Perfect 10 Update #8

Here's another update for the Perfect 10 Challenge.

Well, we are on the downhill side of the Perfect 10 Challenge. I didn't do so hot on the last challenge I took part in, but I feel this one is going fine. I'm beginning to feel very accomplished!

My Perfect 10 Goals Are:

1. Complete the Couch to 5K program. Yes. I finished week 8 of the Couch to 5K program this week. This week it was running 28 minutes each of the three days. I'm running just under two miles in this time. Technically I'm supposed to be running a 5K (3.1 miles) by the end of next week. I don't think that's going to happen, so I'm already beginning to think how I can continue this program until I am running a full 5K - or 3.1 miles.


2. Drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water daily. No. Just haven't been getting the water in. This is something I have to work on.


3. Adjust my eating to see weight loss. Yes. I saw a 1.0 pound loss this week. I'm glad because this shows progress. It's the lowest weight I've been so far and that is exciting.

As for the little tidbit on me....

My husband and I love to have people over for dinner or dinner parties. We enjoy cooking and having friends come over and join us for a meal and some time of fellowship. Sometimes it's just one family and sometimes, like this past New Years Eve, it's a few families - kids and all. :) It's great fun!

This is one of the things I love about Thanksigiving. I love the cooking and planning and setting out a nice dinner. Some people find it all overwhelming, but I find great joy in putting together a large meal and serving it to friends and family.

I've catered one wedding for some friends of ours. Since I've lived in this state, I've also put together a mother-daughter lunch at our church each year around Mother's Day. This years theme is Asian food with black and white decor.

After seeing the movie "Julie & Julia" I think french food will be on the menu for next year. :) Yes, I plan ahead, because I just love doing these kinds of things. :)

Weigh-In ... Progress

Today's Weight: 204.5

Loss/Gain: -1.0 lb

Total Loss So Far: 26.5 lbs.

I am pleased with this one pound loss as it shows progress in my journey. I had "weekend-itis" last weekend and overate too many times. So, I was doing my best to be careful and mindful about eating only when truly hungry and stopping when satisfied from Monday on. It is getting easier.

My water drinking has been horrible for February. Last night just before bed I was so very thirsty and I drank a glass full. I think my body was telling me, "Okay, you've had your break. Now please hydrate me!!"

All in all, it is progress in the right direction and now I'm getting itchy feet to see the scale break below 200. Soon and very soon!

Have a great Friday everyone!

First Outside Run

Our weather has been a little warmer and the sun has been out. So, I thought I'd go ahead and try jogging at the park today. I wore layers of clothes and a beanie to keep my ears warm. It's a good thing I dressed warmly, because I was reminded that 50 degrees is still cold.

It was very windy and I hadn't counted on that before deciding to go. I decided I had to do it just this once...I was itching to run outside. Thankfully the wind was blowing very strongly on the first half of the lap, but it was to my back the second half. That gave me something to look forward to as I pushed on in with the wind in my face.

I was a bit excited to jog outside. I made a little video at the end, but it was really long so I'll have to clip it and upload it to here later. In the meantime, here's a picture of me after my run.

Yea, I know I look goofy, but I don't really care... I jogged outside!! Oh, and I passed a woman who was walking almost as fast as I was jogging (yea..I was slow and you know the wind didn't help) and she told me I was doing great! I told her what I tell everyone..it all started with walking! We agreed that we'll both keep working at what exercises we're doing - little by little. :)

Wake-Up Call

Diane from Fit to the Finish wrote a wonderful post the other day on not really seeing our selves as we are physically. You can read it here.

I know that, personally, this is a problem for me. For years I didn't look at myself with honest eyes, but it didn't stop when my weight loss journey started. Instead I've continued this bad habit.

Having lost twenty five pounds and starting a regular fitness regimen has me feeling very, very healthy and, well, wonderful. So it is easy for me to think I'm doing great and that, yea..sad as it is...that I'm fine. But I know that it's not fine.

While I know that I do feel great and I am proud that I've made wonderful progress in my weight loss journey, I have to be honest with myself. I still have a ways to go.

Besides Diane's post, you know what else brought this to my attention? The changing rooms at Target.

Something about seeing myself from every angle without a top on was very, um, exposing and scary. I see myself from the front often enough, maybe even the side at times, but never the back and when I caught site of myself from the back I was shocked.

Shocked in a good way.

It made me realize I need to keep moving down the scale and on towards better health. Yes, I'm jogging and feeling much better than before, but I'm still overweight. And I need to keep working on it.

And I will. This post has a happy ending... :) ... I will keep working on it, but I'm glad when I get a wake-up call like the three-way mirrors or the post by Diane.

Encouragement Across the Miles

One of my best friends, and fellow sojourner on the path to better health, sent me a weight loss encouragement package last week. It was compromised of eight packs of Extra gum!! I am set for months now.

We may not be able to get together for walks, or to share a lunch, but she is always thinking of ways to encourage me along my weight loss journey. I appreciate her continued support as I keep taking turtle steps forward on my journey.

I hope you all have at least one friend who is your support and encouragement along your weight loss journey. I'm blessed to have a handful of great support friends and I know it means the world to me that they haven't given up on me and my aspirations to lose weight and get fit. :)

A Few Of My Thoughts on Running

• Having a full meal and then jogging, even over an hour later, isn't a good idea. I did that tonight and I felt heavy. Yuck.
• Daily water intake is necessary. I'm noticing how parched I get and I know it's not just because I'm running for longer periods of time. For almost two weeks or more now I haven't been drinking even half of the water each day that I should be.
• I'm finding myself having to psyche myself up for these straight long runs. For some reason jogging a straight 28 minutes is more daunting than doing intervals. I had no problem doing the C25K when it was just intervals, but now I have to rev myself up and keep myself motivated during the run.
• Having just written that last thought I am reminded of the first week when it was all I could do to push out the last two or three one-minute jogs. Those were HARD.
• No matter how much I might dread the run, or be scared of it, I always look forward to it, because I know I feel so good when I'm done. Not only physically, but emtionally as well because I'm so excited that I have been able to do this...which leads me to my last point...
• I can't believe I can jog 28 minutes straight through!!!!!!!! In December I decided to try jogging, just to see if I could make it through a mile. I was so excited to jog a mile in 16-17 minutes, even if I was dying and I had to stop there for my workout that day because I was so tired. Today I jogged 1.96 miles in 28 minutes - just over two months after that first attempt - and I probably could've gone on a bit longer. I made myself stop at 28 minutes, because that's all I'm supposed to run for week eight of C25K.
• Oh, and one last thought...I feel silly saying "run" or that I'm a "runner" when my pace is 4.2 on the treadmill, but it sure does sound fun. I figure I can get away with it on my blog, where you are all so gracious with me. Plus, if I keep speaking positively and calling myself a "runner" then it just might happen some day.

Perfect 10 Update #7

Here's another update for the Perfect 10 Challenge.

My Perfect 10 Goals Are:

1. Complete the Couch to 5K program. No...as far as I only got one day in this week due to being real sick on Monday and then busy as heck yesterday. However, I do plan on doing a second day of C25K week 7 today so that I can go on ahead to week 8 on Monday. I'm amazed that I'm making it through these 25-minute jogs!! It's a great feeling of accomplishment when I'm done. :)


2. Drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water daily. No. Just haven't been getting the water in. No reasons/excuses.


3. Adjust my eating to see weight loss. Yes. I saw a 2.5 pound loss this week! Yippee! I'm really trying to focus on the Intuitive Eating process and I'm seeing change in my eating habits. Glory!

As for the little tidbit on me....

I think I can say I married my high school sweetheart. Sort of...We met in September of my senior year of high school and began writing letters as pen pals. It was a year before he would officially ask me to be his girlfriend and then only five months m

ore before he would propose. We married another five months later when I was 19 and he was 20, almost 21.

Our dating relationship was a long distance one composed mainly of handwritten letters and phone calls. This was before cell phones and email were so affordable and easily accessible. Talk about high phone bills - we sure had lots of them, but they were always worth it.

It's been 14 1/2 years since we were married and I look forward to many, many more by his side. :)

Weigh-In ... Keeping My Scale

Today's Weight: 205.5

Loss/Gain: -2.5 lbs.

Total Loss So Far: -25.5 lbs.

In the beginning of the Intuitive Eating process the authors suggest getting rid of your "diet tools", one of which is the scale. This is one thing I'm not going to do. I need a constant in my life that I can compare my progress against. Having a pair of jeans or clothing to compare against just doesn't work for me. So, I've decided to keep using the scale to monitor my progress.

However, the scale is solely a way of noticing how this process is affecting my weight loss. As they say often in the audio book, I am trying to just notice the changes -- not be judgmental. It's a tracking tool and nothing more.

Now I do have to be honest and end this post with a little YAY!!, because of course I'm glad that I'm down to 205.5 this week. :) This is the lowest I've seen on the scale on my journey so far (except on Tuesday after being sick) and I know I earned it with the hard work I've done this week.

Happy Friday!

Liner vs. Process Thinking

I've been listening to the accompanying CD set for Intuitive Eating and I'm learning so much. I hope you'll bare with me as I learn and share things along the way. I listen to them on the way to the gym, the way home, anytime I'm alone in the car or at home. I'm hoping that listening over and over again will ingrain those thoughts into my head. It's definitely cheaper than therapy. :)

Today's thought that really caught my attention was changing our thinking from linear thinking to process thinking.

Linear thinking is focusing on the goal. So, if you have a bad food experience, you overeat or gain one week, and know it's because you pigged out all week, you feel like a failure and begin the self-hate talk. This is because you think of it as ruining your chances of reaching your goal. Your focus is on the future.

Process thinking is focusing on each situation as a part of the process. When I ate those "just-one-more" bites after dinner last night (even though I had a feeling I shouldn't) I went from feeling satisfied to feeling a little too full. "Darn it!", I thought and then reminded myself that I'm learning. It's all a process and along the way I am learning what works and won't. Process thinking is dealing with what is happening now. Ultimately the learning along the way will help the goal be met.

So, there's some food for thought today compliments of the authors of Intuitive Eating.

Have a great day everyone! ;)

My Turtle Journey

Today I completed my second 25-minute jog. I'm not as fast as some most, but today I was reminded that I'm also not as slow as some.

Usually on the treadmills I am next to people who are jogging, but today I was between two people who were walking and not very fast. The lady to my right glanced over a few times, so I decided during my cool down to encourage her.

I leaned over and said, 'You're doing great!" to which she replied, "Oh thanks. I'm just starting."

I told her that if you would've told me a year ago I'd be doing this I would've laughed at you. I also told her that I started by walking last May and that I only just started jogging in January.

We exchanged a few more pleasantries and I was on my way.

I hope I encouraged this lady, because in reaching out to her I encouraged myself.

A year ago I wasn't concerned with my weight. I had decided to love myself how I was, but I was gaining more and more weight and beginning to have pain in my knees after long periods of standing. Thought I wouldn't admit it to anyone, I was still a bit sad deep down that I was so big. Plus it made me feel so old to be large and having knee trouble.

Today the last thing I mentioned to this lady was I'm a turtle in my journey. It's been slow, but I keep going. I know if I can see the changes I've seen over the last year for the better in my health I will continue to keep seeing more in the future...as long as I don't quit.

You know what they say, "Slow and steady wins the race, not the one who sets the pace." For me, that concept equals hope and it's what I cling to each day as I learn more about what I need to do to see myself reach my weight loss goals.

I Was Selfish

Today I was selfish at the gym.

You see, the Dr. Oz show was on and Diane and Lori were both going to be on there. I don't have a television and searched all over the web to find out where it might be shown later, but to no avail. So, I decided I would go to the gym and use the elliptical for the entire hour and watch the show there. The cardio machines at the gym on base all have little t.v.s with cable on them. I can do the elliptical forever when I'm watching something...but I digress.

So, I went and watched the show. I got there a few minutes early, so I actually started working out before the show and then continued on for the duration, totaling 75 minutes on the elliptical.

This is a big deal because there is a 30-minute limit on the cardio machines. I've never abused this rule, so I decided it would be okay just this one time.

I didn't feel bad until this guy came up, looked around for an empty machine and then ended up standing behind me while I was still only at 38 minutes on the elliptical. There was 15 minutes left in the show...

I was determined to finish watching it while I worked out, but I'm telling you the guilt from using the machine over the 30-minute limit almost took over. I was inches/seconds away from explaining to the guy that I would give up the machine when the show was over, but my friend...Diane from Fit to the Finish was on it and I just HAD to see it all the way through to the end.

Don't worry, I didn't do that, even though he waited for 15 minutes and ended up on the machine next to me... (Yes, my husband is also relieved I didn't embarrass myself.)

It was great to see the show and see Diane and Lori on there. Once again I felt that glimmer of hope grow a little brighter seeing all those people who had traveled their own weight loss journeys and came out successful. I am not finished yet!

And next time, I'll try and switch to the treadmill during a commercial so I won't have to feel so guilty for being selfish with an elliptical machine with cable t.v. ~ :D

Only 24 Hours

Thankfully my stomach sickness seemed to be only a 24-hour thing because I was feeling much better by last night. I woke up feeling much more back to normal today. Whew!

Thank you for your kind words.

So Sick

Yesterday afternoon began the worst sickness I've felt in a long time. I threw up everything I'd eaten in the twelve hours previous and then proceeded to have it out both ends for the next six hours until there was absolutely nothing left. Sorry for the TMI... I was reminded that I HATE throwing up compared to any other sickness.

This has left me so weak that I've spent most of the day resting. There was definitely no exercise today, and very little eating also. My husband bought me Sprite and chicken noodle soup last night, so that and the crackers I already had at home have been my staples through the day.

Thankfully I have kept that little bit of food down today. I'm praying that I wake up tomorrow back to my normal self, because I just don't have time to be sick. :)

Perfect 10 - Update #6

Here's another update for the Perfect 10 Challenge. This update brings a smile to my face, because I'm reaching my first goal and that was my primary purpose in joining the challenge...to begin being a runner. :)

My Perfect 10 Goals Are:

1. Complete the Couch to 5K program. Yes - I finished week six today. In fact, today I jogged for 25 minutes straight. I'm telling you it was mind over matter for a while there, but I made it through. I'm no where near the distance I should be, but the fact that I could jog for 25 minutes at an average pace of 4.2 mph is quite the accomplishment for me.
   


2. Drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water daily. No.
   


3. Adjust my eating to see weight loss. No. And getting back to square one to rectify the issues I'm seeing I have with food. Honestly, I used to mentally mock people that would "only" commit to losing 5 lbs a month, but going through this weight loss journey has shown me that it's nothing to laugh at. You can read my post below to see how I'm dealing with this.

As for the little tidbit on me....

I'm taking Steve's idea to talk about travel this week. I love to travel, though I don't do it too often. I do not get sick when on an airplane or as a passenger in a vehicle. I can fall asleep on any long trip, whether via air or car. I can read a book or work on handwork, cross stitch, crochet, etc. while in a moving vehicle (apparently many people get sick doing this).

I have been to both Canada and Mexico, but not to any other countries. I have been to the beaches on both the east coast and the west coast. I was able to go to Hawaii a few years ago and someday maybe I'll make it to Alaska for a visit.

Someday I would love to take a train ride across the country. Maybe not across the entire US, but a train ride that would last a couple of days. My husband doesn't like this idea, so I may have to do it with my mom or a good friend. :)

To sum it up, I love to travel and I hope someday to see more of our great nation and visit some other countries as well.

Back to Square One

Last night I talked with my husband about my frustration with my weight. He seemed a little confused about why I wasn't doing well and I know it's probably because he doesn't see me eat much. I haven't been pigging out on meals lately and I'm exercising four to five days a week. Then he asked when and what I was eating. I had to finally confess to him that I munch a lot between meals (when I'm not doing "good" obviously) and he just sat there.

I told him, "You know I watch "so-and-so" come to church and barely make it. They saw some great changes at the beginning, but they struggle so much. It's like..."

He interrupts me, "Because they won't let go of the past. That's the problem. They wanted to get better, but they didn't want to let go of certain things that have kept them bound to a lifestyle they were living before. "

"Yep, and that's my problem."

Husband: "You won't let go? What? Of food?" (almost grinning)

"Yep.", I reply.

We talked for a few more minutes, and I was glad to be able to open up a little more to him about this. I told him that appetite suppressants and energy stuff look so appetizing to just see the weight go quickly and regularly, but I know I have issues that go much deeper than simply not being hungry.

I know when I'm hungry and when I'm not, but it doesn't stop me from eating. He explained that he may seem to eat a lot, but he rarely eats outside of mealtimes and I know this is true. But I'm not like that. We talked more and I told him I'll just keep working on my issues and I'd rather spend money on good food than costly pills that won't solve the deeper issues. He agreed, gave me a hug and was wonderful.

Today I've been thinking more on this issue....

I'm not tempted to go to bars, to have a cigarette or do anything along those lines when I'm bored, upset, angry or even really happy, but I am tempted to eat for all of those reasons and more that have nothing to do with true hunger.

This is what I am working through right now. It's why I've chosen to follow the insights of the book Intuitive Eating. Some of you may have noticed that one of the authors of this book commented on my blog a couple of weeks ago. She suggested I go check out the audio version of the book as it has some helpful practices to go through.

This morning I did just that. I borrowed the audio CDs from my local library and I've listened to the first one already. I must tell you that I almost feel like I'm starting back at the beginning again. I have a lot of the ideas down, but there is so much more I have to work through.

I was doing well with the intuitive eating process before my cycle hit last week, so I'm hoping I'll bounce back into it quickly. However, just listening to one CD this morning made me realize that I have some attitudes that still need adjusting. I have habits and thoughts from my "past life" that I desperately need to let go of.

Please bear with me as I continue on my journey. I am not giving up and, by golly, I will see my way to a healthier weight and healthier attitudes towards food. :)

Weigh-In ... Not Surprised

Today's Weight: 208.0

Loss/Gain: +1.5 lbs.

Total Loss So Far: -23 lbs.

I haven't drank hardly any water this week, I think the only fruits/veggies I ate were one banana the other day and a salad with dinner one night and I have eaten when I'm not hungry many times. When I was eating a few, and then a few more, of the chocolate no-bake cookies my friend brought over Monday night I enjoyed them...until I saw later they were 190 calories EACH. Unfortunately that didn't stop me from eating them. I think I ended up eating 9 of the dozen in the course of a day or two.

So, I'm not surprised that I saw a gain. I'm not making excuses, just telling you what happened. I won't quit and the following post will tell you more about my struggle.

Much Better

I have a busy day ahead, so I'll keep it short. I just wanted to let you all know that I'm doing much better today.

I spent some much-needed time in Bible reading and prayer about the stressing situation yesterday. God always amazes me how he sheds light on things through his word and never gives up showing us just what we need right when we need it - even if it's something we already knew.

I know that may not seem weight-loss related, but I've been amazed how my emotions are so closely linked to my weight and food issues. So, when I dealt with the issues I was going through, and chose to give it all back over to God, everything else in my life fell back into proper perspective, including my weight loss journey.

So, thanks for your supportive comments and I will catch up with everyone later!

Stressed

Well, last night I called my mom and in the course of conversation told her that I'm sick of worrying about food. I go into "diet rebel" mode where I just don't care, and that has been the past couple of days when I have other things on my plate to deal with.

Yes, I've been a little stressed emotionally, nothing huge, but enough that I'm just tired of it. Will I quit my weight loss journey and go pig out? Um.... no...but I have overeaten and not gotten my fruits, veggies and water in like I need to.

So, I'm going to just take it one day at at time. I know I'll bounce back and the weight will come off again... First I will just take care of these other issues and try to remind myself that overeating won't solve anything.

Nothing Much

Well, I am alive, though I've been pretty busy. Yesterday I finally had time to relax and catch up on some much needed energy. I almost didn't go to the gym, but I didn't want to fall behind and I know I need to go as much as I can when the weather is good. :)

So, I started week six of C25k and was amazed that I am jogging so much now. It's a great feeling to pour sweat and make it through five and eight-minute intervals of jogging. I'm still very comfortable at a 4.0 mph, but can force myself to do 4.3. Breathing is so much better than when I started, but the legs are still sore. Nothing compared to the first week, so that's wonderful to me.

Today I made it to the gym again for elliptical and weights. I haven't done the weight machines in about two weeks and I felt weak. oh well.... Like I said before, I'll do what I can when the weather allows me to get out.

My eating has been horrible. I don't have a problem with eating anything I want, as long as I'm truly hungry and stop when I'm satisfied. That has not been my habit the past 2-3 days. Eating what I want, yes, when truly hungry and stopping when satisfied...no. Sheesh!

So, I've got to reign myself back in with regards to food and keep getting those workouts in. It's nothing new and I know deep down it's what works - eat less and move more. :)

Perfect 10 - Update #5

Here's another update for the Perfect 10 Challenge. We're halfway there!

My Perfect 10 Goals Are:

1. Complete the Couch to 5K program. Yes - I finished week five!!
   


2. Drink 6-8, 8 oz. glasses of water daily. Yes. :)
   


3. Adjust my eating to see weight loss. No. But I'm not worried, because TOM has arrived and I know that's what it's due to.

As for the little tidbit on me....

I love music and I love to sing. I come from a musically talented family where the radio was always on. Now in my house when the old radio shows aren't on the music is.

My tastes vary, and I like pretty much anything that is clean except hard rock or hard gangster rap. I have favorite music for different times of the day, moods or depending on my activity. My favorite styles are classical, black gospel, many styles of spanish music and then whatever category Norah Jones falls into.

I feel this quote describes music perfectly as it pertains to my life:

"Music is what feelings sound like." -Author Unknown

Weigh-In ... Small Miracle?

Today's Weight: 206.5

Loss/Gain: +0.5 lb

Total Loss So Far: -24.5 lbs

Well, I weigh myself every day and being that the scale was up the last three days I didn't expect only this slight half-pound gain. Not that I expected a five-pound gain or anything, but definitely at least a pound or two.

So, I'm happy for this. TOM made it's appearance last night, so most of the PMS attitudes/eating should be at an end pretty soon. It's definitely usually only a "pre-" thing for me.

I'm happy with this for this week and will keep going on. Have a nice Friday everyone!

Oh, and Thanks!

I really appreciate all the support you guys give, especially after a pretty down and out post like I posted earlier today.

Your support means a lot to me! :o)

Growing Silver Lining

Well, the silver lining around my gray mood got so big today it pretty much took out the sad emotions.

I went back to the store to try on a size smaller skirt and IT FIT!!!!!!!!!!! A size 16w fit!!!!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!! I was so excited I told the saleslady about it and she congratulated me on the loss.

I think it's been about 4-5 years since I've worn that size. In fact, the last time I wore a 16w I was not happy about it, because it meant I was putting on weight I had worked hard to lose.

Now here I am so happy to be wearing that size.

I was so happy I finally decided to buy a new pair of jeans. I haven't bought a new pair since I started losing weight and am happy to report that I could buy a size 16w in those as well.

Both skirt and jeans are a tad snug around my middle, but nothing too tight that I can't wear them right away. I guess I'm so used to things being loose that it's strange to have them fitted again. :)

The scale may show a gain tomorrow, but I will do my best to rejoice in this very significant non-scale victory in my life!

Can't say anything nice...

...then don't say anything at all, right?

Well, I will try not to complain for too long, but let's just say that the world through PMS glasses is not always a nice view.

The main battle I'm having is this:

I'm sure the scale will be up (because it was this morning) as I've managed to drink soda and eat more than normal - both regular food and sweets. I've figured out it is "that time" and I kind of really don't care (probably also because it's "that time"). What bothers me the most is knowing I'm going to post a gain on here and somewhere someone will think I need to just deal with myself and quit giving in to the impulses.

But I'm sorry, I've enjoyed the real soda a few times this week and a dish of ice cream I had last night. My dishes for ice cream hold one cup and I didn't fill them both times I had ice cream.

Last night I was telling myself that if I take three years to lose the weight then so be it...then I went to bed hoping for a better attitude in the morning. I'm still hopeful....

On a good note, last night after I had that small dish of ice cream I was very satisfied. As I turned off lights before bed I almost grabbed some chips, but then I realized I really didn't want them, so I left them alone. I enjoyed my yummy ice cream, but I didn't heap on more and more junk because I really didn't want it anymore.

Oh, another positive thing is that I bought a new skirt yesterday and I think it's too big. Either that or I'm right in the middle of sizes. So, I'm going back today to try on the smaller size (that I didn't dare try on yesterday because I just knew it would be too tight and I didn't want to get depressed.) and we'll see if it fits. I'll let you know later today.

Oh, and I have managed to keep drinking water and get in exercise this week, so I'm not all horribleness. :)

There. I've found a silver lining to this PMS cloud. Now to get on with my day. I'll try to rein in the negative talk and remind myself that this is hormonal and it too shall pass. :)

p.s. My apologies to any men who read this blog. I try and be discreet, but the female monthly cycle truly is a BIG part of my weight loss journey and since this is basically my "diary" I share both the ups and downs of the journey.

Addicted to Sweating

The kids went back to school today and I took advantage of their absence to run a few errands and go to the gym.

As I was doing my jogging on the Couch to 5K program I thought to myself, "I am definitely liking the sweat I get from jogging versus what I get from working out at home to a DVD."

This is just so crazy to me. Now, I know that the workouts I've been doing on my Wii Fit The Biggest Loser game have been strengthening my core, but they don't make me sweat nearly like jogging does.

I'm not sure why I love the perspiration so much. Maybe it's because I feel so strong when I'm done. I know that I was able to accomplish a more intense workout and that makes me feel wonderful!

You know what else is wonderful?

I'm noticing that when I'm jogging I'm feeling it more in my legs than in my chest. That is to say that I'm not as winded as when I started. More of the struggle to get through a jog is to make my legs keep going, but my lungs/heart must be getting stronger because my breath isn't so ragged sounding. Yay! :D

I do have a question for the runners/joggers out there:

Any ideas why my calves would hurt more jogging on a track/road versus a treadmill? I'm thinking because the track is a harder surface, but I'd like you're insights.

That's it for today. Hope you're all having a wonderful week so far.

My First Guest Post

Lori from Finding Radiance invited folks to submit some guests posts for her to put on her blog while she is out of town on vacation. I'm honored that she chose to share the post I submitted. *BIG GRIN*

You can see my first ever guest post by clicking here.

Something Old, Something New

Today I thought I'd share two favorite foods of mine.

The first is a greek salad of sorts. A lady friend of mine used to make this years ago when we lived in Arizona and we always loved it. She makes it with spring greens. My husband doesn't like the spring green, but he loves this salad, so I usually make it with Romaine. I added spinach when I made it this time. This can be a meal all in itself, and even in the cold weather I find myself wanting it.

Greek Salad

Mix a little or all of the following according to your tastes.

• Lettuce - Spring Mix or Romaine
• Roma Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Kalamata Olives
• Feta Cheese
• Red Onions
• Walnuts
• Italian Dressing

Then, this a new little food that I saw on Lori's blog Finding Radiance and it looked so good I had to try it myself. It's baked sweet potato with laughing cow cheese on top. She tops it with broccoli sometimes also.

Believe it or not, it's delicious! It's one of my new favorites to have with some fruit for lunch.

That's a Switch

Well, we are still having "inclement weather" that is causing schools to remain closed. In the past I wouldn't care about my kids being home, but last night I was a bit bummed that they didn't have school again today.

Why?

Because I wasn't going to be able to go to the gym and get my jogging done. Yes, I can do Leslie Sansone DVDs or use the Wii Fit and do The Biggest Loser game, but I WANTED TO JOG.

I did end up being able to go after all because my husband got done at school early and could watch the kids. He took them bowling at the base while I was at the gym.

I didn't feel like doing weights, because it was getting later in the day and I wanted to spend some time bowling with my family. But I got the first day of week five in the Couch to 5K program done.

And it felt so good!!!!!!

Oh, and once we were on the way to the gym, and I knew I was getting a chance to workout on the treadmill after all, I confided in my husband that earlier I was bummed that I couldn't jog since the kids were home for another snow day. He laughed and responded with, "You were upset you couldn't jog?!?!" I told him I didn't want to fall behind in my Couch to 5K program. He knows that is definitely a switch from the old Leah. :)