Checking In

Today's goal: Run 2 miles.

I got to run with my sister today.  We did the walk/run combo, but it was still a good run and I liked running with her.  I think having a partner helps, even though it will be rare for the two of us to run together much with our conflicting schedules.

Tomorrow's goal: Survive Nursery.

Does a partner help you with your goals?

Want to Help?

One of my favorite movies is The First Wives' Club.  It emphasizes the strength of women, despite the world expecting the Wives to keel over and stay out of the way.

There comes a point when the Wives realize that their attempts to find their place in the world have been too small. 

Which brings me to my point..... As I was running this morning I thought of this and when a few friends mentioned it as well, I thought I'd pose the question: Would you like to help me keep this blog on track with commentary, articles, opinions, recipes and other such things pertaining to health?  Several of us (okay, 3 people but still) are currently pregnant.  Most of us (as far as I know) are women looking for motivation to be healthier. 

Let me know if you want to participate.  Contact me (leave a comment, FB, email, whatever -- you know where to find me) if you have any other questions.

Back to Basics

In the Gospel we learn that if you're struggling with some of the bigger issues of doctrine, analyze how you are dealing with the smaller bits of doctrine. 

Having a hard time paying your tithing?  How's your daily praying? 

So it seems to be with so many things in life.  If you struggle with the big stuff, maybe you need to go back to basics.

And that's where I'm heading with this blog.  I've officially signed up to run the Turkey Trot in Syracuse, UT, in two weeks.  I plan to run the entire race.  But how am I supposed to do that when I can't even keep myself on schedule to run three times a week?  How am I going to have the stamina to run in colder weather than I'm used to, while I'm pregnant, and in the first race I've entered since I was in 8th grade?  It's a lot of swallow. 

So I'm going back to basics. 

I'm going to use this blog (once again) to keep myself accountable for my goals.  And the results.  Please feel free to comment, make suggestions, complain, encourage, or just say hi. 

My long-ish term goal: Run 5k on November 20 (in 15 days)
Today's run: 3.04 miles
Today's running time: About 38 minutes
Tomorrow's goal: Run 2 miles

I'm only allowed a total of 60 minutes of exercise time a day.  I'm trying to figure out which would be better -- do I run a little bit everyday with a longer run on Saturdays (starting next week since I had my long run today)?  Or do I run my 5k three days/wk and do a strength training video the other three days/week?  I'd just run, but my back feels so much better when I do strength training and Heaven knows how much my back kills me through pregnancy. 

Ideas?

The Bloggest Loser: Final Weigh In

Well, Friends, let's wrap this sucker up.  As was observed, my focus on staying healthy has waned a bit.  And I think everyone else has had a bit of the holiday distractions.

So, let's do a final weigh in.  Anyone who has participated is encouraged to weigh in.  We'll announce the winner next week. 

And in the meantime I'll try to figure out what exactly the focus of this blog is.  The Healthy Pregnant Woman?  The Way We Were: A Woman's Delusion of How Life is Supposed to Be?  I'm open to suggestions.

Check your total weight lost.  Remember to use your initial weigh in as your starting weight.  And tell me how you felt these last two months.  What can we do differently next time, in like 10 months?  Unfortunately, this weight loss thing is always something I can participate in, when I'm not pregnant.  So there will be a next time.

Thanks for playing with me.  Hopefully we'll all have a little easier time next year!

Bloggest Loser Day 59

Huge question:

Is it time to let the Bloggest Loser RIP?  I think it's the humane thing to do.  Back to just weekly goals.

Let me know what you think.  Tomorrow is Day 60, which is an ideal place to end.  We can do final weigh ins and start the whole thing back up when more people can participate.  Like me.

Please leave your comment and let me know what you think.

The Bloggest Loser Day 50 and Weekly Check In

Last week's winner was......

Cindy!

Okay, people.  Time to start weighing in again.  We're just over halfway through!!!  Remember, I'm out of the game, so I live vicariously through YOU!!  Lose weight for me, please.  My gut thanks you.

My goals this week: water, water, water.  And I'd like to make sure I run three days this week.  I missed last Monday.  Ironically, it was the first day after I completed the Couch to 5k.  And the first time I'd missed a day at all in ten weeks.  I think that was more mental than anything else.  Why do I give myself permission to give up?  I've got to change that.  Plus, I'm nearly sure I'll be running the Turkey Trot next month in Syracuse, UT.  I've got a few more details to hash out, but I should be there with my running shoes.  I've got to keep running so I can finish the race without much problem.  I'll be about 12 weeks along by then (give or take a week or two) so I should be able to do it.  Will you?

So despite all the Halloween candy, cookies, and any other yummy holiday treats you can think of, calculate your weight loss and TELL ME ABOUT.  (That's almost a Billy Joel song.)  Any new goals this week?

Bloggest Loser Day 42 and Weekly Goals

This week's Bloggest Loser winner was....

Carina with a loss of 1.37%!

Congratulations, Carina.  And congrats to everyone who actually LOST weight last week. 

I, for one, did not lose weight.  I'm not supposed to be gaining baby weight yet.  No, no.  I'm gaining Birthday weight.  We have yet to learn how NOT to pig out on birthdays.  Last week was Josh's.  Lots of excuses to overeat.  And then Josh got sick.  He had no appetite.  I had no real appetite.  Why the heck would I cook an actual meal that no one was going to eat?  But I have to eat something.  So I eat the ready-made junk food that I shouldn't have bought, but did anyway.  Another wrench thrown in my efforts to be healthy.

Also, this week I completed my Couch to 5k program.  I'm very happy about this.  You may have picked up on that fact since I mentioned it on my other blog and Facebook.  I just need to figure out what to do about it. 

As far as my goals for last week go, besides the cruddy eating and not enough water consuming, I did pretty well.

Goals for this week: Eat more fruit and less junk.  Drink more water.  I feel like I should be wearing a cow costume and holding a sign that reads "Drink mor watr" instead of the usual "Eat mor chikin."  But I don't need to imagine myself as a cow.  Not yet.

So tell me.  How'd you do?  Calculate your weight lost.  Successes?  Challenges?  You know, the drill...

The Bloggest Loser Day 34 and Weekly Goals

Here it is again.  The weekly check in for our weekly goals.

And the winner of last week's weigh in is:

Cindy! 

Who gained the least weight of 0%!

Last week must have been the week of gains.  We all struggled. 

So, in case you've missed my numerous announcements, I have the need to step down from the competition.  Pregnancy is not the best time to try to lose weight, weekly weigh myself, or take any sort of body measurements.  But I will happily continue to host the competition for the next 56 days.  And be prepared for a Season 3 in about a year or so.

Now my focus has changed to new weekly goals.  Suddenly, all the foods I've been avoiding sound over-temptingly good.  Never heard that expression before?  Well if you've ever been pregnant, you can figure out what it means.  And water doesn't appeal to me.  I desire nothing more than sitting around and watching TV or playing around on the internet.  It doesn't help that my check up with the doctor included her telling me that she's giving me permission to not exercise so intensely and only eat what sounds good.  Oy.  I'm in trouble.

So, here are my new weekly goals: get my water intake back where it needs to be, keep my running going but make sure my intensity is low, and try to stay away from the simple carbs.  Now that Josh's birthday is over, it should be a lot easier.  The German Chocolate cake I made from scratch was devastatingly good.

And, in case anyone is looking for a new 5k to participate in, my friend Tara is fundraising for her project "Choe's Sunshine Playground."  I think almost everyone that reads this is a mutual friend of hers and mine.  But this race would benefit a good cause and be a motivator to keep running.  I have to tell you that I'm very tempted to make the trip up for it.  The following Tuesday I'll be in St George for my sister and BIL sealing in the LDS St George Temple.  It would just be a matter of starting my vaca a little early.  I'm running nearly 5k now (I'm about to start week 9 of the c25k program) so I could do it, but it would mean taking off without Josh because he has to work that weekend in order to get the days off we need for the sealing.  I hate making trips without him.  In fact, after the last one I swore I'd never do anything without him again.  Of course, I said that after the trip I took without him before that as well.

In any case, if you're still in the running for the Bloggest Loser, find your loss percentage.  And jot me a note.  How'd you do?  Like Carina said last week, no subject is taboo.  I'll listen to anything.  And I hope everyone had a MUCH BETTER week this week!!

The Bloggest Loser Day 28 and Weekly Check In

This week's winner in our Bloggest Loser competition is.... (drumroll, please)...

Me!!  With a 1.41% loss. 

This is the first time I've won a week.  Ever.  I'm so happy!

As for the weigh in for this week, I have NO IDEA where I stand.  I'm a scale-aholic.  I step on the scale once a day.  Sometimes more.  It depends on how confident I feel.  Or how masochistic I feel.  Depends on the week.  But this week I just haven't thought about it.  So I'm clueless as to how my weigh in will go this week.  According to my bodybugg I should be on track, but we'll see.

I also had a set back with my shoulder.  I did something to mess it up on Thursday when I was doing my strength training.  Ugh.  It hurts.  Josh told me to lay off the weights for a few days.  I, of course, didn't want to, but I've learned one thing over the years: You always listen to your nurse-husband.

But enough about me.  Tell me how you did this week?  How are your goals coming along?  What did you do well this week?  What was your struggle?  Any new goals to add this week?  Figure out your loss percentage and then tell me all about your week!  I'm bored and need something good to read.

Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?

I've made a new discovery this week.  Workout videos are boring.

To do a workout video, you have to clean the room you're working in (always a pain with 1 or 2 2-year-olds hanging around), take over the TV so no one else can watch anything, and be surrounded by the reminders that you have other things to do (those stupid dishes mock me every single day).  Plus, it's the same routine every time.

I've learned this week that I'd rather go running for 5 days in a row than break it up with a cardio video in between my runs. 

Being outside is invigorating.  I know I'm at an advantage by living in Arizona, but it's starting to be more tolerable in the mornings and soon it will be absolutely heavenly.  I love the sounds, the smells, the freedom of the open road. 

Every morning I have someone to wave at.  It makes me feel a part of our neighborhood.  And if you've ever heard of Sesame Street, you know how important that is.

I have noticed that we have a few more people in our neighborhood than what the song describes.  We've got the electric company guys, the pest control guys, the pool guys, the landscapers (they even stop their work to wave as I run past them), the moms with strollers and dogs, the roller bladers, the "in shape" runners, the old guy, and many kids of different ages waiting for the school buses. 

However, I have yet to discover cheese in my neighborhood.  Or Ben Stiller.

Bloggest Loser Day 22 and Weekly Check In

I'm a little late this week.  Sorry about that.  I had no internet over the weekend and by the time we got home from my dad's house Sunday night, I nearly went straight to bed!!  That rarely happens.

Anywhooo...

Pam won the weigh in with a loss of 1.68%!!

Two weeks in a row, Pam!  You're doing something right!!

I have yet to officially weigh in for this week.  I was doing my weigh ins on Fridays, but I got a new toy last week and I set it up on Tuesday, so that is my new weigh in date since it won't let me weigh in any earlier than that.

It's a Bodybugg.  Like the one they use on The Biggest Loser.  You can get it at 24 Hour Fitness.  I'm loving it.  I track my food on the BB (Bodybugg) website, just like I was before, but my calorie output is constantly monitored.  I'm still in my programming stage.  After the first week it will be easier to figure out what my goal calories burned should be and that will dictate what my calories in should be.  I've been burning around 3000 calories a day.  It's been really fun to see.  There's a grid of how many calories I burn each hour.  You can see the spikes: when I run, when I grocery shop, when the kids get home from school, when I lift weight, when I do the dishes.  I like it.  It cost a pretty penny, but Josh justified that it costs less than sending me to the ER again because I don't know what my body is actually doing.  Josh is so good to me.

So, I'll be posting my weight loss in the comments section with everyone else. 

Goals for this week: Run, eat well, GO TO BED BEFORE 11PM, and drink lots of water.

How did you do this week?  Any good news?  Anything to vent about?  New goals?  Did you accomplish your goals from last week?  What do you think of the new Biggest Loser season?  So many people affected by deaths this season!  But the story that got me the most was the mother who had to take her daughter to the hospital because she didn't eat so she wouldn't end up overweight like her mother.  I bawled.  That one hits close to home.  I love my mom, but I've always worried about being overweight like her.  And I have three daughters.  It's a cycle I don't want to continue.

Anyway, tell me how you did and I'll post my loss on Tuesday!

Go Here for the weight lost calculator.

Questions of the Day

I'm wondering.....

What made you take the first step to begin getting healthier?

Like, the literal first step?  What made you pull that workout DVD out of its dusty case?  What made you begin trying to keep track of what you eat everyday?  What caused you to decide that you have a goal, a plan, and a desire?

My first step came about with a conglomeration of fresh starts.

Me.  About 40 lbs ago.

Josh and I graduated from college and decided to move away from Colorado.  The little college town we lived in stifled us.  We weren't happy and we wanted to escape.  We weren't opposed to staying in Colorado, but we thought we'd take an even bigger risk and move to Montana. 

And we did.

We moved the week between Christmas 2007 and New Years 2008.  A new lifestyle (no more college living), a new job, a new state, a new year.  I'd known I needed to lose weight.  With both of my parents Type II diabetics, I knew I was heading down the same path.  I had already had to be mindful of my high cholesterol.  It was time to let that first step finally happen.  And then the second.  And then the third.

So that leads me to my next question.

What keeps you motivated to keep going?

If you don't have a bad day, then you're not paying attention to your own life.  Sorry.  That there's reality.  What has kept you going during those bad times?

My latest bad time was from about January to July of this year.  Major plateau.  And I quit my consistent exercise or even caring about what I ate.

I had to remember...

What keeps me going is the need to be healthy.  I'll never forget the first time I saw my dad after he had been diagnosed with diabetes.  He discovered it when he lost a lot of weight.  I had never seen my dad so thin.  My dad.  The man I considered Superman.  The man I thought would always be the big, strong beacon of stability in my life.  Hugging him freaked me out.  I could nearly touch my elbows. 

I want my health for myself, but also for my family.  If I can prevent my children from crying about how unhealthy their mother is, then I'll be happy.  I don't want to lessen my time with my husband or kids because I was lazy or didn't want to say no to the bag of cookies.  I really don't know how preventable my parents' health issues are.  I have a feeling they're more preventable than not.  But their health scares me and I want to break the cycle before it becomes unbreakable.

So leave a comment with your story.  Or blog it and let me know so I can read it. 

What made you take the first step to get healthy?

What keeps you going?

The Unspoken Runner's Rules

I've Friended the Couch to 5k group on Facebook.  They have all sorts of posts all the time (about 50 times a day) and some of them I think, "That's nice."  Others I think, "Man, I wonder if anyone else needed to know about this."

One of today's links was to an article about the unspoken rules of runners.

If you are a runner, want to be a runner, or are considering being a runner, I highly recommend reading this.  It's pretty light hearted but touches on a lot of different subjects.

For Pete's Sake, Stand Still at Red Lights

Sharks die when they stop moving. Runners do not. Keep this in mind next time you encounter a don't walk sign at a busy intersection. There's no need to jog in place or dance from foot to foot like you have to pee. Just chill. Wait a few moments. Note: If a nonrunner waiting with you at the crosswalk is dancing from foot to foot, he or she may indeed have to pee. Give this person wide berth.  (A Few Rules To Run By By Mark Remy Runner's World)

 A Few Rules To Run By Active.com

Bless This Food

I came across this yesterday and thought it was pretty funny. Enjoy...

My (Birthing) Plateau Story

I think that anytime you do some life-altering event, people are always willing to support you. And help you, if needed. And offer lots of advice.

I've come to discover that getting healthy is like going through labor.... there is conflicting advice about everything. Everyone wants to share their successes and their horror stories. And their 1 in a million event that only they have ever experienced. Sometimes the water breaks, sometimes labor is induced. Some go all natural, some get as many drugs as possible. It's all so different for everyone.

But the other day Crisanne brought out a good point. How do you get past a plateau?

This is a good question. One I've been reading/thinking/asking/researching a lot about. It's something I dread happening again. How to we avoid or overcome it?

So here's what I've discovered either has worked for me or several different sources seem to agree with. It's my own birthing story, if you will, of how to get past a plateau.

FUEL

First and foremost, make sure you have enough fuel for your body. This is the part that I have the most questions about. Five small meals? Three regular meals and a snack? No snack? Big breakfast? Big lunch? How many calories? How many carbs, protein or fat? How do you eat healthily but keep the kids satisfied too? Can my grocery bill afford it?

I thought I had all this figured out until I got sick last week. I'm trying a few new things. I've decided to start using Calorie Count from about.com. You set up your personal information and it takes into consideration your activity level and fitness goals. I did read the best advice about how much to eat at which times of day: everyone is different, find what works for you. Your lifestyle, schedule, and physical demands are different than others'.

STRENGTH TRAIN

Here's something I didn't know.... Your body protects its fat. Simply said, your body will get rid of excess muscle before it will use its fat to burn fuel. So, you have to use and develop your muscles so your body will revert to burning fat. Plus, muscle will help your metabolism function much better.

Don't worry about getting all huge and buff. Just learn how to gain the type of muscle you want. Heavy weight with fewer reps will give you muscle mass. Lower weight with higher reps will give you long, lean muscles.

MUSCLE CONFUSION

Your body is always trying to find stabilize itself. That's why we get plateaus in the first place. One thing we can try is confusing our muscles. Alternate workouts. If you do a lot of running, add some swimming in there. Alternate videos. Try a different time of day. If you always workout in the morning, your body begins to prepare for your workout before you even change into your workout clothes. Let your body think it's going to work out and begin getting hyped up for it, but trick it by exercising in the afternoon instead. It'll burn more calories throughout the day. Tricky, eh?

Don't get stuck in a rut with the same old thing all the time. Try a new what, when, where, or how.

RECOVER

I read that you want to take in carbs and protein 15 to 60 minutes after your workout. You want the protein for your muscles and the carbs to keep up your energy.

Are you getting enough vitamins and minerals from your diet? Do you need a multi-vitamin? Mostly likely, a vitamin will be sufficient and you don't need to run out and get whey or something similar.

Get enough sleep. Josh brought up a good point. If you are the perfect Molly Mormon Momma and you fulfill your calling, and take the kids to soccer/band/mutual/Scouts/piano, and you work out twice a day, and you make love to your husband seven days a week (his example, remember), and you care for your garden, etc, you will still hit a plateau and stop losing weight if you are only getting five hours of sleep a night.

Hydrate yourself. I don't know that many of us can confidently say that we get enough water every single day. We need to replenish the water we've lost while sweating but also flush out all the impurities.

So, those are the things I've decided may be helpful. At least for me. Remember, every body is different. And adding a strength training routine may take a couple of weeks to see results. Muscle weighs more than fat (yadda, yadda) and adding muscle will change your inches a little. At least at first.

Maybe see if any of these things are worth trying. Give it a few weeks. And hopefully we'll all get through the plateau periods somewhat easily.

Bloggest Loser Day 14 and Weekly Check In

So much to report.......

First of all,

Pam won the weigh in with a loss of 2.3%!

Congrats, Pam! Glad your foot is finally feeling better!!

So let's get down to business.

This week was a major lesson learned. MAJOR. I ended up losing a mere 1.01% of my weight. Better than last week, and over 1%, so hooray. But after the week I had, I'm just happy I lost anything at all.

Yes, it was my birthday and I had a lot of good food. Hopefully I'll get the details about that on my other blog soon.

But beyond that, it was the trip to the ER that rattled me. Long story short, after a few days of breathing problems (every 4th breath was a conscientious deep inhale and I often felt like I couldn't get enough oxygen, like a yawn that isn't satisfying), I had Josh take me to the doctor on Wednesday afternoon because I had shortness of breath. I was worried that I had some sort of respiratory problem. I ended up with an IV of fluids, chest x-ray, CAT scan, EKG, blood work, and oxygen. Luckily, there were no clots or growths in my lungs. Everything looked healthy, except for my sodium bicarbonate level. It was very low. The doc thought I might be dehydrated since I was experiencing a metabolic acidosis, but I had no other symptoms.

It took a while, but we finally figured out (Josh figured it out, have I ever mentioned how amazing he is?) that I probably had ketoacidosis. What are these words I'm using? I had no idea.

Basically, I was keeping to my recommended online food journal, but the website doesn't take into account the person's activity level. I was eating 1200 to 1550 calories/day. My body wasn't getting enough fuel to run off of. Now, you want a deficit in your calories in order to burn fat, but when you don't get enough fuel you burn fat, muscle, and you begin to keep too much acid within your body.

In my case, the way my body dealt with trying to expel the extra acid was by breathing in more O2 and breathing out more CO2 (carbon dioxide is acidic, oxygen is the alkalotic buffer). The plan to fix it: eat more calories. It's taken me two days of eating anything I want (Italian food, cake, etc) and I'm finally breathing normally again.

I want to tell you about this for one main reason:

ARE YOU EATING ENOUGH????

You want to keep your food in control, but are you getting enough? I did a lot of research after getting home from the ER Wednesday night. It seems pretty agreed that with my rigorous exercising, I should have been eating at least 1700 to 1800 calories a day. Do you know your magic number?

As far as my goal to drink more water than Crystal Light (and then trying to cut out diet drinks altogether), I did pretty well.

Now that my eating is back in order and my breathing is almost completely back to normal, I have a lot of the same goals: eat enough, keep up my exercise, and drink LOTS of water. Oh, and watch The Biggest Loser this Tuesday. Hooray for season premiere week!

So, that was my lesson this week. Did you learn anything new this week? Did you accomplish your goals? What new goals do you have for this week. How'd your weight loss go? (Go HERE for the calculator.) Trials? Successes? Tell me all about your week!

A Letter to Me

There are some fun movies and songs out there than talk about going back in time. Some are do-over movies like 17 Again. Some are about time travel like Back to the Future. There's a song out by Brad Paisley talking about if he could write a letter to his 17-year-old self, he'd say all these different things.

I don't know that I'd write a letter to myself at 17. I got through high school just fine, with some minor heartaches. But who didn't?

Now, I might write a letter to myself from 10 years ago.

It would go something like this:

Hey, I know you're happily married and recently discovered that you are having your first baby. That's so great. You will be very happy.

Just do me a favor, would you? Do more Kegels, please. Jumping jacks suck.

Thanks, Me

The Bloggest Loser Day 7 and Weekly Check In

Here it is. Another week has passed and it's time to pull out the Honesty. How did this week go? Did you accomplish your goals?



It's also time for our first official weigh in. Go HERE for the Weight Loss Percentage Calculator. And prepare to share.

This week I accomplished my goal of registering for the Bone Marrow Drive. It's a huge commitment. You are put in the registry until the age of 61. Amazing, isn't it? But I think they said only 1 out of 20,000 people match. I did the easy part with the cheek swab. Now it's up to the database to do the rest.


I also worked out pretty hard this week. I did my running (including the extra run last night), I did my work out video 6 days, I kept my food journal and (mostly) kept on it. Still, I only lost .25% of my weight this week. Yup. That's half a pound. I've also been taking my measurements. Somehow I still lost half an inch in my bust, a full inch in my waist, and gained a half an inch in my hips. My body is shifting and changing, but that scale didn't move. I admit, I got really upset about it. Then I went and found THIS ARTICLE. I encourage you to take a look at it. It talks a lot about weight being deceiving and an unreliable resource for measuring weight loss.

The article encourages you to find out your body fat percentage. You can use an online tool HERE. ****Warning**** This tool places you in categories of Essential Fat, Athlete, Fit, Normal, and Obese. I'm no longer obese according to my weight, but I am according to my body fat. So be aware. It really sucks to see yourself in the Obese category!! But even with my gain in my hips, I lost .5% of my body fat last week. That's awesome.

After reading about all of this, I think we'll keep the traditional weight loss percentage winner, but instead of having a winner for the most inches lost, we'll have a winner for the most body fat lost. Or do you want to do both inches and body fat lost? That would be a potential of three winners. Chime in and tell me your opinion.

So here it is. Leave your percentage of weight lost. And your body fat lost, if so desired. Was this week easy? Harder than you thought? Are you hopeful? Or just plain discouraged. Btw, if you're discouraged, hang in there with us. This will all be worth it in 83 more days!!

And for anyone not Bloggest Loser-ing with us (and those that are), what goals do you have this week? Mine include all I've been doing plus drinking more water than Crystal Light.

The Run of Shame

Last night we went to a talent show at church which also had a dessert pot luck. I had a tiny bit of Millie's brownie. That's all. I stood strong and didn't give in to temptations even though my calories would've allowed me to have a cookie or two.

I was strong for two reasons: #1 I'm waiting until my birthday for permission to eat baked goodies. #2 I had a disappointing weigh in yesterday morning. More on that tomorrow when we do the check in.

But tonight I wasn't as strong. I ate Chinese food.

Oh, and it was good. I liked it. I could've eaten all of it by myself. I did pass on the rice, though. I don't know how many calories I consumed, but I'm pretty sure I cheated my butt off.

So I decided to go running. It was a run of shame. I don't know if it was the incredible number of carbs and sugar or the guilt that got me so rearing to go. But I ran well and enjoyed it. It was my first night run and I enjoyed some of the things I don't usually get to experience in the mornings. No Millie, for one. Also, there are so many different scents in the air. I loved the smell of the charcoal grills and the fresh laundry smells. I had a race with a cricket. He jumped once for two of my steps. Finally he realized I'm awesome and he jumped off the sidewalk.

I wasn't a fan of the dark, though. I don't know how many more night runs I'll get to do, but it was a nice change of pace. Even if it was simply due to transgression.

My Workout Buddy

Today was the first day that I tried to do a video after running.

Oy.

It was only in the low 90s this morning as I did my Couch to 5k. I'm on w4d2. It was cloudy and actually kind of cool outside (Monday when I ran it was about 10 degrees hotter out) yet I was tempted to stop and walk during some of my running time. I didn't know what was wrong with me, until I realized that I was running at a faster pace than I had on Monday without the stroller. What was up with that? Millie and I had a great time in the cooler weather. Then we came home and I did the strength training workout from Power 90. You know, the forerunner for P90X. I'm a bit old-school.

But every time I turn on the dvd player, Millie is right there trying to work out with me. She does squats really well. She also gets on all fours and blows her breath out really hard through her mouth. These are her push ups.

Today she was stretching with me.

Notice her lack of a shirt. That's because when I get done running my gross, sweaty cotton t-shirt comes off. Don't worry I still have my sports bra on. And it's my house and I think I can run around in my underwear if I want to. But, Millie see, Millie do.

Of course, Millie's cuteness is the best part of my workout. Maybe I'll be as cute as her in about 90 days or so.

The Freedom of Phoebe

Yesterday my sister and I went running before our separate Labor Day activities led us in different directions. Seriously. I think she went northeast and I headed southwest.

It was the first day I got to run in my new shoes. And I had no stroller.

It was like freedom!

Weekly Check In and Bloggest Loser Day 1

I know not everyone plans to play along with The Bloggest Loser, but it seems that everyone has a goal to achieve. So, every Sunday/Monday we'll combine both efforts. We'll report on our goals and weight lost. We'll just multi-task.

So, how did your goals go last week? I did pretty well with mine. Of course, I'm more excited than heck to use my new shoes for tomorrow's run. I can't wait!!! Am I supposed to be this giddy about running? I think I may be getting too much desert air.

How did your goals go last week? Success? Difficulties?

I have a new goal to add this week. This week I am going to do something that scares me to death, but it's for a good cause. A young woman in our ward has leukemia and needs a bone marrow donation. Unfortunately, she hasn't been able to find a match, so our ward is participating in a "Bone Marrow Drive." We'll just do a cheek swab to see if we happen to match. I know this is a good thing to do and I want to help if I can. This does, however, scare the living daylights out of me. I've never been able to donate blood because of my intense fear of needles. I've tried, but been rejected. And this is a lot more involved, but there's more of a demand for life, I think. Lots of people can and do donate blood. I've never heard of a bone marrow drive before. And the way this will be set up, even if we don't match the young woman in our ward, our info will be in the database for potential use for others needing a match. I get really antsy just thinking about it. But I want to do it. I can't let my fear and nausea keep me from possibly saving someone's life. I'm going to do this. The cheek swab will be nothing, so I can get through that easily enough.

What new goal will you add this week?

And since this is the first entry for the Bloggest Loser (a day early, but I don't plan to get on the computer tomorrow) be sure to post if you're playing. Don't forget to grab your initial weight and measurements. Take a before picture of yourself. And eat lots of chocolate, cake, cookies, and pizza. Oh, sorry. That was my inner competitive saboteur rearing her ugly head.

So tell me. How'd you do? Any new goals? Are you playing? Anything you need to get off your chest?

I'm here for you!

Shoes and Music

Today the love of my life bought me my running shoes. We'd created a plan to purchase these shoes, knowing they'd be pricey. I love my husband and my shoes were my birthday present. It's probably the first time in years that I've known what I want for my birthday.

So I got me some Nikes.

The experience was really kind of fun. He evaluated how I run and walk. After he figured out my mechanical needs, he had me try a few different shoes to compare my comfort with each of them. I was surprised at how simple it was, but how much I LOVE my new shoes.

Aren't they pretty?

So, the other birthday gift I got brought me into the 21st century (thank you, Cindy!) and I've happily used it every time I've run. It's my new mp3 player.

I'm loving it.

But tell me, what's on your playlists?

The Bloggest Loser Season Two -- Pre-Season

Like my icon? I find that it has a bit of a notable, however comical, look. Yes, I made it myself. Yes, I have no idea how to really make it. And yes, unless I can figure out how to make a nice looking one, this will be our rally sign during this competition. I know. You wish you had my talents. It's okay. We all have our strengths.

So, let's get ready to rumble, shall we?

The competition:

Lose as much weight in 90 days as is healthily possible.

Check in every week to report your percentage of weight loss.

Share your triumphs, challenges, advice, helpful links, and any other tidbits of info you can think of.

At the end of the 90 days, report your final percentage weight lost and (optional) total inches lost.

The Prize:

$10,000. Hahahaha! I wish! Would you settle for bragging rights? Because that's all you get, my friend.

Things to do before Day 1:

Weigh yourself. This will be your beginning weight you will use in your final weigh in.

Take a picture of yourself. This will be a good guide to help you see any changes your body makes.

Optional: Measure yourself, specifically your bust/chest, waist, and hips. You may see a greater result in your measurements than your weight.

We could have two winners: one with the greatest percentage of body weight lost and one with the greatest inches lost.

Don't worry:

This is all done by the honor system. You will never be asked to report your weight, measurements, or pictures. If you want to share to keep better track of the numbers, feel free. Just be prepared to report your percentages lost and the total inches lost if you choose to join that part of the competition.

We begin Monday, September 6th. Yeah, that's Labor Day. I do have impeccable timing, don't I?

And we'll still have a weekly goal check in for those that don't want to participate in The Bloggest Loser, but still want to set different goals.

You ready?

My BIGGEST Fear

I'm sure you've seen something like this before:

And if you're related to me, you've seen it at one of our family reunions. I love my family, but my cousin so correctly coined the phrase "Bailey butt" when referring to my female relatives on that side of the family.

Now, the Baileys have a regal lineage. We're related to the Spencers of Wales (meaning Princess Diana) and the heritage includes Lady Godiva and other notable royals. But the more current generations have got back. We're talking Sir Mix a Lot back (not a member of royalty, despite his self-proclaimed title).

So this is my fear. I've been losing weight, but it's mostly the weight I gained over the last several months. However, I'm almost at my lowest weight since I was pregnant with Emma, nearly 10 years ago. I'm so afraid that I'll plateau again. Then I'll be stuck with this Bailey butt forever. I know I have to confuse my body with my eating and exercising. If my body gets too used to everything, it will adjust and stay there.

I don't want to get stuck with this:

I'm really hoping that my efforts will continue to work before I hit a plateau. I'm afraid if I do hit one, I'll lose my resolve to keep moving forward.

Ah, genetics!! Why do you hinder me so???

Weekly Check In

It's Week 3 Day 1 of my Couch to 5k program. This morning I was joined by my sister Tara for my run. It wasn't bad. I was a little nervous to run more than 90 seconds at a time. My knees have been threatening to begin the overwhelming pain they gave me last year when I tried running. But I did pretty well. Tara did really well, especially since it was her first run in a while. We made it back and survived. If you can imagine that.

I kept to my goals this last week. I kept running like I was supposed to. I worked out twice during the week. And I kept my food journal. New challenge is to make sure I'm getting enough food because I've noticed that I'm starting to cut too much out. Sometimes finding that balance is tough. The good news: I lost another 3 lbs.

This week's goals: Continue running and keeping the food journal. But I think I need to step it up with a new goal. Something I don't think about all the time. (You don't know this because you're not sitting here next to me as I type this, but I had to stop and think about this for a minute.) I think I'll have to add the goal for personal scripture study. We do family scriptures, and I was doing really well with my personal scripture reading, but with my routine changes it got overlooked. So that's got to be put back into my day.

What are your goals? How did you do last week? Did you get your short term goal taken care of? What do you want to do this week?

I've got a suggested goal for anyone wanting to do the Bloggest Loser, which begins next Monday. Take this week to begin your new eating or exercising regimen. That way next week you can continue doing it (or tweak it to something that works better) and it may be easier to get the results you hope for. I think that was my downfall over the summer. I wanted to suddenly do a lot of things differently and demanded results that first week and just got bummed when I couldn't do it all. I lost steam and gained weight instead of losing it.

Anyway. How'd you do?

Cheating?

So I've been on this kick to cut certain things out of my diet. No sugar, chocolate, simple carbs, etc. You know, all the things I've always convinced myself that I could never live without.

It's been nearly a full three weeks now and I'm doing fine. I'm alive. In fact, I'm now trying to ponder what kind of cake I can eat for my birthday in a couple of weeks. I may not be able to enjoy a traditional cake after going about six weeks without baked goodies. So I've still got to figure this one out.

But I can't help but wonder if I'm cheating on the chocolate end. I haven't eaten anything I'd traditionally consider "chocolate". No candy, cookies, brownies, or anything like that. However, I needed an afternoon snack and bought some Kashi TLC fruit and grain bars. It didn't even register with me that they had chocolate on them. I was more concerned with the fact that they had no high fructose corn syrup, higher fiber and protein, and low fat. It's dark chocolate and it does taste really good. Also, I drink a chocolate protein shake after exercising. It's also higher in fiber and protein, no bad sugar, and lower in fat.

Am I cheating? I can't help but think of it like chewing gum on Fast Sunday. Am I chewing gum for the taste or am I chewing it to keep from burning the faces off of the people around me? That may be a controversial subject, not the point I'm trying to make. But I think that if I'm consuming these things for the health benefits and not the chocolate benefits, it still counts.

I think.

Run and Not Be Weary

It's the end of my second week of the c25k program. I've begun shaving time off my runs and that makes me happy. But as I was running today I thought of running that 1/2 marathon and thinking to myself, "I don't know if I can run for 2 to 3 hours." Then I reminded myself that I've been running/walking for 2 weeks. Of course I can't run for that long. Not yet, at least. I've just got to keep going and it won't be too long until I can run and not be weary, as the scripture says.

Right?

Inspiration

I saw a different version of this on Facebook, but it inspired me.

Derek Redmond couldn't compete in the 1988 Seoul Olympics due to an Achilles tendon injury. He underwent five surgeries and couldn't wait to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He was favored to win the 400 meter (he had shattered the British 400-m record at age 19).




Sometimes we're the son -- in dire need to finish but unable to do it alone.

Sometimes we're the father -- in dire need to help, no matter how many people try to stop us.

Thank you, everyone, for you support. And thank you, Mom and Dad and Josh, for always encouraging me. No matter what.

Thank you, Derek Redmond, for inspiring me to never give up.

Check In

It's Monday. Time to evaluate the goals we've made this last week and look forward to a fresh, new week.

Last week my goal was to begin my running regime and keep up on my food journal. Did it. Woo-hoo! And I lost two lbs this week. Bonus!

Plus, Cindy sent me an early birthday present. I got to use my new mp-3 player for the first time today. It was so nice to have someone else keep track of my time to run or walk. And who can turn down some good tunes?

This week I want to continue my running. I want to make sure I get at least two days of a workout as well. I'll keep up my food journal and stay away from the sweets.

I'll tell ya. I had some major temptations this week. I wanted some really good and gooey brownie batter. And ice cream. And chocolate in any form. Our church choir practice is held at the choir director's house and she always has some warm, homemade goodies to share. Yesterday were no-bake cookies. My mouth watered and I almost gave in. But if I had, I would've taken her up on her offer for two cookies. Then I probably would've snuck a third one. But I didn't. My will power to stop is not completely developed yet and I don't need the opportunity it test it. I won't always have to say No. Someday I'll be able to say, "Just one, thanks" again.

How did your goals go this week? We all have some good and admirable long-term goals. What is one short-term goal that you can complete this week that will help you with your overall goal? Mine is to keep running. It's getting to be something I look forward to everyday. That makes me happy.

Don Your Helmet

Tonight I went to a presentation about body image by Rachel Stewart and April Price -- More Precious Than Rubies, Truth About Body Image in a World Full of Lies.


I hope this doesn't come across as preachy. I heard a lot of info that I just had to share.



Images of women in the media (movies, TV, magazines, etc) are deceptive. A lot goes into creating the ideal woman.



I had no idea that $60,000 can be spent airbrushing the front cover of a magazine. Many actresses and models have their own airbrush artists.






In 2007, the money spent on ads for products designed to "fix" you equaled $500 billion.



$55 billion a year is spent on diet product ads.



A lot was said tonight about the way children respond to their parents' obsessions with their appearance. Kids pick up on what they should and shouldn't believe from their parents. Makes sense. My kids love to please me. Of course they're going to do what I do.



I also learned that in 2004, more than 300,000 teens (18 and younger) had plastic surgery.



The thing is this: Satan gave up his chance to have a body. Now, he'll do anything in his power to make sure that we mess ours up. Elder David A Bednar said that the tool Satan cannot have or use is his major target: our bodies.



So what do we do?



We fight. The purpose of this blog is to create an atmosphere to share health-related goals. Elder Jeffery R. Holland said that we need to eat right, exercise and find our optimum health. He said, "There is no universal optimum size."



We need to gather our armor and fight this war that is banging on our door. We need to gather our breastplates, no matter what sizes they are. We need to sharpen our swords and shine our shields.



And more importantly, we need to don our helmets. Because this is a mind game, more than anything else.



Here's our strategy of attack:



1. Remember your divine worth and the reason you came to Earth. We came to this Earth to gain a body and be tested. We use our body to take that test. We have to remember that our body is not the test.



2. Forget yourself and serve others. You can't focus on yourself if you're helping others.



3. Fight "Fatism." We can't judge people by their shapes and sizes. It just promotes unhealthy images.



4. Remember bodies have power. "All beings with bodies have power over those that do not" -- Joseph Smith. We have the ability to overcome Satan and his temptations.



5. Question media messages. So many of the messages we see are an illusion.



6. Affirm your body is perfect the way it is. This was the greatest point made, I thought. 70 - 80% of your body is determined by genetics. You didn't come to Earth to get a body, you came to get this body. Your body is the one Heavenly Father wanted you to have, flaws and all. "Therefore, my body is perfect. Heavenly Father does not make mistakes."



I had to stop and think about why I'm making the goals I am. It comes down to this: I want to be healthy. Of course, I also want to be comfortable with how I look. And I know Heavenly Father wants that for me too. He wants me to be happy, but He has also entrusted me with my body. It's my responsibility to care for it. I need to nourish it, exercise it and keep it medically sound.



I need to don my helmet and keep myself in check. I have power and control over my body, whether I recognize that or not. It's up to me to know what I need and not let mainstream media tell me what I need.

I don't need to be stick thin. I don't need to have perfect hair or skin. I've been deceived by the media before. Here's me at age 19:

My eyes have been airbrushed to be more open, my loose strands of hair have been erased, as well as the red birthmark under my right nostril. My lips were added to. I had gone to an acting agency and this was my final headshot. I soon realized that the agency didn't want to promote me. They wanted to promote what I could be after being computerized and altered.

I'm not falling for that again. I'm going to get healthy, but I'm not going to lose myself in this war.

Can You Handle the Heat?

Holy sweat fest, Batman!

It's beginning to cool down a bit around here. Today's high is only supposed to be 104*. This puts the temperature somewhere in the low 90s when I run in the morning.

Today sweat poured into my eyes. Ugh. It was gross, although my main concern was how much it burned!! Note to self: Sweat in eyes = "Ahhhh!!! It burns!"

But it was my 5 lb t-shirt afterward that shocked me (and made me throw up a little bit in my mouth).

Am I seriously writing a post on the internet about how much I sweat while I run?

I guess so. But all this sweat is making me a lot more mindful of drinking more water through the day. So that's good. And I'm actually enjoying getting out and just running. It's a bit liberating. I'm still at that walk/jog phase, but I'm doing it.

The only other time I ever really ran was in gym class in high school. We had to run a mile and a half as part of our grade. I remember groaning about it because it was hard to do. But once I got started, I liked it. I found my pace and finished at a decent time. Of course, our whole class got yelled at by the gym teacher for not finishing the 1 1/2 miles in 10 minutes like her star basketball player. Still bitter about that one.

The Ah-Ha Moment

I'm trying to get myself in order. I think I've reached that Ah-Ha Moment. My body is stuck in a rut. And although my husband (who is the greatest man in the world) loves me no matter what, I want to love that way I look. I'm sick of rockin' Mom Jeans.



In case you missed it, here is the worst line, "Get the jeans that says, 'I'm not a woman anymore. I'm a mom.'"

It's sooo wrong!

What??? Moms can still be women? They can feel beautiful, and happy, and maybe even (dare I say it?) sexy??

I'm going to step out on a limb here and say: Sure. Why the heck not?

Last week I established the routine of walking the kids to their bus stop and then taking Millie for a stroll through the neighborhood. It's helped me get into a good mindset that I'm going to use that time from 8 - 9 am to exercise. This week I'm alternating between my c25k program and my Biggest Loser workout. Today was the workout. It went fine, but I was kind of halfhearted. I let Millie distract me a bit. It wasn't that I didn't want to do it, because I actually did. I think I'm off my game a bit because I only have my 8 lb weights (I left my 5lb ones at my parents' house in MT) and my muscles are a little scared of those heavier weights.

I'm also trying to stick with my No Sweets Policy. Last week, with just my walking and my no sweets I lost 3 lbs. That's right! So, I'm very nervous to let myself have any sweets. Because I'm afraid I'll go overboard. I don't know how many years it's been since I didn't go more than two days without some form of sugar. Probably why it's been so hard to lose weight!!

You may be thinking, "Shelly, you're so adorably ridiculous!! 8 lbs isn't much to lift! And no one in their right mind would be that addicted to sugar."

My reply to you is this: Yes, I am adorable. Thank you.

Also, I'm discovering that I've lost control over my body and habits. I let it go and didn't worry about it. Now I'm taking it back. It's really hard and I don't always want to do it, but it's necessary. I can't stay in the weight bracket I'm in. It's not healthy. And it's not going to be easy to not gain the old weight back if I don't change. I'm already 30+ lbs less than I was two years ago. I'm not going back to that weight again!! Not unless I'm pregnant. And then I'd like it to be baby weight, not:




Been there, done that!

Never again, thank you!

Helpful Links

If you have any links that have been helpful to you, let me know and I'll add them to the links on the right.

First Day of My 1/2 Marathon Training

Today was my first day of the Couch to 5k program. I think this is going to go well. I've been home from my walk/run for about an hour and a half and I think my face is finally back to its original color and not flushed anymore.

The idea of this program is to slowly get your body used to running with a walk/jog combo. This week I run three days using a combination of jogging for 60 seconds and walking for 90 seconds.

Today's song that I sang over and over again (because I needs me an mp3 player or ipod) was "You Look Good in My Shirt" by Keith Urban. Mostly because I hoped my t-shirt was long enough to keep my booty covered. I'm sure I got people thinking of Jell-o as they drove past me. A bit too much junk in my trunk!!

Veronica and I are trying this new fad called, uh, jogging. I think it's jogging, or yogging. It might be a soft 'j'. I'm not sure but apparently you just run for an extended amount of time. It's supposed to be wild.

--Ron Burgundy, Anchorman

Josh talked to a coworker who is a seasoned marathon runner. She suggested to stick with a program to slowly work my way to running 3 miles (about 5k) and then start running for time, an hour at a time or so, until I can run for 3 hours. I only have a few months to train for this, but I want to do it.

My goal race is called London's Run. It's local and affordable. Some of these races are kind of pricey, but this one is do-able. Plus, all the proceeds go to local children's charities. You can't beat that!! And to add to the fun my sister, my brother-in-law, and my cousins plan to join me. Awesome!

In addition to my new exercise regime, I've begun trying to watch my food intake more. Last week I gave up refined sugar. Hardest thing I've ever done!! I'm a self-proclaimed choco-holic and giving up chocolate is rough! This week I want to focus on keeping my food journal. That should help with several aspects of my diet.

Please feel free to comment, but also join in. What is your fitness goal? We'll begin Bloggest Loser, Season 2 on September 5th. The person with the great percentage weight lost wins.

Get ready!!!