Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal Entry #5

Hi, Everyone! Before giving this week's update I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to our military members and military families. And also THANK YOU to our first responders and their families.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty. There are no words to express the love, appreciation, and respect we have for you. Again, we THANK YOU.

I pray everyone has a safe time with their families today. Remember those that have given their lives in the fight for us.

With today being a holiday, this is also a standard time for huge family celebrations with lots of games and food. Family celebrations are the best!! Enjoy them.

These celebrations are often a time we indulge and go off of our nutrition plans. My encouragement would be to have a plan before the event starts. Decide where you may splurge and stick to your plan.

While I struggle with salt cravings, I will say that the longer I am on my nutrition plan, the easier it gets to follow. You also learn to be creative with meals so you have things that taste great and are healthy.

Now, for today's update......I am down 2lbs from last week! So excited. This morning's weigh-in is 163.8. My goal is to be under 160 in the next two weeks.

Have any advice or tips for me? Post your comments. I appreciate everyone for the love and encouragement. Not only am I getting my weight under control but I am gaining energy and boosting confidence.  #soblessed

Rant Wednesday: Apartment Complex Woes

Hey, Everyone! Happy Wednesday. I hope your week is going well. Thank you for checking out this week's edition of Rant Wednesday.

Today's rant is on apartment complex woes. For all of us who currently live in an apartment or have in the past, maybe you can relate.

While there are many advantages to living in an apartment complex, there are a few things that we have to be prepared to contend with. Here are the top 3 that come to mind:

Someone in your parking space - If you have lived in a complex where visitor spots are minimal then it hurts all the more to come home from a long day and need to take a long walk because someone is in your parking space. There is not really much you can do. Even if you call to have them towed, you may have to deal with an ugly confrontation later.

Dogs not on leashes and not cleaned up after - Most of us love dogs. However, when someone is out and their dog is not on a leash and a dog runs up and jumps on you or your child, that is not always a pleasant experience. Not all people love dogs and some kids are afraid. Or, the dog is not always friendly, even though most are. The other part is when owners do not take the time to clean up after their dogs and you have to walk with your head down most of the way so you can avoid something hidden in the grass.

Ridiculously loud music - We all love good music but after certain hours it can be tough. This one needs no further explanation.

Again, there are many advantages to living in an apartment complex, especially, if the place is well managed. However, the woes can become overwhelming at times.

How do you handle them? Post your advice and experience below.

Have something you want to rant about on a future edition of Rant Wednesday? Email me at michaidanawrites@gmail.com

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal - Entry #4

So, I won't lie. This week has been a bit of a struggle. However, the good news is I am still down a bit. 3lbs from last week.....so exciting!!! 165.8 is my weigh-in for today!

Seeing these wins on the scale is very motivating.

The struggle this week was I craved salt on quite a few days. Many people struggle with sugar and have a hard time turning down donuts or cake or something like that.

For me, the struggle can be turning down potato chips or fried foods. While my nutrition plan has gotten easier to follow, I was surprised to have so many days this week where the salt craving felt difficult.

I opted for chips and salsa to satisfy it. I know salsa is not too bad but the chips are what I was concerned about. I ate significantly less of them than normal, which wasn't too bad. That craving was wicked though....LOL

What do you do when you are craving things and you want to make sure you don't derail your nutrition plan and goals?

Since I had the chips and salsa I am good. Maybe it was just a momentary thing. My eye is still on the prize. This goal of mine is about how I feel. Since I am only 5'3" I don't feel well when I have this much weight on.

And do to several surgeries and a knee injury, the extra weight feels even more unhealthy for me.

So, I am staying the course. So excited to be down the 3lbs this week, despite the struggle. Looking forward to next week's blog so I can send another update.

Thank you to all of your for your continued support and encouragement.

Rant Wednesday: SometimesYou Want to Snap Back

It can be hard fighting the urge to snap back. Many of us hold our peace because it is for the greater good. There is NOT always something to be gained by snapping back.

Many times, there is often a lot to be gained by holding your tongue and remaining calm.

It is an act of balance to know when to say what you really want to say, and when to speak peace. Many times when we want to snap it is because someone is being rude to us or to someone we care about.

We try to be understanding because the person that is being rude is usually going through something rough and they don't mean to be so rude.

Heck....we have been the person before, as well, right? Every person goes through something, periodically, and it impacts their normal character and behavior.

This rant, however, is about those people that seem to constantly be mean and rude. At some point, you want to throw the understanding out of the window and just say what you feel, right?

But, we know there are consequences for snapping back even if we don't feel those consequences are fair. Those of us that work in customer service positions, as an example, know this all too well.

There are times you get tired of being beaten down and telling yourself they are not mad at you, they are mad at the situation. During these times, we have to focus on the greater good, which is just being the best help that we can and remembering why we do what we do.

We can also get it off of our chest by finding productive ways to rant, like writing a blog ;) or writing in a journal, exercising, or another healthy activity that helps calm your spirit.

There may be times when it is necessary to assert yourself. But, most times, we are better off maintaining the soft and firm approach.

Thoughts on this? What do you do when you want to snap back?

Have something you want to rant about in the next Rant Wednesday? Email me at michaidanawrites@gmail.com.

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal Entry #3

Hey, Everyone! I hope you had a great and productive weekend.

This weekend I was invited to an event called Sweat Saturday, by my beautiful friend and coach, Sarah Schillaci.

Before, I give you the details of how it went, I wanted to share this morning's weigh-in which is 168.4! I am excited to be down 2.2lbs from last week.

Slow and steady is how I am running this race.

Now, back to Sweat Saturday. This event is hosted by Stick 2 It Fitness. The attendance was 212 and it was jammed packed with people who are excited about their health goals.

When reflecting on the experience the first thing that came to mind was that it was like attending Fitness Church.

And I mean this in a great way!

The first thing is everyone made you feel so welcome. There was no comparison of what everyone had on, or their size or shape. There were genuine smiles, hugs, and excitement.

When the exercises got tough I was motivated by everyone around me. After the workout we got to hear testimonials from so many people who have worked hard to achieve their health goals and have changed their lives by changing their habits.

80% nutrition, 20% fitness and 100% mindset is a big thing that sticks in my mind from Saturday. And several quotes about attitude, determination, and reminders that a bad diet cannot be outworked.

It is all about respect for our bodies. We have to take care of them. I have spent so long neglecting my body and I am grateful to have friends and family that have not given up on me.

I look forward to touching base next Monday.

Have health goals and successes that you would like me to shout out in next week's edition? Email me at michaidanawrites@gmail.com.

Let's do this thing together!  #s2i #fitfam

Rant Wednesday: Stephen Curry and Justin Bieber

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Today's rant is a 2 for 1 :) The other day I decided to write Rant Wednesday about some wild comments I saw on Facebook about Justin Bieber's new tattoo.

Then, today as I am hearing about Steph Curry's unanimous MVP vote and hearing all the commentary from old players I decided I wanted to comment on that as well.

First, about Justin Bieber's tattoo, I do NOT have an issue with it. I haven't seen the picture but read about all the responses to it. My rant is about one person's response, in particular, that was irate about Justin's tattoo having a religious meaning and proceeded to say how stupid it was and reference the Leviticus scripture about markings on the body.

My rant is not about this guy's opinion but the fact that throughout his response he kept dropping the F word while quoting scripture questioning if Justin has read the F'in Bible and such. For me, it was offensive for someone to refer to Holy Scripture as the F'in Bible, especially when they are supposedly using the Bible to try and make a point.

I included a link here in case anyone wants to see what I am referring to. This guy that made these comments is such a hypocrite. I wonder if he just did this for attention but he is the only one that truly knows.

Second, Stephen Curry has won the first ever unanimous vote for MVP. This is huge and a tremendous accomplishment. Along with this, has come commentary from former players or analysts about how the league is not as tough as it once was and the records being broken are, in part, because of this.

While I am sure there is some truth to toughness, number of greats in the game, etc., it bugs me, just a little, that these comments are always made behind someone achieving something great. I am sure that in Michael Jordan's day of record-breaking there had to be older players who said he achieved so much because he did not have to endure what they had to in their day.

These things could be true, as well, but they do not diminish the effort, determination, skill, and greatness of someone who is achieving these goals. Making these kinds of statements sounds the same as when someone gets a promotion at work and some say it is because they are friends with the boss or because they bring bagels on Fridays.

Why can we not celebrate each other's victories? Steph Curry's accomplishments are wins for the league. He is a likeable guy with massive talent that draws a lot of positive attention.

Am I off base on this? Let me know your thoughts. I am completely open as I could be off base by being a bit annoyed with these comments.

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal - Entry #2

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope everyone had a good weekend and you are ready to kick your health goals into high gear this week :)

I want to start this blog post off by thanking everyone for your support. Last week was my first blog entry where I am focusing on my weightloss. It is great accountability and it is honestly exciting!

My weigh-in this morning is at 170.6. It was a great week of discipline with food and what I am drinking. I did not get in much exercise. I walked a few days.

My high focus, right now, is on staying disciplined with what I am eating. In the past, when I have changed my eating habits and started workouts at the same time, I got overwhelmed, would take days off, and eventually get completely off track.

This time, my goal is to stay mentally tough when it comes to food, then incorporate exercise a little bit at a time.

What I noticed this week, is that my biggest struggle has previously been when I wait too long to eat and just grab the closest thing I can get to or stop at the nearest drive through.

When I got busy this week, and realized I had waited to long, these prior fails immediately surfaced for me and I was able to stay disciplined and take a break from my hectic schedule to stop and grab something that I would not feel bad for later.

It feels really good to conquer those kinds of things. I am prepared to continue to move along on this journey to health and wellness. It is so much bigger than a number on a scale.

It is about sustainable habits and finally taking care of my body. My beautiful cousin, Sabrina, is always reminding and encouraging others that we only get one body so we should take great care of it.

Have advice for me or want to share your health journey as well? Comment below or email me at michaidanawrites@gmail.com.

Rant Wednesday: Wedding Debt

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!

Welcome to this week's edition of Rant Wednesday. It is a special edition brought to you by a gorgeous and amazing friend of mine named, Erica Laidler.

Erica shared this post on Facebook and I asked her permission to share it here. Check it out:

"I'm watching one of my favorite TV shows called Life or Debt..long story short this couple just said they had their dream wedding and honeymoon and paid for it with credit cards!!! What on earth did I just miss?!?! Is this normal? Why would people go into a marriage with that kind of debt? And, why would you pay for a wedding with credit cards?! I'm a firm believer that if it's not in your bank account, you clearly can't have it. Here I am working on my wedding budget baffled by people's mindsets and priorities. You will not catch me trying to please/impress others with material things. ‪#‎rantover‬ ‪#‎Sorrynotsorry‬ ‪#‎peoplearereallybroke‬ ‪#‎craziness‬"

This is a relatable issue, right? One of the top reasons for divorce is financial issues. That being the case, it doesn't seem logical to start the marriage in massive debt.

However, we can also relate to the thought pattern of those who feel you only get married once and there is nothing wrong with splurging. If the money is available then that is a decision for the couple to decide how to allocate it. But, let's face it, we sometimes get caught up in the fairy tale aspect and our decisions are based on emotion rather than future thinking. 

Isn't there a middle ground on this? What would be your advice on this and what specific recommendations would you give for couples who are engaged or thinking about getting engaged, as it pertains to wedding debt?

Monday Fitness: Public Weightloss Journal - Entry #1

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had an amazing weekend.

I weighed in this morning and I am at 172.4. My goal is to drop an additional 30lbs. I do not have a time table for this. My immediate goal is good habits and steady progress. I will let the time table take care of itself.

I thought it would be cool if I use my Monday fitness blogs to track my progress. I was excited to be down 1.6 lbs this morning. That may not seem like a lot for one week but that is good for me.

The one thing I started doing last week that was different, that seemed to give me a boost, is I drink infused water all day. I have an awesome friend, named Taylor, who was posting pictures on Facebook of her infused water each day and it inspired me.

Taylor's pictures included water infused with strawberries, or pineapple, or oranges, or some combination of other fruits. Last week I used grapefruit, oranges, limes, and lemons. Sometimes, I used just one but most often I used at least two.

It is very tasty and it has kept me conscious to stick to drinking it and refilling it throughout the day.

I am already looking forward to next week's blog so I can post my progress from this week.

Have advice for me or others on the journey to health and wellness? Post your advice and encouragement. Share best practices and stories. We need each other :)

See you next week!