The heck with baby steps!

I headed to the gym last night after work bound and determine to run just a little bit longer than my last attempt.  Would you believe I made if 2.5 miles without stopping!!!!!!  That is double what I ran the last time.  I know, yesterday I was all baby steps and I still believe that when it comes to making lifestyle changes, but if you are in the mood to push yourself and not at risk for injury, then I say go for it.  I felt so proud of myself last night and for once didn't care that my t-shirt was soaked and that my hair was all wet and drooping in my face.  I just felt so good when my lovely little Nike+ ipod sensor told me that I was at 4k and I was still running.

I want to thank Holly and her recent blog entry about running her first 10k.  It was just the motivation I needed to push myself last night!

Weigh In was this morning and I had lost 1.8 lbs since the last weigh in.  It feels so great to see the rewards of my hard work and dedication to ME!

Small Changes

Thought for the day:  Through trials and tribulations beauty is revealed.  Strength is in each of us and is nurtured by faith, perserverance and thankfulness that lead toward a purpose and a desire to move forward.

Monday Weigh In:  194.5  Progress chart:

2 weeks (-3.5lbs)

So who knew that old fable about the tortoise and the hare would find its way into so many aspects of my life.  New studies show that taking baby steps is the best way to get lasting results.  Focus on a few small changes and you will be surprised how they become healthy habits that last a lifetime.  I'm going to spend the next few entries telling you about the ones that have worked for me so far.

Numero Uno:
CARRY A FOOD JOURNAL WITH YOU EVERYWHERE YOU GO
I could not believe how many calories I was consuming in a day.  Keeping a log helped me in so many ways.  I start my day by writing out my meals and calculating calories.  During the day I can check off items as I consume them so it helps me stick to the plan.  I'm careful to add anything additional I eat and note why I had to snack.  I also note how full or hungry I am after I eat a meal.   It's all about accountability.

Monday morning when I step on that scale I should have a good idea ahead of time how much progress I have made.  If I've gained or only lost a little then I look back at the week and try to figure out what happened with my eating.

The best advice I can give you about journaling is not to lie.  The scale will tell the truth, so you might as well write everything down so you can monitor your overeating triggers.  If you don't keep an accurate record you won't be able to learn from your mistakes and isn't life all about learning?

So go out and get yourself a journal! 

Look for The Helpers

This morning I received my monthly Fred Rogers quote.  I know you all remember and love Mr. Rogers, right!?  Here it is:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers -- so many caring people in this world." - Fred Rogers

This reminded me to look for the positive and good in things and people.  So often I get bogged down with all the negative aspects of what is going on in my life.  I'm sure this leads to a lot of the anxiety I have been feeling.  Don't misunderstand me, I'm in no way a person that says "well you could have done this better", nor am I an overly critical person.  Sometimes I just get overwhelmed and forget to see the upside of things.  We all do it.

When I lost my dad last year so many people showed us how much they cared and I will never be able to express how much this helped my family.  I want to make sure that the people I care about know that I am a helper to them no matter what the situation.

So today I ask that you stop and find the good in whatever happens today.  Try to take away one positive to help offset something negative.  Just because our lives can be crazy doesn't mean that we have to be!

Be happy and healthy.

Help!

I don't have much to write today expect for that I'm stressed to the max.  I need your help in the form of tips to ease my anxiety (other than exercise) while I'm at work.  I exercise, so I've got that covered, but during the day I have this little panic attacks that creep up on me.  Would love to know what you do to stop the madness!

Oh, almost forgot.  Down another pound this week and tonight I ran a little longer on the treadmill. 

Motivation can be found just about anywhere

Today I am recovering for a day of wedding dress shopping.  My little sis is getting married in August and has asked me to be in the wedding.  Good grief!  I haven't had a dress on in the past 5 years.  I think the panic caused a little stress eating this week.  Yesterday was the big shopping day and I have to say it was not nearly as horrible as I thought.  My sister tried on about 6 gowns and looked beautiful.  She found her gown and I can't wait to see her walk down the aisle.

She picked out 4 for me to try on and I didn't look all that bad.  Of course they never have the dresses you want in your actual size, they are either too big or too small, but the dresses were very flattering and I think I might actually fit into a 14 by the time she gets married.  We all know that these dress sizes run big, so that's like a 12 in real sizes.  We narrowed the styles down to 2 and now we need to see what the other ladies think before we order.

I've always had nice legs, so if she picks the cocktail length I'm okay with that.  I also like the little sleeves on that one, but if we go with the longer gown with the halter top....I need to do some major focusing on my upper body, arms especially.  I will not expose my bat wings to the world. 

Yesterday was my mom's birthday so we had a big family dinner with cake.  Today....I've had my Special K, skim milk and fruit for breakfast.  My sis is going home today so my eating will be back to normal.  I'm just going to keep picturing myself all slim and healthy in that dress!

I hope everyone is enjoying this long weekend.  I'm off to the gym today to keep working toward that 5k.

Stressed is just Desserts spelled backwards!

I realize it's been a few days since my last post.  I promised myself I would be more consistant in this blog, but work has got me running in a million directions.  I can't even come up with a creative title for this entry.  We weighed in yesterday and I was down 1 pound.  I know that doesn't seem like much after watching The Biggest Loser, but I've always believed that one pound at a time will allow me to keep it off once I reach my goal.  I'm making small changes in my eating habits that I know will stick with me.  I'm actually starting to enjoy it too.  I still crave a nice big donut now and then, but I don't give in nearly as often.

So let's talk about stress.  I will be the first to admit that I put way too much pressure on myself to be 1) perfect; 2) perfect and 3) everything to everyone at all times. I always say yes and I hate to disappoint anyone.  Hmmmm I wonder why I became so overweight!

I should have gone to the gym again last night to work it out, but it was my night to cook dinner and I didn't want to face more negativity for shirking my dinner duty.  I made a healthy dinner and then just spent some quality time alone for 2 hours.  It did the trick and I slept well.

Today...back to work and back to the chaos.  I am hitting the gym tonight and someone else can cook dinner.  I realized in my two heavenly hours alone last night that everyone else isn't the problem, but I am the problem.  I need to learn how to say no and not to overcrowd my plate, both physically and mentally.  I see a direct connection between loading up my responsibilities at work and then loading up with food at home.  I need to find a balance.

I am taking a vacation day on Friday and I have to force myself to turn off the Blackberry and not check my voice mail.  Sometimes you need that clean break to recharge your batteries.

Tip of the week:  Check out http://www.fitday.com/
I love this site the most of all the online tracking sites.  It's simple to use and gives you so much information.  I even cancelled my Jillian Michaels.com subscription and I love JM!

Be healthy and happy!

TGIF - Yeah right!

I don't know about anyone else out there, but I dread the lack of structure that the weekends bring.  I know that Monday through Friday I have everything planned.  I pack my breakfast & lunch and I plan my dinners.  I come home and exercise.  The weekends present a big challenge for me.  There are always places to go, shopping to get done and too many family pressures.  I know the advice will be to carry a snack with me and make sure I have water with me at all times.  That works, but only to a point.  What do I do when it is lunch time and my mom insists that we stop and eat something and picks the least healthy place?  How do I control myself and my love of food?  I seriously start panicking about this time every Friday. 

Our new Biggest Loser challenge at work requires Monday morning weigh-ins, so I'm hoping that this excuse will hold the family at bay and stop their constant pressure to "live a little".  Everyone wanted to weigh-in on Friday, but I think Monday is just the motivation we need to stay on track over the weekend.  Don't you?

The weather has been horrible here in Pittsburgh and last night I was not able to drive to the gym.  I did not let that stop me though.  I broke out the new Jillian Michael's 2010 Fitness Ultimatum for the Wii and got to work.  There is a lot of going from the floor to standing which is a little annoying, but I burned about 250 calories in 20 minutes.  I then moved to the bike and burned another 140.  I didn't reach my 500 goal, but 400 isn't too bad.  I'm hoping I can get to the gym tonight because I need to move forward with my 5k training.

I am way behind on my reading, so this weekend I'm going to watch football and read all while sitting in front of a nice cozy fire.  Relax.....I'm also going to the gym! 

Be health and safe this weekend.

Exercising Blind

It's been a very busy week for me and it's only Wednesday.  The weather here in Pittsburgh is miserably cold and snowy.  Monday it was in the single digits.  Thankfully I had a vacation day planned so I didn't have to get up early and go out in the cold.  I took my car in for service on Monday and came home with a new Santa Fe which I just love.  What a great way to start the week.  After spending 6 hours at the dealership I decided to get out my car buying frustration at the gym.  I set my Nike+ to 5k workout and hit the treadmill.  Obviously I did not run or jog the entire distance, but I completed the course alternating between 2 minutes of jogging and 1 minute of walking.  It took me 40 minutes, but I really enjoyed it....even though I did have to jump off the treadmill halfway because I knocked over my water bottle.  Oops.

While I was jog/walking Monday I realized how nice it was to not have my glasses on or my contacts in.  It forced me to focus on my music and to pay attention to what I was doing rather than what everyone around me was doing.  It helped me get into that zone where you are a lone person on the highway of life.  I left the gym soaking wet with sweat, but feeling good that I completed the distance.  It helped that at the end of my workout a recorded Lance Armstrong was congratulating me on my longest workout yet.  LOL

I was still floating on my accomplishment the next morning when a co-worker stopped over to ask me if I worked out and at what gym.  When I told him he said "I thought that was you last night.  You looked like you had just run a marathon!"  Bubble bursted on the spot!  I've always had this fear of being at the gym and looking like I just got out of a pool with my clothes on and now that fear is realized.  Six months ago I would have scoped out the gym parking lot for his car before entering again, but not now, not this Carrie.  I've got goals to achieve and I don't give a rip who sees me during or after a good workout.  Exercise isn't supposed to be pretty.  I'm still not sure if I will exercise blind again.  I think if people can see me, then I better see them.

Oh, I weighed in on Tuesday for the work challenge and I actually lost some weight last week.  It was just so nice to start this challenge under 200 lbs!  Did anyone watch The Biggest Loser last night.  I was shocked that they made each team ride 26.2 miles right off the bat.  I'm also glad they are giving the 2 eliminated teams the opportunity to come back in 30 days if they have the highest % of weight loss.  Imagine if they can achieve results at home what it will be like when they get to be on the ranch.

130 days until I run my first 5K race!

Slow & Steady...right

I just completed the first week of my 5k training.  Oh wait, let me back track. I joined a new gym on Thursday.  I love it.  It's close to home and pretty small.  It's geared more toward weight lifting, but they  have full cardio room and offer various classes.  I let my husband do the leg work on the last gym and I was not very pleased when I learned it was more for group sports and less toward working out, so this time I did all the work myself.  I joined on Thursday and got my first work out in the same day.   It felt great to end the year with a workout.  I was so exhausted by midnight, but at least I had a clear head and was looking forward to the challenges and successes ahead in 2010.  I got my third training session in today.  I actually think I'm going to repeat the first week's schedule because I wasn't as pleased with my times and distances as I had hoped.  Not to mention my knees and chins hurt in a way I didn't think possible. 

My ex-husband was a distance runner and I could never relate to that.  I know I'm only 3 runs in, but I really like it.  I love the me time and the chance to listen to my tunes. I definately see the commitment it takes to run distances.  I have a whole new respect for marathon runners.

Hopefully I will find the same dedication to eating better real soon.  I'm still snacking and tonight I had pizza for dinner.  I'm still in the holiday mode, but not nearly as bad as the past couple of weeks. 

Yes, this is a rambling post, but just wanted to share my excitement with all 4 of my followers.  Yes, you read me correctly...that's 4 followers now.  Hi to Holly!

Weigh in for the challenge at work is Monday.  Game on!

Peace in 2010!