On the last day of December, I was running out of time to finalize my New Year's Resolutions. So many things I want to do... But the more I think about how my past resolutions have panned out, the more I wanted to completely forgo the tradition. New Year's Resolutions have too much pressure behind them to make you confident and motivated to succeed, especially in the realm of health and fitness. I've found that there's no better time than the time you feel most motivated, not waiting until the New Year or a new month or a new week, is the best approach to accomplishing goals. For me (as well as many others I'm sure), 2016 was a year of ups, downs, successes and failures. With that said, I'm so happy with my accomplishments and being able to push through even though I had some setbacks.
I'll be the first to admit that I could have done some things better, but one thing I've learned is that you have to applaud your accomplishments! I didn't hit my goal weight or body fat percentage in 2016, BUT I achieved some pretty amazing things outside of those official goals I had. All of those milestones I outlined weren't planned from NYRs, they came as a result of one big continuous life goal I've had since 2010... which is simply to be healthy. After 2016, I really whole-heartedly believe there's nothing that can stop me from leading the healthiest years of my life in the future. And Now... for Recent Events!
We rang in the New Year at a basement bar in their neighborhood, and ran into my college friend, Levi! We had a really fun time, and it was the perfect way to kick off 2017.
What's been on the menu?
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It's taken me a while to get to a point to write over the past few weeks... Holidays, weekends away, busy busy busy! BUT... Here it is!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!This year is the first year for us to have our living room decorated for Christmas! I put up our tree and some garland in the living room, and also put up some lights on the porch outside. Thoe house looked great! And that set the holiday mood for our company holiday parties! The parties were so much fun, filled with laughs, wine and good conversation.
October was yet another busy month for the Herchenbachs! There wasn't a weekend that we didn't have something going on. Always on the road, and never a dull moment.
Doin' Work.I feel really good about all I have accomplished for October! I've made some big life changes that have helped me in my fitness journey. I was able to run outside in under 50 degree weather - something that I would have shut down completely just thinking of before. I also have reached red zone way more than before during my workouts, and didn't feel like I was going to die! haha. This was another month of non-scale victories, and I am happy with how things are going. I have two months left before I'll be taking a break from personal training, so it's time to buckle down and hit it hard during these holiday months! (After this weekend is over of course... I can't resist my own biscuits and gravy.)
When we met for measurements last Friday to wrap up September, I wasn't surprised when I saw that I stayed pretty much the same: same weight, same body fat percentage, didn't really reach the goals that I set out for myself at the beginning of September. HOWEVER, I wasn't discouraged. It's important to know that our bodies don't always do what we want them to, and it can take a while for it to reflect the work you're putting in. It's also important to be true to yourself - I know I had some missteps in what I consumed over the month, but I stuck with it knowing that I didn't want to get behind. Come Monday, I knew that I had a fresh start and a fresh month to get something else done. First on the list: run a 5k in 27 minutes or less. When I got to the gym on Monday, I told myself that it was a practice day, just go as fast as I can and still finish the 5k. For me, this is at a 6.5 mph pace, which is about 28 minutes for the total distance. In order for me to get to 27 minutes, I had to kick it up to 6.9 mph... I know, that doesn't sound much faster. So, I felt determined to try before the week was over!
So, don't get discouraged when you don't see any numbers changing, because that doesn't mean you AREN'T changing. Non-scale victories are just as important as those that are on the scale. And really, not going backwards is ALWAYS a step forward in my book. Sampson is ONE!I feel like it was just yesterday that I was introducing this little man to my readers! Now, it's hard for me to believe that he's already ONE YEAR OLD! My nephew has become such a special part of my life, I couldn't have asked for a better and more rewarding responsibility than being his Aunt B. Jay and I went down to his grandparents' house last weekend to celebrate the little man's birthday, and it was a great time! He got some super cute presents and we spent some great quality time with family. Couldn't have been any better!
Stop #3: Bacchus Nibbles. That's where we watched the game (and Cubs WIN!) and had some creme brûlée. It was low key, relaxing and fun! We were probably the youngest people in there, and we figured out that it wasn't such a bad thing! And we were responsible adults that walked everywhere we went! Great date night success!
During my workout yesterday, I felt strong and I was happy with myself, as per usual during my training sessions. Then, Jordan says, "BaiBai, what motivates you?" I looked at him and was like, "Are you serious?" We've been working together for 9 months, and in all of this time, we have endlessly discussed goals by achieving them and creating new ones every day. I guess we don't really discuss what motivates me on a regular basis. But, When Jordan asked me this, I honestly had a difficult time answering for a handful of reasons. There are lots of reasons I'm motivated, and my reasons are always evolving. But it really did challenge me to think of the long-term answer for what motivates me. So really... What motivates me?
Confidence: With compliments come confidence. I have struggled with being confident in myself and my body for a very long time. I'm not there 100%, but it's building inside of me every day. I'm proud of myself and what I can do! Commitment: It's helped me learn to commit to myself. I have spent a lot of time caring for others, and this has committed me to taking care of myself. I know that as I've gotten older, it's gotten harder for me to make this a routine, but now that I've learned to enjoy it and the results, It's easy to be committed to a better me. Seeing changes: Since I've made the commitment to myself to get fit, I've lost 35 lbs and 7% body fat! I've traded in my size L shirts for size S tops. I've dropped from a size 10 to a size 4 in jeans. I'm thanking myself for unintentionally giving me the need for a new wardrobe! I no longer dread going shopping, thinking that I'll just be miserable and sad in the dressing room. And that my friends, is enough for me. I'm pretty good at it! Why quit something you're good at? Yeah, I still have more to learn, but I'm willing and excited for new challenges to come my way. So Jordan, I hope that answers your question! And thanks for making me think about it. It further reminded me why I do what I do, and why I'll never give up.
The Gym Rat.I hit the gym decently hard this week with my training and working to get that goal of a <27 minute 5k. Jordan surprised me with a new workout tank, and I must say that I love it. Gym Hair Don't Care is absolutely my new life rule. I also made some yummy spaghetti squash with homemade tomato sauce, not bad for winging it!
Upcoming stuff? Well, we're working on a home renovation project that will only get more intense as time goes on. And many exciting things going on in September, including Sam's 1st birthday party, a wedding of some dear friends, and I'm getting my hair done this week :). Stay tuned!
But I knew you would!It's Jordan's mantra. He says it to me every time I get off the spin bike or finish a set of lat pull-downs, or when I practice my pull-ups or complete my daily burpees, or.... well, you get the idea. I crack a smile and know that, once again, I have made progress. Today marks the start of a new week, and Jordan and I have finally outlined my goals for the remainder of August. When discussing my goals, I always like to ask him what he wants to see me do, because that gives me an idea of what he knows I'm capable of. This is what he said this time:
I have to admit, I feel like this is a bit ambitious. But hey, it's not as satisfying if there's not much of a challenge, right? I'm very happy to have this kind of accountability, it pushes me to do my best every single day, and I know that there's someone else invested in my lifestyle change. What else have I been up to?I FINALLY got to meet Ryan Cabrera! He was one of my favorite artists growing up... You could say I was slightly obsessed. I went to see him with my girl, Nikki and some of her friends. Okay, he wasn't the main act, but he was my favorite part of the show :). The My2K Tour also featured DREAM, O-Town, and 98 Degrees. Definitely one of the most fun concerts I've been to with an awesome outcome of getting to unexpectedly meet Ryan! My BFF Amy and her fiancé Warren, along with the best dog in the world - Ralph, came to visit last weekend! It was so refreshing to have her around and just relax. We hit TopGolf, but most of the time we ordered in food and watched the Olympics. Couldn't have asked for a better weekend with her. We always have a great time, no matter what we're doing! Coming Up!You know, when I graduated high school and moved into college, time seemed to get away from me. SIUe treated me well with some of the best years of my life, but my time there seemed short. I thought to myself, "Well, after college, life's gotta slow down right?" Ehhh, not so much. I feel like I've went from 19 to 27 in the blink of an eye. In that time, I gained the infamous "freshman 40" (I wasn't fortunate enough to only gain the traditional 15 lbs), met the love of my life, bought a house, built a career, sold a house, got married, moved 8 times, bought (another) house, lost 38 lbs... the list goes on and on. Point being, time doesn't slow down - time will continue to get away from you - so make sure you make it count. I'm now taking this time to catch up on the past 2 months while I drink my morning coffee, watch Food Network, and do the mountain of laundry that has accrued over the last week. Hey, May May!The first order of business - Girls Weekend in Nashville!!! Love my girls, we have so much fun together, no matter what we're doing. In the past, we've taken a couple of trips and have tried to keep up with doing it once a year. This year, we settled on Nashville, and decided to be tourists. Here are just a few pictures to prove it! ha. We also hit a place called Santa's Pub. Although there are no pictures, it was probably the most fun we had the entire trip. It was karaoke night.... now you know why it was my favorite.
Heeeeeyyy June.Another FABULOUS year of Avon 39 and supporting the fight against breast cancer. This year I started alone, but I finished strong with 1 old friend and 2 new ones. TK and I met last year at Mile 30 and finished together, and we happened to come across each other at the same point this year! I am already ready to do it again in 2017! June brought us back on the road for my cousin Erin's wedding. It was at a beautiful barn at a winery, so gorgeous! Congrats to Erin and Kenneth! Fitness Goals Recap.I've continued my personal training, and I am killing those calories! Down 38 lbs and still working to lose the last little bit and hit my ultimate goal of 40 lbs down. I've also added a side goal of being able to do 5 pull-ups. I've been practicing, and I've gotten up to three so far! By the end of July, I'm confident that I'll meet my overall goals, and will make some new ones.
I feel like it was just yesterday that I wrote my last post, but time is seriously FLYING! I'm already on the 3rd month of my personal training, and I'm down a total of 4% body fat! The gratification of my hard work paying off is the motivation I need to keep going. Not to mention all of the support of my husband, my co-workers and of course my trainer. It's so overwhelming, but so worth it to prove to myself and others that you can do anything you put your mind to!
MY BESTIE IS GETTING MARRIED! Amy and I have been friends since freshman year of college, and she is one of the most honest and fun people I've ever known. I am honored that I have been asked to be a part of the wedding!!! These pictures were taken the weekend that we went to visit and be there for Amy and Warren's engagement party. Amy and I went to the mall with Warren's sisters to get our makeup done for the party, as well as try on bridesmaids dresses. It was a great time! This year, Easter was also the same day as Jay's birthday! Now, birthdays are a huge tradition in my family. The birthday girl/boy always gets to choose where their celebration happens, and Jay (with a bit of my input) decided to have Easter/Birthday lunch at our house! It was the first time that my Grandparents have seen our new house, and it was a very special day for us. I prepped and made a deluxe menu (not pictured, carrot cake for dessert!), and we ate off of my great-grandma's china, now mine! Jay and I made the trip down to Springfield to celebrate my sister's birthday! We also may have talked her into dressing my little nephew Sam in his Cubbies jersey. What a little stud! May is now underway, and I'm looking forward to all this month has to offer. Until next time, followers!
Highlights:
I was also determined to getting a workout in while I was there! It was a group effort with Jay acting as my stopwatch! I finally used one of those pins I saved on Pinterest and believe it or not, it was a great sweat. |
I'm Bailie. I'm Real. Getting Slim.AuthorMy name is Bailie, and I've taken control of my life. Not only have I lost 38 lbs, but I'm confident and happy! This is a tribute to continuing my weight-loss journey and most other aspects of my life. Donate to My Avon 39!Archives
February 2017
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