Foodie Pen Pals #1-better late than never

So I decided to jump into the Foodie Pen Pals Pool.  It is a gift box exchange where you send a  box of  goodies to one person and receive one from another.  Then you post a reveal post on the last day of the month and everyone hops from blog to blog.  I am really late in posting this. So I am better late than not posting at all. My first box was from a Twitter user in  OH @CarmicWords.   She sent great stuff.  the popcorn on the cob was a HIT!!! The honey was  great too as I had just emptied my bear and had it on my shopping list.

If you want to join the fun!!
Find out more from Lindsay.  She is the  awesome organizer of the swap that is getting  bigger every month.

Update 1/3 of 2012 gone

Over the last 10 months I have:
Lost 108 lbs
Walked 260 miles on the treadmill
Logged 1,891,320 steps and 836 miles with fitbit
Learned that I can do strength training
Found new friends to share this journey with
Completed TWLC2 with 58 pound loss and joined TWLC3 it ends in Oct
Completed best body boot camp. Yeah! And was one of the three winners
Used twitter for motivation and inspiration
Have a great gym in my garage

2012 progress:
Hit 100 lbs lost--2/14/2012
Hit 150 lbs lost---42 to go
Walk/Run 600 miles----150 down
Log 3 million steps with Fitbit--900,000 down
Nurture new friendships Join other online challenges--- finished TWLC2, finished best body boot camp, joined TWLC3
Participate in 6 5K races both virtual and in person-completed HBBC Resolution Run,twitterroadrace 1&2, TWLC3 May, and a Run for Sherry.

Take time to celebrate success--wrote and shared my story and pictures from TWLC2 on  That Wife 

3 weeks in the boot camp

WOW
I actually am liking strength training.
This has been just what I needed to get back on Tracker and kick it up a notch. I am really happy with the changes I am seeing already and week 4 is starting today.

I am learning to schedule fitness, just like I set up meetings and have started to view them as equally important. This is a giant mind shift. The last time I had scheduled workouts was in high school sports. (Yep, you do not get this big by exercising.)

Although I am using the modifications and having to make some replacements I am feeling the burn and getting a good sweat. The intervals and super sets are great and make me push myself more than I would without a plan. I know that I will be able to bang out these workouts as written in a few months. The program is really well done and give you a great set of building blocks for a novice like me.

The facebook group is a great source of motivation. I know I am struggling but it is good to see marathoners who have trouble with a move too. There are a variety of fitness levels and that makes it so much more energizing and fun.

Boot camp

I just signed up for another online challenge I need the extra motivation and it is more Strength training based which I need to focus on.

I am down 103lbs so plugging away just need to mix things up a bit.

100 pounds down

Wow I can not believe I am down 100 I had a great week. It is such a good feeling to be making such a big change and to really truly feel so much better. This week at work has been totally busy and stressful. But I know old me would not have made it through as successfully as new me. I still have such a long ways to go but I am back to the 200's and I know I will see the 100's. Tonight calgon is taking the day away instead of pizza hut and Hagen daz. I have 12,000 steps on my fitbit and had the thought that I should hit the mill just to earn the 15,000 step badge but my legs are sore and need the rest. It have been a long day and some blogging and an early bedtime are the right choices.

Sole F 80 Treadmill & Jan Review

I got a great Christmas present a Sole F80 treadmill. It is really nice. I am still walking but changing the incline and adding intervals has pumped up the intensity.
I have walked 50 miles so far this year.
Completed 2 virtual 5K's.
Lost 7 more lbs.


The mental game has been the biggest challenge this month. It is harder to stay on track somedays. Work has been more hectic and I know I have used that as an excuse. Trying to decide if a friendship is worth more time or if it is just time to let it go. I know this is weighing me down so I am adding this to my task list for this week.

2012- is going to be great

Over the last 6 months I have:
Lost 88 lbs
Walked 160 miles on the treadmill
Logged 952,255 steps and 430 mile with fitbit
Learned that I can do this
Found new friends to share this journey with
Joined the TWLC2 in October I have lost 40 lbs during this challenge that ends in mid April
Joined the HBBC holiday challenge that runs mid Nov to early Jan (final results next Sat)
Joined twitter for motivation and inspiration
Have a great gym in my garage

In the next year I will:
Hit 100 lbs lost
Hit 150 lbs lost
Walk/Run 600 miles
Log 3 million steps with fitbit
Nurture new friendships
Join other online challenges
Participate in 6 5K races both virtual and in person
Take time to celebrate success