Workout Songs and "Long Term Goals"

Well. It's New Year's Eve. Guess where I am?

That's right, the freaking couch. With a headache that just won't quit. I'm not sure whether my sinuses or my little brother are to blame for this one, to be honest. On the plus side, my husband is also sick. Not that I'm happy he also feels like poo, but happy I'm not alone on the couch. And we have Netflix and champagne...we're party animals, we are.

So I thought I'd end 2012 with a list of my favorite workout music. Not all of it is from 2012, but they're what I would consider to be staples for upbeat music. Without further ado...

2012's Top Workout Songs (According to Chani)*

- Swedish House Mafia: Don't You Worry Child
- Flo Rida: I Cry, Wild Ones
- Havana Brown ft. Pitbull: We Run the Night
- Daddy Yankee: Lovumba
- will.i.am ft. Britney Spears - Scream and Shout
- Far East Movement: Like a G6
- Dev: Booty Bounce
- LMFAO: Shots, Party Rock Anthem
- Britney Spears: Til the World Ends
- Ke$ha: Blow
- Rihanna: Where Have You Been
- PSY: Gangnam Style
- David Guetta ft. Sia: Titanium
- Ellie Goulding: Lights
- Nicki Minaj: Pound the Alarm
- 2 Chainz: Birthday Song


I figure I'd also list my "resolutions", although I prefer the term "long term goals". And if they're in writing, and on the interwebz...well, I suppose I should stick to them, huh?

- Get healthy! Not only lose weight, but...you know, be healthy.
- Run a 5K
- Save money: make a budget, stick to it, etc.
- Spend more quality time with my husband and friends
- Volunteer! I'm so blessed to have so much. The least I can do is give back my time and skills.  
- Spend more time outside
- Read more books
- Spend more time outside (once it warms up. I'm not going out in this crap)
- Try a new recipe a few times per month
- Keep a clean, organized house**


Well, I'm off to spend some time watching The Walking Dead and drinking champagne with my husband. I hope everyone is having a happy, safe New Years Eve! Tomorrow I'm going hard...hitting up the gym, cleaning my house, grocery shopping for healthy food, and writing a post about my rewards for weight loss. 



*Considering this is my blog, you should accept my opinion as fact. KIDDING.
**As much as my husband will allow the house to be clean. Sometimes he messes stuff up as fast as I can clean it!

Oh, hi!

I know what you’re thinking…”NOT ANOTHER WEIGHT LOSS BLOG OMG!” I hope mine will be different. I mean, I’m funny. At least I think I am, anyways.

So a bit about me: My name is Chani. I’m 27, married, and live in Ohio with my husband and extremely obese orange tabby cat (think Garfield, but possibly fatter). I’m a social worker by day and spy by night…ok just kidding, but wouldn’t that be awesome? I work with children and adolescents with mental health issues and every day is something new and interesting. Mostly, it makes me want to drink a lot.

I have been overweight since I was about 6. I was the skinniest freaking baby/kid ever, but at 6 it seemed that my body was like OKAY TIME TO BE FAT and I’ve been that way ever since. It probably didn’t help that I am also pretty introverted and would rather stay in and read a book than work out. To a certain extent, I’m still that way.

Middle and high school were, in general, horrible years of my life, body-wise. I’m just going to skip ages 12-17. College wasn’t a cake walk either, but things got really bad for me in graduate school. I lost 40 lbs very quickly using some extremely bad for you methods – excessive exercise, restricting, purging…I went through treatment for “disordered eating” and still have to be very careful about how “obsessive” I get with food and eating.

December 2011: diagnosed with insulin resistance. Basically, my body hates carbs (which is super sad because I LOVE THEM) so I have to be super careful about how many carbs a day I eat. I take Metformin to help me control my insulin. I would like to be clear though – I’m not diabetic! My sugar has always been perfectly fine. Apparently my body just doesn’t use insulin efficiently enough. The endocrinologist explained it to me, but my eyes started to glaze over a few sentences in. I also see a dietician every now and then for assistance. It’s sometimes helpful…mostly she tells me what I already know…herp derp.

I’ve been using Beachbody products now for a few months and they have been really helpful. I’m a huge fan of Shakeology, mostly because it tastes like it shouldn’t be good for you…but it is! I also own a couple of the workout videos. I don’t use them as often as I should, but I really enjoy them! I also have a fabulous, supportive, amazing coach - Amanda. If you have questions about products or nutrition or fitness in general, contact her! This girl knows her stuff :)

I hope that this blog can showcase my victories and setbacks, give inspiration and recipes, and show that I’m DETERMINED to not quit. Not this time.