Dear Diary.

Denise

PANDA LOG 10.20.2016

Panda Diary

It's Friday, 10-14. Tomorrow is my birthday and my original plans were to be taken out on the town wearing the new purple wrap dress and tan booties that I bought just for the occasion. First of all, I'm tired! Secondly, my broken toe won't allow me to wear my new boots and thirdly I feel gross! I'm still on my sugar kick and my belly is starting to show it! I'm feeling like if I log daily it might help me be more accountable and get back on track. Today I was driving by the bakery on my mail route and just drove right in. I justified it with tomorrow being my birthday and I deserved a treat. To make it worse, I got more than one treat. I had a salad, sweets and decided to top it off with spaghetti –bolognaise from a cute little Italian restaurant near by. I'm drowning in emotional eating. I'm sabotaging myself in the name of being drained. So, I sit here, hubby is working late, I'm feeling full to the top and am wanting this madness to stop. Tomorrow I will try harder to get a grip on this and head towards the path I had been on, I can't turn back! This “diary” I will be doing leading up to my next blog on Thursday is my desperate attempt get myself back on track.

10.16

Dear diary…lol. Yesterday was my birthday and I DIDN’T eat any sugar! Didn’t eat gluten either but the food made for me by my wonderful, skinny husband was fantastic. I made a choice that I did not want my birthday to revolve around food, I'd spent the previous week in that mode and needed to make it stop, and I did. This morning I woke up feeling lighter, love that feeling!!

Panda diaries-day three, 10-17:

After a nine hour work day, I'm not going to lie, I wanted sugar. The good news is that I scolded may self and didn't give in. I've been home for a hour and a half and am ready for some artichokes, salad and left over smoked ribs that Kev smoked yesterday. Getting over the 2pm sugar hump was a little struggle but it passed quickly. I can't wait until I have a couple of weeks of no sugar/gluten under my belt.

10-18: I'm still dealing with wheat belly, that harness in the middle that you can't suck in. I've stuck with a heathy green and protein diet for four days and can't wait for my belly to catch up. I am going to get on the scale tomorrow. Eek

10-19: 196. Thank God I wasn't back in the 200s, that would have been super disappointing.

After just short of a week I have managed to get myself back on track. I still fill “gluten belly”, if you've never experienced that, it feels like a ball is in the middle of your belly and there's no sucking that ball in! I will end here in anticipation that my wheat belly will be gone by my next blog and also in appreciation that I got back on track instead of giving up.

Peace,

Panda

The Party is Here!

Heidi

The Party is Here
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: too much
Goals: to get my butt in gear so I can get healthy and lose weight and cut out sweets.
Motivation: my kids and myself 

Hello, my name is Heidi and I dislike exercise and eating healthy. Which has led me here…
Before I had kids I was pretty slender. Never in a million years did I think I’d have a weight problem. Yet here I am, 13 years after having my first child and I am a hefty fatty pants.
For a while now, I have had zero motivation to exercise on a regular basis. I go for walks here and there, but that’s it. Over the summer we went bike riding or walking on some of the trails in the area. I really enjoyed that but it was never enough to take weight off or keep me motivated.

I don’t get how people can just think, “I want to go to the gym. That sounds fun.” My favorite one, “let’s go for a run. It’s such good exercise and makes me feel good. It’s fun.” Oh hell no! I have tried running since I was a toddler. Never, did I ever like it. It always hurts me. Not the good kind of hurt. The shin pain. Foot pain. Ankles popping. Knees crackling. Running & Heidi do not mix well! 
At the moment I am a member at Planet Fitness. I can probably count on two hands how many times I have been there in the past year. Every day I feel as if I should go. I mean, I KNOW I should go. Obviously it isn’t something I want to do enough, or I would. I want to enjoy exercising. I don’t want it to be boring. And I don’t like exercising alone. No Crossfit or HIIT or anything too extreme yet, though. I seriously think I’d die! Both of my girls play soccer. So I am at soccer with them every night. Just this week I started walking around the field while they practiced. Monday and Wednesday I walked 65 minutes. I know it is nothing amazing. But it is a tiny start. It was SO BORING though. I tried getting my husband to walk with me one night. He went around once and said he was done. Can’t blame him though because I wanted to be done, but my phone didn’t ding to let me know my time was up. To be honest, I am perfectly content sitting in my chair, watching soccer and drinking my Sheetz frozen coffee. Another example of my dinner, one night. (bad bad bad).

Exercising and eating the right foods are so hard for me. I hope by my next post I have some positive news to share with you, in these areas. I am not even looking to achieve a skinny body. I really just want cookies…I mean, to fit into my jeans comfortably. And to be able to exercise without it feeling like a chore. Because I’d rather fold laundry and do dishes, than exercise.
Until next time, enjoy your week/weekend. I will try to get my butt out there and move. And not drink any more frozen coffees. Or eat after 6pm.

Long Yard!

Denise

HEIGHT:: 5’8”

STARTING Weight on 4-25-16 : 208

TODAY’S Weight: ever changing!!

GOALS:  Fit comfy into any size 12, no muffin top and with a tight shirt!

Establish playtime on a daily basis that helps me achieve a strong body. Break old habits!

MOTIVATION and SUPPORT:  My husband, my family, my friends and my Lord.

PANDA LOG 10.13.2016

Long yard!!!

On July 22, my parents arrived from a 2700 drive from Southern California to York, PA. Immediately we started the “long yard” project. Seventy days, day and night, of very hard labor by my husband, father and son, they did the work of a full crew and did a great job. My mom and I had our projects and wedding prep going for my sons big day that all came together and looks gorgeous. I  look around and am blown away with what my family accomplished and can't believe that weeks of a torn up yard, dirt pills and sand turned into an oasis. And I'm blown away by those family members that came by our side, like my brother in law and his wife, Kim and a Pete, insisting that our project needed sod instead of the yard being seeded and going above and beyond to get some sod, Pete prepping the yard and everyone coming together to get it laid. They were right, our lush green grass helped set everything off for the wedding. My mom had the vision and my dad was the engineer and my husband and son were working along with him day and night. Friends came through in such a huge way and with all of this, the wedding was magical! 

Another awesome surprise was that my brother and sister in law showed up at the wedding. They flew in from SoCal and pulled off surprising all of us. My heart is full! My parents headed back home this morning and Kevin and I are having a day of reflecting. What a ride!

Through all of the above I feel like I did well eating healthy and moving my body, up until Sunday. Once the wedding was over I crashed which equaled sugar! I'd been staying away from bad sugars but emotional eating crept it's ugly head up and it was on. I ate cupcakes, well mostly frosting off of them, for three days straight. Today, I only ate a finger full. Lol. Ugh, I wasn't going to! My birthday is Saturday so I'm not going to be all crazy and say I'll be good from today on but, I am committing to a cleanse on Monday the 17^th. What I am trying to do is get off the sugar and wheat carbs as much as possible until the 17^th.

Through our seventy days of the “long yard”, I had a three week Lymes relapse, broke my toe next to my big toe on my left foot a week before the wedding and got a head cold the day after the wedding. Through everything there were only six days without moving my body. The worst part was not being able to do planks for a week due to my toe. Planks are now back in my life and from this point on I want to go further with my journey then I had before “long yard” and wedding. I'm excited for “life back to normal” but even better.

I have to give a update on my husband, Kevin. To say I'm impressed would not be enough! Through 14 hour work days seven days a week for 11 weeks, he never broke! He is now 204 and wears a size 36. On May 1^st, he was 254 and wore a tight 40. Starting Monday I plan on going on the “Kevin” diet for two weeks and see what all the magic is about.

Peace,

Panda

How to make a change

How to make a change

So often as a health and fitness coach, I run into people who are overwhelmed with a huge to-do list that they feel is necessary to check off in order to be successful. What I have found, as I continue to grow, is that choosing one or two of those items and really making that change a part of your life will lead to better success in the long run. I know what you're thinking. But it will take longer that way!  I'll never reach my goal!  

In my experience, when I try to tackle the whole list, I may do well for a few weeks, but then I get tired and burnt out. And I quit. Before you know it, I'm back at the beginning. Now...which method is it that takes longer?  Exactly. Go ahead and make that big to-do list that will get you to your goal. Then prioritize. What is really important?  Which items make you excited when you think about doing them?  Those are the ones you start with. 

Here's an example. You want to start working out to lose some weight and get healthier.  Your life is super crazy with work and chores around the house and driving your kids around to their activities all night long. But you really love to dance and your friend just told you about this awesome DVD workout she's doing and it doesn't even feel like work. So, you give it a try. And starting your day dancing around your living room makes you happy and gets your day off on the right foot. Before you know it, your new habit is to get up and get your groove on. Once that's established, you move to item two. You are continually a work in progress. And that's ok. Because you're moving forward.  And forward is where you'll realize your dreams. 

Nikki

Roller Coasters are for Theme Parks NOT Life!

Libby

The Driven Blog has slowed down a bit but that does not mean the ladies behind the blog have stopped.  Actually most of us are gaining ground as much or more than before our break.  That being said, there are seasons when priorities shift to focus our attention on more pressing matters of the moment.  I do however have no doubt your favorite bloggers will be back in writing action. Another wonderful piece of driven. news I have; is a few new ladies  have signed onto our little blog adventure and I can not wait for you meet them.

Okay, so where have I been and what on earth have I been doing?  On Tuesday September 6th, the day after Labor day I had a perspective shift, not change, shift.  I am a christian and I have been praying for some help in firmly grounding my feet to the path God has called me to.  My prayers were answered on this day, whatever funk I was in, it was gone.  It was not temporary, like a day or two, it is permanent and I will tell you why.

I wanted to start a diet my friend Maggie inspired me to do, the Whole30.  She was doing it and she is super fit so I looked into it and the final reason I went with the program was you could have coffee and it was clean eating with no dumb rules..but mostly coffee.  That Tuesday when I started the Whole30 I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up the book.  I have read that book front to cover at least 5 times.  The thing about the  plan that I liked the most is it is not all about food, it is about your foodie mindset.  They guide you through slaying your sugar dragon, recognizing your "no brakes" food, and the best is identifying food they like to call, "having sex with your pants on" food.   It guides you through every week about how your body feels, your emotions, and even dreaming about food?  They are right!! So I have never ever ever completed a program like this in all of my 39 years and well I did it.  Last Thursday was my 30th day and you know what I did the next day to celebrate...stayed on the program.  You know what my eating looks like right now, the whole30 diet plan, with rare deviation.  I have had birthday cake sitting on my counter since this weekend and have had no desire to even look at it, what? That's impossible, no my friends it is not!  Wave a candy bar at me, I ll bat it away.  Put a french fry under my nose and I will turn it up.  Tempt me and you will fail, I finally have power over food.

So the other thing about the Whole30 is you gain weight..just kidding.  You actually lose weight as a side effect of clean eating but you are not allowed to weigh yourself... at all.  The book says the last week you want to hop on that scale so bad its almost impossible not to.  They were right.  I did not do it and I did weigh myself once after the 30 days and I lost 5 pounds but I will not weigh myself again because the numbers on the scale tell nothing but fables.  The numbers are NOT, I repeat NOT an accurate measurement of your body's health including weight.  Your body fluctuates 2-5 lbs on any given day.  Take the power away from a made in china, cheap, plastic, inaccurate, 25 dollar, ineffective body weight measurement tool.  Stop letting this define your mood, your day, your week, your everything. Stop I tell you, Stop!


So I was so empowered I joined a gym, not just any gym, Power Train.  They have a unique model;  they offer a boot camp and personalized training or both.  I opted for the boot camp to start.  My husband joined with me and we have been faithfully going 3 days per week.  This gym is for you if:

1. You like instructor led classes
2. You like High Intensity Interval Training
3. If you want to workout your entire body, every workout
4. If you want a completely different workout every time (keeping it fresh!)
5.  If you want knowledgeable and motivating instructors (Matt and David)
6. If you want a challenging and effective 45 minute workout.
7.  Friendly people that keep you accountable for going, like: "Hey Libby where were you on Monday?"

Below is a picture of boot camp:

The workout is comprised of:

15 minute cardio circuits x 4
15 minute tabata timed strength training x 2
15 minutes tabata timed strength training x2

If you want to know more about tabata, pricing, get a free class to try...You have to call the man in the know...Shane..

Phone: (717) 430-2800
29 Cinema Drive
York, PA 17402
eastyork@powertrainsi.com

Or check them out on facebook Power Train East York

Trust me it is worth checking into, the first day I wanted to die!   I am in my 4th week, I look better, I feel stronger, and I am fitting in my half-way there skinny clothes.

The physical appearance stuff is important but it is the confidence of having power over food, looking forward to working out, things that seemed so HARD to do before are possible...now that is priceless.

I wish I could tell you it was the Whole30 that changed my life, it was Power Train that finally got me there, it was something else...but the success happened when I started getting out of my own way.  The key is to change your perspective, it honestly starts there.  I had to say to myself, "I am done with this mental, physical, and emotional roller coaster, I have control and I am putting the brakes on this ride, period.