Weigh Day Week 25

So, this blog will probably be pretty long. Also, for some reason the spaces are all screwed up again. I hate that but oh well. ENJOY!


Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 196.0

Current weight: 191.4

Weight loss/gain since last week: -4.6



TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -29.6

Woot! Woot!

Back on track and then some! I was so focused this week. Even the times when I was faced with the opportunity to stuff my face, I prevailed! This is probably my happiest weigh in so far!

*Astonishing News Alert*

I actually got up before 6 a.m. and got a bike ride in this morning! Can you believe it? It still seems like a dream to me but I rode 3 miles in 19:36 and had an average heart rate of 131. I am feeling extra good this morning and I will probably catch myself smiling every time I remember that my exercise is out of the way.

I think I may focus on cycling this week, assuming that I don't feel the effects of this mornings ride too badly later on today. I just want to try something different and see what my weight has to say about it :)


*Major Milestone Alert*



OK, it may not be major to some of you, but it absolutely is major to me.

6 months McDonald's free!

The longer I go without it, the easier it gets. I can drive by one and not think twice about it. I know I am not completely over it though. I definitely would not be able TO DO THIS! While Octavio was in Michigan he had it a few times and I found myself getting a little jealous about it. Not jealous enough to go and buy some though!


*Hubby's Home*

As much as I totally missed my hubby while he was in Michigan last week, it was nice to take some of the pressure off. Not really pressure he puts on me, but pressure I put on myself to make him happy.

As a little taste of how much the pressure was off...

On Wednesday morning Oriana asked me "Mommy, are you gonna wear them clothes a long, long time?"



*Confession Time*



I have been seeing a therapist. It is going very, very well. I encourage anyone who would like to explore more about themselves to seek out some good, professional help, even if you don't think anything "major" has happened to you. That's really all I have to say about that right now.



*Training Talk*



I had fun training this week. I never wore my heart rate monitor and for some reason that made me enjoy it more.



*Training Talk to Challenge Talk*



Anyone do last weeks challenge?? Andrew???

Well, I did! I ran 3.82 miles and walked 3 miles.

I'm not sure if the challenges are helpful to anyone or not. There wasn't a whole lot of action on here last week. I'm sure some of it has to do with my switching to a weekly blog instead of a daily blog. I think I'll hold off a week or so and maybe give myself a little more time to think of a good challenge. I'm sure a bribe or two will have to be involved to get some of you motivated.

:)



*Way Off Topic*


I actually got some scrapbooking done. Well, it was only one page but it felt good. How does this apply to health? Well, for me, it was something I really enjoyed doing before my PPD set in. Since then I haven't really had the desire to do it. I am glad I am enjoying it again. It really is fun! Expensive, but fun!



*Speaking of Depression*



While snooping around on the Internet last night, I found THIS ARTICLE.
I particularly found this excerpt interesting...

"If hunger made us walk around in a funk, we’d likely become someone else’s dinner. Instead, ghrelin motivates and focuses us on getting some F-O-O-D! Stat! "

Not sure where I was going with that... :)

Here are a few more articles you might like to take a look at -

10 Easy Ways to Cut 100 Calories I was reminded that I need to start drinking tea again. My problem is that I prefer it hot, and hot tea and hot weather don't really mix. I may try iced tea with a splash of 100% fruit juice, like the article suggests. I am not sure I can trust myself with juice in the house though. Maybe cranberry juice ?

Writing Down Every Morsel Doubles Weight Loss Hmmm. I was just thinking to myself I need to start journaling. I am pretty sure I wasn't talking about my food intake. We'll see.

*Race Talk*

So, I ran a 5k on Saturday. I talked my dad and my hubby into doing it with me. Nothing says "Let's go running" like the promise of a nice free breakfast afterwards (provided by the event coordinators).

Last year I ran the same race and got a trophy for second place in my age division. This year I took third place and got another trophy. I was bummed about getting third and about running 13 seconds slower than my PR until I realized that I beat my time from last year by about 5 minutes!

Race fee - $24

Cutting off 5 minutes in one year - Priceless!!!

Octavio came in second in his age division. He was so cute when he found out he was going to get a trophy. He stood up to walk up to the front before they even called his name!

My dad really pushed himself. He set a new personal record with a time of 35:58!

Go DAD!

Who woulda' thunk we'd be a bunch of racing fools?



Show me some love, friends. I'll get back on here throughout the week to comment with you all!

Weigh Day Week 24

*Remember, I am now only blogging once a week. I am going to post my blog here and on Myspace!*


Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs
Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!
Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0
Weight before trip to Michigan: 193.4
Current weight: 196.0


Weight loss/gain since last week: +2.6


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -25.0



So, I was hoping to come back from MI and not have gained any weight.


So much for that!

It is totally my fault though. I did really well keeping up with my work outs the first week of the trip. The second week was not so productive. I ran once, cross trained on a bike once, and then ran on Sunday morning back in KY. It is not because I didn't want to get a run or two in. I was on the road a lot visiting great friends and got home late pretty much every night.


I ate a lot of junk (Oh, Bennigan's, how I miss you) while I was in Michigan but I have to say, I did not do nearly as bad as I could have done! I think the only time I overate was at The Golden Moon - darn chinese buffet!


I am happy to be back in my own home, with my own food, and my own rules. I feel comfort in it. Kind of like I used to feel comfort in McDonald's.



The time away is actually just what I needed. I am proud of myself. I think I did really well. I love the fact that I was craving my healthy lifestyle while I was on vacation. I wanted it back. I couldn't wait to get it back.


Octavio headed back to Michigan early this morning. He will be there until Friday. This poses a bit of a challenge for me. I am going to have to tweak my meal planning and prep to make sure I only make enough for Ori and I so that I won't be tempted to eat Octavio's portion too! I am promising myself that I am going to definitely stick to my healthy eating this week.


Funny, normally if Octavio was going out of town I would look at it as a "Food Free For All". This time I am really going to focus the next five days on getting back to the basics. I am going to eat breakfast every morning and do some type of exercise each morning and night this week to kind of shock myself back into gear.

190 here I come!

*Softball Update*

When we got home Friday night I had a message on my machine saying we had a make up game on Saturday morning. I was excited to be able to play and...


We WON!


I only had one good hit (I need to get to the cages) but I made a few good plays from second base. I am really starting to like that position. Up until this season that is the only position I was uncomfortable playing (besides pitcher). I have to remind myself before each pitch what my job is depending on where the ball is hit. I think it's fun!


There were a few girls playing on our team this week that don't normally play. Since the game was called on short notice our coach asked a few of her co-workers to fill in so we wouldn't have to forfeit. Two of them were definitely softball buffs. They were really good hitters but as I watched them run the bases I could tell that physically, I was in better shape than they were.


I'll take health over hitting any day!



*Weekly Challenges*



Alrighty Andrew - I'll try posting some challenges again. I am going to start with stuff that is fairly plain and easy but I hope ideas for fun and exciting new things start coming to me soon!


This Week's Challenge -


Log in FIVE MILES worth of exercise by doing TWO of the following -

• Walking
• Running
• Hiking
• Biking
• Swimming
• Climbing stairs

I have created a spot HERE to document and discuss your progress. Let's encourage each other and try something new!

*Side Note*

I really enjoyed riding my cousin's bike while I was in Michigan. I think I'll have to get ours up and running. That might be just what I need to get these last few pounds off!

Hope to hear from you on here and on the Weekly Challenge Log and see you all next week!

Lastly, here are a few of my favorite pics of the girlies from our trip to MI! You can see more on Myspace later on today!

Weekly Challenge Log 7/21/08

Use this post to log in your progress, chat with each other, and encourage each other!

This Week's Challenge -

Log in FIVE MILES worth of exercise by doing TWO of the following -

• Walking
• Running
• Hiking
• Biking
• Swimming
• Climbing stairs

Weigh Day Week 23

Sorry for the late post! The Internet has been down for a few days. I thought I was going to go nuts!

As far as my weigh in goes -

Just like last week, I don't have my scale so I am not weighing in. I want to be consistent and weigh on my scale so that I know the results are accurate, well, accurate as far as my scale is concerned.

*Catch Your Breath 5k News*

We did it!

I had such a blast hanging out with you guys! Thanks for the pic Kate!

Way to go Andrew, Corey, Kate, Leigh, Michele, and Mom for finishing the 5k and to Rena for doing the 10K. (I thought for sure the official results would be posted by now...bummer!)

For those who trained but didn't get to run - I am proud of you too!

My favorite part of the race was when Michele, Mom and I busted out in a parody of Annie's "Tomorrow" I like to call "Two Miles".

"Two Miles, Two Miles, I love ya, Two Miles, Your only a cone away!"

We went to Subway for our post run lunch and had a great time catching our breath and enjoying some good eats. Thanks to Mom for picking up the tab!

During the lunch I let my friends know that I will no longer be blogging every day. I am only going to blog on Monday mornings for my weigh in from now on.

It is actually pretty neat that I don't feel the need to blog every day anymore. I really feel like I have worked through the majority of my weight and health issues and I am happy with where I am at. I don't have as much to "work through" anymore and feel like most days I am struggling to find something to say.

I am sure blogging only once a week will allow me to have a little more time to collect and research my material. I will probably go back to blogging on myspace instead of on here...we'll see...

I am hoping to hit 190 soon and then I'll have to reevaluate my goal.

I appreciated the support and the commitment of my readers very much and am thankful that you all have been there to encourage and support me.

I'll see you next Monday. I'll be back in KY and back on the scale. I am hoping that I can at least break even after spending all this time away from my safe zone.

Just because the training is over doesn't mean you can slack off!

GET YOUR TRAIN ON!

The Big Day

Can you believe tomorrow is The Day? Race Day?

I can't believe 8 weeks of training has already passed!

How did you all do? Did any of you surprise yourselves? Are you feeling a little bit healthier than you did two months ago?

I, for one, am so proud of you guys. Everyone had a different reason for training, a different goal to acheive, and you guys gave it your all. It was great for me to hear your training highs and lows. It helped me to remember I am not alone on The Highway to Health.


*Race Day Info*


I sent out an email to everyone who I know for sure is participating or thinking of participating in the race. I included details for those who are riding with me and some other info. If I missed someone, let me know.

The 5k run starts at 9:30 a.m. and the 5K walk starts at 9:35 a.m.


Lastly, here are some really great articles to check out to help you prepare for tomorrow!

See you at the starting line!

Calm Your Pre-race Jitters

Running in the Heat

Basic Gear

Race Pacing and Strategy

Race Recovery

I Go Out Typing, After Midnight

So, it's 12:14 a.m.

I just got home from going out with some old work buddies and I am tired.

I don't have anything to blog about really, but didn't want you all to think I forgot about you :)

I won't have a computer to blog on tomorrow until well after 8 p.m. so I figured I better at least put something on here so you don't come checking every 5 minutes.

Sorry I don't have more to say...

I'll do better on Friday - I promise!

Get your train on!

Like Riding a Bike

There are a million and one reasons why it is really hard to ride a bike when you are overweight...

...the seats are way too small

...your legs can't pedal your weight

...your back hurts from being hunched over

...etc


I can remember back when Octavio, Ori, and I lived at my parents house and I was at my heaviest weight, 270 lbs, and I thought it would be a good idea to ride my bike around their yard for exercise. In all honesty I thought it would be easier than going for a walk. Man, I was way wrong.

I struggled to get around the yard one time and had a breakdown over the fact that I couldn't even ride a stinkin' bike. I'm pretty sure I didn't say "stinkin". Octavio can attest to that.

Ever since that day I have been scared to try to ride a bike. I have tried one other time and although I didn't struggle as much, I didn't really go that far. Thankfully it started snowing that day and since I was in KY I took it as a sign that I didn't have to do it :)

Where am I going with this?

I spent the day with my cousin Kristol and her family yesterday. I spent quite a bit of time running around with the kids, swimming with the kids, fooling around on the kids little bikes. Then, I spotted Kristol's bike. She told me she had been riding her bike a lot and was really seeing results.

I decided to get back on the saddle, er, the bike seat.

I rode up and down her dirt road a few times. There is a little bit of an incline on the way back and I was totally intimidated at first.

How did I do?

So, the seat was still uncomfortable but my legs could totally pedal my weight and my back didn't hurt. I actually had a really good time and I am sure I will be trying to get my bike up and running when we get back to KY.

WooHoo!

I am going over to a friends house this morning to let the kids play and get some mommy time in too. We've decided to trade off for 30 minutes so that each of us can get our exercise in and over with fairly early.

Tonight I am going to meet up with some old coworkers. That should be a blast!


*Race Info*


I know I talked about us all matching in some way but just wear what you want to the race. If you are joining us let me know so I can have Rena pick your race packet up for you. I am still trying to figure out where to meet but I think I have an idea. If you're not already getting little updates from me via email and you are planning on participating in the race, let me know.

Testing 1..2..3..

Man, I am having a hard time behaving here in Michigan. Funny how getting out of your normal routine allows you to fall off track.

I guess it's not so much that I am misbehaving as it is I am not sure how well I am/am not doing.

Let's take a look at my progress:

• I haven't been drinking nearly as much water as I normally do.
• I had Bennigan's. Nothing good ever happens when I go to Bennigan's. :)
• I got an hour of run/walking in with my friends on Saturday.
• I got some water aerobic and swim sprints in with Michele on Saturday.
• I ran 1.6 miles on Sunday.
• I ran 1.6 miles on Monday.
• I have enough food to make healthy meals for the next three nights.

This trip is a good test for me though.

We'll see how it goes folks. We'll see :)

PS If you are in MI and you want to get together, give me a shout!

Weigh Day WEEK 22

Sorry about the delay friends. I had to wait until my man came home from work to get my hands on a computer. I was going to do my blog last night but the wireless internet was not working.

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

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 193.4

Current weight: 190.0

Weight loss/gain since last week: -3.4


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -30.0


ALRIGHTY!

Here's the deal...

I forgot to bring my scale with me to Michigan :(

I used my friend Tracy's scale but I am not confident that it weighs me the same as my scale does. Mine is digital, hers is not. So, although her scale clearly puts me at 190, I will not believe it until I get on my scale at home.

I mean, I had Bennigan's (first time in 2 years!) and pizza on Sunday so I am sure on my scale I would probably be UP 3 lbs, not down 3 lbs.

I am not sure how often I will be able to blog for the rest of the week. I will try to get it down the night before, but no promises!

Get your train on!

Getting Your Train On WEEK 8

Hola friends!

It's your last week! Can you believe it?

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!"

This week I will count only from today to Friday since I'd like to be able to give the winner thier prize on race day if they are there!

This week will be the most challenging week yet! You guys have already stuck to it for 7 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 four minutes of jogging for a total of 40 minutes.

Good luck!

You guys are doing great!

Quick!

Sorry it is so late friends!

I have so much on my mind and so many things to do today to get ready for the Big Trip. I have to catch up on laundry, clean up the house, pack, give the girlies a bath, go to the store, and of course, exercise.

I am gonna skip Comments of the Week and make this short and sweet...

I am SUPER EXCITED !

I love to plan and organize so getting ready for this trip and packing is all actually fun for me. My last trip to MI was for Kel's wedding in October 2007 and it didn't leave me much time to catch up with anyone.

Some time away is exactly what I need right now. I look forward to catching up with a lot of my friends. My itinerary is getting pretty full! I love that we are going to be there long enough for me to fit all my plans in.


*MOCK RACE INFO*

Anyone interested in running a trial race with Leigh, Michele, Rena and I on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. needs to email me for more details! It is going to be 79 and partly cloudy - a great morning for a run!

I am not sure if I will be posting tomorrow or not. We are getting on the road fairly early I think.

If I don't get a chance to say it tomorrow -

Happy Fourth of July!

Paying Attention to Our Intentions

Remember back when I posted about Bringing Intention to Your Motivation ? I asked you all to write down what you intend to accomplish by training for this 5K.

Did anyone happen to notice that I met one of the goals I set for myself during this training period?

My first intention was to lose 10 lbs. My weigh in on Monday put me at 11 lbs lost since training began! The other half of that goal was to keep it off. Time will tell :)

My second intention was to feel a closer connection to those who have taken the time to care about what I am doing by participating in the race. I definitely feel like I have. I can't wait to see y'all in person though!

NOW-

I am going to pick on Leigh and Cheri, since they were the only ones brave enough to let the public know what their intentions were -

Leigh -

Is exercise becoming fun for your family?
Is Michael still getting his train on?
Does Jakob notice you are exercising?
I am sure your heart is getting stronger!

Cheri -

How is your pace doing?
Have you noticed improvements?

What about those of you who didn't post intentions. Do you have any now?

If you do, post 'em already!


*Mock Race Info*


We are heading to MI on Friday. I was thinking we could do a Mock Race on Saturday, July 5th. I'm not sure where yet. If anyone has any ideas, let me know via email. I don't want to post anything too public just in case weirdos are checking this site out.

Also, if you want to know where/when we decide to do it and I don't have your email address, send it to me!

If the Shoe Fits

A happy runner has happy feet.

An unhappy runner has an injury, side stitches, or horrible shoes.

I wish I would have kept the shoes I wore when I started running back in late 2006. Seriously, you would laugh. The were heavy and ugly. The pinky toe portion was blown out. The first real race I ever ran was in January 2007 and my pinky toes are still upset with me. They had no shelter from the cold.

The biggest problem was that they were WALKING shoes, not RUNNING shoes.

Yes, there is a difference. A big difference. Trust me.

Walking shoes are usually stiffer and heavier than running shoes. This is because the walking motion does not require as much flexibility as the running motion. Also heavier shoes provide more cushioning for the foot. Although it may seem as though runners would need more cushioning because of the greater impact, runners typically choose lighter shoes because heavier shoes can make striding more difficult.

When I finally put enough miles on my walking shoes to prove to myself I was committed to the process, I went to a local store that specializes in running shoes. They measured my feet and determined I needed a wide shoe (*gasp* NO! Really?) They put me on a treadmill and video taped my feet from behind to see how I run, then determined which shoes would help improve my running.

The first time I went out in my new shoes I felt like the Roadrunner. The difference was amazing! Unlike most other shoes, you should never have to rely on a break in period - running shoes should feel good the day you buy them.

For my friends joining me on July 12th -

I promise you don't want to be worrying about your feet during the race. You don't have to buy a $100 pair of running shoes (I saw a nice pair of Reebok's at Sam's for $17 last week), but if you're shoes aren't comfortable you will be miserable.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for running shoes:

• Shop in the later part of the afternoon - feet get bigger during the day and they will get bigger when running
• Wear the socks that you would normally wear during running
• A number of other factors should be taken into account when deciding which shoe is best for you - such as how much you run; how heavy you are; presence of any specific foot problems
• It often can help to bring an old pair of shoes with you, so the sales person can see where your shoes tend to wear the most

Are your feet happy?