The New Girl on the Block

Meet the new babe...

The hubby got me my bike! It's the Specialzed Myka, which is good for a noob, like me. Okay, I'm not really a newbie. I have ridden before, but I will be new on the trails, which is what we are aiming for me to do. I just haven't seriously ridden a bike in years.

I was a beast on the bike back then. Okay, so maybe not a beast, but more than decent. I was an intermediate, if we were putting labels. I had a BMX, which was a hand-me-down from my brother, and I loved it! I was a tomboy growing up, and I had no fear in my heart! I wish I can say the same today, but the fear is there. I grew up, and along with the grown up responsibilities, came the fear... The fear of pain, the fear of embarrassing myself, the fear of breaking something useful, like my wrist, arms and legs. LOL.

Why couldn't I just stay the same fearless, carefree girl? Honestly, I probably would have accomplished more had I stayed the same. I don't just mean with doing physical things, but with life in general... You know what you want, and you just go for it, regardless of whether you might fail or get hurt. Not that I don't go for what I want, but I struggle with the struggle of actually getting it... The endless over thinking of how to go about it, the over analyzing of each step, and of course, the what if's. Why couldn't I just get on with it, much like how I got on my bike when I was 10(?) years old, and just did it. I just pedaled into the sunset like a heroine in a movie. Yeah, just like that. :)

But back to more pressing matters... I need a name for my bike. LOL. I've been staring at her, and trying to think of a name that suits her. She looks like a "Myka," but it feels like a cop out since that is the style name. Maybe if I stare at her a little longer, it will come to me... eventually.

I can't wait to ride her again!

xx,
Pamela

Fit Girl Friday: Update

Weekly Weigh in: -0.4 lbs. (16.2 more lbs. to go!)

My sister, Phoebe, gave me this idea to do "Fitness Friday" but since I'm not really a fitness buff, I felt that the title may be misleading. I'm just going to stick to "Fit Girl." I still feel like it doesn't deserve to be called that, but I feel that it is more fitting...

I've been good so far this week... I'm not on full blown diet mode when it comes to eating, but I have cut down on the amount I eat. I've also been more on top of drinking more water. Granted I haven't drank the required 64 oz. per day, but I drink about 60 oz. My bladder is not happy. LOL.

As for exercising... I've gone biking almost everyday. I should mention that I just ride around the block a couple of times, but again, this is an improvement to what I had been doing when I got home from work, which is to go straight to the refrigerator, eat, sit on my ass, eat, watch T.V, eat, play Summoners War, and eat some more! LOL.

I've been borrowing Phoebe's bike... I can't wait to get my own! The hubs is buying me one, hopefully, this weekend. He wants us to do trails and stuff. I don't know if I'm up to do that yet since it's been years since I seriously rode, but I am willing to try. :)

What kind of bike should I get?

xx,
Pamela

Fit Girl: Week One

Goal weight to lose: 16.6 lbs. (Yes, the points count...)

Last post, I talked about my goal to lose weight. I had somewhat started,  but I did hit a snag (already???) this past weekend. Friday night, the hubs and I went to Joe's Crab Shack to celebrate our anniversary, and of course, there was Mother's Day... (Belated Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there!) Needless to say, I overate. But Saturday was spent culling the garage. It was a workout! I'm ashamed to say that we haven't cleaned out the garage, in that way, in ages. My body ached in places I didn't know could ache from just cleaning. I may, or may not have lost weight that way, but I did feel emotionally lighter from getting rid of all the stuff we've hoarded through the years. We are not quite done... Probably, about 75% to 80% done. It's hard to purge when you have other people's stuff to worry about.

Getting back to fitness and losing weight, this was how motivated I was: I wanted to go cycling yesterday, even though I was in physical pain. Did I go cycling? No, the hubster didn't want to put air in my sister's bike tires. He was too sore. LOL. (But he did promise to buy me my own bike.) The point of this story is that the "will" was there, I just didn't quite get around to executing it. I am three steps closer though to being "fit." The first step is the acknowledgment that I needed to get in shape. The second, is the plan, which I have and will list below... The third, is to get the mental willpower because let's face it, that's probably harder than the physical for some people. The fourth is to do it, and the fifth is to stick with it. LOL.

To motivate me some more, I am currently reading Fit Girl's Guide: The 28 Day Jumpstart. I probably won't follow the book to a tee because I am a rebel, but I am getting a lot of good suggestions and ideas. If you are thinking of getting in shape, start with this e-book. It gets right to the point, and it is very easy to read. They also have other books, which I will probably get.

So here are my plans to get my "Fit Girl" on:

1. Eat in moderation - I do not plan on starving myself, but I do plan on watching and limiting what I eat. I will also try to eat healthier. This will probably be the toughest for me since I love food. There are ways to do this, like cutting off carbs, counting calories, or getting those containers that are made to limit what you consume. I do not know which method I will be using, but probably a combination of counting calories, and "the container" method. At this point, just cutting the amount of what I have been eating lately will be an improvement.

2. Drink plenty of water - I know I do not get the required daily water intake. Probably, not even close... I will try what my sister has been doing, which is actually keeping a count of how much water she drinks. Thank goodness for apps, like My Fitness Pal, it is easy to log your daily water and food intake. It's also easy to count calories this way. :)

3. Workout - Again, at this point, any activity will be an improvement. I plan on taking advantage of the warm-hot weather.

4. Insta-stalk - They have so many Instagram accounts about fitness that it's hard not to get motivated, especially since the 15 second workout videos make them look so easy. LOL. But I don't just plan on stalking fitness based instagrams, I also plan on stalking my girl crushes to get inspired. I know "envy" is one of The Seven Deadly Sins, but what's a little envy if it's going to make you work harder, and be better, as long as you're not hurting others in the process? Okay, maybe "envy" is not the word I am looking for, but you know what I mean.

5. Blog - How is sitting on my ass, typing going to help me lose weight? It won't, but it will motivate me to keep going if I log my progress. But then again, Project 365 was somewhat of a failure, so we'll see... No, I have to think positively... It will keep me motivated.  I just have to remember this success: 52 Week Challenge.

I'm sure I will think of more things to add to this list, but for now, this will suffice. I do not want to overwhelm myself before I even really start. But if you have any suggestions, or ideas, I am open to them.

How do you plan on losing weight?

How did you lose, and keep, the weight off?

Will you join me on this journey?

xx,
Pamela

"My moment..."

Have you ever seen that weight loss commercial about a woman and her "moment?" Her "A-HA" moment of when she realized that she needed to lose weight? I want to say, it was a Weight Watchers commercial... I can't be sure, but that's besides the point...
 
My point is... I've been bad... very, very bad. The last few months, not only had I neglected this blog, I had also neglected my weight...

When it's a struggle to put on, or take off, your rings, or when your "boyfriend" jeans look and fit more like "skinny" jeans, then there's no denying it... the "extra" pounds need to go. Those were my moments... It's time to get my weight under control again, and I'm more serious than ever. (And yes, apparently, I needed two "A-HA" moments! LOL.)

My two main problems are overeating and not working out enough. I am an emotional eater, more so when I am happy than sad though... But being sad, or in my case, happy, is not an excuse to overeat. I realize that it will be a struggle, but I am ready to watch and limit what I consume. I need to lose 15 lbs! (More like 16.6 to be exact... LOL.)

This will be much easier had I just been blessed with "skinny" genes, but I have not... Or if I were one of those hardcore gym buffs, but I, unfortunately, am not either... I did go to the gym regularly at one point, but that feels like another lifetime. LOL. I currently do not have a gym membership, nor do I have plans on getting one. I figured there are ways around getting the workout I need, especially since I am just starting back up. Once the flow gets going, then I'll reconsider it, but for now, I can make do with other activities, like rollerblading, cycling, or just dancing around the house. :)

So, here's to not overeating and working out... Wish me luck!

xx,
Pamela

"Hole" Hearted

I almost feel like whenever I neglect this blog, I am making excuses. I wish it was just that, but unfortunately, that's not the case. The last few of months were hard. My beloved dog, who was more like a sibling than just a pet, and more recently, my grandfather passed away. I've lost so many dear people in the past, you would think it would be something I would be used to. I don't think death is something someone can get used to. You may cope better, but it doesn't get easier with "experience." It gets harder. The hole gets bigger... the pain, and the regrets just pile up.

For some reason, regret and loss seem to go hand in hand. "I wish... I should have... If only..." We should never take things for granted. This is something that we hear over and over again, but for most of the time, it doesn't really hit us until we've experienced loss, whether it's through death, or a break up of any type of relationship. So I'm here to remind you once more, to live your life to the fullest, not to take things for granted, and never put off telling people how much they mean to you, and how much you love them, even if you know the feelings may not be returned back.

It's easy to shut the world out once you've experienced some type of loss, but I honestly believe, that when you experience loss, is when you should open up your heart even more. Be open, be loving, give all you can give. Most of the time, you will not regret giving too much. It's when you don't, and know that you didn't, that will haunt you.

Loss is inevitable... That's life. We don't need the added pain of regret to add to the pain of loss. And with that, I will end this post.

xx,
Pamela