A week and a half in

Well as of last weekend I was 135.6! And this morning I took a sneak peek at the scale and I was down to 133.6, so that freakin rocks! 13.6 pounds until goal! Which means I only need to lose 1.43 pounds per week now. Awesome news!

I forgot to take my tape-measure measurements. Gotta do that soon. Cause I can see improvements in my thighs and hips.
I know a big reason I dropped weight, even with a hectic weekend where I ate a little too much, is that I did alot of lifting on Saturday. I did a ton of ab work, did my pushup sets, did arms, shoulders and legs. Normally I wouldn't train that many body parts in one workout, but it was my only day that week that I could workout. So I had to kill it!

Monday morning I had the stomach flu. Normally I'd attribute some weight loss to that, but I made sure and ate about 1000 really healthy extra calories that day. By Tuesday morning, I knocked out a 4 mile run with Hailie in the stroller, between work shifts. My quads burned so so bad. My hamstrings and glutes were still really sore from Saturday's squats and deadlifts. So it was a kinda crappy run, speed-wise. Today I did 7.5 miles at a 9:47 min/mile pace with the stroller, which is really good for stroller pace! Its usually just a goal of mine to be under 10 minutes per mile haha. Some of my splits were under 8:30 min/miles! So that was inspiring! I felt great today. Alot of energy. This was my pre-run breakfast smoothie (about 350 calories):

8oz organic coconut water (normally I like to use Almond Milk - original unsweetened, but I opted for the potassium-rich coconut water. That, and it has been in the fridge for awhile and I wanted it gone haha) to that, I added:

1 banana

4 strawberries

8 blackberries

4 ice cubes

1 scoop MP Combat Cookies 'n Cream protein powder
And about 1.5 cups of organic baby spinach

Blended that up real goooood and it served me well on my run! Perfect fuel for a run.

So there we go, that's my weekly update! Good progress, good results, feeling great! Its like I almost forgot how easy it honestly is to lose weight. Eat really healthy foods (doesn't cost an arm and a leg... honestly), watch your portions, and workout like crazy! I even did an in-home workout last week because it was raining and I couldn't run or go to the gym. It isn't brain surgery. Its all totally do-able. Good stuff!

Its been awhile!

Life has just been "Go, Go, Go!" Lately. I have been blessed with another nanny job. I watch 5-year-old twin boys in Cotati. Their mom is a single mom, San Rafael Police Officer (she commutes)
Mon-Wed I have to wake up at 4AM, put my stuff in the car, turn it on to warm it up and then go get precious sleeping Hailie and buckle her in. By 4:15 we are off to work. We get to sleep in a spare bedroom, so that's awesome. By 7:15 I am up again, getting the boys up and ready for kindergarten. Since the boys are in school, I work a split shift. I'm off until its time to go pick them up! Their mom works a 14 hr day, 3 days/week so that she can be with them as much as possible. Sometimes she'll sign up for overtime and we both get an extra day of work. And sometimes she gets subpoenaed for court cases and there's another extra day of work. So its good, steady, reliable work for me and its awesome! My husband Daniel and I both have good reliable jobs and have finally been able to be saving alot of money. Awesome blessing!
Its funny, my work days have become my "relax" days and my weekends are the days I get tired out! I love it though. Work hard, play harder! We were just saying, a few weeks ago on a Saturday at the river that that's how we want it. You only get one life, one shot. Gotta seize every day! Make differences in people's lives. Spend time with family. I'm gonna make it a goal for everyday, do at least 1 nice thing for at least 1 person.

So there's a life update. As for fitness, I've been maintaining my weight alright. I've pretty well recovered from my strained tendon in my knee, though it occasionally gives me trouble still, like if I'm really tired and my running form is poor. I ran the Santa Rosa Marathon and the Healdsburg Half since I last wrote. My times were 4:26:05.780 for the marathon (that was 22nd place for my division). I was 2 weeks off my tendon and was thrilled just to finish my first full marathon. Tears filled my eyes once I came to the finish, which I totally did not expect. My muscles felt like they were pulling off from my bones. Definitely not a Boston qualifying time, but I did it.

As for the Healdsburg half, I came in 6th place for my division with a time of 1:53:58 which winds up being an 8:41/min/mile average. That was 6th place for my division (out of 22.) I was dissapointed. I took it too slow in the beginning. Some of my splits were 10min/miles! I could have easily held a 8:30 for the first 6 miles, then a 7:30 or raster for the rest. But Rebecca and I had alot of fun. We REALLY enjoyed the course!! It was one of the most beautiful races I have ever ran. I think the Half Marathon is my favorite race distance. I like 10k's alot too though, so its hard to say.
A few days ago, I was 130 lbs. Still 5 pounds under last year's christmas eve goal, but up 7 pounds from 4th of July. I want to blame my injury because it stopped me from running, but I know there's no excuse. Its time to crack the whip again. My mom and I did 5 miles this morning at an 8:32 average (that included a little warmup walking... alot of the time we were under 8min/miles.)
I want to do nice runs like that maybe 3 or 4 times a week (or more, if I can) and I want to do alooot more weight training. I know that will really up my speed. And if I stop eating too much. Its just hard cause that means gym which equals more time that I'm gone cause I have to drive there and back. Which sucks for my babysitters. Part of me is reluctant to commit to that goal. Its frustrating but fitness is alot of time and work. See, here I am with all these excuses. Thats what has got me to gain 7 pounds in a few months. It may not seem like alot to some, but I'm scared to try on my skinny jeans right now. I just started a new round of dietbets, so that should help my motivation. Its hard to have a job and a child and still reach fitness goals but I know it is possible. I know it as well as anyone can. Here we go... ok guys, I'm gonna commit again to my ultimate weight loss goal again. by Christmas eve *2014* I will weigh 115 pounds (still 7 pounds above minimum "healthy" weight for my height, so no freakouts!). It will be pure muscle on my 5'3" frame. I'll take pics later today so I can do progress pics again. I'll need to lose about 1.6 pounds of fat per week. That's EASY in my book!!! I can still have fun on the weekends - without over endulging. I don't need a mimosa in order to be having a good time. Here I go again!!

Oh, and I wrote this at my 1 year mark but never wound up posting it. Here's a bonus blog entry:  :)

"Its been one year today, July 26th, 2014 since I started my journey! I started out at 172 lbs and met my goal with two weeks to spare, of weighing 135lbs by Christmas Eve 2013. I have since surpassed that goal and my new lowest weight is 123 lbs! I have been counting calories, making sure the calories I eat are from healthy, balanced, nutritious sources. I have also been running as most of you know. I have taken it above and beyond my greatest expectations! I have placed 1st and 2nd (in my age group) in two 10k races this year, placed 2nd in a half marathon, August 10th I will be running my second half marathon and then on the 24th, I will run my first full marathon. Hoping to finish in under 3:30 (about 8 minute miles) in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I will be thrilled just to finish but it would be really cool to be able to run Boston. My current favorite distance is a 10k (6.2 miles), but to conquer the marathon once or twice will be awesome :)
I need to drop about another 10 pounds so I can be fast enough in my next races. I'm not stressed about it at all though.

I have been thoroughly enjoying my first summer being fit! I'm no longer stressed out about going to the beach or what i'll wear or how my legs will look in shorts or anything! There is so much freedom!! I now realize why gluttony is a sin (lots to say on that subject). You eat a ton, you feel rotten, very likely will treat others rotten, hold yourself back out of shame or embarrassement, and the world misses out on YOU. You don't know what giving 110% of yourself is, until you are literally physically able to do it!
Put the fork down when you have had enough and you will feel much better and you will start to shine! That being said, I eat pizza still. I have birthday cake. I'm not a perfect health freak but i'm all for little treats in moderation. Unless its after a 14 mile run and you desperately need that slice of mint chocolate chip cake that your mom made for your sister's birthday... it was worth it! ;)

I have definitely noticed I instantly want to eat when I am stressed or sad or hurt or just bored. I have had to retrain myself to go do something productive when I want to eat, but am not really hungry. Usually that means cleaning something.

I have definitely had my share of stress and heartache this year. Life has been life. But you know what? That's NO excuse to give up. Life hasn't gotten easier, but it has been easier to handle it all, now that I'm in shape. Its weird how health and fitness permeates into most every aspect of your life. But it does and when i'm depressed, at least now I can't add "and I look like a fat cow!!!" To my list of woes. Energy is endless. Confidence is up. I can think clearer. Shopping is FUN again!! (I'm still all about thrift stores!) Its so exciting to see something super cute, know your size (I'm a size *0-2* now in pants... used to be like a 16!!! Mind=blown) and know you won't look fat in it. For someone who was obese, this is HUGE. I haven't forgotten what it was like. Walking across a parking lot paranoid about the lumps sticking out. Seeing a crush and wishing you weren't hideous. (Well, I wasn't... I was and am and always will be God's princess but "hideous is how I thought of myself).
What you eat in private, you will wear in public. I have learned SO much this past year. I might have stretch marks and my lower stomach is still a little squishy but I'll sport my bikini anyway because I have worked too darn hard not to!
Oh... and I did this without a gym membership. No special pills, teas, program, dvd's... I laced up some running shoes, ventured out into the neighborhoods and trails around me, SWEATED, didn't eat away all my progress, and got healthy. I even have big cavities in my teeth that are healing and repairing now! (I'm not kidding... its possible... google it!)

So here's to one year of losing even more than my previous lofty goal. Maintaining my weight, finding a new zest for life, new hobbies and interests, being closer to God than ever, being the mom and wife I wanted to be, no excuses, taking control of my life, going all out and running the race to win!!"

Back In The Saddle

I've been doing better with eating after last week's mess ups which, combined with my lack of running, landed me in 130lbs-land. After the half marathon race, I was beyond drained and tired. Didn't eat enough post-workout food for recovery. And NOT have the energy to run at all. Body was screaming "take a breaaaak!!" So I did. Last Wednesday was my first real run. I did 4 miles at a 7:30 min/mile pace, which I was pretty pleased with. I've been taking 65mg of iron daily since the race. I don't think I was eating enough of it even though myfitnesspal said I was. I read that endurance runners need alot more and last time I tried to give blood, I came up as anemic so I wasn't able to donate. So iron pills it is! And I really think its helping alot. That 4 mile run felt effortless at that pace, where before my legs would be burning and feel really tight. It may also be because I had over a week of rest but I've done that in the past and didn't feel as great coming back.

Sunday (yesterday) my mom and I decided last minute to do a 10k race in Sonoma called "Hit The Road Jack". She took first in class and I got 2nd! We had alot of fun and I beat my human race time! I put up 51:26 with an 8:17 pace. The first half was hard, my legs burned and felt heavy (not much sleep the last few nights may have been a contributing factor) but once I took my "2nd surge" Accel Gel I took off. I reallyyyy want to be able to do a 10k in 45 minutes or less. That is my goal. I'm sure if I had a better start in that race I could have made that goal. First half of the race I was doing between 9:30 and 8:48 min/miles. Sloooowwww for me, for a race.

I will probably be doing the Kenwood Footrace on the morning of July 4th, so maybe THEN I will meet my goal!! I'm starting to expect to place now in races ha... realizing I am more than capable. It would be REALLYYYY cool to take first place of all the women. THAT would be sooo cool!
Oh! And June 14th i'm doing a fun 5k relay race at Riverfront Regional Park in Windsor with my friend Danneca Skandera so that will be suuuuper fun!! Lots to look forward to!!

I forgot to weigh myself over the weekend. My pants are looser again though, so I know I'm losing but i'll just wait till Saturday to weigh in. Welp, until next time!

First Half Marathon Race: Complete!

Wow guys... this race tested every ounce of me. At mile 11 I didnt know if I could finish without walking. I pushed as hard as I could and the official results are in:

TIME: 1:53:12.83
PACE: 8:38/mile
AGE PLACE (20-24 yr old females): 2ND!!!
PLACE OVERALL: 142!!!

The first place girl for my age group's time was 1:49/something. So about 4 minutes faster and 1st place could have been mine! I'm more than thrilled to take home 2nd, especially since this was another TOTALLY UNEXPECTED WIN! I just gave it my all the whole way and I guess it was good enough! I had a rough start, was in line for the bathroom and barely made it to the start as the gun went off. Then my phone couldnt get a gps signal for the first 5 minutes so I was trying to keep up with my cousins as I waited for the signal cause of course I want to track a run like this for calories burned etc!
Finally got a signal, got my belt on and around mile 2 ate a banana. Right before the start, I drank 4 oz water with preworkout in it. And I ran with 3 energy gel shots (Accel Gel) in my running belt, plus a water bottle. Finally around mile 3 I got a good speed going and started passing people. At mile 7 I ate an energy gel. I drank sips of water throughout the race. Oh this morning I ate oatmeal and 12oz pure coconut water. I pushed past people as the miles flew by. Its really weird and I almost feel guilty passing men. Its that same old "don't want to offend anyone/make them feel awkward" thing I always have going on in my head. I passed them strong though of course :)

By mile 11 I was just hitting a wall so bad. Legs felt like lead, but I pushed through it and got my *fourth* wind lol. The course had hills throughout so I was REALLY REALLY glad that I trained on Petaluma Hill Road, which lives up to its name. Doesn't seem like much when you drive but when you are running it... you feel it alot!!!

The last half mile I was neck and neck with this other girl. It was a race between us for the finish. We cane around that last turn and I got the inside. I could hear her gasping and I gave it every last ounce of strength I had and sprinted for that finish line!! I finished 0.23 seconds ahead of her! I dont think she was in my age group so I doubt it effected my place but she was FAST, TALL and had rippling muscles all over her legs... it was definitely a challenge!!!
They handed me a finisher medal, a cup of gatorade and a protein bar and I went to go cheer on other runners and wait for my cousins. Finally about 45 minutes I found out I placed second :) I got a bottle of wine in a wooden box with a little plaque that says my place and everything. (Pics below hehe)
Crazy beautiful day for a race, STUNNING COURSE and God carried us through, injury-free :) fantastic race day! My next Half is August 10th and my goal will be to beat 1:45:00 and hopefully catch a first place. Training starts tomorrow! (Or tuesday if I'm still too gassed out :)).

Ok, here's our before and after the race pics, official time posting and other fun stuff :) 

Greener grass

Everyday I keep going. Everyday I'm doing this. It has become a lifestyle for me... keeping track of what I eat, seeking out healthier versions of my old favorite foods, running a heck of a lot. I think, sleep and breathe it now. I LOVE the new body I have and what it is capable of. I can run and bounce around, playing kangaroo with Hailie, I feel so free!! I used to look down and I felt trapped with all this fat stuck to me. I was in Petaluma last Sunday for my birthday (24 now, woop woop!), walking down E. Washington street and realized I wasn't trying to tuck my muffin top into my pants. I wasn't subconscously paranoid about a bulge sticking out somewhere. Didn't have to try to suck it in for pictures. I was just free. Holding hands with Hailie as we walked around the seed bank there. So free. And it is wonderful! I wasn't wearing baggy clothes either!

This morning I weighed in at 131.2. So that's better. I think that's a 2 pound loss... the max of what I want to be losing every week. But I should probably still eat more calories.
My cousin Rebecca and I are getting better at running! We did a run this morning (6.33 miles out past Cotati over some hills out in the country... BREATHTAKING.) and our average miles were almost exactly at 9 minutes/mile. Which is suddenly a huge jump in speed and I don't know how or why. You'd think the hills would have killed us, but we kicked butt! Got a great calorie burn in!

My husband Daniel started losing weight too, just a couple weeks ago and I can already see a difference! I won't give away his stats because he has a blog too that he will probably post later and I don't want to steal his thunder but he is doing FANTASTIC. He will blow you away with his progress! He is so driven and commited! He seems stronger in all this than I was! Especially when I first started. He is so inspiring, be on the lookout for his post soon! I'll put a link in my facebook when he posts his!

So other than that stuff, my legs have gotten some crazy definition going on! I have skinny ankles and big feet so it looks like I have frog legs but check it!:

Oh, and excuse the messy room!

Day 152

Well I hopped on the scale this morning and it said 133.6! So I lost like 3 or 4 punds this week which is more than I should be losing. So I'm upping my calories to 1600/day. But I  am now sub-previous goal!
I assume its from the 10k training... massive calorie burn.

Speaking of the training, its going very well! My trusty running buddy and cousin, Rebecca and I are up to running about 5 miles now (with our short walks every 2000 yards, as prescribed by our program). That doesnt include warm up/cool down distances. We are almost finished with week 2. Just need to run tomorrow. 10k is the equivalent of 6.2 miles, so we have a little ways to go before we're putting up that number. 4 more weeks to be exact. Then its on to speed training! Its way more fun to run with a friend than to run alone. To me anyway.

It has been easier to eat clean now with my husband on board doing the same thing as I am. No more junk food temptations in the house haha.
So I just wanted to give a little update. My stomach has noticeably gotten flatter. Here's my measurements:

Last time (12/13)           Today:

Arm: 10.5"                      Arm: 10"

Waist: 29.5"                   Waist: 29"

Hips: 34.5"                     Hips: 34.5"

Thigh: 22"                      Thigh: 21"

Calf: 14.25"                    Calf: 14"

So I have definitely lost inches everywhere but my hips! Fine by me! I feel so free! Its fun :)

So yeah that about wraps it up for today.

Here's some motivation:   :)

Update

I feel good starting the new year off like this. I just ran 5 days in a row! Still working off those holiday treats. I forgot to weigh in this morning before i chugged 24oz of water but when I did, I was 136.4. So I have definitely lost weight again.

My cousin Rebecca recently moved back home from North Carolina and we have been running a lot. She lived there for almost a year with her brother's family while he was deployed (he's a marine).
So she's back now and we are running buddies! We are training for a 10k race in May! (The Human Race.)

I finished my 5k improver app program this week and so we both started a 5 to 10k program yesterday! My calorie burn is already doubled and we aren't even running full 10k's yet!
So I'll be taking a break from working on my speed for 6 weeks of 10k training. Then we will start a 5days/week grueling 10k speed improvement program, hopefully finishing just before the race!
So yeah lots of cool exciting things on the horizon! I'm thinking of doing a few more diet bets to pay for it. Its only $35 but hey, if I can win my entry fee, that would be great :)

Other than that, everything has been pretty good. I've been staying on track with my eating. Been working in the garden a little. Doing some prep for spring. I get sprung fever too early every year. But I'm planning where everything will go, picking out seeds, turning soil etc.

Back on track

Not sure if it was because I had the stomach flu on Wednesday, or I worked really hard (probably mostly the stomach flu)
But the scale on Thursday (yesterday) morning said 137.2!!!
But... because I'm sure I was still dehydrated from Wednesday, I'm going to use today's weight of 138.6.
I said last week that I was going to use Thursday morning's weight because I thought a huge thanksgiving dinner would throw off my weight but that was before I got sick.
I still wasn't myself last night and I could hardly eat at all. Pretty disappointing. I didn't even eat dessert. But it works out great for my weight loss. I only have 3.6 more pounds to go and 3.5 weeks to do it. I'm so close! Light at the end of the tunnel is in sight.

I haven't worked out since tuesday. I hope to be strong enough to run tomorrow. I had a new 5k PR! It was 27:38 on 11/23 (last Saturday) my previous was 28:55 so that was a big improvent!

I was a lot less stressed this past week. I felt much happier and confident. I'm really trying to enjoy the new me more, and be proud of myself.

I found a $10 bill out on the sidewalk on wednesday. I was going to try to go for a walk (even though I was sick) because I set my GymPact app pact for 7 days/week. So if I didn't walk at least, I'd get charged $5 for not working out that day. But since I found the $10 I figured that was from God so I didn't have to go haha
:)

So all in all, its been a good week! I'm very happy with where I'm at and confident that I will reach my goals!
I have high hopes for winning my
http://www.dietbetter.com/games/28061
Games! (That link will take you to the game I'm in with the highest pot. Really cool)
So there we have it. Little post-Thanksgibing blog for y'all :)

What Its Really Like

I feel strange in this new body sometimes. I think I'm so unfamiliar with it. It is ever changing and deflating. Its hard sometimes (I know right... poor me... haha).

I feel the opposite of what it seems I should be feeling! I have these moments and days where I am proud and confident, but then other days where I'm kinda self conscious about how I look. I guess so much focusing on my body, trying to make it better, makes me notice everything I don't like and the imperfections.
There was a reason I was fat. There were bad habits and no doubt some psychological reasons behind it all that I need to think about, pray about and figure out.
I think now that the weight is coming off I feel vulnerable. I'm not hidden under a nice layer of fat.
I've said it before but it bears repeating that weight loss is almost all mental. The physical part is easy. Its the mental part you gotta work on. All your troubles and reasons aren't going to go away as the pounds melt. They'll be uncovered, more likely.
Sometimes I look in the mirror and I'm just like "Daaaaayum!" And other times I see my stomach sticking out still. Having stretch marks doesn't help. And my hips still seem too wide. I know I'm still a work in progress... its a comforting thought. But there will always be room for improvement and I need to start to love myself more so I can enjoy the new me! I just look in the mirror sometimes and my mind is used to seeing and criticizing the old me. The new skinnier me is, well... new. I'm not used to it yet. So I guess you could say its almost like I'm having a mild identity crisis haha.

Ok, now for weigh-in results! Last week I was 142.8 pounds... today I am 140.6! 2.2 pounds lost!! Once again, I am completely shocked.

I don't know how I'm losing so fast all of the sudden! Maybe lifting weights really is making a huge difference? I knew it would help, just didn't know it could be THIS MUCH! I have lost a total of 32 pounds now. My BMI today is 24.9... I am now officially not considered overweight! (By 0.1 points lol). Just by the skin of my teeth isn't good enough though, that's why 135 is my goal. I will undoubtedly be in the 130's by next week. I can wait to see those numbers on the scale!

Picture proof of today (not that you don't believe me... and I know, I need to fix my toenails haha. Kinda ratchet.)

Oh yes, measurements have to be done!

Start arm (11/1): 12"   Last week's arm: 11.5"      Today: 11"

Start waist: 31"           Last week's waist: 30.5"     Today: 30"

Start hips: 37.5"          Last week's hips: 36.5"      Today: 36"

Start thighs: 23"          Last week's thighs: 22.5"    Today: 22.5"

Start calves: 15"         Last week's calves: 14.5"   Today: 14"

So I lost inches everywhere but my thighs! (which is totally fine with me. I like my legs lately)

Something cool I noticed: This past week Hailie was playing in the closet and kept wanting to open and close her sock drawer (as most any 1-yr-old would!) But she wasn't so good at the opening part. Meanwhile across the bedroom, I was rubbing my husband Daniel's back while he watched Dirty Jobs on Netflix. Hailie kept calling me to open the drawer every minute or so, and without even realizing it, I kept getting up, running to help her, then running back to Daniel. This went on for several minutes. Then I noticed: it wasn't hard for me to get up! I was just doing it! Over and over without any trouble at all! It wasn't a pain in the butt!

I have a lot more energy now. That same night, I spent a good half hour pushing her around in her beloved Costco grocery box and making driving and crashing noises to make her laugh. And playing ball with her. And then making and cleaning up dinner, picking up all Hailie's messes... it is really cool! I feel almost like I did when I was 10 years old giving horsy rides to little brothers. It doesn't take the wind out of me to get down on the floor and play with my baby and THAT is priceless!

I have had a lot of people ask me what I'm doing and how I'm losing all this weight. I've talked about it in past blogs but not everyone has read them all so I'll try to explain it again in a nutshell:
Basically eating clean (well... most of the time!), keeping a food journal (Myfitnesspal app makes this a breeze!), counting all calories, running and finally, lifting weights.

I took a nutrition class at the jc 2 years ago and I have read several books on the subject so I had some knowledge already. The way the human body works is something I've always been interested in, and I have found it very easy to retain the information I learn. Nevertheless, the days leading up to the start of my weight loss journey, I literally Googled things like "how to lose weight." You can learn most of what you need to know by doing that. Google your resting metabolic rate. Multiply it by 1.4, if you are somewhat active. Then cut 500 calories from that number per day through diet and/or exercise and you should lose roughly a pound per week. Cut more, lose more. Most medical professionals agree that you shouldn't try to lose more than 2 lbs per week. More than that may be unhealthy unless you are in the class II level of obesity. It really is that simple though. Figure out your numbers, stick to it, adjust according to weekly results if needed and it will work. There's no magic pill. No special workout. I don't eat "low fat" stuff. I'm not on a "low carb" plan. I eat healthy, balanced meals, in proper portions. 

You have to put in the work and effort and time. "Calories in, calories out." As my Nonnie used to say. (My Mom's mom... she knows what she's talking about.)

This is a screenshot of another app I've been using called "Monitor Your Weight"

It is SUPER useful in that it will keep track of all your weigh-ins, and as shown, it will graph it all for you and give you a projected date of goal completion! which, as you can see, I am 2 weeks ahead of schedule! Its predicting that I'll reach goal weight by December 10th!

The green dotted line is your goal. The brown one is how you are doing right now. If it falls below the green line, you are ahead of schedule. If it falls above... you are behind schedule.

This is a screenshot from the same app, but its the "Current Details" tab. Basically like the home page:

I don't follow the "diet" line... I have my own plan. Which by the way, it changed again today. The more weight you lose, the less calories you need... so you need to consume a fewer amount of calories in order to lose weight at the same rate. So MyFitnessPal app is now saying I should consume 1220 a day. :( 

I will probably still eat pretty close to 1300 haha since I have been losing so rapidly at that number.

I'm so glad I started this, when I did. In 4 days, this Tuesday, will be my 100th day into my weightloss journey. 100 days of counting almost every single calorie. Even "cheat" ones. 100 days. I am down over 30 pounds in less than 100 days. Wow. I am soooooo glad that I started when I did. I can't imagine if I HADN'T started! I would feel so devastated if I was still at my starting weight (or heavier!!) today! I didn't wait for "this Monday", "New Year's Day" or "next week" I started in the moment. I couldn't take it anymore. The fat had to stop! No more wishing and longing! I chose to just get up and do it! And I'm so glad that I did, when I did! 

Run Or Dye 5k race!

My heart is full to bursting with happiness and joy today! The race was more fun than I thought it would be! I had hoped to beat my previous 28:55 record and I killed it! My time was 23:47!
I can only assume it was the adrenaline rush of the race that got me to the finish line that fast. Right after I started running, I realized I forgot my inhaler! I had to walk for a minute so I could text all my family asking someone to run me my inhaler from my purse! My sisters Julia and Bella saved the day! After the first kilometer I saw them on the side. I hit it twice and off I flew! Runkeeper (running app) kept me updated every 2 minutes on my time, distance and speed. My average speed was over 8 mph. My previous best was 6.5. I felt it several times, especially uphills but I pushed through it! My whole family came out to cheer me on, and at the end, they threw the dye powder all over me! I was coated from head to toe!! It was sooooo fun!!! I would recommend it to anyone and everyone everywhere, any fitness level! I felt pretty cool passing people (not in a mean way; just proud of myself). All my training paid off. The muscles I've built for the past few months did their jobs! It is amazing what the human body is capable of doing. It can change and adapt so fast! This was a day to remember!! I am going to save and frame by racing bib with my number on it: 6263.
Here are some pictures taken by my sister!:

Slowly But Surely Is The Way Of It

This week I did better than last (minus that one day of Carl's Jr... it was spur of the moment and I told myself it wouldn't hurt! But it did... within a half hr of eating it, my fingers were all puffy from the sodium and i felt rotten.)

I have finally been able to see some progress again. The past few weeks the scale has told me I was losing weight, but I haven't SEEN it quite as well as this week. I bought a tape measure yesterday so I can finally track my weight loss in inches too (where it really matters!) And yes I am going to bare all and post my numbers for y'all. So here we go:

Last week I came in at 147.0 lbs. Today, I am 145.6! That is a 1.4 pound loss! I am back on track! 

Now for those measurements:

(Taken on the right side of the body, when applicable.)

Arms: 12"

Waist: 31"

Hips: 37.5"

Thighs: 23"

Calves: 15"

So there we go. I wish I would have done that in the beginning. Would have been awesome to see how many inches I have lost! But better now than ever.

That being done, tomorrow is my first 5k race!! This past week I already broke my 30 minute time goal. My new best time right now is 28:55. My run yesterday was one more speed interval workout. Today I am resting for the race tomorrow. Want my legs to be fresh! Crazy how a month ago, I couldn't break a 34 minute 5k cause of my asthma, now here I am, getting a minute faster every week! My new goal for tomorrow is to break that 28:55 obviously, but I secretly wonder if/hope that I will break 28 minutes. I might write another little blog post tomorrow, all about the race.

I am nervous that I won't meet my goal of 135 by christmas eve. Because of that I'm going to add in an extra run workout now every week. I have my 4 days of 5k training, but I'm going to try and make Thursdays (day before my weigh ins) my long run days where the goal will be 5 or 6 miles. I gotta burn more calories to lose more weight, so there we go.

In a few weeks, my husband Daniel and I might be doing this juicing "reboot" thing we heard about. There are many different plans you can do, but we wanna do the 15 day one. Basically the first 5 days you get to eat all vegitarian meals and homemade juices. Its a free plan, comes with recipes, shopping list and menu. After that 5 days, for the last 10, you just drink juices. There are a lot of health benefits to it. You detox your body, clearer skin, more energy, you can heal yourself of chronic diseases, sleep better, and obviously there will be weight loss. I'm already losing weight, so I'm doing it more for the other benefits but also, maybe it will give me the extra kick I need to meet my goal.

I am thrilled to look back and see how far I've come. I have lost 27 pounds so far, in 82 days! All your life is lived in the present. I had to stop saying "I'll start on Monday." Or "after this holiday." And start saying "NOW." You only have today. No more excuses. Everyday is a fresh start.
I think one reason people resist change in diet is they are focusing on what they will lose rather than what they will gain. Sure, I kinda missed my huge portions smothered in rich, luxurious sauces. I missed being carefree about how many calories everything was. Ignorance is bliss. But I don't miss that stuff anymore. My habits have changed. My taste buds have changed. My portion sizes have changed. And it is GOOD change. As a result of those changes, other changes happened. My waistline is smaller. I fit into clothes I never thought I would!
I gave up several times in the past and said "oh well, I'm just gonna be the fat girl my whole life. I just need to learn to love my fat body." You know... the only way you fail is if you give up. So keep fighting! Keep going! You messed up this week? Me too! Brush yourself off and try try again! We really CAN do this. For so long I kinda resigned myself to believing that to be skinny, you needed the right genes. Or it was just "luck". But it simply isn't true! Here I am... I've been chubby since 5th grade... and I'm turning into one of the skinny girls! It really is possible, I'm serious! Don't believe the lies you hear and tell yourself! It IS possible, do-able, reachable... it takes work, but boy will you reap benefits from that work! Let's kick this week's butt!

Progress pic! (Same shorts in both pics! And i was sucking it in MAJORLY in the before pic)

Here's a screenshot of my new Personal Record! (PR) :

 

And here are some pics that motivated me throughout the week:

Check out this girl's killer transformation I found!:

Metamorphosis in progress

Well I am less than thrilled with today's weigh in, but I'm not surprised. I had several cheat days last weekend and was over my calorie goal most days this week. I don't know why but it has been hard to stay on track this week. That old overeating monster is rearing its big ugly face again.
Last week's weight: 147.8
Today's: 147.0

Lost .8 pounds... not the kind of numbers I need to see in order to hit my goal. It really sucks. But I'm lucky I lost weight at all! I gotta keep my head up and look how far I've come! 25 pounds lost in 76 days! So with that, time to dust myself off, learn from my mistakes and press on. I have a big party to go to soon and I vow to stay on goal today.

Thoughts of the week:

Its all about thrift stores for me right now! I'm on my way, and some of my smaller clothes are too big now. I got like 8 new tshirts and a couple new pairs of shorts at the gooodwill store, all for like 30 bucks. That's wassup!! No way am I gonna pay for new clothes that I will probably only be able to wear for a month. I'm gonna ask for giftcards this christmas and for my birthday so that when I DO get down to my goal weight, I will treat myself to some new tiny clothes!
I will be packing up my "fat clothes" soon and storing them for next time I'm pregnant.

My bones are a lot more prominent lately. Which makes sense, but it never occured to me that that would happen. I feel bad for Hailie, she layes her head on my shoulders and I can feel my bones digging into her face! My wrists and hands are more bony, feet, knees... and I can see a lot more definition in my legs lately. Its like "Whoa, I have some muscles under there!!"
Pretty cool.

This past week I have really been doing better at strength training. I'm behind schedule for beating my sister Bella at pushups, but slow progress is still progress! I can do 3 now :D

I've started lifting weights a few times a week. I loooove feeling sore! Then I know I did a good job working out! I really wanna bulk up my upper body. I have wimpy arms. I really do. I would love some defined, "tank top" arms, so I'm going for it and getting them. Still doing lots of squats. I can do 70 now. After my challenges are over, I'm gonna focus on more weight and less reps in order to bulk up a little.

Something I wondered would happen to me is the dreaded "loose skin" that you can have after a big weight loss. I was afraid of it happening to me. The only loose skin I have is on my stomach. But the more fat I lose, the less everything sags. It really isn't very bad at all. I have stretch marks. They have faded a lot. I know I will never have a stunning, gorgeous set of 6-pack abs. I might have a 6-pack, but it will probably have loose wrinkly skin and stretch marks. But you know what? That's ok. Who cares?? They are my battle scars of pregnancy haha. Hailie is worth it all. And I would have had the stretch marks AND a big belly still if I continued to let my fear of saggy skin deter me from losing weight.

It was just another excuse. One of the many. I realized... I didn't really want to lose weight. If I really had wanted to, I would. When you really want something, you make it happen. I decided I wanted to lose weight. Where there's a will, there's a way. I figured out how much I wanted and needed to lose, figured out how much time was a reasonable amount in order to accomplish said weight loss, and commited to that goal. Weight loss takes real true commitment. When you fall down, you get back up. You stick to it like glue. Even when it sucks. And it really will. It takes real, true, hardcore commitment. And with that comes will power.

Time for a progress pic!

9/27/13, 152.4 lbs:

10/25/13, 147.0 (5.4 pounds less):

Aaaand here's a bunch Of what I

inspired me this week:

And I just though this was cute :)  

Mind Over Matter

I've been realizing more and more how weight loss is mostly a mental battle. A battle to make yourself workout. Then workout harder. Resist that second or third helping of the lasagna. Eat fruit for snacks. Eat veggies. Lean proteins. Good complex carbs. Think of food as fuel. Nourish your body instead of pleasing the palette. (Not that healthy food isn't good!)
Challenge yourself and you might see how much more you can do!
Release your strength. Stop holding yourself back. Decide to do something and just do it! Those moments when you feel like quitting are the moments that you need to push yourself harder. Raise the bar. Literally go that extra mile.

I feel back on track mentally now since a few days ago. That drive and happy excited feeling is back. I'm really doing this...! I'm over halfway to my goal!
I remember it clicking that I CAN weigh 135 lbs. I have no physical restrictions (well except asthma, but I fought through it!), no dietary restrictions like food allergies... this is my life and I'm taking control, damn it! I was choosing to weigh what I did, with every bite I took. I had been believing these lies that I couldn't do it and "its so hard to be a mom and lose weight!" Or "I guess I'm just destined to be a bigger girl!" Nope. I can be healthy. I can be fit! You know how cool it is to know that if I needed to, I could run for several miles without stopping!? (Insert zombie apocolypse reference here) Me... who just a few months ago would get winded running halfway around the block. Its a pretty cool feeling. I feel stronger. More powerful. More confident. I highly recommend it. ;)

Last week I weighed in at 149.4 lbs. And this week... come to find, I've lost a whopping 1.6 lbs! I'm 147.8 lbs! Been kicking butt! I'm surprised, there were some days where I went over my calorie goal by a couple hundred. Still though... this is so cool! These are the kind of numbers I need to be putting up in order to meet my goal on time.

Running this week has been great with my new inhaler! I feel a little nerdy using it, but hey... being able to breathe effortlessly while running is so worth it! I didn't realize how bad it was until I ran without asthma symptoms. It was amazing... it was exhilarating! I could take huge gulps of air! For once I could actually challenge my muscles! I wasn't wasting all this extra energy, heaving and using so much strenth to suck in the little air I was able to, over and over! With that, I noticed my muscles tired out faster... I was suddenly able to push myself more and didn't take it slow enough... plus i killed my hamstrings and glutes doing dumbbell deadlifts on wednesday. As a result, I wound up having to walk some parts of my runs and didn't PR right away like I'd hoped, but I have high expectations for tomorrow's run!

I also got new shoes this week! I am so excited! They are Asics again. I looove Asics. Feels like running on clouds (for me haha). And I got some really good socks. I felt absolutely zero pain in my blister zones. So that is awesome!

I'm really looking forward to the holidays! Hopefully I'll see some relatives that I haven't seen since 4th of July, right before I got serious about weight loss and I'm hoping to blow them away! They are rarely on facebook so I doubt they've seen any pics or read any of my blogs... its gonna be fun! And all the holiday pictures will be fun! I won't be cringing inside, trying to hide behind people haha.

My game plan for surviving those extra holiday calories: only allow myself to cheat on the actual holiday. (Except halloween, I won't binge on candy because I have a race two days after, and I want my body primed and fueled right!)

So Thanksgiving day: I will endulge.

Christmas eve: I will endulge in the evening because I consider this day part of Christmas. And hopefully I will have met my goal and will have some celebrating to do!

Christmas day: I will definitely endulge.

All of this won't be over once I've met my goal. I will set a new goal. Most likely it will be to get down to 125 lbs and pack on some muscle! And not to mention the fact that if I ever decide "I'm done" the weight will come back. I will obviously be able to eat more once I'm just maintaining my weight, but I can never go back to the way I used to eat. Why on earth would I want to, anyway?? I feel amazing, my self-esteem and confidence is up, everything is getting better and better!
Here's to another week of hard work paying off! Its all mind over matter!