Heart Rate Monitor Happiness

Well, after this past week filled with holiday festivities, calorie filled drinks, and terribly unhealthy food, it's time to get back into the swing of things at the gym. I got a lot of great workout gear for Christmas, but my absolute favorite is my heart rate monitor! I have been relying on the tracker in My Fitness Pal, which is pretty inaccurate. At Zumba this morning, I burned 518 calories in 50 minutes. I was feeling restless and decided to go again tonight (my excitement over my new HRM had everything nothing to do with it) and I burned 649 calories at the night class. I feel like I'll be more motivated to work harder and try and beat my last score! Hey, I'm a competitive girl. Here's to a fun filled year with my new favorite toy...

Yummy Banana Oat Muffins

So I originally made these for an Ugly Sweater Party we were supposed to go to tonight, but my husband's not feeling well. At only 108.5 calories, these banana oatmeal muffins are a tasty treat. I substituted Sweet N Low for the sugar, and they were delicious. I found this recipe on Chase & Emi's blog: http://chaseandem.blogspot.com/2012/09/oatmeal-banana-breakfast-muffins.html). Thanks, Emi! :)

Turning Frustration into Motivation

So yesterday in addition to cardio, I did the Turbo Jam Ab Jam workout. It was a great workout, but today my abs are super sore. As I was talking to someone very close to me, I jokingly said that I had some killer abs under the fat I need to get rid of. He started cracking up laughing, not at my joke, but at the fact that I said I had abs. He continued with a "Come on, you're not athletic anymore." First of all, thanks for hurting my feelings. Secondly, really? It was a joke to begin with. I tried to keep my cool and said "Hey! I'm almost down to a 7 minute mile." Rather than a "good job" or a "that's great," I got a "Yeah, well I'm sure you couldn't do it in real life." Apparently, running a 7 minute mile on a treadmill isn't as good as running a 7 minute mile at the park. Okay, I know. It isn't exactly the same. But could you be any more of an ass discourager (Is that even a word? I don't think so...)? This whole annoying conversation reminded me of something I pinned a few weeks ago:

So I'll quit with the dramatics and just know that every time I push myself, I'll be thinking of you and how you told me I couldn't do it. I'm turning my frustration into motivation. Okay. I'm done with my rant. Thanks for listening :) 

Lord, Give Me Strength

I can't believe I'm about to post this, but here goes. Since I started dating my now wonderful husband, I've gained an embarrassing amount of weight. Normal to gain weight when you've been dating someone for a while or get married, right? Sure, but this is bad. Real bad. When Josh and I met back in 2002, I was weighed around 140 lbs. Ten wonderful years, college, a new career, and one wedding later, I am up to a hefty 182 lbs. 

The truth is that I've been lazy. I don't take the few extra minutes to plan healthy meals. I don't exercise much aside from playing volleyball. I mean, come on. When I answered the password recovery question for my Google account, I had to tell Google that my favorite food is PIZZA...

Like many girls, I've tried it all. Atkins, Weight Watchers, South Beach, and a million other fad diets. I've hoped for a quick fix as opposed to hard work and dedication. I've finally come to the realization that losing weight is simple: Burn more calories than you eat each day. I am determined to exercise and eat healthy to lose the 40 lbs. I've packed on over the last ten years. 

With the help of some workout buddies, a Club Fitness membership, a new obsession with Zumba, My Fitness Pal, and the support of my hubby, I'm determined to get healthy once and for all. I'm hoping that putting this out there for millions of people to read will somehow make me more accountable than if I were just writing in my journal at home. I'm going to post healthy recipes (only the great tasting ones of course), fun workouts (really, it can be fun once you're in the routine), and share my journey with you. 

Here's to a healthy new lifestyle! Lord, give me strength...
Jenny