This week is off to a slow start workout-wise.  Clogging classes started again on Tuesday - that was a workout for sure, as I do the intermediate and the advanced classes.

 Whew... you made it.  I can get onto this one without a problem.  Wishing you the best with this goal.  I'll follow along too.

 How's it going Dawn?  I came looking for your update.  Hope you're enjoying the weekend and keeping focused.    

 Thanks for checking Andrea! I made it to the gym for an hour after work yesterday. I unfortunately did not make it today and was intending to go for a walk but it was way too cold and slippery. Hoping to go to the gym tomorrow! I'll have to work out extra in the next two weeks so the average is 5 per week :o)

 Congrats on going after work.  It's difficult after a long day and being mentally exhausted sometimes.  It is freezing here too.  The kids went out to play and I just couldn't do it.  I'm getting cold-sensitive in my old age, lol.  I need to get to the gym tomorrow too.  I skipped today.  Keep up the great work.

I've been doing so terrible lately!  It was too freezing and my day was too packed yesterday to fit in a workout.  I was going to go today but I had a doctor's appointment after work then we came home and had supper.  After being home and settled it's hard to get back out.  I keep telling myself there are still 6 days left in the week so it's not over.  I know I can do it!  

 Yes, I agree... once I settle down, it's unlikely I'll make it back up again.  Especially if it's after the kids are in bed.  The same exact thing happened to me today too and I'm feeling guilty over it.  You clog for two hours though Dawn.  That has to count for more than one workout.  That is a super long time.  There ARE still six days left this week.  It's only just beginning.  You can absolutely do it.

 Good luck with your goal and with this contest too.  It looks like you are making good progress.

 Just checking in for an update Dawn and wondering if you had a better day today.  Will check back soon.  

 Thanks for checking in Irene and Andrea!  I did GREAT today!  I went to the gym for an hour during lunch. It was a great time to go. I didn't have to stress about getting up super early, but I didn't have to worry about going after work then only getting home around 7pm.  Because of working late and bad weather I got to clogging half an hour late. I did half of the intermediate class then the full hour of advanced. So I actually worked out twice today! That makes up for the weekend :o)

 I love mid-day workouts.  That is absolutely my favourite time to work out.  I believe I read that correctly... two workouts in one day.  OMGosh talk about putting us all to shame.  Truly amazing.  I need a day like that too. 

Wow, you are full of motivation! Give me some of that over here! I swear, I lost 3 pounds this week in spite of myself. I enjoy reading about your ups and downs, we all have to look at this realistically and know we will have times when it just doesn't work. Then regroup and restart! As long as you're aware of your goal and stay involved, and most importantly, make the connections here that will keep you on target (we all need our support teams to get our butts off the couch!), you will have success. Keep it up! 

 Thank you Andrea and Shea! Yesterday was just what I needed after the weekend and your notes are so nice and encouraging to read. I love it! As for today, I walked for at least half an hour so I'm counting it! That makes it 3 for the week so far :o)

 Yes, absolutely count that walk.  You're dowing awesome Dawn.  <>

 Dawn - you are staying so active.  It is motivating to follow your progress.

Thanks for the check in Andrea and Irene!  I'm still at 3 for the week.  I did not work out today.  I worked 8:30am - 7:30pm because I had a work function in the evening.  Phew!  That was enough of a day for me.  Back at it tomorrow!

Dawn, I just read through this and good for you! Way to go finding that hard-to-find time. And way to go acknowledging that after 11 hours of work, you deserve a rest. Also, you taught me something new! I didn't know what clogging was so I had to look it up. I think it's really cool that you do dance. Great exercise and social at the same time.

I am 100% with you and Andrea; once I settle down it's really difficult for me to get up and go again. Today I tried to head off my usual sloth by doing a series of back exercises before I sat down in my chair and opened up my computer. I know once I get into that armchair, I am not going to want to do them...

 Sounds like your going to get your 4th workout in Dawn.  Good luck today!

 way to go, Dawn! <>

Ugggg... 7:30 to 8:30??  Killer!  Clogging's pretty hard core too.  How do you find the energy for all of that and be pregnant too.  Congrautations for the happy news!!  I remember how I was feeling during those months and I don't think clogging would have been an option.  How far along are you?  How was your day today?  I'm sure you'll find some time over the weekend to squeeze in a work out.  Liz, so great to see you here too. Wishing both of you the best. <>

Foley - I'm glad you looked up clogging!  It's great exercise.  I did it when I was a kid then went back to it about 6 years ago.  Great idea to do your exercises before settling down.  That gives me an idea - maybe I could get some yoga or other exercise videos and do those after work (while supper is cooking?) but before I settle in.  It's true, once I sit on the couch I'm done for the day.

Erik I did get a workout in today!  It wasn't at the gym or walking.  We have a new employee starting and he is actually  in the same office as me.  Furniture had to be moved around, and I had to re-organize the supply closet, etc.  So it wasn't a typical gym workout but I was pretty tired after a whole afternoon of that!

Thanks for the encouragement Liz!!!

Andrea - I know, right?  That long day should count for something haha. Yesterday evening was great though - it was the opening of a Community Learning Centre at a school.  There were a lot of community partners - old and new faces.  My day today was good!  The new employee was in and we all went out to lunch (by all I mean 3 people.  Small office).  I'm hoping to get workouts in over the weekend!  I'm a bit bummed it's been so cold and slippery out because I can't really "make up" for a missed gym workout by going for a long walk outside.

Thank you Foley, Erik, Liz and Andrea for checking in.  I'm off to see how you did on your goals today :o)

I'm up to 4 workouts this week.

Woo-hoo, 4 workouts! You are almost there, lady! One down and you have nailed this week's goal! Moving stuff totally counts as a workout. Actually, on Fitocracy you can select "moving boxes" as an exercise in your daily tracking.

keep it up Dawn! so great to see you are acheiving that goal!

 Don't let the weekend get you down - good luck today! I know you can do it.

Congrats Dawn!  4 workouts in one week is fantastic.  Keep up the great work and let us know if you manage to squeeze one in over the weekend.

Thanks for the check-ins Foley, Heather, Liz and Andrea!

I went to the gym for an hour this afternoon so this week is a SUCCESS with 5 workouts!

Ha! I knew you would be successful! Go you! Imagine me giving you a fist bump. ^^

You did a great job, and now you've proven you can do it, so I hope that will help motivate you next week too.

1. Burn fat with fruit. Blue and red foods block the storage of fat, plus switch on the genes that signal cells to burn belly fat for fuel. Aim for 1 cup daily.

2. Use blue dishes: studies show that blue stimulates the brain's appetite-control center. (Red promotes eating!) And better yet - eat diner on a blue salad plate instead of a dinner plate and cut calorie intake by 33%. Fill the plate, enjoy slowly and be a member of the Clean Plate Club without overeating. 

3. Take a half-hour "happy" break. Spend 30 minutes relaxing and laughing and you'll burn 20% more calories for the next 2 hours! Laughter reduces levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that fuels belly fat. Laugh yourself thin! 

4. Step outside in the morning. A 15 minute blast of sun can cut overeating in half and help you burn fat.  Morning light revs the production of appetite-taming serotonin. 

5. Sleep 30 minutes longer. An extra half hour of zzz's amps up appetite control, and dampens carb cravings. Zzzzzzz. 

Thanks for the fist pump Foley!  Hubby and I are hoping to get up early enough tomorrow to go to the gym before work.  We'll see how that works out at 6am :o)

Irene - you're right, for sure my goal is not to lose weight.  I'm 111 lbs and 15 weeks pregnant so I am hoping to work out and still gain the weight I'm supposed to.  Hoping to increase endurance and increase strength :o)

I LOVE your tips!!!  They will for sure come in handy as I try not to gain TOO much weight during the pregnancy, and when I'm trying to lose the weight after.  Thanks so much!!!

As for my goal today - I rested!

 Great progress Dawn! Love to read how things are at the start of undertaking, and how things progress a few weeks in .... and the support from friends is awesome! Love reading the tips everyone is leaving for you (and yes, I'm taking notes!)

I've been know to do 2-a-day workouts when I'm off, because I KNOW I won't be heading for a run after 12 hr shfits at the hospital. That way, I keep myself on track with the workouts I've written out for myself ahead of time. I'm doing a DVD set workout from BeachBody called Les Mills' Pump, which is all strength training, and the kit includes everything you need, for the workouts, a schedule, and even nutrition guide! It's like working out for dummies :-) 

Will check in with you tomorrow to see what you've been up to! Keep up the fantastic workouts! 

 Hey Dawn, just checking in for an update.  So nice to see Tami here too.  

Thanks so much for checking in Tami!!  That DVD sounds amazing!

Today I wanted to get up at 6am but I had a stuffy nose and slept horribly.  I kept waking up!  That tends to happen when I have to get up earlier than usual - does that happen to anyone else?  The waking up constantly during the night when you know you have to get up early, not the stuffy nose :o)

Since I didn't get my 7-8am workout in, I took a long lunch and went to the gym.  That just meant I had to work until 5 instead of 4:30.

Already at 1 for the week and clogging is tomorrow!  Thanks for checking in Andrea!

 Hey Dawn!  Sorry to hear that last night didn't go so well for you.  You should kick Will out of bed and have an extra good sleep tonight!

Nice to see so much support here!  I probably can't give work out tips, but I can give you my love! (L&L!)

Tami - I'm in NYC this weekend and was thinking about how nice it was for you to take Erin and I out when we were here 3 years ago!

Great job--one workout down already on Monday to start the week off right! I think it's really crucial that when you hit an obstacle in the morning, you compensated for it by adjusting later in the day. That ability to make sure unplanned stuff doesn't throw you off your exercise has got to be a skill that will serve you well.

Dawn, this goal is going great for you! Congrats on getting through the first five workouts! I think your goal raises a really interesting point. If you want to really build a habit, it has to be a goal that you can quantify. Knowing that you set the goal for five workouts a week makes it really clear what you have to do to accomplish it. Making clear goals is the best path to success. I have a "habit" goal going (not anything I wrote on here, just because it's so simple) to drink 64 oz. of water a day. I know whether I did it or not. It's really obvious. I have a few days left in my 21-DC, and I succeeded 12 days out of 21. Not stellar but at least I know where I'm weak. I think your goal is ambitious, working out five days a week, but if you can manage it and you don't feel overwhelmed, that's awesome!! I'm utterly impressed. All I wanted to do when I was pregs was lay on the couch, watch Baby Story and eat Doritos. :) More power to you, girl!

Hey Dawn, yes... that absolutely happens to me during the night before I know I have to get up earlier than usual the next day.  It's like my brain won't let me relax just incase I oversleep. Crazy frustration.  Just when you really need those zzzz's too.  Great work adjusting your schedule to get that workout in.  I'm impressed too.  

 Your doing fantastic with your workouts Dawn! I'm watching The Biggest Loser right now, and some of the contestants are just full of excuses..... you should be giving them tips :-) 

Erin ~ How could I forget NYC, and Latitude across from one of my favorite NYC site....a fire station! Ahhh, I do love my men in uniform. Certainly an incentive to hit the gym!

Will check in again tomorrow Dawn to hear how hump-day goes :-)

Dawn...congrats on your progress...one day at a time is what I keep telling myself! You are a great motivator for me...I have just begun my journey to release the weight. good luck this week!

Wow thank you for all the check-ins!!

Liz:  Will has been having trouble sleeping lately and sometimes he does sleep on the couch - for some reason he sleeps better on the couch!  Then I get the bed to myself and don't wake up as often!

Foley:  I agree!  I could have easily said "oh well, didn't get up at 6am so no workout today."  That's the sort of thing I used to do.  But having this goal with people checking in makes me feel accountable to more than just myself so I made time to get the workout in!

Shea:  Thank  you!  It's true, when you can quantify your goal it's easier to know if you have done it, and how close you are to achieving it.  It's pretty simple, either I did or did not work out five times.  What a great goal with the water! 

Andrea:  Isn't it annoying?  I haven't found a solution yet so if you find one please let me know!  Whenever it happens I feel like I wake up a hundred times during the night, each time thinking about how much less sleep I'm going to be getting.

Tami:  I love The Biggest Loser!  Even though I'm not trying to lose weight, watching shows like that are motivating to get up and go do something active.

Heather:  Will you be posting your weight loss journey on MLL?  If you do I'll be there supporting you!  Good luck!!

So yesterday we got a humidifier.  It helped a lot!  I wasn't stuffed up at all during the night!  When I woke up my cold was much worse and I had started a cough.  I stayed home sick from work because I have some important things to get done tomorrow so I wanted to be rested and ready to tackle the work.  We also had some freezing rain here so it's good I wasn't out driving in it.  Tonight was supposed to be clogging but I wasn't feeling well and it was still icy out.  On Netflix I found a yoga video called "Crunch: Yoga Mama."  It's for prenatal as well as postnatal.  It had been months since I had done yoga!   It's great stretching and I can feel it in my muscles. Something to consider adding to my regular exercise schedule!   I just finished it a little while ago and came on here to do a check-in before bed. 

Something that has kept me motivated is the pregnancy.  I have a lot of anxiety about the birth and I have read a lot that if you exercise and keep in shape during pregnancy it's supposed to make labour, delivery and recovery "easier."  I feel like I'm training for a marathon, of sorts.  It helps me to be less anxious if I know I'm doing all I can to exercise and get my body ready (without going overboard of course, and always being careful).  I'm doing it for my health but also to get ready for July, and for the baby.  If I did not have this as a motivator I'm not sure I could get my butt to the gym as often, or get in a 45 minute yoga video before bed on a day I'm not feeling 100%.  I think the key to a lot of goals is a reason and a deadline.  It keeps me going, anyway!

Progress so far this week:  2 workouts done!  1 hr at the gym, 1 yoga video.

Great job Dawn! I think yoga is great for when you're not feeling well, or any time actually. When I'm sick cardio is hopeless and weightlifting is frustrating. But yoga you can at least do some of the poses even under the weather. I'm glad you're doing yoga with a clear pregnancy focus though, since I'm sure there are some poses that are better and worse for the baby. I applaud your dedication to make this pregnancy work for you and your child!

And thank you for the sweet comment on my goal too. :) Our comments there crossed each other in the mail, so to speak, but I saw yours afterward and smiled.

 Hey Dawn - or should I say crunchy momma?  I was going to suggest netflix as a resource - I've found a few on there!  I loved what you saida about preparing your body for July.  I think that working towards the big day with each work out will give you the skills and confidence you need.  I'm so proud of you for doing this, but I know I'll be so blown away by your even more amazing skills as a mother.  Give your belly a little pat for me!

Thanks for the check-in Foley, glad I could make you smile!

Aww Liz thanks!!  Are you coming to town any time soon?

Today I did not work out at all.  My cough was still pretty bad so I didn't want to go to the gym and I didn't get around to doing any yoga in the evening. That's ok though there are still 4 days left in the week!

 Hi Dawn, I'm just reading all the posts and feel all warm and fuzzy - so much love and support are being sent your way as your prepare for the big arrival.  Hope to hear that you're feeling better and that the cold doesn't take hold.  I'm battling one myself today too.  Keep up the great work.  I found this article about the benefits of exercising while pregnant.  I thought you might want to sneak a peek if you're not too busy.  You're probably aware of all of it already though.  http://www.babycenter.com/0_seven-great-benefits-of-pregnancy-exercise_7864.bc

Dawn...I hope that you are taking time for you...and that crunch yoga sounds pretty awesome! I know that a bunch of my friends have been going to pre-natal yoga, and have loved it. They found that it did help with their breathing and understanding of their changes in their body. Looking forward to following your progress...and yes...I have posted on MLL about my release!

 Some more tips for you as you stay focused on your health Dawn:

6. Whet your appetite. Sip 2 cups of water before eating. Water boosts cells' ability to convert food into energy. 

7. Set your kitchen timer. Set a timer for 15 minutes when the munchies hit. Most of the time hunger urges will disappear by the time the bell goes off. If not, eat a protein/carb combo (like peanut butter on crackers).

8. Make one meal automatic.  Limiting the variety of foods you face each day reduces hunger pangs and cuts calorie intake. Pick one meal and choose a fast, healthy dish to have every day.  Breakfast is a good choice for this.

9. Confuse your muscles. Change up your exercise routine. If you stick with the same exercise for more than 3 weeks your muscles will burn fewer calories. Dance, do yoga, go for a walk, ski, jog, skip rope, swim, try some different work out videos.

10. Take a deep breath. Spend 5 minutes a few times a day practicing slow, deep, relaxed abdominal breathing and you'll burn more fat than when you breathe shallowly! Deep breathing signals cellular mitochondria to amp up calorie burning in as little as 3 minutes! 

That's right Dawn, you got your first 2 in early so you earned this rest day to take care of yourself and take some time off! I hope you're feeling better soon. It seems like the crud is making its way around all of our communities this month. :(

 Feeling better at all today Dawn?  Hope so.  Just checking in on your page here and wishing you the best.  

Thanks Andrea - what a great article!  I hadn't seen it yet!

Heather - thanks for the check-in!  I'll check out your goal!

Thanks for more great tips Irene!!

Foley - I've noticed a bunch of people being sick too :(  I hope you're feeling well!

No workout today either - still feeling pretty sick.  Hopefully tomorrow I can at least do some yoga!

Take care of yourself! Drink lots of fluids and get well soon! I hope tonight you get a good sleep and tomorrow is better.

Dawn - it is important to take care of you...so if you are sick, then take your time in getting back to recovery mode. yoga, breathing and baths are my faves!

 Hi Dawn.  I hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself and your little growing tenant.  Here are some more healthy tips for you to enjoy.

11. Say yay to whey! You'll burn more fat if you sip a whey protein smoothie first thing in the morning.

12. Get inspired by you!   Increase your weight-loss by gazing at a photo in which you look trim - as often as possible, but at least a few times a day. Your brain will get the image of what you want to look like and it'll crave nourishing, slimming foods instead of junk. 

13. Kill cravings with peanut butter. Women who savour a spoonful of peanut butter when they get the munchies eat fewer calories per day than those who don't. Plant fats steady blood sugar levels and ward off cravings. 

14. Spice up your diet. Adding  1 tsp ginger, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce to a meal will boost your metabolic rate for 2 hours. Hot spices fire up the breakdown of stored fat. 

15. Daydream about cookies or whatever it is that you crave. Daydreaming helps nix the brains need to actually eat that which you crave. 

 Hi Dawn, hope you're doing well and are feeling better.  Here's the next ABC's of healthy living installment for your enjoyment.  Make sure you take all the time you need to feel better.  Very important at this time of your life - but I'm sure you know that.  Very best to you.

K - Keep Your Focus as you're losing weight, notice what you're gaining as well:  a slimmer profile, better fitting clothes, more confidence, a more restful sleep, a new love of exercise, a more healthier YOU all around.

L - Lighten Up Your Favourites... with new low-fat cookbooks.  Experiment with your favourite Chinese, Mexican, Italian dishes with substitued lighter ingredients.  Or try a different cultures' cuisine.

M - Make Over Your Kitchen and get rid of trigger foods.  Restock with healthier choices to make snacking easy.  

N - Navigate Your Way Out Of Your Comfort Zone and try a new exercise at least once.  Discovering how much you enjoy new activities will help create your new healthier lifestyle.

O - Opt for the 10-Minute Rule even if you don't feel like exercising.  Get moving in some way for at least ten minutes and if, after that, you still feel uninspired, give yourself permission to quit.

 Sorry to hear you're not feeling so well. Hopefully you'll have the chance to rest up on the weekend and getyourself in good shape.  Don't be afraid to take care of yourself.  <>

Dawn, I hope you are feeling better. And if not, then like everyone else says, really do listen to your body and rest. I think that fits right in with this goal: you're working out because you want to work for the health of you and your baby, so if this week what you genuinely need to do for your health is drink lots of tea and sleep for a million hours, then I think you're still achieving your goal if you do that. As long as you don't let the habit die and bounce right back in when you safely can, you are doing the right thing!

(SO has to give me a speech like this every single time I'm sick, because I start to feel guilty for all the things I'm not doing, and it turns out that SO is always right about this!)

Thanks Foley!  I got almost no sleep (again) last night so was super tired today.  I did about 20 minutes of yoga this evening so I'll count that as half a workout :o)  I'm taking all of your advice and taking it easy!

Thanks Andrea and Irene for the tips!  I'm lucky in that I've never tried to lose weight (I was 109 lbs before becoming pregnant) but I'm sure those tips will come in very handy when I am trying to lose the weight after!  Some of them are great even for now - whey, adding spices, daydreaming, trying new exercises and the 10 minute rule.  Thank you!!

Thank you all for checking in!

good for you to be taking the time to rest and relax...your body and soul will appreciate it!

 I love the 10 minute rule - what a great motivator.  I'm going to use it to finally get out bed this morning.

Good luck with your goal today!  I know you can do it! <3

Amazing Dawn!!

I went to bootcamp today and have started keeping track of the types of foods I'm eating.

Good luck reaching the goal and we will look great together!

 Yep, these tips are for you to healthfully regain your pre-baby body once your bouncing bundle arrives.  They really do make a difference.  You are blessed and highly favoured Dawn in that you've never had to struggle with weight issues.  I am truly envious : ).  In the nicest sisterly way.  Very best to you as you and keep up the great work.  Here's the next of the ABC's.

P - Push Yourself to try one new fruit or vegetable each week - or try them prepared in a different way.  You'll be treating yourself to a new taste sensation and expanding your culinary repertoire in a healthy way.

Q - Quit the Clean Plate Club and get into the habit of eating only until you're satisfied.  This way, you'll spare yourself loads of unnecessary calories.

R - Reward Yourself with a new 'busy hands' skill to stave off snacking after dinner - take up knitting, crocheting, needlepoint or beading.  Or, give yourself a mani/pedi.

S - Stand Up Food Pushers at the party by politely indicating that you have your eye on another dish at the buffet.  Complimenting the hostess on the food she's offering will distract her from her agenda and help you stick to yours.  

T - Treat Your Body Like A Temple.  Start exercising regularly and taking care of yourself as if you were an athlete.  Fuel your body with energy-boosting foods and plenty of sleep and water.  

 Some helpful tips for you Dawn.  Best of luck.

16. Lose liquid calories. Say no to pop, sports drinks or any other sugary beverage including fruit juice. Choose water, coffee or tea instead. 

17. Supplement with B vitamins. Take a daily B-complex vitamin and you'll have fewer cravings and burn more calories.  These vitamins convert fat into fuel! 

18. Tone while you tidy. Doing housework is a workout! (Yeah- I knew that already!) 

19. Add 6 drops of peppermint, orange or lemongrass essential oil to three 20-minute baths per week and kick start weight loss. The oils boost the liver's ability to break down stored fat. 

20. Fidget. Squirm, tap your foot, twirl your hair - all these can burn unwanted calories. 

21. Give yourself a hand.  A daily five-minute massage dials down stress and prevents emotional eating. Use a firm kneading motion with both hands. 

 Thanks for the check ins! Claire thank you for stopping by - I'm glad you're still doing boot camp! I'm hoping to get back to my boot camp Monday morning.

Liz I hope you had a great day!

Andrea and Irene thank you for more great tips :o)

Heather I'm glad I'm taking time to rest. That's what I did again today. I was finally able to sleep last night so I slept in. Besides cleaning the apartment it was a pretty relaxing day. I had to make sure I feel better tomorrow when I'll be working 9:00 - 3:30 at a brunch fundraiser. Set up, serving, cleaning up after. That should be a good workout :o)

Today I worked at a fundraiser brunch from 9:00 - 3:45.  That counts as a workout for sure!  There was set up, serving, and then all the clean up.  I didn't think I was that tired but I got home and started watching tv on the couch and ended up falling asleep for almost two hours!

I am so with you. I don't realize how much being on my feet and talking and doing things all day at a special event like that exhausts me until I pass out at 5pm like that. @_@ Hope the fundraiser went well and that you feel better! Looking forward to seeing you get back in the groove this coming week.

 Hi Dawn.  Hope you've had a nice weekend.  Looks like you 've been busy as usual.  I have an inspirational message for today:

"To live is to choose. But to choose well, you must know who you are and what you stand for, where you want to go and why you want to get there."

- Kofi Annan

 Good luck to you Dawn as you finish up this contest in January.  Wishing you a wonderful pregnancy from here forward too and an easy delivery too.

Dawn...good for you for volunteering...I am sure that there was a lot of exercise and running around. remember to listen to your body...it will let you know when to slow down. good luck with the rest of your challenge...you are doing awesome!

Thanks for the check-ins!  I have an early update today: I made it to boot camp before work!  Yay!  Thank you again for all your nice messages!

 Hey Dawn.  Congrats on all your progress.  I'm leaving a few more of the ABC's of Healthy Living for you even though they may not apply for right now.  Lots of rest.  Heather's right - listen to your body.  Bood Camp before work??? YOU ARE HARDCORE!!  

U - Use Your Lunchbreak Wisely by walking for half of it.  Taking a midday jaunt can boost your energy, reduce your stress, and give you more time after work with family and friends.

V - View Sweet Treats Wisely - Don't deprive yourself of cravings always.  Find a lower calorie substitue that satisfies you and have that as a reward or as a weekly treat.  Put a limit on rich desserts.

W - Write a Gratitude List - Each day, jot down or journal a few things that you're grateful for.  When spirits sad or when stuck in an especially aggrivating day, reviewing your gratitude list can boost your resolve to stay on track.

Hope you find something helpful.

Andrea I LOVE walking during lunch!  When I worked in Lennoxville I would wander around town almost every lunch break.  I haven't done it at my current job and I miss it!  The only bad thing about boot camp this morning was I had to look at my heart rate monitor a lot to make sure it wasn't going above 140.  Sometimes I would feel fine and it woul be higher than 140 and I would have to slow down.  Just got home from work at 9:15pm (started at 8:30 - we had a meeting tonight) so I'm glad I got the workout out of the way in the morning!  Tomorrow is clogging.

Boot camp, woo-hoo! And that is a long day at work... I hope you are resting now and pampering yourself a little.

Have fun at clogging tomorrow! I am so impressed by you, going through a pregnancy and working long hours and working out and just getting so MUCH done. You are amazing.

 Lennoxville's so pretty too.  Except when the Massawippi floods... boot camp and clogging when I was preggos would have been off the table for me.  Koodos to you Dawn.  You are doing sooooo amazing.  It's been awesome following your progress this month.  I hope you'll post a story about your pregnancy journey leading up to the birth.  How incredible will that ride be??  I have the final installation of the ABC's of Health for you:

X - Xerox Exercise Moves as you come across them in magazines and books.  That way, when you're doing your workout or putting together a routine, you'll have a bit of a library built up with proper techniques outlined and pitcures to show how to get best results.  Happy strength training

Y - Yearn To Accept Where You Are Now if you get discouraged about your rate of progress or if you hit a plateau and get frustrated, try to accept and appreciate where you've come from and the journey to get to where you are currently and where you want to be.  Enjoy the process.  After all, you are doing what it takes to make a difference with your health and fintness.  That alone is commenndable.   

Z - Zero In On Your Body - be sure to listen to the signals your body is giving you.  Treat your body as you would an infant child -  with compassion, patience and love and understanding.  Give it healthful, nutrient rich food for energy only when it's required, quench it's thirst with water freely and give it the exercise it needs for optimal health and fitness and your body will reward you in unbelievable ways.  

Good luck with the contest.

clogging...pregnant?!?I can only imagine what your baby must be thinking...lol! congrats on all of your success throughout this challenge!

 Thank you everyone for your nice comments and your support during the challenge. I just got back from clogging. I don't do it as 'enthusiastically' as I used to because I'm not supposed to jump or get my heart rate too high.

Dawn, congrats on all your success in working out and your wisdom in knowing when to take it easy or modify things to be good to your body.