Another Week Down

Well I've survived my third week of motherhood. I couldn't be happier to have such a wonderful daughter in my life now. I'm going to be working getting her and I on a schedule/routine this week. I see many moms do it and I don't see how they do but thats my goal for the week. Now onto the matter at hand. I went to TOPS thursday night and we had a nice meeting. Drumroll please I stepped on the scale and lost 3lbs for the last 2 weeks. I'm down to 216. So I'm hoping to reach my goal of 2oo by Christmas. I have my goals listed on the goal pages and will be getting my other pages updated this weekend hopefully as well. Hope everyone has a great Saturday. Going to put my girl in our stroller and go for a test drive and then enjoy the Arkansas Razorback games this evening hopefully.

New Season of Life

Hey everyone. I'm back from a 9 month vacation. I decided not to blog since this was indeed to track my weight loss while I was pregnant. I'm happy to say my baby girl arrived 3 weeks ahead of schedule on Aug. 16. She is an angel sent by God to me. I'm happy to say that at by two weeks after having her I'd lost the 17lbs I had gained with her. I can fit in a few of my prebaby clothes but because of my hips expanding most of my jeans, shorts and carpi's don't fit yet and they may never again. I'm now going to start focusing on losing another 19 lbs or so before Christmas. I would like to be at 200lbs at Christmas. I believe this to be a reasonable goal for me. I have several ways I plan on keeping myself accountable one being my blog, two my weight loss group TOPS, and three my mom and I are having a contest with each other. On my moms and I's contest whoever has the highest percentage of weight loss by the time we go Christmas shopping that person has to buy lunch.

My weight on Aug. 25 was 219. I did not attend my weight loss meeting last week but plan on attending this week.

I'll update my weight Thursday or Friday after weighting in.

Finally An Update

Its been a rough couple of months my weight loss hasn't been the best. But I have a good excuse for not losing now, I'm currently 12 weeks pregnant. Its funny before I know we had our first TOPS meeting of the year and we were talking about what we wanted for ourselves this year. I wrote in my journal that this would be my year. I just didn't know at the time I was already a couple weeks pregnant. I'm so excited and so scared at the same time, since they consider me a high risk pregnancy. I was so happy when I was able to hear the heartbeat when I went to the dr last Thursday. I go back in 4 weeks and we will do the first round of screening for birth defects. I'm having mixed emotions on this right now. Tomorrow I will do a weekly update on how things are going.

Now for the rough part, as of tomorrow my husband and I will no longer have a job. I know this is a blessing in disguise. We have some money saved and will be able to draw unemployment for a little while to till we can both find something.

Hot 100 Update Week 4 and Weekly Weigh In

I'm happy to report that I lost 3 of the 5lbs that I had gained last week. I have every indention to lose that last 2lbs this week at least.

Now onto my weekly Hot 100 Challenge Update

1. Track my food intake. I'm doing better on this, but have lots of room for improvement. I believe if I become more diligent with it, the scales will reflect my effort. Did not track at all this week, must start.
2. Do the 10k Spa Pace Race in November. I want to do a Run/Combo. I will decide on my run/walk minute combo as time draws closer. I did the race last year and walked the majority of it well I want to improve this year. My finish time I'm not so worried about I want to know I gave it everything I had when I cross over that finish line. ( Ran 3 days like I planned to this week) Thinking I may actually do the 5K instead of the 10k, my ankle been bothering me.

3. Exercise at least 6 days a week. So that means I need to add strength training in and that will help with my running and help me lose some weight. Failed. Need to get on track with this.

Hot 100 Update and Weekly Weigh In 2 and 3

ere are My Goals for the Hot 100 Challenge

1. Track my food intake. I'm doing better on this, but have lots of room for improvement. I believe if I become more diligent with it, the scales will reflect my effort. ( Tracked a couple day but not all, will try harder this week)

2. Do the 10k Spa Pace Race in November. I want to do a Run/Combo. I will decide on my run/walk minute combo as time draws closer. I did the race last year and walked the majority of it well I want to improve this year. My finish time I'm not so worried about I want to know I gave it everything I had when I cross over that finish line. ( Ran 3 days like I planned to this week) Thinking I may actually do the 5K instead of the 10k, my ankle been bothering me.

3. Exercise at least 6 days a week. So that means I need to add strength training in and that will help with my running and help me lose some weight. (Did not do this at all this week. But I will this week.)

My weigh for 10/7 had me up .5lb I wasn't to worried since it was that time of the month but this week weigh in on 10/14 was was floored when I seen my weight I was up 5lbs in one week. Not well sure how, I have some ideas and I'll be tweaking somethings this week and making some changes. So right now my mind is not in the best place.

Hope everyone is doing well on their journey.

Hot 100 Update and Weekly Weigh In

Here are My Goals for the Hot 100 Challenge

1. Track my food intake. I'm doing better on this, but have lots of room for improvement. I believe if I become more diligent with it, the scales will reflect my effort. ( Tracked a couple day but not all, will try harder this week)

2. Do the 10k Spa Pace Race in November. I want to do a Run/Combo. I will decide on my run/walk minute combo as time draws closer. I did the race last year and walked the majority of it well I want to improve this year. My finish time I'm not so worried about I want to know I gave it everything I had when I cross over that finish line. ( Ran 3 days like I planned to this week)

3. Exercise at least 6 days a week. So that means I need to add strength training in and that will help with my running and help me lose some weight. (Did not do this at all this week. But I will this week.)

Weekly Weigh In

I weight in last night and I was down 1.5lb for the week. That makes 7lbs for the month of September. This month was a first for me I've lost 5 weeks in a row and I'm happy now I'm trying for six.

I going to make my exercise plan up this weekend and my menu for the week. I hope to get up in the morning and a run in.

This Journey Is Not Always Easy

My journey to losing weight and becoming a healthier and happier person will not always be easy. Over the weekend I struggled. I had plans to exercise but did I? No, why because I was tired and not feeling well and was emotional drained. Is that a good reason no, if I would have done something I would have probably felt a little better. My eating was not the best in the world either. Then yesterday I know my running clinic was meeting, and I almost talked myself out of going, but my desire to lose weight overcame my desire to sit at home. So I went and I struggled through it we ran 3/walk 2, the first 3 sets I did okay, then I ended up walking more than running, but thats okay. Then I stopped by the grocery store on the way home and done a quick stock up for the week. I almost got my a donut and then I thought I could stop at Sonic and get my some fried cheese stick but I managed to talk myself out of both bad things. I was happy with myself. I'm hoping my mind and heart are getting on the same page now with this weight loss journey and this decision will becoming easier in time.

I'll be posting my weekly Hot 100 challenge updates on Thursday night or Friday morning. Hope everyone has a great day.

Weigh In and Running Update

I did my running clinic this evening. We did run 2 walk 3 minutes for 40 minutes. I have to say it was still difficult for me and some of it was the course having some hills, some is because I'm a Fat Girl trying to run. I kept a close eye on my heart rate and most of the time while running it was in the 190 and while walking the 180s. I will do another run by myself Saturday, because on Monday we up it to 3run/2walk.

Now onto my weigh in. To my utter amazement I lost 2lbs this week. Guess this running helping and watching my eating a little closer. Thats 4 weeks in a row I've pulled a loss. That has not happened to me in a long while. So I issued a challenge to myself to see if I can make it another week with a loss. That would make me happy and the longest I went with out a gain or turtle. If I loss another 1.25 that will give a total of 16 and I would get a charm for my charm bracelet at TOPS and I might be able to earn of for this month for having a net loss of 4lbs. So I'll be doing some strength training and some more running in this week. I know I can do this.

New Challenge and Weight In Day

Well its Thursday which means another running clinic this afternoon before heading off to my TOPS meeting and weekly weight in. I'm tired today, helpful as the day goes on my mood and attitude will improve otherwise my run will not be fun tonight. I'm not to worried about the scale tonight, it will what it will be and it will show what it should. My exercise has not been the best, but I have improved on the eating front this week I believe so we shall see. I update my weight tonight when I get home.





Now onto the challenge I'm joining up with. South Beach Steve's Hot 100. You can check out all the details on Log My Loss here.


So my Goals for this Hot 100 Days Challenges are:


1. Track my food intake. I'm doing better on this, but have lots of room for improvement. I believe if I become more diligent with it, the scales will reflect my effort.

2. Do the 10k Spa Pace Race in November. I want to do a Run/Combo. I will decide on my run/walk minute combo as time draws closer. I did the race last year and walked the majority of it well I want to improve this year. My finish time I'm not so worried about I want to know I gave it everything I had when I cross over that finish line.

3. Exercise at least 6 days a week. So that means I need to add strength training in and that will help with my running and help me lose some weight.

I have no excuse to not being lifting weights, my hubby has an older at home weight bench that I can use, just don't so starting this weekend I will dust if off and put it to good use.

So what can/will you do in the next 100 days? Head over and join us on the challenge that carries us to the New Year. The holidays maybe a little easier to navigate since I'll have a challenge to help me stay focused.

Question I've been bouncing Around In My Head

The last few days I've had a couple of question that keep bouncing in my head.

One being why do I let other people affect the way I see myself. The guy that is/was leading the beginning 10k group, suggested I think hard about running with this group because they we going to pick it up and he didn't want me following behind. The clinic is supposed to be about people learning to run the time and not so much about pace. He made me feel like the Fat Chick that had no business being there. So when I ran Thursday I had a sweet lady run with me and did run with the group. I had a very hard time on Thursday. So on Monday when I meet up with the group another sweet lady who somehow know about the exchange between the man and me, told me she would run with me. She was so encouraging. I still was struggling. But the thing is I almost talked myself out of going because how the man talked to me and how I let it affect me. I made a promise to give it everything I got to the end of the clinic. I'm doing this for me as a way to up my game and get some weight off and to get back to doing something I enjoy.

Another question I've been bouncing around is why don't I do what I know needs to be done in order to reach my goal. I know I must exercise in order to lose the weight, but lately I have not been exercising much besides the 2 or 3 days I been running.


Question for my running buddies, how to you find your breathing rhythm while running?

Friend Makin' Mondays: Health and Body Image and Weigh In Update

First lets start with my weigh in update. I weight in Thursday night at my weekly TOPS meeting at 219.50 so I was down (.50), I'll take it. Thats 3 weeks in a row I've been down. I know I'll have to work extra hard this week to ensure another lose. I did my running training Thursday before the meeting and let me say, it was difficult, I could not keep with with my group, so I dropped back completely happy to do my on thing, but another more experienced runner joined me and she was a God send, I'm hoping she will be around this evening to run with me again.

And now onto Friend Makin' Monday Health and Body Image

Health and Body Image

1) If you could magically change one thing about your body, what would it be?
To lose my gut. I look like I'm like 6 months pregnant. It hurts when people ask when I'm I due, especially because we are having a hard time starting a family.

2) What is your best physical feature? I would have to say my blues eyes. Everyone always compliments me on them and its the one thing I love about myself and wouldn't change for the world.

3) Do you weigh yourself daily? Hourly? Weekly? Bi-weekly? Never? I weigh weekly at my TOPS meeting on Thursday nights and when I go to the doctor. I very very rarely step on a scale any other time. As a matter of fact I don't own a pair at my house.

4) Do you workout regularly? If so, how does if affect you from day to day? I try to work out regularly, at least 3 times a week. Its needs to be more and I"m working on that. When I do work out I feel energized and sleep better.

5) What is the healthiest thing you do for yourself on a regular basis? I drink my water.

6) If you could look like a celebrity, who would you choose to look like? Not sure I'm not big into celebrities. Don't get me wrong I watch tv and movies but just don't compare myself to them, because I know it aint never going to happen.

7) What do you do to make yourself feel pretty/handsome? I try doing my hair and make up. I've never been a girly girl, so I'm not good at things like that. But one of my goals for when I get below 200 is to do a mini make over. I want to have someone teach my how to do my make up and show my some different ways to style my hair.

8) What are you most attracted to in the opposite sex? Honesty, their eyes, and how he treats others. I'm not one who bases what I like strictly on looks, I want to be around be who has feelings and emotions and know how to express them.

9) Have you ever avoided situations because you didn't want people to see your body shape? Yes, in my family we have a saying that I'm a fish out of water. But over the years since I've gained a lot of weight and have become uncomfortable in my on skin, I don't go swimming like I used to. I went once this entire summer and that is so not like me.

10) How do you feel about your overall appearance? I"m not happy where I am, do I have a size or an exact weight in which I know I'll be happy no, but I know I'm working on my goals to become a more healthier, happier me. I'm working on accepting me for me. I know it will come in time.


Now it's your turn to tell us a little about how you view yourself. Don't forget to head over the All The Weigh and link up and share with us.

I plan on working on my workouts for the week and my eating plan and getting that posted sometime today.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday.

Pace for the Race

Monday started the annual Pace for the Race. Last year I lead the walking group and I've ran the walking group for Women Can Run the last two yrs as well, so I decided to step it up a notch or two. They have two 5k groups beginners and intermediate and then two 10k groups beginners and intermediate. I know I can walk and run a little and I knew I could do both distances, so I decided to go with the beginning 10k group with did 3min running/2 min walking for a total of 40 minutes. I did well, I survived I was slowly then the rest and the leader was concerned that I could not keep up when we step it up on Thursday. So I talked to the wonderful guy over the entire clinic and he going to get someone to run with me Thursday, he refuses to let me drop to the 5k because he believes I can do it. And you know what I believe in my most important. I'm looking forward to the next 13 weeks and seeing how far I can go.

Now for the blog award I received from Deb Will Be Thin.



I'm passing this award on to some of my favorite bloggers they are not all about weight loss.

Suzanne@Sugarloaf Cottage
Kelly@Kellys Korner
Loretta@Loretta's Journey from 460 to 199
Jen@ Suck It Up Buttercup
Jenna@Jenna's Journey
Laura@Running In the Delta
Scarlet@A 252 Journey to Being Free
Keelie@Real Fat
Jessica@See How She Runs
MB@ Why the Weight

Now 10 things that makes me happy.
1.Worshiping God
2.Family Time
3. Reading
4. Spending Time outside
5. Walking/Running
6. My TOPS group
7. Cooking
8.My dog Jackson and my cat Sassy
9. The dream of having children one day
10. Knowing I'm committed to losing this weight.

Have a wonderful night.

Weekly Weigh In

I had my weekly weigh in last night at my TOPS group. I was pleasantly surprised by the number that greeted me 220.00 I was down 1.5 from the week before. How was that possible, because to be perfectly honest my eating was horrible all week and my exercise while that consisted of moving things from my sister in laws house to in-laws house and moving things there to make room for her. I've been taking care of three household plus running my in laws business this week along with rearrange the offices and turning one office back into a bedroom. I have went home everyday not just physically tired, but emotional and mentally tired. I didn't to do as I said I would and take 20 to 30 minutes to exercise, but I will get back on track this week. I'm hoping things improve this week. I know I have to try hard next week in order to loss again, so I will be coming up with a plan this weekend.

When Life Hits Unexpectedly

My week was filled with unexpected issue one after another starting Friday. I was unable to do most of things I had planed for my weekend. But I could have found 15 to 30 minutes somehow each day to where I could have excised but did I, no I didn't. I need to make myself a priority. I need to stop thinking I have to help everyone else and take care of me, if I don't who will. Sometimes I have to pull myself back from the situation and ask if the shoe was on the other foot, would these people return the favor, to some extend yes. Yes I know that friends and family are there to support and help out where they can, but I feel like and they do to some degree expect me to handle a lot more of this situation than I should have/ and have too still. The only bright side I can see from this weekend problems is that I feel closer to my hubby and that this has made us realize somethings about ourselves and our commitment to each other.

I writing this here and now, I promise I will take 30 minutes out of everyday this week at least and do some form of exercise. No one or thing will take my commitment away from me, because I'm worth it.

Awesome Day and My First Blog Award

What can I say yesterday was a great day for me. I done a 5k walk/run and it felt awesome. Then I went to my weight loss meeting at TOPS and I was done 1.5lbs. One of the ladies there has had the lap band surgery and she was telling us some of the things that they are supposed to do in regards to their eating and one is not drink while you eat. You can drink up until you eat and then you should wait for an hour after you eat before drinking again. They say when you drink while you eat or immediately after wards you are washing the food away. So I tried doing that last week and I do believe it helped me.

And now onto my first blog award.

My very first award!!

Shrinking Blubeari gave me an award!! My very first one. :-) I feel like such a part of the blogging community now. :-D

Without further ado; the rules

1) Post who gave you the award.
I only recently started following Shrinking Blubeari. She sweet and funny. I do believe we have several things in common.
2) State ten things you like

1. Food. Cooking it and eating it.
   
2. Reading-- I can get lost in a book, once I start one I hate to put it down till its finished
   
3. Running. It truly gives me joy to be able to be working toward something I've never done much of.
   
4. Nature. I love being outdoors. I love to swim and love going camping
   
5. Spending time with my family
   
6. Reading blogs for inspiration and ideas
   
7. My TOPS meeting. Such wonderful support.
   
8. My dog- Jackson and my cat Sassy-- they are my children till we are able to have some.
9. My hubby been married almost 7 yrs. Love him to pieces
10. Friends- I have some of the best friends I could ever ask for
    

3) Give this award to three other bloggers and notify them with a comment

I love these ladies!!! Sorry if you've already gotten the award. You deserve it twice anyway. You guys are the best!!! :-D

Katie J@ Katie J is on her way
Jen@Suck It Up Buttercup
Shrinking Kenzie @ All The Weigh


These three are probably the first 3 blogs I started following on weight loss. They are inspirations to me. I love checking to see if they have update. Thanks you ladies

MIA for a month unacceptable

I'm can't believe I haven't blogged for a month that is just unacceptable to me. I get on the computer and read everyone blog, but just haven't felt like posting. I've have so many twist and turns and loop to loops on this journey of life this month. My weight loss has been nuts one week I loss next I gain. I don't understand whats holding me back, but I'm aware of it and will doing plenty of soul searching, praying and listening to figure out whats going on and how to move forward. I've also had lots of family issue, my moms dad who I call Papa has Parkinson disease and things have slowly went down hill this month. My mom and siblings have been taking turns staying with him and my granny to help out. It taking a toll on all of them but especially my mom. She does more than the others. She had a heart bypass in April of 09, and ever since her anxiety levels are off the charts. Her doctor still has not found the right medication for her yet. I keep telling her she needs to she someone besides her general doctor. My and my dad are afraid if somethings don't change she will end up having a nervous breakdown. So my stress from all the family issue is reacting havoc on my weight loss journey, am sure to some extend it is, buts I believe there is more to it.

I know I have PCOS. I have had blood pressure since I was 18 and high cholesterol since I was 23 or 24. I'm at an increased risk for heart disease, its on both sides of my family and an increased risk of diabetics that also runs on both sides of my family and along with being symptoms of PCOS. And one of my greatest desires is to have children. You would think I would be willing to do whatever I had to do to loss the weight so I could decrease my odds of getting one of the disease and to increase the odds of my being able to conceive. Yes it is a stated fact that it is harder to loss weight when you have PCOS, but I think I use that as an excuse sometimes when I don't try hard enough.

So I have decided to join up with Healthy Loser Gal September Success Challenge. My challenge to myself will be to exercise at least 5 days a week. I know I can do this, I've done it before. So I'm off to make me up a workout schedule.

P.S. If anyone knows how to make the tabs for the top of you blog where you can make multiple pages please let me know how. Thanks.

Freedom Challenge Week 4

1. Training for half-marathon in October. Yes I have started to train.
2. Save money for race in October. Need to pay
3. Declutter my home. Working on this. This will be a project that takes awhile.
4. Spend quality time with friends and family, especially hubby. Spent the weekend with my family will do a more in dept post on that later.

I have enjoyed this challenge and will keep working toward my freedom goals.

Freedom Challenge Update Week 3

Freedom Challenge Week 3

1. Training for half-marathon in October. Yes I have started to train.
2. Save money for race in October. I will paying it this weekend.
3. Declutter my home. Working on this. This will be a project that takes awhile.
4. Spend quality time with friends and family, especially hubby. yes, took hubby out to dinner after his court date last week on his birthday, and thankfully we didn't have to pay anything else. Going to spend the weekend with my family.

I spent a lot of my weekend doing things around my house and I'm trying to make it a habit to do something daily and I can tell the difference.

M

Freedom Challenge Week 2

1. Training for half-marathon in October. Yes I have started to train.
2. Save money for race in October. I have the money put back for the registration for the race, might pay it tomorrow after I see what happens with the hubby court date over a supposedly unpaid ticket for 2006, we paid it again last week, just have to appear before the judge about the warrant thats been out since then and we never knew, he been stopped since then and it never showed up till the other day. Then save a little each week till race day. And my mom going with me so we will do a little shopping.
3. Declutter my home. Working on this. This will be a project that takes awhile.
4. Spend quality time with friends and family, especially hubby. Hubby and I had a date night and hope to have another soon. Spend time with his sister and her hubby over the weekend and helped them moved.

So I didn't do much around my house and didn't get any real exercise in, the heat drained me from this weekend.

M

Another Year Older

Today I turn another year older. I done well this first week as far as my freedom challenges goes, but on the other hand my eating not so well, I been eating oreo's cookies almost everyday for the last week or so, I kind of know why, but its strange because I'm not a big sweets(cookies, cakes, pies, donughts) type person. But I think its because I've seeing chances in myself, like the way I look, the pounds slowly coming off, and maybe its scaring me just a little. I think I'm so used to being a bigger person, that I don't know what to do seeing the changes and realizing I might actually one day make it to my ultimate goal. And also maybe being a little depressed, this is the first year I haven't looked forward to my birthday, I'm not where I pictured my life being and some of that I can change and hopefully will over this next year and somethings I might have to accept some dreams may not ever come true, will be leaving that in Gods hand.

I will be celebrating my birthday with a wonderful homemade dinner cooked by me. Crablegs, corn, potatoes, and maybe some squash and zucchini I picked from my garden. Haven't decided if I'll go get my an angel food cake and strawberries for desert or not yet.

Each day is a new day and you have a fresh start, so today is about making the best choices I can. Letting go of the past and not worrying about tomorrow, easier said than done. I have to remind myself this is journey and there will be bumps in the road, and I'm the one who can choose how to overcome the bump. So I when I get home today I will be hiding them cookies so I won't be eating them, maybe the hubby will happly finish them off and if not then I'll think of something.