8 Week Challenge....Are You Ready?

My blogging buddies, Sisters Sassy and Honey Bunch, have extended a challenge. It's an

8 week challenge. I am one week into this challenge. The idea is this: we all want a healthy body AND a healthy body image. We don't have to be stick figure supermodels to be healthy. {I honestly think those people are some of the most unhealthy people on the planet} So, you set some goals for yourself...and you give yourself 8 weeks to get going on it already! :0)

My goals were this:

I, Ashlee, am going to get FIERCE! Which means {dang it!} I'm going to have to start exercising and actually stick with it. Sigh. Don't I sound motivated? And...less sugar. BUT, everything in moderation. We all read on my blog what happens when I try to deprive myself of sugar. :0)

If you don't know what FIERCE means...let me tell you my definition. I'm not looking to lose oodles of weight. I know I need to drop some pounds, but I'm trying not to focus on that. I'd rather focus on replacing the ripples of fat with bulging muscles. {Ok, maybe not BULGING, but toned!} I don't want to jiggle anymore! Can I get an "amen" here?

Week 1 of this challenge went smashingly. I watched my calorie intake, exercised four days, and lost {Tah dah!} three pounds! I was very pleased with myself and was so excited with that number on the scale.

And then we had Girls Night. More specifically, DEATH BY CHOCOLATE Girls Night. It was fabulous and I exhibited absolutely NO self control. I ate chocolate. It was so yummy! I ate an almost fat free, low calorie dinner before I went in an attempt to fill my tummy so I wouldn't eat so much. It didn't really work. :0(

And then the hubby went away for the weekend to play in a golf tournament up in Boise {He took second by the way!} When the hubby's away, the wife....doesn't really cook. The kids would rather I just warm up some chicken nuggets or make some mac and cheese. Why bother cooking? So, we ate like crap AND we made chocolate chip cookies. Guess who ate most of them? Sigh. There's that lack of will power again.

I told myself that I was going to jump back on the bandwagon on Monday. I didn't. I didn't exercise and I didn't stay away from TOO MUCH sugar. I have gained back two of the three pounds I lost. I'm pretty much back where I started. Sigh.

And then, Sassy posts today about accountability. For our goals in this challenge. She sent out yet another challenge for us to post about this on our own blogs. What? Then I'll really have to try! Not that I wasn't trying before, but there are people that live around here and see me that read this blog. They'll be watching.....

Maybe that's just the motivation I need. :0) Thanks Sassy!

So, as I was writing this I realized that some of you have no clue what I even look like. :0) Wierd huh? So, I took some picture of myself so you'd know what I started at. These were taken by myself...so they aren't the nicest pictures...

This is me! I thought about getting all dolled up for you. Putting on make up and curling my hair. But that would be presenting a false image of myself. This is what I look like almost every single day. Hair NOT done, make-up NOT on. I'm a stay at home mom. My kids don't care if my hair is curled. :0)

And this is almost ALL of me. The daughter wanted in on the photo shoot. Gotta love the Cheeto face! :0) This is my usual attire. Jeans and a tshirt with my hair pulled back in a bun. Sexy huh? Isn't black supposed to be slimming?

So, since I'm baring myself to all of you....I figured I might as well pass along the challenge. What are your self image goals?

I'll keep you posted on my results. Hopefully there are some actual results to share. :0) At least there isn't a death by chocolate night in my near future.