Motivational Shirts I design

I have always loved wearing motivational shirts, or getting a shirt from any place I visit. I just LOVE it!

So since I really can't find cute shirts that motivate me lately I decided to design my own using Cafepress.com

Here are the images: Please leave a comment if you like them or not and if you have any Ideas of your own!

Front  Image

Back Image

The T-shirt is designed on a women's T.. so if you would like it to be on a men's T-shirt for a looser fit, feel free to do so!! 

More to come!! If you have ANY ideas for a T-shirt you would want made, tell me about them and I will play around with it until you like it, hopefully I can figure out a way to save it on Cafepress.com so you can access it and buy it! Who knows! lol

If You're Tired of Starting over...

This is really speaking to me today.

I'm not sure why but my body has become so tired of late. Yesterday I got up an hour early so that I could workout before going to work at Olive Garden. 6 Mins on the treadmill and my legs felt so heavy I knew it would do me no good to try and run, I was exhausted! I went to work with the intention of running when I got home. But I was STARVING! So when I got home, I ate a few chips to quickly kick the hunger pains and went about my day.. but it didn't stop there. I was in a snacking mode, even after over snacking- being so full I can't even remember the last time I was that full, I kept eating. When dinner came and I woke up from my nap I could barely get the 2 corn on the cobs down before I felt like I was going to be sick. I had over eaten. WAY over eaten. I was to full, to tired and to sick to even consider running at that point.

I tried going to bed early, around 7:30 pm, I was so tired I could have gone to be early, but no matter how tired I was, how heavy my eye lids became, I couldn't sleep. So instead I open Kindle on my Iphone and start to read Fifty Shades Free (yes and the books are AMAZING!) At around 9:30 I finally can get to sleep.

This morning was torture. No matter that I wasn't comfortable in bed I was exhausted and couldn't wake up. Finally getting up late I quickly shower, get ready and rush to make my lunch.

I know I'm tired but I don't know why. But I don't want to give up, or "take a break" b/c I'm tired. But in all honesty I'm so tired of starting over!! I have not completed anything real substantial since... ever and I'm tired of telling myself I'm not strong enough, smart enough, skinny enough... pretty enough. It stops now. I am strong enough and everything else. I have started this journey and I will not strop until I have completed my goals. I have a half marathon in less than 7 months and I am so excited, its really what pushes me forward. I finally understand what everyone means when they say to give yourself a race, goal to look forward to, otherwise you might burn-out and stop. I will not stop, bc I'm tired of giving up and starting over.

I have been weak by not pushing myself farther than 1 mile here lately. 1.5 being my longest. I am strong than that! I will go home tonight, forget the time on the treadmill, forget the tiredness of my body, I will run 2 miles today and every other day I will increase by .5 miles. On my long days I will increase by 1 mile. And then repeat. I can do this bc I am strong. I am not weak. I am strong!!

50 Snacks Under 50 Calories

Satisfy your sweet tooth

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)

2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)

3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)

4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)

5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)

6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)

7. 12 cherries (48 calories)

8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)

9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)

10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving

11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch

19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories)
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories)
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

Smooth and creamy

24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes

29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein

34. Turkey rollups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fibre Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys

42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories)
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories)
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

Thirst quenchers

46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 calories)
50. Homemade iced green tea (with artificial sweetener if desired) (0 calories)

Challenges

I will continue to add challenges that I accept to this post, until I can figure out how to add tickers to my blog page!!


New Challenges:

*Run 50 Miles in August

Accepted: 8/5/2012
Last Day: 8/31/2012

My First Mile.. and Half!

I can not express how proud I am of myself right now. Last night was Sunday and I had to work at Olive for 6 hours on my feet stand, greeting and plastering a smile on my face. I had only eaten breakfast and had a tall skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks.

I was determined to workout before I went to work, but after waking up to late and then eating pancakes Jeremy made me, I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to up-chuck my breakfast. So instead I go ready and headed to work. With a side stop at Starbucks.

I had a hard time fighting the tiredness I felt after waking up at 6 am from Jackson, my moms dogs, barking and wining till someone took him out. After doing this I was awake. I went back to sleep but it really didn't do me any good.

So work ends around 4:30pm and I go home hungry. I eat Roman noodles for Lunch/Dinner and I'm exhausted I probably could have gone to sleep then, but instead I head to Walmart with Jeremy for some small items.

Getting home I have already talked myself out of working out. I give Jeremy a haircut and my eyes are heavy ridden, I'm about to wash my face to go to sleep. I stop... I look in the mirror and think.. If I wash my face now I'll have to wash it again once I shower (presuming at this point I am still fighting with whether or not I'm going to workout) I stop. I put the face wash back in the shower. I walk, with determination and with stride, into the bedroom from the bathroom, change into my workout cloths, lace up my shoes (the hardest part sometimes) and go into the Florida room (aka workout room with the treadmill). I bring the dogs in there with me to do my workout, they usually lay about while I workout otherwise they will stare at me through the sliding glass doors (we bought the house with the outside porch renovated into another room) as I walk in there is what looks like either a dirt diver, or a wasp flying around.. I try and be noshelont about it and say screw it.. I'm going to workout anyways- but then I start to think what if it is a wasp? I'm so scared to death of them, and of getting stung again, that if I see one I usually have this like panic attack. So I go to Jeremy and start winning (yes I will admit it) asking him to kill it for me.. he tells me to "suck it up" and get the flyswatter and do it myself. I'm scared.. so I grab it.. stand behind the glass and watch its movements.. finally it lands on my water glass and stays about. I slowly slide open the glass doors and WACK the glass with all my might. It falls to the ground and starts to "shake" or whatever and I SMACK it again! Ahh.. I have killed it.. now I have no more excuses I have to work out.

I get on the treadmill to start my Week 5 Day 2 workout with Couch to 5k. After my first 5 min run at 5mph I could feel my eyes closing on me. I was so tired.. so I turned off the workout and decided to walk the rest at 3.8 mph (15.5 min/mile) but THAT was making my legs hurt.. I couldn't figure it out, I was tired, all my muscles were hurting and I couldn't even walk at a pace I could the day before. It almost made me want to give up. But no.. I was already on the treadmill, I was not going to settle for 100-200 something calories burned. Since getting my HRM and seeing my 355 calories burned I do NOT like to let it drop below that, so I pushed on. At first it was to reach at least 300 calories, I made myself stick to walking at 3.8 mph (after dropping it to 3.0 and then back up) but I was going to stick to it! at about 18 mins into my workout the 3.8 started to feel like a fast walk, but a slow run so I started to jog. I thought I would do it for 30 sec-1 or 2 mins like I normally do when I jog at that pace, thinking (at this point) that 5mph is my only pace. But I continue to jog, at about 5mins of this pace I think- Ive gone 7 mins before I can do that at least. So I do.. its about at 25 mins into my workout and I usually stop at 30 mins and I think.. I'm not tired, I want to see if I can do 10 mins straight (12 or so from beginning run-end) so I shoot for 30 mins until I will allow myself to stop and walk. Once I get to 30 I'm ecstatic.. I feel GREAT I KNOW I have run for over 10 mins straight I was worried about running 8 earlier! I look at my distance bc I planned for this workout to be my distance increase workout (only getting to 2 miles at 30 mins before) I decide for 2.5 at LEAST. When I started running at 18 mins I was a little over my first mile. When I looked down and saw that I had run a half a mile, almost a mile.. about 11 mins into my run I decide to keep going. Next time I look down~ I have run a full mile and had been running for 15 MINS~~~ YES My first 15 min run without me thinking I was going to DIE~ I wasn't breathing hard, my legs felt great! So I had run 1 mile straight and I felt on top of the world, AND I had done 15 mins straight without thinking I was going to DIE! So i think.. I still need to do another half mile.. I might as well run it. By the time I got to 1.5 miles running I had run for 20 mins. THIS was everything to me! I could have kept going, and I should have to see how far I could have gone, but after a little over 2.5 miles I drop my speed to 3.0mph and walk. my Legs felt like they were still going fast and it was hard to control them and slow them down it was such an odd feeling, but so great too! I finally felt that runners high you get.. its not just internally like I always thought, no, its in your legs when they feel like they can go for miles more.. and your body, instead of being tired, wakes up and you have more energy than you have had for week! Its everything that makes you happy..

At this point I wsa 45 mins into my workout and almost to 3 miles. I had already accomplished what I set out to do, .5 more miles AND made a new accomplishment for running that long. So I decide to shoot for 60 min workout. I ended up running for another 8 mins somewhere and walked the rest but it was fantastic!!

Total time: 1 HR 6 sec

Total time running at once: 20 mins


Total calories burned: 715

Strength: 3 (at one time!! ) lol

Weakness: 0

Mood: ♥

"Anytime Black Forest Blizzard"

A DELICIOUS Blizzard for a treat at any time of the day!

Ingredients:

1- Heaping cup frozen, dark sweet cherries
1- Frozen banana, cut into chunks
1- Cup chocolate soymilk
1/4- Cup Greek yogurt
2- Teaspoons honey or agave syrup
1/4- Teaspoon almond extract
4- Famous Chocolate Wafers, crumbled

Directions:

Place all the ingredients- except the Famous Chocolate Wafers- in a blender; process until creamy smooth. Divide between two glasses. Top each with a portion of crumbled Famous Chocolate Wafers. Serves Two.

CALORIES PER SERVING: 273
CARBS: 53 G
FIBER: 4 G
PROTEIN: 7 G
FAT: 4 G

♥~ENJOY!! ♥

Eating Before or After a Workout: Revealed.

To eat or not to eat before exercise…that is the question. Should we exercise on an empty stomach? Should we eat before exercise to provide the energy needed to get a good workout?
Those on the “exercise while fasted” side of the argument suggest that exercising while fasted allows you to burn fat as soon as you start exercising. They suggest that if you exercise after eating then the body will have to burn the calories from the food you recently consumed before it will be able to burn away the gut and butt.
The other group thinks that fasting before exercise is nonsense. They believe that having a snack shortly before exercise will provide the energy needed to have a meaningful and effective workout. They argue that a calorie is a calorie and it doesn’t matter if it’s eaten before exercise or three hours later.
Both arguments seem logical. So who’s right?
Admittedly we are some time away from being able to answer this question definitively, and when all is said and done I imagine that the final answer will be, “It depends”. With that said, a recent study does add support in favor of the “exercise while fasted” argument.
In this study researchers fed subjects a high calorie/high fat diet to induce insulin resistance and weight gain. The subjects were assigned to one of three groups:

• Group 1: Control Group – Did Not Exercise
• Group 2: Fasted Group – Did not eat before or during exercise
• Group 3: Carb Group – Fed Carbohydrates before and during exercise

At the end of the study, the researchers unveiled some interesting insights. The fasted exercise group did not gain significant weight during the course of the study despite consuming 30% more calories than they needed and a diet composed of 50% fat.
The control group gained 3 kgs (6.6 lbs) and the carbohydrate group gained 1.4 kgs (3.08 lbs). They all ate similar diets and burned similar numbers of calories.

What Does It All Mean?
As I have suggested in past posts, exercise should be judged by how it impacts hormonal balance in the body, not by how many calories it burns. Exercising in a fasted state improved insulin sensitivity, which is a great thing.  It also increased GLUT4 protein content of muscle; GLUT4 acts like a straw that slurps sugar into the muscle without the assistance of insulin. GLUT4 decreases the quantity of insulin needed and thus decreases fat storage. Finally, exercising while fasted also activated fat burning genes, which helped to prevent a harmful buildup of fat within muscle and liver cells.
In a nutshell, exercising while fasted had a lasting impact on the hormonal balance of the body, which would work to maintain a healthy insulin level, prevent diabetes, and immunize the body against weight gain. It doesn’t get any better than that!
One final take home message is that although exercise has not proven itself to be a powerful weight loss aid, it does seem to immunize the body from weight regain after weight loss. This study lends support to this hypothesis. The control group, who do not exercise, gained the most weight. The group that exercised but were fed carbs before and during exercise gained approximately half the weight compared to the control group.

Take Action…
This is not the first study to demonstrate significant benefit to exercising while in a fasted state. To date, the majority of the research on fasted exercise has been performed in people who suffer with insulin resistance.
It is a well-known fact that we can develop insulin resistance from eating excess carbohydrates for long periods of time. Such a circumstance results in chronic insulin resistance. Most people do not realize, however, that an acute form of insulin resistance can develop from a single episode of gorging on carbohydrates, an example would be a party or celebration. Such an episode could delay fat burning for days.
Even if we are not ready to accept fasted exercise as the only way to exercise, it certainly does seem advisable to use fasted exercise as a primary tool whenever insulin resistance is a problem. This would include:

1. People with metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes)
2. People with full-blown type II diabetes
3. People who just gorged on carbs and tasty treats

A simple way to implement these findings into your life is to exercise first thing in the morning before breakfast. After your fasted exercise, have a high protein/low carb/low fat breakfast or skip breakfast altogether. Try both approaches and find out which approach your body responds to best.

(I reposted this from: http://cutthefatpodcast.com/897/fat-loss-podcasts/episode-34-should-you-eat-or-fast-before-exercise) 

Why everyone should get a HRM

Saturday by toy came in the mail. I got myself a HRM (Heart Rate Monitor) and of course it's pink/purple and I LOVE IT! (Its more pink than purple in person)

I was not sure how I was going to like it, if I would like having that strap around my chest as I ran or if it would even be accurate on my calorie counts. I thought I didn't need one since I primarily run on a treadmill and It already tells me my calories burned. Until I wore it Sunday.

I got on the treadmill after inputting all my data into the computerized watch, height, weight, age, gender. I knew most of myfitnesspals either had one, or had used one before and recommended it, I was still a little skeptical.

Primarly during my 31 minute workout I focused on what my heart rate was since my treadmill goes wacko when you try to get a reading from the front grips. My target HR was between 124-170 I stayed roughly around 170 or ^ but I did focus on trying to take deeper breaths to lower my HR.

However, what I am really writing this post today about is astounding difference I saw in "calories burned"

Treadmill: 236 calories
HRM: 355 calories

(I will upload pictures when my computer stops being annoying)

But here is the proof that it works. Its accurate and its substantial.

Trust me, to get an accurate read you need an HRM!!

The First Bump in the Road

Today was my first bump in the road.

I hate to admit it, but If I don't admit this feeling then it will consume me. I have been getting up every morning since July 17th and running my c25k. I never thought twice about it, I woke up, put on my workout cloths, laced up my shoes, and got on the treadmill.

This morning was different... or was it. I got up, knowing I wouldn't have the same amount of time to workout b/c Jeremy had to take me to work (car's in the shop) at this point its about 6:30 am- 20 mins earlier than I usually wake up to run because Jeremy is doing his run about this time, but I get up, put on my workout cloths, grab my socks and head into the living room to lace up my shoes. I sit down on the couch knowing that if I sit to long I wont workout. So after about 8 mins of talking with my boyfriend I lace up my shoes and get on the treadmill. My body is tired, and I have this feeling of dread that if i dont finish this run then its over for me. So I start my warm up. After 5 mins of warming up its time for a 3 min run, I run at 5.0 mph like I do every morning and both of my knees start to hurt, not the normal burning I have been feeling in my right knee, but like a little sharp pain, like they are old and need to be walked out and stretched, but I cant get off the treadmill b/c I'm already pressed for time, I've started 10 mins later than I needed to, to finish my workout in time.

I finish my first run and my second walk comes around. Im about 9 mins into my workout at this point and my knee's dont hurt when I walk, so I tell mysellf that if they hurt on the second run then I will stop. Listen to your body I have always heard, and believe.

On the second run my knee's started to hurt again. So I stopped my workout with the notion I will workout, start an complete it tonight.

But here is where my fear comes in. What If I dont workout tonight? But then the only thing stopping me is me. Not this mornings slow start, not my knee's bc I have been icing them and stretching them during the day. Instead it would be me not wanting to workout. I cant let that happen. I am over-weight. I have goals and ambitions. I have dreams.

So I ask you, have I been weak, or strong???!

So though I had a mental, not physical, bump in the road I will prevail. I will workout tonight when I get home. I will remember who I am, and who I want to become.

This is the change, and the change is never easy.

I just wanted to add in my new HRM- It's purple, YAY, and I can't wait to sweat away the tears and pain.

No scale for 30 days

I am currently on a challenge with a friend, and other heath junkies, on myfitnesspal to not weigh ourselves for 30 days, or until August 19th.

I really like this challenge and here are the reasons why:

When I first started this "change" or "journey" back in February I weighed myself once a week on Tuesday for 3 weeks. On my third week I weighed in more.. or perhaps I didnt have a weight loss at all, and that threw me off. It threw me off my game, my focus and my motivation. And honestly I think I weighed what I did because the Saturday before I ran/walked 2 miles in a race here in town and it was the only form of exercise I had contributed to my weight loss. (Did I mention that I weighed myself on that Sunday after the race?)

Yes... I thought that from running and burning like 400 calories that I should have lost a little extra. But shock! I was up in weight. It was not because I had done anything wrong, what was wrong was my thinking that one day I was going to drop 5 pounds and not hold any water weight. Yes, I know silly right? Well I know this now and I know my weakness from last time.

So I quit, needless to say and I gained back the 7Ib I lost, plus 7 more. 14 pounds gained in less than 2 months. I don't know how I did it, but I did.

Now I have a new and thoroughly understand able motivation to keep off the scale this time. I have incorporated more exercise into my weight loss this time so I know it will help. But I don't want to get discouraged about not losing every week because I'm retaining water. This way its all about how I feel in my cloths, how the tape measure looks during the weekly "weigh-in" instead of the number on the scale and most importantly, how I feel in my body.

Let me just say I feel great! I feel empowered, I feel smaller all ready, and I feel strong for keeping to my word.

Am I smaller? I dont know, I havent even measured myself to see, and I honestly don't care at this point. At this point its not about me, its about strength vs weakness, and by my count I'm 5 up.

Strength:5

-1. First day I got up to run
-2. Second workout at 6:50 AM
-3. Going out to eat my family and eating my per-calculated sandwich over Mexican.
-4. Working out sat, on my rest day
-5. Coming home from a relaxing day at the pool and immediately lacing up my shoes to run.



Weakness: 1
-1. Walking during a running interval

Bring on the sweat!

♥

Why I Run

Recently some of my friends asked me why I run every day. Let me show you why....

That is why. I am over weight, though some think that I am crazy to think this merely because I weigh less than they do, I still have my own body to worry about, not theirs nor their self esteem. I am myself and my own person and I worry about only me at this point. I weigh 177.4 (or last time I checked) and I have run every day since Tuesday (aside from Thursday I had wicked cramps!) But dare you ask me why I run every day. Well there you have it. I am not happy in my own body. 

Yes, I am in a serious relationship of 3 years, yes I am comfortable and confident in that relationship, so men or "attention" are not the reasons I run, or lose this weight. I run for me, I run  for the person I wan to become. The person I want to see in the mirror when I wake up. I look around, I know what is unrealistic and what is unhealthy. I do not want any of those things. But I do want to be 130 pounds. That's not "too skinny" or "unhealthy" I am 5'5" I can pull that off.

What really upsets me though, is when someone gets mad at me for wanting to better myself. They want to lecture me on how I think my body should be treated!! I'm serious, I have had my sister and even some of my family, sit me down and tell me that I am working to hard, or that my goals are to skinny. Listen up, this is what I have to say to you, I am who I am, I want a better body for me, not you, so your opinions and negativity are not welcome. Seriously, I have hear this lecture from my sister, who is currently at 260IB and who wants to get down to 130IB tell me that 125 is unhealthy. BA!Hahahahah. Seriously? Really? You want to try that? Lets go!

But on the note of running. I run because I enjoy running. I seriously get up to run and even today when I went out to the pool with family, I couldn't even wear a bathing suit because I am so big. Nothing fits me anymore. I want to wear a bikini to the pool this time next year. And I know I can do that, but you know what else? I want to have a toned body, I want to look sexy in that bikini I dont just want to be "skinny" I want to be Sexy! So just like I ran today when I got home from hanging out and relaxing..I will run tomorrow on my "rest" day because I have the energy and the will power to get my ass off the couch and do it.

Now that's what they are really mad about.


♥♥

Where I am now, and where I woud like to be

I new since I was in high school that I would want to be a runner one day. Many things influenced this goal.

1st: I love runners legs. I just think that if I am going to work on getting good looking legs, running is what I need to be doing.

2nd: I want to feel powerful. That power that you get, that runners high that runners get when they completed 3.1 or 13.1 or 26.2 mile race and they didnt have to stop once to walk.



What I truly want above all else.. is to lose this weight.

Here are my starting numbers:

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 177.4

Measurements:

Right Arm: 12"
Left Arm: 12"
Waist (at belly button): 41.5"
Chest: 39"
Right Thigh: 25"
Left Thigh: 26"
Neck: 12.5"

Goal Weight: 130

Total weight loss: 47.4 IB

Like I said in the "365 days of change" posting, I have given myself 365 days to lose 47.4 pounds. I will weight myself every Wednesday morning. I will restrict my calorie intake at 1410 and I will train for my 5k race in October every other day (started on Tuesday 7/17/2012) with additional exercises depending on life.

So far I have met and exceeded my goals as instead of running Tuesday and today (as day 2) I ran Tuesday, Wednesday morning, and then I will run again tonight before the movies. I feel like at this point I am so large I need to workout everyday, and if that's what it takes to change me habits, then I will workout every day until its second nature. Every time during a day that I feel so full (even though my lunch was only 200 calories) and I feel like my pants (that are comfortable in fit) are about to squeeze me dead, I feel like jumping on the treadmill and working out.

All in all I guess I'm on the right track. I have determination and I have friends who will help me through it. I also have a $100 bet with my sister that I cant lose or I will never live it down!! lol

Now I want to be "skinny" my version of skinny, but this look at what I will not try to be, because a lot of people out there think that being "skinny" is something akine to sinning. But, seriously? I want to take care of my body not starve myself!

This is just gross. And its really sad that she thinks she looks good. I can see in her face that she would be pretty if she didnt worry so much about her weight.

To remark on what I would like to achieve, with of course hard work, healthy foods and exercise:

I don't think this is to unrealistic.. Maybe it is.. But I'm hoping its not.

Leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

♥♥♥

26.2 Miles... wait.. What?!

One day I want to think this to myself.

Eventually I will train hard enough, and long enough, to be able to run a marathon. Right now however I am do Couch25k training a little app that is so hugely amazing! If you have never heard of it and want to start training your *never ran, jogged, or even walked fast body* to one day run a 5k, then this is for you!!

Oh  my gosh, I never thought I would be able to run races (I know, funny right? I mean good grief I'm very capable of walking and running and I thought this!) its always been my dream but I honestly never knew that you had to build yourself up, that all runners have to build up that momentum and endurance to run the races they do. I always thought, if I cant just get up and run, I'll never be able to. Oh how wrong I was!!

Today is July 19th, 2012 and I am going to go home and walk/run week 1 day 3 of my training. It took almost 3 months to get myself off the couch and run just the first day (which for me was 3 days ago) and it took me being mad at my boyfriend, Jeremy, to do it. But that's all it took. I was frustrated, upset, confused about him and everything else that's happened lately in my life, and all I wanted to do was run out all those feelings. I wanted to push myself until I couldn't stand up. But like I said thats all it took. I was addicted again. I got up early, and I mean early the next morning, at 6:05am to be excat (which as you read my blog you will see that I never, ever wake up before like 7:05 am unless Jeremy wakes me by continuously talking to me lol) Anyways I wake up, or better yet, my alarm wakes me up and I actaully listen. My body immediatly come alive. I get up, Jeremy was already doing his morning run and just finishing up. I thought to myself, I'm going to run again tonight but 5 mins after he got off the treadmill I did something I have never done before in my life. I laced up my shoes and got on the treadmill.

Thats right.

I ran... in the morning. I was tired.. I wanted to quit but I didnt. I didnt allow myself to quit and "pick up" again that night when I normally run. Instead I stayed on the treadmill until I hit my 30 min workout. I only burned 210 calories but it was the sweetest calories I have ever burned! I was so proud of myself I beamed all day long!!

Weakness: 0

Strength: 2

My third great strength (btw the first being day 1 of working out!) of the week is what happened at lunch.

Since getting back on the "wagon" and counting my calories again (btw you can friend me on myfitnesspal.com my username is msmith2020) I have been making my lunch and bringing it to lunch with me. Before, when I was doing really well. I had to take about 2-3 weeks of making my own food before I trusted myself to not over order, or over eat at restaurants. My sister, her husband and my dad decide to go out to eat. So that being said, I brought my lunch to work yesterday I was already beaming because of my run so when they mentioned going out to eat, my initial response was that I couldnt go bc I knew I didnt trust myself to not over eat whatever I ordered.. as well as the chips on the table.. have I mentioned it was mexican food?

Whats bugging me is I want to spend time with my dad and family, though we all work together we dont get a lot of chances to hang out, So I think.. I can go. I walk back to the kitchen, grab my lunch box and say "ready". They look at me weird. They ask "your brining your lunch?" I was like "yes, actually I am" I brought a sandwich and carrots and dip to eat for lunch so nothing had to be heated up, nothing had to be altered or changed to eat. When we got to the resturant I pulled out my food and while they filled up on chips and hot sauce I ate my food bc I know that if I have tried to wait till they got their food all I would have thought about was, mm chips.. hot sauce.. fried food. Instead I kept my mind busy eating my pre counted calorie meal and at the end of the meal, when we walked out the door I was beaming with pride.

Me... proud of myself... that has not happened in so.. very... long!!

Weakness: 0

Strength: 3

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365 Days of Change

If you have a sister like mine, you fight, you make up, your friends and then you hate each other. And when you have a challenge between one another.. its game on!

 I recently, as of today, started again changing my life to fit the me I want to be. My sister has always had weight issues and is about 88 pounds heavier than me. This gives her an advantage I know. But what gives me  an advantage is I know her habits and I know her weaknessess.
 Today we both signed an agreement for the following challenge. Which benefits me greatly bc I had already started with this time-line in mind.

We both have less than a year, July 9th 2013 to be exact, to lose our goal weights. I chose to pick my ultimate goal weight of 130 which is 47.4 pounds (47 pounds for the challenge) and asked her to pick a goal at equal or higher than my goal. She chose 47 pounds as well making her goal weight at 218.

There are two stages:

First, it's set at who ever loses the weight first. Though with her being heavier than me and more to lose, in the long run, she has the upper hand in losing the weight faster. I on the other hand, have the upper hand of knowing she wont excersise so that will be my largest contributer to my weight loss plan in beating my sister at this challenge. For winning the first stage loser has to buy winner a Cupcake charm from James Avery in reference to "our power over the cupcake".

Second stage: From the start date to the end competition date, which ever person has the least amount of gains wins stage two. For this the Loser buys winner a new outfit at their goal weight- up to, yet not exceeding $100.

And with this, we have a signed "contract" and two rewards. I cant wait to beat her!! LOL!



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I am at my Largest

I have never been "skinny" but then I have never been "fat".

Growing up I have always been a good weight, height and build for my body. It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I even noticed a difference, that maybe I was a little over weight. I ended up losing roughly 40 pounds and got down to my smallest of 135. I stayed at this weight -145 until about my sophomore year in college. Around this time is when I noticed  I had started to gain the weight again.

I gained the freshman 15-20. When to work at olive garden and lost another 35ish-40 pounds with all the walking and long nights of work I was doing. It was great!

But here I am again. At my highest of 177.4 I have never hit 180 and it depresses me to think I am so close to doing so. But thats really the turning point. I have a life to live, and I said live not hide away from camera's or formal events because I don't feel like I can find anything to wear. I dont want to have to dread another vacation because I know I wont be at my ideal weight before then. I dont want to not go swimming because there might be another girl in the pool with a flat stomach wearing a bikini.

I want to be that girl.


So here is to me and my 365 day challenge.

It can only start with me and end with me. Since I have control over both results and outcomes. I choose for it to never end again. This time I am stronger.