Weeks 8&9 – Home Comforts and Back on Track

Going home...everyone always enjoys friends, family and their favorite foods. I did just that and put two pounds back on. :/ I fully knew what I was doing, even logged my calories still but I decided I was going to enjoy all the comforts of Chicago food. I would just work it off later and I did just that! Last week I got rid of the weight I gained and broke even of where I was before being sick and traveling. Down 12lbs and about 1.5 pant sizes!

Now that I am back on track and in my regular routine I hope to keep dropping more pounds. I have diet down for the most part. I know what's good and what's bad and still eat some of the bad cause I like it in moderation and I know I am not one to totally cut it out at this point. My physical activity needs to be kicked up though. Got to Zumba last week which was great and glad to be back but that was all I did. I just feel like there is not enough time in the day..especially me time at that, so I am lacking in putting me first which I need to work on from time to time.

In other exciting news my husband is having awesome success already since he started tracking his calorie intake. It has helped so much in our house that we are both in this together. He is being so good on food I start to feel guilty if I want to indulge just a bit on sweets (my weakness).

Hoping to get walking more and I really need to start a yoga or Pilates routine soon to help with my muscles and strengthening.

-Becca

Christy: Week 2 Training

Well, the first week was grueling and I had a few thoughts like "I'm not prepared to do this!"  However, I did it & it's over! Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday I ran 3 miles. Saturday I ran 4 and tonight again (Sunday) I ran 3.   Tuesday & Thursday I was out the door by 5am because my husband leaves for work by 6am. In case you were wondering, it is still dark at 5am! Because I couldn't see, I stubbed my toe, smelled skunk more than once, saw a raccoon cross the road and a momma & baby deer. All this while running around my neighborhood before most humans are awake! The bright side is that I get to run in the street since there are no cars and it is much cooler than when I ran in the evenings. Did I convince anyone to join me? LOL  It is very rewarding to reach your goals.  Each week I have an opportunity to challenge myself in a new way and watch how far I've come.

Week 2 comes with its own challenges but is thankfully enough like week 1 that I'm not too freaked out about it. The only difference is that I'll run 5 miles on Saturday instead of 4. I'll also be running my first 5K (in over 7 years) on Sunday (June 30th).  I am looking forward to seeing my time and getting a feel again for the adrenaline that comes with the racing atmosphere. I won't be too concerned about my time only because I'll have had my long run the day before.

Some things I learned this past week are that I need to sleep more! I read somewhere that for every mile you run, you should go to bed 10 minutes earlier. So if I run 3 miles, I should go to bed 30 minutes earlier than I might usually go to bed. I think this will be a good habit to practice.

I also need to eat better. I don't need to say much about this...I need to keep up the protein, incorporate iron, stop eating junk known as fast food (same song and dance most of us struggle with)...maybe I need to go back to MyFitnessPal because this is one area of accountability that I've been slipping.

The other item I need to go back to incorporating into my weekly routine is weight lifting. I miss it so much! I am going to try to do 30 minutes once a week through the summer and then increase once the kids go back to school in September.

The main regret I had this week was drinking more alcohol than I usually might. The reason being is that we picked strawberries last week and so all this week we've been indulging in strawberry daiquiris! So yummy and the only time of year we do this! I can't keep up with the demand of running at that rate!

I'm so excited my Mom will be staying with us the next 2 weeks so I have no excuses for not meeting my goals! 

Christy: Week 1-Training

My apologies for missing a few weeks. No real reason why other than lots of "life" things and schedule changes now that the kids are out of school for summer. A little bit about where I am at right now:

I've essentially met my goals in terms of weight loss- since January 2013 when I started blogging. I fluctuate in the upper 140's and I'm completely comfortable with that! I feel great, I've got good energy, I am comfortable in my own skin, and so on! While I would like to work on getting more "definition" or tone for certain areas of my body (arms, stomach, etc)... I also know that I can't get back into lifting weights until the kids go back to school in September. Seems far away but in reality it isn't and I can wait because I've got other goals on my plate.

This week I postponed using MFP to keep track of calories. We are on vacation and I knew I wouldn't have time (or desire) to keep up with it! I am contemplating no longer using this tool for the rest of summer, again, mostly because I am on the go so much but also because I have a very good idea of what to eat so as to maintain my weight. In addition, in the summer months, we eat so many fruits & veggies...it is hard to go wrong this time of year! As long as I don't drink too many beers!

Since I have met my weight loss goals I was feeling a little out of sorts as to whether I should continue as a blogger on this site.  As I was thinking about this, I was also planning my next personal goal. If you've been following my journey then you know that I have used running as my main choice of cardio in my exercise routine. After all these months I can say that in some ways running has gotten easier and in some ways it is still so challenging. This combination is proof to me that running is the right fit for me. I recently joined a local running group called "Moms Run This Town" the Cleveland East chapter. Such an amazing group of women who have all turned to running as an outlet, source of strength, avenue to achieve personal goals, and so on! Being part of this group- though I'm still so new- has motivated me to keep running as a lifestyle.

This week I will start a 16 week training plan that will result in my ability to run 13.1 miles (a half marathon). Am I going to run a half marathon race? No...at least that is not in my plans for the moment. I do plan, however, to run a 10K in October. I am approaching this training plan with a grain of salt (if you know what I mean)...it is likely that I won't be able to keep up with it (due to vacations, illness, injury, the unknown) and it is likely that on a day I'm suppose to run 6 miles, I can only manage 4. You just never know and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. We'll see!

My guess is that through this new journey I will continue to lose a few more pounds, that I'll continue to eat in ways that support my body's need for energy & strength, and that I'll learn what I am capable of in ways I can't imagine at this moment. A very different approach to weight loss...but part of my journey none the less.

Goals this week:  run 3- 3mile routes and 1- 4mile route.
Regret from last week: Eating a Rosatti's turtle. I was thinking it was a tin roof- got the two mixed up and didn't realize it would have caramel & pecans...neither of which I'm a huge fan of but I ate it anyways because I ordered it! If I was going to ingest all those calories at least it should be for something I really love!

If anyone is interested in running with me I'd love the company! Early mornings or late evenings :)  It's good to be back!

Becca - Week 6&7

Well the past two weeks have been quite the roller coaster! Week 6 I had an awesome week. Ate well and did my  Zumba workout. I felt great! When I stepped on the scale for the week I had almost lost 3lbs! I was shocked! I was so excited! I am only 6lbs away from my pre-baby number 2 weight and she isn't even 5 months old! Wow it is an amazing feeling! I wish I had done this well after baby number 1! I even went to the pool that week and wore a swimsuit and even though it isn't where I want to be I was proud of myself for wearing the swimsuit and not being self conscious and comparing myself to everyone else like I have in the past. I did after all just have a baby and can use that excuse for a little longer. Also having pants that fit correctly make a world of difference on how I feel.

Week 7 was a whole different story. I got pretty sick one day and on top of that the baby started not sleeping well and was getting up every two hours so I did not get the much needed rest required to feel better. So at that point I was just trying to eat whatever sounded good since I didn't feel like eating much cause of my bad cold. This past week has just been a getting by week. I ended up a pound from my three but I will take it since I didn't workout or eat the best. I am still close to my first major goal and I really don't want to undo everything so I will keep doing my best as I continue to get better.

In other news I finally got my husband to join the MyFitnessPal app and he is starting to be more active in his fitness and eating better routine so that will help me too in making better food decisions and not doing impulse mocha stops and such. We were just talking about how great it is because it really makes you look at the fast food and beverages in another way and if it is really worth that many calories to consume whatever you are considering getting. It also helps pick possibly a better food option in the process. Nothing's perfect but it is a start!



-Becca

Becca - Weeks 4 & 5 - My pants don't fit!

My pants don't fit...it's a good problem because they are too big. It is a bad problem because I am still wearing pants that are too big. With the loss of over 9 lbs since April 1st I have lost a pant size which feels amazing. The only problem is when I went to get all my summer clothes I could not find my pants/capris in the new size I need. So I continued to wear pants that are too big. Besides the obvious problem of them practically falling off and looking bad in them I ate like I was "skinny" and feeling good. Lots of my friends suggested wearing yoga pants which are great and comfy but I can't wear those everyday. I need regular pants to help me gauge how I feel. If I feel a bit uncomfortable then that gives me motivation to continue my journey and be active.

So the last two weeks I haven't lost any weight nor did I gain any so I will take it over gaining. Now that the holiday weekend is over it is time to get serious again. I have new pants that fit and it is time to start wearing them and stop slacking!

I really want to work on carving out some more "me" time in my day to work out. Even if it is just 20 minutes. When I was on track I feel like I have was doing a good job with my diet. Still could be better but it is much improved from before. I need to up the exercise now to get more energy and burn more calories!

Here is to hoping some more progress is made in the next two weeks!

-Becca

Allyson | What's with all the 'racket'?!

I’m back! I’m back to blogging; I’m back to working out regularly; I’m back to drinking loads of water each day; I’m back to saying ‘no’ to sweets!

Preface: I wrote most of this blog over a month ago, just never finished or posted it. There is a bit at the end that is current as of 5/22/13.

It’s amazing the simple activities you can begin to enjoy when you don’t feel like death from carrying around so much extra weight.

I have always thought I hated tennis. Colin enjoys it quite a bit: he played on his high school team, goes out on weekends with his dad, and watches it on tv. A couple years ago he would drag me out from time to time to play with him and I absolutely hated it. I hated running around the court and I just couldn’t get the hang of how to use the racket. [I played softball growing up and just couldn’t shake whacking the ball with all my might…needless to say, not very many balls stayed in the court.] Since I hated it, I stopped going with him. I probably have not played at all since I have lost weight.

Saturday [sometime in April] was a little glimpse of spring in our nook of NE Ohio so Colin made plans to play tennis with his dad.  He asked if I wanted to go along and because I wasn’t thinking [as my thought process was scrambled due to the rare occurrence of sunlight], I agreed.  I was excited to wear my tennis ball-colored t-shirt, new hot pink sports bra and matching headband, so I didn’t even think about the activity in which I was about to participate.

To my total amazement, I actually enjoyed playing! I am absolutely no good- still trying to slam the balls out of the court- but I put forth effort to try to get to the balls and chase after them once I hit them across the three adjacent courts. [Colin’s poor dad…I really had him running all around trying to get the balls I hit to his side!]  At one point I even told Colin I was having a really good time [actually having fun, not just getting through it] and I think the reason was because I didn’t feel like I was dying as I chased after tennis balls. We realized that that day was the first time I played tennis since I lost weight and it was eye-opening to realize what a difference 40 pounds makes.

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Since that epiphany, we have been to the courts several more times over the past few weeks.  I must say, I am improving with each time we go out!  I actually WANT to get out and play, I don’t want to leave the courts, and I have to talk Colin into staying longer! Sometimes I still get down about not being a Williams sister, but Colin tells me I’m doing well and I’ll keep getting better.  I joked that I might be better than him one day but then quickly recanted, to which he responded, “You never know. You also never thought you’d run a 5K.”  What a great, encouraging guy! Colin’s dad is also very encouraging, gives me pointers, and picks on Colin to make me feel better =)

Physical activity in general is just so much easier now that I am fit.  For instance, we buy the mega 42-pound bag of Fresh Step from Sam’s and I could hardly get it in and out of the buggy. Well, folks, I just bought some yesterday and carried that sucker to the check-out [from the complete back of the store] and to my car all on my own!  You should see my guns =P  I can go on longer bike rides, take Brinkley on longer walks, challenge myself with more intense workouts, and participate in more events.

While looking good is a great outcome to weight loss, I’d say feeling better is an even greater accomplishment!

Christy: Week 18

Hello everyone! So much has happened in the 2 weeks since my last post. Lately it seems like I've been writing the same old stuff, stuck with no weight gained or lost, and I finally followed through with some advice that another blogger shared to help break through the plateau I had been experienced. It was so simple....she said "drink more water." I did...and I lost weight!  Ok, so I still don't have a good system to record or track my water/liquid intake. However, every time my glass was empty, I filled it back up. Every time I left the house, I had a bottle of water with me.

Something else happened that was a wake up call and possibly another (unknown) factor behind both my recent plateau with weight loss AND possibly also had something to do with the heart arrhythmia's I was experiencing (which have ceased with the removal of caffeine).  I had a doctors appointment last week which included a blood test. While the results came back great for the reason behind the tests...the physician reported I was "severely anemic." This is the first diagnosis of this kind I've ever had.

Honestly, I replied back to the doctor "Really? are you sure? what are the signs because I feel great!" I was thinking to myself "I've never felt better, never eaten better in my whole life! how can I be anemic?"  Seriously, I eat fish, spinach, bananas, raisins, and a host of other foods that have iron in them! And I've included that multi vitamin into my diet.  So I don't eat those foods every day and I forget to take the vitamin once in a while....but during the week I consume these for sure!  I exhibit absolutely NO signs of severe anemia.  BUT this isn't something to play around with so I started on an iron supplement. Crazy thing is it can take up to 6 months for my levels to get back to normal!

The other thing that happened to me over the last couple weeks was being invited to participate in a local "Moms" area running group. This is another area that will hold me accountable to follow through with not only running but challenge myself too as I strive to increase my distance. I am secretly very excited to be part of this group and can't wait to start meeting up with these women and hearing about their running-life stories! Good luck by the way to all the Marathon/ Half runners I know who are racing this weekend! You are very inspiring!

My current weight is 148- my short term goal is 145.
My focus lately and in the future is on my diet & water consumption
I plan to run more and more outside now that the weather is consistently nice (early evenings if anyone out there wants to buddy up!)
I regret not sleeping more lately. In other areas I've been good! No crazy splurges or cravings. Been meeting my work out goals. I regret not recording 2 days on MFP--they were two days when I did not work out & thus I just knew I wasn't going to make my calorie goals, so I didn't record the numbers because I didn't want to face the facts! I need to face the facts to stay on track!

I NEED to figure out my work out schedule soon with school letting out...may be a combo of running very early or late in the day.. squeezing 30min of weights on other mornings.. and at least 1 day/wk of putting the kids in the tot room (they can handle that right?) for my longer runs? Ugh...mixed feelings about the changes ahead! I'm not worried about staying active enough to maintain or lose weight. I am nervous about losing the stamina I've developed through running.