You just have to really want it...

18 months. A lot can happen in 18 months. Kids grow. Businesses flourish. New jobs come into play. People get fatter. People realize how they effect other people with their fatness.

This road to fitness has been a very long one. I see now that I have been the only thing standing in my way. The emotional eating, negative self talk, excuses...it has all been me. The hardest part to swallow is that my daughter has been watching this and feeding off of it.

This past week my eyes have been opened by a loved one who told me that it makes them feel "sad and mad" that I am overweight. I am unable to walk as fast as the rest of my family, not able to fit easily in rides or do some of the things my family is doing during "family time".

I then realized that this journey needs not to be just for myself but for the people who love me. And the people that I love. The signs have been there, I just needed one to hit me with a two by four in the face before I gave them any attention.

With that said, I have no idea when I will actually get serious about loosing weight. I have been in and out of this journey for some time now and nothing has changed. I do not know that goals will help me, I don't respect them. I do not know that the doctor, a nutritionist or support groups will help me, I am too stubborn. I just have to help myself. I am not going to make any promises or deadlines. Bottom line is that I just have to change. I have started it before, I can do it again but this time I have to follow through.

Mind you, I have not been lazy, just hungry; mostly hungry for chocolate and carbs. I have been walking and doing what I can to keep my legs moving. Here are pictures for proof...

Lucky to have a trail head across the street from my house

Still seeing hearts, I guess that is one thing that has not changed in 18 months. I am blessed!

Last Spring I found a trail to walk where there are many, many wildflowers. So beautiful!

Signing off with a post I saw on Instagram (sorry cannot remember who posted it but I copied it, this is not my original work). This is where I am right now. Assessing the daily routine, seeing where I can get fitness in. I know this and my story could help someone out there. That is why I share.

Back at it Day 3 - Fit it in where you can (Friday 5/2)

I did not have much time to fit a walk in BUT I did have to go downtown to pick up a card for a birthday coming up. To get my 20 minutes of walking in I decided to park out of town and walk in. That counts, right? I figured every little bit counts and it had been a while since I enjoyed out downtown district by my self. It was nice. Pup missed out though.

Downtown, such a neat place!

The old bank, the area is rich with history!

And the new areas blend well with the older areas.

Still able to enjoy all the blooming Dogwoods all over town!

If you are willing to look, there is beauty in every nook and cranny of the Earth. Even in the man made sections of it.

Not sure how a walk will be incorporated into my busy Saturday but I will find time.

Back at it day 3 - Another beautiful day in the foothills

I have not much to say today, other than I had a weigh in and it sucks! All is well though, getting back at it! I have to do this.

 “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” ~Seneca

Nice walk this afternoon with my daughter and dear friends, complete with a ring around the sun!

Love and light friends!

A converstaion with self...in all honesty.

Higher Self: Where have you been?
Ego: Here, there and everywhere is the most honest answer.
Higher Self: Have you been walking?
Ego: No. Well, here and there but not anything consistent.
Higher Self: Why?
Ego: Good question, which I cannot answer without spewing off a hundred different excuses. Bottom line is that something "more important" came up each day and I could not do it.
Higher Self: What is more important than oneself?
Ego: Family and work obligations...doooe, what am I saying?

This is a conversation that I have with myself almost daily AND I know that some of you do to. I am not the only one who struggles with motivation in the area of health and exercise. Truth is, the very things that motivate me (family and work) are the very things that stand in the way of my own motivation. Yeah, it is nuts BUT again I know that some of you understand this concept. It is not until I started to listen to myself that I began realizing just how ridiculous this cycle is.

The top three lessons that I have learned in the past few years is...

1. Happiness is in the eye of the beholder.
2. It is important to take care of your self on all levels; mentally, physically and spiritually. You cannot care for anyone else unless you are up to par. Especially true for us mothers.
3. The first two are very much easier said than done.

Acknowledging the cycle is the first step to breaking it. Realizing how ridiculous the cycle is and the outcome it has on yourself and your family is the next step. What comes next is the decision to change and to act on that change. Finally, the change sets in and it becomes your new life.

With my weight struggle I am somewhere between realizing the cycle and deciding to change. Again. I will start over as many times as needed, because that is how important it is to me. For me, and for my family. What is that proverb?

"'Tis a lesson you should heed:

Try, try, try again.

If at first you don't succeed,

Try, try, try again."

~William Edward Hickson

Another good reason to walk, my pup!

Nice trail.

Yep, still seeing hearts. Not nearly as much as I once was but they are still there.

And at the end of the day, the Universe always delivers!

 Love and light my friends! Thank you for reading :)

Playing catch up and there is talk of a Giveaway...

OK, I'll admit it, I have been slackin'. Only because of time and responsibilities. All I want and need is a good non rushed, with no interruptions walk. Today, that will become reality.

Saturday - My daughter was chosen to be Star of the Week in her class. She is very excited, so excited that we had to take family photos with pup in order to make her poster complete. Exercise came in the form of my family and I wondering around the forest looking for places to pose. Very low impact physically, spiritually the impact was astronomical!

The Herbert's

Sunday - Superbowl Sunday! It is too bad that the 49ers did not win. I do not watch football until near the end of the season AND I can tell you that the ref made bad calls in the end. I do not know if the Niners would have had a chance anyway due to their rocky start but they sure did make a come back in the second half. Hey, did you know that Beyonce is part of the Illuminati? That the game was fixed along with the power outage? I heard all of that too, whether it is all true or not, only the Universe knows!

I did not walk today. My family went to a Super Bowl Party and I used the quiet time to catch up on some work. I have not done any of Dr. Oz's 7 Day Belly Workout, but I am going to pick up where I left off soon.

Monday - In the class with my daughter and her friends today. The kids seemed happy and the boys were all wrapped up in Superbowl talk. So cute!

I took a sunset walk with pup in a new location. This location is a place where I take sunset photos often. My pup is not used to the place and she did not like it. Pup gets very anxious on concrete and around cars; if there is a lot of both she freaks and is a nightmare to handle the whole time. This time it was not that bad since the concrete and cars were minimal but she still pulled me to the dirt/wooded area. Once we got there she calmed down. My pup is a lot like me in that respect; the more trees and dirt, the better! Still slacking on Dr. Oz's 7 Day Belly Workout.

I DID play Just Dance on the Wii with my daughter; I am going to classify that as a workout!

Sunsets amaze me because they change so much and so rapidly during their existence. We started walking and there were many clouds, I thought that there might not be a sunset after all....

...but then the clouds passed...

...changing the sky and created colors that only God could make.

Oh...and if you were wondering if I still saw hearts; yes, I am still seeing hearts. I am still seeing them in nature but now starting to see them in everyday objects; like this $5 bill. This is a bill that I received as change for my daughter's dance tuition. She just started and I have been wondering if we started her at the right studio. After seeing this, I instantly knew this was the place for her ♥

So, today is Tuesday and I am about to leave and take a long walk with my dog...with no interruptions and nothing but us and nature. Perhaps after I will catch up on Oz's 7 Day Belly Workout. I don't, you will have to check back later to find out.

Are you ready for a Giveaway? One might be coming soon...you will have to check back to find that out too ;) Aren't I a stinker?

Trash, habits and hearts...one step closer to saving Mother Earth!

12:12 pm - There it is again! 12:12 ;) Today has a lot going on. Happy MLK day! There have been a lot of quotes floating around by the wonderful man we are remembering today. Here are my two favorites:

""I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality.... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

 ""If we are to go forward, we must go back and rediscover those precious values - that all reality hinges on moral foundations and that all reality has spiritual control." Dr. Martin Luther King

So here are my thoughts...both quotes hold truth today. Anyone who thinks that hate will solve problems is sourly mistaken. Love will always over come, it takes much longer to see results through love but those results are forever lasting. Hate, war and racism only make it seem like the problem is fixed but it actually makes things much much worse making the results short lived. Also, if we want to move forward (individually and as a union) in a positive way we need to take those values that create a peaceful society with us and pass them down to our children. MLK valued equality and faith. What values do you wish to see passed on to our children?

Now yes, this is easier said than done. If you come across me before a visit from Aunt Flow you would probably call me a hypocrite, LOL! It is so hard to be loving and at peace all the time. I have decided that it is worth consciously striving for and achieving. 

So, on a lighter note...my daughter is at a play date until 2 ish so I gotta get some things done. Our walk will wait until this afternoon and it will involve a trash bag per my daughters request.

3:56 pm - My daughter and I just got back from our walk. Today's mission was to pick up trash. This was my daughters idea; she wants to help Mother Earth :) Because of this mission, we took a little detour today. Let me see, today would be day number 27. If I stopped walking today, I would miss it very much! It feels really good knowing that I am forming a healthy habit.

Trash duty!

Fun stuff

We decided to take the BIG hill today

Halfway up, looking down

Half way up, looking up

Made it to the top

This is a close up of what is on the tree in the picture I posted yesterday. What is this? Pretty neat-o!

I really like this tree!

Would it kill ya to take a picture with your mom? LOL

Saw another heart!

Mountain lion worries and a protective Pup

1:07 pm - Today marks the three weeks of walking! Well, not if you count the day I took off but that was more of a reward to self.

I have to be honest, I have not walked yet but I will soon. I received a visit from Aunt Flow last night and she has swiped all my energy and motivation. Plus, I have heard that when you live in an area with a lot of Mountain Lions to wait until mid day before walking or exercising if you are on your period, especially if you go in the woods. Apparently, woman have been attacked while on their period. Makes sense.Sorry for the personal detail, but I gotta keep it real and I really worry about this :)

I am tempted to just not go walking today but I can't let something so common get me down! MUST KEEP MOVING...

3:49 pm - Well, neither one of us got attacked by a mountain lion but Poppy attacked another dog. Man! I had a feeling to put her on the leash and I am glad I did. The other owner and dog were coming at us, the dog was not leashed and ran ahead of the owner. The dogs sniffed each other and all was good until the other dog tried to greet me. That is when Poppy pounced the dog and gave it a warning with nipping teeth. I pulled her off immediately and scolded her. The other owner did not say much but wanted to make sure we did not pass each other again. I don't know what to think about the whole thing other than maybe it would not have happened if the other dog was on a leash and I will feel sorry for anyone who tries to get at me when Poppy is around.

I forgot to put the memory card back in the camera so I do not have any pictures of the eventful walk but I have some from other walks in the area I can share.

Pretty Mountain Lilacs along the ditch in the summer.

Family walk in the afternoon

A secret waterfall along the way

Little changes make a BIG difference

Pup and I were done with our walk a long time ago, I am just now getting time to tell you all about it. Today was the first day that we saw another human/canine duo on the trail. It makes me nervous because I have a hard time with Pup on the leash, she needs the room to run and sometimes she does not listen. Like today; I feel bad because she scared the woman and her little dog because she did not listen and stop to put her leash on (she usually does). Then, Pup ran in to the forest and did not come when I called her. She was in trouble and was put on the leash for the rest of the walk. Apparently it is a pretty popular trail; I just saw someone else walking on it from our from room window. Sunrise walks are looking better and better, I just have to figure out if I would rather encounter people/pets or wild animals ;)

I believe that small changes make a big difference. Perhaps sunrise walks would not only be good for my body but for my psyche and soul. Who else caught the sunrise this morning? Wasn't it beautiful?

This is the beginning of the fabulous sunrise this morning.

Just keep going...

6:03 am - Today I woke up feeling much better; my spirits seem to high and motivation is too. I did not walk yesterday. I took the day off. The In Laws came for lunch and we just hung out after they left. Good family time; nice and relaxing.

But it is Monday and I have to get back into the groove of walking. I will be in my daughters class this morning so won't be able to walk until after school. Our neighbor may come with us too. We will have to wait and see how the day plays out.

3:07 pm - Oh gotta love kids...need a walk terribly but I have so much work! AND I can barely move and think I might be frozen. Man, it is COLD!

5:09 pm - Got the walk done and over with for today...I feel warmth in my center again. It has been freezing at night for over a week and although there is sun shining during the day it is still too cold to melt the snow and ice in my back yard!

I should not have taken a day off this exercise yesterday. I could feel it today; both physically and mentally. I can see know how easy it is to loose motivation. Had I not been blogging this experience I probably would have quit by now and definitely today if I did not feel I had to blog about it ;) Believe it or not this blog is keeping me going and accountable.


I found the best sunset spot on the mountain...

Saw this cloud to the North as the walk began

Tried to get my squirrly dog to post with me for a picture but she could not sit still.

And here is the best sunset spot on the mountain :)

Just another day...walked and met a stray

My daughter and I took Pup out today. The pond was almost completely frozen over and there was still snow on the ground. We encountered a stray dog and had to cut our walk short. I did not feel comfortable with the pup and my daughter and the stray so I had Pat meet us with the car and we just went home. The stray was acting weird, coming at us and then running away, staring and kinda stalking. It was weird.

Do you wanna know something else weird? Nev Co had a little snow storm blow through last night, no body recalls seeing clouds but sure say the snow falling and stars sparkling. Did anyone else experience that?

Oh and just in case you are wondering; I still feel depressed and really lethargic today but looking at life with love and light and pulling through. This too shall pass :) Not sure where these episodes come from; chalking it up as PMS but I will be talking to my doctor about them at the next dr visit. Whoever said that the man is the superior sex has obviously never been a woman ;)

Life is lfe, take it as that :)

9:35 am - I am just going to put it out there...I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and I don't want to do anything. I don't want to work, I don't want to walk, I don't wanna do anything but be depressed and contemplate how depressing life is. I hate getting my child off to school on days like this; it is like she senses that I am off and has to push me every which way. THIS IS NOT ME....hopefully a walk will pull me out of this funk!

12:22 - It is a wonderful feeling when you set your mind to something and you achieve it. Today is Day 16 of walking and it has probably been the hardest yet riches day so far. While I woke up a hormonal, emotional mess and things just went downhill from there; I somehow was able to make the CHOICE to change the day. I still do not feel like a big ball of sunshine, but at least I am reacting to the day a lot differently. Life is good, I am just PMSing ;)

This thought came to me while out, when my feet move my brain does too...

"While what happened to you yesterday does not make you who you are today, it just merely changes the way you look at the present. This creates endless opportunities for each new moment, day and for the future. You have the choice on how to react to the present situation. You have the power to recognize current challenge and the courage to push through it."

Every second has gotten better since this thought came to me. Life is life, take it as that. Life's ups and it's downs and the hormones...it all seems much easier to chew knowing that this present moment will pass and that I have opportunities, choices and goodness with each moment that awaits. This is not a new concept to life or to me; I am not sure how I forgot but I did.

Love and light!

I did not take any pictures on the walk today. This picture was taken in my yard last spring. I wanted to share this one with you because...I have seen the light! LOL!

Walking + Snow = :) Happy Sarah and Pup!

Today the walk had an added perk, SNOW!! My Norwegian bones loves the snow so it was not hard to get out and move. Pup feels equally about it so she was eager to go as well.

There is no longer a need to stop half way up this hill anymore but a short break after is in order as I FEEL THE BURN!

Dirt Crystals

This is the view from my back deck, love the sun, love the snow and love the way the two interact!

Yesterday was day 14...just incase you care :)

Yesterday marked two weeks of walking!  The two week mark is such a huge milestone for me because I proved to myself that I was ready for this change. I did it, I juggled the schedule and drummed up the energy to do this. I do have many motivators, pup, all the family and friends who have encouraged and inspired me; I could not have done this without you. However, this accomplishment was all me and for the first time in my life I am confident that anything can be done by the power of me!

I was so busy that I did not get a chance to hop on line and tell cyber land about it but I do have some pictures for you...

I did not get to walk until the afternoon and it was cold! The wind was high in the trees and a storm was definitely brewing. I had read that snow was possible, we'll see...

A little sunshine trying to peek through the grey...

Poppy and I went off the path today to find a place to get a good shot of the sunset and we found this. Anyone know what it is? I am curious as to what it is...

 

Thanks for reading and staying with me folks!

Day, huh...what day am I on?

5:30 am - I think this is Day 12, but not sure. Walking has become a part of my morning now so I guess it does not matter how long I have been doing this ;) It sure did not take long to form a habit.

However, a real challenge comes tomorrow when my daughter goes back to school. The plan is to stop on the way home from taking her to school but, Monday's I volunteer all morning and when I get back to the house it is all about catching up on the business that was missed while I was gone. It will be a juggle, and I might have to leave for my walk before the sun comes up or wait until the sun starts to go down...either way, I will figure it out. Up early to work...gotta go!

8:43 am - Work is done...for the day anyway ;) Today the sun came up and decided not to show her pretty shining face. The clouds and drizzle have made it hard to get motivated. I asked my daughter, "Do you wanna go walk?" and she said " I don't know, it is so cold and foggy outside!". Understood, Mom has to drum up energy to do this on her own today. Poppy is ready!

9:28 am - It was very foggy out today, but I welcomed the change. I am not sure if Poppy was up to it today. On the way back, she kept pooping out on me! Now my pup is passed out on the floor. This journey has changed her life too. She is also needing to shed a few and is trying to get used to the change. My husband and I both noticed that she has been snoring at night. Always something going on around here!

"Every mile is two in winter."  ~George Herbert

Day 11 - Pup and I, we gotta good thing going...

5:41am - Up early to finish a project with a Monday deadline. Poppy was very excited and may have thought we were up for another early walk. Sorry Pup, not this early. Gotta wait until the sun comes up! I am looking forward to this mornings walk :)

7:41 - This really is becoming a special time for me and Pup! We extended our walk this morning and visited the lake by our house. Never seen in the morning light before, it was very pretty. AND full of one of our favorite birds - Canadian Geese. Honk! Honk! I was also inspired for a children's book...For if I was an Oak Leaf...Pup and I, we gotta a good thing going...

Good Morning Nev Co!

West side of the trail - Colors all around us this morning :)

The lake

Day 10 - I don't want to do this...

6:26 am - But I do want to do this...just not today. I woke up wanting to go back to bed. All I can concentrate on is work...which is the very reason I have to find motivation by the end of this day.

7:28 am - When I saw the sun begin to shed light on the Western Hemisphere, something inside of me said "Stop sitting here and worrying over being motivated, just get off your butt and do it". So I did! I am happy I did too because it is a beautiful morning and today was the first day the walk became a little "easier". There is motivation is just that. Here are some pictures of this mornings walk...

It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top.  ~Arnold Bennett

Good Morning Nevada County! This was my view once I got to the top of the hill.

Good morning, moon!

"Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth." ~Buddha

Any my trusty walking partner, Poppy.