The results are in...

I can't believe how fast time is going by. The kids are already scheduling their first quarter parent/teacher conferences. That means two birthdays and Halloween are just around the corner. Which also means that Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner.

Gasp!

Let's pretend I didn't just say that last comment.

Okay, back to my results. I had undertaken a new fitness goal beginning Aug. 1st. I measured myself, borrowed a weightlifting book, collected a ton of motivation and began. The first month I really stayed on the workout challenge. I got all the workouts in, both cardio and strength training. I could really feel that my motivation was faltering a bit. I saw definition and tone in my arms. The second month I was working more on the cardio side. I felt burned out on the weights. You see, I was reading a great book, so I wanted to spend my time doing more cardio where I can read at the same time. Then my dear Alison got mycoplasma pneumonia and erythema multiforme and my next week was, shall we say without workout, but with stress which may have the same net effect as actually spending time in the gym.

While my daughter was being diagnosed (difficult) and then healing (so sad because of the systemic allergic reaction she had to the bacteria that was infecting her), I realized that the little things really are very little. Dishes, laundry, kids' homework didn't cause me anywhere near the stress that they usually evoke. I was just so thankful to have her on the road to recovery. The next week I was completely wiped out, totally exhausted, understandably so. Then, I was back into the swing of things (workout wise) and I did the annual grass preparation. In the desert, you have to shave back, thatch, and rake up your grass before you plant new seed each fall. Something they don't advertise when they suck you into living here. Anyway, all that work, and dust and debris in the air, caused me to be super wheezy, so working out was out for the next few days. Now I'm feeling better and I wake up and it is Oct. 1st, my deadline.

Drum roll please.....

My weight was exactly the same as August 1st. In my defense, it was a great weigh- in on Aug 1st, I hadn't seen that number for months. It is probably what helped to get me inspired in the first place, hope. My measurements in 7 areas combined today were 9.5 inches fewer than they were on August 1st. I knew I was looking better, but the scale wasn't reflecting any of the positive changes that I was making. So diamonds, not bathroom scales, really are a girl's best friend.

Where do I go from here? Well, I can see how people (I) usually quit when they aren't seeing the results on the scale. I can also understand how people (I) get sidetracked as they put out the fires that are unexpectantly cropping up throughout the week, month, and year. And that is okay. Working out is like doing the dishes. It is something that needs to be done most of the time. It is fine to let it slide when other things become more important, but when it is said and done, you eventually need to get back there and "do the dishes." You know how much better you'll feel when they are done.

All I see is love.

Well, one thing is for sure, working out at the gym is eating up my blog time. So is organizing my life. My waistline and refrigerator are thanking me. I have managed to make 10 cardio and 10 weight training sessions so far this month. Go me. Making it to the gym today was critical. I hadn’t been there for two days. I am still completely sore from Friday and I had stomach aches, etc. Wah, wah, wah. I was not in the mood. I managed to get myself there and I am so happy I did. I did take some measurements this weekend, and I am happy to report that a few inches have been lost. You will have to wait and see for Oct. 1st. I have gained a pound, hopefully, of pure powerful calorie-burning muscle.

As far as the refrigerator goes...I completely took it apart and cleaned the heck out of it. It is gleaming inside. My lovely neighbor picked up and delivered a fruit and veggie basket purchased coop style for me. As much as I like a bargain, I have my limits. 7 am, on Saturdays, is not for being productive. God bless Steve and Denise!!! See picture of produce above. I had this, plus another 24 ears of corn to put away. After shucking, cooking, cutting and freezing 24 ears of corn. I had a big mess plus the produce shown above to deal with. In typical Lauri style, I decided to empty the fridge and clean it, at that moment. My kids were worried for me. My husband was hopeful. My kitchen, once again, is happy and clean (it doesn't happen often.) I even managed to hit the corner in my kitchen where paper clutter and odds and ends go to die a slow painful death. I love that a photograph captures only the here and now, and not the baggage that I carry with me whenever I think of my kitchen. It is definitely a love/ hate relationship I have with the heart of my home. All I can see here is L-O-V-E!

Game on.

Things are finally getting back into order around here after our vacations. School starts this Monday. I can hardly believe that our summer break is over. I knew it would go fast.

I thought I’d share with you an alarming statistic that I read recently. Beginning at age 35, women start losing about 1% of muscle mass per year. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so if we are more “fat” than we used to be, we aren’t burning as many calories as we did when we were younger. I’ve been noticing that it is harder to lose weight, and harder to even maintain an even weight. I also see that my body composition is not what I would like it to be, meaning I look like I’ve had 3 kids. I’m going to be proactive and try to stop this nasty tendency its tracks. I’m taking on the mission of gaining muscle.

My first goal is to have 13 total body weight training sessions and 10 cardio sessions this month. I started on August 1st. So far I’ve done 2 of each. By October 1st, I have goals of losing inches on specific areas. I won’t scare you with the details. I will, however, share the totals lost on October 1st. I’m not going to be concerned with the scale because muscle weighs a lot, so my weight might not change much at first. Over time, the muscle will help burn off the fat eventually. I'm practicing delayed gratification.

I have been totally blown away by a friend who recently completely changed her body through diet and exercise. She even won 1st place in bikini in a big body building competition. She is a mom of two and was competing against 19 year-olds. The change was inspiring. That being said, I hope that by telling you all of my plans of transformation, it may help me stick with my plans. I’ve been know to completely forget about goals. It will be harder to forget it now that I’ve told you all. Wish me luck.