Cheese

I've been maintaing for about 4 months now. At the beginning of March I was 206 and currently the lowest I've clocked is 197. Comparatively speaking, that's the slowest weight loss rate I've seen (the most I lost in a month was 12lbs). It's refreshing to maintain. I've got more to lose, and a certainly plenty of areas to tone, but I've never been at a point where I'm comfortable enough to just stick around the same weight for a bit.

My goal a few months ago was to find some mental balance, and I think I've had success. I am no longer counting calories, I only weigh myself a few times a week (coming down from 14 times a week), and I allow myself to have a variety of foods. Now, one might think "well, you're not losing and isn't that bad!?" Nope. I'm totally ok with it. In fact, I'm gaining. Gaining confidence and a healthy mental perspective on weight loss/nutrition, and it feels GREAT.

Throughout my climb towards health, I'll be honest to admit that it hasn't been what I thought; health is much more of a battle than what I thought it would be. Once I'd reach the end of really tough goals I set, (you know, a 5k, or 12 weeks w/ a personal trainer, or 2 months of Paleo shizz) I'd discover that there are so many more battles for me to fight! And they're hard. Every one of them in a different way (mentally, physically, emotionally, financially). But I look at it like this (and here comes the cheese): I started at the bottom of Mt. Yazvac, made up of tons of tiny hills to climb. The first hill was hard, the second hill was a little harder, and on and on I go. But with each hill, the peak of Mt Yazvac in clearer sight with the final ascent in reach. Along the way I continue to shed garbage, which makes the hardest, steepest, most intense hills actually attainable for me to summit. If I were still battling the mental/physical health that I started with, I could not succeed at the peaks I'm challenged at now.

I'm fired up to reach that peak!!!!

March 2012   -   June 2013

Feel

I set a goal a few months back to get under 200lbs by my one year anniversary of working out. I had 19lbs to lose starting January 1st, and had 60 days to reach the goal. Certainly something I've already succeeded at, so it was a reasonable goal. Not easy, but doable.

I failed.

I lost 11lbs the first month, and 7lbs the second month, in the end coming 2lbs short of my goal.
That last day I practically starved myself from all nutrition, in an effort to make my goal. I maybe had 400 calories. While at work that day, I couldn't even focus on my daily tasks. I only could focus on asking myself if I was doing everything possible to lose weight that day. I came home that night and was a nervous wreck to go to bed because the next morning meant I would step on the scale that displayed my results.

Two days post-goal-date, I found myself having a conversation with my husband which turned out to be mentally healing. We talked about my recent failures, and after a good long cry, I made some goals that I said out loud to him for accountability sake:

• Stop recording my calories. 
• Stop stepping on the scale more than once a day.
• Find out how to maintain a healthy state of mind and body.

Since then I've gained 2-4lbs. 

This may seem like it's not working, but actually is. I'm learning to put away the numbers (on the scale, on the calorie counter, on the treadmill), and just FEEL. 

What feels healthy? 

What feels bloated?

What feels like a good exercise? 

What feels tight? 

What feels full?

What feels strong?

What feels overwhelming?

With each week, even if I gained a pound, I'm learning that's ok, because I want to find out how to maintain this healthy lifestyle by my own emotional AND physical feelings. 

Paleo: Month 1 Overview

Weight loss: 

January 5th: 216.8 lbs

February 2nd: 207.0 lbs

Rest days: 10 of 28 days

Exercised: 18 of 28 days

I think it's fair to note the food items that I still consume that aren't Paleo:

-85% dark chocolate sweetened with sugar

-A tablespoon or so of 1/2 and 1/2 every day in my coffee

-Cheat times: I ate two chocolate chip cookies on January 11th, and a brownie on the 16th

BEFORE: Nuts, cheese, fruit, and 85% dark chocolate for snacks at work between meals.

AFTER: Mostly veggies and some fruit between meals. 

BEFORE: Hair dry and wouldn't hold curl for more than 2 hours.

AFTER: Hair shiny and healthy looking, will hold minimal curl for days.

BEFORE: Dinner plate would be 1/4 meat, 1/2 'healthy' starch, and 1/4 veggies.

AFTER: Dinner plate is 1/2 meat and 1/2 veggies.

BEFORE: Never noticed being dizzy

AFTER: Dizzy/black out multiple times during the day for a second at a time. Normally happens when I bend over and stand up quickly. 

BEFORE: Healthy snacking all day between meals, resulting in a lower caloric intake at meal time.

AFTER: No snacking between meals, but eating same amount of calories spread between three meals. (Note: I started this approach on week 4 of Paleo.)

BEFORE: Snacking on fruits and nuts after dinner for night-time snack.

AFTER: No eating after dinner or before breakfast the next day.  (Started on week 4)

BEFORE: Regular menstrual cycle.

AFTER: Menstrual cycle came twice in one month.

BEFORE: Painful bowel movements at times.

AFTER: Smooth moves! (No, not even with the help of Traditional Medicinal's)

BEFORE: Small breakfast, medium size lunch, and large dinner. (calorie-speaking)

AFTER: Even amount of calories/protein at each meal. 

BEFORE: $75 per week for groceries (for two of us, of course)

AFTER: $100 per week on average 

Thoughts to note:

• I have been pretty strict with staying on track with Paleo... mostly because I really wanted to dive in and make sure I have a realistic idea of the way this works with my lifestyle/body.
• It's been easier than I thought it would be, but I still have to remind myself daily that food will not control my life. 
• I've enjoyed making lots of new recipes, and not feeling bad about eating a lot of healthy food at each meal. 
• I'm going in another month at this, and I will be just as strict! However, I'm still not committed to make Paleo my lifestyle after month two. 
• February is now the beginning of month 12 of my strict weight-loss/health journey, and last month was certainly my most strict. I really stayed on track. Interestingly enough, I also lost the most amount of weight so far last month. Here's to reaching my weight loss goal of under 200 this month!!!!!

Yay for healthy hair!

 Note, the lower picture is also 3 days post-wash! 

September 2012           November 2012           February  2013

Things

I've found that I like trying new things. Specifically in this category in life (health), it seems like new things are mini challenges.

Thing(s) 1: 
lemon roasted chicken
chicken broth
coconut milk/tomato soup
roasted sweets & beets
green curry

Thing 2: 
24" Box jumps at the gym

Thing 3: 
Wall balls at the gym

Thing 4: 
At-home core work outs that are high rep

Thing 5: 
Listening to free nutrition/fitness pod casts when I do cardio (instead of music)

New Day

Yesterday wasn't the greatest day. I ate way more sugar than I normally should, and I kept fighting myself.... wanting to stop. I actually even gave in to a brownie last night. So dumb. I really don't remember a day that I had so much temptation that I had to battle. This morning I stepped on the scale and gained almost 3 lbs.

BUT

It's 6am in the morning, and it's a new day. I have hope. We're human. I have bad days and can recover from them and bounce right back up. I've packed myself a yummy lunch and healthy snacks for work, I got good rest last night, and I'm hopeful of a great workout after work.

Here's to today!!!

Inspiration: Maggie Mathew

I've said that a lot of credit goes to people around who inspire me or are there to uplift me when I'm down about my weight. I'm super greatful to have my dear friend, Maggie Mathew not only there for me, but actually right next to me winning the battle.

She started making an effort to lose weight in June of 2011. Eight months later, she was 35lbs lighter, and decided to become vegeterian. Since then, she's lost an additional 45lbs, making here total weight loss 80lbs!

Maggie is one of those friends that not only can relate, but will step back and help me see the big picture. You know, like when I'm frusterated that I gained two pounds, she'll remind me that it's okay and it will come off, because look how far we've come and reminds me we'll never go back. Man! That kind of encouragement is so valuable! Also, I really apprecaite having a friend that enjoys outdoor recreational activities with me! She shares that joy, and I'm guilty of taking that for granted at times.

Thanks so much, Maggie, for inspiring me to make weight loss a part of my life instead of making it my life. I'm super greatful to walk in the journey towards health with you, and I'm confident we can both accomplish our goals!

I Want to Remember

Today a friend's little 10 year old boy saw me today and whispered to his mom, "Wow! She has lost a lot of weight!"

Inspiring.

Four Goals

Oh my!

It's been a while, but no worries. I've still been up and at 'em with my health.

First, I should note that last week was an all-time high for me. In fact, higher than ANY OTHER WEEK yet! I lost five pounds and I'm certain I know why. In addition to my efforts that are in place, I decided to tack on four goals last week:

1. No bread

2. Walk 2 miles over my lunch break

3. Stop eating after dinner

4. Only 3 sweets a week 

I'm telling you, those pounds were just shedding off! I literally was nervous that the success might be at an unhealthy rate... but I think I was just surprising myself. I am on my second week of no bread, which is going ok. 10 days in I gave in and had a grilled cheese. Gr. But I'm back on track and will continue to reach my goals! On the 15th of this month, I'm going to try to cut out gluten. Whew! That will be hard, for sure!!!! But I'm determined. I've proved to myself that I am capable of a lot more than what I give my body credit for, and there's no stopping me now.

October

I'm going to try my best to make October my best month yet! And by best, I mean the most strict in regards to nutrition/exercise. Here's my goals:
1. No bread the entire month!
2. On October 15, I'd like to start with no gluten for a while, too.
3. No eating after dinner
4. Swim once a week

Bike Rides and Picnic Tables

I went on a really long bike ride recently and realized how much I enjoy exercising now. I mean, it's not like I love it and look forward to it like I would going to a concert or something. Ha! So I guess it's the mental and physical feeling that is so pleasing. I got half way done with my bike ride, sat on a picnic table, bathed in the sun for a while, and then did some ab workouts. Since when do I do ab workouts on a bike ride!? I then hopped back on my bike and rode for another hour. No, I don't have time to do cardio exercise like that every day, but when I do get the chance, I really, really enjoy it. It's such a good feeling to (know your alive....?) know that I'm making a choice to be healthy, and that if I keep up the work on all sides, I will continue to see results and restore my body to a healthy state.

Potatoes

Today marks a pretty significant point in my weight loss journey.... I've lost 40 lbs!

You know, like 4 sacks of potatoes....

5K: Hornet Hustle

After the Zoo Run Run, I decided to sign up for the Hornet Hustle 5K with my friend Megan. Despite her athletic self, she had never participated in one, and I thought it would be fun to get out there with her! She started running every morning, and I quickly knew that she would fly right by me on race day.

Personally I had 3 goals for this one:
1) Run it in under 30 minutes
2) And/or beat my last race day time which was 33:16
3) Run the whole race without stopping to walk

I geared up for the race as much as possible, by running different courses around town. I honestly enjoy running quite a bit now, but I know it's not the greatest cardio exercise for my body type-- my knees and heels normally are sore after I'm finished so I try to only run once or twice a week.

(um just a personal note: it's hard to be honest with myself and say that I enjoy running, when before I wouldn't ever consider even a small chance that I could enjoy it...)

Megan and I before!

Anyways, back to race day. It was great to have Megan in sight for a while, but then I lost her and had to start playing this mental game... telling myself that my hard breathing was not a sign that I should slow down, and that I knew my body could do so much more than I give it credit for. Along the way, I tried to distract myself with the sights, smells, and people around me. I played yo yo with these two adorable girls that were probably 1/3 my age but were pretty motivating. I kept telling them "great job!" when I would run past them, even though inside I was like "Oh my! I better be able to keep up with a ten year old!" Also, it was great to see me and Megan's husband along the way, cheering us on. What support!

On the last mile, there just so happened to be more hills, and I was contemplating walking for a bit. On the way up the first hill, a girl passed me who would become my pace setter. She was jogging a bit faster than I normally would, but I really wanted to knock out all my goals! I followed her all the way home and tried not to let more than 5 feet come in-between us.

I finished the race at 30:55, and I didn't stop to walk once. I was pretty proud of myself! I really hope to finish under thirty the next race, but now I'm just going to keep exercising!!!

Way to go, Megan!  She got 2nd in our age group, finishing at 26:02!!!!

It's Not About the Numbers...

But let's be honest: they sometimes help motivate!

Here's a little graph of the weight per month that I've lost. Pretty interesting, and motivating- that is, to up the annie!

Pictures: Week 23

29 lbs lost!!! 

It's Been A Rocky Road.....

For REAL.

Check out those mountains, plateaus, and valleys...

 

5K: 2011 | 2012

I started training for my first 5K in March of 2011. I hadn't been running at all, and really wanted to incorporate exercise into my weight loss journey. I found a 8 week workout plan online that would take me from running 1/4 mile up to 3.1 miles.

Our race day came on May 7, 2011 and I was all too nervous. My dear friend Hope was running her first 5K right along side of me, but I knew she would pass me up right away. My goal was to finish in (prepare yourself!) under 40 minutes. Yep. I hadn't accomplished that time yet, but I thought it was possible. In fact, I hadn't even run 3.1 miles up to race day. 

I got out there on a beautiful morning and ran my heart out. I'll never forget rounding that last bend and seeing my husband out there practically jumping up and down saying "Hurry babe! You're going to make it in under 40!!!!" WOW! What a rush of adrenaline. I finished in 63rd place, in 39:15. I was so so so so happy! I made my goal! 

(((the difference in our faces makes me laugh so hard!)))

Fast forward 14 months and here we are today! I've accomplished one of my long-term goals. I just got home from finishing my second 5K and had a blast! I got to run it with another friend, Katie (it was her first race!!!), and a few ladies from work. 

What are my feelings? Wow. I'm feeling so different in comparison to last year. I feel faster. Stronger. I've got more endurance. Probably more motivation. I've lost stinking 25lbs since then too, which is crazy inspiring. There's no way I'd want to run today's race with two- ten pound dumbbells in my hands. That weight is shed and lost forever. 

While I didn't make my goal time today, I'm still really happy I competed. My final time was 33:16, knocking off 6 minutes from last year I would have liked to finish in under 30 minutes, but I honestly didn't do great on my first mile. There were probably 300 people competing, and I couldn't run my normal pace in the beginning. But, nevertheless, I'm proud to say that I finished the race, and want to give all praise to the Lord. He has blessed me with wonderful encouragers in my life and I couldn't be more thankful!

First Day Ever

The past 5 days have unusually been much easier than normal when it comes to my nutritional goals. In fact, today was the first day ever that I've had trouble reaching my required caloric intake! Healthy food is so satisfying.

Here's a few pics of what I've been eating:

I was inspired by my friends Amber and Lydia to make this tasty dish! I threw together the following: 

Shredded chicken

Avecado

Grape tomatoes

Corn

Black beans

A spoon full of salsa

And it was so nice to have a healthy, satisfying dinner! 

This product has been my source of protein for the last month or two. My friend Magdalen sells Arbonne products- which I've come to love. This is THE BEST protein powder I've tried, made from 3 key ingredients- rice, pea, and cranberry extracts. It's super smooth and one serving has 20g of protein. Let me know if you'd like to order! 

Goals #1: Review.

I thought that maybe a step to making new goals would be to review my old ones...

Short-term goals:

• Make weekly goals and share with Lydia to help me stay accountable-Well, I certainly share goals with Lyd, but now on a weekly basis. In fact, I'm not sure I have short-term weekly goals that change each week. 
• Weigh 235 by mid-June-Didn't happen, but I'm close- the lowest I've weighed is 243. 
• Find cardio exercises that I enjoy (possibly biking outdoors, zumba, yoga, or hiking) CHA CHING! Yes, I indeed accomplished this. I love trail runs and yoga! 
• Bike to work as often as possible- Yeah.... not so much. The doc's don't really love a sweaty receptionist. 
• Bike to NFPT as often as possible As much as possible. Well, yes, when I had the chance, I think I did. 
• Journal my journey on blogger at least once a week- Yes, on average, I think this was accomplished! And might I add that I enjoy it. Looking back is a certain motivation for me. 
• Work on curbing/decreasing my food intake by: eating more raw veggies, juicing, portion control, and controlling special occasion meals (that last one is my vice....) I do eat more veggies (thanks to hummus), and my appetite has curbed immensely. Pretty excited about that. 
• Research & study! The more I know, the easier it is for me to say no! Yes! I love to continue to study and research. 

Goals with Lydia:

• Push and stretch me beyond what I think my capabilities are Heck yes. 
• Find exercises that target areas of my body that need focus. Yes. 
• Learn more about food from her (and her influence's) perspective. Yes! Thanks for being willing to share!
• Keep me accountable to my goals (for both workouts and diet). Sure thing. Never be afraid to ask me!

Long-term goals:

• Reach my target weight by June of 2013 (means an average weight loss of 1 1/2 lbs per week!) Well, my average weight loss per week was 1.25, which is good, but not my goal. BUT. I'm trying not to focus so much. More later on this. 
• Compete in a race? Well, not yet. But this was long-term for a reason! 
• Find an enjoyable cardio workout during the winter (swimming indoors?) Winter's just around the corner. 
• Find a work-out buddy for accountability and encouragement. I think I've found many! I have an accountability group online, and I really do feel blessed to have so many people around me who care. A huge thanks to Amy, Courtney, Amber, Lydia, Hope, Steffen, Mom and Pa, and my sweet in-laws! 
• Possibly go gluten-free? Welp...

Pictures: Week 9

I'm mustering up the guts to post these. Maybe because I see progress? Maybe because I'm shedding pride? Maybe because I still need accountability? Still not really sure, and I certainly have a long way to go...but these results are pretty inspiring.

And just for kicks, above is a picture of me and Lydia, posing for a photo op at her recent boot camp that I attended. The weight I'm holding represents the weight I once was carrying- 20lbs heavier!

Success

Well, I'll just get right down to it.

I've lost 20 lbs!!!!


When I stepped on that scale on Wednesday, I literally had to step off and step back on again to believe myself. The thought of it still makes me smile! I mean, not that five or ten pounds isn't a great accomplishment-- I guess it's probably because it's the biggest weight loss I've had yet in my life, and I feel confident I can lose even more.

Everyone always says that you plateau at some point in your weight loss, right? Week 7 and 8 really proved that for me. I didn't lose one pound during the course of those two weeks...I only fluctuated like two or three pounds between days. I was a bit discouraged because I was eating really clean and getting out almost daily to put in some cardio. When I got on the scale, I had to keep telling myself that this must be plateau time and to keep pushing through and to not give up. Of course, on week 9, I was able to shed like 4.5lbs in four days. I certainly need to give credit to my love, Lydia, and my wonderful support group of friends that helped me through those rough weeks.