AUGUST GOALS

WOW! We are already in August…Where has the summer gone?! I have been spending some much needed time relaxing by my pool and soaking up the sun before the craziness starts back up again. For those who don’t know, I’m a teacher…Wish me luck! With it being the start of a new month, I wanted to set some goals for this month and share them with you all. I am hoping this will keep me accountable as I will reflect at the end of the month.

1. Pass the last of my teacher certification tests – I have 2 left. They are ridiculously hard! They are both scheduled for this month so fingers crossed and wish me luck!
2. Be brave and go through with my first ever root canal…It is next Thursday. I have heard nothing but horror stories!
3. Lose 5 pounds
4. Drink A LOT more water each day
5. Finish setting up my classroom
6. Go to the beach
7. Watch a sunrise/sunset
8. Go on a hike
9. Walk 15 miles outside (in total, not all at one time)
10. Start saving money

I would LOVE to hear some of your goals for this month! They don’t have to be anything crazy, but creating goals for yourself sets you up for success. I am totally a goal setter and achiever! Let’s do this!

What I’ve Learned So Far On My Weight Loss Journey

I started my healthy living journey about a month ago. I have had some glitches along the way, but I have learned a few things along the way, already. This has not been easy and I wanted to share a few of the things I have learned and that I have had to come to acceptance with!

1. TAKE PROGRESS PICTURES – The scale is not always your friend. I found myself stepping on the scale everyday- morning, noon, and night. That is the worst thing to do. Especially at night…lol! If you are going to weigh yourself, do it first thing in the morning. I started taking progress pictures and I found this to be a lot more affective and reassuring. The number on the scale hasn’t really moved, but my stomach definitely has! The scale is not always accurate because if you are working on gaining muscle, muscle weighs more than fat. Don’t focus on the number. You are so much more than that! Take some progress pictures so you have those to look back on. Don’t be ashamed, no one else needs to see them.
2. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love (even if they’re bad). I tried doing the whole “cut out all bad foods and only eat fruits and veggies” thing, but it did NOT work for me. I’ll be honest, I love junk food and chocolate and everything that’s not good for losing weight. I found that depriving myself and totally cutting it out, I was binging on it and giving up because I wanted it so bad. I’ve learned to balance and only eat small amounts at a time. Instead of having a whole chocolate bar, I’ll have a little piece of it. I still get the chocolate fix without eating the whole bar. Depriving yourself from your favorite foods will not do you any good. Trust me!
3. Cardio is your friend (but so are weights). I always thought cardio was for losing weight and weights were for “bulking up.” I was right and wrong. They both do those things, but I’ve learned that bulking up also burns fat and turns it into muscle. I’ve learned that anyone can do weights and you don’t need to be skinny or already in shape for them to be effective. I burn a good sweat doing both. I try to incorporate a few days of cardio a week, and a few days of weights. My favorite gym sessions are when I go on the fair master (cardio & legs) for 25 minutes and then do legs. I get such a good workout! If you are comfortable with only cardio, or vice versa, that is okay but think about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new. I am so glad I did!
4. Working out is good for your mind. I was never a “gym rat.” I shrugged my shoulders and sighed when it came time to going to the gym. I looked at it almost as a punishment for eating unhealthy. I learned to fall in love with working out when I realized it was self-care, mind easing, healthy ME time…Something we all need! Once I focused on the positive outcomes from working out, I found myself looking forward and enjoy it every day! No matter the duration of the workout (usually an hour for me), it is an hour of working out and not having to worry about anything else in the world. I get in the zone completely and no other thoughts cross my mind from the minute I walk into the gym, from the time I am walking back out to my car. It is such a relieving feeling and eases my anxiety greatly. Once you start looking at working out as self-care you time, you will fall in love with it like I did! (And of course, seeing results makes me love it even more).