Inches, not Pounds

Last year leading up to the wedding, I was very active, running, hiking, and keeping so busy that it was natural for me to stay in shape.  But, the last 10 months of my life I have literally been in hibernation bliss.  I would come home from work and nearly every day throw on comfy clothes, make a delicious dinner, and vedge on the couch catching up on recorded shows.  Well, with that type of lifestyle comes consequences... you gain weight, bad weight. I honestly haven't stepped on a scale to know how much I've gained, but from the tightness of my jeans and the looks of my tops, I have definitely gotten out of shape.  The thing is, you don't realize you're gaining weight as it happens, rather, when you come down to sunny weather where tight tops and shorts are a must, you realize you have failed miserably.

I thought I'd write about what my action plan is to get back in shape.  My goal here is not to lose weight, but to lose inches and substitute fat for muscle weight.   I have learned to love my curves and realized that skinny just isn't in my genetics... but to be honest, for me, being healthy and fit is far more important than being skinny.  Twiggy just isn't my style.

Since being back down here, I have already formed accountability with friends, co-workers, and when Trevor is down here, him too.  I have set realistic goals for myself and realize that I'm going to have to work hard at the results I want to see by our anniversary, June 11, 2012.

Here are some action plans...
Co-Workers: We have a weekly calendar with a few people from the office that holds yourself accountable to how you did the day before.  If you did really well, worked out & ate healthy, you put a green "X" on the day before by your name.  If you ate well but didn't work out, it's a yellow "X," and if you didn't eat well or work out, it's a red "X."  I love that my co-workers strive to be healthy and want to encourage each other to do well and be fit.

Friends: Mondays are reserved for Convention Center stairs. Ouch! Right after work I am going to meet with a friend and run for 30 minutes up and down the Convention Center stairs. These babies aren't a walk in the park!

Tuesday & Thursdays are reserved for boardwalk runs with another friend.  We both want to be held accountable and think that it's important to get fit together. This is my absolute FAVORITE place to run in San Diego.  There's just something about the beach that clears your mind and makes you appreciate where you live.

Hubby: Wednesdays are a good night to lift and build some muscle.  With all the cardio I'm doing, it's important to get some weights in there as well.  We also both bought road bikes up in Washington and have hardly used them.  We have decided that we want to participate in the MS Bike Ride in October which is 150 miles from Long Beach to San Diego.  Trevor will do the full stretch, but my goal is to do the last 50 miles.  If we start training on weekends, we should be able to train pretty well!

With 5 days of exercise and eating healthy, I know that I will quickly see results.  My ideal physique would be to have a big smile on my face, knowing that I'm doing the best I can to be healthy.  This blog isn't for anyone else, but myself.  It's a journal that will help keep me accountable in life.... whether it's being fit, keeping happy, being a positive and encouraging wife, and being a good friend; it's for myself to reflect on and see how far I've come.  

Gotta run!

Back in the Big SD

And LOVING it!

Well, it's official,  I am a San Diegan once again and it feels so good!

Last Wednesday my mom flew up to Washington to then drive with me all the way to San Diego.  Thursday was a 14 hour drive with Brody and Friday was a 9 hour drive; both of which began at 3:30am!  The drive was super easy and didn't seem too long since we had plenty of audio books and good music to listen to the whole way.  From the crazy old angry men in Medford, to our smiles getting bigger and bigger as we approached Sunny San Diego, I enjoyed having my mom with me on this adventure!

Not only was driving down a success, but I managed to lock in a lease to a privately owned condo right by our church on Saturday!  It was a total God moment (once again)... My mom and I were touring SEVERAL apartment complexes in the area to only find out that they want $1900+ for rent! So, being discouraged and about to take a break from the search, I saw a "For Rent" sign on a street corner in Tierrasanta (a REALLY nice and safe area of San Diego) and decided to call even though the rent was about $100 over our budget.  Upon arranging a tour of the condo and meeting the owner, I LOVED the place! It's 1200 sq. ft. which is massive in San Diego, 2 bed/2 bath, courtyard, and a 2 car garage!  I mentioned our maximum price and he offered the condo for $55 less than the asking price which allowed us to afford it.  But wait, it gets better-- He gave me a key that day and isn't charging us rent until April 28!

Our Condo

After leasing the condo, I introduced myself to three women in the street talking.  One is pregnant, another is younger and lives with her boyfriend, and another couple has a young son and the husband jokingly said that "there's a 1 child minimum to live here."  I instantly clicked with them all and I can't wait for Trevor to meet them and for many get together's/dinner nights to come.

On Easter, I attended my church where I ran into many faces I missed, including our Pastor and his wife.  They were thrilled to have us back and can't wait for Trevor to be back too! It's crazy to think how my life has come full circle; 3 years ago on Easter, I attended my first service at my church and it's pretty cool to be back on Easter, knowing that I'm back to stay. My pastor's wife was very generous in offering me a full time job with the church too.  I have always wanted to work in the church environment, but I think I need to continue developing myself professionally (I have a degree for a reason), and volunteer with the church rather than be employed with them at the moment.  I am thankful for them seeking me out and wanting me to join their staff... maybe in a couple years! Easter was also my mom-in-law's birthday so we spent the day with the Stevenson family catching up, enjoying good company and food!  I love my family!

Last night I received a knock on my door at the hotel with a Welcome delivery consisting of wine, cheese, fruit, chips, yogurt, water, and a book of photos of San Diego.  I think the book made the biggest impression of them all, as when I opened the front cover, there were personal welcome notes from the entire sales team.  I have never felt so welcomed by anyone and so excited to meet the people I'll be working with! I think that the book really set the tone of my experience with Hyatt and I couldn't be more happy.

Today I stopped by the sales office to introduce myself to the team prior to starting work tomorrow.  I swear, this job compared to my old job are like night and day! I was thrilled to meet young professionals who are social, happy, and just as excited to meet me as I am to meet them!  I can definitely see some friendships forming out of this team, as it was so easy to talk to them and connect with them. I start my career with Hyatt and am so excited to be with a company long term.  It feels so good to be working in a fun environment again!

For now, I will be living in the hotel for a couple weeks and then moving into family friend's house until Trevor comes down May 3.  It's hard not having him with me here; to help find a condo, to kiss me on my first day of work.  I know that time will go by fast for both of us and that we will soon be settled down here with each other and our little pup.  In the meantime, I am going to focus on losing the weight I put on in my "hibernation" in Washington, connect with old friends, and take in every moment of being back home.

Walking the Boardwalk

  I am so grateful for the support from all my friends and family in our big life change.  It feels so good to be back.  God keeps providing for us and it's so comforting to know that he's guiding us through it all.

Harbor Sunset