Challenges & Goals

Hello blog world, it is me the boring and not so entertaining ME. OK, enough of the lame. I did a challenge that I set for myself... and it was one I was not sure I was going to be able to do this year, but I did. It was unexpected, unplanned, but I think it was best to happen that way so I didn't have excuses. I know I had mentioned before about Nelson Ledges. It is a place that is loaded with caves, waterfalls, and beauty. Only thing, it is one heck of a hike and you have to climb up and down rocks and hills to get to different places in the park. I did it. Most of the time we did the more difficult trails, my husband helped our daughter so she was able to do it. A whole 60 minutes of it. I took pictures of my hike & climbing. Little did I know in one picture, I would capture a bear. I didn't know he/she was there when I took the picture. Didn't see it when I took the picture. Uploaded my picture to the computer and there it was..... a bear's nose. I was 10 feet away from this animal and had NO idea. Talk about a pee your pants moment, that was pretty close... haha. Would I go back there? You bet I would. I know that they sleep during the colder months, so that is when I will plan on going there again..haha. Before we went to Nelson's, I went to a place called "Chair Factory Falls" and walked and climbed hills. Was well worth it because the falls were gorgeous. Did 60 minutes of walking there, too! After there, we stopped at an old 1800's village and walked it for 60 minutes. So by the time I got to Nelson's, I was pretty tired and already worn out, but did it anyway. :) I was so proud of all the exercising I did that day. Here it is Wednesday and I am STILL sore from it! It is OK though, that means muscles were worked that needed to be worked. So, my next goal and challenge is the Kinzua Skywalk. It goes out 600 feet into a valley between mountains, and is roughly 250-300 feet in the air. It has a glass floor so you can see just how high up you really are. I am deathly afraid of heights. Petrified is probably a better term. One thing I have learned about this whole weight loss journey is that it is a year of facing fears and conquering them one by one. Fear is something that YOU make up. It doesn't exist until you conjure it up. So, with that being said, since I created this fear, I need to put it to death. Not only will I get great exercise doing this, but I believe it will help make me a stronger person. I have so many things I want to do, but fear gets in the way. I am strongly considering college, but fear again is really putting me in a vise. I have to mentally talk myself into doing it, just like I did when I started this journey. I have to give myself pep talks and talk myself into doing things. I know it probably sounds strange, but it is the honest to goodness truth. I have issues with failure. I hate to fail. So, in order to avoid failure, I do not even try. Think about it, that is a failure in itself! So, I know that I have plans, and I know I want to follow through with them, it is just a matter of getting myself prepped for it. My scale is being a dork again. I think it is telling me the truth, then I don't. The last time I was weighed, I was 341. Now my scale is saying between 330 and 335. Not exactly sure where I am at this point. I will just keep plugging along anyway. I must be doing something right if I am no longer 468, right? Some days are so much more difficult than others when it comes to food. This last week I have been hungry as if I am starving and I am not even sure why? A couple days this week I have gone over my count, even the day with all that walking and hiking. However, because of the exercise, I was under, but without the exercise, it would have been a disaster. I want to try to eat better when I can. When nearing a pay period, it can be difficult to do. We tend to go with what is cheap. I still for the most part stay under my calorie goal, but I hate eating processed stuff. I am trying to learn ways of veering away from it and trying other healthy alternatives. Anyway, this is my ramble for today. Hope you all are doing fabulous! Take care!

Long Overdue Update!

Been a coon's age since I updated this blog. Bad me. A lot has been going on but I wanted to share a few things with you guys! Well, I went to the doctor a short while ago. Nothing bad, just the routine check up. Had blood work, etc. Well, to see the doctor's face when she saw me was worth it all. She congratulated me on my weight loss so far and said I was looking good. I at least know my weight for sure, so I was able to fix my scale at home to read right :) On that day, I weighed 346, I now weigh 339 :) At least I am going in the right direction and I know my weight FOR SURE this time! She calculated how much weight I had lost and she was floored. Ahhhh.... but I have to tell you what the lab work said! I AM NO LONGER considered a diabetic. That's right, I beat it! :) My cholesterol is in excellent shape for once! Beat that! :) However, my liver enzymes were way abnormal. She thinks it is more than likely my gall bladder since it has been giving me trouble for a while now... or a fatty liver. I am suppose to have an ultrasound. Bad me again.... have yet to make that appointment. *sigh* I have also met a couple goals :) We road Presque Isle bike trail, which was 13.5 miles! That was one of my goals for this summer and I did it! It was so nice to have that experience. The last time I was there at the park, I could not even get to the monument because it was too much walking. This time, I rode around it and OWNED it! :) Not only that, last weekend my husband, daughter and I went on another bike ride on the bike trail and rode 22 miles!!!! I got this! :) Also went to a zoo with my family & friends :) Walked around and was able to enjoy myself. We were on our feet for hours! I didn't have to keep stopping and was able to thoroughly enjoy the experience. I have other goals in mind that I would like to achieve before the end of this year. 1. Get under 300 pounds. That is going to be a doozy. I need to lose 39 pounds in 3 months. That is going to take some work. I may not reach it, but I might be close! 2. Nelson Ledges Park. Rock climbing anyone? I won't be able to do the more difficult path because we will have our daughter with us, but the easier trails, I want to go back and do :) 3. Kinzua Skyway. Put it this way. This is another doozy. I am scared shitless of heights for one. The skyway is the old train bridge that used to span across the Alleghany River in the mountains. It was the highest train bridge in the states. Well, a tornado came through and ripped it in half, so now there is only MAYBE half of it left. They turned it into a skyway so you can walk out and see the beauty of the mountains and the valley. It is only 301 feet up in the air, that's all. *blank stare* 4. Get my house in pristine shape. As a lot of my friends know, I suck at housekeeping. Main reason was it was so difficult to get around to do anything in my home, so things would get a little crazy. Now that I am 129 pounds lighter, I am able to move about a lot better. Well, sometimes I still have the 468 pound mindset. This last week when my daughter is in school and husband is at work, I have been doing stuff around the house on a daily basis. Once caught up, I am going to make a schedule for me to keep. Such and such day I mop the kitchen and the bathroom. Such and such day I vacuum and dust all rooms. Such and such day I do the laundry. You get the idea. I want to be able to keep the household moving smoothly and have a nice neat home. Been getting rid of a lot of stuff lately and it isn't done! I will get it, I will! 5. Well, I was challenged to go out dancing before the year is up by another fellow weight loss buddy. I better get my butt out there and boogie soon! hahaha I have thought about college a lot lately. Wondering if I should go to college or go to work or both. However, I need to prove to myself that I can be active on a daily basis and handle it. I need to prove that I can get my house in shape before I take on something else. I think that is a smart choice. Well, there you have it in a nutshell. There is my update! lol