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I wanted to let you all know that posting will be light this weekend as this is my half-marathon weekend! I had originally planned on running the entire 13.1 miles, but I found out Wednesday that I have a stress fracture. Although running or jogging is out of the question, I’m still allowed to walk so I’ll be walking the 13.1 miles instead!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your family and friends! Be safe and don’t forget to wear sunscreen!
This year has been flying by! I had grand intentions of posting monthly updates on my New Year’s Resolution progress, but that obviously hasn’t happened! Since we’re almost halfway through the year, I thought I’d give you an update on where I am this year! Since I originally linked my New Year’s Resolutions to Top Ten Tuesday over at OhAmanda, I thought it was only fitting that I link my update!
1. Lose weight (average at least one pound/week for the year)
So far this year, I’ve lost 45 pounds! I’ve worked my tail off, but it’s been totally worth it!
2. Exercise at least 10,950 minutes
So far this year, I’ve exercised 5,490 minutes! That’s over 91 hours! I’m pretty sure there’s a direct correlation between the time spent exercising and the weight loss!
3. Stick to our budget…every single month!
I am horrified and ashamed to tell you that we haven’t been doing a great job of sticking to our budget. Although we haven’t been overspending, we haven’t really been tracking like we should and we haven’t sat down for a “budget update” in months! {hanging head in shame}
4. Track all of our income and spending.
This ties directly in to the above resolution! We definitely need to get back on track with our budget meetings and tracking our spending!
5. Read through the entire Bible.
I made it through the entire Bible, however I didn’t make it in 90 days as planned. It took closer to 150. I’ll be starting the Bible in 90 Days again on July 5th. Feel free to join me!
6. Take a trip with the kids to Disney World or Disney Land.
In February, our family headed to Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms Conference! It was an absolutely amazing trip! I can’t say enough good things about Disney! I wish we could visit Disney every month!!!
7. Post at least 5 times/week on my blog.
Although there are a couple of weeks where I missed the mark on this one, for the most part, I’ve posted at least 5 times each week!
8. Try 2 new recipes per month.
I’ve tried at least 1 new recipe each month, but I’ve been in a terrible rut with our busy schedule! Hopefully this will improve over the next few months!
9. Read 1 book or listen to 1 audiobook each week.
I’ve made it through 17 books this year (so I’m a little behind schedule), but I’ve been much more consistent lately with the audio books, so that’s definitely helped.
10. Take a creative writing or public speaking class.
I didn’t sign up for a formal class, but I did join Toastmasters. I’ve been amazed at how much my public speaking has improved. My husband, my mom, and my dad all joined as well and it’s been so fun to do this with them!
So there you have it! Overall, I’m pretty happy about what I’ve accomplished so far this year!
I’d love to hear how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions! Leave me a comment! If you’ve blown it, it’s not too late to get back on track or start over with new goals!
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So this post is a little late since I wasn’t feeling well the past few days! The good news is I’m down 5 pounds! I’m so excited to finally have a big loss! I’ve been better with my eating this week (although still not great), but I think the things that has made the biggest difference is consistent exercise over the course of a few weeks. I think my muscles have finally adapted and I’m not feeling nearly as sore. I’m still horribly out of shape, but I’m working on it!
The really good news is that today is the official first day of the Fort Wayne’s Smallest Winner competition. At some point this afternoon, I will put on my weigh-in attire of shorts and a sports bra (thankfully we can wear one of those long, tank top style sports bras) and get on the scale for my first weigh in. I’m totally excited, but also nervous. I’m looking forward to the accountability, the new friendships, the extra motivation, the education…and of course, the competition. There’s nothing like a little competition to help motivate! Over the next 3 months I will be sharing my thoughts, feeling, and experiences with this competition. I know it’s not what Simplified Saving is usually about (and there will still be plenty of deals, tips, and tricks on here), but for me, I need the extra accountability. Feel free to skip through these updates if they bore you! 
And if you have suggestions, tips, or encouragement, I’d love to hear from you!
And speaking of encouragement, make sure you visit Giving Up On Perfect to encourage Mary and the rest of the girls who are Losing It!
As a mom who has struggled with my weight for what seems like FOREVER, I worry about the habits I will pass on to my children. I have been working hard to make better decisions and to help our family establish healthy habits. One of the things that I have found to be most difficult is incorporating exercise into our daily lives. I’ve looked for ways to make exercise fun and to get our family into better shape. This is what I have found works for us.
1. Set a common goal. Our family goal is to be able to jog for 30 minutes consecutively. We’re not even close to that yet, but we are working toward it.
2. Develop a reasonable plan to reach that goal. We are using the Couch to 5K program, also known as C25K. It starts slow and gradually builds from there.
3. Incorporate “play” into your routine. Spend an evening at the tennis courts or basketball courts. Play wiffle ball. Decide to go to the gym as a family. We went to the gym as a family last night and it was quite fun.
4. Come up with a bad weather plan. It’s hard to stick to any plan when it’s nasty and cold and rainy outside. Decide ahead of time what you will do if it’s cold, rainy, etc. Maybe for your family, you want to set a “temperature” limit. We’ll be outside unless it’s colder than 32 degree or whatever it is that works for you.
5. Make it fun! Take a family walk or jog to a local park and let the kids play when you get there. Go for a long bike ride and stop for frozen yogurt on the way home.
6. Sprinkle some water in the mix. With summer approaching, community’s will start opening up their outdoor pools. This is a great way to get exercise in. Don’t have access to a pool? That’s OK. Have a water balloon fight. Get out the squirt guns and chase each other around the yard. Turn on the hose and run through the sprinkler. Your options are plentiful!
I’m always looking for new ideas! What do you do to incorporate fitness into your family routine?
This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.
If you’re looking to get in shape, these deals are for you!
Phoenix friends, check out this deal:
Or check out the Phoenix side deal:
(I’m not sure that Dodgeball counts as a fitness option, but since we used to play it in gym class, I think it will probably count!
If you’re in Philly, you’ll want to check out this deal:
You can’t even get 1 personal training session around here for that!
When I shared with you my New Year’s Goals last year, one of them was to lose 1 pound a week for a total of 50 pounds this year. (I have at least 80 to lose, but I figured I’d try to be realistic!You’d think that wouldn’t be too hard, but a love affair with Coca-Cola and those darn Girl Scouts and their cookies has made this way tougher than I would have imagined. I actually gained 3 pounds the week that the Girl Scouts brought those cookies around!
I joined Weight Watchers at the end of January and have lost 3 pounds since joining (It would have been 6 if I hadn’t gained 3 pounds the week the Girl Scouts made me eat all those cookies). I’ve also been soda free for the last 6 days!
I really want to do a better job in setting an example for my family in regards to eating healthy and exercising, but I really need some help! If any of you have been successful at losing weight, I’d love to hear from you! If you have exercising tips, I’d love to hear those too! In the meantime, I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about my weight loss journey. Don’t worry, I’ll be the first to let you know what seems to be working!
This post is linked to Losing It (not just our sanity) over at Giving Up On Perfect.
If you made a New Year’s Resolution to get in shape or to exercise more (My goal is to exercise 10, 950 minutes this year), this Biggest Loser Workout Mix will be helpful! This workout includes hits by Leona Lewis, Rihanna, Daughtry, Lady GaGa, and more!
Losing weight and exercising regularly (or 10,950 minutes) both made it on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2010. If either of these made your list, you may want to check out this deal from Curves. You can go here to request a free fitness plan. They are also offering 30 days free when you join (this is for new members only and there is some fine print at the bottom that you may want to read).
Losing weight and exercising regularly (or 10,950 minutes) both made it on my list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2010. If either of these made your list, you may want to check out this deal from Curves. You can go here to request a free fitness plan. They are also offering 30 days free when you join (this is for new members only and there is some fine print at the bottom that you may want to read).
