The Challenge

In August I decided to read Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. It was just what I needed at that time, having gone through a lot earlier this year. So much relatable and well written advice for women. I needed someone to tell me to get up, keep moving, and that I was made for more. Rachel just happened to be the girl for the job. I was inspired to stop dreaming about the photographer I wanted to be one day and take action to make my dreams a reality. After falling in love with Rachel’s approach to life, I started following her on social media. When she started talking about the Last 90 Days challenge I knew it was something I wanted to do.

Typically, we all treat ourselves pretty bad once the holidays roll around. Really funny when you think of how often we say the phrase, “Treat yourself!” in conjunction with things like, “It’s Halloween! I’m just going to finish off what’s left of the candy I didn’t give out. I mean, I need something to do while I watch Stranger Things right?!”, “I’m going to put away that leftover pie from Thanksgiving dinner in my belly as I turn up the Christmas music and drag out the decorations… Wine would go great with this pie!”, “I’m definitely going to get enough exercise shopping so who needs the gym?”, or “I’ll get serious about being healthy on New Year’s Day.” I might have said these things… but maybe you did too? This year I am committed to changing the narrative.

5 To Thrive

1 – Get up an hour earlier than you normally do and use the time for YOURSELF.

2 – Workout for at least 30 minutes.

3 – Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

4 – Give up one food category you know you shouldn’t be eating.

5 – Write down 10 things you are grateful for every single day.

These are the 5 things you will need to do every day to participate in this challenge. Check out Rachel Hollis’s website here for more info. Also, you can sign up for weekly emails from her and follow her social media for updates throughout the challenge.

My Weight Loss Journey So Far

I know this challenge is about so much more than weight loss but I wanted to touch on my own journey up to this point. I know that all the changes I’m currently making will help me get closer to my goals. I haven’t publicly spoken about this but maybe someone out there needs to hear it.

I have struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. I’ve tried so many different ways to lose weight as an adult; various meal replacement shakes, giving up carbs, buying expensive meal plans, and so many other random things. Often ones that are also promoted as quick fixes. However, I just never took any of them seriously enough to see results. If I did see any, it wasn’t long before I jumped off a cliff into a pile of nachos or whatever tasty junk food happened to be in my way. I refused to believe I had willpower. I hated the way I felt about my body and I began having several health issues that started to worry me.

Then, in February of 2017, I was in Dallas after a consultation for weight loss surgery. It gave me some serious perspective. I had just signed up and set a date for this surgery. I was going to alter my body forever in order to lose this weight and after all is said and done I could still gain it back. I know this has been amazing for some and I’m in no way saying it’s the wrong thing to do. I think it all depends on your personal situation. For me, it became the fuel I needed to pull myself together. I canceled the surgery.

I started to succeed and make real lasting changes in my lifestyle. Want to know the secret?? I started eating less and moving more. Literally that simple. I signed up for Weight Watchers online which has an app for my phone, but really that’s just a well put together tool for tracking your food and paying attention to what you’re eating in a day. It works so well for me, but you could do it just as easily by counting calories with a free app if that works better for your budget. What I love about this approach is how realistic it is. I can eat whatever I want. I know that may sound silly but it’s true. I do have to think about it and portion out my meals, but I don’t have to give up those delicious nachos or that Snickers I just need some days. As for exercise, I started going for walks around our neighborhood. No gym membership required there. Also, it was good for me because when I would get myself halfway around the neighborhood and I wanted to stop… oh well, I had to carry this tired booty home.

After a full year of work I was able to lose over 100 pounds. More importantly, my health was much better. All the changes I made impacted my life in so many great ways. I ended up getting pregnant in January but sadly lost my baby in May. I talk more about that in my blog post The Girl Behind the Camera. The pregnancy and the very rough time in my life that followed caused me to put my health goals on the back burner so I’ve gained some of the weight back. I’m determined that I will not go back to that place I was at my heaviest. I have made changes to my life that prove I do have willpower. I know what I’m capable of!

Participating in this challenge is important to me, because I want to end a painful year in a powerful way. I still have weight to lose. This picture shows my before and during but I need that after. Along with the 5 to Thrive I will personally be doing Weight Watchers as well. If you want to form these habits too but you think you can’t make these kinds of changes to your life, I believe my story is proof you’re wrong. Let’s do something good for ourselves for the last 90 days of 2018.

My Experience

Today is day 10 of 90. This challenge has been no joke so far. It was an interesting start since on day 1 Owen was admitted to the hospital. His gallbladder was full of stones and infected so on day 2 they did surgery to get that nasty thing outta there. You’d think maybe I used this as an excuse but NOPE! I made sure I did all the things. I’m not saying it was easy but I made it work and I’m proud. Trying not to break promises to myself over here.

Ok, let me take you through how I’m doing this 5 to Thrive thing!

1 – Get up an hour earlier than you normally do and use the time for YOURSELF.

Rachel might give me the side eye over there but I’m personally not waking up an hour early yet. Not to say I couldn’t, our schedule has just been more inconsistent lately with Owen off work. We also don’t have little ones so I have the freedom to dedicate time during my day for myself. I am making a point each day to take at least an hour to do something for me. I keep referring to this one as “me time”. I see just how important it is. It’s been so good to enjoy a long hot bath, catch up on reading, or playing some video games. A couple of the days I’ve used this time to drink my coffee and write my planner and journal.

2 – Workout for at least 30 minutes.

I have a Fitbit and I’ve been making sure I get at least 30 active minutes each day. I enjoy going for walks but I have also developed a love for yoga. As a girl with a lot of curves, I always thought I couldn’t do yoga. I discovered a great channel on YouTube called Yoga with Adriene so I was able to try it out in my living room with the help of my favorite yoga buddy Max. She’s awesome and I really enjoy it. It’s a good workout but it’s also helped with my anxiety.

3 – Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.

I’m drinking a gallon of water per day. I love drinking water so this part isn’t too difficult but I don’t like Texas tap water. So for a year or more now we’ve been going to Pure Water Ice and Tea Company here in Abilene. We have 3 jugs that we get refilled and as a bonus I love getting their strawberry peach unsweetened tea. We keep one of the jugs in the fridge all the time so we have cold water. I just fill up my insulated water bottle throughout the day and I take it with me if we go out. Only downside to drinking a gallon of water a day is having to pee so often but that’s hydration. I’m already noticing a difference in how I feel and my complexion.

4 – Give up one food category you know you shouldn’t be eating.

I’ve decided to give up Coke Zero and all soda in general. I love Coke Zero but I know how bad it is for me. The more I drink, the more I crave junk food. I’ve justified it for a long time because it’s zero calories but we all know that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. My heart was still hurting at first but then I realized I’m so much better off without it. The break up is going well.

5 – Write down 10 things you are grateful for every single day.

Writing down 10 things I’m grateful for each day has been more challenging than I expected. It’s been such a positive addition to my day because I’m trying to keep the good stuff in mind as I go. In addition to writing down these 10 things, I have also been starting out my day by writing my 15 big goals. I write them as if they’ve already been achieved. The Sunday before this challenge started I sat down and put a lot of thought into my goals. I made sure that each one is specific and intentional. Starting my day out writing my goals is really helping to keep them at the forefront on my mind. I’m really enjoying journaling every single day.

Please let me know in the comments below if you are doing #last90days or if maybe my blog has inspired you to join in.

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