Aaaahhhhh...yes, you can tell I've been running! It's about 50 degrees here and perfect weather for running! I didn't get to go earlier to the gym as Missy G still is a little sick and I worked a night shift last night and got off of work at 6 am...soooo, I went out running tonight in our neighborhood and it was darn near perfect outside! I took just a short walk break once, I think, and I ran the rest of it. A total of about 2.25 miles. The stars were beautiful, the night peaceful..really, really wonderful! Then to come inside and start sweating was pure joy!!! (yes, I'm a sicko, I admit it!) I think there is nothing like a good butt-kicking sweat-fest to cope with the stresses of life...well, you know....after prayer and all!! I think movement must be one of the greatest gifts the Lord gave us.
I do have a crazy idea...I really would love to run a marathon again someday. I wonder if there are any other nutcases out there like me who stay up way too late and would want to train for a marathon? I know of one friend who might would be game....I am thinking how cool it would be to have a "midnight marathoners" group. Do all your normal short runs on our own and then get together for a long run each week....but instead of getting up early to go like most people with sense would do, go at like 11 or 12 for a long run. It wouldn't be too hot, not much traffic out, and you wouldn't conflict with other stuff going on. Just a crazy thought I had!
Need sleep now!! Working on only about 3 hours for the last 2 days! Nighty night!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Down a couple more!
Woohoo....I am down under 225, headed for the 2-teens now. It seems I was stuck at that 227ish area for a few weeks, but things are moving again, and I am so thankful for it. I am now weighing in consistently between 221 and 224....next mark, to be consistently below 220. My birthday is at the end of March, and how wonderful it would be to be in the 2-0's by then.
I've now completed 6 full weeks (plus 1 day so far) of working out EVERY M-F without fail. It feels sooooo good, and I am not only feeling better physically, but emotionally too. Exercise is sooooo good for the mental health! I think I forgot how much I loved getting my blood pumping and my muscles moving.
I am also 3 weeks no chocolate. That's a real big deal for me. I'm not missing it too, too much, really. Just if things get a little stressful. Like this past weekend. I had an awful lot going on with the youth potato luncheon at church that I pretty much have to pull together and working the other job (2 night shifts last week) my 5th and 6th grade youth group Friday night, etc. Oh, and my baby girl was sick Saturday night with vomiting and stuff, which I don't do very well! By the time Sunday got here and I was working on like about 6 hours of sleep for the entire week and everything going on, I was REALLY feeling the need for some chocolate!! I made it though, and even though it was all around me, the Lord helped me to keep the commitment to stay away from it--and it felt like a little victory, which is a cool feeling!
Yesterday I didn't get to go to the gym because of the lingering effects of Missy G's little stomach bug (ie, diarrhea) but my good friend and I went walking last night late and so I still got in some exercise. We walk pretty fast and last night I think we went around 4-1/2 miles....a little over an hour of walking. It felt great, and really therapeutic. My husband was having a very difficult time last night (okay, when is he not?) especially difficult, with some major problems and stuff going down at work. I have been so frustrated with him, so it took all I had to try and walk the line between compassion and telling hard truth. It was really wearing me out. Well, by the time my friend and I had walked, things were feeling a lot better. It is good for the mind as well as the body! We'd go around the 3/4-mile block in our neighborhood and get back to my house and be like "we aren't done talking yet...let's go another!) and by the time we finished, it was nearly midnight and 6 laps later! She's been through quite a lot herself lately, so I think it was good for both of us. Praise God for the gift of wonderful, precious friends!! I have a lot of things that I am less than pleased with in my life.....but my cup overflows with blessings from my friends...who are really like family. My kids are pretty darn wonderful too!
2-teens, here I come! (never thought I'd be so excited to say that!)
Later, gators!
I've now completed 6 full weeks (plus 1 day so far) of working out EVERY M-F without fail. It feels sooooo good, and I am not only feeling better physically, but emotionally too. Exercise is sooooo good for the mental health! I think I forgot how much I loved getting my blood pumping and my muscles moving.
I am also 3 weeks no chocolate. That's a real big deal for me. I'm not missing it too, too much, really. Just if things get a little stressful. Like this past weekend. I had an awful lot going on with the youth potato luncheon at church that I pretty much have to pull together and working the other job (2 night shifts last week) my 5th and 6th grade youth group Friday night, etc. Oh, and my baby girl was sick Saturday night with vomiting and stuff, which I don't do very well! By the time Sunday got here and I was working on like about 6 hours of sleep for the entire week and everything going on, I was REALLY feeling the need for some chocolate!! I made it though, and even though it was all around me, the Lord helped me to keep the commitment to stay away from it--and it felt like a little victory, which is a cool feeling!
Yesterday I didn't get to go to the gym because of the lingering effects of Missy G's little stomach bug (ie, diarrhea) but my good friend and I went walking last night late and so I still got in some exercise. We walk pretty fast and last night I think we went around 4-1/2 miles....a little over an hour of walking. It felt great, and really therapeutic. My husband was having a very difficult time last night (okay, when is he not?) especially difficult, with some major problems and stuff going down at work. I have been so frustrated with him, so it took all I had to try and walk the line between compassion and telling hard truth. It was really wearing me out. Well, by the time my friend and I had walked, things were feeling a lot better. It is good for the mind as well as the body! We'd go around the 3/4-mile block in our neighborhood and get back to my house and be like "we aren't done talking yet...let's go another!) and by the time we finished, it was nearly midnight and 6 laps later! She's been through quite a lot herself lately, so I think it was good for both of us. Praise God for the gift of wonderful, precious friends!! I have a lot of things that I am less than pleased with in my life.....but my cup overflows with blessings from my friends...who are really like family. My kids are pretty darn wonderful too!
2-teens, here I come! (never thought I'd be so excited to say that!)
Later, gators!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Two-a-day!
I feel great tonight...had my first "two-a-day" workout today...I went to the gym this morning and ran on the treadmill for 35 minutes (with a walk break or two, of course) and then tonight a friend came over after I had my kids were in bed and she and I got to take a 3-mile walk. It felt soooo great! The weather is sorta cool and it's pretty much perfect for going out and walking. It felt so, so good, and it's so nice to walk with a good friend and get to visit and catch up.
And, I hopefully worked off most of my supper! Can't beat that! We are gonna try to go again tomorrow night, and I'll go to the gym in the morning, so hopefully tomorrow will be another 2-a-day. I have to work overnight Wed and Thurs, so all I'll get in those days is my morning at the gym workout...but hey, I'll take the late night walk whenever I can get it! I'm feeling good! Woohoo!
And, I hopefully worked off most of my supper! Can't beat that! We are gonna try to go again tomorrow night, and I'll go to the gym in the morning, so hopefully tomorrow will be another 2-a-day. I have to work overnight Wed and Thurs, so all I'll get in those days is my morning at the gym workout...but hey, I'll take the late night walk whenever I can get it! I'm feeling good! Woohoo!
Hangin' in there
Well, last week I finished up 5 weeks of M-F workouts and have already started with 35 minutes of running/walking today at the gym. My weight isn't changing a whole lot this last week, hovering between 225-228 or so. I am hoping to be somewhere consistently below 225 by the end of the week.
My eating has been fairly okay, although Saturday night we ate at Chili's and I ate a little more than I probably should--but not too too bad. Last night was youth group and we had a Sunday school class fix us Tacos...I ate 2, which wasn't too awful, I don't guess. I have successfully managed to stay off the chocolate, which I am VERY happy about. I've had a few temptations here and there, but I've made it.
Now I need to start knocking a few things off my to-do list. It's so long, I hardl know where to start. Oh well! Guess if I get off this computer I might make some progress!
My eating has been fairly okay, although Saturday night we ate at Chili's and I ate a little more than I probably should--but not too too bad. Last night was youth group and we had a Sunday school class fix us Tacos...I ate 2, which wasn't too awful, I don't guess. I have successfully managed to stay off the chocolate, which I am VERY happy about. I've had a few temptations here and there, but I've made it.
Now I need to start knocking a few things off my to-do list. It's so long, I hardl know where to start. Oh well! Guess if I get off this computer I might make some progress!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
still going strong!
Well, I'm at almost 5 full weeks of working out and eating clean, and I'm down about 20 pounds. (I say "about" because I'm not totally sure where I started at! It was too scary there for a while to get on the scale!) I feel much better and am so happy to be on my way!
I'm doing good with no chocolate too...even tonight at work with the prettiest chocolate cake you've ever seen there tonight! It was the toughest challenge yet, but I made it, and am so glad.
I know this is short, but so is time, so I'll be going for now! Just wanted to say YAY!! I'm doing good! Thanks, God, for YOUR strength that keeps me going!
I'm doing good with no chocolate too...even tonight at work with the prettiest chocolate cake you've ever seen there tonight! It was the toughest challenge yet, but I made it, and am so glad.
I know this is short, but so is time, so I'll be going for now! Just wanted to say YAY!! I'm doing good! Thanks, God, for YOUR strength that keeps me going!
Sunday, February 10, 2008
So far, so good!
Well,today was day 5 of the no-chocolate thing, and so far, so good. I am really excited to be making the progress I am. My weight is hovering around 227ish right now, give or take a pound or two, depending on my state of hydration and whatnot, so I'm going in the right direction. Yesterday my eating was a bit erratic because it was such a busy day at the lab. I didn't get to eat lunch and then I slept when I got home, so then we went and ate Lupes for dinner. I was a lot better than I could have been, but it was still Lupes! Today I did good with just a frozen dinner at lunch and then we had youth gruop tonight and the wonderful folks who fed us made hot dogs. I ate just one, so that wasn't too too bad I don't guess. No dessert either. Not to mention the ultimate frisbee we went out and played after dinner for an hour! Being controlled is getting a lot easier than it used to be.
Tomorrow it's time for me to go back to the gym. I'm gonna go in the morning, I think, probably when I pick the boys up from school, before we come home. I have to work a night shift tomorrow night at 8, so it'll probably be too rushed to go later on in the day.
I need to sit and re-read the "phase 2" part of the Chantel Hobbs book. I think this is the one where you just add strength training in on the stability ball a couple of days a week and stay away from one problem food for a month. I want to re-read it though, and make sure there is nothing else I"m forgetting.
I am so happy to be making progress!
Tomorrow it's time for me to go back to the gym. I'm gonna go in the morning, I think, probably when I pick the boys up from school, before we come home. I have to work a night shift tomorrow night at 8, so it'll probably be too rushed to go later on in the day.
I need to sit and re-read the "phase 2" part of the Chantel Hobbs book. I think this is the one where you just add strength training in on the stability ball a couple of days a week and stay away from one problem food for a month. I want to re-read it though, and make sure there is nothing else I"m forgetting.
I am so happy to be making progress!
Friday, February 8, 2008
Four weeks down..and 3 days sans chocolate!
This is gonna be short and sweet tonight, because I am whooped! I have so much to talk about, but I'm really exhausted and have to work at the hospital at 6 in the morning....the only reason I'm up now, is because I have to get my scrubs in the dryer after the washer finishes up!
I worked overnight Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the lab this week, so my body is a little mixed up right now. I haven't had a ton of sleep, because my kiddies need me awake during the day and also because I sang at a funeral today...that's part of what all there is I could be writing about. I had my 5th and 6th grade youth group tonight, and then I go into work early tomorrow morning at the hospital again.....so, all of that is why I'm sorta wiped out.
On the weight loss front...I'm still hovering between about a 15-16 pound weight loss. I made it to the gym Monday through Friday to either run or do the ellipical each day for at least a half hour, and this is day 3 without chocolate. It was a little challenging at youth tonight with the desserts, but I made it and am so happy I did. I may not be looking much better yet, but I am thankful to be feeling better. It's amazing how much it changes your attitude to just be working on a goal like this and to be making progress. Thanks be to GOD for His strength and mercies that are new every morning!
I worked overnight Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at the lab this week, so my body is a little mixed up right now. I haven't had a ton of sleep, because my kiddies need me awake during the day and also because I sang at a funeral today...that's part of what all there is I could be writing about. I had my 5th and 6th grade youth group tonight, and then I go into work early tomorrow morning at the hospital again.....so, all of that is why I'm sorta wiped out.
On the weight loss front...I'm still hovering between about a 15-16 pound weight loss. I made it to the gym Monday through Friday to either run or do the ellipical each day for at least a half hour, and this is day 3 without chocolate. It was a little challenging at youth tonight with the desserts, but I made it and am so happy I did. I may not be looking much better yet, but I am thankful to be feeling better. It's amazing how much it changes your attitude to just be working on a goal like this and to be making progress. Thanks be to GOD for His strength and mercies that are new every morning!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Tuesday already
Well, here it is Tuesday, and it's been several days since I wrote anything. I'm staying the course on my eating and exercising, so I'm happy with that. I ran at the gym yesterday for like 25 minutes...wanted to do more, but we got there a little late and the childcare was only open til 8pm, so I had to get the kiddies and go. Tonight was the same sort of thing, only I did the elliptical. Last night I ended up doing an overnight shift at work, so I'm pretty certain I made up for the extra 5 minutes by running around the lab until 6 am! It was a good night, thankfully! Today, all the treadmills were full, so I used the elliptical, and I was sweated down pretty good by the time I finished up. It felt great! I ran into one of my old Young Life kids tonight too, which was fun. She and I talked about the last 10 minutes or so of my workout, so it went super fast! My weight is down to like hovering around 231 or 232...I've been saying I'm down probably 15 pounds since I started this whole thing.....I'm not totally sure where I topped out at, but It was somewhere mid-to-high 240s, so I'm thinking I'm right at 15 pound gone...now only 85 more! I'm looking forward to breaking that 230 barrier to get to the 220s. And then the 2-teens, and for sure getting down below 200 into ONEderland. I'm way ready for that! How awful is that, that I'm looking forward to the 220s! I never in my life thought I'd be making progress to make it there! It feels so much better though, to be working on it.
The next project is giving up chocolate...at least for awhile. I'm going at this with 2 ideas in mind, actually. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday....the beginning of the Lenten season. Now, having grown up as the Baptist that I did, the only "lint" (ph. spelling) I knew of was in my dryer! I never knew a thing about Lent or any of the creeds, or any other kind of liturgy! I will say I grew up with a healthy knowledge of scripture (commited to memory) which I am so very grateful for today. I also grew up with the awareness that God was God and I'm not, and that there was a definite right and wrong....I'm very, very grateful for that, but being the Presbyterian that I am now in this season of my life (and probably for the rest of my life, if I had to guess...only the Lord knows!) I am excited to learn new things (new to me, that is) and to learn to love the Lord with more of my mind than before, and take on some more challenges. Enter Lent!
This year, I've decided for the first time ever, to give something up for Lent....I've never done it, and I'm not going ot make a big deal of it or anything, but it is sort of a big deal to me! I'm going to give up chocolate. I DO love Jesus more than chocolate, and I want to exercise some much-needed discipline with it during this season. I want to instead of focusing on chocolate, to focus on Him and what He wants to do in and through me. Now, for some people, chocolate may not be a biggie....but for me, it's HUGE! I gave up chocolate once before, but only because I was pregnant with my high-risk pregnancy where they were watching everything I did like crazy and wanted me to have NO caffeine...which meant no chocolate. Well, that lasted til the end of my first trimester, and then it promptly ended when my healthcare professionals thought it safe for me to eat it again. So, it's sort of a big deal to me...I am a chocolate lover....but I'm hoping to curb that love to some degree through this!
The other motivation I have, which does tie into trying to be the best I can be for His glory, but still an independent concept, is the Chantel Hobbs book. Her phase 1 is the exercise 5x a week for 4 weeks. Phase 2 is to keep that up, add some strength training with the stability ball, and then to identify a problem food (just one) and keep away from it for a month. Well....it just so happens that this is week 4 of my hard-core working on this, and so it would have been next week anyway that I would have had to give up a problem food....and for me, by far the biggest problem is CHOCOLATE!
So, I'm just starting this phase a little early, and trying to exercise it as a spiritual discipline as well, connecting it with the Lenten season. So....Fat Tuesday being about over....no chocolate, here I am!
The next project is giving up chocolate...at least for awhile. I'm going at this with 2 ideas in mind, actually. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday....the beginning of the Lenten season. Now, having grown up as the Baptist that I did, the only "lint" (ph. spelling) I knew of was in my dryer! I never knew a thing about Lent or any of the creeds, or any other kind of liturgy! I will say I grew up with a healthy knowledge of scripture (commited to memory) which I am so very grateful for today. I also grew up with the awareness that God was God and I'm not, and that there was a definite right and wrong....I'm very, very grateful for that, but being the Presbyterian that I am now in this season of my life (and probably for the rest of my life, if I had to guess...only the Lord knows!) I am excited to learn new things (new to me, that is) and to learn to love the Lord with more of my mind than before, and take on some more challenges. Enter Lent!
This year, I've decided for the first time ever, to give something up for Lent....I've never done it, and I'm not going ot make a big deal of it or anything, but it is sort of a big deal to me! I'm going to give up chocolate. I DO love Jesus more than chocolate, and I want to exercise some much-needed discipline with it during this season. I want to instead of focusing on chocolate, to focus on Him and what He wants to do in and through me. Now, for some people, chocolate may not be a biggie....but for me, it's HUGE! I gave up chocolate once before, but only because I was pregnant with my high-risk pregnancy where they were watching everything I did like crazy and wanted me to have NO caffeine...which meant no chocolate. Well, that lasted til the end of my first trimester, and then it promptly ended when my healthcare professionals thought it safe for me to eat it again. So, it's sort of a big deal to me...I am a chocolate lover....but I'm hoping to curb that love to some degree through this!
The other motivation I have, which does tie into trying to be the best I can be for His glory, but still an independent concept, is the Chantel Hobbs book. Her phase 1 is the exercise 5x a week for 4 weeks. Phase 2 is to keep that up, add some strength training with the stability ball, and then to identify a problem food (just one) and keep away from it for a month. Well....it just so happens that this is week 4 of my hard-core working on this, and so it would have been next week anyway that I would have had to give up a problem food....and for me, by far the biggest problem is CHOCOLATE!
So, I'm just starting this phase a little early, and trying to exercise it as a spiritual discipline as well, connecting it with the Lenten season. So....Fat Tuesday being about over....no chocolate, here I am!
Friday, February 1, 2008
Three weeks down!
Yay! I made 3 straight weeks of working out somehow or other Monday through Friday for a minimum of 30 minutes per day! I am pumped! This evening, after the words we had last night I guess, I was allowed to go out and run just before we ate supper at like 6 pm. I was able to be more creative about my route, since we still had some daylight left. It was cold and felt great! I ran/walked (mostly ran...slowly, but still a run) probably a little over 2 miles. It felt great! Then, I had some taco soup and a salad for supper, which was way good. (lunch was posole and a salad.) I still haven't had my fuji apple today yet...thinking I still might want that!
Today was sort of weird in an unexpected-type of a way. I got the kids up this morning and one of the boys still had a fever, so I was going to let the other one go to school and have him stay home with me and Sister. Everyone was all prepared and ready for that, and we got to school and it looked awfully quiet. No one was there, parking lot empty, etc. There was one car in the drop-off line with a Grandma who was going to drop off her grandson. I pulled up and noticed it was really weird, so I asked her if she knew what was going on and she said there was a sign on the door that said preschool was closed today! No notice, no anything...just a note. This is really, really weird! She thought maybe it was because so many kids have been sick, but I really don't think they'd close school for that. We are all paying our tuition and not only that, but there is always a time of the year when kids get sick and miss school a lot. I don't know if they couldn't find teachers or what was going on, but it was weird! I tried calling the boys' teacher to ask and a couple of other friends with kids there, but got no answers at anyone's homes, so...even weirder! I guess I'll find out soon what the deal is.
So, we stopped by my office at church quickly to get my mail and stuff and then went to the drive thru at the bank. It was so funny while we were there...I looked back, and both boys had their shoes and socks off, wiggling their little toes at me. They make me laugh! It's the little smiles on their faces and how proud they are of stuff like that that is so precious. We came home after that and laid sorta low....watched some tv and played with some toys and stuff. I didn't want to push it too hard with them still getting over their sick stuff.
While they took their nap, I had a little time with the Lord, which is always a good thing. I was fighting to stay awake, but it was still good. Speaking of which...as crazy as it is for me, I think I'm about to take a shower and crash now. I never, ever go to bed this early, but I have to work at the lab at 6am, so that will be here awfully early!
Three weeks...yahoo! The Chantel Hobbs Never Say Diet book is broken into stages, and the first stage is simply to exercise 5 consecutive days each week for at least a half hour. She says after the first 4 weeks, it becomes habit. Well, it's habit and not only that but an ADDICTIVE habit! I have always loved exercise...it's so wonderful to have the chance to get back with it again! The weight is down about 14 pounds total since the start of the year. I'm pumped with that!
Okay...better go and get some rest so I'm ready for whatever the lab throws at me tomorrow!
Today was sort of weird in an unexpected-type of a way. I got the kids up this morning and one of the boys still had a fever, so I was going to let the other one go to school and have him stay home with me and Sister. Everyone was all prepared and ready for that, and we got to school and it looked awfully quiet. No one was there, parking lot empty, etc. There was one car in the drop-off line with a Grandma who was going to drop off her grandson. I pulled up and noticed it was really weird, so I asked her if she knew what was going on and she said there was a sign on the door that said preschool was closed today! No notice, no anything...just a note. This is really, really weird! She thought maybe it was because so many kids have been sick, but I really don't think they'd close school for that. We are all paying our tuition and not only that, but there is always a time of the year when kids get sick and miss school a lot. I don't know if they couldn't find teachers or what was going on, but it was weird! I tried calling the boys' teacher to ask and a couple of other friends with kids there, but got no answers at anyone's homes, so...even weirder! I guess I'll find out soon what the deal is.
So, we stopped by my office at church quickly to get my mail and stuff and then went to the drive thru at the bank. It was so funny while we were there...I looked back, and both boys had their shoes and socks off, wiggling their little toes at me. They make me laugh! It's the little smiles on their faces and how proud they are of stuff like that that is so precious. We came home after that and laid sorta low....watched some tv and played with some toys and stuff. I didn't want to push it too hard with them still getting over their sick stuff.
While they took their nap, I had a little time with the Lord, which is always a good thing. I was fighting to stay awake, but it was still good. Speaking of which...as crazy as it is for me, I think I'm about to take a shower and crash now. I never, ever go to bed this early, but I have to work at the lab at 6am, so that will be here awfully early!
Three weeks...yahoo! The Chantel Hobbs Never Say Diet book is broken into stages, and the first stage is simply to exercise 5 consecutive days each week for at least a half hour. She says after the first 4 weeks, it becomes habit. Well, it's habit and not only that but an ADDICTIVE habit! I have always loved exercise...it's so wonderful to have the chance to get back with it again! The weight is down about 14 pounds total since the start of the year. I'm pumped with that!
Okay...better go and get some rest so I'm ready for whatever the lab throws at me tomorrow!
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