It's been a while

So its been almost 2 months since I've last checked in. Just in case you're wondering, I am still on my healthier me journey. Some things have sucker punched and Kung Fu kicked me off the wagon, but I'm slowly but surely catching up and getting back on.

At the end of July I had a small accident and hurt my knee. I was really upset by this because I knew this put me out of the game for a little bit. I was on crutches for a week and couldn't walk normally for 3-4 weeks after that. Right now I'd say I'm about 95% better. I can walk just fine, but I do have to be careful how I bend or twist my knee. I'm definitely motivated to start working out again, but part of me is afraid that I'll re-injure myself. Maybe if i take it slow and don't do too much too quickly everything will be just fine.

I decided not to the Visalus shakes anymore. Don't get me wrong they are quite delicious and easy to make. The problem is, after a while they stopped being satisfying and I would still be hungry. I've decided to just try and make better food choices while also cutting down on my salt intake. Who knew that eating too much salt would retain so much water in your body. Man...you should see my ankles and feet. They look like they belong to an elephant. So eating lots a fruits and veggies, and unprocessed foods are about to be my new best friend. The fruit part I don't have too much of a problem with, but what do you do when only like 3 or 4 vegetables? I'm telling you, when it comes to veggies they are my sworn enemy. Trust me, I'll let you know how that particular battle goes.

I've been debating with what exercise regimen I want to get into this time around. A couple months ago I mentioned that I was getting back into Hip Hop Abs, but I've come to the conclusion that I'm bored with that work out and definitely need something that's a bit more challenging and entertaining. I've been rolling around 2 ideas in my head. Should I go back to LifeTime fitness or try my hand (entire body) to Shaun T's "Insanity"? On one hand one is familiar has different levels of fitness and offers a variety of things to keep me motivated and on track. On the other hand, the other one just might kill me (not really, but that's almost what it would feel like). Fortunately it would be a quick death and not a slow painful one. I still have a bit of time to decide on which direction I will take, but for now I think I'll do a 20-30 minute walk just to get things moving.

Again, I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things and getting my health back on track. I know there is a long road of a head of me and I will embrace every moment of it. I will do my best to take every situation (good or bad) and turn it into a positive and motivating experience. Until next time....what's my weight again?

Day 1

So.....today I begin my journey. I've attempted this journey many times before, but this time I'm making it my final one.

     For as long as I can remember I've always battled with my weight. I would lose weight and then gain it back and then some. I've finally gotten to the point where I'm tired of this roller coaster and I'm ready to get off. I know there are a lot of people out there who, like myself, who have had this same struggle. Some people may even think that I'm no different than anyone else who is trying to lose weight. To some degree, those individuals may be right...but I have a story and I'm taking a journey. And I think that it is important to share with as many people as I can. I do this for a few reasons...for 1, it keeps me motivated and I hold myself accountable. For 2, I want to be an inspiration to someone else who might be going through the same thing. And for 3, I think I owe it to myself to really make a change in not only my own life but in someone else's.
   
     As I go through this journey I'll be going back and forth between my past, present, and future. You should always know where you've been, where you're at, and where you're headed. Some of things that I post will be funny and playful, at other times they might be sad and tug on your emotions(it's all fun and games till someone gets hurt). I know that all my days will not easy. There will be struggles constantly throughout this road. I know I have the support to push through everything that is headed my way and I welcome everything that I encounter. It's all a learning process right? Just another notch to add on my belt of experience.

     Again, today is the first day that I start this weight loss healthier me challenge. One of the first things I decided to do within this challenge was instead of working out when I get home, is waking up an hour earlier and doing my workouts in the morning. I must say...it was a fight to roll my ass out the bed this morning. Lol....but I did it! Once I was up and moving around and got my workout out of way. I felt better already. I was hot, stinky and sweaty but I knew I started my day off right.

     As another part of my challenge I'm doing meal replacement shakes. I'm replacing 2 meals a day with 2 shakes. For me its easiest to replace breakfast and lunch and eat a meal when I get home. I'm also allowed to have 3 snacks throughout the day, so those will vary depending on my mood (and my budget). And just for the record, no it's not Slimfast, lol. I'm using a meal replacement called Vi-Shape by Visalus. I've used it before but was never really committed to giving it a try, so I figured starting today I will be.

     I've very excited for whats in store for me. I look forward to sharing my story with you and many others who care to read it. For those that are looking to my story for inspiration and motivation thank you for allowing me to be that person or one of those people in your life. It means a lot to me that you've decided to take this expedition with me.

     There's been many days gone by that I've asked myself this question and there will be many more days a head where this question will be on repeat...What's my weight again?