One Year Challenge

I joined a One Year One Ton Challenge with a local group a few weeks ago.  I'm down 1.8 in the last 2 weeks.  Not ideal, but not bad.  Just time to push it a little harder!  I plan to start up Slim in 6 tomorrow and do it for 6 days along with walking/jogging a 5k on Saturdays (as I can).  Rest days will be Sundays.  The One Year One Ton Challenge is for all of us to lose 100 lbs.  It's a big goal for me (cause that puts me right at if not a little below my goal weight).  I am going to do my best to attain the goal anyways!

Been having some pain in my knees with jogging lately so I've been walking more than jogging.  I'm hoping the Slim in 6 will help build up my muscle strength and help lengthen my jogging times.  I feel like I should be further along in running...and I probably should...but it's been a long hard process.  Gotten to at least Week 5 of C25K three times now.  Got to Week 7 at the beginning of the year when I got bronchitis.  It's still a goal to complete the whole program sometime!  I refuse to beat myself up over it though.

Looking through the calendar of 5ks here locally to see which ones I can do.  I have a few that I really would like to do.  Now to get the money!  :)

Runner's high

Finally!  It is finally back!!  My runner's high that is....and maybe my blogger's high too (well maybe!).  Marshall was ordering pizza for supper tonight.  I knew that if I was going to eat it that I needed to run.  So I made myself get on the treadmill while the pizza was on the way.  I got in a quick 1.25 miles.  Most of that I ran too.  I pushed myself a little harder.  I had a little bit of arch pain and a cramp in my side.  So I focused on breathing, technique and drinking some water.  It helped the pains go away and I was able to run more.  I also got my MOTOACTV finally calibrated for the treadmill.  Now I can make sure to use it more when I do my treadmill runs!  I have a feeling that there will be lots of those this summer.  It's been so crazy hot here lately.  Course tonight was nice and cooler with a breeze.  Made me want to get out and do another run.  However there was some lightning nearby so that wouldn't have been a good idea.  :)

Both of the boys aren't feeling good.  Chest/head colds.  Coughs, snotty noses, gagging from drainage, and wheezing cries.  *sigh*  Poor babies.  I hope they both get to feeling much better!  Already seems like a better day today.  At least Corgan will take something to help.  They're both a bit whiny lately too....probably just from not feeling good.

So ready for a new goal so I'm challenging myself to lose 5 lbs by the 21st.  That's 2 weeks.  I'm going to be strict on myself again.  Eating much better, counting calories, drinking at least 95% water (the occasional coffee and tea....no carbonated drinks), and exercising regularly.  I have got to get my butt back in gear.  I think it will help my back and neck pain I've had for almost 2 months now.

11 weeks til Warrior Dash!!!  I WILL commit to finishing an exercise program whether it be Slim in 6, 30 Day Shred or Couch 2 5K.  That's another goal to have done before Warrior Dash.  I would love to be down 20 more lbs by the WD.  I can do it!!

*singing* Don't stop...Don't give up

Yes I am singing in that title.  Keelan is quite fascinated with Yo Gabba Gabba lately.  One of the songs on there is called Don't Give Up.  It's a quite catchy song....as they all are....and I find myself singing it.  Guess it could be a theme for me with my getting healthy journey.  I'm trying my hardest to get out of the slump but it's just getting harder and harder...and the days til Warrior Dash are getting closer and closer.  It doesn't help that I've been dealing with back and neck pain pretty bad for over a month or two now.  I, however, will not allow that excuse to validate an end to my journey!  It's NOT over!  So until I breath my last breath I will continue to sing "Keep trying.  Keep trying. Don't give up. Never give up."

Insanity

5k update: I finished the 5k on Memorial Day in 48:32. That's a little bit slower than my last 5k....but I was having some foot pain and it was extremely hot out. Still not a bad time for walking the majority of it.  I just didn't push myself like I wanted to do.  I didn't get good sleep the night before for some reason.  It was still nice to get out for a run and have my husband there with me.  He didn't run with me this time...but he did take some pictures.  Here's one.  :)

24 Day Challenge is almost over.  I haven't been eating good at all.  I was so strict with it for a bit.  Then Mother's Day and my birthday happened making it hard.  I have 2 more days left.  This weekend I will do measurements again to see how they have changed.  I'm focusing more on them than the scale.  

I've changed up my training a little bit.  I have downloaded the 10k app for my phone.  It's a couch to 10k type thing so I will just pick up where I was in C25K.  However I haven't done any running other than my 5k this week.  We started Insanity by Beachbody on Tuesday....doing it Tuesday and last night.  Tonight I did the 30 Day Shred level 1 workout.  Might try to get a run in tomorrow.  I don't think I can do extra workouts and continue to run 3 days a week.  I want to work on strength most of all to prepare me for the Warrior Dash that I am doing in Sept.  That is something that is going to push me to my limits for sure!  So I'm doing everything I can to build up my strength and endurance.

Debating about which race to sign up for next.  Maybe one for the end of June or early July.  I've found a 4th of July one that I would like Marshall to do with me.  We'll see about that.  I'd love to get in runs with him.  He used to run lots of miles every day....so I want to help him get back to it as it is something he loves. :)

Is this thing on?

I feel like no one reads my blog anymore. I know I haven't exactly been a great blogger but I'm trying to get better. :) Still working on the 24 Day Challenge. I'm on Day 14 I believe. Time to get it on full force. I made it through my birthday celebrations. I'm buckling back down to finish strong. I can do this!! Signed up today for another 5K. It's on Memorial Day through Downtown. Should be a nice run. Need to try a run without headphones since they are not allowed in this race.

24 Day Challenge

I am on Day 4 of my 24 Day Challenge. So far so good! I'm really enjoying eating even healthier...eating cleaner. The clean eating is so that the cleanse phase works better. I've already lost 5 lbs. I had a little cheat this morning at our ladies' brunch at church but I made sure the majority of my plate was healthy fruit. I skipped the cookies and the cute cake pops. I did have a small sweet treat, a few baby quiche, a sausage ball, mini cinnamon roll, a breakfast casserole and 1 glass of fruit tea. The rest was fruit. Didn't go back for 2nds either. I've gotten a lot better at that. Before I would have such a full plate and go back for even more....overeating. Overeating was my major weakness when it comes to potluck style or buffets. I always want to try some of everything. I have found that my choices have gotten much better but also that I don't neglect myself of sweet treats either. I just don't overindulge in them anymore. I'm trying to cut them out completely right now so that the cleanse can work better. I'm not feeling like I'm missing out on anything. Course I will have a Mother's Day and birthday in the middle of this 24 Day Challenge. Oh well. :) I've challenged myself to 30 miles in 30 days. I have 12 days left in that 30 days and 17.44 miles left to run. Hope to be able to get it done! Only a week left on my 30x30 list....gotta get a move on! :)

100th post

I can't believe I only have 100 posts. I'm not a very good blogger..haha. This post is my 100th post though so it needs to be a good one! We are advisors with Advocare. I've used the products off and on the last couple years. I'm at a plateau with my weight loss where I'm losing motivation. So I had Marshall order me the stuff for the 24 Day Challenge...and he has decided to do the challenge with me!! I can't wait to see how this sparks weight loss for both of us. I also believe it will help motivate us since we're doing it together. The first 10 days we will do an Herbal Cleanse and use Spark (energy drink). Days 11-24 we'll use MNS Max 3 (vitamins and amino acids - for maximum energy and appetite control) and Meal Replacement Shakes (1 meal/snack). We will also add Catalyst to help with maximum results for workouts. I will do a full measurements and starting weight post before I start. I am still running 3 times a week. I will start Couch 2 5K week 3 this week. I restarted the program to get all the way through it. I've done pretty good so far. Need to make a plan on how to manage the hot temps and running. Might have to start doing it before the sun gets up. That'll be a hard one for me. I like my sleep a little too much. :) I am debating about adding Slim In 6 again or going with Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. We'll see. Right now I have a bad pain in my right shoulder/upper back I need to get better before I do anything other than running. I eventually will be adding bike riding with the family. Gotta find a bike first. Slowly making more progress on my 30x30 list. I only have 2 weeks from tomorrow til my birthday so I need to get to work! :)

5K update!

I did my first 5K this past Saturday! It was so much fun! I started it out jogging...and it felt GREAT! So great that I pushed to see how far I could go running before walking. I wore my MOTOACTV and listened to a local radio station during the race. I wish it had been the Christian station but it wouldn't pick up even though I was really close to the studio. :( I was able to run the first 7 mins....a half mile. I think I only stopped because I got to that half mile mark. I didn't need to stop...so I need to work on pushing it a little more. After that 7 mins I walked approx. 1 min-2 mins and then jogged again for a few mins. I tried to keep that interval going...walking a few and jogging a few. I think only once did I walk for more than a few mins. I would say that I ran about 70% of it - maybe more. Not bad for my first 5K or considering I had bronchitis the week before and was only able to run 1 time in the 2 weeks before. I finished in a time of 46:58. I had a first goal for 50 mins. I kept an eye on my MOTOACTV and saw that it could be possible to beat 45 mins so I pushed a little harder. However right at the very end I started getting a side a cramp....so I walked it out as best I could. I did run across the finish line! :)

I started C25K over this week. I will finish it this time and be able to run even longer distances without stopping. I'm hoping to be able to share running with my husband and kids as well. Running is something that Marshall used to do and that he misses. I also plan to get bikes for the both of us so we can have other ways to exercise as a family. It's very important to us to instill good exercise habits in our kids so they don't end up overweight. Exercise will help us all to have better attitudes with each other as well.

I need to look over my 30x30 list cause we're almost down to the last month before I turn 30! I haven't done good on my Bible reading at all. That should've been the number 1 thing to complete on that list so I'm going to have to get back on it big time.

Scale Back Alabama

So I had my weigh out today for Scale Back Alabama which is an 11 week weight loss program the state does to encourage weight loss. I lost 20.6 lbs in that time! I'm down a total of 23.8 lbs for the year! Only 1.2 away from 25 lbs which is 10% of my body weight I started with! I can't get over how much I've lost so far. It feels so good and boy it shows in my clothes and the way I feel.

I actually bought my first dress that wasn't in the plus size dept for Easter this weekend. I'm not in those sizes completely yet but that dress was and it felt GREAT! I got lots of comments which made me so happy. :)

My first 5K is only in 2 DAYS!!! I'm so excited and a little nervous all at the same time. I need to find what I'm going to wear. My shirt that I bought at the beginning of the year for it is TOO big....as are my shorts. I have another pair of shorts that may work. Will figure that all out tomorrow. Gotta plan a good dinner for tomorrow night as well. :) I will update again after the 5K with how I did.

I have now used my MOTOACTV twice....once for a walk with the family and then today for a run. I LOVE it!! It's so easy to motivate me cause I can look at my wrist (I'm using the wrist band) and see my pace. I can adjust my speed to better my pace. I love the FM radio feature. I haven't used the MP3 portion just yet. Need to play around with it and see how it works.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with Motorola. They sent me a free MOTOACTV to try and share how I like it. I am not being compensated for my time or words in any way.

MOTOACTV

I was recently chosen by Motorola to receive a free MOTOACTV to try and share my opinion about it. I'm hoping it will be delivered sometime this week. I can't wait to try it out. I will use it mainly for running but I plan to buy a bike and start riding soon as well. I'm excited to be able to share riding bikes with my family soon. Marshall will be getting a bike too so it will be good to share something together to get healthy.

Size change!

I did some shopping today and was pleasantly surprised to find that my size had changed! I am now down 2 pants sizes and 1 shirt size! Woohoo! I only bought a shirt today but I can't wait to buy new pants. I am selling some of my bigger stuff to help the budget so I can get new (to me) clothes. There is a yard sale group for plus size clothes on Facebook. I'm hoping to not need the group for too long as my big goal is to wear misses sizes instead of plus size! :) It can be done.

Not sure what my weight loss is this week just yet. I will weigh in at church in the morning. I'm hoping for at least close to 2 lbs or over 2 lbs. I'm 2 lbs away from 15 lbs gone!! So ready to get to that 15 lbs.

Still running. Got in 2 runs this week along with a Slim in 6 workout and 1 night of Zumba. Will run tomorrow afternoon to get back in the groove. My body is sore from my last run. I had done the Slim in 6 workout earlier that day. Trying to keep my workouts different so my body doesn't get too used to anything. So far so good. 6 weeks til my first 5K race!

Countdowns

Seems to be countdowns lately for me. Corgan will register for Kindergarten is just 2 weeks. I can't believe I will have a Kindergartener this year. I won't have to be a referee all day when the boys fight. I know Keelan will miss his big brother but it'll be so good for the both of them. Corgan still has a lot of work to be ready for school...but we're working on it. His main thing he needs to learn is writing. He's just not interested in it so I need to find a way to make it fun.

Another countdown is to my 5K race. It is just less than 8 weeks away! I am trying to figure out the best ways to get prepared for it. I need to add cross-training to my week between runs.

Can't forget the countdown to my birthday either! Just 3 months from yesterday I will be turning 30. I need to get a move on my 30x30 list! :)

Snap out of it!

That's what I'm saying to myself. I have every reason to have good excuses as to why I didn't get my runs in this week like I needed to. However instead of dwelling on them I choose to shake it off and get back on board! I have 8 weeks til my 5K and it's still my goal to run the entire thing. I can do it!

I have made progress in losing weight. I believe I am down 11.2 lbs since the beginning of the year. Will be weighing in tomorrow for our Biggest Loser contest at church. I was able to lose over 4 lbs last week and 2.4 the week before. I'm quite proud to see the numbers going down. I need to come up with a reward for 15 lbs since I'm so close to it. Still working out my rewards along the way to keep me going. :)

Well, I need to get in the bed. If it's not raining I will doing a walk/jog 5K with our group at church in the morning before weigh-in. If it's raining, I think we'll do Zumba on the Wii or something inside.

It's February!

This is the last month of Groupon sessions. It's been a long busy year. If I can just make it through this month I plan to take a break with the exception of maybe an Easter session with a friend. Course now that I am offering boudoir there has been a bit more contacts. So maybe a week or so break may be all I get. I'm definitely not complaining about being busy. It's just been a bit rough. I've learned a lot about myself and business over the last year. I feel like I've grown big time in both areas. I hope I can continue to grow. I love my job and making people feel good about themselves!

February also means getting taxes done for us. We make it a date to get out just the 2 of us. We go out to eat after. I guess I need to save that as my cheat day cause I'm pretty sure italian isn't quite healthy. :) I look forward to it for sure still. I could go for some good alfredo and bread right about now. Yum. :)

I'm on the hunt for some cute things to do with the boys for Valentine's Day. They love to paint so I'm sure it'll include that for sure. :) Will share their beautiful artwork whatever we decide to do. Will see what we can find on Pinterest for sure.

Pinterest

I absolutely love Pinterest. You can find just about anything on there. I am going to try a green monster smoothie soon and share it with the boys. I'm interested to see how they like smoothies. If they like it I will be searching for more so I can get fruits and veggies in them. :) I need to try some of the recipes I have pinned on there as well. Maybe I need to make a special week of just Pinterest recipes. :) Share your favorite thing you've found on Pinterest! Maybe someone will share something you don't have pinned.

While you're at it... Follow Me. :)

Running

I am using the Couch25K program on my phone to train for my first 5K. I have picked the date for my race (April 14th). Now I just need to register. I am 5 weeks into the C25K program. Week 4 got increasingly hard for me. Today's run was a bit challenging. I ended up doing it inside on the treadmill since my husband was out with friends. I pushed right through it. I am trying to find a different location than my neighborhood for my next run to see if it changes anything. Maybe I'll try a track.

I recently joined a group of others in a Biggest Loser challenge at church. Each week before we weigh in, we will have the option to do a 5K or a boot camp workout. I won't always be able to make the weigh ins at the usual time so I will be doing several of mine on Sunday mornings instead of Saturdays. However this Saturday I plan to give the 5K a shot. I'd love to see where I am in my training and run most of it if I can. I will update how I do as well as how each week's weigh in is. It is an 11 week program and will end the week after my 5K.

I am also doing a program through our state as well called Scale Back Alabama. There are challenges to win cash prizes. Our group is the Skinny Girls in Fat Suits. hehe We need to lose at least 10 lbs to be eligible for grand prizes. It is a 10 week program...ending the week of my 5K. I will update on Mondays how I do with this.

So I obviously have enough to keep me busy to get this weight off! :) I am keeping track of water intake (at least 8 glasses a day!), calories, and exercise. It's already paying off. People are noticing that I'm looking slimmer. I believe I am down 8.2 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Not a bad start! So keep me on my toes and keep me accountable. I want this so bad I can taste it! Skinny is coming!!! :)

30 by 30

I am hoping to get back into blogging again. Mainly because I have made a 30 by 30 list (30 things to do/complete before I turn 30 which is on May 20th). I've been posting stuff on Facebook but I want to write more about it so I will be blogging about it. Plus I've adding blogging to my 30 by 30 list. :)

Here's the list so far. I still need to add to it cause I'm not up to 30 yet. These can be found at Pinterest.

1. Read Bible all the way through

2. Book 5 new weddings

3. Go to the batting cages

4. Start Disney fund

5. Go to drive-in movie

6. View each day as a gift

7. Use 10 ways to love

8. Get rid of clutter

9. Make magnetic goal/dream board and put it up

10. Go on a hike

11. Go to a restaurant that has been on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives - DONE! (1/7/12)

12. Get a tattoo

13. Clean entire house

14. Win a free cruise for first kidless vacation

15. Date night every month

16. Have a family photo shoot

17. Buy a mini-van (this is a maybe on the list because it's not financially possible right now)

18. Become bone marrow donor

19. Catch a fish - DONE! (1/20/12)

20. Have boudoir shoot done - DONE! (1/19/12)

21. Read "The Five Love Languages: The Secret To Love That Lasts" - DONE! (1/11/12)

22. Eat more fruits and veggies; try new ones

23. Take a "Spirited Art" class - scheduled for 2/3/12

24. Learn to crochet

25. Photo scavenger hunt

26. Lose 30 lbs

27. Run first 5K

28. Blog more

I need to add 3 more because the mini-van one is a filler. I will blog more about each one. I just wanted a post with just the list. :)