Catch Up

So, a lot has happened since my last post, the biggest being that I accomplished my first 5K!! :)

May 18 was the big day!

Running with my hubby and son....

Also, running a 5K for the first time, was my friend Ruth Drawbond!

My fear going into this, was that I would be the last one in and everyone would be waiting for me to finish! :) My goal was to finish in under 45 minutes.

The finish line in view!! :)

Almost done!!

DONE!! My official chip time was 42:00!! :) So, so happy and no, I wasn't the last one....there were quite a few people behind me! :)

It felt so good to know that was behind me and that I did well! Dan set a PR but Danny didn't do as well, since he was having pain in his ankle. :( BUT, he still won 2nd place in his age category!!) :)

2nd Place!!

I have lost 2.5 lbs. since the race, so I am happy about that! It seemed like I was at a plateau for the longest time, now I am seeing some loss again! :)

I'll keep on truckin~

Next 3 Months

So this morning starts another 3 months of weight loss competition. My goal is to lose 20 lbs. I am currently in week 3 of the C25K program that I had started earlier. 

Only 6 weeks till the 5K I signed up for, so I need to stay motivated and git 'er done! :)

Looks like there may be 1 week of "vacation" in there, too....an unexpected trip to PA!! :) Woohoo!!!

My starting weight this morning was 232....I regressed! :( Gotta kick it in high gear!!!

A Change??

Well, as I posted last week, I started doing the C25K program all over again. I started on Tuesday and was surprised how hard it was to run even for short 1 minute bursts, when I HAD been able to run for 25 min. about a year ago. I guess that's what happens when you don't keep on running!

 Tuesday night I started having stomach cramps....it turned into what I think was probably some kind of stomach bug. I had severe cramping in short bursts all day Wed and Thurs. It was not unbearable, but by Thurs. I started with "a case of the runs"...serious runs! :P Had off and on bouts with that till Sunday night. Yesterday I seemed to be feeling better.

 All that to say, I did not do another day of C25K since Tuesday.

 I tend to be a worrier.....I thought, what if that stomach pain was food poisoning? What if it was from running? What if I am having gall bladder issues? What if there is something seriously wrong with me....ie, cancer? Trust me, this isn't the first time I worried about that when things didn't feel "right". I hate being a worrier....but because I am, I decided not to run for now (afraid that somehow running triggered something in my body). If that makes any sense?? :P I know, I'm pathetic!!

 So, yesterday afternoon, Dan called me before he left work, as he does every day <3 and asked if I would like to go on a walk with him when he gets home. As I mentioned before, he is training for a half marathon. But a few weeks ago, he overdid it when he ran 6 miles  and his leg is not wanting to heal, so he put those plans on the back burner for now and is focusing on getting that leg better! More walking and lunges, to keep up the exercise and not so much running.

 When he got home, we walked....we walked 3 miles....FAST! Whew!! I had a hard time keeping up with him, so I would do short runs to catch up to him from time to time. But I really enjoyed that! I think I am going to try doing that at least twice a week, maybe 3 times. It's much more fun to walk with Dan than by myself!! :) Hopefully we can keep this up, since it stays light so much longer and with the time change coming up this weekend!! :)

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 A HUGE highlight for me.....I hit my all time low this morning (weight wise) :) since 1997!! I haven't weighed this since before I got pregnant with Daniel! Granted, my body is not the same SHAPE, but it still feels awesome! So many of my skirts and even my workout clothes are getting too loose. Many of my shirts hang! I am so excited!! :) I have got another 50 lbs. to my goal of 175, but I can do this....a little at a time! :)

I have lost 45 lbs. total, from my heaviest! :)

**all pics are from our little getaway to Destin in October. :)

Been A While

I have been neglecting this blog and my family blog recently and am determined to do better. They are like my "journal" and I love being able to look back and see what happened! :) 

 Life has been busy and my priorities have been more on my house and family and not so much computer time, but I need to take a little time for this! :)

 On Tuesday I decided to start back on the C25K program. Our family had all done it November 2011 and finished early spring 2012. There is a 5K coming up in our small town in May, that I would like to participate in. :)

 So, I did my first day on Tuesday and even though I sometimes do short runs when I walk, this kicked my butt! I couldn't believe how hard it was and how tired I was!!

 That night I started having some pains in my stomach area, directly in the middle between my belly button and the bottom of my rib cage. :P It got worse on Wed. and Thurs. so I still havne't gotten in day 2! :( Hopefully whatever is causing this pain will go away and I can get back into the routine! :) (Hoping it's something as minor as a stomach virus!!)

 I am happy to say that in the last 2 months, I have lost 6 lbs. :) I only have 4 more to go to be at my lowest weight since 15-16 years ago!! :) Cannot wait to get there again!!

 The weight is coming off slow, but I'm hoping that by not changing my diet drastically it will stay off for good, as I change my eating habits! 

Monday~ A New Week

Monday's are always easier for me to want to get out and exercise. Not sure if it's because it's a new week or what? 

We have two dogs...

Rex

and Max.

Max has started a bad habit of digging out from under the fence in the backyard. I don't know what made him do it the first time, but right now he knows that there are some animal carcasses in the woods that he would love to get his mouth on. :P I don't know if that's what he's after or not. The funny thing about this, is that Max is the calmer of the two and seems so laid back. Rex is the one that would chase anything on 4 legs and he seems the naughtier of the two, but he will NOT follow Max out that hole! Maybe he is claustrophobic? :)

Anyway, I decided to tire Max out yesterday so I put him on the leash and took him on a walk with me. We walked the road 1 time {1 mile}. Then I took him back and got Rex (he seemed a little jealous). And him and I walked the road 1 time too. {mile 2}

It was a good change up to my usual routine and it tired the dogs out!! :)

After they were both put back in the backyard, I got out my bike and road one mile as fast as I could.

Here is a little idea of the road I travel for my walks/bike rides.....

Looking east from the end of our driveway....

 Looking west from our driveway. You can pretty much see the end of the road, since this is the short end.

Walking east toward the main road...There's a dairy farm on the left and the cows are often out grazing.

Walking while enjoying the music on my MP3 player. :)

Almost to the end of the road, the long way....that building is a bar that just recently was shut down and we are happy!! No more Thurs-Sat. noise at midnight!! :)

The end of the road....

Headed back west~

Almost back to our house (on the right)....but I continue on to the west end of the road for one lap.

And this is a picture from the West end of the road looking east. That green building way in the distance is the shop beside our house.

As I mentioned before, Dan is training for a half marathon in March. Well, on Saturday he ran his first 6 miles and by that evening his hip flexor muscle was so tight, he could hardly walk. In fact, he used a cane some!! It seemed to keep improving throughout Sunday, but he wasn't sure he was ready to get out and run his 3 miles last night, so instead he decided to ride bike.

I went with him, since he rides on a back road that is really in the boonies. I don't like him being there by himself. Not as much worried about people as wild hogs and dogs!!

So, I biked another 4.5 miles before supper!! And I biked FAST!! Dan was riding a bike with gears....I was not! So I had to pedal that much faster to stay caught up with him. :P 

This morning I am SORE!! But I feel good! Hoping for a good loss this week!!

Today is usually my second workout day for the week, but it's raining, so I need to find something else to do! :)

Happy Tuesday!!

Another Week

Yesterday I decided to change up my workout routine just a tiny bit and did my 2 miles of bike riding first! After I was done with that, I got off the bike to walk my mile and my legs felt like jello! It was really hard to give that mile much umph! Wow!!
 Till I got done walking I was beat! I decided to skip my 100 step ups...I did about 20 of them and didn't feel like I could go on! :P

 So today, I went back to walking my mile FIRST. I jogged a bit, just to get my heart rate up. Then I rode bike 3 miles, instead of 2. Got in my 100 step-ups at the end.

 Tomorrow I'd like to try this workout and see how it goes (tomorrow is my off day for exercise). Check it out. I'm afraid those first two moves are going to be harder than they look! :) But I'm willing to give it a shot.

I have not been doing well at drinking enough water and in turn I want to snack more. I am going to try harder the rest of this week!! :)

Friday was weigh-in....I only lost .5 lb., but at least it was a loss!! :)

I put on my walking shoes only twice the past week :( ...

and I also discovered something else. After I would weigh-in Friday mornings, then I would tend to cheat more during the day Friday...and weekends are always a little harder. So that only left Mon-Thurs. for me to work at my exercise and good eating. 

I realized I need to change my mindset! Hopefully I'll see bigger numbers next Friday! :)

While I might not be losing big numbers on the scale I am seeing other changes! Quite a few of my shirts are getting loose and I can tell my arms and legs are toning up a little bit! :) Also, my neck/double chin is improving! YAY! That is one of the things that bother me the most about myself...my saggy "baby pouch belly" and my fat neck/chin. Happy to be seeing improvement! And I may soon see collar bones!! Woooo!! ;)

~Now and Then~

   

Today, while my hubby was running his 5 miles (he is training for a half marathon), and my son was playing soccer with friends, my daughter and I went for a good brisk walk on the paved trail in town. It was in the 70's, cloudy with a light breeze! So lovely!!

My walking partner, my lovely daughter Tamara! :)

And I just had to share the beautiful sky tonight!!

Y'all have a great week!!

Exercise~

My weekly exercise plan, for now, is:

3-4 days a week ~Walk (add in jogging some days) the entire length of our road, briskly, then immediately bike the length of the road 2X at a fast pace. Come to the house and do 100 step-ups on the front porch steps.

Thursday nights, when we can, go to town to run the 5K with "A Case of the Runs" running club. {I don't run the whole way, mostly walking}.

I also want to find some indoor core body exercises for those days that are rainy or too hot, this summer!

 My goal is to up these amounts every 2 weeks, if possible. I'll update as I change them.

And just a little note...

 My hubby is in the 2nd week of training to run a half marathon in Bainbridge, GA in March!! :) Wish him well! :) I'm proud of him!

My Story

 This blog is mostly for myself, to record my journey, but you are welcome to follow along and give me encouragement or feedback! :)

 Growing up, I considered myself "fat". I was bigger than most girls my age, but I was also taller and had a bigger body build. And I WAS overweight, but not as much as I thought in my head!

But try to tell a young girl that she is not fat when people laugh at her and make comments about her being overweight! What my peers thought of me, meant more than reality!

 So, because I "thought" I was fat, I decided I would just BE fat! I didn't care....I had bad eating habits and just kept getting bigger and bigger!

This is a picture of Dan and I when we were dating....

I don't remember how much I weighed when we got married, but Dan says I wouldn't tell him how much I weighed, so I'm thinking that was about the time I hit 200. I was so embarrased!

Having children just added to it. I was 230 lbs. by the time I got pregnant with our first child and gained 40 pounds that pregnancy. I lost a few lbs. and then got pregnant with our second child 2 years later and that time I only gained 15 lbs., but that still took me up near 270 and I never lost much after that...I was up and down from 260-270 for the next 7 years.

A few pics of me at my heaviest (270 lbs.)

This was after we moved to FL in 2005.

Before we moved to FL, I had been to see my gynecologist. With our first two children, we got pregnant as soon as we tried. But in 2003, we were trying for baby #3 and it just wasn't happening. Finally in the beginning of 2005, I went to the Dr. with questions, hoping to find answers.

After some tests, etc., my Dr. determined that I was going through early menopause. Keep in mind, I was only 27 at the time. She said it's rare but it happens. I WAS having irregular cycles. Sometimes I would go for 2-3 months without a period. Then if it was a light one, I might get one again in 3 weeks.

After we moved to FL, I went almost a year with no periods.

Finally, in 2008, after second guessing my PA doctors diagnosis, I went to see an Infertility/Endicronology specialist. After a few tests, they determined that I had PCOS {PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome} 

Her first thing was "you need to lose weight"!! She said that could make my cycle regular and even help me get pregnant again. And guess what? After dropping just 20 lbs. I was back to my regular cycle. 

Within just a few months I had dropped to 225 lbs. by following a low/no carb diet!

(this was me at my lowest weight...or close)

Well, then when I started eating more carbs, my weight started coming on again....till I reached 250. I decided this was it!! I was so tired of yo-yo dieting and needed to change my life style.

Fall of 2011, Dan and I did the C25K program together and I changed the way I was eating.....since then, I dropped back to 234. It's been slow, but it's been staying off!!

This is me Mother's Day 2012 at right around 236.

Last year, I pretty much just maintained my weight.

But this year I am working at losing at least another 20 pounds. My goal is to be 210 or lower by the end of the year. I want this to be a lifestyle, not a "diet". I am currently at 230.5.

I did join a "Mini Biggest Loser" competition on Facebook the beginning of January. I wanted the accountability  but winning the prize of $150 would be a great bonus!! :)

My long term goal is to be at 175 by the time I am 40. I have a little less than 5 years to complete that! I think I can, I think I can!! :) I KNOW I can!!

In September last year, Dan and I started an exercise program and kept track of our weight, etc. This was my "starting pics"....weight was 236

I want to do an updated photo the end of Feb.....6 months later. :)

I have an interesting story to share yet.....

After Tamara was born and I was at my heaviest, I prayed that God would keep me from getting pregnant again till I lose a bunch of weight....well, it seems he answered....but not how I expected!!

Now I'm thinking uh-oh!! :) Am I going to be one of those ladies who has a "surprise baby" when I'm like 40!?? ;) I guess we'll see what God has in store! :)