My Journey

One Month in and Going Strong

2011-10-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have now been doing my healthy challenge for 4 weeks...count them. ..FOUR! I have not lost a point yet! But what I have lost is 12 lbs! Woot woot....That is so motivating to me, that when my challenge is over, I am still going to keep following it. What do I have to lose? Oh yeah, more weight! I was recently able to fit into jeans that I haven't been able to put on in 2.5 years. It feels so good to feel great (eating healthy, exercise and plenty of water will do that to you!) and notice that small changes are making a difference.
On another note, I just ran the Halloween Half Marathon. I FINISHED! And I finished in 2 hours and 39 minutes. I was shooting for 2 hours and 30 minutes, but I am happy! I want to run it again next year and improve my time! My sister ran it with me and it was great to spend that time with her and to motivate each other at the end when it was tough! She is one tough cookie!

Possibly Insightful Ramblings

2011-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

The last time I posted here was in January when I was doing my last challenge, which ended up being a total FLOP! I didn't have the willpower or the motivation then. I do now!
I am doing a different challenge than before but it has somewhat the same rules. There is a lot more at stake. The pot is close to $700 and I am very motivated by that! Here are the basic rules.
No sugar.
No unhealthy snacks.
Healthy and correctly portioned meals.
Exercise 30 mins./day.
5 Fruits/Veggies per day
64 ounces of water per day
No eating after 8 p.m.
One free day a week.
I have made some discoveries and laid down my own rules.
The difference this challenge is I am already running a lot. I am getting ready for the Halloween Half Marathon Oct. 29. I have been running between 3 and 5 miles 4 times a week and long runs (8-10 miles) on the weekends.
I am also VERY motivated by the money. I have all my points so far, and 9 days in, I have lost 7 pounds. That's motivating too! I am the lightest I have been since before our house fire 3 years ago. Woot woot.

What I have learned:
1. I mindlessly reach for candy and snacks, multiple times each day. I use a quarter at the vending machine handful of candy when they have it, my kids share with me, or I eat a piece or two of their candy. I put brown sugar on my oatmeal (a little honey or agave give me the sweetness now), I like jam on my toast, just small things. I think the best thing about this challenge, is it has made me more aware of the small bits and pieces that add calories and sugar to my diet. The "sugar" foods I miss the most are yogurt and fiber one bars.

2. I more often than not get a donut with my Diet Coke in the morning, and more often than not, I get Dr. Pepper (yes the full sugar kind) instead of Diet Coke. That's adding about 700-800 calories per day with that one decision.

3. I like to snack at night. Sometimes out of hunger, other times I'm just bored. Sometimes, it just sounds good. Not eating after 8 has been probably the hardest thing for me to do.

4. I was not drinking NEAR enough water. I am not particularly surprised by this, but again, it's something I didn't realize until I have been tracking my water.

5. I am not hungry most of the time, I thought I would be. I have been eating a better breakfast to stay full longer, and eating fruits and veggies for snacks really fill me up.

6. I have made a goal to have my "free" day not be a day that I just pig out. I am working too hard the other days to make it that way. I am going to make the days I run the longer distance (usually Saturday) be my free day. I like a Fiber One Bar before I run with my oatmeal, and I like to use Jelly Belly Sports Beans when I run for a carb boost mid-run. They are both sugar items, plus running farther I am burning more calories, so it's a good day to have the day off. But the day off doesn't mean pig out. Last Saturday was my first free day. I had one piece of pizza, one serving of Cheez-It's, one 3 Musketeer Truffle Crisp (I was PMSing and craving chocolate) and I ate a Fiber One Bar before I ran and sports beans. That's all I had for my day off. I think that changing my mindset on what is allowed on the day off, will allow me to take a day off, but not pig out, or go overboard with the sugar.

I am doing this challenge to change my lifestyle. I am 35 years old and want to live at least another 50 years in good health. The only way I can do this, is by making the changes now. I feel great and know that I will stick with this challenge...I may even continue after the 9 weeks are over!

Update...

2011-01-12T00:48:00.001-08:00

I have been doing the 8 weeks to a better you challenge for just over a week now. I am seeing great results. I feel better and I have lost weight. Since Christmas I have lost 10 pounds! It's funny too that I have been eating less than I normally do, and not always on purpose, I'm just not that hungry :)
I went to Cold Stone today with the kids, but only ate half my ice cream and I was full so I saved the other half for my free day next week!
1 down and at least 7 more to go, although if I keep getting great results I will do the challenge on my own longer. I think the no sugar rule is making the biggest difference.

AM I STUPID???????

2011-01-08T13:30:00.001-08:00

I think that old habits die hard. I have been doing fairly well this week with my challenge, I don't think there is any way I am going to win it, however, I have made some positive changes and for that I am grateful. I think more about what I put into this body of mine. However, that being said, I took yesterday off ( I get one free day a week and I made a scrumptious texas sheet cake). Today I went to a shower, thought ahead and brought an apple to eat because I know showers usually have dessert.
AND.....drumroll please.....I ate 3 cookies WITHOUT even thinking what I was doing, in fact, I was so caught up in conversation that I didn't even realize what I did until I left! WHAT THE HECK! I didn't realize that I even ate bad food until I saw the apple in my purse as I was leaving. Apparently I have some leg work to do! So....my goal this week as I try my hardest to stick with my challenge is to be CONSTANTLY aware of what is going on.

8 Week Challenge

2011-01-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

I am entered in an 8 week challenge. Here's the gist.

Physical Wellness
1. Exercise 45 minutes each day.
2. Cut out all sugar. Including white flour, all breads and pasta must be whole grain, all rice brown.
3. 2 servings each of fruit and veggies each day.
4. 8 glasses of water.
5. No eating after 8 (although this one I have to modify because I work graves, I stop eating by 3 a.m.)
6. No soda, fast food or junk food.
7. Sleep at least 7 hours each night.
Emotional.Spiritual Wellness
8. Journal every day
9. Read scriptures/motivational messages for 15 minutes every day.
10. Service, give one act of service each day.

You can see the complete challenge at www.8weekstoabetteryou.blogspot.com
I am very excited and have been doing the challenge for 3 days now! I have only missed part of one day, but the best thing is a free day once a week. Although, I don't think I will be having sugar on my free day. I think it will be more like I forgot to have all my veggies. I want to do this for my health.

On a side note, I weighed myself the day after Christmas! OUCH!!! I am down 5 pounds since then :)

I'm Back

2010-11-30T22:41:00.000-08:00

I know, I have had a long hiatus. . ..I haven't given up, just had a lot going on. I started running about a month ago. I am now up to 5 miles at a 12 minute pace. Now that the weather has turned colder however, I am taking it indoors. I have asthma and the cold and asthma are not friends. I don't have a treadmill, although my mother in law 6 miles away said I can use hers, it's just putting forth the effort to get in the car and drive over. I have Slim in 6 which I love, and EA Sports Active for the Wii which I also love.
My goal is to stick with my workouts and stay in my calories until Christmas, and then I can have one day off. I would love to lose 8 pounds by Christmas. ...
I gave in to temptation today and ate a chocolate chip cookie and small peanut butter bar. I stayed up until after Biggest Loser to workout for an hour to make up for the calories. . .NOTE TO SELF: the calories were not worth the hour workout!
Another goal is to post at least 2 times a week on here to maintain some kind of accountibility :)

Fat Ah Ha Moment

2010-06-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Okay. . . .I know we all say we are going to be good and eat right and lose weight right? But have you ever had that moment when you hit an AH HA moment and realize that you really are fat and are the biggest you have ever been, and it finally clues in that you have been making excuses for your "fatness" for a while?
My moment was today. The fat rolls on my back touched each other. Now don't get me wrong, I have had rolls on my back for some time now, however they have never touched. It was a really yucky feeling and all the emotional eating and lack of caring for the past year have come full circle. Yes, I blog that I am going to be better and I lose the same 10 pounds over and over again, but what good does it do if I don't really believe it? Guess what. . . I believe it now. .. this is not who I am. I am not the fat girl with rolls. . . .that touch! (eww).
I have been making the excuse that I sprained my ankle, I can't run, I can't do lunges, I can't even swim, it hurts. NO exercise and I quickly lose my motivation to eat right. I am sorry I am rambling, but AH HA moments warrant that. Stay with me here. NO EXCUSES. I think of Miggy on Biggest Loser who was walking after having her appendix out. NO EXCUSES, the dr. said all she could do was walk, so she walked. I can walk, not really fast, but I can walk, and if I have to walk double the distance to burn those calories, I am going to do it.
I am a strong woman, I am a turtle (a great analogy from my friend) Be the turtle, slow but consistent, not the hare with all the ups and downs. The turtle still wins the race.