Five on Friday

I've been really slacking on the whole "fitness" aspect of my whole Friday posts and they were originally intended to be all about fitness and making myself accountable for my fitness goals. Well, this week everything on my Five on Friday list is related to fitness - and while that won't be the case every Friday, at least for this one, I'll focus on fitness.

One. What I'm Eating - That would more accurately be what I'm drinking; I decided to go back to ViSalus, a system of shakes made with a special powder, fruit and almond milk. I should say I use almond milk but it can be made with regular milk or even water...although I don't recommend water and regular milk has a lot more calories than almond milk. I'm five days in and so far, so good. I'm also drinking gallons of water and I joked earlier this week at work that I might as well move my desk into the bathroom.

I definitely realize the whole shake thing isn't for everyone and I probably need to work on training myself to eat healthier and somewhere along the way, I'll try to do that...but for now, this is what works for me and so I'm going to stick to it. I've never been a super healthy eater - I've gotten better as I've gotten older and I think I can continue that trend but for now, I'm going to go with what I know works for me.

Two. What I'm Doing - Which would be walking...walking...walking (and jogging in spurts). The days are starting to get longer now (yahoo!) and I'm able to get home around 5:30, change and start pounding the pavement about 5:35 and get in about 1.5 to 2 miles before the sun sets shortly after 6. I have to say; when I was walking in the July heat last year I thought I absolutely hated it but walking in the Winter has absolutely changed my mind on that. I found myself wishing every day this week that the Spring would hurry up and come so it wouldn't be SO COLD when I was walking! I realize I might not feel that way come August when I feel like I'm about to drop dead of heat exhaustion - but I'm just saying, sometimes I can't feel my legs when I get back to the house! 

Three. What I'm Wearing - I know this is of such importance, right? Ha! I stumbled onto Danskin Dri-More Core Leggings at Wal-Mart (of all places) way back in the Fall and bought a couple pair (they are only $9.96) and love them! They have moisture wicking fabric, so you don't get that nasty sweaty feeling and they have a wide elastic waistband that hits me just right - I don't have to yank my pants up as I walk, which is great! They aren't terribly warm but usually within about five minutes of setting out, I've warmed up enough that it isn't really a problem...or else my legs have gone numb. Ha!

I also absolutely love my Danksin Now Active Performance Jacket...also from Wal-Mart! I have one in hot pink and one if neon orange. They are comfortable, zip all the way to beneath my neck and have two pockets - pockets that are the perfect size for storing my phone while I walk/jog. This jacket also has long sleeves with thumb holes (is that a thing??) and I'm a huge fan of that - my hands normally freeze but with the long sleeves, almost my entire hand is covered! Love!

Four. How I'm Feeling - I'm alright. I guess I'll throw out the whole "so far, so good" phrase again. I know it's most likely related to my body adjusting to the sudden shift in my diet but I've been plagued by headaches for a large portion of this week. I feel pretty confident that will pass soon and so I'm just sticking with it. Otherwise, I feel pretty good and I'm so pleased to report that I pretty much immediately gained back that feeling of accomplishment and overall well being that comes with completing a work out. There's just a really good feeling about getting out there, getting it done and feeling so good at the end! Looking forward to a lot more of those good feelings in the future! 

Five. Fitbit - Which has been something of a revelation for me; I'm ashamed to say I've had the thing for almost three months and only finally turned it on, sorry parents. I have a Fitbit Flex and it was a gift for my birthday...yes...all the way back in October. Oops. I finally decided I'd crank it up and give it a shot...and so far, I'm in love! The thing syncs to my phone and not only does it track my steps but it keeps track of what I eat, how much water I drink, the amount of sleep I'm getting...it's pretty much an amazing little tool. 

I think what amazes my most is that I told the little thing how much weight I wanted to lose and selected a program - The Hard version - which amounts to me losing an average of two pounds a week...and then let the thing go for it. It tells me how many calories I need to take in each day versus the calories I am burning, tells me how many days a week I should be exercising (right now it's got me on a 5 day plan) and according to the Fitbit, I should reach my goal (if I stick to this plan) by December 19th of this year! Now, I know that's not set in stone but it's good to have a goal date to try and work toward. 

So - there you go. My Five on Friday...all about fitness! I know I've got quite the journey ahead of me, but I know I'm more than capable of reaching my goals and sticking to this plan. The reward will far outweigh the things I think I'm "missing out" on in the end and there are so many things I'm looking forward to.

As silly as it may sound to some, so much of MY personal self esteem is tied into how I look. Call me vain or silly or superficial if you will - that's fine - but as much as I want to get healthy, I also want to feel good about myself. Sticking to this plan will accomplish both of those things and so I'm looking forward to reaping the rewards of this healthier lifestyle. Here's to 2016 and my fitness goals!