Wicked cycle

Can it really be July 22 already? I have failed with every challenge I have set for myself. I really need to crawl out of this funk I am in but I just cant seem to figure out how...At least I am not gaining, that is a win for me right now. Is anyone else just feel like they are treading water?

Holidays=Calories!

So on a typical 4th of July in my life I would have been completely content to eat and drink all day long BUT this year I know how many calories are in each and everyone of those drinks and tasty snacks so I am attempting to refrain. Not sure its going to work though...Here in Utah they have legalized aerial fireworks this yeah and nothing goes better with fireworks that alcohol, especially when contending with the half a million kids that will be around. I will let you know tomorrow morning how this all works out...

Month 2- July

Wow has it been a month already! I have a feeling that this comp is going to fly by. I acheived my goal of not gaining. I just need to be thankful for little things like that. Those are the good things in life!

So my goals for this month?

1) Get my family healthy! I am recovering from severe allergy issues and my hubby had a severe bough of pneumonia that landed him in the hospital.
2) Lose 1-2lbs per week, nothing drastic but steady!
3) Find time to exercise 2 days a week, no excuses!
and lastly...BLOG!

I think that this can be a good month I just need to refocus and re-energize!

LATE!

I am such a slacker! I am truly have the desire to lose weight and I even know how to do it but...I am truly struggling to make it a priority. Between my new job, school, family, and sleep I just dont know where I fit in. To make matters worse I am not sleeping and I dont know about anyone else but when I am tired I am especially suseptable to 300 calorie coffee drink tempatiton. I also just got back from a 4 days trip to california where I ate at WAY to many drive thorughs. Add all this up and it equals 0 weight loss...I know I said in my last post that my goal was to not gain but I think that somehow I thought that even without trying this baby weight would start to melt off, but that just doesnt seem to be the case. I think I am going to wrap up this blog before I whine any more and how that tomorrow brings another day and a new attitude...Heres to hoping!

Week one

This first real entry is going to be an introduction to my crazy life. In the past month I have graduated nursing school, taken and passed my NCLEX had a baby (baby #5), started a new job, and summer vacation has begun for my school aged kids. I've also started an online BSN program which is taking a lot more time than I anticipated. This hasn't left much time or energy for things like diet and exercise (or sleep). Pizza is far too convenient... THIS is definitely NOT going to be my month. And so, in an effort to not completely lose my self, my goal for June is to NOT GAIN WEIGHT and to start packing lunches from home.
So far I've managed to accomplish this... but it's only the 11th and there's a whole lot of month left!
I am planning on posting pictures when my sister-in-law finally sends me them. They look eerily similar to the pictures I posted at the beginning of the competition last year.

Another year, Another baby, Another comp...

Hello I will recap the last year later but I wanted to add a fresh post since I havent used this blog in so long! New Comp and a fresh start!

Last blog...

Wow I cant hardly believe that this is my last blog for the comp! Its June first...5 months ago I started something that I never really thought I would finish or even really care about but now I am a totally different person. I have really appreciated all the support from this comp in my healthy new me journey. Hopefully others feel the same. I will do one last final blog with before and afters and tears and stuff, but for now I will just wish everybody good luck on all your endevours but especially the final weigh in, lol!

Schools almost out!

So can you believe its almost summer? This friday is the end of the school year for my kids and almost the end of this comp! I cant believe its been 5 months already. This has been a crazy journey but I think I have learned so much! So heres a poll...What do you think is the most valuable thing you have learned during these last few months?

Vacation to Kari's!

So this week we are in Colorado this week visiting Kari! I am going to go running with Kari tonight and I am going to try and make it to a gym tomorrow, but traveling has thrown my diet for a loop! I ate some crap from McDonalds this week and I felt so crappy but I STILL ATE IT! uh...

On the upside I got to go to Karis gym and climb the rock wall. It was SOOO freaking fun! Justin also completely rocked the wall and I cant wait to keep doing this kind of new exercise at home.

Fun run and new distances

This week I ran in the susan G Komen Race for the cure! Its was so much fun and a great cause. Not to mention I had a great run and time even though there were almost 20,000 people there! It made for a fantastic morning.

For a while I have been stuck in a running rut. I have been unable to break the distance of 8miles I have tried for three week and even made it to 7 twice but never to 8. Well last night I did it! I hit the 8mi mark. It wasnt easy and I really was in pain and had to push through the last half mile but WOWZA I DID IT!!! One step closer to being ready for my half marathon thats in a month, ah how time flies...

Night before jitters!

Anybody nervous? Anybody amped? I know that I am both! Weigh in tomorrow...

strep throat

So this week has been good, I was doing my running on schedule and playing softball at work. Then bam, I woke up with a terribly sore throat yesterday morning and by last night I could even move. I still feel terrible and dont expect to feel great anytime soon, since I have no insurance and am 99% sure this is strep and and will require antibiotics for a quick recovery. We will see how this week goes but it doesn't look very bright.

6 miles!?

This past week has been a good one for me. I did have a few days of intense water retention (urg...being a girl) but as of this morning that is all gone and I am back to weight in. I also did some pretty amazing things this week on the treadmill. I ran 13 miles in one week! That is a personnal record! One of these runs was 6mi which I did with a 12min mile pace, another personal first. I think this training for the half will be really interesting. Until now I have focused on things I was good at or have done before but running is all new for me and I am learning so much about my focus and patience as well as dedication. I really am hopeful...

Then and now pics

So this month for me has really been about realizing how far I have come in life, not just weight loss, but everything. In the past 3 years I have gone from being an overweight mom of 2 and an unhappy/unhealthy, depressed, stressed person to a very Healthy happy mother of 4 gorgeous children, as well as an incredibly PROUD of who I have become and where I am going. Since this comp started I have lost 23lbs and gained more self confidence than I ever knew was possible. Today I took my kids swimming and I proudly wore a bikini! Well a tankini but still I was in a public place and wore a 2 piece suit. It was huge!

In light of that I wanted to share a little peek at the last few years and the difference this comp has made...

This is me three years ago...

This is me 7 years ago...

And this is me now...

I know these are bad pictures but I didn't really get in that many by choice and even fewer had my face so it was slim pickins'. Karilynn is creating a collage for me and that I think will show the changes over this comp much better, but I just needed to see it and share it while it was fresh and I was feeling brave. If you would have asked me last December if I thought I would actually lose weight in this comp my answer would certainly have been no but as we all know the force and motivation Karilynn brings are forces to be reckoned with!

March is OVER!!

So march is over and I reached my goal weight! Now I just have to keep it off, that will be the hard part. Yesterday I was in the car all day and salt is definitely not my friend. I love it way to much! This will be an interesting transition...maintainence...a whole new challenge! Today is a very busy day so this will be short but I will post more later.

I almost forgot!

I also got my body fat% tested this week and I was 21.8% fat!! That is so awesome. I also had my height measure for real and not with a tape measure and I am whole inch taller than I thought! I am actually 5ft 4in. officially just above midget (or at least thats what Im telling myself)

Crap!

I have been so swamped this week with school and work that I completely forgot to blog! I mean I know that I am not really in the running to win anything, but I am still bugged that I forgot to blog.

So my fun news for today...I got my new Nike plus sportband! I am way excited to get to just get to go run and not try and pre-measure runs and watch the clock for times. This little band is going to make my run more fun and less stress. I also got some KT tape which I hope will help my knees during the longer runs.

Downside is that I spent too much time in the running store and fell in love with some majorly cute and expensive running clothes and gadgets! They also helped me with a shoe fitting and I found some AMAZING fitting shoes. The Nike pegasis is what i think its called and they are 90 bucks! OUCH, this running thing could get expensive!

Pushing my limits

Yesterday I was invited to run a 5k in in June, which sounds great but...the person inviting me is running the half marathon and how cool would it be to be able to run it with her? Last year I was horribly out of shape and I still managed to finish a 5k, so why not a half when I am in so much better shape now? My only issue is that I am NOT a runner, never really have been, so I have no idea what I am doing. Any tips/training ideas would be helpful, and for anyone else who wants this challenge, I am planning on running the Utah valley half marathon on June 10th!

Rollercoasters and ferris wheels!

Have you ever felt like this weight loss journey is a theme park full of different rides? Some weeks its like you are on a ferris wheel just going up and down in circle watching the world go by in awe as you go. Other days its like a roller coaster that takes you up and down, sometimes all the way upside down! At the end you feel a thrill and drive to do it again.

This month has mostly been a ferris wheel. I am ok with that I mean althought the scale isnt changing I know that my habits are sticking and that my body is changing in amazing ways. Just yesterday talking about getting body fat testing done and making fitness not weight goals. Then today I woke up and stepped on the scale like I do everyday, and I saw a number I have never seen (128.8). This was a double edge sword, opening up all these feelings of maybe I can really loose more. Then tonight I weighed myself again because that what i do when I see new loses, and to my dismay I am up A LOT (132.6) and although yesterday I would have been accepting of this and calm, today I am PISSED! I really think I am about to start my period (1 week early) and the weight will go, but it still doesnt make gains like that feel ok. I am starting to really hate having cycles again, I havent had them in 6 years and I am NOT accustomed to this hormonal ride that is being a woman. Does anyone have any good PMS remedies that will help with the emotional and physical issues I am having? I hate feeling like I am going crazy for a week every month!

My 4th day

So today I feel like I was eating all day!! Have you ever felt like that? so this isnt broke up into meals and snack because I ate it all throughout the day. I did drink 6.5 bottles of water today and 1 diet soda, trying to not eat as much but it didnt really workout.

Today I ate:
1/3 cup oatmeal with cinnamon
1 cup coffee with creamer

6 triscuts
100 cal pack almonds

1 ham and cheese sandwhich thin
1 navel orange
1 south beach diet bar

1 pack of 100cal yogurt covered pretzels

2 helpings of taco salad with black beans, ground turkey, lettuce, salsa, cheese, and 1 half of a taco shell.

1 kashi bar

I guess its not much more than I usually eat but it sure felt like it! The biggest bummer in my day is that I didnt get to exercise, hope tomorrow I can make it happen. Kari is coming to town this weekend and I think its gonna be a blast!!