Another NSV...

Size 12 pants were successfully worn ALL DAY... and had plenty of compliments too!! They were a little bit tight... but give it a couple more weeks and they will be fitting perfectly.

Todays plan:

3.25 miles from 9 a.m to 10 a.m

P90X Legs and Back

3.25 miles from 2 p.m to 3 p.m

The Word of the Day

D O U B T - to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe....to distrust... to fear; be apprehensive about

In every brain there is a tiny little person whose only job is to question everything. As the brain gets lazy and weak that little person gets a little more control and tends to voice his opinion a little more often. Apparently the only way to put this little person in his place is to boldly go where your brain has never been before. To push yourself to do something you would never do, normally. To succeed at something you have only seen other people succeed at.... and even when you do succeed, his voice will still be there. A little bit quieter.. but still there.

For me this little persons name is The Doubter. I hear his voice whenever I start to question my ability to do anything. On some days it could be as small as just getting the dishes done.

At 220 lbs I heard him all the time. In fact, he became a good friend of mine. I felt like I could believe anything he said to me. One day I saw a picture of myself and even his voice boomed loud: "WOW, YOUR FAT!......but you'll never be different."

I only heard those two words. Your Fat. I took a long look at myself.... about 3 months worth of looking, before I finally started to wonder what I was doing to myself. Every time I wanted to start losing weight I would get half way thru that first day before T.D. would voice his opinion. 'You have too much to lose, you'll never get it done'..... 'you know you cant stop eating bread, your addicted' .... 'you will never be a skinny girl, so why bother?'

But the more I tried the quieter he got. On some days he never even said a word! For two years I tried to shut him up and in doing so I lost 40 lbs. I have 28 lbs left to lose before I hit my goal weight and , let me tell you, he is trying his best to let me know what he thinks.....

He comes back every now and then for the old 'I told you so' comments, but now I am determined to prove him wrong. Whenever he starts talking I just do something to shut him up... like succeed!

There have been a lot of people posting about 'self doubt' the past couple of days. It is a common thread that we all share when it comes to wanting to succeed at something. The fact is, there will always be doubt when facing something new and unknown to us. Just because you cant see the finished product does not mean there wont be one. The only way to overcome it is to push thru it. Question your doubts. If you are doubting that you can lose 100 lbs + ... then question why you think you cant do it. Then prove to yourself that you can! We are not stuck with what we have , we are stuck with what we give up on. Don't give up......

There is a great essay written by a friend of mine who shows you what can happen when you push that doubt aside.

Becoming a Fit Mommy

Being a Mommy of two is a blessing, but no easy task. Especially when your trying to conquer your overeating and lose weight. Luckily my girls are just as much into working out as I am! Angel loves her jumping jacks and Baby can do Yoga like nobodys business! Usually while I am on the treadmill they are watching a movie or playing with toys.... but every now and then they are running laps in the living room trying to keep pace with me. Angel actually managed to keep this up for a whole 10 minutes!! When I do P90X they are usually sitting and watching me or next to me doing the same movements without the dumbbell.

I know that it wasn't this easy to workout with them around a year ago. Baby would constantly want me to hold her and Angel would get mad because the tready was too loud. But I think because they now see Mommy and Daddy doing this almost everyday, they have come to accept the fact that this is something we have to do.... and I am loving this. I pray that they pick up this habit of mine. That as they grow up they have the urge to keep fit everyday!

Talk about motivation! If I cant do this for myself.... I can definitely do it for my girls!

So, how did I manage to get my workouts in with a 3 and 5 year old running the house? Here are some tips:

1) Place your treadmill, or whatever your cardio machine is, in a corner facing the room they will most likely be in while your working out. By putting it in the corner you will not be worried about the child getting injured by sneaking up behind you.... and you will be able to keep an eye on them while they play.

2) Have some surprises for them! I keep new movies or games kept in the closet and bring them out on days when they just want Mommy to hold them all day. Remember, you only need 30 minutes a day of cardio to get your heart rate up!

3) Dont stress out if they are constantly coming up to you and asking you for something. Think of it as 'interval' training. Get off the treadmill and get whatever it is they need, then hop back on and move your a@@ to get your heartrate back up. Trust me, there have been days when I had to get off 10 x's in an hour to fill cups, find toys, kiss boo boo's......

4) If your doing floor work, encourage them to join you. They will love it.... and you will still get your workout in.

Daily Motivation

Don't you wish you could store some of that wonderful motivation in a bottle so you could take a sip on the days that you really need it?

Yesterday was a really good day for me. Food was right on. I worked out twice... yes, I said it... twice! I was telling Hubby that my worst time of the day for overeating is in the afternoon between 12pm and 3pm. He asked me if I could move my workout time to 1pm. No way, that's the only thing that gets me going in the morning... and keeps me from starting my day off wrong. So split your workout and do the second half in the afternoon, he says. Why couldn't I figure that one out?

It worked like a charm... even better! I did 60 min on the tready in the morning (I even managed to jog a mile before my shins started to ache again... I cant push it!) At 2 o'clock I put on my workout clothes again and did 45 minutes of P90X shoulders and arms. When I was done with that I felt good enough to hop back on the tready and do another 40 minutes. By the time I got off it was almost 4pm. My cravings were gone and , better yet, I had burned an added 500 calories.

So, if I can keep up with my daily chores and keep my morning and afternoon cleared to workout... I could definitely be seeing a good change!! And Soon!!

The Men In My Life

I have always believed that God will give you what you need. In my case it seems I need a man who will push me to work harder for what I want.

My first example of this would be my Dad. He made me a fighter in every sense of the word. From putting me into martial arts class to showing me how to survive my own battle from within. My Dad battled cancer for over 10 years before it finally took him. It is his battle that I look at every time I feel like something is too much for me to overcome. It is his face that I see when I want to give up. At his worst he would say, "Its just another bump in the road."

When I was 14 Dad stuck me in Tae Kwon Do. Not because I was the athletic type but because even at that young age I was 50 lbs over weight. Master Jae Kim was from Korea. He hardly spoke English, but managed to kick us all into shape. He saw something inside of me (deep, deep, deep inside of me) that I couldn't see myself. Three days a week for 3 years I spent in his dojo and not once did I leave without something hurting. The first four months the 50 lbs dropped off like melted butter. Once the weight was gone he had me working twice as hard... until, at the age of 15 I won second place in the Tae Kwon Do Nationals. (middle row, 3rd from the left)

Fast forward to today. I live with a man who is stronger then any man in the world. In the first year I knew him he fought and won over his addiction to alcohol. In the second and third year he managed to put a ring on my finger and bless me with two beautiful daughters. For the past 3 years (yes, we have been married for 5 years now! How time flies) he has been on this healthy living kick with me. Only his battle was the complete opposite of mine. He has been trying to get bigger... and has succeeded.... in small spurts. Just as I have succeeded in losing 40 lbs over two years he has managed to gain 40 in the same time. He looks amazing to me now and in my eyes I don't see that he needs to get any bigger or stronger.... but he is determined to keep going, to get bigger, to get stronger, to get healthier. Not out of vanity, but because it has become his lifestyle now. He cant stop.
These three men have been huge stepping stones in my life. My Dad has been, and will always be, my foundation. Master Kim pulled me out of my shell and showed me what I can do if I work hard. My husband continues to motivate me , not with words but with his own actions, to keep moving forward and working for what I want. In my life I have been given everything I need to succeed. Its just a matter of doing it.

A big thank you to the three of you.... I love you!

WW Chocolate!!

Whitman's chocolate has joined up with Weight Watchers and created a 1 point chocolate. These little morsels are delicious.... and maybe a little too good! If you want to try some for yourself check them out here!

Enjoy

Movie of the day....

Thanks for all the great advice. I iced my shin on and off yesterday. By this morning it felt ok. I didn't want to risk really hurting myself so I did Day 1 of my P90X which was chest and back. This consists of mostly push ups and pull ups. Then I decided that I would try walking on the tready and see how my leg would do.

60 min at 3.3 mph = 3.25 miles and a very happy me!

My leg would start to hurt if I tried to go too fast, so I kept it at a steady pace. I HATE spending that much time on the tready (I think that is why I like to run... you get on, do your thing and then your off) So I grabbed the kids DVD player out of the car, plugged it into an extension chord, balanced it on my tready and walked an hour without checking the clock every minute and 10 seconds. The movie I chose to walk to today? Lara Croft:Tomb Raider (who wouldn't want her body?)

Just when you think you have it all figured out, something hits you from behind and knocks you on your butt.

During my run today I felt great. I was keeping a 14 min/mile pace and feeling like I could do 2 miles without a problem..... until a sharp stabbing pain made me slam the STOP button on my tready. It was a stabbing pain just under my knee. I tried to walk, but the pain was sharp on every step. I got off the tready. Shin splints. GRRRRREAT.

I was mad. Mad at myself for not stretching better before my runs. Mad at the fact this was happening at a time when running was really starting to be fun for me. So with all this anger building up in me I continued the rest of my workout.

Completed:

.5 mile run
90 squats
45 push ups
1.5 minute wall sit
75 jumping jacks
1 min plank
20 Burpees

If I cant continue to run then my weightloss could be stalled. Even walking could be impossible for the next couple of weeks while my shin heals. So... now I have to figure out how to continue to lose weight without the added bonus of running. Does anyone have a stationary bike they want to sell, or give away??

The most obvious answer to all of this is to focus on my food. I will have to lose weight by eating 100% everyday and drinking my 96 oz of water a day. I will do my non-tready workouts as they didn't seem to bother my leg too badly. Maybe its time to get back on P90X... or Tae Bo.

Looks like its time to switch it up a bit.

Does anyone have any advice on treating shin splints?

THROW ME A LINE!!!!

The last couple of days my legs have felt like they are trapped in quicksand. I think, mentally, I've been stuck there too. No workouts, eating cruddy and no water. My excuse for the past two days was because my stomach is feeling 'off'. Well DUHHH! Wouldn't your stomach feel 'off ' if you went from eating clean to eating whatever you could find to microwave so you could hurry up and eat? Of course my stomach is off.

So, to get my tummy feeling better I have already started with 24 oz of water this morning. It's a good start.

As for my workouts... I was going to say I need a day off. What am I thinking? I haven't done squat (or A squat) in two days. I need to get my butt moving today! So, here is my plan for today:

RUN... 2 miles

3 sets of each:

30 squats

15 push ups

30 sec wall squats

25 jumping jacks

30 sec plank

10 Burpees

I feel fat. I am 5 lbs away from my lowest weight and I need to get back on track. This vicious cycle is what caused me to put on 70 pounds in the first place. Its a matter of making myself snap out of it. So I'm not losing as much weight as I have been trying to... but I have lost 40 lbs by never quitting. If I give up now I will waste all that hard work and I Will Never See My Goal. I want to be a sexy 160. I want to have a rock hard body. I want to feel good everyday and not get stuck in these mental blocks.

I'm not going to let myself give up... I'm doing this.

So cleaning house was stalled yesterday by two visits from family we havent seen for months. It was great to see them, and Baby Boy was a hit with all the girls! It was a wonderful surprise.

My stomach has been a little testy lately. I think it is an anxiety issue.... so today I am keeping my diet bland. Water has been an issue too... cant seem to drink it.

Sorry the past two posts have been short and dull. Tomorrow will be a good post, promise!

Short and Sweet

Things are piling up around this house... so today I'm going to skip the workout and get this house in order. If I have time this afternoon I will hop on the treadmill, but not until this house is spotless!

Yesterdays run ROCKED! I took a full minute off my run making it a 14 min/mile!!

Have a great day!!

Monday

188.5

So -1 pound from last week. Not as much as I was hoping for, but I'll take it.

This weekend I was surprised by my best friends fiance. He called and offered to pay for my trip down to the city so I could attend my best friends wedding shower! I left Saturday morning and arrived at the mall at 3:30 where I hid in the pet store where he and I had arranged the surprise meeting. When she came in I peaked around the corner and her face was priceless. It was a wonderful!

We hung out at her new house all night chattering away like school girls. We have been friends for 16 years and every time we get together we time warp back to when we were teenagers! Except now we talk about my kids and her upcoming marriage. I am going to be her bridesmaid on Feb 14th and am so excited. I even got my dress this weekend too! It is motivation to lose another 10 lbs before the wedding... (the dress fits, but I wouldn't mind it being a little loose!)

We went to her shower on Sunday. All of her co-workers and soon to be new in laws were there. They were all fantastic women! I don't think there was a time when I wasn't laughing. I could only stay 2 hours because I had another 4 hour trip home. It was all worth it!

My stress is still high, and I think that is why I did not lose more then a pound this week. Like everyone says, it is balance in our lives and in our bodies that help us get healthier. Right now my mind and body are out of whack with stress. I am slowly finding my way back, but for now its just a matter of focusing on the journey... not the destination.

For those of you who have only seen me 'schvitzing'...... here I am cleaned up and ready for my trip!

Its Another Day

Thank you for all your kind words. I didn't dive head first into a binge... I sat and read all of your blogs. I watched some TV and then played with Baby. By 9 o'clock I was asleep. In fact, I went the complete opposite of bingeing... I didn't eat ANYTHING. I made hubby and the girls a stir fry dinner and I just couldn't eat. I know this is just as bad as bingeing and I know that it will not carry on into today. I had my protein shake this morning, will have my regular snacks, and plan on having a really good dinner tonight.

I have to keep looking up... God will help us in our time of need.

See you Monday.

I am on the verge of another breakdown. Hubby came home and said there was no paycheck. The company is broke.

NO PAYCHECK.... Let me clear this up for you. We have less then $0 in the bank right now. I went grocery shopping this morning and wrote a check, thinking that Hubby's paycheck would be deposited this afternoon. I have insurance to get on my car, our cell phones are on the verge of getting shut off, our electric bill is past due and to top it all off we dont even know if there will be a check next week.

I want to dive into a tub of ice cream. I want to eat all the food I just bought... the good thing is, with no money I cant go out and buy ice cream... and I'm afraid to eat any of the food I just bought because it might need to last us another week. So.. not only am I stressed, but my usual outlet is out of reach and is only stressing me out more.

I just want to cry.

Sometimes we need a little help and if your anything like me you need to see your results. So here are a couple of websites I came across that are free and very helpful!

http://www.weightchart.com/

http://startyourdiet.com/

Both of these sites offer daily weight charts, water tracking and calories burned. Check them out!

Today Hubby is home. This always throws me off. Its not that I don't enjoy him being home during the week.... he is just a really big distraction. I have to try and stay focused and make sure that I get my walk in today.

Yes, I said walk. Today is one of my off days... so I don't train as hard, but I still need to get my body moving. I will get about 45 min on the tready.

I have a very busy weekend ahead of me... so I will catch up with ya'll on Monday for my 2nd BLBE2 weigh in!

"To many people, free will is a license to rebel not against what is unjust or hard in life but against what is best for them and true." ~ Dean Koontz

Workout: 2 mile run in 30 minutes, 60 squats, 30 push ups, 1 min wall squat, 25 jumping jacks, 1 minute plank, 4 Burpees. ( I ran out of steam)

Stay Strong

No workout yesterday. Unless you can count moving furniture around a room 3 times as a workout... which I totally think it should. But the kids got a play date, I learned a little more about home schooling and our bedroom got remodeled. I even got a good night sleep and am up early to get in a good run!

Someone asked me what a Burpee was (sometimes called an Up-Down).

1 Begin in the standing position with your feet about 12 inches apart.

2 Bend at the knees until your heels touch the backs of your thighs (a squat). Place your hands on the floor next to your feet.

3 Lean forward and, in one smooth motion, thrust your feet backward until your legs are straight and your toes are touching the floor. If you can't do this is one motion, move one foot at a time.

4 Take care not to let your back sag. Keep your abdominal muscles tight and your hips at the same level as your shoulders. If this is too difficult, you can raise your hips slightly.

5 Bring your feet back up to your hands and stand up. Repeat the exercise as many times as you can, then rest briefly and try another set.

These are a great!

So, I am off to do my run and get my day started. I feel like I am on track to see a loss on Monday!!!

It just goes to show you...

It doesn't matter how far you've come, you can still fall off the wagon. So I had a bad weekend, a terrible gain and an emotional break down. I'm OVER IT!

I kept myself from blogging this morning until I had done my workout. Two mile run, 60 squats, 30 push ups, 1 minute wall sit, 50 jumping jacks, 1 minute plank and 20 Burpees are done and behind me. I sweat up a storm and felt very weak. I think I am a little dehydrated because I KNOW I didn't drink my 96 oz of water a day for the past 3 days. Today I am already at 48 oz and holding steady. If I look at my past I realize that if I don't workout first thing in the morning then I never will. I wont get my water in and I will eat whatever I want to. But if I do get that sweat out first thing then I feel good for the rest of the day and I am mindful of my diet.

I did not get on the scale this morning... although I said I would be posting my weight everyday on here. I just couldn't bare to see another gain. I figured I would make it an O/P week and see what the scale says on Monday. That will make it more exciting!

See you after my workout tomorrow!

The Truth Hurts.

The truth is, I was trying to find a way to ignore my weigh in this morning. I knew it would be bad (although in the back of my head I thought that all the ice cream I ate would dehydrate me and I would be at a 5 lb loss). The truth is , my weight this morning was 189.5. That is a 3.5 lbs gain from last week.

I had an awesome week (mon-fri) and Saturday wasn't all that bad either... but yesterday I was emotionally stressed and I let it all out on ice cream. Now, this is how dumb I am. I am lactose intolerant. Ice cream gives me terrible stomach cramps and the rest isn't pretty. I know this happens, that's why I haven't eaten ice cream in ages.

So why the stress? Hubby is looking at a job change... a big job change... as in joining the Army 'job change'. I completely support him, if it is really what he wants to do. The two things that are making me sick, even as I write this, is the 26 weeks he would be gone for BT and AIT training and then the possibility of him being deployed. On the 'good' side of it, we would be able to get off this mountain and live in a house that our family fit in. (we are in a very small house right now) He would have a job he enjoyed and would not be working for the family. He would have a chance at a better job once his time was up, or if he really enjoyed it he could have a good retirement. In this day and age, your lucky if you have a job... and what better a job then the military. Honestly, I see a lot more positive things then negative about him joining.... I just hate the thought of him being gone for so long. Thus... the ice cream.

So, there have been no permanent moves yet. But if he does it, he will do it soon. If he does it, I will have to suck it up and push through it. (hopefully without ice cream) .

I am back on track today. I juiced some yummy carrots and celery and drank a huge glass of it this morning. I am going to do my 2 mile run and my challenge. I am going to post my weight every morning on here so that you all can make sure that it is not going up! I need some butt kicking people... I need it bad. I cant let my emotions over run all my hard work.

Lesson For The Day

DONT MAKE BANANA BREAD WHEN YOUR CRAVING IT!! Yes, I ate half of it. Oh well.

Weight Watchers Healthy Banana Bread recipe

Ingredients

4-5 very ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup sugar free spiced unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose white flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray, set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, whisking to combine. Add the chocolate chips and nuts if using.

4. Beat the eggs with the sugar together at medium-high speed until creamy.

5. Beat in the applesauce and bananas.

6. Fold in the dry ingredients.

7. Pour into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Once the oven door is closed, reduce the heat so it’s between 325-350 degrees F.

8. Bake for about 35-40 minutes (the cake is done as soon as a tester comes out clean).

9. Cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes.

10. Invert on the rack, remove the pan, cool and store in an airtight container.

Servings: 16

Nutritional information for one serving:

WW points: 2

Calories: 121

Calories from fat: 8

Total fat: 0.9g

Cholesterol: 26mg

Total carbs: 26.6g

Dietary fiber: 1.9g

Protein: 2.9g

Thank You

I'm going to take a break today from working out, even though tomorrow is my official day off, and veg on the couch. Its a cold day outside and my muscles are achy. My knees feel a little tender and I didn't drink enough water yesterday.

This was what has been in my head since the second I woke up. I was starting to believe myself too! Then I jumped on my computer and entered the blog world. It was perfect that the first blog I read was our BLBE2 which was all about not taking Saturday off just because you've been 'good' all week. Yeah, ok. Then I read Run4Change who wrote about body image today, but has a great post about running. Ok, Ok!

So it looks like I will be having my yummy grapefruit for breakfast and then hopping on the tready for another 2 mile run. (as I type this Hubby is rockin' the tready with a 3 mile, 30 min run!) Since it didn't snow last night, I might even take the dogs for a walk this afternoon!

Thanks guys... this is why I love ya!

Body Fat

Ever wonder how much fat your actually caring around with you, but don't have the fancy equipment to find out? Kennedy just passed this website along to us. All you need is a measuring tape! My results:

25.2% Body Fat

46.5 lbs of fat

138.5 lbs of lean (muscle, bone, water)

So, what does that mean? Well, I went to this website and fount that 25-31% is 'Acceptable'. I would like to drop down to the 'Athlete' which is 14-20%. If I continue what I am doing and lose another 25-30 lbs, it should be doable!

The good news is that I am well on my way. My food intake has been right on. I am eating 3 healthy meals a day with one small snack in the afternoon. Every time I start to reach for something to eat I just say to myself 'embrace the hunger!'. I'm not really sure where I got that from, but I like it. Its not that I am starving myself. Usually when I am reaching for a snack I am not even remotely hungry. Just bored, tired or emotional. So I need to teach my body (and mind) that I only need food for energy.... not as a hobby. So far, so good.

Yesterdays workout was a 2 mile run in the morning and an hour and a half of martial arts in the evening. I was drenched after the martial arts class, so I know I did good! Today's workout will be upper body weight training and another 2 mile run. (I'm getting pretty good at it!) I have one more day of eating right and working out and it will make a whole week of being on track!! That is something to celebrate!!

Pangs or Pains??

Yesterday I decided to do the 3 meals a day and see how I feel. Breakfast was 3 egg whites with sliced tomatoes and mushrooms. It was yummy! By noon I was definitely feeling those hunger pangs (or is it pains) and enjoyed a tuna fish salad with pineapple. I got hungry, or maybe it was just a habitual hunger, around 4pm and went for a handful of nuts. Dinner was a bowl of whole wheat spaghetti with tomato sauce with mushrooms. (I am loving mushrooms right now,weird?) I think it was a good day. I actually enjoyed the feeling of hunger when it was time for lunch. I did, however, have to mentally make a note not to over eat just because I was hungry. But can you really over-eat a salad??

My workout yesterday R-O-C-K-E-D. I ran 2 miles in 30 minutes and then did the challenge I posted yesterday. By my last Burpee my arms were shaking and I was feeling every muscle in my body tense up in pure pleasure... (ok, maybe not in pure pleasure)

Today I have two workouts to get done. The first one is this morning. I have to run another 2 miles. Not because it is a must today, but because I have really enjoyed running this week. My legs are showing a noticeable difference and feel stronger then ever. I am back to going to Tang Soo Do classes on Thursdays so look forward to an hour and a half long, kick ass, workout tonight.

Other then that, today will be spent catching up on the mountains of laundry I have slacked on.

Go Team Lynn!!!!

6 meals v.s. 3 meals

Ok, so I am going back and forth about this. Should I be eating small and healthy meals every 2.5 hours or should I eat 3 good sized meals with no snacking in between? I hear good things about both. Jillian Michaels favors the 3 meal system saying that eating all day may cause you to eat too many calories and leaves you feeling unsatisfied. At the same time I can also agree with eating 6 small meals/snacks all day because it keeps you from over indulging at any one meal.

The last big loss I had was 10 lbs in one week. I look back at how I was eating and realize that I was eating 3 meals a day... small portions...and no snacking at all. So maybe I should learn from this and go back to it. In fact, I'm not sure why I stopped doing this in the first place. Guess I was too excited about the 10 lb loss! I sooooo need another 10 lb loss!

I came across this challenge at Marks blog! I am going to give it a try this week and see how I feel....

Here is my challenge. Do the following 6 exercises in a row, no break in between:(optional-I like to do a hard 1-2 mile run prior)
1. 30 squats

2. 15 push ups

3. 30 second wall sit

4. 25 jumping jacks

5. 30 second plank

6. 15 Burpees
Take a 1 minute break and repeat it 2 times!
*modify if necessary!*

I am going to do a good 1-2 mile run before I start it to give my cardio a head start!

I am only giving myself 4 points for yesterday. I did my 5K, drank 96 oz of water, took my vitamins, and of course did a 30 min workout.... but my thinking positive was off, and I ate a couple of things that were not 'clean'. I got mad at myself but realized I just needed to keep moving. Today will be a 5 pointer!

I'll leave you with a picture of 3 of my 15 chickens. These three decided they wanted to play in the snow with the kids! It was too funny.

Be Proud Of It!!!

Katschi loves to show off her 'schvitz' and I think we all should! Be proud of how hard you work and look at yourself with new eyes! Come on, lets see ya!

This was today's 5K ! It was a hard one. I forgot just how hard I worked my legs yesterday, so by my 2nd mile my legs wanted to give out on me, but I kept them moving and finished in a new record time! 45:52... that averages to a 15 minute/mile pace! Yahoo!!

Looking at my picture I see one huge difference. I no longer look like a tomato after my workouts. Now I just have a healthy pink tint!

<--- Proof of my new record! (notice the magazine, lots of pictures of the body I want! Great motivation!)

Finally... an O/P Day!!!

Yesterday was a 5 point day! I ate clean, drank 96 oz of water, took my vitamins, worked out for an hour and was thinking positive the whole time (I think I can, I think I can, I KNOW I can!). It is a very good feeling to have a day like that behind you. Now I know that I can't waste yesterday by screwing up today. Today will be another OP day!

I think I am going to move up my weekly challenge to today. I am right in the middle of my workout week, so it would give me the perfect break from weights. Then tomorrow I can start with my upper body strength training again. So, 5K here I come!!

On a side note, is anyone else tired of seeing a diet commercial every other minute on TV? jeesh.

A New Day

Everyday is a new day. So I had a cruddy day yesterday, it doesn't mean I have to keep it going through today, right? When I wake up in the morning its like hitting the 're-set' button. So I am at 0 right now and I need to make 5 points by the end of the day..... what are my points?

1. drink 96 oz of water a day


2. exercise at least 30 minutes a day


3. eat clean


4. take my vitamins


5. think positive

(On Wednesdays I can make up a point by doing my 'challenge')
6. Run a 5K

That's it! Five little things that I need to do daily to get my body into shape. Doesn't seem that hard now does it?

I joined the Biggest Loser Blog Edition Challenge! The deadline to join was yesterday, and I just barely squeezed in. I am super excited because the challenge is 16 weeks long and ends the day after my 31'st birthday.... now that is motivation! If I can lose 2.5 lbs a week for the entire challenge that will put me at my goal weight of 145. That makes it sound so doable... I have to do it! How great would it be to be at my goal weight for my 31'st birthday??

Ok, so today I need to focus on making it a perfect 5 point day! I need to focus on the first 2.5 pounds.

See you tomorrow!

Skinny Jeans...

Everyone has those jeans tucked in the back of their closet. Those jeans you just couldn't get rid of no matter how fat you got because you remember looking SO good in them... and you always promised yourself you would fit into them one day! Well, I have 3 of those jeans. One size 14, size 11 and size 9.

Yesterday I came across the size 14's while digging for a pair of pants to wear. When I saw them in my hand I did the same thing I always did when I accidentally grabbed one of the skinny jeans, I threw them back into the darkest corner of the closet and kept on digging. Then I realized that I was in a 14 now and that maybe, just maybe, they would fit. I grabbed a chair to stand on and reached into my dark corner. I pulled out all 3 'skinny' jeans. The size 9's I tossed back on the shelf... there was no need to completely depress myself!

I pulled on the 14's. Without sucking it in, they buttoned and zipped. In fact, while showing them off to Hubby he commented on the fact that they are too loose in the legs and butt. TO LOOSE! So I ran back into the closet and tried the size 11's. I distinctly remember the last time I wore these pants..... 10 years ago. It took some sucking in, and they were tight... but they were on! The legs and butt fit perfectly, but the waist really dug in... but I was back into them. Now I know that my hard work is paying off. I am really hoping to wear these jeans on my 31'st birthday!

What about the size 9's? I will wait... I know that trying those on right now would only make me feel like I have 'too much' to lose still. So I will feel good about conquering one pair of jeans and will work on looking good in the next!

On the Food front. Yesterday was 100%. I ate clean all day. I snacked on apples, had baked chicken and broccoli for lunch and a huge chicken salad for dinner. I drank 96 oz of water and ran 1.5 miles. It felt good to be on top of it all for a whole day.

Today is my 'rest' day as far as working out. I still have to work hard to stick to my diet... but I have faith in myself that I will finally stick to the plan and get healthy once and for all! 40 lbs baby... gone!

2009

Its a new year, what are you going to do with it?

I can tell you what I am going to do with it. I am going to lose the last 40 pounds. In fact, since that should only take me 6 months, I will also add on that I will train to run a marathon in 2010 with my friend.

Scratch that.... I am going to focus on one day at a time. I am going to focus on eating right everyday and getting in at least 30 minutes of cardio in a day. I am going to focus on drinking my water. I am going to focus on pushing myself to be a better runner. If all of that brings me to 145 pounds then grrrrrrrreat! But if I only lose 10 more pounds this year, that will be just as great. As long as I am going down the right path, trying to do the right thing... then that will mean I am succeeding.. and I will be happy with that.

Remember.... Its the journey that brings you happiness, not the destination!

Happy New Year!!