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May 24, 2011

Did I Mention I Ran A 5K?

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So I completely forgot to mention last week that I ran a 5K on May 14. I know, who forgets to brag about something like that, right?

Actually, I went into it with the intent to walk most of the 5K. I was mostly supporting my husband, who has been training for the past 3 months and decided the Komen Race for the Cure 5K was going to be where he put himself to the test.

During that 3 month period, Aaron taught himself how to run, lost 20+ pounds (he’s totally kicking my butt in weight loss), and was ready to take on his first 5K. During that same time frame, I went to my bootcamp classes, ran a couple of times, lost a couple of pounds, and well…didn’t do anything nearly as impressive as him.

On the day of the race, I lined up with the non-competitive runners. I haven’t had the chance to run more than a day here and there lately, so I didn’t expect that I was even going to make it further than a few blocks without needing to stop for a walk. Aaron was ahead of me with the competitive runners. He didn’t expect to place in the race, but he wanted the timing chip so he could see his exact finishing time.

When the bell sounded, I pressed play on my iPod, took a deep breath, and started the run. I was helped by the amazing energy of the people around me – they were all so happy and excited. (Me at 8am? Less so.) The first few blocks were a bit of start and stop as the crowd needed time to thin out. I tried to stay to the side because I was a slower runner and didn’t want to be in anyone’s way.

Quickly I realized my iPod was going to be trouble. It has a problem where the songs will “scramble” when the headphones are in, meaning it’ll play a few seconds of the song, then scramble the song on high speed for a few seconds, then shift to another song, where it does the same thing. So I found myself jogging slowly while trying to hard reset my iPod, put the headphones back in, and try again. It gave me a few songs in a row before it would scramble again, but those few songs were better than nothing. I need music to distract myself from the reality of running.

We made the first turn, and I was surprised I was still running. Then the second turn came two blocks later and I was hurting, but still running. A huge hill was in front of me, though, and I realized I couldn’t make it up the hill. I stopped to walk, a little disappointed, but also reassured by seeing others slow down to walk up the hill.

Once we reached the top of the hill, I decided to go back to running. My lungs ached at the greater effort again, and although I couldn’t hear it over my music, I’m sure I sounded wheezy as I gasped for air. This part of the run was slightly downhill and after a couple of minutes I finally fell into a comfortable pattern. I was still working hard, but I wasn’t hurting.

The next leg of the race took us around a local park. My side was starting to hurt again, so I made a deal with myself that I’d walk when I reached the north end of the park. I kept that agreement, slowing down to walk along the entire north end of the park.

As we made the final turn for the (long) home stretch, a guy in a lobster costume passed me by as I was walking. I’m being passed by a lobster? Surely I can run again if this guy in a full-body costume is still running!

I forced myself to run again, but at this point it was getting hard. During the final stretch I took a couple of short walk breaks, just to catch my breath, and then threw myself forward into running slowly again.

I didn’t see my exact time when I crossed the finish line, but I believe it was somewhere around 44-45 minutes. Not a great time, of course, but only slightly longer than the 5K I trained for back in the fall.

While I had planned to walk most of this 5K, I instead ran most of it and only walked a small portion. I was exhausted at the end, but proud of doing more than I had intended.

And Aaron? He finished at 30 minutes, which is a very respectable time for his first 5K run. I’m proud of him for accomplishing his goal and getting so fit in the process. Hopefully we can both find time to run during the summer and sign up for other 5K races.

Again, if I can do this, anyone can. It just takes baby steps to do so. Had you told me five years ago that I’d be running in a 5K, I would have laughed at you. Yet it’s happened, thanks to making small changes here and there.

Filed Under: running, success · Tagged:


Mar 28, 2011

A Great Getaway, Thanks To A Little Planning

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This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Slim·Fast.

March eighth was my wedding anniversary – my eighth, to be exact. Because our anniversary is in March, we often do very little for Valentine’s Day and instead go all out for our anniversary. This year we visited Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor waterpark resort, for a pseudo-tropical vacation close to home. We’ve gone there a few times, and while it’s fun with kids, it’s also just as fun for two adults looking to get away and relax together.

And this year, I decided I wasn’t wearing a bathing suit with a skirt. Ever since I became a mom, my hips and thighs have been given as much coverage as possible under loose fabric during any bathing suit occasion. Let’s be honest, though: skirted suits are a pain. I mean, it’s OK if you’re just planning to sit in a lounge chair and read a book, but they’re completely uncomfortable if you have any plans of stepping foot in the water. The wet fabric clings and bunches when you get out of the water, generally destroying any chance at looking good as you continuously peel the cold, damp fabric from your legs. The minute you take a step, the we fabric latches on to your thighs again, and the peel and stick cycle continues for every step.

To prepare for our anniversary, I stepped up my plan to shape up, lose weight, and improve my health. In January, I left behind the sweets and baked goods of the holiday season and once again embraced healthy eating: tracking my calories each day, eating regular meals and small snacks between meals, and focusing on the nutritional value of what I eat. I journal everything I eat each day using an iPhone app, finding it makes me more honest with myself and less likely to overeat.

I’ve also starting exercising more regularly, including signing up for a series of group “bootcamp” classes in February. Group exercise generally makes me sweat without even working out, as I often compare myself to others around me and worry that I’m the weakest link in the class. But I also know that in a group setting I’m more likely to give 100% because of that same worry, so I’m stepping out of my comfort zone to make sure I get the most from my exercise.

I wanted to feel good about my body when I put on a bathing suit in the store, and even better when I wore it on our anniversary. I’ve lost ten pounds since January, and I’m starting to see muscle tone developing beneath the fat. I like what I’m seeing. When I bought my bathing suit, I declared my anniversary-prep a success, and I couldn’t wait for my husband to see me in that suit.

To be clear: I did this both for me and as a gift for him, but my husband certainly isn’t expecting me to be a certain size. Many years ago, when we first met, he saw me at my highest weight ever. More than when I was 9 months pregnant, even. He loved me at my highest weight, and he loves me now, when I’m nearing my lowest weight. Do I want him to be proud of the woman in the bathing suit next to him? Absolutely. But feeling proud of myself is just as important to me.

The results? Well, check out the photo to the left. Never before now would I even think of posting a photo of myself in a bathing suit on the internet, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. I’m at the same weight I was when we married. I’m three pounds away from the lowest weight in my adult life. Making the commitment to change the way you eat and exercise is hard, but the payoff of looking better, feeling better, and knowing that I’m improving my health is worth the hard work. I’m worth the hard work.

We had a fantastic time on our anniversary, and all of the preparation and work was worth it. Setting goals for myself helped me get even more excited about our trip, and meeting those goals made me feel fantastic. Having confidence in that bathing suit was my greatest reward as we walked around the waterpark for our anniversary, and that confidence hid any flaws far better than a little skirt would.

Best anniversary yet!

What event are you preparing for?

Now it’s your turn – tell me what big event in your life you’re preparing for, and what you’re doing to prepare for it. It can be anything: wedding, birthday party, moving to a new city, a vacation, etc. Are you shopping for new clothing? Scouting for the best coffee in a new city?

Leave me a comment below sharing how you’re preparing for the next big event in your life (and what that event is!), and you can be entered to win a Slim-Fast gift pack worth $100! Sweepstakes dates are 3/28-4/20.

Visit the BlogHer Promotions & Prizes section for more chances to win as well! And don’t forget to visit the official Slim-Fast site for more information on their products.
Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from two of the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a separate comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a separate comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

Full disclosure: I did receive compensation in exchange for writing this post and hosting this giveaway for BlogHer and Slim-Fast. 

Filed Under: success · Tagged: ,


Mar 28, 2011

As Good As It Can Get?

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Saturday at my boot camp class I stepped on the scale expecting to see no change again. After all, this past week hadn’t been the best: I’d had deep dish pizza one night, ate several small bites of sweets, and other than my Tuesday and Saturday boot camp classes, my butt had been firmly parked in a chair. Even on weeks when I’ve put in extra effort for the gold star, the scale has rarely given me more than a quarter or half pound loss.

So I was a little surprised when the scale showed I had lost three pounds in a week.

My current weight is 171 pounds. That means in the last seven weeks I’ve lost ten pounds. I’m so very, very close to the magical 160’s. Why magical? Because I’ve only seen the 160’s once in my adult life, and it was for a very brief moment in 2002, when the scale went no lower than 168 in my quest to look good for my early 2003 wedding. Back then, I considered that just about as good as it could get.

But that’s not as good as it can get. I’m going to reach 168 soon, and then I’m going to pass it. The BMI charts recommend a weight of no more than 158 pounds for someone my height, and I’m not stopping until I’m no longer considered “overweight” by the medical community. I’ve gone from obese to overweight, so I know I can do this as well.

Let’s review for some motivation, shall we?

Highest weight post-kids, BlogHer06:

(On the left, obviously. Note: NOT my highest weight ever!)

How I looked when I first made the decision to turn this ship around, March 2009:

And now me in a bathing suit, March 2011:

(And I’m surprised I’m not bursting into flames from embarrassment right now!)
I’d call that progress. I still won’t be winning any awards in a bathing suit at the moment, but I’ve graduated away from the bathing suit dress at least. I can look at that photo and see a lot of hard work accomplished, while also still seeing a lot of potential for the future.
I’m starting to feel semi-comfortable in my own body, and it’s a nice feeling. Too bad it took me 34 years to get there.  
Filed Under: success, weigh-in · Tagged:


Mar 1, 2011

Weigh-In

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I stepped on the scale on Saturday morning, and was greeted with a number I haven’t seen in a long time: 175.

The last time I was 175 pounds, I was a newlywed. I looked like this:

(Honeymoon at Disney, 2003)

Although now my body doesn’t look the same at 175 pounds as it did then. (New photo coming soon, I promise!) Stretch marks, loose skin, more fat – not exactly the body I thought I’d be seeing at this weight.

Some of that may be in my mind, too. Because when I went shopping this weekend, I was thrilled to slip on a pair of size 10 Lee jeans. I haven’t worn size 10, since…well…since I was 175 pounds. So even though I feel like my body is bigger than it was before at this weight, apparently the clothing still fits.

Since starting my bootcamp classes four weeks ago, I’m down six pounds. I often feel like it’s not going fast enough, but I know these things take time. I’m within 20 pounds of my goal weight now, so naturally it’s going to get harder to lose each pound. But I’ve already stripped away almost 8 years of weight, so I know I’m on the right track and need to fight off feelings of discouragement.

Filed Under: success, weigh-in ·


Oct 20, 2010

Better for BlogHer – Three Months Later

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Three months ago I took on the Better for BlogHer challenge by Healthy Choice. I was asked to replace one meal a day with a Healthy Choice meal for three months to see if it would aid in my goals of losing weight and getting healthier. I already liked Healthy Choice meals, so I gladly accepted this challenge.

Now, at the end of three months, I can report my success. Since starting the Better for BlogHer challenge, I’ve lost 10 pounds. This was after being stuck at 187 pounds for more than 2 months prior to the challenge. Sure, it’s not a tremendous amount of weight, but it is 10 pounds that I no longer have to deal with.

What’s really impressive is that I continued slowly losing weight throughout a three month period that was filled with stress and temptation at every turn, especially during the last month. I’ve had to put in a lot of extra time at work during the past month, and all of that extra work has often meant convenience foods and practically no exercise whatsoever. And then I went to Las Vegas a week ago for BlogWorld Expo, and after indulging in some of the excess of Vegas, still managed to come home without gaining any weight.

I don’t have to tell all of you what stress can do to a body. It makes me want to eat nonstop, and it makes my body store every calorie it takes in. Yet during this past month I lost 3 pounds. While I fully pat myself on the back for this accomplishment, I also give a lot of credit to Healthy Choice for this loss for a couple of reasons.

First, the frozen meals are quick and easy to prepare without skimping on taste. When I needed to eat fast, I could toss one into the microwave and have a healthy, complete, portion-controlled meal in under 5 minutes. (And still get other things done while it was cooking!) It was so simple to toss one in my bag as I was walking out the door to go to work and know I didn’t need to spend more time thinking about what to eat for lunch.

Second, each Healthy Choice meal helped me learn about portion control. The meals are filling and tasty, but at the same time not too much food. One tip Tara Gidus taught me was to eat only enough to get you through until your next meal, and Healthy Choice meals are the perfect size to provide enough food to feel satisfied without feeling overly full. When I did go to BlogWorld in Vegas, it was far easier for me to enjoy all of the delicious foods there and stop eating when I was satisfied, rather than keep eating until I felt stuffed. I feel like I better understand what a meal portion should be now.

Overall, the Better for BlogHer challenge has been an extremely positive experience. I’ve enjoyed trying new varieties of Healthy Choice meals – including their new Steaming Entrees – and finding so many delicious flavors to add to my list of favorites. Eating one Healthy Choice meal a day was probably the easiest challenge I’ve ever accepted, and that one small change did help me lose the weight, along with making sure I got more veggies, fruit and whole grains into my diet.

Even though the challenge is coming to an end, I have no intention of stopping my new habits. Working third shift, my lunch choices are often limited, and in choosing between late-night takeout pizza or bringing a Healthy Choice frozen meal, I know the latter option is the one I will turn to most of the time. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and I know it’s better for my body and my health goals.

I certainly wasn’t perfect through the whole challenge. I had days where fast food won out, or office parties filled with pizza and cake, and of course the entire past month I’ve had no time to exercise. It’s possible I could have lost more weight had I stuck to the plan closely, but let’s be honest – I’m not a saint, and life is going to get in the way of the best plans.

I’m thrilled that despite my slip-ups and mistakes, I’m still 10 pounds lighter than where I started. It came off slowly and I have every intention of keeping it off for good. If you saw me dancing at BlogWorld on Friday night, then you know I’m loving my new weight and feeling more comfortable in my own skin.

I’ve learned that small changes can have a big impact. If you’re starting this journey of losing weight, and you’re worried about failing, start with small changes that can become permanent lifestyle changes. It’s so much easier to commit to one small change, master that change, and then make another small change.

Thank you, Healthy Choice, for the Better for BlogHer challenge! I’m grateful for your support in helping me lose weight and explore healthier eating habits, and I think the lessons of the past three months will continue on as permanent lifestyle changes.

Full disclosure: I was selected to participate in the Healthy Choice Better for BlogHer challenge, and as a participant I was provided with compensation for my time as well as coupons for free Healthy Choice meals. All opinions of Healthy Choice and the challenge are my genuine and honest opinions, and are most definitely influenced by my losing 10 pounds over the past three months.

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