Before...?

I took the dreaded "before" pictures 2 nights ago. After looking through them I've opted not to post them until have an "after" to go with. I'm all about honesty, just not quite ready to put myself out there like that. I'll take another one at the 4 week mark and if there's good improvement I'll consider posting them side by side. We'll see.
In other news, I have been using the Lose It! app on my iPhone and I love it! It counts your daily caloric intake and you can add exercise and it calculates how many calories you've burned. Each day it tracks your progress and you can customize your caloric budget based on your weight loss goal. Mine is set to lose 1 lb per week and to eventually lose 15 lbs. This restricts my diet to about 1,335 calories per day. That is below the recommended amount for my height and age, but I never feel starved so I'm going to roll with it! It is teaching me a lot about smart meal choices and portion control. I'm also understanding what they mean by "empty" calories. I've been using this app consistently for a week today. Time to hit the scales!
I've also been doing some workout routines that I found on self.com. I'm loving them. I'll do a separate post about that later.
First day of Couch to 5k tomorrow! Wish me luck, and as always, be lovely!

My Perfect Training Shoe

As many of you know, I was born with clubbed feet and have to take extra care of my feet. I have never let my limited mobility hinder me in athletics and I'm not going to start now. Because of the kind of training I'll be doing it is important for me to find a supportive, but cushioned shoe. I have a high arch and my feet are slightly wide (not to mention a size 5...yick). I'll be running but I'll also be doing some toning exercises and light calisthenics so I don't want a run-specific shoe. And, silly as it sounds, I care what they look like. Here are 3 pair that I have been considering. If anyone has any feedback, please share.

New Balance WX812BP-$89.95

Reebok RunTone Action W-$99.99

New Balance WR7500-$74.95

Yes, my favorite color is pink.

Jan. 13, 2011

Hello, all! It's been a while since I've posted. Once school hit hard that is where my priority was!

I'm going to be starting a new workout routine on Sunday, but I must say, I'm so excited about it that I want to start now! I'm going to be doing the Couch to 5K running program with a friend. The goal of the program is to be ready to run a 5k (3 miles) in 9 weeks. I've never been an avid runner but one of my goals is to run a race so I figured the 5K would do =)

I'm also going to be doing toning and strength-training on my off days. I have taken the past week or so to begin stretching and eating well to sort of prep myself for what is to come.

My goal is to lose about 10-15 pounds which probably seems like vanity, but I know what my body is supposed to carry and I'm really tired of feeling so sluggish and squishy! Before I had my daughter I weighed a fairly consistent 103 lbs. I don't expect to get down to that weight again, but if I tone up I know I'll look and feel ten times better!

I'm going to be blogging a few times a week to document my progress and also for some accountability. I've considered posting before and after pictures--we'll see. All of my workouts will be done at home so I'll be posting the sources of my routines.

Thank you for the support and, as always, be lovely!

Some recent photography

I have been having lots of fun lately stretching my photography muscle without the pressure of charging and being able to take on projects at my discretion. I enjoy photography so much more as a hobby than as a job. Lately, I have been doing photo shoots for friends that wouldn't be able to get personalized and good photos otherwise. I wanted to share a few photos from those sessions!

This is a young couple that are engaged to be married in September. This was such a fun shoot!

This lovely family was so fun and easy to shoot! We were out for less than an hour and I walked away with so many great photos for them! I threw a baby-shower for Heather before baby J was born so it was really fun to be involved in their family photos!

Lots of love in this little family.

Josh, Peyton, and the Carlsons, Thank you so much for letting me capture these wonderful moments! I had so much fun with both of these sessions and it reminded me how much I love photography. You guys are great!

Be Lovely!

More pretty Christmas ideas!

Hair inspiration

Can't wait for my hair to be long again...

Can I please be typical for a moment?

Is it okay with everyone if I find a great idea, get super pumped about it for about a week, lose interest, and then rush to finish the project so I can start a new idea that I'm super pumped about?

Yes, no?

Well...I'm tempted.

This 30 days of Me thing has tripped me up. I know it is a challenge...so is Physio homework. So...seriously, is it okay if I quickly sum up "Me" and then move on?