Dental Floss and Gu

Sounds like a disgusting title for my post doesn't it? But I promise it is relevant to what has been going on in my life! I have been working on my running and got my days a little criss crossed but I ended up only 2 miles short. And let me explain why...
Dental Floss- I'm sure you know there are many different uses for dental floss besides the obvious but one of the ways that I use dental floss is for my big toe. Weird huh? I have always had a problem with my big toe and ingrown toenails. I went to the doctor several times for these and I had them removed but they would always come back. One time when I was in college (I think it was during the summer), I went to a doctor who said "Yep it definitely needs to be fixed. Let's take it off." He ended up saying he was going to take the WHOLE nail off with NO NUMBING MEDS! That was one of the most painful experiences of my life! Anyway, one of the things I learned during the process is that if you put a piece of dental floss under the white part of your toenail and take it around the edge of the nail it actually helps! That was a little difficult to explain. I find that if I do the whole floss thing for about a week or so my ingrown toenail goes away. This morning I forgot to floss my toe :-) so I had a little bit of discomfort during my 7 miler turned 5 miler.

Gu - I already need to start using Gu and I didn't have any. I fully believe that if I had had some Gu this morning I would have been able to finish my 7 miler. Gu is one of those things that you can eat while you are in the middle of a race and it can give you a little burst of energy and protein to get through the rest of the race. I highly recommend chasing it with some water but ultimately it works and I need to get some before my next long run. I also like Jelly Belly Sports Beans.

I still haven't had any fast food. I even went in to Taco Casa at lunchtime on Saturday but I only got sweet tea because I haven't given that up yet. I made some Jambalaya in the crock pot on Saturday and then I made a Baked Dorito Surprise tonight. All in all, it was a pretty productive weekend. I haven't lost any weight but maybe, just maybe I will have lost some more inches.

Yay For Me!

Today, instead of going out with my co-workers for lunch, I ate my sandwich that my fantastic husband made for me this morning. I will also be good tonight because we are eating lasagna for dinner because it is National Lasagna Day!

I did get my butt out of bed at 5:15 this morning and go do my 4 miles. Christy, the humidity wasn't near as bad in 75 degree weather as the heat is at 98 degrees. I was sweating buckets after about a half of a mile but it was way better than 3 in the afternoon!

Sometime this weekend I have to do my 7 miler and then I will be done with my second week of training!

Disappointed, Ugh!

I am very disappointed in myself. I did not go to weight watchers tonight nor did I do my run today. I didn't want to face the music at weight watchers. I know I gained. I didn't do the run because by the end of the day I was really exhausted! I came home and took a nap. I decided I would do the run in the morning since Friday is supposed to be a rest day. I just switched today and tomorrow. So the running problem is solved.

Now moving on to the food problem. When it comes right down to it, I have no will power. I cannot stop myself from eating poorly for some reason. I haven't really figured that out yet. But in order to slowly change my habits, I will gradually make a few drastic changes. Starting right now, I will be giving up fast food until Labor Day weekend. I figure that is a month away which is a good amount of time to try something new. Labor Day weekend it is because I have a family reunion in Jacksonville, Florida and I figure it will be a little difficult to not eat it. After Labor Day, I will add sweet tea to fast food. The sweet tea is basically empty calories. I figured up the points plus value of a cup of sweet tea and it is two points. I drink way more than a cup so I know a lot of my points are taken up by sweet tea. So those are my drastic changes. I am doing them gradually because obviously cold turkey doesn't work for me. This next week is hard because all my friends at work are back to get ready for school to start. We have always gone out to lunch those days and it will be hard to let them go without me. I don't like to miss anything. I did go with them today because I knew I was going to give up fast food.

So I know you were all on the edge of your seats to find out how much I lost this week and I am sorry to disappoint. I do promise that next Thursday there will be a weigh in and a meaurement done. Next weekend I have my friend's wedding rehearsal and wedding so that will be a real challenge. The kids also start school next week so there will be some added stress but I am ready to take it on! Anytime you feel the need to encourage me or check on me please do so! Hopefully as I get better at this I won't need it as much but right now it is very important.

Christy Ross, I wish I could do the race with you on Saturday! I know you are going to rock! I am planning on doing the Midnight Run on August 12th so maybe I will see some of my fellow runners in Cullman that night.

I will post tomorrow and let you know if I was able to say no to eating out!
GNSD

So I didn't learn my lesson yesterday. I was up late last night and so when the alarm went off this morning, I could not drag myself out of bed. Hind sight is 20/20 right? So I went to run after work. I was supposed to do 4 miles today but I think I made more like 3.25. It was 98 degrees outside and I felt like I was on FIRE whenever I was in the sun. My skin just boiled it was so hot. I found myself walking faster in the sun so I could get to the shady parts. Ugh, I wanted to cry anytime the sun was on me. I might have to look in to getting a running hat. I am proud of myself for going though. Normally I would have just said I would skip it but I did get out there a sweat a little, well, a lot actually.

Tomorrow I am supposed to either do 2 miles or cross train. I will add on some time or distance to one of those tomorrow to make up for today.

So I thought maybe I would chat about something other than food or exercise for a change and just talk about normal life. My daughter, Mindy, is a very active little girl. She started taking dance before she was even two. A couple of years ago she was invited to do competition dance and I was invited to invest a lot of money :-) She loved doing the competitions and being on stage but the long hours of practice and the weekend competition schedule really got to her and she didn't want to do it again when the time came around to doing it again. She took a year off of the competition team and just took one dance class and started gymnastics. This year I had to drag her to her dance class. I was heartbroken because I wanted her to be a beautiful and fun dancer! I loved the costumes and the awesome routines and I loved going to the competitions! And then I realized,  I was living vicariously through her. I was the one that really wanted to be in the cool costumes on the stage doing dance competitions. Can you picture it? Kind of makes you belly laugh, huh? So I got over the no dancing thing and then tonight, her gymnastics coach tells me that they want Mindy to move up to Advanced classes twice a week. I was super excited and then I realized they weren't asking me to join the Advanced classes :-) She has decided that she wants to do it and I don't think that it is going to require as much time as the dancing because she won't be on a team....yet.

The hard thing about having a girl is that you want her to do all the little girl things that you didn't do. Sure I took a dance class and yes I took a gymnastics class but for some reason I never continued it and I hate that! I want her to have every opportunity to do everything she wants, within reason. I wonder if it is the same with Fathers and Sons? I don't notice Danny doing that with Mason.

We are getting ready for school to start next Friday. Mindy is super excited about 1st grade and Mason is not so excited about 3 year old preschool. I know that I will spend at least two weeks peeling Mason off of me to drop him off in the mornings but it will be so nice to have both of them at the school. So close by. They both got their new backpacks and lunchboxes. Mason is excited about that part.

Never a dull moment around here!

Hot Stuff

Today was my 2 mile day and so I didn't get up this morning when the alarm went off. I figured I would just go after work since it was just 2 miles. I hope I never make that mistake again! The sun is fierce! I couldn't escape direct sunlight or the heat and humidity. It was awful. I have a 4 mile in the morning and I know I will be jumping out of bed at 5:15 to make sure I get that run in before it gets too hot. I am in desperate need of fall running weather. I hope I only have about a month to go before at least the humidity wears off.

I really wish Planet Fitness would make a decision about what they are going to do. There are some days when I would really like to workout inside. Running on the treadmill helps me learn how to set a pace. I also really need the weight machines to help tone my muscles. I just don't know if I need to shop for a new gym or hold out just a little longer for Planet Fitness.

I didn't do too terrible as far as eating goes today. I did have a slight sugar drop this morning so I had to get a dr. pepper from the drink machine. Chipotle was calling my name for lunch so I got the burrito bowl. I have looked it up on the weight watchers site before and it wasn't that bad as far as points go so I felt okay about it. That reminds me to tell you about my Melting Pot experience. I am glad I can finally say that I have eaten there but I can't say that it was the best experience. I wasn't that fond of them putting a plate of raw meat in front of me and letting me cook it. I thought that you got cooked meat and picked what you wanted to dip it in. I didn't realize you picked what you cooked it in. Just a little misunderstanding on my part. The spinach artichoke cheese was delicious and the dessert was yummy. I also loved the salad. I guess it was just the entree that bothered me. By the time we got back to Tuscaloosa and went out AGAIN I had to go thru a McDonalds drive thru. I know, I know, bad decision but I don't make the best decisions at 2:30 in the morning.

This week I am hoping that I can really concentrate on my eating habits and work on my will power. Oh and my other goal is to try to beat the heat!

6 Things I Learned On My 6 Miler Today

1. On the first week of training, I can't expect to be able to run more than walk. Quite the opposite.
2. I would much rather have run in the rain, but all the rain clouds disappeared by the time I got out there.
3. I should not wait until 3 in the afternoon to run. It is TOO hot.
4. If you stop sweating and you start to get chills but it is 95 degrees outside, you might want to take a breather and get some water. Just sayin'.
5. I need to find a good running route. Going around Bowers Parks six times is NOT as enjoyable as I thought it might be.
6. After six miles of running/walking, I smell really bad!

BUT, I did it! Tomorrow is a rest day and then I start week 2 on Monday! Now I get to go to the Melting Pot and enjoy dinner!

D++

I had a great time tonight. I met Danny for dinner and then I went shopping ALL. BY. MYSELF.
It was awesome. I ran into several decent sales.
Before I met Danny for dinner, I had to go pick up my bridesmaids dress for my friends wedding. The dress is strapless which is usually never my style but I do actually like this dress. When I tried the dress on originally, I tried it on with a certain kind of strapless bra that they had. It was so expensive so I thought I would try to find one somewhere else. Who knew it would be such a chore?!? I went to Victoria's Secret and they didn't have any. The girl even said that they didn't carry that kind. I also looked at Belk and nothing. Recently, a Soma opened up in Midtown so I thought I would give it a try. They were SO nice! Of course they wanted to measure me to see what size I was because she thought maybe I was just wearing the wrong size and that is why I can't get the strapless bras to stay up. She was right! She measured me at a 34 DDD! Holy cow! I couldn't not believe it! I always knew that I was big up top but I had no idea I was in the triple letters. I am one step away from special ordering! Anyway, I like the regular bras I tried so much that I bought 3. However, they didn't have a triple D in strapless form. Big surprise!
If you are tired of Victoria and her secret then I would highly recommend Soma.
On another note, I stayed on target today and followed my points plan. I'm hoping I don't go overboard tomorrow night. We are going to the Melting Pot and I've never been. Any recommendations??

Turning A Shade Of Pink, Or Red, Or Green

So I can't decide which shade my face is turning right now but it could be all three. I am pink because I am blushing from embarrassment because I gained my weight back this week. Ugh! Of course, I know why. Well there are several reasons actually.
1. the Oreos
2. eating after 8pm
3. drinking too much sweet tea
4. Animal Crackers

Yes that is right, animal crackers. Yes they are relatively low in fat but if you eat the equivalent of an entire zoo, they tend to add up and reside on your hips. Have I ever mentioned that I am a "sleep eater"? Just about every night, I wake up and walk into the pantry, grab some random snack and eat. Then I go right back to bed. THAT, my friends, is where I gain my weight. In the middle of the night, I don't grab a banana, or an apple or some carrots. I grab animal crackers, rice krispie treats, snack size candy bars, etc. I could boycott Target for selling items such as the jumbo size container of cheese balls for $4.99 or the large container of pretzels. BUT especially the giant bear full of animal crackers.

I could turn a shade of red because I am so mad at myself. Why do I continue to sabotage myself? I want to be back to pre-baby weight in the worst way so why is it so hard to stick to the plan? I do blame a tiny bit of it on my upbringing. My parents both worked very hard to give us the things that we needed and a few of things we wanted and with 4 kids that wasn't always easy. Because they worked so hard, we were on our own the majority of the time for meals. We were too lazy to really cook anything so we had a lot of frozen pizzas, chicken pot pies, pizza rolls, etc. I wasn't exposed to too many vegetables and fruits. My mother would argue with me and say that we always told her we didn't like those things but I really don't remember having a lot of them around. I could very well be wrong. I also blame college life. We didn't have kitchens at Judson and we went to the dining hall for meals. I did not have to learn to cook. Sure there were healthy options but I don't remember going through that line. I know that there are many reasons that I tend to veer towards the junk food but those are just a few. I really need to retrain myself. Why is it SO HARD??

I could turn a shade of green because I am so jealous. I am jealous of the people that are naturally skinny and never have to work at it. I am jealous of the people at my WW meetings who continue to lose little by little and reach their 5%, 10% and weight goals. In order to get my 5% prize, I have to lose 9 pounds. 9 POUNDS! When I first came back to the WW program, I thought this isn't too bad. I can do this in about a month. I am still hovering around the 180-182 mark. Seriously? Everyone is so excited about their 5 pound stars and their other very cool prizes and I am so happy for them but when is it my turn??

Ok, didn't realize this would be such a long post. Now that I have vented a little I will give you my depressing numbers for this week:
Current Weight: 182.4 (this would be a gain of 2.4)
Left Arm: 13" (lost 1")
Chest: 42"
Waist: 39"
Hips: 46"
Left Thigh: 25" (lost 1")

I will add my weight again next Thursday but my measurements will be the week after that.
As for my training, I have clocked 12 miles this week and I have a 6 mile long run on Saturday afternoon. I don't know if any of you have seen it but there is a program online dealing with Presidential Physical Fitness Awards for kids as well as adults. It is a way to keep up with how active you are. It is something to look in to especially if you have young children and you want to encourage them to exercise.

Taken Hostage by Oreos!

I have successfully completed two days of training! Don't they say it takes four days to make a habit? I think I have heard that somewhere before. There is a lot of walking going on during my training runs but there always is in the beginning. For the rest of the week, this is my schedule:

Wednesday: 2 miles or XT
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 6 miles
Sunday: Rest

I have a wedding shower and a bachelorette party on Saturday so I may have to move that long run but I can do this!

In other news, I have something a little scary to say. It seems I have been taken hostage by a package of springtime Oreos. I have been talking to a friend about these Oreos and how they will not release me until I eat all of them. It is okay to occassionally treat yourself but bingeing on Oreos probably isn't the best plan but MAN they taste good. Luckily, springtime Oreos are just that, springtime. They won't be around to tempt me much longer. I have actually found that I don't even want anymore but that could be because there are only 3 left. But, if on Thursday, I come to blog and whine about gaining weight or how I didn't lose that much someone please comment and say "lose the oreos".

It is so hard when you are shopping to resist those temptations. You almost feel like you have multiple personalities because you argue with yourself about whether to put the item in your cart. "I don't need to eat this." "Oh, eating just a few won't hurt. You need a little reward from time to time." "Oh but I don't need a food reward." and blah, blah, blah you go on and on until finally you can't take it and you just throw it in the cart and move away fast. Just once, I would love to say, "You don't need it" and put it back on the shelf. I may make that my goal next time I go grocery shopping.

I made a delicious dish in the crock pot today called Sante Fe Chicken. I got the recipe from a website called Ginas Skinny Recipes. Danny and I loved it but the kids weren't crazy about it. Too spicy for them and too many vegetables. I have told my children that they have to start trying new things. They aren't thrilled :-)

So tomorrow, my goal is to do my scheduled workout and make good decisions with the food I eat. That shouldn't be too hard since the Oreos are gone, right?

On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

So today I begin my official training for the Savannah Half Marathon. I am beyond excited! Today I will do two miles running/walking. I do all my races that way. I don't think I will ever be able to run a whole race but I am totally okay with that too. I am 31 years old and I have two children in addition to a full time job. I am already a super woman and I don't need to be even more super by running an entire race. When I do these big races, I actually enjoy taking a break and walking just so I can look at the scenery. So far, Vegas and Virginia Beach have been my two favorite places to run because of all of the things to look at. There was never really a dull moment. Disney is great when you run through the parks but the rest of the time you are basically on the interstate and that will just kill it for you. I know Savannah will be beautiful so I am sure I will be doing a lot of walking just to take it all in.

I enjoy training for the first two to three weeks and then I start to wear down but hopefully with the help of this blog I will be able to stay motivated. It will also be a lot easier to run if I keep shedding the pounds.

In April, the tornado took out my gym, Planet Fitness. I know there were so many other horrible things that happened to people during that time but I was devastated about my gym. I really have been lost without it. I can run anywhere but I really enjoyed the other equipment they had there. Also, when the temperature outside is so high, it is nice to just do a workout inside.

So my workout schedule for the next two days is:
Monday - 2 miles
Tuesday - 4 miles

I will also be keeping a close eye on my food intake! I haven't forgotten that I weigh in again on Thursday and I will also do measurements!
What are some of your favorite workout songs on your ipod?

Take Another Little Piece Of....Me!

So tonight was my weigh in at WW and drum roll please.....I am down 2.6 pounds so I am now 180. I celebrate every loss no matter how little and really with the way this week went, I'm surprised I didn't gain! I was definitely satisfied and I will keep going and try to just do better and better.

I had a few set backs this week. First of all, after the Las Vegas Half Marathon back in December, I started experiencing some heel pain in my left foot. Finally, in January, I went to the doctor and he said he thought I had chronic plantar fasciatis. I got orthotics, wore a night splint (basically a boot that you wear at night) and took 2 weeks off of running and walking. It was horrible and in the end the pain was still there. So he did an ultrasound on my heel and figured out that I basically didn't have any cushioning in the fat pad of my heel. Evidently that is the only place I do NOT store fat. :-) He gave me an injection, in the heel of my foot with NO numbing medicines. Ow! Anyway, the pain started back up and I went back on Tuesday to see him. He did the same thing only this time he DID numb it. While I was there, with both kids, I told him I had had a headache for about 4-5 days that I couldn't get rid of and asked if he could give me a shot for that. SOOOO, I left the doctor on Tuesday after 3 shots barely able to move! I had a friend come pick me and the kids up and take us home. The headache came back the next day so I finally just called my neurologist who now has me on a steroid and muscle relaxers every night. So this was a major set back because I just wasn't feeling up to making good decisions on my food nor was I feeling up to running.

That is okay though. Tomorrow is a new day and I will start counting my points again. Tonight at my WW meeting I wrote down how to cook squash so I could try that. If you really know me, you know that I do not cook so while it may seem normal to you to cook squash, it is a brand new endeavor for me. I also want to try something called cauliflower poppers. Next Monday starts my official training schedule for the Savannah Half Marathon. I am very excited about this race. I love Savannah and I am looking forward to going back.

I know next week will be better for lots of reasons: the headaches will be under control, I will be able to run again and most importantly, the babysitter will be back. I am so used to my schedule and the kids have not really enjoyed going to work with me.

I would love to hear from you with any healthy recipes that you have or I know a lot of you grow your own veggies so surely you can tell me ways to cook them! Until next time....

Rewards?

How many of you reward yourself with a prize if you do something good or if you have some fantastic acheivement? It starts as a child, you listen to your mom and you get a reward. If you don't listen, then you are punished...sent to your room, no prize. When I started WW a long time ago, I used to go to the meeting and weigh in and then afterwards I would go through a drive thru and get anything I wanted. It was my "prize" for doing well all week. The problem was that the "prize" was given EVERY week. As long as I went to the meeting, I got myself some junk food on the way home. Can anyone see the problem with this? It just turned in to a night to eat out instead of  rewarding myself for good behavior.

I have started doing the same thing this time around only it isn't just with WW meetings. For example, this morning, I took the kids to the pediatrician because Mindy had some bumps on her stomach (turns out to be nothing by the way). Any of you with kids know that taking them all at one time, anywhere is not for the weary. Mine are at the ages where they test each other. Mason wants to do everything that Mindy does and Mindy wants to do it by herself. Anyway, they behaved decently at the doctors office but then they had to go to work with me. Naturally, I didn't get anything done. It was a very stressful morning and I promised them if they would just play quietly I would get McDonalds for lunch. Well you already know my pattern, the kids weren't that great, not McDonalds-worthy but I had had a rough morning and I thought, "I deserve a reward for doing this all morning." Deserve a reward for parenting? I have basically been finding any reason to "reward" myself. It is an awful habit that I have got to stop. How do I stop it?

It gets worse! I woke up at 11:30 last night and was hungry but I was trying to follow my no eating after 8 rule so I drank some water and went back to sleep. Woke up again at 12:45 and was starving and I couldn't take it any more! I pigged out on animal crackers!! And then at lunch today I got a sweet tea! What is wrong with me? How do I train myself to have will power and to do what is best for me?  I really want to lose the weight but I feel like I am fighting a horrible battle and it is against myself!

Day 2 - I Think I Can, I Think I Can

I feel much better because I got to the grocery store today and stocked up on lots of fruits and vegetables. We also planned our dinners for the week which we have never done before. This is my second night not eating after 8pm and so far so good. The other impossible thing is that I gave up sweet tea. Oh my that hurts. I LOVE sweet tea. I could drink it all day with every meal. I LOVE water too so drinking more water is not a problem at all but not having any sweet tea for the past two days has killed me! I will forge ahead though.
Another problem I had today, besides the sweet tea, is shopping close to meal time. I was starving after church when we went to target and I kept seeing all these things that looked so good but I knew they would be so bad for me. I stayed away and we made it through without purchasing any of it. Every single day is a challenge but there is no food that is as good as thin feels.

Day 1 - Just Call Me Gizmo

How cute is this guy, right?

Sure he's cute....until you feed him after midnight and little balls of fur start popping off of him and they turn in to mean nasty gremlins! Okay, okay so I know that that won't happen to me but everything I have read leads me to believe that eating late at night can cause you to hold on to extra weight.

Well that is the last thing that I need! So I have decided that one of the first small goals on my journey is to make it one week without eating after 8pm at night. Eventually, I want to back that up to about 7pm but baby steps!

So today started out pretty good. I started my day off with some cereal and then a few hours later had some sugar free jello. Ate a good lunch that was only 5pts. Then it went downhill. I took a nap when Mason did and for some reason whenever I nap, I wake up CRAVING chocolate. Notice I said craving instead of hungry. Well all will power went out the window. What is it about certain foods that make you lose all control? What do I do to stop it?

It is especially hard on the weekends when I am at home from work. At work, I have a certain "eating schedule" that I follow and I can usually stick to it. However, at home I eat everything that is bad and anytime I want it. Why? Why? Why? Well right now, I know why. We just got back from a trip to Cleveland, Ohio and we haven't had time to hit the grocery store. Tomorrow is the big day. I plan on getting LOTS of fruit. I love fruit and I love it even more now because on the new Points Plus program with weight watchers they are 0 points! I hope to slowly start adding vegetables in as well. I love carrots and cucumbers but I don't get in to all the peppers and other stuff.  I am really looking forward to the trip!

So while today was not that great...tomorrow is a new day and I can and I will do it!

At 8pm tonight, I brushed my teeth and washed my face. I put a bottle of water beside my bed and I will NOT eat until breakfast in the morning.

So tell me, what healthy items do you buy at the store? My fellow mommies, what healthy recipes do you have that are child friendly? Until tomorrow...

The Beginning

When I was younger I could eat whatever I wanted. I also feel like I had more freedom when I was 10 than I do now at 31. Whenever I wanted to get away from anything I would go outside, grab my bike and ride for hours all over the small town I grew up in. I never remember being hungry until I was in college. I went to an all women's college and we did our share of yo-yo dieting and working out in the "gym" and it was enough that I really didn't gain much weight. My weight gain started when I became pregnant....imagine that. After my beautiful daughter was born, I joined Weight Watchers and LOVED it! I actually ended up losing all of my baby weight and then some. Shortly after I reached my goal, I became pregnant with my handsome little son. He is now three years old and I only weight about 15 pounds less than I did the day he was born.

I recently rejoined Weight Watchers and started their new Points Plus program. It is quite an adjustment from the old method and I have hit a little bit of a downhill slope but I am ready to start really concentrating on ME for awhile. That is the reason I started this blog. I need some accountability and some encouragement. I just want to be honest and put it all out there, no matter how embarassing it is. I hope to only get better.

To help with my weight loss, I have signed up for the inaugural Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon. I have done half marathons before and I really enjoy them. I LOVE running and wish I did it more. I have found the only way I keep it up is if I train for something. I have been to Savannah before so I am looking forward to running through the beautiful city. As of today I have about 17 weeks to train and a 16 week training program. I will update on my running as well as my weight loss, again, no matter how embarassing it is.

So here goes. Here are the numbers. I will weigh in every week and do my measurements every two weeks.
Current Weight: 182.6
Left Arm: 14"
Chest: 42"
Waist: 39"
Hips: 46"
Left Thigh: 26"

Ugh! That is so scary to put that out there but the numbers can only go down, right? Please feel free to follow my blog and leave me notes of encouragement or helpful hints. I hope that I will learn a lot on my journey.