Humdawg's Exercise Adventures

3rd Trimester Exercise

2012-01-04T05:07:00.000-08:00

I know it has been an eternity since I updated this blog, but truth-be-told, things really have been going pretty well throughout this pregnancy as far as exercise is concerned.

I never gave up and am still at the gym 4-5 nights a week, even if it's a highly modified schedule (mainly elliptical and stair-stepper) with the pregnancy and all.

I feel like a blubbery whale when I go to the gym - especially when I do the stupid thing and compare myself to the others there. I've never been a fan of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors in the place, so I'm always hoping that one of the two only machines in the place NOT strategically placed in front of mirrors are open. But I am very proud of myself that I haven't given up on working out, even at 36 weeks.

Mark and I are going to start working on our race training plan for the big Turkey Day 10K in mid-September and may do a 5K or two before then, but we shall see. I know I'll need a plan once I'm given the green light to start back at it again or I'll fall to the wayside. While I've used a different training schedule in the past, this time around I think we're going to go with the Hal Higdon plans, which will take about 16 weeks (The first 8 for a 5K schedule, and the second 8 to tack on the 10K), so we will see how that goes. We both just need to set a goal, and I think we'll do just fine with it. I love that there are 3 rest days built in, and one longer walk day built in per week, which will be great to take the baby in the stroller one the weather gets nicer out, so it won't feel like we're just training non-stop.

This picture is my motivation for what's to come:

It's not my "skinniest ever" picture, but it's where I was comfortable with my body, and definitely do-able in 2012.

I know it's a far cry from where I am right now:

Pregnancy & Exercise

2011-08-17T11:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure if it's just me or if all the pregnancy literature you read is bunk, but my doctor's instructions vs. the pregnancy books don't exactly match up.

Of course, in the 1st trimester, I was basically just trying to get by, but sticking to Zumba a few days a week, and I got a few long walks and short jogs in. But it's definitely not at all recommended according to the pregnancy books and literature.

I asked my doctor about it at my last appointment, and he said to do whatever I felt like doing, and that I shouldn't consider myself disabled or anything like that, which was encouraging. No lifting restrictions (just listen to what my body tells me), and no watching to make sure my BPM stays below 140 or whatever.

Last night I made it out for the second run of my 2nd trimester, and while I was huffing and puffing and taking it pretty darn slow, I made it approximately 1.5 miles, which felt good. Of course, that was with walking breaks occasionally for the full 2 miles, but I'll take it.

I haven't tried Zumba in quite a few weeks, but I'll probably try to get back into it before long.

"Sorely" Neglected

2011-08-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've been horrible at updating any of my blogs in general, but this one in particular.

Generally, I have no good reason to be skipping my workouts, and then I gain weight and then feel crappy, and then get back in sync and slowly (painfully slowly) lose a few pounds and inches, and then the cycle starts all over.

However, lately, I've had a pretty exciting reason to skip my workouts and gain weight: I'm going to have a baby!

15 Weeks (8/7/2011)

Of course, I haven't really been skipping my workout, persay, I've just been doing less of them, and not as rigorous, and not nearly as regularly.

Instead of shooting for a 3-mile run, I'm hoping to make it through a 1-mile run. It doesn't help that from weeks 6-10 I was struggling to keep my eyes open through the day, and then adding in the nausea, I didn't do much. But 1 mile while 4 months pregnant is an accomplishment for me, and I'll take it!

I've also been doing a fair amount of Zumba when I can handle it - especially on those awful hot summer days, which have been plentiful this summer, unfortunately.

I feel good, though, and have been downing water like it's nobody's business, which has given me a boost of energy most days, which is good!

I've officially broken that deadly 200lb mark, which is disappointing - I always wanted to stay under 200lbs when pregnant, but such is life, and my main focus now is to make sure I'm eating right, exercising, and keeping myself and the baby healthy :)

I'm hoping to be able to start back up training for at least a 5K, maybe even a 10K once the baby is here (January 29 is my due date) in 2012.

But today, I'm fighting off some soreness in my shoulders, pecks and arms from a great workout we got at the fitness center at Sarah and Johannes's apartment this weekend. I did the assisted pull-up machine and whoa doggies - it has been a while, that's for sure! I'm hoping to tone my arms a little and whittle away the inches on my love handles, since I can't really do a full-fledged workout. Maybe even work on my thighs too, but who knows for sure.

Changes

2011-04-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Even though I haven't been actively watching things a lot more, I have been a lot more active recently, and teamed with that, the lack of snacks tempting me at work, and Zumba, I've found myself down to 191 this morning on the scale (whoopie!) It kinda makes me sad and happy at the same time to say that - mainly because I remember a time when 171 was my "whoopie" point, and that's still 20lbs away.

I think part of my motivation in recent days is due to my new shoes, partly to Zumba, and partly the fact that it's getting nice enough to run outside again. I've been surprising myself lately with how far I've been able to go! In the past 3 weeks I've done 3 miles 3 times, with a few 5-mile walks.

I'm not claiming to be fast - I felt kinda turtle-esque, to be honest - but it feels good to be able to run that far without keeling over and dying - especially after such a long hiatus from running long distances. But last night I made it my 5.5 mile route - running at least 4 miles of it - and then proceeded to come home and do my Zumba Abs video. I guess this just means that it's not that I can't do this stuff - I just haven't been pushing myself hard enough.

191 is a starting point, but it still is 3.6lbs down from where I was my last post, and that's something! Hopefully I can keep up the motivation!

Complacency

2011-03-25T15:52:00.000-07:00

I find myself in this place a lot - the place where I look about like this:

Okay, that's a bit unfair - horrible camera angle. More like this:

But then I find myself coming up with really unique camera poses so that I look like this:

In other words - I look a little chunky, but it's nothing so noticeable that I can't hide it by taking some special-angled pictures. It's not so bad, right? RIGHT?

So then I step on the scale and see this:

So yeah - I need to make some changes. Like...those 6 double-chocolate chip pecan cookies from earlier today. It's not that I'm super naughty all day long - I eat a healthy, 250-300 calorie breakfast with protein, a small handful of almonds for a mid-morning snack, keep up on my water intake, stay away from artificial sweeteners, and try to eat a balanced meal for supper. It's just those 6 cookies, and maybe the half-to-3/4 can of pop. Oh, and the 4oz colby jack cheese. It's the little stuff.

And I know it, and I own it. I'm not going to try to deny that I'm not trying. I'm doing the exercise - LOVING Zumba, btw - and I'm starting every day "right", I just knowingly blow it throughout the day on stupid stuff that isn't that important.

So I'm not really sure what this is for me. I'd be lying if I said I really, truly felt the need for a change, because I'm really, truly happy with myself right now. Maybe it's just a joy in life or something, but I think it's dangerous.

I have no delusions about trying to fit into a bikini, nor do I have a desire to. I need to drop 20lbs, and I know I can, I just don't want to.

I'm just in a state of complacency right now.

It's Here! And It's Fun!

2011-02-19T08:13:00.000-08:00

I'm technically on my 3rd day of Zumba, which so far has consisted of 2 days of learning the basic steps, and then today - the day where I finally get to put them all together.

It's FUN! But I'm just now, on day 3, getting some of the steps down. In 20 minutes, I'm sweating bullets, but I don't actually feel like I'm working out, and I truly hope that continues!

I can feel my abs getting tighter, and I feel a sort of dull soreness all over - the the point where Advil isn't necessary, but I feel it constantly. And that feels good!

So you might be wondering - these look like nice, brightly-colored CDs and those little pom pom things look interesting, but what IS Zumba? Well, here's a little clip I found on youtube that shows what the basic steps are like, and it gives you an idea of some of the moves - in abbreviated version, anyway:

Nothing Seems to be Working

2011-02-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

I think a big part of it is my lack of motivation, but with 2 new exciting things in the mix, I'm hoping to jump-start that again.

Motivational Item #1: New running shoes!

As I was running the other day at the wellness center, I realized that the shoes I was wearing (a.k.a. my "new" shoes) were in fact almost 1 1/2 years old! I purchased them about a month before the big Mackinac Island 8 Mile Race in September 2009, and have since gone in numerous spurts of activity/inactivity since then. It was time for new shoes!

A couple weekends ago, I tried a few pair on at Scheel's and ended up settling on these puppies:

Unfortunately, though, they were SPENDY, and I was trying to keep it under $100, so I didn't buy them just then. I went home and found last-year's model for $90 and ordered it instead! They should be here any day!

Motivational Item #2: Zumba!

After hearing all about this big fad and not having any classes remotely near me, I decided to go ahead and order the starter kit when I saw the infomercial on TV Saturday morning. I'm hoping my order will be here within the next week or so and that I can get started! My sister-in-law just got her certification to teach, and my other sister-in-law jumped on board a while back. It looks like a TON of fun, and I'm really looking forward to it!!

Back to the Beginning

2011-01-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

We joined the Wellness Center again, just for the winter months. It kinda feels like we're back to the beginning again. It's a strange feeling when you walk into the place you spent hours every day for years and hardly know anyone. I guess that's what you get for taking a year-plus-long hiatus.

I haven't entirely given up since the 10-Day-Cleanse, but I have gained all the weight back, so that's kinda depressing.

The positive part is that I can still knock a solid mile off without too much effort on the treadmill! I just need to be able to watch my food intake a little more.

I've decided that while the 10-day cleanse is a great way to drop serious weight quickly, it's not the best method for me to be serious about changing my lifestyle. I just splurge the second I get off it, and then

I know how to do it, and I just need to get back on the wagon.

I will say this though: I am off artificial sweeteners!! I've been drinking my coffee with just half and half and no sweetener (except on the rare occasion, honey).

And another victory is that I've been maintaining my water intake from the cleanse AND getting a regular night's 7-8 hours of sleep. So it's not ALL bad, right?

I think the good thing about getting this post out there is that I'm not discouraged really - just disappointed. And ya know what? That's OK!!

So I guess the next part needs to be a challenge, right? To keep myself accountable. Well here goes it:

I'm going to do a 30-day challenge:

30 minutes cardio, 6 times a week
keep up the water intake, sleep and elimination of artificial sweeteners
limit to 1800 calories a day
record every bite

After the Cleanse: What Now?

2010-10-28T10:53:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 days (from October 17-27), I have been participating in a 10-Day Cleanse along with some of my girlfriends. The main point of the cleanse was to drop bad habits, and to realize that I really need to get my portion sizes in check. (Not to mention, to get back on the exercise train!)

Well, it's officially day 10 of the challenge, and I thought I'd share some of my goals, failures and successes from the past 10 days.

Goals

The main focus of this challenge was to learn to eat "clean", drink more water, get more active, and get more sleep!! Also, to cut out sweets, pop, and artificial sweeteners.

Failures

Diet:
The day before we started, I thought I'd do myself a favor and make a delicious, healthy potato soup, chock full of veggies and nutrients. However, after reading through the list on Day 2 for this challenge, I realized that potatoes were "no-no"s, and had to make Mark finish the rest of it. (Sorry, honey!)

On Day 7, I splurged. A LOT. In all fairness, the first splurge wasn't until after lunch, when I had a piece of my own birthday cake and a small scoop of ice cream. However, my diet went seriously downhill when we decided to meet our friends, Jed and Kris at a local sports bar for supper. I figured I could just order some celery and a big salad, but when we got there, all they had to order were breaded and fried appetizers and pizza. Complete fail! Mark ordered some wings and we ordered a "Shed" pizza (a.k.a. The Works). The only plus for this meal was that the pizza was on thin crust, and it had a few veggies on it. This day, even after a breakfast and lunch coming in at under 800 calories, I dumped on another 1200 with supper alone.

Exercise:
I'd have to say that the biggest failure would be finding time to exercise. And this one worries me! Of course, on the beautiful, sunny, warm, welcoming days, a 5-mile walk was the first thing I WANTED to do after work. But with the frigid front that came through on Days 8-10, it's the furthest thing from my mind! Out of the 10 days, I did planned cardio 7 of the days, and I didn't specifically do any strength training. At all! But I kinda figured that my 4 days of the 30 Day Shred with Jillian counted somewhat for the strength training.

Successes

Honestly? Everything else! I'm not always the first person to pat myself on the back when I do something well, but I did this very well!!

I didn't miss a day drinking at least 80 fl oz water, exercised 7/10 days, kept under my calorie goal of 1550 for 8 of the 10 days, and got plenty of sleep. I also cut out snacking, processed food, starchy white foods, and soda. (Technically, alcohol too, but I'm not really so much of a drinker to begin with, so that wasn't a tough challenge). I ate way more raw foods, recorded every bite on sparkpeople.com, learned how to snack right, realized that my "achilles heel" is snacking and mindless eating.

So Where Do I Go From Here?

Well, I'm not going to pretend that I didn't take a day off and eat what I wanted today, but shoot - it's my 29th birthday, and quite frankly, I'm giving that to myself :) But starting tomorrow, I'm gonna keep with this!

The next step in this is to join my girls in a "Hottie for the Holidays" challenge, in which we set a goal to reach our goals BY New Years' instead of setting our goals AFTER New Years'.

So what are my goals?

Well, I hate to do the goal thing - especially when pounds are concerned - because for some reason numbers just really mess with my head. If I had to throw a number out there, I'd say 170. I'd love to be steady at 170 and just stay there forever. But realistically, that's talking 14 pounds in 2 months, and quite frankly, I'm not comfortable pushing myself that far.

So really? I'd love to just continue what I'm doing and see where I go from here. I want to definitely exercise - even just a little bit - every day. Not obsess over it like I have before, but just do SOMETHING.

I also want to keep with this new bedtime - where we're SLEEPING by 10:30pm instead of just getting ready for bed.

I think I need to permanently kiss pop goodbye, and while I'm not going to say I'm not going to eat potatoes anymore, I'm going to try to work more whole grains into my day, and stop it with all the little extras that I said goodbye to (i.e. butter, sour cream, salt and pepper, creamy dressings, etc.). Oh, and continue drinking a TON of water!!!

I fully realize that I'm probably not going to be dropping weight like I did during the 10 day cleanse (7 lbs in 10 days is pretty abnormal). I need to keep that in mind so as not to get overwhelmed when I don't see the same type of results right away.

But now, I leave you with my Day 1 (191.6 lbs) vs. Day 10(184.2 lbs) pics :)

10 Day Cleanse - Day 10 Recap

2010-10-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

LAST DAY!!!!!!! WOOOO HOOOOOOO!!

Energy Level: medium-high
Water intake: 10C ~80 fl oz
Sleep: 7 hours
Biggest struggle: no sweet treats for dessert :(
Biggest success: Avoiding pre-lunch snacking by diverting with water
Calories burned: ~
Calories consumed: ~1465
Feeling: energized
Weight: 184.4
Size: L/14
Stress level: very low
AF Proximity: post-11 days

Breakfast: crockpot oatmeal with a little extra honey and milk, 1/2 C grapes
~280 calories

Lunch: 3C chili with 3oz mozarella cheese
~686 calories

Supper: 1/2 cranberry pork chop with 1/2 C squash and 1/2 C freezer corn w/ 2 pats butter for all
~499 calories

Snacks:
None
~0 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 9 Recap

2010-10-26T18:39:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: pretty solid all day!
Water intake: 12C ~96 fl oz
Sleep: 7 hours
Biggest struggle: Cheese!
Biggest success: Everything else today!!
Calories burned: 30DS (~235)
Calories consumed: ~1550
Feeling: pretty even-keeled
Weight: 185.2
Size: L/14
Stress level: low
AF Proximity: post-10 days

Breakfast: piece of whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, 2C coffee with honey and half and half
~233 calories

Lunch: 2C chili, 1C milk, 3oz shredded mozzarella cheese
~615 calories

Supper: 2C chili, 3oz shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 slice whole wheat toast with thin layer of butter
~694 calories

Snacks: 1 Gala apple
~80 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 8 Recap

2010-10-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: pretty solid all day!
Water intake: 10 C ~80 fl oz
Sleep: 7 1/2 hours
Biggest struggle: figuring out how to eat away from home without getting into trouble; finding time to exercise
Biggest success: getting enough water and sleep; eating good most of the day
Calories burned: No scheduled exercise, but was running around the plant all day
Calories consumed: ~1716
Feeling: tired
Weight: 186
Size: L/14
Stress level: low
AF Proximity: post-9 days

Breakfast: piece of whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter and tsp rhubarb strawberry jam, 2C coffee with honey and half and half
~249 calories

Lunch: tuna sandwich with mozzarella cheese slices and pickled beets, 1/4 C grapes
~553 calories

Supper: 1 1/2 slices ham loaf with 1/2 C mashed potatoes, 1/2 C mixed veggies, and a Popsicle for dessert
~653 calories

Snacks: 1 Gala apple, 2oz mozzarella cheese, 1/4 C pickled beets
~261 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 7 Recap

2010-10-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: kinda draggy and tired all day
Water intake: 15 C ~ 120 fl oz
Sleep: 7 1/2 hours
Biggest struggle: not splurging, and finding time to exercise
Biggest success: getting enough water and sleep
Calories burned: NONE
Calories consumed: ~2001 (FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL!!!!!)
Feeling: tired
Weight: 186.8
Size: L/14
Stress level: medium-low
AF Proximity: post-8 days

Breakfast: piece of whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, 1 banana
~337 calories

Lunch: 2 large servings Fiesta Bowl over rice with cheese dip topping and taco sauce with diced tomatoes
~460 calories

Supper: 3 chicken wings dipped in honey garlic sauce, 6 small square pieces "The Shed" pizza at The Shed (FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL FAIL!!!)
~814 calories

Snacks: small piece birthday cake, small scoop ice cream, and a few tortilla chips with Rotel cheese dip (FAIL in every area!)
~392 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 6 Recap

2010-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: good in the morning and while shopping, exhausted all evening
Water intake: 9-10 C ~ 72-80 fl oz
Sleep: 7 1/2 hours
Biggest struggle: finding something to eat when eating out for lunch
Calories burned: shopped for 3 hours (maybe 200 calories?)
Calories consumed: ~1578 (a little over)
Feeling: relaxed
Weight: 186
Size: L/14
Stress level: medium-low
AF Proximity: post-7 days

Breakfast: piece of whole wheat toast with 1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter, 1.75 Bartlet pears
~403 calories

Lunch: half acorn squash filled with pineapple, diced ham and raisins, spring salad mix with raspberry vinaigrette, autumn spice coffee with honey sweetner
~585 calories

Supper: 1 serving Sweet and Sour Chicken and 1 C brown rice
~449 calories

Snacks: 1C grapes and 1 Cortland apple
~140 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 5 Recap

2010-10-22T15:31:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: all over the place
Water intake: 4 C ~ 32 fl oz (but aiming for more by night's end)
Sleep: 6 hours (I was wide awake from 3-4:15am)
Biggest struggle: finding time to drink any water whatsoever
Calories burned: 2 mile walk (~250)
Calories consumed: ~1506
Feeling: overwhelmed
Weight: 185.4
Size: L/14
Stress level: high - very high
AF Proximity: post-6 days

Breakfast: Small bowl frosted mini-wheats with 1/2 C skim milk , 12oz coffee w/ skim milk, 1 tsp honey and splash of half and half
~331 calories

Lunch: 2.5 C spaghetti (whole wheat noodles, heavily-veggified sauce)
~591 calories

Supper: 2 servings of Fiesta Bowl on lettuce with taco sauce and cheese on top
~460 calories

Snacks: small amount of chips salsa
~125 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 4 Recap

2010-10-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: medium-high
Water intake: 10 C ~ 80 fl oz
Sleep: 7.5 hours
Biggest struggle: eating enough (wha?!)
Calories burned: ~ 235 (30DS)
Calories consumed: ~1158
Feeling: content
Weight: 187
Size: L/14
Stress level: low
AF Proximity: post-5 days

Breakfast: 1 pkt oatmeal w/ splash skim milk, , 12oz coffee w/ skim milk, 1 pkt splenda, drizzle honey and splash of skim milk
~240 calories

Lunch: Fiesta Bowl atop tortilla chips with a little cheese and salsa on top, Bartlett pear
~426 calories

Supper: Fiesta Bowl atop bed of lettuce with diced tomatoes, little cheese and taco sauce on top
~357 calories

Snacks: 1/2 oz almonds, 4oz natural applesauce
~135 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 3 Recap

2010-10-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: medium
Water intake: 9 C ~ 72 fl oz
Sleep: 7.5 hours
Biggest struggle: drinking enough water
Calories burned: ~ 550
Calories consumed: ~1545
Feeling: energized
Weight: 188.4
Size: L/14
Stress level: medium
AF Proximity: post-4 days

Breakfast: 1 bartlett pear, 1 slice toast with 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter and 1/2 Tbsp farmers' market rhubarb strawberry jam, 12oz coffee w/ skim milk, 1 pkt splenda, drizzle honey and splash of skim milk
~317 calories

Lunch: leftover spaghetti (appx 2 C)
~504 calories

Supper: 2 C mexican layered casserole thing
~467 calories

Snacks: 1C seedless grapes, 1 Gala apple, 1ish squares Hageland Pear and Almond Chocolate bar
~250 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 2 Recap

2010-10-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: medium
Water intake: 6 C ~ 80 fl oz
Sleep: 8 hours
Biggest struggle: Not snacking
Calories burned: ~ 400
Calories consumed: ~1,534
Feeling: bored
Weight: 189.6
Size: L/14
Stress level: low
AF Proximity: post-3 days

Breakfast: 1 C cooked oatmeal with raisins, pecans and cinnamon, 1 Tbsp honey, 2 Tbsp skim milk, 12oz coffee w/ skim milk, 1 pkt splenda, drizzle honey and splash of skim milk
~364 calories

Lunch: 1oz tortilla chips with 1/4 C salsa, peanut butter sandwich, 1/2 a tomato with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, small piece of pear and almond chocolate bar
~612 calories

Supper: 2C whole wheat pasta with 10Tbsp Prego spaghetti sauce and 1/2 C mushrooms
~508 calories

Snacks: 4oz cup of Mott's Natural Apple Sauce
~50 calories

10 Day Cleanse - Day 1 Recap

2010-10-18T19:02:00.000-07:00

Energy Level: low
Water intake: 10 cups ~ 80 fl oz
Sleep: 8 hours
Biggest struggle: staying away from the chips and salsa - it's killing me!
Calories burned: 5 mile walk (~ 450 calories burned)
Calories consumed: 1717 (over goal by ~200)
Feeling: snacky...it's miserable, but I'm not technically hungry
Weight: 188.0
Size: L/14
Stress level: medium
AF Proximity: post-2 days

Breakfast: 1 C grapes and 16 oz coffee/half and half/splenda (FAIL)
~104 calories

Lunch: 3" subway sub, 2 C potato soup (FAIL!), 1 dinner roll (FAIL)
~681 calories

Supper: 3oz trimmed beef brisket w/ mushroom cider sauce, large sweet potato/butter (FAIL)/chili powder
~807 calories

Snacks: large Haralson apple
~125 calories

10 Day Cleanse - What is it?

2010-10-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

It's a 10-day effort to jump-start my metabolism in hopes of cleansing my body from all the junk I've been eating, and the inactivity!

Goals

Eat Fresh - eliminate processed foods
Get rid of white foods (bread, pasta, starches)
Increase raw food intake (veggies and fruits
Cardio everyday / Strength 3x a week
Stop eating 3 hours before bed (this would be 7pm for me)
Keep a food journal and accurate calorie count (sparkpeople.com)!
Downsize your portions
Eat every 2 1/2 to 3 hours
Identify your Achilles Heel (SNACKING!)
No alcohol or soda
Increase sleep by 1-2 hours each night (7-8 hours total

Breaking out of a Hiatus

2010-10-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

I've certainly not mastered this by any means, so I'm not suggesting any tips to break through a workout hiatus. I'm working on it, though, and maybe one day I will have something encouraging to say on the subject matter at hand.

My knees have still been hindering my running plans, but walks have been a regular thing each night, and this week so far we've logged over 15 miles in just the past 3 days. It feels good, but I can't help but ache for the long runs of last summer. It just doesn't feel right when you get done with a 2 hour walk and still don't feel like you're sweaty enough to shower. It just feels...wrong.

I was contemplating joining the gym for the winter months the other day, and for the time being have decided against it. We'll see how it goes in a month or so when it's too cold to be walking outside.

I'm, surprisingly, not really up in weight at all, but once again am trading muscle for fat, which is a frustrating trend. I have my yearly PAP tomorrow, so I'm sure that will be highly disappointing, considering I probably HAVE gained around 5-7lbs since last year this time.

I guess this isn't really much of an update - or at least not an exciting, motivating one. But I know I've been here before, and I'll probably be here again - that point where I care, but not enough to TRULY make a change. And until I get a fire lit under my butt again, I'll probably just continue to tread water.

But I am proud to say that I haven't completely fallen off the healthy eating bandwagon. I'm still probably eating too much, but I'm at least eating healthy stuff, which is an improvement :)

Sparkpeople Article: When Too Much Exercise Becomes a Problem

2010-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

This article hit a little close to home, since I "suffered" both Compulsive Exercise and Exercise Bulimia back in 2007. WONDERFUL read, and something to keep in perspective!

When Too Much Exercise Becomes a Problem

Compulsive Exercise and Exercise Bulimia

-- By Leanne Beattie, Health and Fitness Writer

Regular exercise is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle and sound weight-loss program. In fact, most experts suggest that we get 60 minutes of exercise each day for optimal health. But while a little exercise is a good thing, taking exercise to the extreme can cause serious health issues, even death. When few adults exercise regularly, and many struggle to find just 20 minutes to dedicate to a workout, it may be hard to believe that some people place exercise at the center of their lives. But some people feel compelled to exercise above and beyond normal levels, often in a desperate attempt to burn every calorie they consume.

Compulsive exercise is more than a desire to get in the ultimate shape or manage one's weight. Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time. Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans.

The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better. Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do. They think that what they're doing is healthy, and can't understand how others don't see it that way.

Compulsive Exercise Vs. Exercise Bulimia: What's the Difference?
Although the terms are often used interchangeably, compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia are two different things.

Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be). Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.

Both conditions are indicated by the following symptoms:

Choosing to exercise instead of going to work or enjoying social activities with friends or loved ones
Refusing to take any rest or recovery days, even when injured
Continuing to exercise even when ill
Exercising to the point of exhaustion
Never exercising for fun
Experiencing severe stress and emotional upset, including depression, if unable to exercise
Obsession with calories eaten and calories burned
Preoccupation with burning calories throughout the day, even when not exercising

How Much is Too Much?
There is no certain amount of exercise that is automatically "too much" for every person. In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in. Competitive athletes may exercise for hours each day without any problem. The right amount of exercise for you may differ from your friend or neighbor and should take into account your fitness level, lifestyle, current health status and more.

So how do you know if you're exercising too much? It's a matter of attitude and whether your thoughts and behaviors about exercise mirror the list of symptoms described above. When exercise becomes one of the most important aspects of your life, and when your life revolves around exercise, it could be more than dedication—it could be an unhealthy obsession.

Associated Health Problems
Exercise is usually a good thing, but rest and recovery are very important, too. Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including:

Fatigue
Suppressed immune system
Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat
Reproductive problems
Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems)
Dehydration
Arthritis
Osteoporosis
Stress fractures and sprains
Kidney failure

Beyond physical ailments, excessive exercise can cause mental and emotional upset, interfere with normal, healthy relationships, and is often associated with anxiety and depression, too.

If you experience health problems like these that could be tied to excessive exercise, talk to your doctor and take some time off from fitness. If the thought of taking a few days or even a week off from your exercise routine upsets you, that too could be a sign that your dedication to fitness is unhealthy.

Getting a Diagnosis
Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights. Because adherence to an exercise program is usually a positive thing that is admired and encouraged, exercise bulimia is often difficult to diagnose. A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme. A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.

Even if your physician doesn't pick up on these signs, if you read the list above and think that this may sound like you, it's important to discuss your concerns, habits, and feelings with your doctor to find out if you may have a problem—and get help.

Treatment Options
Exercise bulimia can be a symptom of deeply rooted emotional problems. Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common. Some bulimia sufferers are highly self-critical and aim for perfection in many areas of their lives. Because they feel they are never good enough just the way they are, they may exercise compulsively as a way to feel worthy and good about themselves.

Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants. Other treatments include hypnosis and guided imagery, which allows the individual to create a new, positive, body image. The purpose of any treatment path is to gain awareness of the underlying reasons that caused the disorder in the first place, such as feelings of panic or being out of control. It is also important to lower the perfectionist standard and become more self-accepting so that exercise can serve its purpose in your life—not be the center of it.

To learn more about eating and exercise disorders and receive a referral to a health practitioner in your area, contact the National Eating Disorders Association at: 1-800-931-2237 or visit: www.edap.org.

This article has been reviewed and approved by SparkPeople experts Dean Anderson, behavioral psychologist, and Jen Mueller, certified personal trainer and health educator, and Nicole Nichols, certified personal trainer and health educator.

The Case for Water

2010-08-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

In the past 2-3 weeks, I've been upping my water intake significantly. I hadn't ever really paid any attention to how much I drank in a day, but I would say I might have averaged around 16oz...on a good day I might get 32-40oz.

I came across my good old Nalgene bottle from college days and have since been drinking anywhere from 64-100oz per day, and I can't tell you what a huge change I've noticed!

Over the course of the 2-3 weeks, I've dropped 3lbs (hardly even exercising), and I just feel more....solid? I used to just be drained after work each day, and barely making it through my afternoons.
Another huge difference I've noticed is that I don't have any desire whatsoever to snack in my days, and I'm just not hungry as often. I used to struggle, grabbing snacks twice in the morning, and at least twice or three times in the afternoon/evening.

I just wanted to encourage you guys to make sure to be getting enough water in a day! It's made a huge difference for me!

Time for the Doctor, I think...

2010-07-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

I've felt kinda lost since the 30DS. I finished it back on Friday, July 1, and finally got around to exercising on Friday, July 8 - I ran 2 miles, hardly feeling winded at all.

But my knees...my knees have been feeling it...bad! It took me a few days to recovery from that 2-mile run, and with wedding festivities last weekend, I've only gotten in one more short run this week - a 1.3 mile run on Tuesday evening around the neighborhood. And my knees have been clicking, popping and burning since then. In fact, 4 days later, they're still sore and clicking - especially walking up and down the stairs.

I never thought I'd be 28 years old and looking at the possibility of knee surgery, but it's looking like a very real possibility :( I think once I get back from my Chicago GTG this weekend, I will probably make an appointment to see what I need to do. I just simply can't give up on exercise because of my knees at 28!

I'm still hovering around the 186/187 range, which is very frustrating. I've been upping my water intake by a landslide - yesterday clocking in almost 100oz, and today I'm already about 3/4 of the way through my first Nalgene bottle of 32oz. I know it sound strange, but I can already feel a little surge of energy from the hydration - even with only 6hrs of sleep last night. I can't imagine what I might feel like with a full 8 hours!

I was naughty last night and made a Black Bottom Raspberry Cheesecake to take to the Chicago GTG in Itasca/Roselle this weekend, so hopefully my diet plans aren't entirely thwarted, but OH did it look yummy!!

Finally - my 30DS Before and Afters!

2010-07-09T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished Day 30 last Friday afternoon, July 2,the first full day of our company arriving. Since then, I haven't had a free minute to sit down and update my blog with my results!

In a nutshell, I'm honestly somewhat disappointed. I feel like I'm in a rut right now - the "I didn't follow any sort of diet plan while doing the program, and thus my fat is still here and I've added muscle so now I'm just bigger in general" rut.

Except for a walk yesterday afternoon (apprx 2 leisurely miles), I haven't done any form of exercise for the past week, and I most definitely can feel it. I weighed in this morning at 187, and that's still up almost 3lbs from when I started the program. And it's frustrating.

What I know:
- I have a large amount of muscle just dying to be seen.
- I am still just as "fat" as I was before I started the program.
- My jeans fit tighter than they did before I started
- However, I don't have as much "fat-back" overhanging on my jeans as I did before I started
- I need to get back into an exercise routine after this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So here, I present to you my before and after pictures from Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred:

Day 1:

Day 30 Video:

One More Day

2010-07-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

After work, I was feeling pretty sluggish. I knew it was due to dehydration, but was not even remotely in the mood to drink water. So before I knew it, it was 5:30pm, and I decided it was time to force the issue. I was getting a headache, my whole body was achy, and whether I wanted to or not, I downed about 3 large glasses of ice water.

Earlier in the day, we tentatively made plans with some friends to meet up later that night, but never heard anything from them, so I decided to get started on supper. I created a new recipe that involved a homemade alfredo sauce over grilled chicken, and sauteed mushrooms and onion all over some penne pasta. However, just as we were sitting down to eat, the doorbell rang, and there at the door were our friends! Good thing I made a lot! So we filled a couple more bowls and sat down to eat.

I thought at this point that Day 29 was going to end up pushed back a day, but surprisingly enough, our friends only stayed until around 9pm, so I was able to attack my second to last day of the 30 Day Shred!!

I absolutely can't figure out how on earth I have made it as far with this program as I have. Getting through Level 1? Eh - not so bad. Levels 2 and 3? Pure torture! I think it's even tougher for me to think I've gotten this far withhout being more discouraged than I have been. Mainly because in the course of the past 29 days, I've managed to gain approximately 4lbs and really don't feel like my clothes are fitting much better. But boy do I ever feel stronger. So I know that I've got muscle!

So my next questions is....what's in store for me after the 30 Day Shred? Well, I think I'm going to begin to implement the 30 Day Shred into my workout routine, just not every day. I think I'll mix different levels for different days and try to fit in some short running intervals and some regular weight lifting. We shall see. But one thing is for sure - I'm going to start acutally paying attention to my diet since I'm now (just about) finished with the 30 Day Shred.

So one day from now, I'll be done. HALLELUJAH!!

30 Day Shred - Day 22, Level 3

2010-06-22T20:11:00.000-07:00

I feel like a frompy, chunky blob today, and the pictures from the day (especially the back fat shot) really make me look like I feel today. But alas, I'm not letting it get me down. I've actually dropped a pound since AF left (this is currently Day 3 post-AF).

I think part of my struggle lately has been that while level 3 is a bit more difficult, I'm not doing the full movements like Natalie in the video, and thus, I'm not getting as thorough of a workout. But I'll get there. I've got 8 more days to master level 3, and I think I'll have at least most of it mastered by then :) I know I'll have a few more hiccups before I finish - one being a family gathering in Iowa this weekend (read: minimal time or energy to work out, and LOTS of naughty food), and then another CRAZY busy week after that, including a trip to Beatrice, NE, and having company for any number of days up to a week! If I can just make it through the next few weeks, I think I'll be feeling so much better about it all!

But for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure?!):

30 Day Shred - Day 20 Video Update

2010-06-21T11:55:00.005-07:00

2/3 Mark - 2nd Day of L3!

2010-06-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

It's not as bad as I thought, but I still can't do all of it without the modified moves, and I'm still taking breaks more than I should. But we're talking L3, BABY!!

I don't have much more to say than that, so I'll leave you with some normal pics...and then some showing off my pipes!

First Attempt at L3 - Day 19 of 30DS

2010-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I woke up I told myself I was taking a day off from the 30DS - my body was aching really bad, I had been staining the deck all afternoon and evening, and I was just tired. But somehow, I dragged myself through my first day of L3 of the 30DS.

It.was.awful. But it wasn't as awful as L2. But it IS as awful as L2. Why is that, do you ask? Because I can do almost all of L2 without stopping or having a problem. L3? Yeah...I can barely get through the modified versions, so even though it doesn't seem as bad, it's because I'm not doing half the work.

I've been slacking on taking pictures the past couple days, but I've still been doing hte workouts. Well, at least until today. That's right, I finally took my 2nd day off! My knees and body just needed a break, and I took one!

Instead of my video today, I got some exercise picking strawberries in the morning, potting plants in the afternoon, and getting a great nap in! Feeling a lot more energized and ready to tackle one more day of L2 tomorrow afternoon!

Day 16

2010-06-16T17:17:00.000-07:00

It took me about 45 minutes of whining before getting started today. This is my 3rd Wednesday on the program, and Wednesdays mean double-header softball in the evenings. So while I'd like to say that the softball games are just so intense that there's no way I could do the 30DS on Wednesdays, I know I'm just making excuses, so I did it anyway.

Today was the first day with my new 3lb weights, and it wasn't that bad. I had 4 short breaks tonight - 3 on the plank jacks and 1 on the plank twists. It's getting better, but still pretty rough. Mark seems to think that I'm doing the plank pose all wrong, which is why it's so hard for me. Once my arms stop burning, I might have to have him show me.

In other, somewhat-related news, AF finally reared her ugly head today, so hopefully the water weight will start going away soon. I sure hope so!

Pics:

Progress

2010-06-16T07:24:00.001-07:00

I would most definitely say I was already in "decent" shape before I started. (Considering I ran an 8 mile race and 10K back-to-back weekends last September). This program is tough. And if it's not tough, you're not doing it right. And if you're doing it right and it's still not tough, use heavier weights.

If I can get rid of this belly pooch, I'm going to have 6-pack abs, and I'm not kidding. I can feel them - SO solid - underneath the layer of chub. M is pretty impressed. My shoulders are really getting VERY defined too!

IMO, it's not exactly a weight-loss tool (unless you are combining it with a great diet too), but a toning tool. I can't imagine how awesome I will look once I drop the pounds that are insulating my insane amounts of muscle right now. I can't BELIEVE how much stronger I am.

I'm also excited to start eating better with these last 15 days of the program (and for freaking AF to go away), because now I have the muscle tone to actually burn calories, even if my weight has gone up since I started. (Started around 184 with practically no muscle and am now up to around 188 with a lot of muscle) I know that once I start focusing more on my diet, the pounds will probably start dropping.

Day 1 vs. Day 15 Comparison

2010-06-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Day 1

Day 15

HALFWAY!!!!!!!!

2010-06-15T20:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after 15 days of the Shred, I'm feeling pretty good! It's still a pretty intense workout, so I still feel completely exhausted after every.single.workout. But I am SO proud of myself that I only took 3 short breaks today during my planks, and considering just 3 days ago I had 10 breaks, that's a great improvement!

I've noticed that my knees are feeling a little more sore than usual, so tonight I started in on some Glucosamin Chondroitin chews that I hope to start taking daily. I'm also working on giving up pop for the next 5 days to see if it jump-starts some weight loss.

I'm still weighing in at the 186-188 range, so that's kinda depressing, but I feel SO much stronger, which is how I know it's not all in vain. I also have to take into consideration that I am currently 1 day before AF, which generally means a few pounds off once she gets here.

I decided that I needed to up my weights for the next 15 days, so I purchased a set of 3lb weights - up 1lb from the 2lb jars of jelly I had been using lol We'll see if I end up taking more breaks because of it.

I'm still not sure I can see any changes in my body from the pictures, but I know I can feel them and see them when I look closely. Here are my Day 15 pictures. I took 2 sets - one with shirt on, one in just shorts and a sports-bra.

30 Day Shred - Day 11, Level 2

2010-06-10T20:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to take the day off today, but after a little nap, light supper, my Women of Today meeting and more snacks, I felt the need to persevere.

See, I think it's important to really "know" yourself. And what I know of myself is that if I give myself an inch, I'll take a mile. So if I take a day off, it'll turn into 2 days, then 3, and then, before you know it, I'll be bragging about how once I did 10 days of the 30 Day Shred as I squeeze myself into size 16 pants. Kinda like how I still brag about how I ran the Turkey Day 10K twice and the Mackinac Island 8 Mile Run once.

Well, I made it through another day of Level 2, and I am patting myself on the back. I about threw in the towel after weighing myself again today around 6pm and found myself flirting, once again, with 187lbs. I'm so doggone sick of seeing the 180s - I've been fighting with them for over 8 months now! So after all these crazy, vigorous workouts, I just want to see some progress in the right direction. But I know I can't expect much right now, being 6 days pre-AF and all. Still - I wonder if my scale is broken, since it doesn't seem to know what numbers below 185 look like anymore. ::sigh::

Pics:

30 Day Shred - Day 10 Video Update

2010-06-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

30 Day Shred - Day 10, Level 2 - 1/3 OF MY WAY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-06-09T20:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to say I've made it past the first 10 days I had another double-header softball game tonight, and while I was feeling pretty weak beforehand, I am about 90% sure I won't be able to walk tomorrow lol

While I'm ecstatic about being 1/3 of my way through, it also terrifies me that I need to be at level 3 10 days from now! I can hardly make it through level 2 right now - especially when it comes to anything involving the plank pose.

Haven't weighed myself today, but I probably will before bed. I know it's not going to be good, considering how incredibly bloated I feel today, but that's how life is 7 days before AF while PMSing lol

Pics:

Almost 1/3 Through 30 DS!

2010-06-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

I'm kinda half-stunned that I've made it this far without falling apart, to be honest. Last night was Day 9 of the program, and I stuck with Level 2, which about killed me. Planks are straight from the devil, I do believe. Surprisingly, I'm not feeling like I might die today. (Could be because I ended up on my knees for half of the plank stuff, or it could be the banana I had afterwards).

I have a bunch of pictures to post at some point, but haven't gotten around to getting them off my camera just yet.

But so far... two thumbs up! I'm still feeling a lot stronger, just very sleepy today.

30 Day Shred - Day 9, Level 2

2010-06-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

Jillian Michaels needs to be stopped lol

It is painful. I feel like Level 2 has been put in place simply to mock me. I for sure can't do the whole thing - even after completing it already before. I know if I give up for one day, I'll never finish, so I can't stop, but MAN am I exhausted.

I feel like I'm either staying the same shape or going backwards at this point, but I also can't blame the program - I've been a voracious beast lately in the kitchen lol I'm not going TOO crazy, but I'm certainly not watching anything I'm eating.

Good news is - my energy levels are slowly increasing, which is SO encouraging. But part of that is getting enough sleep, which I've been slacking on.

Pics from Day 9, weighing in shortly before 11pm at 187.8lbs, 8 days pre-AF (i.e feeling SOOOOO bloated).

Side note: I know you're probably going, "WTH, Ames - why on earth are you beginning to take pictures with just your sports-bra on?" But quite frankly, when I have a shirt on, I can't ever tell the difference. My goals are to try to eliminate a bunch of that back fat and trim in my waist. I need some pics to compare for my own good in those regards :)

30 Day Shred - Day 8, Level 1 or 2

2010-06-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

Well, it's going pretty good, actually. I'm going home to do day 8 in a few minutes here, but I'm past the point of soreness (at least for today) with level 1. So, while the workouts are pretty intense, and I still have to drag myself off the floor after all the push ups, I'm not feeling defeated, which is good!

I tried level 2 this weekend one day, and it seemed a lot worse, but I still did 80% of the video. The scary part is the plank push-ups - those are freaking NASTY, especially when I'm still trying to move from the modified push-ups to the regular push-ups. All the core-work is pretty terrifying as well lol

I can definitely feel the results already - especially in my arms and core - even if the scale has gone up a couple pounds. Strangely enough, while that used to discourage me beyond anything, it really doesn't right now. I think it's because I'm feeling so much more toned, and I can SEE the results.

30 Day Shred - Day 8, Level 2

2010-06-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

Had a pretty great day, but the planks are absolutely brutal! I did most all of the level 2 workout, but not without some struggling. Accomplishment of the workout: I did all my walkout plank pushups!! Didn't weigh myself today, but I know it isn't good. The other day I was pushing 190 in the evening, so I'm not losing weight at this point, but I'm not expecting to either. I know it's a process (and a brutal one) to turn that fat back into muscle. I know from years' past that I'll gain a few pounds before I lose them again.

Pics:

30 Day Shred - Day 5, Level 1

2010-06-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

I took these back on June 4 and decided to post them now. I believe it was about Day 5 when I actually realized that this was a pretty serious workout. I said to myself, "Holy crap, self - Jillian said, 'Oh, by Day 5, 6, 7, you'll be breezing through this,' and it hasn't gotten easier - you really are a tubbo!"

Here is my progress thus far. I didn't weigh myself this day, so I have no weight, but I do have pictures :)

30 Day Shred - Day 4, Level 1

2010-06-04T05:15:00.000-07:00

I.am.dying.

I can't think of a muscle in my body that isn't so sore it hurts right now. Apparently Days 1-3 all decided to ravage me at the exact same time. I guess that's what I get for sassing off to Jillian on Days 1-3. I swore at her twice last night, and Mark got a kick out of it.

I think he thought I was kidding, until I literally had to pull myself into the car (my arms are less sore than my legs, apparently)

How I will make it through Day 5 today I just don't know. :|

Updated Workout Schedule

2010-06-03T06:49:00.000-07:00

Sunday: 30 Day Shred; rest

Monday: 30 Day Shred; run 1 mile; Great Abs Guaranteed
Tuesday: 30 Day Shred; run 2 miles
Wednesday: 30 Day Shred; Great Abs Guaranteed
Thursday: 30 Day Shred; run 1 mile; rest
Friday: 30 Day Shred; Great Abs Guaranteed
Saturday: 30 Day Shred; run 2 miles

Eventful Evening!

2010-06-03T06:38:00.000-07:00

Last night after I got off work, I went to get a haircut:

While at the salon, my old college roommie, Amanda, texted me to see if I could fill in for her at softball - games at 8pm and 9pm. I said, "sure"!

After getting back from the salon, I started making some burgers for the grill (with Lipton Garlic & Herb seasoning - YUM!) and beans for supper, woke up Mark, and ate supper with him. Afterwards, we went for a little walk, then Mark started back working on the deck again while I played around on the computer, then did Day 3 of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred.

Day 3, Level 1 Review:

It's getting easier and harder at the same time. I say it's easier because I know what to expect, and my body is handling it all well. I say it's harder because those push ups are kicking my butt! I counted last night, and while I haven't done a good set of push-ups in YEARS, I'm now doing 38 a day! Granted, I'm doing the modified push-ups (my lower back is a little weak yet for the regular ones), but my arms KILL! However, I feel SO good about my arms being sore, because I've neglected them so much that they've gotten out of control. I can already feel my muscle building and have been giving Mark a "gunshow" after my workouts lol

So shortly after 8pm, I got a call from the coach that they could use me, so I headed on over to Island Park to play. I've never really thought that softball was much of a "sport", mainly because 80% of the time, you're just either sitting or standing there. However, I was worn out by the end of the two games (lost the first 17-19, won the second 9-8!). I had some great hits - a double, even - and had a great time. They asked me to come back next week too, so I guess I wasn't half bad :)

I got home around 10:30pm, showered up, goofed around on the computer, and went to bed.

6 hours of sleep last night, which isn't great, but its better than it has been with my allergies lately. Mucinex, I think, is a wonder drug! lol

Goals for the day:

1) Drink 64 fl oz water

2) Get at least 7 hours of sleep (i.e. be in bed by 11pm)

3) Day 4 of the 30 Day Shred

Day 1 - Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred

2010-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

I decided to try out Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD last night at Walmart, and decided that I was going to give it a whirl. I've been trying to decide how I can get some results while avoiding the heat and bugs outside lately, and thought that I'd try it out.

So...here are my pics from Day 1, 184.4lbs:

Day 1 wasn't as bad as I anticipated, but I certainly got a good sweat in! I didn't actually know how long the video would be, but it was around 20 minutes. I may or may not be sore tomorrow. I know that my Great Body Guaranteed video does probably a "better" workout, but it usually leaves me not being able to do the DVD again for a number of days later, so hopefully I can keep with it for longer!

WLL Check In

2010-05-04T08:56:00.001-07:00

Well, in a nutshell, I have fantastic days, followed by horrible days. I'm down to 183.6 again, but I know that in 2 weeks when AF rears her ugly head, I'll be right back up at 186, which irritates me to no end.

I've done a couple very short runs (like 2 miles or less) in the past couple weeks, but LOTS of walking (as in like 15-25 miles per week). Feeling good overall, but really want to be back in the running club, so that part really blows :( My knees aren't bad like they were, and my lower back doesn't hurt anymore, so that's good news, but I want to keep it that way, so walking/elliptical is about it for this girl.

Food-wise, it's really volatile. One day I'm doing awesome - sticking at the low end of my calorie goals. The next day I blow it out of the water by accident. I'm having a really difficult time trying to regulate it. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of what I want to eat, it just seems a lot easier to control my eating some days than others.

Running Update

2010-04-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Well, after a few weeks off, I tried another outside run tonight. The last time I tried even just a couple miles, my knees were pounding for a good 30 minutes afterward, and I was pretty weak the next day or two.

Made it 3 miles running and a little more than that walking, so a GREAT improvement. And NO POUNDING in the knees :) I'm hoping that these glucosamine tablets I've been taking are helping, but only time will tell!

WLL Update

2010-04-14T07:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, Mark and I were getting sick of leftovers (although they're all VERY good!), so we decided to walk down to Subway (it's about half a mile away) for supper. We split the oven roasted chicken breast sub, then walked back home.

We watched Biggest Loser, then I went for a 2-mile run, followed by a 3-mile walk.

I had been getting frustrated because my weight had been inching up with all the festivities lately. Stepped on the scale this morning to find myself back at 184.8. It's not where I want to be by any means, but it's not the 188.4 I was at Sunday morning. I'd like to try to get back down in the 170s by mid-May, but we shall see!

Falling Off

2010-03-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

I feel like I'm going nowhere fast. The past few months have been challenging, and due to laziness and what appears to be the beginnings of some deep-seated soreness throughout my body (knees, feet, lower back), the exercise part has really dropped off. I'm still doing a few runs throughout the week, but they end up leaving me in pretty bad shape for the next couple of days after.

I went to the chiropracter yesterday, and will be going back on Tuesday to get some special orthodic inserts for my shoes that will hopefully make a big difference, and will hopefully allow me to get back into my running schedule! The few times I've gone since Hawaii have been really wonderful runs! (Partly, I'm sure, because they're not on the treadmill!)

Eating has been back and forth. I generally start out my mornings really really healthily (i.e. yogurt, english muffin w/ peanut butter, coffee, piece of fruit), but then end up splurging the rest of the day, whether I'm hungry or not. My biggest issue is portion control.

Weight has been a yo-yo since before our trip to Hawaii. A week before the trip, I was down near the 182 range, ballooning up to around 185 when we left, then down to 183 the day of the helicopter tour, and just 3 days ago, I weighed in around 188 (and a couple days hit above the 190 mark!) Of course, now AF has arrived, and I'm back down to 184. Mark doesn't understand how all these crazy hormones work, so he's totally confused lol But then again, I can't say that I understand them any better, it's just how it is!

Another big bummer has been Mark's injury. This time of year, we generally get out and go for really long walks (i.e. in the 4-5 mile range) at night if we're not training for any races, and right now we're lucky if he can walk a half mile without feeling the need to take a rest. We're hoping that by the time he can start working back into a regular shoe that we will be able to work on lengthening the walks. It's tough to get motivated when you have no one to talk to.

Sadly, I know that probably any semblance of weight maintenance is entirely due to the part where my muscle is slowly leaving me, and well...I can have plenty of fat to replace the muscle and still weigh the same :(

I'm looking forward to some warmer days soon to motivate me more!

Highly Unmotivated

2010-02-16T10:44:00.000-08:00

We leave in t-minus 4 days for Hawaii, and for the past 2 weeks I've felt incredibly unmotivated to do anything. In fact, I don't even feel that excited about going. I mean, I can't wait to get out of here and all (HALLELUJAH) with no work and other obligations for 11 days, but I just don't find myself getting all giddy about all the fun activities we have planned for the trip.

I think a big part of my lack of motivation stems from the incredibly long, dreary winter we've been experiencing the past 3 months. I just need to get excited and forget about the drudgery that is every day locked up inside.

I haven't done too terrible with my diet, even if I feel like I have. I certainly haven't been gaining an attrocious amount of weight (although with this most horrible winter, I probably could have easily), but I'm also not down to where I would like to be - especially after all the hard work I've been putting in! I have at least been getting calories burned, even if I don't feel like my eating has been up to par. I'm just tired of trying.

Slowing Down...in a good way :)

2010-02-01T05:34:00.001-08:00

I haven't been totally inactive the past few months, but I know I haven't been keeping up to date with my blog entries either.

The past few months have been up and down. I've made a LOT of changes, mainly to try to regulate my body a little better than I have been. The Sunday before Christmas, I woke up with a headache which slowly migrated into a big headache, then made me sick to my stomach, which all went away after I threw up and then slept a couple hours. It was really scarry to me, since it seemed to be the same symptoms (and felt the same) as when I was severely dehydrated after the 8-mile Mackinac Island race in September. It was scarry because I hadn't even so much as taken a walk in the past 2 days! It scared me, but I let it go...until it happened again 2 weeks later after yet another inactive bout. It made no sense, and it was scary, so I called the Blue Cross Blue Shield free hotline to talk to a nurse to see what it could be. We believe we have it pegged down to a crazy caffeine/stress/anxiety combination surrounding the holidays (and the introduction of my big silver bullet coffee thing that holds 8-10 cups of coffee that I was drinking every day at work!!)

On top of that, I've been feeling a lot of tightness in my chest, so I went to the doctor a few weeks ago. He narrowed the symptoms down to one of 4 things: allergies, asthma, acid reflux or stress/anxiety. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) I've been taking an Alavert most every day, and it seems to be making quite a difference, so I'm thinking it might be allergies. We shall see!

SO...in light of all these small health problems, I've been taking it a little easier on the exercise front - still burning 2500 calories a week as per my schedule, but instead of busting my butt with the dreaded treadmill runs, I've been switching it up a bit - adding in stationary bicycling, stair stepper and elliptical - all of which are more enjoyable than the treadmill! It takes me longer to get my 5-700 calories per workout, but I enjoy it more and don't stress about it as much.

I haven't lost much weight whatsoever (I'm still between 181 and 183 on a normal day), but I'm feeling good and toning up, thanks to Great Body Guaranteed. I'm hoping to drop down below 180 before our big trip to Hawaii in 20 days, but I'm not going to stress about it - just try to continue eating well and getting my calorie burn in.

Struggle to Stay Motivated

2009-12-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

Tonight marks the 3rd night in a row I have absolutely dreaded going to the Wellness Center, which has left me worried: This is the first HALF of the first month of the winter - how on earth will I stay motivated through the frigid winter months?

It is a constant struggle for me to continue to stay interested in my runs. I really wish I didn't dread them! I know that being able to push through 12 miles in a week is still a really great accomplishment, but I really am beginning to hate it!

However, even though I've been really frustrated with my lack of motivation, I have managed a major breakthrough - a new PR for my 5K run! The last time I came close to this time was when I set the record back in June during the Riverfest Vickie Schendel 5K Fun Run, where my time was 28:57. I've since been trying to beat the record - even by just a second or two. Well, on Monday, December 14 I beat it by 12 SECONDS! That's right - I ran my 5K in 28:45! A momentus occasion.

So this tells me 2 things:
1) I am not as weak as I make myself out to be sometimes - I am STILL a record breaker, and
2) Just because I'm not motivated, it doesn't mean I don't still have the opportunity to continue to do good things for my body.

Goodbye to AF: Now the Hard Part

2009-12-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

After a really nasty "bloat" week last week, I'm feeling better this week. I was proud of myself that I did not give into the normal pressure to weigh myself throughout the week, which usually depresses me pretty badly. So I have no idea how much I weigh right now.

This weekend wasn't too terrible for my eating-wise, although I'm still kicking myself for the stupid package of Twizzlers (450 cals), too many cookies yesterday (I think 5 snickerdoodles and a handful of chocolate-covered pretzels), and what I see now was an unnecessary full meal on Saturday night. What I am very proud of, however, is that I am finally at that point where, while I'm disappointed in some of my choices, I am looking ahead at today already, and feeling good about my prospects.

I am finally off my 2nd cup of coffee, and have traded it in for un-doctored decaf tea! I really struggle doing cold water during the winter, and I believe the switch to tea should help.

I did fit all my planned exercise in, including some serious amounts of legwork, which still has me cringing everytime I sit down lol I was pleased with my very solid 4-mile run yesterday, as well as 100 ball crunches and a 20-minute cool-down on the elliptical. Today is supposed to be my day off, but I believe I will try to get at least one more mile in and focus on my upper body.

My hopeful schedule for the week:

Sunday: run 4 miles; elliptical 20 min; 100 ball crunches
Monday: run 1 mile; upper body weights and abs
Tuesday: run 3 miles; 100 ball crunches
Wednesday: rest; Total Body Guaranteed abs and thin thighs
Thursday: run 2 miles; 30 minutes on stair-stepper; 100 ball crunches; lower body weights
Friday: rest
Saturday: run 2 miles; 30 minutes on elliptical; 200 ball crunches; core work

WLL Week 8 Check In

2009-12-04T09:15:00.000-08:00

Weight:
This morning wasn't awesome, but I was encouraged that mid-AF, I'm still at 181.8! In previous months, during AF I was more or less around 183 or 184, so this must mean something good, right?

Exercise:
Last week, I flaked out my last 3-mile run of the week, so I tried making myself pay for it on Sunday with 6 miles instead of 4 and ended up really dehydrated and sick in the night. Monday I took a day off to recooperate, and I did the same last night. Tuesday I ran a very solid 4 miles, which felt good. Wednesday, I decided to do 45 minutes of cardio on the stair stepper and elliptical and some weights, so that felt good as well. Tonight I have plans to fit in another 2-3 miles, giving me a 12-13 mile total for the week, even with 2 days off so far! I'd like to get in 15 miles this week, however, to make up for the 3 I missed last week.

Eating:
I've been trying hard to make small changes in my daily cravings at work so that I don't gorge myself at home. For my morning snacks, I've switched from a 170-calorie (of questionable nutritional value) granola bar to a yogurt with sliced almonds and raisins mixed in. I'm also trying to nix that 2nd cup of coffee and instead drink some decaf tea (for the warmth factor without the calories from cream and sweetener). My water intake is all over the place, but I'm trying to get that more regular.

I've also been working on portion control, and instead of having 2 small servings of my meals, I've worked on 1 slightly larger serving, and then cutting out the rest.

My downfall has been the snacky stuff before I can get my meals done being prepared. I've been trying to keep the stuff around for M while he's in the field, since he doesn't have time for a full meal while he's out there.

Goals for the week:

1. Get back on track with my water intake

2. When I get hungry, reach for a glass of water before eating. Wait 10 minutes.

3. Focus on calories burned instead of miles. Aim for 2500 calories per week.

4. Add in more weights - especially for lower-body at least 3 times per week. Run AFTER lifting weights

New PR by a second!

2009-12-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

After feeling pretty down the past couple weeks at the gym, I am seeing some slight progress, even if only by a second! Last night at the gym, I pushed a little harder than usual and was able to run 2-miles in 18:09! Only 9 seconds away from a 9-minute average!

I went on to complete a 5K in 29:21 and 4 miles in 40:42, so all-in-all, a pretty decent night!

NEW PR! 2 Miles!

2009-11-25T21:38:00.000-08:00

Although I've been feeling more and more sluggish on the treadmill lately, I am proud to have reached a new PR for my 2 mile run! :)

I started out the first mile at 6.5 on the treadmill, finishing in 9:34. After my first mile, I stepped it up to 6.7, then 7.0, then to 8.0 for .15 miles, finishing 2 miles in 18:10!!

WLL Week 5 Update

2009-11-10T07:57:00.001-08:00

My saving grace lately has been that I've kept up with my running very religiously, so I haven't fallen too far off the bandwagon. AF was here last week, so I was eating everything in sight once again, but I did try to exercise some sort of constraint this weekend. I was down to 177.8 two weeks ago pre-AF, but then back up in the 180s during. I weighed in this morning at 179.2, so I'm hoping some of that is still AF-bloat. I felt pretty bloated this morning, so I wouldn't be surprised.

My proud accomplishments of the past week: I ran an extra 2 miles on Saturday that weren't part of the schedule, and yesterday morning, I fit in 2 of my scheduled 4 miles. I was WIPED after a long day of shopping, but I still dragged myself back to the gym for my remaining 2 miles to finish out the day.

My pitfalls: As always, AF tends to really test my willpower. I had a really difficult time staying away from the junk food. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when I realized that the chicken tortilla soup I made was actually from SparkRecipes.com (it's really good!), so while I thought I had indulged a LOT, it actually was pretty good for me!

Goals: I'd like to be back down in the low 178s or even back to that 177 mark by next Tuesday. Keep up my 12+ miles running a week. Try to at least match my speed PRs for the 1 mile and 4 mile. (Current 1 mile - 8:21, Current 4 mile - 39:49) Drink all my water! (I've been slacking)

WL Week 2 Check-In

2009-10-20T06:37:00.000-07:00

Last week was a really great week for me, health-wise! I had a pretty nasty cold, though, which made some of my goals kinda difficult. On Tuesday, I ran 4 miles, on Wednesday, 2 miles and then some strength-training, Thursday 3 milees, and Friday 1.75, including a new PR for my 1 mile of 8:21!! A total of 14.75 miles for the week (including the 4 miles on Sunday)

My weekend, however, was a total bust. I was in a wedding in Sioux Falls, so after my 1.75 mile run on Friday, I showered up and was on my way. I stopped at the mall to exchange something and splurged on a Caribou vanilla chai latte. The rehearsal supper was a burger bar with lots of naughty stuff to go with it, and while I tried to eat well, my meals were so spaced out all weekend with little time for snacking that I kinda went crazy at each of them. But this is now the end of crazy weekends for a while, so hopefully with an entire month to be home and to be able to focus on eating right, things will get back in order!

Thankfully, I only gained .2lbs over the weekend, so now I'm at 178.8. I'm okay with that! But my goal for a week from now is to be down at 177 or below, so I've got some work to do! All week I did a great job with water intake, but on the weekend I instead resorted to 2 lattes, 2 bottles of water and a can and a half of rootbeer. Not so great.

Last night (Monday night) was a pretty great exercise night for me, fueled by it being warm enough outside to get an outside run in again, which I thought was long behind me! I ran 3.5 miles the long route to the wellness center, then did 100 crunches and side bends with weights and some arm work, along with some other mat ab work, which was great! I then ran the first mile home (of 2), and then speed-walked the remaining mile.

For supper I had apples and cheese, then a plate of butternut squash (with a little butter, salt and pepper), and a very small piece of apple pie with 1/4 C vanilla ice cream. Doesn't sound like much, but the apple and cheese were pretty filling, really.

The big challenge for the next couple weeks is to take advantage of my time and energy right now, because at the end of those two weeks, AF will be coming back for her monthly visit, and things always seem to go downhill when she plans my demise like that. lol

Tonight I'm going to try for a new PR on my 5K, then focus on my lower body with weights.

My goal for a week from now (October 27) is to be down to 177lbs, to drink 8 C water daily, and to remember to take my Women's One-A-Day multivitamin

Victory for the past week: I wore a size 10 dress in a wedding, and although it was pretty snug under my bust, it fit...AND IT DIDN'T LOOK RIDICULOUS!

Another 1-Mile PR!

2009-10-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Friday afternoon before leaving for the wedding festivities in Sioux Falls, I ran a 1-mile PR in 8:21!! I finished 1.75 miles in just around 17:00, which means yes - I was slow lol But HOORAY for that 1-mile PR! :)

Breaking Records Again!

2009-10-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I reluctantly went to the gym tonight, even though I've been fighting off a pretty junky cold lately, but I decided if I didn't go tonight, that'd be putting me in a bad position later on this week, so I went anyway. Boy am I glad I did!

I set a new 1-Mile PR of 8:27!! This is 30 SECONDS less than my previous PR of 8:57!!!

I also came within ONE second of matching my 2-mile PR of 18:28, running it at 18:29.

Another small victory - and a sad one at that - is that I am finally back into the 178s! I weighed in this morning at 178.4!! Only 13.4lbs to go before NYE!

WLL Week 1 Update

2009-10-13T05:59:00.000-07:00

Eh - I feel like my first week was blah, but I know I kept to my goals, so that's good! I'm down to 179.2 this morning, but was kinda hoping to hit the 178s this week. I tried on the BM dress I'm wearing this Saturday for the wedding I'm in and was kinda frustrated that it seems like it's a bit more snug than it was last week when I tried it on while AF was here to visit (and when I was 4lbs heavier). My body confuses me so much. *sigh*

I may or may not be running a 7 mile race (Living History Farms Race) on November 21, which would be a good motivator for me...excepting for the COLD weather we've been having.

Part of my lack of motivation stems from being kinda tired and drained lately. I was thinking it was allergies, but after 2 days of taking Alavert with not too great of changes, I'm not so sure but what it's not a cold :( I'm really hoping it's not any more than that, even, but even a cold right now would be not so great, considering the wedding is only 4 days away! Oh well - we shall see!

Set New 4-Mile PR!

2009-10-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Even with my bad eating day, I was able to set a new record tonight at the gym!! I ran 4 miles in 40:49, beating my previous PR of 41:37 from two weeks ago! Pretty proud of myself :)

Also, showing off my new $4.24 top from Target :) I bought one in pink and one in blue and they are really great and comfortable for running :)

Bad Weekend for my Waistline :(

2009-10-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

I had good intentions, but they all fell to the wayside :(

I brought my running shoes and intended to run a mile on Friday night and a mile on Saturday night to finish off my 12 miles last week, but when it SNOWED Friday night, it didn't exactly work so well. It was COLD. (Excuses, excuses - I know) I also didn't bring Tony with me, so I didn't do any exercise at all :(

Friday night my little sis made Potato Soup (YUM), but it has a whole can of evaporated milk in it, so yeah - diet FAIL.

Saturday morning I didn't eat anything until 9, and then I had 4 small cups of coffee, 2 muffins, the equivalent of 1 bagel with 1 Tbsp of cream cheese, 2 fruit cups, and some apple juice. I had a helping of spagehtti pie for lunch, then went to the apple orchard with Mom, where I was good (I even passed on a latte afterwards at Target/Starbuck's), but then went home to eat barbecue sandwiches (I had freakin 2!) and 1 C of my sister's deadly cheesy potatoes. Oh, and an apple dumpling with ice cream for dessert.

For breakfast today I had a muffin and a bagel with cream cheese, and then for lunch had 3/4 of a mushroom pizza mia! WTH is wrong with me?

I had coffee on the drive back, but didn't really feel hungry for any supper. Oh, except for some apple cobbler with ice cream and another cup of coffee...and a Tbsp of mixed nuts...and a mint :(

I would estimate that I probably consumed around 2600 calories today :( But I am now off for a 5 mile run...on the treadmill...at the wellness center...IN MY NEW RUNNING TOP! :)

Friday Check-In

2009-10-09T05:36:00.000-07:00

This week has actually been pretty good for me! I'm proud of myself that I was able to resist temptation twice, and have been good at keeping my goals in check this week. Plus, AF finally showed up, and I'm back down to 179 this morning! (Hallelujah!) Only 14 more pounds before NYE!

I have logged a total of 10 hours this week running, and also have gotten full-swing back into weight lifting. Last night I did the Great Body Guaranteed DVD again, and I'm planning on doing it again on Saturday, along with a mile run both today and tomorrow to finish logging my 12 miles for the week. I surprisingly don't really even feel THAT sore today.

I also have gotten in all my water this week (64floz per day), which is a big step for me!

Weekends always pose a challenge for me as well, since there is generally little, if any, structure to our day, and we're generally out of town. I've been trying to keep 4 bottles (16.9 fl oz each) of water with me while I'm gone, but without a cooler, it's hard to keep them cold, and I hate drinking warm water. Looks like the cooler will be accompanying me this weekend :)

This weekend will definitely be a challenge! I'm headed to my Mom's after work today to prepare for my FSIL's bridal shower tomorrow. Going home always does a number on my diet, as I'm the ONLY one who really adheres to any type of diet. A general meal at Mom's is cheesy potatoes, heavily buttered and fried foods, and LOTS of desserts. It doesn't really matter the time of year - it's generally always like this. And what's worse - no decent internet, since it's out in the boonies - so it's pad & paper-ing my eating for the day, which my family thinks is funny. It's really really REALLY tough to be around people who have no qualms about downing huge amounts of food. I either feel like they're looking at me like an alien for eating so little, or I'm making them feel bad for eating so much.

My goals for the weekend are:

1) to maintain my weight
2) drink all my water,
3) 2 1-mile runs tonight and tomorrow

Saying "NO"

2009-10-07T07:34:00.001-07:00

The biggest struggle for me in dropping weight and shaping up is saying "NO" to certain foods. Inevitably, as soon as I decide that I'm "really serious" about watching my food intake, I'm suddenly--out of the blue--bombarded with horrible food choices. Last night, it was a jumbo Godfather's pizza (18 inches of greasy, cheesy goodness), to which I passed after only one piece (small victory!). Today, it is apple cake with caramel sauce and apple bars. It feels like torture having to say "no" - especially when my boss comes and waves it right in front of my face! But when I sat down and really thought about it, I realized I wasn't even hungry - especially not for anything that would cause me to be lethargic in another hour.

I believe my biggest hurdle to overcome this time around will be saying "NO" in these types of situations. I need to get past the mindset where eating pizza means I need to gorge myself, and treat it like any other meal, where I stop eating when I'm full. I need to only eat when I AM hungry. And I need to wash away those "hunger pangs" with WATER instead of greasy, buttery, sugary foods that will leave me wanting more a short time later.

New 2-Mile PR

2009-10-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Tonight was my 2-mile speed run and weights, and I ran my fastest 2-mile run yet!
I finished off mile 1 in 9:20, which wasn't overly impressive, but at least I was on my way to my goal of 2 miles in under 20 minutes!

I blew that 9:20 mile out of the water with a 9:08 mile, giving me a new PR time of 18:28!!

Feels good to be reaching goals, and now I have something to shoot for!

I also was very proud of myself today for having faced two other demons:

1) I drank OVER my required 64 fl oz of water today
2) I stopped at ONE piece of pizza for supper tonight, and complemented it with a small salad and a pluot, keeping me just barely above 1550 calories for the day!

My Story

2009-10-06T06:13:00.000-07:00

I realized I hadn't ever really introduced myself for those of you who don't already know me, so here goes:

My name is Amy, and I'll be 28 years old on October 28, 2009. I am 5'9" and currently weigh 181 (weighed this morning - bad idea lol) and a size 10/12 ranging up to a 13/14. I am wanting to fit into every last pair of my "skinny" jeans by NYE. I think to get there, I need to be down to around 165.

My weaknesses are salty foods and baked goods. I fall apart without routine, so vacations and weekend getaways are killer for me.

I was married in September 2006, and by Christmas that year, I was almost up to 200lbs around the time AF came each month! In February 2007, I started getting serious about fitness and losing weight, and used SparkPeople.com to track my calories in and calories out. It was a very rough start as I went from 5 cups of coffee and 3 cans of pop a day to non-caffeinated beverages, but six months later, I had dropped 30lbs, and was down to 167. I felt GREAT! But on June 14, 2007, I got a call from my Mom that my Dad was missing and hadn't come home the night before...and then about an hour later that he had been hit the night before on his way home from the grain elevator by a drunk driver and killed. It pretty well ruined all I had worked for and I was a complete mess. 2 weeks prior to my Dad dying, my Mom had been diagnosed with Parkinson's, which has been another huge added strain on all our lives.

I did keep up with my running and my training for a 10K that September, and I did it! Did GREAT! But that same day, I hopped on a flight to Vegas with M and his brother, and completely fell off the bandwagon. I tried to keep up with the running, and went three times in the 10 days we were there, but after being at the 6-mile point in my training, even 2 miles were a strain, and I quickly got discouraged.

From then until now, so many stressful things have come about - facing the woman who hit my Dad in court and writing/reading a victim impact statement was THE hardest thing I've ever had to do. My little sister also got married to her HS sweetheart (without my Dad to walk her down the aisle), my oldest brother also got married, 4 of my close friends got married, I was blessed with 3 more nephews and 1 niece, and M and I took on a crazy investment property...and I've gained 14 of my lost lbs back, which leaves me feeling pretty frustrated.

So in Feb 2009, I decided to start over. I had ballooned back up to 186, which just made my heart sink - I'd gained TWENTY of those pounds that I had worked SO hard for back. I hopped on the treadmill one day and just started running. My first day, I could barely make it a half mile, but by the end of the month, I was finally up to a mile again, and was running at an 11-minute-mile pace! I've slowly been yoyoing my weight down, but was so frustrated when I saw a 181 on the scale about 3 months ago, since only a few months prior, I had been down to 174! I'm frustrated. I know that numbers are just numbers, and I need to go by what feels good to me, but if the numbers were in the lower 170s, I wouldn't whine as much.

I am just SO very ready to make a change. Even with all the training for my big races, I haven't dropped the weight like I did before, which is VERY frustrating! I know that about 80% of weight loss is what you eat, and that is exactly what I struggle with.

It's not like I don't know what I need to do - I just need to do it. I need to stop making excuses for why I splurged and stop doing it!

New 4-Mile PR!

2009-10-05T21:14:00.001-07:00

I knocked 1:36 off my previous time and did it in 41:37!! It was a really tough run, considering not only was it my first long treadmill run since around March, but also the first time since the big race that I kept a higher pace than 11 minute miles! (This would've been a 10:24 pace) Looking forward to continually gaining more momentum and speed, and getting that 4-mile back under 10-minute miles!

Running with Friend / Goals for October

2009-10-05T07:48:00.000-07:00

I know that most people would say, "When you feel un-motivated, grab a friend and go for a run with them for motivation," but this is SO not the case for me.

I am one of those people who doesn't like to be competitive - I just want to exercise. Saturday morning before I started the day, I met up with my bride-to-be friend, Rach, at a local park for an early-morning run to get things started. It only reminded me just exactly how slow I normally am. She is SO fast! lol I normally can run about 4-5 miles without stopping, but I was struggling through my first mile with her, fully realizing that we were probably keeping a 9:30 pace. After a mile and a half, I had to stop and walk, then ran another half a mile, and had to stop to walk again. It was pretty discouraging, although I'm sure it was good for me to push my limits a bit.

On another note, I've decided to set a few goals for the month of October:

1) Run 1 mile in 8:50
2) Make sure to lift weights 3 times a week - at least 5 different types with 2 reps of 10-15 each
3) Log at least 12 miles each week
4) Drink 8 cups of water daily

Keeping With It

2009-09-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

As some of you may or may not know, 2 years ago in training for my first 10K, I was able to drop about 30lbs by watching what I ate (tracked on SparkPeople.com) and slowly increasing my distance. However, the embarassing part to admit is that after I finished my first 10K, I slowly just stopped the running, and just a few months later, I could barely push through 3 miles. A year later, I had gained back 10 of those lost pounds, and another 6 months after that, I had gained back over half the weight I had lost!

This past February, I vowed to change yet again, and make a positive change once again. I jumped back on the treadmill at the Wellness Center, heartbroken that I couldn't even hardly make it to a half mile. I was so frustrated, seeing as how 18 months prior, I was running 5 and 6 miles twice a week. I started setting myself small goals, and in time, I started getting back to where I was in 2007. Mark and I ran a 5K in June, an 8 mile race on September 12 and my 2nd 10K on September 19. I certainly met my goals for the 5K and the 8 mile, but the 10K was rough. However, needless to say, I DID finish, and it sure felt good!

But now is the scary part - the part where I don't have any further goals, and therefore I have no reason to keep on going. Almost 2 weeks after my last race, I'm still feeling good, and still keeping with the schedule. It's not easy, but I know that I have GOT to keep this as part of my lifestyle from now on. I plan to keep up my running, being able to run 4-5 miles once a week, and working on my speed.

My next big goal: run 1 mile in 7 minutes before I turn 30. With my 28th birthday in 28 days, I've got just over 2 years to go to meet this goal :)

Blah Day, but GREAT Run!! (8:58!)

2009-09-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that every month, about 5 days before AF rears her ugly head, I get pretty miserable. It's not that I get cramps (PRAISE THE LORD), and it's not like my breasts get tender or anything, but I get incredibly bloated and just feel generally pretty gross. Today is 5 days before AF comes. Needless to say, today was pretty frustrating.

For starters, whenever it's "that time of the month", I tend to gain anywhere from 5-7lbs (or at least I think it's 5-7lbs, but really - who even knows?!). This is frustrating no matter if I'm trying to lose weight or not. But it's especially frustrating when I am trying to lose a few extra pounds.

I have been working on the same 5lbs since APRIL. In mid-April I was down to 174, and ecstatic that I might reach 170 by the end of May. It is now the end of September and I weighed in last night at 184. Freaking 184!! Believe me, I KNOW that it's mostly just AF, and that by Wednesday next week, I'll probably be down to 177 or something. But then again, there's the frustrating part: When did I gain those 3lbs to get back up to 177?

Now I know that diet plays as big a part as exercise (if not more!), but I just don't know what the deal has been lately. I have been FRUSTRATED since April with this. I've been trying to eat right, and definitely have been watching my portion sizes, but I just can't seem to shake it. On a normal day, I weigh in around 179: On a bad day, it's more like 183/184. When my goal was initially to be 160 by mid-October, seeing 184 on the scale makes me want to cry :(

So ANYWAYS...enough of the miserable pity-me crap...

Tonight was the first night since I started getting to my longer runs back in May that I worked on my speed again. Since I am only aiming for burning 1500 calories a week, and since I still want to keep myself at a regular 4-5 miles a few times a week, this gives me 2 days a week I can work on my speed.

Tonight, my goal was to run a single mile at under 10 minutes. I know it's not a big goal, and if I couldn't meet that goal, I might as well just throw in the towel, since I've done a mile under 10 minutes many times before. But it really felt good to see a time of 8:58!!

Tomorrow I have a 3 mile run, and then Friday off :) Saturday morning, I plan to hit the trails in Sioux Falls for a nice 2 mile run, and then some shopping!

Turkey Day 10K Results

2009-09-20T19:15:00.000-07:00

Well, I didn't do anywhere near as well as I wanted to, but I did finish the race, which is most important.

My overall time was around 69 minutes, with an 11:08 pace. Disappointing to say the least, but at least it was a finish! I finished 598 out of 654 overall.

I made it to mile 3.5 before being so fatigued by the heat that I had to stop, at which point the joint pain in my legs behind my knees really set in. I really struggled the rest of the race to keep running, and I walked a LOT in short spurts. I was glad to have at least kept an 11ish minute pace, but hope to be able to focus on speed a little more (and endurance, even in the heat) now that the pressure is off for the race season.

Mackinac Island 8 Mile Run

2009-09-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Finished in 87:57!! Met both my race goals:
1st: Run the first 6 miles without stopping
2nd: Finish in 90 minutes or under

It was a beautiful day for the race, nice and cool to start, and the first part of the race was almost entirely in the shade. For the first time in a race EVER, I didn't think I was about to die after the first mile. In fact, fatigue didn't start setting in until around mile 5, which means my training must have done at least some good :) I walked a bit when I reached mile 6, and it kinda went downhill from there. It was really hot on the last 2 mile stretch around the east side of the island, and with hardly any shade, it was really tough to keep up my pace, and to not walk a lot. I pulled it out at the end, even evoking a, "Wow - way to finish strong!" from a lady cheering on he sidelines. Pretty impressive, if I may say so myself. We didn't exactly have any breakfast, so we took our wrath out on the oranges, bananas and water at the finish line. I think I ate 4 oranges alone!

12 More Days

2009-08-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I ever thought I'd be able to say that in 12 days I would be running 8 miles, but in reality, I already have...twice! Last night was our last long run before the race. After last night, our longest run before the race will be next Sunday's 6 mile run while we're in Indy.

Mark and I are both so very excited to put all this insane training schedule behind us and move on to speed and strength training...with MUCH less time-requirements. (Although I still may run a half marathon at the end of October.)

Post-race(s) schedule:

Sunday - run 4 miles
Monday - rest/walk
Tuesday - run 2 miles / strength training
Wednesday - Total Body Guaranteed w/ Tony Horton
Thursday - run 2 miles / strength training
Friday - rest
Saturday - Total Body Guaranteed w/ Tony Horton

Running days will be at the Wellness Center (giving me 3 days a week at the gym...12 times/month), TBG w/ TH days at home.

This is insanely better than my current schedule:

Sunday - run 8 miles
Monday - rest/walk
Tuesday - run 6 miles
Wednesday - 75 minutes cross-training
Thursday - run 5 miles
Friday - rest
Saturday - run 3 miles

I am so looking forward to fall :)

Past/Future Races

2009-08-30T15:13:00.001-07:00

PAST RACES:

NWC Homecoming 5K Fun Run - October 2005
Time: 30:06 (9:42 miles)
Age: 23
Turkey Day 10K - September 2007
Time 1:02:45 (9:59 miles)
557 out of 648 runners
Age: 25
Vickie Schendel Fun Run - June 2009
Time: 28:57 (9:20 miles)
Age: 27

FUTURE RACES:

Mackinac Island 8 Mile Run - September 12, 2009
Goal Time: 90 minutes
Other Goals: walk no more than 1 mile
Age: 27

Turkey Day 10K - September 19, 2009
Goal Time: 58 minutes
Other Goals: run the entire race
Age: 27

Monster Dash Half Marathon - October 31, 2009
Goal Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Other Goals: average 12 minute miles or better
Age: 28

Best recorded treadmill times:
1 mile in 8:57 3/9/2009
4 miles in 43:14 on 3/28/2009

Tickers

2009-08-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

Better than I thought!

2009-08-23T20:46:00.001-07:00

I had a fantastic realization this evening when Mark and I went for a drive to see how far we had actually run last Sunday. We were too lazy to drive it off (not to mention, it would take a good 10 minutes, and it was getting late), so we just guessed and ran. Our schedule said we were supposed to run 7.5 miles, which was a big deal for us! I ran the whole first part without stopping to walk once. I figured it was about 5.5 miles, and was so proud of myself! Turns out that first leg of the run was actually 6.3 miles! The last leg is only 2, and we knew that part was spot on (had driven it off before), for a grand total of 8.3 miles!!!!!!

Tonight was our 2nd attempt at 7.5, and although I was encouraged by last week's run, I wanted to just run around the block, and then back home to bed lol I've heard so many times that the first 3 miles are the toughest in any race, and while I know that's true, it really doesn't make it any better during those first 3 miles. I was really struggling at first, but I pushed through it, and really started to hit my stride right around mile 4. By the time I made it to the Wellness Center, my knees were killing me, and my lower back was pretty sore. The knees were definitely due to my running shoes, but at this point in my training, I have to stick to the ones that don't give me blisters. My back pain was a new thing - in all my training thus far I've never had back pain. Hopefully it was a fluke and I don't have that issue anymore!

Only 19 more days until the race, which reminds me - I'd better register :)

Excellent Rebound

2009-08-19T19:53:00.000-07:00

After a VERY long day and discouraging past few weeks (actually, months) in which I've shot up from 174 to 179, I'm feeling a little more encouraged. I am now up to running approximately 18-20 miles per week (WOW!!!), and therefore burning approximately 1800-2000 calories. So much of my frustration comes from trying to figure out how I managed to GAIN 5 pounds while I've been working out SO well! Thing is, I know the answer to it, and it lies entirely in my diet.

I've been slacking BIG time, and haven't been recording my calories on SparkPeople for the past month or so. It shows. I'm not going to say that I look as bad as I feel, 'cause I know the average person wouldn't notice even one extra pound right now, but I know how my clothes have been fitting, and it hasn't been comfortably. I was SO discouraged last night, trying to figure out how on earth I was going to pull off this size 10 dress for a wedding in just 7 short weeks. I regularly wear a size 10 in most dresses, but this one is a short one with a bubble skirt, so as unflattering as it is just regularly, I was struggling to understand how I would pull it off having gained 5 pounds since I tried it on at David's Bridal back in May! I'll be picking it up tomorrow, so we'll have to see then.

In spite of all the frustration from the past few months, tonight's workout was really great! I started it off with a 4ish mile run to the Wellness Center via River Road to 18th Street. At the Wellness Center, I biked for 30 minutes, did the stair master for 15 minutes, did 100 crunches, and 2 sets of side bends. I know the changes aren't going to be overnight, but I feel pretty great tonight, and am hoping to get a good night of sleep to top it all off.

Seven miles and only 5 more weeks!

2009-07-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I never thought I'd be at the point where I could run more than a 10K, but the past two Sundays, I've done my 7-mile runs and really didn't feel too terrible afterward. Last Sunday, however, I ended up walking a lot of it, since it ws SO muggy outside and it was tough to breathe. Granted, I think so much of it depends on where I'm running (my familiar route is easier, whereas running in a different town or a different route screws me up). I'm looking forward to only 5 more weeks before the big race - and only 4 more weeks before vacation starts!!

Better Today

2009-06-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess the frustration from yesterday was a bit over the top, although it is always frustrating to see numbers so high. This morning, I'm down 3 of the 6 lbs, back down to 176.4 - WOOHOO! Still ~3 lbs off from my 173.8 a week and a half ago, but It'll come, I'm convinced.

I was faced yesterday with a scarry realization having to do with having kids one day. I think I'm actually scared to have kids, but for a very very vain reason! I know myself so well that I know I don't have the motivation to keep up my lifestyle change to eating better and exercising when I'm incredibly stressed out. It flat out scares me that I'm going to turn into a miserable, overweight person with a horrible disposition on life. Right or wrong, I think that's what scares me about motherhood. (Praise the Lord I'm not already pregnant and just realizing this!)

I know this is all within my control, and that for many many people, this doesn't happen, and the baby weight comes off within a few months. I guess I just know myself, and have to figure all that out somehow.

Frustration Setting In - Up 6 pounds!

2009-06-17T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've been running myself rugged training for this 8 mile race in September. Last night was another 4 miles, and I was absolutely wiped out afterwards. I was feeling so great after the race on Saturday, and now this?

I've been tracking my calorie intake on SparkPeople.com, constantly adjusting my nutrition and fitness goals to reflect my calories burned, and making sure my caloric range is current, not based on where I was 4 months ago. I dropped 12 lbs since February(YAY!!), but when I stepped on the scale last night for my weekly weigh-in, I had gained SIX of them back. SIX! I generally waver 2-3lbs before AF comes, but its 4 days since AF, and now I'm up SIX? I was 173.8 last Monday morning, and now I'm 179.8!!

It will probably take me two freaking months to get back where I was, and it makes me so freaking angry.

If I had been splurging like crazy, I could understand, but I've stayed within my caloric range every day for the past MONTH! Okay, so there was the slight splurge this past week, with a total of 911 extra calories, BUT...if a single pound is 3500 calories, that should mean I gained less than half a pound! I flat out know that it probably has something to do with AF, but it makes me so freaking irritated! Mark totaly does not understand at all, but he's trying to be very supportive. I just think about all the miles I have run in the past 4 months, and all the hard work I've been putting in for the past 4 months, and it makes me want to just give it all up.

BUT...instead, I'm going to sweat it out at the gym tonight! It's cross-training night - WOO HOO!! No running for this girl :)

Races

2009-06-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Races Completed:

NWC Homecoming 5K Fun Run - October 2005: 30:06
Turkey Day 10K - September 2007: 1:02:45
Vickie Schendel Fun Run - June 2009: 28:57

Races to come:

Mackinac Island 8 Mile - September 2009:
Turkey Day 10K - September 2009:
Monster Bash Half Marathon - October 31, 2009:

Discouagement, Water, Maps and Exhaustion

2009-05-20T13:11:00.001-07:00

It has been quite a struggle the past couple months working out, being totally exhausted, and feeling as though I should be rewarded for all my good food choices. I'm not sure that burning 2500 calories per week (up from a previous average of about 800) is necessarily a good idea, but quite frankly I would expect more results. I changed all my goals in SparkPeople to reflect the 2500 calories burned, and it bumped my intake up to 2000 a day! It's still not hard to get 2000 calories eaten in a day, but somehow I think I've gone over a lot.

I am not motivated at ALL to begin tracking my calories on SparkPeople again, but I know it works, so I've been forcing myself to do it for the past few days, trying to get a 2-week streak. For this 2-week streak, I'm also saying "NO" to pop of any kind. Today is day 1 of no pop, and it hasn't been so bad, except around 2pm when I thought I was going to go nuts without a Dt. Coke.

Also, for these 2 weeks, I'm setting a goal to drink all my water for the day. I've already had all 4 bottles today, and I do, surprisingly, feel pretty good. Very cold, but good. Hopefully this takes care of some of my headaches and lethargy in the weeks to come.

For breakfast today, I had honey nut cheerios with milk and my morning coffee, and felt pretty good until about 10am. At 10:30 we had our monthly update meeting, where they were serving dreaded ice cream treats. I thought this would be a horrible stumbling point for me today, but surprisingly, it wasn't! They re-introduced me to an old friend - the Skinny Dippers! I'm picking up some good fruits and veggies after work today and Skinny Dippers are also on the list. For only 80 calories, I can be fully-satisfied after a meal, and that's pretty great!

For lunch, I had broccoli, black olives and cucumber slices dipped in the Just 2 Good Western dressing. Surprisingly enough - I realized that 2 Tbsp of dressing is more than I thought it was! SCORE! I also had a polish sausage dipped in ketchup - no bun. Oh, and then there was the 2 oreos, 4oz chocolate milk and string cheese. I've still got almost 1000 calories left for today! This working out stuff is pretty great, really :)

Also, today, on ashisfit.blogger.com I was introduced to www.mapmyrun.com and am SOOOOOOOOOO impressed! It's pretty easy to figure out how far my runs are around Windom, but much more difficult when I travel, since I don't know how far I have to run. Well, with Map My Run, I was able to plan out my 3 runs for the time we'll be in Humboldt from Saturday through Wednesday - 2 miles in Dakota City, 5.5 miles in the country, and 4 miles in Humboldt.

In spite of my seemingly good day today, I'm still very tired of it all, and am struggling to see how this "life change" can last forever. The idea of never splurging on my very own Choco-Cherry Love Blizzard again makes me sad - as does never ordering a regular-size Whopper again. How did I ever think this was alright? I don't know, but it's tough to shake it from my mind! Also, how did I go an entire week without working out (or even a month) before? Apparently in order to maintain, I'm going to have to eat like a bird and run incessantly for the rest of my life. This is tough to stomach!!

My legs are starting to get stronger, but not without some soreness. I worry my knees will eventually give way, which makes me think that maybe running shouldn't be my long-term weight-control plan.

Well, the work day is over, and I have to start focusing on my evening. I'd better plan a healthy supper to get started making so I don't end up eating everything in sight when I get home!!

On a brighter note, all this great slimming down will hopefully help me look HAWT in the two new dresses I ordered last week from Chadwicks. They finally shipped today, so I should have them within 10 days....I'm guessing by June 1 (and praying they're here by June 6!!)

Anticipating Mackinac 8 Mile Race

2009-05-13T05:36:00.000-07:00

Looking at the map gets me so excited!! :) I've been stressed about this race for a while, but seeing where the route is leaves me feeling a lot better about it :)

Mackinac Island 8-Mile Race
Find more Runs in Mackinac Island, Michigan

Gaining Motivation

2009-05-07T05:13:00.000-07:00

The point I'm at in my running schedule now is where I was two years ago in late August. I am gearing up to my 6-mile run this Sunday afternoon, which is a feat I was sure I'd never reach again. Last Sunday, I ran 5-miles, and I can honestly say it really wasn't that bad! The tough part is that it's getting really difficult to keep my body up with all the running. I thought it was bad when I was at 2-3 miles...

174.6

2009-04-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am at 174.6. I'm on my way back down, and very pumped for a night off at the gym! Yesterday was a doozy, with 2 pieces of cheesecake and more food than a girl ever needs to eat. Today promises to be a challenge as well, with a trip to Mankato with Dana, and chinese for lunch. Just taking it one day at a time. I ran 4.5 miles last night for the first time in 2 years. It sure was tough! The night before, 3.5. I'm gonna be ready for this race, even if it kills me!

First Casualty of Exercise

2009-04-02T19:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from my 3rd outside run of 2009, and while it felt SOOOOOOOO fantastic (in spite of how groggy I've been all evening thus far), I just found that I've experienced the first casualty of exercise. While in the process of breaking in my new shoes, I've managed to bloody my heel. Strangely enough, I didn't really feel it rubbing so much, so when I took my shoe off and saw the blood all over, I was shocked!

Anyways, I guess it kinda feels good to know I'm a hard-core runner?! lol

I am at about my halfway mark on my training schedule for my 8 miler on September 12. This Sunday is my last Sunday at 4 miles before moving up to 4.5.

My training is going pretty well, although I definitely have those days where I don't know how I do it. I sometimes hear people say things like, "Wow - I wish I was a runner!" or "I wish I loved to exercise like you do", but the reality is...it's NOT that fun for me, and I really don't enjoy it all that much. BUT...I know I need it, and I know how it makes me feel afterward, and to me, that's all worth it! It certainly isn't going to get any easier the older I get, and I know that if I want to reach my goals, I've got to work at them now.

I just want to encourage anyone out there who feels discouraged. Believe me - I've been there! 3 months ago, I thought I was going to DIE running even half a mile at 6.0 on the treadmill. But you get past that, and if you continue to work at it, it DOES get easier.

That's all for now! Take care!!

176

2009-04-02T19:31:00.000-07:00

178

2009-04-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Getting Back to Routine

2009-03-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

One of the things I struggle with the most is trying to maintain a regular schedule, even on the days where things aren't routine. Yesterday, I spent 11 hours working in Shakopee and 4 on the road with my boss. I was in to work at 6:30am didn't get home until 9pm, so I took a night off at the gym. I don't feel like my workouts have been very routine lately, and I certainly haven't been upping my mileage! I've put together a very sloppy schedule if I plan to meet my 8 mile mark by September 12, and it requires me to be at the halfway mark again (4 miles) by last Saturday. Oh, and I didn't even run last Saturday :( I'm hoping to be able to keep it at a steady gain of .5 miles every 3 weeks for a gradual ramp-up to the race.

This weekend I'm planning on splurging on a new pair of outdoor running shoes so I can get back out there! I can still recall my first time running on a treadmill after my 10K back in September 2007. It was HORRID! After being able to run at 6.2 mile race the day before, I could barely push myself to 2 miles on the treadmill! I felt so defeated!

Anyways, I just need to work a little harder at this, and stop allowing myself to feel defeated!

Struggling Today

2009-03-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

After a fantastic first outside run of 2009 yesterday, I am wiped out today. I feel like I need toothpicks to keep my eyes open, and today is the first day in a long time that I wish I was drinking regular instead of decaf!

This weekend was a disaster food-wise, but I'm getting back on track, and I know today will be a better day! It was such an eye-opener to see how I used to eat, and how many of our friends and families still do! How we used to tell ourselves that we were okay on the veggie front because, well, cheesy potatoes consisted mostly of potatoes, right? And green bean casserole was acceptable because, well, there are green beans in there afterall. My stomach was doing somersaults all night after all that grease!

BUT...it really made me realize just how far I've come!! Three years ago, I would've been eating like that regularly, and it showed! I had horrible skin, my weight was out of control, and I always felt so sluggish! It doesn't even occur to me to eat a meal without some fresh, steamed veggies on the side, or a baked potato or brown rice. The idea of ordering fries with my burger is so strange - a side salad always suffices.

Meeting my Goals!

2009-03-11T09:52:00.000-07:00

The week thus far has been pretty great in the gym! After a day off on Sunday, I hit the ground running full-force on Monday.

I've been trying to reach certain goals for each day, and Monday, my goal was to run at least one mile at 7.0 on the treadmill, and finish my remaining 2 miles within 30-33 minutes. This was a HUGE improvement for me from 9 weeks ago, when I was completely out of breath running a half mile at 5.5 on the treadmill!

Yesterday (Tuesday), my big goal was to run a 5K in 30 minutes. I was seriously not sure I could do it, considering at my peak physical fitness about 3 years ago, I ran the NWC Homecoming race in a little over 31 minutes. And I thought THAT was good! I decided that in order to keep myself paced well, I needed to run at 6.3 on the treadmill and to try not to stop! I did give myself a .1 mile break from 2.4 miles to 2.5 miles, but I finished in 29:56!! (Granted, this was on a zero-incline treadmill with no elements to fight).

Has it been easy thus far? HECK NO! It has been a really rough transition the past 9 weeks, but with an average of a pound a week lost, it really does feel great!

My goal for tonight (setting the bar a bit high, am I?!) is to get 1 mile at 7.2, followed by 2 miles between 6.6 and walking at 4.3. I know it won't be easy (especially with that Mt. Dew in my moment of weakness earlier today), but I'm ready to add some speed!! I'll need it if I plan to be small enough to run that 8-miler this summer!

Feeling Better Today

2009-02-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

Yesterday at the gym, I had a REALLY tough time. I mean, I literally was ready to about pass out after running .05 miles. I don't really know why that happens sometimes, but it's pretty frustrating! I managed to do a mile straight, and, amazingly enough, finished my 2 miles in under 21 minutes. (I was honestly hoping I'd be done with them by 30 minutes).

Tonight I'm ready to get back at it full-force. My goal is to run 1 mile at 9:00, and the second one in 10:00.

It makes me feel good to know that at least on my days when I feel so weak, I'm still managing to burn 500 calories, but it feels so much better when I get done and still have energy.

Have I mentioned that I'm ready for spring yet? It would be so wonderful to just run out my front door and go a couple miles. SO tough to get motivated when I have to continue to make dates with the treadmill.