In Review

All in all, 2012 hasn't been a horrible year. It seems the last couple of months I haven't done so great at my goals, but this has been one of the healthiest years I've ever had. Here's what I did:

*completed four 5k races - next year I'm shooting for six.
*completed three 10-day boot camps.
*worked out with a trainer all year.
*A1c went from 6.5 to 5.7

In December I got 1/2 way through the squat challenge when the kid's Christmas program took over my life. :) I did very well at testing and meds every day.

For my January goals, I've done two fitness goals, two behavior goals, AND added one thing to add or subtract every week.

The 50-50-50 challenge is 50 push ups, 50 squats, and 50 kettlebell exercises 5 days a week. HERE WE COME 2013!!!

Not So Healthy Christmas

I hope everyone had a great Christmas - gathered around your family and friends.

My time at home was good - other than the 7:30am weight loss talk with my mother (insert eye roll). I spent a lot of time with my brother, Kyle - was very good!! Other than being a tad lonely at the thought of the fifth wheel, it was good. Here's me and the sibs (and their significant others).

One thing I did that I hadn't planned on doing was gorging on sweets and eating whatever I wanted.

One thing I didn't do that I had planned on doing was working out.

Ugh - more disappointment that I stink. I haven't logged any food for three weeks - there goes that December goal. I have been doing very good with my meds and testing my sugars though. It's been two days, but I'm loving this new medicine. No sickness and it's easy peasy to do! I'm still scared when I put the pen against my skin, but so far so good!

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and prayers of support.

Deja Vu

Today I had my six month check up with my primary doctor AND my first visit to the endocrinologist.

The Good News? My primary doctor gave me my lab results -- all numbers have improved. A1c is now 5.7! I was super excited about that number...

Until I went to the endocrinologist...

Hearing him call me morbidly obese and that the solution was gastric bypass; I felt like I was being diagnosed all over again. I talked to him about my issues losing weight and my problems with my medicines. That I hadn't even been taking it because it made me so sick.

The solution:

He wants me to lose 50 lbs. (Duh).

He stopped my medicine that the primary doctor prescribed. He gave me a new prescription of victoza and also glumetza. Victoza scares me.

I'm scared.

I'm nervous.

Victoza is a pen. I have to poke myself, like insulin but it's not. The good thing about this medicine is that it's a hormone, that will help me lose weight, suppress my appetite, and control my sugars. Hopefully it will not cause the nauseous feeling that the other one did.

I go back in three months so he can check my labs again -- will keep you updated. :)

Squat Challenge

It's almost mid-month, how are we doing with our goals?  I'm not doing too bad actually, even on the squat challenge. I forgot to post what the challenge is, but here it is if you'd like to join me for the rest of the month. :) We're on day 13, so it's 75 squats!! So far the only day I've missed was yesterday, so I'll be doing 145 throughout the day - 3 sets of 49 to make it easy math. 

I hope you're enjoying getting ready for the Holidays and not letting it stress you out! I think this is the first Christmas in a long time where I haven't been worried about gifts. I'm going to Nebraska to see my family - and that's all I need! I'm so excited to see them and hang out with my brothers.

Ok - it's time to start my day... with some squats! :) 

December Goals

Another month down and another one started. I won't even tell you how I did last month. :)

I'm in the middle of another 10-day fat blast (boot camp) at my gym. My goals for this month are a little bit different than previous ones - I'm trying to change it up, but also wanted to do goals that were realistic through the holidays, that I could continue while I'm in Nebraska for five days for Christmas.

They're pretty self explanatory. I found the squat challenge on one of the pages I follow on Facebook. It started with 20 squats yesterday and ends the month with 100. Now THAT will be the challenge.

What are yours?? I'm always looking for buddies to help motivate and encourage and hopefully I can do the same for you!!

Another Year

My birthday was the week before Thanksgiving, but I'm just now posting about it. :) For my birthday trip I went to North Carolina to do the Color Run with a friend. It was a quick trip, but so worth it!! We got workouts in everyday, for which me (and my trainer) were glad. Here was the itinerary:

Wednesday - Flight Left KC @ 6:00am (not sure who booked that... good grief). Arrived around 11:30, so had the whole day to do wander. We walked around Old Salem (Winston-Salem is where I was staying) and enjoyed the warm weather! Then we walked around the downtown and had dinner at a brewery - and it was FABULOUS!!!

Thursday - Went on a little hike (ALL up-hill). It was 2.6 miles by the time we finished, but it felt like more! There were so many stairs and all up-hill going to the top, so I was proud of myself for finishing!!

Hanging Rock - View from the Top

At the top! Whew!!! It was hard, I'm not going to lie. 

Friday - We spent the day in Mayberry. :) Not really Mayberry, but it's a town called Mount Airy. The homeplace of Andy Griffith and what he used as the basis for Mayberry. We went to the Andy Griffith museum, the old jail, and just walked around the downtown looking at all the little shops. 

Saturday - COLOR RUN DAY!!!! We left the house at 7:30am for the drive to Charlotte. I was a little annoyed because we had bought fun tights and shorts, but mine didn't fit. :(  Oh well - it was fun, no matter what I was wearing. Haha!! The run was ok... I started out running more than I normally do, until I hit the first hill. And then another hill... and then I just walked. My legs hurt for days afterwards because of all the hills! After the run, they give everyone packets of color and we all stood in a big circle and threw it ... Having to fly out that afternoon definitely made it interesting. :)

After the run we found a rest area so I could change clothes and kind of wash the color off. I kept ducking so I wouldn't get so much on my face. Then we found a great sushi restaurant in downtown, Charlotte so we had some lunch before I flew out. My flight left at 5pm, but I was at the airport at 3 (my friend is a nurse and to be at work that night). Flew to Atlanta where I had a three hour layover, and then on to KC - where I arrived at 11pm. That was a long evening of travel and my legs were a tad sore after sitting for so long. :)

Oh, I almost forgot - here are the Color Run before and after pictures. :)

New Friend

This last week was my birthday and I took a little trip to Charlotte - more about that later.

About a month ago I told my mom that I wanted a FITBIT. So... While in Charlotte I bought one. And I love it!!!!! It tracks steps, stairs, distance, calories, and even sleep. I sync it with myfitnesspal to create one big online tool. Maybe now that I have a better idea of what I burn, the scale will move!!

What online tools do you use?

Measuring

It's almost mid-November. Still struggling with the same goals, and with the holidays coming, it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm slowly coming to terms that IT'S OK! The weather has been dreary today, so I'm getting ready to do another basement workout.

My basement workout:  50 crunches, 50 push ups, 30 squats (10 regular, 20 one-legged), 2 minutes on the stairs, and 2 minutes running laps. Definitely got my heart rate up and I was a little sore this morning when I woke up. Tonight I'll be adding bicep curls, jumping jacks, timing a plank to see how long I can go.

Anyway - I digress. My question tonight is do you measure your food or do you eyeball it? I've been trying to measure using my hand, but I think I might have to start using the measuring cups for a more accurate calorie count. Whether you use MFP or another online tool, just curious how you judge how MUCH you have.

In other news, I got an email that my first Nature Box shipped yesterday!! I've been so ecstatic waiting for it, I can't wait!! If you're interested, put me down as a referral and I'll get a free box and you'll get 25% off your first order! I'm excited to have new and healthy snacks to try because snacking is always my downfall.

Time to hit the workout and prepare workout schedule for another week! Have a good one!

Foodies!

I concentrate a lot on gym time, but I realize that what you put in your body is 90% of the process. If you eat garbage, but workout, it's not going to matter.

My question today is:

What is one food you eat now, that you never thought you would?

This is a big one for me. I've recently started eating beans. I hate beans. Chili - less beans, please. I blew today out of the water (in a bad way). I ate out all three meals - there goes that goal.

Breakfast: Egg McMuffin and hot chocolate (420 calories)
Lunch: Cantina Burrito from Taco Bell (760 - should have gotten the bowl, but oh well)
Dinner: Southwest Grilled Chicken Salad from McDonalds (320)

Lunch and dinner contained black beans. And I didn't pick them out. I consider this a small progress and will now need to look up some recipes so I can start incorporating them into my diet!

Another one I never thought I would eat is asparagus, but now I eat it all the time! I love it in a little EVO with peppers. YUM-O! I'm channeling Rachael Ray. :)

What I hate

I had a moment tonight at the gym.

• I hate that I can't give up sweets. I go for a day or two, but always go back. Frustrating.
• I hate that when the gym gets crowded, I freak out. It's not a panic attack, but I hate when there's so many people.
• I hate that I work my butt off to no end and the scale still hasn't moved.

I'm going to an endocrinologist in December - one that also specializes in metabolism - to see if there's something else going on in my body hormonally as to why the weight isn't coming off. I'm also getting labs done in December, where I will inquire with my doctor further about some other things I've discovered. We shall see. I know it's a process and it's not going to happen over night. But it's getting the point of beyond frustrating for me.

Sometimes I wonder why I should even be strict with myself if it's not going to pay off in the end? I know it's healthier for my heart, etc., etc.

Wow. Off to bed. I'll try again tomorrow... as usual. Thanks for sticking with me. :)

Check & Go

It's time to see how we did on our October goals and post new ones for November. I know mine did not bode well, but tomorrow's a new day. It's a daily struggle and spiritual battle. There's a community on facebook called "Feeding my face faith" and I LOVE what she has to say. Today was:

Our weight & body image issues are much more than a number on a scale or a clothing size. This fight is about the war raging in our hearts that ruins the abundant life Jesus wants for us. 

You might think I'm crazy for "being all spiritual" on you, but if you struggle in this area, it absolutely, 100%, without a doubt boils down to spiritual warfare. It means we - with His power residing in us - must demolish the idol of food cravings and give God the number one spot He so rightly deserves.

We aren't dogs to be rewarded with food. If you workout, you can have one piece of chocolate, etc. I'm going to start making other rewards if I accomplish a goal ... pedicure, music downloads, etc. I'm learning and struggling. I digress - back to October goals. Here's what I did:

October Goals

1. MFP everyday

2. No dessert

3. 10-day fat blasting

4. Lose 4 lbs during fat blast

5. One day off a week

I lost 2 lbs during fat blast, which I'm still proud of. My one day off a week turned into more; ugh. Annoying.

So tonight I'm planning workouts and goals for November. November is hard for me - always. My birthday is the 15th and Thanksgiving is the week after. For November, my goals will be staying the same until I can accomplish at least half. It will be especially difficult since I'll be traveling (to Charlotte) November 14-18. However, I'm going to do the Color Run, so I'm hoping that the friend I'm staying with will have lots of active stuff for us to do! :)

November Goals

1. MFP everyday

2. No dessert

3. 10-day fat blasting

4. One day off a week

5. Eat CLEAN (no processed) 6. Daily challenge workouts

There we have it. Good luck!

Shoes and Results

Let's start with shoes. I need help choosing. I'm trying to run, but wondering if I should also just go with cross trainers.  The pair I have now, I've had for awhile... my trainer keeps telling me I need new ones, which I know I do. I can tell a difference in how I hurt.

Now... the results. In the last 10 days....

I've lost..........

2 lbs

and 3 total inches.

YEAH!!!! Like I said, I was a little concerned because I haven't been as strict this time as I was last month. The next one is right after Thanksgiving. I'll be doing that one because both my birthday and Thanksgiving are in November.

How are you all doing out there?

Bullies

For the last week I've been doing the 10-day fat blast at my gym again. I wasn't as strict with myself as I was last month, but I did ok (results coming tomorrow).

Last night my trainer taught our class and it was called STEP IT UP. First of all -- I hate the stairmaster. If I haven't said it before - I will now. I hate the stairmaster. LOATHE it.

Anyway. I went to ab class, which is also taught by my trainer. Then drove to the track where class was going to be held in 20 minutes. Trainer gets there and says come walk with me! So we walked around the track 3 times (4 times is a mile). Class starts and I quickly realize I'm going to hate the next 30 minutes.

Well. This big fat bully -- no pun intended -- was just plain rude!! I'm so glad the 10 days is over because I'm not sure I could deal with her for another 10 days. The first exercise, we have to pair up and while one of us is running stairs, the other person has to go up and down the bleachers sideways. She tells me I better not dillydally around ....  Ok - well you don't know me, so shut your mouth.

Then we all go to the same end and have to run the stairs across and down the other side. She tells me that my short legs better go last. I'm thinking, "OK Really?!?!"

One of girls says "That was mean." and another girl tells me that I can go in front of her. By the point I'm done. Spent. Then we have to walk the straights of the track, jog the curves. I do it the first time, but  my feet and legs are killing me (I need new shoes - more on that tomorrow as well).

One girl stops to wait for me. I was so thankful for her and it put a smile on my face.

Tonight in class we had to do step-ups on the weight bench. This girl again says, "Leslie, you might need the short bench with your short legs." Ok. Yes. I am aware I'm short. I've been this height since I was 15. Shut up. The teacher tonight is like, "Oh, I can get the other one..." It's fine. I made it work.

Really?? I'm 31 years old and have to deal with bullies squashing my self esteem in gym class? I'm don't generally bully people at the gym, but I'm definitely going to be a lot more thoughtful before I judge.

Being "Old Fashioned"

The more I journal my food and the further along I get in this journey, I realize the importance of eating fruits and vegetables. Add that to not eating processed foods, avoiding high fructose corn syrup, etc. etc.

I'm slowly learning that you have to do what works for you, but it cannot be short term. It has to be a lifestyle change. There are no quick fixes in becoming healthy. I admit, I've tried some of them. I'll admit it. I will also admit that I couldn't stick with them.

As I look around seeing some of my friends 'pushing' their weight loss products, I wonder what happened to being old fashioned with our food? When I was growing up, we always had a meat, a vegetable, and usually potatoes and rice at dinner. I would snack on fruit. Not drink shakes that replace entire meals and making myself go hungry.

I've made a pact with myself that I'm doing it this time the natural way. So do many of the blogs and such that I follow. It gives me good motivation to see this and get help from others.

A Race Day First

Today I experienced a race day first for me.

My first DNS. For those that are unfamiliar with the term -- DNS means Did Not Start.

I went to bed early enough so I could be ready for my alarm at 5:15am. My goal was to be out of the house by 5:30, giving me an hour to get to downtown KC, and another hour before race time.

I woke up at 5:30 and ended up not leaving the house until 5:45 - which I didn't think was a big delay. Then I had to stop and get gas in the car. Then I had to get cash to park. I arrived at Union Station around 7:05. The 5k portion was set to start at 7:30. I was rushing a little but thought I'd be ok.

Got to where I thought I was supposed to be... and it wasn't. Then I saw runners... which were the marathoners. Walked up the street a little ways and saw that wasn't right either. Finally I walked across the skywalk to the other side... and there.... was the start line... with no runners. All portions had started and I was officially sunk.

I walked back to my car and thought long and hard. Drove home.. and cried.

I felt like a failure.

A disappointment.

I wanted to go home and hibernate from the world all day long. Have you ever experienced a DNS? How did you overcome the funk? I have the feeling of not wanting to try. The Color Run in Charlotte is in one month, so I do need to get ready. 

Small success - I'm two days free of candy and desserts. :)

I saw this on facebook and it reminded me of my awful race day a couple weeks ago. Trying to wrap my mind around positive thoughts. Keep at it, friends! We can win this together!

Denial

This is a very hard - open - post to write. It's about that moment when you've been living in denial. Yes, I've been eating better and exercising to help me get healthier. What I've also been doing is living in denial about myself. Yes - I'm sick. I'm a type 2 diabetic. Have I been living completely honestly?


No.


"I feel fine, so I must be ok."
"I no longer feel sick so I must be getting better, so I don't need my medicine."


I test my sugar only when I feel sick - which isn't often. I'm supposed to check it every morning before I eat.


I rarely take my the medicine prescribed to me. For so long, it made me sick. One of the side effects. I was tired of feeling sick... it wasn't helping me.

I eat more carbs than I'm allowed. After a year, the honeymoon stage has ended. It actually ended quite awhile ago. In the beginning I didn't want to screw it up. Since my a1c has gone down by as much as it has, I figured I had it under control. 


That's all about to change. Tonight I took all of my medicine. Wrapping my mind around doing it right. Putting it ALL together -- medicine, eating right, exercising.
I'm giving it all to God -- my food choices, my schedule. I'm ready to see changes in the scale as well as my body image.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us." --Hebrews 12:1, NLT

Zumba!

Last week I did Zumba for the second time. It had been several months since I did it, and it was interesting. :) I'm so not coordinated... and I don't have much rhythm. I went again this week and it wasn't much better. Last week I was late, so I ended up being in front. Egads!!! Last night I made sure I was in the back. I had done Core class with my trainer before that, so I worked out for 90 minutes total. Whew!

I've still been wanting to do kickboxing, but I haven't worked up the nerve to go by myself. When was the last time you tried something new to rev your workouts? What was it and have you done it since?

I'll probably keep trying zumba. It's fun and burns tons of calories - which is always a bonus!

October Goals

Here it goes. A new month that's normally full of candy and sweets. September wasn't bad, but ended on a not so high note, but nonetheless, here are my goals for October


1. No dessert
2. 10-day fat blasting again (schedule for 10/15-10/26)
3. Lose 4 lbs during fat blast
4. Only one day off a week -- including eating and gym


How do you curb your sweet tooth? I made my first pinterest recipe tonight. I'll let you know how it tastes. It's fruit dip with greek yogurt, peanut butter, honey, and cinnamon.

What are your goals for the next month. Keep me up to date on how you're doing and we can motivate and help each other!! :)

No Good, Terrible, Awful Race Day

First of all, I shouldn't say it was awful. Once again I finished... with no improvement on my time. My time actually got worse from the race I did in July. Only by a few seconds, but still. I wasn't sure about this course as I'd never done it before.

Can I just say... it sucked.

It was sooooo hilly, more than I was used to.  The guy I was walking with was twice as tall as me, so half the time I spent jogging, but my calves were tight. I'm not sure what to do about my calves. They seem to be the only part of me that doesn't want to run. :)

I'm glad I finished, but this is apparently a very competive race. We finished. Dead. Last.

Well.

No good and I don't even feel accomplished. Ughhh. As I write this, it's 6:00am, and I've been up since 4:30. Not sure why... and my legs are STILL sore. Might be poppin some advil today.

Sorry for the whinies. Might try to sleep now.

At the Finish

5k madness

Well. 5k #3 and #4 became #4 and #5. Today I signed up for 5k #3, taking place tomorrow. Blazin' the Burg!! My goal is to complete in under an hour. One of these times hopefully I'll be able to run the entire thing. :)

I've also signed up for the 10-day fat blast at my gym. I'm looking forward to conquering even more ground on this next one. Speaking of conquering, how were your goals for September?? I completed three out of my five.

1. MFP everyday

2. 100 miles

3. No dessert

4. 100 miles by 9/11

5. 10-day fat blasting

My month wasn't so much concentrated on the 100 miles, even after I set the goal. Oh well. I made the 100 by 9/11, that's where my focus was.  Tomorrow I'll post about my goals for October. The month is going to be full of things I've never done before... Scared, but excited. :)

Success!!

Tomorrow is the last night of 10-day fat blast. The workout is 'tabata', which I guess is a very intense workout, in only 15 minutes.

Tonight was weigh and measure. I wasn't really scared, especially after my boss commented on the shirt I wore today and that it fit my body very differently than it has in the past. I was proud of how much I avoided bread. I wasn't entirely successful on the desserts, but I was ok.

Here are my results lost:

Upper Arm	0
chest	.75
waist	.75
hips	.25
thigh	.25
calf	.25
Total Inches Lost	2.25

They're doing this every month until the end of the year, so I think I'm going to sign up for the one in October and hit it hard. I'm so proud of these inches lost, even if my weight didn't go down (according to the gym scale, it went up 1 lb, but that could be muscle, too).

I've never been so sore as I have the last 10 days. Having three different trainers was a plus, because they all did different things to give us ideas on what to do.

More Blasting Fat!

Whew!! This is super hard, but I've done fairly well with the no bread or pasta. It's the sugar I can't kick.

Saturday 9/15 - Morning session. Bad, bad, bad. I felt like I was in gym class all over again... always being last. Ugh. Was frustrating, but I didn't stop moving. At one point the trainer had us in a single file line, jogging around the track. The person in the back of the line had to run to the front... I pushed my way to the front, past all the tall people. It took me a minute, but I did it. Then... the wheezing started. I have never wheezed like that in my life. Then mountain climbers for a minute (twice), then running stairs for a minute (twice). After the 30 minutes was over, I went to the gym and did my daily homework: squats, lunges, and balance board squat.

I made it! After this session, I had to go to church clean-up day. Washing doors, doing squats, etc. Later that after I get home and relax. Go to stand up and my calves were tight. Thinking it was just that mornings workouts, I wasn't concerned.

Sunday 9/16 - Calves are still tight. Yikes. I might need to get them massaged out. Session tonight was good. More running -- ugh. I ate one piece of bread today and that's it. No sugar. Yay me!!! :) Homework - check.

We're in the home stretch! I'm curious how much I've lost, at least in inches. I've been more focused on not eating bread or sugar, that I'm not so worried about what to lose.

How was your weekend? Keep up the good work. I'm proud of you! :)

It hurts, but it's necessary to Lose Me.

1/2 Way - Day 5

We're halfway through the 10-day fat blasting. Find the schedule here. Here's what's happened:

Thursday 9/13 -- I teach at church every Thursday so I told the trainer I was going to miss our workout. In class they did a lower body pyramid -- kind of glad I missed it. :) On my own I went through the exercises, but not as a pyramid. I did 10 reps of each, 3x. Not bad, not bad. Then I did homework -- 10 back extensions, 20 bridge-pelvic thrusts, 10 roman chair high knees (each 3x).

Friday 9/14 -- Off day. And boy was it off.  I had sugar. And chips. And.... I don't feel guilty. Even though I went over my 1490 calories, I didn't go over 1700 (when I first started counting calories, I began at 1600). And I only went over by 150. Not horrible considered.

I will kick this sugar habit!!! Gah! :)

Losing the sugary me... ;)

10-day fat blasting

On Monday I started this 10-day fat blast at my gym. There are 9 women and we get together every night at 7:30 to do a 30 minute workout. Each night we have a different trainer.

Here's the schedule:

9/10 -- Upper body blast
9/11 -- Partner blast
9/12 -- Circuit blast
9/13 -- Plyo/turbo blast
9/14 -- Off day
9/15 -- Cardio blast
9/16 -- Team blast
9/17 -- Core/Stretch blast
9/18 -- Body Weight blast
9/19 -- Lower body blast
9/20 -- Tabata

In addition to these 30 minute workouts, we have 'homework' that we have to do on our own.  Food is three servings (open hand) of vegetables and fruit. Two lean protein (palm of hand). No white bread or white pasta. No sugar, dessert, cookies, cakes, etc., etc.


Monday 9/10 -- Upper body blast was with my regular trainer, so it was nothing I wasn't already used to.  Homework on the other hand about killed me -- Treadmill @ 3.0, incline of 5, walking for 10 minutes, increasing incline every minute. YIKES. I was hanging on for dear life!

Tuesday 9/11 -- Partner blast on Tuesday was a cardio circuit with a partner. Running suicides, reverse crunches, lunges with a band, etc. Again with my regular trainer so I was pretty used to it. Did not enjoy running around the tennis court, but I made it.  Homework was: Plank (1 min), Side plank (1 min each side), side plank with hip dips (I couldn't do these), regular crunches (1 min). Since I couldn't do hip dips, I also did reverse crunches for 1 minute.

Wednesday 9/12 (whole body now hurts) -- Circuit blast was with a different trainer and she was brutal!! It was a whole body circuit working thighs (lunges, low jumping jacks, squats and overhead press, balance board/bicep curls), crunches (on the ball and bicycle), and arms. Each exercise was done for three minutes.  Homework: Bike on level 10 or above with RPMs 75 or above for 5 minutes. Was hard after doing the circuit, but I managed.

Tomorrow I have to miss, but the trainer told me what they were doing, so I'm on my own.  Off day on Friday. Wish me luck!! :)


Body hurts, but it means progress to Losing Me.

On the Go

One thing God is definitely trying to teach me is being healthy and continuing my workouts no matter where I'm at.  This weekend CJ (roomie) and I went to Oklahoma to discuss a possible ministry idea with some friends of ours.  We left yesterday evening, so in the afternoon I had a session with the trainer.  This morning I woke up and did 30 minutes on the bike at the hotel fitness center.  Trying to make good eating choices is a little bit harder, but I'm getting better -- like if I choose fries, only eating 1/2.

I'm always looking for suggestions about handling traveling and being healthy at the same time!! Please share!  Like this weekend I brought my snacks - caramel rice cakes, almonds, trail mix, gatorade, and my water bottle.  Meals I try to do something grilled chicken or turkey and veggies... doesn't always happen, but I try.

Constantly trying to Lose Me :)


PS - I also need a new water bottle... left mine at the hotel. :(

September Goals

The first couple of days every month I review my goals and look back at what I accomplished.  Here's what took place in August:

Non-scale Successes
64.41 miles (bike, walk, etc.) -- 84.94 for the 9/11 Forces Run
Ran .25 without stopping
Trainer complimented my more defined calves ... yeah!!

September Goals

1. 1. My Fitness Pal Everyday
2. 100 miles for the month
3. Hit 100 miles foro the 9/11 Forces Run (time period July to 9/11)
4. 10-day fat blasting at my gym
5. Lose 8 lbs
6. Plank a Day

What are your goals? Together we can help be accountable in every part of our lives!

Taking small steps ... to Losing Me!

I've Lost It

I just signed up for 5k #3 of the year!!! :)

... and #4

The Addition and Subtraction

**continued from yesterday -- get caught up here.

My eating was great; then came the additional assignments.  Exercise at least 30 minutes a day for 3-4 days a week.  Ugh.  I knew it was coming, I was just trying to put it off.  After this appointment I decided to attend a core/stretch class at my gym.  I hated it... in a good way.  The instructor worked us HARD!  Planks, jumping, more planks, with weights, and awesome stretching.  I started going every week.  After a month or so I asked the instructor if she would help me with some workouts.  As they say - the rest is history.  I've been training with her ever since.  I love her.  She pushes me and works me hard, all while making fun of me. :)

At my appointment in March the doctor was very proud, as was I.  My a1c went down from 7.5 to 6.5!!!!  I was AMAZED at what I was doing!!!

Now to the subtraction, which is an every day struggle.  I gave up soda long ago.  I gave up sweet tea, except the occasional when I go to Chick-Fil-A.  Then there's sugar... chocolate... candy... dessert.  It kills me.  I can't do it.  I seriously cannot seem to let go!!!  I'm open to suggestions because that's one habit I have yet to break.

Oh - and in yesterdays post, I said what the scale said when I first started weighing regularly.

Today: 210.2

Welcome to the journey ... of Losing Me.

At the Beginning

I told you I was going to get a little vulnerable.  What the scale says has always discouraged me.  On this page, I'm going to share with you exactly what the scale says and what I read between the lines.  I'm holding nothing back!!

September 2010 when I first started weighing myself on a regular basis, the scale read a whopping 224.  Sadly, this wasn't my turn around point.  I freaked at the number, but continued down the same path.  Which brought me to the point I am today -- T2 Diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and on meds for all of the above.  We all have to learn in our own time.  Two years ago, seeing that number was not it for me.  It was being sat down by my doctor saying, "Were you aware you were diabetic?"  Not so much... and thus the change began.

When I was first diagnosed, my a1c levels (blood glucose) were at 8.4 - translated to around 200 if I would have been testing my sugars at that time.  100-140 is "normal" range.  I changed my eating habits and counted every carb that went into my mouth.  This is the honeymoon phase -- I wanted to do it right.  I didn't want to mess up and make it worse.  Three months later, my a1c dropped to 7.5.  I thought I was doing phenomenally!  My doctor was proud, yet gave me more to do...

Welcome to the journey ... of Losing Me!

Something Different

If you follow my other page, hello!! If you're new to my randomness; welcome!! This page promises to be very different from the other. You might be wondering why I want to lose myself. The title is not in a literal sense. It's in a physical sense and a spiritual sense.

In 2011 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was in shock and thought it was the end. Little did I know, God had something great in store (He always does).  This shock is exactly what I needed to begin my journey to be the healthiest I've ever been.  I have a long way to go, but by no means am I at the same place I was even a week ago.  This page is ALL about my journey - exercise, eating... being a lot more vulnerable, which is quite scary for me.

The other part of losing myself, is putting more focus on my faith in God.  I'm good teacher when it comes to trusting and having faith, but I don't always show it in my own life.  Will also be sharing my ah-ha moments as they relate.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you.  I truly felt God was leading me up to being vulnerable enough to share EVERY detail of this part of my life.  If me getting healthy helps just one person, it's not in vain.  So many things have been on my heart since I began -- wondering where I would be had I kept up the active lifestyle I had as a teenager.  Not to dwell, I've come a long ways.

Here's to the beginning of Losing Me!