Habits

Can you guys tell I'm trying to back into the habit of posting? It's a little hard. Getting out to run isn't hard, but it's half the battle. Being accountable is the hard thing. This blog keeps me accountable. I'm sorry I haven't replied on those blogs that I follow. It'll come soon, I promise.

Thanks for the comments of the few who have. You know they are more than needed!!!

I'm glad I'm running again.

I feel better about myself. I LOVE just listening to my music and not worrying about things, even if it's for an hour. Oh yeah, and my ass is already looking better!!!!

I'm definitely happier!!!

Back At It

A little over a month ago I said how excited I was about trying out my new exercise routine with my husband. We are now taking a break after three weeks to re-examine our decision. We started exercising at 5am together. We've been following a low calorie diet (to an extent) and following the exercise routine of Insanity. The question is; How do you like it?

I got this pic from here.

I like it fine. But I'm not overly thrilled. In fact, I'm not entirely happy with it at all. So why did I say that I like it fine? Well, I like getting up early, and I like sharing the time with my husband. Overall, he's getting active, and that's what is most important right now.

So why am I not entirely thrilled? Because I've gained 5lbs since I've stopped running. I'm not blaming that wholly on the exercise routine. Our eating habits have been OK. Not great, and I'm not surprised that I haven't lost any weight. But to gain 5 lbs when we've worked out everyday is definitely telling me that this exercise isn't solely what I need.

Also, If I'm getting my ass out of bed at 5AM, I'd better be seeing some results. So I'm not sure if we are going to quit. In fact, I think my husband and I are going to keep at Insanity, but you can be sure that I'm back to running. Besides, I LOVE getting my "ME" time, and I've sure missed it.

Early Morning

Today, I got up at 5am, and went to our new work out area. My wonderful husband asked me about a week ago if I'd start a program with him. He's in dire need of motivation, so we decided to start the Insanity 60 Day Program. We took a TV out to the garage, hooked up the DVD player, took the carpet off our deck and laid it out on the floor. He went out to buy a yoga mat so we both now have one. It's quite a nice little work out area.

Yep, it's one hard work out!!! And, we've only done the fit test! It was nice to have him out there with me. I'm a bit excited about this program, and I know it'll do us both a lot of good. It's also really nice to have someone pushing you.

I'm not giving up on my goal to run a marathon next year. In fact I think this program will be a great kick start here at the beginning of my training. I will have to fix and modify my training a bit. However, since this Insanity program as a basis of cardio, I will be able to focus on building up my endurance.

How's my eating been? (some may ask) Not too bad. I've added in all my soda again, which I'm not too thrilled about. I haven't lost weight, but I haven't gained either. I've got great habits set in place now. However, things will change again. I've made the decision that since starting this program, I won't be drinking alcohol or soda. And frankly, I'm done totally with it. I don't need to drink to have fun, and I hate the way I feel later if I end up having too much. We don't drink at home, only when we're out with friends, And it's not really that important to me any more. I feel good about this decision. In order to stop drinking Soda, on the other hand, is going to take A LOT of work!!!

New Revelations

Since starting my journey at the beginning of March, I just LOVE sharing what I know with those people closest to me. I'm not one who loves to preach, but I enjoy sharing my experiences to those who listen. I guess that's why I love blogging so much. We share in the journey to become healthier, and therefore we enjoy each other's stories.

Well, I think I've finally got through to my Wonderful Husband. He finally promised this weekend to start tracking what he's eating. I think he's finally gotten a little scared with his weight. We are using Spark People to track our food, and I've changed some things so that we can monitor his cholesterol, protein, carbs, and fats. He PROMISED me that he'd use it.

Well, I got a phone call just after lunch. He was positive it wasn't working properly. He said that there was NO WAY he could have eaten 1500 calories for lunch! I asked him what he had. Here's his list; 4 chicken strips with ranch, macaroni & cheese, and potatoes au' gratin. I had to laugh. I told him that he was LUCKY it was only 1500 calories, and he probably ate more like 2000.


So, I think today my Wonderful Husband had his first realization about how many calories he's actually eating. I just hope that it sticks with him, and helps him become healthier. It's much easier for a couple to become and stay healthy when they do it together.

What to Eat?

This post isn't about dieting. Yes I need and want to talk about food, but not about how to eat properly to lose weight. I need and want to talk about food as fuel.

I got this pic from here.

You all know that I'm at the beginning of training for a May Marathon. I've been searching  online about the proper diet THROUGHOUT my training. I've found sources talking about what to eat prior to the race, but not much about at continuous diet throughout the 30 weeks of training. Most importantly, what can I eat before (day before or day of) that will help me feel good with my runs?

With my past experience with racing (swimming, not distance running), it's important to get good healthy carbs the day before a long run. That makes good sense to me. But what about the other 6 days a week?

I know there is one very important ingredient to a healthy diet and good running diet that I've been missing. Its is....the water. Yep, I've been slacking. I've been slacking A LOT! I know I gotta get my water in and my hydration.

So now, I ask you. I have blog-befriended so many runners, and I really need your help. I need to eat for fuel. Will you please share what you eat to get the best run you possibly can? Any knowledge you are willing to share will definitely help me. Either post on your blog and share the link, or share in the comments. Thank you so much!!

Evening Run

I'm not sure if it was because of the time of day I was able to get out on the running path, or if it was because my two year old kept me up AGAIN ALL NIGHT (or what felt like all night). But it was very difficult for me to get out tonight. No matter how I felt, I was determined. I told myself, "No, I don't want to run tonight, I'm tired. But I have to." And that's how I feel. It doesn't matter how much I DON'T want to do it. It still has to be done.

I got this pic from here

Now that I'm home, stretched out. I'm damn proud of myself. I even held onto a decent pace, well-for me. The first mile SUCKED. I was in the sun, and I was still feeling exhausted. Mile two felt a little cleaner. I don't really know how else to explain it. I was still heavy footed, but just felt more at ease. Then came mile 3. NICE!!! Got my second wind. Started to stretch my stride a little. It was a great feeling to walk in the door after the way I felt when I left.

So, what time of day is your favorite? Do you like to start off the day with exercise? Or do you like to end the day getting all your energy out? I know I used to like ending the day exercising. I would stretch, shower, and fall asleep fast. Now it seems I've totally reversed. I feel more energised, and ready to do more after I run.

New Plan

OK! So you know how I've been trying a few different tactics to find my niche? I think I finally found it. I said in my earlier post that I decided to run a marathon. I'm totally sticking to it! I went for a short run today; 1.5 miles. It took me 17 minutes. I'm ok with that pace. In fact, I'm very happy. My husband said he'd support me, even though he thinks I'm psychotic. I've always wanted to run a marathon, and I'm excited to finally do it! I've also always wanted to finish a triathlon, so we'll see where this leads.

Frankly, I'm excited. W1D1, this is going to be a fun journey!!!

Liebster Award

A HUGE Thank You to Sarah @ On My Weigh To Happiness. She gave me an award this morning. I have to admit that it really makes me smile to see this award. I haven't posted a whole bunch in the past few weeks, and I'm still trying to get my niche again. So this helps me feel better about things, Thank You! Sarah is definitely an inspiration to me. She's done amazing things, and works so hard everyday. Her blog is amazing.

The Liebster Blog Award is designed to bring additional recognition to those bloggers with less than 200 followers. If you receive the award, you should link back to the blogger that nominated you and nominate five more blogs.

I nominate

Safire -  LOVE LOVE LOVE her!!!! She has been with me from the start of my challenges, and always is positive. She's a supporter that I could never have asked for. Her blog is one of the best. It has a great variety of personal outlooks, shared information, and food!!! But don't read it on an empty stomach!!

Drazil - Talk about a FUN blog. I love reading her. She's definitely entertaining, and very inspirational!!

Bobbi - She's not only one of my favorite inspirational bloggers, but she also is also one of my biggest motivators at Daily Mile. LOVE YA!!!

Jodi - Once again. I could never explain how much she's inspired me. She motivated me though her posts and her comments. Also, I feel like I totally understands when she's having a dilemma. I always seem to be going though a similar situation. Whether it's with food or exercise.

Bonnie - She may be listed last, but she is definitely not least. I LOVE her blog. She always makes time to comment and help me when I need it most. Thank You So Much!!!

AND....

So, Yeah! Well, my Detox did really good, but I'm pretty much over it. Being that things here at my house has been a little rough, I've had to do something that I HATE! We are in desperate need of some cash, so I've had to start donating plasma. Let me just say that we've had Hot Dogs and Mac N Cheese  three times this week, and the other times it's been Peanut Butter and Jelly. Ok, I'm being a little dramatic. Just a little. I've had to eat heavier meals instead of my planned detox. However, I've been sticking to the REASON why I wanted to do the detox. I've actually lost 3 POUNDS!!! I've pretty much stopped snacking throughout the day. And, I'm really working on the addictive behaviors. I feel good.

Ok, so let's talk about my new ticker over there on the Right. What do you think? Many of the people I'm following in the Blogging world are serious runners. I've read SO many blogs about marathons and triathlons, and the amazing accomplishments. I've always wanted to run a marathon. I don't really give a rollin doughnut about a time, I just want to finish it! Two years ago, I did a relay and ran 6.1 miles. I did awful! But I was so proud of being able to finish it. So, I have decided to go for it! I got my husband's permission and I know exactly the one I'm going to do.

 I have to admit, I'm scared. I haven't done very well on keeping with a goal lately. But I think I can do this. I've kept active, and I've asked my friend to join me. She has no desire to run a marathon, but she'll work towards the 5 or 10K. So I have someone who'll help keep me motivated. The biggest problem I see is the long runs. I think I'll have to plan them for Fridays instead of Saturdays. On warm weather, Saturdays are riding days, and I'm not sure I'll have the support of my husband to watch the kids. So I'm planning on using Hal Higdon's schedule, and just adjust it a little for my weekly plan.

Dexot Report

So, How am I doing in this little detox plan? NOT TOO BAD. Ok, last night it took a lot of effort for me to stay away from zucchini bread loaded with peanut butter after the kids have gone to bed. WOAH! See the problem? This was the exact action that I've been trying to get away from, and I held back!! What an accomplishment. I basically HIDE my eating. I don't want people to see me eat, and I don't want to share. And then when I start with something small, I don't stop until I have binged. I keep seeing an addictive situation and I'm trying to stop.

I got this pic from  here

Anyway, right now I'm starving, and I think I'll go eat an apple. Then I will go on a short 3-4 mile run, and a salad for lunch.

Today is day 3, and the past two days have been hard, but I've done well. I have 12 days to go, and I'm going to finish strong by sticking to my plan.

A Personal Detox

I have been playing with an idea for the past couple of weeks to put myself on a simple eating detox program. It is quite obvious that I need to refocus my efforts  on losing weight, and try to get myself back into a routine of exercising and making healthy choices. So, in order to jump start my "new" experience, I'm going on a strict detox schedule. Believe it or not, I'm excited!!!

For 14 days, I'm following a fruit and veggie diet that will help me get used to adding those things back into my regular food schedule. During the day, I will only eat fresh fruit and veggies (mmmm, salads). At dinner time, I will allow myself to eat cooked food so that it's easier to eat with my family. Obviously, I'll make sure I keep my protein and healthy carb intake is up to par during this time too, but not focusing on it much.

Why 14 days? Well, I did a great initial 30 day challenge, and basically, I've failed every other challenge I've set before myself. So, this one is half the time. Also, it's said that it takes 14 days to break a habit, and 22 days to set a habit. Ok, I know that little statement always has different days, but the principle is the same. I have some major habits to be breaking.

I hope that makes sense. I really want to start looking at food as fuel instead of security. I'm sick of trying to hide my eating. I actually will put my kids down for "quiet time" so that I can snack and not have to share what I'm snacking on. I keep thinking about it, and I find myself disgusted with my eating habits. NO WONDER I'M STUCK AT MY WEIGHT!!!

Anyway, today was day 1. So, wish me luck!

Zumba day!

AH Yes, today was Zumba day. What love! To put it bluntly, Today sucked. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't able to do a stinking thing. I couldn't remember any of the routines. And I felt like Gumby. I just couldn't move. But, I got a good sweat on, and at least I tried really hard.

Today would have been my weigh in day, but since I put the scale away, I've totally forgotten about it. I did notice that my undies kept crawling up my behind during zumba class today. Definitely not something that usually happens, so I'm hoping that my undies have shrunk, and has nothing to do with my behind getting larger.

I got this pic from here

I do have a little something to look forward to today. My wonderful husband picked some corn out of our garden a  couple of days ago, and we're going to eat that for dinner!! YAY!!! I love corn. and knowing that you grew it, makes it that much more sweeter. YAY!!

Good run

Oh, I just love days like today. I got out on my run, and it was wonderful!!! It was cool, and just a non-schalant kind of run. I didn't really push it hard. I felt strong, and just peaceful. This is the kind of run that I strive for each time I'm out. I Power walked half a mile, ran three, and power walked the last half mile. It was so stress free, and just a great time.

Got this pic from here

I feel good about things right now. After my little rant about what I REALLY wanted, I have been able to see things very clearly, and been able to work through them my way. I put my scale away. I don't care to lose weight right now. I just want to feel good, stay active, and be conscious about my health.

I'm not saying "I want to be healthy" anymore. Even though I strive for that. The reality is that I'm going to indulge, I'm going eat junk, and I'm going to lazy around once in a while. So ME being healthy isn't always the truth. I want to be healthy, but I also want to be free. So, instead of eating healthy, I'm eating consciously. I'm not busting my butt out there on the running path everyday, but I'm staying active and I'm exercising on a regular basis. This is good for me, and right now, that's what I need.

here - sorta

Yeah Yeah Yeah, I've talked quite a bit recently about falling off the wagon. Every time I seem to try to jump on, I'm only half-assing it. Isn't that sad? I'm still getting my exercise (well, not as much) and I'm doing good on my calorie intake. Well, good if I didn't want to lose weight. The truth is right now, that I don't want to loose weight. I want to gain weight. I want to gain 15-20 lbs over the next 9 months and have a baby. I've wanted this same thing for the past 21months (WOW, that's almost 2 years). I really didn't ever think it would take this long for a 3rd child.

My husband and I were excited to be pregnant with our 3rd baby at the beginning of the year, but I lost it, and I just don't understand why it's take this long to get pregnant again. It was definitely easy in March to refocus on getting fit, and losing weight. But now I can't restrict my caloric intake so much in thinking that there's a chance I might actually be pregnant. It's really no justification for WHAT I'm eating though.

What do I need?
I need a plan. I need to be settled in my plan and right now it can't specifically be focused on weight loss.
I need to be healthy.
I need to change my mindset.
I need to make good decisions for MY body, and those decisions MUST coincide with my biggest What If.
I need to do this because I need feel better about myself, and I need to feel in control of who I am.
I need to quit making excuses.


I got the pic from here

Quickie

Ok, so my weigh in was yesterday. I'm back up to 180. I'm definitely bummed out, but (like most) not surprised. I gotta get back in gear.

The good news is that I'm back on my schedule for running and hitting the gym. I still want to get ST in as a regular routine. I've got it mapped out, and I start it up, but I keep falling off the ST'ing waggon. Every time I look at my flabby arms, I think that I could be seeing some definition. UGH, I just need to do it.

OK, SO BOO on the weight gain. YAY on getting back on routine. YAY for getting my head back on track with eating right (the past couple days I've done well), and BOO for not getting ST'ing in my regular routine.

I think I need to work on the BOO's a bit harder!!!

Where's my head been?

Over the past 6 months of my adventure, I've learned a lot. But the most important thing I've learned about weight loss and getting fit isn't about eating right and exercising. Don't get me wrong, eating right and exercising are the basics and the fundamental parts of weight loss and getting fit. But it's not the most important thing I've learned in the last 6 months.

Even though I've changed my diet, and developed a great exercise routine. If my head isnt' in the game, then the effort I've put in is nearly worthless. Let me explain; I'm tired and exhausted. My new habits are telling me to get my butt out there and get some exercise done. So I go, but I make excuses to walk. Or, I make a nice big salad for lunch and enjoy it very much. But then I eat a couple of crackers. A couple ends up being the entire box, along with some cookies, bread, and candy.

So, if my head isn't in the game, my reasons for being healthy are being followed by excuses for unhealthy actions. I need to get my head back, and get it back for good. It seems that one day I'm right on, but the next I'm completely off course. What do you do to keep your head in the game?

You ever feel like when you decide to get back into the swing of things that it's more like a swing and a miss? Today definitely felt like it. I went out for a run, but ended up having to walk almost half of the 4 miles. It wasn't horrible, but with my little pulled muscle, and just feeling drained my body was burnt out from the start. My head was in the right place, but my body was just simply left behind in bed.

I'm actually quite excited about this week. Weddings have slowed down, and I'm able to put more time into getting a few things done around the house. Today, however, I have to schedule time for a nap. As I'm writing this, I've screamed at the kids and the dogs. I think Momma's a bit cranky. My wonderful little girls kept me up a long time last night due to monsters, so I didn't get very much sleep. Oh well, It's really not a problem as long as I can sleep.

Got this pic from here.

Well, I got my work out in. I need to get some clothes folded and put away, and the toilets cleaned. Other than that, today's goal is a nap. I think I need it.

OUCH!

I know that I'm not the only accident prone person out there. But there aren't a whole lot of people who actually have the talent of getting hurt like me. (Yes, I know there are many of us, but we are very rare.) I hurt myself today on my run. That's not so interesting, but how and what I hurt is interesting. I was running around the gate that keeps vehicles off the running path, and while dodging it, I pulled my oblique. OUCH!!! This was right at the beginning of my run, and it wasn't too painful so I just ran through it. Now, after I have stretched and cooled down. I can hardly walk! I'm not injured, but I need to keep the muscle quiet for today. OUCHIE!

Today started off great (even with the ouchie, it was a very good run) I woke up to a thunderstorm, and then on and off showers throughout the morning. About 10am I decided that I wasn't going to give up my run because of a little rain. The truth is that I'm not that sweet, so I won't melt. Also, I thought about another blogger; Sammie. You can find her blog HERE. She really is an inspiration. And the specific post that made me go for it in the rain was HERE.

Also, I saw this picture on facebook. Can you tell me what your excuses are after seeing this?

Got this pic from this site.

Kind of puts a few things in perspective doesn't it.

Holy Zumba

Yep, today was the first day back to Zumba. It seems that they have come up with some new stuff during my little hiatus. I knew/remembered about half of what we did. It really doesn't matter because I had a TON of fun and worked really hard. According to my schedule, I have abs to do, and I'll get that done this afternoon.

I decided to take my family out to dinner last night, and we really enjoyed ourselves. My little girls shared one of the kiddo meals, but the waitress made them BOTH the deserts even though they could have shared it just fine. I was pretty proud of myself. I splurged on some chips and salsa, but ate a half salad as my entre'. I was feeling full, but not uncomfortable and I really happy. I was able to treat myself with a appetizer, but not overdo it with a bunch of crap. My husband, on the other hand, stuffed himself with bread, fries, and a half a club sandwich.

I have yet to count my calories, and that is a HUGE part of my weight loss. So I have to get it started today.

So this week my goal is to count my calories every day, and take my vitamins (so important).

I'm back, and I'm back at it!!!

That's right!!! I'm back on my schedule, and I'm making time for me and my exercises again! OOFTA that time off was actually nice. But, being back into the swing of things feels so much better. I haven't gained weight, but I definitely feel MUCH MUCH flabbier.

I talked to my husband last night and I told him how much I REALLY wanted to get serious again, and I needed his support. He said he was good to go with what I needed, and he was completely in on getting back on track. I am even planning on kicking him out in the evenings to go play basketball at the gym. He feels so much better when he does.

When you have a team pushing for the same goal, it is so much easier to stay on track!!

Just a quickie

OK, I know, I've been crazy busy!!! I haven't even had enough time to THINK about a "real" workout. I've been going nuts working weddings these past couple of weeks, and it looks like I have one more crazy week ahead of me. All I do all day is iron, or decorate. I've been ironing linens for about 8 hours each day! And these weddings I average walking 11 miles during the decorating process. So, I haven't been doing NOTHING, and I'm really sorry I haven't been able to check in to other blogs. It's going to change here soon.

Anyway, I thought that since my usual weigh day is Thursday I'd see if I'm still on track. I haven't stepped on a scale in about two weeks. Today's weight is  176.0!! NOT BAD for not being in my correct frame of weight loss mind. It's been two weeks since I worried about what I ate. So I'm loving that the hard work I've put in this year to loose those 20 lbs has paid off, and has been life changing instead of a simple diet. Well, back to the grind. If you want some wedding pics to look at, please check out our facebook page;   http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/LK-Events/201764407663

The Vegie Update

So, this week I've been Meat Free! I'm doing great! I'm smack dab in the middle of my busiest two weeks of the year with decorating weddings, and the meals aren't that healthy. But I've been doing fantastic at making sure that I'm skipping the meats. I have admit that I've had a TON of support by my wonderful husband, and friend/business partner. It's nice that they are also watching out for me.

Today, while decorating the wedding, my friend/business partner had to rush home for something and asked if I wanted a sandwich. I said yes. She looked at me and shook her head. She said, "Well, if you're not eating Bologna, do you want a mayo sandwich? I just don't know what to feed you anymore." -Cracked me up. She ended up bringing me a good granola bar. YUMMY!

Then for dinner I picked up a pizza on my way home. I asked my husband what he wanted, and he said, "I really don't care, but could you put pepperoni on my side?" I said NO So he settled for ham. But he really was willing to eat a cheese pizza if that meant I didn't have meat. (I ended up having a fully veggie side)

Well, here I go, into my first weekend and things are looking pretty good.

Running Vs Walking

I often wonder what is overall better for weight loss and exercise. I have heard A LOT of pro's about both running and walking. I have never made any decision on what is better; Running 3 miles, or speed walking 3 miles.

Although I haven't heard any major CON'S about either in the form of exercise and importance, I've heard a TON of propaganda in articles steering the reader towards a certain direction.

Sorry, let's back track a minute here and see where this discussion came from. I went on my "run" today, and it felt TERRIBLE!!! I haven't exercised since last Wednesday and I felt lazy and worn out. I could hardly move my legs forward. I "ran" about 2 miles, and decided to speed walk the last 2 miles. Obviously walking was much easier on me, but I did notice some good differences. It felt as though more of my muscles in my legs were being used and felt like it. I don't think I slowed down much at all. I pushed hard and held a very fast walk. We all know I'm a pitiful runner, I have very bad joints. So is a good hard speed walk better for me?

I read a few articles online this morning and found a huge variety of opinions. I found one that claimed if you're walking hard and fast (not lallygagging), then your walk can be comparable to a jog. The next article I read made me feel foolish for even thinking of walking. If I were to read between the lines I'm sure it said something that only those who need to loose an excess of 50 lbs should consider walking, and then work up to jogging as soon as possible.

I found today a good hard fast speed type walk pretty tough this morning. I know it would have been difficult for me to carry on a conversation. How can that be bad? My joints feel much better too. I have very little pain right now.

Here are three articles (out of the hundreds that I scanned, and many that I actually read) that I thought were helpful.
http://www.healthyexerciseworld.com/running-vs-walking.html
http://www.therunnersguide.com/runningvswalking/
http://health.ninemsn.com.au/whatsgoodforyou/theshow/694482/walking-versus-running-151-whats-better

My Conclusion -
Walking or Running - If you do it right, it's going to benefit you in some great ways. You will burn somewhere around 2x's the calories if you run instead of walk. But if you are keeping a strong fast speed walk, then you'll burn almost the same amount of calories in the same distance as a jog.

So, is walking a waste of time? - HELL NO! But do it right! Enjoy yourself, but don't be in day dream mode.

What a weekend

WOW!!! I'm back after an epic weekend. I met up with other Motorcycle Riders from Montana at our B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S. Nationals. We took some AMAZING rides around the area and a simple great time. Late nights, and crap food.

That brings me to a question I was wondering before we went. How did I do on my diet? What diet? Really, though I didn't worry about what I ate, and I know I definitely went backward a little bit, but that's ok. As I have said before though; the habits I have established here at home definitely showed there. Even if I didn't eat very good, I did eat and drink less. Which also means that I didn't have to worry about hangovers since I wasn't getting drunk. That was definitely nice.

So, today starts a new venture for me and my husband. Due to his fight with Gout (which was REALLY bad this weekend), and other illnesses; this house becomes 90% meat free. I say 90% because I'm not cooking meat anymore, but that doesn't mean we are totally vegetarian. I'm not going to tell my husband he can't go out for a nice steak once in a while, but it's important to take a large portion of protein out of his diet. Also, no more beer. We really don't drink very much at home, so this won't be a bad at all. I am excited to start this.

Still around

I haven't disappeared! I'm still here, and still working and everything. I am now starting the phase of the summer that I've been talking about. My Motorcycle Rally -B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S. Nationals is TOMORROW!!!! I'll be gone until Sunday for that. Then three weddings the next week, and two the week after, Plus a wedding to GO TO the day after that last wedding. So you probably won't see me much at all for the next couple of weeks.

SO don't take off on me the next couple weeks cause I'm probably going to be needing your motivation when I get back. I'm TRYING to stay exercising but it's hard right now knowing what I need to get done. I DID get out and run three miles today already, so today should be a great day!

Revelations!!

Ok, today is a quick post. (at least let's hope so) I'm up in MT at my parents again, and this time when I come home, It'll be kidless. The grandparents are taking my little rugrats for THREE WEEKS!!! I hope I can handle this!! Anyway, while I'm here I'm not going to be doing much working out, but my mom wants me to move some rock for her so that'll be a good ST exercise. I'm headed to the Ronnie Dunn (Dunn from Brookes & Dunn)  Concert tonight, so that will be fun. Brewfest tomorrow, so that should be fun. Home without kids on Sunday!! OOFTA. Also, while I'm here, we (mom and I) are going to pick up a couple of good vegetarian cookbooks.

So, I've had a revelation about what is going on me, and that lack of determination. It's quite simple. It's not new anymore. I love exercising, so that's fun. But the "Shiny" part of the whole experience is now gone. I'm feeling basically in between. I'm feeling good, and looking better. I want to feel better and even better, but I'm happy where I'm at now too. So that makes the experience a little less "shiny".  Maybe this new vegetarian outlook will make things brighten up. Also, I'm going to have to have some awards or steps, or well, anything to "shine" up the road.

Well, gotta go. My (soon) 4 year old is coloring on my 2 year old.

Thursday Weigh Day

Well, let's cut to the chase - Last week was 173.8. Now it's back up to 175.2. I'm not a happy camper. You all know why. I'm not shocked to see the loss wasted. I'm disappointed in myself. I do have to shrug it off now though. You all are right, it's healthy habits we're forming, and an overall sticking to the plan.

I'm headed back to my parent's house today up in MT, and I'm excited to be 20 lbs lighter than the last time, even if I didn't make my goal of 30 lbs gone.



I'm going to try something new this week. I'm going to be a NO girl when it comes to food. I'm so good at saying NO to everything else in this world. Why can't I say NO when it comes to food? The one time I should actually be saying NO, I keep saying YES.
"Would you like 2nds?"
"YES PLEASE!"
"Would you like this sugary snack right before bed time?"
"YES PLEASE!"
"Would you like to have some of these fried bean burritos from the deli?"
"YES PLEASE!"
(disgusting, I know, but I LOVE me some old nasty burritos drenched in ketchup.)
NO  NO  NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This week, we are saying NO to unhealthy, and unneeded food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I'm definitely disappointed in myself. I've kept up with my exercising. I've even made "Rabbit" on my Mytrak. But my eating is horrible, terrible, no good, and very bad. I keep kicking myself, and eating more crap, and kicking myself again. It's a vicious and ridiculous cycle. How stupid can I get? I know I want to loose weight. I know I gotta exercise. I know I gotta eat right. But, NOPE. It reminds me of the old saying; "The definition of Insanity is repeating the same action expecting different results."

I could have seen the 160's now. But I'm looking at approximately the same weight I have for the past two months. That's just sad.

On another note, My wonderful husband has developed Gout. Can I tell you how excited I am!!! It makes sense. He has Kidney disease, and has a problem with cleaning proteins out of his blood. So having a build up in protein has lead to Gout. What's this mean? NO MORE MEAT AT HOME. I've done AMAZING at cutting out red meat. We have a steak a couple times a month, and hamburger very rarely (mostly turkey burger). But that means I've replaced all the red meat with Chicken. Is it ok? I looks like that's a NO! So, I have to readjust everything again, and start cooking meatless meals. I'm a bit excited about it though. I've been meaning, and wanting to do it for a long time. So, I've got to go find me a good vegetarian cook book and get my whole family healthy.

Now I'm going to end with some pics from our family hiking trip on Sunday.

Weekend Breakdown

Ok, Ok. I know that I basically drop off the edge of the earth when it comes to weekends, and I'm sorry about that. But you all know that I decorate weddings, and usually they are on Saturdays. Then I reserve Sundays for my wonderful husband. Sorry that I'm not around, but I gotta have some time for the family.

So, let's start with Saturday! WOW, did we work hard. We had an outside wedding, and it was SPECTACULAR!!! Red and Black. My favorite classic colors. Here's a couple of pics.

88 Double Chair Ties = a TON of work. It may not seem like a lot, but it took about 2 hours for me to tie all those chair ties.

Yesterday, Sunday was an INCREDIBLE family day. After putting away the wedding, and dropping off my help, and picking up my hubby and kids (who went to the lake while I worked!). It was about 1 am. LONG DAY! We woke up very late, and that was nice, I made the family some waffles!! As we were eating my wonderful husband decided he wanted to take the kids hiking. My jaw dropped! He loves hiking and always talks about it. But that's usually as far as it goes. Not yesterday! We were up at the trail about 11:30am. Yes, it was hot, but it was a lot of fun. We ended up about 2.5-3 miles back. My 2 year old rode just about half way on our shoulders, but overall did great. My 4 year old (4 next week) was running basically the entire way. SHE LOVED IT!!! I do have some pics, but the camera was left in the car. I'll have to download them later and post them.

OH! And we passed two guys who were visiting from Pennsylvania. One of the gentlemen was 90 YEARS OLD!!! Wow, he looked good! Sweet men too.

Once we were home, we mowed the lawn and took our exhausted butts to bed!! We were all in bed by 7pm!! But it really was a great family weekend! There was a lot of activity, and a lot of togetherness!!! What a GREAT weekend!!

 



Thursday Weigh Day

Ok, let's just cut to the chase, I got a TON of work to do.

Last week I weighed in at; 175.4
Today's weight is 173.8
I'm loving it!!! I like seeing such a great loss for a week. The reality is, however, I'm not going to make my initial goal of 165 before July 28th. I'm still striving for 167, but I'll be damn lucky to see the 169 mark at this point. That's ok though. I'm not beating myself up about it. The scale is definitely moving in the right direction, and that's what matters most.

Buttercup!

I can't say that I'm very motivational today. In fact, it seems that today should be a pity party in my house. I have no reason to feel this way, but today is definitely what I would consider a dark day. I want to sit on my couch, eat popcorn, and feel terrible for everything and nothing at the same time. I hate these days. They seem to follow a cycle. Every couple of months I get angry, and depressed. If you've known me for very long, or read my story. I used to let these times overcome me and take over my life.

But not today dammit! I can not waste my time like this anymore. Last night I almost did let it over take me. I sat in front of the TV, I felt sick, and simply depressed. Even this morning I turned off my alarm and didn't go running. But overall, I am lucky. A few years ago, I literally beat myself up and recognized these dark days. I consider myself lucky because I have become able to see my dark days coming and have learned to head them off. Never without support, and at first not with out medical help. But now I have a great support system, and a great routine to help me through.

So, this morning I got up and weeded my garden. And right before lunch I got up and went for a hard, but good run. I thought to myself, "well, looks like I got two options right now. Turn into a buttercup, or start to suck it up." It looks like it's going to be a rough next few days, that's ok, cause I'm worth it.

 

OOPS

Lately I've had a bad habit of forgetting to use my MyTrak. It's actually pretty sad because I've forgotten enough that it's kept me at a Penguin level of activity. That means that according to my MyTrak, I occasionally do light activity throughout the day. This is totally and completely not true. I exercise a minimum of 4 days a week. There's got a to be a way to edit activities, especially when you do something like water aerobics (which I did last night) where you can't wear the devise. Also, and I'm not sure what's going on, but it's saying that my exercising is "not intense". No offense to the devise, but running 11-12 min miles, 3-5 miles is pretty intense for heart health. Not sure why there's a problem there, but I have to admit that is a little annoying.

On another note, today I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. I ran 3 miles at 12 min mile, and 1 mile at 11 min mile. I'm definitely happy with that. It was hard, but not REALLY hard. I felt quite strong throughout the entire time. The worst part about running on the treadmill is that you get no breeze to keep you cool, and I totally overlooked claiming a fan until I wish I had one about 1.5 miles in. Other than that, things were good this morning. I feel really good about my weight loss this week. Totally positive.