The One Where I Welcome You To "Here"

The Eagles said it or better yet give the right man credit Don Henley said it: 

you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave (insert guitar solo) 

Now then, Hotel California firmly planted in your head! LOL 

I say let's change that up and say: 

Welcome to HERE! Check out of There, it IS possible. Welcome to HERE! 

now on with the blog....... 

I see it all the time. I hear it all the time. I used to think the same thing at one time. 

I want to get back to this size, this weight, this time, this blah blah blah.... 

To which I say.... really?? 

Why would you want to go back to that? Is it a warm fuzzy time period for you? Were you in your optimum health? What about that size makes you want to go back there? 

Even my oldest son said to me proudly at our last race, he's down to his high school weight. I honestly was nearly appalled. Granted he's in good shape now and I think he's in better shape than when he was in high school. 

When I was 18 I was probably about 98 pounds.....maybe 100 pounds. I was shorter than I am now, I was unhealthy and I was rail thin. I was skinny, I barely wore a size 0, but I was not healthy and I couldn't have run a mile with a gun to my head! 

Guess what peeps..... you aren't supposed to be perpetually 18! High School is over! Whatever it is in your past that you're clinging to is.over. O V E R! Over! 

There's a great quote going around FB and Pinterest that says something like, I'm not looking back because I'm not going that way. 

I'm not going that way. Not to past successes either. 

I think some people get stuck in "I did this back then" Like the uncle on Napoleon Dynamite. Always reliving 1982 football game. Guess what it's not 1982! It's not 1992! It's not 2002! It's not April 15, 2012. 

Yesterday is gone. 

Do your best today. Live for today. Start today! 

My initial goal was to get back to my pre pregnancy weight. And I did. But let me tell you; before I was pregnant with my youngest, I wore a size 10. I am right at my pre pregnancy weight, I wear a size 4. The difference is nutrition and exercise.


Go make your today the best it can be..... let go of the rope that's keeping you in the past. Do what you need to do to cross the bridge into the present. I think you'll like it here. :) 

You can't be here if you're still living there. You honestly can 'check out any time you like" Check out of there and welcome to Here. 

Welcome to Here!!

The One Where I Tell You My Plan

Several people have asked me how I lost the weight.  What was my plan? What do I do now to maintain? I began on SparkPeople on 1200 calories a day. With 3 meals and 1-2 snacks. As I was more educated, learned more about what worked for me, I changed a few things up.  I lost from 145 pounds to 122.  I've fluctuated over the years but I generally hover around 125.

I wanted to up my game though.  I didn't want to gain through half marathon training this time.  I wanted to get to what I consider a "good race weight" and learn how to fuel my body better. So, I went to see a Sports Dietician.  LOVE HER!! Much much love to her.   Eve Pearson with Nutriworks CNC (Comprehensive Nutrition Consulting).  She got me back on the right track.  Back to the basics. 

She figured my BMR, took measurements, talked to me about what foods I consume, came up with a plan to reach my goal.  Even through the holidays I lost or maintained the loss I had. I encourage everyone to see her.  But if you can't here's a few tips I've learned from  her.

 I found this site to be helpful in figuring your BMR FreeDieting The Calorie Calculator is pretty accurate to the figures Eve helped me with. Use the middle number for Fat Loss.  Just ignore the extreme fat loss number, let's be honest, it's restrictive and something you won't keep up with in long term.

So you've got your number.  (let's say it's 1500)

Divide it by 4:  375

Divide that by 2: 187 

I consume 5 meals a day. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner are 375 calories
Mid-Morning and Afternoon Snack are 187

Meals should include a carb, a protein and a (good) fat. Snacks a carb and a fat or a carb and a protein.  Don't eat naked carbs!

Use a tracker like SparkPeople or MyFitnessPal for nutrition and exercise.

However, I caution you from getting in the mindset of "I exercised today, so I can have all those calories."  You'll only maintain where you are now.

I'm not a fan of cheat days or cheat meals.   It's all about choices.  Not good or bad.  But fuel or non-fuel.  How will this effect my run? My digestion? My sleep? This isn't a diet, it's how I live.  Eat Sleep Run Repeat!

If you go over your calories, use the top number the Maintenance Number for your goal.  For instance a party or special occasion and consider it a maintenance day.

Now for exercise and snacks:

If you exercise for under an hour; you change nothing you stick to your caloric allotment.

If you exercise for over an hour; you add in one additional snack

If you exercise over two hours; you add back all the calories you burned. This includes 2-a-days. 
Let's say you went to the gym in the morning worked out for an hour, then in the evening you ran 5-6 miles.  You'd consume all your calories burned.

I hope this helps you on your journey!

The One Where I Sign Up For Two Half Marathons

----------------> THIS GIRL!! It's December 13th and I'm already signed up for 2 10Ks: January 5th January 12th And 2 Half Marathons: March 24th The Dallas Rock N Roll Half! May 27th The Patriot I also have already put together a training plan through June because I have another HM The Wounded Warrior June 9th (although I'm not signed up for it yet). I started with the Sports Nutritionist 2 weeks ago and I've already lost 3 pounds! I have visible signs of inches lost and my clothes are fitting well! emoticon Excited for them to be loose! I plan on losing through the holidays. Yes Yes, I will make a pie and have a slice too, but that is all. A Slice! Not days of range overages. I have a few parties to attend and I will follow the smallest plate one trip rule. Use the smallest plate size available and make only one trip. No piled up plate either. Get what you want but leave space between the servings. I'm doing better at finding what works for me in my 5 meals per day and I'm seeing results which is of course emoticon Thank you for all your well wishes and suggestions. I really appreciate it!! I've been officially released from my doctor and the physical therapist. I have approximately 2-3% range and mobility to be exactly the same again! well at least as my right hand anyway. I will have to do my exercises at home for the next 6-8 months to keep up with the muscle memory and mobility. I'll do them for sure!! Well back to the crazy pace of life....

The One Where I Meet Eve

Sooo, last week I met with Eve. In case you're interested and in the DFW Area 
nutriworksCNC.com 

She weighed me. She measured me. She made me a meal plan. She changed some of my supplements. She had me categorize foods. Yea, literally. 

What I called a protein is actually a fat. Like peanut butter. It's not a protein. If it has more fat grams than protein, it's a fat. sooo no wonder I'm fluffy.... I eat too much fat. 

I was eating too many fruits/carbs at breakfast and not enough the rest of the day. As well as not enough protein. Yes salad is good; but I need more nutrients. 

She changed up my calories and macros. 

1300 calories regardless of exercise. I should have a deficit of about 600 per day. So I really need to be working out more. 

Carbs: 146 (11%) 
Fat: 43 (3%) 
Protein: 81 (6%) 

I have to have a carb a fat and a protein at every meal. And a carb/fat or carb/protein at snacks. 

My meals are broken down like this: 

Breakfast: 333 calories 
Snack: 150 calories 
Lunch: 333 calories 
Snack: 150 calories 
Dinner: 333 calories 

I like the plan. I'm not stuffed after meals but I'm not starving. It's still difficult for me to not eat extra after a hard workout or run. 

Like today I went to two classes. A body pump style class and a spin class! WOOT! I burned over 500 calories. 

I find myself not full after my days worth of meals.... but I'm sticking to the plan. 

The goal is to get me down to 118-120 and about 20-22% body fat. I'm thinking I shouldn't have started this in December. No party foods, no alcohol, no egg nog, no cookies. Just 1300 calories, 5 meals a day. I can go over, but I won't lose as quickly. Or whittle this middle down. 

After I reach my goal I'll be able to up my calories to maintain at around 1800. 

I need ideas though for 333 calorie meals, it'll take me 3-4 months she said to meet my goal. Lunch isn't a problem... it's dinner that I'm having a hard time coming up with meals in the correct calorie range. 

The One Where It Hurts To Do The Dishes

Things have been hectic here. PTA BSA Birthday Parties Emergencies 

I have been a huge stress ball! Some things are just more than I can take honestly, at least all in one week. I know it's a huge disappointment, I'm not super woman! It was hard for me to find that out too! ;) 

I have been working out at Fit Kick. We do TurboJam and Bootcamp Style workouts!! I am really happy with my body's memory! It remembers my tone-ness and fitness level from the spring when i was lifting more! YAY!! 

Wednesday my triceps hurt so much that it even hurts to wash the dishes!! YAY!! 

I haven't run in a few weeks, but I'm OK with that. I know I can do it and I'll get the miles logged eventually. I'm on a better schedule with working out and like in the spring it didn't matter that I hadn't logged the miles, I was stronger and I ran better because of it. 

I don't plan on doing anything more than a 5K....so I'm not worried about it. I have all of December to log the miles. I can run that far and I'm not worried. I do want to get a 10K under my belt in 2012. 

Although I've been stressed I've been doing OK in the nutrition department. I haven't eaten myself into oblivion. I'm not losing but that's OK. I still fit into my clothes although not my 2's, but I'm not fretting over that. 

I am looking forward to thanksgiving, because it's the first time in years that my whole family (siblings and kids) have been together! My sister and I have a great menu and I"m excited to have a fun day at her house with all our kids! :) 

Things are better with my brother....it's one day at a time.... I know it will take many one days at a time to get there, but we're in it for the long haul. I love him and I know there is purpose in the pain. 

My kiddo has the week off, so this will be fun and filled with laughter! 

I am making dressing and pies for my sisters house. Oh and roasted brussel sprouts. Then I'm going to the black friday deals!! it's tradition, but I don't get up at the crack of dawn. 

Saturday I'll have a run day and a baby shower to attend. 
Then we'll be back to business as usual. 
School, PTA, BSA and Christmas! 

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Eat what you want, don't overdo it, don't feel guilty, stay on track. Make a new tradition of going for a walk after the meal! Bundle up and get out the door! So what you haven't made it to your goal yet, you're moving and you're doing what's best for your life! 

Remember this is a journey, not a destination and stay on the path!! Don't camp out at Thanksgiving Day! :) Gobble Gobble! not Waddle Waddle! 


   

Food and Running and Other Stuff

I need to dust this place off! I need to post some race reports and get to the heart of the matter around here again!

I started this blog over the summer and somehow not it's winter!

I've trained, I've run, I've turned vegetarian and now looking into a gluten free lifestyle as well.
I've maintained my weight loss over a year!! But I'm looking to drop 10 more pounds.

I have quilt projects and recipes and pictures and spark blogs I should transfer as well! :D

Now, where's my swiffer!?

August and Everything After

That is the title the one of my favorite albums. The Counting Crows first album. 

Here is the plan for August, I'm still on the Darby Barrios Plan for now, although I'm running more than the plan, when I can; when I can't I go back to walking. I am hoping that August will be a month when I am able to stay on a work out schedule and not have injuries, accidents and the like. 

I am still sore from the June accident, so there is some stuff I just can't do yet. But I do what I can, however slowly it may be, its certainly surely! :) 

MWFS are Run Days. 
T, Th, (sometimes saturdays) are ST days 
I do the Quickfire Challenges when I am (physically) able. 

Today is W5D1 and the rest of the month looks like this: 

Week 5: Walk 3 minutes, then run 12 minutes, then repeat. By the end of the week walk 3 minutes, run 15 minutes, walk until rested, then run the rest of the session. 
Goal by weeks end: a 15-minute running segment. 

Week 6: Walk 5 minutes to begin and end the workout. Run 20 minutes in the middle. 
Goal: 20 minutes of continuous running 

Week 7: Walk 3 minutes to begin and end the workout. Run 24 minutes in the middle. 
Goal: 24 minutes of continuous running 

Week 8: Walk only a block or so to limber up then run the full 30 minutes 

I weighed today, I'm suffering from an overload of sodium this weekend, so the number isn't quite what I'd like for August, but its still out of 140-ville, so Whooo hooo!! And I still measure about the same. I've been consistantly 136.0-136.4, since my lowest weight of July at 135.0 mid-month. 

AUGUST 2009: 
Weight 137.2 (sodium inflated) 
Bust: 38 
Chest: 32 
Waist 31.00 
Belly Button: 32 
Hips: 37.00 
Neck: 14.75 

1/4 inch changes, but much, but its still progress 
1.2 pounds from first of July to first of August. But tomorrow or Wednesday I'll be back down to aroun 135-136. 

GW this month 130. I want to get out of the middle 130's threshhold. I think more water and less sodium will be the key for that. More Fruits and Veggies, less giving into what DH wants for dinner. Stick to the meal plan. I feel better and lose more when I do. 

Its gonna be a hot month, so I'll be swimming more, which means I'll be burning alot more calories. I just need to make sure the calories in are nutritious and not calories for the sake of calories. 

Come on say it with me!! 

A PLAN WITH NO ACTION IS JUST A WISH!! 

Don't jus wish for a new life, weight loss, toned muscles. Go MAKE IT HAPPEN!! 

July Goals

Initially I wanted to get to 135 in july, and that's still my GW. However here are my stats for the beginning of the month: 

JULY 2009: 
Weight 138.4 
Bust: 38 
Chest: 32 
Waist 31.25 
Hips: 37.25 
Neck: 14.75 

For some reason over the past few weeks the pounds seem to be coming off easier than inches, so I'd really like to be down to 132 by the end of July. 

GW: 135 

Goal Pant Size: 8 

Lose Inches, Build Strength/Muscle 

Drink my water = 8 cups or more 

Lose 5-6 pounds 

Run 5 days per week, Swim 3 days a week. 

Eat more fruit and veggies IE, if I'm starving fruits and veggies are my friend! 

Eat 5-6 meals per day 

Stay within caloric range. 

Lose to 30% or more body fat.