Healthy AND Happy!

Hello all! My name is Elise Adams! I am SUPER excited to be part of this challenge! I can tell this group of people will be AWESOME! We will encourage and support - all the while doing the best we can individually! Woot Woot!! We will kick butt!!

A shout out to David for being in the challenge! You shouldn't feel bad about doing this with a bunch of women - you truly have an advantage! We will all be working harder to keep up with your results! ha! You are great for being here and putting yourself out there - and for working hard! I know first hand the benefit and stress relief of exercise! Part of my journey in life is dealing with (sometimes extreme) emotional rollercoasters! I firmly believe part of my success of not having to be on prescriptions to help me through some of those difficult times has been due to regular exercise!!!

A little about me. I live in Greeley! I have 4 kids! My husband is a nurse and is currently in GRAD school to be a nurse practitioner! It has been a big change in our lives to have him in school! After being married 11 years, with 4 kids and a mortgage, yard, etc. he went back to school! He is doing a GREAT job and will graduate in May 2015! Yay!

I have been blessed to be surrounded by other healthy and fit gals in this area! In 2012 I lost 50 pounds! Yep. It was hard. It was thanks to A LOT of help from my husband and friends, particularly Heather! Since losing that weight - now a year and a half later - I have put back on 20 of it! AH! I have been 'trying' since 2014 began to get on top of it and lose it - but have only gained more in the process. I have come to a point where I am truly embarrassed for my past food choices and angry about lost 'skinny' time! I am ready to make better choices and have decided my lost weight and inches will be my Christmas present to myself!

I think it's great we all have goals for the challenge! I have learned through some ups and downs of weight loss that putting a 'time limit' on weight loss is not always productive! Therefore I am allowing myself to have goals but understand they may take a few weeks longer than the challenge will last. (However, that does NOT mean I will not be working HARD to make them come to pass ASAP!)

1. I would like the habits I create and maintain over the next 12 weeks to LAST longer than 12 weeks! In the past when I participate in weight loss competitions I tend to look forward to the end of them a little too much! When the challenge ends I have given myself a 'break' from the structure and diet and in the past this has NOT served me well! So - my FIRST and most important goal for this challenge is to MAINTAIN my changes!!

2. I have decided my overall weight loss goal is to lose 10% of my current body weight. I am, however, going to allow this to take as long as 6 months to happen. If possible, I hope it takes less time! But, I also understand my life is very dynamic and I would like to be patient with the process this time around!

3. I have committed to have perfect points for the first week! Yep! First week for me will be 100% points! I am going to hit the ground running! Literally!

Last of all I wish you all good luck! Remember though - hard work is the BEST form of luck!