Wednesday, May 9, 2012

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!

Monday, May 7, 2012

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!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

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!

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

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!!!!!!