Continuous Changes

Miles In Muray

2011-01-27T09:53:00.000-08:00

Miles in Murray is officiallly up and running! If you could please head over there and follow me so that I can also follow you, that would be awesome!

Thank you guys so much!

Miles In Murray

2011-01-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

Workout: 15 minute warmup on eliptical. 3 mile run(28:59).

Half Marathon training has officially kicked off.! I will now be posting at Miles In Murray. Although, you will see a couple of posts pop up here now and again reminding you about Miles In Murray.

Check Me Out!

Some Really Good News for my Waistline!

2011-01-20T08:17:00.000-08:00

The White Chocolate Peanut Butter I picked up at the grocery store is gone! At first, I thought it was too sweet. Then, before I knew it I was practically licking the jar! So, now I know not to buy it again. Well, not for now anyways.

I did quite a bit of work on the new blog last night. Go over there and follow now. I will do my first real post next Monday! I am sooo excited. Once I reach 100 followers, I will be doing a giveaway. So, go follow now and tell me what you think so far!

Today's Workout: 5 minute warm up on the bike. Followed by 2.09 miles in 20 minutes on the treadmill. I wanted to go 4, but I was running behind and didn't want to make myself later than I was. So....

Goal of the Day: Do the 6 week 6 pack ab DVD tonight!

I will be back later today for food blogging today's meals!! Have a great day!

Do you run better on the treadmill or outside?
I am definitely an outside runner. 9:15 second miles for 4 consecutive miles outside....that's easy. On the treadmill, I can run a 10:00 mile and be DYING 2 miles in!

Another Loss

2011-01-18T12:40:00.000-08:00

Wow 127.6 today! I lost another 2.2 pounds this week. I really want my goal....like REALLY want it!

I did the first day of Jillian's "6 week 6 pack" DVD last night. I have done it before(2 weeks ago) and made it 8 minutes into it. Last night I did 19 minutes. So, it is a work in progress, but my trouble zone is my tummy. I have NO very little ab muscles. I am anticipating this taking a little longer than 6 weeks at 5 days a week :) The plan is to do this DVD Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I really want a nice tight tummy by summer.

As I have mentioned before, I am moving to "Miles In Murray" before or on next Monday, which is the start of marathon training. So, go follow now. I will post for you to follow me about 1 million times from now until next week. Obviously, I have a lot of work to do on it before then, but I will slowly do that over the next few days :) Some stuff you will get at "Miles In Murray":

I want to get a little more personal with my fellow bloggers. I want you to know me, not as continuous changes, but as Tiffani. I am the girl that lives in Murray, Utah with my boyfriend and our 2 dogs.
I am going public and sharing with family/friends. I do not currently have many real life friends reading this. Maybe 5 people.
Goal of the Week, Goal of the Day and Goal of the Month.
I will post my full training plan and weekly rundowns of how half marathon/marathon training is going.
Exciting events happening in the near future!! I can NOT wait!!
Updates on the fun things we do year round. Birthdays, Camping Trips, Vacations, and lots of pictures included.
What I am eating and drinking.
and much much more!

Goal of the Day: Run with Lenny after work. It's gotta be quick, Love hates when I run after dark!

What would you like to see on "Miles In Murray"?

Weekend Round Up

2011-01-16T21:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been a busy busy girl! I can't remember Thursday or Friday so I can't recap it. II sucked at blogging. I was on a roll though. Getting back to that today.

Today's Goal of the Day was to throw away clothes that I am NOT going to wear anymore.It was accomplished. I did that right when I got home from work. I have a HUGE stack of clothes waiting to go to the big brother, big sisters program :) I love donating, it makes me feel so great :)

Saturday morning I was up at 8, but cuddled in bed with my Love and pups. It was so nice. We finally got out of bed at 9. Chad(the boyfriend) had a dentist appointment at 10:00 so I hit up the gym. I did 25 minutes on the eliptical and 20 minutes on the treadmill. I have officially purchased a 24 hour fitness membership and so far it is great. I got to the gym at 10:03 and left at about 11:.00. I hit up the grocery store for a couple of items for lunch. Once I got home, I ate a 1 egg and 2 egg white with spinach and tomato scramble, 1 piece of honey whole wheat toast and 2 clementines. Then, I made blueberry chocolate chip muffins. Chaddy LOVED them. I showered and got all dolled up and then sat around for the rest of the day. It was a waste of makeup, but I felt good about myself haha.

Today, I woke up and went to the gym at 10:00 yet again. Once home I repeated yesterday's brunch only with a blueberry muffin in place of the toast. Then, I worked 12-6. The rest of today invovled cleaning out the dresser and closet, laundry, cleaning the kitchen, eating roast(Lovey makes the BEST roast!) and french beans, now I am blogging and then hitting bed. See you with the Goal of the Day tomorrow morning!

How was your weekend? Did you do anything exciting?

What is your favorite piece of workout equipment at the gym?

Workout and Breakfast: In Style

2011-01-12T08:14:00.000-08:00

Workout: 15 Minute Warmup and 2.5 miles on the treadmill(Ran 2 walked half).
Breakfast: Maple Syrup Oatmeal with a Banana and White Chocolate Peanut Butter!(SOOO GOOD!)

I can't believe that half marathon training starts on Monday the 27th. Ahhhh....I am so excited! I know for sure I can do SO MUCH BETTER this year.

Before we get started on the fun, I wanted to let you know that I have decided on a new blog name and actually opened the blog up. Do you plan on following me to my new home? It should be up by Monday morning! I am soo excited. I have a lot of great ideas for that space.

The Gorgeous Paula over at Eat: Watch: Run has gifted me the "Stylish Blogger Award"! Thank you so much Paula, I love getting these fun awards :)

There are 4 duties to perform to accept this award:
1. Make a post + Link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they’ve won!

7 Things About ME!
1. I eat the chocolate outside of the Reese's before the peanut butter centers.

2. My due date(when I was in my momma's tummy) was April 1st. I stayed in that warm little home 8 days past that....Procrastination at its finest!
3. I only have a handful of pictures of Chad and I. He hates having his picture taken. This being the cutest EVER!

4. One day, when I was 5, I was supposed to be at cheer practice, but I had serious issues with paying attention. So, instead I crashed my bike into a fence and my lip went right through the metal handle bar. I had reconstructive surgery. I still have a thick scar on my lower lip from it, but I absolutely love it!
5. I am a nail biter, but am currently trying my booty off to quit! Ahhh....
6. I LOVE beer! Especially Blue Moon with 2 oranges squeezed in it. Yum!

7. My cousin's cousin started calling me Tiffi Tata's when I was 19 or so and there are a few people who still call me that! The truth is, I love the nickname.

I TAG ANYONE WHO READS THIS BLOG THAT HASN'T RECEIVED THIS AWARD! YOU ALL ROCK!!

Weigh In, Weekend and GOTD

2011-01-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope your weekend treated you well.

Friday night, we did a whole bunch of watching movies and relaxing. After work, I went to 24hour fitness and picked up my trial membership. I will give you the low down when the 7 day trial is up.

Saturday morning I had a Body Combat class at a local studio giving a free class to try out new moves. It was AWESOME! I was soooo sweaty and breathing heavy after the hour long class. It was absolutely worth waking up at 7:45AM on a Saturday for. After that, I went to the gym to use the trial membership for the first time. I hopped on the DREADmill and it was terrible. I have such a horrible time running on them. I literally ran 1 mile and hopped onto an eliptical for a half hour. After my 1hr and 40minute workout at the gym/Body Combat I DID NOTHING all day.

Sunday was all about running errands, cleaning watching movies and eating grass fed top sirloin steak! AMAZING!

This mornings weigh in had me at............

129.8

That is a 2.6 pound loss for the week! Taken, thank you! I am safely into the 120's and only 9.9 pounds away from being under the 120's for the first time in 13 years! Woohoo! Next week I hope to lose 1.5 pounds.

Today's Goal of the Day: Do Jillian Michael's 6 week 6 pack DVD!

Did you do anything exciting and new this weekend?

Already Completed Goal of the Day....

2011-01-07T17:56:00.000-08:00

...But did not tell you what it was.

Goal of the Day: Go to 24hour fitness and find out about their rates.

I have completed that and have a week free pass to "try it out". Depending on how it goes with the actual working out, I think they are the clear choice for me. They are 10 minutes or so closer, less than a mile from my house, they give you the ability to freeze memberships(which will be nice if there is ever an injury), and a few other things. So, we will see how it goes.

I do have another Goal of the Day for today though.

NEW Goal of the Day: Work out at 24hour fitness tonight after dad's birthday party!

GOTD Update

2011-01-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday's goal of the day didn't quite pan out, but I am calling it a success.

Today's GOTD: Make it back to the gym and hopefully run 4 miles!

I did not run. However, I did speak to 24 hour fitness about the best time I can come in. They said between 8AM and 9PM. Well, I work from 8:30AM to 5 PM and then 6PM to 9PM. So, those times don't work for me. So, I gave it my best effort.

I called up one of the besties(Hi Ash!) and started talking to her. She is a member of Gold's Gym. I asked her if she would be interested in taking some classes with me if I join and she said YES!! Woo hoo! I love getting stinky with friends!

Today's Goal of the Day: Get my booty into Gold's Gym and talk about memberships!

What is your goal for today?

I don't need no babysitter....

2011-01-05T09:45:00.000-08:00

This morning started out SUPERB! I woke up out of bed and sprang to my feet. Okay, okay...I hit snooze 2 times! Got up at 5:10AM put on my gym clothes and was out the door. Then, I noticed I forgot my headphones. Back inside it was. Grabbed my headphones and took off for the gym. Then, I realized I forgot my water bottle. I said awe screw it, I can make it 4 miles without my water.

So, I get to 24 hour fitness to (hopefully) redeem my 7 day free pass. I walk in and the kid doesn't understand what I am asking(he was holding the coupon mind you). So, I explain it to him again. His response, "You can only redeem these after 8AM because the manager has to be present! Can you come back later today". Really? I don't need a babysitter, can't you just let me use it so I can decide whether to join or not? I mean I understand rules and shiz, but it did not say anything on the coupon about certain times you could redeem it. I was PISSED when I left. Today I feel like....maybe I am getting some anger problems!? I just wanted to effing workout HARD! Oh well, I am calling the manager today to see what time "babysitting" hours end. Hopefully, I can make it in there after work tonight(9:30PM) which I am NOT happy about by the way.

End Rant!

The boyfriend and I went to Costco last night and picked me up a SWEET juicer :) So, expect some juicing stories in the near future!

Yesterday's GOTD: Clean out all of the CRAP from the fridge and the pantry.

GOTD Status: Completed!

Today's GOTD: Make it back to the gym and hopefully run 4 miles!

"I don't HAVE to get up and go to the gym at 5AM, I CHOOSE to!"

It's 7:11 in the morning...

2011-01-04T06:28:00.000-08:00

....and I am actually blogging. Blogging in the morning will work out perfectly for my schedule. As Love leaves for work at 6:45. I don't have to be in the shower until 7:20 or days like today when I am NOT washing my hair, it will be more like 7:30.

I woke up and did 15 minutes of Jillian's 6 week 6 pack DVD. Man, that is tough. I only did 15 minutes because I didn't have time to do the whole thing AND blog. So, I decided I will do what I can and finish it later or do Jillian's yoga meltdown DVD later.

A couple of more things to add to my new years resolutions are:

**I will drink 1-2 cups of coffee before leaving for work in the mornings. That way I can be focused solely on water consumption all day.

**I will also drink 20 oz. of water before the coffee in the mornings.

**Remember to take vitamins/iron supplements everyday.

I couldn't get through to 100 oz of water yesterday because I had a 24 oz of coffee to finish and it took me until about 11 AM to do it.

I realize that my resolutions will be all about baby steps. Starting with the getting up at 5AM. Today, I just COULD NOT DO IT! Not even at 6 I couldn't. My iron deficiency is really kicking my trash lately. I need more veggies/red meat and less sugar and CRAP!

Today's menu:
BF: Oatmeal with raisins, PB and a banana that if I don't eat within 20 minutes will surely be bad ;)
Lunch: Spaghetti Squash with Sauce
Snack: Apples with White Chocolate PB(?Maybe)
Dinner is going to be Prime Rib, I believe and a big salad.

Today's Agenda, assuming it pans out is Costco. I really love buying fruits/veggies from them because you get SO MUCH!

I am also going to start doing a "Goal of the Day"! Baby steps...Baby steps.

Today's GOTD: Clean out all of the CRAP from the fridge and the pantry.

What is your Goal for the Day? I hope you have a fabulous day, because you ARE FABULOUS :)

Happy New Year...

2011-01-03T08:38:00.000-08:00

So, I weighed this morning. Not Good! I have officially gained more than 8 pounds since April. I am sitting at a high 132.4 today. I was maintaining within 5 pounds of my lowest weight, but the holidays packed it right back on. I am sooo determined to get to my goal this year. I will lose 2 pounds by next Monday!

I have to whip my booty back in shape! This is not good. Clothes are getting tight and I refuse to buy new ones. I am getting lazy and that is one thing I never wanted to do again.

Here are my "resolutions":
**I will do some form of exercise every day and report it here. Whether it be taking Lenny for a walk or doing a Jillian DVD.

**I will wake up at 5AM Monday-Friday, but Saturday and Sunday I get to sleep in.

**I will blog at 5AM before I workout.

**I will drink at least 100 oz. of water a day.

**I will reincorporate clean eating into my diet.

**I will cut portion sizes.

**I will run the SLC Half Marathon in under 2:10:00.

**I will run 3 half marathons this year(more to come on the previous 11 halfs and 1 full goal I set).

**I will be better about tidying my house daily with a deep clean once a week.

**I will read at least 20 pages of Eat.Pray.Love a day. After that, 20 pages a day of the next book I read.

**I will make an effort to contact at least 1 friend or family member I don't normally talk to once a week.

**I will put down the computer at night and spend that time with Love.

**I will get to work at 8:25AM or before and be a better employee.

**I WILL WORK ON PAYING ATTENTION AND FOCUSING IN ALL OF THE TASKS I AM DOING!

2011 is going to be a great year, no matter what happens!

I am still working on the new blog. I will have it up eventually, but it is going to take some time to really get the right name/design/feeling that I want it to have to represent me :)

How is your new year so far?

2 Weeks Flew By....

2010-12-28T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have a lot going on right now. If I am not working, I am home cleaning/doing nothing/sleeping. Even with how crazy the holidays were, I still had time to get in a lot of workouts, but made the choice NOT TO! I am a big loser!

I have been thinking a lot and I would like to become a little less Anonymous. I don't feel this blog reflects who I truly am. It only reflects who I am as far as fitness goes. My posts don't flow the way I want them to. They don't reflect my outgoing, goofy, fun personality. I was reading some old posts and thought ~~blah blah blaaaa~~ I can improve this blog in so many ways. I seem kind of boring...and well, that is lame!

I also have a ton of ideas that I would really like to share. Plus, I have had many people ask me(or even my family) how I lost weight or even saying I am an inspiration to them(which just about makes me cry everytime someone says it). So, I want a place that they can come to see just what I am doing and maybe showing them through my blog that they can do it to.

So, with the new year, I will have a new blog!

Until then, here are some little known facts about me:
* I am 25 years old.
* I have naturally curly hair(hair how-tos to come).
* I am working on grasping fashion.
* Love and I have been together for 3.5 years now.
* I am a nail biter and trying to kick the habit.
* I have only been in 6 states(Hawaii, Utah, California, Nevada, Arizona and Idaho.)
* In Junior High I was in the school newspaper as a Keri Russell(star of Felicity the TV Show) look a like.
* FRIENDS will always be my favorite TV Show.
* My part time job is selling clip in extensions.
* I played tennis for 3 years and we took the championship 3 years in a row.
* I have danced essentially my whole life. My style now is more just my own.
* I am a reformed "bad/party girl". Thanks mostly to Love.
* My mom was 15 when she had my brother, my dad was 19.
* My siblings are 30 and 21. There are still NO GRANDKIDS!
* I am only 4'11'' tall.

That is enough for now!

Next time I see you will HOPEFULLY be me announcing my new blog to you :)

The Plan and The Actual

2010-12-14T06:24:00.001-08:00

The Plan:

Breakfast-Oatmeal with pumpkin and 1/2 a banana.

Snack-Other 1/2 of banana

Lunch-Salad with leftover pasta and a jello cup

Snack-Grapes and a Cheese Stick

Dinner-Chicken burritos(My Favorite Homemade Meal :) with a salad

Desert-Pumpkin Chocolate Chips

Actual:
Breakfast-Oatmeal with pumpkin and 1/2 a banana
Snack-None
Lunch-Salad, Leftover Pasta, Jello, and a Cheese Stick
Snack-2 Clementines
Snack Again-2 Pumpkin Cookies and 1 Thumbprint cookie
Dinner-2 Chicken Burritos
Desert-Nana

So, my eating on Monday was a little out of whack. I am not happy about it per se, but it is a choice. So, I will do better today and control myself around the cookies(love love love them!!)

I have a new running buddy....

2010-12-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

This is Lenny. He is an almost 3 year old border collie/blue heeler mix. I don't take him for walks hardly ever. Seeing as to how I am going to start running between 5:30 and 6:00AM, I will feel safer with him by my side.

Obviously, my goal of food blogging fell through this week. Let's try it again. I do have pictures, but I can't remember what order they go in and what meals/snacks I missed.

So, tomorrow's planned menu is:

Breakfast-Oatmeal with pumpkin and 1/2 a banana.

Snack-Other 1/2 of banana

Lunch-Salad with leftover pasta and a jello cup

Snack-Grapes and a Cheese Stick

Dinner-Chicken burritos(My Favorite Homemade Meal :) with a salad

Desert-Pumpkin Chocolate Chips(Homemade and I will post about that for sure!)

How has your weekend been?

The best part of getting lost....

2010-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

...is finding your way again!

It is obvious I have been struggling lately. I can't make excuses because I haven't made the time to focus on my running or exercise. I do have time to do it, I just don't MAKE time!

I feel lost, like I am not doing my best in my running. The truth behind it is, I was getting so discouraged because I slacked off on the running and when I tried to get back into it, I wasn't running nearly as fast as when I was doing it like I was running to save my life! It was discouraging. I was turning on the treadmill and wanting to run at 6.0 speed, but my ability was more of a 5.5-5.7. I am still trying to get over that. It is so hard to acknowledge that I let myself slip from being in the middle stages of fitness. I was just starting to get really toned and loving my body to only give it up.

However, after some reflection on the exercise front, I am rejuvenated! I am so ready to drop some more weight and get to my goal of 109. Kelly Osbourne(on the cover of Shape) weighs 112 pounds and I would LOVE to look like that! So, beginning tomorrow, I will be hitting the gym, meeting with Jillian, and running outside(the treadmill thing fell through)!

Also, this week I have challenged myself to food blog every single day from Monday's breakfast through Sunday's dinner!

Here's to a GREAT week! Cheers!

Fantastic Breakfast Idea!

2010-12-05T20:40:00.000-08:00

So, I have been eating the same thing essentially every morning since Monday. The recipe is easy:

Whatever veggies you want to eat, for me...

This batch is
Mushrooms
Red Pepper
Orange Pepper

5 egg whites
4 full eggs

1. Saute up veggies of your choice
2. Beat the eggs
3. Add sauteed veggies to beaten eggs
4. Grease a pan(in my case, I lay tinfoil down and spray Pam in it)
5. Throw in the oven at 350
6. Set timer for 15 minutes
and Voila!

A delicious, clean and healthy breakfast! I heat up a square of it and toast up a sandwich thin. It holds me over from about 8:30AM to 1:30 or 2PM. I always bring a snack "just in case" and have only needed it once.

Just throwing ideas out for my favorite bloggy's!

Oooo Ooooo Look At Me!

2010-12-01T09:54:00.000-08:00

I am posting. Holy moly! I have missed you guys and keeping you all up to date on my life. I have tons going on right now, so let's play a little game of catch up!

With my parent's divorce still going on the holidays are much different. Now, instead of mom and dad's on thanksgiving day and grandma's house the following Saturday. It would be dad's house on Thanksgiving, mom's house on Thanksgiving AND grandma's house the Saturday after. This year, we said you know...we aren't going to do that. So, we cooked at home. Just Babe and I! It was sooo nice. We never do the holiday season by ourselves and I loved having dinner just the 2 of us. We did also go to my Grandma's house for a little while on Saturday.
I am currently working 2 jobs(well have been for a year). Which is about 14-18 hours a week more than just the 40. So, by the time I get home, I am EXHAUSTED!
Babe and I do our own Christmas shopping. He is so picky that just about everything I have ever bought for him, he has returned. So now, he just buys his own and I buy my own. So, our Christmas shopping is almost done...minus ONE MORE BIG EXCITING GIFT TO FIND. More on that later in this post.
I have recently reconnected with a friend from high school and have been hanging out with her and her family quite often and it's been great.
My friend Jenn planned/hosted a party for our friend Ashley and oh my word...was it fun!! My girlfriends really make my life better! They are so goofy and we have fun talking about every subject!
We have SO MUCH SNOW here in SLC! The blizzard we were suppose to get was all talk no action, but that is fine by me.

So, I have to admit. I have NOT been weighing or paying too much attention to what I am eating/drinking and that has got to stop. I feel so terrible. I don't really care what the number on the scale says. It doesn't make me feel nearly as bad as my body is feeling about the way I have been treating it. Not enough fruits/veggies. Plenty of alcohol, sweets, carbs and no exercise. BOO!

I am on a mission. I have some goals in mind and I am bound and determined to get to where I want to be.

I promise myself that I will....

...re-incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet!
...cut out unnecessary carbs from my diet!
...NOT drink a beer(or 2) every night!
...get back on the running bandwagon!
...get some new workout DVDs(Hi Jillian Michael 6 pack ab challenge)!
...get to goal in 2011!

I really wanted to hit my goal in 2010, but I haven't given it my all! No excuses, I just haven't made the time to eat right and exercise. So, I am obviously not going to reap the rewards. However, I want the rewards and will do anything to get them!

The first step is to eat better. I haven't gone overboard, but I have let a few things "slide". I haven't eaten enough fruits/veggies and my body can tell a difference. I am already on top of this one. So, I just have to keep working to tighten it up some more.

The second step is to get back to running! I miss running so much. Sometimes I feel like a part of me is missing and I know it is the daily runs that are lacking! Which brings me to my EXCITING CHRISTMAS GIFT! I am getting a treadmill! Woohoo!! Love and I are going to start shopping tonight. I am probably going to buy one used, but that is fine by me. It just has to last me a couple of years. My ultimate goal is to have a spin bike, eliptical, rowing machine and treadmill. For now though, the treadmill will barely fit in my house and I am okay with that :)

I am very out of shape right now, but I do plan on fulfilling my 11 half marathons and 1 full in 2011. Even if I have to walk all of January's. I am looking forward to the SLC half this year though. I did it in exactly 2:16:00 last year and this coming year, I would just like to beat that time by 1 second or 20 minutes, I don't care!!

I am ready to push myself to the limits!!

I have been reading blogs still, but have had no time to comment! Thanks for all of the love and support you have offered me :)

Hmmm....

2010-11-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

No wonder nobody reads this here blog....I only post 1 time a week. Lame!

Don't think I have stopped fighting the good fight! I am here. Clean Eating...Check! Working Out...Check! Busy Busy...Check! Still Working Towards the 2011 Goals...Check!!

I take pride in the fact that I am a problem solver. I haven't run more than 3 miles since the half. I am just feeling sooo out of shape and SO over the treadmill. However, getting outside to run is kind of hard right now. First, it is DARK out when I wake up(and would prefer to workout) and second, it is dark when I get home. Now I know people run in the dark all the time. It is just there has been 2 attacks on my running trail. Even worse, I know of 6 people being attacked on other running trails within a 20 mile radius. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE RUNNING IN THE DARK! I don't know what to do in this situation. I have pepper spray, but is that enough? Do I join Gold's Gym where they have cardio cinema to ease the treadmill boredom? What do you think? Any advice? The first thing I am going to hear is that I need a running buddy. Uh..yeah! That would rock if I had a buddy that would like to push and be pushed in return, but I don't. I have posted looking for running buddies on facebook, but everyone is flaky. I have been thinking about finding a running club, but I think they meet 1 or 2 times a week and I want to run 4 or 5. Or even buying my own treadmill.

Anyways...your advice is appreciated!

11 In 2011....

2010-11-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys and Dolls....

So, I hopped on the scale Monday and about cried. I saw 130.4. I vowed to never be in the 130's again after fighting for a solid 4 or 5 months to get outta them. Although, it was a wake up call that I needed very much. So, thank you scale :) Today, I weighed 129.8 which makes me feel a tad better, but still shows I have A LOT of work to do.

I feel much better today. Saturday's half just kicked my trash. I couldn't walk up and down stairs well at all until today. I ran around for a few minutes at work and I feel great. I need to get more training underway because I have a HUGE goal for 2011.........

11 Half Marathons in 11 months(1 per month)....AND

1 Full Marathon in Las Vegas in December!!

If I complete my goal of 11 half's in 11 months, I have spoken to Love and he says we can budget for a little Vegas getaway for me to run my full marathon! I have given a lot of thought to this goal and I think it is totally doable. I just need to stay focused, committed and enough dinero for new shoes/running gear! I have faith in myself to do this and faith that I can chronical this journey here!

I am sooo excited for 2011!!!!!

Tell me your goal for 2011!

The Day After....

2010-10-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I woke up to go pee at 7:37AM and O....M....G....I was NOT quick to hop out of bed. I hurt so badly. My muscles were killin' me. I thought I was gonna cry. I went back to bed until about 9AM.

I woke up and ate a nutrigrain bar followed with a lortab for my muscle pain.
Did some cleaning/organizing of my house.
Then, took a break for lunch!

Side Salad with poppy seed dressing

PF Changs Orange Chicken(found in the frozen food aisle) with a 1/2 cup of brown rice

All Together!! I loved the PF Changs meal. Love takes most of the chicken and I take the veggies and a couple of pieces of chicken. The flavor was a touch spicy, but not overkill.

I then decided to take a nap for about an hour. Then it was back to laundry.

I needed a little sugar rush so I had...

I love peanut M&M's, but I can't keep them around the house. Luckily(or not), we only had 5 trick or treaters this year. So, I get a lot of leftover M&M's. Uh...I promise myself I will be gentle.

A few hours later I was ready for dinner.

I had 2 tostadas with a tostada shell, beans, hamburger meat, cheese and salsa. It was perfect! I really was ready for a simple meal that also happens to be a classic meal in our house :)

Overall, the food was pretty dang good today. Not enough veggies, but I still incorporated what veggies I do have into my day.

We went to the grocery store and picked up some celery, coffee creamer, tomatoes, spinach, and classic romaine salad. After this is posted I am going to plan out this weeks meal plan. I don't normally do that, but I would like to get in the habit of doing so, that way we wasted less food and MONEY!

Tomorrow, I have some pretty awesome things to share with you, including:

*The half marathon recap

*1st weigh in of November

*Fitness goal for 2011

I am sooo excited to be back and working to become consistent in blogging, getting to goal and attaining the fitness level I know I can :O)

How are you doing on your journey? I will be around to visit y'all shortly....

Another Half Marathon!!

2010-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

2:25:39....I will be back to give you the full run down!

Still Running....In The Right Direction!

2010-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello! I hope to get my schedule nailed down and moving a little slower. However, for right now, I will blog when I can catch a few minutes on a computer!

I am still moving in the right direction. Eating well. For instance, today's eats:

Breakfast: Greek Yogurt, Banana, Blueberry, and Strawberry Shredded Wheat Cereal
Lunch: A large salad with a 1/2 cup of soup.
Snack: 1/2 Apple and Peanut Butter
Dinner: Salmon, Spinach w/ Tomatoes and string cheese.
Desert: 1/4ish cup of peppermint ice cream and a mini pumpkin chocolate chip cookie.

All in all, I am feeling great. I mentioned a few posts back that I am not weighing myself in October and I have stuck to it. The number on the scale doesn't define me!

The other day, Love and I were talking and I asked him, "Honey, does it look like I am gaining weight?" His response, "No, but you don't look as fit as you did before!" He didn't say it in a hurtful way, he was being honest and that is exactly what I needed to kick my butt into gear. Since that conversation, I realized that I don't just want to eat right, I want to exercise right as well. I want my body to reflect fitness and athleticism.

Here is the plan that I have been following for 2 weeks now:

Proper portions of "good for you" foods.
No coffee or soda during the week. No soda period!
Gym 5-6 days a week. I have been waking up at 4:45AM the past few days.
Small desert portions....because I love sweets and if I resist, I will binge. So, small portions it is! :)
Run the half marathon next weekend. Uh...I really haven't trained properly, but I am going to run/walk and just do my best :)

What are the goals you are focusing on for your journey? Losing weight? Being Thin? Aquiring Fitness?

Day 1...

2010-10-11T19:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the comments...it really boosted my mood!

Day 1 went well.

Breakfast: Greek yogurt, blueberries, shredded wheat mixed together in the appropriate proportions.
Lunch: 1/2 cup of soup and a salad with a touch of dressing and half of a protein luna bar.
Dinner: 1/2 cup of soup, more salad with a little dressing and 1 strawberry candy(35 calories)

I also ran 5 miles in 52:29. Not my best, but not horrible for all that I haven't been doing...HA! I feel ready to get back on track :)

How are you doing?

Dear Friends..........

2010-10-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

I am alive and NOT very well!

I need to find the motivation to get back to the fit Tiff that I had found, but it is soooo hard!

Here's to Day One starting in the AM!

Love,
Tiff

P.S. I am still reading, but from my crappy phone I can't do much commenting!! I am thinking of all of you!

Runs...

2010-09-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!!

I had a pretty decent running week last week. 4.5 miles Monday, 3 miles on Thursday, 4 miles on Saturday and 9 miles on Sunday!

Monday's run was the best run I have ever had. It was the fastest and least mentally challenging. I couldn't believe how quick I was going and with little to no fatigue.

Thursday's run...Ha....3 miles in 28:56! I was quite proud of that and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, I have found my stride and I really could be a fast runner.

Saturday's run...well, it was awful. I was tired and just not wanting to run as hard and fast as I know I can. It was a pace run. So, I should have pushed myself to run 9:50 miles. Did it happen...no! I averaged a 10:08. I am not going to beat myself up too badly, but I was frustrated for sure. I kept telling myself, 'You have to take the good with the bad, Tiff! Your last training program you rocked basically all but 3 of the runs. C'mon, you can do it sis!'. Did it help? Meh....yes and no!

Sunday's run...it was just insane and annoying.
Mile 1: 10:22
Mile 2: 11:01
Mile 3: 11:03
Mile 4: 11:44
Mile 5: 11:42
Mile 6: 11:22
Mile 7: 11:44
Mile 8: 11:38
Mile 9: 11:51

I read somewhere that you are supposed to do your long runs 1 minute to 1.5 minutes slower per mile. I want to run this with an average of 9:50 or so per mile. I am nowhere close to that. One of the biggest factors to my poor performance yesterday was that it was HOT! I have not spent a lot of time running in the heat this summer. I ran in the 90 degree weather 3 times and wanted to die! Yesterday, I left the house when it was 65 degrees and thought, 'Oh, that is pretty decent. 50's would be better, but whatever!'. Yeah, when I got home my thermostat said it was 85 degrees. No wonder. Especially because I was caring powerade and that was the only hydration I had. The water fountain along the trail I took has been broken forever. Duh! I should have worn the backpack.

At mile 6.5, I sat down and cried for a minute. I needed the shade because I thought I was going to pass out for the better part of 6 miles. I am really stressed with the divorce, family issues, working 2 jobs, taking care of the household chores and now going into the busy season of work....I promised I was going to kick the last 2.5 miles butts. That didn't happen, but I. DID. FINISH! That's what I am proud of.

10 miles on Saturday and I will:

Properly hydrate before and during the run.
Not pressure myself too much.
Push myself.
Run in the morning when it is cooooooooolllll!!!

Have a great week everybody!! See ya tomorrow!!

CSN Review

2010-09-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Ladies and Gents! How is your day treating you? Crazy for me to post 2 times in one day, but I really am hoping to get here more often....as in daily :)

Remember a while back when I had a giveaway? Well, thanks to CSN Stores I have the opportunity to do a review and I am sooo excited.

CSN Stores has everything from dining room chairs to Picture Frames and my favorite SHOES!!!!!. I love a place that I can do 1 stop shopping because really, I am a busy, busy lady.

I don't really know what I will be doing my review on. I figured I have a healthy living blog, so I need something cooking/fitness related. Stay tuned for my review!

126.3

2010-09-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

So, I am up .4 lbs this weigh in, but all is okay. I have been between 125 and 128 for the past few months. That all ends here. I am going to kick my diet into shape and fast. Clean eating does make me feel SOOOOO much better. So, I will be going grocery shopping tonight. I haven't had time to do a grocery shop/meal plan in a few weeks with having to work 15+ hours extra a week at the part time gig. Plus, camping, a social life, cleaning, and the fair.

Did I mention we went to the fair on Saturday? Well, we did. The breeding ground for poor food choices. I had 4 blue moons(2 at the fair & 2 at home), ate less than a 1/4 of the pork and rice bowl that Love ordered, but decided he didn't want-we switched, he ate my chicken legs and rice while I had the pork with veggies and rice-and I didn't have 1 sweet treat while we were there. I wanted something sweet, but nothing sounded good. So, I skipped it! Go me! Also, I just ate the pork bowl until I felt satisfied and just threw the rest away.

The goal for my weigh in on the 6th is to be down 2 pounds into 124. Then, I will not weigh again until the Wednesday after my half marathon! So, I am hoping to be 122 or even 120 by that time.

I am off of the part time gig until next Saturday. So, I am going to use this time wisely and really focus on getting back into weight loss/marathon mode. Today I plan to grocery shop after I head out for a 3 mile run and coming home to do some lunges/squats/pushups/crunches.

I hope you all have a fantastic day! See ya tomorrow!

Best! Run! Ever!!!

2010-09-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

4.5 miles in 42:47.
Mile 1: 9:20
Mile 2: 9:36
Mile 3: 9:06
Mile 4: 10:05
Mile 4-4.51: 4:38(9:08)

I took a short break at the half way point and at mile 4.32. Then, sprinted to 4.51!

I have never been so proud of myself!!

First Steps to Planning....

2010-09-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys!! How many of you still read my ish over here? :)

So, I got to some thinking today at the part time gig after I read Annie's comment on my post yesterday. Maybe HCG isn't the right thing for me right now. I haven't been putting my all into it, so no wonder why I am not close to my goal. So now, I can at least start to figure out where I want to go from here.

Options:

I could start my half marathon training today(this was pre-written on Sunday so I am thinking of starting Monday) right where I was supposed to. I know I can run 4.5 miles, it is Saturday's 9 miles that would kick my butt.
I could focus on getting my speed and mileage to a good place.
I could just focus on losing the weight only and not focus too hard on my running, more on losing weight.
Or I could do a combination of all of the above.

I am choosing the last one. I am going to try my best to get up to my speed and endurance for the half marathon. I have 6 weeks to do this so.....

Folks, it is time to see what I am made of!

Wish me luck!

Tomorrow...Weigh In.

Hopes Fading....

2010-09-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, my hopes of running the half marathon are starting to come to an end. Between not training enough and now with being sick...I just don't know if the Halloween Half is going to happen. I know I shouldn't say this, but I am okay with that. I reallly want to focus on getting to my goal. Even though, I am still reevaluating what that means.

Confession...I am debating doing 1 round of HCG.
Now, I have always been against the HCG diet because it is a quick fix. Most of the time, they gain all of the weight right back. I don't mean to sound hypocritical, but really, I think it could work in my favor. I have no problem maintaining. I have been sitting at 125 +or- a pound or so for the last 4 months. Maintaining is not a problem, but I am discouraged that I have stopped losing. I know people who have done it and some have succeeded and some have not. I am torn as to whether to try it or not.

Tell me What do you think of HCG?

Taking It Back.....

2010-09-14T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's been forever since I have been here for a true post! I am sooo very sorry(to those who care haha). We're going to cover a lot in this post:

What I have been up to....non healthy lifestyle related
What I have been up to.....healthy lifestyle related
Weight Loss goals!
Goals in general
Skinny Days vs. Fat Days

First up, What I have been up to...non healthy lifestyle related:

I went camping 2 weekends ago and it consisted of a LOT of Jager and Rockstars, which I followed up with some cigars and even cigarettes(BARF!). Tangent: I smoked from age 12-18 on and off. Once I turned 19, I was a 1-2 pack a day smoker. Yeah, I was that girl. I was overweight, ate fast food 2-3 times a day, smoked like a chimney, and drank my body weight in liquor. Then, I met Love and that all changed. I have been smoke free(minus the camping trip) for 2 years. End Tangent! I have been working 3 night shifts and one weekend shift at the part time gig. The money is not a necessity per se, I am saving just in case. On my days off from the part time gig, I clean! It's becoming hard to keep up with it. So, I have obviously been crazy busy and let blogging/commenting fall to the wayside. I do read blogs, but do it on my phone and most sites I can't comment on....so, just know I am keeping up :)

What I have been up to.....healthy lifestyle related:

I have been making pretty good food choices, however the portion sizes have been WAY off! Sunday I was up 6 pounds from 3 weeks ago and I believe it. Tomorrow I will weigh in and see how that goes. I am saying a little prayer for sure. With the working/cleaning/camping schedule, I have not had much time to work out. I do 10 minutes even if that is all I have, but didn't workout at all for over a week....so bad! I am trying to pick myself up and move forward.

Weight Loss goals!:

I was at 130 on Sunday and am sooo upset with myself for that. I want to be at 110. That means 20 pounds to lose and it is tough! I am going to give up the scale the whole month of October and see where I am at after the half marathon on the 30th. I am getting my eating/portions back on track and I am getting my cute ass to goal!

Goals in general:

I had originally planned to run the halloween half marathon in under 2 hrs and 10 minutes, however I have slacked in the training department. So, I am just aiming for better than 2 hrs and 16 minutes(the time of my first half). I started my training schedule on Sunday which is 4 weeks later than I had planned. So, I am hoping that the pain of the past 2 runs goes away and I get my fitness back up to par ASAP! Another goal I would like to achieve is get on a strength training schedule. I need some muscles.

As I mentioned above, I began 1/2 marathon training on Sunday. I decided 6 miles was a good amount to shoot for. Mile 1 & 2 were a little tough...I was mentally there, but physically I wasn't feeling great. Miles 3 & 4 rocked! I was cruising and really found my groove! Miles 5&6 I constantly repeated "I am taking it back!" "I am taking my health and fitness back!" "I took the time off and now I have to push to get it back!" "You can do it, you are doing great!"! I finished in 1:03:48s. Which is great for me considering that I haven't run that far since April! It feels good to be back to running! Just gotta stay mentally strong!

Today, I ran 3.5ish miles because my Garmin was being stupid! Check out the sweat on my back and post workout glow!

Today, I ate very well:
Breakfast: Blueberries, Pineapple, Greek Yogurt, and Fiber One cereal.
Lunch: Chicken & Pepper wrap with baked BBQ chips(Not horrible, but my carrots went bad and my tummy was begging for the chips)
Dinner..In Pictures!

I started with 2 handfuls of lettuce.

Add cooked chicken and peppers. Top with Poppyseed dressing!

And VOILA...a DELICIOUS salad!

I have been having skinny days this week and it is soooo frustrating because I see the change in my body, but then I wake up and I see the 175 pound girl again! It is sooooo frustrating!

Do You Have Skinny Days? How Do You Deal With Fat Days?

Working On A Plan...

2010-09-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

I had sooo much fun camping!! There was a lot of food, friends, booze, and fun!! Now, it is time to get a plan into action!

Tomorrow(Tuesday) I will weigh in. I will have Love take photos of me in a sports bra and shorts. I will take measurements. I will have a plan in place to finally get to goal!

Expect a long post tomorrow from me with all of the plans for getting to goal!

I hope you all had a fabulous labor day weekend! I will leave you with an awesome picture I took on the way back to the valley today :)

It's a moose! She was very photogenic and very aware that we were there!

Not back yet....

2010-09-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

My computer charger will be here today. Which will put me here more regularly...YAY!! However, this weekend is our final camping trip of the season. So, I will not return until Monday or Tuesday. Upon my return, I will have photos from this weekend!!!

Can't wait to come back more regularly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you guys are doing awesome!!

And the winner is...................

2010-08-23T20:53:00.000-07:00

CORLETTA!!!!

Corletta, please send your email address to continuouschanges@gmail.com to claim your prize!

Thank you everyone for entering. I plan on having another giveaway soon!!

I made it to my one year date and unfortunately, I had a gain. 1.3 pounds. That is okay because the number on the scale is not the most important thing in the world. The most important thing is that I have changed my life....for good!

I will be back to posting often ASAP. I haven't had a day off to relax in.....oh, I don't even know. It is constantly run run run these days. I will be visiting you all soon!

Take care!!!

Lunch and Last Day!

2010-08-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Good Morning, y'all!

I hope you are doing well. I am feeling fabulous today. Even though I will be working from 8:30AM-9:00PM. 12.5 hours. That is alright with me. I really want to put a bit of money in savings. You never know in this economy. Nowadays, I save every little penny I can. I used to be a spender, but now, saving really motivates me and makes me feel good about myself.

First things first, MY GIVEAWAY ends tonight at midnight, so go enter!

Also, my lunch for this week has been nothing short of AMAZING. It takes 3 minutes to make. Start with 2 La Tortilla High Fiber Low Carb tortillas. Top each tortilla with 1/2 of a laughing cow cheese(I am in love with the mozerella, sundried tomato and basil one...YUM!). Then, a layer of spinach, a layer of sprouts, and 2 or 3 pieces of turkey. Yum! I eat 2 of these and a cup of frozen grapes and that is what I call PERFECTION! Yum-O!

Say a little prayer for my one year weigh in tomorrow. Will I be under 123, I doubt it, but I will be happy with whatever number I see :)

I really want to change the blog up and have it be about a little more than just weight loss. What topics would you like to see?

Have a great day! See you tomorrow!

Approaching The Anniversary.....

2010-08-17T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today's weigh in has me at....

124.8!!!!!

That is a 1.5 pound loss for the week. I really would like to be in the 122's by my anniversary, but 1.8 pounds is a lot to lose in 4 days. Hmmmm....I will work towards that, but not be disappointed if I don't hit my goal. I have definitely come a long way this year. I have learned a lot and am loving the way my life is heading!

I didn't think I would actually make it to my one year anniversary of my healthy lifestyle journey. I didn't know that I would make it to week 2 ha! I have learned so much this past year. I also had a couple of pretty rough experiences this past year. My grandpa passed away and instead of pushing away my feelings, I ran into them head on.

When my parents told me about their divorce, I described in the post that I was still fuzzy. Well, 10 months hasn't made that any more clear. I am still extremely fuzzy and trying to cope. Lately, I have been trying to really deal with it and move forward, but it is so hard. Especially because they aren't even legally separated, no papers have been filed, I hate my mother's boyfriend, my family doesn't talk and all my parents do is argue. Some days are easier than others, but I will be helping my dad file the divorce papers this week. That will be rough, but at least it will give me a step towards some closure.

These were 2 of the rougher experiences I have ever had, but I didn't let my depression about either stop me from LIVING MY LIFE. It may have had moments where it slowed me down, but I refuse to give up! I want to be a person people look to for inspiration. I want to help others cope in positive ways even after bad things do happen. I have learned to stay positive in dark days, because the light is at the end of the tunnel....even if you have to chase it for a while :)

Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

How do you stay positive when times get tough?

Still Trekkin'....

2010-08-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

Geesh.......I didn't know that you guys would be so enthused about my giveaway*sarcasm* haha. That's okay, that just gives the others a better shot at winning. If you would like, enter between now and Friday at 12:00PM and I will pick the winner with my one blogiversary! Thank you!

Now, I must mention that my computer, sadly, has decided that crapping out was the best thing for it to do. I wanted to blog everyday about how my runs for this second half have gone, but unfortunately, I will have to post a lot less than originally planned for the next week or so. I am still here and living healthy.

Now, my runs last week were so so....
Monday: planned & actual 3 miles
Tuesday: planned 5 x 400 at 5k pace....actual NADA. Lazy bones over here!
Wednesday: planned & actual 3 mile and strength
Thursday: planned & actual Rest.
Friday: planned 3 mile.....actual nothing.
Saturday: planned & actual 5 miles.

Saturdays run sucked bad! I was not mentally in it. My body felt great, but my head was blah, whiny and full! At the half way turn around point, my hydration pack busted! Ummmmm.....*LOTS OF PROFANITY*. Oh well, I dumped the water out and resumed running. I ran it in 54:50. Which isn't awful, but I was disappointed. This week, I have a new attitude. I am determined. I am going to murder Saturday's 6 mile run at the butt crack of dawn!

Speaking of computers and hydration packs breaking, here is a list of things that have broken in the past week:
*Computer-I think this is more a charger issue than the whole computer. So, there is 70 dollars that I have to spend.
*Hydration Pack-Still can't figure out why. It was the 3rd time I have used it.
*Garmin Forerunner 310XT-Yep, I purchased it in January and it has crapped out too. Luckily, Garmin is sending me a charging clip, which should hopefully fix the problem. It is VERY frustrating though.
*My cellphone. I don't know what is worse, the fact that it freezes or shuts off without me knowing. Either way, it is annoying.

I am sure Love thinks I am trying to sabotage all of these things so I can get brand new ones. Ha ha. Honestly though, my computer is 1 year old, hydration pack is 2 months old, garmin is 8 months old and my cellphone is 1 year old. I am pretty sure it is just bad luck. All will be fixed soon.

I just picked up 3 extra shifts a week at my part time job. So, now I will be working full time...part time...training for a half marathon...cleaning my house(I am the only person who does because I am picky about the way it is done)...taking care of 2 dogs...and trying to get some time with my Love. I haven't been this busy in a while and I love it. I am more motivated when I feel non stop, but I get wiped out and too stressed. This time I plan to find a way around the stressing....which will be running. Woohoo!

I went through some emotional eating and although I only gained 2 pounds(which were gone the next week), I wanted to deal with the emotions...not eat them. So, I am confronting some underlying issues with family stuff and am on a healthy path away from my food demons. Trying to listen to my bodies hungry cues and munchy cues.

Tomorrow is weigh in day and I don't feel so focused on the number. I am starting to weigh in just to see how my eating is going. Not necessarily to lose weight, because I know that I am getting smaller. I am officially wearing 4's now. I feel great, I look beautiful and I am happy.

I have been trying to stop by and see you all, but like I said, all of my electronics are crapping out. So, I will get there it just might take some time.

How are you doing? What are you struggling with in terms of weight loss right now?

Giveaway Time!!

2010-08-11T17:08:00.001-07:00

Hi Guys! I will officially be back and better than ever in no time...*AHEM* Tomorrow! But first, my official one year anniversary is on August 21st which is when I will announce the winner of my first giveaway!

Here's the deets:

I was contacted by CSN Stores about doing a giveaway on the blog and my answer was YES, PLEASE! I had heard of CSN stores before, but had never taken the time to research it out. When I hopped on and started looking around all their different websites(200+ actually), I realized I need a new Dutch Oven in the worst way. I also need to get myself a treadmill(which I am still searching for, but need to save the dough before I can make my final decision!) However, this giveaway is not about me, it's about you! So, I will have to purchase me a dutch oven and treadmill on my own dime....Dang :)

What's up for grabs you ask? A $40 gift card, Friends!!

Here's how to enter:

1. Hit up the website and tell me what 1 item you would buy if money was NOT an issue!
2. Be a follower of my blog.
3. Get the word out and post about this giveaway on your blog!

Leave me a separate comment for each entry. I will randomly pick a winner on my 1-year blogi(get healthy)versary!!

Welcome To Half Marathon Training!

2010-08-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of half marathon training.
Today the.....
Number of times I almost threw up today........4!
Number of times I have ran since April.......Uh 10!
Number of weeks until my half marathon.......12!
Number of times I have been pissed at Nimrag the "Garmin"....1,000!
Number of times I have wanted to cry....3!

I have a huge post to put up about some things I have been going through with my family recently. It goes along with my "healthy lifestyle". AND.....I am doing my first GIVEAWAY!! Please come back tomorrrow and enter...You know you LOVE free stuff!!

Food Can Not Define Me....

2010-07-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

So, I have a slight problem. I love the taste of food, most food. I often find myself stuffing my face and stomach with 2nds and 3rds. Even though I never need it, but I want it. It is an addiction. One I don't talk about ever, in fact, I never realized how addicted I was before reflecting on my eating behaviors of the past 8 years or so. I look back at my eating habits and think what the heck have I been doing? No wonder I am stuck at the weight I am. When Love and I go out to eat, I eat my whole plate. It's surprising I don't lick the effing thing. I thought about this a lot today. Sometimes I feel obsessed with food, like it somehow defines the person I am. Sometimes I eat like the overweight person that I was. Others, I eat the amount for the thinner, more fit woman I am these days.

Tonight, I wanted to eat like the woman I was just over a year ago. I will tell you what when I show you my dinner.

Breakfast was the typical strawberries, blueberries, greek yogurt, fiber one, and a scoop of almond butter.
Lunch

Started with a spinach salad topped with roasted squash and zucchini....look familiar?

Steak sandwich with the leftover 2 oz. steak sliced. Topped with some mayo and mustard.
"Dessert" was a half a cup of strawberries.
On my way home from work I had a Oats & Chocolate fiber one bar. It was amazing.

Dinner

The healthy tostada. The tortilla is a low carb, high fiber 50 calorie tortilla with a sprinkle of cheese, a big scoop of beans, 85/15 grass fed hamburger meat and

peach and mango salsa on the side.

I really really wanted another one. So, I walked over and grabbed for the tortilla bag and thought, 'What makes you want this? The fat girl that loved to eat, just to eat? That is not happening, because you are not that person anymore. You are learning and healing from your addiction.' I put the tortilla down and felt so good about my little mental talk. I feel like I am making a breakthrough in my fight against fat. I am learning that food DOES NOT DEFINE WHO I AM, ONLY WHO I WAS. I am living a healthy, happier life and my strength is what is helping define the new me!

What have you learned about your eating habits? And what do you feel defines you?

P.S. I completed Day 8 of the 30 day shred, I haven't gotten this far yet!

Gusto Lost!

2010-07-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

So, I keep promising food blogging follow through, but have failed miserably. I feel like if I don't report or take a picture, it didn't happen. I can not continue to do that because it isn't helping me lose any of this last 17 pounds. Speaking of which...

127.2 is what the scale said yesterday. To say I feel awful is an understatement. That is a 2.9 pound gain and that crap ends there. I will not continue going up. I WILL NOT!

So, I rededicate my life to myself. I will get to my goal and I will be successful. I bought a new notebook and have a pretty pen to write down food, water, bowel movements(I can tell a lot by how many BM's I am having), and my daily to do lists for cleaning and such. I feel it will help me to get more in touch with myself. From my body to my mind. I love lists and this will help :)

Now that that is said....let's get onto my clean clean eats for today :)

Breakfast

Looked like this, except with blueberries and original fiber one cereal.

Lunch

Spinach salad with 1 small cucumber, 5 grape tomatoes, roasted squash and peach and mango salsa on top. On the side was a cheese stick and dessert was grapes(no pics, sorry).

Dinner

My lover made me a great steak. I had a 3 oz. cooked portion. We buy our beef from a local butcher and it is grass fed. I can totally tell the difference in the taste and quality of the meat. On the side I had zucchini and salad with poppy seed dressing.

Then, Love and I took the pups on a walk.

Here is my baby girl and I. It was a touch windy so I have that crazy hair in my eyes.

My boys.

When we got home it was time for dessert.

Frozen Yogurt. It is a small cup for only 150 calories and yummy blueberries on top. Not so clean, but eh...I can limit what is clean and what isn't.

I will be back tomorrow...........I PROMISE.......I PROMISE MYSELF!!

Pandora Lover!

2010-07-22T22:14:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to my Rihanna station on Pandora today. It made the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred fly by this morning. I loved it. It was harder today as I am still SUPER sore from doing it(and the dancing I did at the concert).

Today was a good day all around. Work was slow in the morning, but picked up a little in the afternoon. I love busy days at work, because they fly by. I am one of those lucky people that love their jobs(most of the time). I have obstacles to overcome, but every time I find solutions to problems, I feel that much stronger and more qualified at my job.

I came home and fell asleep immediately. My sleeping schedule has been all over the place the last few months. I can't fall asleep, but once I do I am O-U-T. Then, I can't hardly wake up. Therefore, no gym in the morning. That will change once half marathon training starts. If I don't have a treadmill by then, I will be getting up at 4:30 to hit the gym in the morning.

On to the eats for today...

Breakfast

The usual greek yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, and fiber one cereal :)

Snack

Banana...I got a picture of it today.

Lunch

A side salad with french beans, spinach, and grape tomatoes. The main course was 1 cup of my yummy homemade chili. I rock at making that chili, I tell ya. I put some plain greek yogurt and a little sprinkle of cheese on top. It was awesome.

Desert

My tummy was craving something sweet, so I had a fiber one bar for desert.

Dinner

A serving of penne rosa(I love the veggies in it) with a piece of pita bread. Holy yum!

Desert #2

The cupcakes I made turned out SO GOOD. I rarely bake anything, but when I do, I definitely enjoy it. Love enjoys it also.

On a sidenote, I have been doing great with my water intake. I have exceeded my 128 oz. of water for the past 2 days. Thanks to the 2 8 oz. glasses of water in the morning. I feel more energized and awake all day.

Do you use pandora? What is your favorite station?

Back at One!

2010-07-21T21:58:00.000-07:00

Today was all in all a good day. I felt gorgeous. I have been doing the whole trying to be more presentable thing and getting ready is sooo awesome! Especially with new makeup and fun hairstyles. I am feeling so much better and more focused :).

The other day on All Things In Moderation she posted these little tidbits on hydration. Oh my gosh, the tip to drink 2 8oz. glasses of water first thing in the morning has really helped me. My body has a hard time waking up sometimes and the water really helped my body "wake up". So, that will be a part of my daily wake up ritual. I love getting new info.

Todays yummy food.

Breakfast

Crappy picture, sorry. It was blueberries, strawberries, strawberry Chobani, and some Fiber One cereal. This is my favorite breakfast right now!

Snack was a banana, I think you know what that looks like ;)

Lunch

I have a good, good man in my life! Love made chicken noodle soup for dinner last night. He boiled the marrow out of a smoked chicken and the soup was AMAZING! Carrots, potatoes, noodles, chicken pieces and the broth. I added the broccoli to mine for some more fiber and veggies. Love is not a veggie fan. He picks the carrots out, but makes it with them because he knows I love them. He rockes!

Snack

Crappy pic again, I am still trying to figure out my camera. I love these oats and chocolate fiber one bars. They are perfect when I need a little sweet fix.

Dinner

Arby's french dip. This is by no means the BEST choice. However, I removed the cheese, threw away the top piece of bread and only dipped a little in the au jus sauce. According to the Arby's website, my tweaks took my sammie from 500 cals to about 360 calories. Not bad. I partnered this yummy sammie with a little side salad and a drizzle of poppy seed dressing.

To Dessert Or Not To Dessert?

My lover butt ate some of the red velvet cupcakes I made and I did not have one.

I worked out after making the cupcakes and it was already 9:15. I did Day 5 of the 30 Day Shred while listening to Pandora Radio. After I was done, I decided I didn't want to eat dessert right before bed so I made a good decision and did not have a yummy cupcake. I will save it for tomorrow :)

Today I have really tried to pay attention to portions and not letting cravings and wants push me to eat something that my body doesn't need. I feel like I am getting my groove back :) I am off to read my nook before passing out. Good Night!

How was your day?

Hmmm....

2010-07-21T05:38:00.000-07:00

I have pictures of foods I have eaten in the past week. Just not enough time to post them apparently. I have been super duper busy.

Worked my second job on Sunday.
Saw Kings of Leon in concert last night! Front Row!
Hung out at my dad's house.
Dog-sitting for Love's dad.
Cleaning.
Swimming.
Oh, and weighing in at 124.3!

I lost .5 pound this week and that rocks. I haven't been on much of a losing streak lately. I feel I have become obsessive about my journey, so I am not going to put too much pressure and focus on my weight loss. I need to find a common ground between weight loss and living.

I will be paying a little more attention to cleaner eating. I love the way my body feels when I am eating lots of veggies and fruits. I just need to come up with some creative ways to eat clean in a fun way. Suggestions always welcome. I do plan to continue food blogging, I just have to find a good time to do it. Morning? Night? Morning and Night? I will do it. :)

I am on Day 5 of the 30 day shred(will do it right after work!) and I can feel it this time. I am using heavier weights for some of the strength and lighter for others. My legs are constantly sore and I love that feeling.

Maintaining....

2010-07-13T05:45:00.000-07:00

Well, today I had a maintain and I am happy about that. It would have been a loss, except Love bought some delicious chocolate shell sauce(you know the stuff that hardens when you put it on ice cream) and I had 2 huge bowls of it on Sunday. Did no sweets for a week and celebrated like that? Ummmm.....looks like I will be continuing the no sweets thing. So, between now and next Tuesday AM I will not have dessert. I have 3 huge tupperwares full of watermelon, so I should be set ;)

As mentioned above, I maintained. I really need to get a good losing streak going. I am sooo ready to be under 120. I have lost my motivation to get up and go to the gym. I remember when I did it everyday at 5AM and now, I am like eh..screw it. I will do it later and then never do. Mark my words though....tonight I will take my dog out for a 3 mile run. I am going to start training him to be a running dog. He is a border collie/blue heeler mix, so they are made to run(and herd cattle, but who is counting?).

Anyways, food blogging will continue today.

Goals for this week:
1. 100+ oz. of water everyday including weekends.
2. Workout to the 30 day shred everyday beginning today.
3. No dessert.
4. Eat correct portions and types of foods.
5. Run 3 days and 3 miles each time.

On another note, I got a "NOOK" last night! We went to Barnes and Noble last night and I had mentioned to Love that I had been thinking that I wanted a Nook and after talking to the manager of the store, he sold us on it. I went in to buy the Chelsea Handler book(she is hysterical) and was going to spend more than $30 anyway. So, Love told me to just get the nook. It will save us money in the long run and I am so excited to get back to reading again :)

How do you find your motivation when you are in a slump? Do you have a Nook? What do you think of it?

Comments...

2010-07-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I somehow shut down my comments. I have no clue how or why, but they are back up and ready to go.

Eating has been great. Week with no sweets went great. Exercise, eh. I worked out 2 days this week. Slap me, would ya?

How are YOU doing? What do you think of the food blogging thus far? Any comments or suggestions?

Ready For Bed!

2010-07-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

How was your day?

Work for me was okay today. Busy at first and then slowed down so that I could play catch up on a few other tasks. I was ready for lunch at 2:00.

Lunch was a repeat from yesterday.

Recycled pic, but I still couldn't find my camera.

After work, I was hungry, but Love was working late and I had some cleaning to do. So, I had a slice of bread with some PB and Jelly. Just a side note, peanut butter has always been my favorite. I read a blogger once who said she only allowed herself peanut/almond butter at 1 meal in the day. I have incorporated that into my life, as well. I could eat it nonstop and I have eaten a full jar before.

I cleaned up around the house and then went to the store.

Once Love got home, we were both ready for dinner. Tonights dinner consisted of a tostada and a side salad.

The tostada had a scoop of beans, hamburger, a little cheese and some peach&mango salsa. My side salad was the usual. Spinach, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and poppy seed dressing!

I needed a sweet and because I am doing no sweets for a week, I decided fruit was a great choice.

A small handful of grapes and one plum which was SUPER ripe....I love ripe ripe plums!!

Today was a good day. I feel so great and motivated. About to hit 100oz. of water. Another gym workout tomorrow morning. Gonna do an hour of cardio and some weights.

How do you pull yourself out when you are stuck in a diet rut?

July 6: Good Things!

2010-07-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Good Morning Everyone!

I woke up bright and early at 5:00AM. Then laid in bed with Love until 5:45.

Once I got my cute buns outta bed, it was off to weigh on the wii! I weighed in at 124.8! That is a 2.6 lb loss this week. I must have been retaining some water last week or something. I feel good though!

I went to the gym shortly after. Did 2.15 miles in 21 minutes. Honestly, this morning was HARD. I couldn't breathe and I felt tired, but I didn't stop at all. I just told myself I could push through. I am very proud of myself :)

Breakfast is Chobani Blueberry Greek Yogurt, Fiber One Cereal, blueberry and a little scoop of protein powder. No picture though, sorry. I can't find my camera. It may be in my car...hmm.

Tonight, I need to do some grocery shopping!

Have a great day!

Dinner

2010-07-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

I napped, shopped, cleaned and did laundry since the last time you saw me! I picked up 2 pairs of shoes that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Grabbed a set of earrings and tried all 5 of my piercings(2 in one side, 3 in the other) and they are all still open.

I woke up hungry!

Tuna with 1/2 tablespoon mayo and Mrs. Dash sundried tomato basil seasoning mixed in. Sided with Special K tomato basil crackers and broccoli with I can't believe it's not butter.

I will only make it to about 80 ounces of water versus the 128 oz. I shoot for. I have been having 1 water to 1 sugarfree flavor packet water.

Good night! I will have a weigh in to report tomorrow morning :)

Good Afternoon!

2010-07-05T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! Here I am again. This will be the only day that I post 3 times a day. I rarely get on the Internet when I am at work, so maybe a morning and evening post or once a day post will be my schedule. We'll see how it shakes out.

Well, I cleaned for about an hour and then Love had a surprise for me!! I packed up another coffee with soy milk and agave nectar.

Onto my surprise...we went to "Bird World Pet Village", a local pet shop! He goes to see fish stuff and I go to see the PUPPIES!, Kitties, and bunnies...Mostly the puppies though. I play with them and pet them, oh be still my frickin' heart. Then, we hit up another fish store. No purchases today though. Couldn't find anything we loved. We left the fish store and decided it was time for lunch.

Luckily, we were right up the street from my favorite sandwich place. "Village Baker" was introduced to my life about 8 years ago and ever since I have gone their all the time. I used to drive 45 minutes to get a sandwich....45 MINUTES! It really is that great.

I typically get the turkey and provolone sandwich on honey whole wheat with mayo/mustard mix, tomato, and iceberg lettuce. However, today I asked for it dry and with no lettuce. I brought it home took one half and topped it with honey mustard and some spinach. It tasted so different without the mustard/mayo mix, but that is NOT a bad thing. I tasted all of the natural ingredients the sandwich had to offer...mostly the provolone! Yum! It made for the perfect lunch.

On the side, I had a single serving of carrots(Costco, I love you even more!), and a half of an apple. Today is going great so far.

I have decided that I am doing the no sweets for a week again. Today is day one. About 20 minutes after I told Love that I was doing it, he does this........

A huge snicker doodle cookie and 2 route 44 slushes from Sonic. Ummm....do you want me to punch you? Ha. Kidding! I didn't actually even think about having either. Go me.

How do you deal with temptation?

July 5: Good Morning!

2010-07-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

Well, first meal of food blogging today!

I had 1 whole egg, 2 egg white omelet with spinach, a sprinkle of cheese and peach&mango salsa on top(not pictured). I also had 1 piece of sausage, and a coffee with soy milk and a touch of agave nectar! It was perfect. It was a great meal to get me going on a full day of cleaning. Wish me luck in finding my actual camera because my phone pics aren't as awesome!

How was your 4th?

On Track?

2010-07-04T10:45:00.000-07:00

Friday morning I got my cute butt out of bed and went to the gym. I ran 2 miles in under 20 minutes. That showed me that I still can run. My first day of couch to 5k it took me 15 minutes to "run/walk" 1 mile. Now, I do it more than 5 minutes faster. It's been a long, and sometimes, extremely trying road. I have learned so much about myself in that time. I have run a half marathon in a rather impressive time for a first timer(2:16:00). I have learned that I LOVE most veggies that I have never tried before(brussel sprouts, artichokes, banana peppers). I don't need to overeat to cure the sadness I feel sometimes. Running is my therapy.

However, I really need to rededicate myself to this journey, to my life! I owe it to myself to be healthy, happy and fit. I have slid off track in the past 2ish weeks and I do not like this feeling. I didn't actually realize it until a serious talk with my Love.

We were on our way camping and he ran into one of his best girl friends from high school. So, he introduces me and I looked like a rodent you would find on the side of the road. My hair was curly and a mess, I had rubbed off all of my makeup(which I don't normally wear a lot of), and I was in chill clothes(we were going camping). I was embarrassed with how I looked, especially with how fondly he talks of this girl. He asked me a question that he never has before, "Why don't you dress yourself up and presentably every day? Most days you wear a t shirt and jeans. You look like a high schooler and not a 25 year old!" Oh my gosh, he was totally right. I can't remember the last time I put on heels to go to work, or dress pants, or a shirt that wasn't a plain ol' t shirt. I used to be the girl with no self esteem who tried to hide it with heels, too much makeup and clothing that was in style. I was faking all of it. Now, I am the woman who has lots more self confidence in the way I look, but I feel I lack in the way I dress and don't feel like getting ready most of the time.

When we got back from camping, I decided a change needed to be made. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I wore heels, put on makeup, dress pants and cute shirts(still t shirts, but not sloppy tee's) to work. Oh my gosh, it took me an hour(usually 30 minutes) to get ready and that extra half hour truly made a difference. When it comes to clothes I was in the mindset that I am not at goal yet and I can't buy new clothes until I am. I currently have 17 pounds to go. My clothes are all on their last legs. As of today I have 3 pairs of size 4 jeans and all of them need to be hemmed. I would like to sport them before they are too big for me, so that is at the top of my to do list. Because now, I care about clothes and makeup. Mostly though, I care about me and making a good impression, because I am a good person.

So, I am vowing to rededicate myself to getting to goal. In this journey, I have tried counting calories, that lasted a couple of days. I thought about doing weight watchers, but I get lazy. The thing that has always worked for me was desserts very seldomly, lots of veggies & fruits, running, elliptical, and listening to my body. My body is starting to think, not one more crap decision, I am full!

This weeks schedule will include food blogging, working out Monday-Saturday and feeling gorgeous everyday :)

I wish you all a great week :)

Ugh...

2010-07-01T21:06:00.001-07:00

Wednesday I weighed in at 127.4. I am soooo disappointed. I need to get my butt back into gear.

Food Blogger For A Day....

2010-06-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Glad I could give you the Costco idea. I hope they sell them everywhere because I wouldn't move anywhere they didn't sell it in Costco ;)

First topic today is losing motivation. I have seen Annie talk about it and Missy in the last 2 days. I think a lot of people are feeling burnt out right now....Myself included. I have been doing this over 10 months now and I am tired of talking about it. It is my "battle of a lifetime"! I think about food, exercise, and being thin all the time. I have since I was 12 and now that I am doing something about it, it is all I can talk about. I am sure I am annoying. Bottom line is, I am ready to live and not over focus on being perfect. So, I think if we all just hold on and stick together....this too shall pass.

Second topic...I was a food blogger today. Let's start with breakfast.

5 strawberries, greek yogurt and a sprinkle of Fiber One cereal.
All together now....

Mmmm...mmmmm...perfect!

Lunch

Salad with a touch of poppy seed dressing, open faced tuna sandwich, and 2 kiwis for desert.

I was so hungry when I got home from work that I had to snack on..

A Fiber One bar.

Dinner was unusual. Usually I have fruit a protein and a salad. However, all the food in my house is designated camping food. So, I had...

Fiber One cereal with soymilk and a banana. It surprisingly hit the spot.

Obviously my 100 dollar camera isn't amazing, but it works just fine. What do you think of my food blogging. I might just do it from here on. We shall see.

Costco, I Love You!

2010-06-22T21:00:00.000-07:00

After writing "Chobani Greek Yogurt" on the Costco suggestion card ~~4 million~~ a few times, they have finally taken my suggestion and put it to good use!

So, to thank them....

I bought 2 cases!

Stay Tuned! Tomorrow I am going to talk about losing the oomph to blog/workout/focus. And on Thursday, I will be talking about my upcoming(Friday-Tuesday) camping trip!

"Get To Goal" Week 1

2010-06-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well, week 1 of "Get to Goal" ended yesterday. Overall, the first week was meh....Food was great Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday I had a birthday celebration to attend and drank a pitcher of beer myself. Oops! Did well with food though. Friday, I was hungover and not extremely hungry so I didn't eat much. Saturday and Sunday was decent eating wise. However, I worked out Tuesday and Wednesday, but not after that. I just had excuses and kept saying, I will do it later....aaaand never did. Oh well, moving on.

Weigh in: 124.4

1.2 pounds lost and never to be found on my body again.

I know I could have had more like a 2 pound loss, but I didn't do the work I should have. Next week, I will see the 122 on that darn scale and I am spot on food wise and working out EVERY MORNING before any other task. No questions asked.

I have set up a few mini goals for "Get To Goal". Here they are:
****Weigh under 120--Spending $100 at Guess Outlet(I love Guess, but Utah only has an outlet and I want to try on what I buy.)
****Weigh under 115--New Outfit from wherever I want.

Oh and for now, I am not training for any kind of races. I want to focus on my weight loss and give that my all. I am working on upping my mileage to 24 miles per week(6 miles 4 days a week). I am at about 12 right now and plan on doing 3 miles M,W,F and 4 miles on Saturday and once my body can handle running that nonstop, I will up to 4 miles M,W,F and 5 on Saturday. And so on and so on up to 6. I want to be a long distance runner for life and running really kicks my trash.

"Get to Goal" Week 2:

Monday I ran a 5k in 29:50. That is a great time for me! Eating was in check, even with a family gathering. Ate fruit, a 3''x2'' piece of Love's dads enchiladas(So Yummy!), some funeral potatoes, and a veggie pasta thing. So, it was pretty balanced.

This morning, I did 30 minutes on the eliptical this morning. Tonight I will be doing a workout DVD that came with my new stabiltiy ball. So excited and I might review it, we will see :)
****Goal 110 pounds****
A couple of ideas, Love wants to go to Vegas to see Roger Waters in Octoberish. I fully plan on being to goal by then and think I will use this vacay as my goal. Probably buy an outfit or 2. Will keep you updated on this one :)

I am soooo excited. I can feel that I am soooo close to goal and I am determined to get there!!

Day 1 of "Get To Goal"!

2010-06-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

Day 1 went very well. I ran 3.2 miles in 33 minutes at 6:30 AM. I had oatmeal with blueberries, 1 tbsp pb, and coffee for breakfast. Lunch consisted of a 1/4 serving of Pei Wei Spicy shrimp and a cheese stick. Dinner was 3 oz shake n bake chicken, 1/2 cup of grapes, 3 cups of spinach, 10 grape tomatoes and 1 1/2 tbsp poppyseed dressing. Overall 1107 calories for the day.

I feel really good and know that this time I will get to goal.

Weight at the gym this morning: 125.6.

Goal weight for weigh in next Tuesday morning: 124.something.

Ideally, I would like to lose 1-2 pounds a week, but even a .5 pound would work.

To those who asked about Sparkpeople, yes I have used it in the past. I didn't like tracking calories because I became obsessive. However, after reevaluating myself, I have decided it is a useful tool to keep track of exercise as well as food and I love that they will build you strength plans :)

Recommiting Is Hard To Do.....

2010-06-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

I have said this for the past month and a half, but this time, no kidding! I have been up and then down so many times and the inconsistency is kicking my trash! I feel blah about running and working out and the EXCUSES, O.M.G. the excuses are sooooo old and soooo terrible. Where did my motivated tushy go.

She nose dived in the deliciously unhealthy side of the world.

No more! It's Over! I Am Done! I Am Tired Of Being So Out Of Control!

Personal Guidelines need to be followed! So, I will be following them from here on out. I have a goal to get to!

Starting tomorrow, I am going to track on SparkPeople.com. I will save labels and add every ounce of food to enter my mouth and every single mile/eliptical exercise I do. My schedule this week will look a little something like this:

Daily: 1200-1300 calories a day. Stretch. No Binging.
Monday: 3 mile run.
Tuesday: 30 Minute Upper Body workout(Thanks, SparkPeople!). 60 minutes eliptical/stationary bike/staiir climber.
Wednesday: 3-4 mile run.
Thursday: 30 Minute Lower Body workout. 60 minutes eliptical/stationary bike/stair master.
Friday: 3 mile run.
Saturday: 4 mile run. 30 Minute Full Body.
Sunday: Yoga/Rest Day.

My next doctor's appointment will be in late August and I would like to weigh 115 by then. So, I have 2 months and 2 weeks to lose 13 pounds. I am sure I can do this. 1.3 pounds a week is totally doable. However, I won't be weighing until I get a new scale. Hopefully by July 1st! So, I am committed to getting motivated like I was before. I will post progress everyday to keep me accountable and please feel free to call my ass out!

You ladies rock!! I am working on some stuff to kick on no sweets for 2 weeks starting next Monday so get your cute booties ready!

Scale Woes....

2010-06-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

My scale says it has a low battery. I got it in February and I don't think it is right that it is already low. Especially because I have used it a handful of times. Talk about annoying! Oh well, looks like I will take a scale hiatus until I get a new battery. I think for me it is extremely motivating when I jump on the scale and see a decent 2-3 pounds loss if I haven't weighed in a while. So, maybe I will procrastinate on getting a battery ;)

How has this week gone? Hmmmm.....Well, it has been okay. I have eaten well and even had 1....ONE...1 piece of chocolate, not the whole dang package and I feel really good about that. I have this thing with chocolate, it is called UNDYING LOVE. If you put a chocolate bar in front of me, I will eat it in 2 seconds flat. Toblerone bars O....M....G!! However, I am trying to be better at resisting them and other sweet things. I may do another 2 week of no sweets. Anybody with me?

On the workout front, I have run 4 miles this week. Geesh! Nowhere near 20+. I wanted to go on Monday, but then got lazy! Then Tuesday, I was stricken with a migraine and running did NOTHING but make it worse. So, I laid down after work. All weekend I had off and on headaches. I think it could be my terrible food and no exercise choices. I feel much better after my run yesterday and wonderful eating choices this week. Today, I will be doing an hour or so of cardio right after work and then some weight machines.

It is time to do the Ab Attack DVD on Netflix!

Have you ever tried one of the Jillian dvds? Which one? How did you like it?

Arby's, Chocolate, and French Toast....Oh My!!

2010-05-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

This weekend I have been out of control and my body is sure feeling it! I have had nothing but crap and too much crap. Today, I have to revert back to 80% clean eats because these headaches, tummy aches and weight gain just aren't worth the food I have been eating.

It's been a convenience weekend. I could have gone to the grocery store, but no, I don't feel like it seemed the better answer. I suck!! Love and I talked last night and these late meals and crappy food are taking it's toll on us. Back to the days of planning and controlling.

On the upside, I ran Tuesday(4 miles in 39 minutes), Wednesday(3.8miles in 41 minutes) and Friday(4 miles in 39 minutes). I did run 3 times and 2 were great runs. I have never run that many miles that fast before. I am trying to train my body to run 6 miles at a time and do it under 10 minute miles every time. It is soo hard to get back into it once you have taken over a month off from running 5 days a week. I am not sure the half in July is going to happen or not, but I am still aiming for it.

So......This week I will:

***Not overindulge this week, at all!
***Plan every meal, even eating out!
***Say no to sweets, desserts and snacks that are not "clean"!
***Run 5 days and 20+ miles!
***Get back to 125 by Wednesday!
***Remember WHY I am on this journey and work harder than ever to get closer to goal!

Hopefully I can fit in a run today, but I have to be to work shortly and we may have to take Love's brother out to dinner right when I get home! I have a broken treadmill(so it isn't an excuse not to use it), that I would use it if I could. I am going to search for a treadmill online and hope I find a nice, cheaper one for days like this!!

Have a great weekend, my friends! Happy Memorial Day to y'all!

This is my Confession....

2010-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am a member of the Clean Your Plate Club!! Shame, I know. However, that doesn't mean I constantly overeat! I have been filling 3/4(sometimes 1/2) of my plate with veggies and fruit. Then, the other 1/4 is what ever I want.

For instance, last Thursday, I had a huge salad with 30 cals of dressing, 1/2 cup of strawberries, 1/8 cup ham fried rice, 3 small pieces of orange chicken, and a veggie eggroll. All in all, I think I did pretty well.

There was also this 1 day....yes 1. The first time in a long time I remember not cleaning my plate in a long time. It happened Monday night. I ate a big salad and heated a little Totino's pizza personal pizza. 320 calories of processed love, for sure! I ate half of it and realized I was done. I didn't want to eat the other half. I was satisfied and happy. I offered it to Love and I think he was a little surprised. It did feel great!!

Being a member of the Clean Your Plate Club doesn't always have to be a bad thing. Here are a few ways that I try to limit eating HUGE portions of not so great food choices:

1. I always do a bigger portion of the lower calorie foods. Typically a spinach salad with grape tomatoes and 1 tbsp of dressing. I usually pair it with strawberries, grapes, or a banana.

2. I take a 1/4 of the portion size that I used to eat. If I am still hungry, I will add another 1/4 or so.

3. Going along with #2, I wait 10 minutes or so before I decide to go for seconds. Sometimes though, I have a small dessert when I still feel hungry. Usually 2 or 3 bites satisfies me :)

4. If I have the munchy feeling, I clean and put away all of the leftovers immediately after dinner and make a constant mental note to NOT eat anything. I have a very strong will.

5. At restaurants, I always try to order a healthy dish that I can take 1/2 or more home for leftovers. I do have to be careful and aware of how much I am consuming and really try to slow down.

Are you a member of the Clean Your Plate Club? Any tips on being and Ex Club Member?

Operation Get To Goal!

2010-05-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

I need to set up some "rules" for getting to goal. Does personal guidelines sound better? Yeah, we will go with that!

Personal Guideline 1: Must run/crosstrain 5 days a week. I have only been doing about 2-3 since the half. Even though my weight is maintaining, I know I can put more effort and time into working out. This should be 4-5 days of running. Unless, I really just need a cross training day. I don't want the knee pain coming back!

Personal Guideline 2: Strength training 2-3 days a week. I am going to utilize exercisetv.com. I will rotate upper body, lower body and do at least 1 stong ab workout a week!

Personal Guideline 3: Netflix or wii fit yoga on Sundays. It is calming and I know I would love yoga if I did it more often!

Personal Guideline 4: No more 9:00 dinners. Love has been working crazy hours and we don't eat until after 8:00 most times 9:00. This includes desserts!

Notice I have not said anything about certain foods to eat. I have been doing great with preparing my meals and eating cleaner. Not perfect, but definitely an improvement from the weekend. I am going to do another no sweets for 2 weeks again. It just makes me feel so good to say no I don't need that like my tastebuds say I do!

To end this post, I would like to announce that my Wednesday Weigh In Results are................

124.6

A Gain of .8 pounds! All is well though. Not too discouraged. I earned a .8 gain because I haven't exercised nearly as much! Next weeks weight goal is to be in the 122's!

My Amazing Return............

2010-05-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

.....to scheduled running began today. I am aiming for running 4 miles 4-5 days this week. Next week will be 5 miles with a 7 or 8 miler on the weekend. I am making up my own half marathon training schedule, as I have some personal goals I would like to reach. The first being able to run 6 miles 5-6 days a week. Next, to do it in under 1 hour every day. This afternoon I ran 4 miles in 39:31. I have never run that many miles in that amount of time. The half had me at 10:22/mile. I would like to do the half in July below a 10:00/ mile. We will see. I am just so determined to meet that goal AND get to MY GOAL WEIGHT!!

Last Wednesday I was 123.8. This Wednesday I would love to see 122. I haven't hit 20 pounds lost yet, but it is time to kick it up a notch(or 5) haha. I go back and forth about what I want my goal weight to be at. I love wearing the size 4, but I am not feeling the "bikini bod" yet. I will eventually, but it will take a little longer. I really need to put some focus on strength training(focus being abs) during the half marathon training. I do notice when I strength train, I do better with running. So, we will see.

I will be starting a getting to goal post after I post this and will share it tomorrow along with my weigh in!

Goals and Future Plans....

2010-05-19T04:43:00.000-07:00

As far as the weight loss journey goes, I am still just maintaining. I weigh in tomorrow and don't know where exactly I am, but I still feel like I am 124-125. I have had very little exercise since the half marathon. I went from running and cross training 5-6 days a week to working out maybe 1-3 times a week. I haven't felt driven to exercise and I lost my gym card. Excuses, excuses! I KNOW! However, I have maintained a lot of the clean eating I have been practicing and I don't just veg out all day like I did before my journey began. I have been constantly go go go since the half marathon. Now that things are slowing down, I have some goals and some future racing to look forward to and train for.

I have been thinking I want to do another half soon. So, I have decided on a local Utah canyon to canyon 1/2 marathon on July 10. It is in 8 weeks and I feel if I kick it up a notch I can PR this race. Although, there are plenty of rolling hills so I can't wait to get outside and train on some of the hills in my area. Practice makes perfect, right? ;) Oh, and did I mention the entry fee is $25. Unbelievable!

I will also be running a 10k with my bestie in October. It is a women's love your body 10k. I love my body now and it will be just 14 months into when my journey started, so why not?

Onto some of my personal goals:
Goal #1: Get this here blog designed all sorts of beautiful and BLOG more. I have been truly slacking, but I love writing so I need to get it into my routine again!
Goal #2: Get my booty to goal! I want to weigh 110. Mind you, I am 4'11'' tall. I carry all of my weight in my lower abs/lovehandles. So, I just need to work on that area a little more.
Goal #3: Use the yoga videos on my Netflix. There are tons and on my stretch & strengthen days, I am going to start doing the yoga videos!
Goal #4: Exercise at least 5 days a week.
Goal #5: Get a Personal Record in my next half marathon. Shooting for under 2 hours and 15 minutes. Just over a minute faster.

Next I need to have a plan to follow through with these. I am still working on it, but will go into more detail on that another day :)

I hope you are all having a great week so far! Happy Hump Day!!

In the past 11 days....

2010-05-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

*I have worked out 5 times. That isn't even every other day. Lame!
*I attended a 30 Seconds To Mars concert. LOVED IT!!
*After said concert, Mom's boyfriend(this was the first day we met him) told Love he was going to punch him in the mouth. He truly left a great impression on us*Thick Sarcasm*!
*Have been working 2 jobs as always. Can't complain about the extra cash flow.
*Bought new underneaths and a shirt with some of that extra money.
*Cried really hard! It's okay though, I was just worn out. A good cry can be refreshing.
*On the flipside, I laughed majority of the past 11 days.
*Ran the Race For The Cure!
*Realized I need to get a plan together to get my cute booty to goal!

More on the last one coming soon! Miss you guys!

So Exciting!!!

2010-05-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

2 NSV'S!!

1-I am 123.6lbs as of Wednesday. I haven't been 123 since I was 14! I am going to keep pushing harder and harder to get to goal!

2-I went to Nordstrom Rack to try on size 6's. I know I said I was in size 6's in October, but upon looking closer, my size 6's were 8's. I tried on 6's(like 3 pairs of different brands) in February "just to see how close I was to getting into them". Well, none of them fit comfortably. I was so bummed!! It discouraged me. I have lost about 7 or so pounds since I tried on the 6's. So, we went back Saturday. Guess what? I am sure you know! They fit, but that is not all. Love grabbed 4's and just said try them on, just to see. My response, "Sure, I will get to see how close I am to wearing 4's!" When I came out of that dressing room, my face said it all!! I am a size 4 in 2 different brands of jeans!!! I can't believe it! I am so proud of my hard work and dedication.

I haven't worked out much since the half marathon. I did start the 30 day shred again and tomorrow I will do day 4. I ran 3.1 miles Monday and 4 miles on Thursday. So, this week I am back at it 4-5 days of cardio a week(7 for the shred)!! Eating is going to be awesome. I will take pics of my eats tomorrow to give you an idea of my day to day life.

I leave you with what the guy at the grocery store said to me today.

"Wow! I don't see one thing in your cart that is unhealthy for you!"

I love eating healthy. I love how my body feels. I love the way my body is starting to look!!

The Fear Is Setting In....

2010-04-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the half marathon is over and I promise I will eventually stop talking about it ;) I really appreciate....who am I kidding? I absolutely LOVE all of the support you guys have given me through this whole journey! I am back in the blogging/commenting swing of things...FINALLY.

So, my foot began hurting really badly after the half marathon. Being the smarty pants that I am, I decided to take the time to rest it. I took a whole 8 days off of running and exercise. 8 FREAKING DAYS!! The most I have taken off from exercise in the past 9 months is maybe 3 days between workouts.

Anyway, the whole week I got a feeling I have yet to feel on this journey. WORRY! I was sooo worried that in those days I was going to gain weight. In fact, I was sure I was going to. I missed exercising. I missed the way my body felt after a tough workout. I missed my "me time". I just missed everything about it. I did panic a few days. I would tell myself 'You are going to gain weight'....'All of that hard work is going to have to be done again'! Ahhhh....it was driving me crazy.

So, I jumped on the scale to see the damage that I had done from 8 days of no workout and eating what I wanted.

124

That almost made me crap my pants. My lowest weight thus far(on a weigh day) was 124.6. The thing that made me more excited was I weighed 127-128 the days before and the day of the half marathon.

I have lost 3-4 pounds in that week. Holy crap! HOly crAP! I am soo happy with that. However, tomorrow morning is my official weekend. I don't know what that number on the scale is going to be, but I know I am still eating when my body says I am hungry and I will get to my goal in due time!

I did run Monday. Mile 1: 9:05 Mile 2 & 3: 9:34 Mile .1: 1:00. Best 5k time yet. I am getting better and more focused everyday!

Now, above I said those 8 days were spent eating what I wanted AND they were. I wanted salad, sandwiches with lots of veggies, oatmeal, chicken, greek yogurt, and tons of fruit. My brain has officially made the change from wanting fast food, to wanting the good foods for my body. I did eat sweets and deserts in the 8 days. However, I would eat until I felt satisfied(about half the treat) and handed the rest to My Love. Now how is that for support?

I feel I battled with wanting sweets quite often before I did my 2 week sweet bet with myself. The sweet bet was prompted by the weekend I ate really poorly. I decided I wasn't going to eat sweets for 2 weeks and don't you know it, I didn't. Not one desert, even though I really wanted fro yo everyday! Since then, I eat desert most days, but I do it differently than I used to. Tonight, desert was cottage cheese, fruit and a little agave nectar. I did have a yummy bowl of thin mint ice cream last night.

Now that the scale is moving down, I am kicking it up a notch. I want to get to goal and I want to be in the 110's by my friends wedding in 3 weeks! I have 5 pounds to lose. I have a plan, oh yes, I have a plan.

*I will continue to be eating the way I have. Mostly clean, correct proportions, instinctually, and not too obsessively. I listen to what my body wants and make good choices.
**I am going to run 4 days a week.

***Love leaves for work and I have enough time to do the 30 day shred before showering. So, I am starting that tomorrow AM.
****I am also going to do 8 minutes abs every other day. I love the old school workout videos. They rock!!

That's my story and I am sticking to it!

What is your greatest fitness accomplishment?

SLC Half Marathon Race Recap.....

2010-04-25T19:52:00.000-07:00

I woke up at 4:30AM on race day. After showering and getting ready, the best friend showed up for breakfast. We had oatmeal with banana, protein powder, and vanilla soy milk. Then, Love(he is a trooper!), BestBud and I headed to the trax(which is like the San Fran trolley) station. After boarding, I ran into my brother's ex girlfriend whom I love. She has always been an inspiration to me. We hugged, talked for a few and rode trax to the starting line. Well, we decided that a pre race potty brake was needed(TMI: I took epsom salt 2 days prior to clean me out and it was still pretty active). We waited in the porta potty line until about 20 minutes after the race had started. My official start time was 22m10s after the gun went off.

Mile 1: I felt like Best Bud and I were starting out too fast(9m26s mile pace), but the adrenaline was really apparent. I felt amazing, so happy, proud, and better than I ever have in my life.

Mile 2: This was a touch slower at about 10m13s. I was feeling great though. Everytime I felt blah, the supporters would be right around the corner cheering you on! It rocked my nation!

Mile 3-5: Not much to say about these miles. We kept our pace in the 9m and low 10m mile paces. I took a gu at about mile 4.5. They were out of cups at the second water station and that blew. Best Bud was still by my side. We were flashing the I love you signs, high fiving, BSing and RUNNING!

Mile 6-7: I don't think I stopped smiling. We hit the half way point and I was feeling great. I felt like I could keep going strong and pushing hard. At mile 7, I was so flipping hot. I took off the race technical tee and shoved it down the back of my pants. My shirt underneath was soaked with sweat. It was awesome!

Mile 8-10: Nothing to write home about. Slowed down a little, but then picked it up again at Mile 9. Lost BestBud at this point. She was kicking ass though for practically no training. I also took a Gu at mile 10.5.

Mile 11 & 12: These were my toughest miles. Mentally, my mind was screaming you are going to do this, you rock! My knees were calling me a B*TCH pretty hard core, but I kept trucking. Mile 11 was all uphill. This was my slowest mile at 11m35s. I had to stop and walk for 2 minutes. Mile 12 was pretty flat and started going downhill for a bit.

Mile 13-13.1: I was on top of the world. I was about to finish my first half marathon and I could not believe the euphoric, amazing feeling that swarmed my body and mind.

I crossed the finish line at 2h16m18s Garmin time. Official time was 2h16m on the nose.

I did it. I had just ran a half marathon. Did I cry? For a second, when I saw BestBud. I saw Brother's Ex, and hugged the crap out of her. Then, I found the love of my life and he gave me the best hug in the world. He is so proud of me for doing this and it means the world to me, because I have NEVER been so proud of MYSELF as I was the day I completed My First Half Marathon!!

I totally hammed it up for every photog I saw!!

Post Race: My knees were kicking my trash. I took a hot bath and rubbed some icy hot on them. The next day they felt amazing. However, 1 week later and the bottom outside of my left foot is still hard to walk on. I get shooting pains every time I step on it. So, I have rested all week.

Half Marathon!

2010-04-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I did it! I am a half marathoner finisher!!!

Or shall I say, my best friend and I are half marathon finishers! I completed the half marathon in 2 hours and 16 minutes flat!! I have never in my life been so proud of myself!

I didn't get nervous before starting. Maybe in the days leading up to the race, but not on the actual race day. I went into this race knowing that I was going to do great. I was prepared, mentally and physically. I never "hit a wall" or thought 'how am I going to do this?' I always thought, '8 more miles, I got this'. I was positive the whole time, stayed on track and finished 4 minutes faster than my goal. I wanted to do it in 2hours and 20minutes.

It may have been a fluke, but I feel my first half marathon was flawless!!

My knees killed me the rest of the day. My foot on the bottom outside stings everytime I walk. My muscles are slightly sore. All in all, I feel pretty good!

Thank you so much for all of your encouragement during my training and even up to the last 2 comments I read Friday night. You were all in my heart during that race, thinking of the comments and support really kept me going :)

"It's Alive" and 25!

2010-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Ahem, I am alive.

It's been a crazy 11 days! I have a few things to catch up on!

My half marathon is just 5 short days away. I have been constantly doing training runs. I had the WORST training run(10 miles) Saturday April 2. I wanted to die the last 5 miles, it sucked. I finished, but was disappointed with the run. Then, this past Saturday, I attempted a 12 mile run. I ran 11.5 and had had enough. There were a lot of reasons why I stopped, most of them excuses. I was discouraged because of the wind, I felt sluggish and slow. I knew I could go faster, but I just wasn't in the groove of it. I usually run by myself, but this one took place with a friend. We ran by her house and did a run, with the route being whatever we came up with. Bad idea because then I am constantly in my own head. Bottom line, I just felt discouraged, I had the thought in my head that I couldn't do it. I have never doubted myself in that way since the beginning of my journey to the half marathon. I finished 11.5 miles and didn't feel much pain or soreness. Woke up with NO pain and NO soreness Sunday morning which rocked.

Like I said, the half marathon is on Saturday and I am ready! I know I am. This week I will be picking out my outfit, downloading new music, finding my iPod arm band case(been looking for it forever!), finding my camera, hydrating, carb loading, putting my house back together(remodel is almost complete), running the last runs, getting a good nights rest and on Saturday I am Coming Out!! As in, the first time you see the face that is "Continuous Changes", I will have a half marathon finishers medal!! That's right, Kids! I am confident that I will finish!

Like I said the remodel is almost complete. Love and I's weekends for the past 3 months have been full of hardware stores, DIY Projects, Training Runs(for me), new fish tank set up(for him), puppy loving(for the puppy kids), yard work, and have I ever mentioned I also have a part time job? Geesh, I feel like I am lazy all the time, but listing that assures me that I am not. I used to take naps every Saturday and Sunday! I can honestly say, I don't remember my last nap period.

Lastly, I turned 25 on Friday! I am a quarter century old. This birthday was kind of tough, but kind of not. As I have blogged before, my parents are in a bitter divorce battle right now. My mom text me happy birthday, my dad kind of forgot. I had to tell him my birthday was Friday(I am closer to my dad than to my mom, as well.) and it really made me sad. They are very consumed in their own lives so I let the hurt go away and refused to let it ruin my birthday! Love took me to "The Melting Pot" and it was delicious! I ate way too much, but it was my birthday :) So, I splurged! I am excited for what 25 will bring!

I have been reading all of your blogs, I am just not full of comments at the moment. Just know I am still routing all of you on and I love reading about your successes and downfalls(because they are making you stronger)!

Best wishes, y'all! :)

3 Days In...

2010-04-01T17:18:00.000-07:00

I have tracked everything....EVERYTHING this week. 4 days. That is my record, so tomorrow I am going for 5 days in a row ;) I ate 1200 calories on Monday. I ate 1400 calories on Tuesday(see what happens when you underestimate *tisk tisk*), I ate 1200 calories yesterday(and ran 5 miles in 51 minutes, thank you), and am right on track to eat 1200 today. Maybe Sunday I will post a list of all my meals this week. What do you think? It's been a yummy food week.

I weighed this morning and I am 124.8. Which is a lot better than the 126 I saw Tuesday. I know I can lose 2 pounds before my B-Day(Thanks for all of the Birthday Wishes, I feel special :) !!)

I had a great idea of a post earlier today and forgot it....oh, wait! I remember it, but I really need to catch up on YOU! My reader is 500+ posts to read. So, I am going to get to work and come back later for a post on Determination :-)
For now, here are some cute pictures of my fur babies when they first came home!
I didn't know Abigail when she was this little, but gosh, I die from the cuteness that she is!

Lenny on the other hand, I was surprised to find out he was member #4 of our family, but it was love at first sight :)

Wow!

2010-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

A whole week without a post!? Geesh, who am I?

This past week has been a revealing kind of week. I have had some weak moments. In-N-Out burger, 2 deserts, 2 times the proportion sizes...it was awful. On the one side, I did run 8 miles that day and needed the fuel. On the other, I could have fueled more properly.

I have decided to stick to a 1200 calorie diet on days I do just cardio.
I will eat 1600(plus 200 for powerade) on the days I run long distances.
I will track in a notebook all 7 days of the week.
I will start weighing 1 time a week, Wednesdays are the chosen days.
I will drink 120 oz of water everyday.
I will work on getting lots of fruits and veggies in every day.

My birthday is next Friday and I WILL be 122 if it kills me :)

I have no clue what I weigh right now. I really hope to still be at 124. Or even 123. We shall see in 2 days!

2 A Days....

2010-03-23T15:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon I ran 6 miles in 1h 2m 08s beating my previous 6 miles by 2 minutes and 6 seconds! I am so proud. No knee pain either. I love this running faster thing!

Woke up at 5AM, got dressed, filled my water, and headed my cute ass to the gym. I walked for 5 minutes, and followed that up with a 10 minute stretch session, as I was still a little tight from Sunday's run. Then, hopped on the elliptical for 40 minutes(totally tried to talk myself out of it, but I pushed on). All in all a good day at the gym. I do like doing cardio for an hour though.

Well my best friend, Sadie, text me while I was at work and asked if I was going running(it is supposed to be a running day, but I skipped the gym yesterday). I said "No" and then I had a change of heart and said, "If you wanna run, I am down!" Her response, "Let's do it dude!". So, today I will be doing a 3 mile or so run with her. It'll be nice to have some company!

Do you get active with your friends or are you a "lone ranger"?

Best Thing About This Week....

2010-03-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

I ran 3 miles on Tuesday! That's not the best thing, the best thing is I did it in 29m43s my best time yet. The first mile was 9m31s, the second was 10m41s, and the third was also 9m31s! I have never ran under a 10m mile. In fact, I don't think I have ever run a mile in under 10m15s. My knees felt great during, except when I was running slower. So, maybe I am just running too slow!? What do you think? I was soo proud of myself, I actually cried, because I am a dork.

Still at 124.6 this morning, which is nice. Hoping to see the 123 next Wednesday. Just going to keep on working harder and harder.

Hope you are all having an amazing week!

Luck of the Irish?!

2010-03-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Hi, Happy St. Patrick's Day :)

I didn't realize it was St. Patty's Day until I had left for work. No green on me today, oops!

So, weight this morning was 124.6! Ahhhh....haven't seen that number in, well, ever! I jumped right over it when I gained weight in jr. high. It gives me such a boost. Now that I am weighing, I do believe I will continue to lose it instead of up and down week to week. I feel great. Hey 110, I am coming to get you! Hoping for 122 or lower by my birthday, I think I can get there just fine.

I started journaling yesterday as well, just to give me an idea of how many calories I am consuming, what my workouts are, how much water I am drinking and my day to day weight. I am excited to be journaling. I plan on doing a food journal once a week starting soon. I really need more pictures around this joint!

Now, onto a little more substance. I have a confession to make! My sleeping habits are out of whack, and it is not because of Daylight Savings. I try to be in bed by 9:00 every night, because my first alarm goes off at 4:45AM. I feel that is an adequate amount of sleep. However, in the past month, it keeps getting later and later at night that I go to sleep. I have been getting in bed by 10, but don't fall asleep until 11 or so. Which is not nearly as much sleep as I should be getting. So, I have a plan to get my sleeping back on track.

Hot Bath: I used to take a hot bath every night at 8:30ish and it totally winds me down from the day. Hoping I can start doing this again most nights.
Hot Tea: I have heard tea helps when drank before bed.
No More Laptop in Bed: My brain associates my bed with all the wrong things. For example, TV watching, Internet Surfing, and Reading. I need to break that habit and fast.
No Workouts for at least 2 hours before bed: I tend to do last minute workouts right before bed, which leaves me full of energy. So, from now on, all workouts will be done by 7PM.

Do you get enough sleep? How do you unwind before bed?

Have a fantastic St. Patrick's Day!

Refusing To Let The Scale Win.....

2010-03-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

I loved reading all of your comments on yesterdays post. Keep looking "outside the box" and start noticing how you feel, rather than how you look/what the scale says! Ahhh...I love hearing all of the great things you are noticing!

Speaking of scales, I wanted to talk a little about what I started doing Saturday. So, I purchased a scale this weekend. I usually use the one at the gym, but my body fat changes anywhere from 25.5% to as low as 21% overnight and I can not trust it. So, I bought one that doesn't do body fat, it just tells me what the number is. I used to have a scale obsession and have quit diets many times because the scale wasn't cooperating and I thought I was "meant to be fat!". Not the case.

I weighed myself Saturday night and I was 127. Went out to see a friends band play and had a jager w/ redbull and a huge blue moon with 2 oranges. We stopped at McDonald's at 2:00AM(it was time change day so really it was 3AM), and I got a cheeseburger. Woke up Sunday and weighed 126. Hmmm....okay. I worked all day Sunday, but my eats were good.
B-yogurt w/ a little protein and fiber one cereal.
L-Subway 6'' Turkey on Honey Oat w/ lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, banana peppers, a little oil and vinegar.
Snack-BBQ Baked Lays potato chips
D-Wonton chips w/ sweet and sour sauce. I had a salad w/ broccoli and Olive Garden dressing.
Drank about 100 oz of water!

Monday I hopped on the scale 127.2. Did I get discouraged? NO! First, I had just woken up and done the #1, no #2 yet. Second, I had more sodium than I normally do the day before. So, I went to the gym and did an hour on the eliptical. Yesterday's eats:
B- 1/4c oatmeal, 1/2c water, 1/4 c raisins, 1 tbsp almond butter, 1/2 tbsp agave nectar(best breakfast ever!) w/ 2 cups of coffee. The coffee contained a little Vanilla Soy Milk and 1 tbsp cinnamon vanilla creamer.
L-Salad w/ broccoli and balsamic vinigarette dressing. I also had 1 cup of Annies white cheddar shells(awesome for a mac n cheese lover like myself!). I had a banana shortly after.
Snack-1 slice 9 grain bread w/ 1 tbsp almond butter and 1/2 tsp agave nectar
D-Salad w/ broccoli, wonton chips, and black bean/corn salsa as dressing(sounds gross, but it was tasty). I paired that with 1 Strawberry Brown Cow Greek Yogurt w/ fiber one cereal in it and 5 raisins.

This morning I weighed 125.6. Which is just over what I weighed last Thursday(?).

Obviously, I hope Thursday to be in the 124 range, but if I am not, I will move on. I weigh everday because I am curious as to what my body is doing. How I weigh day to day.

We shouldn't be so concentrated on what the scale is saying, I mean really. My weight fluctuated 2 pounds in three days. That is not logical because I was doing things right. No overeating, no sweets, plenty of water, and lots of protein, veggies and fruits. I will continue to weigh and Thursdays will be the day that counts. If I don't start losing, then, I will reevaluate.

I just really wish we wouldn't put so much emphasis on what the scale says. It is so sad to read bloggers that say I gained x amount of weight or I only lost x amount. It could just be one of those days where you gain 2 pounds because of sodium or being "backed up"!

So, how do you stay positive when the scale doesn't tell you what you want it to?

Let's Talk....

2010-03-15T09:56:00.000-07:00

So, this weekend I have really thought about a few things that have changed about my body and I thought I would share. Just a fair warning, this is a TMI post for just a minute, but not the whole thing and I promise not to be gross.

First things first, my energy level is quite amazing! I wake up happy, I workout, I go to work, I come home, I clean, I cook(or get takeout), and I go to bed. I used to take naps close to everyday, but now, I rarely take naps. Love took a 3 hour nap Saturday(he worked early) and I stayed up. I cleaned, stained cabinets, worked out a little and played with the dogs. We got up together at 6:30, but I had all the energy in the world. I am still surprised that I don't take naps. I deal with a touch of insomnia these days. I go to bed between 10pm and 12am and get up at 4:45am most days. So, I really need to work on getting sleep, so I have a plan. I will share this in a later post!

Secondly, I have never been *AHEM* regular in the potty department. It was normal to not poop for 3 days. I bet you I dropped the kids off at the pool maybe 2 times a week, 3 if I was lucky. Now, I drink 1-2 cups of coffee in the morning, I pack lots of fruits, veggies, and fiber into my diet. Plus, I drink over 100 oz. of water a day. Now, I go at least 2 times, if not 3 or 4 times a day. I love the feeling of not being "plugged" up like I used to. The down side to how regular I am is I have freaking gas pretty badly some days(okay, more like 4 days out of the week). Love always says,"Wow, that was lady like!!! I remember when you would try to hold it in, but now you just let it rip!" I always blame the dogs, but he doesn't believe me! Haha!

Last but not least, the food my body craves. I am currently going off of sweets and treats for 2 week, today is day 4 and it is not that bad. My body craves veggies, fruits and yogurt, which is a long ways from Quesadillas, cookies, and my all time favorite cheesy bean and rice burritos a la Taco Bell. Now, I still remember how much I love those burritos, but I have not had one in almost a year. I love me some banana, kiwi, salad, broccoli and my body craves those now. It is such a great feeling.

So, there you have it! What body changes have you noticed since beginning your journey?

Best Creation Yet.....

2010-03-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Last night, Love didn't get off of work until late, so I didn't eat until about 8:00. Love and I have such different eating habits. He is a meat, brown rice, potatoes, chicken, KFC, hamburgers, kind of guy. No veggies, but sometimes he will eat salad plain salad with lemons or Olive Garden dressing. I, however, love veggies and all sorts of other healthy foods. Like the one below!

This was a tomato basil tortilla(100 calories) with roasted pepper hummus. Then, I heated up some black beans and threw them up. I sauteed up red peppers, yellow peppers, orange peppers and broccoli in a little olive oil and topped the hummus and beans with it. Then, added a little peach and mango salsa to the top! So good, so feeling, and truly awesome creation :)

I don't find it extremely challenging to come up with great meal ideas even though Love and I's eating can be really different. If he wants cheese burgers, I am game. He doesn't actually like buns, so we eat them without them. There is some calorie saving we both do. Chicken and brown rice is a staple in our place. I have a salad or I will add some broccoli to the dish to give it some veggies.

NSV on its way! So, Love decided he wanted a shake last night(raspberry, peanut butter cups, and banana.). He is creative. So, I went to iceberg, where I love love LOVE their shakes and I ordered his shake. I didn't order one for me, not because I wasn't allowing it, but because I really didn't want one. Normally, I would have gotten one and just eaten it anyways, but last night I put thought into it and I want to get to goal. I don't want to have to work off all of the calories the shake had in it! Go me :) !!!!

It is kind of a big deal....

2010-03-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

So, I have some really fun events coming up.

First, my 25th birthday is 4 weeks away from today. I am so excited for my birthday this year, mainly because I am finally excited about life! I don't live the unhappy way I used to. I have noticed a lot of different changes in myself in the past 2 weeks(haven't been blogging much, taking short breaks to focus on me). I will talk more on that later.

Second, I am still hoping for the half marathon one week after my 25th birthday. I have ran a couple of days this week and my knees feel strong. Going to try to get in a 6 mile run Saturday after I hit up the running store. I need to kick the workouts up a notch, I have been slacking slightly, although the intensity has increased.

Third, my friend since childhood is getting married. I am excited for the wedding, but I will be seeing a few people who really don't like me. The reasoning behind them not liking me, I do not know and that is in all honesty. At this wedding, I will also be seeing many people that I absolutely adore and have known since I was just a kid. They knew me as a chubby kid, and as an anorexic preteen-teen and then grow into a fat young adult. They haven't seen me this far into my journey and I really want to show them who I am on the inside and just how much I have changed!

Now, let's talk a little about the changes I have gone through recently. I will do these in bullet form.

Had I been the old me when my parents told me of their divorce, I would have worried, cried, and dwell on it all day all the time. The new me, I have dealt with it. I am moving on and as I told my daddy-o last night, they can do whatever they want and I am just done with it. I don't really see or speak to them anymore. I love them, but there is a lot of tension and I don't want that to be in my life right now.
I feel so determined. I have never had this feeling before. I want to take on anything and everything. The "fear to ask for fry sauce" as my momma would say, is gone. I don't fear looking stupid in front of people. I have so much in me to offer and I am ready to give it! Have I mentioned I am 15 pounds from my goal weight!!!!!!!! I weigh 125!! It has everything to do with my determination. I was up and down in my weight for so long(about 2 months or so), but now my nose is to the grindstone and I will be at goal by summer!!
I have self confidence. I am excited to go shopping for clothes, specifically for a dress for the wedding I was talking about. I want to always look as gorgeous as I feel inside :) and I do! I have naturally curly hair(like super curly, I will post pics, I promise!) and I don't feel self concious letting it do it's thing. I feel like even when I first wake up, I look damn good. My body is changing and it looks good. I may have a little coming out party this weekend.....on the blog. Maybe get up some befores and afters :)
I have goals. I have hobbies(2 actually now) Miss Nicole @ let them eat lettuce inspired me to do something. We have a koi pond in the back yard right now and because of the time consumption of the salt water tank inside, it has been neglected and it doesn't look good. So, I had been thinking about what to do in that area. Originally, I was just going to fill the hole back up with dirt and grow grass, but wouldn't a veggie/fruit garden be more awesome! Yes, Nicole posted about it right around the same time I was considering it and last night, we bought the supplies. I will be starting the garden indoor tomorrow and when I am ready to move it outside, I am going with Love's dad(whose garden rocks) to the local nursery to pick up a few more plants :) Awe, bonding time.

I have so much more to talk about, but I am going to leave you to digest this for now :) Thanks for reading!!

I have been reading up on your blogs when I can, but the comments are resuming promptly! I really care about you so much and I really hope you know that :)

What a Way To Start A Monday....

2010-03-08T07:05:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning at 4:45AM and hit the gym HARD! Today was weight training day. I did 1 mile warm up run, followed by quad machines, hamstring machines and hip abductor machines, and ending with a 2 mile run. This is the most I have run in 2 weeks and I only had slight inner thigh pain. I call this a win!

Weekend went good. I did some experimenting on my eating. Trying to just eat a 1/4 c of oatmeal with raisins and peanut butter for breakfast. I was hungry after only 3 hours. Usually 1/2 c of oatmeal w/ PB and raisins holds me until lunch time, which is about 5 hours after breakfast. I am trying it again today to see how it goes. Drinking 120+ oz of water. It's 8AM and I have already downed 24 oz.! That's decent.

Saturday night, I splurged on Girl Scout Cookies....I mean splurged. I had 2.5 servings of tagalongs(mmmm...chocolate and peanut buttery goodness) with is oh.....400 calories, but it didn't stop there. I had 2 servings of samoas and 1 serving of thin mints. Oh well, it was a lesson learned. I did not have ANY yesterday though, so that is good. If I am going to eat anymore of the 4 boxes we have left, it will be 1 serving!

The biggest thing in this journey that I have learned is, it is okay to slip. Whether it be once or twice a month or even once or twice a week, you can still learn about yourself and your weaknesses. In the end, it can make your stronger if you work towards it.

5 things I have learned since I began my journey:
1. I have been in denial for YEARS about my emotional eating. I can now admit that, yes I am an emotional eater. Will I be forever, NO!
2. Exercise AND eating right are must for losing and keeping weight off. It's not just about one or the other, it's about both.
3. If there are constant "splurges" you will never lose. I was trying to have "dessert" everyday, but right now, I just can't do it without over doing it. Once or twice a week is fine, but not every day.
4. My body and mind are a whole lot stronger than I had ever imagined. I have pushed myself to do things I have never imagined(running 7 miles!! Heck yes!) and confronting my emotional eating.
5. I am SO HAPPY with myself when I see that I am losing AND when I gain because I get to reflect and learn how to make myself healthier all around! I used to beat myself up for gaining, but now I realize, it is going to happen and I can work through it!

How was your weekend?

Sorry For Leaving You Hanging....

2010-03-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

All Weekend!!!! Ahhh. Let's just say, I am not talking about the weekend. Food was AWESOME. Exercise non existent, still struggling with knee pain. Taking my running shoes to the running store and they are going to do what they can to help me!

Plans for the half marathon have changed. I am no longer doing the Salt Lake Half Marathon, at this point. I may change my mind, and I really hope I do. Being injured is terrifying to me, so I want to be certain I am ready physically for it. Mentally, I am ready. I am still planning on the "Happy Valley Half Marathon"(I can't think of the real name of the race, but Happy Valley sounds like sunshine and rainbows anyways). and that is in June. So, I AM going to run it. Or maybe I will still do both....ugh...see back and forth back and forth! lol!

I still don't have a full functioning kitchen, but it is back to normal enough that I am staying on track :) When we started this remodel, I was determined to not eat out nearly as much as The Boy suggested we would have to! I really didn't eat out as much as I thought I would. Sure, last week we did, but this weekend I think we ate out 2 times. I had a cheeseburger from McDonald's last night.....Shhh...no telling ahah. I don't feel badly because I did have just 1 and 4 fries. Then, an apple and scoop of PB for desert. That's fine by me!

Todays eats:
B-1/2 cup of oatmeal, 2/3 cup of water, 1/4 cup low fat milk, 2 scoops PB, Sprinkle of Fiber One Cereal, and 1 scoop of protein powder. It was just okay. I need to work on the consistency and NOT eating it 10 minutes after it's made-COLD AND GOOEY...Gross!

L-Salad made with 2 cups of salad, 1/4 cucumber, 1/4 yellow pepper(I can eat them like apples...so perfect!), 1/4 cup of broccoli, 1 Avocado, Mrs. Dash garlic and herb NO SALT ADDED seasoning, 10 sprays of 2 calorie per spray ranch, and a half cup of fiber one cereal. On the side, I had 1/3 of a Starkist herb and garlic Tuna pouch. It was tasty and very filling!

There are 3 new things I tried today, and wanted to give a little review of:
1. Fiber One cereal-This has 60 calories per 1/2 cup and 57% of the daily fiber suggested. Can you believe it? Those are some good stats. The Boy had a huge(probably a cup and a half) serving last night(to cure his sweet tooth!?) and he was *ahem* "feeling" it this morning. The needed potty break woke him up 30 minutes before he usually gets up. Being one that used to never getting enough fiber in my diet, this stuff is going to be a new staple :)
2. Starkist garlic and herb tuna pouch-I always thought I NEEDED mayo(Lots, please!) to make tuna taste really good, but in the past few months, I have done a little honey mustard and a touch of mayo and it has been great. Today, I ate the tuna plain. No added spices, nothing. It was delicious. It didn't have an over powering garlic flavor, but it definitely added a little something to the tuna. You will see this in the future.
3. Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning-I worry about sodium intake, not a ton, but I do think about it. This flavoring was great. I used to be a HUGE RANCH FAN, like huge. It went on every salad and it was about 10 times the serving size suggestion. Last night, I smushed(love this word!) an avocado on a paper plate and threw some of this seasoning on and voila, a nice creamy add to a salad. Although, I did add a little ranch, because the avocado wasn't getting the salad very "wet" at all. Weirdo...yes I am!

All 3 of the suggestions above came from a girl that works at the kiosk across from me at the part time gig in the mall! Love her!

So, there you go! What are some new things you have tried lately?

It is or was my anniversary....

2010-02-24T22:02:00.000-08:00

I had my 6 month healthy lifestyle journey anniversary on Sunday and I didn't even realize it. How dare I!! I can't believe it has been 6 months. It feels like just yesterday I was running for 30 seconds at a time wanting to die the whole 30 seconds!

Miss Anonymous Fat Girl had an awesome post today. All too often people lose sight and/or motivation for what they set out to do. I think that some of the people that drop off of the blog-o-sphere don't realize how many people read their blogs, care about their blogs, and care about that person in general. I care about each and every person whose blog I read and I love encouraging them to push forward, even through the hardest of times. There is support all around this place and it is completely amazing to see us all helping each other through this.

However, at the end of the day, healthy living is our personal choice. No one is taking the chocolate bar out of my mouth, or tying my shoes to go running. We make our own choices to continue on our journey, because it is just that. It is our journey, our success, our bad decisions, and our failures....or not. Sure we hit bumps in the road, but that's what the game of life is all about. Every bump is a challenge and the true challenge is for us to figure out how to push through it and continue, not to just give up.

I must admit, I am extremely impressed that I have made it 6 months. I was telling Love tonight that he one of the biggest reasons I have stuck to it. He was VERY doubtful that I would do it, because he had heard me say for 2 years that I was going to lose weight. I lost 20 pounds when we met(thanks to less booze and earlier dinners) and gained almost 10 back in the 3 months before my journey start date. He would ask me everyday "Are you going running?" He asked everyday and before I had the opportunity to think of excuses I would blurt out "Yes! I am!" and I would go. Now, the challenging stuff I did by myself, yes, but without his questioning, I could have fallen off track easily!

So, in honor of my 6 month anniversary, here is a list of 6 things that keep me on track:
1. I wake up between 4:45AM and 5AM most weekday mornings. I go to the gym right after waking up. No questions asked(most of the time). It can be hard, but I feel more awake and aware for the rest of the day.
2. I decide what types of food I would like to eat during the week, make my list and go shopping on Sunday. I decide what to make for breakfasts and lunches the night before and make it in the morning before getting ready for work.
3. I remind myself on a daily basis of how good I feel versus how I felt prior to this journey. My confidence has grown so much and I love myself and who I am.
4. On the weekends, I allow myself to enjoy my mornings*cough*sleep in*cough* and do my workouts when I feel like it. It's my weekend, I don't like scheduling, so I go with the flow.
5. I eat sweets when I want. However, I watch my portion control and I have found I rarely crave sweets after not having them for a while.
6. Love's support is definitely a huge reason why I stay on track. If something needs to be done around the house or an errand needs to be done and he knows I still have a workout to do; he tells me to go do my workout and he will take care of the rest :) It's so awesome having his support day in and day out. I don't know what I would do without him sometimes!

How do YOU stay on track?

Abigail Marked All Posts In My Google Reader.....

2010-02-23T20:50:00.000-08:00

As Read....and I had 133 left to read from about 600! Shit! Well, I still love y'all, but I have a lot of back reading to do. I will get it done.

Okay, with the remodel in full swing, my stove is unplugged. There are cabinets being stained on my old countertops. So, I have not room to really prepare food. My lunches are sandwiches, veggies, and leftovers. Dinner consists of take out from numerous restaurants. My portions and choices have been awesome, that's for sure. It can be hard to stay on track when eating out on a daily basis(2-3 times on the weekends), but I do believe it can be done. You just have to be aware of the menu and what to ask them to take off or put on the side. Also, portion sizes are a big deal. We are always given at least 2 or 3 servings worth of food and most of us can eat it all and believe it is one serving. For example, a pasta bowl from Noodles and Company can easily last me 2-3 meals and that is without having a salad or fruit with it. It's amazing to think that I used to get a whopper value meal supersized and eat it all, but still be hungry(or so I thought) afterwards. Now, I can eat half a whopper junior and a small handful of fries and be stuffed.

Okay, about the knee pain, I am going to go to my local running store and ask them about it. I do believe I will be purchasing knee braces and continue icing immediately after my runs. On long run days, I ice 3 times. It's just so discouraging having the knee pain start now. I am supposed to run 8 miles Saturday and I am going to do it....knee pain or not! I don't care how many walk breaks I have to take, I will get all 8 miles in!!

I haven't actually run since Saturday. I plan on hitting the treadmill for 4 miles tomorrow morning at 5AM. I wish my treadmill was working, so I wouldn't have to drive to the gym. I may just on the eliptical for a while after my run as well to make up a little time for the past 3 days.. Ugh....I really hate skipping workouts, but it is hard to get up at 4:45AM to workout. Even though I feel fantastic afterwards.

I have been extremely stressed out the past 2 weeks and really just want a break. Love and I are hopefully going to make a trip to Vegas in the near future. I really just need to chill out. Maybe I will start taking hot baths before bed again. That is definitely when I feel most relaxed :)

Today I made a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich for dinner. I had it with blue chips and salsa. It was such a superb dinner!! I was surprised with the way the sandwich turned out as it seems like an odd combination. I have seen it on a couple of blogs and I am so glad I decided to try it.

Tomorrow I plan on eating:
B-1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tblsp of crunchy peanut butter, 1 tblsp chocolate chips, and a banana.
L-1 pita pocket, tuna fish with mayo and honey mustard, a side salad(dark leafy greens, mushrooms, yellow peppers, cucumbers) topped with hummus.
D-TBD

I have not been doing much snacking lately and I have not really needed snacks, which is surprising to me. Even with doing my long runs, my body hasn't wanted extra fuel. So, I keep snacks just in case, but I never end up eating them. So, I think the scale is going to keep on moving in the right direction. I would like my February weight loss to be 2 pounds. So, I have some work to do this week. I am making my March goal to lose 3-4 pounds. I don't totally depend on the scale, but making a goal keeps me focused. I try to beat myself up as little as possible because this is a long process, not a quick fix!!

Thanks for stopping by! I am looking forward to reading your blogs this week and keeping up with them! I am also going to have some topic driven posts this week.

Have a great day and stay true to yourself!!

Weigh In and Knee Pain

2010-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hi Ladies and Guys(maybe?!?!),

I still love y'all! I read the comments and am trying to catch up on your blogs. I need to organize my reader and get everything into groups. In Due Time, I Swear! The past week has been nothing but remodeling(and not knowing I was scheduled to work at my part time job today....was an hour late FRICK!). I have a headache right now. I am so excited for bed.

I did it.....7 MILES in 1:15:00!!! Under 11 minute miles....YAY YAY YAY!!! The pain in my knees during the last 2 miles was INSANE! They hurt the rest of the day. I iced 3 times and I finally felt better this morning.. I really hope y'all have some advice on helping the knee pain...PLEASE! Love suggested I stop running and maybe start biking, but I don't know! PLEASE HELP ME!

I also weighed this morning. 127.4!! Can you believe it? Down 1.4 pounds in a month. Not amazing, but still pretty frickin good!

I will be catching up every chance I get. We are still about a week or two away from being finished with the remodel!

I like it HOT HOT HOT!

2010-02-16T09:41:00.000-08:00

I am so glad some of you wanted the recipe for the chili :) Here is what I did:

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey
1 28 oz. can of canned tomato(Thanks to the future father in law)
2 15 oz. cans of kidney beans
1 medium onion
1/2 large green pepper
2T chili powder(Thanks again FFIL)
1T extra spicy chili powder(Thanks again FFIL)
A large pinch of salt
2 tsp of pepper
The extra little oomph was about 2-3 spoonfuls of sugar(I remember my mom always added sugar to hers)

I started by browning the ground turkey. I actually multi-tasked and cut the veggies at the same time. Added everything to the crockpot and cooked for about 8-9 hours.

Definitely not the most complicated recipe, but it is a step up from chicken and rice.

I brought it for lunch yesterday. I threw on a 1/4C of cheese and 2T of sour cream and OMG, it was the bomb diggity dig! It was spicy, but not too spicy. Love's dads chili powder really is awesome. I think that was what made it extra special. Love doesn't like chili....he told me it wreaked! Haha! It made so much. I am going to be eating it for 2-3 weeks. I froze half of it.

Food yesterday was rushed. Cereal and coffee for breakfast(not measured), chili and a side salad for lunch, dinner was a salad with peppers(red(my favorite!!), green, yellow, and orange), cucumber slices and 2T hummus! So perfect. Love also made kung pao noodles and I had an 1/8C of those with 9 pieces of shrimp. I was never super hungry yesterday. Which is strange because I always have AM and afternoon snacks, but yesterday....I didn't touch either.

So, yesterday was overall a good eating day.

I did my 35 minute tempo run today. It left me a sweaty mess. I really have pushed myself the last 2 or 3 workouts. I have to be ready for this half marathon and I will be ready. This Saturday is my longest run ever 7 miles. I am excited/anxious/worried all at the same time.

I have decided to start weighing on the wii fit and counting my weight on Sundays. I am going to Vegas in March and would love to be in the low 120's by then. I am going to work hard! I want to get a new pair of "size 4" jeans while I am there.

Today is the funeral. I called my childhood best friend last night to tell her about my grandpa and her grandpa(her dad's dad, just like mine) passed the same day, just 5 hours before my grandpa. How strange is that?

Anyways, I am feeling better and better, just trying to buckle down and focus. Getting up at 5AM has been hard the past 2 weeks, but I am giving it my all!

Thanks again everyone for all of the support, it means so much to me! You have all brightened my day :)

Prepared

2010-02-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all of the kind comments on my last post! I am doing okay, still having moments of horrible sadness, but that is to be expected.

I think had I still been who I was before this journey, I would be eating to get comfort and I am sure gaining quite a bit of weight. This time, it's just different. I eat right and exercise because I WANT TO! I want to feel the runner's high, I want to look good in my clothes, I want to have an outlet for my stress and mostly I want to live! I believe that me being on this journey has helped me deal with all of this stress going on in my life. I don't cry like I used to. I don't stress nearly as much as I used to. I laugh MORE than I used to. I love myself now! It's an amazing feeling and one I will never lose :)

Last night, I made chili. Now, it may not sound like a big deal, but the biggest meal I have ever made by myself was chicken and rice. So, chili is quite a big step! I used ground turkey, kidney beans, green peppers, onions, chili powder(Love's dads chili powder...seriously amazing), cumin, salt and pepper. Oh, and a little sugar(my mom's secret recipe). It sat in the crock pot for 9 hours and it smells sooooo good! I haven't tried it yet, but I am so excited to.

After starting the chili, I cut up an orange, yellow, green, and red pepper for snacks. I also cut up a cucumber. Today, I brought a little of each with some garlic artichoke hummus for my afternoon snack! I am loving this snack as an option. It's low cal and gets more veggies into my day :)

I am going on a 3.5 mile run today(didn't run saturday or sunday) after work and I am excited! I have "Dessa" on my iPod now and she makes the runs go by so quickly, I love it!

I will be catching up on my reading and commmenting through out the day! Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all the love and hugs! You all make this rough time easier!

Today, I am Heart Broken.....

2010-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in three days because I haven't felt like I had much to write about. I have eaten pretty much the same meals this whole week. Training is going great.

I hit up the gym this morning and geez....I kicked my trash. I did a hill workout. When the treadmill went up, I would run at 5.5(10:54/mile) and when it was down, I did either a 6.5(9:22/mile) or 7.0(8:45/mile). It was 1 minute per interval and I was SWEATY when I was done. Geesh! I felt amazing, I had the runners high and a smile on my face.

So, I leave the gym and my cell phone has a missed call at 5:59. Who the hell calls someone that early? I figured it was bad news and I was right....

Let's back up a second so I can tell you a little story. I am a lucky girl who has 3(yes, 3!) sets of grandparents. That is a whole lot of love right there. I grew up around my mother's mom "Grandma Cookies" as my best friend calls her and her husband, my step grandpa "Gramps". My mom's dad comes around from time to time, but we aren't very close. That's "Grandpa G" and my step grandma is "Grandma G". I knew my dad's mom pretty well growing up, "Grandma" or "Mrs. R" as my mother called her. I always knew of my "Grandpa R", but never really "met" him until I was about 14 or 15. The summer of 2005 when I moved back in with my parents was the "summer I got to know my Grandpa R" and we got close. We would sit outside smoking(I quit, he didn't) and talking. He would tell me stories about his family, his mischievous ways, his tattoos, and I would tell him my stories. Last summer Love and I were having a really rough patch in our relationship and I was at my parent's house more and more. I started talking to Grandma R and Grandpa R a lot. They were my shoulders to lean on. They brightened my day and I did theirs. They would always say "Where's Tiff at?" "Is she coming over today?". I really think our relationship grew strong this past summer and I am so grateful for that.

Grandpa R passed away this morning! He had been in the hospital(I just found this out) and they took him off of life support at 6AM. He smoked for 70+ years, and lived on black coffee. He was 82 years old. Not many people are living to 82 these days, but I am so glad he did because I got to know and love him!

My mom told me once, "I admire you for so many reasons. The one that stands out most is your passion and how deeply you feel your emotions and even others!". I am doing better than expected. At this point, it doesn't feel real. I can still see his face saying "I love you"(the first time he said it to me a year ago!). I can still hear the joking we did back and forth. He was spunky, just like me! My mind grasps it, but my heart just isn't ready yet. He is with his 3 sons now and I take comfort in that. RIP "Old Man"....I would love to hear his response right now "Who you callin' old?"!

Thanks for reading, I just needed to tell some stories about him :)

I am not letting this put a halt on my journey in weight loss or to my first half marathon. Onwards and upwards! I plan to train harder and stay focused. Running is my therapy.

Running After a Break is Hard with a capital HARD!

2010-02-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

I ran 3.5 miles yesterday! The first run in oh.....4 days! Ahhhhh....and it was hard. I am used to running once every other day. It was a hard, cold run. I stopped about 3 times, but I really wasn't having it. My stops were less than a minute and consisted of stretching. My muscles are really tight.

Last night, I had Salad with leftover Sicilian lasagna. The sicilian lasagna is an Iggy's lasagna and it was GOOOOOODDD!! Spinach, artichoke pasta is what it basically was. I paired that with the salad(like I said) and 2 tbsp of spinach artichoke dip. I am loving spinach and artichokes as of late. I just need to learn how to cut and cook artichokes.

Breakfast: cinnamon raisin english muffin with peanut butter
Lunch: Tuna with a touch of mayo and honey mustard(a new favorite) on a sandwich thin. I paired it with a salad with tomato, mushroom and light ranch dressing. A chocolate bar slid into my mouth and I do NOT feel bad about it!
Dinner: Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden, a side salad and 3 breadsticks. Had a little too much, but I am skipping the dessert! :)

I don't think I hit my 1600 calorie target, but I will have to calculate it out.

I will post something more interesting tomorrow. I am exhausted today!! Have a great day and stay true to yourself!

Weekends, What?

2010-02-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

First things first, Annie is hosting a wonderful giveaway! Her blog is inspiring and amazing, so go check her out!

Zero...the number of times I worked out!
Two...the number of decent healthy meals I had!
Half...the number of pints of beer I had at a concert!

This weekend, it wasn't great diet/exercise wise. I discovered I am a week ahead on my training schedule for the half and instead of using it as an advantage to train a little more, I decided taking all weekend off from exercise would do the trick! Now, I did do plenty of things for the remodel. Think painting, sanding cabinets, lifting and moving boxes. So, I did get some calorie burning going.

We went and saw Dessa, Grieves, and P.O.S last night! They are amazing musicians and you really should check them out! The show was supposed to start at 9:00, but like every other time, it didn't start until 10! The show ended at around 1 or so! Today, I am TIRED!! Got a nice big coffee(with a touch of creamer). Seeing them(this was the first time I saw Dessa and she was AMAZING!) was so worth the exhausting day I am sure to have.

Breakfast: Cinnamon Raisin english muffin with Peanut Butter
AM Snack Yogurt with Cinnamon Raisin granola
Lunch: Cup of Corn Chowder and a 6'' turkey sub
Afternoon Snack: Honey crisp apple
Dinner: TBD

Exercise planned for today: 3.5 mile run and Level 2 of the 30 Day Shred(my favorite level so far!).

Goals for this week:
1. Drink 128 oz of water a day.
2. Eat between 1400 and 1600 calories.
3. Track calories.
4. Stick to training plan!

Goal for February:
Be at 125 by February 28! Only weighing once a month!

Can't wait to catch up and find out how your weekends went :)

3 Things....

2010-02-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

The Redhead just put up this list and it really brightened my day to think about goals, so I am going to go ahead and post my goals here!

What are three things that you want to accomplish or do before you die?

1. Qualify for the Boston Marathon! I didn't realize how much I really wanted to run a half marathon let alone a full until about 2 years ago!

2. Graduate from college! The first step is getting back into school! I will be going for accounting and business management.

3. Write a book! I have always toyed with the idea of being a serious writer, and I know I am capable. I just have to find a starting point and a subject! I have always written poetry, which has been a wonderful outlet for me. I do believe writing is a great outlet for me as well. Hence the fact that I have and LOVE blogging!

Mission (Un)Accomplished!

2010-02-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

I got on the scale and it read 129.4!!! I couldn't see my body fat percentage or fat in lbs like usual because the scale at the gym was not acting properly. I wanted so badly to be at 125, so I was completely bummed to say the least. I thought about all of the things I could have done better and things I did that were wrong, but I do know I was really good last week. Even though I went to Cheesecake Factory! I am confident that I did everything I could have last week. So, I am moving on!

No More Weighing
I will not be weighing at all during the month of February! I will be taking measurements tonight and on the last day of the month. That's what matters to me right now. I want to kiss the lovely handles good bye!

I don't always have good days emotionally. As far as eating healthy, I have small splurges every now and then and I have moments where I overdue it, but I always get right back on track....sometimes when I realize I am going overboard! Overall, I have more emotional bad days than I do "food-wise" bad days. Which is something I am proud of because I am an emotional eater!! I know plenty of people are, but admitting it has been so hard for me!! I've known it forever! I can't believe how food/alcohol had the power for so many years of my life!

This week has been a hard week, I am exhausted! I usually wake up at 5, go to the gym, come home, make my lunch, wake Love up, send him off to work, feed the dogs, let dogs go potty, play with dogs, clean what I can, get myself ready, grab my lunch, go to work, work until 5, come home, feed the dogs, clean, make dinner, run errands, read blogs(yay!), get clothes for the gym ready(so i don't have to in the mornings!), cuddle with puppies, and go to bed! May not seem like a busy day, but by the time I get into bed it is 10 or 11 o'clock.

This week, I am not doing it, I am emotionally tired. I have gone to the gym once(3 mile run), done the shred once, and did half of my speed work training run. The one thing I haven't done is turn to food! I was at the grocery store 2 times this week looking at the skinny cow ice cream. I didn't buy any! I need to stay away from the deserts and deal with my emotions!

Next week will be better and I will be my positive me :) Who knows the positive me may come back later today!

Level 2! Week 2! Eats!

2010-02-01T19:24:00.000-08:00

First things first, I just got done doing level 2 of the 30 Day Shred and I AM IN LOVE!!! It is so much better than level 1! I do believe it will be my favorite!! I am taking my starting measurements tonight! Speaking of measurements, I measured my tummy at the belly button and have lost 1 inch in about a month!! Go me!

Week 2 of half marathon training was great! The tempo run was good, although I need better treadmill music! What is/are your favorite workout song(s)? I did some walking/eliptical/stair stepper/bike for cross training 1 day and it was nice to switch it up! The 6 mile run, as you probably read below was so amazing! I came home enthused, but exhausted! I laid down(I got up at 6 AM Saturday morning and cleaned/made breakfast from 6 til about 11) to try and take a nap, but the runner's high took over me! I couldn't sleep and was up until 3:00AM. I love love love running and I used to love love love sleeping, but now my energy level is high and I feel more alive every day! Goodbye naps, Hello Life :) I am so motivated and I only grow more motivated by the day!!! :)

Now, on to the eats from Saturday! I had an exceptional eating day that day. The morning started out with cleaning, a run to the grocery store and then it was coffee time!

My coffee is typically with 1 tblsp fat free coconut creme creamer and a splash of milk.

I got hungry at about 9:00 and decided to try some eggs with spinach and mushrooms. I had a kiwi on the side!

I loved the spinach and mushrooms sauteed in a tsp of olive oil.

After my run, I came home to a protein shake....made with Jay Robbs' vanilla protein powder, water, and a banana!

I was starving at around 9 Saturday night and decided to have a bean and cheese burrito(whole wheat 100 calorie tortilla) with a side of broccoli topped with cheese.

I also had a make your own frozen yogurt, but ate about 10 small bites and put the rest of it in the freezer. Love ate the rest the next day(I had a few bites too).

Todays eats were awesome.

Breakfast was pb and banana sandwich on a whole wheat arnold sandwich thin and a cup of coffee with creamer and milk.

Lunch was a salad with mango vinigarette for starters. Then, I made spaghetti squash and topped it with spaghetti sauce with protein soy crumbles(saw this product in the skinny girl cookbook) and cheese. It was sooooo good!! I could hardly tell the "meat" wasn't real meat.

Afternoon snack was a cup of fruit.

Dinner was rice and chicken with a tapioca cup for desert. YUM!!

I have had about 100 oz of water so far today and should get in about 28 more before bed.

I am so excited for my weigh in on Thursday morning. I will be at 125 or below :)

I've never ran 6 miles in a row.....

2010-01-30T15:11:00.000-08:00

Until TODAY!!! I did it!! CELEBRATING!!! Be back later today with some food blogging :) Just wanted to scream off the rooftops!!

I RAN 6 MILES TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took me 1:04:53 and my goal time is to run the half in under 11 minutes per mile!

Slackin' is my middle name....

2010-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

I have slacked hard on the blog comment(and even blog reading) this week. We've been buying a dresser(gorgeous! Pics to come), purchasing tile for the backsplash, looking at 2 different places for the perfect wood floors, Love built and brought home the counter tops last week, and I had dinner with my Momma last night.

We went to Cheesecake Factory...YUM!!! I hade the bbq salmon, ate a little less than 1/2 of it, ate 1/2 of the potatoes, and a little of the corn succotash(my favorite)! Of course, I got the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake :) TO GO! Brought it home, gave it to Love and had 3 small bites. I know the calories aren't perfect, but I ate yogurt and granola for breakfast. I had a small burrito and veggies for lunch and 2 clementines during the day. So, I am doing pretty good.

Onto a more serious subject, my eyes have "caught up"! I couldn't be more ecstatic. For the longest time, I have always been "fat" when I look in the mirror. I weighed in at 126 the other week at the gym and my brain still registered 142 when I looked in the mirror. Well, last Friday, we went out for drinks for Love's cousins b-day(whom I love) and before I left the house I did the last look see. I loved what I saw. I was thin, for the first time in my life, I looked THIN! Last night, I threw on the 6's to go to dinner with my mom. They fit in the waste, but the legs were a little tight to the point that they would slide off of my waist and I was constantly pulling them up. Not last night. They were baggy!!! YAHOO!!!

You guys are all doing so great!! I will catch up on reading/re-reading and commenting tomorrow after the traditional Saturday clean freak morning frenzy :)

Protein!

2010-01-27T12:34:00.000-08:00

When we were at Lowe's I spotted the Hungry Girl 200 under 200 cookbook and grabbed up the last copy :) I am so excited to get cookin'!

After Lowe's and a quick stop to get Love a new phone, we went to the local market last night(which is the closest thing I have to a Whole Foods(until next January!!!!)) here in my spot in the US! I picked up some Jay Robb Protein powder packets to try, a suggestion from a "Flat Belly" book of some sort, as I ran out of protein this weekend. The Verdict? Loved it. I added the pouch to my greek yogurt(which next time will be added to something different as the serving size is HUGE!) and it was tasty. My only problem with greek yogurt is the consistency, it's not creamy but rather more chunky and I do not like that. The protein made it so good though for some reason! The kicker was that my breakfast had 38 grams of protein and I read that the average person should have 45g of protein a day. I am excited to go pick up the bigger bottle of protein to have on hand!

I did my first official tempo run today and it was hard, but I killed it. I ran 10 minutes at a 11:19 pace and then 15 minutes at a 10:06 pace. Mentally, I am working on the continuous running. It's hard, because often times, my brain wants to stop when my body wants to continue. I will continuously work on that.

I realized last week and even last night that I have no idea what portion control is, so I pulled out my best buds....the measuring spoons, measuring cups, and my biggest loser scale :). I measured everything for my dinner.

I had 4 oz. chicken
2 cups salad
2 tbsp mango vinagarette dressing
1 cup of broccoli with a sprinkle of cheese

Desert consisted of 1/2 cup peppermint ice cream and vita top chocolate

Today's eats:
Breakfast-1 Chobani Pineapple Yogurt w/ 1/4 cup granola & protein pouch
Lunch-11 oz. shrimp, 2 rings of pineapple, 2 tbsp teriyaki pineapple sauce. All over 1/2 cup jasmine rice. Salad on the side!

I am counting calories starting today. It's time to find new solutions for me, as I know I haven't done the best that I know I can!

Week 1 Down! Weigh In

2010-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Week one of half marathon officially ended with a 5 mile(56m03s) on Sunday evening! The first week was awesome. I felt strong mentally and physically for the majority of the week. I ran 10:00 miles on Saturday(2) and then got killer side pain and slowed the last mile to 11:42. I pushed myself a little harder than I should. However, it's so much easier for me to run outside than it is inside. The only problem outside is the horrid smog issues we have been experiences. I have a hacking cough after I come back in! Can't wait for it to clear up a little. I can't wait for the heat either. So, week 1 wasn't so bad. I have a 6 miler this Sunday. My longest run ever and I am pumped! I know I can do it!

Last week, eating was less than stellar. I drank 12(yes, 12!) cups of coffee with milk and creamer on Saturday. We went to Red Robin Sunday afternoon and I ate an entire bbq chicken wrap and more than half of the fries with a strawberry lemonade. Holy calories. Last night, at work(the mall job) I was craving sweets. I had 2 cookies(eep) and a diet coke. It was a weak moment, but I took a moment to think about how I felt and I can tell you, I won't be doing that again. I felt so gross and not happy. I did eat at least 1 type of dessert everyday. When I got on the scale this morning, those weak moments came back to haunt me....

128.8

That number stared me down and made me think,'You got yourself into this, what did you learn?'! This week, I learned that I need to pay attention to portion control and types of food I am eating. I should have eaten half the wrap and given 3/4 of the fries to Love and definitely gotten a water. I also didn't drink water much this weekend. Maybe 32 oz on Saturday and 50 oz on Sunday.

This does help me refocus a little bit. I am going to start weighing in on Thursday mornings instead of Mondays. I am definitely not beating myself up though. I made the mistake of eating too much and not high quality foods and now I am just going to turn it around this week and lose all that I gained, plus hopefully a little more. I did gain a little muscle mass, so I know that 1.8 lb gain isn't all fat :)

How did your week go? Did you have any weak moments? How do you deal best with a weak moment?

The Moment That Almost Destroyed Me>.....

2010-01-22T12:36:00.000-08:00

So, as some of you may remember, when I first started blogging my parents suddenly told me they were getting divorced(after almost 30 years of marriage)! To say I was crushed is an understatement!! I walked around for a week in a daze of confusion, sadness, guilt, anxiety and denial. I was in the middle of training for a 10k and I didn't exercise once...not even an attempt...that entire week. I cried every single day, I feared that my own relationship would end the same as theirs did. Love and I had had problems before my parents told me about their divorce and my heart hurt to think that Love and I couldn't make it through anything! I didn't sleep well, I didn't eat much....I kind of just existed!

Then, came the back story. My 2 brothers saw it coming for years. Momma and Daddy's love died years ago. I had moved out 2 years prior and I had no clue! I thought that they would be the ones that made it, the eternal love. They didn't.....they gave up on the same day!

I realized a lot about myself that week. I opened my eyes to a lot of my weaknesses. I also realized that I have drive to not let myself or my weaknesses take advantage of me for the rest of my life. So, I took action!

I started talking to Love more about everything(after being closed off for so long), I worked on my weaknesses and continue to do so, but the 1 thing I really did was take my healthy lifestyle change to a whole new level. I got a gym membership and have used it all but maybe 10 days(minus Sundays when the gym is closed) in almost 2 months. I started eating according to my hunger and schedule, rather than eating my feelings or even NOT eating at all! I have lost almost 7 pounds and I am continuing to run!

I refuse to get down even with all of the stuff that comes up about my parents everyday! I am a happy person on a journey, taking control back of my life. I have grown immensely in a matter of 3 months! I am taking my life, my Love and my training to an all new high!

I refuse to lay down and give up! I refuse to wallow! I refuse to take my anger out on others! I refuse to put my feelings away like they don't matter!! I refuse to not live my life to the fullest!!

Thank you all for all of the support you have given me. It has meant the world to me and really you all inspired me to continue on and not give up!!

Day 4: I love cardio!

2010-01-21T07:06:00.000-08:00

So, my schedule said I was to do a 3+mile run and strength today. Although my shins feel better, I didn't want to overdue it. So, I walked fast for 30 minutes going up one incline every 2 minutes, did the stair stepper for 8 minutes and finished with 20 minutes on the eliptical! I love the eliptical, but I found my true love at the gym....the Stair Stepper!! It burns so good :)

Eating yesterday was awesome. I have been skipping the clif bars and yogurt in the morning and having a cup of grapes as an afternoon snack, because I am always hungry 2 hours after lunch. So, it's like my desert :) TOM is coming though and I always want lots of chocolate! Not this month, I am not going to go overboard on the chocolate :)

Something for fun: When I was 5 years old, I skipped cheerleading practice to go ride my older friends bike. The bike was so big that I had to go to a curb to get on it. Well, when I was riding it, I miscalculated a turn and crashed into a chain link fence. The bike fell over and I followed planting my face into the handle bar of the bicycle. I don't want to be too graphic here, but I literally had a hole in my lips/cheek. I had stitches and plastic surgery, but it "spread" after surgery from me smiling too much. So, now I have a scar on my lower lip about an inch and a half long!! It took about 17 years, but I finallly accept and love the scar because it's a story, a part of my history :)

Have a great day everyone!! You'll be hearing from me later tonight :)

Day 3: Shin splints and positivity!

2010-01-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

I am a stranger to shin splints. I think I have had them once in my life and that is right now! They hurt so bad. So, I iced for 30 minutes or so after coming home from the gym at 6:30 this morning :) Now, I feel fabulous! I saw the plug for Walgreen's on the show last night and will be stopping on my way home to pick up some ice packs :)

Today was Day 3 of training and crap!!! I didn't think the speed work would kick my butt, but it totally did! After 5X400 meter dashes, I was a sweaty mess. I do love the feeling of knowing I got a great workout in. Even if it was only 30 minutes :)

I have been reading a lot of blogs as of late and sometimes, I am so disappointed to see that people who lose .1-1 pound or so get so down on themselves. Even maintaining is an accomplishment. Not a reason to tear yourself down or beat yourself up. Every time I have a bad weigh in, I take it as a learning experience, reevaluate and move on! Whether it be cutting out the piece of chocolate or the 100 calorie pack, I know there is something I could do to be a little better. So, I see the .4 lbs lost and smile and say to myself, Good job!! Although it's not what you were hoping for, you still did an amazing job this week! Next week will be better!" This journey is about building yourself up and getting through the obstacles(no matter how many there are) and coming out proud of every pound lost and even every pound gained. Because you took the opportunity to LEARN and CHANGE!!

What are you proud of yourself for today? Throughout your whole journey?

Remember, you are awesome and you CAN do this :) :) :)!!!!!