January Stats and February Challenge

Hey Everyone! Here is a new challenge for February if anyone is interested in doing it. I posted the challenge on my FB fitness page as well. I think there are quite a few of us that are going to do it.

Also now that January is done, I thought I would go over how I did for the month.

Starting weight Jan 1st was 169.5
Ending weight Jan 31 was 155.0

Total loss of  14.5 lbs!!

Running:
For the month, between elliptical, running outside and on the treadmills, I ran a total of 119.31 miles! Holy Cow!

Ok so onto last night.

The gym had a screw up. Initially they said that last night was now going to be Combat instead of RPM while Eric was gone. Well ok. I thought I would give it a go. Combat is like martial arts. I thought maybe this is what my body needs to mix it up and finally lose the one pound til goal.

Then Eric let me know that it was a screw up. Which is good. I think lots of us may have revolted if that was going to be the new Thursday schedule until Eric came back.

So I didnt get an early start like I hoped from home. I got a late start. Aaron made it all the way in to his office yesterday but then had traffic and weather to contend with coming home.

So by the time I got to the gym it was 45 minutes til class and I could sign right up.

I ended up just doing an easy 3.5 miles because I knew I would be working my legs more in spinning. I also did my song technique and put the towel over the readout and said that I wouldnt check my progress til song 9. By then I had just under 3 miles in.

Nina did a great job teaching RPM. She isnt as technical as Eric but she did a LOT of really good old school songs that made it fun. A lot of them I had never even done before which makes it refreshing too.

All in all, I burned 944 calories last night.

I stayed on track all day with my eating yesterday too but when I got home I added a few extra things. Some of the gluten free, multi-seed crackers, a smidge of chex mix that my FIL made (its a weakness. I love his chex mix), some coconut water, my orange juice, cheese stick and my regular clementine.

This morning I weighed in at 154.5. Now normally I would be happy with a loss. But really? The scale is KILLING me! LOL. Half pound til goal. Really? Ugh.

Here is my plan of attack for tonight.
Tonight is my Zumba class. Normally I would run before hand. This time I think I am going to switch it up and see if I can confuse my body a bit.

I will start off by running to get the heart rate up. If I get to the gym 45 minutes before class, I will run for 25 minutes. I am going to challenge myself and try running at 6.0-6.5 intervals.

Then I am going to do some kettlebell work. Some squats with them and maybe use the BOSU ball. Get day one of my challenge done.

Then do Zumba. Afterwards I may run again. Not sure. I will have to see how I feel.

Today for my meals:
Breakfast: Ab juice, English muffin with PB, hard boiled egg
Lunch: celery and hummus, pretzels, peanut butter, hard boiled egg
Dinner: string cheese and clementine

I am cutting out the apple from lunch today to see if the reduced sugar and increased protein help me burn that last pound at the gym tonight. Sort of an experiment and we shall see.

Have a great Friday everyone!!

Tip of the Day:

Getting It Done LA Style...

Good morning my fellow peeps!

Yesterday was a great day. I stayed on track with my eating. I didnt binge and my body released a TON of water yesterday from the lactic acid build up. I could tell that by how much I was peeing LOL.

Then last night I had my eye appointment. My eyes having changed much from my prescription so that was a good thing. New glasses and contacts are on there way.

Then I made my way to the gym. I was a little nervous because I was driving my husbands car which is a stick shift. I have driven it only a couple times before. I stalled it a couple times and I may or may not have given it too much gas and ca chunked it once, but I was proud of myself for doing it and going on the expressway WITH the end of rush hour to contend with.

So when I got to the gym, because I was on my own, I decided to do an easy run at 5.5mph for about an hour and then walk for a few before going to do my weights.

I made sure to throw a towel over the read out this time and just turned on my iPod. I decided that the average song is 3 minutes and that I would check my progress after 10 songs. WELLLL...I sort of lost count and then when I picked back up counting at 4 (which was probably 6) I just continued from there to 10. When I got to 10 and I peeked part way thru song 10 I was already at 4.48 miles! Holy crap! So I whipped off the towel and finished up 5 miles. Then I walked another 0.25

Off to the weights I went. First I started with a 20lb barbell. My first move was curl bar pullovers. Basically you lay on the bench have the bar pressed up all the way with arms extended above your chest and move your arms back over your head so the bar is parallel with the floor and then bring it back up. That is for your back. And boy did I start to feel it. 15 reps round 1. Then I stood up and used the barbell for bicep curls. 15 reps. Then I did mountainclimbers (fast) 30 reps. Then I repeated the circuit two more times this time with 30 and 40 lb barbells and I also upped my reps for the mountainclimbers.

Then I moved to the back of the gym in the raised portion. I did a move called an Ax Chop on each side starting with 25 lb, 15 reps. Great for the abs, back and arms. Then I went and worked on a machine for my back. I started off with 30 lbs. Oh baby. I repeated those two exercises one more time and increased the weight of the ax chop to 27.5. I only did 2 circuits here because it was starting to get late and I still wanted to get some ab work in.

Then I moved down and grabbed a weighted bar and did some weighted bar sit ups on the inclined bench so my head was lower than my feet. Then I went over to another inclined bench where my feet are lower than my upper body and the bench only goes up to my waist. I did crunches there using a 25 lb weight that I just hugged to my body. I repeated that circuit twice.

Then I did some side bends with the weighted bar and I also did some core work with the stability ball. Then I called it an evening. I did really good and burned 1052 calories. I got it done MY style.

And I did even better driving home. No stalls, no ca-chunks and easy getting out of first gear. I think the less I thought about it, the better I did.

This morning I weighed in at 155.0. Back down the 3 lbs and still one pound from goal. Ugh. Torture! But I TOLD you that I knew my body had lactic acid buildup. And my back and arms are a little sore so I would say it was a success. I do like working out with Eric better. We can move quicker from exercise to exercise and he can push me harder. BUT if I want to be a personal trainer myself, then I need to work on different exercises.

So tonight is RPM. We will be having a sub but I dont know who yet. So my plan is to run before and hopefully get another 5 miles in and then do RPM with a lighter amount of resistance to flush the legs. I might be able to get to the gym a touch earlier tonight too because Aaron just called me. The roads are bad and he is crawling on the expressway at 25mph. His plan is to go to a Caribou Coffee and wait for a couple hours to see if it gets any better. If not, he will turn around and come home. He can work from here. Xavier has school til 3 and Landry has school and speech til 12. Then he will eat lunch and nap so it will be plenty quiet for him to get work done. And I wont be taking his car tonight. I will stick with my automatic with the snow.

Here is my meal plan for the day- basically the same as every other day with a couple exceptions.

Breakfast- AB juice, English muffin with PB, hard boiled egg
Lunch- (I am out of scallions) Gala apple, peanut butter, wasabi edamame and pretzel sticks and some hummus
Dinner- post workout a clementine and a cheese stick. Orange juice and some coconut water.

AND I have a Tina and Mike update:
As of last night, Mike was off life support and was doing well considering everything that he has gone thru. He is no where near out of the woods but they can start testing his heart today to see what is going on.

So please keep sending out the prayers. It is really appreciated.

And still send some prayers out for my family too. Hopefully by the end of next week I will be in a super happy place and have some definitive answers for us as well in resolving the family matter. I am still in a happy place but nothing is "for sure" yet. I dont foresee any problems that we cant overcome, but you never know!

Ok thats it for today. Time to get my kids ready for school.
Happy Thursday everyone!

Tip of the Day:

To Err is Human

Ok so I had a bit of a setback yesterday.

Breakfast and Lunch went fine. Dinner was going fine. BUT then we had Jets breadsticks. Those things are like Kryptonite for me. Ugh. I had two small ones and then one more that was slightly bigger. I did eat a lot of salad. And fresh green beans.

Then dessert came out. Cheesecake. OMG... I had a very small sliver.

We had some family things to take care of last night so we didnt end up getting home until just before 9 so I never did get to run last night. BUT the family stuff went VERY well and I am VERY optimistic for the first time in a LONG TIME! So I will take the weight gain.

This morning I weighed in at 158.0. 3 lb gain. I know it is water. I know it was stress. And I know it was those damn breadsticks.

AND I KNOW it is also lactic acid built up in my legs and in my ass. I am SO SORE today it isnt funny. Usually my Tuesday night run helps with everything but because I didnt get it in, I am extra sore and bloated today.

Nonetheless, tonight I will work it all out at the gym.

Tonight will be a later than normal night for me and it will be mixed up a bit.

I have my eye appt, then the gym. I have a feeling I will be getting to the gym just before my appt time with Eric at 7 which means I will have to do my running afterwards instead of before (woah run on sentence anyone?). Thats ok. Tonight is upper body and core. So however long I have before my appt time with Eric, I will do some sprint work to warm up the legs. And then I will just have to run afterwards. Maybe work on some intervals. Not sure yet.

Here is my meals for the day- back on track and no deviating!
Breakfast- Ab juice with pomegranates added in, English Muffin with PB, hard boiled egg
Lunch- scallions, hummus, celery, and I am still deciding about an apple with PB. We will see how hungry I am
Dinner post workout- a clementine and a cheese stick

Snacks will be some wasabi edemame, coconut water, cashews or almonds, and maybe some pretzels. Dunno yet.

Thats my news for now. I am one happy lady today. Now to make some phone calls and make what I need to do- happen!

Oh...and an update on Tina and Mike... Please keep them in your prayers. Yesterday they found out that he has congestive heart failure. The left side of his heart is barely functioning. They are talking pacemaker, lifetime meds or both. From what I am hearing online, it sounds like it is a family history genetic thing. They are also saying lifetime disability and he wont be able to lift anything over 10 lbs or strenuous exercise. All this IF he pulls thru. So please, keep praying.

OHHHHH....as I am typing this Eric messaged me... His son was born this morning. All is well. Looks like I am on my own at the gym tonight. :) So no rushing for me. Now I just need to find out who is subbing RPM tomorrow. And as excited as I am for him, I am nervous about being on my own for upper body tonight. Lower body is fine but upper body is completely different. I need to make sure I concentrate on back and biceps and core.

Ok...

Tip of the Day: Something a little light hearted with all the good karma out there...

Effects of Obesity

I'm sure you may have seen this picture before. Especially if you Pinterest at all.

But guess what?

I found the actual SOURCE of the pictures and the article that accompanies it.

Let me go over a few things...

1. I find this fascinating. I really wish I would have seen this way back when. I think it would have been a big wake up call

2. I am not posting this to call anyone out, gross anyone out or anything like that. I am doing this for the information value. Everyone is at a different stage in their journey whether or not they have started, are in the middle or maintaining at the end. Please no harsh or negative comments.

Ok. Look at the scan. Red is obviously muscle, black are the organs, white is bone and yellow is fat. One of the first things I noticed is all the fat that surrounds your organs. This is called visceral fat. Visceral fat isnt just like fat you find on the body that is a lump but visceral fat actually pumps out chemicals that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and even some cancer.

The second thing I noticed is the enlarged heart on the scan. An enlarged heart cannot effectively pump blood to where it needs to be for the body. It is also a common cause of heart failure. And if an enlarged heart doesnt cause heart failure it will at least cause shortness of breath. A normal heart is about the size of a fist. Look at the picture below. See the size of the obese heart vs the hands on each side?

Now some things you may not have noticed. Look at the neck. See the yellow fat on each side? Excess fat here can cause pressure on the nerves and may contribute to headaches and neck pain. AND obese people also are at a higher risk for sleep apnea.

Their lungs though similar in size would be more compressed in the obese persons scan making it harder to breathe. This can lead to lack of energy, imparred immune system and even high blood pressure as the body tries to compensate.

Also think about the strain on the hips, knees, joints. The increased risk of varicose veins and arthritis. Think about your feet. I know when I was obese I didnt wear heels. I always joke that as the weight came off, the higher my heels became. The weight on the feet as you stand, walk etc. The increased risk of plantar fasciaitis. 

To read more about what effects obesity has on you, check out the remainder of the article here. I found it very interesting and learned things I wish I had known when I was 268 lbs.


Ok onto my Monday Recap.

I did great on my eating just as I outlined yesterday with the exception of some crackers and spinach dip and grapes after I worked out last night. I was hungry so I ate. 

The gym I did good too. I ran 4.25 miles before working with Eric. I wanted to make it to 5 but I need to get my brain past the 5k hurdle. Once I get to 5k I walk for a few then pick it back up. Thats ok though. All a process.

Last night we did the leg squat machine and then backward lunges while holding barbells.Then after we repeated that circuit 3 times we went to the upper portion of the gym for some floor space. There he had me hang onto two 10 lb kettle bells (on in each hand) with my arms up and out and folded like a chicken wing so my hands were in by my heart. I hope that makes sense. It was so the kettlebells rested in the crook of my arms by my elbows. Then he had me do squats with those. 20 lbs, no big deal right? Next exercise he had me kneeling with my toes planted firmly down on the ground. He spotted me by kneeling behind me and pressing his knees against the soles of my feel and pressing down on my heels while I VERY SLOWLY tilted myself forward to resist gravity. Oh baby does that work the hamstrings and glutes! Great exercise though. Then we went back to the kettlebells this time with 2- 20lb ones. My forearms are not muscular yet so those were starting to get a little painful on my arms. By the time we did the resistance exercise and got back up to do  kettlebells again I was pretty sweaty. This time he had me use 2- 30 lb kettlebells. Well let me tell you... between the sweat on my arms and my weak right arm I couldnt keep the kettlebells on. I would do one and it would slip. I even dried my arms off. Nope. It wasnt happening. Well did Eric let that stop him? No. He went and got one 60lb kettlebell for me to hang onto and squat with. That, even though it was super heavy and uncomfortable, I could do. And I did. We didnt give up. And that felt great. Just another way to do the exercise. We finished off by going back to the leg press machine. He loaded it up with 3 50 lb weights on each side and had me do 8. Then he took off one weight on each side and had me do 10. Then he took off another weight on each side and had me do 20. Whew. Then he put them ALL back ON and had me do a final 8. By then my legs were shaky and done. LOL.

After that I had to walk to stretch my legs back out. I did a nice easy walk for another 1.75 miles to round out my mileage to 6 miles for the night.

Today I am VERY sore but I weighed back in at 155.0. Happy with that. If I can keep it up I can hopefully reach goal by the end of the week.

Here is my meals for today:
Breakfast- Ab juice with pomegranate added, english muffin with PB
Lunch- Scallions, hummus, hard boiled egg, apple with PB
Dinner- Salad with apple cider vinegar

Tonight we will be going to Aarons grandmas for dinner. We are going to be picking up pizza and breadsticks and salad to take with us. 

Then once we get home and get the kids to bed my plan will be to run on the elliptical. I need to stretch out the legs and I love the elliptical for that. 

Well thats the plans for today. 
Have a great Tuesday everyone!!

Tip of the Day:

     

Soreness anyone?

Yesterday was a good day as far as food and exercise was concerned.

I stayed right on goal with my food.

Breakfast was a cheese stick (I was out of produce for juice), then a bit later cold oatmeal made with PB, unsweetened cocoa powder and real maple syrup.

Before lunch I ran to Meijer to get produce and do some light grocery shopping. By the time I got home I was famished. I had bought some pomegranates a week prior and I hadnt used them yet so even though I was starving, I still took the time to clean one out. The best way to do that without looking like you went thru a bloody massacre is to get a big bowl of water, cut the pomegranate in half, dunk one half under the water and slowly start to dissect all the seeds out. The seeds float to the bottom and the skin and pulpy stuff around the seeds float to the top for easy scooping and removal.

For lunch I had half of the pomegranate and a hard boiled egg.

Dinner I had some boiled carrots, a few crackers, and some spinach dip.

Then I went downstairs and did my upper back with weights. Biceps, triceps, lots of shoulder work. And I knew I said no running but I thought "Oh I can get on the elliptical and run for 10 minutes". So I jumped on and I started and my legs said "ah no!". So I got back off and called it a night in the workout room. Yup. My legs are a BIT more sore than what I thought. LOL.

Instead I went outside and shoveled. We had a good 1"-2" down already and I thought I would help Aaron out so he didnt have as much to do this morning before he goes to work. I kept my HRM on and going the whole time so I could get a calorie read.

It took be about an hour to shovel. So in 1:35 I only burned 382 calories.

The thing that sort of frustrates me is that MyFitnessPal allows you to add strength exercises but then doesnt show it as exercise because you arent burning major calories. Such a bummer! It is like doing the work but not getting paid for it. And it isnt like I eat the extra calories I burn anyways but dang it, I like to see the numbers change!!

I did have some more cheese and crackers last night and a piece of string cheese after my workout. Oh and Aaron and I finally watched Kevin Bacon's new show The Following. Has anyone watched that? It is going to be a really good show I think!

This morning I weighed in at 156.5. Up another pound. Not from lack of exercise or eating bad. I am ok with it. I weight train, I gain a little bit of weight. No biggie. I'm sore so it is probably lactic acid buildup in my legs and now my upper body. That should be taken care of tonight.

Tonight is working with Eric. As always I will run before hand and then work my legs with him and then walk again to stretch them back out. I will probably get in 6-7 miles or so. We shall see how my legs feel when it actually comes time to run.

When I was at Meijer yesterday, I walked past their eye care center and they were having a sale on glasses, contacts and the eye exams. I desperately need new glasses and contacts! In fact, I am completely out of contacts for my right eye and have been having to wear my glasses. And the problem with my glasses is that when I got them I had a scratch resistant coating put on them (because of the kids) and that is now starting to peel off here or there. I wont be paying for that again I can tell you!

ANYWAYS...the only day that the eye doctor comes in to that location is on Wednesday SO I am going to have to reschedule with Eric. I am STILL thinking it is going to be a moot point because I think his wife will be having the baby by then but we will see. I will just have to remember to tell Eric tonight- Just in Case! I still plan on going to the gym Wed night, just not until after my eye appt.

Ok so here is my meal layout for the day:

Breakfast- AB juice and this time I added some pomegranate to it. Awesome but I def had to strain it because of the seeds. Later will be an English Muffin with PB. In fact, now that I am thinking about it, I wonder if eating the pomegranate had anything to do with some of the weight gain. Not all of it surely but I dont think the body can digest those seeds...hmmm....anyways...

Lunch- scallions, hard boiled egg, apple with PB

Dinner (pre workout)- some of my pad thai  I want the carbs before I go running

Snack post workout- cheese stick

Thats about all the excitingness in my world.

On a personal note, would you please say some prayers for my sorority sister Tina and her husband Mike. Last week Mike was rushed to the hospital by ambulance with severe pneumonia. He is now on a ventilator, is in critical condition and his heart is working at only 15%. They are trying to figure out what is going on with his heart in order to correct it. He is also in a medically induced coma. They have three very small children (the youngest being 5-6 months) and they need their daddy to be there for them.

I totally believe in the power of prayer so if you do too, please pray for them.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it. And please make sure you hug your loved ones a little longer because you never know what the next minute may bring.

Have a wonderful Snowy Monday! We have a snow day here today!

Tip of the Day: Again from Juicing Vegetables on FB. I know I am on a kick, but I love the info they put out there!

Here are 9 of my favorite benefits of avocados!

1. Beta-sitosterol

Beta-sitosterol is a compound that may prevent the absorption of cholesterol and naturally works with the body to promote cardiovascular health.

2. Fiber

Avocados are packed with fiber. One avocado provides up to 34% of the Daily Value for dietary fiber. Avocados provide soluble  and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber is great and beneficial because it actually picks up excess cholesterol  from the body and the insoluble fiber prevents constipation.

3. Folate

Folate is an important B6 vitamin. It’s linked to the prevention of cancer and heart disease in adults. Folate is also a necessary for pregnant women since it is necessary and essential for healthy brain development of babies and folate also reduces nausea that is associated with pregnancy.

4. Glutathione

Glutathione functions as an antioxidant. This compound may neutralize free radicals that can damage cells.

5. Magnesium

Magnesium reduces discomfort that is associated with premenstrual symptoms, migraines, anxiety. Magnesium may help reverse osteoporosis, help with cardiovascular disease, regulates high blood pressure, and may help with diabetes.

 6. Oleic Acid

Oleic acid is a type of monounsaturated fat that has been linked to lowering cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated fats are also promotes healthy heart. This type of fat also helps lower triglycerides in the bloods with is great for people who have diabetes.

7. Potassium

Avocado contains 30% more potassium than one banana. Potassium is important in regulation blood pressure and preventing circulatory.

8. Absorption of nutrients and enzymes

The nutrients and enzymes in avocado soothes the condition of inflamed mucous lining in the stomach and small intestines.  It also improves the body’s ability to absorb carotenoids and nutrients.

9. Antioxidants and Vitamins

Avocados are rich in antioxidants which is helpful in preventing free radicals. Avocados also contain vitamin E which protects the skin, lutein which keeps the eyes safe from oxidative stress, macular degeneration and cataracts.

Running! and Goal Update

Good Sunday morning everyone!

Nothing too exciting for me to talk about today in terms of playing in mom's closet, or overtraining etc so I will just jump into my recap of yesterday.

Yesterday I stayed right on track with my eating. I knew I was planning on running about 10 miles last night so right before I run, you will notice a little bit of laxing on the "diet" food.

Here is what I had yesterday to eat:
Breakfast- Ab juice, an english muffin with PB, a hard boiled egg
Lunch- scallions, hummus, celery, apple with PB
Snack- some pretzels
Dinner (pre run)- the left over grilled cheese from Landry (bread = carbs for running) a couple noodles with garlic sauce (way salty so I just literally had a couple), a string cheese and some grapes

For running I brought a couple Tootsie Rolls with me in case I needed the sugar hit to keep me going. I started off running at 5.0 and was singing along to my music thinking "this is gonna be easy". Then at about 3.36 miles in the treadmill shut off. I dont know if I accidentally hit the stop button or what but I was PISSED. There is nothing more defeating then starting back at 0 on the treadmill after you know you have gone about 3.5 miles. What happened was I had glanced at my distance (I run with my glasses off so I am not constantly glancing at the readout) and was running. Then I switched my song on my iPod a couple minutes later and set it down. After I set it down, the treadmill turned off. SO I am guessing I got to about 3.5 miles.

Once I restarted I was in a bit of a funk. I LOVE seeing the mileage go up on the treadmill. UGH. Then once I was in to actual mile 5 my body decided it was time for a pit stop. I didnt want to pause the treadmill and have it stop so I slowed it down to 1 mph and ran upstairs quick to use the restroom. AHHHH much better.

Then I came back downstairs and hopped back on and bumped the speed up to 5.2. I did take some nibbles here or there of one Tootsie Roll and sucked on it. I ran 5.2 the rest of the time that I ran. At one point during my running (I dont remember when), I increased my speed to 6.0 but I just couldnt do it. I ran it for about a minute but my legs were getting spent so I took it back down. I ended up running 7 miles and then walked 2 at 4.3 mph. So I got 9 miles in total. It wasnt exactly what I wanted BUT right now I am not training for my half marathon. SO anything is good. Plus I am coming off of the stomach flu too. And the good news was that I had NO cramping what so ever so I think I am done with that.

Last night while running I burned 1316 calories. My goal for next time is to run 8 miles and walk 2 for a total of 10. I really think I could of had it not been for the mind screw of the treadmill stopping.

Before running, Aaron and I decided that we wanted some Thai food for dinner. I told him that I would go get it after I ran which is why I was also on a bit of a time crunch to get into town and get the food. Otherwise I probably would have walked the last mile to get to 10 total.

So once I got home, I had some Tofu Pad Thai for dinner. Yummy!! I had plenty of calories left for the day for it so I wasnt worried about having some of the starch from the noodles. AND they put the sauce on the side so I could just add a bit. And they had orange slices on the side- awesome for after running. I was mad Aaron threw his oranges away!!

I still have half my Pad Thai left that I will probably have tomorrow for lunch before I work out.

So this morning I weighed in at 155.5. Ugh. A half pound gain. Thats ok. I think it is from the running. It isnt from the food. I documented it all and I actually had a TON of calories left over.

SOOOOO for today.

I am NOT going to run tonight. Instead I am going to work out with Aaron. I am going to do arm work and some legs. Tomorrow night is leg work at the gym so it will just be light tonight. I want to show Aaron some of the moves that I do at the gym. And I still want to work on Turkish Get Ups. And yes. The goal is to keep the kettlebell straight up and down from your shoulder. It is an isometric exercise (well that part of it). You definitely feel it in your shoulder . The point of it is to get a full body workout in just one move. Abs, legs, core, arms, shoulder, chest etc.

And no word from Eric yet. Last night was the Full Moon so we will see if labor happens today. I am so excited for him!

Onto my 2013 goals.

One of them is to run at least 4 races. Well Friday I signed up for two of them. One is a 5k on March 15 to commemorate the tornado and all the proceeds are going back to the non profits that helped us out. I will not be running this for a PR but I will be running it. I will see my friends at the end and cheer them on (who are walking). I also signed up for the Color Run on May 11th. This one I will be walking/running with friends. And I dont mind the walking. You definitely want to savor the experience.

1 I still have to sign up for is the Dexter-Ann Arbor Half Marathon on June 2nd. This is the one I did last year. This year I actually want to train for it. I am hoping to PR it (under 2:45) but I really would like to come in under 2:30.

Another possibility is the Free Press Marathon in November. My mom mentioned that my dad wants to run it. This coming from the man who said he cant run because of his knee and who has NEVER run even a 5k before. But we all have dreams huh? LOL. The reason that he is talking about doing it is because his boss's grandbaby passed away shortly after she was born and they want to run it in memory of her. So I told my dad that if he runs it, I will too. It is a VERY cool run. It is downtown Detroit (sounds scary but it isnt) and runs across the bridge to Canada and then back to the USA via the tunnel. I went to sign up for this one last year for the Half but it was full already.

My Zumba instructor has a lead for me for a job and is passing my info onto the people looking. Keep your fingers crossed.

I am very close to my weight goal. After that, anything I lose is bonus. I am fine with the weight. I just still have fat that I need to get rid of.

So I think that is all the news for now. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Tip of the Day: Just remember that because these are zero calories, it doesnt mean that they dont have sugar. And sugar can add up quickly and cause you to GAIN weight. So still track and eat in moderation!!

Playing in Moms Closet

So when you were little did you ever play dress up in your mom's closet?

Put on her makeup?

Her high heels?

Well after losing weight, that is sort of what I feel like I am doing in MY closet.

Trying on clothes.

Do they fit?

Are they loose?

So yesterday I was upstairs in my closet sort of digging thru it. And I decided to try on the dress from my sisters wedding.

Remember how I was counting down the days trying to fit into it post tornado? How at first I couldnt zip it up?

How I was finally able to fit into it but it was tight- even for the wedding day.

Well...this is what it looked like yesterday:

I have a good couple inches on the side of my dress now- especially in the bust area. If I were to wear this again (which I had planned on) I would need to be cautious about my boobs falling out. LOL.

And I tried on this dress too:

I have to say I LOVE this dress. I wish the "After" picture did my weight loss more justice. It is hard to see in front of the dark pants that are in the background. I bought this dress years ago for something (I dont remember why) but have gotten my wear out of it. I wore it for my cousins wedding, other peoples weddings, galas, etc. Basically ANY formal function when I was heavy. I always just felt so slender in it. Now the "Before" photo in October was actually AFTER I had started losing some weight. AND I had this dress taken IN a couple inches on each side for the wedding I wore this to! I remember looking at this wedding picture and thinking that I looked SO skinny in the picture!

I am not quite sure why I havent been able to get rid of this dress. It was at the very back of my closet when I pulled it out. All of my other things I have pulled out and donated. But this? It still has a hold on me. I am thinking it is time to pass it on though.

Do you still have clothes that you are keeping that are way too big for you now? Or do you have clothes that you have outgrown that you keep hoping to fit back into?

Onto my recap for Friday-

I went to the gym and ran an easy 3 miles at 5.0mph. I even kicked up the incline to 1.0 to try to raise my heartrate up a bit more. My stomach was feeling fine with no cramping.

Then Zumba. I was doing great until towards the end. The fatigue and cramps started to set in...hmmmm...maybe I shouldnt have run before. I ended it taking it pretty easy towards the end with no jumping because every time I jumped it felt like a knife in the gut.

Then after Zumba I walked a mile at 3.0. Nice and easy. Eric was running a few behind so I just strolled to keep my heartrate raised up just a bit higher than resting. So 4 miles total for the evening.

When it came time to work with Eric, I told him we should limit the core work because of the cramping. He decided that we would work on my shoulders pretty hard and then at the end do a bit of chest and back work. And thats what we did. We did overhead presses with squats between each one...(over head press, sit on the bench, over head press, stand up, repeat). Then we did some upright rows. Then we did some moved to work on my shoulder and really strengthen them. Then we moved and went and did some regular rows and flys on a machine. And then Eric introduced me to a new move. It is called the Turkish Get Up.

Here is a video of it from you tube. Eric showed me a couple times and had me do this move with a 10 lb kettlebell. The girl in the video has her leg out to the side further than what I did. I had mine bent and my other one straight out. He said he was impressed with how quickly I picked it up. He said usually he has to show the move 3-4 times. We added this move into our circuit between the rows and the flys. It is an AWESOME move. Works legs, butt, core, obliques, shoulders, arms. Eric says he has a 35 lb kettlebell that he uses at home. If he can do each side once, he is done. My goal while Eric is gone is to be able to do this move with a 20 lb kettlebell at least one time each side.

I was exhausted by the time we were done last night. I was extremely lucky. Eric had his 7:30 and his 8:00 appts cancel so he was able to work longer with me. I hope he sort of sees me as a pet project. Like play-doh to see what he can form me into. LOL. And I do have to say that both he and I admired my shoulders and arms last night. :)

I ended up burning 1387 calories at the gym in almost 3 hours. Whew.
I have a feeling that his wife is going to go into labor this weekend so I am just planning on being on my own next Mon and Wed. If I am not, then bonus for me...but his wife is 3cm dialated and 70% effaced. This is their second child so my gut is that it is going to be this weekend.

This morning I weighed in at 155.0. 1 freakin pound from goal! From being in the "Normal" BMI category. Aaron and I were sitting here talking about BMI and he wondered what his was, so I looked it up. Then he asked out of curiosity what my BMI was before I started to lose weight. WELL I was 268 lbs and I am 5'6" tall. My starting BMI was 43.3. Obesity is 30 or higher. As of today my BMI is 25. One pound drops me into the 24.9 which is the normal category.

Today I plan on running. I am hoping to run 10 miles but it will all depend on my stomach. So somewhere between 6-10 will be good. I plan on going at an easy 5.0 mph to work on distance. I am hoping to go to K's house to get er done.

Then tomorrow will be my rest day. I might do my P90X stretch dvd or yoga. We shall see how I feel after my run tonight.

Have a great Saturday everyone!

Tip of the Day:  Again from Juicing Vegetables on Facebook. I just LOVE learning about vegetables and their good health properties.

6 Amazing Benefits of Celery!!

1. Good for your teeth

Natural fibers in celery can help your teeth clean. Celery like apples is packed with Vitamin C which helps fight inflammation in your gums.

2. Good bacteria

The human body is composed of billions of bacteria cells. The good bacteria in your body loves eating celery and other greens. Think about it this way, anything you eat from now on you are not feeding yourself you are feeding an army of good bacteria cells that want to keep you healthy. (I knew you would like that one.)

3. Antioxidants and vitamins

Celery is a functional food. Celery leaves are rich source of flavonoid antioxidants such as zeaxanthin, lutein and beta- carotene, which have anti-oxidant, anticancer, and immune-boosting functions. (Nutrition and You)
It’s also good source of vitamin-A. Vitamin-A and beta-carotene are natural flavonoid antioxidants. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin, and for vision. Consumption of natural foods rich in flavonoids helps body to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers. (Nutrition and You)
Celery is also rich in many vital vitamins including folic acid (provides 9% of RDA), riboflavin, niacin and vitamin-C, which are essential for optimum metabolism. (Nutrition and You)
Fresh celery is an excellent source of vitamin-K, provides about 25% of DRI. Vitamin-K help increase bone mass by promoting osteotrophic activity in the bones. It also has established role in Alzheimer’s disease patients by limiting neuronal damage in the brain. (Nutrition and You)

4. Anti-inflammatory Effects

Celery also contains apigenin. Apigenin is a flavonoid that may help stop tumor growth. It’s also under study for it’s anti-inflammatory effects.

5. Phthalides

Have you ever heard people say that celery is high in sodium? Well you might be surprised because even though celery does have natural sodium  which is a concern for people with high blood pressure – celery actually helps lower blood pressure due to a compound called phthalides. These compounds are believed to lower blood pressure by reducing the body’s hormone levels that constrict blood vessels and therefore increase blood pressure (Barone et. al, 2002).

6. Soluble fiber

Celery is also high in soluble fiber. Even when you juice celery  soluble fiber is still present in the juice! Celery leaves are great as well, they are high in potassium and vitamin C.

 Celery Juice Recipes