I read other people's posts and blogs today

I found a lot of inspiring people out there today. I really feel like the c25k facebook group are family that I don't know yet. I am happy to see people overcoming fears and doubts about keeping up with the program, and I hurt for those in pain. I am so glad that I found a program that works for so many people of all shapes, sizes and athletic backgrounds.

On another note, I do believe that I have gotten my eating under control. I know that I can't just stop watching what I am eating, but I don't have the cravings for sweets or salty foods like I used to. I also have figured out how not to be hungry at the end of the day and only eat 1200 calories. It is definitely not a diet, but a change in behavior and the longer I keep with the change, the more likely it will become a habit and I wont have to think about it anymore.

Today I had a great day doing some drawing and chatting with friends. It really feels like I have changed my outlook on life. I feel happier and more motivated to do things. I hope that everyone that reads this will take away from it the fact that I have changed my life, not just eating or exercise.

I am going to try to do something nice for myself every day, I hope you do as well.

Two down seven to go

W2D3 in the books! I felt really good during the run but next week gets tougher. I know I can do it and I know Catie can do it too, we just have to keep motivating each other and being there for each other.

I downloaded another calorie counter app just to see if the 2 would be similar in what they said I should be doing at my current level. Yuppers. Each had me eating approx. 1200 calories each day for my height, weight age, and activity level. I do think I need to be drinking more water or in my case crystal light tea/lemonade but I usually get around 64 oz. in each day and boy am I visiting the little girl's room often.

I have not seen a change in the scale in the last few days and none of my pants are ready to fall off me yet, but I do think that my physical appearance has changed for the better. I know I am building muscle in my legs and torso because I can feel it after my runs. I am not sore but I can feel it during my stretches. I do wish the results were more extreme but I know they will come in time and no matter how much weight or inches I lose I am a healthier me and really that is the most important issue here.

All day date

Wooo Hooo! Siverwood was awesome! My husband and I got to go there today, we spent the whole day doing whatever we wanted without a care in the world. We probably walked more than several miles, sat in the sun and even went on a roller coaster, the longest and slowest in the whole park ( ie: the steam locomotive lol ).

We have not had a whole day to ourselves in a long time, and he has not had a vacation in an even longer time so today was very much needed for him. I even managed to eat pretty decently while there. I had mostly tea and 2 diet cokes. for lunch I had turkey sandwich and some chips, while dinner was a nice helping of salad no dressing, a bit of pineapple, coleslaw, and a beef hot dog. Each was a serving size or less so I'm not really sure what the calorie count was but I know I didn't blow my healthy eating. I even stayed away from all the sugary goodness they had there ( mint fudge and Dulche de Leche fudge mmmmmm).

I am doing w2d3 of the c25k plan tomorrow and hope I feel as prepared as I think I am. I have tried to do the workout and diet thing in the past and It never works for me. I feel like after 4 weeks of changed eating and 2 weeks of exercise it is becoming more habit and not as much work.

I really enjoyed my day and hope he did as well. It really was nice to get away from all the stuff of real life for even just a day. I need to remember to appreciate my husband more and let him know just how much he means to me. The same goes for everyone in my life who I really love, yes Catie that means you too :).

All by myself

Today was an unscheduled test of will. My running partner was unable to join me and I had a choice to make, either run alone or give in to the desire to take the day off.

After much pondering I ran by myself. It was not as much fun because I focused on the wrong things during my run. First there was the fact that I was still very tired from several days of bad sleep and a new job, then there was the pain in my ankle from having sprained it several years back, and finally the fact that I was a "fattie" out there in my shorts and tank bouncing all over the place not setting any kind of speed records.

I almost cut myself short at the end of my run, then realized I had plenty of time to get showered for work and the only person I was cheating was myself if I quit. I was enjoying myself during the run, not to the extent that I would like to have, but I think that will come in time.

At work today I over heard another employee saying that they were tired and stressed so they might "go for a run" to clear their head. It felt good to hear someone say that, knowing that a clear head could come from running and not just nap taking.

I am looking forward to w2d3 on Friday and really hope Catie can join me, but if not I know I can do it alone. At some point  (still undecided when) I will be a runner... I am stronger and  healthier than I was four weeks ago, and to any of you who are still waiting for the right time to start something that time is now. Do it for YOU, do it because YOU are ready, do it because YOU deserve it, do it for YOUR time, YOUR life, YOUR love.

Each day is a struggle and challenge. I will conquer it, will you?

Darn Tired

You ever have one of those days where everything is going wrong? Well that was mine today. I worked until 1 am this morning, then went back at 10am this morning, only had about 5 hrs of sleep. At work there was a bit of miss communication and I am still training and only on day 2 of being on the floor. I worked really hard to get something done, but it wasn't done exactly as my trainer would have liked it.

I was so tired that I thought I had left my windows down in my truck when someone told me it was raining, but  I had gotten a ride to work with my husband and hadn't even been in my truck today. Wow I need to go back to bed. I thought about doing a little bit of a run to just clear my mind  but I don't think I could even get out the door.

Anyway, I am still at 180 lbs (ten off where I started 4 weeks ago) and I am loving the feeling of fitting in my clothes better. Catie says her pants are fitting better too so I know we are making great progress together.

Breakfast today was a banana and for lunch I had a lean frozen meal with 260 calories and 2 rice cakes. I am glad I like the cakes and that they give me a "full" feeling. dinner is going to be chicken and veggies so I'm going to be several hundred cals. under again. Tonight a good night sleep I hope and an early run due to work. W2D2 will be in the can before I know it.

Good night everyone, make sure to keep moving!

W2D1 and 1200 calories

I have now gotten myself caught up to the present.

Today was W2D1 of the C25k. I am still doing 1200 cal no matter how many I burn off exercising. My weight fluctuates daily but as of yesterday I was down 10 lbs. since June 30, 2010. I feel like my mood has improved and I know my fitness level has improved because today was run for 90 secs walk 2 mins alternating for 20 mins total. Catie, my partner, and I knocked it out like a boxer with a glass jaw.

My meals still include a lot of salad and a skinless breast of chicken from the grill no bbq sauce. I have also included roasted bell peppers, yogurt, a small amount of cheese occasionally, fruits for breakfast, and low a calorie choc frozen bar for desert. My usual daily calorie intake is between 800-1100.

I have decided that it is not a diet, but a change in habit. "How hungry am I willing to be at then end of the day?" is how I stay on track eating right. I know it will soon become a lifestyle of eating just like eating out becomes an eating lifestyle for some. My goal is to lose a total of 40 lbs., tone up, and be comfortable with myself in a mirror. That last one will be the hardest I think.

My motivation today was completing a new plan. I accomplished that goal, baby steps will have me at my long term goal of the weight loss in no time. Also, I have a new long term goal, run in a 5k race, and eventually even an Ironman competition.

Couch to 5k

Now that I was moving constantly, I wanted more. I found the couch to 5k program and started to look into it. It is a running program that starts you off nice and slow but in 9 weeks gets to to run5k (3 miles) in one shot. It takes 20-30 mins a day 3x per week. I read some comments from people who were on it and feeling great and decided if they can do it then so can I.

I was all ready to get the party started when a friend of mine said she would like to do it with me, but would have to wait a week to finish her Law school finals. I was a little disappointed at the time to have to wait another week, but I am so glad I did. Having a running partner who is at a similar fitness level is awesome. I know I have a hard time making myself work out if I'm not in the right state of mind, but being able to cop out of a run on a friend is darn near impossible for me unless I am really hurting.

Last week was our first week of the program. Day 1 was hard because my body was not used to doing that much at one time, but the next 2 runs were awesome. We rocked em'. 60 secs of running and 90 secs of walking for 20 mins sounds easy, but if you are not used to moving it is a work out ( hmm, that's what I was going for right?).

I was sore the day after my first run, but it kinda felt good like I had accomplished something great. By the second run day I was not sore and ready to get moving again. I felt great after the third day of running, but a little apprehensive of upping the run time the next week.

Week 2 Day 1 was coming on Monday...

1200 calories by noon

My first day on the Lose It! program:
"Ok I can do this, time to log what I eat"

At the time I had no Idea how much I was actually eating, but I thought I would have plenty of calories to go around. Boy was I wrong...

Breakfast:
8 oz coffee 2cal.
2.5 cups cereal 217 cal.
2 cups milk 293 cal.
total 512 cal.

OMG! almost half of my suggested calories for the day at breakfast!

Ok, ok. get it together... a few hours later I was hungry again and not really surprised. I figured a few crackers and a couple of pieces of licorice for the sweet craving only 30 cal each.

Snacks:
20 butter crackers 350 cal.
5 pieces licorice 150 cal.
total 500 cal.

By mid afternoon I had eaten 5/6 of my allotment. I could see I was in need of a serious wake up call. Dinner consisted of a small steak and a cup of cottage cheese. At this point I knew I was going over but this new way of eating was a complete surprise to my husband and he has worked hard on dinner. As you can imagine my eyes were opened.

The rest of the week I managed to be under my limit and figured out how not to be hungry by the end of the day. I have continued to mostly remain under my limit by eating LOTS of salad greens, a .5 cup cottage cheese, skinless chicken grilled with spices, fruits and the occasional licorice or marshmallow ( yes check it out 4 are only 100 cal. ) for the sugar cravings.

I continued to walk in the local mall in the mornings with a friend. I would do 3-4 miles and was totally wiped out, but I was moving.

I started to see a few pounds drop off in a little over a week. I could see that my goal was attainable.

First Steps

I just sat down to a lovely dinner that includes Hawaiian Luau chicken from the BBQ, fire roasted bell peppers and salad greens. I have not always eaten this way, it used to be mac and cheese, pizza, burgers etc. How I changed my eating habits and why are two of the many reasons for this blog. I also hope to inspire people like me to make a positive change in their lives as well.

Today is July 25, 2010. My journey started many moons ago, but has just recently started to unfold in a positive long term change. I have always been the fat kid. I did some martial arts when I was younger which only helped to cement the idea that I was the fat kid into my mind. Everyone seemed to progress faster or better than I did so I settled for mediocre.

I got away from activity and went to college, where walking from class to class was more work out than I wanted. I wanted to be thinner, toner and yes healthier but I have a really short attention span and would get bored of every physical activity I tried after a few weeks or even days for some things. At one point I thought about joining the military but soon realized that I was WAY over the height/weight limit for entry. I worked out at a local gym where 2 weeks into it I got sick and was sidelined for 2 weeks. I never did return.

About a month ago, I think something finally snapped in my brain.

"You're not getting any younger!"

I decided to figure something out. I heard of an app that was supposed to help keep track of the things you ate, so I downloaded it to see what I was in for. The app, "Lose It!", is a calorie counter that keeps track of weight and calories consumed and used through exercise. It takes a survey of who you are and what you want to lose then figures out how to do it.

My first log of information on6/30/2010 :
female, 30yrs, 5'3" 190#

I knew I had to do something or I would have a hard time when I got older, my joints would ache and my muscles would be weak if I chose to stay on the same path I had been on for 30 years.

I started walking.

( I plan on updating as often as possible. This is the beginning of my journey and I hope you continue to come back and share the rest of it with me. Please leave comments that will inspire others to take a positive action in their lives! )