>Out with '09

>And in with 2010!
Happy New Year!               

 I hope the new year brings everyone good health and much happiness!

>Note to gym goers

>If you have a terrible case of gas, please refrain from spending too much time on the treadmill (especially next to ME!!!).
Holy-canolli! There was a lady next to me at the gym tonight and I swear something died inside her. I had to keep my sweat towel over my nose for the better part of my 1.5 miles. It was THAT BAD!
So, my advice....
If you even think you might pass gas uncontrollably while working out, just stay home. Really, just buy some workout dvd's and do it in the privacy of your own home because I can assure you that (me) and all other gym rats will appreciate it!!!

Just sayin'!! ;)

>My goals for 2010

>Tonight I went to the gym for the first time in days. As hard as it was I managed to run 5.42 miles in just a few seconds over an hour. On my drive home I had time to think about my running. I also thought a lot about my goals for 2010.  I say for 2010 because I don't have a date set to accomplish these goals but they are things I hope to get done in 2010 even if it takes me the entire year.  I will succeed.

1. to lose 30-35 more pounds
2. to run a 5k race in 35-37  minutes
3. run an 8k race
4. run a 10k race
5. begin training for a half marathon

There I've said it. Those are my goals for 2010.

I don't plan to mark a date for any of them (at least not for now) but I do hope to get them all done in the up coming year. I will track my progress on each here on my blog. I won't be posting any "New Year's Resolutions" because I haven't ever really stuck with resolutions. I have worked harder to meet certain goals I have set for myself. So, in 2010 I am going to work hard and succeed at all of my goals!

>I lied.

>And at least I can admit it! ha ha
I know I said I was going to post daily about what's going on with me working out and all the eating..blah blah
Right. So, in case any of you don't know...
It is the holiday season!
Are you like me at all and just get slightly overwhelmed by how much you actually have to do?
Between working full time, trying to manage a family (and with the help of my loving husband), working out and all the other stuff in between I just haven't had the time to sit down and write many blog posts. When I do have the time (which I rarely do) it's times like now while I am sneaking to do it from work! yikes. Luckily it helps (a little) to be related (by marriage) to the boss. :)

Anyway, I have worked out some and of course not nearly as much as I wish I was working out. Like I have said, like you all have said... working out SOME is better than NONE. Last night my hubby and I took the kids over to their grandparent's house and did a couple hours of Christmas shopping. It would have been very easy to let hubby talk me into just going home and being lazy afterwards. I didn't though. Instead he dropped me off at the gym before going to pick up the kids. I got a good 45 minute workout done on the elliptical machine. The only reason that disappoints me is because I wish I was running for 45 minutes. I really want to improve my running. So, tonight I plan to run. I am going to start back to week 6, day 2 of the Couch to 5k program.

As far as eating goes, it hasn't been great. I am concious of what I do eat for the most part. I am not losing but I am not gaining. I don't mind maintaining. Never before have I ever maintained through the holidays so I am pleased with that. My goal for now is TO maintain through Christmas. I'm not worried about dieting right now and really don't think I will be after Christmas. I think I will just go back to the more healthy way of eating and remind myself that it's a lifestyle change that matters.

So, that's that. I lied. I'm moving on. I will do my best to post when I can. :)

>This cold, wet weather makes me want to sleep.

>And when I left work today I was thinking of nothing but the fact that I really wanted so bad to come home and throw on my pjs and sit my butt in my favorite comfy chair with my feet up for the night.

I didn't do that.
Instead I came right in the door and got my gym clothes on. My hubby had dinner ready, I skipped. Hubby and the kids ate and we then headed out the door TO THE GYM! :)

I love being able to take the family to the gym. The kids can run around and play in the childcare there and hubby and I get to workout. We don't really work out together but knowing he is there (and rooting for me) is enough for me to know how supported by him that I am. That's a huge help in this process for me.

I had a pretty good workout. I did 5.25 miles on the elliptical machine in about 53 minutes. I felt strong and probably could have done another 2 miles or so but it was time to get the kids and head home. I didn't track calories burned but I know I burned enough to make a difference (at least a difference in my mind...lol). I need to really step up the strength training and get some weight lifting going on but I feel so intimidated by those machines!  I will get there. Right now I am just taking it one day at a time and one workout at a time.

The main thing is that I overcame how I felt when I left work this evening and got my workout in. That counts!

>Weekend Review

>Friday - I'm coaching Annabelle's basketball team. It's an Upward league and since hubby decided last year to not help coach again this year a friend and I decided we would. I was nervous! I've never done anything like that and don't know a whole lot about basketball. Thanks to my wonderful hubby all went well. That was about all the exercise I got in Friday but it's much better than going home and plopping my big rear in front of the tv all night.

Saturday - I ran 2.75 miles on the treadmill and did a little (very little) arm work. It was a light workout but I did feel like my run was pretty good. Hubby worked out on the machine beside me and while I didn't see him he said he kept looking over and giving the thumbs up while I was running. :)

Sunday - rest day. I usually don't do a lot on Sunday as far as working out or running goes unless I have a race coming up. I've taken a break from running any races for a bit so therefore I rested yesterday.

I'm back on track with my eating today and have so far logged everything into Spark People! I may or may not get to work out this evening. I had planned to get up and hit the gym early but my bed was just so warm and comfy (read- I'm a slacker in the mornings!). Hubby has a football banquet tonight and won't be home until late. Normally I would go to the banquet with him but I won't be able to go tonight because someone has to keep the kids and our previous plan for a sitter has changed. So, I am thinking that after the kids are settled in bed I can pop in a Biggest Loser dvd or something and get in some kind of exercise. I will let you know what I end up doing. I feel good for today. Now I am off to chug the water!

>Lesson learned

>Today was a busy day for me. I never made it on Spark People to log my food. I'm not so sure that was a bad thing. I had to take my son to work with me today since he isn't enrolled in pre-school/extended stay on Friday's and my Friday sitter was unable to watch him. On days he goes with me it's really close to impossible for my day to be anywhere close to normal. I ran out of the house without having packed lunch or breakfast. I even left my water bottle sitting on the counter. What did I do? I did manage to pack Peanut plenty of snacks! ha imagine that! 

To say today was good foodwise would be a complete and total lie. As a matter of fact I am going to go ahead and lay it all out here and tell you what I did eat today. What have I got to lose really? Well, besides the obvious (weight)!?  Being honest with you keeps me more honest with myself (or something like that. lol). So, because I was late and needed to eat and because my 3 yr old was "beggin" for me to stop I pulled the car into McD's on the way into work. I didn't do horrible but  not good either. I got myself ONE of their breakfast burritos...not the mackdaddy one but the smaller sausage/egg version. I can't recall the calories but I did eat 3/4s of the burrito. I also purchased a yogurt parfait to have for a mid/late morning snack. Again, not horrible. In fact I love the yogurt/fruit combo and I think the one from McD's is about 150 calories or so. It's not too bad really.

So what made my day so bad in regards to food? Well, my beloved 3 yr old son has a true love for Chick Fil A. If you don't have those near you...be glad! The place is pure evil, but it can be healty. I promised him lunch there.  Yes, I  know what you are thinking now. "Good grief, fast food junkie. Does this woman know how bad that stuff is?" YES, I am fully aware. Trust me, our family does make more healthy food choices on a regular basis than we do poor choices. In fact, my son's fave thing to eat at home is bbq chicken and steamed brocolli. No, I didn't make that up to make myself look good. Anyway, rather than get the grilled chicken salad with fat free dressing like I KNOW I should have gotten I chose the number 1...:( Shame on me. I felt horrible about it all day long. Frankly, I still feel awful about it.

I wouldn't normally let a day's food choices make me feel so bad, but I did also make a trip to Starbucks tonight. Did I choose my normal drink (Skinny Vanilla Latte of 90 calories)?? You guessed it! Nope. 300+ calories in my tall Peppermint White Mocha.   Can you say glutton? Yep, that was me today. And here I sit at midnight spilling my guts to you (whoever you are ;)  -thanks) about my poor choices with food today. I feel like crap. I feel guilty. I feel like mush.

But it is just ONE day. Tomorrow is a new day (didn't I say that yesterday?). And my day will start on the treadmill at my gym. I don't even care how cold it is out in the morning or how bad I want to stay cuddled in bed with my 3 loves. I made a vow yesterday to do better and to say I blew it today...well, that may be true but what I can do is to choose to NOT blow tomorrow by waking up tomorrow and being proud of how far I have gotten. I have worked hard. It's time to quit playing games (gees, how many times is she going to say that?). What I have learned from today is that I can't let all of my will power go out the window. Afterall my will power and determination is what helped me lose 30 lbs to begin with. And my motivation and drive is what has helped me add to the miles run in my ticker.

So, here's to a new day! ;)

Thanks for all the support from those that read here. It is appreciated!

>What can I say...

>I'm a total slacker.

I've slacked in posting here for many reasons.  Do you want me to even go about listing them all? HA!

I feel unmotivated most days, especially lately. In the last two weeks I have worked out/ran twice. Yep, you read that right....TWICE. The day before Thanksgiving and Tuesday of this week were my only two days of running. I know, I know.. I keep saying, "this week I am going to step it up." I don't. Well, not really. I did run 5.54 miles Tuesday but really is that stepping it up? I think not. I could use all the classic excuses like, "my family is just so busy" or "the holidays have hit and there is just so much to prepare for," but really!? Excuses are lame. All of them.

I haven't taken measurements in who knows how long. I haven't felt like it. Lately I feel like a pile of mushy and who wants to unclothe and ask their hubby to measure all the mushy parts? Not me, especially since I have only worked out twice in two weeks and we are only a week out from Thanksgiving. I don't think I am really afraid to see my measurements. I'm positive they won't be bigger than the last measurements I took. I'm just afraid (well not really afraid more like I dread) what the measurements will be mainly because if they aren't down at all I will feel even more like a failure than I already feel. Ya know!?

I've pretty much maintained my current weight since about October or it may be September. I can't recall and I didn't go back to look. At any rate, I don't think maintaining is a bad thing. I have fluctuated up and down around the same number. That's fine. BUT I really am ready to see the scale move down and continue to move. So what does that mean? Well, that means that I have to quit just saying, "I'm going to step it up." It is so easy to SAY those things but I'm telling you it is hard to actually DO it. Surely, I am not the only one who struggles. So, what is it you DO to actually get the job done? I need your ideas!

Yes, I am a busy person. Yes, I work full time and have a family life once I get off work. I am my daughter's Girl Scout troop leader and now (starting tomorrow, I'm scared to death actually) her Upwards Basketball coach (I may not have mentioned that I have never coached a thing before.. and I never played basketball)!! But I can't use those things as excuses to not "step it up and get the job done" when it comes to me and this crazy weight loss journey I have been dealing with for far too long. Right?! Right. So, no matter what... and you can even remind me (if anyone still reads here) that I am on a journey and there is a goal to be made. I want to reach the goal sooner rather than later and that means everything starts NOW.

No matter what I will post here daily if only to check in with myself (or you if you're reading) whether it is to discuss what I am eating or my exercise for the day or just how I am feeling about life in general. And I will stop being such a slacker. Period. :)

>I finished standing...

>Is about all I could say after my 5k race yesterday.
To say it was easy would be a lie. It was tough. The course was much harder in some spots than I imagined it would be. My hubby and I scoped out the course Saturday when we were out and about and at first I thought, "I can do this. It will be okay." And even when we got there I was fine.

But holy moly it was really tougher than it looked. There were some pretty steep hills UP and not quite as many down. It started off up hill and finished up hill. Finishing up hill was not great for me. I had it set in my mind that I would sprint the last little bit to the finish line because that would help me gain some lost time. Well, I couldn't gain any momentum going up that hill.

I was pretty disappointed after the race. Actually I was disappointed headed to the finish line. When I saw the clock and saw that it was over 38 minutes I was upset with myself. I kept thinking, "I should have pushed myself a lot harder. I should not have made excuses during certain parts and slowed down." But once I got home and thought about the fact that a year ago I was by no means a runner, I was proud. This was my third 5K for just this year.

I won't say that going into it I didn't have high expectations for myself. I did. But that was until I had sat around most of the morning thinking about it and got myself a wee bit nervous. It was raining all morning and cold. I had never ran (a race) in the rain or really the cold. So, that got me just a little on edge. When we got there and registered I was glad there was a timing chip. Sometimes at smaller race events you won't get a timing chip. I like to have one so I can get a more accurate time!

Anyway, my hubby finished at around 31-32 minutes and was waiting on me and at the finish. He said the clock looked like it was about 39 minutes but under 40. I got an unofficial time from someone and was told 40:05 was my time. While I am still a little disappointed in my time I am still happy that I did finish standing and I was not the very last person (who still finished, too!!!) across the finish line. I am hoping that I can get some official results and photos soon.

I am thankful that my hubby and friend ran this race with me too. We were so tired when we got home last night. We were both very sore too. My guess is that it was all the darn hills! I had thought about doing another run locally in a few weeks BUT after this one I have decided that I want to forgo any competitive running (if I can even call it that, it is a race after all) for now and stick with running because it's good for me. My goals until the end of the year are to work harder to better myself as far as running goes and to become stronger. I also want to step up the strength training workouts in hopes to tone some of the areas I have neglected the last several months.

Hubby and myself, pre-race. 

>Gobble, Gobble

>

I have another 5k race coming up this weekend.

I am going to be running the Turkey Trot. 

I had originally said that I want to make it in about 35 minutes. The reason for that is because my race in October I finished in 38:59. Well, I would just like to say that as long as the clock reads anything under 38 minutes when I cross the finish line I will be quite happy. :)

For the Komen 5k we had timing chips. That will not be the case for this weekend's race. I am a little nervous about that. Hubby told me that as long as I hit my watch right when I cross the start I should get an accurate reading. I know he is right, BUT at the Komen race someone bumped my arm and my watch stopped timing me (or at least I thought it stopped timing me. I won't worry too much. maybe. I just want to feel like I am successful. I am happy to say that my hubby and my friend, Toni, are running with me.

I love the feeling of having someone I am close to with me for something like this. I am sure both of them will whizz right by me but that's okay. They will be there with me when I start and when I finish.

Running

As far as running goes this week I did 4.82 miles last night at 12:05 pace. Not too bad considering I had to take a potty break (which never happens) at around mile 2.75. 

Tonight I am going to meet my friend, Toni and hubby is going to write us up a kettle bell workout with either some sprints or agility drills or some kind of running. We did a kettle bell workout together last week that I thought was going to kill us both. ha ha We made it through though. AND she wants to workout with me again so I didn't completely run her off. Whew.

The Scale

It hasn't really been moving in the downward slope like I want it to lately. I am not going to let it bother me (very much) because I kow I am working hard (at least in the gym). I know I need to step up my eating plan a little or at least devise a better plan. 

I was trying to record my food into Spark People and still plan to use that but I am not sure what I am doing is really working to my advantage. I would love to hear any hints from you guys as far as eating/diets go. 

As always, I will keep ya posted!  

>I could have ran forever....

>or I felt that way.

Last night at the gym I was doing my usual run. I noticed to my left the thin, blonde trainer lady that I find to be a little intimidating. I glanced over, smiled and went about my running. I noticed she got on an elliptical a machine over from the treadmill I was on. She finished her workout and I was still running.

The next thing I know she was walking towards my machine. And you know how weird that can be. I found myself wondering for a half second whether I should stop my music, slow down or what. She came right over to me and the conversation (all 53 seconds of it) went like this:

svelt trainer lady: "I just wanted to tell you that you are a great runner."
Me (um yes, ME!!): "Thank you, that's so nice."
stl: smiled at me
Me: "I rarely feel that way, so thank you for that, it means a lot!"
STL: "You really look great. Keep up the great work."

WOW! I was speechless, but let me tell you I felt like from that moment on I could have kept on running forever. It was definitely the boost I needed to get my big ol' booty through that 5K loop I set the treadmill to in the 37:50.... my pace was 11:47 per mile. I actually ran 3.21 miles last night.

So, with that proud moment I just want to say, "Thank you, sweet trainer lady that works at my gym!!! You totally my made night!"

And now I need to find out her name so that I can quit calling her trainer lady! ha ha

>And I was worried about men in bushes...

>Do you remember Thursday when I said I was kinda scared about running the park in the evening alone?
Well, I went. I noticed as I pulled into the lot across the street to park that there was a new bride and her groom in the park. I also noted the photographers and what appeared to be family members and a small wedding party.

NO big deal, right!?!

I started my run off in the opposite direction of the little gathering. I thought that surely by the time I got the first mile done and came back around they would be done. I was so wrong. I couldn't cross the bridge to go to the other side of the park at all. Again, no big deal. I told myself, "I'm a big girl. I have my Blackberry on me in case I need to make an emergency phone call should one of those men in the bushes jump out at me. So, I will just take the road around to the other end of the trail." I was doing so good and felt great. My time was okay, or it seemed it was. I wasn't really timing myself just kind of going with the flow of my music. That was all fine and good until I crossed the street. A mud hole found my shoe.

My run was doomed from there on out and all I could think was, "who in the heck gets married on a Thursday!?!?!?"  My shoe. The entire rest of my run was me being ill about my shoe. I swear (and you can see) that it looked like a large infant had a bad case of diahrea on my beloved runners. I was miserable.

I finished my run. I got in my car and dialed up my hubby. I gave him an earful (like it was his fault.. lol). He assured me that my shoes would be fine. He could get them clean. I had little to no hope in what he was telling me.
But, he was right. He is the sweetest. He cleaned my shoe with a toothbrush! It was sparkly and shiny and new again. :) I was again a happy runner.
And to think it was men hiding in bushes waiting to jump out and get me that I was so worried about. It never occurred to me that mud could be just as dangerous!

>Weight Update

>I haven't posted a weight update in a while. I thought now would be a good time to do so. Eating has gone okay lately. I have been using a combo of JM and SparkPeople logging what I eat everyday. It seems to be working well. I would really like to be at my first goal of 185 by Christmas. That would leave about 10 pounds to lose between now and then. Which means today I weighed  in at ....

195.6

Not too bad! However, I have a dreaded visitor here for a few days and she has already began to cause me issues today! Ha ha I admit to having had ONE Lofthouse frosted cookie. But I did limit myself to one so that's a good thing, right?

Tomorrow is a new day!

>I'm kinda skeered

>That's country for scared! ha ha

My sweet hubby is picking my kids up from school today and going home. This means I won't have to do any running around (the errand sort of running) when I get off. SO, I thought I would go ahead and get my real running (the exercise sort) done for the day.

I have two choices:

#1 - the lovely treadmill at my beloved gym

or

#2- the park!

Now, I am leaning towards the park for numerous reasons. Like, I need to run outside and get my lungs adjusted to the cooler temps. It's a beautiful day here. I hate going to the gym when it is so crowded and it will be crowded around 5pm. So, see I have good reasons for wanting to go to the park. But here is what is holding me back...

Don't laugh, please.

I have this silly fear that someone will jump out of the bush and get me. I know, crazy right!!?!
Someone tell me I will be fine. There will be other runners, walkers and bikers there. The park will be full of families and bouncing children.

No one will get me, right!?! ha ha

>Running feels good...

>and I got proof of that last night!

I haven't posted in a while. I have been in a slump all around...blogging, dieting, running... you name it and I have slumped at it!

Last night was the first time I hit the gym in several days. Booo! I made the excuse that I was just so tired. I know that usually even if I am tired if I go to the gym and get started I will feel better. Well, that's how I felt last night. I have been so busy with working, taking care of the family and all the other things I have going on (like Girl Scout troop leader and all those crazy meetings! ha) that I just made excuses not to go to the gym. Last night I went.

I seriously was SO very proud of myself. I have a goal. You all know I have a goal. I want to run my next 5k in about 35 minutes. That would be about 3 minutes or so off my last 5k time of 38:59 which I just did on October 24th.  Well, last night I hopped on the treadmill and put a podcast on that had 5 and 8 minute running and walking intervals. I went into it thinking I would listen to the girl chime in and do the workout to slowly build myself back up before my next race since I hadn't ran in several days I thought that was a good way to think. Let me tell you!

I didn't listen to that girl. When she said slow down and walk, I did NOT slow down and walk. Nope. I kept going! I ran my first mile last night in 12:10!! That is by far my quickest time! I completed the entire 5k (3.1 miles)  in 37:05! Best time yet! I felt sooooooo very good afterwards. I jumped in the car after I left the gym and called my hubby because I was so excited.

Motivation to keep going! If I can run one mile in 12:10 then I should be able to run my next 5k in 36:30... BUT that means working really hard! I plan to do just that! Work hard.

One last thing....I wanted to share this quote that was emailed to me by a fellow runner and blogger Soul From My Soles.

  “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall”. 

~Confuscius 

I won't fail. NO way NO how. 

>I've got goals...

>and dang it I want to reach them!!!

Why is it some days it seems like those goals are so far away?

I know that patience will pay off. I know that a slow weight loss is better than a rapid one.  But it isn't so much that I want to lose weight (which I desperately need to do) but more that I have running goals I want to reach and feel like I won't.

Last night after work, I picked up my son and we headed to the track. Man, it was tough. I don't know if my legs are still tired from Saturday's race and Tuesday's workout (probably just an excuse) or if trying to run while dealing with the kids or the track surface... but I barely made 1.75 miles in 20 minutes. I was majorly disappointed. I cannot understand WHY the race Saturday felt so much easier than my last two runs have felt. The race course involved hills up and down and yet looking back on that I feel like I am in a dream and someone lied to me about how long it took me to run! ha ha

As far as goals go I want so badly to run the next 5k I plan to do (November 22nd) in about 35 minutes. At this point I can't seem to even get myself convinced that I will make that goal. I know, I know... there is still time. I know, just keep working.  But man my legs hurt!! Am I just a big baby? Am I worrying too soon?

I don't know the answers I am asking myself and I don't expect anyone else to either. I just know that I have a goal and by George I plan to keep working until I reach it. :) So, stay tuned.

>5K update - Official Time

>I didn't want to edit yesterday's post so I thought I would just do a new one to update my time. I got the official results this morning.

38:59.05

>I Raced for the Cure....

>

and I sincerely hope they find one!

I had set a goal of $150 as my personal fundraising efforts but thanks to some fantastic friends, family and bloggers I exceeded my goal and raised $400! Thank you everyone for your support!!

I woke up at 5:50 am this morning to get ready for my race.We were to meet my great friend and race buddy (Toni) at 6:45 am. I got all of my stuff together last night and had two choices of outfits to wear. The only thing I couldn't find was my watch. I really needed it to help keep track of my time. I was bummed as it was nearing midnight and I couldn't find my watch to save my life.

My wonderful hubby, who had just walked in the door from coaching a football game, graciously grabbed the keys and headed to Walmart to pick me up a new watch. Love him!! :)

I went to bed with a bundle of nerves and woke up relaxed.

I didn't get nervous again until we got to the start line!

Runners ----> That's us!

Toni and I headed out for a warm up jog. It was still dark out!

Running in memory of my Nana who lost her battle to breast cancer in January of 2008.

Where's Waldo?? Ha ha

Can you spot me in the pink hat?

Approaching the finish line...Notice thelady in black with her hand out..

I kicked it up a few notches and ran right past her. ;)

Crossed the line at 39:20.

I had a personal goal of 38 minutes but told myself I would be thrilled with anything under 40 even if it was 39:59! Yay, I did it! My last 5k time was over 43 mins..so this was a huge improvement since July!

Between a smile and tears.

My wonderful hubby and I. Thank you, Justin for supporting me 100% every step of the way.

I can't think of anyone else I would want by my side. xoxo

Me and the kids post race!

We were sure to stop by the Pink Ribbon tent to pick up tees for them. :)

These babies are tired tonight!!

I was sweating really bad afterwards. Funny, my friend's hubby said, "Man, your hat is so ruined!"

I thought he meant just wet.  I took it off when I got home and then noticed the discoloration!

It's going straight in the washer!

Toni and I. Thank you my friend for doing this with me.

I appreciate you. It means so much to me that you too wore a sign on your back in memory of my Nana.

I am looking forward to our next race! Rock it!

>What's going on.....

>I haven't posted in a while about what's going on with me as far as what I am eating, my weight or my working out/running progress. I thought I would do that now. lol

My current weight : 196.6

Normally I weigh in on Fridays but decided to take a gander at the scale this morning. Since I hadn't posted a current weight in a while I took today's as my weigh in weight. Not bad. I wish I was closer to 190 right now though. Slow progress is much better than no progress though.

I plan to also get hubby to take my measurements this weekend and will post them next week. I am not sure they have changed much but it's worth taking them to find out.


As far as my food goes, I do a little of the JM plan and I do a little of Spark People. Either way I am watching and logging what I eat. I think it helps! 

Running: Just some thoughts on it. 
I have been running off and on for a while now, completed 2 5K's in the last couple of years... when can I officially call myself a runner? ha ha 
Saturday is my 3rd 5K and for whatever reason this time I am sooooo very nervous! It's all I can think about this week. Will I beat my last 5K time? Is it going to rain like the weather man predicts? How will I handle that? Should I run tonight as planned? Should I just take it easy and not run/exercise at all tomorrow? What do I eat? Ugh, it is totally consuming my thoughts this week. I don't know if I am afraid of disappointing my friend running with me or myself or my husband. I don't know what in the world it will be like to be in a race so big (12K people!). I know in my mind that I am stressing and making myself nervous over nothing. I know I should just enjoy the race. I plan to do just that! :) 

Anyway, my goal is to NOT take a huge running break after Saturday. Yes, I will rest Sunday and even thought about resting Monday then realized it's just a 5K. It isn't like I am running a marathon. I haven't even thought about ever doing that actually. A half marathon... maybe but I need to get more comfortable with running. I just may need an extra push this time next week when my brain says, "it's okay you finished the race, take a break." Uh uh uh... keep on moving! So, someone, anyone.. if you read this... please whatever you do.....

REMIND ME OF THAT!!!!

thanks. ;)

Stay tuned for race pictures and details.

>PFG's taking care of your hands....

>

Just go here and check out this giveaway!

>Merry Christmas!!!

>

What, you mean it isn't Christmas yet??

Well, it sure feels like it outside where I live.

It is soooo cold.

And, I got a present.

My wonderful hubby surprised me Saturday morning with an early Christmas gift.

I was so shocked. I cried even.

He was so sweet too,

"I support you 100% in all that you do. And I love you! So, here is an early Christmas gift!"

So, aren't they just awesome?

New Oakley shades just for running! Yay!

And in time for my Race for the Cure 5k this coming Saturday.

See the little pink ribbons on them? Love them! 

>It's official now!

>

I posted not long ago that I am participating (running) my 3rd 5k soon (like 10 days, people!!!).

I am really excited about this upcoming race because it is of course for a cause that is close to my heart especially since I lost my Nana to breast cancer not too long ago.

Yesterday my official race packet came in the mail. I've been waiting on it for a while now and when I saw it I kinda squealed with delight! ha ha

Anyway, I immediately ripped open the package and tried on my race shirt. I even got hubby to snap a couple of pics of me modeling it. ;)

My official race bib (#2043) and D-tag. I am so nervous to be in the "competitive" runners category but I did it so that I could get an official race time. I have a timed goal I want to beat this go round. I am nervous about that especially since when I pulled up the course map last night the first little bit is uphill. Mind you, I have not been practicing running hills! Yikes! But you can bet the next few days will be spent doing just that!

And here I am in my race tee! I am so excited I was able to get a "L" and still have plenty of room! :) All this running and watching what I eat is so paying off (if I do say so myself)!

Now, if any of you read this and are interested in donating to a great cause please see the breast cancer link in my side bar! It should take you either directly to my page or the page where you can select a race participant. All ya gotta do is enter my name, "Kimberly Emert" and donate that way. Or you can go here I am so happy that I have gotten the donations I have. It means so much to me that my family, friends and even those that I do not know personally in real life have helped me "Fight the Cure!" I know I am just a few dollars away from reaching my goal, but how great would it be to go above and beyond that?

Thank you from the very bottom of my heart for your generosity!

>Update

>

It feels like I have been away forever!

Last week was chaotic even with me being off work. I had so much planned to do with the kids (and I was watching a close friend's son). We had a fun week planned. After I went to my Orthodontist appointment on Thursday morning I had planned to come home and since it was nice was going to get outside with the kids. I came right home to change clothes and check email and that's when the day went downhill.
I found out by email that a close and dear friend from high school had passed away unexpectedly that morning. Sadness. My day was shot between emails, Facebook messages and my phone buzzing all day long. All I could do was make plans to be sure I left in time to get to GA.

So, that's where I was all weekend long. I didn't even have time to think about posting my scale victory from Friday. It was a busy week and I had worked pretty hard at the gym. I wasn't sure if I was expecting a huge loss or  little loss but was just hoping to see a loss! And we all know a loss is a loss, right!? Right. :)
Anyway, Friday's grand number was......

197.2

I will take that! I just hope my weekend of too much time spent in the car, a drink with a friend, a few dinners out, and the lovely monthly visitor making her appearance aren't all going to be huge factors that blow me off the scale this coming week. I make take all of that into consideration and hold my weigh in this coming Saturday instead. I guess I will wait and see. For now I am just happy to announce that my Monday has started off pretty well.

Have a great week! :)

>Giveaway alert!!!

>Have you checked out Prior Fat Girl? If not, you must go check out her blog. It is fabulous reading. She is very inspirational. I've made her part of my morning routine and once you read her blog you will see why! PFG is having a give away and you can enter to win!  this book Just head over to her blog and check it out!

>Checking In

>I haven't been on in a while but I wanted to check in to let you know I am alive and doing well! I have done a great job with food even this past weekend I didn't allow myself to completely pig out. I also have been a working out fool! I believe in rest days but I have decided that right now to get where I want to be one rest day is it for the week. We will see how long that lasts. ha ha

I am off work this week and it has been much tougher than I anticipated. I do have more time to plan. I do have extra time to work out. I do have a million and one projects at home I want done this week. Included in those household projects are about 4,329 loads of laundry that need to be washed, dried, folded and most importantly PUT AWAY!! Where does the time during the day go? I have had half those loads of laundry on my couch waiting to be put in their designated areas for 2 days now. So, tomorrow the goal is to get them put away. Anyone know how many calories I can burn doing that??

Speaking of calories....That's my latest thing. I am hung up on burning calories. As "Killian" says, "calories in = calories out."  So, hopefully that theory and everything I am doing is working in my weight loss favor. I will post more later in the week if I get a chance. I will definitely post my weigh in on Friday.

Have a great week!

>Weigh-In day....

>Normally most people (including myself) dread this day. A combination of nerves and excitement I think goes on in my head! But today I was ready for it. I stepped on that scale this morning and right by off with a big smile on my face.

198

Do you see that??????

OMGee! I cannot remember a time I have been more excited lately! I have lost half of what my initial goal was when I started. My first goal was to get to 185 before Christmas! It looks like I am well on my way there with only 13 lbs until I reach that goal!

Bring it on!!!!

>Quick update

>So, this whole Jillian Michaels thing seems to be working. I was pleased with the peek I took at the scale this morning and I haven't felt deprived with foods, so I haven't felt the need or want to cheat even the slightest bit!

Anyway, as far as my eating goes I have kept it to around 1200 - 1250 calories. This is a small difference in what I was eating on my prior plan. I think even the small difference has made a huge change in results so far for me.

Workouts have been good. I took Monday as a rest day since I had worked out pretty hard on Sunday. So far for the week I have logged 7 walk/jog miles! I am pleased with that number.

I'm not going to give a complete run down of my food because I just feel like that is completely boring! ha ha but I will say that for breakfast I have been having yogurt with dried cranberries and a little Special K in it and boy is it oh so yummy! It is totally filling for me.

I've been wanting to try hummus because so many bloggers, friends, and even Jillian (ha ha) have raved about it and use it in their diets. Well, I must say that it is one of my new favorite foods. I have totally fallen in love with it this week. I bought some spicy pepper hummus and have used a tablespoon on celery sticks as a snack. Love it!

Ok! That's it for an update. A little long.. oops. Hope you all have a great day!

>Something you should know...

>is that I am a procrastinator!
I have been meaning to post for a few days now but I keep putting it off. It's just what we procrastinator's do!  Anyway, I have not been so great at my journaling but will tell you that until Friday evening I was doing great last week! My friend and I went to the football game and before hand her son wanted to stop at McDonalds. She and I needed to eat and of course we had a coupon. So, instead of getting the grilled chicken sandwiches like we knew we should we both opted for the Quarter Pounder with cheese. We were "smart" though and each took half the bun off of our burgers! ha ha Oh well, right!

This weekend hubby and I went over to Runner's Market where I was fitted for new running shoes. This was a great experience and after quite some time deciding I chose a fabulous pair of Asic's. The GT 2140 to be exact! They have been great so far. I did 3.5 miles yesterday and had little to no leg pain. I woke up this morning a little stiff but the most pain I had was in my abs. So for me this was great!!!

We had a wedding to go to Saturday and we skipped out before food was served. We took the kids to a nicer restaurant in town since we were all dressed up. I had fish and squash with a salad and it was SO good.

I also decided that I might be tired of LAWL method of eating and need something to boost me and keep me going. So, after seeing the Jillian Michael's commercial on tv all weekend long hubby persuaded me into looking at it online. I did just that and liked what info I was given so I signed up. I told my hubby that if this week goes well for me with the food plan I was given and the workout routine then it was something I would continue doing. So, I will of course let you all know how I did this week. I still plan to weigh in on Fridays! Have a great week!

more later.....

>Starting to see a difference...

>

I know the first picture isn't as close up but even with the distance I am starting to see a real difference in my face/chin and neck area! I did full body shots when I started posting on this blog and I am not sure I am ready to post any new ones yet. Maybe in a couple of weeks or so! But I will say that I am fitting into jeans I haven't in a while. :)

>Weighing-In

>I am stoked to announce my weigh in today! I am not far at all from what I would hope to be by the end of this month! I admit I was nervous about getting on the scale this morning but once I got on and looked down I was thrilled. :)

200.2

Now, I know it isn't a huge loss but I will take that 0.8 loss over any kind of gain any day! That leaves me at only needing to lose 1.2 to be under that 200 lb mark! I am so ready to get there and never look back! One day and one meal at a time, I can, will, and am doing this.

>Pessimistic Patty here

>I woke up in the worst mood ever and it didn't get much better when I stepped on the scale. Up a few ounces. Eh, don't sweat the small stuff they say, right?! Well, here I am sweating. Why the heck is this crap so hard??? Yeah, I know you don't have the answer...it just is. Suck it up. I know. I need to be slapped and hard! lol

Anyway, I have had a few great workouts this week and will be taking the next two days off. My legs are killing me. I need new running shoes something awful. I would hate to even try and think of how many miles I have on my current shoes. And luckily (thankfully) my sweet and wonderful hubby has promised me that we can take a trip to Runner's Market Saturday and get me fitted for a new pair! I am super excited about this because I have never done it before. I usually find a pair I like and take off running. But now since I have decided for running to be my "thing" I want to get a proper fit.

And as you saw (my 3 loyal readers/followers.. lol) I am going to be running my next 5k very soon. Ready or not! ha ha and I am mostly NOT ready, but it's ok. I will get there. I have to.

Where was I??? Haha
Oh, that's right. In a bad mood!

I want to point out a few blogs that I have recently found inspiration in...

PriorFatGirl
BitchCakes
LiveSmileRun

I encourage you to check them out! Great reads and lots of honesty (and boy did I need honesty)!

>Run, run as fast as you can.....

>

I just registered for my 3rd 5k race.

This one means a great deal to me as I lost my Nana to breast cancer.

I will also be running along side (as much as possible .. lol) a friend who started running with motivation from me. I started the Couch to 5k running program earlier this year (for the 2nd time.. or was it the 3rd??)... lol.. and she was interested as well so I gave her the info and off she ran with it (pun intended)! I am looking forward to this run but am also extremely nervous. My past two races have been during July and times have been awful. I am hoping that I can beat my latest time (43 mins...some odd secs) come October. I am working at that goal right now.

I will keep you updated on my progress!

>What went in my mouth? 9-20 thru 9-22

>9-20-09
Breakfast:
Luna bar/banana
Snack:
skipped due to church
Lunch:
2 slices pizza
salad
(had a friend and her son over)
Snack:
skipped again
Dinner:
fish taco

9-21-09
Breakfast:
Canteloupe (1/4 whole)
Snack:
Protein bar
Canteloupe (1/4 whole)
Lunch:
3 oz chicken
raw green bell pepper
raw sliced cucumber
Snack:
Protein bar (1/4 whole)
Protein bar
Dinner:
3 oz chicken
raw green veggies

Yesterday was supposed to continue on to today, but I woke up feeling icky in my tummy so I decided to just pick up back on my regular plan rather than repeat. Sometimes my stomach just can't handle that 2 day "cleanse."

9-22-09
Breakfast:
Yogurt w/banana & strawberry slices
granola
Snack:
1/2 banana
Protein bar
Lunch:
Salad w/grilled chicken
low fat/low cal dressing
Snack:
Protein bar
Dinner:
to be determined! I laid out ground turkey and haven't decided if that will become spaghetti OR taco salads (minus the shell..lol). So, if you have any tried and true healthy recipes with ground turkey I would love to hear them.

I have decided to make Fridays my actual weigh in days at home.

>off days...

>Do you have them? In your journey to lose...
Do you have those days where you just don't worry as much about the food you eat?
Well, I had one of those days today.

Heck, let me be honest and say I slept until 10:45 for the first time in 6 years! It felt great to get caught up on rest. I will say that. But it did put me behind on my food and exercise for the day, which I have come to grips with and I am OK with for just today.

I will add that I did jump on the scale today and was surprised yet again since it showed even a loss since yesterday. I won't read much into it though since it isn't officially a weigh in day for me but as I mentioned before I have that scale issue. I am really trying to work on it.

Anyway, I admit to eating things like nachos and a slice of pizza today. I will also add that S'mores are quite swell of a treat! I hadn't had a real one before today. Let me also admit that I told a friend tonight that I feel SO much better on days when I eat "right." And by right I mean healthy! On days like today when I eat junk I pretty much feel like junk! I'd say it is funny how that works, but really it isn't! I am glad that my body gives me that boost of energy from making what are really easy choices. I think that means I know what the right tools are to this whole thing. And that makes me proud even on junk days like today!

And with that now you will know why there is no "What I put in my mouth" post for today! Tomorrow is a new day! :)

>Weighing - In

>Well, today I decided that I would actually go to the LA center and see what I weighed and how many weeks it would take me to reach my first goal. When I got on my scale this morning at home it read 203.6 which is what I was when I weighed in at the LA center last week....So, going with that I assumed I just had to be down a couple of pounds.
I am SO glad I decided to go weigh at the center. dun dun dun......

201

That is a loss of 2.6 for the week (not including the few ounces I was up when I was there and didn't report about it here.. lol). I am pleased with that loss. Going also let me see the difference in their scale and mine so I can now not worry about posting here and not going to the center to weigh in. Whew.

I will make a final decision by Monday on whether I want to continue going to the center or doing this on my own. If I go to the center it will take me about 8 weeks to lose the next 16 lbs which would put me at my first goal of 185 by Thanksgiving. I can deal with that! But I really would like to see if I can make that goal on my own with the tools and knowledge I have been given. So, we will see.

>What went in my mouth? 9-16 & 9/17

>I decided not to do daily WWIMM posts because that would get too redundant. So, I thought I would just do a few days at a time. I have done really well food wise (in my opinion) this week. I think I mentioned yesterday that I decided NOT to continue paying to go to LA. I really really want to do this on my own. I do have the help of a very trusty friend and I know that she will help me through the entire process with her knowledge as well as great friendship. I also seek motivation and support through the blogs I read of others going through the same journey. Reading other blogs has helped me stay motivated and focused on what it is I am doing. :)

So, here are yesterday and today's food logs.

9-16-09
Breakfast-
coffee w/skim milk
1/2 banana
1 boiled egg
Snack-
Luna Bar
Lunch-
Grilled chicken sandwich (Chickfila)
w/lettuce & tomato
Snack-
Protein bar
cherry tomatoes/cucumber slices
Dinner-
Salad
sirloin beef steak w/grilled onions
peach

9-17-09
Breakfast-
8 ounce light vanilla yogurt
fresh strawberries
1 oz. walnuts
Snack-
Toasted Nut & Cranberry Luna Bar
Lunch-
Grilled chicken sandwich
w/raw veggies
strawberries
Snack-
Protein bar
Dinner-
baked chicken breast
salad w/dressing

So far this week I have logged about 12 walking/jogging miles! Tonight is an off night from exercise because my legs need to rest. I desperately need new running shoes and my shins/knees can totally feel that!

>Looking for motivation and inspiration...

>Some days this daily struggle becomes much harder than it seemed the day before.
I have posted that I had been going to LA Weight Loss ctrs for a while now and it has been working well for me. Last week it became time for me to renew some weeks to keep going to the center. I decided to just use the tools I have been given to attempt this on my own and weigh in at home once a week. But...

I am such a hostage to my scale. I can't help but get on the thing. It's an addiction like no other I have ever had. Seriously, here is how me and the scale work. I will start with my morning scale routine.

-Get out of bed, weigh complete with clothes on and without emptying my bladder.
-use bathroom, hop on scale again.
-remove all clothes, weigh yet again.
Sometimes I take the no clothes, empty bladder weight as my actual weight. On days that I would go to LAWL to weigh in I would step back on the scale with my "weigh in clothes" on to see what the difference in their scale and my scale would be.
I often repeat these steps in the evenings when I get home from work, too. I am not proud of this addiction or sickness at all. I want to overcome it eventually.

The days I don't weigh I use the scale as a tool to gauge what I would eat that day or if I should intake more water. I swear this has to be some kind of illness! lol

Anyway, I get side tracked so easily. I was due to go in the center yesterday but wasn't feeling well and Mother Nature had decided to show up and ruin any good feelings I had about my weight loss for the day anyway. And if you are like me you fluctuate during that time too. So, that being said I decided to wait until Mother Nature decided to leave me alone before I took to heart what my scale or any other scale told me!

I woke thinking today is THE day the scale will move down substantially for me. I was SO very wrong. It moved up about 8 ounces and while I realize it's ounces and could be any number of things it still was a little frustrating for me. So, I know today what I need to do to make it go away and have the tools to work hard on getting there.

I guess what I am saying is I need to overcome the relationship I have with the scale. I need to learn to stay off it so many times a day. If you have any useful tips or ideas, motivation or inspiration I greatly appreciate it all! :)

>What went in my mouth? 9-13 -- 9-15

>I haven't posted daily WWIMM (teehee) posts since Saturday because I have been pretty busy at work. So I thought I would do a 3 day catch up on that.

Sunday - 9-13-09
Breakfast-
JetStart drink
Snack-
LA protein bar
Lunch-
chili (homemade)
w/tomato, lettuce, onions
1 tsp sour cream
Snack-
LA protein bar
1/2 banana
Dinner-
sm. tortilla
grilled chicken
lettuce/tomato

Monday - 9-14-09
Breakfast-
Skinny Vanilla Latte (tall, Starbucks)
1/2 banana
Luna Blueberry Bliss bar
Snack-
2 boiled egg whites
6 cherry tomatoes
Lunch-
Egg salad sandwich
w/lite mayo (1 tbsp) &mustard
2 slices 40 cal. wheat bread
cherry tomatoes
Snack-
LA protein bar
Dinner-
Reg. Roast Beef sand (Arby's)
1/2 of bottom part of bun
strawberries

Tuesday - 9-15-09
Breakfast-
yogurt w/fresh strawberries
Snack-
Luna PB Cookie bar
Lunch-
Egg Salad sandwich (made like always)
cucumber slices
Snack-
2 boiled egg whites
cucumber slices
Dinner-
Pork tenderloin (3 oz)
brown rice (1/3 cup)
strawberries

Work outs -
Monday - 3 miles walk/jog track- total time 50 minutes
*I hope to also get in a few more days this week. I did workout Sunday but didn't post it here since I had already posted about it in my NSV post. I am trying hard to get back into a running routine because I have my 3rd 5K coming up in a little over a month! :)

>Huge NSV for me yesterday!!!

>And for those of you not down with the lingo...NSV = Non scale victory!!!!

Anyway, I had some time for myself (alone!!!) yesterday so I had planned a couple of quick errands and while I was out decided to stop in Old Navy. I went with the intention of picking up a top I saw online (Deal of the Week, anyone?). After browsing around a little while I decided to try on jeans. I have NEVER had much luck with jeans at Old Navy and honestly didn't expect to have much luck yesterday either. Well, to my surprise the pair I tried on first were too big! I loved the style though! I was so happy they were too big! So, I proudly asked the sales guy to get me a size smaller to try. He brought the right size just the wrong style of jean so I finished trying on everything I took into the fitting room with me and walked around the store a few minutes more.

I decided to go see for myself if I could find the smaller size in the jeans I had previously tried on. Lucky for me I did!! I pulled those jeans on and they felt so good! I was ecstatic!!! I chose two tops and the jeans and went on my way. :) I was also very excited with my shirt purchases too because I was able to go down from an XL to an L in my tops!!! Yay me! This was the boost I needed for the day and since I was already dressed in my workout attire I decided that while I was feeling so motivated that I would hit the gym!

I got in about 2.70 miles on the treadmill in 30 minutes following the Couch to 5K program. I felt like I needed a little more of a workout so I jumped of the treadmill and did another mile or so on that in about 10 minutes. I felt so good!

Here are the three items I purchased at Old Navy yesterday...






I can't wait to do a little more fall shopping! I think next month I will definitely treat myself to a new sweater and some tees.

>What went in my mouth - 9-12-09

>Well, I woke up feeling much worse today than I felt yesterday. This did not make for a great on plan eating day for me. I did eat and ate within plan some and got all my water in even though the Claritin I took this morning has made me feel like I could drink a lake full of water and not be hydrated! Anyway, I am hoping this crud passes soon. Here is what I had today...

Breakfast - hubby brought home some donuts. I had a lemon filled one. :(

Snack- skipped

Lunch- LA protein bar

Snack- skipped again

Dinner- we ordered take out from Ruby Tuesdays. I had...
sirloin (4-5 oz)
steamed broccoli
1/2 baked potato (little butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon)..I know, bad.
3 oz red wine

I wish I could say I feel good about today's food choices but I don't obviously. Tomorrow is a new day and I hope that my sinuses clear a little so that I feel like eating all of my food for the day.

>What went in my mouth - 9-11-09

>Breakfast -
2 slices low cal wheat toast
2 scrambled eggs

Snack-
JetStart drink

Lunch-
Small salad w/grilled chicken
rf dressing
pineapple 1/2 cup

Snack-
LA protein bar

Dinner-
small burger w/half bun (it's on plan, I swear)
6 baby carrots

Snack-
LA protein bar


My eating times were a bit off today since I weigh in. I do not like to weigh in after having eaten or drank anything. I always weigh in and then eat breakfast. :) And since I wasn't feeling up to par I was not hungry this morning for my morning snack which is normally a protein bar so I saved my 2nd bar to have at the football game tonight.

>Zzzzz...

>This is what I have felt like all day long. Tired, sleepy, sluggish. You get the idea.

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and the whole left side of my face/ear/nose feeling like I have some kind of sinus/allergy thing going on. I don't know about you but when I wake up feeling that way it doesn't bode well for the rest of my day. It makes me grumpy. Today was one of those days, but I think I said that already. ha ha

As I mentioned before, I weigh 3 times a week at my LAWL center. Today was to be day 2 this week for me (Monday was a holiday). When I got on my scale at home I was a little discouraged and thought, "Maybe I just won't go today and will go tomorrow instead." I picked up my toothbrush to start brushing my teeth thinking the whole time, "What have I got to lose by not going really?" That's when it hit me and I looked in the mirror and said aloud, "Weight is what you have to lose you big dummy."

And weighing in today is just what I did! I'm glad that I went ahead and got that over with for the week. It was a little disappointing since I was up a few ounces BUT they are only ounces and it gives me something to really work towards this weekend and before my next weigh in on Tuesday.

I have done really well with food today and staying on plan. When I feel sick it is usually very hard for me to get all the important healthy foods in. I was so tempted to run down to the local Five Guys Burgers and Fries and get a big juicy burger but decided that would NOT help me reach my goal for the weekend. So, I stayed 100% on plan.

My goal for the weekend is to stay on plan. I also would like to find the time tomorrow to workout and/or run. I've signed up for my 3rd 5k which will be on October 24. I have a little over a month to get prepared for this. So, I really need (and have) to step up my workouts. I know I can do it. And now I just have to really set my mind to it. :)

>What went in my mouth - 9-10-09

>Breakfast- JetStart (special LAWL drink that I love)

AM Snack- LAWL protein bar

Lunch- Salad w/just enough Asian dressing to taste
Egg salad (made w/2 large eggs, lite mayo, and mustard)
2 slices 40 calorie wheat bread

PM Snack - 6 baby carrots (raw)
2 hard boiled eggs

Dinner- 1 cup blueberries
8 oz. low fat vanilla yogurt
4 oz. grilled chicken breast
low cal. wheat bun

Snack- LAWL protein bar

I also had 80 ounces of water and one 16 oz Diet Dr. Pepper today.

I have to give kudos to myself too (is that allowed?? lol) because we always have a group of high school offensive linemen over on Thursday nights. I usually make lots of baked yummies. Today I spent a couple hours making about 4 dozen cupcakes (maybe 5) and 3 dozen peanut butter kiss cookies. I had some major will power!

>"Before" pics

>

I had hubby take these when I got in from exercising tonight. I walked around 2.5 miles tonight. I had intended to do some jogging BUT see those nice black workout pants I have on?? Well they have gotten too big so that when I run they slide down. No sense in me showing off my under lovelies to those nearby! LOL

I hope to soon get rid of that gut! Man that thing is huge. Gross. And I am sure you can see all of my other problem areas. I am feeling more motivated and determined to get there. And as was once heard in a song,

"I get by with a little help from my friends."

>Weigh in and measurements - take 1

>

For those (or my one follower of this blog) that follow my other blog you know that I have been going to LA Weight Loss center for about 4-5 months now. I also weigh in there 3 times per week and meet with a "counselor" to discuss my food journal and any questions/concerns I may have as well as listening to their encouraging words. I also get measurements done at my center every 8 weeks (I think). In addition to that I try to workout at least 3 times per week (hoping to increase this soon).

Anyway, today was my first weigh in there for this week. SO, I will use that weight as my starting weight for this next part of my journey. Ugh. I cannot believe I am actually posting this in the blogosphere but it is about keeping me in check with what I am doing, right?!? Right...

203.6

I am of course less than thrilled with that number BUT it's better than what it was when I started in April/May. So far I am down a little over 22 pounds with at least double that to go. But I will take it one pound at a time if that is what it takes.

I took some measurements Sunday. I am not sure how they compare to the latest one's LAWL took but I figured I would post the one's I did for now.

Neck- 14

Chest - 42

Waist - 37

Hips - 48

Thigh - 27.5

Bicep - 15

Calf- 16.5

The only measurements done at LAWL are chest, waist, hips and thigh. I like to do the other to keep those in check as well. My plan is to post a weekly weigh in here and monthly measurements with an updated picture as well once a month. I haven't had a chance to get hubby to take a "before" picture of me but plan to get to that this week too. Stay tuned.

>Fresh starts

>We all need them.
I am creating this new blog for my fresh start.
I've been a yo-yo dieter for a long time. I've struggled with my weight for longer than I care to talk about (right now). And I am ready (seriously) to do something about it once and for all.

I plan to use this blog as a tool for my own motivation to keep going. I found inspiration recently here. If you need great motivation and inspiration click the link I just posted! You will find SO much to help you along your journey as well.

Here is what I hope to use this blog for:
*Weekly weigh in's
*Measurements (every 2 weeks)
*Progress pictures
*Food journal
*Workout log

I may even post the occasional recipe or two! And of course tips that have helped me along the way. Stay tuned for a "starting" pic and all the details of my "fat" self! ha ha