Long Time No See and a Challenge

Minions always make me smile....  :)

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I've blogged, and at the same time I can.  It's been busy around these parts.  I often think of things to post about, but then never get over to the computer to get the thoughts out.  

At least this time I come back with some good news.  

Half marathon training is going well.  Last Saturday I ran 12 miles and felt like my legs were going to die when I finished, but after taking some ibuprofen and resting them for about an hour everything was fine.  To be able to walk around the rest of the day and be fine after that kind of intensity is always encouraging.  It means my body is getting stronger and that makes the pain worth it.  :) 

My race is May 16th, so I still have five weeks to prepare and I know I'll be fine.  That's a relief.  :) 

The better news I have to share is that I have joined with some friends in a challenge of sorts.  The majority of the group are where we used to live in Arizona about 8 years ago and decided to put forth a challenge to help them prepare for a conference they will all be attending in May.  

I asked the leader what the details were and thought maybe I'd join them virtually just to help me get back on track with my food.  Next thing I knew she had me signed up with the group when they started.  WHAT?!?!  

*giggle*

Actually, it couldn't have come at a better time.  We keep in touch on Instagram, taking pictures of things we're tempted by, sweaty faces and of course... our food... as we feel led.  Everyone is donating an item to a gift basket that will be given to the winner of the challenge.  The winner is chosen by who has the most points at the end and this is how you earn points: 

1 point daily if you stuck to your "diet" (each individual is responsible to decide what that means for them"

1 point daily if you drank your water -- minimum 64 oz.  

1 point daily for every 30 minutes of exercise you complete

1 point weekly for every pound lost -- we weigh on Monday mornings and post our weight.

Then... you can lose points by the following:

-1 point if you don't exercise on the weekend at all

-1 point for every pound you gain each week.

My friend set up a Google calendar and we all check in daily on that.  

I can't believe how motivating and encouraging it has been.  To think, "I need to finish my water bottle and get that point!"  or "That snack will put me over my calorie budget and I won't earn my diet point for today, so do I really want it??" makes it all kind of fun.  

Another aspect that has been fun is I've been able to direct some of the gals over to my blog and share my weight loss story thus far.  This group was limited to 12 participants and most of them remember me as the overweight, sedentary Leah.  

They've been supportive as I've been honest about the 20-pound weight gain from last year and also to share things I've learned along the way.  

Being able to share my story, while also having to be accountable on a very personal level [read: daily check-ins] has been so helpful for me.  My main goal with this challenge was to get back to tracking my food daily, drinking more water and lose some of the 20 pounds I gained.  

Check.  Check. and almost Check.

The scale went down, then up and it's down again.  If I see any loss over the course of this challenge I will feel successful;  because the fact that I'm getting that water drank and tracking my food at least 5-6 days a week is such a step in the right direct for me right now.  

So, life is still going on.  I'm still going through some pretty stressful personal stuff, but there is progress and happy news on the health front and for that I'm grateful.  

Thanks for checking in!  As always, I will never give up and I continue pressing on.