It is completely mortifying to admit this, but just over a year ago, I had several people ask me or suggest to me that I was pregnant based upon my appearance. The truth is, I wasn’t pregnant; I had given up all physical activity and didn’t care what went into my body. So at the end of 2013, I made the conscious choice to change that. Christmas Eve marked one year since I decided to start a new journey… A journey towards fitness and healthier eating.
I took some time around the Holidays this year to look back at how far I’ve come. I dug up some old photos and looked over my workouts from the year. I noticed small changes in my physical structure, I recognized that I’ve become stronger, and have more endurance than I did one year ago. And little by little, I am starting to not even recognize that woman in the mirror.
The results may be small, but this is a journey. It is making lifestyle choices that are better for me, not looking for quick fixes or fast results. It is about establishing habits today that stick with me and make me a better person tomorrow. That’s what this journey has been about. And it will always be a work in progress.
2015 marks a new year of the journey. A new year of pushing myself, setting more goals, and continuing my struggle good habits with food.
I realized I haven’t posted anything about fitness since October! And haven’t shared my progress since May! YIKES!
So where am I today?
Well, not much has changed on the scale. But that’s okay. I personally don’t like to use the scale as a judge of my progress. In fact, I avoid the scale as much as possible. Most of the time it leaves me feel depressed and forgetting all the hard work I’ve put in. But the truth is that as I gain muscle, fat is disappearing. I’ve lost about 8 pounds since my start. So even though my weight hasn’t changed all that much, my body has seen some huge changes.
The Journey So Far…
I can fit into pants that were once my “someday” pants. I’ve started buying a size smaller tops and jeans. I’ve started to see some muscle definition where there never was any. I lift heavier than I used to. I have more endurance and am able to do more box jumps and burpees in a row. And my measurements show this progress. I was shocked to measure for the first time since May.
[table id=8 /]Simply amazed at these numbers!! Here’s some progress photos. The first photos are screenshots from videos I’ve filmed for this blog. I cannot believe the difference in my FACE! Unreal! And the second set… well, welcome to the gun show! 😉 BAH HAHA! I am so glad y’all humor me. Thank you.
So what’s next? What are my goals for this year?
I don’t know about you but when I make goals, they have to be simple. And they have to be attached to some sort of strategy. If I make my goals too specific or complex, I get overwhelmed and stressed out worrying about specifics. I’ve set three very simple and realistic goals for myself this year.
2015 Fitness & Health Eating Goals:
1. Continue Running
I would really like to try for a half marathon or another 10K. I have a couple friends that would love to train for a half, so I think that may be the plan as soon as the weather isn’t below zero. Of course, I have already made plans for several 5ks already this year.
2. Lift More
Ideally I would like to try and lift 2x a week in addition to my average of four times a week Crossfit workouts. I love lifting and it is something I have found I am pretty good at. Luckily enough, I’ve seen the most changes in my body thanks to lifting weights. Strong is the new sexy!
3. Meal Plan More & Continue to Track Food
Last year I did this off and on. I need to get back on track, HA! I track my foods and exercise on MyFitnessPal on my phone. Friend me at jrohrich if you’re on there! My goal is to plan meals two weeks at a time and just during the week. Below is a pretty printable I made to make it easier for me to organize. I filled my two weeks in with meals that have healthy carbs and fats, and try to stick to lean protein.
Here are few great recipes I’ve found so far:
- Protein Packed Breakfast Burrito – Thirty Handmade Days
- Apple Banana Quinoa Breakfast Cups – Pumps & Iron
- Southwestern Stuffed Sweet Potato – Fit Men Cook
- Lemon Chicken & Asparagus Quinoa Bowl – Bake Broil & Blog
For more recipe ideas, you can visit my Pinterest! I pretty much keep a running file of them there!
For a PDF of this printable, click here!
So here’s to a new year of fitness and healthier eating! Here’s to new goals and continuing this journey! I hope you will continue to follow along and share!
Girl, you are such an amazing woman. Seriously. I am so proud of you and the lifestyle you lead. I have a LOT of work to do but you inspire me every single day. Thank you. Happy new year!!!!
Author
AWWW!! TEARS!! Thank you my friend!! I am so glad that I can inspire at least one person to better themselves in more ways than one!! We are all on our own journeys!! Don’t forget sometimes to look back and realize how far you’ve come!! Happy New Year!!
Jenny~
Following you on your journey has inspired me to get my act together and start my own! My goals for 2015 are simple and to-the-point, like yours: 1) Get healthy … I find every day I struggle with some sort of soreness, tummy ache or headache and the past year I’ve been searching for ways to make that feeling a thing of the past. 2) Get stronger … While I’m no cross fit gal, I find that not having large animals in my life anymore has given me a need to exercise more conventionally. (Halter breaking cattle = bigger guns!) 😉 I’m NOT a fan of running, but I’ve been spending the last week starting small, on the floor, strengthening my core. I’m following your planking chart too. See? You’re my strength super hero! 3.) Drink more milk! While I’ve always been a HUGE supporter of the dairy community, plain milk has never been my favorite without a dash of chocolate or in my cereal. This year I will change that, and I’ve already used a whole quart of milk this week! AND IT DIDN’T EXPIRE! 4.) Waste less food- ever since my journey with HungerU, I have been extremely conscious about food waste. However, I’ve never consumed a full jug of milk before it expires. I always think I’ll need it, but then I throw it away. I’m not standing for that anymore!
And, since I guess this comment could qualify as a blog post, I guess you know what I’ll be doing tonight. However, I refused to make one of my goals “Blog more” because it stresses me out. And stress- I don’t need!
Thanks for serving as a consistent inspiration! I appreciate your constant willingness to share and for making me feel like I can do this too!
~Mal
Author
LOVE IT!! Simple and to the point goals! YAY!! I will be cheering you on! And I may check in with you every now and then, just to see how it is going! Accountability helps!
Planking is GREAT for the core, I am not the best at it. It hurts my lower back, but that is because my core is so weak! Hopefully through continuing to do it, I will eventually have a strong core! 😉 You make me giggle “strength super hero”. And here’s a tip for your milk! I drink mine with chocolate protein powder from About Time! It’s delicious, helps me recover from my workouts, and has minimal sugar unlike syrups or other mixes like Nesquik! I am not a huge fan of plain milk either, but I am working on it!
So awesome! Keep up the good work. I lost 45 lbs. after my first born. That was nearly 6 years ago. Then I had my daughter in Fall 2013. I had to start all over again! Four some reason it was harder after the second kid. Become so much busier! But we as women need to realize that we need to keep better care of ourselves. We always seem to put ourselves last. I’m excited to see what comes next for you!
Thanks for the tip! Having a buddy to keep your feet to the fire is great! Thanks! Every time I see a post from you I think about how I will make an effort to improve too! 🙂
Love this post! Congrats on your accomplishments. I hope to stay active this year, build muscle and eat healthy. I’m working on cutting back on processed foods. It’s tough! I can’t wait to get outside again to bike and run.
Author
AGREED! I can’t wait to get outside again! I have friends that live in snowy areas that have been out running, but it’s too dang cold here! Processed foods are indeed tough. They are easy, even the healthier ones!