I want to eat anything and everything contained in the 4 walls of my kitchen so I can forget about those feelings, just for a little bit.

On the weekends, I still find myself wanting to eat everything. And by everything, I mean everything. If it has chocolate in it, I'll have double.

You see, I'm still the same girl I was six months ago. And six years ago. And sixteen years ago.

The last six months haven't changed who I am.

They've just forced me to dig deeper and push harder when I felt like I couldn't go anymore.

They've taught me that I don't need to drink at every social outing, because sometimes beer just isn't worth undoing the workout you did that morning.

They've made me realize that when I am overwhelmed with emotions and want to turn to food to numb the feelings, that making it through the day without turning to food is the best way to cope. Even if it is so, so, SO hard in that moment. And to have a few things in your arsenal to keep you busy for when it's so hard you could scream.

So, long story short, this new year has brought me a leaner more toned body, but I'm still a mess. 

And will probably always be a mess.

Because these things I struggle with are never going to go away.

They will always be there no matter how fit, healthy, skinny or toned I am.

But these last six months have been precious.

Why?

Because I've learned to have grace with myself and to love myself through these struggles. And when I have a bad day, or days, to pick up the pieces and put them back together to make tomorrow a better day.

Disclaimer: I am continually working on this and by no means have I mastered this skill. It is a day by day journey for me. One day at a time. One hour at a time. One minute at a time.

And that is all I could have ever hoped for in this new year. To love myself a little bit more, strive to do better and be better every day, and learn to be a little less messy.

Cheers to the next six months...six years...sixty years!

Rhubarb Crisp

If you even remotely like rhubarb you should keep on reading this.

My friend gave me this recipe years ago for peach crisp.

And because its spring and rhubarb is my favorite I decided to make it into a rhubarb recipe!

I promise this will be hands down the best rhubarb dessert of your life.

Yes it is full of butter and sugar and all things wonderful in life.

But just live a little and give it a try! 

 

The Best Rhubarb Crisp Of Your Life

 

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 tablespoons butter

 

Rhubarb:

3 cups rhubarb chopped

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup water

 

Topping:

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter

 

Combine flour, brown sugar, salt and cut in butter to make the crust. Put in a 9x9 inch baking pan, greased, bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Bring to boil in saucepan rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch and water, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes or until thick. Pour into crust. Mix oats, brown sugar, flour and cut in butter. Top rhubarb mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 35-30 minutes.

 

Because there wasn't enough fat and calories in it already, I enjoyed my rhubarb crisp with a healthy dose of ice cream. Hey, June is Dairy month, so I'm just doing what I can to support my local dairy farmers!!!!



How To Burn 8,125 Calories In 5 Days

Remember that goal I had last week to burn at least 7,000 calories?

P.S. 7,000 calories = 2 pounds. 2 pounds is what I always strive to lose each week. I promise there is a method behind my madness!

And remember how I was an idiot and took not only Sunday but Monday off meaning that I had to accomplish this in 5 days?

Well I nailed it.

And by nailed it I mean I far surpassed my goal.

Curious how I did it?

Let me tell you what my week of workouts last week looked like!

Sunday: Rest.

Monday: Rest.

Tuesday: 5 am leg workout with my trainer, then 40 minutes on the step mill and 20 minutes on the elliptical. (1480 calories ... The step mill you guys, I'm not kidding when I say I'm glad I don't really know people that well at my gym. Because that thing is covered in my sweat when I'm done and I probably look like something terrifying when I get off that thing. WHEW!)

Wednesday: 6 am spinning class at my gym. Then after work I went back to the gym for a back and triceps workout followed by an hour of kickboxing. (Spinning class: 720 calories. Lifting and kickboxing: 1250 calories. I love punching and kicking the crap out of a bag!!!)

Thursday: 5 am shoulder workout with my trainer, then 30 minutes on the step mill. After work I went back to the gym for kickboxing class. (AM workout: 810 calories. PM workout: 635.)

Friday: 5:30 am bootcamp followed by a 2.5 mile run. (950 calories)

Saturday: 8 am (because I'm an adult now and I can never sleep in...annoying!) chest and bicep workout. It was too nice to stay in the gym so I headed outside for a run. I ran about a mile then found my favorite hill. And by favorite hill I mean this thing makes me want to die, but I know its good for me so I have learned to embrace her. Said hill is about a quarter of a mile long and steep! The picture doesn't even do it justice.

 
It is no secret that there is no better way to burn calories, get your heart rate up, and tone your butt and thighs simultaneously than when you run hills. And because I'm a gluten for punishment and was feeling like a badass at the moment I decided to run this hill 5 times. Yep, FIVE TIMES, guys.

 
My heart rate got as high as 187 at the top of the hill the 5th time, but I was too busy gasping for air/slightly dying that by the time I recovered a little bit to take a picture, by heart rate had already fallen a bit. 

The secret to hills (especially long ones like this one) is to stagger your intensity. I like to jog the first third of the hill, run the second third of the hill, sprint the top third of the hill, then walk for about 30-45 seconds at the top before jogging back down the hill. We called this fartlicking in cross country, and it's a good time!

I then ran another 2.5 miles.

Then mowed my lawn for an hour as a cool down.

Most would not consider mowing their lawn as a workout, however, most have a self propelled push mower. Me? Absolutely not. That would be too easy! :)

Result? 2279 calories.

 

#killedit.

 

You may be wondering why I spend so much time at the gym or why I make myself run up hills until I almost can't breathe.

 

Simply put: I love the way exercise makes me feel. I feel tighter, toned, muscular and like I could take on the world. The soreness afterwards makes me feel like I accomplished something great. It makes me happy. And the best part about exercise? I get to eat more than I would if I didn't workout. Because I really, really like food. More specifically? Good food. Like really good food. And really really good food is worth busting your ass for!!!!!

 

And on that note: I can't wait to tell you about one of my most favorite desserts. Which I indeed made and had on Saturday afternoon! :)

 

I'll give you a hint: it involved butter and sugar and more butter and a little more sugar and maybe a little rhubarb, too! YUM!!!!!

NYNM: Week ???

 

So, I've been MIA for a bit.

 

I know.

 

Life happened.

 

And my weight loss, well it really hasn't been happening.

 

You know where you hit that point where you are tired, sick of eating carrots, and annoyed that you aren't further than you actually are?

 

Yep.

 

That happened.

 

Don't worry, I'm not giving up.

 

I'm a hell of a lot smarter than that.

 

But I've been doing dumb things, like eating pancakes two days in a row. 

 

You know what happens when you do dumb things?

 

The scale doesn't go down.

 

Shocker, right? :)

 

So this week I am focusing on getting back on track.

 

My goals this week: 

 

- Burn 7000 calories. I was an idiot and took yesterday off...so stay tuned because I now have a shorter time frame to accomplish this...this will be fun! (My weeks start on Monday and go through Sunday night.)

 

- No cheats. It seems I've allowed myself countless days with a cheat here or a cheat there or a whole meal of sugar (aka pancakes!) so its time I buckle down and focus on feeding my body good foods to get back off the sugar train. It is becoming so glaringly apparent to me that my body doesn't like sugar. It makes me tired. It makes my joints hurt. And it just makes me feel crummy. So instead of looking at this goal as it is going to be complete torture, I'm looking at it like my body is going to like me when I go running again. Because I'm going to make smart choices.

 

- Sleep!!!! Holy cow I need sleep. My goal is to be in bed, and asleep, by 9 pm this week. I don't know why this has been so hard for me lately, but it's something I really have to re-focus on this week.

 

That is plenty for one week. My brain can only handle so much!

 

So, Michelle, you may ask. What HAVE you been doing besides slacking off??!?!

 

I've been on the farm!!!!

 

Playing with these cuties.

 

And snuggling these cuties!

 

And soaking up every minute of how absolutely precious my nieces are. LOOK AT HER BOOTS!!!!!!!! Gah!!!!

 

We even got a couple first timers on a horse!!!!!

 

My SIL was a champ!!!!! I think she's a natural! :)

 

We went on 4-wheeler rides and let the wind blow in our hair! :)

 

I love everything about this place. And while yes, the scale doesn't typically go down when I have long stays back at the farm, it's ok. Because in the end, life is all about balance. We need to have some fun and take time to enjoy the fine things in life instead of constantly obsessing about our diets or how many minutes of cardio we've done that day. Farming is good for my soul and I won't be sorry about it for a minute!

NYNM: Week 20

You know what happens when you eat too much birthday cake with a side of cream cheese frosting?

I'll give you two guesses but I bet you only need one. ;)

You gain weight.

2 pounds to be exact.

Writing was on the wall for that one.

I've felt like a pile of poop all week.

Sugar will do that to you, right?

That much sugar threw off my whole week, because guess what?

I craved more sugar.

And because I craved more sugar I made bad choices.

Everything was just off.

And I felt gross.

So the lesson to be learned here?

While I will always eat a ridiculously awesome cake with way too much cream cheese frosting all over it for my birthday, I don't have to make the "birthday hangover" if you will last for a week.

I need to eat my cake, then move on.

Not keep eating cake for 2 days after my birthday.

Because it is just not worth it.

It gave me a headache.

It made me feel gross.

My whole week has just been blah because of that damn cake.

This birthday hangover has overstayed its welcome.

But I do know one thing...

Cheers to a better week ahead!

The Best Birthday Cake Of My Life

Have any of you ever met Ree Drummond?

Me either.

But I want to be her!

So I make her food.

Because it's so freaking delicious.

Like you guys, I'm not kidding.

Every time I make something of hers I drool. 

Because I had been dreaming of eating cake since the moment I realized my birthday was a month away, I started looking at her cake recipes for the perfect one.

And then I found it.

And then I thought about it for an entire month (wish I was kidding about this part.)

And then I made it.

 

Everything that is good and perfect in this world starts out with "cream butter and sugar together..."

 

Don't ever try to debate this fact of life with me.

 

You will lose. 

 

It turned out quite perfect.

 

And because I'm a kid at heart and love the color purple I had to decorate it.

 

I would have taken a picture of the inside of it, but I was too busy eating it.

 

Like you guys, I may have eaten in or around half of this cake over the weekend.

 

Which I am now paying for.

 

Because my stomach hates me.

 

I don't think it's ever had to handle that much cream cheese frosting in it's existence.

 

But I'm not sorry about it.

 

It was my birthday.

 

And it was THAT good.

 

And have I ever told you that frosting is my love language?

 

More specifically cream cheese frosting.

 

I die.

 

And beef.

 

Gahhh, I love beef.

 

#foodieproblems

 

Anyway, if you want to make the best cake of your life, or make someone like me fall in love with you, make this cake.

I followed her recipe, but did bake the cake in two separate round cake pans because mine wasn't deep enough. When/if you do this you should reduce the baking time. I almost didn't realize this in time and therefore almost over baked them. I think I would have cried had I burnt these beautiful shorty-short-cakes.

I would also suggest using more than 1 pound of strawberries. Next time I make this, because I will make it again, I will probably use up to 2 pounds. They soak into the cake and make it sooooooo wonderful and delicious.

Now go make yourself your own Strawberry Shortcake Cake.

You won't be sorry!

Sowing Seeds

This past weekend Mother Nature played nice and my Dad and I got to go to the field to sow some seeds.

I spent a long time staring at this computer screen trying to come up with words in sentence form that would describe how happy this makes me, and I just can't.

So, instead, I will leave you with pictures.

Is this not the prettiest black dirt you've ever seen?

 

I had a serious case of "buddy seat butt" so I talked my Dad into letting me plant a few acres while he suffered in that awful seat.

To the makers of John Deere buddy seats: I will consult for free if you try to make those things more comfortable. Please?

 

We ran cows on this field this past winter so we did some extra tillage work in some areas. We had to make sure the seed depth was consistent throughout the field so the corn would come up even.

 

I ran to get seed for my Dad, and was seriously impressed with how good the old farm truck smelled. So my eyes started wandering. And then they stopped on this thing hanging from the rear view mirror.

I started laughing out loud.

Farmer jokes....get me every time!

If you're the praying kind, pray for a few days of sunshine so we can continue to sow some seeds.

And in a week or two, pray for a couple rains to make them grow. :)

NYNM: Week 19//Twenty Seven.

Twenty six was really great.

Like reallllllllly great.

I made new friends.

I tried new things, even some scary things!

I traveled.

I reached goals.

I went from a brunette, to a spicy ginger, to a darker brunette, to even spicier ginger, to a ....I have no idea what this color is on my head... (my mother is really proud of this adventurous side of me, by the way.)

I laughed.

Boy, did I laugh.

And I had oh-so-much fun.

Yesterday I closed out my twenty sixth year by stepping on the scale and seeing that I made my goal of losing 35 pounds by my birthday.

I screamed.

At 5 a.m.

In all my glory.

Then I went to see Farmland with my friend Ryan last night.

I laughed.

I cried.

And I fell in love with Agriculture all over again.

And then I ate dessert.

Because that is just what you do when you are about to turn a year older.

And you don't feel bad about it for a minute.

Twenty six was full of love, laughter, family, good friends, joy, sweat, tears and smiles, to name a few.

I am blessed far more than I deserve.

So today, I welcome twenty seven.

If the first 10 hours of it were any indication of how this year will go, it has awesome written all over it.

And that, my friends, is something I can get behind.

NYNM: Week 18

 

 

They told me I had the knee of a 60 year old woman.

 

And that I wouldn't be able to run after August 7, 2013.

 

On April 19th I went for my first outdoor run since that day.

 

I was running into 40 mph winds and I was scared, but I took a deep breath and put one foot in front of the other.

 

Before I knew it I had gone 4 miles and I had way more gas in my tank, so I took another turn making it 5 miles.

 

I still felt great so I took one last turn.  

 

I made it 6 miles before I had flashbacks of my six weeks spent on crutches and decided to stop.

 

I ran 3 of those 6 miles pain free for the first time in 10 years.

 

I pray someday my knees will allow me to run as far as the rest of my body can so I don't have to stop.  

 

Because I could have gone forever.

 

You know those runners highs they talk about?

 

They exist.

 

Boy do they exist.

 

So today, I celebrate, even though this morning's weigh in wasn't anything to write a blog post about.

 

I celebrate overcoming obstacles.

 

I celebrate the fact that being a stubborn German comes in handy once in a while.

 

I celebrate losing a total of 31.2 pounds and 21 inches over the last 18 weeks.

 

I celebrate change!  

 

"Change starts with you, but it doesn't start until you do." -- Tom Ziglar

This quote really hit home with me today.

I'm ready to change things up this week so good things keep happening!

Are you?

 



I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie....

NYNM: Week 17

Do you ever have those mornings where you are completely exhausted (tired, sore, etc) and you would give up your left arm to not have to get out of bed?

That was me this morning.

But I got up, 20 minutes later than I was supposed to....whoops, and did it anyway. I may or may not have rolled into work about 30 minutes late as a result...double whoops.

But it was worth it.

Because judging from how tired I am at this moment typing this blog post and that calorie burn, I'd say I did a pretty good job of kicking my own ass this morning.

I lost another 2 pounds this week and finally broke through the 30 pound milestone.

I've lost 31.4 pounds to date, and I'm excited.

I keep thinking about how far I've come in four months, and how excited I am to see where I am in another 4 months.

I also keep thinking about how expensive it's going to be to replace my entire wardrobe. :)

And speaking of making forward progress, with Easter weekend glaring at me in the face, it is important I don't lose sight of my goals.

There is bound to be sugar at every turn, so I am packing lots of veggies to take with me.

What is your plan?

Happy Easter, y'all!

NYNM: Week 16

I'm down 2.4 pounds this week bringing me to a total of 29.4 pounds lost so far.

So close but yet so far away! :)

I will get 30 next week if it kills me!

Until then, I'm easing up on the training for a couple days.

My body hurts, everywhere, and I need a couple days to let it recover before I hit it hard again.

I see some long walks outside enjoying this lovely spring weather in my future!

Then it's back in the gym.

I've got a birthday in T-22 days that is making me feel rather old.

But there are 3 more weigh-ins before that day, and there is a magic number I'd like to see on the scale which would make me not so depressed about welcoming my 27th year of life! ;)

Have a great weekend, friends!

Get outside and MOVE!!!!

NYNM: Week 15

Let me just start off by saying these posts are so much more fun to write when I weigh in and the scale goes down.

But I've committed to writing these posts, bad or good, so here it goes...

I gained .8 pounds this week.

Which is annoying.

My trainer looked through my journal of food and exercise after I got off the scale, he tells me I did everything right then says, "Next week will be better."

I think that made it even more annoying.

But such is life.

So until I weigh in again, I'm choosing to focus on the positives.

Some of my pants are starting to get to the point of embarassingly baggy and borderline falling off of me. (That means I can go shopping!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

I feel fantastic and have so much more energy than I once did. (This is going to come in handy when I do all that shopping, am I right??!?!)

The last few days I've caught myself staring at the reflection in the mirror, weather it be in the gym or getting ready in the morning, and thinking "Wow, you look good girl! Your chin is shrinking. Are you getting abs?! Look at my pipes!!!!" (I realize this is totally self absorbed of me, but its amazing when you can see your own body changing and you don't just hear it from other people.)

And I just looked at gap.com and its 50% off. Halejuiah, Jesus loves me! :)

Moral of the story?

I'm right where I need to be.

Things are happening even if the scale doesn't say they are.

And I'm going to keep on keepin' on.

Happy Friday, friends.

Make it a great week!

Calving Season

Calving season is in full swing at the Euken Ranch.

It should be noted that calving season is one of my favorites.

It's like Christmas, but better.

Way better.

Especially when there is no mud, and the weather is nice.

We have one of the two happening this year, so I'll take it.

Here are some sights from the pasture this past Sunday morning with my Dad!

There is green grass under all that brown, I swear it.

Her name is Yonce. She was born like this. Flawless. (You might have to listen to the song to get it.)

New babies get tagged and treated with calf booster to keep them healthy and strong!

My favorite little brunette called when we were checking the cows - to say she was excited about doing chores with us through the phone would be an understatement!