Day 1. And it begins!!!

T minus... SATURDAY?!?!?

Oh crap oh crap oh crap.

I really hope I do surprise the shit out of myself. Because honestly, this is more scared than I've ever been before starting any fitness or nutrition regime ever. Really. And I've done a lot of them. Started and quit. All of them. 

But what does that mean? Could it mean that I care more about this one, about this time, than any of the other times? Has it finally "clicked"?

I don't know. I don't know YET. 

I'll find out soon.

T (Transformation) minus 9 days...

A journey of a thousand miles beings with a single step...

...and damnit, I'm nervous as hell about that step.

I really don't think I... or anyone else around me, for that matter... realize exactly what I've gotten myself into here.

I've seen the workouts on video clips. Once or twice in person. It's intense. No... intense is too weak a word. It's vomit-inducing. And it's going to be at 6:45am for fucks sake! 5 freaking days per week!!! Somebody tell me honestly... how long before I say "Who needs the $500 back? Who cares if I die at 35 of a heart attack because I weigh too damn much??? FUCK IT ALL AND LET ME SLEEP!"

God I hope that isn't me.

I think the nutrition part is what scares me the most.

It's no secret that I like food. Not just like. I have a freakin love affair with food. Give me some cheese and chocolate and red meat on a desert island and come back in 5 years and I'll still be a happy girl.

I can't eat cheese or chocolate or red meat on this thing.

But the results... oh damn the results.

I don't want my stupid CPAP anymore. I don't want my feet and my back and my legs to hurt after a day at work. I don't want to get winded walking up stairs. I want to fit into clothes that cost a fortune because they are from a designer, not because they are specially made for fat people. I don't want to die at 35 of a heart attack or stroke or cancer or something equally as bad. I WANT TO BE A MOMMY.

6:45am vomit-inducing workouts it is.

Well...

Well, this used to be a weight-loss blog, but I've stopped losing weight, so now it's just a blog! Hahaha.

I'm so happy about joining Gold Canyon. You have no idea. Everything about it is just so perfect for me. It's getting the retail bug out that I've had since I left Teavana, while not adhering to anyone else's schedule, and having FUN!

I'm so excited for my mixer.

I'm so excited for M's mixer.

I'm so excited for all the mixers to come!

Plus, the candles smell amazing.

Extra plus, the home decor items look amazing.

What else is going on in my life...

I'm still planning on climbing the mountain in August! We even picked one out! Cascade Mountain, here I come!!!

August is going to be crazy for me.

Camp Centerland... Gold Canyon Palooza in Phoenix August 7-9 but I'll probably leave on the 6th and end up getting back on the 10th... Adirondacks August 14-17ish... And Jonah and David's wedding in DC the very last weekend of August!!! WOW!!!

Wish I had more to tell you. Working with the 4-year-olds is always an adventure... they're fun and I love them but I'm glad to have a second job that is focused on adults :-)

Well that's it! That's life according to Anna!

Oh! And by the way...

www.shadowstolight.mygc.com

Click on SHOP under "My Mixers"...

And that's all she wrote.

It's Officially Official!

Well everyone, as of a few hours ago, it's officially official! I am now a Fragrance Consultant for Gold Canyon! I am so excited to be starting this new venture, and would love to have you all along for the ride!

I fell in love with Gold Canyon candles the first time I smelled one burning. They are truly the best candles I have ever burned (or looked at!) But it doesn't stop at candles... they are so much more than candles! You have to see it (the catalog!) to believe it.

My first party is Saturday March 8th, 2-5, at my house. It'll be so much fun, with friends, food, raffles, prizes, and surprises!

Need more details, or still need to RSVP? Contact me or find the Facebook event!

Don't live close enough, or can't make it to the party, but still want to order? Contact me and I can send you a catalog, or you can even order online through my party's webpage! The link to my own Gold Canyon webpage is at the bottom of this post. Make sure you order through the "My Parties" and "Shop" button next to the "3/8/2014 Anna Steinberg" party in the middle of the top of the webpage... confused? Let me know and I'd be glad to help!

Want to book your own Gold Canyon party? I can help with that too! Just let me know and we can set a date and time that's perfect for you :-)

The webpage for Shadows To Light is https://shadowstolight.mygc.com/

I'm so happy to finally be a part of Gold Canyon, and I hope you end up loving them as much as I do.

I Promise!

I am making a promise to myself.

I have put it off long enough.

This summer, for the first time, I will be going with my family to the Adirondacks.

This summer, for the first time, I will be climbing a mountain.

By then, I will be in good enough shape.

By then, I will have enough energy.

It may not be a big mountain.

Hell, it may not even be a medium sized mountain.

It might just be a tiny mountain.

But I'M GOING TO DO IT.

And that's all that matters.

AuSable Forks... HERE I COME!

Things are looking... good?

Update.

Well, I attempted the Dr. Oz 2-day cleanse this past weekend.

I didn't make it all 2 days.

When you start shaking and get light-headed and nauseous... you need to eat real food.

Oh well... Now I know that those types of cleanses are not for me!

In other news, I started my personal training at Achieve today and it was FANTASTIC! My trainer's name is Kristen and she is wonderful. How do I know she is wonderful? Well, this was the first first training session I've had in a while where I haven't puked afterwards! (Or during. THAT was just embarrassing).

What's great is that she is actually teaching me how to do the things CORRECTLY, unlike some other places where I've been where they just want you to do the workouts and don't really care.

I'm very excited to go back next Monday, and until then I'm planning on working out at the JCC a few times.

Also in other news... I have officially decided to work at camp again this summer! Being outside was really good for me last summer, so I'm excited to get back out there this summer.

So, all in all, things are looking good. Let's keep it up people!

Cleanses.

Anybody ever done a cleanse?

Any sort of cleanse.

Juice... Food... I don't know what other kinds there are...

I was thinking of doing the Bon Appétit Food Lover's Cleanse... not really a cleanse, just a healthy way of eating for 2 weeks. But it was going to get too expensive. So scratch that.
Bon Appétit Food Lover's Cleanse 2014

Then I was thinking of the Dr Oz 2-Day Wonder Cleanse. More of a Detoxing cleanse. But I don't know.
Dr. Oz 2-Day Wonder Cleanse

So... anybody ever done one? Suggestions? Warnings? I don't want to do one that's too extreme. And I don't want to spend too much money. Just some money on produce, maybe. Just a cleanse that'll make me feel good. Not really to lose weight, because I know I'll gain any weight back afterwards. I really just want to flush out toxins. Leave comments!!!

Scratch that...

Scratch that whole "no exercising" thing.

I'm wearing my UP band again.

I'm not walking NEARLY enough steps. I only did half of my 10,000 yesterday. And I walked a bunch to and from the Sabres game. From the parked car, not from home. THAT would have gotten me my 10,000... easily.

I also realized how many calories I'm eating daily. It's alarming.

I'm trying to cut down on calories , but I need to start exercising as well.

I'm looking into Achieve Personal Fitness, which is right in Amherst. It has one person exercising in the place at a time, which would be nice. Nobody looking and judging. They also do weight loss and weight control stuff. There's a great Groupon right now... $29 for 4 30-minute sessions. I want to take advantage of it like... now.

What's good is that it's a short term commitment, rather than a year-long commitment or something ridiculous like that. I'm no good at long term commitments...

January.

I haven't updated since September. WTF is up with that?!?

So much has happened... yet so much hasn't happened.

After 2 snow/cold/blizzard days... I'm going back at it tomorrow morning. I'm going to start eating healthier, taking my lunch to work instead of buying it at the (wonderful amazing) café there, and not going out to eat as much. It'll help my wallet as well as my waistline.

I really need to change my life. Soon. Because if I don't, bad things will happen. Health-wise, money-wise... I've been so lucky up until now, but luck can't stay forever.

No more surgery talk. No more exercise talk either, for now... I'm not saying that I'm not going to, just that I'll exercise when I want to, without any obligation. Because now that I only belong to the JCC gym and it's much harder/impossible for me to water jog in the indoor pool, I don't really like exercising. I don't get the thrill out of it that other people get. But my focus is going to be on eating better.

My thyroid is also getting checked out and fixed with medication. My thyroid meds actually just got tripled after a blood test. Maybe that'll help some weight go down. Maybe...

Overall, my goal is to lose a few pounds before heading off to DC for my birthday weekend at the end of February. Because even though I have my own airplane seatbelt extender, it'd be nice not to have to use it... and as of the last time I flew, I was right on the brink. I've got 2 months. Wish me luck :-)

Busy life = No blog posts.

Well. It's been a while, hasn't it.

Life has been... busy.

I worked an entire summer at camp. It was amazing. Then I got a job for the year working at the preschool at the JCC. So far that has been amazing.

But let's focus on what this blog is about, my weight loss journey.

Camp was great for me. It was constant movement, especially since I was with the 4-year-olds! I'm still with 4-year-olds, but there is a difference between camp and preschool. At camp I was outdoors and walking around everywhere all the time. I lost weight. A lot of weight, actually. Around 20 pounds throughout the whole summer. I'm sad to say that I've gained some of it back.

I haven't been to the gym much. I haven't seen Eric (my trainer) much. I have a bunch of training sessions stockpiled up waiting to be used. I just feel so BUSY and TIRED.

The good thing is that once my LA Fitness contract is over (the end of the year) I have a free JCC membership with working at the JCC preschool so I can use their gym. And I'm there anyway so NO EXCUSES. I really need to get back to working out.

I'm not eating well. I'm not eating HORRIBLY, but I'm not eating well. Hopefully once I move out, I'll see that as a major change for my health.

Oh yeah, I'm hopefully moving out soon. Not as soon as I had planned, because I didn't get the second job I was expecting to get at Trader Joe's (and I'm still a bit bitter about how it all went down) but hopefully SOON. By the way, if you've got a cheap couch (or cheap apartment) you're looking to get rid of, let me know! (Yes, I know it's bad to get furniture before the apartment, oh well)

Anyway, I think that's it. To sum it all up, I love my job. Haven't been to the gym much. Need to move out. That is all.

I think I'm happy. Work makes me happy. I'll be happier when Lola and I have our own place. Maybe I'd be happier with exercise.

Camp!

Sorry I haven't posted in a LONG TIME!!!

I started working at camp this week and I am EXHAUSTED. Don't get me wrong. It's wonderful. I love it. I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE it. But I find myself coming home and pretty much going right to sleep!!!

Which means I haven't been able to make it to the gym. Well, technically I've been able, but I haven't had the energy. I've been telling myself it's okay, because it's not like I'm just sitting around all day in an office or something. I'm actually on my feet doing stuff!!! But I do miss the gym. I'm hoping to try to have more energy next week so I actually get to the gym more. At all. You get the point.

Also, I got my new waterproof iPod shuffle in the mail yesterday. It's purple and beautiful and I can't wait to use it while waterjogging. But it'll have to wait until I actually have energy!!!

Oh, as for the shoulder, I switched my purse to a small cross-body one. My shoulder hasn't hurt since :-)

Shoulder Update & Updated Picture...

Wow! It's been a while since I last posted! Sorry about that. I just felt like I didn't have much to write, I guess.

First things first, the shoulder. I went to the orthopedist and got a cortisone shot. It helped for like, a day. Then things got bad quickly... it hurt worse than before for about a week. But for the past 48 hours or so it's actually been bearable! I'm considering going to Aquafit tomorrow afternoon and not using my arm, because I miss it oh so much, but I'm worried about how it'll affect my shoulder. I'm finally not using pain meds, but I'm worried that I'll do something during Aquafit and it'll set me back. However.... I can't live in fear forever! I'll think about it tonight, I guess.

Other news... I'm down 7.4 lbs in 3 weeks at Weight Watchers! I fell off the wagon a little last week and didn't lose as much as I wanted to, but now I'm back in full swing! Fruits and veggies away!

And... this is what you've all been waiting for.

It's been months since my original picture, so I feel as if I owe you an updated picture.

I was looking at them side by side and I'm kinda amazed at how.... DIFFERENT I look ALREADY! And it's only been a few pounds! I think because of the exercise I've gained some muscle though.

Before you look, keep in mind that I went to the pool this morning and haven't showered yet so I look kinda crappy... this isn't how I look every day ;-)

Anyways...

Here ya go!

The good and the bad...

The good news: We know what the problem with my shoulder is. Bursitis. The bad news? Right now, there is not much we can do about it. Except I'm calling another doctor in the morning, an orthopedist, because it's been over a week of trying to rest and relax it and taking ibprofen and that has only been making it worse and right now I can barely move my arm without excruciating pain.

More good/bad news: The good is that I'm back on weight watchers and on week one lost 3.8 lbs! The bad is that right now I can't afford to buy the monthly pass membership (lack of job, ya know) so I don't get all that funky online and iphone stuff. And I'm finding it very hard to track manually. You know, actually writing things down. So I just... haven't been writing things down. Which is bad. I know. I'm a whiner. I know. But when I have my NEW SUMMER JOB I'll be able to afford the monthly pass and I'll be able to track on my iPhone and all will be right with the world!

Oh, what's that? NEW SUMMER JOB???

I got a job over the summer for my JCC Camp and I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED!!! YAY!!! Outdoors with kids all summer!!! I'm gonna need new sneakers...

Setback...

I hurt my shoulder. It's very painful. I don't know how I did it, or what I did to it, but I know that I need to go see the doctor tomorrow because until I figure out what it is and what to do to make it better, I can't do ANYTHING that involves my left arm...

Ponderings

I don't know what to do about this whole surgery thing.

I've been working out nearly every single day at the gym, and have been seeing some progress. I actually have muscles! I mean, you have to feel them through the fat in my arms, but hey, it's a start...

But I guess I was expecting more. I haven't weighed myself in a while... but I haven't seen much difference in size. I could be wrong. Maybe I should weigh myself.

I should look more into surgery, I think. My main problem, and I'm just going to say it straight out, is that I love food too damn much. I'm scared, not of the surgery, but of not being able to eat afterwards and missing out on good food. And man, do I love good food...

It sucks. All of this.

Except that I do love the gym. I love the pool at the gym. I just don't love being at the gym for hours and hours and not seeing any results!

Hours well spent :-)

I spent 5 hours at the gym today.

I love my gym!!!

Man oh man... met with Eric today... Eric being my new trainer as of a couple weeks ago. He is awesome and amazing and pushes me to all sorts of limits. Today after training I can't move my arms and it feels fantastic. NEVER thought I'd say that! Also something I never thought I'd say: I did 30 push-ups today!!! Not full push-ups on the ground... instead, he has me doing them on a bar that's higher up so I can actually do it... and he'll keep moving the bar lower and lower as I get stronger and more comfortable. But I did 30 of them today! I'm so proud of myself!

I'm also spending so much time in the pool that my skin and hair are getting dry because of the chlorine and I don't even care because I love it just that much! Today after my appointment with Eric, I was in the pool complaining to Dianne that there was no Aquafit class today. Thomas is the lifeguard and he started doing an impromptu Aquafit class just for the 2 of us! It was hysterical.

And then there is Zumba. Have I mentioned that I am THE MOST UNCOORDINATED PERSON ON THE PLANET? Zumba and I don't really get along... but it's so much fun that I'm going to do it anyway! Yeah, I went to Zumba. I hadn't been going because it starts just 30 minutes before Aquafit starts... which is stupid. But I talked to the instructor and she said to just go for however long I could go for and then go for Aquafit! So I went for like 25 minutes and it was great! I was tripping all over myself, couldn't do half of the stuff because of the whole coordination thing, but it was fun! And tomorrow it's at like 11 so I'll go to the whole thing because it doesn't conflict with anything.

I love my gym :-)

Swimming swimming in the swimming pool....

Let's see... I've been to the gym nearly every day these past few weeks. Except for Easter. I skipped Easter and took a walk outside in the rain with Daddy instead.

I've been swimming like crazy. I love the pool. It's not as chlorinated as the JCC pool which is nice... probably because of the lack of children!

And there is a hot tub which is oh so very nice after working out and swimming...

OH! And the Aquafit class is AMAZING!!! I've gone to that a bunch of times. I talk to the ladies too and that's fun :-)

Honestly I don't really swim laps or anything so sometimes I feel like I'm not doing much... I just find new and different ways to walk back and forth down the lap lane using the water weights from the aquafit class... but let me tell you I can feel it in my muscles!!!

Dianne joined the gym so now I have absolutely no reason not to go, which is fantastic.

I have a feeling that if I were to pay attention to my eating, which I'm not doing at the moment, I would be losing a lot of weight. We'll see. Maybe I'll get back on track soon.

I'm Back!

After a short hiatus... I'm back!

I don't know why I took a break... I just had nothing to say, I guess.

But...

I've been to the gym every day this week, which feels great.

And...

I started swimming.

Which feels AMAZING.

It's kinda funny, because I can't swim. Well, it's not that I CAN'T swim... I just can't swim strokes. I can keep myself afloat... I can move from place to place... I just... you know... can't swim.

But I've been "moving from place to place in the water" (LOL at not SWIMMING) and it feels so good!

I'm even going to an Aqua Fit class tomorrow morning!

I can thank Dianne for all of this. I had a guest pass for the gym that I gave her, and she's been motivating me and getting me to go every day.

So THANK YOU DIANNE I LOVE YOU!

I've also been going to all the doctor's appointments I've been putting off... I had my asthma test this week, started back on the thyroid meds, had a thyroid ultrasound... etc etc etc... BTW, there is no better feeling then having a doctor come in the room and say "Wow! You've lost 20 pounds since I last saw you!"

This week was a good week. I'm glad things worked out the way they did. I'm taking this opportunity of not having anything to do to make myself a better person! YAY ME!