Two more days...

Until we begin the 21 day #fatdemon challenge.  I am pretty excited about starting this challenge.  If you would like to join me, feel free to read this blog post to get the information about what we will be doing each day for the first week. I will write week two later this week, to get you prepared.

 I went through my calendar to add each day's assignment for the first two weeks.  I have a 30 ounce water bottle so if I drink four of those I will have half my body weight in ounces.  I hope that by the end of this I can drink less water.  LOL! I love water, but it's hard sometimes to just drink water. 

Week 2 is a little more challenging, we will eventually take away other drinks besides water and then no sugars.  Thankfully fruits are still allowed, just no simple sugars that are in coke ICEES and donuts. I know I shouldn't be eating these anyway and it's not something I'm proud of.

I hope that those joining me will be encouraging others who are going through this. We will have a great 21 days and maybe even get the switch flipped to make better choices in nutrition and movement.

#FatDemon 21 Day Challenge

Inspired by Chrystal Evans Hurst #fatdemon I am going to begin the 21 Day challenge on October 1st. I love when the month begins on Sunday (besides the fact that the 13th lands on Friday when the 1st is a Sunday...but it's really nice to begin a mind concept at the beginning of the week.  I'm hoping some of my REFIT® crew will join me on this challenge too.

Here is the breakdown of the challenge. Days 1-14, doing a daily assignment as well as the previous daily assignments. Days 15-21 focusing on all the previous 14 days of assignments...one day will build on the next day.

Pre-assignment: Take photos of yourself before you begin.  These do not need to be posted right away. This is great to see how much change has happened for those 21 days.

1. Close up of face (with or without makeup) - this will show something about the water we will be drinking.  
2. Full view from the front
3. Side view.
4. Any other shots you want to add.

Measure yourself.  And weigh (if you want to).

WEEK 1

Day 1 - Water  #1

• Drink water upon waking. Wake up and cleanse.
• Let the first thing in your body be H2O. Start fresh. God's mercies are new every morning and everyday you have the opportunity to start clean both physically and spiritually.
• Snap a pic of your "water on wake up."

Day 2 - Wake up!

• Wake up 5 to 10 minutes earlier.
• Get your heart and your mind right for the day.
• Pray. Meditate. Lay there and think. Stretch your body while laying down.
• Read - Need ideas for what to read or pray? I'll post some Scriptures that were recommended by Chrystal that encourage healthy living, also you can check out her post on 20 ways to Study the Bible
• Snap a wake up pic! (Clock with wake up time, your Bible, a Scripture verse, healthy article, etc ... don't forget your water too!)

Day 3 - What's Your Why?

• What's your reason for wanting to be a "healthy you"?
• Identifying your why will give you something tohold on to when you don't feel like making good choices. Your why can give you strength.
• Write down your "why" and snap a pic.

Day 4 - "We"

• Choose someone to connect with throughout your journey. Who can hold you accountable? Who  might want to join you on the journey? We weren't made to walk alone.
• Decide when you will connect. Weekly weigh in? Daily text with updates? Tagging food choices on IG/Facebook?
• Tag "your person" on IG/Facebook

Day 5 - Water #2

• Drink half your body weight in water ounces. 200 pounds? drink 100 ounces.
• Get a cup, container, or water bottle you like and keep it with you at all times.
• If you don't make it...DON'T GIVE UP. By the end of the 21 days you will be a water guzzler!
• Add lemon if you like for flavor and to help correct your PH levels. 
• Snap a pic of your water bottle

Day 6 - Wind down. Rest

• Get more sleep.
• Wind down earlier. Take a nap if your schedule allows.
• Slow down. Say no. Give your body room to rebuild and renew itself.
• Snap a bed time pic! (Your bed, your wind down activity, the clock with your bed time hour)

Day 7 - Walk

• Go for a walk. At least 15 minutes.
• If you already have a consistent workout plan. Good. Still plan in a 15 minute walk at least once in your week to clear your head and to keep it simple. 
• Talk a selfie of your walk or your workout

I am excited to begin this on October 1st...and I'm getting my mind set and have began praying about the challenge and who will be joining with me.

Thankful to Chrystal Evans Hurst and her encouragement to her followers to do this back in March. I am just now getting into the  mind set to do this. 

#unfinished

At my lowest on this journey

I started my weight loss journey in 2011. I was ready to make that change from unhealthy to healthier life change.  I knew it wasn't going to be just a diet, but an actual lifestyle change. I had found an exercise program that had pulled me in and I was addicted...ZUMBA® 

I didn't like ZUMBA® when I first tried it. I had gone to a class at the Y and just hated it. I felt it was too fast and too confusing.  And then my sister Mary visited the area and met a local ZUMBA® instructor Lisa Irish.  After a guilt trip from Mary I met her and another friend to try this class in the area. I HAD A BLAST!! I never thought I would like ZUMBA® but I was wrong. After that one class, Lisa introduced me to Ashley Harper who was having a class that was located within 7 minutes of my house. Ashley and I clicked and I really liked her style of leading the class.  This girl knew how to do it...her energy, leading technique was just enough motivation for me to get sucked in.  

September 16, 2011

As the year went by, my desire to actually instruct ZUMBA® developed and I decided to go for my certification. I was doing well on my weight loss part of the journey and thought, even though I'm not where I want to be yet, I want to be able to encourage people too.  I had some supporters too. They chipped in and helped me get my money in time for the training in Kentucky.

with my instructor Marci

After my training, I began leading the Saturday classes our facility had.  Even with just one attendee at times, she was a very encouraging girl, I was able to get myself accountability to work out. I had also began teaching a class for a local doctor's office at 6 pm before the regular class. Eventually I took over the classes that Ashley had been teaching and was doing up to 5 classes a week.  

However, that schedule wasn't good for me mentally or physically and I had to cut back to just doing three classes a week.  I lost a few attendees here and there, but my desire was to still encourage people to let them know that fitness can be fun and simple...however, there were those who would say as I did..."I can't do ZUMBA®...I don't know how to dance...the steps are too complicated...the music is not stuff I listen to.  My class really enjoyed the music that was popular and requested those songs more than the Latin music required by ZUMBA® Also my attitude was in a rut. 

The fix to this was...REFIT® Revolution.  Created by Angela Beeler, Catherine Ballas and Emily Fields "to make fitness a community".  Their vision "to create a fitness experience that changes people from the inside out, and this vision is accomplished by focusing on the heart as a muscle AND a soul." 

Kathi and me at our REFIT® training

My friend Kathi, who had gotten her ZUMBA® certification and wanted to be able to be a great role model for her baby girl, approached me about attending a training session for REFIT® in Columbus this past March (2017).  We are so happy that we did.  Because we have found a family.  It's a different family.  I can't explain it into words usually, but knowing I belong at REFIT® makes me want to do fitness more.  Wants me to encourage even more.  

Throughout this weight loss journey, I have had a few ups and many downs.  My ups have been the community I have become apart of.  They are so supportive.  When I have a low number class, they are there to encourage us to keep at it.  They have ideas (a lot that I haven't thought of), suggestions, or just a word of "hang in there."  This family (community) is truly the power source of this program.  Some of the downs...1) few months after I got my certification for ZUMBA® my father became ill and I was having to cancel a lot of my classes to spend time helping care for him.  2) Not putting myself first in my healthy living journey caused weight gain and an "I just don't care" attitude. 3) and most recent down has been the knee problem I have developed.  I am in my late 40s and it just makes me frustrated when injuries causes me to have to modify my way of moving.  

Kathi taught class this morning. Frustration had set in as most of the routines that Kathi does are lateral movements and doctor has asked me to limit my lateral movements since my knees are effecting the ability to do them.  I was going in and out of the room that we hold class and just doing other things to help build up a sweat (i.e. vacuuming the sanctuary).  But she played two songs back to back that were songs I could do...one of which was "Unfinished" by Mandisa.  As that song began to play, the Lord began to speak to my heart. When the chorus came it was like the Lord was saying this to me:

I started something good and you've gotta believe it...I started something good and I'm gonna complete it...So celebrate the truth my work in you ain't through...you're just unfinished. 

All of my frustrations almost immediately got into check.  I realized I'm not a failure, I'm just unfinished.  God is still working on me. 

During my instructor training, we did an exercise of what we felt like we were and what we wanted to be.  My two words were "failure to finisher".  In the past I have failed many times, but I want to be a finisher...and today I felt I was still in the process of finishing...not a failure yet, but still being worked on.  

How many times have you just wanted to give up on yourself? I know I have been there as well, but today instead of being ready for giving up, I was ready to process these thoughts and work on ways of modifying the routines so I can still do them and continue to work on my process.  

I'm so thankful for Mandisa...who has struggled on her journey of this life.  She has expressed in many ways through her songs that have been able to speak to me and allow me to be open to hear God's words for me.  Philippians 1:6 says " For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." God is still working. I'm still willing to be clay in His hands.  Let's do this!