The 5 Week Birthday Countdown Fitness Challenge!

Yeah I know that's a mouth full lol but it is an appropriate title for what’s about to go down over the next 5 weeks! Yesterday I realized my 37^th birthday is 5 weeks away! I don’t know where May 2012 came from but its already the middle of the month and a mere 5 months ago my birthday goal was to lose 37 pounds by my 37^th birthday. It was aspirational I know that because it would have been like losing almost 3-4 pounds a week. My body doesn’t do that. 1-2 maybe if I am great but on average that would have been me being on my bestest behavior and well we know about my theory of swapping calories from chicken for likka when the time comes. J I’m human!
 Ok I am Cylia J Better

The fact of the matter is 2012 has been super busy! And it’s not to use that as an excuse but I have had my hands full with AKA, Junior League, other volunteer work, starting my own business, my real job has been crazy, and my part time teaching jobs have been demanding my time as well. There are only 24 hours in a day and I often blog about balance or my lack there of…it usually causes me to get back in a groove then things spiral out of control again. Its one of those times again and I went to Weight Watchers on Saturday and I will be perfectly honest I only went because I weighed in at home and saw I was down and I wanted it recorded for “the record” LOL Sad but true! The lady behind the counter let me know I had not been to a meeting since March 30^th!!!! Almost 2 months! Between traveling and other activities my Saturday meetings have been hard to make but thankfully I was down 1.8 since my last visit! I am down a little over 10 pounds and that leaves 27 to reach my goal (again!). Since its May 15^th however (lol) realistically I cannot lose that in a month (although I will come back to fume about the 8 Week Brick over challenge in a second!) I set a reasonable goal of 10 pounds= 2 pounds a week.

The end of 2011 and the start of 2012 have been very stressful and emotional. I don’t even want to go through all the names of family members and friends that have passed away but its just been crazy. I am fortunate that my family has not had a lot of death considering both sides are pretty sizeable and it’s like 2012 is making up for lost time… so all that is to say I can’t deny my relationship with food and the source of comfort it provides me with.

I am still working on using exercise, mediation, and journaling as other ways to cope but it’s a process plain and simple and in times of stress and anxiety people tend to fall back into old patterns.

So I am being proactive rather than reactive and I called my therapist who I aint seen’t in forever and a day and I called on my sorors on the Facebook workout group to join me in this 5 week challenge. Because the fact of the matter is life isn’t going to stop. Death isn’t going to stop. Bills are not going to stop. Community service isn’t going to stop. Challenges are not going to stop… so for someone like me I will never have all this free time to do what I need to do to lose and maintain my weight loss. So I have to go back to my 2009-2010 mindset of MAKING TIME & SAYING NO!

Now I was inspired by a few things. 1. My jeans got tight again and I had to take my big back up jeans to Jamaica. Not cute. 2. I had to buy a few new suits for my sorority conference and the 16s were too tight in the arm so I needed an 18 and the 18 pants were a bit snug. I mean I could wear them but I was a bit perturbed at the idea of buying any article of clothing with a 2 in front of it. Like that’s never gonna happen again. Not ever. I know about different designers but I aint trying to hear all that. If I was where I was in May of 2010 that wouldn’t matter!  3. I feel tired. Granted I have been traveling and in hyper mode as a newly minted Fundraising Chairman and I’ve really shouldered a lot of responsibility in that role. The fact of the matter is being busy and running around like a chicken with its head cut off is not a substitute for real exercise. It just aint! 4. While I am on that topic. Where the heck is my new heart rate monitor? Or my spinning shoes? I mean seriously! That’s when you know your workouts have been on the back burner!!!! Seriously anyone seen my new heart rate monitor? I saw the strap on my dresser but the watch yo no se?! *smh*
5. So the 8 week Brickover challenge at my gym is over and the winner lost 48 freaking pounds! 48! I mean damn! if thats not motivation I don't know what is.


Ok that’s enough so much for not going in on myself but that’s how I do I guess. Good ole Jamaican bashing lol

Yesterday was a good first day! I had my Atkins shakes, made veggie soup, and even worked out for 1 hour at the gym even though my trainer was out of town! Today I woke up at 4:45am and went to use the treadmill for 45 minutes. I swear I wanted to stop after 15 minutes then I said ok 30 minutes then I remembered my Week 1 Goals:

1)      Burn 5,000 calories and/or exercise 4 days for a mini of 45 minutes

2)       Drink 64 oz water

3)       Pray daily, &

4)      Post menu daily for others to see

I also went and found my Groupon for this boxing class I bought 30 drop in class way back in January and I haven’t been yet! So I plan to go tomorrow after work!

This week will look like this
Monday: 1 hour elliptical –Check 1200 calories!
Tuesday:  45 minutes treadmill- Check- 700 calories!
Wednesday- 1 hour Boxing fitness
Thursday- 1 hour Gym
Friday- 1 hour Boxing Fitness

Well we're counting down to 37 baby!!!! I had to go down memory lane on that one! This is my sister and I! Whew what a difference 3 years makes! This year we are going White Water rafting! Cant wait! Still working on a theme for 37 though lol I'll check in soon!

33 is the age to be & In the Mix at 36