Le sigh.
Okay, I will not open up this blog post in a defeated, hopeless tone. However, I will let you know that from my last post to this post my transformation journey has been a serious roller-coaster ride. And I'm not talking about the Superman, with one big dip and one big ascension. I'm talking about the Joker with a whole heap of twist and turns and reversals!
Bad news first:
I didn't do well at Colorado State University Global. I started strong, focused. And then, I got overwhelmed and flunked out. Well technically, I didn't flunk out. I could have passed. But I gave up. Yes, that is what happened, I gave up. I made excuses. I lost sight of my goals.
However, God is faithful, still. And maddd gracious.
So this summer I went back to Howard Community College (where my college journey started) and decided to enroll in an on-campus summer class to fulfill a humanities credit. So far it's been cool. I got an A on my first exam. I paid out of pocket for this class so the need to pass is very REAL. I guess I had to get back to the basics and understand what a sacrifice getting my education really is. But no great goal is accomplished without sacrifice. Right?
I guess going back to finish what I began at HCC ties in to what God has been teaching me this year about commitment. I'm 19 credits shy of an Associates degree. I have to ask myself why not just buckle down and finish here. I guess the answer really lies in my impatience and unwillingness to be seen as the 26 year old girl still at a community college. But you know, it's an insecurity that I'm fighting to overcome everyday. And I must say, it's getting easier. My focus is becoming more and more about achieving goals and milestones and transforming inside and out. When I'm focused on what God is doing inside of me, I don't really have time to focus on what others may (or may not) be thinking about me. It reminds me of a scripture in Philippians 3:
"Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead! That is the focus, folks! Paul sums it up quite nicely. Speaking of straining towards what is ahead....
My fitness journey is coming along quite nicely! I enjoyed the Herbalife nutrition plan. However, I transition out of my dependency on its products and have opted for simply eating clean and staying active. And it's NOT complicated. I literally prep my meals and snacks in one day; pack my lunch the night before; do some kind of physical activity every other day (4-5 times a week), and that's it. And just because I'm slightly competitive, I've challenged myself to run a mile in 7 minutes. This little personal challenge has really motivated me to push my body to do things I didn't think it could do.
Here is my 1 mile time from June 2nd, when I started this personal challenge:
This week, my body did THIS:
PROGRESS FEELS SOO GOOD!!
I'm still pushing it. I mix it up from time to time. I found these cool circuit training workouts from the Women's Health website that I do when I go to the gym. If I'm running on the outdoor track, I incorporate squats, push-ups, lunges, planks, and mountain climbers into my workout. Sometimes, I don't run at all and I opt for the StairMaster (killer) or if I'm outdoors, I run the bleachers (also, killer). Either way, I never skip 2 days in a row. That's my promise to myself.
Welp! That's all for today. I'll leave you with my view from the bleachers. Good night!
