Sincerely, Serious Slacker

Dear Readers, Stalkers, Facebookers and Friends,

   I have a giant confession and it's only September 29. There are no excuses, but there are reasons. The reasons are not great, but they are time-consuming, life-sucking reasons that have taken over my world. *deep breath* Here goes:

  I have fallen off the wagon.

  Yes... I managed to fall off a wagon that wasn't going super fast to begin with. Yep, I'm like that girl that trips over her own feet-- a clumsy turtle. I know you're interested in hearing my reasons for all this, though...

1. Work. I have been working late hours and it sucks every shred of energy. This nonsense is pretty new, so that's why it's such a drain. I know so many people that have children, full time jobs, etc., etc. So my job and that time commitment isn't really an excuse. However because it's a new adjustment and it's taking me time to learn best practices to be the most efficient person I can, it will take some time.

2. We're moving. Yes, people, we bought a house. A house that needs painting and yard work and extermination of the creepy, crawly current residents, appointments with water, cable and utilities people. Additionally, we have to PACK our lives that I feel like we just settled. If you've never moved before, I don't recommend. It ain't fun. In all my spare time from work, I'm prepping for The Move. (Yes, it's capitalized because it's THAT big of an event in my world)

As any good plan requires-- it needs constant attention and updating as necessary. I'm so transitional right now, I'm like a vagrant. All my tools are in marked boxes waiting to be taken to the new house. I cannot wait to be settled. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

WHY? Because I'll have a legit area in the new house to dedicate to working out. I am going to refrain from calling it a "gym" because I don't own weights. I don't have a bench. I don't have any machines. I have a yoga mat, an exercise ball, a TV and some Beachbody DVDs. What can I say? I like simplicity.

I'm also pretty pumped about exploring my new neighborhood by way of running. There are some trails nearby that I'm excited to jog on. My husband's leg has finally healed enough for him to run, so he may be my running partner for awhile.

LASTLY-- I promised you an update on the Pants Project a few days ago. These pants still fit, but they are getting baggy and uncomfortable. I can still wear them, regrettably, but I'm working towards not even being able to walk 2 steps without them falling down.

As you can see, they are getting baggier in the thighs (HOORAY!). I can't wait to never wear them ever again.

So, here's to a new house, my new job at work and a new look at this Fit and Free Before 30 Project. I can use all the encouragement and motivation you're willing to throw at me!

Sincerely,
Serious Slacker

Priorities in Consistency

A week is far too long, friends. I missed you! I last blogged on September 11 and since then, my life has been NON STOP.

Work, at the job that I absolutely love (and yes, I really mean that), has been keeping me busy all the time. I bring home work many nights and I still feel like I'm drowning in unread and unanswered emails. Each day brings fires to put out on almost a constant basis. That PILE that I wrote about in another entry is long gone but only to be replaced with more piles, consistent interruption.

Along with a few other issues, I've been busy and stressed to say the least. I haven't been consistent with blogging, it's true. But here's the deal--- when I have a free window of time, should I spend 30 minutes blogging or workin' on my fitness?

My friend and guest blogger from my post on Biblical Fitness, Bryan, commented that this journey isn't about how much I advertise it. It's a lifestyle change so it's going to have it's ups and downs. It's encouraging to hear that because I promised originally that I would blog daily. I guess I thought I was in the movie Julie and Julia or something. The fact is, that's not realistic. I get busy. I work a lot. That's my life. In the last week, I've been busy. BUT. I HAVE been consistent with workouts! 

I am proud to report a few really amazing things:

1. I have run so may miles, you guys. I have been challenged by my FitBit to keep walking, move more and chug water. But the running is therapeutic. I clear my head and I get some great ideas. It's my "me time" and I'm getting to the point that I kind of crave it.

2. Since August 1, the beginning of my challenge, I have lost 6 pounds. This may not be a big deal to some, who can lose weight by simply taking the stairs or something. This morning, I stepped on the scale and saw a number that I haven't seen since before my wedding. It's nowhere close to where I want to be, but this is EXCITING and MOTIVATING! I also know that the number on the scale is really nothing-- that's not what I should focus on. But you guys, this is uplifting. I'm pretty excited to report back on my Pants Project challenge on September 26!!

Thanks, Special K, for this great ad campaign!

Consistency is paying off in my world. While I use blogging for encouragement and accountability, it's not my first priority.

I will try to be more consistent with blogging, but no promises... I'm too busy over here being awesome. :)

Late Night Happy Dance, Early Morning

This will be a quick entry today as I'm rushing around this morning to get on the road for a meeting out of town. BUT. I have to share a HAPPY and a WIN with you!

up before the sun!

Happy-- Last night, I was packing my little suitcase for the aforementioned trip and I was standing in my closet doing the whole, "I have nothing to wear," bit. I know part of the time there will be very casual, so I looked to my pile of jeans and begrudgingly began to sift through them trying to find a pair that fits ( <--this is the worst, by the way). I came across a pair that I didn't really recognize so I thought I'd try 'em on. It didn't get off to a great start. The first leg hit mid thigh and I felt the familiar battle of the thighs vs. pants beginning. Magically, THEY HURDLED MY THIGHS. I felt like America Ferrara in Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. The pants aren't what I'd wear in public just yet, but they FIT, BUTTON and ZIP. *cyber high fives, y'all!*

WIN-- It was cold last night and it was colder this morning. It's also really dark at 5:30am. But, because I can't sleep in or take my time this morning, I got up to run. In the cold, darkness. It was chilly, but I ran FASTER and HARDER and LONGER than I usually do. It was so dark, that I almost stepped on a live bunny, friends. That thing did not see me coming and I thought it was just a shadow of a bush. It almost got ugly. BUT-- we avoided a collision and I just kept joggin' along. Seriously, I feel SO GREAT already today!

The Back Burner Pile

If you know me well, you know that I'm a fairly organized person. As I grow up (age? I don't really know when you stop growing up and start to age) I have discovered that I'm most organized at work and I tend slack a bit at home.

This week, I've been swamped at work. We are working on getting everything prepped for an event tomorrow. Simultaneously, I'm working on a massive project for a meeting on Monday. I've worked late nights and through lunches to make this happen. Don't misunderstand-- I love this job. I'm challenged almost every day and I'm learning a lot about management and task delegation. Sometimes though-- it gets a little crazy!

I have a large office; the space is used mainly for file storage. Since I moved into the office in May, I have started adding personal touches to make it my own space. Slowly, it's getting to be a great office. My office isn't spotless- far from it (especially at the moment) but I keep it tidy and I know what's what and where everything is.

Except for this PILE. There is a perpetual pile on my desk that's become my TO DO pile. Some people have a to do list, but not me... I have a pile. Go big or go home, right? These are typically things that are on the back burner that I promise myself I'll get to in my free time. The problem is, I don't typically have a lot of FREE TIME.

Drinkin' my Shakeology in my office!

This evening when I left the office, I was scurrying around trying to get everything together for the event tomorrow. For the last week, my desk has been cluttered with papers, etc. for this event. Tonight as I loaded it all in my car, I noticed how nice my office looked.

And then I spotted THE PILE. This thing is the bane of my work life existence. But then it struck me that the PILE is a great metaphor for things we all put on the back burner. We put them off to the side until it becomes such a problem that we dread tackling it.

I know this is how I feel about my weight loss. My health was not a priority for a long time. While I don't have any major health issues, I did take my good health for granted. It got to the point that I'd get winded climbing a few flights of stairs or tired just from walking around a mall. It crept up so slowly that I didn't realize how much I'd neglected myself.

This can be said for many people. We get busy with work, school, family, kids, church, etc., that we forget about ourselves. I'm here to tell you, you will be better at EVERYTHING YOU DO if you feel healthy. Guaranteed.

The pile on my desk will be sorted out next week, when I return after this event. I'm ready to get some organization in my office as well as the rest of my life. This most definitely includes my health! Who else is ready to make it a priority?!?!

Persistence is Paying Off

It's 9:30 and the end of a very busy day. Work today was spent scurrying around getting ready for an event later this week. It was after 4 pm before I even LOOKED at the clock. Realizing we had no food in our house except for some random cans of beans and cereal, I threw together a meal plan and a grocery list and went home.

My husband and I generally grocery shop together. We realize this probably won't always be the case, but for now we enjoy it and it turns into quality time for us. Usually in this situation, I would pick up the fella and we'd head to the store. However tonight, we took time to meal plan for the WHOLE MONTH together and budgeted around our pay days. We focused on making meals stretch for a few leftover dinners. We plotted our our journey tonight to include a discount market AND Wal-Mart. We even remembered to grab recyclable bags on our way out the door. In an effort to save money, we're definitely on the right track.

Our travels tonight served as a great opportunity to chat about our debt payoff and some strategies that we've started using in our lives that we could talk about in this blog. There WILL be some cool little debt tips comin' round the bend, friends! Get excited!

The thing I'm REALLY getting excited about is a new challenge group my sisters and I are hosting for the month of October! Our theme is HOCUS POCUS! Three Sanderson sisters in the movie, three Peterson sisters in real life-- get it?!

The Sanderson sisters sucked the life out of children-- WE will be sucking the life out of terrible eating habits, negative self-talk and lack of exercise!

We're equating the MAGIC POTION to Shakeology. I know-- it's not REALLY magic. But friends, this stuff WORKS and it has made me healthier and stronger. It WILL make a huge positive difference in your life.

Lastly, you'll need a SPELL BOOK! Beachbody's "spell books" are the workouts and there are LOTS to choose from! The best thing is this challenge group is 31 days long!

This will get you pumped and prepped for the holiday season and give you a good idea of what Beachbody is all about. You do NOT want to miss this!! Make sure you contact me if you're interested!

Finally-- an update on my Pants Project. I wore those wretched pants today and I had to keep adjusting them to fit. Definitely making progress! Persistence, healthy eating and BEACHBODY are all paying off!

Biblical Fitness

 Hello, Fit and Free Before 30 readers! It's my honor (and your unfortunate circumstance) to have been asked by Laura to write a guest post. I have known Laura for a number of years and have enjoyed reading of her journey here, as have you, I hope! I want to write to you all about a great topic of Laura's choosing - the spiritual and Biblical "why" of fitness. I could write for days on this, but I won't do that to you. I want you to keep coming back and reading Laura's blog!

   I think we can all pretty quickly identify cultural or physical reasons for exercise; lose weight, lower cholesterol, look better, build muscles, meet people, get skinny, and the list goes on. These are not bad reasons, but often we neglect the fact that our souls have desire in fitness, too. We, myself included, often mistake the feeling of satisfaction after a good workout to be one of a physical, even a chemical, reward for our work. Couldn't it also be that our souls, after receiving the care they need, also give us a similar feeling?

   I use the word "soul" with some hesitation, because it has such an odd connotation in the culture of the U.S. It seems to carry a sense of divination and uneducated ways, as though I would like us all to be fearing evil spirits or voodoo priests taking our souls from us. When I speak of the soul, I mean to talk about the inner being who God made us to be. Psalm 139 states that God knows us, and formed us, even before we were born and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. So often, though, we don't treat ourselves that way.



Photo courtesy of ELCA

   We tend to abuse ourselves, either by undervaluing ourselves or by overworking ourselves (and, unfortunately, both can happen simultaneously). Undervaluing ourselves means that any old food or habits will do, because we don't respect ourselves or our bodies. Would you serve some Little Debbie treat or fast food to someone you honor and respect? Overworking ourselves, on the other hand, is almost applauded in our culture. We congratulate overworking because it achieves things - promotions, weight loss, and adventures. However, it can mean that our expectations are too high and, if we're not careful, we will quickly find that our body is something to be conquered.

   I would suggest, however, that our body is not something to be conquered, but worked with. 1 Corinthians describes our body as a temple, not a battleground. And, although we don't always want to hear it, our bodies are not our own. We weren't put here just to enjoy life, although it can certainly be very enjoyable. Our bodies don't belong to us, but have been paid for, and should be used for the benefit of all. And that part is fun! That means that by being able to play with my kids, help a friend move, inspire someone to make changes in their life, and do all kinds of other things is an act of worship!

   So, whatever your reason for exercising (or not exercising), take a few moments and ponder where your soul is in all of the hustle and bustle of your life. We're all busy, we all have needs, and your soul is no different. Find something that rewards your soul and do it. It can be going for a run without your phone (gasp!), enjoying a cup of coffee, cleaning the house, sitting under a tree, reading a book, or simply taking a few moments at the beginning of a meal to take in the smells of the food. Find it, do it, and take care of yourself!

Read more about Bryan here!

Bryan lives in Mason City, IA with his beautiful wife and children. He's a seminary student, musician, and runner who strives to find God in every detail of life. He blogs at www.psucherunning.wordpress.com where you can read some of his insights, as well as his sermons and random running related stuff. You can also download a free EP of some of his music at http://noisetrade.com/bryanodeen/husbanddaddyson.

The Grass is Always Greener?

Comparison. This word can define the action that so many people do on a regular, daily and sometimes constant basis. Girls (only because that's the perspective I have) seem to be MASTERS at this.

She has a nicer car.
She gets paid more.
Her house is gorgeous!

The grass is always greener on the other side, it seems, and that's a HARD hurdle to jump sometimes. When it comes to physical traits, the grass fertilizing statements morph into self-deprecating phrases that effect your well-being and self-esteem. We, as women, have GOT to move past that.

I'm speaking to myself just as much as anyone reading this. Because of my weight gain in the last few years, I have become self-conscious and a little socially anxious. I'm always on the defensive, looking at others and thinking about how they see me. I tend to be more of a homebody. When I do go out, I am overly concerned about what I'm wearing and how I look. Just ask my husband. He's great at answering my incessant questions and saying the right thing.


For the record, I know this behavior is that of insecure, self-centered and vain girls. The size of my jeans DOES NOT MATTER. I know this. So, this begs the question, WHY DO I ACT THIS WAY?!?

Because I'm human and because I don't feel like the best version of myself.

However, I've decided to own it. My jeans are bigger than I'd like them to be and my hips are constantly knocking things off my desk at work. My arms jiggle like a lunch lady's and my thighs could start a small fire when I run. That's ok. I'm striving to change it because I don't feel like ME with how my body is now, but SKINNY isn't the answer and every woman needs to hear that.

If you're trying to lose weight because you want to look like someone else, you will most likely fail. You're never going to look like anyone else. You will only always look like you. Focus on looking like the best version of yourself. Do it JOYFULLY and not begrudgingly and you'll be more motivated and more successful.

Movin' at the Office

Yesterday was Labor Day and we had a day off work. It was AWESOME. I slept in until my husband woke me up to tell me some friends were coming to town and wanted to get lunch! I hustled up and got a good run in before getting ready to meet our good friends for lunch. 

Well-- you know how it goes... a great time at lunch turns into a trip to a whole afternoon EASILY. We didn't eat the healthiest. But we walked A LOT.An we had an incredible day with people we never see. The thing is, I'm not sorry. I have been working hard and I refuse to torture myself about what I eat just to lose a few pounds. I eat healthy, I exercise more often than most people and I'm healthy as a horse. I plan to stay that way, which is why I worked extra hard today! 

Part of my "September plan" is to move MORE. Two sessions of exercise, six days a week. WHHHATTTT. Yes. I'll be movin' A LOT. But this goal ain't gonna reach itself.  

It's no secret that the hubs and I each got a FitBit Flex for our August birthdays. This gizmo has been an awesome motivator for me and I love nothing more than to see all green lines on the dashboard. My daily step goal is 10,000 steps and I only reached that goal four times in the month of August. So, that's becoming part of the September plan-- making my dashboard turn green EVERY DAY. Think I can do that? 

Yeah, me too. 

A few people have also asked me how I get all the steps in when I work a desk job where I sit for most of the day. There are lots of ways, but mainly, it's because I want it. Here are a few tricks.

Take the long way. Check the mail? Refilling your water bottle? Running to the restroom? No matter what you're doing, take a longer route to get there. Obviously, don't take a half hour to check to see if your fax went through-- I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss! But if it's more steps, it's worth a few extra seconds.

Drink more water. This one's easy. When you drink more water, you have to do two things: 1. Go to the restroom frequently and 2. Refill your water bottle more. You know what that means? MORE MOVEMENT. No brainer, y'all.

Active breaks. Don't run to your nearest fast food joint for lunch. Instead, pack a healthy lunch (this may take a few extra minutes in the morning, so plan accordingly) and WALK on your lunch break. Either walk for all your break and eat at your desk, or split it and eat your healthy lunch and then take a quite 15 minute walk. I guarantee, you'll feel better. Did you know that walking increases creative brain activity which mean you will be more engaged and productive during your afternoon. I'm no scientist, but I'm willing to bet that fast food binge-eating does not do that. *note* If you do this, take walking shoes with you to keep in your office of in your car.

Walk to work. Obviously, this isn't possible for everyone, but I love it. I live 2.4 miles from my office and it takes 47 minutes for me to walk that. I put in my ear buds and jam all the way to work. Shakespeare wrote, "all the world's a stage..." Well, in this case, all the world's a catwalk. Music seriously makes me walk more briskly. Don't laugh if you ever see me strutting around on my way to or back from the office. If you do this, DEFINITELY take shoes. I also recommend taking a change of shirt (or your work stuff to change into) and make up, in case it melts off, if you're a sweat fountain like me.

Stand more.  If you can stand, you're burning more calories than when you sit. On the phone all day? Pace while you talk. Collating papers for a project? Stand up, foo'. Get movin'!
Do an extra workout. Weirdly, the more I move, the more I WANT to move. On my walk home tonight, all I could think about was rockin' out to my T-25 workout. Walking is GREAT, but it's not strength training, etc. Beachbody provides some amazing options for workouts and ALL of them have modifiers to make your transition to the program as seamless as possible. You can visit my page to check it out... there's a program comparison option on there to see what the best option for you is! 

Move it, friends. You won't be sorry!