Weigh Day Week 16

*Before I begin, a BIG THANKS to Angie's husband, Mike, for adding a few things to this blog for me. Among other things, you can now subscribe to the blog using the button found on the right. THANKS MIKE!*



Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 204.4

Current weight: 202.8

Weight loss/gain since last week: -1.6


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -18.2


I am pleasantly surprised with this weeks weigh in, considering how bad I ate this weekend. I am talking a burger, onion rings, ice cream, AND pizza, and that was just SATURDAY!

Will my weight EVER start with a 1 ??????? I am really going to work hard this week to get there!

Even though I pigged out on Saturday, I have started taking some medication that makes me not really feel like eating so I am struggling a bit lately with making myself eat. I had a few days last week where it was dinner time before I felt like I could eat. I need to do breakfast, lunch, and dinner this week!

*SOFTBALL NEWS*

Softball was fantastic on Friday. My new teammates are really nice. The coach is nice, too. I was 2 for 3. Two singles, one pop fly, 2 RBI's. I could definitely feel a major improvement in my swing and I know it is because I have been working out my arms. I played left, first, and catcher. We lost in the last inning 7-6.

I had a huge cheering section thanks to my honey, the Carders, and Stacy. It was so nice to look out and see friendly faces. I am excited about this weeks game already.


*RUNNING UPDATE*

After sprinting around the bases Friday and feeling no discomfort whatsoever, I decided to try the ol' legs out yesterday afternoon. I took a few moments to warm up and stretch before hand. They felt really good for the first 10-15 minutes or so and then it was all downhill. Instead of just my left leg it is now both legs, although the pain isn't as bad. I had to walk the last mile or so. I stretched when I got home, iced them and took some ibuprofen. I am going to have to rest another week I think. Good thing I got, and enjoy, the Total Gym 1000. Thanks again Court and Allen!

*From Running to Training*

Way to go on completing Week One of your training! Anyone who hasn't started yet is STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to get off you bum and GET YOUR TRAIN ON!! :)

Remember, I update the results at the beginning of the following day and only three days a week count. Feel free to correct me if I don't have your progress right!

Week Two calls for FIVE REPS of three minutes of walking, two minutes of jogging. Get THREE DAYS in this week!

I just want to remind you that for our race in July we will be doing one minute jogging, two minutes walking. SO, if you follow this training you will be a PRO by race day!


Challenge:

The Pendulum

Lie on back, arms in a T, legs straight up (I have to bend my knees), feet together, toes pointed or flexed.

Slowly lower legs (or knees) several inches to the left without touching the floor.

Return to start.

Repeat to right for one rep

Do Work and Get Your Train On!

Anyone out there ever watch Rob and Big? The only reason I am lucky enough to watch it is because for some reason we get MTV2. Funny, considering we don't have cable.

Anyway, I crack up every time Big Black says, "Do work, son!"

You all are definitely getting some work done and getting your train on! Six of you are already well on your way, walking from The Ville to Flint Town!

I am proud of you all!

A special KUDOS to Rena, who already has her three days in!!

You still have THREE days left in this week. I encourage those of you who haven't started to get up and DO WORK! Don't let this opportunity to get healthy pass you by!

*other news*

I have a softball game tonight. I am super nervous. I have thought about backing out a few times. I don't know anyone on the team. I'm not even sure who I am supposed to look for when I get there. But my love of the game is stronger than my insecurities I guess. Wish me luck!


*quick side note*


I have a three day weekend on the brain so I think I am going to take Monday off as a holiday.

Be sure to check out the schedule for Week Two! CLICK HERE

SEE YOU ALL ON TUESDAY!

Challenge:

I can't do this one but do work and feel the burn!

Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width apart and your toes pointed forward.

Slowly lower your body and remember to bend slightly at your hips. Keep your weight back on your heels and your back as upright as possible. Make sure your knees don’t cross the plane of your toes.

Straighten legs and come up to the starting position to complete one rep.



Weekend Challenge:

Act like a kid this weekend!

Comments of the Week - Family Edition

Good morning!

I didn't really realize it until I was getting ready to post this, but all the Comments of the Week this week come from my family :)

Enjoy!


Dad said...
I love ya, you are perfect in so many ways and you are allowed to be imperfect in just as many ways.

This one actually came from an e-mail I got from him yesterday. That is a great quote and I thought I'd share it with you all.



Rena said...
Hello. I am lucky enough that my church has a indoor running track so I went and did 3 miles of walking /running. (about 30 seconds running 30 seconds walking) on Monday night. NOT EASY!!!! I am struggling and not doing the 30 seconds running at each lap but I can see myself getting stronger each time, but boy it is hard.

Way to go Rena! I am so glad you are in on this and I think it will be awesome completing the race with you and your sister! When I hear someone say that they can see they are getting stronger as they train, it takes me back to when I first started running. It is amazing how quick your body figures itself out once you start training, isn't it?



Andrew said...
Hey Sis, I'm going to try to get out today to do at least three miles of jogging, but I am not sure how well my knee is going to hold up. If it feels okay, Ill end up doing six miles, but having played softball last night, I don't know how reasonable that is. Also, kudos to you for getting Ashleigh to do crunches. Seeing her do them actually got me on a regimen of my own. Since last Tuesday, I have done 1000 every morning when I get up. Its funny how inspiration trickles down like that.

First off, 100 crunches???? BLAH to you! No, I'm just kidding. I wish I could do 1000 crunches! Thanks for letting me know how you came to start doing 1000 crunches a day. It's cool how I challenged Ash and then you started doing it. Funny thing, it is kind of like a circle. Because then I hear that you are doing it because of Ash who is doing it because I me and that inspires me to keep it up.



MEchele said...
Well I am officially registered for the July 12 th race also. My training is gonna start out pretty slow as my recent surgery prevents anything too crazy but I have started walking this week, every night with my dog Porter. I figured he needs to get in shape with me. I am looking forward to the race it is what I am gonna focus on for the next couple months to help me with my food addiction.

It seems like this training came at the perfect time. AND we know I don't believe in coincidences! I wish I could be there to walk with you. I miss you. I am very, VERY proud of what you have already accomplished! I can't wait to see you in July!



Ashleigh said...
I think you are doing amazing and maybe a couple weeks of something new will be good for you.I've been doing crunches everyday (100-200 depending on how I feel) and I was getting down on myself because I haven't noticed a difference, but Andrew reminded me that they are getting a lot easier for me to do. So I guess that is something, I'll just have to keep it up to SEE more results.I'm sorry to hear about your knees, I had tendinitis in my wrist so I had to stop going to yoga, I wore a brace for a couple weeks and it got better. It has been hurting me again lately though. So I know what you're going through somewhat.Don't let it get you down, you've come so far you can't let this stop you!

Thanks for sharing that your tendinitis got better :) It makes me feel a little more hopeful. Have you measured your waist at all? Are you pants fitting better? Have you tried to tighten and feel your abs? I will probably never see a 6 pack but I definitely can feel my abs now! I notice that they are getting easier for me to do, too. Keep it up girlie!



Challenge:

Close-Arm Wall Push-up - 25!

Start facing wall, arms-length away, feet slightly apart, legs straight with weight on toes. Place hands on wall with pointer fingers and thumbs forming a triangle. Keep arms in line with shoulders/chest.

Bend elbows about 90 degrees and lower body toward the wall without touching it.

Straighten arms and return to starting position to complete one rep.

The further your feet are away from the wall, the more difficult this exercise will be. Also be sure not to lock knees or elbows

What's in YOUR cupboard?

First, before I forget, I have a new instruction as far as The Race to the Starting Line goes...

When you get your training in, post a comment that only says "I got my training in".

I still want you all to post regular comments, too! I am just afraid I will miss giving someone credit and if I have you all leave a short comment like that it might be easier for me to keep track. Also, I will update the standings on my blog at the beginning of the next day.

FIVE PEOPLE so far have began their way from Louisville to Flint!

*back to post*

Read the title like those old Capital One commercials - you know, "What's in YOUR wallet?"


Back when I wanted to want to be healthier, articles about what kind of food should be in your house used to stress the heck out of me. Every time I read something about the healthy things I should be eating on a daily basis it would drive me to eat - bad food, of course.

So, when I got my monthly Parents magazine this month and saw an article entitled, "The Healthy Kitchen" I couldn't decide whether to read it, throw up, or cancel my subscription.

The article listed 36 food items that should be stocked in your "Healthy Kitchen".

I actually have 27 of those items in my kitchen right now!!!!

AND the things I don't have don't stress me out because I don't think we'd eat them anyway.

I am not going to list all the things it says you should have. I don't think these articles are a good idea. Instead of an article that throws 36 items at you they should do an item or two an issue.

I mean, come on, it always made me feel like I needed to throw all my food away and go spend a bunch of money at the store. It felt hopeless and impossible.

I did it one item at a time. And you all can too!


Challenge:

You may not get a chance to do this one today but maybe you can do it sometime this week...

In keeping with today's topic - try to do one of these -

Try a meal with brown rice instead of white - OR -

Try a meal with whole grain pasta - OR -

Try adding ground turkey to a meal instead of ground beef.

How We Doin'?

Day One of training is over!

If you trained yesterday, how do you feel? I would LOVE to hear about your first day, especially since I couldn't join in with you!

(Susan, thanks for the update! Go YOU!)

I know some of you may have opted for a Tues, Thurs, Sat training schedule. For those of you who did, be sure to let me know how it went when you log back in here tomorrow!

Also, if you are the type to start something and not finish it, REGISTER FOR THE RACE NOW! You'll be less likely to quit when you know you've already ponied up the dough!

A few things to remember when starting any new exercise regimen -

1. Drink lots (AND LOTS) of water! If you notice while jogging that your side is bothering you, chances are you didn't drink enough water. Click here for 10 reasons you should drink water.
2. Warm up / Cool Down ! I know part of the reason I am injured is because I don't take the time to do either of those. If you go outside to train, at minimum you should do something like walk around your house once at the beginning of your training and once at the end.
3. STRETCH! Another thing I need to spend more time on. Recent studies seem to show that stretching does NOT help prevent injury. Still, there are some major benefits to stretching. This article was really interesting to me!
4. Don't do more than your body can handle! You don't have to follow the training guide exactly how it is written. It is just a guide. If your feel sick, exhausted, dizzy, etc then you need to really sit down and modify the training plan so that you can get some training without hurting yourself. Better yet, go to your doctor and figure out a plan that works for you.

I know you all have heard all those before, probably a million times. That's because they are IMPORTANT! :)

Keep getting your train on, folks! Y'all are doing great!

Challenge:

Stretch that groin :)

Begin by sitting on the floor and bringing the heels as close to the groin as possible. You should not feel pain in this position, if you do feel discomfort create more space between you heels and groin.

Make a butterfly pattern with your legs in this starting position.

Use your arms to slowly push your legs and knees towards the ground. Stop if you feel any pain performing this stretch.

Be sure NOT to bounce the "butterfly wings," as this would cause damage to hips, groin, and knees. When you first begin, your heels may be a foot or two away but you will be bringing your heels in as you become more flexible

Weigh Day - Week 15 - Training Begins!

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs


Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!


Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0


Weight last week: 207.0


Current weight: 204.4


Weight loss/gain since last week: -2.6


TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -16.6




WHEW! I was really worried I was going to have my first ever two-week-in-a-row weight gain! That makes me feel good, especially considering that I didn't run from Wednesday on.

Honestly, I didn't really do much from Wednesday on. I tried to do some different things to get my heart rate up on Thursday and nothing really seemed to make me sweat. It's hard to get your hard rate up when your not supposed to use your legs!

Yesterday all that changed though. I got the Total Gym 1000 from some good friends and I spent 45 minutes playing with it. I also did an upper body and core routine I created on Sparkpeople.com. Both felt good and I am happy to have something in the house I can use. My heart rate doesn't even come close to what it reaches when I run but I am building lean muscle and that counts for something apparently :)



On to the topic of the day...



Training time is finally here!

I am super, SUPER excited to announce that 3 readers have already registered for the race. That's a good start towards my vision for a "sea of blue"!

We're a puddle :oD

Anyone who still needs to check out the training schedule or wants to register needs to CLICK HERE

This weeks training commitment is only 1 HOUR for the WHOLE WEEK!

You can totally do it folks!

Don't forget about my Race to the Starting Line Challenge!

Be sure to update me on your progress...if you don't, I'll hunt you down!


*Softball / Tball Update*


My update for softball is easy...

The game was cancelled because the fields were yucky :( *tear*

Ori still got to play though!!

Her and Elena did so good. They listened to the coach, hit the ball, chased the ball, had a ball. I am so proud of them.

Ori was the first up to bat for her team. The first time she went up she hit the ball and then kind of freaked out. I don't blame her though. The coach for the other team has a kind of different strategy - everyone goes for the ball. So she hit it and it landed a few feet in front of her, and the whole opposing team came charging at the ball.

Her next at bat was much more successful!

Here are some more pics from the game!

I cut Coach Troy's head off. She told me she thought he was handsome!

Had to get a pic of her tail :)

I call this the Second Inning Stretch :)


Sportsmanship is key!


Teammates for life!

Jocie can't wait until it's her turn to play!

Challenge:

I got an email from Sparkpeople that said "Whittle away those love handles!" Of course, that got my attention.

Here is the exercise they were talking about...

Love Handle Exercise


Have a great day, and get your train on!

Are You Ready Y'all?

First, thanks to all of you for bearing with me yesterday.

I was a whiny baby and somebody should have called a waaaaahmbulance. So, I can't run for two weeks. It's not like I lost a foot and can never walk again.

I appreciate every one's encouragement. I felt like if I would have been around some of you in person yesterday you would have smacked me across the face and told me to snap out of it (and rightly so). I was definitely not out fishing for compliments but they came and made me feel better.

I did some weight training, stretching, and ab/core training as well as about 15 minutes of Tae Bo (upper body only). I learned a few new variations of crunches and I know I'll be hurting at work today (cleaning with my friend again).

My heart rate never got over 85 but my arms and abs felt the burn and I'll take it.

OK, OK, I agree - enough about yesterday...

ANNOUNCEMENT TIME...

Training starts on Monday!

Who's doing it?

I need names people! I need to know!

Since I am not allowed to run for the next two weeks I need to live through you all. Will someone please run for me? Please????????

For those of you who need a little incentive ($$$$) I am happy to announce a new contest ...

THE RACE TO THE STARTING LINE!

The distance between my house and the starting line of the Flint Journal Catch Your Breath 5K is a little over 430 miles.

Let's see who can walk/jog their way!

Participants will start out in Louisville, Kentucky. For every day that you train, you will move 18 miles closer to the starting line in Flint, Michigan.

(Why 18 miles? 430 miles / 24 potential training days = almost 18)

The training guide calls for you to get in three days a week for eight weeks.

You are encouraged to exercise more than three days a week, but I will only count three days.

The person closest to the starting line on the Friday before the race will be the winner. The winner will receive a Subway gift card!

If more than one person makes it all the way to the finish line then more than one person will receive a gift card!

As a reminder...

Week One requires you to pick three days in which you will train for twenty minutes. On those days you will walk for FOUR minutes and jog for ONE minutes. You will repeat that FOUR TIMES.

*short side story*

Ori started t-ball last night!! Her and her BFF Elena were so cute. There was one point Coach Troy was trying to explain to them how to get down and be ready for the ball and Ori totally looked like she was doing the Cha Cha Slide -

"Hands on your knees! Hands on your knees!"

Their first game is Saturday!

My first co-ed league game is tonight! I am tres tres nervous!


Daily and Weekend Challenge:

Register for the race! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!

If you can't make it - find a race on Active.com and register!

Weigh Day Week 14 Boo! Hiss! Boo!

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 204.6

Current weight: 207.0

Weight loss/gain since last week: +2.4

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -14.0

Funny how just two weeks ago I was happy to see that number on the scale. This week, not so happy.

Honestly, I can still feel the culprit for this weight gain in my tummy...

...Good ol' Chuckwagon Chili Mac n Cheese :)

Yesterday was a cold, blustery day and I just had to make something hearty for dinner. Every time I took I bite I knew I was not going to be happy in the morning.

Why,do you ask, did I cook dinner at all considering yesterday was Mother's Day?

Because I got one heck of a Mother's Day gift!!!

Glass top and self cleaning - what more could a girl ask for?

What a great gift!

My man is the greatest! There was quite a bit of hassle that went into what was supposed to be a fairly easy swap out. My old stove was a drop in stove built into the cabinetry. The new one was definitely a MAJOR UPGRADE, don't you think?


Thanks to papa for helping him tear out the old stove, for going to Lowe's to get the new stove, for taking the stove from Lowe's back because it was damaged, for trying to cut a deal with the Lowe's manager for the hassle, for going to Home Depot and getting another stove, and for talking the manager into another 10% off the floor model!

The pans on top were a special gift from Nana and Papa and just make the whole thing that much cooler!

The best present I got though, was a hand made card from Ori (with Nana's assistance). She lists the reasons why she loves me and then draws pictures.

Here are her reasons -

I love my girlies!

*Zoo Race Update*

Mom, dad, Octavio and I all ran the Norton Healthcare Throo the Zoo 5k on Saturday morning. This was both my Mother's and Father's Day gift to my parents. It was fun running with my parents.

My mom asked at one point during the race if we ever thought we'd all be running a race together (thought I was gonna talk about "where, where???!!??!!! didn't ya ma?). The answer - NO!

But I am so thankful that that is the place we are all at right now. It is cool to all be on the same wagon!

My dad finished just under 37 minutes and mom and I crossed right at 37! Way to go us!

As if the morning wasn't perfect enough already, my mom and I both won prizes during the post race drawing! Mom won some Asics running shorts which she so kindly gave to me, and I won some Asics socks and two tickets to a Louisville Bats game!

Dad took this picture of mom and I after the race -

Octavio didn't stick with us slow pokes :) He did AMAZING!! He finished 5th in his age group and his mile pace was 6:57!!!!!!!!! That is like running over 8.5 miles per hour! My man! ;)



I need to get my mind re-focused this week. There were quite a few reasons (besides the chili mac) for the weight gain this week, including:

• pms
• major lack of motivation due to pms
• major snacking due to pms
• pms

This week I am going to due lots of incline training on the treadmill and lots of light weight training for my arms. I think I am going to do more than my schedule requires. I really need a boost and I think uping my activity is just the thing to do it.

I say that and then I say this...

Running has been a little difficult on my legs these past few days, specifically behind my knees and my right hip. It's not so much pain as it is tightness. I'm not sure what the deal is but I am in tune with the issue and will keep a close eye on it!


Challenge :

Strengthen those hips, people!

Stand with your feet slightly apart, toes forward, hands on hips or one hand on a wall/chair for support. Shift your weight to right leg, keeping your knee slightly bent and your spine straight.

Exhale and gradually lift the left leg, keeping it bent at 90 degrees. Lift your knee as high as possible, trying to get your thigh parallel to floor or higher. Hold here for 2 counts.

Inhale and slowly lower your leg to ground without letting foot rest on the floor. Complete all reps and switch sides. Make sure you don't lean back when lifting your leg.

Comments of the Week

Good morning friends!

Before I go into the Comments of the Week I wanted to let you all know that I was thinking of you all yesterday while I was running.

My treadmill cuts off somewhere around 5.4 mph, so I have been increasing the incline during treadmill workouts to maximize my calorie burning ability. Yesterday I burned the most calories I have ever burned in 30 minutes!!


We went to Applebee's last night to celebrate Octavio's 32nd birthday. All day long all I could think about was steak and riblets :) I had the turkey bacon ciabatta instead!! The (kinda) good thing was that the bread was not that great, so I ended up just eating the turkey and bacon. I did much better than I planned on doing and am happy for myself.

Now, for the Comments of the Week...


It was exciting this week to have so many comments to choose from! Thanks so much to all my readers for continuing to ride along with me on this journey!


Lynea said...
when i read your blog today i actually had a tear run down my cheek. i'm such a sap. :) maybe its because i totally have that pair of jeans collecting dust and being so happy that you dusted yours off. all the while listening to that beautiful song by third day! keep up the great work michelle. :)

Oh, Lynea, you are a sap! Don't let those jeans collect dust any longer! I know you have ventured to the gym a few times recently. Don't forget about how good you feel after you go! You'll feel that good x's 100 when those jeans are ready to be dusted off! Notice I say WHEN! I was also happy to read that you listened to the Third Day clip I posted. That song is amazing and I was glad to read that it stirred up the same type of emotion in you that it does in me! Thanks for reading, Lynea!

Terri said...
Just read your blog. I also use to worry if people would like me, and if they didn't I could come up with all kinds of reasons why they didn't, beating myself up. ( In my eyes if they didn't pursue me as a friend I took it that they didn't like me)

It took me a long time to realize that it wasn't if people liked me or not, most of the time people are just self absorbed and just trying to do things in there life for them self's. Also everyone is so different not every body likes everybody not because anything is wrong with them they just have different interest.

If some one is so shallow to judge someone without even knowing them do you really want them as a friend anyways.

(Repeat this to yourself) I am a wonderful person and if some one doesn't like me than it is there loss, and mean it!!!!!.

Also instead of thinking do they like me, think do I like them.

Once you can do this it will help with the panic feelings, I know this because I was you.

I know you are a wonderful person!!!!

I love you,
Terri

I loved all the advice in this e-mail, especially the part where Terri tells me to think "Do I like them". Also, it was a great point stating that not all people like all people. That is definitely something I need to start realizing!


LaVonda said...
You are doing awesome!!!! I'm so jealous of your progress, I"m not seeing much of it...except that I'm not trying hard enough. So, your progress let's me know I need to do more. Thanks for the challenges and encouragement! Love ya!!

I absolutely appreciate knowing that I am pushing you but you should not be jealous of my progress LaVonda! Think of all the progress you have made this year. Don't sell yourself short. You killed your previous times in both the 10K and the 10 mile. Continue letting the injury heal!

(One of the reasons I chose your comment as one of the comments this week is so that if I ever get to a point where I am injured I can look back on my own advice and hopefully take it!)


Samantha said...
I actually had the opposite problem when I got to Thinville ... some old friends (that had moved away) became jealous when I got out of my shell and made new local friends. When I started dating Stephen, two of them blew up separately at me because I wasn't as available to them, and both felt the need to point out that "I was your friend when you were fat" – insinuating that being my friend when I was fat was an awful ordeal, and that I owed them somehow for it.

This comment sparked so many different thoughts in my head I don't know where to begin.

First, I wanted to say that I am so happy I asked your mother for your e-mail address a few years back even though I was worried that you could care less to hear from me. I appreciate our friendship! I love knowing that even though you are busy with your life and I am busy with mine, in a short e-mail or quick blog comment we can reconnect, even if it's just for a brief moment.

Second, it made me realize how glad I am that I rid myself of selfish, shallow friends a long time ago and am surrounded by people who are happy for me and for my progress. It is nice for me to know that no matter what new people think of me I have a gazillion friends who have already accepted me for who I am.

Thanks for sharing, Sam !


MEchele said...
Boy your post has really hit home with me. You are so right on some points you made about hiding behind the fat. Thanks for bringing this to my attention now so that I too can begin to work on this before the problem may start. As always your post are so inspiring !!! love ya MEchele

A week after surgery and already back on here showing me some love and leaving me some comments! You are amazing, Michele. I look forward to reading your blog and getting insights from you as you continue to grow by losing :)


Thanks for ALL of the comments this week and don't forget to show me some love!



Challenge:

Do the Banana!

Lie on floor with legs together, arms extended overhead, belly button pulled in toward spine.

Keeping head between arms, slowly raise upper body and legs off floor to form a gentle bananalike curve.

Hold for a slow 30 counts

Weigh Day Week 13 - Unlucky??

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 207.0

Current weight: 204.6

Weight loss/gain since last week: -2.4

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -16.4

Oh yeah! Celebrate with me y'all!

I have passed the halfway point! I have less than 15 lbs to lose! WOOHOO!

Considering my big time struggles earlier this week AND the fact that I still have my monthly friend visiting, I am one happy gal!

*jealous alert - don't hate when you hear how spoiled I am*

I was really stressed about the weigh in last night. My weekly Sunday night foot rub was just what I needed to melt all the stress away. My man in DA MAN!

I actually did really well on Friday and throughout the entire weekend.

I went and worked for a friend on Friday. She has her own cleaning business and cleans some (HUGE) houses here in Louisville (one of the houses was for the Border family, as in Border's bookstore).

I packed a nice healthy lunch - a turkey sandwich on whole grain with mustard and provolone, an apple, carrots, a cheese stick, and some gum and mints. Five of us were piled into a Volvo and around noon they decided to "get some grease" as they put it. Where did they want to stop??? You guessed it, my "Golden Arch" nemesis.

Did I partake???

Hecks-to-the-NAAAAAAAW!

I have worked too hard to sabotage myself this late in the game!

I took my own advice - I started reciting my goals to myself -

What am I doing this for?

• To have a healthy life for myself


• To promote healthy living for my kiddos


• To inspire others to live a healthy life
  

I want me and my family to continue to look this good!

When I got home Friday afternoon I was starving. We had some yummy citrus chipotle turkey fajitas and a nice relaxing evening at home. It was raining and stormy and it felt good just to be home and chill.

Saturday was rough for me. I was suffering from the worst PMS symptoms I have ever had. We attempted to go shop for a few home decor items on our list but of course nothing was good enough for HELLthy Chelle :)

Saturday was a running day and I SO was not feeling it...until I remembered that my awesome cousin Kristol sent me a new toy in the mail...

I finally own an MP3 player!

So much cooler than the Walkman I have been using!

She even got me one of those carrying cases that goes on your arm. I have been stuffing that bulky Walkman in my bra for almost two years now. I can't believe it still works.

So, I used my new MP3 player on Saturday and hit a new PR on my route. Coincidence? Me thinks not!

We went to the Derby Part at church on Saturday. I did a good job of not pigging out. They key was not to get there until about an hour before the actual Derby, then you don't spend the whole afternoon snacking. Susan taught me how to play DDR and although I still stink at it (my best grade was a D) I got my heart rate up for a second or two. I look forward to being invited over to her house to practice (hint, hint Susan).

Yesterday was just a plain ol' good day. We did church, had a nice lunch, and spent some time on the couch reading the paper. Leslie called at about 3:30 p.m. and although it was an off day I chose to go run with her.

I impressed myself with my physical activity last week -

• 12 miles in 2 hours and 14 minutes


• 1800 calories burned


• 700 crunches


• 50 push ups
  
• 1 jump rope workout


• resistance band training


• ball training

I am proud of me!

So close to the 100's ... will it ever get here?????

Just give me a few more weeks!!

Challenge:

Try these and FLY!

I Heart Crunches !

First off - a few adorable random pics from our zoo trip yesterday -

And now for a quick reminder -

The 19th of May is fast approaching.

Do you have your goals written down? Are you reminding yourself of them daily?

I received an email from the event coordinator for the race in July. The site should be updated soon and registration should be available online next week.

*a quick story not related to anything health wise*

My hubby talked to a celebrity on the phone yesterday!

Octavio called our friend Chris to find out about going to the Third Day concert and Chris tells him to hold on. He hands the phone to someone else and Mac Powell gets on the phone and invites Octavio to last night's concert.

Mac Powell is the lead singer of Third Day. Their songs ROCK!

You probably know this one!

After the concert Octavio got to meet the band!

Here's a pic of him with Third Day

(and Chris, Leslie, and Scott, too)!

*back to health and on to my new achievement*

Any of you readers out there have a pair of "goal jeans"?

You know, the ones that don't fit but you can't seem to get rid of them. They are either brand new and you bought them too small on purpose or you used to be able to wear them way back when.

No matter where you got them, now they are sitting in your closet collecting dust.

Guess what?

MINE AREN'T COLLECTING DUST ANYMORE!!

So, I have been able to put them on a couple of times in the past few years but earlier this week was the first time in FIVE YEARS that I can put them on without having a muffin top!

And I am so NOT SUCKING IN!

They are a size 16 and I have been in a size 16 for a while, but these jeans are pre "stretch era" jeans.

Oh yeah, these babies are 100% cotton, no spandex, no stretch!

I HEART CRUNCHES!

Challenge:

Do 50 crunches. You read that right - 5 to the 0 - 50!

Weekend Challenge:

Do 50 crunches Saturday and Sunday too!

I am mean! Muahahahahahahaha!

You Know You're Changing Your Life For Real...

...when old habits creep up on you and you stomp the tar out of 'em!

The last couple of days have been rough. My "friend" is coming to visit any day now and I want to eat everything is sight. Monday afternoon was bad. I had no energy, the weather turned blah, and all I wanted to do was curl up on the couch and do nothing. I made a cappuccino for Octavio and I and we ate through a half a box of Thin Mints at like 6:00 p.m.

I am a no-coffee-after-9 a.m. kind of girl and the Girl Scout cookies have been hiding in the basement waiting for a day just like the day I was having.

It was an off running day and I hadn't done anything all day long as far as strength training or stretching goes and to be honest I really, really, really didn't want to.

It felt good to be bad at first, then it just felt bad.

I knew I needed to do something about it, that anything would be better than doing nothing all day.

Thankfully Ori was hyper :)

She was like my own little Jillian Michaels :)

Tuesday I woke up at 6:30 a.m. (way too early for me) and I was in a fog for most of the morning. The first thing I thought about was the fact that it was a running day. I was disappointed and dreading it. I don't think I have had a day so far that I didn't want to run as bad as I didn't want to run yesterday.

Did I take the day off?

Did I skip it?

Heck no! I punished myself for even thinking of not doing it by pushing myself extra hard on the treadmill. Since the ol' tready likes to cut out somewhere around 5.3 mph I decided to do 5.2 mph and slowly increase the incline for 40 minutes until I was at 9. My legs burned and sweat was dripping in my eyes.

It felt good and I am glad I didn't miss it.

In the past, when I would attempt to be "healthy" and screw it up I would do one of two things -

1. Punishing myself by cutting out food (sometimes altogether)


2. Give up completely and binge
   

I seriously thought that if I had McDonald's one day and then didn't eat until dinner time the following day I was doing a service to my health...

...OR...

...that if I ate McDonald's one day that it was all over, that I couldn't be healthy.

How stupid was I? I am glad to say that I am a much smarter person health-wise.

When you mess up, don't punish yourself. Instead ask yourself this -

Do I continue making bad decisions or do I start anew?

Notice I say "when" and not "if".

That's the other thing - you really can't expect yourself to never fall down, to always be perfect.

Leave being perfect to the people that believe the lies they tell other people about themselves :)

Challenge:

Swimming on dry land!

Lie face down, arms and legs outstretched a few inches above floor, head in line with spine.

Raise left arm and right leg off floor.

Lower and repeat with right arm/left leg. Return to start and repeat the series.

Don't lower arms or legs completely until the end of the set. Don't hold your breath

Jump on in, the dry land is fine :)

Two Blog Debuts and an Oldie Too!

*I am doing my challenge up here because for some reason at the end of the blog the enter key does not want to work correctly*

Challenge:

Since I know you all are clicking away on here...

DO SOME WRIST CURLS!

Think bicep curls but only work out your wrists...use a soup can or paperweight if you don't have a dumbell!



Good morning friends!

Today is an exciting day for a few people I know so I thought I'd start talking a bit about them. Both have decided to start blogs of their own, for very different reasons. Most of you who enjoy reading me would also enjoy reading them.

Both are linked right here in the blog and also in my blog list to the right.

Instead of worrying about coming back to find the link, why not just add them to your favs now...I'd better already be in your favs!

First we have My Cousin Michele.

My cousin Michele has been my cousin my whole life but we've been really good friends for the past four years or so. When my parents moved to Australia and we moved into their house her and I really hit it off. We spent a lot of time talking about getting healthy, usually over Chinese (right Michele), and were even known to do an exercise tape together on occasion.

As I type this Michele is getting bariatric surgery. Like me, she has struggled with her weight the majority of her life. During recovery and thereafter she will be blogging her way to a healthier, more confident HER. I am very excited for her and can't wait to see what happens!

I would ask you all, my faithful readers, to check her blog out today, to read her story. At the end she posted a link so that you can send her a note in the hospital. I know some of you don't know her but if you wanted to send her a e-card of encouragement I know she would love it, no matter who it was from! Shoot me an email so I can give you her last name if you are interested in doing that.

Next, we have My Friend Susan.

Susan is the wife of the youth pastor at my church. She is funny and sweet and always seems to have a smile on her face. She has a love for Christ that is amazing.

Her blog will focus "living a healthy walk with God". Listen up folks, she has already written a book so I know she has talent and I'm sure her blog is gonna be good!

Be sure to show them both some love and tell them Healthier Chelle sent ya!

The Kentucky Derby Festival Mini Marathon was this past weekend. I took a moment yesterday to look back at the blog I posted following my completion of the Mini last year -

*How funny that I didn't realize til this morning that it was exactly one year ago today that I posted this - coincidence? Me thinks not!*

Sunday, April 29, 2007

My Mini Moment

Current mood: tired
This is gonna be a long one. Grab a glass of milk and make yourself comfy

I ran the Kentucky Derby Mini Marathon yesterday!

It was 13.1 miles (out of which about 11 were fun) and my finish time was 02:50:07. I was about 8 minutes slower than my finish goal but I am happy I did it. My other goal was to be able to run through all the hills of Iroquois Park. That one I actually accomplished thanks to both LaVonda's encouragement and finally running a race with some MUSIC! Although she probably won't be reading this...THANKS ANNE for letting me use your MP3 player!

LaVonda and I stuck together most of the way but I made her leave me in her dust near the end because my knees just weren't keeping up with what the rest of my body wanted to do. The sound of my pace went from a slow and steady "THUMP THUMP" to a slower and less steady "THUMP DRAG" as my left knee got more and more tired :)

After LaVonda and I reunited at the finish line we headed to the car. I was feeling accomplished and in high spirits. We weren't even out of the parking garage and LaVonda was talking about doing a mini in Indiana that is coming up. I told LaVonda that I would be sticking to 5Ks for the rest of the year (I MEANT IT LAVONDA!).

We were stuck in traffic downtown for about 45 minutes and once we made it to the expressway I felt like I was getting car sick. When we were about two miles away from where I parked my car I started feeling really bad and thought I was gonna puke. I was getting stressed because I was afraid I was gonna throw up all over her van! We made it to the parking lot, I puked out her window, got out and sat on the curb for a minute, thought I was gonna be OK, got back in her car then passed out in her front seat!

She had trouble getting me to open my eyes back up and I was as white as people get when they pass out so she had to call 911. It took me a few minutes and to get back to reality.

I was finally starting to feel better and 6 firefighters show up...SIX! I was sooooo embarrassed. First of all, they were the kind of firefighters you would find in a sexy calendar. Second of all I felt like I was wasting there time. Third of all, I still had my bib number on from the race and I went from feeling accomplished to feeling like a wuss!

The ambulance got there about the same time (more nice looking men) and I was very worried they were gonna be jerks and treat me like a wimpy girl who couldn't run a race. They were SOOOOO NICE. They were concerned about my blood pressure being too low (79/47) so they took me to the hospital. Thankfully LaVonda took care of calling Octavio and giving him directions to the hospital. She also took Oriana for the afternoon so we could figure out what was going on.
At first they told me I was dehydrated, gave me some fluids through an IV. Every time a nurse came in they would ask how far along I was in the race when I passed out. I felt like writing "I FINISHED THE STINKIN RACE" on my shirt. The doctor came in and told me they were going to do an EKG and that I would be able to do home in an hour.

Twenty minutes later he told me that I had to stay the night . My EKG came back looking weird and they wanted to look into it. I met with the cardiologist (Also HOT...I felt like I was on Grey's or ER) and he wanted to make sure that I didn't have a heart attack. I was asked a million times if I was sure I didn't have any chest or jaw pain or any shortness of breath during the race. That still makes me laugh because my KNEES are what holds me back when I run. My breathing is always fine and I haven't ever experienced chest pains during a race.

I had to have a nuclear stress test this morning. They put some stuff in my IV to make my heart act like I was running. I felt gross and I hated every minute of it but everything turned out fine. They also did some time of ultrasound on my heart. That was fine too.

I got to go home at about noon today. I hated staying at the hospital and getting all that stuff done but I am happy to know I have a very healthy heart. I had actually just been talking to a friend about that. I was telling her that although I am working my butt off to get on the right track health wise I wonder what type of damage has already been done.

I was poked in 5 different spots to draw blood and "find" a vein for my IV. I think I am allergic to the tape they use to keep the IV on and to keep the cotton ball in place after they draw blood (I thought I was peeling off the sticky gunk from the tape and it was my skin!). I have blisters on my feet from the race. I also have blisters on the back of my knees from my knee brace and around my waist from my running pants.

Although I look like a mess I feel pretty good considering I ran 13.1 miles yesterday and spent the night not sleeping in the hospital.

My upcoming 5Ks are gonna be a breeze!

Thanks again LaVonda for all your help both during and after! Thanks to Nikki and Mr. Buzz for coming to see me last night in the hospital! Thanks also to Nikki and Alan for taking Oriana to church this morning and bringing us dinner, then coming back again to bring Ori her doggy.

We are so lucky to have the friends we have here!

I forgot to talk about the hottest man I saw in the hospital. He was the one who brought my daughter to see me, brought me clean undies and a toothbrush, communicated my condition to everyone, fixed me lunch, had a banner hung for me congratulating me on the race (before he knew I was sick), let me take a long afternoon nap today and just gave me the best footrub ever!

My how time flies...about two nanoseconds later I was pregnant with Jocie!

Weigh Day Week 12

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 206.8

Current weight: 207.0

Weight loss/gain since last week: +0.2

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -14.0


Funny thing, I am relieved. I was worried that last weeks weight loss was a fluke, that maybe I was dehydrated or the scale was wrong or something. But I've managed to pretty much keep that four pounds off for a week and that makes me H to the A to the P-P-Y!

We had a glorious weekend!

Friday was daddy's first official three day weekend. He has been put on a Monday through Thursday schedule now and will be home on Friday's.

We took Jocie to the dermatologist to get her birth mark checked out, then ended up going to Fiesta Time for dinner. I pigged out. I ate both of my Quesadilla Fajitas, all of my rice, tons of chips and salsa, and a few scoops of Ori's beans. But hey, I passed on the margarita(s).

In my defense I did work up an appetite on the treadmill doing the 15 incline for 40 minutes at 2.7 miles an hour. My ankle was hurting a little so I didn't want to run and man, cranking that incline up sure gets the sweat pouring!

Octavio got out and ran too. He was pretty bummed about not running the Mini Marathon but it was definitely for the best as far as his knee is concerned. There's always next year baby! By then I'll be able to keep up with you (yeah right!)

Saturday Octavio was my garage sale chauffeur. We drove around quite a bit and of course hit the jackpot at the last place we decided to stop at. Seriously among my first seven sales on Amazon I sold a video game for $39.00 (paid 2.57) and a DVD for $29.99 (paid $1.87). I'm back!

We spent Saturday afternoon doing one of my favorite workout routines - cleaning the house. Octavio took off the storms and put the screens in and I fixed up my office and organized all my "new-to-me" merchandise.

When we sat down to our healthy dinner (chicken/spinach brats with peppers and onions) I asked my husband if he knew whether or not the Kentucky Derby Festival Balloon Race ever happened. It was postponed Saturday morning due to the weather. A couple minutes later I opened the blinds in the dining room and WOW what a sight!

The pic is a view from our front porch!


Since we were already outside we decided to go for a walk...



I got up early Sunday and was running outside by 7:20 a.m.! Go me and thanks babe for waking me up!

I got 650 crunches in this week and really worked out my arms too!

It is amazing what a difference crunches and weight lifting make in my running! I feel like I am much more balanced and I definitely can tell that my posture is improving. My arms really get pumping at the end of my run and carry me to the finish.

*pause for funny story*

Sometimes Ori gets a little heat rash after playing outside. It seems to be worse with certain sunscreens. When she came inside the other day her arm started itching and I told her it was a little heat rash. Almost immediately she started crying. Once I got her to calm down a bit I asked her what was wrong...



She thought I said she was a hot mess and for some reason that freaked her out! :)


Challenge:

Reflect -

Spend a moment or two thinking about how far you've come on your own journey on the Highway to Health. Post a little comment telling the rest of us about it...

...and don't forget to show me some love!

Why this challenge? Thinking about the Mini Marathon got me thinking...I am going to spend some time tonight going through some blogs from the past year or so. Ill post more tomorrow!

"The More You Lose...

...the fatter you feel."

My dad said this to me last weekend.

As someone how lost quite a bit of weight (and has done a good job of keeping it off) I know he understands the ups and downs of weight loss. He knows it's a struggle. He knows the benefits outweigh the sucky parts.

When I first heard him say that I immediately agreed with him. It was kind of like one of those "a-ha" moments because I knew I was feeling something but couldn't put it to words.

However, the more I have thought about that statement this week, the more I realize that statement is close to what I am feeling, but not right on.

I guess I would say it more like this...

"The more I lose, the more I expect myself to look thinner than I actually do."

Does that make sense at all?

I see the weight drop on the scale and I feel it in some of my clothes but when I look in the mirror I still seem to see the old me.

I am sure there are some body image issues that come with losing weight. I have made my appointment to see my doctor in a few weeks to get my blood drawn and to talk with him about my weight loss. I will probably then take the next step and find someone to talk to professionally.

I don't have an eating disorder or major issues or anything like that but getting healthy is as much of a tough experience as it is a rewarding experience. I am losing a person I have known almost my whole life and sometimes I miss her.

I don't miss her enough to invite her for dinner though :)

Challenge:

Stole this from an email I got this morning from Sparkpeople.com

Bridge-Ups

Lie with arms at sides, feet on floor, knees bent. Press into heels.

EXHALE: Slowly lift hips off of floor toward ceiling, squeezing the glutes.

INHALE: Return to starting position.

Special Instructions: Squeeze glutes through entire rep. Try not to let butt touch ground when lowering between reps.

Body Benefit: Look good coming and going


Weekend Challenge:

Spring is here y'all - get your butt outside and PLAY!

Weigh Day Week 11 !!

Goal: Lose baby weight + 30 lbs

Achieved so far: Baby weight is gone!

Pre-pregnancy weight: 221.0

Weight last week: 211.2

Current weight: 206.8

Weight loss/gain since last week: -4.4 !!!!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST (not including baby weight): -14.2 !!!!

What a great weigh in for my 51st blog!

I can not believe I am so close to saying I weigh "one hundred and something"! I had a brief stint in the 100's when I was in the 10th grade but other than that it has been a looooooooong time! WOOHOO!

I think part of the reason the weigh loss was so big though is because I only did my resistance band training once last week. Instead of doing them I opted to work on my push ups and crunches.

I did about 500 crunches last week. I just measured my waist and I am at 42 inches! Just a few weeks of crunches and I've already lost 2 inches!

Leslie doesn't know it but I have her to thank for this! Probably over a month ago her and I were running and she said she could feel her abs burning. I told her that I didn't even know if I had any and what was the point in working on them since it would take a tummy tuck and some lipo in order for me to get a nice tummy. "It can never hurt to strengthen your core," was her reply. Touche, Leslie!

I had a successful week with both eating and running.

I ate lots of veggies this week and lots of brown rice. Both really helped to fill me up and make me feel satisfied. I love the fact that I actually know what those two things feel like now! I used to think feeling full meant feeling sick. So not the case!

I wasn't feeling well on Tuesday but Leslie came over and I ran anyway. I think part of the reason that I wasn't sick for long was because I kept up with my exercise! Since her hubby was out of town on Thursday, she came over again for dinner and we ran before hand. We really pushed it both days and it felt wonderful.

This weekend we went to my parents house in Tennessee. My mom and dad did a great job of filling the house with healthy goodies and that really helped with my success on the scale this morning. The chicken sausage scrambler was the best dad!

Octavio and I got to run 3.2 miles together on Saturday morning (yep dad, I measured it and it's more than a 5k). It was the hilliest terrain I have ever ran on and I didn't enjoy it until it was over.

Seriously, look....

First you go down and up this hill...

Then you turn the corner and go down and up this hill...

That is a 0.8 mile circle and we ran it four times so we hit each of those hills four times!

We ran it in 31:39 though and I am proud of that!

My parents gave me one of their big exercise balls so I am going to check out some of the workouts on Sparkpeople.com and see how I do this week with that. I will continue my push up and crunch training and I have to run Mon, Wed, Fri, and Sun this week.

*On another note*

My baby turned FOUR this weekend :(

Oriana got a nice healthy present from us for her birthday :) For some reason she thinks in order to stop the bike you need to honk the horn!


I can't lie. I had a taste of her cake :)



What did she do on her first day after turning four?

"Mommy, now I can pick out my own clothes."

Challenge:

In the spirit of strengthening your core...

Pick two of these and do 12 reps!


For some of my readers from MySpace who are just joining me, tomorrow I will address your questions about the race! Tune in again!

Don't forget to leave a comment and show me some love!

Bringing Intention to Your Motivation

I am cheating again and posting my Friday blog on Thursday night. The girls have a doctors appointment first thing in the morning, then its packing for our weekend trip to Papa and Nana's, and cleaning the house since small group is coming on Sunday evening and we'll be getting home Sunday afternoon. And since I know some of you look for my blog first thing in the AM (Leigh!) I figured I'd better get it done early!

I know, GET ON WITH IT ALREADY CHELLE!

I can't help but love Jillian Michaels and after reading an interview she did last summer, I really feel like I am on the right track with some of my advice for training for the upcoming Michigan race.

I am not so much into all the "whatever you put into the universe" stuff she talks about but there was one statement that put a smile on my face -

"I think you should write down what you want for your life, bring intention to your motivation. That way you can ask yourself, "Do I want the donut or do I want to look good at my high school reunion?" I am not a believer in will-power but you can ask yourself those kinds of questions. But then, you've got to put it into action." - Jillian Michaels

This is exactly the point I was trying to convey in my blog announcing the Michigan race. It is important to focus on what you intend to gain from the training, and from the race itself.It may not be enough to just say you are going to train for the race and run the race - that's all great but once the initial motivational high wears off, what have you go? Not much.

You need to add intention(s) to you motivation!

What do you intend to gain or lose by training for the race?

What do you intend to gain or lose by walk/jogging the race?

THEN, when you feel like giving up, like you've changed your mind and aren't going to train for the race or participate in the race, you'll actually have some pretty good questions to ask yourself to help you get your motivation back!

Examples:

• I intend to lose 10 pounds by the end of June by training for this race.


• I intend to show my child what a healthy lifestyle looks like by training for this race.


• I intend to brag for the whole month after I participate in the race.

Then you will have specific questions to ask yourself-

• Do I want to be 10 pounds lighter by the end of June?


• Do I want to show my child what a healthy lifestyle looks like?


• Do I want to be able to say that I did a 5k and actually ran some of it? ;)

Seriously folks, I would love to hear what your intentions are for this race. If you aren't doing the race, what are your intentions for this summer?

I have two intentions for training and participating in this race:

1. I intend to lose and keep off 10 pounds in 8 weeks by training for this race.


2. I intend to feel a closer connection to those who have taken the time to care about what I am doing by participating in the race.

Number two on that list is a biggie for me. There is no way I would jeopardize that feeling by giving up. That is the kind of stuff you need to put on your list, stuff that won't allow you to give up!

You have total control in setting yourself up for either failure or success!
You have a few weeks ahead to get your mind right! Do it y'all!

Challenge:

When I dip, you dip, we dip :)

Tricep Dips!

Sit on the edge of a bench with your hands on the edge next to your buttocks. Slide your butt forward off the edge of the bench, bend your arms and drop your body down until your elbows are almost at 90 degrees. Then lift your body back up (but don't return your bottom to the bench until you've completed all 12 repetitions). For an easier option, keep your feet on the ground with your legs bent. The intermediate option would have your legs straight out in front of you. The most challenging position is elevating your feet on another chair or bench.

Weekend Challenge:

Post your intentions somewhere! Doesn't have to be on here (although I would love to know what they are), it can be on your fridge, on your own blog, wherever. Posting them will help set yourself up for success. Not only will you see them regularly, but others will know your intentions and help to keep you on track!

P.S. For those participating in the race - I have put yet another email in to The Flint Journal looking for some info. It appears that the cost of last year ranged from $32 to $11 depending on which shirt option you chose. Last year it was $18 if you ran the race an opted for the regular cotton shirt. Just wanted to let you all know :)

Brian Williams Makes Me Fat

This first part of my blog really has nothing to do with my health.

Last night I was staying up waiting for Baby J to wake up so I could top her off for the night and I decided to watch the local news. They showed a story about a couple of teenage babysitters who forced a toddler to smoke marijuana. What the hell is wrong with people?

I ended up going into Ori's room and sitting on the edge of her bed while she slept. I prayed for God's protection over her and Jocie. I prayed that God would not allow anyone that stupid or evil to ever attempt to harm them. I prayed that God would continue to allow Octavio and I to be good judges of character, since for the time being, it is us who control the people in their lives.

I hate how one news story can get my mind worrying so bad and get me stressing out. I enjoy Brian Williams voice on the NBC Nightly News but I can't stand hearing half the things he talks about! OK, so I was watching my late night local news but I don't think most of you would know who I was talking about if I said I can't stand hearing half the things Dawne Gee says. :)

I guess all that does kind of have something to do with my health. A healthy mind is part of a healthy lifestyle too, right? And stress definitely makes me hold on to pounds!

I was having one of my "motor-mouth mind" days even before I saw that story. My mind just didn't want to shut up and it wasn't being very positive. It kept telling me that I needed to play more with Ori or hold Baby J longer, that I wasn't doing enough.

I really didn't have any energy yesterday. I am still recovering from this cold/upper respiratory thing I have, and although I can breath through both nostrils and the same time again, I am still not feeling 100%.

The sucky part was that although I wasn't playing or holding the baby, I wasn't getting any rest or relaxation either. I felt very tense and kind of on the verge of "stress puking"(don't you love my medical terminology).

Oriana seemed to be holding all my extra energy in her little body. She wanted to play, play, play and she didn't want to play, play, play alone!

I finally forced myself to draw a hopscotch board with sidewalk chalk. I wasn't really into it but thankfully, she was extremely interested in it and it made me feel like I did something right :) She is getting really good at hoping on one foot. Maybe later on today I'll actually put a bra on and really try to play!



When I got Ori down for her nap I wanted to go outside and just get some sun on my body. I got this nagging thought in my brain,

"Will you wish you got one more hour of sun or one more hour cuddling with your baby?"

OUCH!

I fell asleep on the couch for over an hour with Jocie on my chest. Rest and cuddle time - a two'fer!

I am reminded again of what my friend told me just a few weeks ago...

I need to give myself a little grace, show myself a little mercy.

Why can't I just be OK with the fact that I have been sick and need some time to get better?

Well, today I am setting myself up for success as far as maximizing my mommy time goes. I am taking my girlies to the zoo. Ori is excited that this is Baby J's first time. I have no expectations as far as what we'll see and what we'll do. I just want to get there, take our time, and hang out.

Should be fun!

Challenge:

Reduce your stress!

(I can't remember if I've done this one before or not but if I have, it can't hurt to do it again)
Keep away from the news media for just one day! Don't read the paper, don't listen to talk radio, don't watch the evening news. Just relax and enjoy a day without current events!

If you have kiddos, why not make your own headlines instead? Ori loves this activity!

PS How are you all doing on your gear up to the gear up?

Hustlin' and Muscle-in'

First off, GO ALI on being the first female winner of The Biggest Loser! Girl Power!

OK, so yesterday began what I like to call "Hustle Season".

I made my first bulk CD purchase from a lady who responded to an ad on my local Cheapcycle site. I bought 90 CDs for $55 bucks and will probably triple my investment (last year I spent a little over $800 and netted over $2500) reselling them on Amazon. This is how I spend my spring/summer months - hustlin' around town, scoping out garage sales and newspaper ads, and making money.

What does this have to do with weight loss?

A WHOLE LOT!

This activity really keeps me on the go. I stay busy and active AND feel like I am being productive. I sat down this morning and made a list of actions to help maximize this summer's hustlin' and muscle-in'.

1. Kill it on Fridays! Since Octavio has Fridays off (starting next week) I will be able to go off on my own on Fridays. No more loading and unloading Ori or trying to figure out two of them!
2. Neighborhood Saturdays! This area is HUGE for weekend neighborhood yard sales. I love them! I park the car and walk the entire neighborhood looking for deals! The more steps, the better!
3. Foot Mail! The post office is about a 10 minute walk. I think I will make a rule this summer that I can not buy postage ahead of time. Every other day, weather permitting, I will have to walk to the post office to mail out my orders. This will really help me get some extra steps in and give Ori an opportunity to go for a walk too.
4. Stock up the ol' G-box. I need to stock my glove box up with healthy snacks so that I remember to eat while I'm on the go!

I am really excited about making money again. The break for the fall/winter months was nice but I am so ready to get back into it! I love feeling like I contribute a little monetarily!

On another note...

I forgot to mention is yesterday's blog that I was proud of myself for doing my resistance band training and my 100 crunches on Monday night even though I felt like garbage. I am equally proud that I got an outside run in yesterday even though again, I felt like garbage. Thanks to Leslie for taking the time out of her evening to come over and run with me so I could get through it!

Challenge:

The real deal!

Give me 5 real push ups!

OK, some of you have been doing wall push ups for a while now. Get down on the ground and see if you can see any improvement on your real push ups! Yes, you can do modified :)

Bet you feel a difference!

To Run or Not to Run...

First off, some freebies...

Free Nature Made 14 Day Vitamin Supply Start taking those vitamins people!

Free Dial Antibacterial Soap Gotta have clean hands!

Free Fit Kids DVD Comes from the government and you can request up to 5 DVDs!


Alrighty, back to reality...

I am stalling because I'm just not feeling it this morning. Which reminds me...

*warning - The following opinions and remarks are solely those of the author. Said author is under the influence of major cold medicine. Please do not take offense. - end warning*

I decided to go back and look through some of the articles I get emailed from Sparkpeople.com and put my two cents in.

Today is a running day. I was trying to decide whether to take the day off to recoup when I came across this little article. Since I posted yesterday that I thought my chest was going to collapse and I am having the same symptoms today, it is safe to say I am not going to do any running. That being said, when my hubby gets home I will probably completely change my mind since it is gorgeous outside!

My problem with this is that I still have it in my mind that the best cure for this is food. I tend to eat more when I have a cold or upper respiratory thing. The stupid thing is, everything tastes a little like snot so I am not sure why I keep eating!

While reading the article entitled "Help Your Kids Love Their Bodies" I was reminded of something that happened last week.

Myth #2 in the article is that "Everyone can be thin is they work hard enough". We were in Target on Thursday waiting in line and Oriana pointed behind me and told me to look. I looked at the family behind me and smiled. Then turned back around and asked her what I was supposed to be looking at.

"They are fat," she said.

I was mortified that she said that but thankful that they didn't hear it or even notice she pointed at them to begin with. Since we walked to Target I had the whole trip home to explain to her that people come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors but those are not reasons to decide whether or not someone is special. I let her know that God loves all kids and that you shouldn't judge someone based on their looks. I told her that we are all the same on the inside.

How lame did this sound when we were kids? But let me tell you, the first time you try to explain that to your child, you really begin to understand the importance!

I have been trying hard to not have my lifestyle change be a fat/skinny thing. We use the word healthy in our house. I always talk about making healthy choices for snacks and dinner and getting some healthy playtime in.

That being said, I know she picked up that comment from me. I definitely haven't called anyone fat - that's not me - but I think by being so consumed in getting healthy I have conveyed that being big is not acceptable. This article does a great job of giving parents different ways to teach kids about body types and health. I definitely plan on putting them into practice!

I also came across another reason to keep walking.

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to my newest silent stalker, Christine. My BFF told me you were reading...post a comment already :)

That's it for today folks! Keep your eyes on the prize while driving down the Highway to Health!

Challenge:

Suicide run!

Find a big area (basement, parking lot, backyard) and start at one end.

Run 1/4 the length of the area, then run back to the start.

Run 1/2 the length of the area, then run back to the start again.

Run 3/4 the length of the area, then back.

Run the full length, then back.

Now go get a drink! OF WATER!