Hooray for Inversions. Not.

So, for those random few of you who may be reading this from somewhere outside ye olde Beehive state, here's a little information about winter here. It sucks. While our license plates point out that we have "the greatest snow on earth," the good folks at the license plate factory failed to mention the nasty inversions we get, which have recently landed us a spot on the list of the worst air quality in the nation. Since I have taken it upon myself to try and walk as many places as possible, this inversion poses quite the obstacle. Right now, the air quality is so bad that it looks like I could go out and scoop it up in a jar. My eyes start to burn just walking outside to get the mail. What is a girl to do?
To solve this conundrum, I have decided to start getting my exercise indoors. This isn't an ideal situation since I have about 20 square feet in which to do it, but I have no intention of putting any of that weight back on, so I must adapt to this new set of circumstances. (Also, guess who survived the Holiday season with NO weight gain!)
So far, my plan is to do Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred and still walk as much as I can when the air is clear. I have done the 30 Day Shred in the past, but I have yet to do it for a full 30 days. I don't think it is wise for me to make a vow to do it every single day since my six classes keep me quite busy most of the time, but it is something that I can commit to doing most days. Doing it every day is what I will try my best to do, but since I know there will be days that I will be too busy, I will commit to do it at least 4 days a week. Additionally, I have no choice but to walk around campus, and that will give me built in exercise every day. On the days that I have the most running around campus, I usually end up having walked about six miles by the time I get home.
What are you guys doing to keep fit during the winter? If you're experiencing some of the same weather that I am, you may be feeling that hibernating sounds pretty great right about now. I know I do. 

Some Inspiration for 2013

Well, after quite a lot of searching through my facebook photos, I've found some to assemble into a "Before and After H3" collage. Now, you must remember that these have been copied and pasted and then assembled on Paint, so the quality isn't super fabulous, but I was just pleased to see that I took up so much less room in the "After" picture that I kind of don't care. Here it is! (Although, I should say that this is really more of a "midway" instead of a complete after, but it feels so good to be able to see so much less of myself. 

Now, not everyone will necessarily be able to see a huge difference, and that's okay because I feel like the most important changes occurred on the inside. That may sound cliche, but it really is true. To once again quote the amazing Bob Wright, this journey has been one where  "I didn't know how bad I felt until I started to feel better."  When I was at that larger size, I was technically still alive, but I wasn't really living. Nothing pleasant carried the same meaning it had before, every disappointment felt like it would break me, and I was exhausted. All. The. Time.

 Fortunately, I was blessed with some really great friends who would go walking with me. Over the course of about 3 months, I took off 13 lbs. Now, that might not seem like a lot, but for someone who had experienced significant weight gain that didn't seem like it would ever end (90 lbs in about a year. Don't try it.), 13 lbs was a HUGE deal! Finally, I had done something that allowed me to feel like I was the one in control. Furthermore, I no longer felt like I needed my friends Ben and Jerry when I was having a bad day. Instead, I had friends who were real people who would go walking with me! (okay, if I'm being totally honest, I didn't drown my sorrows in ice cream. Instead, I nursed my wounds with disgusting amounts of Chinese food. It just didn't have the same ring. : D)

The next big blessing came in the form of an amazing journey to H3. I cannot say enough good things about my experience there. The people were so willing to impart their knowledge to me, and I truly will never be able to express the gratitude I have for being able to go there. I won't go into more detail about H3 right this second, but if you're new to the blog, I'd definitely encourage you to check out our past posts if you want to read more about H3.

 Anyway, back to the before and after pictures. Even though the changes might not look quite as dramatic as say, Marie Osmond after Nutrisystem, I feel like it is still really important for me to be able to see how far I have come. As far as I am aware, the difference between the two pictures is approximately 50 lbs. 

I never, ever thought that I would be able to actually lose this kind of weight, but through recognizing what a wonderful thing my body is and learning how to treat it accordingly, not to mention the tremendous outpouring of blessings from God, I have been proved wrong.

So, to anyone who is looking to make some changes in 2013, believe you me, you can do it. Sometimes it feels like nothing you do will make a difference, but I promise it does. No matter what you are trying to do this year, I guarantee that you will be able to do it, even if it doesn't happen overnight.

Now, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. I am going to train for a half marathon taking place May 26, 2013! I've got 18 weeks to train, and I am so excited. I will most likely be like a turtle mixed in with a bunch of jackrabbits, but I don't even care. I'm just happy to have something awesome to work towards.  The best part? My awesome husband and sister are also going to do it! Hooray! 

What are your goals for 2013? Do you have any big plans you're just dying to get to work on?