A goal without a plan is just a wish

So at the beginning of the semester I made a goal to lose 30 lbs. I'll be honest, at the time I kind of thought it was a pipe dream. But thanks to my wonderful, amazing, talented, beautiful trainers.... IT HAPPENED!!!! And we still have THREE weeks left of school! I am so proud of myself. I am slowly becoming the person I want to be! Yes... I know some of these pictures aint so pretty, but life aint pretty and you'll get over it if you don't like these :)
The rest of the semester has been great! HARD, but great. I think this semester was just what I needed and although I'm not fond of the cold, I'm so so so glad that I came to Rexburg this semester!

Update

Oh man.
I don't even know where to start. This has been the busiest semester of my life! I am gone from 7:30am until (most days) 8pm. I have never been more busy in my life. However, this semester hasn't been bad. It's actually been pretty good. I'm enjoying all of my classes, even though they're slowly killing me. Little tender mercies are what get me by.
This semester I have three personal trainers to help me attain my goal. How this happened was my friend Kara texted me at the beginning of the semester explaining that her husband, Tate, was in a class that he had to be someone's personal trainer and help them with their diet. I was game! My plan for this semester was to do the Insanity workouts again and do my 20 minute a day runs, but I thought this training would be better and would keep me on track more. It has been the biggest blessing ever! Not only am I almost to my 30lbs goal for this semester, I'll probably exceed it! I am to my smallest weight I've been since probably the 6th grade, and I'm still getting smaller. I am incredibly excited and motivated! It hasn't been easy though. My roommates this semester make cookies almost EVERY day, it's kind of ridiculous. But now that I'm over half way through the semester, it's not a temptation anymore. I know that those cookies/brownies/cake/ice cream/candy wont get me to my goal, and anything that wont get me to my goal, isn't worth my time.
Another struggle has been sleep. Most semesters I'm used to going to bed at 1 or 2 am (EVERY NIGHT) and getting up at 7. This is not a healthy habit and my goal this semester was to get sleep. Sleep is essential for weight loss and since that's something that is important to me, I've been making it a priority. So I go to bed at 10pm every night and get up between 6 and 6:30 every morning. This hasn't been hard, what's been hard is getting everything I need to get done BEFORE I go to sleep, it's very difficult, but so far I've been able to manage it.
This has definitely been a different semester.... One full of time management, sweat, tears, homework and practically no fun at all.
I have two things I look forward to: My shopping trips with Brianna and my hour long workouts with Tate, Katie and Liz (My trainers). Those two things have been getting me by and I am so grateful for them!
I'll try to write more often, wont make any promises though!

I can do hard things

So last semester I was able to maintain my 25lbs weight loss, but was not able to lose anymore. It probably had something to do with all the soda I still drank, all the $5 pizza our apartment ate and my lack of real dedication. I exercised to maintain, not to lose. Well over Thanksgiving break a friend and I started a competition. He came home with me and since he loves excising, we did a 7 day free trial, and the rest is history. The competition is whoever can run the most days in a row (excluding Sundays), for twenty minutes long. That's it. When he was on his mission that's all they did, run 20 minutes and do some sort of strength exercise or stretching for 10 minutes. Running makes your heart stronger so that you can do all other excising. Now I'll be honest. I was not thrilled with this competition, but I'm slightly a competitive person and I wanted to give it a shot. So far I have ran 50  days in a row. Not all of them have been easy, in fact, most have been very difficult for me. But, it's given me motivation. I have lost almost 10 pounds since starting this running thing (Whoohoo!!) and can easily run 20 minutes straight without stopping(something I NEVER thought I'd be able to do). Ok, when I say easily... That might be an exaggeration. I am still sweating and panting by the end, but my legs don't wanna fall off after. I can run over 1.5 miles (just barely, my average is 1.51-1.56) and I'm hoping to be able to run 2.5 miles by April... Some say I can't do it, but others say I can.... I say I can. And in all honesty, if I can't, I'll be a whole lot closer than I was before Thanksgiving break, making it an accomplishment anyway.
I'm excited for this semester, I think it's going to be a good one. I'm learning how to balance my time better... I'm so busy with classes but I HAVE to exercise every day, so it makes it a challenge trying to figure out everything I need to do.
Semester Goals:
Run 2.5 miles in 20 minutes
No C's in any classes
Lose 30 lbs (10lbs a month, 2.5 lbs a week)

New Years Resolutions

Ah, the beginning of a new year. It's time for a fresh start and new resolutions. I found my list from last year and thankfully I did almost all of the things I wanted to do! If I've learned anything about goals, you have to set them, write them down (where other people can see them) and STICK TO THEM. So now is the time to write them down for people to see. A few of them are rolled over from last year because I think they're something that should be done often.

• Run 2.5 miles in 20 minutes
• Go somewhere I've never been before
• No soda
• No Fast food
• Go to the Beach

These are very simple goals, but they are good and attainable, which is what I think makes for successful goals. So here's to a new year and new challenges! Hopefully 2013 will be just as good, if not better, than 2012!

Choice 1 Acts 19-20

Five Priesthood ordinances Paul performed:
Baptism
Holy Ghost
Prophecy
Sacrament
Raising the Dead

1.) Baptism
2.) It's critical for a person to be baptized by the right authority, because if it's done with the wrong authority, it doesn't count.
3.) He laid his hands on their heads and gave them the Holy Ghost.
4.) The sabbath was on the first day of the week.

Choice 2: 2Peter 2 Teaching

1.    Read 2 Peter 2:1–19. Record the characteristics of false teachers described by Peter. Explain in writing how your list helps you recognize false teachers today.
 Deny the Lord
Lust after things
Deny Government
speak evil of things they don't understand
speak words of vanity
I feel like after making this list, it'd be pretty easy to spot false teachers, but that isn't the case. False teachers are also the master of disguise, slowly leading you down to destruction. When I think of false teachers, I can't help but think of the preachers on TV shows (like the 700 Club). Whenever I watch those types of shows, I just get an uncomfortable feeling. I know those preachers are doing it for the money, it's all for show, which just makes me uncomfortable. But on the outside, it looks pretty good, on the inside, I can't help but feel their false teachings.
2.    Read 2 Peter 2:20–22; Doctrine and Covenants 82:3, 7. In your own words, write a few sentences describing the dangers of returning to the “pollutions of the world.”
I think one of the biggest dangers of returning to the ways of the world is that for a person do to that, they must deny everything they once knew to be true. It's denying a part of you, giving up yourself for momentary satisfaction. The "happiness" you gain from following the world is not eternal, and when you die, it's like a slap in the face with the realization that you made the stupidest mistake ever.

“Be Ye Doers of the Word and Not Hearers Only”

1.    Read James 1 and respond in writing to the following items:

o       What words or phrases encourage you to look for direction from God?
 Ask in faith

o       How did James further define the phrase to “ask in faith”?
Have unwavering faith and you will receive your answers.
o       How do Matthew 6:24 and 1 Kings 18:21 add to your understanding of James 1:8?
They help clarify that a man eventually HAS to choose to follow the Lord or to follow Satan. You cannot follow both, it's not an option.
o       From James 1:13–15, 19–27, make an outline of how we can better live the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do not lust after things
Be quick to hear and slow to speak
Be clean and cling to the scriptures
Be doers of the word, and not just hearers 
o       Give a few modern examples of how you have recently seen individuals exemplify James 1:22.
Being a "hearer" of the word but not a "doer" gives people a false sense of security. Going through the motions are not enough, people need to actively be engaging in the gospel, improving themselves daily. Those that are both "Hearers" AND "doers" are constantly on check with their spirituality and don't get lulled into a spiritual rut.
2.    Read the institute student manual commentary for James 1:5–6, “If Any of You Lack Wisdom” (p. 409). Make a list of reasons why Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–1985) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said these verses have “had a greater impact ... upon mankind than any other” scripture.
It helped Joseph Smith ask God to know what church was true, which lead to the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ
Investigators of the Church have this promise that if they ask God, they will get an answer