21 Days...

It is time for a new challenge at the Sisterhood!  I loved the team challenge we just finished, but I always love to find out what the new challenge is!

 

So here it is... Here are our instructions...

So for the next 3 weeks, we’ll be asking each of you to choose 1-3 new habits that you would like to form.  You will still weigh-in on Wednesdays but you will also report how you are doing with your new habits, or forming your new habits.
By incorporating one or more new habits into your daily life, it should affect your weight, and we want to know how much. We’re nosy like that. And yes, we are encouraging you to try and form as many new habits as you can. It’s good for you and your body!

There are so many things I could choose to do for 21 days... I have been on such a journey to create the life I love and the person I love. I have created many new habits in the past few months.  A couple of things that seem to be the bane of my existence are tracking my foods and getting enough water every day.  The irony is that when I do keep up with both, I am more successful in releasing weight.  Historically, I keep up with both for a week or so... not enough time to keep it going long-term.

So here it is...


I am committed to two things for the next 21 days...

1. Drinking 96 oz water per day
2. Track my food/drink daily on www.dailyplate.com

We will see how it goes... I look forward to conquering two hurdles that will be so beneficial to my health and overall well-being!

 

Wednesday Weigh-In

This has been a pretty good week... Not quite as profound, with a few slip ups, but good nevertheless!

On the positive front, I walk/ran 8 miles!!!  I was under orders to use a walk 5 minutes / run 2 minutes interval throughout.  I held strictly to it, with an occasional longer walk interval.  I felt really good through 5 miles, stopped to fill up my water and the rest was a VERY long journey.  I thought I was going to die the last mile... BUT at about half a mile to go I looked in front of me and there were my husband and two boys walking down the path to greet me and get me back... How cool is that!  It was much easier to finish with them there...

 

The other amazing thing that happened took place after I got home.  I spent many moments during my run thinking about all of the cancer warriors I am doing this in honor and in memory of.  I thought about Colten and his vibrant smile that always accompanied a blown kiss in my direction.  I thought about Alex and his fight to do absolutely everything we asked of him so that he could get back to playing football.  I thought about Rowan and her obsession with my eyelashes.  I thought about Dominie and her love of the Jonas Brothers and the elation in her eyes when she got to meet them.  I am so blessed to have so many motivations to run this race and to give back to the ones fighting the real battle.  Participating in Team in Training has been so much more than training for a half marathon... It has been life changing.  So, after the grueling eight miles and asking myself several times "How on earth am I going to be able to go thirteen miles?"... I returned home, iced my leg, cooled down and checked my e-mail.  I had a donation notification for a new donation to my fundraising account, but not just any donation.  A donation from the parents of one of my honored teammates... A very large donation that brought be to within a couple hundred dollars of my goal.  

 

All I could do was cry... profound tears of gratitude and tears that caused me to remember exactly WHY I WILL finish 13.1 miles.  There isn't another option... The sacrifice and pain I may experience in 13.1 miles pales in comparison to what each of my patients has endured.  I am humbled to represent them.

So there you have it...

another week down... another week closer to my goals...
another week of reclaiming my health!

Starting Weight

208 lbs

Today's Weight

200 lbs

Change from last week

0 lb

Total Difference

8 lbs

Sooo Close! I thought this might be the week to dip below 200, but I guess I get even one more week to reminisce, being that once I say goodbye, I am NEVER saying hello again!

 

Spring Fling Challenge - Weigh-In #7 - The FINAL weigh-in

This has been a GREAT week... I am transforming into the woman I have dreamed of becoming!

First with the good news... I am cleared to run/walk again!  On Sunday I walked 3.38miles and last night I ran/walked 2.66!  It felt so great to run again (very slowly, but with the sweat dripping and the endorphins flying!)

Second, I have to introduce you to my theme song... Ever since I heard it for the first time, I identified with it and was motivated by it.  I put it on my iPod and wouldn't you know it... it comes on right when I need to hear it during my runs/workouts, EVERY TIME... and you better believe it will be the song that I listen to as I cross the finish line of my first half marathon!  Here are the lyrics and a link to hear it...


It's Your Life - Francesca Battistelli

This is the moment
Its on the line
Which way you gonna fall?
In the middle
Between wrong and right.
But you know after all...


Chorus
It's your life whatcha gonna do?
The world is watching you.
Everyday the choices you make
say what you are and who your heart beats for.
It's an open door.
It's your life.


Are you, who you

always said you would be?

With a sinking feeling in your chest.

Always waiting for someone else to fix you.

Tell me when did you forget?

Chorus

Live the way that you believe.

This is your opportunity

to let your life

be one that lights

the way.

Chorus x2

It's your life...

It's your life...

So there you have it...

My theme song!  Pretty profound!

Eating went well again this week.  I can't believe how well this supplement is working for me.  I continue to average around 1200-1300 calories, but I am NOT hungry AND the cravings have subsided enough that when I would ordinarily emotionally/stress eat, I have the control to deal with the moment without food.  Yea!  This is the first time I can say that since starting medication almost four years ago... and it feels like FREEDOM!

So, last week, my amazing TEAM INCREDIBLE over at the Hood

moved up to fourth place...   Wonder what this week will hold?

Okay, so here are the stats:

Starting Weight

208 lbs

Today's Weight

200 lbs

Change from last week

-1.4 lb

Total Difference

8 lbs

Sooo Close! I thought this might be the week to dip below 200, but I guess I get one more week to reminisce, being that once I say goodbye, I am NEVER saying hello again!

 

Sheeeee's Baaaaack!

I AM BACK!

I talked a lot about my leg injury in my last post...  I have struggled this week with being discouraged and feeling pretty defeated.  I have been "doing what the doctor ordered", but I haven't been happy about it.  Soooo, I have had absolutely no pain for the last several days and planned to wait until I went back to see Steve tomorrow (Monday) to discuss walking and when to give it a try.

So, TODAY...  I couldn't pull my patootie out of bed early enough to go swim before church and as the day went on, all I wanted was to be outside and I have really been feeling the need for stress release... the stress release I get when I run/walk... OUTSIDE... ON THE CANAL... WITH THE TUNES CRANKED... in the beautiful AZ spring weather!

 So, I thought to myself... "Self, what is it that Nike says?" 

JUST DO IT!

So, I just did it...  I decided to start out slow and see how I felt and I PROMISED myself that I would ONLY WALK.  Even if I was dying to run...

AND it felt GREAT!!!

I can't describe the feeling I get... It is a really new experience for me - It is what has hooked me through my training.  Never in a million years would I have expected to love this!  Never would I have expected what it has done for my body, mind and soul.  Never would I have fathomed that I would want to be a RUNNER and that I would become a RUNNER!

NOW... back to training! 

 

Spring Fling Challenge Weigh-In #6

This has been a NEW week... with new hope, courage and a bit of frustration!

Last Wednesday I made a visit to my dear friend and sports chiropractor Steve to evaluate my leg and establish a plan for recovery and return to training.  Steve is a marathon runner himself and very insightful about training and nutrition.  Steve and I have gone back and forth on the issue of my weight over the years and at my appointment several days prior he had mentioned that I should take the next month and really "attack my diet", now that I was having so much success in training for my race.  It was mentioned in passing and I didn't give it a ton of serious thought until I landed back there with more than a muscle strain, but likely a stress fracture on my right leg.

WOW... That is a big deal... It hit me like a Mack Truck that my weight plays a huge role in my being more suseptible to injury.  200 pounds is a lot to carry around on a 5'4" medium size frame.

So, I asked Steve the question...

You have told me what to do for my leg (ice, ultrasound, rest, non-impact exercise), so what do I need to do for my diet?  (at that point there was no turning back...)

Here was his answer (after discussing what I was currently doing):

Take a supplement to help curb appetite and cravings 

Cut calories down to around 1000-1200/day

No refined sugar - fruit as my sugar source 

No carbs in the evening

Focus on small portions throughout the day - Goal to never feel hungry

Pfew... Pretty drastic huh... The wild thing for me was that I "got it" and because I have had so many successes lately proving to myself that I am strong and able to conquer "little mountains" in my life.  I felt so triumphant when I made it 6 miles and then 7.5!  7.5 miles... REALLY?  Tiffany Zook - 7.5miles!?!?! On foot?  Running for any portion?

YES I DID and WHY WOULDN'T I BE ABLE TO CONQUER THIS TOO!

So here I am, today is day 7 of my new "plan" and I feel great physically.  The supplement has helped me tremendously and I have maintained 1000-1300 calories daily.  CRAZY!

The frustration has come in being injured and the reality hitting me in the last couple of days that it will take some time to heal.... TIME - A bit difficult for those of us that are type-A and impatient.  I have just been so scared of losing major ground and truthfully, I have just really become hooked to training and am MISS it!  Who'd have thunk?

Last week, my amazing TEAM INCREDIBLE over at the Hood

maintained a top 6 finish, however we all felt the effects of Easter - every one of us either maintained or gained...   We will see what this week has brought forth!

Okay, so here are the stats:

Starting Weight

208 lbs

Today's Weight

201.4 lbs

Change from last week

-2.6 lb

Total Difference

6.6 lbs

WOOOOO HOOOO!  It felt so good to write those numbers!

 

Spring Fling Challenge Weigh-In #5

This has been an EVENTFUL, WONDERFUL and CRAZY week!

So work is settling down a bit, but this week I encountered another friend and foe...

EASTER

Easter is my favorite holiday and you would think that I would learn by now that its not a good idea to put my favorite candy and chocolate in my kids easter baskets!

Why?

Because I STEAL!!! 

Needless to say... I have eaten a few chocolate robin eggs, jelly beans and more chocolate eggs.  I also had a very nice Easter dinner / birthday celebration for my mom and brother, complete with ham and scalloped potatoes.  On the bright side, I did watch portions much better than usual and didn't over stuff myself... Yea Me! (note the sarcasm...)


The second bump this week is that I haven't been able to run since last Thursday.  I have a little injury that MAY or MAY NOT be a stress fracture.  I will know more later today and should have a plan for the coming weeks... One thing is for sure, I have NO PLANS to not complete my Half Marathon - Hopefully by running and walking, but if I have to walk every single step, I WILL FINISH!

I have been through a ton of emotion over this and yesterday, when I spoke with my Sports Chiropractor and good friend, he gave me an interesting perspective... He said, "don't be discouraged, think of this as a badge of honor... You have committed to something that most won't even attempt and you worked so hard you just broke... but we will fix you and you will be even stronger"  WOW!  First of all, thank God for great friends and encouragers, but second, what a perspective!  So I am choosing to walk forward with this perspective, wear my badge of honor and do what it takes to heal and move forward STRONGER!

Last week, my amazing TEAM INCREDIBLE over at the Hood

maintained a top 5 finish!  We will see what this week has brought forth!

Okay, so here are the stats:

Starting Weight

208 lbs

Today's Weight

204 lbs

Change from last week

+0.8 lb

Total Difference

4 lbs

*could have been worse... thankful for only 0.8...*