Water Bottles.....

I had to laugh my friend sent me a text this week and all it said was "What is your secret to drinking lots of water?" I replied its my magic water bottle! It turned into a HUGE facebook thread about the water bottles and I have to say  A LOT of my friends are now owners of these magic water bottles too. Who would have thought that my simple response could cause such a stir in the FB world!!!!   However it never leaves my side and I refill it a BILLION times a day.  I refill it with water that is not ice cold,  that way I can drink it lots faster.

Plus my kids refill it nonstop for me too just so they can drink out of it! They all are "earning'' their own water bottles now! Best $15 bucks ever spent! Okay they really are not magic I just love the convenience, lots of water in every swallow and plus they are super cute! I  used to get all my water down this way . Now I  just use my magic water bottle.... No you do not have to use this water bottle....just pick a favorite cup, with a lid and a straw and you'll be golden :) Turn it into your FAVORITE way to drink lots of water.

Which brings me to why water is so important in weight loss and in general health!

• When you lose weight your body creates toxins/ waste, and water helps flush them out of your system.
• Keeps your joints and muscles well lubricated and helps them move smoothly! Water is the WD-40 for your body! 
• Helps with hydration. When you are dehydrated you feel sleepy, and lethargic which makes you GRUMPY!
• Helps with the "BLOATED" feeling. 
• Ice cold water actually burns calories as your body heats up to digest it and adjust to the cold water you just drank. 
• Helps with muscle soreness.   
• Keeps you feeling full, which in turn helps with cravings. 
• Keeps your skin looking fresh and clear. 

My water bottle goes everywhere with me, if I go upstairs it goes with me, when I go to bed its on my nightstand. It goes to PTA meetings, church meetings, girls night out, date night. Oh the stories my water bottles could tell......

Do you drink enough water?

What are your secrets to drinking lots of water?


*I bought my water bottles at Costco!

EXCUSES

Today would have been a GREAT day to say aww I'll miss out on my workout.... I was woken up at 3 am to limbs falling off the trees! Those things crash and are freaking scary.....even more scary when you are home alone! Then again at 4:30 to loud thuds of more stuff crunching and breaking! 

 Back to sleep until 6:30 to find it was a SNOW DAY!!! 

 Say what....growing up in Utah the weather didn't look like a snow day to me....but none the less!

NO SCHOOL....

I'll take it though.....So we slept in until 10:30ish I knew I still needed to shower and had a lunch I needed/ wanted to be at at noon. So I left my house all dressed and ready for the day! Enjoyed a great lunch, came home treated my kiddos to Happy Hour @ Sonic! Wasn't even temped for a DDP....yay must mean I have gotten those craving out of my system. 

So now here I am writing post workout and I had a million and one reason/ excuses to NOT go!

  I am proud of myself for staying dedicated and getting my workout in. It would have been much easier to sit home and do nothing....However leaving for the hour and getting my workout in will make the rest of my day SO much better I won't have guilt for cheating myself out of a workout. Plus it shows me mentally that I am dedicated and driven to achieve my goals.

NO EXCUSES!!!!

So I formed a list of LAME excuses that NO one should use :)

• I don't have the time! PLEASE everyone has 30 minutes your reading this right now right.....you could be getting a workout in.
• I don't have clothes to workout in! Sheesh Pajamas work great then. 
• I don't have shoes.....Come on now...EVERYBODY has a pair of tennis shoes! Gym shoes do NOT need to be anything special!
• I ate bad so why work out??? Um HELLO the more reason to get a quick workout in.
• I don't have a gym membership.....LAMEST EXCUSE in the book! You have 2 feet walk out your front door walk 15 min one way turn around and walk home. Now you are thinking the weather isn't ideal then do some simple circuit training at home, a DVD, and online video or On Demand!
• I'm to fat to exercise....Nope no your not! Get off your booty and get moving. 
• I don't want to get my hair sweaty I just washed it! YUP I have totally used that one :)
• I'm to tired!!!! Well then a workout is exactly what the Dr ordered. You will feel those endorphins and they will power you through the rest of the day!

These were just a few I thought of real quick off the top of my head! I am pretty sure I have used everyone of them plus a million more!

What EXCUSE do you CHOOSE to use???

Make the CHOICE today to NOT make any EXCUSES!

I don't want to regret....

NOT blogging this next part of my journey.  Plus I have secretly missed not blogging..... okay okay and maybe just maybe finding a picture of me pinned on someones pintrest board kinda sorta helped A LOT in remotivating me to blog again too. I CAN'T believe it has almost been 1 year from my last post!!! So crazy.... Almost as crazy as my last year was ;) With the move came LOTS of adjustments, making new friends loosing old cycling BFF's :( a daughters ruptured appendix out of state, lots of visits back to Utah, 10 days in Hawaii....purchasing a new home, a puppy, ear surgery on my hubby x2.....lots of craziness! So blogging took to the bottom of the laundry list of things to do and accomplish! With that being said....My personal health and fitness also took bottom of the list......Knowing what happens when I don't put myself first and foremost I started getting a lil freaked out! January rolled around and so did an EXTRA 20 pounds that I don't care to have on my body....granted that isn't SO terrible for the changes and adjustments and lack of attending the gym for pretty much a year. I knew that 20 could easily turn into 40 then to 50 and then.....eeek! I got scared, got re-motivated and have been bitten by the health and fitness bug once again!

SO..........

What HAVE I done about it......?

Found myself a new workout routine that I feel comfortable with and am loving. I am also eating super clean! Cleaner then I have ever eaten my WHOLE life!!!!! I have not had any sugar, my beloved Diet Soda, or dairy....okay the only dairy I wasn't willing to give up was Greek yogurt to much protein and and a quick easy meal to give it up.I have been logging every last item that enters my mouth and drinking more water then my bladder can handle!

 How long have I been eating this way..... Today marks my 15th day without any of those foods!  You know what....I feel great too.....surprisingly, I have not had hardly any cravings either. SHOCKING I know!

I plan on keeping you all up to date on what is going on! I have gotten a TON of emails from people and was totally RUDE and didn't reply....I feel like I am a little bit more under control now and have BIG hopes to keep up on my blogging and emails :)

This post was pretty much just a quick catch up and I WILL be  blogging here lots more often :)

Couldn't stand a ride post without PICS

Soooooo what did I do? 

Went out and took pics of the route! In my car.......not that ambitious to ride it twice in one day :)

I know I am not a professional picture taker but come on have you EVER seen such BEAUTY????

LOVED this little small town!!!!  The mossy trees AMAZING and so fascinating!!!! 

YUP I know I am totally weird for taking pics after the fact, but I just love all the BEAUTY that surrounds me :)

Back in the saddle AGAIN!!!

27 MILES

After 4.5 months of not cycling!!!! 

It was awesome it was my first official ride out here in the PNW!!!  I had my tires pumped and ready to go and my phone rang and a friend was wondering if I wanted to ride today so my first ride wasn't even solo! Which is probably a great thing I wasn't alone. I have a fear of getting lost and not being able to get home for hours!!! So a friend was greatly appreciated. 

-The Ride- 

Freaking kicked my butt!!!! Not only did I feel slow I was SLOW. I felt out of shape, however I still loved every last second of it.  My calf cramped a little. I was unprepared and should have had food with me the last 8-10 miles were um... Not sure I even remember them. I needed food, not good!  

-After the Ride-

I couldn't get my PPJ and chocolate milk down fast enough.  I felt beyond exhausted but was overly happy with my 1557 calorie burn. My legs are sore, I am anxious to ride again!

-No Pics-

SAY WHAT???? 

I was way to focused on where I was and just spinning the peddles that there was ZERO snapping of the camera :( 

NEXT time PROMISE!!!

 

YOU ARE PERFECT!!!

YOU ARE PERFECT!!!! 

"You're so mean, when you talk about yourself, you were wrong
Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead
So complicated, look happy, you'll make it!
Filled with so much hatred...such a tired game
It's enough!"

I am LOVING this song, we are all way to hard on ourselves, from our weight, to our flaws, eating or even our workouts! We need to take to day and call it PERFECT :) We are who we are and let's embrace it.

MAKE TODAY A GREAT DAY!!!!!

Vitamin D + Yoga= :)

The sun is shining!!!!

With the sun shining I am soaking in the sunlight :) 

I LOVE where I live I feel so blessed to have this beauty surround me daily!   

On another note: I have become a major fan of Yoga the last few weeks I have been doing it 3 times a week. Sooo good for my body and my head. Not sure I am totally into all the YOGI ways or thinking but that hour that I am there I dig it :)

With that said do you Yoga??? 

Do you like it???