New Fitness Goals

Now that the marathon is behind me, I am ready to start planning my next fitness goals!
I have been thinking about them for the last few weeks and am (almost) ready to jump in...after I can walk with out limping ;)

• Lose the last 20 pregnancy pounds, before my 30th birthday in April. That gives me 12 weeks. I did not focus on weight loss at all while marathon training. I also did not lose any weight, though my body shape did change quite a bit, and I dropped a pants size. Losing the weight is going back to #1 priority, now that the marathon is over.
• P90X. I really want to continue to tighten and tone, as well as lose weight. I also feel like I really need to strengthen my core, in order to become a better runner. I have heard P90X is killer! I'm going to start it in the next week or two.
• Continue to run. I will probably run 3x a week, with a long run of 10-12 miles every 10 days to 2 weeks. I would like to run several half marathons this year, especially the Rock 'n Roll half marathon in Savannah this November. My next running goal is to whittle down my half marathon time. I think I could pretty easily run it in around 2:15 right now and am hoping that by losing weight, strengthening my core, and speed work, that I could get down to a sub-2 hour half.
• Eventually, when I am ready to really commit the time to running 5x a week, doing speedwork, cross training, etc. I would like to do another marathon...probably several years from now. I think it will be awhile before I am ready to tackle that mileage again, and I don't want to do it until I am really ready to do the absolute best I can. 

I also have mini-goals, that break these bigger goals in to smaller, more attainable pieces. Most of my exercise will continue to take place in the wee hours of the morning, while the rest of my family sleeps. One smaller goal that will help, is to start going to bed earlier. As soon as my hubby and I finish this last season of Lost, I am making that a priority. 

Also, focusing my diet on whole foods, with minimal amounts of naturally occurring sugar, is another mini-goal...also, keeping a food journal and weighing regularly keeps me honest. 

Do you have any diet/weight loss/fitness goals for 2011? I would love to hear them!

Marathon Recap

I did it!! I ran the marathon!!! It was every bit as wonderful and terrible as I had expected it to be. As I was running it on Saturday I kept thinking "I can't imagine ever choosing to do something this miserable again". And now, two days later, I am already finding myself thinking about the next one.
So, about two weeks before I was to starting tapering for the marathon, my knees started hurting...a lot. During my 19 mile run, they started to feel like they were burning, around mile 17. I finished the last 2 miles in agony, and was sure that I was not going to be able to do the marathon. 10 days later, my running partner, Bessie, and I did our last long run (22 miles). Right around mile 17 again, my knees started to feel like they were on fire. The last 5 miles were just trying to put one foot in front of the other, teeth clenched, and get it over with. At the advice of a running friend and physical therapist, I almost completely skipped the 2 weeks of tapering. I only ran twice during that time, a 6 mile and 4 mile run. I took anti-inflamatories, iced my knees 5x a day, stretched, and did as little physically as I could. He said I had runner's knee, and advised that I put off the marathon for a few months.
I chose not to do that, but did do everything else he told me, and was really happy that my knees didn't give me too much trouble during the first half of the marathon...but around mile 14, I started to feel them burning again.
I pretty much crashed and burned from mile 17 on. In fact, I walked 80% of the last 6 miles. We stayed with the 4:45 pace group for the first 16-17 miles. When I finally fell behind, I decided that as long as I stayed ahead of the 5 hour pace group, it wasn't that big a deal. When they passed me (with a pace leader who looked to be about 80 years old), I felt too bad to care. At that point, the only motivation I had to speed up was to end the misery as quickly as possible. I am disappointed that I wasn't more mentally strong. Maybe if I had been more mentally tough, I would have been able to talk myself into pushing through the physical discomfort.
We finished the first half in 2:21, comfortably. There were several times that we looked at our watches and saw that we were doing around a 9:30 or 9:45 minute pace, and had to slow down (our goal was 10:45 minute miles), so as to hopefully avoid what did eventually happen in the second half. The last 9 miles of the race took 2:14, only a few minutes faster than the first 13.1 miles. If we had only been running a half marathon, I think we could have definitely run it in less than 2:15.
There were several things that took me by surprise during the marathon.

1. The other runners were a incredibly supportive, encouraging group of people. I mean, really, really encouraging. It was great to see people really rally around one another.

2. I had no idea that having supportive people on the side lines would make such a big difference. Our names were printed on our bibs, and to hear strangers encourage us by name, helped so much. Along the way, there were probably 8-9 groups of musicians playing for us...from a lone guy standing outside his front door playing the guitar, to gospel groups, to an african dance troupe, to a guy playing a grand piano under an overpass, to a guy dancing to Michael Jackson's Thriller, to a brass ensemble...every one of them gave us SUCH a boost, just when we needed it. I really appreciated those people so generously giving up their Saturday to encourage us. There were lots of people with signs and posters too. My favorite was "Pick up that toe nail and keep running!!". That made me giggle...especially since I had one of my big toe nails band-aided up, to keep it on :)

3. I have an incredibly supportive community of people in my life. I teared up several times during the race, as Facebook messages, and texts poured in from so many friends, family, and acquaintances. Bessie and I were doing run/walk intervals, and when it was a walk interval, I would check my texts, and read them out loud to her. At one point, I had 22 new text messages in a 5 minute period. I was just floored that so many people were thinking about me, praying for me, and taking time out to encourage me. Those people will probably never know how much their messages impacted me. At mile 21, I saw Matt, Caedmon, and Bessie's husband. As I saw them cheering, I was overcome with emotion and the tears started flowing. I was so happy to see them, I was so tired, and I was sooooo wanting to be DONE already. At mile 25, they were waiting again, along with my neighbors. They all ran alongside us, cheering and taking pictures and were waiting for us again at the finish line. Everything I could say about them being there sounds cheesy and cliche but I just was so overcome with GRATEFULNESS to have people in my life who support my dreams. It just really hit me as I saw them there. I can't think of a way to adequately sum up how strong those feelings were but after all the misery of the last 5 hours, 16 minutes, and 19 seconds, when I crossed the finish line and saw them there, I felt more loved than I ever have in my life, and I remember thinking "all that awfulness was worth feeling this".

LOSING WEIGHT FOR MY SUMMER UNIFORM

I just put down my summer wardrobe on paper. Most of the items of clothing I plan to wear this summer are already in my closet and haven't fit in many, many moons. I am only 5-10 pounds away from being able to wear them. I feel my motivation returning. I am not going to buy new clothes and do not want to get to this summer wishing that I had lost weight in the spring. So, I am going back to what I know works and am doing another push to lose the pounds.
It seems like weight loss is cyclical for me...I will be really motivated for awhile, and lose 8-10 pounds, then lose my mojo for a month or two, then resume again. I have had my break and am ready to tackle the weight loss again. Summer is only a few months away!

AN UPDATE
I am starting to feel like my old self. I still have close to 25 pounds to lose but am becoming more and more comfortable in my clothes. This month, I have gone from a size 12 to an 8. A tight 8, but an 8 nonetheless! I ultimately want to get back to a loose 6, which I haven't seen since 2004. I have been doing South Beach. It seems to work really well for me. Even though I used mostly natural sugars (sucanat, agave, honey, molasses), it was still sugar and I used a lot of it. Cutting it out has been HARD but has produced results quickly. I had no idea I had such a sweet tooth!!
Running has been non-existant. I love it but struggle to carve out the time for it. When the time changes, and it is light earlier in the morning, I am hoping to run early in the day again. Right now, it isn't light outside until almost 7 am, and then it is time to nurse the baby, fix breakfasts, and get my oldest ready for school. I am going to figure it out though because it is important to me and I don't want to give it up. I really, really, really want to run a marathon for my 30th birthday (April, 2011) and won't be able to if I don't build a strong base in 2010. Also, I want to be at my goal weight by early summer. My mini-goal for right now is 149...I am only 4 pounds away and will be SO EXCITED when I hit it. I haven't been in the 140's since late 2004...almost 6 years (and 3 pregnancies) ago!!
That's the short of it! Kids are crawling all over me...more later!

CUTTING OUT THE REFINED...

Last week I took steps to eliminate refined sugar and flour. Basically, I tried to eat nothing processed. I didn't do it 100% but I ate very well. And I lost 5 pounds. Yeeeeaaaaaaah. I lost 1.5 pounds more than I lost all of last month. So that was really nice. And I felt (feel) great. Interesting thing happened...when I wasn't eating any sugar (except fresh fruit), I didn't want sugar. I didn't miss it AT ALL. But one afternoon, I saw a gum ball on the counter. And without even thinking about it, I popped it in my mouth. I struggled with cravings for the rest of the day. Just from chewing that one piece of gum! Craziness.
Last night was The Great Cotton Candy Binge of '09. I enjoyed every. single. bag. Yes, I had BAGS of cotton candy. Every bite was blissful. Pretty sure I won't touch cotton candy for another year. Back to yummy whole foods today.

BACK TO NORMAL
I am finally "back to normal" again. I am enjoying my children, I am loving being back in the kitchen, I am fitting into a few of my old clothes, I am homeschooling, and I don't feel crazy hormonal. It is nice to feel like we are back in the swing of things. I have been cooking up a storm and am just so happy about it. We have cut way back on eating out because I have been cooking up some yummy stuff in the kitchen, and honestly, I have been enjoying that so much that I haven't wanted to go out to eat.
The weight is sloooooowly coming off. And I do mean slowly. Last month I lost a meager 3.5 pounds. But hey, it is better than nothing. And I feel GREAT. I am on week four of the couch to 5K running plan. Running for me is really about pleasure so much more than it is about weight loss. In fact, I don't really factor in running to the weight loss equation at all. It seems in the past that the more I run, the hungrier I am, so the more I eat...
But, I run because I love being alone with my thoughts, being in the fresh air, pushing myself to run faster and farther than the time before. It just feels so darn good!!
Also, I usually do 50 or so squats while I am in the shower, washing my hair. I want to do the 100 push up challenge too.
This is what I ate yesterday. It was a little light on the veggies and heavy on grains. But, other than the 1/2 piece of sausage and sips of sprite, this was a really good food day!
9:30 AM:
-2 eggs, fried in olive oil
-1 piece of cinnamon raisin Ezekiel Bread with fresh almond butter

12 PM:
-1/2 piece of sausage
-handful of grapes

12:30 PM:
-homemade veggie soup

2:30 PM:
-1 piece Ezekiel toast with homemade pumpkin butter

6 PM:
-grilled salmon
-Sauteed spinach with garlic and olive oil
-Quinoa
-Apple

8:15 PM:
-popcorn
-a few sips of Matt's Sprite

9:30 PM:
-homemade granola with milk

FOOD JOURNAL FOR 9-8-09

I had a good day of eating today. I ate small amounts of (mostly) healthy foods. I only ate when I was hungry. Actually, I have been really happy with my food choices this week. We have all been eating better. More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, less butter and refined products in general. I was still a little heavy on the grains and light on the veggies. I felt awful all day with a killer headache and cough and just wanted soothing foods.

Also, I thought this was a very interesting article from Time Magazine about hard exercise and how we eat. Basically, the premise was Hard workout= more hungry = eat more= don't lose weight. I don't plan to stop running any time soon b/c I really love it but I did find things to think about in the article.

9 am: 2 waffles* with pure maple syrup

12 pm: 1 cup of broth based soup with onions, chicken, and brown rice

2 pm: goldfish** and grapes

4 pm: HUGE green smoothie

5:30 pm: goldfish**

6 pm: 1 cup of cockaleekee soup that a friend brought over (broth, pulled pork, etc)

7:30 pm: a bowl of steel cut oatmeal with 1 tsp. of butter, drizzled with pure maple syrup and topped with chopped walnuts and dried cranberries. OH MY GOODNESS. This was the yummiest bowl of fall comfort food. It was soooo good. Actually, most of the foods I ate today were fall comfort foods. I love fall food!! I can't wait for apples!

8:30 pm: 2 marshmallows**

*I made the following substitutions to make them healthier. Substituted ground almond meal for the 1/4 cup white flour, agave for the sugar, and almond milk for the regular milk. My whole family LOVED them and they didn't even know they were good for them *grin*.

**These were the foods that I would have been better off without, nutrient wise. But it's no biggie to have them in small quantities. I really don't want to fall into the mindset of good food/bad food. Any food should be enjoyed in moderation, in my opinion. I just want to make sure that the bulk of my family's meals are made up of plant based foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts).

Day 10

FOOD JOURNAL: 8-26-09

9:30 AM:
-22 ounces green smoothie (pineapple, spinach, ground flax seed, banana)
-1 piece Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread toast with honey

2:30 PM:
-Grilled chicken Sandwich with B-B-Q sauce
-1 small cup peach sorbet

5:15 PM:
-3 candy pumpkins
-5 almonds

6:30 PM:
-chocolate
-lasagna
-1 piece of bread, dipped in olive oil
-salad
-sweet tea

DAY 8

I thought that for the next few days, I would record not only what I am eating but what my kids eat as well. Over the last few weeks, everyone's eating has gone down hill as I have chosen convenience over health. But, I am ready to get our family back on track, starting today. We have been talking about the importance of healthy foods this morning, what they do for the body, etc. I have gotten rid of all, OK, most, of the junk food (there is still some yogurt that Matt bought and some renegade Rice Crispy cereal, left over from making rice crispy treats).

9:30 AM:
Laurel:
-18 ounces green smoothie (banana, blackberry, ground flax, spinach)
-1 slice Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread with honey (no butter)

Boys:
-green smoothie (Bauer and Landing)
-2 bananas each (all boys)
-1/2 slice banana bread (all boys)

11 AM:
Laurel:
-1/2 slice banana bread

1:30 PM:
Laurel and Boys:
-1/2 PB & J sandwich (homemade bread, natural peanut butter, reduced sugar homemade jam)
-1/4 of an apple

3 PM:
Laurel:
-15 roasted almonds

4:30 PM:
Laurel and boys:
-popcorn
-frozen grapes

7 PM:
Laurel:
-Miso Soup
-rice and stir fried veggies
-2 egg rolls

Boys:
-Not sure what they had for dinner, since we were on date night and they were fed by the babysitter.

MAKIN' A PLAN

So, while last week wasn't a flop, there was PLENTY of room for improvement, which I plan to make this week. My mini-goal is to be at 165 by the time I can start running in 11 days. A little ambitious but perhaps doable. We shall see.

Here's what I did RIGHT last week:
-had a green smoothie every day, usually for breakfast
-had a salad with/for lunch or dinner 6 out of 7 days
-no soda

What I could IMPROVE:
-CUT OUT REFINED SUGAR. I colossally failed at this last week. But I have a plan. I have just taken all the sweets/junk and removed them from the pantry. Out of sight, out of mind. Secondly, I am making a list of foods without refined sugar that I can have instead. It's all about the plan! Here's the short list of my go-to snack foods.
-frozen grapes (these are my favorite food when I am wanting something sweet. They are SO GOOD)
-bananas
-apples
-popcorn with olive oil and sea salt
-hot tea with honey
-roasted almonds
-Ezekiel Granola with frozen mixed berries and honey
-Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread

And while I am on the subject of plans, here is my (tentative) running plan:
9-4-09: Start back the Couch to 5K Running Plan
11-21(?)-09: Turkey Trot 5K through downtown. Last year I ran it in 27:34. This year I will probably aim for under 30 minutes, since I will have just been running for two months, after almost a year off.
12-5-09: Enmark Savannah River Bridge Run 10K (goal is to do it in under an hour)
2-6-10: Critz Tybee half marathon (this is a big maybe, dependent on how quickly I am able to get back into shape)

Long term goal is to continue to build my speed and endurance over the summer of 2010, then run another half marathon in the fall and train through the winter to run a marathon in the spring of 2011. Of course, all this could change, based on how quickly I get back in shape, what other things are going on in our lives, etc. But I like to have a basic idea of what I am aiming for, even if it does have to change a little along the way.

WEEK ONE WRAP UPThis picture is to show you the blessing and curse of being married to a food salesman. Matt walked in with this box of french bread earlier this week. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but after the box was emptied, my almost 4 year old hid down inside it. That's how big it was. I was so proud of myself for giving it all away...then the hubby came home and informed me that there were 9 more boxes!
Later this week I am going to take a bunch of food samples to the food bank in town. I have to get this junk food out of my house! The upside to being married to a man in Matt's profession is when I do need something, I can usually get it for cheaper than the store. For example, this week he ordered me 4 pounds of organic spinach for $16. I had paid $3.28 for 9 ounces of spinach at the grocery store earlier in the week, so buying it in bulk from Matt is about 1/3 less.
I have been INHALING sugar this week. Seriously, I don't know what my problem is. I can't remember the last time I have eaten so much sugar in a day. I am starting afresh tomorrow and am going to get really serious about cutting out the refined sugar. Sure, it will probably be tough for a day or 2 but then the cravings should ease off.
I didn't record Thursday-today, partly b/c it was just more of the same and partly b/c my DSL was being feisty a couple of days and I didn't feel like messing with it. BUT, I did lose 2.5 pounds this week, so that was exciting. Maybe if I can kick this sugar habit this week, I will have another big weight loss week.
So, have any weight loss tips you want to share with me? What single thing has made the biggest difference in your weight loss journey?

DAY 3

Today's Weight: 170.5...soooooo close to the 160's!

I am so thankful for all the food that our dear friends have been bringing over. It has been such an encouragement to me and am so grateful for the time and effort these families have put into serving us. While some of the things I have been eating are not as healthy as I would normally eat, I am enjoying them and am thankful for them. I am just eating smaller amounts and filling in with salads, veggies, fruit, and green smoothies.

Food Journal for 8-19-09

8:30 AM:
-16 ounces green smoothie (banana, ground flax seeds, spinach, and mango)
-1 1/2 pieces of Ezekiel Raisin Toast with butter and honey

12:30 PM:
-Peas
-Poppyseed chicken
-French bread dipped in olive oil
-1/2 banana
-1/2 cup raspberry sorbet

6:30 PM:
-Spinach salad
-Hummus and pitas
-1/2 slice artichoke and mushroom pizza

9:45 PM:
-Sugar babies...this no white sugar thing is a lot harder than I anticipated:::sigh:::

DAY 2

Today's Weight: 171.5 (0.5 pound lost from yesterday)

Today's smoothie was MUCH better than yesterday. It was too watery yesterday and was gross. I choked it down, but it wasn't pleasant. Today's was yummy. Probably have the same tomorrow. I only used one banana yesterday, that was the problem. Not enough smoothie texture. Two bananas today solved the problem.

FOOD JOURNAL: 8-18-09

9:45 AM:
-18 ounces green smoothie (banana, ground flax seeds, spinach, and mango)
-1 1/2 pieces Ezekiel Raisin toast with butter and honey

1:15 :M:
-2 cupcakes...I know, I know!!! They were the last two, and needed to be removed from the house. I took care of THAT little problem!! ;)
-Mixed greens salad with sunflower seeds and curry chicken salad

7 PM:
-Poppyseed chicken
-pickles
-peas
-salad
-pear and cherry crisp with whipped cream

GREEN SMOOTHIE CHALLENGE, DAY 1

Today was the first day of the green smoothie challenge. All in all, I did pretty well. The guidelines are:

-Drink at least 16 ounces of Green smoothie every day
-Add a leafy green salad to lunch or dinner
-Cut out all soft drinks
-Cut out white sugar
-Add at least 15 minutes of exercise a day

I am ten days post-partum from a c-section, so I am not really worrying about the exercise portion yet but just trying to let my body heal from the surgery. For now, taking care of a house, husband, and four small children is enough. I will resume running in about 2 1/2 weeks. I don't drink any sodas anyway, so that is taken care of. While I did reduce my white sugar today, there is definitely room for improvement (cookie, 2 cupcakes). The cupcakes were the exception to the rule. We were celebrating my father in law's birthday. Normally, cupcakes are not a part of my diet. But man, were they good.
Hope to do even better tomorrow. Had a killer headache for a good part of the day.

Food Journal: 8-17-09

9:30 AM:
-16 ounces green smoothie (blackberry/blueberry, spinach, banana)
-1 1/2 slices Ezekiel raisin bread toast with butter and honey

12:15 PM:
-Large mixed green salad with sunflower seeds and a large spoonful of curry chicken salad. No dressing needed.
-a chocolate chip cookie.

3:45 PM:
-Popcorn, made on the stove with olive oil and sea salt

6:30 PM:
-Green beans
-Lasagna
-2 cupcakes

LONG TIME, NO SEE
It's been awhile...ahem...I seem to have become pregnant and given birth since I posted here last. So, I am one week post-partum and am ready to get in shape. I can start running again in three weeks. I am very excited but know that I am going to have to start from square one and work my way back up. I have 113 days until the Savannah River Bridge Run 10K, which I am signed up for. I have 44 pounds to lose as well.
Oh, and I am starting this challenge on Monday to help get back on track. I will be posting pictures, journalling meals, and posting weight loss here as a way to keep me honest. I appreciate your feedback.
So, in the name of full disclosure, here is a picture of me from eight days ago, one day before I delivered. I weighed 193. I am not brave enough to post a picture of me today, but I have lost 19 pounds so far. It isn't pretty but I am trying to not be impatient. Besides, who has time to worry about their flabby stomach when they have a sweet baby to kiss on all day? :)

JAMAICA!I haven't yet been in Jamaica a full day. I had grand plans of getting up early and going running this morning. I did get up to go (at six thirty), only to realize that I had left my sports bra at home. That pretty much sent all plans of running, playing beach volleyball, going to the fitness center, etc. down the tubes. Yay for my friend who brought one, but had no plans to use it! I am going to get it from her, when it is a more reasonable hour, so definitely running this afternoon, or tomorrow morning.

The humidity took me by surprise. I opened the glass door to our balcony, expecting a cool morning breeze, perfect for jogging. I couldn't believe when I was met with a wall of humidity, more intense than I have ever experienced in south GA.

If you have been watching the Olympics, you know that the Jamaicans have been obliterating most of the other track athletes. I am hoping there is something in the air here that will make me very fast too. :)

And, I am happy to report, that I have not fallen off the wagon, food wise, here on vacation. I thought the temptation would be huge to eat junk, especially since it is all inclusive, and I can eat as much as I want of whatever I want (alcohol included). Last night there was a big jerk dinner on the beach, with flame throwers, drums, men on stilts, and lots and lots of food. I was wondering if it was just going to be mostly meat, but was happy to be able to fill my plate with six different varieties of grilled vegetables, which were delicious. For lunch, I had a simple caesar salad. For breakfast, half of a yogurt parfait (it tasted like aspartame, blech). I did have three mango girly drinks yesterday, which was a lot. Most people were completely plastered by five o'clock, whereas I felt fine...so I am guessing that most people had a lot more to drink than me. And while the drinks were good, and nice to have while lying on the beach in the sun, I probably will not have more than one or two more for the rest of the trip. I could really take or leave it.

While I am definitely wanting to have a fabulous time, and to enjoy myself, and am NOT going to spend my time here counting calories and worrying about every bite, I do not want to sabotage the work I have done at home either. I had expected to really struggle with eating while here, but honestly, this warm tropical atmosphere just makes me crave fresh fruits and veggies.

I had also anticipated just lying in a beach chair for the duration of the trip, resting, reading, soaking up the sun, talking with my friends. But now that I am here, I really want to take advantage of the time I have without my children and do really fun things that I can't do much at home. Here is my must-do list so far:
-snorkeling
-running the paths around the resort (apparently it is very dangerous to go off the resort property)
-playing beach volleyball
-swimming in the ocean
-swimming in the pool
-taking the resort horticultural tour
-having dinner on the mountain (don't know much about this, except it is supposed to be amazing)
-and perhaps take a reggae dance class!

So, the hubby just left for a day of golf. I cancelled my spa appointment (mani/pedi compliments of the hubby's company) in favor of doing some sightseeing with Matt's boss's wife, Donna (I want to see the REAL Jamaica!), then some swimming in the sea (the water is so clear! I am amazed!). I tell you, I could almost cry, I am just soooo thrilled to be here!

*Creative commons image from heather0714 on flickr.com

THE PLAN

5K evening run through City Market In October.

4.8 mile trail run in November.

10K Savannah River Bridge Run in December.

New running shoes are broken in.

Ipod workout tracks updated.

Motivation high.

ADDING EXERCISE BACK IN...

I have missed running this summer. But not enough to actually do it in this heat! Truth be told, I have been lazy. I mean, I could have run early in the morning, when it was only 85 degrees outside.
Anyway, after running/walking/biking at the beach, I am ready to start running 3x a week again. I have been looking online, and have found several 5K's coming up near me this fall. I need to send in my registration(s) so I am locked in and motivated! I am using this plan again, starting with week four, to work back up. I hope to increase my time as well. I ran my first 5K in just under 31 minutes. I stopped and walked several times during the race. I would like to run my next race, probably around the end of September, in 27 minutes, which would be just under a 9 minute mile (I hope to eventually work up to a 7 1/2 minute mile). I am a pretty fast runner, for short distances, but it is my endurance that is lacking, so that is what I will be working to improve over these next six weeks or so.

As usual, I am eating a very healthy diet, but just too much of it. I am still working to reduce my portions. Self control in the food department is a little lacking:::sigh:::

I went running for 30 minutes this morning. As soon as we finish dinner, I am putting the kids in their jammies, loading up the oldest two in the jogging stroller, the baby in the Ergo, and am walking the neighborhood until bedtime. Hopefully it won't be miserably hot.

WHAT I ATE TODAY

-Large salad
-Vegetarian Quesadilla
-Chips and Salsa
-1/3 piece of red velvet cake (would my husband PLEASE finish off this cake already?!)

Not a great eating day. I didn't eat that much, but what I had wasn't the best. The salad was OK, but the quesadilla and chips and salsa definitely weren't healthy. We ate at the mexican restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. I wanted a margarita, but didn't get one. Then, I got home and wanted something sweet. I really wanted peaches, but we were out. I should have just brushed my teeth and gone to bed. Instead, I ate red velvet cake, which I didn't really want and wasn't that good. I immediately regretted it. Darn.

WHAT I ATE TODAY

-Blueberry muffin (substituted wheat for white flour, and applesauce for oil)
-Salad (lettuce, broccoli, and cucumber with balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
-Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
-1/3 piece of red velvet cake
-Blueberries
-2 chicken nuggets, 4 fries (gross!)
-2 peaches
-1/2 cup of hot tea with honey

I didn't eat very well today. I didn't eat a huge amount of food, but I am definitely seeing some pitfalls from today...namely, sugar, or items that turn to sugar. I wish I had skipped the cake, nuggets, and fries. I don't know what I was thinking. The muffin wasn't too bad, with the substitutions I made, but it still wouldn't fall into the "health food" category. Also, my salad wasn't very colorful. I definitely need to restock my produce...it was slim pickings around here today. That for tomorrow...

IT'S THE BIG ONE, ELIZABETH!

The unthinkable happened tonight.

I forgot to eat dinner.

Well, I did have a bowl of peaches and a cup of hot tea with honey (I know, sugar, sugar, and more sugar!), but that was it. I just got busy getting the boys bathed, read to, and in the bed...hosing off poopy diapers, folding laundry (while watching Project Runway), etc. and I just FORGOT TO EAT.

I am pretty sure that has NEVER happened to me before.

FEELING GOOD...

Thanks, Susan, for the kick in the pants to blog over here again! I have been meaning to, but time has gotten away from me. I weighed this morning, and was so excited to discover that I lost two pounds last week! Yippee!!!

I started out last week, counting points and calories and measuring food. But, as the week went on, that fell by the way side. I know that doing all of that really helps me keep tabs on how much food I am eating, but it also takes all the joy out of food. It makes eating feel like an accounting job. I really love the joy of eating and cooking and always somewhat resent the intrusion of that from having to count everything. So, I am very flaky about it...sometimes I count, sometimes I don't. This week I didn't, yet still lost two pounds. Thinking back over the week, there are two things that come to mind that were very helpful for me.

1. Eating my big meal in the middle of the day. Last week, lunch was my biggest meal of the day on most days, and I often didn't eat it until two or three in the afternoon. This was good for a number of reasons. One, I ate lunch when I would normally have a snack, so that was skipped altogether (the snack). I had the rest of the day to burn off my big meal, and then ate very lightly in the evening. Some nights I just had a bowl of bing cherries, or fresh peaches. I felt a lot better when I went to bed too...not full. It was nice.

2. Staying busy with my hands. This week, I picked up embroidery again (thanks to this post from Aimee). I ironed. I folded LOTS of laundry. I worked in my garden. I made a ton of pasta sauce and canned it. Keeping my hands busy kept me from sitting and munching mindlessly. Having handiwork to do when I was watching a movie with Matt kept me from snacking. And, I was very mentally engaged with other thoughts and ideas that I am working through, studying, and praying about. So I wasn't THINKING about food as much. I think this was really key.

I still haven't done any exercise since the last time I posted. It is just soooo hot! Even early in the morning, it is sweltering. But, we just got our Wii back from being fixed, so I will probably do the Wii Fit a few times this week. I still want to pick back up with running also, one of these days.

So, do any of you that have lost weight have any tips to share? Anything that worked really well for you? I would love to hear any thoughts you have. I am going to try to repeat last week by staying busy and not eating much at night. I'll keep you posted!

HERE I AM...ALL 159 POUNDS OF ME...

So, it's depressing to have to turn my ticker thingy back to 159...right back where I started, what, two months ago? I still have 30 pounds to lose. There are so many different ways I could go about this, so many different opinions and thoughts on weight loss. You know, I have been here before. I have been at this weight, and have lost those last 30 pounds that haunt me. I know it can be done, and I know I can do it. It's just a matter of actually doing it.

This is a mixed bag for me. One the one hand, this is one of the most frustrating, unexpectedly hard areas of my life. I NEVER had a weight problem, until I had children. I was always the skinny one growing up. I was athletic. I was healthy. I ate good foods. But, every time I am pregnant, I pack on the pounds and it is excruciatingly hard to get them off...and it seems to be harder each time. But, on the other hand, I admit, this extra weight hanging around DOES serve as a constant reminder of so many good things that I have in my life...money to buy food, good foods to eat...we have abundance. And I am really thankful for that. But, it is time to enjoy the abundance in moderation.

I eat really well. By that, I mean that I eat really healthy foods, for the most part...there are the date night indulgences and such, but day to day, I eat really well. I eat a high raw diet because that is what I enjoy eating. Lots of fresh fruits, salads, hummus, etc. But, I am not a raw foodist. I really like my cooked foods too, especially home made breads and vegetables. Roasted vegetables are so yummy. I don't drink any juices, cokes, coffees, etc. I do have sweet tea sometimes, if we are at a restaurant. I don't eat much dairy. I eat very little prepackaged or processed foods. Of course, I do have my weaknesses. Homemade caramel popcorn and oatmeal cookies being two that come to mind. I don't have them every day, or even every week, but I do have them often enough that they qualify as weaknesses. :)

The exercise aspect has been severely lacking this summer. I have gone to the gym with Stacy pretty often...sometimes we have really worked hard. But I don't go regularly and I haven't been running. I am just not willing to run in 95+ weather and I haven't been disciplined enough to get up early and go. Here is the thing about me and exercise. If I am going to the trouble of working out, especially at the gym (getting the kids dressed, paying the money, driving to the gym, etc.), then by golly, I am going to make it worth it. And I will bust my tail while I am there. Like, running for an hour at 10% incline doing a 8 minute mile. And then doing an hour step class. But, I don't do it regularly.

Anyway, here is what I am doing now. I am going to post regularly again, at least until we go to Jamaica (mid-August). Probably not every day, but several times a week. I am only going to record my weight once or twice a week. I get too discouraged when I weigh every day and see those small fluctuations. I am going to continue to count points, mostly for portion control. I really eat off the Core plan (fruits and veggies, whole grains, low fat dairy, lean meats), but will use the Flex plan for the portion control. I will continue to eat high raw, and am also going to try to eat less sugar and foods that turn to sugar. As for exercise, I think I may try to start running in the early morning, twice a week. And, one day a week, probably Saturday morning, go to the gym with Stacy for step class and yoga.

As always, this is ever changing, depending on what else is happening in our lives, and what is working and not working food wise.
And, I am not going to be a martyr about this. Yes, I REALLY want to lose weight, but it is not the end all, be all of my life. A few things, weight/health related, that I am thankful for:
-That I have already lost 50 pounds! Yay!!
-That I live in an area of the world where delicious, fresh produce is readily available for a reasonable price
-That I do not have any serious health problems. Other than my struggle with losing the rest of this weight, I am very healthy.
-That I have been able to carry and deliver three healthy children
-That my family and friends love me, whether I weigh 130 pounds, or 220 (my weight when I delivered my second child. Yikes!)

Time to get back on board...

and start taking my weight loss seriously again. It isn't going to go anywhere on its own.
Starting Monday, I am back in business.

Day 27
(updated throughout the day)

Points Goal: 22

Lots of fresh fruits and veggies!!!

Today I ate:
-1 serving cheerios, 1/2 c. milk, 1 fresh peach (4 points)