Weigh Day Week 21

*Notice I made a new blog entry for you to enter your training for Week SEVEN*

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 195.6

Current weight: 193.4

Weight loss/gain since last week: -2.2


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -27.6


I totally pumped my fist in the air a la Tiger Woods when I saw the number on the scale this morning.

Why?

I feel like I am really coming into my own with this whole health kick thing. I just lived life this week - no real stressing about food or exercise - just having a good time day to day.

We had a cook out at church on Friday night to celebrate another successful year of VBS and I definitely over did it on the German potato salad and baked beans! Cook out food is so wonderful though! And I must say, I did a fantastic job of avoiding the dinners the church provided each night last week to the VBS workers. No pizza, BBQ, fried chicken, etc. for me! We ate dinner at home instead.

Then, Saturday we had Taco Bell. I had a Crunchwrap Supreme and a bean burrito. I felt pretty full after the Crunchwrap but I ate the burrito anyway. Instead of obsessing over it all night, I chalked it up as a lesson learned and next time I know I only need to order a Crunchwrap to be satisfied :)

My medication has really been able to help clear up my depression. I am feeling more like myself every day. I am happy and energetic again. I have had multiple opportunities to encourage others and it felt natural, not forced. I am feeling really good.


*Let's talk training*


Some of you are really, really coming along with getting your train on!

I got a sense that a few of you thought I was picking on you about slacking off...

(for everyone BUT Cheri - girl, you just had a fairly major surgery!)

I was!

And might I add, I noticed that it worked!

Way to go to Mechele and Rena for taking the initiative and walk/running a 5K Saturday. I know it was tough but you did it!

Way to go Leigh for getting 3 days in this week!

Way to go Kate for pushing extra hard and running 20 minutes without stopping!

Way to go Andrew for keeping it up week after week and being consistent!


*From training to Race talk*


I get the feeling some of you will want to venture off on your own during the race on the 12th. To the rest of you, don't worry!

I still plan on ONE MINUTE jogging, TWO MINUTES walking.

Some have asked about the pace -

I want to push you all a little bit but I also want you to be able to do it. Some are more advanced physically than others. We'll figure out a pace once the race starts!

If it happens to be too slow for some - I'll encourage you until you get far enough ahead that you can't hear me! :)

I can't wait!

Also -

I am not 100% sure if/when but I'll be in MI sooner than I originally planned so I am trying to figure out if I can get a day where we can get together and do a "mock race".

What do you all think about that?

Getting Your Train On Week SEVEN!

Hola friends!

This is the post you should use to enter any training you do this week. Instead of me searching through each of my daily posts, I will come here and ONLY HERE to see where you all are at with your training!Please include the date that you trained in your comment.

Make it look something like this..."Hey Chelle! On 6/23/08 I got my train on!"

On Sunday night I will review this post and update the results for the contest.Please keep in mind that to keep things fair I am only giving credit for THREE training days per week. I am counting Monday to Sunday as one week. So if you got two days in one week and four days in the next, I will only be able to give you credit for five days.

I don't want to discourage anyone from exercising more than that but I got to keep it fair somehow!!This week will be the most challenging week yet! You guys have already stuck to it for 6 whole weeks though, and I know you will continue to succeed!

This week the training schedule calls for SEVEN INTERVALS of one minutes of walking and four minutes of jogging for a total of 35 minutes.

Good luck!

You guys are doing great!

100th Blog!

Whew!

Just got back from getting my train on!

It was a nice, cool, cloudy morning - my favorite kind of summer morning to run.

Special thanks to my hubby, who did a great job of motivating my lazy behind and getting me out the door. I sounded like a whiny high school kid..."Just five more minutes!!!"

A few of you seem to be slacking a little when it comes to getting your train on. You had a lot of momentum at the beginning and a few are tapering off a little.

Don't come this far and give up!

There are only about 2.5 weeks left of the training. I KNOW you can DO IT!

I'd like to give a quick shout out to Anne who started getting her train on two weeks ago. She says she is amazed at how it really does get easier to run if you just stick with it. YAY ANNE!

Take a moment to review the goals set for yourself. How are you doing with them?


*Pause for a Milestone Moment*


Can you believe this is my 100th blog?????

WOWZER!

We've talked about so many things in the last 20 weeks!

• Weight loss
• Weight gain
• Fast food addiction
• Coke addiction
• Cereal addiction
• Sex (anyone at 200? LaVonda??)
• Depression
• Motivation
• Bras
• Kids
• Self confidence
• The Bible
• The Neighborhood Jerk
• Obesity and the Media
• ME!

Anyone have a favorite entry or a story about how a specific blog helped them or enlightened them?

*Update on Race Stats*

So, they finally posted to official results for last Saturday's race. I ended up ranking 20 out of 121 for females age 24-29! Overall I was 211 out of 1226!

Way to go LaVonda for finished 13th in her age group!

To my faithful readers -

You rock my world!

Have a great weekend!

Comments of the Week

Time for another weekly installment of Healthy Chelle's Comments of the Week!



Cheri said...
Hello, your less than 5 pounds from goal!!!!! Congrats on the weight loss and the new time! I'm still at about 11 minutes a mile walking in the mall. Now with school out and the teenagers walking around in there, its more like 15 minutes. Did we used to be that young?

Girl, if you can make an 11 minute mile while walking then you are well on your way to a great running pace! When I started training I couldn't even get an 11 minute mile while RUNNING!

And just in case someone didn't see my response to this comment -

Not only were we that young once, I assure you I was that obnoxious as well!



Susan said...
I have been doing the limited sugar thing still, since eating at your house and I tell you what, it is a miracle! I am so thankful to God that I was able to see the way you eat and hear what you eat and find out what was wrong with me. I have lost weight and inches since starting that after being at your house. Your diet inspired me!

I am so glad you are finally seeing the results you deserve to see. Like I told you that night, I don't struggle with sweets so for me sugar isn't hard to avoid.

Now that pizza last night at VBS - that was SHOUTING my name!

I totally noticed your cheeks and neck looked slimmer when I saw you on Monday at VBS! And in case I need to clarify, I am talking about the cheeks on your face! :)

p.s. Leigh, VBS is Vacation Bible School :)



Ashleigh said...
Great Job!It's crazy how long you have been doing this blog. And all the people you've encouraged!Amazing, you're just amazing.

Awwww. *tear* *sniff* *tear*

I am sooooo looking forward to seeing you guys! It's gonna be so much fun!

Nobody But Me

What to blog, oh what to blog?

I have been lazy.

I have not exercised since my race on Saturday morning. Nobody can make me but me.

I have not done my strength training in almost two weeks. Nobody can make me but me.

I think my reason for not running is fairly justifiable. I don't want to run on the treadmill anymore. I think part of the reason I got tendinitis is because the treadmill only goes up to 5.2 mph. So I am running, but running slower than I want to and I think my knees take added stress because of it. SO - I need to run outside. But with VBS this week there is no time for me to run outside.

That being said - I totally could be, and should be, incline training on the treadmill. The last two days I have opted for a cuddly nap on the couch with Baby J. I don't feel bad. It was time well spent. Today I am making incline training a priority. I WILL DO IT.

As far as strength training goes, I am not sure why I haven't been doing it. I am going to make that a priority today too. I WILL DO IT.

*Other news*

I found out last night that we'll be in Michigan for a week longer than originally planned. Octavio's plant here in KY is shut down for the entire month of July. The company is requiring all employees to use all their vacation time, then get unemployment.

Of course, Jehovah Jireh, the Lord is our Provider. Listen to how cool He is -

Octavio has been asked to help out in the plant in Michigan for two weeks. He won't have to use any vacation time but we'll be on vacation. We were already planning on going to Michigan during that time.

Our gas for the trip there and back will probably be paid for by his company.

Octavio's aunt and uncle just purchased a second home. No one is staying there but it has some furniture, electricity, and running water. A place to stay that is bigger than a hotel room and although I can't really stand him, we can bring the dog.

I am ready to get out of dodge for a few weeks.

Yes, I do have an itinerary in the works in the form of an Excel spreadsheet.

You know me too well! :)

Banning the Tube

I was already considering unplugging the TV's for a week when I received this email from sparkpeople.com -

TV Found Guilty

TV is bad for kids, according the researchers at the Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Centre in Seattle, along with scores of other doctors and researchers. They found that for each hour of TV a child watches, there is an increase in the risk of attention deficit disorder (ADD).

Why? Possibly because TV gets kids accustomed to a level of stimulation that is much higher than they would experience in life. Combine this with the rapid changing of images characteristic of children's programming, and you've set kids up to be ill-suited to deal with school, homework, concentration, reading, and real life in general. Three recent studies show that as TV viewing increases, academic performance decreases.

Before formal schooling even begins, however, the damage of TV viewing is well underway. A 1996 study found that exposure to television causes delayed acquisition in toddlers. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under the age of two be kept away from TV altogether.

TV turnoff week will be observed during April of each year. The challenge is to abstain from any TV viewing for an entire week. Mark your calendars! Are you up for the challenge?

This sparked me to do a little research and I found an article published on usatoday.com that says the average home has more TV sets than people.

For once, I am proud that we are below average :)

What do you guys think?


*Off topic, but important nonetheless*


Ever read something first thing in the morning, when you are still tired and thinking about going back to bed, that makes you instantly have energy and confidence?

It happened to me this morning -

"I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world." - John 16:33

Man, awesome! I love it when there is an exclamation point after something Jesus says. Most times I picture Him calm and peaceful. When He says here "but be brave" I picture him with His fist pumping in the air.


*Another type of 10 Commandments*


Lastly, here is yet another great help I received from sparkpeople.com. I love that site!

Number 9 is my favorite!

The 10 Commandments of Healthy Eating for Parents

It's as simple as counting to ten!

1. Thou shalt not force, bribe or coerce thy child to eat.
2. Thou shalt set a good example by eating at least five fruits and vegetables, three whole grain products, and three dairy servings per day thyself.
3. Thou shalt make mealtimes pleasant.
4. Thou shalt encourage thy child to help in meal planning, preparation, and cleanup.
5. Thou shalt back off when mealtime becomes a power struggle.
6. Thou shalt accept food "binges" as phases that will
7. Thou shalt accept the fact that thy child is an individual and thus will dislike certain foods (and there may be many!).
8. Thou shalt not give up on introducing thy child to new foods. Thou shalt realize it sometimes takes ten tries to get a child to accept a food.
9. Thou shalt use this division of responsibility for eating: As the parent, thou art responsible for deciding when and what to serve. Thy child is responsible for deciding how much (if any) will be eaten.
10. Thou shalt give thy child a multivitamin-mineral supplement if he is a picky eater.

Weigh Day Week 20

*Notice I made a new blog entry for you to enter your training for Week SIX*


Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 199.6

Current weight: 195.6

Weight loss/gain since last week: -4.0


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -25.4


I can't believe I am at WEEK 20! That means this Friday will be my 100th blog!

Wow! 20 weeks of me going up and down with both my weight and my emotions. I am so thankful to my friends for faithfully reading and encouraging me for 20 weeks!


Did you guys have a good weekend?

I had a fantastic weekend, thanks for asking!


Where to begin???

Friday I went to Fashion Bug because I had a $10 coupon to spend. I am officially out of the plus size side of their store. I bought a size 14 - and it was a 14 in the misses department, not a 14w!

Woot! Woot!

Also, Octavio and I went to JcPenney and found a great deal on some new running clothes. I got two sports bras, a pair of spandex (for under my shorts of course), a pair of running shorts, and a shirt for under $40! The bras alone should have been $22 a piece!

Saturday I ran the Champions 4 Her 5K with LaVonda. Well, I ran the first two miles of it with her anyway! Then she took off like a bat out of you-know-where.

The course for this race took us over the Clark Memorial Bridge which connects Louisville to Indiana. It was really pretty.

So, how did I do?

Well, you might remember my race back in April, where I raced my way to a new personal record of 31:25. I was hoping to do better than that this time but was a little concerned. I haven't had much outside training because of my tendinitis. In the last two weeks I had only ran outside three times and the last time I struggled a little.

I knew LaVonda would push me, but I also knew I wouldn't be able to hang with her for the entire race. I had a little bit of a tough time during that last 1.1 mile but I won the mental battle. I kept telling myself I could do it!

And boy did I do it...

My new PR is...

28:23!

I found this awesome calculator that allows you to easily figure out your pace time. My pace for this race was a 9 minute 8 second mile. That is 6.6 mph!

Watch out Andrew! Pretty soon you won't be able to keep up with you sister!

You all are already at WEEK SIX of your training for our 5k! In only a few short weeks we'll all be sweating together!

I can't wait to get all stinky with you!

Well, we spent Saturday afternoon and a lot of Sunday lounging around at my mom and dad's in Clarksville, TN. My mind and body are still in "lazy mode" but today is going to be a busy day. Grocery shopping, cleaning, exercising and VBS are on the agenda so I'd better scoot.

P.S. Please pray for a healthy, speedy delivery for my great friend, Karrie, who is being induced as I type. I can't wait to meet you Elliott!

Getting Your Train On WEEK SIX

Hola friends!

This is the post you should use to enter any training you do this week. Instead of me searching through each of my daily posts, I will come here and ONLY HERE to see where you all are at with your training!Please include the date that you trained in your comment.

Make it look something like this..."Hey Chelle! On 6/23/08 I got my train on!"

On Sunday night I will review this post and update the results for the contest.Please keep in mind that to keep things fair I am only giving credit for THREE training days per week. I am counting Monday to Sunday as one week. So if you got two days in one week and four days in the next, I will only be able to give you credit for five days.

I don't want to discourage anyone from exercising more than that but I got to keep it fair somehow!!

This week will be the most challenging week yet! You guys have already stuck to it for 5 whole weeks though, and I know you will continue to succeed!

This week the training schedule calls for EIGHT INTERVALS of one minutes of walking and three minutes of jogging for a total of 32 minutes.

Good luck!

You guys are doing great!

A Week's Worth of Thanksgiving Prayers

I thank you Lord for Monday.

I woke up calm. I was not anxious or worried. I was not (too) sad that Octavio had to go to work. I did not feel lonely. I felt Your Peace.

You allowed me time in the afternoon, quiet time, to read Your Word. You let me get almost a whole chapter in before You allowed me an almost 30 minute nap.


I thank you Lord for Tuesday.

You placed me in a friend's mind and she called and invited Ori and I to the zoo. Your sun shined bright and the kids had fun. I got to chat with a girlfriend for a few hours and we talked about everything but the "recent drama". It was a fantastic break.

You made sure Octavio and Ori made it to tball practice safely and gave Jocie and I time to cuddle and giggle alone.


I thank you Lord for Wednesday.

For the first time in a long time I had playgroup, and not because I felt I should have it, but because I really wanted to have it. You gave me time to talk with other Godly women. You gave us the perfect amount of shade in the backyard in the perfect spot, so we could be cool AND have a good view of the kids. You gave me the idea to build the kids a little obstacle course and gave them the focus to want to do it. You filled my backyard with laughter and my heart with joy.

You allowed me to get to my evening appointment safe and on time. You allowed me to discover things about myself, about my character, about my personality, that I didn't really think about before. You are beginning to help me make a major transformation.


I thank you Lord for Thursday.

You allowed Ori and I to actually find a lizard on our lizard hunt. You gave me the opportunity to talk with her about your creatures and a little about The Circle of Life ("Lizards eat spiders. Spiders eat flies. Flies eat garbage. Right mama?")

You let me realize right away that I left my diaper bag and wallet in the cart in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby and protected it until I returned. :)

You brought my husband home safely and early enough for me to get a run in. You gave me strength in my legs and when you moved a cloud in front of Your glorious sun it gave me the break from the heat I needed to get in my fastest mile to date (8:51).


I thank you Lord for Today.

I got a good night's rest. You have blessed me with a husband who ALWAYS wakes up happy. You have given me two girls who wake up with the same demeanor as their daddy.

You have allowed money to come to us at just the right time, so that we can take a trip to visit my mom without feeling the "gas price pinch".

I can feel that You are slowly filling my mind and heart up with contentment where unsettled energy and anxiety has lived for so long. (I am sure the slowly part is me, not You).

I know once I evict the nervousness from Your Temple that I will truly be on The Highway to Health. I know You will get me there.

For all these things and so much more Lord, I am thankful.

Amen.

Comment of the Week

This week I want to focus briefly on one comment.


Leigh Ann said...
I have a love/hate relationship with training. The hate part is that 6am comes way too soon for me. ha! Yet it's the only time I really have to run. Also, I have weak ankles and if I run for too long, they kill me. Blah blah. The love part is that I finally have ME time and instead of timing myself on the run (one minute, two minutes) I've been "talking" with God instead. I also love how energized I am throughout the day because of my run in the morning. I usually feel pretty good about myself on the days I run. I've only been going, at most, two miles. My ankles, not wanting to get up sooner than 6am, and not knowing what route to take all factor into that reason. Lame, I know. I'm interested to hear about how training is going with your other readers.


The same day I read this comment I received an email that was on the same subject.

Coincidence?

Of course, me thinks not, so I have to pass the info along!

I know some of you have probably heard one or two of these before, but take the time to read them all and carefully consider whether exercising in the AM might be right for you.

Taken from Learn to Love A.M. Exercise by Rebecca Pratt on sparkpeople.com

...I’ll share with you my “Top Ten Reasons” for getting up with the early birds to get moving:

1. Exercising early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours, sometimes for up to 24 hours! As a result, you’ll be burning more calories all day long—just because you exercised in the morning.
2. Exercising in the morning energizes you for the day—not to mention that gratifying feeling of virtue you have knowing you’ve done something disciplined and good for you. (Much better than a worm!)
3. Studies have shown that exercise significantly increases mental acuity—a benefit that lasts four to ten hours after your workout ends. Exercising in the a.m. means you get to harness that brainpower, instead of wasting it while you’re snoozing.
4. Assuming you make exercise a true priority, it shouldn’t be a major problem to get up 30 to 60 minutes earlier—especially since regular exercise generally means a higher quality of sleep, which in turn means you’ll probably require less sleep. (If getting up 30 to 60 minutes earlier each day seems too daunting, you can ease into it with 10 to 20 minutes at first.)
5. When you exercise at about the same time every morning—especially if you wake up regularly at about the same time—you’re regulating your body's endocrine system and circadian rhythms. Your body learns that you do the same thing just about every day, and it begins to prepare for waking and exercise several hours before you actually open your eyes. That’s beneficial because your body’s not “confused” by wildly changing wake-up times, which means waking up is much less painful. (You may even find that you don’t need an alarm clock most days.)Hormones prepare your body for exercise by regulating blood pressure, heart rate, blood flow to muscles, etc. Also, your metabolism, along with all the hormones involved in activity and exercise, begin to elevate while you're sleeping. As a result, you’ll feel more alert, energized, and ready to exercise when you do wake up.
6. Many people find that morning exercise has a tendency to regulate their appetite for the rest of the day. Not only do they eat less (since activity causes the release of endorphins, which in turn diminishes appetite), they also choose healthier portions of healthier foods.
7. People who consistently exercise find, sometimes to their great surprise, that the appointed time every morning evolves into something they look forward to. Besides the satisfaction of taking care of themselves, they find it’s a great time to plan their day, pray, or just think more clearly—things most of us often don’t get to do otherwise.
8. Exercising first thing in the morning is the most foolproof way to ensure that other things don’t overtake your fitness commitment, particularly if you have a hectic family life. (It’s so easy to wimp out in the evening, when we’re tired or faced with such tasks as rustling up dinner and helping with homework.)
9. More than 90% of those who exercise consistently have a morning fitness routine. If you want to exercise on a regular basis, the odds are in your favor if you squeeze your workout into the a.m.
10. Non-morning people can always trick themselves in the a.m. Having trouble psyching yourself up for a sunrise jog? Do what I did—tell yourself that you’ll still be so fast asleep that you won’t even remember—much less mind!

So, I know Leigh has gotten some of the benefits of AM exercise. Anyone else out there want to share their experience?





*In closing and off topic*

I had an appointment last night so Daddy had the girls. This picture was taken about 30 seconds after I walked in the door. He's such a good daddy!

It's Hot to be Healthy

I GOT MY TRAIN ON LAST NIGHT!


I got sweaty and sticky and stinky and out of breath and I LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

I have only ran outside maybe twice since my injury. I am running a 5K on Saturday morning and I knew I needed to get out and see what the old legs could do on the pavement. I struggled a little bit with side stitches (proper hydration is key, people!) but no knee pain!

Of course, this makes me very, VERY happy!

I am beginning to feel like hot stuff when I run. I actually wore shorts yesterday. Man, what a difference it makes as far as keeping me feeling cool. I need to get myself some spandex style shorts to wear under them though. I think I smelled a little bacon while running!

*I crack myself up!*


I wish I could get up at 6 a.m. and get it over with before the heat of the day like some people *points vigorously at Leigh* but my hubby leaves before 5 a.m. Even if he was home I can probably bet I would not get up and do it.


*In closing and on another note*


Found another old pic of myself. Man, what in the world was I thinking?????

Healthy is so much hotter!

Bomb Diggity

Last night was the first night in about four days that I had a nice, healthy dinner.

It tasted SOOOOOOO good!

What was it?

Simply grilled chicken breast, brown rice, fresh green beans, and a salad.

Funny how something I would have turned my nose up to and been extremely disappointed in two years ago can be so mouth watering now.


*Train Talk*


The weather is cooling down a bit for the next couple of days. Cool as in high 70s, low 80s. I am going to try to get outside tonight and get a run in. It has been a loooong while since I tried to go full speed. I think my knee is ready for it.

I am running a race on Saturday with my speedy friend, LaVonda, and although I probably won't finish with her, I am hoping to keep up for a while at least.

How are you all doing with your training? Are you enjoying it or finding it a chore?

I remember when I first started running it was solely because it was the only thing that seemed to help me drop weight. I found though, that the more I did it, the more I actually found myself enjoying it. I don't know how many times in my life I have made smart aleck comments about running but I totally take them all back.

Running is the bomb diggity and I love it!

Weigh Day Week 19

*Notice I made a new blog entry for you to enter your training for Week Five*

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 197.2

Current weight: 199.6

Weight loss/gain since last week: +2.4


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -21.4





The weight loss streak is over :(

I had a good run but I knew a gain was in the forecast.

Alrighty, so I ate really, REALLY bad this weekend. I'm talking Taco Bell on Saturday night, Fiesta Time on Sunday afternoon, Pizza Hut on Sunday night - BAD.


The thing is, I am OK with it - almost happy about it. I am taking it as a good sign because it means my appetite is returning. I haven't had one in the last month or so.

Another good sign -

I caught myself looking at scrapbook stuff at a yard sale this weekend. A few weeks back I packed all my scrapping stuff in a box and put it out of sight. I didn't want to see it or have anything to do with it. It appears my interest may be returning. That makes me happy.

Speaking of yard sales -

I came up with a new term this weekend. "Run"age sale-ing.

I went by myself to some neighborhood sales this weekend. As I was walking around and sweating I decided that I was going to maximize my time and make it my workout time as well. So, even though I wasn't really dressed for the occasion, and people were looking at me a little funny, I started running from sale to sale. I didn't find any CD's but I definitely got a great workout in!


*Speaking of working out, let's talk about you all*


You are HALF WAY through your training! Can you believe it??? Four weeks of training under your belt!

It appears that some of you are already noticing a difference in your running abilities after just four short weeks! Isn't that cool?!?




Keep up the good work!

And for those of you who still haven't registered for the race (ANDREW) CLICK HERE!





Here's a pic from last week I meant to share :)

Getting Your Train On WEEK FIVE

Hola friends!

This is the post you should use to enter any training you do this week. Instead of me searching through each of my daily posts, I will come here and ONLY HERE to see where you all are at with your training!Please include the date that you trained in your comment.

Make it look something like this...

"Hey Chelle! On 6/15/08 I got my train on!"

On Sunday night I will review this post and update the results for the contest.

Please keep in mind that to keep things fair I am only giving credit for THREE training days per week. I am counting Monday to Sunday as one week. So if you got two days in one week and four days in the next, I will only be able to give you credit for five days.

I don't want to discourage anyone from exercising more than that but I got to keep it fair somehow!!

This week the training schedule calls for SIX INTERVALS of two minutes of walking and three minutes of jogging for a total of 30 minutes.

Good luck!

You guys are doing great!

Bra Talk

*First, a funny Ori story (there is a level of grossness involved)*


My daughter is infatuated with flatuation right now. Every conversation turns into one about farts.

I know some people out there think fart is a bad word and prefer "toot", "breaking wind", or "passing gas", but the Castaños say "fart". Sorry if it offends you.

Anyhoo - a couple of mornings ago she came into my bedroom and got in bed with Jocie and I. She said she wanted to tell me something she did last night in bed and started giggling so hard that she had tears coming out of her eyes. Finally, she calmed down enough to get the words out -

"I farted on my hand and smelled it."

And I was sure I would bypass grossology by having daughters instead of sons...


*back on track*


I am having a good morning. Octavio is home and that always makes me smile. I love having three day weekends with him every weekend. He is my man and I love him.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Lane Bryant. I know, I know, I already wrote her a Dear John letter, but like I said, I still fit into their bras and man, oh man, did I need some new ones.

I thought the ones I currently have were too big around and that I just needed to get a size smaller in the length around. I have really been putting it off because all of my bras are in great shape, some are like brand new.


*side note*


Washing your bras by hand really helps them to keep much longer!


*back to bra talk*


I was having trouble finding the right fit so I decided to get measured. Man, I was WAY OFF!

I thought I was a 42B and I was a 40C!

Seriously, the difference in the shape of my curves under my shirt when I have the right size on is AMAZING. I am much, much, MUCH more pleased with my looks!

AND I am a C! :)


*Yet another side note*


Some of my friends from my past are probably thinking "didn't Michelle used to have really big knockers back in the day?"

Yes, my friends, I did. And in 2002 I had a reduction. :)


*Enough boob talk*


My mom sent me an IM this morning that I'd like to share -

Mom: This morning I was reading the bible and praying....in my bible (that pam gave me) there are prayers with blanks in it to put someones name in. I usually flip through and put all my family's names somewhere. This morning I am behind schedule a little bit so I shut the bible before I did that. Then I thought...well I at least want to pray for Michelle. So I flipped open and this is what GOD gave me to pray for you (and Octavio) Father of mercies and God of all comfort, please comfort Michelle and Octavio in all their tribulations, that they may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which they themselves are comforted by You. 2Cor 1:3-4. I thought that was PERFECT

God really does care about every little hair on our heads

Love you all and also praying you will have a great Friday and safe ball games

by the way...you really can smell a fart on your hand


Gotta love mommy!

Oh yeah, and NO TERMITES!


Weekend Challenge:

Go get fitted for a bra and see if you are wearing the right size!

Comments of the Week

*before I begin*

This may be a little silly but would you all please pray that we don't have termites. Long story short, holes are popping up in our drywall and they are driving me absolutely insane (close to literally). I haven't seen any actual buggies but I scheduled an inspection for this morning and I am hoping it turns out all right.

Gracias Pals!

*back to bloggin'*


Let's get to 'em -






Cheri said...
You definitely make me feel like no matter what shape my life is in, I've got friends and family who care about me and there isn't anything that God can't get me through.


I felt really guilty after reading this comment. Not because you said anything wrong Cheri, but because you are absolutely right. I am not sure what it is about depression, but I feel like even though I know God is in control, I just don't feel like He is.

I know, I know, that doesn't make much sense to me either. I am actually working on a blog about depression and my faith, so stay tuned.


Anne said...
I'm sorry you'll have to find a new place to shop, but what a great reason! This thought may help comfort you as you find new stores you like: you will soon be able to pick something you like off the rack and not have to try it on and inspect the fit from every angle before you can purchase it.Keep up the hard work!

Oh, how I am looking forward to that day! I am really scared though. What will happen to my budget when I start to enjoy shopping for clothes????!!!


Leigh Ann said...
Your blog this week already sounds more like you. Congrats on another loss AND keeping the weight off. You rock!It's hot and there's been problems with my a/c. With that said, I didn't get my last day of training in yesterday and I'm pretty sure I won't be doing my first day of training for this week today. I need a cold house to come home too! lol.Love you!

This is going to sound funny, but I chose this comment because of it's honesty. I mean, no one would really know whether or not any of you all are getting your train on but I KNOW I can trust you all to be honest. That makes me very, very happy.



If I can maintain my focus while trying to create it, I think tomorrow's blog is going to be a good one for me.

Here's to hoping it comes out in the blogosphere as clear as it sounds in my mind :)

Clarify and Recommit

First off, thanks for all the great comments yesterday!

Second, I feel the need to clarify a few things...

There are probably still things at Lane Bryant that I can fit into. I am sure I will still be buying my bras there for a while. The smallest shirts there are too big for me though so I know I need to move on.

Also, there were quite a few comments yesterday telling me that I was back. I felt that way too...

Then the rest of the day happened. :(

I don't know if the drama of the past week had my adrenaline pumping or what but I really thought I was starting to come over the hump.

No matter how many times I hear "take it one day at a time" I still can't seem to take it one day at a time. I get excited and hopeful. Then I get sad.

I needed to look back this morning and remind myself (again) why I am doing this...

I am keeping this blog to help me...

• Keep myself on track
• Keep myself honest
• Provide a healthy home with healthy habits for my girls
• Inspire the people I care about to get or stay healthy

I don't know that I have been inspiring lately. I am still looking for my Blog Mojo to return. The ideas just don't seem to come like they used to.

I will tell you one thing though - I am amazed at how many of you are getting your train on and committing yourself to health! To go from not doing a whole lot to being dedicated to a training guide, and being AS dedicated as you guys are, is just phenomenal!

ANYHOO -

I got my train on yesterday. There was some slight discomfort near the end, so I had to decrease my speed. It felt good to train though. Real good.

I also ate breakfast yesterday. I literally had to choke it down because my stomach just didn't want it. But I ate it.

Oh, it would be great to be back.

I'll get there...eventually.

Goodbye My Love

My Dearest Lane Bryant,

It saddens me to have to write this letter to you. How do you say goodbye to the one who stood by you at your fattest hour? How do you leave the only one who continued to wrap their stylish, loving threads around you when no other store would?

I guess I'll just have to say 'thanks'.

Thanks for employing women who looked like me and always made me feel comfortable.

Thanks for knowing and embracing that style is not about size.

Thanks for all the coupons, sales, and discounts you provided when I didn't really have the money.

Thanks for catering not only to the plus size girl, but the petite plus size girl.

Thanks for making under garments that made me feel sexy, no matter what size I was.

My departure from you is bittersweet. I know good things are waiting for me outside of your world. I only hope others are as kind to me as you were.

I will still see you from time to time in passing and will always remember our good times. I know it will be hard but please, don't call out to me as I walk by. I am afraid I will not be returning to you ever again.

I'll miss you, my friend.

Love,

Me

Weigh Day Week 18

*Notice I made a new blog entry for you to enter your training for Week Four*

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 202.8

Current weight: 197.2

Weight loss/gain since last week: -0.8



TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -23.8



Another loss! If you knew how much I ate at a birthday party on Saturday, you'd be amazed at the fact I lost 0.8 lbs. Seriously.

This morning I made a little list of my Weigh Day post results for the past 18 weeks. Here is what I found.

• 13 out of 18 weeks I posted a weight loss = 72% of the time

• Out of the 5 weeks that I gained weight, only once was it more than the amount I lost the week before

• If you don't count my very first weigh in (-24.4 lbs from the last day I was pregnant) I am averaging losing about 1.4 lbs a week.

• I am currently on a FOUR week losing streak!

• Last week I posted the highest weight loss since I started = -4.8

That last bullet point is actually what got me to go back and look at all the data to begin with...

When I was copying the little format I use for my Weigh Day blogs from last weeks post, I noticed that I lost 4.8 lbs last week. I know I am the one that weighed in and created the post, but I think that is the first time I actually realized I lost that much weight last week. I was in such a funk that morning, and stressed about revealing my "secret" that it just didn't register.

I lost almost 5 lbs last week! WOW! How cool is that?!?!

And even better than that...

I've kept it off for a week!

We had a really nice weekend. I did exactly what I said I was going to do on Friday - chill out!

We didn't clean the house Friday (or Saturday or Sunday). We hung out with the kiddos and then went to my softball game. We lost pretty bad but I had fun. I really enjoy the people I play with and am starting to feel pretty comfortable on the team.

Ori had her game on Saturday morning. She has a hard time paying attention to the game when she is in the field but she is really coming along in her batting. I think we need to buy her a tee ball bat though. The one we have for her to practice at home with is really light weight and I think that throws her off when game day comes.

Yesterday Susan and her hubby watched the girls so Octavio and I could go see the new Narnia movie. The movie didn't quite meet my expectations but it was nice to get out of the house alone! Our friends stayed for dinner and it was nice to relax and visit with them.

I got outside and ran 2 miles yesterday morning. It was hot but it felt SO GOOD! My knee is getting stronger! I am going to train on the treadmill this week and hopefully get outside to run again this weekend. It feels good to be back.

I need to get back to my crunches and push ups this week. I also really, REALLY need to force myself to eat breakfast.

I think I'll go get some right now...

Get your train on folks! You're already on WEEK FOUR!

Getting Your Train On - WEEK FOUR

Hola friends!

This is the post you should use to enter any training you do this week. Instead of me searching through each of my daily posts, I will come here and ONLY HERE to see where you all are at with your training!

Please include the date that you trained in your comment.

Make it look something like this...

"Hey Chelle! On 6/9/08 I got my train on!"

On Sunday night I will review this post and update the results for the contest.

Please keep in mind that to keep things fair I am only giving credit for THREE training days per week. I am counting Monday to Sunday as one week. So if you got two days in one week and four days in the next, I will only be able to give you credit for five days.

I don't want to discourage anyone from exercising more than that but I got to keep it fair somehow!!

This week the training schedule calls for FIVE INTERVALS of two minutes of walking and three minutes of jogging for a total of 25 minutes.

Good luck!

You guys are doing great!

R & R

Man, I need a little downtime. It has been one crazy week.

I couldn't even put an exclamation point at the end of that last statement even though it probably deserved one - that's how fried I am.

I got a chance to get on the treadmill yesterday and I am proud of myself. I took my time and slowly worked up to a jog. I jogged the last 10 minutes, and again felt no pain. I think I will continue doing this every other day until my race on June 21st. I am content with that.

I got to treat my man and my girlies to dinner last night. For the last month or so I have been doing a product study. I've had to use a name brand shampoo and keep a diary. I got $100 yesterday for completing the study.

After giving a girlfriend her cut for watching my kiddos I had enough to take us to our favorite mexican place. I behaved myself and only ate half of my meal. I was actually full, so it wasn't hard. We also had chips left over in our basket. That is pretty amazing!

Thankfully, the place is very reasonably priced and I still have some $$ left. I am hoping to use what I have left to get myself some much needed bras! Of all the places I want to see get smaller, why does it have to start there???? :)

I have a softball game tonight. It is supposed to be over 90 today so I am sure to sweat off a pound or two. Last week I pulled something in my leg when running to first base and it really messed me up for the rest of the game. I am going to stretch a little before hand and hope that doesn't happen again.

Ori's got a game tomorrow morning. I am in charge of bringing snacks. The last three games/practices the snack has been Cheetos. I hope the kids aren't disappointed with my choice. I am not sure what it's going to be yet, but I can guarantee you it won't be Cheetos.

Normally Octavio and I clean house today. I think we are just going to c-h-i-l-l-o-u-t. I'm gonna fill up the kiddie pool for Ori and sit in the sun.

Get some R & R in yourself.

Again, don't forget to post your training in the appropriate blog for this week or it won't count. Don't worry. I'll get to updating the standings this weekend.

Comments of the Week

Before I begin -

Don't forget that the only way to get credit for your training is to add a comment to the post I created on Monday entitled "Getting Your Train On - Week Three".


*Comments of the Week*

It has been a wild week here. I feel like I have been on a roller coaster, and not in a fun way. Lots of things have kept me from focusing on my health and my exercise. I am thankful that I have friends who care and encourage me.

Most of this week's showcased comments are not in their entirety. I picked three to focus on this week.



Leigh Ann said...
Perhaps God is working something in you that can only come in the form of this depression.

There is no "perhaps" about it. I am sure of this Leigh. Thanks for taking the time to point it out to me. I look forward to being able to post some time in the future about all the things God taught me during this time.



ashleigh said...
Love you and keep your chin up, it will get better!

I chose this comment because this was one of the first times in a LOOONG time that someone said something about chins I didn't feel the need to insert a double chin joke. What double chin? I have no double chin!!



ME-chele said...
Also what a day to talk about fast food addiction. I myself was sitting here this morning trying to think of some way I could possibly go to a restaurant and order something. I had all kinds of ideas in my head about what I might be able to order from some restaurant. Your post, of course, knocked me back into reality. Thanks.

Here's the deal...up until I read that comment I was feeling really lazy about that day's post. I had no motivation to blog and couldn't think of anything good, so I decided to go back and look at some past entries and do a follow up. I almost didn't choose that blog to discuss. God used your comment, Michele, as a confirmation to me. Even on the days that I am not feeling it, I can make an impact. Thanks.


I am getting on the treadmill today. I think the treadmill is going to be my best friend for a while. The weather guy showed 90's for the next seven days. I just can't handle that kind of heat. It is a little disappointing because I have really been craving an outside run. I think it is best for me to be on the treadmill for now though. I need to pay attention to my speed and the intensity of my run to make sure I am allowing my knee to strengthen and heal.

I think I will be running a 5k on June 21 downtown and I'm really hoping the be at 100% by then.

If not, you all will have to be carrying me in July.

Funny thing, I think some of you would actually consider it if I asked!

:)

Insert Clever Title Here

I hate Writer's Block.

Not only do I have a bad case of that, I also have "Wit Block" right now, too. I hate not being able to come up with a clever title.

For me, the clever titles seem to come first, then the content of the blog. Lately I haven't been able to come up with a single clever title.

I'll just go with yesterday's health events I suppose...

I still can't seem to even force myself to eat breakfast. My stomach is pretty upset first thing in the morning lately. I am pretty sure it is due to the new medicine.

I did eat lunch, dinner, and even a bedtime snack though. It has been a few weeks since I've eaten that much in one day.

I did get on the treadmill. I took a little of my brother's advice from yesterday. I took it slow. I did a lot of walking at an incline just trying to strengthen my knee. After about 20 minutes, I decided to try to jog a little. Again, I went slow. It felt great. I went for about 10 minutes without pain, then gave it a rest.

I'll probably do some resistance training on the Total Gym 1000 today and try the treadmill out again tomorrow. I'd like to get outside but running in 90 degree weather doesn't sound that great to me.

I read something interesting this morning in an email that I'd like to share -

"If "putting yourself first" (a common admonition) sounds too selfish or too hard, try something simpler: Put yourself on an equal footing with those you love and tend to."

Interesting.


Keep getting your train on!

Am I Back?

Hmmmmm...

I have asked myself that quite a few times over the last few weeks.

Is my medicine working? Am I back to being me?

I am not sure what the answer is yet. I woke up this morning refreshed and with hope, and if you only knew the events my weekend and Monday you would be amazed to hear that.

I haven't had any inkling of knee or leg pain in a few days so I am going to get on the treadmill at some point today and see what happens. I am going to stretch before hand, take it slow, and stretch afterwards.

I am still struggling with eating. Funny how I went from not being able to control myself around food to not being able to make myself eat food.

This morning I re-read yesterday's post and tried to get excited about my achievement. I'm still not there. BUT it did make me realize that I am only 8 lbs away from achieving my goal. That is something to be excited about.

I am starting to feel my desire to blog returning. I hope my blog mojo returns in full soon.

That's about it for today.

How are you all doing? How is the training going? How are you?

Love you all!

Weigh Day Week 17

*Before I weigh in*

You probably noticed that I posted a new little entry entitled "Getting Your Train On WEEK THREE". I will make a new entry like that each week. From now on, when you want to let me know that you have gotten a training day in, leave me a comment there and let me know the date the training occurred as well.

I spent some time going back through the training from the last two weeks and I double checked each entry and the standings are up to date.

*Back to weigh in*

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 202.8

Current weight: 198.0



Weight loss/gain since last week: -4.8



TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -23.0



*honesty alert (this may be all over the place)*


Here's the deal - I am depressed. Literally. I went to the doctor about two weeks ago after a rush of panic, anxiety, and helplessness left me drained physically, mentally, and emotionally. He told me that my PPD has come back with a vengeance. He said I was getting by thanks in large part to running, but when that got taken away it all returned.

I have been put on an anti-depressant. This will be the start of my third week. I am hoping to start seeing positive effects soon. It could take up to a month.

I should be shouting and jumping and celebrating about finally being under 200, but I know that my depression and my body's response to my medication are what is causing my current weight loss. Doesn't really make it all that great.

It has been very hard for me to blog and not tell you all about my depression. At first, it just wasn't the right time for me to open up. Then, I didn't want anyone to lose focus in their training. The longer I have blogged without talking about this, the more I feel like I am going back on my word about being honest. I hope you all understand that this situation is a little different.

I hinted last week that I have been struggling. That is especially true with this blog. I am torn. I want to be the great motivator I know that I am, but right now my mind and body don't seem to be in agreement with each other.

I feel like some of my entries lately are empty. That I am doing them because I feel I have to more than because I want to. I think part of that reason is because I didn't want to burden my readers with my struggles, especially after I spent all that time trying to gear everyone up for the training. I think now that I am back to 100% honesty blogging will come a bit easier. I hope anyway.

I am so happy that many of you have taken the challenge and are training for the 5k. I look forward to seeing you all and completing the race with you all. I guess I am just asking that you bear with me for a few more weeks until I get out of this funk. My entries may be short, or really, really long and unorganized. Either way, I care about you all and really want us all to succeed in July.



I know I will be OK eventually. I just need some time...



...and all of your continued support of course :)



I love you all.



*On another note*



I think I may hold of on the end of the blog challenges for a while. I would like the training to be the main focus for my readers for now. I hope that those of you who haven't started training yet would get off your bum! :)

Getting Your Train On - WEEK THREE

Hola friends!

From now on I will make a post similar to this one at the beginning of each training week. This is where you will come to post that you have completed a day of training. Instead of me searching through each of my daily posts, I will come here and ONLY HERE to see where you all are at with your training!

Please include the date that you trained in your comment. Make it look something like this...

"Hey Chelle! On 6/2/08 I got my train on!"

To help keep myself on track, as I update the standings on my blog I will delete your entries. So, don't freak out if you come back later and a previous entry is gone.

Please keep in mind that to keep things fair I am only giving credit for THREE training days per week. I am counting Monday to Sunday as one week. So if you got two days in one week and four days in the next, I will only be able to give you credit for five days.

I don't want to discourage anyone from exercising more than that but I got to keep it fair somehow!!

This week the training schedule calls for SIX INTERVALS of three minutes of walking and two minutes of jogging.

Good luck!