Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Back in the groove!!


     Sorry I've been so quiet......Lots in life going on and I can't believe that the school year is almost over. My oldest son Zach is very involved in FFA and 4-H and he showed and auctioned his lamb last week and all of his hard work paid off! He did so well and had such a great time.





     I can't believe that next year I will have two boys in high school......and only one more year all three boys will there. So sad that they are all growing up so fast!! I want my little babies back :(

    As far as working out goes, I have been doing pretty good at staying on track though I feel like I have not been pushing myself like I want to. I met with a personal trainer a few times (gift from an awesome friend) who really got me started on the right track and really helped me to believe that I can truly get to where I want to be physically. After my bout with the stupid scale I was really questioning myself and if I could really get to a size 6 like I want, but after just a few meetings with the trainer I got my excitement back and finally got the confidence that I REALLY can do it!! I have learned how to really push my limits when I am at the gym and now I need to push myself in going more days a week at the gym and also figure out how to push myself on my runs. I am determined to PR at 2:30 on my half in July. ( I know that doesn't seem like very fast especially reading the blogs of some of these awesome runners ;) But for me that if fast! I am back on track and excited that I have 5 FOLLOWERS!! YIPPEE!! Hopefully I can have many more!!!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Almost 12 weeks till next Half Marathon

     So sitting here working....okay reading my favorite blogs, and I realized that Saturday will be 13 weeks until my next half marathon. Even though I have ran two half marathons in the past year and a half my time has not been the best. Yes I finished in less than 3 hours but I KNOW  that I can do better than that so this half I have made a goal to PR at 2:30. I know that the only way that I will be able to do it is to really be disciplined at training this time. In the past I have not been very good at the training part. Sucked actually. So I just looked up the Hal Higdon's 12 week half marathon training schedule, got it into my phone calender and starting Monday  ITS ON!!!


Moonlight Run 2011





If anyone is wondering what the training schedule is or is interested in training here is the link : ))
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51131/Half-Marathon-Novice-1-Training-Program

Monday, April 16, 2012

Frustrating day on the scale!!

        So if you recall, I started this challenge at the gym the day after Valentine's Day. My initial weigh in was at the gym after work ( which I hate weighing in at any time other than first thing in the morning with nothing on to get my lowest weight possible.......just like many of you I'm sure!!) and every Thursday for 10 weeks we are supposed to weigh in at the gym. Well since I work all day and again hate weighing in at night I made arrangements with the organizer to weigh in on my own scale and text her the picture every Thursday...yeah!!! Great plan!!

        For the first few weeks it was going good. I was weighing myself and some weeks the scale was going down a pound or two and once or twice I didn't lose and the scale stayed the same. I was happy with the progress that I was slowly making though!! Fast forward to about a week and a half ago...... I stepped on the scale after what wasn't a great week of staying on track expecting the scale to stay the same and it said that I had lost 5 pounds.....WHAT??!??! I was soooo excited!! Maybe it was my weeks of working hard finally catching up to me?? But then I started second guessing that maybe my scale wasn't right. But how could that be? It had started out right and slowly over the weeks my scale was going down. My clothes were looser so that had to be right. So all week long I was stepping on the scale and it was still going down. I was really starting to doubt that my scale was right. 8 years ago I had done Weight Watchers and had gotten down to 151 pounds and was wearing a size 8 and the scale was now saying that number again but just knew deep down that wasn't right. Plus even though I had gone from a size 12 to a 10 the last few weeks there was no way I was getting into my 8's. All week long was this mental argument of whether I was really that low on my weight and my body had just changed over the years or was the stupid scale wrong this whole time. So I waited till weigh in day ( last Thursday) and stepped on the scale and it said 147 lbs. I knew at that moment that it was wrong!! I decided to weigh with my gym clothes and then go to the gym and weigh on their scale just to see the difference and I was distraught to find that my scale was off by almost 20 lbs?!??! Are you kidding me???? I was so depressed all day!! All this time I thought that what I was doing was working and it wasn't. I should have worked harder...... I should have pushed myself more......I wasted all these weeks of the challenge and I have lost almost nothing on the scale!! I had my pity party and let my depression over the scale bring my day down. I vented to my boyfriend and workout partner about my discovery. Their responses??........." That is a bummer but YOU lost a pants size!! That is awesome!! Who cares what the scale says!! " You know what?.......They are right!!! The scale is just a number.

        How much do we base everything on that STUPID little number on the scale?? We let it control us, run our lives, decide on whether we are going to be in a good mood or depressed or down right ANGRY. What is our ultimate goal......... to be HEALTHY and active and of course as vain as it sounds.........look good physically!! Sooooo even though as tempted as I was to just say screw it to the challenge and not weigh in the last 2 weigh in's of the challenge I am going to finish what I started and then after that final weigh in I am not going to step on the scale for a little while. I am going to focus solely on how I feel and how my clothes fit. I am going to push myself more and more every day!!  After all.......That is the most important thing.....right??

Monday, April 9, 2012

Another race on the Calender!!

Yes Ladies and Gentleman...... Another race on the books and I am so excited for this one!! Who wouldn't have fun with so much COLOR!!! Sacramento Color Run!!!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Adventure in trying to become a runner.....


      In 2010 my ex and I split ( amicably) and I moved out. All the sudden I had this desire to challenge myself into doing something that I never thought I could ever do.......RUNNING!! I jumped right into and signed up for a half marathon months down the road knowing that I would only keep up with the challenge that I had created if I had spent the money on the race. So the training began. I used Hal Higdon's half marathon training schedule and I stuck with it. October of 2010 I ran my first half ( I injured my knee at mile 6 and had to walk the remainder of the race) and I finished it. With the injury I was soooo frustrated that I could not "run" across the finish line so I was determined to run the half again the next year. It took months of me not running to let my knee heal completely before I could run again so I joined the gym that they had just opened in town so that I could work on strengthening my knee...... I was determined to complete my goal of running across the finish line at my next half. I never thought that I would enjoy being active. I always HATED the gym.....the idea of running.....etc. Now I was starting to really enjoy it. I wasn't really going at it hard core, just keeping my body active. I decided to attempt to run and signed up for my first 10k in July 2011. I was so excited when I crossed the finish line and had NO problems with my knee! I completed a few more little races and then in Oct 2011 I completed my goal and RAN across the finish line of my 2nd Half marathon.


Now I am not a fast runner at all!!! And even though I have completed those few races I still have a hard time considering me a runner at all!! But now that is one of my next goals...... to shorten my time and not feel like I am going to die when I do.... : )

Few pictures from some of my other races......



The Weight Loss Journey......

         As much people can relate......I have been on this wonderful journey called weight loss since I became a adult. The easy days of eating fast food every day and junk food for breakfast were gone!! Then when I started having kids getting the weight off became a challenge that I was always struggling to beat.  I had the three boys pretty much back to back. Tyler was born when Zach was 2.5 and then 16 months later Cody was born. I had pretty much just decided that I was not going to be a thin girl and just accepted it!

        When Cody was about 2 I decided that I wanted to become a surrogate mom ( save that adventure for another post  :)) I had a set of twin girls and I had actually lost a little weight after they were born and thought hmm...... maybe it is possible to lose more and actually be happy with how I look. Shortly after they were born I decided to do a 2nd surrogacy and had another little girl. After she was born I decided that I was really going to make the attempt to lose weight and joined Weight Watchers. I LOVED it!! I had found something that totally worked and ended up losing about 30 lbs and was at my lowest weight that I could remember. 151 lbs and a size 8. I decided after I lost all that weight that I was going to take the surrogate journey one more time and I had twin boys. After they were born I hit weight watchers again and got down to about 161 and then got lazy. I wasn't completely unhappy with myself but I did not have the drive to get much further. Year passed and slowly my weight crept back up to 175. I was starting to feel that insecure down feeling again but I just could not find the drive to take that adventure again. Life was just crazy and kept making the excuse that I didn't have time to really focus on it.

        After a few years of just "settling" on how I look and a lot of changes in my life I have finally found that drive and motivation that I need........( especially thanks to a few blogs that I have come across in the last few months www.mamalaughlin.com ) I am on this weight loss journey....AKA change of lifestyle!! The jump start for me was the day I walked into my gym and they were starting a 10 week weight loss/ biggest loser challenge. I immediately signed up and hit it full force!! I made a goal for myself... I want to be 135!!! Don't ever remember being that low. But with the right mind set I know that I can do it!!

      Challenge started February 15th ( day after Valentines day for one last splurge)Thursdays are weigh in day. First weight in was at the gym and I weighed in at 174.6. I HATE weighing in at night! I am one of those girls that has to strip down to nothing on my scale in first thing in the morning ( I know I am not the only one!!!) Lucky for me, after that initial weigh in they will allow us to weigh in on our scale and send her a picture with my cell :)) That makes me a happy girl!! So 6 weeks into the challenge this was my weigh in this  morning........was hoping to have more weight loss by this point but at least its something and I am determined to meet my goal of 135!! I'll get there!!


Sorry for the crappy cell phone no light 4:15am picture!!
                                                            9 lbs lost at this point. YEA!!


    
   
      


Monday, March 26, 2012

Lucky 7 St Patricks Day Run

I know I'm a little behind posting about this race but with crazy life and weekend in San Diego with my surrogate boys I figured blogging while waiting at the airport is the best time!!

St Patrick's day was probably one of the funnest races to date. The hype of everyone dressed in green, my specially made tshirt ( thanks Betsy!!) and getting to run with my best friends daughter on her birthday and her mom( my 2nd family) was the best!! Alyvia was so excited to get to experience her first race! The shamrock antennas and all!! Grammy even wrote " it's my birthday" on the back of her shirt and everyone running by would wish her happy birthday. The entire race she kept saying how exciting it was! Every time I see her now she says she can't wait to race with me again. Love my new running partner!!

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Guess I should start off by introducing myself.......

         Gosh where do I start..... I am a mom of three busy boys.  Z ( the oldest) just turn 16, T ( middle) 13 and C ( youngest) is 12.  Yes, the youngest two are 16 months apart...... and even crazier we planned it that way :)  I decided to join this exciting world of blogging ( after reading many that have been such a huge inspiration) to keep in better touch with family and friends but also for some accountability in this weight loss journey and to maybe one day become an inspiration to others!

Little about me......

~ I was blessed to be a surrogate mom to 5 wonderful babies. Twin girls ( M & S born in 2002) A single girl ( N born 2003) and Twin Boys (J & C born 2005) and I am lucky enough to still have a close relationship with both of the sets of twins
~ I work full time in the exciting world of the mortgage industry while going to school part time at night  to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a nurse
~ I love being crafty (get that crafty side from my momma!)...pinterest has become one of my new favorite things!!
~ I love to bake, cook, try out new recipes. ( yet another trait of my mom : )
~ I have an amazing group of friends that I could not imagine life without!!
~ I have recently joined the exciting world of weight loss and being more active
~ I have been divorced almost two years (mutual decision)
~ I NEVER was an athlete growing up but I have recently found joy in the gym, running ( some days) and trying out new activities to be more active in my life!


~ Some of my favorite things is a glass of wine (or two) after a long day, weekends hanging out with friends, camping trips full of laughter, sonic ice ( sounds silly I know but if you are an ice lover you know exactly what I mean!)......

Guess that's enough for now :)