What happens after 30?

Well...it is getting closer by the day!

As my friend Ashleigh said I am on a roll with the blogging recently. I have had 3 blogs in the last 2 days which equals half of the number of blogs that I did last year. Honestly I am now thinking about this blog and thinking it has some finality to it. After I turn 30 what am I going to do then? Ashleigh thinks that I should keep it going after I turn 30 on the progress I make with losing weight and staying in shape later. I was actually thinking the same thing. Great minds think alike! J There are some other things that I have bounced around and I am going to start experimenting with them on this blog and they may actually turn into a whole separate blog down the line, who really knows.

One thing I was thinking was more of a blog on what it is like to go back to school in my late 20’s early 30’s because let me tell you it has been an adventure. Now that I have switched over to Ball State I am a little out of my element as far as age. Those kids on campus look like babies compared to me! Just the little time I spent up there with the registering process in the spring made me realize that I am probably going to be the oldest or one of the oldest people in my classes. Maybe my experience with school and things that are going on with that will make an interesting blog on its own. That is why I am going to kind of start experimenting with that.

(Speaking of school, the summer semester is going well and I am just chugging along with it! I am hoping to be finished with one class by the end of the month. Which will put be 7.5 months ahead of schedule but I will save that for a different blog entry!)

Another idea I was thinking of that could be a totally different blog of its own is a blog about our house. I don’t know if any of my loyal (8) readers read any other blogs but I am obsessed with Young House Love. (http://www.younghouselove.com/)  They have some great ideas about fixing up an older house and doing almost all of it on their own. Our house is definitely a work in progress at this point. We have made some really nice improvements to our house to make it suit our style a little better but we still have a lot more to go. I have done some really cool things with our decorating that I am pretty proud of and maybe I should start to put them on the web for others to enjoy and maybe inspire a project or two. The only problem is that I have a lack of before pictures mostly because I am a little overwhelmed with some of the work that needs to be done and just get frustrated and close the door. So blogging about it may help make the experience easier. So don’t be too surprised if you see some house pictures appear on the blog.

One of my friends, Jen, suggested that I blog about some of the books that I read. I am an avid reader even while in school I have always found time to read in my free time. I am a fast reader and I love to share what I read with my friends because I want them to have the same experience with a book that I did. So you may see some of those books creep up here on the blog also.

One thing that I have thought about blogging about is TV shows or movies that I watch. I know that I probably would not have time right now to dedicate a whole blog to it but maybe sometimes I will just do a blog update on “What are the Murrays watching this week” or something like that! Along the same lines if I see any other blogs that I would like to share or maybe spotlight some of my friends blogs on here in the future also.

One idea that may come up in the next year or so is a pregnancy and motherhood blog. No, I am not pregnant now but we are planning on a family in the very near future and I still enjoy reading other peoples blogs about this subject and the humor that some of the parents share. Like I said this blog is not going to be happening anytime soon and it might not be a blog at all. We will see.

I know on here I have shared some things that Adam and I have done together. I think as we start going down the road and settling into the starting a family phase that there may be a more of a separate blog for family life. Trust me I could probably have a whole blog on my our crazy pitbull! J  This summer you will probably see some blogs from our concert and vacation experiences!

So that is what has been on my mind lately in terms of the blogging. I have really enjoyed writing these blogs in the last couple of days and hopefully that motivates me to blogging more often. It is nice to have an outlet to put my crazy thoughts on.

Still a little sore!

Workout #2 was last night. It was another doozy but I am feeling sore and good at the same time. I had forgotten how much better you feel when you start doing serious weight workouts. Last night was weight training. I did TRX for the first time. I love it! It is definitely worth all the hype that we had leading up to it. We also worked on abs which are probably my weak point due to having a back injury. After I worked out last night Jennifer and I went to the pool for the remainder of adult swim. It was great to be able to move in the water and make those sore muscles work a little more! I then went home and Adam came home and wanted to take a walk. Walks with us as a family are rare so I jumped on it even though I was feeling really sore and slow. Adam actually wanted to do a long walk so we went on about a 1.5 mile walk around the neighborhood. When we were crossing through the park on the way back I saw something on four legs walking around the trashcan by the basketball courts. I warned Adam that I was not sure what it was but to be careful. Adam had already saw it and started yelling at whatever it was to stay away. I am sure it was a dog but with all the coyote sightings people in Indy have had lately I wanted to be extra careful. So we ended our night with a very tired family!

So I am sure some of you are wondering how I am doing with my back and all the workouts. Well that is a good question. Anyone that knows the way I work out knows that I really push hard and don’t hold back. If it is hurting I tend not to let too many people know about it. Looking at me you probably wouldn’t think that but I used to be in very good shape and really even though I am overweight I still have some parts that are in good shape. My trainer Jacquie knows all about my back issues and she is very good about asking me how I am doing. She has back issues herself and does not want me to hurt myself. But I have made a decision that I am not going to let my back injury stop me from doing anything I want to do. As my mom told me early this week I have let my injury stop me for far too long. I feel horrible that I have waited so long into this year 29 adventure to start really trying at losing weight but I have always worked better under pressure!

Looking forward to some pool time this weekend and also Outrun the Sun! We have done it every year since it has started in memory and honor of my Aunt Julie who passed away from Melanoma. It is a great cause and if you ever have a chance to donate to it or walk for it I would highly recommend it!

I have decided that today I am going to do a separate post about school and some other things going on in the Murray household!

No pain, no gain?!

Wow..I am sore. With a little over 4 months to go until my 30^th I have decided in a last ditch effort to lose some weight to start with a personal trainer. Now I have worked with a personal trainer before my wedding and I saw some results with her. I decided to go back to the same one. Jacquie now has her own studio in Fishers. Check her out at Challengeyourbody.com.

My mom is helping me out with payments since I currently have little extra cash. I am doing 3 times a week in group fitness classes. The classes are small and with my back injury she is willing to help out and make sure I am not doing something that could injure myself. I was a little shocked when I went in for my first weigh-in with her and had gained 25 lbs since I last worked out with her. I knew I had gained a lot but I guess until you see the numbers you really don’t realize how much it is.

Well last night was my first night. I think I did pretty well with it. The class was 45 minutes long and she concentrated on body weight exercises and ab exercises. Tonights class is weight lifting. I am doing Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights over there. I think the one thing that will be the hardest for me will be the diet part. I have to write down everything I eat and holding myself accountable for what I am eating is challenging for me sometimes.

With the couch to 5K I have kind of put it on hold right now. I am going to restart it after the weekend. The main reason I stopped it was because I was so tired and sore after the first time that I wimped out. I think with the combonation of the training sessions and my C25K it should be exactly what I need to jumpstart my workouts.

Another plus is now the pool is open so I can swim some laps there if I would like to. I have already been over there 3 times and I am pretty tan already. I love summer!! J

Less than 5 months until 30!

And honestly I feel very good about the direction my life is going right now. Have not been able to say that much in the last couple of months. I am officially done at Ivy Tech although I think I checked out months ago. I am ready to move onto my next schooling adventure and maybe redeem the hard and negative feelings I sometimes have from my first 4 years in college. Originally I was not planning to take any summer classes because I knew my fall was going to be crazy but after meeting with my advisor and her recommendation that I retake a couple of classes I did not do well in (whoops) the first time around I decided that I would do them in independent study this summer. Which means I  have 9 months to complete it but I am hoping I can do them more in a month time frame so that I have at least 2 months school free. That way I can spend a ton of time at the pool which is my favorite summertime activity and maybe, finally get some much needed sun!!

On the weight loss front....not much to report as of a big weight loss (I know I am really bringing this blog down haha) But I have decided to restart the couch to 5K program. If you have never heard of it I would suggest googling it. I say restart because I tried to start it last year but it got too hot and I got crabby and I gave up. So this year I am going to do it in the gym instead of outside. I also went a couple of weeks ago to a Zumba class with my friend Amanda. I am going to go back because it is close to my house and it is always nice to work out with a friend. I enjoyed the workout and having something different. I am also hoping to be able to go back to Jacquie and have her help me with my weight loss goals. I am trying to do 30 lbs by the time I turn 30. Which gives me a little less than 5 months. Honestly if I hit the gym every night it is perfectly doable. The one weak spot is my diet. I am honestly working on this and seem to be doing much better. I have cut out almost all caffeinated beverages and am limiting myself to one a day if that. For the last 3-4 days I have not had any. I was having some horrible heartburn and caffeine headaches and I decided I could live without it. It has helped tremendously with the amount I am eating and also the way I feel. Although I do still feel groggy without the caffeine to wake me up that is something I am ok with as long as I don't have the heartburn and headaches.

Tonight I am headed to the first of my summer concerts with my friends. It is probably going to storm from the way the clouds look right now. Hopefully it holds off ! I will update after my first couch to 5k workout!

Lots of updates!

I have been horrible at this blogging thing and my posts are getting more and more erratic. I apologize! Since the last time I blogged there has been a major thing happen that I am really excited about! I know it is going to really change our lives but in a good way. And no it is not a baby!

I have decided to return to Ball State to continue getting a bachelors degree in Respiratory Therapy! I bet everyone is wondering why this big change of events and honestly I am kind of freaking out over it since it is such a huge change but honestly I was not happy at Ivy Tech and knew that it was either quit school all together or change to another school. Since I already have a degree from Ball State I know that I already have most of the core I need and can hopefully easily transition over to this new program. It will be strange being back up at Ball State especially since I will be spending most of my time in the Cooper building in science classes. I can say I did not spend much time there in my time at Ball State. It will be fun to be at BSU again even though it will be a lot different this time around considering I own my own house and I am married but Adam has been super supportive and is probably the main reason I have decided to go back to Ball State.

Now many people have been asking what I am going to do about work. Well at this point I am going to continue working until I can apply for the program and I have all my prereq’s. The clinical program is the same amount of time at BSU as it was at Ivy Tech. Adam and I have not decided what we will do at that point as far as finances but we should be close to paying off our debt by that point. Everything will fall into place when the time comes and honestly 2 years of me not working will probably fly by!

As far as the shape-up goes I have still been working out and trying to watch what I eat. Adam and I made a goal for ourselves to try to each lose 30 pounds by August. I am creeping steadily along and have lost around 5 pounds so far. Mom and I have been walking at least once a week and I have been going to the gym when I can. I have decided that tomorrow I am going to start shaking things up. Adam leaves on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday mornings at around 4:50 for work. I am going to start getting up early and working out and eating a good breakfast before work. After work I am going to start going back to the gym and try to do that a couple of times a week. I am going to do cardio and weights to really try to up my weight loss. A couple of years ago I was eating salads with grilled chicken for lunch and I am going to start incorporating that back into my diet a couple of times a week and try to shake up my diet. My biggest downfall is coming home and snacking. I do great during the day but it all starts to fall apart when I get home. I lose motivation to work out and have a tendency to sit on the couch and watch my DVR’d shows. By taking my clothes everyday to work it should help with the motivation to go to the gym and not come home beforehand. Also I am going to try to walk Wiggles at least every other day which will give me an extra dose of cardio in my day.

Another new thing I have tried is to do a new recipe every week. I am a coupon and recipe hoarder and decided to go through my recipes and find something new to try every week and then if we like it enough it will be incorporated into our meal rotation. I will try to share some of the better recipes I find on the blog so others can try them too!

I have decided that since I am going to BSU next semester that I am going to take this summer off from classes so that I have a little break. That way I can spend some time getting things done around the house before I start school in the fall. Hopefully that helps me with my weight loss.

This week will mark 6 months before I turn 30. I have a long way to go with the weight loss and am way behind on the blog! Hopefully it will get better and I will send my 20’s out with a bang!

Spring cleaning---1 month early.....

I may have mentioned this before but not all of this blog will be about weight loss but I will try to update on that every post. This past weekend Adam and I did some serious cleaning around the house. I have to admit that this winter I have done a horrible job of keeping up on household duties. Partly because of work and school but mostly because after fighting the snow and muck and everything we have had this winter I just am too tired to get off my couch!  I am not the greatest housekeeper to begin with but I also hate when my kitchen and living room are a mess becuase those are the rooms I am in the most during the hours I am awake. Anyway, one of my best friends from college Katie came to visit this past weekend and I honestly did not want her to see my house in its natural state...so Adam and I did a big clean-up of the house. It is amazing how clean our house is and it only took us a couple of hours. I am also always amazed at how much better I feel when my house is clean. It is amazing how when your surroundings are sloppy and messy that it effects your outlook and actually can cause you stress. And we are actually keeping up with it. One thing that I find really annoying is that I feel like sometimes I have to follow Adam around and pick up after him sometimes and to this day I cannot understand why he wants to put his work clothes on my dining room chairs. Really? I want your smelly gross BK clothes in my dining room....no thanks! That has gotten a little better but just because when I get home I just take it back to one of the bedrooms....he doesn't even complain about it anymore. I guess after almost 4 years of living together he is just giving up on that fight. If only I could get him to put his clothes in a hamper. I figure I will save that battle for another time.

One of the big things that happened for us in February house wise is that we got new carpet for our office! We were finally able to put up our new desk that we bought at Staples the day after Thanksgiving. I have already gotten to work from home while using my new desk which has been pretty cool so far. And it is so much more comfortable in that room that it was before. It is amazing what new paint and carpet can do for a room. I am now getting excited to get new carpet in our living room and hallway. Hopefully we can get that in June.

Another bit of good news this month is that after 5 months of mostly closing shifts Adam finally has 3 opening shifts and only 2 closing shifts a week! Also we finally have Friday and Saturday nights together every week! I am just so happy to finally get some quality time with him!

No big news on the weight loss front. I did gain one pound back but I have been put on some medication that should help me lose weight. I will write more about this in my next blog.

Well off to fold some laundry...

End of winter blues

I know it is been a long time since I have blogged and I wanted to give an update on how things are going. First off the good news…I have lost 4 pounds since the beginning of the year. I am happy with this accomplishment since I had gained so much weight since my surgery. My one year of my surgery was on January 28^th I am still having issues with my back but they are not like they used to be and I know that the issues I am still having are my fault since I have not worked on getting my core stronger. I know that is most of what my issues with my back is and it is totally controllable. So my new work out goal is to start working on strength training and not just cardio. Also my food choices are one area that I am not doing so well in. I do very well during the day while at work because I pack a healthy lunch and breakfast. I also choose my snacks well and I am normally not hungry. That is until I get home and there are more snacks that I can eat and so I do. That is one thing I really need to work on is not eating when I get home and ruining my whole day. So hopefully in my combination of working out and eating right I can continue to keep losing weight and get back on track by summer!

Thanks for reading my vents. I think they can only be described as the end of winter blues!