before sweat and after

before my run...

and after

so sue me - i don't remove my mascara at night.

i think some women think they'll miss their pony tail once they chop off their hair - especially if they're active

but it's no big deal

i like to use a wide headband to hold my hair back and keep sweat from dripping in my eyes

the wide headbands also keep me from feeling like they are constantly sliding off my head

i love bondi bands and have been wearing them for a few years now - bill even has a few he wears

*bonus - they are wide enough to cover your ears when it's just a wee bit chilly out!

i also love that i no longer have ponytail length hair - i HAVE to fix my hair.

of course, i've been late yesterday and today...which i'm choosing to blame on the back to school traffic and not my renewed relationship with my hair dryer

annnnyways

the highlight of my morning thus far?

forgetting to turn on my runkeeper app for my run :(

i discovered this about a mile in when it hadn't alerted me to my progress

and so, you'd think no big deal - i've ran the 3 mile route enough times to know when i've reached 3 miles

buuuuut i decided to run a different route in the neighborhood.

ugh.  so i ran approximately the same time as i normally do

but it's like - if runkeeper didn't record it - it didn't happen

so i'm bummed.

 

30 Day Shred - before and after pictures and bonus pictures!

i'm so excited to share today

31 days ago i started jillian michael's 30 day shred

30 days of an intense 20 minute workout

30 days of continuing to track my calories

i never skipped a single day

i even packed along my kindle and weights to the lake to make sure i kept it up (even though there were a few choice words (of mine) about how much 'ish we were taking to the lake)

i didn't weigh myself

and i didn't do measurements

but thank goodness i took pictures

because i can really see the difference.

i could tell my clothes were fitting looser

and i was starting to fit back into some of my clothes that were hiding in my closet

but some days i just looked in the mirror and thought i was staying the same

but pictures don't lie

and by the way i love before and after pictures.  like obsessed with them

uhm...that should say 7-1-13...i was half asleep

i stared at this mashup all night last night

i couldn't believe the difference

my waist is smaller

my belly is flatter

i can gain 3 lbs and get fat face, so i think i can even see the a difference in the roundness in my face

and i can seriously see the definition in my shoulders and bicep - thanks to walking pushups i'm sure...

obviously, i still have some work to do

but for 30 days - i'm impressed!

i'm wearing the same thing in both the before and after

except for my sports bra

when i started out i was exercising in my one larger sports bra i had - i hadn't worn it in years because it was just too big

and at the start of this it was actually fitting kind of snug

by the end of the 30 days, it was much too big - much too loose to do many of the 30 DS moves in without getting hit in the face by a swinging boob

so in the after picture i'm wearing one of my running sports bras - that actually FITS again!

at the beginning on the 30DS i had convinced myself that the top i was wearing was loose and flowy

after taking the before pictures i could see that it was actually clinging to my belly

seeing the after pictures the top looks like it should and is actually getting kind of loose for doing the 30 DS

and by the way - i love the top - it's from old navy and is one of their bubble tanks - it's my favorite thing to run in right now because the tank is loose around my arms so there's no fear of any chaffing in the arm pit arena.

it should also be noted that along with the 30 day shred i was also doing some form of cardio for at least 30 minutes every day - some days that meant the elliptical, walking, running - or a combination

but as a former runner, you can loose weight through running - but you can't change your shape.  meaning you're not going to see the nice muscle definition and toning in the same way as you would by doing weight lifting.

so i guess what i'm trying to say, is that even though i was adding in other forms of exercise - i don't think i would be seeing the changes in my arms and stomach if i hadn't been doing the shred.

so what now?

i honestly loved doing the shred.

i hated it some days, but always loved getting it done

it's a great program - and is just long enough to feel like a great workout without getting boring.

it's hard enough that i'm constantly pushing myself to either perform the moves faster or perform them at the advanced level.

it's also not so hard that i'm just standing there waiting for an easier move.

and i find jillian to be really encouraging.

i also loved running in the morning and having this workout to come home to - i felt like i was really accomplished doing both

so starting sunday i'm going to start doing jillian michael's ripped in 30

it follows the 3-2-1 plan of the shred (3 minutes strength, 2 minutes cardio, 1 minute abs)

and is a 4 week program.

i'm finishing up my couch 2 5k program this week and will begin the half training on monday

i knew i wanted to keep up the strength training while i trained for the half - and jillian's workouts help give me focus - i don't want to lose the hard work i put in the past 30 days - and would love for my under arm flab to shrink!

so that, my friends, is goal #3.

to complete ripped in 30 4 week program

i guess half marathon training is in there too - but it's more of a mid-term goal since it spans 3 months.

my reward for goal #2 (completing the shred and couch 2 5k) was to get a pedicure.  lordy i need one.  but i'm going to take that goal money and sign up for the half marathon (races are $$$)

i'm thinking my reward for the ripped in 30 will be new workout pants.  the ones i'm wearing now are getting too big and my older ones are old...and holey...in the crotch.

so we'll give it another month of getting ripped to really let those pants get too big!

and because bill has been doing this with me - let's see his before and after!

bill has the luxury of being tall.  and relatively thin.

but he has lost what pudge he had around his belly - he's actually lost 12 lbs in a month!

which seems crazy to me! (and also motivating thinking about how much weight i've probably lost if i had been weighing)

i can see that his waist is straight - no love handles and his belly is a lot tighter - when we're doing the shred i can see his abs

i also noticed last weekend at the lake how much more defined his biceps were

it really is crazy to see the differences in just 1 month

i hope you joined in on the 30 DS - and i really hope this encourages others to take the challenge.

it's only 30 days.

imagine where you could be in your healthy journey in 30 days!



 

before and after

the only 2 things getting me through this monday morning?

the fact that it's a 4 day work week

and coffee

specifically



this coconut mocha - target seems to always have the best deals on k-cups, and i'm clearly not the only one who noticed.  my favorite donut shop brew was sold out, but not wanting to miss out on the bargain (they are marked down an extra $.50 this week) i picked up this flavor. 

and it is delicious! 

too bad i'm not enjoying my cup while on my couch watching it...SNOW!

that is not an excited exclamation point.

it's a furious one.

this ill weather did make my weekend home projects a little easier to get done, though

like going from this

to this!

ta-da!  i managed to hang these all by myself.  i'm still thinking they might be hung too high

or i may add a 3rd lower shelf...

the thought of ripping them out and having to fill the anchor holes is saddening, so i'm going with the idea that once we have the shelves filled it will just help bring the eye up more and utilize all of the empty wall space

yeah...

i tried to add a bit of what i already had to see how it looks...and to make sure they wouldn't come tumbling down.

it's a work in progress :)

my other decorative task this weekend was to make curtains

the good news

i found the fabric at a local shop!

the bad news

they don't have any bolts of it in - and it would cost me $40(!!!!) a yard to order it through them.

they were so helpful and friendly though, and definitely told me to order online (which i've found for $15 a yd - i only need 5)

they also let me check out the swatch book so i could see the fabric in the room

and i love it - definitely placing an order this week- after i measure one more time

i also fell in love with this coordinating fabric from the same line.  i may order this as well and try my hand at a shower curtain

how cute is that little bird?

so no curtains made, BUT

the living room and kitchen are officially PAINTED!!

before...

and after:

before:

and after:

so much better!

i love sherwin williams paint - and have never bought anything different. 

we used "jogging path" in the HGTV HOME brand sherwin williams carries (it's the cheapest option, but it's high quality paint) with a satin finish.

it's so nice to have our kitchen semi back in order :)

did you have a fruitful weekend?