Losing My Hind

I know...I've been MIA for awhile.  So sorry, folks.  My life has been insanely chaotic since before the New Year.

The first week of January was awful.  I was sick with a terrible cold/flu thing, on top of getting my usual migraine during "that time of the month" and it was brutal.  I was so exhausted and had the fever and chills that go along with the winter crud.  I was so bummed because I had set a goal to run every day and was taken out of the game for five days.

Once I was well enough I started running again.  January is so cold in Wisconsin so I didn't dare try to do this outside but I managed to run three days per week at the gym. Then at the beginning of February I was benched once again.  It turns out I had a kidney stone, 8 mm, and I needed to have an ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy to remove it.  I missed six days of work, and couldn't exercise for two weeks due to the stent that was placed to prevent blockage in the ureter..  I'm not even sure …

For the last four days, I've had no idea what day it is.  This always happens to me when Christmas is in the middle of the week.  Thursday felt like Monday, today feels like Sunday.  I'm all screwed up.  More than usual. Ha.

I did look at the calendar today and it hit me that New Year's Eve is three days away.  I love this time of year.  My favorite part of a new year is getting a fresh start on everything.  And because I'm a total geek, I get super excited about buying a new planner and writing all of the things in it.  It's just so much fun for me!  There's something about those crisp, new, blank pages that thrills me.  
Yes, I know I need to get a life.
This year I've added a new planner into my rotation of things to help me stay organized.  Y'all know I love the Commit30 planners and I sing their praises, but I recently discovered Habit Nest and fell in love!
Over the last year, I was very consistent in waking up at 5 a.m., heading to the gym and ge…

I've been working out consistently again.  This week I've hit the gym four days and I committed to five.  Tomorrow's Total Body session at Forever Fit will meet that goal.

Yesterday was Leg Day and we did so many squats and lunges that my body is still aching today.  I'm loving the burn, baby!

As I was thinking about ways to amp up my workout routines, I started a running list in my head of my least favorite exercises.  I always cringe when I have to do these, but the truth is, they work.  
Wall sit Stand with your back against a wall and bend your knees to about a 90-degree angle. Hold this stance, with abs tight, for up to a minute. Repeat.  Want more of a challenge?  Hold a medicine ball in your lap while you "sit." (Or, hold a glass of wine in each hand. Kidding.  Maybe.)
Triceps Dips Start by sitting on a sturdy chair. Slide off the edge of the seat and support your weight with your hands. Bend your elbows to slowly lower your body toward the floor and the…

Weight loss.  Just typing those two words makes me cringe a little.  For so many years I've been struggling with my weight and body image.  I feel uncomfortable when I look at pictures of myself that were taken in the last decade.  I see how heavy I was and it triggers emotions I'd rather not deal with.

I wasn't always fat.  Before get bent out of shape about me using that word, hear me out.  I wasn't ever thin, either.  At least not by today's standards.  I was a tomboy as a child and spent a lot of time playing outside with neighborhood friends.  We were very active.  Running in the back yard, riding bikes, playing games and chasing each other through our 'hood were our favorite activities.  But even then I had a sturdy build.  
It would be easy to blame my mother's cooking for my inability to be thin.  She grew up on a farm and my grandmother taught her all the farm staples, those recipes for meat and potatoes where every meal contained butter and milk …