Friday, October 9, 2009

New ventures!

Well Jennfier and I have committed to eachother to exchange food journals every night... to help us keep accountable. Along with watching calories, and moving more we are determined to ROCK! Keep an eye out... fabulousness from both of us... and a little less of us as well!!! :) Any tips for a gal with a flare of bursitis in the hip? Walking/running hurts... biking hurts... ack!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Time... tick-tock, tick-tock

Well I have been out of the blogging realm for a bit... life has been C-R-A-Z-Y!! School is in full gear (graduation is 63 days away)!! Work is busy! And sick kids have been abound. Thanks to Jennifer for getting my week off to a great start... we went to the Y yesterday morning and did the 5AM workout thing! Walked on the treadmill, biked... and worked shoulders and arms!

Look forward to going back this week... you up for it Jen? We will do that Susan G Komen next year!!!!

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Being Sick STINKS!!

I have been sick for the past few days... starting with allergies to some crap that found it's way into my chest. Being sick STINKS! I have not had any energy to get my workouts in... but my eating has been down due to not feeling well... so I am hoping to still pull out a loss this week.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Weight Loss Yoga?

This morning I was up at O'dark-thirty to bring my mother to the airport. She had been visiting since early last week from Connecticut. Having had only 4 hours of sleep I had dreams of bringing her to the airport, bidding our good-byes, and then heading back home for more restful sleep. However, I was A-W-A-K-E!

Since it was early and I did feel the need for a nice stretch I thought I would finally break out my Biggest Loser: Yoga for Weight Loss DVD. It had been sitting on a hutch in our front entry way for months! I knew my husband would appreciate the the fact that it was moved, and possibly used!!

Well, I am a B-I-G Biggest Loser fan, can't wait for the new season. I only live like 4 houses from my favorite contestant from last year... but have yet to meet her! (someday I will run into her when I am running... I am sure of it :) ) Anyway... I love Bob! Yes, he's the trainer if I had to pick I would... I need that emotional aspect of the training he has to offer... although I am certain Jillian would KICK MY A@@!

This DVD is sure to please!! You can customise your workouts so that you can do as much or as little as you like... they have from beginner to advanced... and let me tell you I did the beginner (Level 1 with a warm up/cool-down) and it was 30 minutes of pure sweat! I awoken many muscles who haven't seen a quiver in a looong time! Currently I am feeling like a big bowl of jello, sweaty jello! I have done yoga before, with no real heavy sweat. Mostly, it was great source of stretching... and yes some muscle burn... but Bob has you really work it! He motivates you through out the DVD... and I finished it!! WOOHOO!

I feel soo good in fact... I plan on going for my C25K work out when the girls wake up... yup I am even awake before my children, the ones that rise with the sun!!!

Monday, August 17, 2009

Just another Monday!!

Monday's are the "start to the week", they are the days we put off to start our diets or exercise when the weekend hits. Since joining Operation Fat Blaster my Mondays are completely different then they used to be. I would sleep in a little due to working late the night before... get up and putz around the house with whatever cleaning, laundry or other domestic chores that had been neglected over the weekend... then around noon I would shower, and just lay around and relax. Mondays have been my Sundays lately...

Now, with this life change... no matter how tired I am I get up... and get moving. Get things in order... and figure out my day! Plan when I can do my errands, plan food for the day for both me and my family... and plan my exercise. I have noticed that if I plan my exercise... it actually gets done. I remember years and years ago when I was in WW for who knows what time, a leader said you need to schedule yourself in the following areas: Me time (relaxation), Workout time, Play time, and spiritual time (whatever fits your beliefs). She said you need to write them in your daily schedule like you would a Dr's appointment or an important event in your life.

At the time I thought this lady was crazy, I seriously thought... if I can't figure out when to do those things without "scheduling" them then there is a problem. Yes, I was right there is a problem. When you don't have things on your "to-do" lists or schedules things tend to fall into the cracks of life. Life takes a hold of you and well you will put the things that you feel are least important to the back of the line. HELLO SISTER... your HEALTH is the most important... being healthy, living a healthy life... are things that are way more important than folding socks!

I have been diligent at not putting myself last. In this journey to finding my running feet, and learning to love myself a little more each day... I have realized that if I don't take care of myself who will? Sure, my husband loves me, and will do anything for me... but he can't make me realize for myself how very wonderful and special I am! He can remind me when I need it... Encourage me when I am down... but ultimately it's all up to me! So my schedule is FULL with the very things I thought were mundane and ridiculous to schedule... yup... she was right!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Oh what a week!

Well this week has been crazy!! I worked the weekend like usual... only to get home and sleep 5 hours so that we can head down to Milwaukee to the State Fair. This is a yearly event for us!!!
I was soo sore from work the night before as we had been very busy and I don't remember stopping all night... I logged a crazy 14998 steps in my shift!

The fair was great, the girls had a great time! I also had a great time! This year was the first year that I wasn't overly obsessed about the food. The food is one of the main reasons we enjoy going to the fair... eating whatever we want!! I can't even think about all the fair food I have eaten over the years with reckless abandon!

This year I managed to eat the things I like while sharing most everything I ate with my husband and or children... this allowed me to taste all the foods I wanted without wreaking complete havoc on my new lifestyle! I did however eat my chocolate covered cheesecake on a stick all by myself... it's the one thing I look forward to every year!

There are many changes happening to me and in me this time around... I sure hope that I am able to keep with this and overcome the biggest obstacle of my life! For the first time I don't feel overwhelmed... I am not saying it's been easy by any means... but I am enjoying the healthier side of life right now!!!

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Second of Three... Way out of my Comfort Zone!!

WOW! Okay, so as mentioned in my previous post running in general was something I dreamed of doing (when I got skinny enough to do it) Well since I won't just wake up to be 175lbs... I am going to have to start now! I managed my second day of training OUTSIDE! Yes, the kids enjoyed their snack and leapsters in the job stroller thingy while I sweated out my sins!

So, normally I like to completely keep myself covered. Oversized shirts... loose pants, if I could put a bag over my head I would... Well I went with capri workout pants... and a tank top. Yes, these pasty arms saw the light of day for the neighborhood to see!

I was a little out of my element at first... then I got into my groove...

Another day, another big step towards acceptance of myself... all of myself!! It felt good to sweat, and breathe the air outside...

I am thinking I need to get some spanexish type pants or something... because I feel I am "flapping" a little to much... Anyone know any online site to get plus size workout clothing... You would think that they would cater to the plus sized active person... but well it's harder to find than you think! Seriously!

Monday, August 3, 2009

First of Three - Outside my Comfort Zone...

Well today I did something I knew I would eventually have to do seeing as I want to run a 5K, I ran outside. Yes, outside... in public, for others eyes to see. Totally freaking me out!

I loaded up the kids in the bike trailer/stroller thingy, got the dog hooked up with this harness and leash... and got my new podcasts uploaded to my iPod. I was ready to go...

All I could do was think... hey, what if people see me run... with all this fat! Duh... I am fat whether or not I run, running will make me less fat so I talked myself down off the ledge and we set out on our journey.

Surprising it was much hotter than I had thought, man we weren't down two houses and I was sweating buckets (a sign of a good work out, and a girl who has no heat tolerance). We did complete our whole training session, 38 minutes of C25K!! I managed to do it outside, feeling the sun, sweat, and breeze it was a beautiful thing! I had wobbly legs when I returned to my house... the kids had a great time and the dog was plain tired, he laid on the garage floor waiting for us to get our act together to go inside.

It was a wonderful morning!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Special Ops Mission: Week 1

Okay... well this week's mission is to document what the "thing" that is standing in my way...


Oh... well I thought long and hard! I thought maybe I can talk about my obsession with sweets... and how they are standing in the way of me reaching my weight loss goals.


No, the sweets don't march into my mouth on their own!!!


Then I thought, oh it's because I work 2nd shift... and some nights we are soo busy I don't get a chance to eat dinner... so I eat when I get home at 11 pm. NO! That is still not it!

All of the myriad of things I try to "blame" for my weight loss failure or inability to stay on track or reach goal all lead back to one thing:


Yup, this girl... the one who is eating fudge at the State Fair! The one who has talked her way around any diet/exercise plan... the one who went to dietitians and explained every step of the weight loss process before getting their "counsel" because I know how to do this!!!
Well this girl has had enough! I have told that old girl that it's over! I have broken off our unhealthy relationship with food, the lies and excuses about exercise. It's all over sister!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Help! Did anyone get the name of the truck that just HIT me?

WOW! OK, so I have been working at this stay active every day this week goal.

I am proud to report:


Wed: 40 minutes of yoga.


I would have done more, however I had a migraine "hangover" the after effects of taking migraine medicine the night before. I then went into work as a co-worker had a death in the family. Today is the day I was going to do day 2 of my C25K for the week... however it's raining... and after that yoga I can barely move.

After taking the girls to their swimming lessons this morning I realized... screw the rain... I am going to go for a walk anyway. I put the girls in the bike trailer (that also coverts to a jog-type stroller) donned them in rain coats at their request... and went for a nice little walk. It felt great to feel the rain falling on me. It made me daydream of running in the rain... and I got all giddy inside.

On a side note, I am in big trouble now... I let slip that I am working toward this 5k... because last night I thought my legs were going to fall off... and well now people actually know about it. People I know will be asking me about it. Not just my husband who has heard it a few hundred times with no follow thru, or my friend Jen who has heard me lament about the fact that this girl wants to do a 5k. It's just what I needed to do, let it out. Now, I have to follow thru!

The kids are down for a nap/quiet time and I am off to soak in a nice hot tub as there are muscles that haven't been used for YEARS hollering at me for using them.

Jen - thanks for the Wii Active yesterday... that damn inline skating made my thighs like jello all day yesterday!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Wait... what?? Why wouldn't I want to eat this way?

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my best friend Jen. We are so much a like it's a little eerie... in fact we not only think a lot alike, enjoy a lot of the same things... but we have struggled with weight for most of our lives as well. It has truly been awesome having her in my life, she's my WI sister seeing as my family is far far away on the East Coast!

We spoke of our failed attempts... and both come back to... JUST FRIGGIN DO IT ALREADY!
Jen is doing awesome!! She is doing a weight loss challenge with her husband and 40 or so other locals... and she is doing smashingly! We had an awesome lunch that she prepared! A spinach salad with chicken, peppers, cucumber, red onions, apples, garlic and herb laughing cow cheese, and a fabulous dressing made from EVOO, Balsamic Vinegar and honey. After eating nearly half the salad I thought man I am full... Jennifer said something that was like a light-bulb moment for me: "This is soo good, why wouldn't you want to eat this way all the time?"

I pondered that thought all day! It's just as easy to make healthy home made meals than it is to drive thru at McDonald's! All it takes is prep, planning, and motivation. Well planning I can handle that... prep... sure... motivation, I have been lacking otherwise this ship would have sailed long ago! But it dawned on me, the motivation is right here... staring me in the face... ME! I am totally worth every bit of time I put into eating healthy!! I am totally worth the extra effort and time it takes to exercise! I AM WORTH IT!

I can take time and volunteer to do nearly anything for anyone... but when it comes to do something for myself... I have a hard time. When in my life did I start to think that I wasn't worth it?? I can bring all that up... but it's old news. I have no reason to dwell on the past... I have been doing that for years and all it has gotten me is some extra weight around my middle.

Today is a new day. I matter, I am worth it! I can't go back and change the past, my ups and downs... my failed attempts... The only thing I have control over right now is myself... and how I tackle this mission, this journey, this season of my life. Onward and upward...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Day-to-Day Business...

Being a Mom... one who works part time... and one who will be returning back to school in 4 short weeks... there are days that I am just done! I have no energy or desire to get one more thing done, exercise included. With this "I can't possibly do another thing" attitude I have found that I can very easily tune in for reality TV for hours on end, search aimlessly online for nothing... and read many blogs to my hearts desire. How can one have no time but waste so much time doing nothing?

This week my commitment is to be physically active and accountable for my exercise and activity goals. My goal is to fill my time that I would normally be "doing nothing" with something fun... active... and that will make me sweat!

So far this is my progress:
Monday: 30 minutes of yoga, 10 minutes walking... and 20 minutes of soccer warm-up with my daughter.
Tuesday: 40 minutes of yoga, and a 30 minute bike ride pulling an extra 70lbs in children behind me...

Now, yes... I did sit and watch TV with my husband last night... but I did get some exercise in! One step forward and closer to my goal! YEAH!

Monday, July 27, 2009

Virgin Posting ACK!

Well Blogger of the Year I am NOT!! I have only ever made one feable attempt at a blog... and failed miserably! Being that this is more of a journal of re-discovery... redefining who I want to be... a HEALTHY MOM!! I want to set an example for my children... leave them a legacy of healthy living and physical fitness.

My plan is to eat healthy:
*Eating lean healthy proteins/meats
*Incorporating lots of fruits and vegetables in my daily intake
*Increase my Water intake
*Commit to my workout regimen!

Welcome to my journey... one I remember calling it "The journey to Hell..." primarily because I had tried every diet in the WORLD... (not ever completely committing to them) and felt that the diets had failed me. In reflection, I was the one who FAILED myself. I look forward to writing more of my thoughts and sharing this journey with those who are in the same boat.