Day#217: Climbing Initiation... apparently!

Huzzah for Climbing adventures... that is until you hurt yourself. Yes it's true, I hurt myself. This past Saturday I went rock climbing again with crazy Jane! it was supposed to be outside in "nature"; in the wilds of Utah; but due to crazy weather, (snow in the mountains, rain everywhere else) we felt it would be smarter to stick with doing it indoors. So off the gym we went.


#sweatyselfie

I got there early and got certified to belay! Yay! Now I can "safely" belay someone else. I swear I'm going to get Jane up on that wall at the other end of the rope. She can't avoid it forever... ;) I probably shouldn't rush the person who's had a crazy leg injury to consider... me my injuries were less sever to be sure.

We climbed several new spots, and I concurred a new route (with green rocks), along with another good go at some I dominated last time round. Jane is always fun to go climbing with because she's so encouraging to this newbie. I really appreciate that about her.

I think however, I've found my next nemesis in climbing routes... this red rock path totally ruined me. I attempted three different times to scale it, got to the same spot and each time - then slipped and fell. The first time, was the worst!

Behold...


"This..." says Jane, "makes you a true hardcore climber."

Caught my finger on a rock on my way down, and bruised one finger, slightly ripping a fingernail up on my thumb... It was super ouchie! I may have pouted and taken a break after that climb, my hands were so raw... poor little fingers.

When I asked Jane if there were such things as climbing gloves she laughed and showed me pictures like this...




Jane: "You're officially initiated into rock climbing now."
Me: "I wasn't initiated, I was hazed!"(pouty lip)

I was a little bitter about the fall, Jane was trying to tell me where to put my hand holds and well... I was a bit frustrated that it resulted in a slip and the subsequent finger ouchies. I'm over it now... mostly ;) haha!

I do like rock climbing, I think it's really challanging and fun. I'll have to admit at some point that it's more than a casual interest... what do you guys think? Where's that line, rock climbing adventure #5, #10? things to think about. Still looking for more single friends who are interested in climbing with me, It's a hard thing to do alone. Sigh... I need more friends. (this may seem like a sad plee for friendship from a overworked and stressed out designer, but I assure you - that's EXACTLY what it is!)

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Following my rock climbing adventure #3 I met up with my sisters and attended the LDS's Semi-Anual General Confrence Women's meeting. It was awesome! I love my sisters. Honestly I lucked out in that department.




Good Times!

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Monday I have to admit I wasn't feeling to great, I'm pretty sure that I've caught some kind of lovely little bug from my adorable nephew! I couldn't resist that snot covered little goober, he's so adorable even when he's all runny nosed and cranky. Well, Now I'm getting sick. Which is definitely not something I want to be getting. I'd love to be getting promoted, getting a free vacation to Disney, Getting a Hug... any of those would be great. Getting sick... not so much.

So I skipped out on the work out Monday. But today is Tuesday, and I have a training session with Tyler scheduled. I start thinking... should I or shouldn't I go? Honestly I didn't entertain the idea of canceling for very long before I rationalized that, if i'm going to get sicker (which I probably will...) I know that I'll have to cancel then, and since I'm paying for these sessions gosh darn it, I'm going to go until I just really can't. ;) No, I'm not going to be irresponsible and go and get Tyler sick - He has a baby at home peeps. I'm not cruel!

So I went; and I'm super glad I did. Today we did a bit more chill of a work out, which I'm glad for. I reminded Tyler of a conversation we had had a couple weeks ago about doing a work out focusing on my hips and the fact that I'm pretty sure (like 99% sure) that my hips are out of alignment. So today we did stretches, and exercises to target my hips. I'm so stiff in the hips, these stretches were super effective, and yes painful. But with great stretches comes greater flexibility... and pain... pain too!

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Today's #sweatyselfie

Anyway... it's a crazy life, working out and getting on track. Yup, even being sick isn't going to stop me, It might delay or waylay or re-rought me, or slow me to a crawl, but I'll keep eeking onward. Just doing my best and forgetting the rest. :)

Day#208: BYU-Idaho TimeWarp

This weekend I got the chance to go visit my good friend Lisa up at my old collage stomping grounds BYU-Idaho. I love that place and sometimes I even miss it - then I remember homework and I don't miss it as much ;) haha!


Aww, aren't we cute!

it's crazy to think that this...

...was almost 5 years ago now.

Lisa's husband is going to school there now so she's moved back up there while he's attending. Which means she's 4 hours away now, instead of the 8 or so hours away she was in Colarado. YAY! I just had to go see her before she had her new baby. She's due any time now with her second baby, a boy.

We talked and walked a ton, drove around the city and walked around campus. When I graduated in the Spring of 2011 it wasn't nearly as nice as it is now. They have finished construction on so many of the buildings including some I didn't know they were doing construction on at all! The housing around campus has exploded! Apartments cropping up and spreading out as far as you can see. The most impressive ones looking like swanky deluxe villa's, cobbled roads and balconies. I mean really nice!!! definitely too nice for me to ever afford to live in.

My sister Melisa went to school at BYUI when David A Bednar was still president of the school, and the housing she stayed in are now gone!!! Replaced with a parking lot.


All Gone! No more Beehive Manor/Viking Village.

With everything that's changed it's still the same beautiful wonderful place. I can't imagine having never gone here. It defined a lot about me and who I wanted to become. I'm a proud BYUI Grad for sure.

I wish I could have visited more people and seen more it was a short trip. Next time!

Day#205: Strangers Take Notice & Flying Nerves

I heard on the grape vine when I started this weight loss thing (grape vine not redvines... mmmm licorice), that it takes a few weeks for you to see a difference, a couple months for friends and family to notice, and then 4 months before strangers notice a difference. I actually have seen this to be true, perhaps a bit longer a timeline than that but it's been interesting...

#SweatySelfie

--- Strangers Take Notice, Tale One: The casual convo reveal.

My coworker Kaiser, who gives me some headaches sometimes, "oh Kaiser..." (shakes head dubiously); stops me in the parking lot on our way out the door to head home and asks me about healthy snack ideas. This was totally crazy, thinking anyone would ask me for advice on "Healthy Food."

After I share a few ideas, He casually says, "You've lost weight right..." I nod and smile, yeah 40 lbs now. His jaw dropped and he dropped a word I won't utter in typing here... but the enthusiasm was certainly there. It felt good to impress and to re-afirm just how far I've come. :)

--- Strangers Take Notice, Tale Two: May the "Gym" be with you.

Second instance recently of stranger's noticing has been at the gym. As you guys might recall, Tyler keeps on pushing to do group workouts... I've gotten on board for now, and am seeing how I like it, how I feel about it. So far it's been good. Primarily I think because it's just been me and one other girl in this "Group" workouts... Her name is Kamisha, she's amazing and I can't help but compare my progress with hers... it's bound to happen... (bows head in shame) Who knew I was so competitive?! lol.

Anyway, Kamisha works out with her sister at the gym on other days than our group work out days, and her sister works out alone there too... Well, apparently I was working out on Tuesday and they were both there; and caught i'm sure more than their fair share of a sweaty glimpse of me doing my thing. Kamisha tells me today after our group session, that her sister pointed to me and made the comment; "See that girl, I see her here a ton, and she's looking so good!" ***BLUSH***

I like working out with Kamisha, she's kind and very real, not fake which I like! I suppose that's a point for Group Workouts... dang it! ;)

--- Strangers Take Notice, Tale Three: Flying Incognito.

My third tale also happened today ironically enough. So my new boss at work, decided that I should be the one to go out to Colorado and press check my catalog. A massive project I've been finally getting out the door (breaths a sigh of relief)... normally this one designer who's been with the company forever... (cough cough... Dave... Cough...) goes to do the press check. But, as it happened... I went instead.

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE! haha... and an adventure it was.

As most of my family knows, my dad passed away when I was 5, died in a plane crash. It was a small plane that his brother was learning to fly. They had engine troubles, then had to make an emergency landing where they hit low power lines... Now the plane I was getting on for this trip was not that small, but golly it sure felt too small to be safe, I'll tell you that much.

First row, first seat, crammed by the window mer glass and plastic between me and the shakey exterior of this jet. The nice gentlemen who sat next to me was a frequent flyer and told me all his flying tales, I think he was trying to distract me... what a guy! lol.

So we get on board, I strap in and try not to think about how I might drop out of the sky and perish. We taxi out to the runway and are told that due to their being a separation in the concrete all traffic is being routed to the other runway... so off we taxi again...  again we wait and wait... I get more nervous as we wait.

Only to discover as we taxi back to the terminal that the alignment on the plan's front tire is off, and they can't take off with it that way. Leave it to me to land on a plane that's a dud... more nervousness as we wait another hour before they cleared us to take off once more.

Off we fly. Only was an hour and a half late to my appointment in CO... no biggie right??? (bites nails).

But the stranger noticing happened on my way back. As I get checked in at the desk on my way back (yes once again on a small jet)... the lady hands me back my id and goes "Wow, you look amazing." I smile and thank her. blushing all kinds of red I'm sure. "Thanks I've been working out..." she nods and says "Hopefully TSA let's you through now that you look so different." she chuckles.

My eyes go wide... COULD THAT HAPPEN??? I hand the TSA guy my ticket and id and he doesn't say a word... not a word, just nods and lets me pass. Probably too stunned by my beauty to mention it. Poor guy. ;)

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I'm almost half way to my initial goal... I can see it so close now.... SO CLOOOooooosseee.... dang it.

This weekend I get to go visit one of my very best friends from collage. The magnificent LISA! (gush) I couldn't be more excited to see her and all the changes to BYU- Idaho's campus. I hear it's unrecognizable. I can't wait. Should be a blast. Lisa's pregnant with her second baby and is due soon. I'm so excited, what could be cooler? Maybe this baby will be born on my other nephews birthday HAHA... her first baby Alice was born the same day as my first and most awesome nephew Xander, hours apart. It's a small world too when you realize that my sister in law Kyra and Lisa were both my roommates at Collage.

I could gush forever about how excited I am but I'll spare you. Hope everyone has a great Friday and following weekend, be safe and don't fall out of the sky on any small airplanes. (just say no!).

Day#200: Climbing Up, and doing Great.

This morning I went rock climbing again, that's rock climbing adventure round two!!! This time I got to go with my previous trainer Kendra, her boyfriend, and my brother Michael and his wife Jenifer. It was AMAZING!

I can totally tell how I've improved, because I have last time's success to compare it with, haha! Michael was a rock star, and basically climbed to the tippy top on every single spot we went on. He's got more experience than I do so I'll take that in friendly competition's stride ;) Jenifer was basically just as awesome as Michael. But I already knew my family was awesome ;)

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The first climb is always the scariest I think, because I have to remind myself that I'm not going to fall and die, and to tame my fear of heights in order to keep climbing. Kendra is super awesome, like a monkey! I kept watching her climb in awe - her boyfriend Kyle was equally impressive. Something to aspire to.

Gosh it's so good to see her again! And to see her almost 20 lbs lighter than when we last saw each other was also great. I'm so close to half way to my end goal, it's so close I can almost taste it. Curse those mini muffins at work... curse those delectable little lemon poppyseed monsters! :P




I'm all sweaty and gross... Good thing Michael can't smell haha!

I feel I did really well today, particularly because I went with an awesome group of peeps to cheer me on! But also because I made it all the way to the top of the wall this time... TWICE! Huzzah! It's like 40-ish feet tall!

See these path's that I climbed last time? The purple trail all close together and then the orange and blue ones that sit right beside them (shown below), I concord them!


" Jenifer, give a little wave when you get to the top!" - She did! :D

Both those, paths I got to the very tippy top on. Bboth were paths that I couldn't get reach the top of last time -Yay for progress, Yay for rock climbing. I may have found a hobby... maybe... just maybe.



I officially learned how to belay... a lady at the gym taught us (Michael, Jenifer and I), so I just have to get certified the next time I go in! I say learn, but I really mean re-learn from that time I learned way back when I was a girl scout. Golly that was a while ago!


(Michael belay's Jenifer)

I can't wait to do this again! Anyone interested in coming with I'm totally down for it. Just let me know. I'm trying to widen my circle of rock climbing peeps. Particularly since it's not a one person sport... except for" boldering" which apparently is the one man version of rock climbing... with short walls and you're no more than a few feet off the ground at a time. I guess I could give that a go sometime!

Only two weeks till I do rock climbing out in nature... or as I dubbed it "Wild Climbing" because it's in the wilds of nature! haha. Which makes indoor climbing "Domesticated Climbing" - makes sense right?

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I can't believe I've been at this fitness journey now for 200 days straight! That's amazing. I'm feeling better, and I'm more active. Plus this week I even worked out 5 times! Rock climbing counts as working out ;) Totally; my jello arms and sore toes and fingers will attest to the fact.

Happy Saturday All. Just keep swimming, climbing, working out... at least that's my plan. <3

Day#198: The Great Clothing Purge of 2016

So, This weekend I decided to finally do something that I'd been meaning to for awhile now... A clothing Purge! As i've lost weight, less and less of my clothing fits me. I've had to come to realization that I had to sift through everything that I own and weed out all the things I can't actually wear anymore! It's quite a freeing feeling really - pun intended.

I literally went through every single item and tried them on. Which resulted in emptying out 2/3 of my closet. BO-YEAH! I can't believe it. It feels sad but happy at the same time. Particularly since the clothing i've been purging are kinda sentimental. About two years ago I gave myself permission to enjoy clothing, to enjoy how I look and to actually buy clothes that fit and feel good - despite my weight.

It was a huge step for me!

Growing up, I developed a very negative attitude toward clothes and my body image. My mom would try out of the best intentions to encourage me and my sisters to loose weight by saying things like "when you loose some weight, we'll buy you some cute new clothes!" I know she meant well, trying to encourage us. I, like the teen I was - took it as a hit to my self esteem. I wasn't worth having cute clothes. I wasn't pretty enough, wasn't thin enough to be worth spending money on new clothing.

So... being an adult and making my own money; I gave myself permission to finally treat myself. To get clothing that I liked, that was cute, that wasn't always cheep just get by; and it felt good! I know how messed up and twisted my self worth was around my weight. I'm so happy to realize how much i've grown, how good I feel about my body. It's fabulous at every stage of this journey. I wish my mom was still around to see me finally choose to do this weight loss thing for ME! I know she's still with me supporting me as I work on my happiness - nobody wanted me to be happy like she did. Even if she didn't say it the way I needed to hear it as a teenager, but that's every parent's struggle I imagine. :)

Now I give myself permission. Permission to be happy. Permission to buy nice clothes and not be ashamed to grow or shrink out of them. Permission to realize that i'm worth nice things. Permission to forgive my mom for the hard feelings I harbored toward her and my very long journey of weight struggle. I'm my own powerhouse of awesome! Nobody has the power to diminish me or build me up like I do!

Go and be awesome, don't apologize for being you. Be happy with who you are, no matter your size! I genuinely hope that for everyone, all my peeps, my sisters and friends. Nobody should feel they're self-worth depends on the scale. Even if sometimes I am sometimes a hypocrite and put too much value in the numbers on the scale... It's a hard habit to break, but I'm working on it constantly, after all it's not just a single choice, it's an every day choice to be happy and to keep trying to be happy!

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I get to rock some sweet outfits, and regardless of how much I weigh now or ever!



Like this super cute red dress!

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It's been an interesting couple of weeks, I've been trying hard to eat better and that's been such a challenge. Not only to eat more balanced but more often in smaller quantities like Tyler has challenged me. It's easier if I plan and prep. Snacks are tricky when you've got to get protein/carb/fat in each meal or snack. I've done a lot of nuts and fruit - people at work must think I never stop eating lol! It has led to some food adventures for sure!

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It's nice to get recognition for your hard work. People at work are seeing more often, saying such nice encouraging things. Even if it's in the form of shock at just how much i've lost. hahaha!

At work we have ID badges, which nobody wears like were supposed to... opps. But I was looking at mine the other day and felt super proud, I've come such a far way from where I was. The picture was taken a year ago, almost to the week.



I couldn't help but wish we could re-take these pictures. lol! nothing like seeing perspective in this journey of mine; and this is definitely one of those moments. :) Hey when I eventually leave this job I can burn it. Laughing like a mad woman and dancing around the flames! Anyone interested in coming to the badge-burning bbq? :)

Keep on swimming, just doing what I can each day. Because tackling today is far easier than thinking about a week, month, or a year down the road. Each day is a battle I can win! eventually winning the war!

Happy Labor Day!