A Year Ago...

I weighed myself this morning.  I was curious to see where I was, as I have started to add in my workouts again, but my eating hasn't been great.  I also went to the doctor on Tuesday and was a little shocked of my weight (with clothes...).  Oh, yeah...did I mention that my wonderful husband and I are starting another weight loss challenge very soon?  We figured it would jump start both of us and add in some motivation.  Another weight loss challenge, you say?  We did a Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred Challenge in June 2011 and based the winning off of percent of weight lost.  We did another in November/December of that year and then January/February of 2012.

ANYWAY, back to my weight today...

144.6 lbs. :)

I just checked my weigh-ins page and found two things to be true:

1. I tied (again) for my lowest weight in my adult life!  I weighed-in at 144.6 pounds on June 15th and July 13th of 2012!!!
2. On March 7th, 2012, I weighed 144.8 pounds.  What does that mean?  I've maintained weight loss, people!!!

What did I weigh at the doctor on Tuesday, March 12, 2013?  Well, my above #1 wasn't 100% true.  I HIT A NEW LOW WEIGHT ON TUESDAY!!!  AT THE DOCTOR WITH MY CLOTHES ON!!!

144.2 pounds!!!

I was shocked.  I'm trying to use it as motivation in the sense of "you can totally drop some more pounds if you work a bit".  We will see how it goes.

Everyone have a great day!

XOXO

I've Got Something To Say

I'm about to make a BOLD statement that may make me VERY unpopular.

Losing weight is NOT difficult.

Yes, you read that correctly.  And, yes, I am serious.  And, no, I am not bat crap crazy.

But give me a chance to explain...

Now, my husband completely disagrees with me.  I've told him my thoughts and he thinks that it isn't as easy as that for everyone.  He thinks most people have contributing factors.  Am I saying there isn't an exception?  No way.  I am well aware that there are people that have thyroid or hormonal issues or some disease that doesn't allow them to lose weight as easily as others.  I will say, however, that I believe that these people are rare cases and that most people just choose not to do it.

Losing weight is NOT difficult.

HOWEVER!

Being lazy is easy.

Motivating oneself is hard.

Eating delicious treats and nummies is easy.

Controlling cravings is hard.

The mathematical concept of losing weight is easy.

The factors of losing weight can be hard.

People say, "I want to lose weight.  I'm trying, but it isn't working.  I'm working out, but the weight isn't moving.  I'm counting calories, but I'm not losing any weight."

To be honest, if you wanting to lose weight doesn't just make it happen.  You have to actually be proactive with the entire process.  If you say you are counting calories, doing the math, creating a reasonable deficit and aren't losing weight, either your math is off or you are not counting accurately.  TRUST ME...I know that not including the little bite size chocolate bar here or the cup of juice there does matter...it does add up!  I've had days where I thought I did great, but then added up those little nibbles and extras here and there and it has been well over 500 calories!  And, let me just say, a 5k run does not equal a whole pizza.  Just because you have a good workout does not mean you have to replace ALL of those calories you've burned...and then some...  This is one of my worst habits.  I've gained weight in the days after races by "trying to give my body some extra calories that it lost in that race."

I know these excuses because I use them.  It has been a rough couple of weeks and I have been in a bit of a rut, so I've used that as my excuse...

...to eat what I want...

...to not really care about running or exercising...

...to use every excuse I can think of about the weather/being tired/etc. for not running...

...to just not care...

And my weight has just kind of hovered around 146...which is fine by me...but I want to get rid of my little squishy tummy thing.  Time for a mini goal.

140 by Kali and Sean's wedding.

That is about 6-7 pounds in 5 weeks

Possible?  Totally doable.  Can I meet it?  Maybe.  I'm going to try.  It will be hard to motivate, but actually losing the weight???  It is just math.

I need to jump start my running again.  I have a plan set up that starts next week for half marathon/marathon training.  I need to incorporate strength training and work on my core.

I hate counting calories and logging everything I eat, but it is effective in helping me lose the chub.  I will see if I can get back into the habit of doing it again...make LoseIt! my bestie once more.

Hitting 130 by the end of the year isn't going to happen if I don't just try a little, ya know???

Monday starts this thang once again.  Let's do this!!!

XOXO

What Will April Bring?

I lost no weight these past two weeks.  To be fair, I wasn't actually trying.  I stopped counting calories, kept eating (fairly) well, and just let my body reset.

You see, my last few pounds seemed to be impossible to lose, despite me cutting my calories way back and amping up my runs.  My body seemed to be telling me, "HEY!  STOP TAKING MY FAT AWAY!  I'm done giving it to you!"  Some would say that I "plateaued", but I don't really believe that plateaus are real.  I think they are an easy excuse as to why people aren't losing the weight they want to.  It is easier to say that you have hit a plateau than to amp up your workouts and adjust calories (I know...trust me...I know).

Anyway, the past few weeks, I decided to eat a normal amount of calories each day and let my body settle back into a normal calorie intake mode and not, "QUIT TAKING MY FOOD!" mode.

I'm ready to get back into it.  I probably won't be as crazy about it as before, but I'd still like to see if I can get under 140 by the time Kali and I head to Baltimore Columbia for our business trip.  It will have to be a good balance of training for my half and eating the right kind of calories.  Did I mention that training makes me want to constantly eat?  Could it be that a long run torches SO many calories it makes me crazy (10 miles yesterday = about 1,000 calories burned)?

Can I do it?  We shall see.

Did the reset help me?  I'm not sure.  Time will tell.

XOXO

On Losing 50 Pounds

I've known for about a month or so that this post was (hopefully) coming, but now that I finally get to write it, I'm not entirely sure what to say.  I'm not even sure I want to post this...but it is a blog about my weight loss/exercise journey, right?  So, I guess here it goes.

I've lost 50 pounds...well...51.2, I guess, is more accurate.  And that is based on my weight six week postpartum...  If you want to go based on my highest weight, three days before Lilly was born, I've lost 82.2 pounds.  If you want to go based on what I was before Lilly, I've lost 36.2 pounds.  Post-baby is supposedly one of the toughest times to lose weight, so we will stick with that.

51.2 pounds of fat and gunk and crap.  Gone.  Forever (if I try!)

Has it been easy?  Hell no.

Has it taken a looooooooong time?  Heck yes.

Would I do it all over again?  You betcha.

Am I still going?  Mmhmm

Currently, I am at the lowest weight I can EVER remember myself being at.  Not just in my adult life.  I do mean ever.  I can only remember myself as overweight and heavy.

Last week, I had dinner with my best friend, Kim (like...we've been best friends since Elementary school).  {Random story: In middle school, my sister taught us the word phat = cool. Unfortunately, she didn't tell us that it was spelled with a ph- and so we would write back and forth to each other in our notebook (yep...we had one...) things like "Hey fatty!" or "To the fattest girl I know..."  Man...we were cruel without knowing it, but so honest, it seems...}  Anyway, just about all of our lives, we have kind of (in my eyes, anyway) mirrored what each other looked like.  We seemed to gain and lose weight at the same time.  We were both awkward and chunky through middle school...lost some before starting high school...gained some once we settled into our HS patterns...lost some weight for our choir trip to Hawaii when we were Seniors (can you say tan hotties on the beach!?!?!)...and gained some in college...lost some after college...and gained some as we got older...  To be 100% honest, she has always had so much going for her, in terms of looks (she has a killer smile and perfect hair) AND personality (can make me laugh like nobody can), among so many other things.  In the last year or whatever, we have both worked pretty hard and have both lost, what I would consider, a significant amount of weight.

After we ate (and as we sat talking about showing up to our 10 year reunion {which I have agreed to help plan} drunk or something to make a HUGE splash), we had a conversation about comments and remarks and how we deal.  We both agreed that it is down-right HARD to take a compliment about weight loss.  I've talked about this before and thought I would grow out of it, but it still feels the same.  It is hard to just say "thanks" to a "You look some amazing and tiny!" compliment when all you can hear is "Wow!  I can't believe you aren't such a giant manatee anymore and the world doesn't shake as much when you walk by!  Way to go!" (side note: don't manatee's look like giant lumps of dough smushed together?!?)  Why can't we just take comments at face value rather than questioning everything that person thought of us when we were bigger.  I was the same person that I am now, except I ate more coooooookies/nummies/delicious foods, moved less, and wore bigger clothes.  I realized that we truly are so similar, but in some things that I KNOW a lot of "former fatties" deal with.  We basically decided that it was a really hard thing to deal with, but you just have to do it.  That is the price you pay for weight loss, I guess.

And then we talked about people asking, "Wow!  How did you do it?!?!"  People ask like they want your big secret.  As Kim put it, "They look at you, waiting for you to say "Yeah...I ate nothing, but grapefruit and twigs for six months" or something" (this is where I looked at her and asked if she seriously ate nothing, but grapefruit...  She didn't.)  I agreed.  Everyone wants to know what magic pill you are taking or diet you are following.  After years of struggling with weight, I am so glad that I have found it and can honestly FINALLY share the secret to weight loss:

Eat Less.  Move More.

It works.  It really does.  I'm living, breathing, shrinking proof!

Now is where I do the whole "before" and "after" photo thing, right?

Before...6 and 10 weeks after Bean was born...

Now.  It is possible to get where you want to be.

Why did I do it?  Honestly?

The super cute kid...not the Spud...

Find your motivation, whatever it is, and use it.  Make it mean something to you or it won't work.

But seriously...the secret...

Grapefruit and twigs.  Kim said so.

Just kidding...  Eat Less.  Move More.

XOXO

Comments

"I was looking at Angel's desk looking at pictures from the Valleyfair trips...oh, my God, Katie!  You're tiny!"

I'm still struggling hearing things like this.

Especially at work.

Especially from a manager.

She said that to me over three months ago and I started to write this entry, but never finished it and never published it.  Why?

I told myself I was dumb and being way too sensitive.

At the beginning of November, we got together with Lee's Dad's side of the family for Grandma Mary's funeral.  That in itself was a struggle because she was a great lady.  Aside from that (and yes, I'm being totally self-centered...as this is MY blog), the comments really got to me.  We don't see Lee's extend family a great deal with us being in Minnesota and them being in Eastern Wisconsin.  To be honest, most of them haven't seen me since last Christmas (shortly after I started this journey), if not last May when Becky got married (which was...three months after Lilly was born and I looked like a big, bloated, fluffy whale-of-a-woman).

"Wow, Kate.  You look amazing!  Have you just lost a ton of weight or what?"

"I can't believe how great you look."

"You look beautiful, by the way."

Comments from aunts and cousins and the last from a male cousin as I was giving him a hug goodbye.  I just never know how to take this stuff yet.  I generally just blush and mumble a "yeah, thanks" and kind of walk away.  I know this doesn't always seem like the most polite thing to do, but I honestly don't know how to take compliments about my weight.

On Friday, one of my co-workers said something to me as I walked by.  I thought she called me "skanky" so I asked her what she said.  She said, "I said you are so skinny!"  It was weird.  I don't know.  Getting compliments from people who aren't in the same boat I am in...who aren't on this same journey I am...it just doesn't seem comfortable for me.  I know that doesn't make much sense, especially for those who have always been around a healthy body weight.  I am, for the first time in my adult, near a healthy weight for my body.

How do normal people take weight loss compliments?  Am I supposed to gloat and gush about the fact that I don't (generally) eat like crap anymore or that I run my little tail off to do it?  Is mumbling a quiet thank you and nothing more acceptable?

I feel like I am, to an extent, more self-conscious now and as I lose more weight than I was when I was bigger.  I supposed that I knew how to "live" in that skin.  I knew how to own who and what I was.  This current ground is all foreign to me...  I know there are people out there that just say "be you...be who you've always been...".  Well, I have always been a fat girl and I'm not really that anymore, so things have changed...I have changed...

XOXO

BMI - A Progression

My BMI with my stats at the "beginning" (pre-pregnancy)

June 26th, 2009 - 181 Pounds

~ Obese ~

My BMI with my stats at my 6-week Post-Delivery Appointment

April 1st, 2010 - 196 Pounds

~ Super, Mega Off-The-Charts Obese ~

My BMI with my stats as of November 1st, 2011 - 154.5 Pounds

~ Overweight ~

My BMI with my stats at my next Goal - 145 Pounds

~ Healthy Weight ~

This is the first time that I've looked at my BMI in a long time.  This is the first time in quite a while that I am "overweight" instead of "obese".  This is the first time that I can really see some gains.

I am so close to reaching a "healthy" BMI for the first time in my life as long as I can remember...

Here we go.  Keep it going.  We can do it.

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 9 Day 1

I have really been a running slacker, so I decided to suck it up and jump up to W9D1, which is the 30 minute run.  I forced myself and it went alright.  Here is the run breakdown for W9D1:

• 3 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5 minutes)
• 30 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 38 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 30 Minutes
• Walk Time: 8 Minutes
• Distance: 3.28 Miles
• Run Pace: 10:45
• Overall Pace: 11:33

My run pace got a little better, which surprised me since I didn't feel like it went all that great.  I felt about the same as the last one.  Oh, well.  Just gotta keep going!

"Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming.  Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming."

My 2nd ever 5k is on Saturday.  I will be running Dave Ryan's 5k for Special Olympics with Kali (props to her...it is her 1st 5k and she is going to rock it!), her boyfriend Sean (perhaps?) and my brother and Race for the Cure companion, Jason.  It shall be a good time, as the weather will be nice and brisk, and I vow to eat Al's Breakfast, afterward!!!

Ah...my true motivation comes out...

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 8 Day 1

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

The State Fair did not do what I had hoped it would.  To be honest, I had hoped it would make me gain about 5 to 7 pounds and that I would be mad at myself and get  über motivated to get in gear again.

Not so much.

With all of the delightful foods at the Fair and spending eight days there (yes...I said eight), I gained about two pounds.

That is it.

I don't know if it was the fact that I was already eating better or I just got sick of food right away, but I didn't eat a whole lot this year.  On top of that, the State Fair is a LOT of walking.  I walked over six miles the first day alone.  Whether the walking mostly countered the caloric intake or what, I don't know.  I do know that I did NOT want to run tonight.  The motivation has yet to return.  I was going to go this morning, but just couldn't do it.  I made Lee promise to make me go tonight.  And he did...ugh...he was a nag.  But it worked to get me out there and it wasn't for a lack of revolting on my part.  I told him I was tired, that I had a headache, that I already went, that blah blah blah...but he still made me go.  And here is the run breakdown for W8D1:

• 5 Minute Warm-Up Walk
• 28 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 38 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 28 Minutes
• Walk Time: 10 Minutes
• Distance: 3.08 Miles
• Run Pace: 11:09
• Overall Pace: 12:19

I am shocked at how much better I did tonight, despite 12 days of the Fair in town and not running in over two weeks.  Maybe I just needed some time off...???  I actually set my app to run the W7D3, but then I would have ended up walking my cool down with some weird lady and her dogs, so I kept running...and knew that W8D1 was only 3 more minutes of running...and I did it!  I was .02 miles short of a 5k, but I still have a week to get there.  :)

Tomorrow is weigh-in day, so we will see how it goes!

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 7 Day 2

*Hangs head in shame*

Yes, I do realize that my blogs being so far apart implies that I have not been keeping up my runs.  Well, I wish I could say implied, but truly, that is the reality.  This month has been hectic (to say the least) and with being out of town and just being worn out from work, I have lost my motivation to run.  I pulled my ass out of bed this morning at 5 a.m. and, despite being quite tired, I made myself run.  Here is the run breakdown for W7D2:

• 4 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5)
• 25 Minute Run
• 2 Minute Cool-Down Walk (should be 5)
• Total: 31 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Walk Time: 6 Minutes
• Distance: 2.42 Miles
• Run Pace: 12:08
• Overall Pace: 12:47

I am well aware how terrible those stats are, but I'm okay with it.  I haven't run in a week (urgh...awful), but that doesn't matter.  Around the 5 minute mark of my run, I got some terrible side pain.  It was a bit like stitches, but more under my rib.  It was the worst running pain I've ever had.  I could barely breathe, but I forced myself to "run" (what was really more like swinging my arms like I was running, but kind of only hop stepping) until I got off the highway, but then I just kept pushing myself and finished.  I also got scared by my own shadow on the bushes and trees in the dark.  I thought it was someone coming to kidnap me...seriously.  I was all set to book it back home!

Anywoo, I am pleased to say that despite my culinary weekend road trip to Milwaukee with my sister, I am back down to where I was with weight loss (I had gained a few pounds, but I think it was water retention from all of the sodium I ingested).  I know that the next 12 days with most likely not provide me the same fate...

THE GREAT MINNESOTA STATE FAIR STARTS TOMORROW!!!

That brings lots of delightful food and fun.  And walking.  Walking around the fair counter-balances the Sweet-Salty-Battered-DeepFried-Delights On-A-Stick, right?  An ode to the State Fair...tonight!

XOXO

Couch 2 5k: Week 7 Day 1

Due to some commotion on our trip (and being up until midnight with a screaming child), I did not get my run in on Friday.  I was super excited to run somewhere new, too!  Oh, well.  As for today, today's run went...meh.  Here is the run breakdown for W7D1:

• 3 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5)
• 25 Minute Run
• 4 Minute Cool-Down Walk (should be 5)
• Total: 32 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Walk Time: 7 Minutes
• Distance: 2.62 Miles
• Run Pace: 11:28
• Overall Pace: 12:14

I tried a slightly different route today, which kind of threw me off.  I didn't do so hot, as my pacing was, apparently, awful.  Oh, well.  I'll get there!

I've been eating like crap the last few days.  I've tried, but it has been stressful and I am a BIG TIME stress eater.  I told you this month would be trouble...

XOXO Keep it up!

Couch 2 5k: Week 6 Day 3

It was absolutely gorgeous out for my run this morning.  It was cool out!  It was nice to finally have a run where I didn't feel like my entire body was melting JUST from the heat and humidity.  From here on out it is straight running - no walk breaks (aside from the warm-up and cool-down).  Here is the run breakdown for W6D3:

• 3 Minute Warm-Up Walk (should be 5)
• 25 Minute Run
• 4 Minute Cool-Down Walk (should be 5)
• Total: 32 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 25 Minutes
• Walk Time: 7 Minutes
• Distance: 2.69 Miles
• Run Pace: 11:06
• Overall Pace: 11:52

I didn't feel super great today.  I don't know if it is because it was early and I'm lazy or because my body didn't have much fuel beforehand, but it was tough...even early in the run...

On another note, our petite family (hehe...petite made me laugh for some reason...Kali said it is because the word has "teet" in it) is headed northeast for a long weekend.  We leave early tomorrow morning for St. Germain, Wisconsin to a cabin with Lee's family.  It will be nice to see everyone, have some fun and not have to work for a few days!  I am also really excited to have a new place to run on Friday.  It will be nice to have a change of scenery.  I don't think I'll be able to track my stats for it, but I will survive.

I guess that is all I have to say for now.  Have a great day, everyone!!!

Couch 2 5k: Week 6 Day 2

I wasn't feeling so well this morning, so I didn't go running.  I decided I would go tonight instead.

Big mistake.

We had tacos for dinner, which are my FAVORITE, but I am still paying for it four hours later with terrible stomach cramps.  Anyway, here is the run breakdown for W6D2:

• 5 Minute Warm-Up Walk
• 10 Minute Run
• 3 Minute Walk
• 10 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 33 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 20 Minutes
• Walk Time: 13 Minutes
• Distance: 2.70 Miles
• Run Pace: 10:41
• Overall Pace: 12:12

Boo...hiss...wish I had done better...but with the way my stomach is still feeling, I am surprised I didn't to way worse.  Off to bed to hopefully rid myself of these tummy pains!  XOXO

Oh, tacos...how I love thee still...

Doctor Feelgood

Wednesday evening I had a doctor appointment.  It was just one of those yearly "check-you-out-to-make-sure-you-are-not-dying-and-everything-is-working" appointments, so I wasn't worried about it at all.

Lilly and I have the same doctor.  She is awesome.  When I found out I was pregnant, I had a blind choice of three Family Practice doctors at my clinic.  My PA that I was seeing said that one of them was a little odd, one was very sweet and nice, and the other was very good and very straight-forward.  Dr. Rose is very good and very straight-forward.  She was very honest with us and answered all of our questions throughout my entire pregnancy.  She never attempted to sugar-coat anything with us, which I much prefer.  She has continued my and Lilly’s care since then and is still great.

I know…I know…get on with the story...

My last appointment with Dr. Rose was on June 30^th, 2010, when I was 193 pounds.  She has seen me every couple of months since then during Lilly’s appointments, but we have obviously been focused on Lilly during those times.

Where is this boring story going…???

I’m sitting in the exam room waiting for her to come in, wearing one of those fun gowns that never quite close in the back and you feel all exposed and junk.  Anyway, she finally walks in, sits down on the little wheely doctor stool, looks at me and says…

“Wow… (insert pause and look of shock)...how did you do it?!?!?”

With a giant smile, pride smeared all over my face, I said,

“Running.  Eating better.”

She responded with,

“Wow…(opens up the growth charts they can do on the computer and does some counting).  35 pounds since your six week?!?”

“Yeah…around there.”

“What made you do it?  I mean…what was your motivation?”

“Lilly.  I wanted to be able to keep up with her…run with her…play…and not be tired and worn out all the time.  I don’t want to keep being a big…tub of goo.”

“Wow!  Good for you, Kate.”

Throughout the rest of my appointment, we talked about it: how I’d done it, what my goals were, what I’d done, etc.  I told her I’m determined to be a runner.  I told her I’d already run my first 5k and was hoping to do a 10k still this year…and a half marathon next year.  She was very happy for me and very encouraging and almost proud.  I’m sure she generally sees patients come in headed the other way…which is what I was headed for.

I know it is lame.  I have never felt like I needed a doctor or teacher to tell me I’m doing something good to know I’m doing something good.  However, you can work your ass off and drop 30+ pounds and have a handful of people tell you that you look different (like that boy in high school that you swore you’d make fall in love with you and marry, but he wasn’t interested and you became great friends instead {which turned out even better} and you visited him on a business trip and he told you that you looked great…yeah…that was pretty awesome), but still feel like maybe what you are doing doesn’t matter.  When a medical professional is blown away by what you are doing, it makes you realize "Hey...maybe what I'm doing is important and I am changing for the better."

My point is that Dr. Rose helped me KNOW that I'm doing something great and I CAN keep going and I WILL reach my goals.  Thinking about my appointment doesn't make me cringe, really...it makes me smile.  It makes me proud of myself.

I don't care if it makes me a bragger.  I have to feel good about what I've done and where I'm going or I. WILL. FAIL.

I WILL lose the weight.

I WILL be a runner.

Couch 2 5k: Week 6 Day 1

Had a decent run this morning.  It was weird because I felt tired a few minutes into it and on every single run.  The walks didn't make me feel much better.  I actually would prefer to just run without the breaks...my body gets all weird from them.  Anyway, I figured it was just that I had a crummy super last night.  Well, when I got done and calculated my run pace, I realized that it had picked up a little bit...maybe that was why?  Regardless, here is the run breakdown for W6D1:

• 5 Minute Warm-Up Walk
• 5 Minute Run
• 3 Minute Walk
• 8 Minute Run
• 3 Minute Walk
• 5 Minute Run
• 5 Minute Cool-Down Walk
• Total: 34 Minutes

And here are my stats for today's run:

• Run Time: 18 Minutes
• Walk Time: 16 Minutes
• Distance: 2.74 Miles
• Run Pace: 10:28
• Overall Pace: 12:24

I'm okay with that.  I'm just happy that my run pace didn't fall!  I felt okay after the run, aside from being bummed that I had felt tired and worn out the entire time.  Not much I can do about it now and I'm not going to overthink it.  I'm still early in my training and I'm trying to just go with whatever happens.

Signed up for the Dave Ryan's 5k for Special Olympics on September 17th with This Girl.  Anybody wants to join us is welcome!  Maybe we can even grab post-race treats (food/beverages/energy bars or something like that)!  I'm really excited to get people together to do this.  We can all start together, but there is no saying we have to finish together.  Whomever finishes first gets to cheer on everyone else!  That's my thought, anyway...

I lied about blogging about the doctor.  I PROMISE I will do that this weekend at some point.  Things have just been CRAZY this week and I just haven't gotten to it.  As for now, I'm outtie!

Couch 2 5k: Week 5 Day 3

As I said in my original post, I re-started my C25K (Couch to 5k) workout plan once again last week.  This morning, I did my W5D3 (Week 5 Day 3) run.  For those that are unfamiliar with the plan, this is the first "no walk" run.  Each run throughout the plan starts with a five minute warm-up walk and ends with a five minute cool-down walk.  For most runs, the running portion is broken up into chunks, seperated by walking breaks.

Not today.

Today was the "Walk 5 minutes and then run for 20 while your heart explodes and then cool down with another 5 of walking" run.  I did it, though, and it felt great!

After my runs, I like to use MapMyRun to track my mileage and to calculate my running vs. overall pace, etc.  During these, "no walk" runs, it gets a bit easier because I don't have to do multiple maps and add the mileage of my running portions and divide by my run time, etc., etc., etc.  I use the Cool Runnings Pace Calculator to figure out my time per mile (it is a useful tool).  Well, here were today's stats:

• Run Time: 20 Minutes
• Walk Time: 8 Minutes (I was crunched for time, so I shortened the warm-up to only 3 minutes)
• Distance: 2.35 Miles
• Run Pace: 10:49 Per Mile
• Overall Pace: 11:53 Per Mile

For not running in a long while, I am okay with these stats.  I need to up my mileage and pace, but that will come with more training.

As far as food goes, I know that will be my big struggle this month, especially.  The Fair alone will be my downfall, but I will just have to keep trying to do my best.

I had a doctor appointment today...you know...one of those yearly physical things.  Blog about THAT tomorrow.  Goodnight!

Let's Get This Party Started

I am a lot of things.

I am a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a godmother, a friend, a confidant, a student, a teacher, a singer, a softball player, a news junky, a degree holder, a rockstar wannabe, a University of Minnesota alumni, a cookie-holic, a future grad student, a dreamer, an administrative professional, a future nurse, a coffee lover, a realist, a nerd, a kid at heart...

I am a lot of things.

None of these, however, has seemed to "define" my life as much as one thing.

I am chunky.

For as long as I can remember, I have "battled the bulge" up and down. In every stage of my life, I have fought to lose some pounds, only to achieve enough of my goal to satisfy myself and then let the weight jump back on my frame. In my adult life, I have tried so many things to make the fight easy. I've tried crazy diets. I've tried an assortment of "supplements". I've tried weird workout plans. I've tried just about everything. It has all worked...for a time...but once I change my ways, the weight comes back.

I'm done with that crap!

I have been bound and determined to get down to a healthy weight and stick there. I have been bound and determined to get become a runner and stick with it.

It is working.

Now, the scary part where I share my recent and current weight and you all pretend not to judge me!

On June 26th, 2009, the day after I found out I was pregnant with Lilly, I was 181 lbs. For a girl who is 5'4", that is pretty rough. However, this is where I had settled with my normal habits, it seemed. Well, imagine this, but growing a baby makes you gain weight. On February 15th, 2010, two days before I went into labor with Lilly, I weighed in at 227 lbs. I had gained 46 pounds during my pregnancy! I went home and cried, as it was the first time in my life I had been over 200 lbs. A short woman standing only 5'4" tall should not reach 200 lbs. Mind you, Lilly was a 9 lb 5 oz baby, it didn't matter. I felt awful about myself.

Most of the weight came off pretty easily. Taking care of a newborn leaves little time for rest and eating and keeps you moving! At my six week post-partum check up, I was back under 200 lbs, weighing in at 196 lbs. I told myself that I would NEVER allow 200 lbs to be on my small frame again. Three months later on June 30, 2010, I was only down three more pounds. I didn't find this acceptable. I knew I had to fix this, but how? I just tried to watch what I ate and tried to get in some activity here and there, but to be honest, with Lilly being a mover and a shaker, I was always tired. On top of that, my sleep has gone out the window since I was about four months pregnant, but that is a WHOLE different post. As Lilly was becoming more and more active, it hit me.

I couldn't do this whole being heavy thing anymore.

I kept hearing that when you are active, you have more energy. I wanted to be able to keep up with Lilly as she got older and more mobile. I wanted to be able to run around with her and go for walks and play! I knew I had to do something once and for all about my weight.

In October 2010, I downloaded an app for my iPod: Lose It! I could track my calories and progress and I hoped it would work for me. I started off at 185 lbs on October 18th. I set my first goal at hitting 165 lbs. I tried really hard to track my calories and enter them, but it was tough. I was trying to work out, but it was sporadic.

For years I had planned to run a 5k. I decided that this would be my year. I decided to do the Couch to 5k program that I had tried many times before, but never finished. I downloaded an app for my iPod and started Week 1 Day 1 of my training on March 4.

Boy was it ROUGH! I forced myself to stick with it, running in the cold and the snow and the really odd warm days (I mean, it is MN after all!). I was DETERMINED to run that damn 5k...

On Mother's Day, May 8th, I ran my first 5k! With my brother Jason, I ran the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k, a race I had planned on running for years. Though unofficial, my time was 33:28...not bad for my first time. I ran the entire thing without walking and that made me feel like I really could do this thing! The next day, I weighed in...

On May 9th, I hit 165 lbs and I felt awesome! I set my next goal of 155 lbs.

After my 5k, I ran one time and did little else. I played softball on Sundays, but that wasn't really a work out. Lee and I decided to do Jillian Micheals' 30 Day Shred. I'd started it before, but never done the full 30 day cycle. June 1st we started and did the full 30 Day Shred. I was really proud of us both! Neither of us lost much in the way of pounds, but our bodies toned a bit. After my 30 days, I fell off the workout wagon again and became a lump of blah.

For a while, I was taking Healthé Trim. I took it for three months and, while it gave me a boost of energy, I don't think it helped me as much as my diet and exercise were. Besides, it was not cheap!

A few days ago, I restarted my Couch to 5k program on Week 5. My friend Kali and I will be running Dave Ryan's 5k for Special Olympics on September 17th.

As of today, I weighed in at 160.5 pounds. I will hit 155 lbs. I can't remember the last time I was that small. Here is how I will do it:

• Lose It! - I am going to try to be really good about tracking my calories. If I track every calorie (while exhausting), I will know why I am gaining/maintaining/losing weight.
• Work It! - I am going to keep running. I want to get a few more 5k's under my belt and then I want to do a 10k. My goal is that next year, I want to do a half marathon!
• Water It! - I am going to keep drinking lots of water. Keeping hydrated is keeping me going. It will help keep my calories down and it will keep me going on my runs.
• Blog It! - I am going to try to keep this blog updated. If I write about my triumphs and catastrophes, I'm going to better learn from them. If I know I have to write down when I flub-up, I'll be more likely not to flub-up, right?
• Shrug It! - I will most likely flub-up here and there. If I do, I'm going to just shrug it off and keep going. I know I will have good days and bad days. I know I will eat cookies now and then. I am a cookie girl after all! I can get through it. The Minnesota State Fair is coming up, after all...

I have a busy month ahead of me, so we will see how this goes, but you all keep me accountable, okay?