Baby steps

Well today is the day. The day I get serious again about my health. I really have no choice. I cannot allow myself to go backwards. I won't be that person again, and that's exactly where I'm headed if I don't stop right now. So I started back to the WW points plus plan today. So far so good. Now if I can just make sure to log my food for the entire day and not slack off towards the end I'll be good. I always start the day with good intentions but right about late afternoon or into the evening I fall off completely. Tracking is so important. Otherwise I'll eat a bite here, there, and soon have eaten another entire meal worth of calories without realizing. It's so easy to fall off the wagon. It's just a bumpy ride. Getting back on, and staying on for any length of time, is like riding a bull.

I've been feeling pretty good today so I decided to attempt a Leslie Sansone workout dvd. My first workout of any kind in 17 days. Normally I would call this a "non workout" because it's way less intensity than I'm used to doing but naturally I have to start off small. I was surprised and actually quite pleased that I was able to complete the entire 30 minute workout (with some minor modifications) without feeling too terrible. Although after I got downstairs I was noticing my head pounding a bit so I had to lay on the couch for awhile. Slow baby steps.... I'm not good at that but if I want to get back to running and my favorite killer Zumba class I have to take it slow. And I am going to get back to my super sweaty, heart pumping, high intensity, push myself, feel the burn workouts. Won't be tomorrow or even next week but I will get there. I love them too much not to.

:(

2 weeks and I'm up 6 lbs. Haven't lost any weight in months. Still can't exercise. Starting to feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Seems every time I try to do something, something else happens to push me back. Weight, ankle, work, self esteem, family, concussion, life... Staying positive just gets harder.

Concussions ~ Part Deux

Well it's been almost 2 (very loooooooooong I might add) weeks. Last Wednesday was my only good day and I did way too much. It went down hill from there and by Friday I wasn't doing well at all. Had to put a call in to the Dr. and ended up pretty much on bed rest for the weekend. I have been trying really hard to not over do it since then. It's so hard!! But today I am feeling sooooooooo much better!! Thank you Lord! Now if it just keeps going in that direction I will be super dooper happy!!

It's been 12 days with no exercise and very little activity. I never thought I'd miss exercising so much! I need to take things slow and not jump back into everything right away. Still not 100% but getting there. I hope to start doing some lighter exercise next week, like Leslie dvd's. Then if all goes well I should be back to running the first weekend of July! I'm sure I will need to work my way back up to 5 miles after being so sedentary for 3 weeks. Ugh. My 8k is the 17th so that only gives me 2 weeks. Hmmm. I'll just have to take it as it comes and hope and pray I can still do it, even if I can't run the entire thing.

It's been hard not getting really discouraged with the set backs but I am determined to keep pushing on. Unfortunately things are going to come up that will throw me off track, that's life. But if I let the disappointment and frustration win, I will never reach my goals. It's not easy but nothing worth having ever is. I'm just taking it one day at a time and hoping for the best.

This past Saturday was our 14 year anniversary. <3 Since I was basically restricted to the couch all weekend, my sweet hubby made dinner. :) He also got me the Under Armour running hat I've been wanting (and a lucky bamboo plant~ he said I can use all the luck I can get! lol). He (also) said he has faith in me and knows I will be back up and running soon. Aww. He's a keeper. Can't wait to put it to use!!

Motivation ~ I need all I can get!!

ATHLETE

Anyone can be an Athlete

Courtesy of Runners World... Click on this link for 101 Kicks in the Butt ~Thank you cuz I needed that!!!!

"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it." —Priscilla Welch, who won the 1987 New York City Marathon at age 42.

Marshall Ulrich’s (extreme endurance athlete) Ten Commandments of Endurance~ From his book Running on Empty...

Running on Empty: An Ultramarathoner's Story of Love, Loss, and a Record-Setting Run Across America

10. Expect a journey and a battle–

“Life is not always simple. Don’t think that it’s just going to be smooth and not a rocky road. Accept that in your mind and then you can deal with things.”

9. Focus on the present and set intermediate goals—-

“Don’t get too far ahead of yourself. Just stay in the present. If you’ve got some sort of problem…just deal with that. Take a deep breath and solve that one problem and then you can go on to others.”

8. Don’t dwell on the negative–

“I think it helps to step outside of ourselves and not live in our own space or our own head too much. Look at what’s happening out there and focus on even problems of the world or other people. It kind of takes that focus from ourselves.”

7. Transcend the physical–

“If you’ve got an injury, say you’ve twisted an ankle and you want to keep going–providing you’re not doing damage to yourself–take that focus off that ankle. You can keep going as long as you don’t get locked into thinking about it continuously. You can transcend that physical aspect.”

6. Accept your fate—

“Just accept it for what it is and take it one step at a time.”

5. Have confidence that you will succeed—

Recall experiences, “where you’ve had success in the past. It will give you confidence to go beyond what you normally thought you could.”

4. Know that there will be an end—

“There will be an end and we can go on to more fertile soil.”

3. Suffering is okay—

“That’s the human condition. We’re all going to suffer on one level or another.”

2. Be kind to yourself—

“If you’re running and you need to walk a little bit. That’s okay. Know that you have weaknesses just like anybody else.”

1. Quitting is not an option—

“Everybody is going to think about quitting. I think about quitting. But you can’t let it overwhelm you. You can’t let it stop you from your success. And if you frame it in that way–that quitting is not an option–I think that’s the best thing to do.”

~Marshall Ulrich

"When faced with a challenge, look for a way,
not a way out."
David Weatherford

Having a positive mental attitude is asking how something can be done rather than saying it can't be done."
Bo Bennett

"If constructive thoughts are planted positive outcomes will be the result.
Plant the seeds of failure and failure will follow."
Sidney Madwed

"Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory."
George S. Patton

"Self-confidence and a belief in yourself is a must. To instil confidence in others, you first must have confidence in yourself."
Byron & Catherine Pulsifer

"Impossibilities are merely things which we have not yet learned."
Charles W. Chesnutt

"To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist."
Gail Sheehy

"Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution."
Dr. David Schwartz

Please share any motivational quotes or notes you have ~ Thank you!!

Concussions SUCK!!

Ugh. I am such a DORK!! I smacked my head into a cement wall on Friday. Was at the movies with my hubby and while trying to get our illegal snacks out of my purse, my cell phone fell. Of course it was totally dark in there and I couldn't find it in my immediate vicinity so I had to wait till the movie was over. Luckily there was a helpful couple near us that offered the use of their flashlight phone app (my husband of course forgot his phone at home...). The dear man found my case that had popped up behind our seats. We were sitting in the back row of the theater and directly behind is a cement wall (I'm sure you see where I'm going with this... ) I was excited to see my case, sans phone but still a sign my phone must be near, that I bent down to get it and bam!  I hit the wall. In my defense, it was still dark in the theater but still.... We did find my phone so that's good news. I am still suffering from my stupidity 4 days later and I'm afraid it will haunt me for the rest of the week. Finally went to the Dr. yesterday who confirmed, yep, concussion. Although he wasn't too happy when I told him I finished my run after I got home from the theater. Ooops. It didn't really start hurting that much till the next day. Thanks be to the Lord that I don't have a bleed because I was also talking Advil which apparently increases bleeding. Another no no after a head injury. At least I'm learning some things out of this... Who knew just turning your head while driving or simply loading the dishwasher took so much movement? So no Zumba class for me this week. No running. No exercise at all for that matter. It's all I can do to get through the mornings getting my son out the door for school and then myself off to work. By the time I get home I need to lay down with the ice pack. Thank goodness for Advil, although that's not helping as much as I'd like. Dizzy. Check. Headache. Check. Tired. Check. Well that's my rant for today...

40 lbs by my 40th

So its exactly 20 weeks from today till my 40th birthday (on Halloween)~eek!!!  I figure that’s some pretty good motivation! I want to be at my fittest ever before I hit 40.  I’m already the most active I’ve ever been in my life.  It can only get better, right?!  So here goes!

Is this realistic? That makes an average of 2 lbs per week. If I am consistent it shouldn’t be a problem. Although I have this pesky head concussion to deal with right now (sigh..) so no exercise this week, well maybe later in the week I’ll be able to get back to running and Zumba. I’m hoping anyway. I really need to focus strongly on my foods, especially this week with limited exercise.  Food is usually my downfall as I tend to eat for many many many other reasons than because I’m hungry and trying to nourish my body.  So back to journaling I go. The goal will be 5 fruits/veggies per day, lean protein, high fiber and stay away from sugar!  I’m thinking 1300 cals per day is reasonable. Let’s do the math….

 

My BMR is 1620

What is BMR you say??? Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories you'd burn if you stayed in bed all day. You can find out what yours is by following this link. (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/)

How many calories do I need to maintain my current weight? BMR x 1.2 (I’m using this sedentary number just as a basic day to day life moving around number without exercise, basically a base number) BMR x 1.2.= 1944.

So how do I make sure I can lose 2 lbs per week??

Well 1 lb is approximately 3500 cals.  To lose 2 lbs a week I need to eliminate 7000 cals per week or 1000 per day.

I need 1944 calories per day to maintain my current weight.  If I cut out 500 cals per day in food, putting me at 1444 cals in, and I burn 500 cals per day with exercise, putting me at 500 cals burned,  that will put me at a total of 1000 cal per day deficit. Thankfully running and Zumba pretty much guarantee me at least 500 cal burn.  This week will be more challenging though w/o all the calorie burn.  It will be an interesting experiment.

~Psalm 107:22~

And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
~~~
Human nature lends itself to focusing on the negative, difficult things that are going on around us, rather than boasting with thankfulness for the wonderful things being provided for us. Let us be intentional to sacrifice our human nature by choosing first to be thankful, before focusing on or responding to the things that burden our hearts. Kat Davis
~~~
I for one personally need this reminder daily! If not for Jesus, I would not be where I am today.

GOOD news from the Dr! ~ March 25, 2011

Sooooo.... I got a call from my Dr. re: my thryoid (I have Hoshimotos, an auto immune thyroid disorder) and cholesterol lab work. Since I started this journey my thyroid keeps getting better at each check. :) I'm only at 1 grain now! I was up to over 2 grains just 2 years ago. (I see a naturopath and she works in grains) But the BEST news is my cholesterol. My triglycerides went from 328 (gulp!) to 85~optimal!! My good cholesterol went from 42 to 61~optimal! and bad is at 80~optimal! (need to check my paper work for that #..) So WHOOOO HOOOO!! All the changes I've made with eating and exercise has made a significant positive impact on my health!! For some reason I never really thought about what's been going on in the inside of my body. This is an awakening of where I was. A very scary one at that. I NEVER want to go back there again. Also, I was taking a natural blood pressure medicine and now I am off of it!!! I still check my blood pressure regularly to make sure it stays in range. Exercise helps a lot with this. It is a great stress reliever which also helps lower blood pressure!

In a nutshell...

Hello!! I love Jesus & my family, Summer, the beach, running, Zumba & pushing myself to do things I never thought I'd do! My name is Trina and this is my wl journey....I started this in Jan 2010. I was at my all time high weight (275 lbs and I'm only 5'2"~yikes!) and I felt miserable in my own skin. It was hard to even do the simplest things, like tie my shoes (or even put my shoes on for that matter). I wasn't able to participate in my own life. I knew I needed to make a change. I was scared because I've tried this many many times before but it never really changed. Even if I lost weight it always ended up coming back on, and then some. I knew I had to go about this in a different way for any hope of losing the weight and keeping it off. Not a diet but a lifestyle change. It's been a very slow and bumpy road but so far I've lost 80 lbs over the last year and a half, with about 60 more to go. I started by journaling my food, trying to eat healthier, and I added in some exercise which started with Leslie Sanson workout dvd's. I've slowly gotten away from fast food, most carbs, high fat and processed foods (on most days). I do battle with emotional eating which then leads me towards the "bad" foods. I try to eat "clean" as much as I can. I have taken up running which is great therapy for me emotionally and gives me something to help push myself with physically. I regularly run 3-4 miles 3 times a week and I am currently adding a 5-6 mile run once a week. I am considering doing a half marathon, possibly in January 2012. My lack of self esteem keeps holding me back from committing. I have never run an official race farther than 5k but I signed up for a local 8k on July 17th. I'm definately not the fastest runner but I love how running makes me feel. I never in a million years thought I'd be a runner!! It took me foooorrreeevvveeer to complete the c25k program with the weight I was at and then an ankle injury. It took me almost 9 months to run 5k without stopping. I also love Zumba! I actually love exercise. Who knew??!! I've learned so much about myself over these past 17 months but there's more to do. I've been stuck for the last few months. Just kind of tired of everything I guess and working through some mental blocks. It's me that keeps holding myself back. But I'm not done yet!! It's time to mix things up a bit and reach that finish line!! So.... I decided to try blogging. I have no idea what I'm doing so please bare with me!! I hope it helps!

Biggest Loser Tweek about me?! ~ CRAZY!!?

Eat Clean Facebook post about me!!? ~ More CRAZY!!?