Posted on by Karissa

2018: A Reflection

Gosh, what a year. I passed the CPA exam, swam with sea turtles, started with a personal trainer, and did a bunch of stuff in between. As for my 2018 goals, let’s review together:

  • Pass the CPA exam- check!
  • Lose 10 pounds and be healthier- I could have done better here. I got really close to the goal, but I got really lazy this month which put me at half my weight goal. I did lose an average of 1.5 inches all around, and people keep telling me muscle weights more so maybe I can blame some of the weight on that. But I mostly stuck to a workout routine and ate healthier overall so I count that as a mostly win.
  • Increase monthly savings- check! I now put money into 2 different savings account at each paycheck. One is for our future house and the other is for vacations.
  • Focus more on mental health and self care- This one was a hit and miss during the year. I did get back into reading which is relaxing for me, but I did not do things like face masks and I still need to work on telling people no and removing myself from stressful situations even if it is just a ten minute break. Balance is another struggle that will need more work in the coming year, both in my work and personal lives.
  • Improve back/ posture- honestly no idea on this one. I never got my scoliosis checked (it’s been almost 15 years since I’ve had to wear a back brace) but I did yoga and wear a lumbar brace sometimes. Soooo 50/50 check?

The good:

  • Went on 3 vacations this year, two beach trips and a cruise.
  • Had a fairly food handle on finances even if Christmas went a little crazy
  • No more studying!
  • Got more serious about health goals

The bad:

  • Some issues at work that have been discussed and won’t be said here
  • Passing of family members
  • Did not won 1.6 billion lotto

The ugly:

  • Had to get new mouthguard that insurance didn’t cover but it was very needed
  • Rent and other expenses increased
  • Tax season is always ugly

So 2018 could have been a little better goal wise, but it was still a great year. I know what I need to work on in 2019, and I really hope it does not involve too many intense, serious conversations (I know I can’t avoid it in some situations, but I really hate it).

Posted on by Karissa

Challenge Update

A few months ago I posted about a health challenge between myself and my husband. As we are two weeks from that challenge deadline, I thought I would give an update.

Reminder: the challenge is for each of us to lose ten pounds by September 15. If he wins, he gets a crap ton of books. If I win, I get a new one piece bathing suit for our cruise on October 1 (hence the September deadline. I need time to shop).

As of today, he is two pounds away from the goal, and I am four. Not where I wanted to be personally, but it’s still doable.

We signed up for LA Fitness this weekend after having two week guest passes from my coworker. I have seen a huge difference in the past few weeks just from going to the gym regularly. I only really use the elliptical, but I am averaging about 2.5 miles in 20 minutes with 2 miles completed in 22 minutes. Bonus: the machines at the facility hold my Kindle Paperwhite perfectly so I am able to read while working out, and I think that has helped a lot.

The plan for the next couple of weeks is to hunker down on the healthier eating and hitting the gym at least four times a week. I need to throw in some strength based workouts in there somewhere as well, but I am pretty confident that I will beat this challenge.

After that, I’ll just have to make sure I do not over-indulge on the unlimited rolls, sodas, and alcohol that are available on cruise ships. I am determined not to gain more than a couple pounds (because it’s almost guaranteed on vacation) on the cruise. Healthy choices now make healthy habits later, right?

Posted on by Karissa · 2 Comments

A New Challenge

I have known my husband for seven years. When we met, I was fresh from high school and softball and he was in ROTC. I only say that for reference- we were both doing athletic things and therefore we looked a lot different than we do now.

Life happened. We both have desk jobs and don’t move as much as we used to. It’s no big deal. We love each other and are still attracted to each other. But, we are feeling the health effects of Netflix and sleep on the couch.

We started going to the park a couple of weeks ago and the improvement in how we feel was pretty immediate. It’s an average of 17.5 minutes per mile because I have NEVER been a cardio type of girl, but we decided to work on our time before increasing our current 3 mile trek.

So, this past weekend we made a deal. I have a list of “rewards” I get to treat myself to when I lose a certain amount of weight and keep it off for a week. He knows about this list, and, if I lose 10 pounds by September 15, he is going to buy me a new bathing suit for our cruise in October. If he loses the 10 pounds, I am going to buy him something of his choosing for the same value. Right now, that’s going to be like $70 worth of books as he is reading the Horus Heresy and is 47 books long or something like that, but he can change his mind before then.

I’m totally getting to that 10 pounds before him. I’m a competitive girl. I may not be better at jogging/running than him, but I have a feeling I’m going to be better at portion control and doing a more variety of work outs. This is going to be fun.

Posted on by Karissa · 1 Comment

Health Goals for 2018

I won’t lie: working as an accountant has caused me to ignore my health for the past couple years. Between the long hours of busy season and sitting in a cubicle for 8 hours a day (not including the hours of traffic I sit in a week), I have not been as healthy as I should be. I snack a lot, and I do not move much during the week. As such, I have quite a few things to work on.

My main goal right now is to get into a work out routine and stick to it. I am averaging three to four thirty minute workouts a week at the moment, but I need to up the number of days and the amount of time. Five days a week with three cardio days is my target, and once I am able to consistently hit those days, I will up my workout time to forty-five minutes, then to an hour.

I am also moving towards healthier foods. More chicken and fish. More fruits and nuts. Less sugary snacks. Lesser portions at meals. That sort of thing. I already drink water (maybe one soda or alcoholic beverage on the weekend), so I am not worried about that side of it. I started making egg white breakfast muffins to take to work, but the other big meals are harder to plan on the healthy side. And bread is my weakness. It’s so good, you guys.

Overall, my goal is to lose 45 pounds over the next couple years. I understand that the hardest part will come when tax season starts up again- I usually make excuses not to work out because I am so tired after working 60+ hours a week. But, if I can make it a habit now, I am hoping that the spring will be easier.