And so it begins....

     It is the beginning of a new year and at risk of sounding cliche, I have been looking at what I want to change or improve on for 2013...yes, the dreaded "new year's resolution". I know I am not alone when I list "weight loss" as my primary goal for 2013 as is evident by the crowded gym and endless fitness infomercials.
     I feel like I should begin with that between the ages of 30-40, I had lost the battle of balancing calories in and calories out and topped out at over 200 pounds. Who knew that an hour of elliptical did not equal a full pizza? Crazy! Anyway,with the help of some awesome folks (JR and Bob) I dropped 80 pounds and begin competing in triathlons, road races and Masters Swim. I also met my amazing husband. A journey I wished I had journaled as it was a life-changing time.

My favorite before photo. For some reason I thought a bright orange, floral suit was slimming

One year later at the same race.

My wedding day...yeehaaaa

    Fast forward to age 47. While I am still training and competing, I have also gained, what I like to call, the "happily married 15" and it is time for it to go. I thought it would be fun this time around to blog the process. To journal the tough times, the food choices, the new workouts adventures, and any other craziness that occurs along the way. Luckily for me, Mario (my amazing husband), is jumping in on this adventure with me, which makes it a little more fun and a little more do-able. Below is our plan of action:
1. FOOD- While I know many people struggle with emotional eating or use food to cope with life's struggles, that is not the issue with us. We just like to eat. We enjoy good food--a great burger, a perfect pizza, cheerful Chinese, an occasional hot dog and a sweet treat as a reward for a hard week at work. We also both have a great understanding of what it takes to lose weight and know that food is key. So tomorrow, the careful food choices begin. We will be surrounded by protein shakes and endless chicken and veggie dinners. This is the true battle ground for us...Tonight we will enjoy the "last hurrah" with something fun for dinner. :)
2. WORKOUTS- We have this part down. We can run, elliptical, swim, bike.....for hours on end and actually enjoy it in the process. The goal this year for me is to add variety to my workouts, to try new things, to consistently do weight training, and do a few races to keep things interesting.

3. LIFE-I can get very obsessed with work,training and food. Lucky for me, Mario is great at keeping things balanced and will call me out when I start getting a little crazy. My goal is to reach my fitness and weight goals while maintaining a balance of work, fun, friends and family...

   Well, this should be fun. In fact, today I tried a "new" workout by going to spin class at Madison Improvement Club. Despite the fact that I was the only one there not dressed in Lululemon, it was still a super fun class. The building has been rehabbed from a 1913 women's club, there were cool orange towels on each bike, a sweet light show during the ride, good bikes, a fun instructor that looked like he just stepped off a football field, and a grand finale of a girl bringing wipes to each bike and being given a sample of orange smoothie....not bad at all and a good workout to boot. They even have a educators discount for drop-ins so I may have to come check it out again sometime.