Challenging

I've been reading my old posts and realized that I haven't done a 30 Days post in quite some time. Some of you may be thinking that I gave up on exercising and enhancing my walk with God, but that is SO NOT TRUE! I am proud to say that I have worked out almost every work day since Easter (go me!) and I've been soaking up His word like a sponge.

When I started Reshaping It All and picked up the 30 day shred, I found a gal at work who was starting it at about the same time. We instantly clicked! Amanda and I are both tall, were active in high school basketball, and enjoy a good workout. Lots in common; something I've been missing since my old cube mate Emily left last April. Anyways, we became workout buddies, challenging each other every work day and have been moving through the videos together. A few weeks ago we decided it was time for more of a challenge so we bought Jillian's Ripped in 30 and 6-week six pack. Today was day two of Ripped... OH BOY! A challenge we did find...

Also during my 30 day challenge / RIA, as I was dreaming of what God would do with my life I started to get restless at my job again. So, I prayed for God to reveal His plan. If I was to find a new job, I asked that He hit me with it hard. Or, if I am to stay here and suck it up, give me peace and send a FREIGHT TRAIN because I'm a bit stubborn and block headed. I found a few potential full time jobs; one I thought was my ticket out of dodge and *bonus* one of my close friends worked there. It ended up not being for me but through my search and after two short, but super sweet interviews (topped off with a hug from the owner), I did find a part time job at Lily's, this cute shop at one of our outside malls.

*side note: have I ever mentioned that one of my love languages is Physical Touch? Did God put this P/T right in my path or what?!*

I also recently picked up Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. If you have ever struggled in your marriage and seek something more for your life partner, this is a great book! One of my all time favorite ladies recommended it to me on the night we got engaged. I borrowed it from the library and got through chapter 5 or 6, I think, before it was overdue and needed to go back. It was corny and 'not for me.' Two years later I am blessed to have that book in my hands and a friend to talk thru it with. Pouring over scripture and making lists, I'm discovering how God can make our marriage glorious! *Lori over at Always Learning is another great resource on this as well*

Okay, enough updates for now. Time to pack up, head home and make dinner. Oh... and I'm getting much better at wanting to cook as well (one of my "Matt" goals). Pray for tonight's dish; Monday's was sort of blah!

It's time for a change... for REAL

After I hit my new decade, things sort of went ‘wrong’ with my body, appetite, and metabolism and I’m so confused. Before exercising was something that I did to pass time; now it’s a necessity if I want to fit into my clothes. Before I didn’t worry about what I ate, if I was snacking too much or how many sweets I enjoyed; now I need to be mindful of what I put into my mouth.


Lysa TerKeurst, one of my virtual mentors, wrote an amazing book MADE TO CRAVE and challenged her readers to “satisfy your deepest desire with God, not food.” *the wheels start turning… maybe I need a change*

A few weeks ago my best friend came for an overnight visit. She shared with me that just after Christmas, she saw a picture of herself opening gifts with her family that made her cry for days. When she was pregnant, she didn’t pay attention to her eating habits and never exercised. A year and a half later, she’s never lost the baby weight and was continuing to make unhealthy choices, leading her down the wrong path. She’s joined a gym where she works out two or more times a week, she’s counting calories and being mindful of her ‘sweet tooth,’ and she’s got a great support system as she journeys to take off the weight and stay healthy. She looked absolutely great when she came to visit. *okay God, I hear you. I know, I need to change… but maybe next week*

I start my own little challenge with Jillian Michael’s; the 30 day Shred is kicking my butt! *I'm on the right track*

Courtney at Women Living Well, another amazing Christian woman who inspires me weekly, and Brittany at The High-Heeled Housewife have both joined in on the 65 Days to Reshaping It All challenge. *I NOW know its God’s third attempt at knocking… time to answer the call*

Let me be honest… I L-O-V-E every little (and big) thing sweet on this planet! My sweet tooth is almost never satisfied and always, always amazes my husband. It is such a good thing that he doesn’t enjoy chocolate as much as I do or we would be fat, Fat, FAT! I love the Lord with all my heart and want to grow stronger in my relationship with him, being an obedient daughter. It’s going to be a struggle to put down the chocolate and walk away, especially as I’ve just learned my love for baking, but I know that for a healthier and happier home, I need to make a change.

Day 6

So, good old Jillian Michaels is kicking my butt into shape… literally! In level one, she has us doing these things called butt kicks and if you get really into them, you will kick your own butt. I’m sure that it is funny to observe because it is funny to watch them.

Okay, but now to the ‘how am I doing’ phase of this post. I absolutely L-O-V-E this workout! As I said it is tough, there’s definitely no denying that. I was so stinkin’ sore on Easter Sunday that it was almost embarrassing walking into church with my lovely dress and heels on. I made Matt go extra slow. After Easter dinner and cleaning up, I played Frisbee / Kooshball catch with our nephew and almost fell into the tv stand because I could barely move my legs. It wasn’t exactly torture to be almost immobile because I knew my muscles had been worked hard the day before and things were changing. We came home from my in-laws and all I wanted to do was snuggle on the couch with my boys, but I drug myself upstairs to complete day 2. And I thought day 1 was hard… doing the workout with sore muscles and Easter dinner in my belly was H-A-R-D. But I completed level one with high intensity again, no backing down, and felt awesome afterwards. I may or may not have fallen asleep on the couch at 9:30, poked a few times for snoring & ruining his movie (love him)!

I left my workout bag at home on Monday so there was no getting to the gym on my lunch hour. I’ve been able to get home from work, prepare dinner, pop in the video to work out while it’s cooking, then eat with my husband. So far that system seems to work well and I’m hoping to make it a habit.


Monday night at small group I got a few compliments on how well my arms looked. The girls who saw me on Friday were a bit shocked at the change in just 3 days. SCORE, this is working! Day 3 and 4 workouts were just as great and I can see results already! I stopped being sore by Tuesday afternoon, my clothes are already fitting a bit better, I can feel my muscles still working as I sit at my cube, and I think that my butt is looking a bit cuter. Like I said, it’s getting kicked!!

I moved to level two yesterday; it’s going to be a while before I can master that and get to level three. I was drenched with sweat (something that doesn’t normally happen) and needed to hop in the shower before even considering saying ‘hi’ to the hubs. My energy level is up, I feel great, my communication is more thought out and logical, I’m not shrugging my shoulders as much, and my confidence is slowly creeping back. I never knew just how much those extra few lbs affected everything about everyday life.

All of these positives after just 5 days, I have only one question for you… what’s holding you back from making a change in your workout routine??

30 day challenge

Today, I started a 30-day challenge, partially because the weather is getting warmer and I can't keep hidding the extra lbs under sweaters and partially because the past few weeks I've been L-O-S-T emotionally.

So, I borrowed the 30 day shred from my friend Jessica and today was the first workout. I started on level one, like it suggested, and I feel awesome right now. I didn't stop or lower my intensity the whole 20 minutes (I know, that doesn't seem like a long time). Jess tells me that I will be sore tomorrow and I definitely agree with that. My muscles were working hard even during the cool down. My plan is to do my weekday work outs in the company gym during my 'lunch hour' and then Saturday morning and Sunday after church. Today starts the prayers that this schedule will work!

Today is also just a little under one month before the next session of GMG starts. My other challenge is to read through one more book of the bible before that starts. I would like a shorter book so that I can read a few verses a day, going through the S.O.A.P method again, nice and slow. I'm going to start with 1 John. I need to put together a reading plan...

Father God... I need your help!