This is what welcomed us to our last morning of Circuits in the Park. Such a stunning skyline this morning. A few more days and we would have had to use head lamps to work out. Hahaha.

Last Day of Circuits in the Park

Don't let this be you again this year.

Tomorrow morning is our last day of Circuits in the Park for the year. I have really enjoyed working out with all of these women. They kept me accountable and helped me have fun while grinding through the workouts.

 Thank you to each one of you who have shown up and worked out with me. I feel so blessed to have met you and/or spent a little time with you. Keep working hard. Find a venue that will keep you accountable. Remember, you work out to be healthy and strong, not skinny; Strong IS the new skinny. I look forward to seeing you for our third Summer of Circuits in the Park, next summer.

 Oh, and if you feel led, you should join me one last time, tomorrow morning, 6 AM at Pine Nursery Park.

 

Weigh Day!!

Hahahahaha
 

Yeah!! I'm so happy to report I lost another 3 lbs this week. That's 19 lbs in 4 weeks. Amazing!

This was a tough week for most in the challenge. Just remember we only have 8 weeks and a few days left. Make each day count and it will all add up. YOU can do this. Don't let another 7 days slip through your fingers.

How did you do with last week's challenge? Did you log your food all week? Did it make you aware of "extra" things you were eating?

The challenge for this week is to work on your rest. Rest is just as important to weight loss as exercise. You need to try to get 8 hours of sleep a night. This challenge is really pointing straight at me. I'm not good in this area and I need to work on it. So together we're all going to make sure our bodies work hard and rest hard this week.

Lucy Active Wear

I am so excited to tell you, I have another national sponsor! I received these workout clothes in the mail yesterday from Lucy. I LOVE them. They are so comfortable. If you need active wear Lucy is the place to go. They have retail stores in Tigard and Portland and of course you can find them online at www.lucy.com.

Weigh Day Update

I LOVE this one!!

Yesterday I could not tell the group's loss because I had not heard from everyone yet. I finally heard from most everyone and the group's loss this week is 14.3 lbs. After just 3 short weeks the group's total loss is 56.4 lbs. You women are AMAZING!!

I forgot to put a challenge out to everyone. So here it is. I have two challenges this week. You pick which one best fits you. First, I do not think you can be successful if you do not know how much food is going in your mouth every day. Therefore, if you are not logging your food I want you to commit to doing it every day this week. Find a free online site or write it in a notebook, whichever works best for you. If you are already logging what you eat, everyday, then I challenge you to burn what you are eating. That means if you eat 1250 calories that day, you have to burn 1250 calories from your workouts/activities. Remember, housework will burn calories so be mindful of all your activities during the day.

Have fun with this!! It does not have to feel like a job! :)

Weigh Day!!

I can't believe it. Another nice weight loss. I lost 3 lbs this week. My goal is 3 lbs per week so hopefully that's what I'll see this next week too. At this rate I should more than reach my goal. Yes! Finally, it's moving again. (I haven't received new weights from several of the people in our challenge so I can't report the group's loss this week.)

Yummy. . .

I can't believe I haven't posted since Thursday. I guess I've been busy. . . no I know I've been busy. It was a whirlwind weekend with babysitting class for my oldest, 541 dance for my middle, hosting our home church BBQ, Jason working all weekend, yard work (lots of it) and so much more. I stayed focused and kept burning those calories throughout all the chaos.  We ran stairs at COCC Saturday morning and improved our time. That was exciting. I'm trying to get to the 10 times in 40 min requirement the Army Physical Fitness class has. On Saturday I ran it 7 times in 41 minutes, so I'm getting there.

I want to share this little recipe with you because, in my opinion, it's addictive. Hopefully my friend Heather S. doesn't mind me sharing this. She brought it to the BBQ Friday night and then I made it for dinner last night. I'm not sure what to call it so I'll just give you the ingredients.

Newman's low fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing
Coleslaw cabbage mixture
Sliced or slivered almonds

So yummy!!! Enjoy!!

I'm In The Bulletin

Here it is folks. The article is out today. I'm so excited and hope it helps some other people. You can read it online here  https://circulation.bendbulletin.com/publicus2/html/login?CSProduct=BUONLINE&CSAuthReq=1345144588:473473144162107:557187C34B869B111F1C7ACC6E62A06F&CSTargetURL=http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/login&AID=20120816/NEWS01/208160308
or go purchase a copy.

Weigh Day!!

I am so excited to report I lost 4.5 lbs this week. Amazing!! I did not even have this kind of weight loss when I first began my journey. I hope I can keep this up. I will keep pushing for it that is for sure. As a group, we lost a total of 11.5 lbs this week. I have not received a weigh in from three people for various reasons. I am still impressed with the loss several people had. Great job!

The challenge for this week is to do 60 sit ups every day. You do not have to do them all at once. You can do 10 here and there. Just get 60 in everyday. The goal is to see the inches melt off the middle. :) Don't shy away from these challenges. They are meant to show you, you can do more than you think. Step up to the plate and see what happens.

The Bulletin

My story will be in our local newspaper, The Bulletin, this Thursday!!! It will be in the Health & Fitness section. I am excited & nervous. I often find myself asking why I put myself out there, especially today. The answer is, to inspire others to change their lives. If I can do that, I will keep telling my story. The good. The bad. The ugly. So pick up The Bulletin on Thursday!!

Happy Anniversary!

Today, Jason and I are celebrating 18 years of marriage. So many people say it, but I say it because it's true; Jason you are my best friend and I am so blessed to travel through this life with you by my side. We are quite a team and I look forward to many more exciting years ahead, because our life never has a dull moment. I love you babe!

Then


AND

Now

Weigh Day!!!

Before I report the weigh in results I just have to say it's very strange posting a weigh day in the middle of the week. It messed my whole day up. . . I kept thinking it was Saturday and that's not good when it is only Wednesday.

I am, however, super excited about this week's results. Drum roll please. . . . I lost 8.5 lbs!!!!! I know, right?!?! FINALLY! I worked very hard and the Bodybugg is AMAZING!! I allowed myself more food than I have in the past and I burned off what I allowed myself to eat on my "Free" day. I'm already seeing a transition in my approach to eating and the way I think about calories in vs. calories out because of this neat little tool.

I am also very excited to report that the group as a whole lost 30.6 lbs. That's 30.6 lbs of fat down the drain. Not one person put on any weight this week and I think that's fantastic. For those that were not as focused this past week I just want to encourage you to get a plan and stick with the disciplines this week. It really is about the disciplines. You have the desire, now find the determination and see this challenge through.

On to next week. . . This week's challenge is to drink a gallon of water a day. I know that seems extreme, but the majority of Americans are dehydrated and if you are working out hard everyday you need to stay hydrated. I suggest getting a 32 oz water bottle; if you drink 4 of them per day you're good to go.

Go get 'em!!!

Workouts on the Butte

We give walking the Butte a whole new meaning with this workout. If you have a chance you should join us. We aren't predictable on our schedule so you will have to contact me to find out when we are doing it next. 

Side Squats up the Butte



Feeling the burn



Speed Walking



Static Shoulder Raises

 

Knee Tucks aren't easy to do when someone's taking a picture.

 Single Leg Pelvic Thrusts

 Gorgeous Mountain Views

Finished and Still Smiling

Day 2, Check

After 2 days using the Bodybugg I've decided it will be the tool for success or the tool that kills me. Yesterday I had a 1700+ calorie deficit. Not too shabby. Tonight I still had over 300 calories to burn. So at 10:15 I went for a run. I think I'll work on getting more burn in earlier in the day. I'm pretty sure the 3 hour nap this afternoon didn't help me. I'm not even kidding, 3 HOURS!! If you know me well you know I don't stop until I fall over. Naps are unheard of for me. I just couldn't keep going today. I was having major cravings this afternoon too. It was probably a good thing I slept through it.

If you're on the challenge with me, how was day 2 for you? Have you been able to get in an extra 15 minutes of cardio? Remember to leave your comments on my blog not Facebook for those that aren't Facebookers.

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition

This is one of my new favorite shows. It is soooo inspiring and shows how something hard can be accomplished no matter what your circumstances. If you have a chance pull it up on hulu.com and watch a few episodes. You'll feel like you can do anything.

Here's a link:

http://www.hulu.com/search?query=Extreme+Makeover%3A+Weight+Loss+Edition&st=0&fs=null

90 Day Weight Loss Challenge Day 1

I am so excited about this weight loss challenge. If you are just hearing about this you are more than welcome to join us. Just email your starting weight and 90 day goal weight to sandy@sandysjourney.com. We are even more amazing when we have people standing by our sides, walking through the tough stuff with us and encouraging us. I look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you at the end of the 90 days.

Each week I plan to throw out challenges. You know, to keep this interesting. :) Each challenge will be something you CAN do, but it won't feel comfortable. That's why it's called a challenge.

This week I want you to add an extra 15 minutes of exercise in any form each day. For example if you would normally exercise 1 hour per day you will exercise for 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you normally exercise 30 minutes you will exercise for 45 minutes. I want you to see how an extra 15 minutes can really help you meet your goals.

Side note:
Post your comments on my blog page. Not everyone has a facebook page so if you post on facebook some will miss your comments.