Is it just me, or was September over in a blink of an eye? Before I knew it, the end of the month had arrived and there were still a few bucket list items that I wanted to complete (view September’s Bucket List here). Unfortunately, this month I did not complete everything on my list. Out of 8 items, I completed 7.5.  Here are a few of my final reflections about the month:

One

Incorporating Body Pump classes into my routine made me feel strong again. The weird satisfaction that I got from feeling sore and challenging myself is definitely motivation to continue with the classes.

In addition to Body Pump, I also completed two free personal training sessions that came with my new gym membership deal. The. Best. My trainer taught me exercises that really focused on building my leg strength in a way that accommodated my weaknesses and yet was still challenging. If I could have a personal training session every day, I would! Another cool aspect was the full body scan which measured fat to muscle ratios that I received on the first day. The results were pretty eye opening to say the least. However, I am hoping that by continuing to do Body Pump and incorporating my other lifestyle changes, I can start to see positive results.

Two

If you follow me on Instagram, then you saw a little glimpse of the pottery painting that I did with my little sister. I don’t get a lot of one on one time with her, so it was nice to be able to go out and do something a little out of the ordinary together. Our creations won’t be available for about a week and we’re both so excited to see the finished product!

Three

Remember how I was so excited to survive beef elimination for my diet? Well that’s nothing compared to the fact that I managed to go one day a week without any meat at all. For reference, I used to be the girl who swore that meat was supposed to be in every meal. However, I think that all of my many steps that I have made over the past year to reduce meat in my life really helped with this month’s challenge. The only difficulty that I ran into was not being prepared. Forgetting to prep for Monday’s lunch left me running to Cava or for Indian food on more than one occasion.

Four

Now for the item that I only half completed: cleaning out my closet. I have been so excited about the idea of fall wardrobe and switching seasons that I forgot how large the task of cleaning out my closet can be. It really is a multiphase process.  I gave myself half credit because I did go through and pull all of my summer attire out into a rather large pile. Next on my list is to add my fall wardrobe to the closet and sort out the items that I am going to donate. Fingers crossed that I can finish over this upcoming extended weekend!

Five

The launch of Ambitiously Cierra is a topic that I want to discuss in a later post. However, I will say that I was overwhelmed by the amount of support and well wishes that I received during my first week as a blogger. Thank you so much to everyone who as visited my page, commented, or shared my blog with anyone. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Here’s to hoping for a successful, fun, and most importantly, balanced October!

♥ Cierra

Photo by: Michael Ellis Photos