tuning, toning, and shaking it up

It has been a LONG time since I have participated in a Shrinking Jeans weight loss challenge.  I decided to join in on their June Tune Up challenge because I definitely need a kick in the ass to get back into a groove. I have not been losing weight and for the last 3 weeks I haven’t really been working out.

I want to get some of this weight off me.  I could list all the reasons my body deserves me to work on this but I won’t. Honestly, I feel mushy. I liked feeling leaner and toner like I did when I was training last summer. Pre-injury. Pre-surgery. Pre-weight gain. Not only did I gain the weight but my muscles went mushy. I don’t feel like my best self. I don’t feel comfortable in my skin.

I have not been taking care of myself properlike.

So, I decided to join SJ’s June Tune Up Challenge. I could use a good tune up (I don’t know about y’all but the second I wrote that sentence I giggled ’cause I know that could be taken in a naughty way but I am leaving it anyway). My body and mind need a shake up.

If I am being completely honest with myself, I have not been putting my all into my journey. I have let my head and overthinking get in the way of making progress. The way I have been doing it has not been working. I am not working out or eating well and my body (and mind) are trying to tell me.

This challenge is a team challenge and I have the BESTEST partners in the whole world. Officially Ann, from She’s Gonna Blow, is my partner. Ann is the greatest cheerleader and friend anyone could hope for. Ann and I have become really, reallygreat friends and we have been trying to encourage the other but really I think we are kinda enablers but we try. We have vowed to truly commit to this challenge and to support and encourage not enable each other for the entire 30 days.

I am committing to kicking ass this challenge. Not literally, but I want to push myself but also do right for me and my body.

My commitments for the next 30 days:

1. #saladaday – I mentioned on twitter that I needed to add more veg to my life and Karena tweeted back that I should try the #saladaday challenge – well, I am giving it a whirl.

2. MOVE my body every day (those SJ Sisters are always thinking!! – they even came up with a daily exercise commitment calendar called the June Tone-Up – this will give me the very minimal amount of moving but since I have been pretty slacked, I’d say this is a good place to start)

3. Get back into #NROLFW and restart Stage 2.

4. Experiment with Wheat Free – I have been reading about things I am noticing in my body and possible causes and also about the benefits of eliminating wheat as a relief to these issues. 30 days is not long to go without pasta or bread

5. Track it all – all food, and activity using WW online.

I think that is enough! They all sort of work together and nothing is too over-the-top to cause stress. It’s 30 days!! I can do anything for 30 days.

Oh yeah, did I tell you about my parters. No, I only told you about my official partner, Ann. Ann and I make up the team called Kick A$$ WIPs (WIP = Work in Progress). Unofficially, my husband has decided to join me in the no-wheat thing and the saladaday thing (well at least on work days) – he figures if he can’t have a sandwich or pasta what can he ha

ve but a salad for lunch. This is a huge step for my husband and, really, for me too. I talked to him the other day and told him how I was feeling and I wanted to make some food changes.  He was wonderful, he listened and then he told me he would join me because he needs to make some changes too.

Last night, to get prepared for this upcoming challenge, I spent about half an hour cutting and prepping veggies for salads and hardboiling eggs. There are two pictures below..the left is my fridge and all the salad prep on one shelf (spring mix, spinach, and 2 heads of romaine all cleaned and bagged up; a huge cucumber peeled and sliced; a couple red peppers cleaned and diced; homemade cucumber & tomato salad; diced up lunch meats (ham, turkey, provolone) portioned out; and 8 eggs hardboiled and peeled)….and the pic on the right is my salad and hubby’s salad all packed up before work this morning.

    

 

I decided it was time for a challenge. Time to challenge myself and make a real commitment to feeling my best!

Here’s to June!!

 

P.S. So far Day 1 has been great. Having salad stuffs all prepped and waiting to just be put together in my bowls was a huge helper.  I am making conscious choices as I go through my day. Day Ones are always awesome…aren’t they?!?