Personal Note

Being supportive and positive is NOT comparing yourself to me and my accomplishments. It does the reverse, actually. Don't tell me I am doing so much better than you are -- this is MY journey. I invited you along to support me, not to make you feel badly for not working out or eating improperly. (by the way, I need this talk as much as some of my "supporters" because I'm very guilty of comparing myself to others) What happens when you make comments like that, is that I start feeling bad about my success as if my success is holding someone else back. I let my feeling bad about someone else's feelings and then I start self sabotaging because I don't want others to be upset with me. I'd rather be disappointed in myself than to cause someone else pain or sadness. This is a fault with in me. My journey is separate from anyone else's journey. I do want your support and positivity 100% -- but I just want you to know it hurts when you make comments that are comparative in nature and you put yourself down in comparison to my accomplishments. You are awesome in your own right and you don't need my journey to define you! I want to support you in your effort, TOO! Let's build each other up, not tear each other down. If you have a bad week, you have a bad week. You can get back on track, just like I can! We can do anything we put our minds to, we just have to be willing! So, please, remember that even if you don't mean for words to hurt, sometimes they can. Stop and think before you say something, "Would these words hurt me if someone said them to me?"

Have a wonderful Sunday and make this week your best week yet!!!

Things I am facing this week:
Caity has a wellness check up on Monday and 2 MRI's under anesthesia on Wednesday
My brother was diagnosed with stage 1 Melanoma and is facing surgery on Thursday
Matt is in a conference Monday - Wednesday
Scentsy Parties on Friday night and Sunday

All of these items will play a roll in how my week goes. I will be making a meal plan today and shopping tonight to pull off this week! (Lots of make ahead and crock pot meals!) I've shopped for the kids lunches for the week, now just need to make sure we have dinner meals.

On Tap:
Chicken and veggie soup (grilled cheese for kids)
turkey chili with black beans & kidney beans
Spaghetti
Breakfast for dinner (this is on Matt's night to cook)
Sushi (for work night, easy and transportable)
Leftovers!

Back in the Saddle Again

After a VERY disheartening weigh in this morning... I have had to recommit myself to my goals! I'm going back and reading my blog from the beginning to find out where I lost sight of my goals and where I started! One thing I know is I do NOT want diabetes and I'm headed like a freight train right for that diagnosis if I do not regain control of myself. M&M's, the fall ones, came out and I couldn't resist! WHAT???  Hello, that is SO not me anymore. Well, I've learned a valuable lesson. M&M's cannot live in my house, unless they are the plain M&M's and then I could not care less about them! BUT any other M&M's must be enjoyed outside of my home. Candy Corn, ewww, who eats that stuff? Me. HUH? Candy Corn? Was I desperate? OK, enough of beating myself up.

Bad weigh in = looking back, not pointing fingers -- I know who made the weight come on, there is no need to beat myself up for poor decision making, instead it's time to REFOCUS! (Hey Sarah, heehee, I gotta FOCUS!) So, what are my reasons for being on this journey?

1. To get healthy!
2. To be under 200 lbs.!
3. To not be the FAT mom!
4. To give my kids a role model!
5. To use the gifts God has given me and praise HIM with them!
6. To better enjoy life!

That's enough of that for now. So, now that I have these goals written out... how am I going to achieve these goals? Well, first and foremost, I MUST gain control over the food I eat. I love sweets. Now, let me stop and think about sweets -- do I need sweets every day? Nope. Do I want them every day? Yep. Are there ways around having sweets every day and not feeling deprived? Oh Yes!

1. Alternatives to sweets that taste sweet, but don't add the calories and inflammatory effects of sugar. (Coffee: Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon Roll -- they taste sweet but have no sugar in them! Applesauce: Organic Unsweetened just add cinnamon! Tea: Spicy Teas! Sweet Potatoes baked in the oven, add cinnamon if necessary!)
2. Make the sweet WORTH IT when I have to have one. Don't settle for candy corn -- 20 pieces is 150 calories!!! If I am going to eat 150 calories of a sweet, it needs to be WORTH it, like a portion of a brownie or cookie, a few bites of creme brule, Kalico Kitchen cake (a small slice or share a slice with someone) -- make the dessert or sweet something that you can't have every day and that you know is worth every bite.
3. When a sweet craving comes on, try taking a nap or a walk, drink extra water, chat with a friend, distract yourself from the craving!!!
4. Do not bring sweets into the house, no matter how tempting the packaging. You know you can't resist certain sweets, so why torture yourself either by eating them or by depriving yourself when you know they are there!? Just leave them at the store.

Savory foods are a weakness as well... OK so I LIKE FOOD -- plain and simple. What I need to do is stop pinning recipes off of pinterest and start MAKING the ones I've already pinned. Find new foods that are HEALTHY and satisfy my savory cravings. Leave behind the chex mix and the cheese itz! I need to read back through the foods I used to eat and start eating them again.

As for working out... I've got that! :) I run 2-4 days per week, I do body back 2 days per week, I Zumba at least once per week and now I'm adding in TRX and line dancing (hip hop, not country). The exercising is not my problem... so we know the food needs to be the focus. 

What's the MAIN change I need to make: WRITING EVERYTHING IN MY JOURNAL!!! I know that journalling works! So, I must retrain myself to write down everything I eat. I used to make it a game. I need to get back to that. It works. Just do it! 

I know I can do this! But there is one more element I need! I need you guys to recommit to me as well. Hold me accountable. If I haven't blogged, ask me where my blog is, ask me what new foods I've tried... just keep me going by supporting me! I am a social creature by nature and positive social interaction really helps! Thanks for sticking with me on my journey! I CAN DO THIS! And right now I'm looking at it 5 lbs. at a time! 

Each 5 lbs I lose, I'm going to reward myself-

• pedicure
• hair cut
• hair color
• concert, sporting event or movie with my husband
• new shoes (NICE ONES)
• a Leather Grace Adele handbag (if you haven't seen them, ask me about them!!!)

I'll set new rewards as I knock off rewards (and ultimately knock off the pounds). 

Thanks for sticking with me on my journey. It truly has to become the life you live. There is no diet, there is no exercising to a goal and then going back to sedentary life. It's living healthy to live a good and productive life! I'm committed! I want to be the best me that I can possibly be! (Sorry for any spelling and grammatical errors, I'm not trying to win awards with my blog!) 

Planktastic,topia,apoloza,stock --- er PLANK CHALLENGE CLASS

This morning was a Plank challenge workout... Cardio, plank, Cardio, plank, Cardio, plank... you get the idea, right? We did all kinds of planks: up downs, plank jacks, side planks with a twist, planks with a leg lift, planks with a hamstring curl... Then Kathy says to us to look at our inspiration boards and draw inspiration and motivation, because we would be pulling ourself in plank position the length of the gym.

Seriously, this was one of the hardest things I have ever done. It wasn't pretty and it took me a while, but I did it! Just looking at my board with: my family, my race bibs and my picture from November 2010 made me extremely emotional. I've come so far, but with so much left to go. Yesterday I was feeling very fat and ugly and was very hard on myself. Today I feel much better about myself. I know I have a long way to go, but celebrating my successes are what it is all about. The journey never ends, being healthy is a life long aspiration that takes full commitment, much like marriage and parenting. You don't give up because it gets hard or frustrating -- you use that frustration and turn it into motivation to move mountains. I CAN, I WILL! While it seems I am "stuck" right now with my weight, I have other successes to celebrate... those successes deserve recognition. They are not less significant just because they aren't weight loss, they are important in their own right. I have to remind myself that the number on the scale, while important, does not define me. My journey isn't just about losing weight, but about changing my attitude towards working out, eating properly, being healthy and loving myself. It's about counting my blessings and being grateful for the things I CAN DO. It's about challenging myself to do more than I ever thought possible, to be strong, to be a role model for my children, especially my three girls. I'm so very grateful to be on this journey!

The Good, The Bad and the Beautiful!

This past weekend was amazing! I managed to journal a plan for Saturday and I stuck to my plan almost completely. THAT is the good! Sunday I did not journal, but was VERY careful about my food intake, even passing up dark chocolate mini candy bars at my mom's house.

The BAD: I weighed in for curiostity's sake this morning. Seeing as how I have been journaling and working out MORE, I expected a pretty nice drop in pounds today. It was not to be so. I was up 1 pound from last week!  My heart sunk and my stomach lurched. How could this be?  Well, one thing is... even with all of my journaling... I had a TON of sodium over the weekend with the consumption of processed foods! I know this played a huge role. Chips and Salsa are now on my banned list for a week or more! Now, I did dip peppers in salsa to cut back on my chip intake, but apparently, I ate enough chips to make a difference. Thus, why the chips stay at mom's house and do not come home to my house!

Now for the BEAUTIFUL... there were 3 beautiful things that I saw today. First, on my way to the gym for my morning workout, the moon was full and bright and beautiful and I could see it all the way to the gym. Then upon leaving the gym to head home, the sun had risen and was peeking through the trees causing all kinds of beautiful flare. it was a stunning way to end a workout and start the rest of my day. But the most beautiful thing I saw all day, was on my way to work tonight. There was a woman, probably in her 70's, with absolutely picture perfect hair and make up. She donned running shoes, running shorts and a t-shirt. She was outside in the glorious sunshine on an early evening run. I just looked at her and a huge smile came across my face. If I make it to 70, I want to be like her. I want to take advantage of living and get out there and be running, in nature, enjoying all the sights, sounds and smells, while I keep my body fit and healthy! She was the most beautiful thing I have seen in a long time. She looked so happy to be out there running by herself. She just made me happy and made me realize how I want to be as I age... happy and fit! A runner, forever.

Take time to notice the beauty around you. There are always good things and bad things, ups and downs... but God puts beauty in the most unlikely of places, at the oddest of moments. I truly believe He does this to see if we are paying attention. Life tends to bog us down and blinds us from the beauty around us. Try to push life to the side and seek out the beauty. You'll feel so blessed when you glimpse the unexpected beauty that you may have otherwise missed!

Back in the Game!

I am very much back in the game and on my journey. I can see that 199, I can taste it. Now I want to FEEL IT! I want to know what it feels like not to have a 2 as the first number in my weight. This will be the first time as an adult that I've seen that number.

I know I still have a ways to go, but I also know what it takes to get there. Determination is first and foremost. Eating right and journaling is 2nd! Exercise is tied with eating for 2nd place! This week I am taking time to celebrate. Yesterday we celebrated my husband's birthday. We enjoyed subs from Firehouse. I got the Engineer without the cheese, I just did not need the extra calories on my sandwich and the sandwich was just as good without it. I never get mayo on my sandwich. Thankfully, I lost my taste for mayo while pregnant with Cait and it never really came back. I tasted a cupcake, but did not eat the whole thing, even though it was a mini-cupcake. I picked up frozen yogurt rather than ice cream. 110 cal for 1/2 cup of Mint Cookies FroYo!  -- I celebrate the GOOD choices I made!

I'm celebrating the fact that I have been journaling since Monday, all of my food and exercise. I forgot how fun it is to see what I eat, how I eat and how to improve upon it! I also know that this is KEY for me to seeing the scale # go down!

I am celebrating that fact that I have BLOGGED this week, more than once!  GO me!!! :)

I am also celebrating the fact that I have gone to both of my Body Back classes this week AND I ran on Tuesday and Thursday, so far a total of 5 miles. Today was a 5K and it was AMAZING! We did a slow pace and then sprinted our hearts out at the end. We both were glad we got up and did it! We were both tired and grumpy, but the run improved our moods tremendously! I plan to run again tomorrow and on Sunday... hopefully I will get to 9 or 10 miles for the week. Eventually, I plan to be at 20+ miles per week, but I am not there. I am about to begin training for the Army 10 Miler.

In all journeys, there are ups and downs, peaks and valleys. If we don't celebrate even the smallest of successes, we will tend to over exaggerate our mishaps and will begin dwelling on them and filling our heads with negative self talk and doubt. By celebrating the victories, large or small, we are reminding ourselves that we in fact were made to have victories and to rejoice in them and never to take them for granted. We praise God when we celebrate our victories because He makes all things possible. I can't workout without remembering who created my legs to move and my arms to lift... how GENEROUS He was to provide me with such luxuries that not everyone else has. My prayer is that I will never take these seeming simple acts for granted, but rather that I will always be thankful, grateful and use them to further His Kingdom. I'm blessed beyond any words I could possibly write.

I can see that 199, I can taste it... now I want to FEEL IT! I say it again, because I mean it! I also KNOW I CAN do it! With God by my side, I can do anything I set my mind to do. I want to run the Army 10 Miler, and while it scares the pudding out of me, I KNOW that I can do it! I want to be under 200 lbs. I KNOW I can do it. Dedication, commitment, determination and gratitude are the ways I plan to achieve both of these goals.

As always, thank you for coming along on my journey with me! Your encouragement is so beneficial to my success. I will never take you for granted. I'm thankful you are interested in my journey and that you want to see me succeed. You help keep me accountable. THANK YOU!

It's an Honor and a Privilege

This morning, I got up and met three of my favorite people and we went running at 5:30 a.m. We ran 2 miles and then walked a bit further for our cool down. What a beautiful morning we had for running. I shed my running shirt about 1/2 a mile in. It was over 60 degrees and humid... but so beautiful! My running partners make my run so enjoyable. I did the last portion of my run in a short sprint. It felt great. My final sprint is my "get the cobwebs out" moment... it's the moment I shake everything loose, give it my all and become spent. It's the moment I EARN my cool down. It's my "miracle" moment. I hate sprinting with a passion, but I have come to love my final sprint. Panting, sweat dripping, side stitch and all... it signals I've had a good run and a strong finish.

Today was a great run because two of the people we run with, run a bit faster than me and A. They paced our first mile, and we hung back a bit on our second mile. Our first mile was under 13 -- THAT NEVER happens for me! Overall, we finished with an average time of just under 13 minutes! I'm stoked that we did so well today!

For me, running is such a privilege. I think of those who don't have the ability to run, those who are limited by medical reasons, those who are limited for any reason and I run for them! I always thought I could not run. I laugh when people tell me they can't run. I just think, if you only KNEW!!! I was only limited by my small thinking and by my self doubt. I have no medical reason why I shouldn't run. God gave me these working legs and this working and able body -- my running is Glorification of the AMAZING creator!!!  HE made my body with the ability to do these things, ALL PRAISE and HONOR and GLORY to Him! I weigh over 200 lbs... I RUN! I always said I was "too fat" to run. Um, no such thing! Trust God, He knows what your body can do and you'll be amazed at what He can sustain your body to handle!

I think of the sweet little girl, Brenda, from church this past Sunday. She is 9 years old and lives in Africa. She had to walk 1.5 miles (each way) in rough terrain to bring dirty water to her family, so they'd have water. The water bottles, filled to the top, weigh 40 lbs. Brenda can carry it half full... 20 lbs. 3 miles, at 9 years of age. Could YOU do that? Where do you think Brenda gets her strength to carry that water? God made her amazing! Fortunately for Brenda, God blessed her village and they now have a deep well with CLEAN water that is available to everyone in the village! She no longer has to make those treks. She is an example to me of what we are created to be able to endure. We have been wonderfully and beautifully made. We should never take that for granted. We should never doubt our abilities. We should never make excuses for things we "might" be able to do, if only we'd try.

My challenge, to anyone reading this... is do something difficult today. Prove to yourself that you CAN do something you may not have thought possible... maybe it is walking 1 mile, maybe it is trying a push-up or a sit-up, maybe it is a Zumba class. Let God amaze you by the abilities that He has blessed you with... stop dwelling on what you can't do and celebrate that which you CAN do!

Thanks for following my journey.  I'm going to take a moment to celebrate the fact that I have updated my blog 2 days in a row AND I have been food journaling as well!  WOOHOO!!!  I'm ready to get OUT of the 200 lbs and into "ONE"DERLAND!!!!!!

New Accountability Partner

I'm definitely more excited about staying on track, now that I have a new accountability partner. My sweet friend Katie is at the exact same place that I am on this journey. She is in a different class than I am, but I see her on her class days. We decided tonight that we are going to keep each other accountable this 8 weeks and we are going to see our goals recognized. 199 is on the radar!!! This is a very tough goal to accomplish, but we know we can do it, if we just stay on task!

If you are on your own journey, I highly recommend getting yourself an accountability person that will lift you up and empower you. Find someone who cares about your journey and wants to genuinely see you succeed! Having a supportive person on your journey is so very helpful!

I will keep you posted as we progress through our classes. Pray for me to remember FOOD IS FUEL and my body is God's Temple, I don't need to mistreat it!

Thanks for sharing my journey with me.

Joy Fit Club Goal

Today I started another 8 week session of Body Back. This time with Kathy as my instructor. I LOVE working out with Kathy. Her energy and positivity as well as her laugh are just infectious! Working out with her is like breathing in fresh air! She was my kickboxing instructor and she is the one who taught me to kick through a block of wood!  I'm thrilled to be reunited with someone who has taught me so much.

I am so close to getting myself into the Joy Fit Club. You have to lose over 100 lbs. and do it all through diet and exercise! 75 lbs is SO close! I must refocus and get myself over the hump. I need to get out of the 200's and I KNOW I can do it! It definitely is not easy.

Of course, this morning, I cracked my pinky toe on a door frame (1:30 am -- fun) -- so I wasn't able to run this morning, but I did all of the rest of the assessments. 1:33 on my plank, which I had to do using ONE leg. The injured foot was resting on top of that one supporting leg. Push ups were a challenge on one leg. I was only able to get 5 good ones in... my goal is 20 good ones for the end of the session assessments!

Help keep me on my path!!! I WANT this!!!!

Run after Rain

Great quick 1.3 mile run after the rain yesterday. Just wanted a quick cardio boost before going to play at a friend's house for the evening. I never regret a run! I'm so thankful for legs that work. I hope to never take them for granted! And if for any reason, I ever lose my legs, I pray that will have the determination to learn to walk and run on prosthetics! Running is my "ME" time when I just get to let everything go and focus on my relationship with God. And if I run with my friends, it is my time to listen to them and enjoy their company.

Keep On Running and Running

Another great 3 mile morning run with a sprint at the finish. This morning my run was with Sarah... my sorority sister and now sole sister! I want to start pushing a little further with my run, maybe trying to tack on another mile! We are training for the Army 10 Miler. We need to start upping our mileage to prepare for that intimidating race.

I feel so great after a run. I'm so thankful for a great place to run and great friends to run with in the mornings. I'm thankful for the beautiful weather we have been having. This week felt great! 5 days of great workouts.

I'm really feeling the need for a night out at a club. I love dancing. I'm not necessarily great at it, but I LOVE IT, and I love the cardio workout I get... 2-3 straight hours of dancing.  You can't get a more fun cardio workout than that!

I'm trying to find little ways to add more cardio in each and every day... you know Kickin it up a Notch! ;)

I had a fantastic eating day yesterday. Stayed on task, wrote everything in my journal. Getting myself back on track so that I can see another significant loss and hopefully make it to my next goal, very very soon.

Hoping to have a great weekend and find a way to add in extra cardio. Rest day on Sunday! :)

Hold The Bus

Well, this morning a dose of reality slapped me in the face. I had WEIGHT GAIN!!!!!  EEEEKKKK -- did it throw me into a tail spin?  NO!  Why not?  Because, I have goals I am BOUND and DETERMINED to reach. Today's slap in the face was nothing but a great wake up call that I need to be more in control of my Journey. I need to be more focused. I went directly to the grocery store and filled my cart with my favorite healthy foods. NO JUNK!

Happily, I'm back to my regular workout schedule and now back to eating healthy and journaling. My goals are within reach, I just need to stay on course! No need to beat myself up over the gain... just need to remind myself I'm worth the changes and worth the effort!

SHAKA STAYS WITH VCU!!!

OK, so you may wonder how the title of this post has ANYTHING to do with my journey. Hang with me and you'll see!

I have a deep admiration for Shaka Smart, head coach of the VCU Men's Basketball team. Just in his third season, Coach Smart has changed VCU Men's Basketball from a sub-par mid-major team, to a mid-major team that can take on ANY other team with a very good chance of winning, no matter who the opponent. Coach Smart has taken the team to the Big Dance two years running and even made a Final Four appearance in 2011. This year he lead one of the youngest teams in the NCAA to the Big Dance where they beat a number 5 seed and then came just 3 points shy of moving on to the Sweet 16.

Now, my admiration for Coach Smart actually has very little to do with his success here in VCU Ramnation, but rather more to do with his style of coaching and his obvious love for his work. If you watch college basketball, chances are you've seen puffy, red faced, older gentlemen losing their temper, throwing their hands up in frustration and screaming at the refs. If you watch Shaka Smart during a game, that's not at all what you see. Coach Smart has a coolness about him. He carries himself with poise and with quiet resolve. He doesn't blow up when a needed shot fails to drop or when a unnecessary foul is called. He does not yell in the face of his athletes. He does not scream at the referees. However, he is passionate. In intense moments, you will see him bend at the knees, lean forward on the line and look like he may, himself, jump out on that floor for an assist! You will see him smile in a moment of frustration. You will see him hug a player who just missed his foul shots. You notice Coach Smart, because he is different. You notice his grace and his poise. You notice his positivity and his humility. You can see genuine love for his players and for his job. He has a heart. He cares for more than a pay check. He cares about people.  He is authentic.

For a year now, I have been on my journey to become healthy and fit. I'm half way to my weight goal. I run 3 miles with relative ease. I can do full sit ups for a minute without stopping. I can jump up onto something with 2 feet (for me, this is a monumental task). I knocked over 3 minutes off of my 1/2 mile run. I did not do this without help. Just as the VCU Men's Basketball Team did not make it to the Big Dance without help. Like the Rams, I've been coached on my journey. I've had 3 coaches on my journey. Two of my coaches embrace the same style of coaching as Shaka Smart. Rather than brow beat me, put me down, belittle me, they build me up. They remind me of my strengths, they help me push through my weaknesses. They empower me. They do not instill fear in me, but rather build respect by respecting me and working with me and for me. There are moments when they may want to strangle me or when they have to get tough on me, but it comes from a place of genuine care. I know that they want to see me succeed. They aren't just trying to get me through that class, they are helping me build a healthy life. They are giving me tools to succeed in life, just as Coach Smart mentors his team.

With coaches like Smart, Rachel Pustilnik and Kelly Connors, I am inspired to work harder. I want to learn more. I want to take their style of coaching and apply it to my parenting. There is so much we can learn from this type of authenticity and integrity. Coach Smart turned down a reported $2.5 million job in bigger city and better conference, to stay here at VCU with his team. That, folks, is what it is all about. Money does not happiness make. And Coach Smart, once again, showed the world that sometimes having less is more in the grand scheme of things, and that people matter more than an indulgent paycheck. He showed his team what loyalty is and that he believes in them. My coaches believing in me has been a HUGE part of my success. What he has done for his players by staying at VCU will be monumental in their personal successes, not just in basketball, but in life. He has taught us all a valuable lesson.  Thanks Coach Smart, for being such a great example to all of us.

Thanks Kelly & Rachel for believing in me, for putting up with my excuses, for reminding me I'm worth it and for never giving up on me. I could not have made it this far without you!

A Beautiful Morning Run

I love starting my day with a run. This morning it was nearly 60 degrees on our run. Short sleeves and capris were required for this morning's run. We cut back to 2 miles for time's sake today. We ran them pretty quickly (by my standards), we were definitely under 12 minutes per mile, or close to it! We finished with a nice walk and some stretching. You know there are mornings when I don't want to run, but the saying is true... "You'll never regret a run." I love the post run high.

This week I have worked out 5 consecutive days. This is the FIRST time in THREE weeks that I have done that! It feels so good to be back in the swing of things. Now let's hope I drop those last 13.5 pounds to get me under 200 lbs. THAT is the goal. 199.5 by the middle of April. I'm pretty sure it is doable!  MUST FOOD JOURNAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have an AMAZING weekend. I sure wish I was doing the 8K this weekend!!! I hope all of my friends who are running it have a great time!!! <3

It's been a year...

A lot has happened in 1 year. I started this journey on March 1 2011. I didn't know exactly where it would take me or what would happen. I had no idea if I would stick with it. I had no idea if I could be successful with getting healthy. I just knew it was time to try.

Here we are one year later. On March 8, I did my weigh in... happily, I can report that in 1 year, I lost 75 lbs. and am half way to my weight goal. I weighed in at 213 lbs. down from 288! I had wanted to be 100 lbs. down by March 1, however, I am THRILLED to celebrate 75 lbs. gone!

Looking forward, I have to set some goals and recommit myself to my journey. My goals vary in nature, but I'll post them here and I ask that you help keep me accountable!

Goals of 2012:
Blog at least once per week.
Food Journal DAILY (all day EVERY DAY).
Meal Plan for the week with a grocery list.
Cardio Exercise at least 45 minutes 5 times per week, six if time permits.
Get my FAMILY in the gym.
Participate in family walks and games in the yard (basketball, frisbee, soccer).
Daily Devotional, time with God... this should be my #1 goal, with my fitness & food goals following close behind.
GET OUT OF 200!!!!!!!!! (FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!)


OK, those are my goals. And I ask for your help in seeing these goals met. Your encouragement is so helpful to me along the way. I rejoice in the goals I have met and look forward to the goals I've set to achieve. My life is so blessed and I need to spread those blessings to others. Let me know how I can pray for you and help you with accountability in your own goals!

Thanks for walking this journey with me and seeing me through. Please continue on with me and I promise to be better about keeping up with my blog! I'll post menus/recipes and other things a long the way. You all ROCK!!!  My 18 faithful friends!!!  Thanks for all you do for me! :)

Beautiful Run

So happy I got up and ran this morning! May not have been fast, but it sure was enjoyable! I love having a running partner who goes with me on my runs. It makes it even more fun!

Tomorrow I RUN!!!

I am so ready to put my head on my pillow, so that I can drift off to dreamland!  Sweet rest before my early morning run.  It has been a week since my last run. That is entirely TOO long! My legs seem to be looking forward to this run as well. I love the route we take on our 3 mile loop.  If I'm feeling strong and our time is good, I may push it to 4 miles tomorrow. It will probably be icy cold in the morning, but I don't even care. I have come to love and appreciate running. I'm not fast, I'm not trying to win any races. I just want to get out there, breathe in the air and move my body. I love the high that I get following a run. It is like no other feeling I've felt before.

I'll be honest. I'm NOT looking forward to my 1/2 mile run on Thursday. I REALLY hate pushing it on my runs. I've trained myself to enjoy running and thus I want to run at a pace where I can breathe and talk easily. Doing my assessment 1/2 mile is a PUSH, it's very uncomfortable and I usually head into an asthma attack (due to running fast in the REALLY cold morning air). Rachel, my trainer, has been having us sprint more in class recently. I'm finding that I like the powerful feeling I get when I push my sprint... granted, we are INSIDE for these sprints I am speaking of... the 1/2 mile is outside in the elements.

I'm ready for warm weather to return. I'm looking forward to running with less clothes on. I'm especially looking forward to running at the beach again this summer. I am so thankful that I have finally discovered the love behind running. It is truly wonderful!  NOW, when my alarm goes off at 4:40, I pray I remember these sentiments!

Good Night, folks! Sweet dreams!

Missed 2 days in a ROW!

So I missed group work out yesterday morning, due to exhaustion. We went to a VCU basketball game, and got an unexpected workout. We pulled into the parking garage across from the Seigle Center and drove to the top floor... there were ZERO parking spaces! This was AFTER we paid to park in that garage. So, we drove down, got a refund, dropped off our passengers and we drove around and around and around looking for a spot to park. Keep in mind, I have on BOOTS with a HEEL! We parked about 1.5 miles away from the venue. Thus I got an extra 3 mile workout in on Wednesday (after an early morning run). In order to make up for the missed class, I did a 100's class of my own... my husband my witness! OH MY GRACIOUS, I was soaked in sweat when I was done! :) I felt good that I took the initiative to work out. However, I was mad that I did not hold my plank for more than 1 minute 45 seconds.

So, last night was a rough one. We didn't get into bed until late... as soon as we did get to bed, one of the kids came into our bed sad and congested. Meanwhile, the youngest was coughing her croupy cough all night long! Then my son ended up in our bed. I did NOT make it to Booty Blast this morning. My goal is to get in some sort of exercise today (maybe Zumba), to make up for my missed class. Tomorrow is a crazy day, so I don't know that I'll get my 3.5 mile run in... I HAVE to make time to do that this weekend!

Sometimes I feel like my life is SO busy I just can't fit it all in. However, I also find that a blessing, my life is THAT full!!!

I'm Still Here!

Have you missed me? I'm still trucking along! I'm stalled at 67 lb. mark. I hope to see a loss this week! I'm  still running and I've taken up ZUMBA, which I enjoy so much! This week I'll begin facilitating a class. Our book will be the "90 Day Fitness Challenge" -- I am excited to see lives changed! I also wanted to invite you all to watch my story Sunday, February 5 online @ High Impact Church There will be 2 opportunities to tune in: 11 a.m. EST or 9 p.m. EST.

Thanks for checking in on me! I am 1 month away from my 1 year anniversary of the beginning of this journey!