Be Grateful

Being at home is hard. Or rather, being at home all the time is hard. I'm grateful to be safe and healthy. I'm grateful for the extra family time. However, I've been struggling with not having a purpose every day. I miss going to work and seeing my students every day. I felt like I was needed and had a purpose when they needed me every day. Now, they still need me but it's not as easy for me to reach them. I wish I could see them in person. I wish I could teach them. 

Now, I'm not trying to sound snobby or ungrateful. And I know everyone else feels the same way and we are all in the same boat right now. I'm just trying to do my part and stay home/outside as much as possible. I only go to the grocery store when we desperately need items and I'm trying to do grocery pick up when it's available. I want a sense of normalcy again as soon as possible. 

I do know that when the quarantine is over, I will do my very best to not take things for granted again. This time has definitely made me hyper aware of the things I previously took for granted such as work and going to the grocery store. 

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What is something you are grateful for? 

Self Quarantined?

The world is surrounded by COVID-19 currently and I have so many mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I think people are overreacting about the entire thing. It's much like the flu, however, it's much more contagious and people can be a carrier without actually getting the virus. Many people have survived it, but there have been some who have died from it. On the other hand, I wouldn't want one of my Grandmas to get it, or someone else I care about that could have been prevented. 

I'm also extremely grateful to spend more time with my family that I normally wouldn't get. But, I miss my students and think about them constantly. I'm trying my best to come up with things students can do at home but at the same time, I don't want to overwhelm parents during an already overwhelming time. 

I am anxiety prone and have had a stomachache from anxiety since Friday when they closed schools until April. I'm trying to find things to fill my time, but with our vacation being cancelled (a tough, yet good decision for our family) I'm trying to focus on my workouts and nutrition; something I can control. 

I started a new program this week that requires no equipment (I was planning for vacation, but that isn't happening) after finishing a 100 workout program last week. I'm still working up a crazy sweat even without weights, bands, or an aerobic step. I love the trainer and I like the different moves during the workouts. Oh, and only 25 minutes long which makes it so easy to fit into my schedule. Especially my quarantined schedule. 

Now as for nutrition... This is where I have and probably always will struggle, at least a little. We made Leprechaun Bait to try an catch the Leprechaun last night (we were unsuccessful) and I may or may not have eaten too much of it in the last two days. Tomorrow I am going to try to actively make good decisions with my nutrition so that I can feel my best. I made a goal to lose 35 pounds this year and I really want to reach it! 

It's hard to be out of your routine, but making the most of it is really all we can do at this point. 

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I am currently offering 9 free workouts if you can't go to your gym/want to try something new! Comment with your email below and I'll send you the links! 

Life Changes

Well, for the last 7ish weeks, I have been using a Beachbody workout program and I am LOVING it! The first three weeks, I didn't use the step that the program recommends and then I went on vacation and didn't workout at all (except swimming and walking). Then, when I came back I ordered a step and restarted the program using it and wow was it harder! 

I wanted to share my journey as a Beachbody coach thus far. I joined at the very end of April this year and used the workouts after school with some of my friends from work. I really liked them, but I wasn't fully committed to them. I liked the discount I got from being a coach and the shake I got from it is good! However, again, I wasn't fully committed to it. 

In July, I decided enough was enough and if I am going to actually be a coach and inspire others, I needed to get my act together. So, I started the program I am currently using and I fell in love with it all over again! It's 20 minutes per workout and I sweat like crazy during it. Plus, the trainer is Shaun T and he's both inspiring and amazing! 

Fast forward to today. I feel SO good. I wake up early before work (uh... what?!) to workout and I have so much more energy. I go to work feeling amazing when I workout before and I can definitely tell a difference when I skip my morning workout and sleep in. Now, have I taken more rest days than the program suggests? Yes. But, I still keep chugging along with the workouts. I'm halfway through half of the program and I can't wait to see my results at the end. 

I've been noticing physical changes in my body. Certain places look/feel tighter and more toned. The scale hasn't changed at all, in fact, it's gone up, but I still feel the best I've felt about myself in probably the last two years. So, I'll take that transformation over any physical ones. Another change is that working out doesn't feel like a chore anymore. It feels like a habit, just something I do. It feels like a part of my day and I feel like the old me. The person who used to workout (almost) every day and wouldn't think twice about not. I've missed that part of who I am and I'm glad she's back. I plan on keeping her around. 

Now, my next goal is to get my eating more in check. I pack healthy breakfast and lunches during work, but on the weekends/dinners (sometimes) aren't the healthiest or I eat more because I've been up longer. It's a work in progress, but I still feel the best I have in a while so I must be doing something right, right? 

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What have you done to make yourself feel good lately? 

It's Been a Minute...

Like, you know, almost a year. But it's fine. 

About a month ago, I joined Weight Watchers because I've been working out with friends after school 1-4 times a week since January, but I hadn't quite gotten the eating part down. I wasn't losing any weight and I needed something to hold me accountable. Quite a few of my friends had joined and I saw them getting results, so I pulled the trigger. 

I am so glad I did.

Joining WW has really made me think differently about food. It makes me think about healthy options vs just calories. It makes me think about feeding my body the proper nutrition it needs instead of just feeding it to feel less hungry. 

Now, I still enjoy myself every once in a while, but I truly enjoy following the guidelines and I am losing weight. So far, I have lost about 8 pounds, and I'm really proud of that. I feel so much better too. I'm more energized and ready to take on new things. I feel more confident.

But I'll be honest, this week hasn't been the best. Now, granted, it has been much better than the way I was eating before, but since joining WW, it has been the worst week eating wise. I feel a little guilty, but nothing like the guilt I used to feel. Today I've been on track and that's how I start every day after not being on track the day before. I want a lifestyle change, not a diet. I don't want to be restricted, I just want to live my life 80% healthy and 20% free to eat what I want. 

If you are struggling with finding a way to make a lifestyle change, I highly suggest joining Weight Watchers. This has been the happiest I've been while losing weight. It's the only thing that has worked for me, and believe me, I have tried a lot of different "lifestyle" changes. 

Starting Over

Sucks, doesn't it? It's a pain in the butt to start something once you have stopped doing it. So why do we stop? Excuses mostly. We get busy, we're tired, we don't want to, etc. The list goes on and on. I am one who definitely makes excuses when it comes to working out and eating healthy. I really can't tell you why other than I can be lazy when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. I'll get going on it, I'll feel so good, and then I fall off the wagon and can't bring myself to get back on. 

Maybe it's because I haven't learned to live life in a balanced way yet, hence the title of my blog. I used to feel so guilty about eating a treat, like I didn't deserve it or something or a treat didn't have room in a healthy lifestyle. But that's not true; I don't want to be restricted from the foods I love, but I also don't need to have them every day either. 

According to the scale, I have lost about 5 pounds since school got out. I've definitely noticed I'm not as hungry so I've been eating less. Yesterday, my boyfriend and I started working out together. Little by little I want to make healthier choices that I can sustain and live with long term. It's a process, and not an easy one, but it's something I'm slowly working on. 

I'm tired of excuses, of letting life get in the way, I'm tired of not being the happiest and healthiest person I can be. I also miss running. I felt so good about myself when I ran every day. But I think I overdid it and now my knee hurts whenever I run. I'm not sure if there's something I can do to help with that, or if I just have to be careful and not run every day. Any runners have any suggestions? :) 

Two Thousand Eighteen

I am really excited for this year! I honestly have no idea why, but I just have a gut feeling this year will be amazing. I just feel like my goals are going to be accomplished, and I'm ready to put in the work to make them happen! 

Now, I'm not the type of person to say "new year, new me." I don't want a "new" me; I just want a better version of the me I was before. There's just something about a fresh start that gets me excited. However, all my goals I want to accomplish, I've already started working on in 2017; I'm just continuing what I've already started in the new year. 

However, I fully believe life is what you make of it. Now, that doesn't mean life can't throw you curve balls, because it certainly can, but how you react to those can make all the difference. If you want something, go for it. If you want to change something, then change it. If you can't, then change how you react to something. Change your attitude. Basically, life is up to you and how you want to live it. What are you going to do to make 2018 better than last year? 

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I hope that whatever this year brings you is nothing but good things. I hope that whatever you go after, you get. I hope you get all the good things this life has to offer. 

One Little Word for 2018

I recently found out about the One Little Word Project. Words are powerful, and one little word can determine how your entire year goes. I have decided to pick one little word for myself for 2018. But before I tell you what my word is for the coming year, I need to reflect on 2017. 

Even though I didn't pick a word for 2017, as I look back and reflect on how the year went, I think the word that best describes my year would be change. I was so unhappy with my life. My job really affected everything else in my life; it was all consuming. I hated my job, hated myself because I thought I'd made a mistake with my career (I did not), and I hated who I had become. I wasn't motivated to workout and eat healthy and I was stressed all the time, which in turn made me hate my body. 

But then I made a change. I found a new job, I moved to a new town, and I have made a new life. I love my school, I love my job, and I'm happy. I am truly happy with my decision to move, and I am so thankful to the people in my life who have supported me along the way! 

This quote has been my motivation this year. I am a better person and teacher because of this quote. 

Now on to 2018.... The word I have chosen for the new year is discipline. Discipline in my job, at my house, with my fitness goals, and anywhere else it can apply. I am the queen of procrastination, yet I love the feeling of being productive and getting ahead. How does that even make sense? I couldn't tell you, to be honest. 

When looking up words, I came across this quote, and it really made me think about my life and about how I wanted this year to go. 

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I first thought about my fitness goals: getting a workout in because it needs to be done. I need to do it for my mental health. I need to do it for my physical health. And I need to do it for my goals.

Next, I thought about my work. I need to grade those papers so they don't pile up. I need to plan lessons ahead of time and get prepared. I need to keep finding ways to engage my students. And I need to take time to reflect and be better next time. 

Lastly, I thought about my home, and the daily/weekly chores that I need to be better at keeping up with. I need to vacuum and clean weekly. I need to do my laundry weekly. I need to make my bed daily.

Some days I may not want to do any or all of these things, but when it comes down to it, I need to do all of these things in order to live the way I truly want to. Discipline is something I have always struggled with, but I really want to make it a priority this year and master it. 

I can apply discipline to my life and do what needs to be done. [Only teachers will understand this ;) ]

If you choose a little word for 2018, comment down below what it is! I'd love to have people who will hold me accountable! 

I hope you have enjoyed the holidays with your loved ones! I know I have.