July was a good month for me, I finally broke through one of my anxiety and started walking to the gym the end of June and during July I did it 23 more times! I lost 10 pounds this past month, a few inches and I gained so much confidence. I stuck to my keto and only had a few cheat days. I checked into help for some of my mental challenges and I planned a vacation. all in all July was a win for me. so with that I wan to say good bye July!
Its finally August! My favorite month! What’s not to love about August?! Its the month before the summer turns to fall yet its still so full of sunshine and fun days. Its the month of sunflowers, it holds national watermelon day and August 6th is both National root beer float day (my favorite) and My birthday!! My daughters birthday is also in August. This August will be full to the rim for my family. We will be going on zoo trips and visiting our local petting farm, My daughters birthday, camping over my birthday weekend and A family vacation to Frankenmuth MI at the end of the month. although I have a month packed full of activity’s I still have Goals for the month such as:
Keeping it keto (with exception for vacation)
lose 10 pounds
work on self care
tidying my home Daily
walking more
save as much as possible
I’m sure there are a few more but these are the main ones. August is my month to shine!
Its been a little over a month since I have rote and that’s because for a while there I had Nothing to talk about. I was going through the same cycles I had been. Still doing keto although I fell off the wagon for almost a week mid June. I was still struggling a little bit with my mental health and still working on myself best I could. But now I have some news to share!
I’m sure I have mentioned this before (or not?) but I live fairly close to a gym and I have talked about how I wanted to start walking there to work out but My anxiety was getting in the way. Well June 28th I did it! I got enough courage an I walked to the gym! A total of one and a half miles there and back! the first few times I was full of anxiety but Now I have made the trip almost a dozen times and not only am I confident about it I love it! I really feel as if the walk does my Brain some good. Its to the point now that I look forward to going to the gym and Its all I can think about for most of the day. It feels So Good to get back to moving again and doing something I can be proud of and that is good for my body.
I have been working on cardio for at least 20 min each time I go to the gym along with tanning and total body enhancement (idk if it actually does anything tho) and as of yesterday have started to add in some weights. I am still learning to juggle all of the things in my daily life along with my almost 2 hours at the gym (counting the total 40 min walking time) and I’m working on building other good habits every day!
Today I was on YouTube and came across a video of someone doing a walking workout made by another youtuber. She was sayin that the workout was supposed to burn between 300-600 calories or something like that and yet was not a super hard workout. I was intrigued for a few reasons. One being that doing the Ring fit challenge I was only burring around 60 calories and It just wasn’t adding up to results for me. second reason is that I like to try new things and decided what works for me so I did!
You can find the Video HERE. Its By a creator Called GrowWithJo. When I first clicked on her Energy was amazing It made me Excited and Ready to get into it! Grow with Jo Also Mentioned you can see results in one workout. I didn’t test this however because With my Access weight I didn’t think it would be visible. When the Workout started I Was Enjoying myself from the beginning! I loved the up beat music The creator was playing and felt as if it really kept me going! there was also A counter that Kept track of how many seconds left before changing moves and that also helped me a lot.
Although I was only really enjoying myself I was only able to make it through 25 min of the 60 min workout before my legs literally could not carry on…. but I Burned 436 calories and my heartrate was in cardio or fat burn zones the hole time. Whereas when I do my Ring fit I barley get into fat burn zone. So I think I want to do a challenge With this workout and Drop the Ring Fit Challenge for now (Don’t hate me lol) I don’t want to be that person that doesn’t fallow through but I also really need to find something that’s going to work best for me in my journey. So the First Challenge is to actually get through a full 60 min. I also would like to do this 3x a week but I don’t want to set anything in stone just yet! If you are looking for a nice work out check out GrowwithJo and This Video. And if you would like me to check out any other Fitness related things leave me a comment!
May has always been one of my favorite months. Its the month both of my parents were born, It holds mothers day and even the anniversary of my divorce (and yes I celebrate that) In my town May marks the beginning of Fairs and festivals season although this year my favorite fair was canceled yet again… And The end of may is when my garden starts to go in and we start to go to the Farmers Market regularly.
May was good to me in a lot of ways. As far as my Weight loss Journey I lost 11 pounds. Less than my first month of keto But still very good. Its also worth noting it may be a few pounds more because the last time I weighted myself in April was the 20th and the first time in may Was the 8th. I also Lose a few inches in May 6 to be exact! 4 off my stomach and 2 off my hips. I worked out 7 times. Not exactly good… but Better than the previous months 0 times. I fallowed through with all of my goals for May and I am proud of myself!! Goodbye May see you next year!
That brings us to June! June is another month I am very fond of. June means warmer weather and Being outside. June is the mark of the second half of the year and I know that this second half will bring a better healthier me! Ill be getting a new Bullet Journal for this half of the year (and actually trying to use it more)
For June I have a few new goals such as
Continuing my keto
10,000 steps 3x a week
At home exercise
Getting the courage to walk to the gym
Working on mental health
Working on bills and Budget
Planning My Littles Birthday party
I also would like to practice driving more and Try to go hiking once a week. I really want to buckle down this month and do whatever I can to lose more weight because…. well summer!
Week one of the ring fit Challenge is officially Finished! It was a fun and productive week! I found myself So excited to play the game that I was waking up before my alarm even went off! I was ready and excited. I would play a few levels and a few mini games and most days I had a hard time pulling myself away. One thing I quickly learned was how out of shape i actually am…. and its depressing. I didn’t challenge myself to hard at first but tried to aim for longer play times by the end of the week. I worked out harder and longer and come Sunday and Monday I regretted it. I was so sore I had to take 2 days off from the game although I wanted the challenge to be straight through. I cant blame my sore muscles just on the game however, I also spent a good amount of time in the garden (stay tuned for an update).
A few of my favorite things about the game would have to be mini games and the beautiful levels. I also really enjoy the creativity of the story. The mini games truly give you a challenge than not only works the body but also your mind. As far as dislikes the only thing I can think of is the leg strap can be funky at times but its easily worked around.
For my second week I will di trying for 5-7 days and then 2 rest days. I realize trying to do 30 straight days isn’t a solid plan knowing how tired my muscles got my day 6. I also would like to take a few more pictures next week and I only have a few for you now that Ill post at the end here.
Me and fitness have a love hate relationship. I tend to Hate the Idea, Procrastinate as much as I can, and Absolutely dread it till I start. But then Once I start something and I’m a few days in I l start to love it, I get addicted and I don’t want to stop.
Video game exercises are my favorite. It started with my Wii. Wii fit was one of the best games in my opinion. I played it every day and I mastered many of the games. And best of all I was losing weight and being active.
A few weeks ago I discovered This game Called Ring Fit Adventure. I’m a little late to the party seeing as how it came out in 2019 but better late than never right. Ring Fit Adventure is an exercising action roleplaying game on the Nintendo Switch. It comes with A Ring-Con That holds a Joycon in a special slot, and a Leg Strap that holds a Joycon on your thigh.
After looking up a few videos I got on amazon and found the game for a decent price. a few days later it was at my door. I was excited to try it so this morning (Monday) I tried it for the first time! I powered up the game and got it all set up. I thought the game would be easy. I was wrong. I broke a sweat just doing the warm up. The game is set up in levels and you have to jog in place to move your player, You also use your arms for a variety of other things including Fighting monsters. I played a few levels and was having such a good time that I didn’t want to stop! I even played a few mini games and they were so fun!
I have decided to challenge myself to Do a few levels of Ring fit every morning for 30 days, Maybe Ill even push it to 60 if things go well! Ill obviously have some rest days as well. I’m really excited for this Adventure!
I have mentioned Keto briefly in s few of my recent posts and I posted about it last year as well but its something I wanted to make a more in Depth post about. as a disclaimer I am not a Dr or a nutritionist or any of those things.
When I first learned of keto I lived in a hotel with my ex husband and I lived on Brussel sprouts and eggs for breakfast, an avocado and tuna for lunch and chicken and Asparagus for dinner with a few other things sprinkled in here and there. I didn’t even know I was doing keto at fist. At the time I had tried so much. I Studied so many different diets. I went Vegetarian. I watched All the health documentaries, I exercised, I took supplements. I did it all. But keto was what worked. Why did I stop? I have no Idea.
Over the last few years (its been 4) I have often thought about going keto again but I didn’t have that final push to actually do it. maybe It was because I wasn’t ready to give up all the things I knew that I would have to or maybe because I was worried I wouldn’t have the support that I needed. Then My Dr recommended keto. I had my push. I started brushing up on my keto Knowledge. I watched lots of Thomas DeLauer videos on YouTube. I cleaned out my kitchen of anything that would tempt me or derail my journey. then I went shopping, Several times at several stores. My Initial plan was to Get as much Keto Foods as I could To get myself set on the path to success. By my actual first day on keto (April 5th) I had all kinds of good solid keto foods.
If you dont know Keto rules are
1.) No bread, pasta, rice, sugar
2.) Avoid Bananas and other fruits (berries are ok in moderation)
3.) Less than 20-25 cards a day
4.) Eat lots of healthy fats
5.) Electrolytes are important!
6.) Lots of water!!
There are probably more but Those are the ones I could think of. Its also super Important to take Vitamins as with almost any diet. Other things that can make all the difference are MTC oil and collagen (pill or powder) Although Mtc can be Tricky (you could say lol) I am learning so much about keto every day. In the beginning I didn’t know half of what I know now and I’m sure that right now I don’t know half of what I will in a month or two.
When I first started I focused so much on what I couldn’t have that I didn’t realize all the things I could have but once I shifted my Focus to what I could have I actually started to enjoy Keto. It was always fun to go find new keto things in the different stores near me and now I could tell you keto substitutes or a keto way for a lot of things. Now I’m 7 weeks in and I love my new carb and sugar free life style.
In the beginning I sat down and asked myself what I wanted to come out of keto. My answers were
1.) Lose weight
2.) Manage my pcos
3.) Fix my binge eating
Keto has done all of these thing for me and more. One big one is that now my teeth are not as sensitive. I have paired keto with an fasting schedule and I hope to add in some exercise as well (I’m lazy lol forgive me) but for now I’m just focusing on fine tuning my keto. I plan to post keto things on my blog often and give regular updates so stay tuned for that. I will add in some keto information photos as well. Before I go I would like to remind everyone I am not a dr, nutritionist, so before making any Health Decisions please consult you regular Doctor.
Last month I decided that I wanted a subscription box that was Along the lines of fitness and health. I Knew of several and have had a few in the past, Back when I first wanted to start a YouTube 5 ish years ago. (Starting another YouTube is still something on my mind btw lol) I wanted to try one that I have yet to try so I looked into a few and decided to try Miss Musclebox. Miss muscle box is a monthly subscription box for women! How cool is that! Every month has a different Theme and comes with 7 or more Items such as Gym Clothing, Healthy snacks, Fitness Accessories and workouts that are actually designed by Trainers. If it already sound up your ally you can Get yours here!
I knew that if I have some sort of Goodies coming in the mail for my fitness journey that I would be so excited to try them that I would actually be more motivated to work out. Its a Win win for me! But enough of that lets open one of these baby’s up!
I Love how colorful the box is!
The First few things I received in my box are some Airlight training Socks designed to keep you cool and supported (who doesn’t love socks) and two head bands the thinner one is from mavi bandz (I like that its adjustable) and the thicker one is from Bandz wear. both are smooth and light weight.
Next we have 2 snacks and I am so excited about them! They are both from the brand snack house and both Keto and only 3 carbs each! I’m super excited to try them! (stay tuned for my keto post!)
Lastly we have the star of the show are two large Items Fist is the Movement band This band can be worn around the waist or over the shoulder while you workout . You can store your keys, phone, or ear bugs in the two Expandable Pockets. This is going to be a lifesaver for hikes! Then we have Dynamix V2 Booty shorts. These are lightweight, supportive, and allow for dynamic movement and come in a wide range of colors. These are going to also be nice for hikes and lots of other workouts!
Over all I was really Happy with this box. It is my second month and I will be keeping it for at least a few months so I can really see what they have to offer. If you would like to get this box please click here I will receive 5 dollars off my next box for anyone who joins and that would be helpful. If you would like to see what I got in my April box Please let me know. I have a lot of content Im trying to finish so I can really kick start this blog again so stay tooned!
I have been trying to think of ways to get myself into the swing of working out again. I have a trampoline and I like to jump on it but being blessed in the chest I have to wear my special Shefit bra and that can be a hassle. I was sitting thinking about my favorite you tuber Beatrice Caruso and all the challenges she does. I have done challenges before but haven’t for some time now. I also just received a Booty band in my April Miss Muscle Box so I decided that a booty challenge would be the best way to start. The problem was that when you search for these challenges on google they are far from beginner. So I made my own.
The tricky thing here is I hate squats. come to think of it I hate Lunges also. But I guess that’s why they call it a challenge. I Really want to accomplish this one because of my Extreme Dislike for squats.
My hopes for this challenge is
1.) Obviously to have a better butt
2.) To get myself into the swing of working out
3.) Gain some confidence when it comes to exercise that isn’t cardio
4.) have enough Discipline to do every workout!
My only concern is that I don’t know proper form when doing a squat but I’m sure we will work through that. I also Worry about the number of Reps on some of the days that’s another hurdle we will have to jump when we come to it. Along with this challenge I am also Doing a gallon a day water challenge mostly because I can sometimes go all day without drinking anything and as someone who only drinks water and tea I need to make sure I’m not dehydrating myself. I Also Would like to challenge myself to get outside more. I really don’t get out enough and I think getting out would be good for my mental health. I know I will be out more when it comes time for the garden to go in in a few weeks but right now I would rather stay in the house and I really don know why because I am happier when I am outside. Ill be sure to take lots of notes on how that challenges are going and post on them each week!
Even tho I have been gone for some time and my mental health has been a little rocky I still refuse to give up on this weight loss journey. I don’t remember where we left off so Ill give you a run down of the last few months.
November/December: I injured my knee and then it was to cold to workout in my garage so i sold my equipment
January/February: My best friend and I joined a gym and were going several times a week. but after awhile schedule conflicts happened and we stopped going.
March/April: Near the end of march I wend to see my Dr and she suggested Keto. I have done keto before and it worked for me so i decided to give it a go once more. I started keto April 5th (day after Easter) I knew a bit about keto but I still dove in and started learning more about it. I learned lots of things and I’m still learning every day. I lost nearly 30 pounds my first month of keto.
So that brings Us to May. I’m still doing keto and I love my sugar and carb free life style. a lot of people tell me that it is a dramatic change and that they are not sure how I do it. but it almost comes natural to me. I never liked carbs that much anyway. Giving up sugar was a little bit of a challenge for me but I had such an Unhealthy relationship with food, mainly junk food and sugar that the change was incredibly positive for me. I don’t crave the things I use to and my old habit of binge eating is basically non existent now. Even though I lost nearly 30 pounds in the fist month keto is far from a quick fix. It takes a lot of Dedication and time.
There are lots of change that I still need to may in my life for my health and wellness. I’m constantly trying to get enough water and I want to add in some Exercise because there is always room for improvement.
The Curvy Dreamer 