I'm still learning

All these posts and blogs about resolutions have spurred some wonderings in me.  Over my last 30 years I've gotten to know myself pretty well.  Part of me wishes I could make goals like normal people do...lose 30 pounds, go without sweets, workout 5 days a week every single week, or get pregnant and know that I will succeed in those goals.  But I know I won't.  I'm not normal.  I'm a special kind of crazy.  Yes, I know how that sounds.  There's no doubting it though.  Those above are goals I've made for myself in the past.  Many times actually.  I've even been able to stick with them for long lengths of time.  When goal setting, one issue for me lies in maintenance.  Just because a goal is set and attained, this doesn't mean the goal goes away...a new goal slides into place or it must continue.  For instance, I've lost 30 pounds five separate times in my adult life.  Yes FIVE. Now there are two ways to look at this. 1) I achieved my weight loss goal five times!  Whoo hoo!  Way to go!  2) I did five times as much work as I would have needed to and put my body through a lot of unnecessary stress. Had I maintained my goal at age 21 when I lost the weight the first time, I wouldn't have had to deal with the last 9 years of yo-yo weight loss and weight gain.    A second roadblock in goal setting is attainability.  Are the aforementioned goals attainable for me?  Well, yes I could probably lose 30 pounds, but not if I continue to weight train.  I will most likely lose fat and gain muscle, which could put me at a 10-15 pound weight loss and be healthier than if I would have not gained muscle and lost it along with the fat.  Can I go without sweets?  Yes, I did it for 7 months.  Is it a lifestyle for me?  No.  I love food and through all of my battles with food and migraines, I have come to believe that it's all about moderation.  Will I be able to attain the goal of working out five times a week every week?   Possibly.  Will I get sick?  Yes.  Will I get hurt?  Well, if my broken finger proves anything, it's that one little broken digit can put you out of the weight room for 3 weeks.  What about pregnancy?  That was my goal last year.  Silly.  Just silly.  I have absolutely no control over whether or not I can get pregnant.  So why make that a goal?  There are things I can do to help, but I can't make that happen.  Only God can.  Now, onto my biggest personal roadblock with goal setting...failure.  At one point or another I will fail.  And when I fail, I stop in my tracks and throw in the towel.  It's mental.  I know it.  When I see a goal, I want to achieve the heck out of it and the perfectionism in me just can't deal.  As I said before, I have gotten to know myself pretty well and here are some things I've learned so I CAN make attainable, achievable, maintainable goals...
>I know that just because I make a goal, it doesn't mean I'll stick with it. 
>I don't do well with group accountability...you know like running groups or workout buddies, etc.  >Comparing myself with others doesn't push me...actually it makes me want to sit down with a bag of oreos.
>People telling me what to do makes me dig in my heels (personal trainers, books, motivational speakers, etc.)
>Rewards don't do much for me.  It's all about personal pride and accomplishment.
>I do really well with a plan.  I love plans and lists and calendars.  They help me set up my days and weeks with everything from things to accomplish, things to buy, food to cook, etc.  Heck, I make lists about my lists and write things down I did yesterday just so I can cross them off my list!
>Meal prep is huge for me.  I buy what I know I will eat and I make it ahead of time so I am poised to make good choices.
>If it's not in the house, I won't eat it.  If it is I'm ALL OVER IT like white on rice.
>It's me vs. me that really pushes me to succeed. If I can make a better version of the same meal than I did the last time it's a victory.  If I can run even 5 seconds faster than I did last Tuesday, I'm on cloud 9.  If I can look at a picture of myself from this summer and see my face is thinner now, than it was before, I'm set.  If I have a deeper relationship with my friends than I did last year, then it's all good.
>Food is a comfort to me, but I've learned and my husband has learned that it doesn't matter what kind of food you give me...chocolate or cauliflower...they both have the same calming effect. 

Reading these over shows me just how stubborn, anti-social and self-absorbed I can be.  Honestly, I think it's really healthy to take an honest look at yourself every once in a while...introspection at it's finest.  But I digress...

Looking ahead and taking all these things I've learned about myself into account, I can now attempt to make some goals for 2014.  They will probably sound pretty vague to you, but I've learned that I don't do well with specific, detailed goals.  When they are vague, usually I blow them out of the water...for instance, in November my goal was to work out more days than not.  I worked out 23 days.  See?  There's a method to my madness.

In no particular order...

Pray more.
Spend more quality time with my husband.
Call my friends and family more.
Send more cards.
Make a monthly calendar and exercise more days than not.
Make meal plans for most meals.
Avoid the chocolate/candy aisle.
Eat more veggies.
Eat more protein.
Up my weights.
Get faster at running.
Get faster at swimming.
Get faster at biking.
Keep going to counseling.
Read more.
Play with my dog more.
Stay off of my phone more.
Doubt myself less.

July it is!

Oh I have so much to tell you!  It's so good to be writing here again.  I'll start off with some updates.  My migraines have been reduced with the continued implementation of the "Low Tyramine Headache Diet" as well as keeping a consistent sleep schedule.  YEAH!  I'm still dealing with stress and anxiety, but I know that's no way to live and that I need to let go of the control.  I've been seeing my counselor now for almost a year and she has helped me so much.  Love that woman!  Most importantly, I know God has it covered and has a plan for me.  Mmm...God is so good! 

 

This sign hangs in my living room and serves as a much needed daily reminder.  :)

 

As for the baby update, we've been dealing with infertility going on 15 months so we went back to my OB.  Tom had tests done (which was a crazy, awkward situation...lol!  I might tell you about it later)  Then, I had blood work done as well as a sonogram and everything came back just fine.  Woo hoo!  Praise the Lord!  Since everything came back normal, my OB put me on Clomid.  From what I understand, it tells your brain to tell your body to ovulate.  It does increase your odds of having multiples by 8%, but we would be good with twins.  You take the Clomid pill days 5-9 of your cycle and then wait.  Today was my last dose for this cycle.  I kept hearing all about these horrible side effects, but I had no negative side effects.  If anything, I felt better!  If I don't ovulate this month, I'll take a higher dose the next cycle and then one more time if I still don't ovulate.  After three months of increasing doses, my OB will take me off.  Hopefully, though, it will work! 

 

So, you're probably wondering why I've titled this post "July it is!" Well, let me tell you...I've decided July is a great month for me to refocus and concentrate on my goals because I have the whole month off with no big commitments.  I can focus on my faith, health and well being to make my body the best place for a baby to grow.  I've changed my eating habits slowly, but surely.   Fruits have always been easy for me to incorporate into my diet.  I eat veggies most every lunch and dinner.  Milk is always a standard at the dinner table and I stay away from liquid calories (soda, alcohol, coffee, etc.)  When I cook at home I always use olive oils instead of vegetable oils, don't fry food and rarely bake sweets.  I've been taking Rex for a walk twice a day each day, doing weights at the gym twice a week, and Tom and I started a Couch to 5K program, which has us training times a week. 

Here's a pic that captures our true feelings about running...hehe.

 

 

My issue is snacking, eating out and portion control.  So I pledged to take a picture of EVERYTHING I eat and post it on Instagram (follow me on Instagram @spicycurrie83) for a whole month.  I'm on day 13 and WOW!  It has really kept me accountable! 

 

Also, I've been tracking my food on the Loseit app.  I've been making a big effort to stay within my daily calorie budget and so far, in the last month I've lost 7 pounds!   Here's a progress pic from 2010 to present.  That's a 27 pound difference, folks! 

Another wake up call was reading the book, Wheat Belly.  I've been avoiding wheat (not completely, but making better choices ex: eating fajitas with a fork instead of putting them in a flour tortilla)  It's a very interesting read.  Check it out!  Well, I think that's the extent of my updates!  I hope you are doing great and are loving life!  Happy July! 

Remember, today is the FIRST day of the REST of your LIFE! 

Progress

Progress is possible and it's here.   

In the month of February I only had one migraine.  Incredible.  I feel like a new woman.  It's very exciting!!  The only drawback is the diet I have to maintain in order to keep these migraines away.  It's not that hard, but I am definitely experiencing some serious cravings.  The foods I crave the most are any foods with cheese, oranges, and sausage.  Lasagna, mozzerella sticks, orange juice, and pizza...mmm. Since I can't have the things I really want, I keep eating and eating in hopes to quell my cravings.  It doesn't work and as a result I've gained four pounds since the beginning of 2013.  This is unacceptable and I won't go back to where I was.  I know four pounds doesn't sound like much, but if this goes on, it's not going to be pretty.  

I have to take care of myself.  I've signed up for a personal trainer session at my gym to keep myself accountable with a program.  Also, I've been making crock pot freezer meals that are healthy and then I add a veggie with dinner.  The girl scout cookies have been waaaaay tempting so I'm allowing myself no more than two at a time.  Hopefully this will help me keep a healthy lifestyle.  We'll see.  I'll post the crock pot recipes I've tried next.

 

Back in the saddle

So I have fallen off the proverbial horse these past couple of months.  I've gained 2 pounds back, which puts me at a total 28 pound loss for the year.  Don't get me wrong, I am EXTREMELY happy with that weight loss, but at the rate I'm going it won't stay off for long.  I'm actually surprised that I haven't gained back more because I've been eating pretty much whatever I want (thankfully what I want still consists of strawberries, raspberries, spinach salads, sugar snap peas, milk, oatmeal and flax seed).  However, I also want Oreos, pumpkin bread, pasta, and ice cream sandwiches, especially now that I've found out that food isn't my main migraine trigger.  Those foods in excess combined with little exercise would be the 2 lb. weight gain culprits.  Since my 10K over a month ago I have exercised a total of 4 times.  IT IS TIME.  So this morning I got up early, went to the gym and swam laps for a half hour.  Whew.  I am beat and have SO much respect for swimmers.  I really miss running too.  I miss being sweaty from a good workout.  However, I've only had 4 migraines this month.  I'm really thinking my migraines are sometimes triggered from heart rate elevation.  Three of the migraines were this week...boo!  I woke up all three times with serious jaw pain and sore neck and shoulder muscles.  They were so tight that they were twitching...no fun.  So I went to my TMJD doctor and he treated me.  Thank goodness.  The nurses there lifted up my hair and said, "Whoa, the back of your neck is so swollen!" That was before I even had a chance to tell them how much pain I was in.  Now I am supposed to take Ibuprofen every 6 hours for 3-4 days to reduce the swelling.  "Have you been under a lot of stress, Laura?",  they ask.  They know me so well there.  Apparently, stress creates tense muscles as well as teeth grinding and ultimately, migraines.  Fun stuff.  So I need to work on more exercise, better food choices, and less stress.  I think that is America in a nutshell.  At least I'm not alone.  Seriously though, it's so important to be proactive about my health.  Exercise produces endorphins which help with energy and stress levels.  Also, food plays a HUGE role in whole body wellness.  If you eat crap, you will most likely feel like crap, and feeling like crap is stressful.  So if I eat well and exercise frequently maybe, just maybe my stress level will decrease and so will my migraines.  Worth a shot.  I just need to get in the right frame of mind.  Let's do this!

Just keep swimming!

Since it's "No Run October" and no intense exercise month, I've decided my main form of exercise will be swimming.  My old swimsuits are definitely too low for lap swimming...by the time I swim to the end of the pool, there is way more of me showing than anyone at the gym needs to see.  So I heard about a great swim gear website www.swimoutlet.com from my fellow blogger Abby over at http://backatsquarezero.com/.  They have an amazing "Grab Bag" deal where you just choose your brand, type in your size and then then they send you a $70 suit for just $30!  Sweet!  You don't know the color you are getting so it's kind of fun.

 So here it is!   My grab bag suit just came in the mail.  I really like the color and it looks fast!

I also got some goggles.  They are pink and I love them!

Officially ready to dive in...pun definitely intended :)

No Run October

As you are well aware, these migraines of mine are sticking around.  I track them and can't make sense of them most of the time.  I've had one so far for the month of October and I am VERY happy about that.  Interestingly enough I haven't been running in the month of October.  Correlation?  Possibly, but hopefully not.  Afterall, I have been getting migraines for 15 years and have only been running for 6 months.  However, I have implemented hormone therapy as well as TMJD therapy in the meantime, which are both supposed to aid in migraine prevention.  I have found that I get a migraine about 50% of the time after I run.  It's quite possible that there is no correlation between running and migraines because I had been running 3-4 times a week and getting an average of 2 migraines a week.  I may have had those migraines anyway regardless of whether or not I was running.  The migraines and running may have nothing to do with one another, but I can't know for sure unless I stop running for a period of time to see if the migraines still come regardless of my activity. 

Now, this doesn't just apply to running.  I used to think I got migraines after I went to Jazzercise and when I did other  high intensity activities such as Zumba.  So really, "No Run October" should be more aptly named "Low-Intensity October".  A doctor once hypothesized that my migraines could be caused by a sudden rise in blood pressure triggered by high intensity exercise.  So this month I am going to do low-intensity exercise like Aqua Zumba, slow and steady lap swims, flat course bike riding, walking, and yoga to see if my activity level makes a difference. 

I kind of feel like a scientist with all of my experimentation with my migraines, except I feel like I am just grasping at straws in the dark.  One day I will figure out these migraines.  I am determined that with prayer, common sense, consistancy, and persistance, I will figure out my triggers and be able to better manage my migraines. 

Motivation, come out come out where ever you are!

You know how I was rocking the motivation from January through July?  Well, it's long gone now.  I have had zero energy to exercise and have been seriously lacking in the eating department.  What happened?  I don't know.  Maybe it was starting back up with school.  Maybe my motivation just ran its course.  We joined a gym and ever since, I have had very low motivation to exericise.  Running is something I love, but I get migraines sometimes when I run.   I'm just sad.  I suppose motivation, like many things in life, has its mountains and its valleys.  My motivation was there for a long long time and it was powerful.  I was able to abstain from all sugar for 7 months.  I know I can get it back.  I will get the motivation to eat healthier and go to the gym on a consistant basis.  And when I do, watch out! ;)

I've been looking for you.

 

To Run or Not to Run?

This week has been lacking in the exercise department.  Tom has been going to the gym almost daily to swim and has done an amazing job of keeping up with a healthy diet.  In the past 6 weeks he has lost 12 pounds.  Woot woot!!!  I'm so proud of his hard work.  Every time I compliment him on it he shrugs it off and says he still has a long way to go.  I think he is proud of himself though.  He should be. 

Anyway, my weight has been pretty steady for the past couple of months.  The Marathon Weight Loss Challenge is now over and I lost 5 pounds over the course of the challenge.  It is about 21 pounds short of a marathon, but at least I didn't gain so I am very happy with the loss.  So that puts me at a total weight loss of 31 pounds in 2012  :)  During the challenge, I tracked my food and exercise on www.loseit.com every day for 6 weeks straight.  Then when school started I just stopped.  I had no energy to even begin to sit down and record every bite I put into my mouth let alone the energy to exercise.  Now don't get me wrong...I have been swimming, riding my bike, taking a class and running here and there, but nothing close to what I was doing over the summer.  I ran my 10K last Saturday and tried to run again on Monday.  It was a chore to run for even 10 minutes so I decided my body wasn't fully recovered from the 6.2 miles.  I haven't exercised since and I feel groggy and icky because of it.  I know that if I just go do it I will feel so much better, but I honestly don't feel like it.  Tom just left for the gym and I have a bit of a stomach ache so I opted out.  Normally, that wouldn't have stopped me, but lately it has.  I suppose everyone goes through ups and downs.  Thankfully, my weight has stayed the same since school started despite my lack of exercise and tracking.  It's probably because teaching is much like herding cats.  You are constantly on the go, standing, kneeling, bending down, sitting on the floor to running from the classroom to the copier to the mailroom to the laminator, to the gym to the cafeteria and back so I've probably made up for the lack of "proper exercise" just by doing my job.  Also, I pre-assemble my lunch each night and I don't go out to lunch so I have to eat the healthy things I have packed for myself or starve.  I would never choose to not eat so it works out well :) 

As for my migraines, they are still hanging around.  It's been exactly one month since I started wearing my TMJD appliance.  I've had 7 migraines, which is better than the 8-12 I have been getting.  I shouldn't be disappointed, but, honestly I am.  This was supposed to work.  I was convinced that this was the key.  My frustration level grows with every migraine that develops.  For once I am thankful not be pregnant because I don't know what I would do if I had to fight these migraines without medication.  I still have hope though.  My treatments just started and if they are already taking away a couple of migraines, then why wouldn't it be better next month?  I am holding onto that hope and have faith that God has a plan for these migraines.  I don't know what it is yet, but I can trust that He is in control.  I've found that I am living in fear of my migraines and I should not fear them or let them run my life.  A scripture verse that spoke to me this morning is "For God gave us not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control. - 2 Timothy 1:7.  How cool is that?  Yeah.  God is a pretty awesome gift giver. 

So back to the title of this post...running sometimes triggers a migraine for me and sometimes it doesn't.  It's the same with any high intensity exercise, even the elliptical or yoga.  Sane people would just say, "Well duh, then don't run or do intense exercise!"  I get that.  I really do.  However, running is fuel for my soul.  It's my time to be out in nature and spending time with God in his creation.  More intense exercise is great for me too.  It makes me sweat and feel productive.  Sane people would reply, "Okay great, then just walk or ride your bike." Yes, those activities allow for time with God out in nature and are productive, but there's just something about moving my body that feeds my soul and makes me feel so free, yet so connected with Him.  I don't understand it.  But it stinks not being able to run or do fun classes without worrying that I will get a migraine.  Right now I think I'll go to the grocery store, roll down the windows, feel the fall air on my face, talk to God (and more importantly, listen to what He has to say) and maybe, just maybe I will get the energy to do something active on this amazingly beautiful day He has given to us. 

BodyAttack...aptly named

As you know, Tom and I had our bloodwork done last month and Tom was not pleased with the numbers and I am still not at my "happy weight" so we decided it was time to join a gym.  There were so many choices...some gyms are cheap with no classes, some have classes but no pool, some are quite a drive and others are relatively close.  We settled on the one that was slightly more expensive, but has a pool (Tom was on the swim team in H.S. and in college) free fitness classes and even a track.  Another plus is that it is close to home.  I am really excited about it and we went for the first time earlier this week.  I ran my best 5K time at the gym.  Woot!  This morning I decided to go to a yoga class because I've been really tired and have been battling allergies/a possible sinus infection.  Tom dusted off my yoga mat for me and I decided not to take my inhaler because it's yoga.  No big deal...well....we got there and it turned out that the schedule changes at the beginning of September so what I thought was a 10:15 yoga class actually started at 10:00.  I was not about to walk in late to a room full of yogis and disturb their calm and concentration.  So I looked at the new schedule and noticed that a fitness class was starting at 10:15.  Now I've done plenty of classes in the past and was a member of Jazzercise for a while so I'm not concerned until the instructor starts talking about running, jumping, push ups, kicks and agility work.  Dang...really should have brought my inhaler and definitely should have worn my sweat wicking running clothes.  Oh well...here goes nothing!  People in the class were dropping like flies...no they weren't really falling, but they were heading out the door.  It was tough.  Super tough.  Just when you think you cannot possibly do another high knee, she asks you to do a high knee jump.  It was Jazzercise on steroids.  Very fun though and it was a great challenge.  My eyes were definitely opened to how unfit I really am.  Running has helped so much and I cannot imagine doing an entire hour of this class 31 pounds ago, but I still have a ways to go.  I met up with Tom afterwords and he was really impressed with the amount of sweat I can produce.  There was one tiny dry spot on my shirt and even my capris had sweat spots on the knees.  The instructor told me she was proud of me for finishing.  When we got home I read the class description..."BodyAttack-This is the most intense workout you'll find in the world of fitness-a session guaranteed to take no prisoners."  Wow.  I'm proud of myself.  Also, according to www.loseit.com I burned 535 calories in an hour.  Nice.  I found out that I really need to work on my upper body strength and my core so I think this will definitely help.  Next week I'm going to try BodyPump.  I'll keep you updated :)

100th Post

Wow, I can't believe I've already published 99 posts!  I started this blog on a whim and it's turned into more than I would have ever imagined.  It is such a blessing to know that this blog has inspired others to start their own blogs, grow more in their faith, begin an exercise program, experiment in the kitchen and explore their own hidden talents.  It has been a great journey for me and I hope it's been as beneficial to my readers as it has for me over the past 9 months.  What an amazing realization for me to look back 9 months ago and see exactly how far God has taken me in life. 

Laura's life changes in the past 9 months:

Dec. 2011                                         Aug. 2012

Just beginning to cook                       Cooking up a storm of healthy meals

Weight: 209.2                                   Weight: 179.2

Skeptical that I could paint                Completion of 6 paintings-1 sold

Could not run more than 30 sec.        Ran 60 minutes without stopping or walking

Never read through entire Bible        About to start 2nd reading of Bible

I am blown away at all of the positive changes that have occured in my life in less than a year. 

What a difference the support of family and friends, self discipline and prayer can make.

I wonder what God has in store for me in the next 9 months?  Whether good or bad, I know that it will be just fine because I have been richly blessed with an amazing support system full of love and encouragement.  Thank you to each and everyone of you who have read by blog. You have been a huge inspiration and encouragement to me.  Thanks for sticking with me and we'll see what the next 9 months bring :)

Thorn Sweating Race Recap

Sweat.  So. Much. Sweat.  This virtual 5K was appropriately named, "Sweat Your Thorns Off." Well if I had any thorns, they would have been sufficiently sweated off for sure.  I started the morning by rolling out of bed around 8:00am, slowing changing into my sweat wicking running duds, strapping on my Timex, taking a couple of good inhaler puffs and turning on my iPod.  Tiniest red speck of battery left.  Whoops.  Plan out route on www.walkjogrun.com.  Try to set route to memory so I end up right at 3.1 miles.  Fill up the water bottle, grab my phone and head out the door.  Here we go! Gorgeous morning!  Slight breeze, but pretty humid and 82.  First mile was smooth sailing, by mile two everything was soaked and I mean everything (sorry TMI), headed into mile three sweat dripping in ears, nose, eyes and mouth....yummmm sweat.  Delicious. Forgot which street to turn on towards the end and actually went a couple of blocks too far so ended up a bit longer than 3.1.  Kept checking my watch though so I was able to check the map when I got back and see where my 5K actually ended so I could figure my pace.  Finished 43.55 minutes later.  Subtract 3+ minutes for extra blocks and we've got a PR by a minute!  3.1 miles in 40.33 minutes. YEAH! 

Happy 3 month runniversary to me!  It's been exactly 3 months since I began the Couch to 5K program.  Very cool.  Plus I'm feeling pretty good too.  We'll see if the migraine beast decides to rear its ugly head. 

Here's my sweaty self post run sporting my AWESOME race bib. 

Thanks Adam from www.theboringrunner.com for designing it and for hosting this great virtual race!

I know some of my fellow bloggers are racing with me today.  Can't wait to hear all about your race experiences!!

Sweating My Thorns Off!!

That's right!  I'll be sweating my thorns off this Saturday in my very first official virtual race.  What is a virtual race?  Well, remember when I ran a 5K the morning of Relay and had this beautiful pic taken? 

Don't you just LOVE the purple crown!!??  I do!!  I mean seriously...when do you have the opportunity to wear something like this in public??  I couldn't attend my running club's Birthday 5K so I did it on my own at the same time, but 30 miles away.

So now this is an official virtual race.  Everyone is running on their own in their little corner of the world.  There will be people from across the globe running on the same day just to celebrate being healthy and the ability to run.  Pretty cool.  Plus, there are some seriously great prizes.  A fellow blogger, "The Boring Runner" is in hosting it.

Check it out and you can join me (virtually) ;)

Weigh in...post vacation

Everytime I go on vacation I come back with a few souveniers...not all by choice.  Unfortunately, a few of them are extra pounds.  I'm pretty positive that I'm not alone in this plight, however.  You go on vacation, a little dessert there, a bacon cheeseburger here, a couple extra sugary beverages and BAM!  You have yourself 5lbs of extra you coming back home.  Well, I planned out 10/11 meals and was pretty active.  However, I still splurged with an extra chicken sausage, pizza and a giant ice cream cone.  Plus I didn't run.  So I wasn't sure what the scale or the measuring tape would say today.  But I have been tracking all of my food and exercise every day.  Our Marathon Weight Loss weigh in day is Monday so I had no access to a scale last week while on vacation and then waited for the official weigh in day.  Here we go.

Wake up, use the bathroom (sorry TMI) deep breath, exhale, step on and wait....


Blink....


Blink...


Blink...


YES!!!!


Down 2.6


All of the planning was worth it!!!  I'm so excited!!  My hard work is paying off.  Definitely encouraging. 

That brings my total weight loss to exactly 28 pounds since January and 36 pounds since after breaking my foot.  I tend to get discouraged when I lose 0.2 pounds or gain back what I lost the previous week, but all of those little set backs and small losses add up over time.  Over 30 weeks I have lost 28 pounds so that averages out to a little less than a pound a week.  Woot!

Exercise on vacation...yeah. about that...

I've heard all about how much exercise people are getting while on vacation...runners throwing on their sneakers and watching the sunrise as they run around campgrounds...bikes being strapped to SUVs and lots of hotel gyms being sweated in.  I decided I could do that on our vacation too, so with a couple of exercise capris, sneakers, my inhaler and some good intentions, I was ready.  A perfect campground for running, plenty of gorgeous shady trees and the quiet beauty of nature. 

However, shopping, boat tours, swimming, mini golf, ski shows, campfires, riding "Ducks" and hay rack rides trumped formal exercise. 

At first, I was disappointed in myself, but then I started adding up all of the activity we did over the three days of our stay.  There is absolutely no reason to be disappointed! 

We had an amazing trip, all but one of our meals were planned out and nutritious, and we were active almost the entire time.  I'm so glad I didn't stress myself out to try to squeeze in "formal exercise".  I didn't need it and I didn't need the stress.  We lived it up and loved our trip with lots of fun, lots of activity, and lots of memories made. 

Lesson learned...relax without stress, enjoy your trip and make the best choices you can. 

I'm glad I did :)

Eating my exercise

As a three times Weight Watchers veteran, I was ALWAYS told at meetings to eat my exercise points.  So now that I've been adding up my food and exercise on http://www.loseit.com/ I have been eating my exercise calories for the mostly every day.  However, I've only gone over my daily calorie limit twice since I've started counting calories and really haven't been losing weight.  I've gone up and down and am down 0.8 from the start a month ago, which I realize is better than gaining, but it's not what I was expecting.  I put in my weight, height, age, etc. and entered in that my goal loss each week is 1.5 lbs.  So according to loseit, my daily calorie input is around 1,500 cals.  On average, I burn between 300-500 calories in exercise daily.  I've been reading a lot of blogs, discussion boards and I've noticed that many people are only eating 1,200 cals/day.  Plus exercising on top of that and not "eating their exercise".  That just doesn't add up to me.  So let's say you do a 400 cal. workout and eat 1,200 cals.  So your body is only working with 800 cals. for the rest of the day?  It just doesn't seem like enough and that your body would rebel.  Can someone explain this to me?  Is my 1,500 cals. too much?  Maybe these people are just MUCH smaller and shorter than me.  I'm 5' 8" and 183.8 lbs.  (Yes, I did just share my height and weight...yeah I didn't intend to do that til I reached my goal weight, but I think this info is important in figuring out calorie intake) Maybe I just need to stop eating my exercise calories?  We had a Sole Sister conversation about this a few weeks ago.  Most people say not to eat the calories unless you save them for a special treat or big dinner out.  That's what I'm trying this week.  However, today I ended up eating half of my exercise calories because I ate three servings of Snackimals.  But half is better than eating ALL of them I suppose.  I also realize it's not all about the number of calories, but what kind of nutrients are in those calories.  I feel like I'm doing pretty well with eating a good balance of protein, veggies, fruits, dairy and grains.  I could definitely do less cheese and grains, but I feel good about what I'm eating for the most part.  I'm going to try not eating my exercise calories and see how that goes and then possibly adjust.  Help me out here if you think I'm onto something or if I'm completely off track.  Thanks.

On losing a marathon...

As most of you know, my friends and fellow Sole Sisters, Jess and Heather have come up with a challenge...to lose a marathon.  That's 26.2 pounds for those of you who were wondering.  That's a lot of pounds!  Well, this is week 5/13 of the challenge and I've lost 0.8 pounds.  I lost 0.2, then lost 1.8, then gained 1.8, then lost 0.6.  At least I'm going in the right direction, collectively. 

However, needless to say, I've got a LONG way to go.  So I was getting a little down on myself because there's no way I will be losing a marathon with only 8 more weeks to go.  But then I started thinking...wait.  I have already lost a marathon since January!!!!  I have lost almost EXACTLY a marathon of pounds since the beginning of the year.  And...a total of 34 pounds since I broke my foot three years ago at my all time highest weight.  Now that is an accomplishment :) 

So here's my big realization.  It's taken me 28 weeks to lose a marathon in 2012.  Not 13 weeks (the length of this challenge).  So why do I think I would lose the same amount in less than half the time?  Plus, it gets harder (for me at least) to lose the smaller I get.  What an "aha!" moment for me. 

But that doesn't mean I am stopping or giving up just because I've lost a marathon. 
I am not done yet.  There's still 25.4 pounds to go to reach my goal weight. 

So every week Jess sets a challenge for us.  This week: Photo Journal EVERYTHING you eat. 

Whoa.  I like that idea. Take a picture of every teeny tiny bite or sip before you eat or drink it.  That's going to keep me accountable.  I know this because whenever I take a picture of one of my dinners to post on here I'm sure to make it look colorful, full of veggies, and a balance of carbs/proteins.  I might just think twice before diving into some "Pirate's Booty" snacks.  If I were to eat some "Pirate's Booty" goodness, I could just take a picture of the packaging, but I'm going to step it up and take a picture of my SERVING.  I think that will keep me even more accountable to you.  Now I don't have a smartphone so it's going to be a little bit harder, but I can go "old school" just like I have been doing and use my awesome pink Sony Cybershot.

I'm planning to make a Facebook photo album of everything I eat for the next 7 days.  I think this is going to be really good for me and I'm excited.  You don't have to make yours public if you want to join in the challenge, but I encourage you to at least take a step back and assess your food and drinks and really look at it. 

Ask yourself some important questions...Is this going to be good fuel for my body?  Is this going to make me feel gross after I eat it?  Does this help me reach towards my goals?  What is the purpose of eating this?  Will this taste good or am I just wanting to eat it because it's there?

So much of health and weight loss is food.  You can exercise like it's your job, but if your food isn't nutricious, filling, and tasty, you won't see or reap the full benefits of your hard work.  And face it, if you are going to go to all the trouble of walking, running, biking, Zumba, yoga, pilates, weight lifting, swimming, tennis, etc, then make sure it counts!  Don't spoil your efforts by eating all those calories you just burned and don't spoil it by eating a bag of cheetos after you've done a few miles on the treadmill because you "earned it".  Don't you think you "earned a healthy life" and not some food that's going to cancel out everything you've done??  It just doesn't make sense.  You are not a dog, so don't reward yourself with food.  Reward yourself with the self confidence, self assurance, and pride that you earned this healthy body of yours...even if it doesn't "look" healthier you know that if you made healthier choices your body most certainly is too. 

I think it's all about knowing why you are eating.  If you want a sweet treat or a second helping of dinner and you are okay with the calorie/fat content and will balance it out with the rest of your meals then go for it.  If you are eating it because you feel you deserve it or you feel "naughty" and just want to break your own rules then that's an entirely different issue.  Food is not supposed to be used in that way.

I too need to listen to my own rants.  I am pretty good at not seeing food as a reward for being "good".  I really dislike when people say they were "good" or "bad".  It's not all "bad" if you had a couple scoops of ice cream.  It's not all "good" to eat all veggies and fruits with no fats at all.  Our bodies need fats like those found in salmon or olive oil or even nuts.  Plus, you are not going to gain 5 pounds if you eat a candy bar.  You will not ruin your entire day or weight loss journey if you eat a candy bar.  If you eat a candy bar every day, the weight probably won't come off as quickly, but if that's what is going to keep you sane and on your plan for the rest of your meals and snacks, then do what you need to do. 

Something I really need to work on is not eating my exercise calories.  That's most likely why the weight isn't coming off quickly.  I do get really hungry when I'm working on consistantly and I tell myself that it's okay to eat an extra helping or have a "before bed" snack because my stomach is truly growling. Yes, it is okay for me to eat something extra, but not a half a bag of tortila chips or 2 EXTRA slices of Tom's homemade pizza.  I need to make better choices when I'm hungry, which all goes back to my photo journaling goal.  I hope and believe this is going to help me a lot.  This turned into a really lengthy post!  Congrats for staying with me til the end!

It's time to keep on keepin' on.  Won't lose hope...just pounds.

::Spice it up with new workouts and new recipes::

The other day I stumbled across an AWESOME website with hundreds of links to YouTube workout videos.  There's everything from Insanity to pilates to runner's stretches on it. 

Here's the link...

http://tosee-her-abs.tumblr.com/post/20049751727/girlgrowingsmall-get-vs-angels-workouts-here

My goal is to try out a different one each week.

As for food, I am keeping up with 1/2 my plate being veggies at meal times.  Still trying to find some new recipes because I keep fixing the same ones over and over.  I did find a great recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup and another for Energy Bites.  I haven't tried the soup yet, but the energy bites are DELICIOUS and super easy to make!  They have PB in them, but I seemed to do fine eating them.  Maybe I'm allergic to certain types of nuts like pistashios or walnuts, but not peanuts.  I don't know but I do know that the Energy Bites are difficult to pass up ;)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 rotisserie chicken (any grocery store will do)

1 carton chicken broth (watch for sodium and added preservatives)

2 jalepenos (chopped)

1 can fire roasted stewed tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can corn

1 fresh tub salsa

1 tbsp chili powder (or more if you like it hot!)

2 flour tortillas (cut into strips and warm in oven for 5-10 min( depending on how crispy you like them)

Throw all ingredients into stock pot.  Bring to boil and simmer for 20 min.  Top with baked tortillas and enjoy!

Energy Bites (No-bake!)

1 c. oatmeal

1/3 c. honey

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 c. coconut flakes

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. ground flaxseed (this is supposed to be REALLY good for you...if you can't find ground flaxseed, use a Magic Bullet to grind it up)

Combine all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Chill in fridge for 1-2 hours.  When they are chilled, roll into 18-20 balls. Store in fridge.  YUM!

Here's some Dr. Seuss motivation to leave you with...

I'm off for a jog!

Goals

All year I've been talking to my students about the importance of goal setting in all aspects of life.  It's time for me to go from talking the talk to walking the walk.  My fellow sole sister, Jess has come up with a great weight loss challenge:

**Just to clarify, this is not to train for a marathon or run a marathon.  It's just to lose the amount of weight of a marathon.

Don't worry I'm still a slow jogger and 3 miles is still a stretch for me ;)

If I "lose a marathon" I will have lost just over 50 pounds!  Whoa. 

Crazy to think about. 

But that will put me right at my goal weight. 

This is just the thing to get me right where I need to be so I can be healthy.

So here's the plan...

Here are my exercise goals for the summer:

Eat to live, not live to eat.

Eat for my body, not for my heart or my head.

Exercise for my health, not to look good in a swimsuit.

This is how I plan to reach my goals with exercise:

I want to pick one of these activities five days a week.

jogging

walking

yoga

biking

resistance band/stretching

hiking

Since getting healthy is 30% exercise and 70% food I am making food goals a priority as well.  I already eat pretty well with eliminating sugars and preservatives.  I also eat a TON of fruit.  But I am still eating really big portions of my main course and not enough veggies.

This is how I plan to reach my goals with food:

50% of my meal/plate will be veggies or fruit.

25% of my meal will be starch.

25% of my meal will be protein.

I'm already part way there.  I just need to substitute some starches for veggies during meals and snacks and I will be good to go. :)

Snacks I have on hand:

triscuits

hummus

edamame

celery

carrots

cheese

hard boiled eggs

homemade popcorn

bananas

berries

apples

smoothies

grapes

Anything I am missing from this list that are great no sugar/high energy snacks??  I know almonds and peanut butter are great for you too, but I think I may be nut intolerant so I'm steering clear of those foods right now.

What are your goals?

Couch to 5K Progress

 

This is my inspiration. :)

I want to start each day with this mindset.  Purpose is everything.  My purpose is to glorify God and I screw that up so much, but thankfully I have HIS grace to cover all my slip ups, mistakes, and rebellion.

Overall, I need to be more disciplined spiritually and physically.  Running helps me focus and clear my head so I can get rid of all my anxiety and worries and turn them over to God.

I started the Couch to 5K program 4 weeks ago.  I'm supposed to be walking 5/jogging 9/walking 5, but usually I feel like I can keep going so I do.  I figure there's no point in stopping if I am feeling fine and can go farther.  As of yesterday I walked 3 min and then jogged 21 min.  That's the longest I have jogged without a break :)  Plus, it was my personal best pacing at 12.39 mph.  Whew it feels so good! 

Once again, I cannot believe that I went from barely making it 30 seconds at the beginning of May to running 21 minutes at a time within one month!!!  Amazing how God made our bodies to run and exercise!  There are so many reasons why I am loving running...it gives me quiet time to think, pray, enjoy nature and it helps me de-stress while improving my health!

It's also really encouraging because many of my friends and colleagues are getting inspired to start a 5K program because if I can do it, anyone can!   

Couch to 5K

This girl was the LAST to finish the mile in high school and hasn't run since....until 2 weeks ago. 

My friend asked me to join her running group and explained that they not only run, but also have a walk/jog group.  I thought to myself, "I can definitely walk and maybe I'll try a little jog." Well, I was at the front of the walk/jog group the whole time and we did a lot of jogging.  90 seconds walk/30 seconds jog/repeat for 2.4 miles!  Wowzers!  I did it!  I ended up with a migraine from pushing too hard at the end, but I did it (with the help of my inhaler)  I was diagnosed with Exercise Induced Asthma last year.  My inhaler has made SUCH a huge difference in my exercise. 

I've always secretly wanted to be able to run a 5K, which is 3.1 miles I think.  Runners please correct me if I'm wrong.  It's running for about 30 minutes and I think that's a good healthy amount of time to exercise.  So I surfed the Internet for a couch to 5k program that I would like and I found one that seemed pretty user friendly here http://www.fromcouchto5k.com/articles/training/the-couch-to-5k-training-plan/

I am on Week 2 :)  I cannot believe how easy and how fast my body has adjusted to running.  Last night I walked 5 min, ran 5 min, walked 5 min.  It felt so good!  I can't believe how much energy I have after I finish!  Grab a good pair of running shoes, a stopwatch (or your choice of advanced technology) and join me! It's always great to have accountability :)