Sunny and 70 in January?

As most Okies know, the weather in Oklahoma is unpredictable. The past few days have been sunny and 70 degrees... IN JANUARY.  Which I'm not complaining.

When you have a dog this is important to take advantage of, because it is the perfect time to get outside to spend time with them. Not only that but you can get active by doing something other than seeing the inside of the gym.

On Sunday, I went to Mitch Park for the first time and walked around the trail they had with my dog, Zeus. He absolutely loved it because for one it was somewhere he has never been before; and two, because he was spending time with me. Like I've said before, I am very busy throughout the week with school, work, my internship, working out, homework, and trying to have a social life.  So when I get to take Zeus out and about he loves it.

Yesterday we went to the dog park. I think he loves doing this more than he does going on walks, because it gives him time to interact with other dogs since I live by myself. The dog park can be an interesting place, and although it isn't a very "good" work out specifically- it gets you outside in the fresh air. Which is great for your overall health. Better yet, it gets the energy out of your pup and they get the exercise that they need (pictured to the right).

Take advantage of the weather when it's nice out, because not everyday is going to be sunny and 70 towards the end of winter.

Tortoise and The Hare

One day, a hare was bragging about how fast he could run. He bragged and bragged, and laughed at how slow the tortoise was.  The tortoise stuck out his long neck and challenged the hare to a race. The hare laughed and laughed some more, and agreed to the challenge- knowing surely he would win.

They made a map of the race, and then began. The hare took off and left the tortoise far behind. About halfway through the race, the hare noticed that he had plenty of time and decided to play in the meadow. When he was done, he decided to take a nap.


In the meantime, the tortoise was still slowly going and never stopped. Once the hare finally woke up from his nap, he decided it may be time to get going again. He ran faster than he did in the beginning. As he approached the finish line, he saw the tortoise sitting there patiently waiting his arrival.


If you haven't heard the story- which I'm sure most of you have- you know the moral of the story:

Slow and steady wins the race. 

Losing weight is a long journey and doesn't just happen overnight. If you want something, you have to work hard for it and never give up. Failure is not an option in my book, and never has been. Trust me- eating healthy and working out is NOT easy, and isn't something I desired to do in the beginning. Although, I knew it was something that needed to happen for my health in the long run.

I weigh myself every Monday to keep myself motivated and see my progress from the past week. Lately, I've been the same weight the past two weeks and it has made me disappointed, and sometimes angry. But, it has made me to want to work even harder than I have been.

Every time I get discouraged, I remember my dad telling me this story and remind myself to keep going- don't stop. Strive for progress, not perfection.

Taco Tuesday!

Eating healthy in a world full of delicious (and mostly fattening) foods can be tough. I've come to find out that working out is the easy part. Eating the nutritious and healthy foods is the hardest.

Although, I try not to completely deprive myself because that can end up leading to binging and making all your hard work a waste of time.

So today I have a recipe that will get you your Taco Tuesday craving out of the way (courtesy of Pinterest)- and in a healthier way! For me, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my busiest days as I am at school all day, work and try to fit my work out in. If you have a busy schedule like me, a crock pot is what you need- especially for this recipe.

Crock pot Chicken Tacos 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken breasts cubed (I just use one or two since it's just me)
• 1 white onion chopped
• 1 canned corn (drained) 
• 1 can black beans (drained)
• 1 can tomatoes and green chilies (drained)
• 1 packet taco seasoning

Directions: 

• Heat crock pot to HIGH setting for 4 hours, or LOW setting for 8 hours
• Add chicken, onion, corn, beans, tomatoes, chilies, and taco seasoning to cooker. Stir everything well, and then cover to cook. Stir a little over next few hours.
• Once fully cooked, serve over lettuce (for healthier choice) or crush up taco shells for taco salad.
• Add favorite toppings such as fat free sour cream and cheese, with a little salsa on side.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/421649583848885261/

ENJOY!

Ride Along

No, it isn't what you think.

I'm talking about spinning classes. Now this is a new work out that I've picked up over the past couple of weeks, and I have fell in love with it!

It is a great source of cardio and full body work out for that matter. If you want to drip some serious sweat- do this class! They offer them this semester at the Wellness Center on Tuesday/Thursday at 4:15 and 6:30 pm, and Saturdays at 9:05 am.

So, what is spinning exactly? Spinning is a specific format of indoor cycling and it can be called by other names: "spin", "cycle", etc. It is led by an instructor and involves lots of fun music! If you hate working out alone, and need some type of motivation- spin is the work out for you. The instructor is always (usually) motivating and pushes you to your full potential.

It also burns a lot of calories. I googled to see the exact amount and it really just depends on your weight and how many minutes you go. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you can burn approximately 640 calories in 60 minutes. If you weigh 200 pounds, you can burn up to 860 calories in 60 minutes. So really, it depends on those factors and how much effort you put in.

I have found a new love for spin, and I hope this motivates you to go out and try it as well!

The Journey

fit·ness: noun: the condition of being physically fit and healthy.

Fitness means many different things to people. Some may think it is about being physically "skinny" or "fit" such as the definition. To me, fitness means being happy with yourself internally and externally; being confident in who you are.

This blog is going to be about my journey through my news years resolution in becoming a happier and healthier me. I have struggled with my weight all my life; especially starting at age 12 when my parents got a divorce. I was overeating and wasn't thinking about what I was putting in my mouth. Food was my therapy and made me feel good- especially for a teenage girl who was going through puberty, just got braces and was going into middle school. By the time I was 14 I weighed 145 pounds and was the heaviest I had ever been.

The summer before ninth grade I decided to do something about my weight and simply went on a run. I went running every night that summer and lost 20 pounds- I became obsessed. I would even run in front of the T.V. when I was bored. At this point I felt good about myself and was finally overcoming my depression of my parents divorce. At this point in my life I weighed 125 pounds.

Now all through high school, this was my ideal weight and I had never felt happier. I started gaining weight again when I came to college and got in a serious relationship- which led to the "happy" eating instead of "depressed". My boyfriend at the time and I would go out to eat ALL THE TIME.  And being a freshman in college away from my parents, I was drinking a lot more and not working out. Before I knew it I gained 50 pounds in my 3 years of being away at school. I honestly started to hate myself as this was now the heaviest I had been.

Last year, I lost 20 pounds and that is now up to date with today. This blog is going to be my thoughts on fitness, new workouts and new recipes that I try as I am on this journey to becoming a better me, for me. I hope you enjoy, and decide to join me on this long road ahead.