Good-Bye Funk

I've been meaning to post since earlier today, but I got busy cleaning up and organizing a room and there went the time.

Before my weigh-in tomorrow I just wanted to come on here and say that the PMS funk seems to be gone.  There will be regular frustrations, but the emotional cloud that hangs around seems to have blown away with the storm clouds from last night.

I'm so glad.  I'm still a tad nervous about how I'll do tomorrow, because Fridays tend to be my free-for-all day, but I know I don't need to blow it.

So, I'll be back in the morning with my weekly weigh-in, but no matter what it says...I'm just glad to be out from under the funk. :)

My Friends are the Greatest

I was going to post earlier, but decided posting about weight and PMS aren't always a good mix.  Oh yea...TOM arrived today and emotions have been on a bit of a roller coaster the past 24 hours or so.  Argh. 

So, instead of posting I decided to go for a walk.  I was very sore from a Jillian workout yesterday and I could hear lots of wind.  There was no way I was going to run, but I knew I could walk and that would be better than nothing. 

I put my audiobook on my iPhone and headed out.  Then I got a call from a dear friend who let me share the following tidbits with her, she listened, encouraged me, told me about her big adventure coming up and kept me company for about half of my walk.  It was so nice. 

And it's why I had to come on here and say that I have some of the bestest friends ever.  

Yesterday I had a great talk with another one my friends, whose husband once asked if she was charging for her advice --LOL-- and she gently reminded me of something.  She said, "I think you're just thinking too much about it."  

She was right.  

I was freaking out a little about how I'm going to eat normal after this detox week.  We discussed exercising from home vs. the gym, foods, etc. and when she said that a lightbulb went off in my head...I just need to get back to what I was doing before, but stick to it. 

Which brings me to a recent comment by a blog friend, who advised that a "treat" meal become part of my eating plan instead of a break in it (paraphrasing..).  

Again...duh!  

I've been freaking out a little which I now know is mostly PMS and really all I need to do is get back to what I know works.  Healthier food choices, regular exercise, a treat here and there in moderation and continuing to challenge myself to do the best I can.

This has always been about getting healthier and staying there.  I'm so grateful for friends who have been there for me since the beginning of my journey and continue to remind me that I can do this.  

And for just listening when I'm venting...you all deserve a prize greater than my friendship.  :)

Sidenote:  Click here to read a quick short post about how weight loss is a lot like a renovation.  I loved it. 

Two Days Kickstarting

We are two days into our no sugar/grains week and things are going well.  Other than the plain non-fat greek yogurt the food is fine.  :)  It's been weird to eat vegetables with almost every meal (unless I do yogurt for breakfast)...that's how "un healthy" I am.  Eating so many vegetables makes me feel so healthy!  :)  

The only change I've made to the plan for this week is I've been snacking on Almond 100-calorie packs (instead of her prescribed snack) with a cup of decaf in the afternoon.  It works well for me.  

I'm also drinking coffee and keeping in my half and half.  I have cut the sweetener to one packet of Sweet N Low per cup instead of two.  In fact, this morning without thinking I dumped my normal two packets in and it was one SWEET cup of joe. lol  Only two days without added sugars and I'm finding things so sweet.  

As I mentioned, my sister-in-law is doing this with me.  She's been doing great as well.  We have "fun" talking about how good the ice cream looks that my kids are eating.  lol  Oh, how we torment ourselves!! 

This is only a detox type of week and we're already talking about how we are going to eating well afterwards.  My instinct is to add back in all the breads, potatoes and sweets and just try to eat them "in moderation", which usually leads to overeating for me.  

I told SIL we'd have an "off plan" meal at the end of this (and maybe one a week afterwards) and she says to me,"Yea, but I'm afraid I won't want to stop and I don't want to ruin what we do this week."  

Yikes!!

She is right.

I hate to admit that.

Part of me knows that complete deprivation from any splurge can lead to a binge later on, but part of me knows that I don't have the best luck with having a treat and then getting back on plan.  So, I have to think about how I'm going to handle this.  

I know I'm going to want something "off plan" a.k.a. more than a lean meat and veggies, but I know I also want to be able to corral that into one evening and not let it turn into the entire weekend.  Hhhmm...This is where the Do [hard] comes in and I think I'm ready for the challenge.  

Meanwhile, I'll be back another day to let you know how my visit with the trainer went today.  We did and update on stats, etc.  It was an interesting visit and has me thinking on more of my goals with regards to fitness. 

Thanks for stopping by!  

Weigh-In ... Something Has To Be Done

Today's Weight:  168.5

Loss/Gain:  +1.0 lb

Short Story:

I've no idea why, but I'm having the hardest time staying out of the junk.  I think I'm in a subconscious rebellion.  :(  But I won't give up and I have decided something has to be done and I'm ready to do it.  I have a plan! (for the umpteenth time...but success does consist of getting up one more time, right?)

Long Story:

Well, I'm not surprised by the gain and only glad it wasn't more.  This has been a real "off" week for me.  It's like I can't get a grip on getting back on track after the Christmas feasting.  Last week I was doing great and then the weekend went bad.  Sheesh.  The other day I even went so far as to look up when TOM hit last month to see if maybe that was my problem, but alas...I'll be way early if that's the case. 

Anyway...the only thing I can think of is that I'm subconsciously rebelling against the thought of getting back on track, because I know deep down I need to get seriously on track. 

I'm not sure.  *rolling eyes*  

I do know that I told a friend of mine I feel like I'm still recuperating from our busier-than-ever Christmas season in all areas of my life.  I find myself deciding to take a nap rather than work on something I know needs to get done.  It's like I was so glad to not have evening commitments that I have relaxed too much.  

Again..I'm not sure.  I just know that not only do I feel guilty at times for the snacking-when-no-one-is-looking moments, but I also feel crappy physically.  It's not nice to feel this way.  

Anyway, it is what it is and....I've decided on a solution to deal with the lack of focus.  

My sister-in-law and I are going to do Jillian Michael's 7-day kickstart eating plan from her Body Revolution plan. **

I did this last summer (read here) and found that as miserable at I felt at times eating gross plain greek yogurt..blech. eating no sugars/grains really helped curb my cravings for sweets.  (I know, I know... it's a proven fact that I choose to ignore most of the time.)  I also know that while eating plain yogurt isn't my favorite thing there are lots of other foods out there that I do enjoy, even though I usually decide to skip over them for junk.

Folks, I'm less than 30 pounds from my goal weight and I know what things are keeping me from getting there.  I've simply chosen to try and get around them and fake it.  That's not working and I'm tired of it. 

I've gotta do something, so I've decided to go a little drastic to jumpstart myself back into losing.  The 7 days don't allow ANY sugar or grains, to kick the sugar demon out.  

I'll be honest...I don't look forward to the days I feel miserable because I can't have what I want, but I know if I can push through those days it'll be worth it.  

Okay, let me back up and explain the last comment.  Those thoughts are the product of my plan to continue on with Jillian's regular Body Revolution meal plan after the 7-day kickstart.  The plan mainly consists of whole grains, lean meats, fruits and veggies.  Nothing weird.  Just good wholesome foods minus the added sugar. 

That's why it's a little scary for me, but I know it needs to be done.  I'm not only frustrated with not being able to break away from the junk food, but I also have two people close to me who are trying to lose weight and I want to be a good example for them.  and I can't have them reaching their goal before me!! lol

I also know that anyone who has followed me for a while will read this and think, "We'll see.  She's said this before."  and I don't blame you one bit.  This changing my life & bad habits stuff is hard and I don't like to do what's hard.  It's why I'm taking almost 4 years to lose weight.  :(  

But, I have always said that I won't give up.  I've got goals this year and I need to get to feeling better so I can complete them.  

Wish me luck!  Say a prayer!  Send healthy vibes! 

And most of all...thanks for checking in on me!  :)

**  SIL is staying with us for a bit, needs to lose about as much weight as me and was frustrated...so we're killing two birds with one stone here - helping her and getting myself back on track.  

A Cold, Cold Run

A snapshot of an hour in my day today:

This morning I decided to head out for a very cold run in my new cutie socks...even though winds were howling around my house and the temperature was 43 degrees out.  

Then I came home to text two of my long-distance running buddies about it... 

...because I had challenged one of them to join me in running in the cold this winter. 

The winds were horrid, but thankfully they blew in one direction and I run through my neighborhood, so the different turns allowed for breaks from the wind once in a while.  It was a tough, but I've decided if I'm going to run 13.1 miles this year I'd better get used to doing some tough runs.  Whee!  

Goodness!

So, remember last week when I posted about crying at the end of my run? (click here to read) Well, aside from being vexed that I had run slower I was also frustrated with knowing that I have to exercise to maintain or see weight loss.  I was frustrated at knowing that I can't just eat "a little less" and expect to lose another 25 pounds.  I have to focus on eating better and I. have. to. move.  (or eat a LOT less).

humph.

As of that run my weekend hadn't been all that great eating wise and the scale was showing it. (Thus the reason I was content to squeak out a half-pound loss on Friday).  

I'm reminded of that again this morning when I stepped on my scale to see a high number.  Not just a pound, but a couple.  Geez.  

Hopefully it's all from a sugar and starchy carb overload day I had yesterday.  I didn't exercise due to sleeping in, having kids home from school and then commitments to attend to, and I ate like I had burned extra calories.  This is not good...

...especially when you want to lose weight.  

*sigh* 

But, however, comma...

To look on the bright side...

• Instead of wanting to quit I knew I needed to get back on track...and wanted to.
• I'm learning that my body seems to only handle starchy carbs well when I do cardio. 
• I'm learning to be okay with the above.
• I looked at my 2013 goal of DO [what's hard] and reminded myself this isn't going to be easy, but by golly I'm determined to get it done. 

So, my week isn't going as stellar as I'd like, but instead of feeling defeated I'm choosing to learn from the mistakes and get back on track.  This is a lifelong change after all.  :)

Have a nice day!  

Friendly News

Good morning!  Some happy news here today...

But let me start with a question:

As you've progressed/are progressing in your weight loss journey have you ever wished someone near to you would get the vision to lose weight? 

Not because you think they are ugly, or gross, or lazy, etc. etc., but because you know how good it feels to eat better and move?

I have.

And a dear friend of mine informed me this week that she has made the decision to get healthier and lose weight.

And I can already tell it's different this time.  

We had an amazing texting conversation last night and she told me how her attitude has changed, how she wants to do this for herself and not to impress anyone or just look good for a certain occasion.  In fact, she had already started working on her journey two weeks ago and didn't say anything until she lost a few pounds. 

Folks, this is an answer to prayer.  My friend is beautiful, kind hearted and the most loving lady I know.  She has always sacrificed everything to support and love everyone else before herself.  Now, she is venturing out to change her life into a healthier one.  One that I know will allow her to better care for those around her.

Someday I hope to introduce you to her, but for now...please join with me in celebrating her choice to change for the better.  

I know she will make it!!!  

Love you girl!! *hug*

Weigh-In ... 2013 Goals Defined

Today's Weight:  167.0

Loss/Gain:  -0.5 lb

I'll take it!! 

To make this quick...I saw this on a new-to-me blog recently and thought it was really neat.  So, I decided to print one out and fill it in for myself.  I'm going to hang this in my bedroom where I'll see it daily (and visitors to my house won't).  

Yep...making some pretty serious commitments for this year.  

In 2013 I'm going to DO (what's hard).  

I don't usually do such serious New Years Eve resolutions...but these are a result of some serious thoughts and prayers that just happen to coincide with the beginning of a new year. 

The biggest things you might notice...

Reach my goal weight of 140

and...

Run a half marathon.  

One of my dreams has been to run a half before I turn 40.  That is still 3.5 years away, but I decided I can't wait. 

Oh, I want this sticker SO BAD!!!! 

So, now it's out there.  I am setting some serious goals and I plan on reaching them.  You won't know all of the details (like how I pay off our last credit card), but you will know at the end of the year which ones I complete.  Promise. 

As always, thanks for checking in on me.  Have a great weekend! 

Note:  You can find your free printable by clicking here:  New Years Resolutions 2013 Adult Printable

Some PINsperation

When I'm feeling lazy and can't decide which chore/project I should get to I sit down and see what new things are popping up on Pinterest.  My primary interests are decor, crafts and DIY, but lately I've been scrolling through the health and fitness boards as well.  

Here's a few things that caught my eye: 

And my two favorites....

Have a great day! 

Always Gonna Be Another Mountain

I just got back from a run.  It was a cloudy 60 degrees out.  Perfect for running.  I knew I'd start out a little slower and I was okay with that.  I was planning to run 4 miles, so I didn't want to push it too much at the start and be dying when I finished.

It was an enjoyable run.  My iPod was set up with new music, people I passed were friendly and at mile 3 I knew I'd finish no problem.

Then I looked at my Garmin... and my pace --11:22 at that glance ... and the good feelings began to slip away as negative thoughts poured down on me.

"Boy have I slowed down!"

"I'm never going to be able to run ______."

"If I'm slow again when it's cool out I'm gonna be horrible as the weather warms."

I'm going to be bluntly honest and tell you that as I finished up I put on the song I've chosen as my personal weight loss mantra/song The Climb by Miley Cyrus ... and I began to cry.

The first two lines of the song summed up how I felt:

I can almost see it

That dream I'm dreaming,

but there's a voice inside my head

Saying you'll never reach it.

Yep, as I walked around my driveway cooling down I was crying.  I let it out.  For about 2-3 minutes I just let the tear comes.

That's when I paid attention to another portion of lyrics of her song:

The struggles I'm facing

The chances I'm taking

Sometimes might knock me down

But no, I'm not breaking

I may not know it

But these are the moments

That I'm gonna remember most

Yea, just gotta keep going

And I, I gotta be strong

Just keep pushing on

Cause, there's always gonna be another mountain

I'm always gonna want to make it move

Always gonna be an uphill battle

And sometimes I'm gonna have to lose

Ain't about how fast I get there

Ain't about what's waiting on the other side

It's the climb

And then the tears subsided.  I reminded myself, "YOU JUST RAN 4 MILES, LEAH!!" I didn't instantly feel better, but I calmed down, and I remembered for the umpteenth time that living a healthier life is constantly going to have it's struggles.

Shoot.  Life is going to have struggles.  

And every time we challenge ourselves, or step into a new arena it's going to take work.  It's not going to be easy.  But...it will always be worth it. 

That's when my other healthiness mantra/song came on ... Never Going Back to OK by The Afters.

And these lyrics freshened my resolve to keep going: 

But that was yesterday

We're never going back to OK.

We're never going back to easy

We're never going back to the way it was

We're never going back to OK.

So, there it is.  A lesson I learned on my run today.

Yes, there's always going to be another mountain and it's not about how fast I get over it.  I just have to keep pushing on.  And I will, because, I'm never going to back to just okay.  

What It Boils Down To for Me

Today I'd like to share...

When someone looks at me and exclaims,"You look great!" I usually reply with a "Thank you!" and tell them I feel so much better too.  

Because losing weight was never about looking good in a certain size, it was about breaking the addiction to food and stopping physical pain that was beginning to occur regularly.

Wearing smaller sizes, and "looking great", has simply been a fun bonus.

That's all for now.  :)  

Weigh-In ... Late again? oops..

Today's Weight:  167.5

Loss/Gain:  + 0.5 lb

Well, my Friday just flew by and I never sat down to blog my weight.  Oops.  I really wasn't trying to avoid telling.  :)  Usually on Fridays I am home cleaning and I take a break to blog my weigh in; however, yesterday I was out at a birthday lunch, then a basketball game after school and then we had three extra kids for a sleepover.

Time flew by.

So..about this gain.  I'm not surprised, since I did tell you earlier this week that my eating wasn't so great.

But...

I'm happy to say that things are getting back on track.  I have been tracking my food and really deciding that I am going to do what it takes to keep losing.

I began reading my new book Train Like a Mother and am trying to figure out how I can eat well for running and still lose some more weight.  I want to pursue my running goals, but not let the running take away from reaching my weigh loss goal.

So, that's kind of where my mind is right now on the health side of things.  We are having warm weather and I'm also getting the itch to reorganize a room and finish up a crochet project.  So, my days are staying busy and I think that is a good thing...to keep me away from snacking.  :)

I hope you are having a nice weekend and thanks for checking in on me!

1st Run of 2013

I did it..I braved the cold and went out for a run yesterday. 

Okay, so it wasn't the 36 degrees it was when I took the kids to school earlier in the morning, but it was chilly.  Actually, no it wasn't even chilly.  When I started out I thought, "Ooh..I may not need my sweat jacket."  About 3/4 of the way in I finally took it off and tied it around my waist.  

It was lovely.  A little cloudy, cool, but not freezing.  

The run was a little rough for me.  I took it easy and ran three miles, trying not to push myself to hard.

I felt slow, which I think was due mostly in part to a lack of proper hydration.  From the little running experience I have, and the little I've learned by reading and talking to people, water makes a huge difference in running.  If you're not hydrated well and then you push yourself to sweat like that...not good.

Anyway, rough or not it felt so good to be outside and to come home having finished [almost] 3 miles.  

It also felt good to wave to a few runners and walkers around my neighborhood.  I love being sociable with my neighbors.  I also love being one of "those people"you see getting their exercise in.  

Is that vain?  I hope not.  I don't mean it to be.  I just don't think I'll ever tire of remembering where I've come from and feeling so blessed to have changed with regards to my health.

Weather permitting, I'm looking forward to another run on Friday.  :)

Note:  Please excuse the photo background..it was laundry day and my only full length mirror happens to be in my room, where I sort laundry.  lol

Book Gifts & A Reminder

Yesterday I got some mail...Christmas presents!

Well, okay..we received a gift card to Amazon.com and I decided to purchase two books I've had on my wish list with my portion of the gift.  They arrived in the mail yesterday and I can't wait to start reading. 

I heard about Run Like a Mother soon after it came out and the first copy I purchased I read through before giving it to a friend of mine.  I've bought a couple copies since then as gifts, but never for myself.

When I heard the Another Mother Runner ladies came out with a second book I was super excited; though not excited enough to run out and purchase it immediately I guess.  *sheepish grin*  I guess a new shirt or something must've caught my eye first.  lol 

Actually, come to think of it, I think I didn't run out to buy it right away because I figured I wasn't running any serious distances or races yet, so I didn't need the book.  Yep, that was it!

However, as anyone who's read my blog for a while knows, now that I've run two 10K races I officially consider myself a runner.  

So, when we received this gift card, and I looked over my Amazon wish list, I decided to go ahead and get both books for my library; one to read again for fun and one to maybe learn a thing or two about training for a race.  Woot!

Speaking of learning...

My food intake hasn't been the best since my weigh in.  Dang.  Unfortunately, my water has taken a great hit, so that's my focus right now.  I need to get more water in.  I think I'm munching when I'm just thirsty.  Well, that and I need stop the munching and remind myself that if I'm not hungry I don't need to eat. 

And that thought is why I was happy to see this little bit of wordly wisdom on a fitness Pinterest board last night: 

I think I'll print it out and put it on my fridge, and my bedroom mirror, and my computer...Kidding.  Sort of.

Oh, how I need this reminder for my weight loss, and every area of life actually.  :) 

Have a good day!

Weigh-In ... I'm Back!!

Today's Weight:  167.0

Loss/Gain:  -2.0 lbs.

aahhh... *contented sigh*

Yesterday I had a great chat with my healthiness buddy/best friend/motivator and boy was it great!  I am back in the groove. I feel like the old/new Leah is back and there is hope once again for weight loss. 

Over the past week I've been thinking about what do I need to change to get back on track.  I had a moment or two in my overeating days around Christmas where I wondered if I would be able to keep losing, as in be able to get myself back on track.  Some scary thoughts tried to creep in.

Thankfully, I reminded myself I never want to go back and just kept thinking about what I need to do to get back on track.  These thoughts kept coming to mind:

• Just do what you already know.
• Get back to the basics. (track food, drink water, exercise, eat healthier, etc.)
• There's no special plan.
• Eat less and move more.

Those thoughts were confirmed by this great post, "The Magic Secret", my friend told me about.  

To top it all off I also found it kind of cute and timely that my new calendar is titled like this: 

Every month has some drawing about reaching for goals, trying again, etc. etc.  I just love it.  It's like the extra little push I needed to get going back in the right direction.  I'll have to thank Mary Engelbreit for her divine inspiration.  :)

Thanks for checking in folks, and as always...it's not over!!! :)

Have a great weekend! 

Happy 2013 !

Well, here we are....a new year.  I am appreciating this time of year; time to refresh myself after a very busy holiday season.  The Christmas decor is put away, the kids will head back to school in a couple of days and I feel I'll be able to focus on weight loss again.  Which is a good thing, because I have a slight problem...

We bought new University of Oklahoma t-shirts for our family for Christmas and I misread the sizes when ordering mine. Um, it's too small.  I thought I was buying it a tad fitted, but turns out its definitely too small to wear in public. 

Instead of exchanging it I decided to make it a motivator for me to get back on track.   I'm a little nervous, because I keep thinking what if it's still too snug at my goal weight? It's an 8/10.  Hhhhmmm... 

Well, I've decided to just try and see.  

So, my main goal for 2013 is ... to fit into this shirt:

I would also like to run another 10K, or two, this year.

Okay..interruption...I have a confession...

When I look at those pictures I'm amazed it's me.  I haven't been this size, and stayed there, for so many years that I was surprised to see how small I look when my daughter showed me the shots.

So, while I grin when I realize I'm this thinner version of my[old]self...having this t-shirt be too tight was a good reminder for me.  It gives me a motivation to deal with a deeper issue that I still struggle with in my health -- eating when I'm not hungry, too often.

It's not about the size of clothes for me, it's about getting control over the overeating and making healthier food choices. (I'm fighting with the healthier choices sometimes still...)

So, 2013...I'm ready.  I know it won't be easy, but I also know I've come a long way and with God all things are possible!