Crossing the Abyss...

I guess I am weird but I really like seeing pictures of people's food :-P

Here are 2 of my meals:

M5 from yesterday was cabbage, carrots and tilapia

M1 from today was eggs and spinach (yes, and coffee too)

I am learning to walk again so it is just "baby" steps for me. I will add to my goals after I successfully complete them. Some of these are really just good habits I am trying to develop. I really am an ALL or NOTHING kind of girl, so starting small and working up to 100% compliance feels alien. No laughing now ;-)

My Goals:

1. Drink 1 gallon of water a day. (Right now I am at a little more than a half gallon.)
2. No diet soda!!!! (I have been drinking way too much...as many as 4 or 5 a day.)

Short post today. 

I was supposed to play tennis yesterday evening and again this morning and it has been raining non-stop!!!!  Off to my first ever scrapbook crop.

What am I waiting for? The prefect time, day, month to start living the healthy lifestyle I deserve. Why wait for Monday? I tell myself it is because I have not planned and don't have the food needed. But is that the real reason or an just excuse because I just don't want it enough or am I afraid to fail again or do I just lack the work ethic to get it done? This quote was sent to me from the board managers of a forum I am a member of and sums up what I know.

I began playing tennis just a few months ago. Since then I have suffered from heel pain and quickly realized it was plantar fasciitis . I am loving tennis and will not give it up because of a little heel pain. I have found some stretches that I will start doing and will continue to ice. Has anyone ever suffered with this? All advice welcome.

In the past I have always found one of the keys to successful completion of my goals is a support network.  I have not found one in real life so I have turned to online support groups.  Today I reconnected with one of my favorite forums.  I think it is important to give as well as receive support.  One of the things I will do this challenge is use the online support system that has worked for me in the past, as well as other Shredders.

While doing my daily blog reading, I visited one of my favorites, Healthy Simple Living with Kali Lilla, and she wrote an "about me" post. It was nice to get to know Lilla a little better. With that said, I am borrowing her idea and doing my own about me post.

A few random things about me.

• 43 years young
• Been married to my high school sweetheart for the past 20 years
• I have a 7 year old son
• Photography is one of my hobbies...new photo blog and old photo blog
• Struggling to live a healthy and active lifestyle
• Avid reader, check out my reading nook in the side bar
• My newest passion is tennis and I will be playing doubles in a ladies league starting next week
• I can be found on myspace hanging with my nephews and niece
• I like to scrapbook but have not found time to do it in a looooong time
• I am an online gamer
• A few of my favorite things: coffee, Mustangs, music, an ice cold beer, early mornings, Fridays, cemeteries, rainy days with a good book, reading blogs and my iPhone

If you made it this far, thanks for reading :-)

I have been reading Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle and watching the Olympics.  The solution is right in front of me, as usual, and I still can not see a lifetime commitment to the lifestyle I know I should be living.  Hard work, that is what it takes to be in the all time best shape of my life like Dara Torres in the picture above!!!! 

Tom Venuto says in BFFM, "This might offend some people, but the truth is, if you have too much body fat, it’s your fault; you’re responsible. Refuse to accept this, and you’ll never reach your full potential. If you have excess body fat, and you want to lose it permanently, the first step is to accept 100% total responsibility for your circumstances."

The ball is back in my court and the question is, "What will I do with it?"

1. I am losing body fat and reaching my goal weight of 130 pounds and my goal body fat of 25% by November 7th.
2. I am fitting into my Levi's skinny jeans, size 6, by November 7th and looking so good when I wear them to my husband's 50th birthday celebration he will be knocked off his feet.
3. I am doing push ups so that by early November I will be able to do 40 "real" push ups.
4. I am learning enough about my body, diet and exercise that I am easily staying within 2-3
   pounds of my optimal weight for the rest of my life.

Once again I am trying to find a lifestyle I can live with and will give me the physique I desire. A recent Alwyn Cosgrove blog entry about failure (see video above) has motivated me to try AGAIN. This blog will be a "work in progress" just like me and will be changing and evolving over the coming weeks. Please be sure to visit often and share my journey with me. Advice, comments, questions and support are always welcome.