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2010 Fitness and Weight Loss Goals

December 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment

In 2010, I will focus on Financial and Business goals with a secondary focus on achieving my ultimate weight loss goal. (BIG business goal is to be mobile)

Physical:

  • To weigh 138 lbs or less by Jan.  1, 2011. (this will be 40 lb loss for 2010, 140 lb total loss) Ultimate weight ideal could be between 120 and 140 lbs. Will see how I feel as I continue to lose. (current weight is 178 lbs) (I think this last/Vegas 10 lbs will come off fast and I think I will try to hit goal 6-9 months with maintenance for the rest of 2010)
  • To continue with my varied and consistent exercise. I am ready to hit this goal weight in 2010!

OK, I know that I said this last year BUT I am not beating myself up for basically having the same goal for 2010. A lot of “life happened” last year and all in all, I feel that I’ve handled it pretty well in terms of being healthy. I also traveled a lot in 2009 AND felt great in my body while doing so! 2010 is definitely going to be the year of completion for my weight loss goal! I suspect I will reach the goal before the end of the year (will aim for 6-9 months) and some of the reports this year will deal with maintenance and issues that I come across while working to maintain a healthy weight and continue with my exercise plan and healthy eating.

Are you ready? Have you set your goals?

Filed Under: 2010 Goals

7 to 40: Looking Ahead at 2010

December 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I'm turning 40 in 7 days!

happy-new-yearHappy New Year! 🙂

I cannot believe that it is the final day of 2009 today! What a year it has been.
A quick review of my 2009:

  • Last year at this time I was in Dublin celebrating New Year’s with a great friend and ended up staying in Ireland for 3.5 months. It was the 2nd of two trips and I had an awesome time. I would definitely like to return one day soon.
  • At this time last year, my weight loss was at an all time low of 158 lbs. I am actually 10 lbs up from that as I head into 2010 BUT I am trying not to be too bummed about this as I contemplate the possible reasons. 😉 I think it is a positive thing that I am feeling so much better about myself that the remaining lbs have not been as urgent to get off. I traveled and have done so much physically this past year that I had never been able to do comfortably. This is an accomplishment and I am choosing to feel great about it! 😉 I do plan to reach my ideal weight in 2010.
  • I returned to San Francisco for a wonderful visit with my friends and their newest addition to the family. I attended Hosanna Celebration Center and was able to worship with the team that I love so much.
  • During the trip to San Francisco, I unexpectedly lost my online job of 4+ years.
  • I moved from NC to MI for the winter (I did have this planned prior to losing my job AND this totally ended up being a huge blessing.)

I will be officially writing my goals shortly, (Since my birthday is Jan 7, I like to give myself a week’s grace period) but here are a few of my big intentions/goals for 2010:

  • to increase my income to a point where I am able to live a mobile lifestyle. Current plan would be to start out in Thailand. Yay!
  • to reach my ultimate weight loss goal – I will be reviewing this but should be roughly 20-30 lbs yet to lose.
  • and more but those would be the biggies!

I wish you all the very happiest of New Year’s and much success in 2010!

Filed Under: 40 to 40

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2009 by Leave a Comment


Happy New Year!

I would love to hear what your BIG New Year’s goals are…would you share them with me in the forum?

Forum thread for discussion is here. (Be sure to register for the forum if you’ve not done so)

Here’s to a great and successful 2010 and beyond!

Filed Under: 2010: What's Your Plan

8 to 40: Weight Loss Turning Point and the Importance of Having a Plan

December 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I'm turning 40 in 8 days!

Here is a reminder for you (and for me) of where I was at 3 years ago…

before-benchThe quality of the image is not great but you can certainly see:

  • my size – this would have been my heaviest at 278 lbs
  • how unhappy I look

I actually hated getting my picture taken and my mom happened to snap this shot from a distance at Airlie Gardens in Wilmington one time when they were visiting. I’m happy now that I have it because I think it perfectly displays how I was feeling SO much of the time at that weight.

I know for a fact that day I was so conscious of my size and how I was feeling that day in particular. I was trying to be a good sport and enjoy the day walking around the lovely garden with my parents BUT I felt horrible, out of shape and FAT!

The actual decision to lose the weight came while sitting around the table with my youngest sister and now brother-in-law. They were to be married in 6 months and we were discussing my sister’s weight loss goals. Of course I had the bad feeling imagining myself at this event at my current size – ugh! You know the feeling!

I started really thinking and talking about how much change I could really make in 6 months and the plan was soon put into motion.

targetAs the New Year loomed that year, I began putting my plan to paper. I am such a big believer in the importance of having goals and targets to move towards, especially with my weight loss efforts.

The weight loss turning point was all about actually making the decision that I HAD to lose this weight! I started to look ahead 3 years to my 40th birthday. (which is just around the corner on Jan 7th!) I started to really think about how I would feel if I did NOTHING! Ick and no way! There had to be better things for me in my future and that was going to start with a plan for change.

I am doing the current 2010: What’s Your Plan miniseries in the hopes that it will inspire you to make the decision to lose weight, get fit and change your life. SO much of our weight loss journey has to do with having a plan!

Decide.  Plan.  Revise. Celebrate!

I know you can do this!

Filed Under: 40 to 40 Tagged With:

9 to 40: Move to Wilmington

December 30, 2009 by Leave a Comment

I'm turning 40 in 9 days!

wilmingtonIn 2006 I moved from San Francisco, CA to Wilmington, NC.

Shortly after my parent’s accident, I was visiting them in MI and this also happened to be the same time that my youngest sister was moving to Wilmington, NC for a new job.

I decided to do the drive with her and on the way we started talking about the possibility of me moving to Wilmington also.

I had been trying to venture out on my own online so I was no longer tied to a location in regards to work and my living expenses in Marin County had gotten to be a bit much.  As my youngest sister reminded me that we had never actually lived near each other as adults, (She was only 8 when I had left home to go to college.) it started to sound like an exciting idea!

I spent some time making my pro/con list and by the time we got to Wilmington I had decided that as long as I liked the feel of the town, I would be returning to Marin to sell everything and move on out!

Long story short, I did like Wilmington and my father also had some surgery scheduled so I decided that it made sense to leave Marin to visit them in MI since so that I could be there for them during some of my dad’s recovery period.

I literally headed back to Marin and sold pretty all my belongings including my car. 🙂

After a successful surgery and recovery period for my father, I headed out to NC…literally from one coast (San Francisco) to the other!

Wilmington is a great coastal university town located on the Cape Fear River.

wilmington-downtownwrightsville-beachwilmington-to-beachThere are beautiful beaches:

I lived here up until a few months ago when I left to spend the winter in MI at my parents home while they travel in their motor home for the winter.

The time in Wilmington was great for me. Among the things that I appreciated the most are:

  • a closer relationship with my youngest sister
  • a great friendship with my brother-in-law who I did not really know that well prior to living there
  • I lost 110 lbs while living here and developed a healthy and fit lifestyle for myself!
  • and many more things! I may be back one day! 😉


Filed Under: 40 to 40 Tagged With:

YOUR Plan For Success

December 29, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Here I talk about planning for success as opposed to setting yourself up for failure. 😉

Often times we can get ahead of ourselves a bit at the beginning of our weight loss goals. I want you to be able to build on successes and that can mean getting started with the smaller ones. It ALL counts! Let’s win at this together!

Forum thread for discussion is here. (Be sure to register for the forum if you’ve not done so)

Next: Happy New Year!



Filed Under: 2010: What's Your Plan

Having a Support System

December 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment


Here I talk about the importance of support as we go along working and achieving our weight loss goals. We are ALL about support here and would REALLY love for you to join us in the forum community! 🙂

Forum thread for discussion is here. (Be sure to register for the forum if you’ve not done so)

Next: YOUR Plan For Success

Filed Under: 2010: What's Your Plan

10 to 40: Lessons Learned While Living in San Francisco

December 28, 2009 by 1 Comment

I'm turning 40 in 10 days!

lombard-streetThis picture of Lombard Street is also famously known as the crooked street in San Francisco…I think it signifies the twists and turns that my life took while I lived in San Francisco. 😉

Among many things I learned:

  • to accept and value the differences in people
  • to seek forgiveness and to forgive myself for past mistakes
  • the amazing knowledge of having a relationship with Jesus
  • that I am a worshiper
  • the true value of what my nanny job meant (it was much more than a J.O.B.)
  • to take risks
  • to love
  • that I could survive a devastating break-up and still love myself
  • to have deep relationships with others
  • to stretch myself and grow

I’m sure there are many more things I could list, but these are the ones that currently come to mind!

Filed Under: 40 to 40

Week 156 Check-in: December 28, 2009

December 28, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Starting Weight: Jan 1, 2007 – 278 lbs
Previous Week’s Weight: December 21, 2009 – 168

Current Weight: December 28, 2009 – 168 lbs (haven’t actually weighed – estimate only)

Week 156 Weight Loss:  0 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 110 lbs

Exercise Report:
Cardio x 4 (2 regular, 2 at hotel – stairs)
Strength Training (Upper body) x 1
Strength Training (Lower body) x 1
Abs x 2
Pilates x 1

Food Report:
Great prior to leaving for Vegas! Gonna try in Vegas but no promises here! 😉

Notes:

  • Very excited to be in Vegas this week!
  • Also super excited about the New Year – Be sure to check out the mini-series
    “2010: What’s Your Plan“
  • Not sure how this time away is going to work. Will probably indulge more than a bit but will work to get some exercise in there!

Filed Under: Weekly Check-in

11 to 40: Travel Adventures: TESL in Barcelona and First Trip to Europe

December 27, 2009 by Leave a Comment

11-to-40I’m going to be doing a few travel adventure posts in the upcoming days…travel is such a big desire of mine so I wanted to be sure to include some posts of my favorite trips starting with my first trip to Europe! Yay!

My first international trip was a few years prior to this and I wrote about my adventures in Guatemala in post 19 to 40.

In 1998, I left San Francisco to take a 5 week course in Barcelona, Spain. I was going to get my TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) certificate with the intention of being able to travel around the world teaching English. Yay!

barcelona-finished-schoolbarcelona-view-hotelbarcelona-schoolHere are some pictures of the school I attended, the view outside my hotel room balcony and me with my certificate after completing the course!

sagrada-familiala-ramblaBarcelona was an amazing city. Here are pictures of Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia and the famous La Rambla street:

I had my first Europe trip planned and my cousin was to join me in Germany after the course and then we would travel around by train!

Yay! I had been dreaming about this for years…

Before I met up with my cousin, I went to Prague with my Hungarian friend that I knew from my San Diego nanny days!

prague2

From here I visited another friend in Germany. We went to the  Dachau Concentration Camp which was a very somber experience and one that I felt I could not miss while there.

germany-dachau

I also saw castles and some AMAZING scenery in Germany:

germany-castle-view

italy-venicerome-trevi-fountainparis-eiffel-tower

…and I LOVE Italy! My first trip to Europe included a whirlwind tour of Venice, Rome and Florence – then on to Paris!

I had also made several great friends from England during my days as a nanny in San Diego, so we then headed to England before going back to the states.

england1england-castleIt was an amazing tip and adventure. You can bet that I would be anxious to return to Europe!

I did not actually do any teaching after my experience in Barcelona. Not for lack of wanting to…just different things that happened after I returned home.

I would end up back in San Francisco for a period of time…always planning that next trip!

And there would be more! Stay tuned!


Filed Under: 40 to 40 Tagged With:
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