Silk'n Flash & Go Express from Influenster

I've been using Influenster for over a year now and I still am having a ton of fun sampling and reviewing the products that they send me. This time around, they sent me a silk'n Flash & Go Express which is valued at $300!! (yes for free!) 

The Flash & Go is a light-based, at-home, hair removal treatment for permanent results. It basically works by producing little flashes, but I honestly didn't feel a thing! 

The box says it can take up to 8 treatment cycles to see results, but after 4 I have already noticed my hair coming in more fine and starting to thin out. You can use it anywhere below your cheek bones, and it takes around 20 minutes to do your entire body. I am very much looking forward to a summer with no shaving or waxing! 

If you want to find more information about the Flash & Go or other Silk'n products you can visit their website at www.silkn.com . You can even use the promo code NOHAIR to save 10% off your purchase through January 31st, 2016. :) 

*I received this product for free to test and review but all opinions are 100% my own

2 weeks of focus

Wow, it's been a long time! So much has happened since I last got my thoughts down that I'm not sure where to start! These last few months have flown by but now that life is settling down I figured it was time to step up the blogging again. Blogging has always helped me focus. Even though I don't really have "followers" or even strive to get any, the act itself is a great self reflection. The people that do read and comment also help hold me accountable, and it is always fun to look back on this entire journey and see how far I've come :) This is going to be a lifelong journey for me so I am really going to try to keep this up!

Since my last post we've became puppy parents, I have started a full time job, and I FINISHED MY FIRST HALF MARATHON!  I'm not sure why I didn't write about that... maybe because it still doesn't seem real, but I did it :)

After the 1/2 marathon I took a good break, and since then have struggled to get back to anything on a consistent basis. I've done a few rounds of beachbody workouts, a run here or there but have done a horrible job sticking to any meal plan. Life was pretty crazy and I needed a mental break, but now it's time to get going again and it's not proving easy. 

These next two weeks I'm going to focus on getting my mindset back. I'm not following a specific meal plan or counting anything, but I really want to ask myself what I'm putting in my body. If I can ask the question "Is this good for me?" , actually answer it, and THEN decide if I want it, I'll be moving in the right direction. Why these next two weeks? The hubby is out of town. I have free reign to stock my fridge with all the rabbit food I want :) 

Happy Saturday!

~Sarah 

My first 10k!

I know it's been a while since I've checked in with my running goals, but I promise there will be a 1/2 marathon update soon! Last weekend I accomplished a huge running goal of mine by completing my first 10k! The day was just so amazing I need to make sure I get everything down before I forget :)

Leading up to the race
The last few days leading up to the race I was pretty nervous. I had just started the 21 day fix workouts and meal plan (which I love by the way) so I was pretty sore. Leg day ended up being skipped so I could feel fully recovered before my race.  One of my biggest concerns was that I  hadn't trained enough. To be honest, the first few weeks of half marathon training were going GREAT until I started my long term sub job. After that my workouts were sporadic at best, hence the lack of organized training posts. The weather also wasn't in my favor. The below freezing temps and FEET of snow meant the majority of my training runs were done on the treadmill. However, I was really feeling good when I did get around to my runs so that did give me some confidence. As the date got closer I started to make my race plans. I knew I could run at least 5 miles because I did that during one of my training runs, so I wasn't going to allow myself to walk until that point. I told myself if I needed a break at mile 5 to take it and not be disappointed that I didn't run the whole thing.

The day of 
I woke Micah up at 5:30 (with much difficulty) and we were on the road by 6am. I had my bags packed the night before so the only thing I had to focus on was grabbing my breakfast and getting my husband moving. My breakfast consisted of coffee, 1/2 banana, and Ezekiel toast with almond butter. Soon enough we were on the road towards Marquette, which was a little over 2 hours away.

We arrived at the Marquette YMCA where I picked up my shirt and race bib. I was SUPER stoked to find out that my race bib happened to be my birthday. Since I'm born on St. Patty's day that had to be a good luck sign right?! I got dressed and decided to throw on the event shirt on top of my planned outfit because at that time it was only around 34 degrees. The hubby and I walked around a bit while I made sure everything was exactly the way I wanted it.

It begins! 
It was still super cold when we lined up and I quickly was grateful for that extra layer. I hate running with gloves but the event shirt long enough to pull over my hands while we were waiting. Then we were off!

The first mile was great. I found my groove and finally started to warm up. Then I saw that mile two was on (muddy) grass. Holy crap was that hard!!!! I hadn't really done any grass running before and it was a struggle. I started to doubt weather I could make it to my 5 mile goal at that point.

At the end of the grass section Micah was actually waiting there for me to cheer me on! He set up GPS tracking on my phone before the race so he could follow my progress the whole time. The combination of seeing him + moving back to pavement gave me the willpower to keep pushing though. The next mile or so was just enjoyable (<--- did I really use that word?!). The sun was out and I was running along Lake Superior which was just gorgeous. I took this time for some prayer. I didn't realize how much was on my heart and the next few miles just flew by.

Before I knew it I was on the grass section again (it was an out and back course) and I snapped back into reality. I just hit the 5 mile point where I told myself I was allowed to walk, but I hated that grass SO MUCH! I convinced myself that I had to keep running to get out of it faster. Somehow that mental game worked because I made it out and was headed towards the finish!

I completed my first 10k and ran the whole time!!! I finished with a time of 1:23 which, considering my PR for the 5k is 40 minutes, I was quite happy with. **you don't have to be fast to run, you compete against yourself!

After celebrations! 
Right after the run I wasn't quite ready to eat yet, so I made Micah take me to PetSmart where we miraculously didn't purchase anything. Then we headed out to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings where I had a Southwest grilled chicken wrap. It was a beautiful day so we ended up exploring around Marquette for a while. First we went waterfalling and found this beauty

I was still pretty good at this point so we went to another Marquette favorite and hiked up Sugarloaf mountain! The view was AMAZING but at this point my legs decided they were done :) It was totally worth it ! 

We ended this near perfect day with some Froyo and a very sleepy ride back home listening to Harry Potter on audio book!

Thank you everybody for all your encouragement and well wishes! Next race is my 1/2 marathon in Eagle River, WI! Eeek!!

Indoor Triathlon

When my student gym membership at Michigan Tech expired I went back and forth for quite a long time whether I should renew my membership there or go with the small town local gym 0.4 miles from my house. Even though the local gym was more expensive, I am SO glad that ended up being my choice! It really feels like home :-) Not only am I getting to know my neighbors, but I'm also getting lots of personalized tips and attention from the trainers, AND they do these awesome challenges to motivate us such as the Indoor Yooper Triathlon!

This challenge just wrapped up a few days ago and lasted for around a month. In the beginning we got to choose what level of  'Yooper' we were and then complete the required number of minutes required for running (treadmill), biking, and hiking (elliptical or stair-master). I chose the 'Super Yooper' category so I had to do 380 minutes of running, 360 biking, and 340 hiking. Since I finished my challenge I now get put into a drawing for a prize. Isn't that fun or what??

The #RefreshVoxbox from Influenster (<--- free stuff!)

I can't express how much I have LOVED the free boxes of stuff that I have gotten from Influenster! The most recent one (the RefreshVoxbox ) was the perfect pick me up in the dead of winter! Even better, this box contained many products that I had actually been wanting to try but wasn't sure about! Please enjoy my honest review of these complimentary products!

Skinnygirl Tasty Nutrition Bar: Banana oatmeal & dark chocolate
I honestly LOVED the flavor of this bar! The banana taste was quite strong but not overpowering, and the dark chocolate was divine. However I had hoped to use this post-workout because it had a great carb to protein ratio, but it made me feel queezy. My guess was that the sugar content was just a tad too high for a sensitive stomach. However, it sure was an amazing treat! 

Orgain: Vegan, Organic, Chocolate Protein Shake -  I was so impressed by this shake! I am all about the protein drinks but the thought of a vegan one just sounded plain nasty. However, it was great! The taste almost reminded me of muscle milk, but I actually get like it much better. The most impressive thing in my opinion was the ingredient list!

Orgain: Vegan, Organic, Vanilla Protein Shake - I also loved the taste of this one! It had a slightly funny texture, but it kept me full for about 3 hours

Beanitos Nacho Cheese Chips- Ok, I have to admit, I had been interested in trying these for a VERY long time but the husband turned his nose up every time I mentioned it. This was the perfect opportunity because he can't say no to anything free! They were very good! I just loved the flavor and the non-greasy texture. However, I didn't like how there was more than a serving size in a bag because I was NOT going to be leaving the rest for later! Also, since they were made out of beans they had a decent amount of protein! 

COVERGIRL UltraSmooth Foundation - I'd like to start by saying that I am not a make-up person in the least. I had never tried a cream foundation before and I'm honestly not quite sure about the product because I don't have anything to compare it to. It had a pink plastic applicator that I ditched very quickly when trying to apply the make up. It just worked so much better using my fingers that I was totally ok having to wash my hands afterwards. It blended into my skin very well and did give me a smoother look, but my face... felt funny? Maybe that is normal but I'm not sure. I kept wanting to touch it lol. Either way, I like the way this looked on me, but I probably wouldn't buy again. 

L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream - I was actually a huge fan of this cream!! Usually I have a dry forehead but an oily nose (tmi?) but this cream seemed to really help without making the other problem worse. The scent was pleasant as well :) 

Listerine PocketPaks - who doesn't love pocketpaks?! I've been a fan of these for quite some time! Perfect for morning coffee breath but my latest use for them has been to knock out those snack cravings! 

Montagne Jeunesse Black Seaweed Peel-off Mask - This is another product that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would! Even though I looked silly during the process,  I felt pampered and my face felt great after using this mask. At first I thought there wouldn't be enough to cover my whole face but if you spread it thin a little does go a long way. I was also really impressed how it peeled off in one piece! I was worried that I would have to spend a long time making sure I got all of it off but it really was a quick and simple process. 

DenTek Fun Flossers - These flossers were designed for kids but I found that I liked them better then the adult version. They were smaller so it was easier to get to the hard to reach places. 

DenTek Comfort Clean Floss Pics - The adult version of the fun flossers. I did like how they had a floss and tooth pick in one device, but I couldn't help but wonder how much plastic waste they caused ? They were convenient but I think I will stick to my normal floss in the future. 

P.S. If you are interested in joining Influenster yourself here is my sign-up link! Connect with facebook and I get extra 'points' on my profile! There are truly no strings attached with the free products, except that if you don't do the 'tasks' they probably won't be sending you a lot :)

Have a blessed day!

**I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own. 

Half marathon training week 3!

Oh goodness I am waaaay behind on getting this up! I have also fallen slightly behind in my training, but I'm not stressing too much over it. It's this darn cold! I'm really hoping the temps will stabilize above zero soon so I can attempt these long runs outside. This third week of training was particularly difficult because the long run was actually long!

Another exciting thing is that I found a 10K to run on the exact day my training plan wants me to do one! It was at this race last year where I PRed my 5K time. It was a beautiful flat course along lake superior so I'm totally excited to get back there again!

Week 3

Day 1: Cross training - 40 minutes on the stationary bike

Day 2: Easy run
-Run, easy pace, 35 minutes
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

Day 3: Cross training - Mid-week body blast class!

Day 4:  Intervals - Ended up doing my runs at 6.0 mph (fast for me!) then walking for my recovery
-Warm up, 10 minutes
- Run, threshold pace, 2 minutes, recovery run, 1 minute. Repeat 5 times.
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

Day 5: Rest day

Day 6: Cross training - My beloved elliptical while watching Grey's Anatomy <3

Day 7: Long run - This left me WIPED! It really felt like a huge jump in the training plan but I guess I'm used to the C25K. I can say that I felt SOOOO accomplished when I finished it though!
- Walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes
- Run, easy pace, 30 minutes
- Walk, brisk pace, 5 minutes
- Run, easy pace, 30 minutes
- Walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

In other news, this book is great! If you're looking for a good laugh I'd highly suggest it :)

Have a great weekend!
~Sarah

Half marathon training week 2!

Hi friends!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement with my week 1 post! Week 2 also went well, but I'm starting to realize how difficult this is going to become when I start my long term sub position at the end of this month. I simply have NO motivation to workout after I get home from school. The question is will I hate working out after school or early in the morning more. Time will tell!

The 2nd week:

Day 1: Cross training - 40 minutes! I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical and then some lifting. 

Day 2: Easy run + body weight exercises 

-Run, easy pace, 30 minutes 

- Cool down, 5-10 minutes

- Stretch 

- Squats, push-ups, lunges, plank

Day 3: Cross training - I tried out a total body fitness class. By far one the the more difficult classes that I've taken! 

Day 4: Easy run - I was SORE from the day before and wasn't sure if this run would happen. Thankfully I only had to run for 20 minutes so I busted it out and went home for a long Epsom salt bath with essential oils! 

- walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes

- run, easy pace, 20 minutes 

- cool down 5-10 minutes

- stretch 

Day 5: Choice between yoga or rest day. I chose rest day! (I still can't seem to get into yoga) 

Day 6:  Choice between swimming, pilates, or aerobics - I chose to try a cardio drumming class. I was NOT a fan!! As a former drummer in marching band I almost had to leave because everybody was so off beat and it was driving me nuts! I won't be going back to that one! 

Day 7:  Long run

- walk, brisk pace, 15 minutes

- run, easy pace, 30 minutes

- cool down, 5-10 minutes

- stretch

Because everyone loves a pinterest motivational image right ? :-) This one really stood out to me today. I am getting STRONGER! Can't wait to see what the next few months have to bring! 

Half marathon training week 1!

I'm finally on my 1/2 marathon training plan!! To be honest it's pretty intimidating. I keep looking ahead to weeks 13 and 14 wondering how the heck I'm ever going to accomplish something like that... This sure is quite the undertaking. I can only pray that I continue to stay motivated, healthy, and that my health/weight continue to head in the right direction!

The plan: 
I chose a 16 week training plan that I got off of Garmin Connect. The workouts are sent right to my GPS watch so it tells me exactly what to do right on my wrist. What I love about this plan is that it includes so much more than running. I'll be cross training, lifting, and even doing some swimming and pilates! I figure this program will help me get on track to becoming a well-round athlete ( <---- did I just say ATHLETE!?) by the time this is all said and done.

The first week: 

Day 1: Cross training- 30 minutes! I ended up on the Arc Trainer :) that thing is HARD!

Day 2: Easy run

- Run, easy pace, 30 minutes

- Cool down, 5-10 minutes

- Stretch 

Day 3: Cross training - I got myself over to a "Core & More" fitness class that really kicked my butt

Day 4: Easy run - Same run as day 2, but I was SORE from the day before. I was SO HAPPY to make it to rest day! 

Day 5: REST DAY !!! *Today actually :) I'm planning on going to the gym with a book to do some easy walking. Trying to hit my step goal 30 days in a row! Oh, and a sauna will probably be happening too! 

Day 6: Pilates - I plan on heading over to The Balanced Life youtube channel and doing the first four videos in the Pilates Summer Series! Each video is 5-10 minutes long so it's totally doable!  

Day 7: Run - This was actually listed as 'long run' on my plan which is funny because it's actually shorter than the others! The plan is to bump up the speed a bit :) 

- Walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes

- Run, easy pace, 20 minutes 

- Cool down, 5-10 minutes

- Stretch

So far I'm loving this plan and feeling great! :) thanks everybody for your support and love! 106 days to go! 

Looking back, moving forward

Looking back, 2014 was a huge year for me. I finally took control of my health and started moving (literally) in the right direction. I lost over 80lbs, gained countless relationships, and accomplished tasks I once thought impossible. Sure, I struggled... but I pushed through. Now that the new year is here it's time for those new challenges and resolutions. 2014 was probably the first time I was aware of my goals throughout the whole year and I truly attribute that to this blog and my few followers keeping me accountable. Even though I didn't accomplish all my goals within the year, giving up is no longer an option for me. I will acknowledge my accomplishments, move the goals I didn't reach in 2014 to the '2015' list, and add a few more for good measure. :-) Thank you all for your endless support and love.

Looking back: Accomplished in 2014

- ran a mile without stopping 1/16/14

- lost 50lbs 2/19/14

- I am no longer morbidly obese 2/24/14

- raced another 5k 4/12/14

- ran 5 miles without stopping 5/31/14

- lost 70lbs 7/11/14

-  Stopped shopping in the plus size department 8/10/14

- moved 365 miles in 2014 8/25/14 

Looking forward: 2015 goals 

- lose 85 lbs

- lose 100lbs 

- Reach 'potential' goal weight of 150 *121lb loss

- Hit my step goal continuously for 30 days in a row 

- Run a mile in under 10 minutes
- Race my first 10k 

- Race my first 1/2 marathon
- Complete Jillian Michaels 30 day shred 

- RUN 712 miles in 2015

- Complete a beachbody 'Piyo' program 

- Get out of the obese category

 - Get out of the overweight category

Again thank you so much for everything. I can't wait to see what 2015 has to offer. This is MY YEAR! 

"Enjoy the journey, fight for the finish" - Me

When coffee fell from heaven...

Some days it takes having too much of a bad thing for your body to finally let your brain know how bad it is for you. It's a well known secret by many of my friends that I struggle with sugar. I love it. It is probably one of the main reasons I gained so much weight in the first place. When I made the choice to have bariatric surgery I was told that there was a good chance my body wouldn't tolerate sugar anymore. After praying and praying for that it be the case it had seemed like my wish didn't come true. I seemed like I had a sleeve (my post surgical stomach) of steel that could tolerate whatever I put into it (as demonstrated by my last post where I ate tons of holiday treats). Today I learned otherwise. Sugar in a liquid form is the devil....

I have been enjoying my expensive coffee drinks quite frequently lately but I go for the sugar-free version. I did this to avoid the large amounts of calories that usually go along with these types of drinks. Well today when Micah and I went out for coffee I saw that the 'special' was an eggnog latte. Sounds amazing right!! Goodness that tasted like a piece of holiday heaven. However about 15 minutes after the cup was drained the nausea started to settle in.  I became dizzy, my heart started racing and I just felt sick sick sick. Turns out sugar in the liquid form moves through your system much faster which gave me minor case of dumping syndrome.

With all the talk about how artificial sugars are horrible for you I had been considering turning away from them. After today my body made it perfectly clear what it prefers.

Sugar-free for me!

Shame

Today was rough. Really rough. It started out well. I woke up, had my shake, then went to work. They were having a holiday party and I had a brilliant plan to only pick out one treat to have.

Before I knew it I had a full plate, and kept going back for more during the 3+ hours I was there. It's like that old fat person just came right back out and decided that stuffing my face was worth any consequences that it may have...

The rest of the day just spiraled down from there. I felt sick, depressed, and lost all motivation that I had for the day. I was ashamed. After all the hard work that I've done over the last year it's scary how quickly the old me can come back. The head games are real.

Sorry for the negative post but I am so sick of hearing how if you have weight loss surgery weight loss will be so easy and it will just fall right off. I've worked my butt off in the gym, refused my favorite foods countless times, and it's not like that is easy. I have the ability to stuff my face like today all the time. I CAN eat crap and I can eat plates full of it. If I give up today I could easily gain back all of the weight I've lost in the next few months.

It's days like this where I have to pick myself back up and start again tomorrow. I've come too far to give up.

Tomorrow is a new day.

December Goals

1. Complete my first Project10 Challenge

2. Complete all 30 days of the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred

3. Give PiYo a shot and start working on my flexibility

4. Don't be afraid of strength training

5. Use swimming as 'active recovery' instead of doing nothing when I'm sore


Short and simple. :-)

Moda VoxBox from Influenster!

Hey all!

I've been pretty quiet lately, but I can assure you things are still going strong! I haven't eaten the best over the holiday but thankfully the in-laws have a treadmill that I can use whenever I want!

I'm dropping in tonight to share this awesome VoxBox that I got recently from Influenster! (<- invite link) For those of you who don't know Influenster is a really sweet website where you review products and post about them to social media. Occasionally, they even send you a box of free (often full size!) products to review! This is called a VoxBox. I have been lucky enough to receive a good handful of these boxes and am excited to share my latest one with you. This has to be the best one yet!

Contents of the box:

- Rimmel London Scandaleyes Rockin' Curves Mascara

- Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick (red)

-  Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lip liner

- Puffs Softpack

- Jergens Ultra Healing Extra Dry Skin Moisturizer

- Resource Natural Spring Water

- Hair Food Moisture Hair Mask + Coupon!

- Packet of Swiss Miss Simply Cocoa + Coupon!


Pretty awesome box of free stuff huh?! I can honestly say that I enjoyed testing every single product.

My favorite things by far were the hair mask and the cocoa. The hair mask smelled simply amazing and actually did a decent job taming this wild mane that I have going on here. Sadly it can only be found at Target so I haven't gotten a chance to use the coupon yet (nearest Target is 100+ miles away) ....but next time I head into Marquette I plan to try out Hair Food's line of shampoo and conditioner too! The Simply Cocoa was also amazing. I loved that it only had 5 ingredients and it was a perfect thing to come inside to after a few hours of shoveling.

The part of this box that I wasn't too excited for was the make-up. I'm not a big make-up person to start with so I felt pretty clueless. I even ended up googling how to use lip liner. Overall it just wasn't 'me'. The color made me feel silly and the lashes were a bit TOO big. This could totally be because I'm a make-up newbie and have to idea how to correctly apply these things, but either way I personally wasn't a fan.

The other contents of the box (the water, tissues, & lotion) were good products, but nothing to write home about. The water was good but I prefer my reusable water bottle over plastic and the tissues were.... tissues? I liked the lotion but the hubby was not a fan of the scent. Too bad because it felt great on my skin!

It was so much fun trying all these products! Thank you Influenster for the awesome box!


I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. All opinions are my own. 

My 1/2 marathon training plan

In case you missed it in my Project10 video I have recently come public with a very intimidating goal of mine to complete a 1/2 marathon in May of 2015. I'll be doing the Journey's Marathon in Eagle River, WI! It's the hubby's home town so it's the perfect location to visit. 

I have been spending a lot of time researching different training plans trying to figure out what would be the best for me. As of now I am not promising myself that I will run the whole thing. My goal is to finish, and if that requires a little walking along the way that is ok with me. However, if I were able to complete the race without walking that would be such an accomplishment! That being said my current plan is to train and plan to run the whole thing, but not to be disappointed if I don't! 

After a ton of research I think I have finally nailed down a solid plan. Starting now I will be working through my Couch-to-10k app three days a week. If I factor in missing a few days (probably due to snow storms) and a few repeat weeks, this should bring me into the middle of January. When I complete the Couch-to-10k program I will be at a point where I can run 60 minutes without stopping (or having to rest for a week afterwards), which is exactly where I want to be when I start my official 1/2 marathon training!! 

I have chosen an 18 week training program off the Garmin training site. This program not only includes 3 runs a week, but cross-training, Pilates, and body-weight exercises! Even if I am not able to run the whole 13.1 miles by the end of it at least I know I'll be a well balanced individual. I have also decided to invest in a Garmin Forerunner 220 to help me with my training at this point. It's a GPS watch so I can track my pace, distance, and time.Best of all I will be able to download my training program from Garmin's website onto the watch so the watch will give me alerts on when to run/walk/rest etc! I am so excited to have this nifty tool. 

Well there you have it! As of now I am super motivated and excited to embark on this couch to 13.1 plan! I'll be sending in my registration soon so I will have NO OPTION to back out! I'm sure the upcoming winter will give me quite the challenge, but I think I can do it!

P.S. Anybody looking for a running buddy?

Have a fabulous Sunday! 

Feeling accomplished

I'm 11 days into my Body by Vi Project10 challenge I can honestly say I'm feeling great. I love the shakes and so far I'd have to say they are the best tasting shakes I've ever had. Perfect for someone with a sweet tooth like me! My only complaint is that they don't seem to be as filling as my beloved Unjury shakes, but there is no contest with the taste. 

My highlight of the day was my workout. I ended up bribing the hubby into working out with me and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed having company after working out alone all these months! We did week 3 of the c25k and then finished up with a circuit workout at home. . I didn't feel nearly as silly doing burpees when he was doing them too! I'm hoping to be a lot better in the future about incorporating body-weight exercises and strength training into my routine.

I've seen a decent amount of weight loss during the Project10 so far too! However, I'm being cautious because I have also cut back on the carbs in my diet which I know can lead to a loss in water weight. Either way, I'm still enjoying the lower numbers! Hope you all have a great night!

Project10 Challenge for Kids

I've decided to stop putting "Day X" on my titles because I've done a pretty poor job sticking to daily posts in October. However, I still am fulling planning on continuing my 31 days of movement and linking them up to my '31 Days' original post, so I promise I'm not giving up!

I am very excited to announce that I have accepted a Project10 challenge with ViSalus! I first heard about ViSalus by a friend from high school who has had absolutely amazing results. Since starting this product not only has she lost 70+lbs, but she is off almost all of her medications, and now takes 10x less insulin per day! Amazing huh! Let's just say I was intrigued. This product clearly was effective, but I already have my own type of protein shakes that I really do love. What convinced me to try their products was when I heard about their Project10 for kids. If you purchase one of their challenge kits and lose 10lbs during the 90 day challenge, ViSalus donates 30 meals on your behalf to kids in need. What an amazing program! Not only can I continue on my own health and fitness journey with nutritious shakes, but I can help kids in need at the same time. I am so excited to have accepted my challenge and my kit should arrive by Tuesday! (I really hope I like it!)

As a part of the challenge I had to submit a video of my first weigh-in. I wasn't too happy about shouting my weight out to the world, but it's even more incentive to film that second video when I'm 10lbs down.

As you might have seen in the video, I have also shared that I will be running (maybe some walking in there too) my first 1/2 marathon in May 2015! I am SO excited and nervous about this! Most of my free time the last few days has been spent checking out different training plans. :-) I can't wait to document this Journey as well (haha no pun intended, but I am doing the Journey's 1/2 marathon in Eagle River, WI!) This will be quite the adventure!

Wish me luck!

*P.S the Project10 program has a system where if you refer 3 people you get your kit for free, so if you're by any chance interested in accepting the challenge as well hit me up for my referral website!

Day 6: Moving day is MOVING day!

Exciting news!!! I've been pretty quiet lately because we've been busy buying and moving into our OWN house! I'm completely in love :-) Things are finally starting to come together so it feels little less chaotic and more homey. I promise I will have pictures of the inside soon, but in the mean time here is the outside!

What you can't see in the picture is Micah's huge two car garage attached to the side. I am SO glad he finally has a garage large enough to fit both our cars AND all of his tools.

Moving really got me MOVING! Check out my Vivofit steps from the last few days. I'm proud to say I haven't been slacking! :-)

Happy hump day everyone! I'm off for a run! 

Day 5: Goal setting + my 2014 goal updates!

Not much has been more motivating to me in this journey as goal setting. I love setting goals and since I'm competing against myself it gives me the extra drive to get going without the temptation to compare myself to others. Like most of us out there, I have always made lots of fitness and weight loss goals around the new year. In the past I've done great for about the first month, only to to eventually give up and let them fall by the wayside.

This year I did things a bit differently and so far have had great success sticking with my goals and keeping them in mind. Here are the steps I followed that (so far) have worked great for me!

• Set multiple, obtainable goals - for instance, instead of setting out with my only goal to lose 100lbs, I set multiple, smaller weight-loss goals. For me this helps keep me from getting discouraged because I am soooo far away from achieving it. Plus, it is SO motivating to be able to check things off my list! 

• Make your goals 'public' - This is pretty much the whole point of this little blog I have here. When your goals are public you are holding yourself accountable to whomever you decide to share them with. Your goals are usually a very personal thing, so I use the term 'public' lightly

• Set daily or weekly goals that will help work towards you main ones - Little things like getting your 10,000 steps in a day, or refusing to take the elevator this week at work can help you work towards many of your health and fitness goals! 

• Write them down and keep them visible! - Out of sight out of mind right? 

• Take pride in your accomplishments, and don't get down if you don't accomplish everything - When I am finally able to cross a goal off my list it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. However, there are some goals on my list that I probably won't get around to this year. O well, they'll make perfect 2015 goals! If I accomplished everything then they were too easy right?! 

**And now my updated 2014 goals! I was able to cross a few more off my list and am getting closer and closer to some more of them! Come at me December 31st!

Weight Goals 

1. Lost 15 lbs 12/4/13
2. Lose 20 lbs 12/8/13
3. Lose 50 lbs 2/19/14
4. Lose 70 lbs 7/11/14
5. Lose 85 lbs 
6. Lose 100 lbs
7. Reach goal weight of 150

Fitness Goals 

1. Run a mile without stopping   1/16/14
2. Race another 5K   4/12/14
3. Run 5 miles without stopping 5/31/14
4. 365 miles for 365 days 8/25/14 [403 miles so far in 2014!] 
5. Run a mile under 10 minutes [Current time 11:46!] 
6. Race my first 10K 
7. Complete Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred 
8. Go running with my husband and actually make him try
9. Complete an overnight backpacking trip 

General Goals

1. Get out of the morbidly obese category 2/24/14
2. Stop shopping at the plus size department 8/10/14
3. Get out of the obese category

Happy goal setting!

-Sarah

Day 4: I joined a running club!

I've never been comfortable calling myself a runner. I DO run, I just run slowly.  In fact, it was two years ago from this day when I ran my first 5K. Since then, I've completed a handful more 5Ks and even two 5 mile races. What I love about running is that it is very personal. I love racing against my own time and working towards improving my personal best. Ok, I love running only when I've been running.  When I've been training for a few weeks I feel good! I get the runners high, and have no problem motivating myself for my next run. However, when I've taken a few weeks.....or months.... off, I hate it. It's SO hard for me to get back going again. Since winter is coming soon, I had started looking for ways that I could motivate myself to say active through the brutal cold and snow (besides shoveling of course!) I wasn't necessarily looking into run clubs, but when I saw The Balanced Life Run Club it just seemed like the perfect opportunity! It did cost me $27 to join, but 10% of the proceeds are donated. Also, now that I paid for it I have another reason to actually stick with it and participate!

As apart of this running club I will be jumping back into my C25K runs at week six and try to regain some of that endurance that I lost. Today I was able to complete my run but I sure did struggle!

I am so much looking forward to what this group of ladies has to bring! I've already been so motivated by hearing other people's stories and about their relationship with running. It's going to be great.

Have a great night!
-Sarah

Day 3: Who's perfect? My 4 minute workout

Hello there again! I've already missed a few blogging my 31 days and it's just the beginning! But who's perfect right? The weather up here has been pretty nasty the last few days. Cold, rainy, and even some snowy rain. I'm not going to call it the first snow of the year yet because it was more like slush, but it's coming soon!

The latest weather was definitely NOT motivating me to get my move on. Snuggling up with coffee and movies just sounded so much better :-) Yesterday we did end up getting out of the house a bit. The hubby is really into 'Jeeping' so we took the Jeep up north with some friends to hit the back trails and look at all the beautiful colors.

It was an amazing time, but I did spend the majority of my day sitting on my butt. We even hit up Applebees 1/2 off apps afterwards so by the time we got home I was SO ready for bed. But then I thought, "Crap, I made a goal to do SOMETHING everyday, and I can't miss two days in a row!?" and after missing the first day out of pure laziness (it happens right?) I decided to bust out my 4 minute Tabata Kettlebell workout.

I don't remember when I first heard about Tabata, but now it's become a regular for sneaking in a very quick workout at the end of the day. With any Tabata workout, you choose a high-intensity exercise, in my case I did kettlebell swings, work HARD for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds and repeat that sequence for eight rounds. I even use a Tabata app on my phone that tells me exactly when to start and stop. I love it. Even though it only takes 4 minutes, I really feel like I had a longer workout the next morning. If you're interested, you can learn a bit more about Tabata here.

Have a fantastic Sunday everyone!