Challenges

It's been a while....

Lately I have been consumed with challenges. Yesterday I finally completed the 30-Day Squat Challenge. I am so proud of myself because this was my second attempt at this challenge. My intention from this challenge, besides learning how to do squats with proper form, was to develop consistency in my fitness routine. I am very grateful for the willingness to complete this challenge.

Another challenge I've had is with the scale. I have gained 10 pounds! At first I wasn't that worried when the scale was moving up because my clothes size has moved down. I'm still getting comments about looking great. I had lunch with a friend a few days ago and she said my face looks slimmer. I don't know. My eating and portion control has been okay yet I had to admit I have been indulging in way too many yogurt pretzels. The bottom line is that I am motivated by numbers. I still want to see a certain number on the scale. Sigh....

I have also had a challenging time listening to my body. Last week I was supposed to do a 5K. The truth is I was in no position to run. Beside not training, I needed to give my knee a break. I want to run but my body is saying not now. The challenge has been keeping my ego in check.

Tomorrow I am started a 30-day yoga challenge. I have seen a number of yoga challenges. I have decided to take what I like and create my own challenge. My intention is three-fold: integrating mind, body, and spirit into my fitness journey. I believe for the most part I do this. However, completing this challenge is also about focus and consistency.

In addition to yoga, I will be drinking a gallon of lemon water, meditating for at least 30 minutes, and reading 10 pages from The Art of Happiness each day. I am also thinking about blogging/journaling each day but I'm not sure.

Nonscale Victories

Since I have been so frustrated with the scale, I saw a post on Facebook about celebrating nonscale victories (NSVs). It dawn on me that I do not do this enough. So here are my recent NSVs: 1. Finally completed my goal of being able to run a mile nonstop 2. Joined a gym 3. Started strength training three times a week 4. A friend gave me a pair of jeans that were too big for her and there are almost too big for me! 5. Completed a spin class 6. Learned how to swim 7. Planked over 1 minute 8. Ran (with the exception of the hills) a 5K 9. Complete a set of 100 squats I'm looking forward to added to the list this year!

Squats Challenge Update

Quick update on the squat challenge: Today I did 70 squats. This is a personal best. I’ve never been about to do 70 straight squats. The down side is that my left knee and right ankle are starting to give me a little trouble so I need to pay better attention to my form.

I Hate Squats!

I really hate squats. I'm not sure why. They're supposed to be really good for you. So, if I hate squats so much, why did I sign up for this Holiday Squat-a-Thon???