L is for Loser

I will go ahead and get the depressing news out of the way- I lost the biggest loser competition at my office. I guess if you think about it I came in second, but it was really only me and another girl that were taking it seriously. After pouting and sulking for a day or so, I have come to the conclusion that I still am a Big Loser, just not the biggest.

I have learned so many life lessons over the past 8 weeks- all because of a silly competition. The biggest lesson I learned was "Don't Quit". Most of my life, when something got too hard or a little uncomfortable I would quit. I would make an excuse, or throw a fit and just give up. I have grown a lot over the last couple years, and I have realized that failure is not a bad thing. Understanding that failure is a way to grow, and with the help of the competition and accountability I found in my coworker, I mustered up enough strength to push through when it started to get tough.... and I found something on the other side. Happiness.

You are probably thinking "all this from loosing a few pounds- Geeez!" But it is more than that. My entire view on health and fitness has changed for the better. I now look forward to afternoon hikes on the weekends, and 10 minute Yoga in the morning, and I can't wait to start my training for the 10K I will be running in July. When I look at a menu- I don't gravitate toward the chicken fingers and french fries, I have learned how to enjoy healthy food. It is a lifestyle change. Will I have set backs, hard days, weeks, or even months... of course- I'm human. But what I have to remember is not to quit... I have to hold on to that small success, and remind myself that if I could do it once, I can do it again- just don't give up.

N is for Namaste.

I tried all week to think of a topic that started with D, but I had no luck. Daisy, Dog, or Daylight doesn't have much substance to them, so I figured I would go with a word that has inspired me. I apologize to everyone that is a little OCD.

Back to the topic at hand.

For the last two mornings I have gotten up early and done 10 minutes of Yoga. If you know me at any sort of a personal level you would know that sleep was probably my favorite thing to do. I would have considered napping my hobby back in high school and college, so getting up earlier and for some sort of physical activity is quite frankly, a miracle. But, where there is a will there is a way.

If you have never done yoga before, I would strongly urge you to at least try it especially if you are already exercising and working out. Now, I have only really done it two days in a row so I am no expert but coming from a novice yogi I am loving it! It is a great way to get started in the morning- It makes me feel flexible and strong and wakes me up in a calm soothing way.

At the end of the video the instructor says "Namaste". She says it means "All the goodness in me salutes all the goodness in you." What delightful way to greet people. So much more uplifting that "Waz Up" or "How's it going". Unfortunately if I go up to someone in the Publix check out line and say Namaste!, I am sure I would get some strange looks.

Here is a link to the workout video I have been doing AM Yoga. I would love to hear about your experiences with Yoga and any suggestions you have about the exercise.

Good Luck and Namaste!

C is for Consistency

Consistency is a hard word for my to live, and it only seems like I am consistent with all of my bad habits. I am consistently up too late, and asleep too long in the morning. I am consistently slow to do laundry and ironing until the baskets overflow, but always consistent on watching a Friends episode or movie while we eat dinner or before we go to bed.

Over the past 6 weeks we have been having a little "Biggest Loser" competition going on in my office. It has been pretty intense and I had to learn quickly that a little consistency will go a long way. Loosing weight isn't hard, but it takes some discipline and some focus. So far I have lost 8.5 pounds and I want to loose 2 more before the 8 weeks are up on March 15th.

On week 4 I hit the infamous plateau. I was stuck, and stuck bad, and I knew exactly what I had to do. EXERCISE. Before this point the only thing I had changed was my eating habits and counting calories. It worked well for awhile, but I knew eventually that the success would fade. So, I put on my tennis shoes and set out to bust through the plateau.

I wish I could tell you that the following week, I lost 5 more pounds, but it wasn't that easy. I was so frustrated- I walk/ran a total of 8.5 miles over the weekend- how could I have not lost anything!!! Then it hit me- consistency. Just like eating right and doing it everyday- that is what I have to do with exercising. I started reading a lot of articles and blogs about overcoming your plateau and how to get optimum weight loss from exercise. Everywhere I read talked about working out everyday, and not just take the stairs and park far away. You need to exercise everyday and really get your heart rate pumping. You want to break down those muscles so they can rebuild bigger and stronger. But without being consistent, I won't get the results, and without the results I won't reach my goal, and without my goals I won't enjoy my rewards.

What is my reward you ask? Dinner at Maggiano's and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory, of course! Maybe not the most logical reward for a weight loss competition, but It is motivating!

I have 2 more weeks to go- Wish me luck!

B is for Blog

Hello to the blog world. This is where I will share my thoughts, ideas, and inspirations. I hope someone will enjoy reading this and I hope I will enjoy writing this.

My name is Alison and I live right outside Atlanta with my wonderful husband. I'm not sure which direction this blog will go, and what this experience has in store, but I am excited to get on with the journey.