trial day 1

Today is trial day number one! It's only noon but I can already see some adjustments I'm going to have to make.

1) I might need to start waking up a bit earlier than 6am. Today I was finished and ready for work with no problems, but I was also ready and excited to get started and I know I won't always be quite so eager to get up and work out.

2) Another concern I have is my cardio days. I want to do this without joining a gym, but when I wake up at 6am it's still dark out and I don't especially want to go wandering around my neighborhood with headphones on in the dark. And since it will only be getting darker outside, this may be a problem. I might just have to wait until 6:30am to do my 20 minutes of cardio or do it in the evenings.

Otherwise I feel pretty good about today. It's great knowing that I already have my meals and snacks planned and prepared. I think that will really be key in my success but also it's going to be really hard keeping up with all the planning and grocery shopping. But that's what this week is for: to plan and prepare so that when I officially start on October 8th I'll be ready! Also, my Uncle Guy is doing BFL too and he starts today! This is probably his millionth cycle of BFL so I am definitely going to look to him for encouragement and support. I hope he's ready! Plus, in 3 months we can totally compare our awesome bodies. Hooray!

preparation pt. II

Today I went to Target and bought a few sets of weights, an exercise ball, and some exercise bands (to use when I go out of town for work). I also bought a journal to use during this adventure and a small decorative pumpkin. After I'm done typing this blog, I'm going to plan out my meals for the next two days and go grocery shopping. While I plan to give this week my best shot, I'm not going to go "all the way" with BFL this week. I'll be out of town for work for three days and I don't know what kind of access to healthy/authorized foods I'll have. So next week will be my official start when I begin using my nutritional supplements, but this week is sort of a dry run.

Ok here I go! I'm a little nervous!

preparation

Hi! Well, here I go. For those of you who are confused, I can explain. There is a fitness/exercise/diet program called Body For Life (BFL from here on out). Except it's not like froo froo crazy gimmick thing. It's kind of hard core. Check out the link and you'll get an even better idea of what I'm doing. Anyway, anyone can do BFL, but some people enter The Challenge. The Challenge has its own set of rules and regulations, but it doesn't cost anything. The grand prize involves winning $50,000.

I'm doing this for other reasons, too. I really love working out and trying to be healthy. Unfortunately, since graduating college, life kind of gets in the way and I've let that healthy stuff sort of slide right out of my life. Since I got married October 2006, it's been close to nonexistent. And that makes me sad. I shouldn't have to sacrifice something I love so much! I do, however, need to find a good way to fit it into my life. Which is really hard. Between work, my marriage, going back to school and helping to plant a church, I have little no free time. And if I do have free time, I spend it doing other things. It's hard for me to spend time and energy on myself.

Anyway, this blog is here to help me stay motivated, and to maybe even get some support from anyone reading it. I'm going to try and write a few times a week, and I'll even post my before, during, and after photos of my progress.

Right now, I'm preparing. I'm buying my weights, getting a room all set up so I can work out without tripping over stuff, and planning my meals, workout schedules, and going grocery shopping. I plan for my official start date to be October 8, 2007, which means my 12 weeks will end sometime in December, I think. Anyway, I'll have all of that info later, right now just wish me luck as I get started!