Week 45…”Free your mind, and the rest will follow” ~ En Vogue

“Free your mind, and the rest will follow.” ~ En Vogue. Not only is that one of my favorite songs that happens to be on my running list and on my iPod ever since I started training for my first marathon in 2006, but it was the quote written on the board of my Weight Watcher’s meeting today!

Free your mind!!!  Today we talked about Power Spaces.  What does your environment look like?  How does it help you on your journey?  And how does your environment play a part in your mind…or well being?

This is one of the subjects that Bill Phillips addresses in his book Transformation.  It’s one of the steps you gotta follow. Clean out and organize the spaces in your life.  It could be your kitchen or the specific spaces in your kitchen (like the fridge). When you open up the fridge, do you see all the junk food first, or is it a safe place to go to for healthy food choices?  Are the cabinets in your kitchen organized so that cooking is more efficient and fun?  What about the bedroom? Is it clean, warm and peaceful ready for a good nights sleep or is it cluttered preventing your mind from shutting off?

I know I always think better when my spaces are peaceful and clutter free.  I love cooking in a kitchen that is clean and organized.  I love sleeping in a bedroom that has everything all put away.  I love that feeling of zen.

The same can be said of relationships in your life.  Do you have relationships that are drama laden?  Do you have relationships that keep taking a toll on you emotionally or constantly have you stressed. This is keeping your mind occupied and worried.  So what exactly are you getting from these relationships that make them so valuable and worth keeping around? Seriously?   Maybe it’s time to let go of some relationships and free up your mind to think of other things.

What I have found in the last 45 weeks is that when I free up mind, the rest will follow.  That means when I take care of life and remove the obstacles and free up my emotions to flow and release myself from the stresses that I had,then my weight started to fall off too!  It made it easier to shed the extra pounds. By releasing my worries, I released my excess weight.  Perfect!

So this week I will ask you the same question that was asked of us in the meeting today.  When you are faced with a choice, whether it is about food to eat, actions to take, purchases to make, friends to hang out with ask yourself this question:  “Does it contribute to or inhibit my well being?”   I love that term “well being“!  This isn’t about weight loss; it’s about a healthy life style. It’s about my being well in all areas of my life!

I wrote that question on my Weight Watchers weight record chart.  I am also writing this on my goals board and will keep this question in my car as well.  It’s something to keep in mind every where I go and with every decision I make.  It will help me keep my mind free and clear!

With that said, today was  a big day on the scale!  I released 4.2# for a total of 51.2#!!!!!  I received my 50# charm today!

   

A new MUST EAT in downtown Palo Alto, California! LYFE Kitchen!!!

As soon as my husband and I start planning a trip to San Francisco, the first thing we start doing is planning where we are going to eat!  San Francisco has AMAZING restaurants from all different cultures and you really need to spend some time in these places. Our usual favorites are The Stinking Rose, House of Nan King, Tony’s Napoletana, and our guilty pleasure:  The Ghiradelli Factory for hot fudge sundaes.  Those are all in downtown San Fran; I didn’t even mention some of our favorites in the surrounding cities in the Bay Area.  Let’s face it, the place is packed with MUST EATs, and I’m sure if you talk to some of your friends, they will all have some of their own restaurants to add to this list.

Back in March I joined the Transformation Community on line and started attending weekly webinars on making a healthy lifestyle change.  At the beginning of every webinar, there was a commerical for LYFE Kitchen. (LYFE stands for Love Your Food Everyday.) The way I understood it,  it was to be a restaurant that focused on bringing delicious, healthy foods to the everyday American.  It was going to be fast, convenient, reasonably priced, family friendly, and in a relaxing setting.  The CEO was a former McDonald’s CEO.  Famous Chef’s were creating the menus.  And eventually they were going to be selling these wonderful meals in the super markets!  I was sold!  The only problem was, I lived in Boise and LYFE Kitchen was being built-in downtown Palo Alto, California!  Okay, it really wasn’t that much of a problem, as my husband travels to the Bay Area once a month and I get to go there occasional, especially since I started working for the same company as my husband!  So every week, I watched this commercial and every week I got more and more excited! It was supposed to be done by the summer of 2011, and I had my first trip back to the area in September 2011.  We drove to downtown Palo Alto and it wasn’t open…yet!  As a matter of fact, it was supposed to open the next week!  I missed it by a week!!!  My heart about broke, but I told my friends about it, and they went for me!    They told me it was amazing!!!

Finally, my turn came!  We planned another trip for me.  The very first restaurant that made the agenda was LYFE, everything else got planned around it!  I was so excited I could hardly stand myself. Finally when the day arrived, my friend Christina and I kept saying, “Tonight’s the night!  LYFE!!!”  I couldn’t wait for the work day to end!  I had been Facebooking LYFE for a while now. I had been looking through the menus and browsing the pictures, and I couldn’t even begin to decide what to eat!

Finally, we walked up to the restaurant, and Christina and I posed for a picture!  This was my Mecca!  As we took the picture, one of the managers kinda joked around, “That had better find its way to Facebook.”  Boy, he had no idea who he was dealing with!  I couldn’t contain my excitement and I just started telling him how excited I was to finally be there and how long I had waited for this place to open and then how long I had to wait to finally make it there!  He treated us like royalty!  The whole restaurant did!  And my friend (who had been then a couple of times now) told me that they ALWAYS treat people like this there.  Everyone is always made to feel welcome, appreciated and special.  Not just their first time, but every time!  (Have I mentioned lately that my passion is customer service??  Ya.  So this royal treatment was going a very long way in my book!)

When we walked into LYFE, the energy in the restaurant was beautiful and peaceful.  There was a nice size crowd, it was decorated with comfortable couches and or love seats and chairs.  The space was open.  Everyone was smiling and laughing.  There is a beautiful herb garden growing there by the register/ordering area.  The kitchen is open and you can see them cooking.  There are inspiring quotes printed on the walls.  The whole place just makes you want to take a deep breath and really in-joy “LYFE”.   It completely resonated with everything I have focused on for the last 44 weeks!  I was home!

   

How do you go to a restaurant you  have been so excited to visit when you know you are only going to eat there once (at least for this trip)? How do you choose what to eat?  Everything looks so good!  Even the fresh squeezed orange juice looked amazing, but for dinner?  How do you choose?  Well at some point, you just have to.  Since I am extremely picky about my fish tacos, I figured I would jump in and try those. My husband picked a good ol’ stand by, Cheeseburger. Christina ordered the Salmon and a bowl of Corn Chowder.  Then there was the issue of dessert!  OH MY! We ordered Banana Rum Dairy-free Cheesecake and the Chocolate Volcano Cake.  Tracy and I had beers. (Don’t ask me which flavor, but when I told the nice man who helped us asked what kind of beer I normally drank, he suggested this one.  It was very yummy!)  We were handed a pager type thing and went to find a comfy couch and table to sit and visit and wait.   Our little pager thing had the number 4 on it, but more importantly it said, “LYFE is Calling.”  Yes, indeed it is!  Are you going to pick up and answer when LYFE calls or are you just gonna let it pass you by?

See what I mean? This place is amazing!!!

    

  

The food was truly delicious!  My fish tacos were to die for!  The salmon was very tasty!  My husband thoroughly enjoyed his burger.  But more importantly, my husband ate his Kale salad!!!!  Okay, so usually when my husband hears “health food” he kinda of shrinks and hides.  He crosses his fingers that there is something he will be able to eat and usually has a back up plan for the ride home (which burger, taco, or sandwich joint can he hit on the way home to fill his belly?)  I’m sure that was probably on  his mind when we made plans for LYFE.  Instead, what I heard was, “That was really good!  I really enjoyed myself and I would go back there any time!”  That is high praise from my non-healthy eating husband!  There truly is something for everyone on the menu!

One of the other things I was excited about was getting to visit with the CEO, Mike Roberts.  He was there working and visiting with the guests and when I asked if I could get a picture with him, he was very sweet and willing. I HAD to ask him, “How does a previous McDonald’s CEO from McDonald’s to LYFE?”  He was more than willing to share the story with me!   He has a passion for bringing  healthy food to the American Public. He wants it accessible to everyone.  He wants the children to love it as much as the parents. He wants the plates to be filled and our tummies to be happy.   When I asked him what it would take to open a LYFE in Boise, he said, “Give me a minute.”  I thought he literally meant a minute to think it over, but what he really meant was to give him time to make  LYFE perfect at its current location.  (Yes, it takes me a while to “get” things.)  We continued to talk.  He was gracious enough to listen to my healthy lifestyle changes and accomplishments, but he was genuinely happy for me because this is what LYFE is about!

So I think I will give Mike about a “minute”, but I am not letting this one go!  LYFE needs to be opened here in Boise!  We have the best market for it.  Boise has that same downtown Palo Alto feel (with less money maybe), but it is certainly getting there.  Downtown Boise has that outdoor living, be alive, live life to the fullest vibe!  It’s perfect for LYFE and LYFE is perfect for Boise!   And since Mike has made many trips to Boise to purchase fries for McDonald’s and he has some contacts here, I have hope!

Anyway, dinner at LYFE was so amazing, that before we left that night, we decided we would visit for breakfast the next morning!  Fresh squeezed orange juice that tasted like Florida!  As soon as I took my first sip, I had visions of Florida sunrises and I could smell the sweet winter orange blossoms!  It was heaven! (It really did taste like it was fresh from the Groves; the kind we had when we used to live in Florida.)  Tracy had the whole wheat pancakes topped with greek yogurt and fresh berries and served with real maple syrup. I had a delicious egg white breakfast burrito with a side of fresh fruit that was so sweet!  Tracy said it was the best whole wheat pancakes he has ever had! Again, high praise from someone who shrinks from healthy food.  It was perfect!

  

It was a bitter-sweet moment when we walked out of the restaurant that morning.  I resolved to make it back to Palo Alto soon so I could eat there again.

But on Sunday as we finished our hike in Muir Woods, we were hungry and Tracy asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner before we got on the plane to fly back home.  “If I told you I wanted to stop at LYFE for the 3rd time in 3 days would you think it was over kill?”   His reply, “No, I was going to suggest the same thing!”

And that is exactly what we did!  We rushed back to our car, drove as fast as we could over the windy mountain roads, rushed through the traffic to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, darted through the cars on the high way to Palo Alto and made a bee line for our new favorite restaurant!!!!   There are no pictures from dinner that night because I was just too hungry to take them, but I guarantee you my taste buds sang with every bite! Oh ya..and you MUST have the strawberry lemonade when you visit!!!

So there you have it. The new MUST EAT in the bay area!!!!  Put it on your list, and don’t forget it.  Get there an in-joy LYFE!

Week 30 Winners Finish, Finishers Win

Week 30 found me opening up a package from Transformation.com!!!!  It finally came!!  My award from Transformation.com.   It was a t-shirt with the logo “Winners Finish, Finishers Win”, a medal, some Right Light protein drinks and a really cool Certificate saying among other things that I am an inspiration.  It made me cry!  I got this because I finished the 8 Week Super Summer Challenge at Transformation.com.  And I found the saying on the t-shirt pretty profound.

    

Winners Fishing, Finishers Win.  I started this whole blog because I wanted to commit to 52 weeks and not give up when I got frustrated or complacent.  I wanted to FINISH something I set my mind too.  It’s  like training for a marathon.  Lots of people  start, but not everyone finishes!  In a marathon it’s all about putting one step in front of the other because each step brings you closer to that finish line.  It’s not always about the time you finish in, but it is ALWAYS about the fact that you finished!

When you have a bunch of weight to lose, it’s not about how fast you lose it.  It’s about finishing!  It’s about getting it all off and being healthy!  It’s about what you learn about yourself, nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle.

How many times along this weight loss journey have you thought about quitting?  I can tell you that I have thought about quitting about a dozen times.  I get tired and complacent.  But I remember it’s about finishing!!!!  That is why you will see me set a new goal or start a new challenge.  I need something to keep me focused and keep me on track.  I need that carrot dangling in front of me to keep me moving.

I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS!!!!  I am going to finish 52 weeks, and then I will keep on going until I have released the proper amount of weight and reach the healthy BMI!

With that in mind, last week I released another 1.6 for a total of 39.2#!  Soooo close to another 5# star.  A little over 9# away from reaching my second 10% released.  I am 8# from being 199…ONEderland!!!  I GOT THIS!!!!

Week 20….Amazing and Getting Even Better!

Do you want the Good, Better or Best news first???

 

How about we start with the Good.  Week 20 found me releasing 1 more pound for a total of 30.4#

Better…..I skated my 25 roller derby laps in FOUR minutes FORTY SEVEN.SEVEN seconds!!!!

BEST!!!……. Pictures are worth a thousand words (at least…..)  Here are my 8 Week Super Summer Challenge Before/After Photos….

 

It has been an amazing week!  Last year, Rev. Jackie gave me  a set of roller skate PJ’s.  They were a size Large and entirely too small for me.  I couldn’t get the pants even up my thighs, much less around my hips!  I am able to wear them now and they are my favorites!!!!  I completely finished my 8 Week Super Summer Challenge and met ALL of my goals!!!  I lost 10.8# (my goal was 10).  My goal was to lift 10# free weights without elbow pain..DONE.  My goal was to run my 1/2 marathon in 3:30 and as we have already discussed I have done it in 3:29.59.  I added new goals mid way through:  Faster than a 45 minute 5K; I now run it in 4:42.  I also wanted to do my derby laps faster than 5 minutes…and I do them in 4:47.7!  SWEET!

 

I have learned in a very REAL way that nothing is impossible because even the world impossible says “I’m Possible.”  I am so much more than my imagination can conjure up!

I’m amazing and getting even better!!!!

Reaching More Goals……

This week marks the 8th week in Transformation.com’s 8 Week Super Summer Challenge.  I had a few goals set for this challenge…..

• Release 10#
• Skate up the 8 levels of the 8th St. Parking Garage
• A faster 5K  (goal to beat 44:44)
• Get up to 10# free weights without hurting my tennis elbow
• Faster 25 Derby Laps (Last pace 5:00.02)
• Finish the See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon in 03:30:00 (I finished in 03:29:59 according to clock but ankle timer was a few seconds faster)

Having finished the 1/2 marathon in the right time….and stepping on the scale yesterday with a total of 9.8# released so far (certain I will make the 10# goal)….and already using the 10# weights 3x/week without elbow pain…that still left me with the faster 5K, the parking garage and the laps…

Last night, my hubby and I made a little visit to the 8th Street Parking Garage with my skates!  I felt all sneaky like.  A part of me KNEW that this couldn’t be allowed in the parking garages, but my friends had done it before and didn’t mention getting busted.  But either way, I wasn’t gonna take the chance.  So We went up to level 2 where the parking starts to get my skates on. *laugh*  I didn’t want the attendants to see me rolling in through the gates *laugh*  Anyway, I skated up there.  I am not certain what preconceived notions I had of this adventure, but I thought I would KILL me.  I thought it would be harder than heck!  Yes, there were parts that were hard.  Every level had an up ramp and then a semi flat part.  So my legs had a bit of a rest at every level.  One thing I did notice was that the cement was grippy and hard to push on..especially going up the up ramps!  By the time I got to the top of every up ramp, my legs were noodles!  I was very grateful when I got to level 4 and the cars thinned out and I had the place to myself for the remainder of my skate..which made it that much more enjoyable!

Resting the legs on the “flat level” enjoying my skate 🙂

Skating is always worth smiling about!

Contemplation, alone time, pushing hard up hill!

Made It!!!

BUSTED!

I had not planned on coasting down.  I thought that would certainly kill me!  But once we got to the top and took some pictures, I thought…”Why not!  At least on the empty levels!”  So I started down on the “flat” part of the level and realized the “flat part” wasn’t so flat and I was already catching some speed.  The steep parts might be a bit intense.  I turned the corner to go down my first steep part, when I heard my husband yell from the car….”CAR!!!”  I looked up and stopped. It wasn’t just any car, it was security!  BUSTED!!!!!!

“Ma’am, you can’t skate in the parking garages.”  He said with a smile and amused look in his eyes.

“Okay,” I replied.  “I just wanted to skate up the garage.  And I’m done so I’m leaving anyway.  Thanks.”

The passenger security guard looked at me with a laugh, “I bet that was a workout!”

“Yes, sir.  That was the point.  I did it, and now I’m getting in my car and driving down.”

They were all smiles and very sweet. I think they were expecting to find a rowdy mouthy teenagers and were shocked to find a 42 year old woman!  *laugh*  It was fun..and boy did I feel like the rebellious teenager they were expecting!  Ha!  It’s good for the soul!

One more goal down…….a few more to go!

Last night I went to bed early.  I knew it would be a cool morning and I wanted to get up and out early for my run.  So this morning, I woke up and I could feel it!  Today was going to be the day!  I put on my running shoes, got my Nike+ Ap running and hit the pavement.  My knees were trying to tell me otherwise.  My back was trying to tell me I was crazy. My lungs were NOT happy.  And my mind wanted to play games with me!  I just told them all to be quiet..we were gonna do this today!!!!  So I ran…and walked…and ran some more.  I didn’t use my formal 4 min run 2 min walk training, but I was close.  My running was faster, my form (thanks to Chi Running) is getting better.  But I’m still running too fast for my lungs.  Gotta work on that.

 Anyway… I did it!  My  original goal was faster than the 45 minute pace I had been running for my 1/2 marathon training.  Then I had the crazy goal of 43 minutes today.  A goal is no good unless it is specific..faster just wouldn’t do.  I needed a specific time!   So I set what felt like an impossible goal to reach..shaving off 2 minutes of my time in a week?  Seriously?

Well ya know what?  You are more than you ever imagined you can be!!!!  You are a limitless being of the Divine Creator.  AND SO AM I!!!!

Today, I finished my 5K in 42:38!!!!!!!!

5K time 42:38

So there ya  have it….2 more goals checked off the list!  I will get to Eagle Skate Park sometime this week to re-run laps and see where I am :).  What goals are you reaching for????

Week 19…Visible, Tangible Changes!

This week has been filled with some very emotional thoughts..on the happy side. This is week 19 for me, and I have been taking stock of where I was and how far I have come. Why? Well because I am at a point where my body is looking completely different. These changes are VISIBLE! My body FEELS different. These changes are TANGIBLE! So when these things happen, they get your attention.

First on Sunday, I put on my “Easter outfit”. It was the first outfit I bought in a “smaller size” thinking that it would take me all the way through to the fall. It was a skirt, cami, and shrug. I wore it on Easter. I wore the cami and shrug a couple more times with jeans. But last Sunday I went to put the whole outfit on, and the cami and shrug swallowed me WHOLE! The whole outfit looked HORRIBLE on me. I remembered the navy blue cami (seen in my profile picture) and tried it on with the skirt and it looked GREAT! Not only did it look great, but it showed the huge change my body has made! I took pictures. Then I compared the pictures from Sunday to Easter Sunday.. NIGHT AND DAY! Crazy!

Easter Sunday April, 2011

July 17, 2011

July 17, 2011

I noticed the other day as I was working out, that when I put my hands on my waist, I can feel my front and my back at the same time. That is how much my waist has shrunk. More importantly, I could actually feel my oblique abdomen muscles! I could flex them and feel them! That is how much body fat I have lost!

I look in the mirror and I can see the dip at the base of my throat where the 2 clavicles come together and the muscles right there. I am beginning to see my clavicle bones!

My bum is finding some definition and I can feel the crease that is supposed to hold a pencil!

So these things have caused me to stop and pay attention to the other changes in my life. It’s not just the physical. I have set goals and met goals and set new ones along this journey. I was contacted by the founder of Beyond the Bus Stop (which I first saw either on Oprah, Dr. Phill or some other national show that I watched years ago) on Facebook (we have been friends via Facebook for 2 years, but have never really talked). She contacted me (based on my easter/now pictures) and told me that she has noticed the changes in me and told me that I am the kind of person she wants on her team (that’s a different story). But to be recognized by someone of her caliber was HUGE for me! My daughter posted a song on Facebook with the message saying she was dedicating the song to me because I am such an inspiration…she is 12 years old! My son tells me how proud he is of me. His friends tell me how great I am looking. My husband tells me he loves the changes in me (not the physical ones..but the deep inner ones). My marriage is stronger because of these changes! I am finding that sexy confident woman that I knew was always there but got lost some where! The changes are huge and I have hard time putting words to them!

This week marks the end of an 8 week Super Summer Challenge that I started with another online community. My goal was to release 10# in 8 weeks. Today on the scale I was down another 1.8# for a total of 9.8# for the 8 weeks and 29.4 for the 19 weeks! I have met other goals for this 8 week challenge and have a few more to meet still this week. I’ll get them done, mark my words!

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and supports me. I appreciate each and everyone of you!

See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon.. I DID IT!!!!

Ever since my friend Michelle told me she was planning on having her wedding at the finish line of the Honolulu Marathon December 11, 2011, I had been toying with the idea of getting back into running.  That was in February of this year.  When I joined Weight Watchers, they announced their 5K Walk-It Challenge that was to be held in May, I decided I would use this at the catalyst to start my running. I wanted to RUN!  I have walked a marathon and several 5Ks before, but I have never RUN any portion of them.  So in March, I set out training for the 5K and I decided that I WAS going to go the Honolulu Marathon in December.  But between the two 5Ks in May and the Marathon in December there was the Boise See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon on June 18th!    I finished 2 5K’s in May and then immediately started training for the half marathon which was in 4 weeks.

   

During my training, I tried different kinds of interval training. I ended up with the 4 minute run and 2 minute walk interval. The last 2 weeks of training, I also incorporated a 5-25 interval training which was 5 days a week for 25 minutes I would do 2 minutes walking, 2 minutes jogging, 1 minute sprinting 5x for 25 minutes total. Then I would go on to finish my 40 minute training “run” with the regular intervals. That didn’t always work. Actually, I think it only worked once. *laugh*

My left knee (which I injured last summer..and took me out of roller derby) started to get cranky. So I continued with my 5-25 training and gave up on any 40 minute training runs and decided I would do 5-25’s either on bike, stationary bike, roller skates or elliptical (to save my knee). I did complete 3 long runs. One was 8 miles long and the other two were 9 miles..following the 4 minute run 2 minute walk. I didn’t even get ALL of the running in during those times. But I had a goal. I needed to keep pace to get me to the finish line at 3 hours 30 minutes. As far as I could tell with the 9 mile runs, I was on pace…and it was painful. My knee hurt. My hips hurt. My feet hurt. And OMG..how was I going to do this???

Wednesday before the actual race, I did my last cardio workout. I was feeling GREAT! I was ready for this race. I spent Thursday and Friday before the race just mentally preparing and taking care of my body. I did a 2 miles stroll one day and 30 minutes of upper body weight lifting the next. My head was in the game. I had had no alcohol. I was eating right. And I was ready!

Race day came, I was feeling great! My running buddy (the bride to be, Michelle) showed up 2 minutes before starting gun (true to her nature) and we started the race together knowing that she would take off and leave me in the dust. We may run together but we have individual goals and times. She took off and there I was left to my own devices….iPhone playing jams and running training app telling me when to run or walk.

My hubby and daughter met me about every mile to take pictures and make sure I was good with water. I found myself running further and faster than I thought I would for the day. I was having a great time. Until about mile 8 1/2 where the trail was under construction and covered in big rocks that I could feel with ever step. I bruised the ball of my left foot! OUCH! Mile 9 my foot was in pain! Mile 9 1/2 we got back to regular path. Yay!

Mile 10 or so was the last time I saw my hubby before the finish line. As soon as he left, my iPhone DIED!!! No music! No trainer to pace me! I WAS ALONE! They say long races are more mental than physical! In the last 1 1/2 miles I found this to be true.

Finally, I crossed under the bridge at Broadway and entered into Julia Davis Park where the starting/finish line was.  I knew i had to be close, but I don’t remember how many miles I had left, and I wasn’t sure where the race route was going to take me.  I was hoping against hope that I didn’t have to make that original loop we started out with that would take me all the way around the park again.    I hadn’t seen a mile marker in what seemed like FOREVER!  I didn’t know where I was.  But there was a lady with a stop watch and told me that I was at 3:04:…..  THREE HOURS FOUR MINUTES!

This is where my mind started to mess with me.  This is where the mind games started to kick in!  I thought I lost my goal time. I thought it was over with. I had no idea how fast I was going.  I saw 1 woman still ahead of me I focused on passing her.  I did it!  But I still had no idea where I was.  Where was that blasted mile marker?  What time was it?

I could hear the award ceremony going.  I saw a woman with a medal walking to her car.  Finally I saw Mile 11.  MILE 11?????  SERIOUSLY??? ONE MORE MILE???  What time was it?  I must have  missed my time.  It would take me another 15 minutes (if I was on pace to make the last mile, and I knew the award ceremony was supposed to start at 11 (3 HOURS IN) and they were already at the end of the ceremony! I could see the finish line across from the park from where I was.  I HAD TO GO ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PARK STILL! I felt like quitting. My body was begging to stop. I kept pushing. Walking faster. Heart pounding. Breathing difficult. Lungs and feet burning.

I kept thinking about my mentor Bill Phillps who recently had a bilateral quadirepts rupture and can’t run or even walk right now, yet he is still working out. He managed to make it through this horrible accident and surgery and recovery with no pain killers.  Certainly I can do THIS!  I WILL DO THIS FOR HIM!

Mile 11 was the longest mile ever! Last 50 yards, I finally saw the clock at the finish line. 3:28:40. I blinked and looked at it again. I didn’t have my glasses on.  Surely it said 3:48:40….but I looked again.  NOPE!  I STILL HAD TIME!  I still had a minute to go. My heart lifted! I started sprinting watching that clock ticking down. I ran faster and faster. MUST MAKE MY TIME!  A man and his family were packing up to leave the area and he saw me start to sprint and he started clapping and cheering me on!

Finally, screaming and crying….I crossed the line at 3:29:59!!!!!!

       

I received my medal and hugged my family and my running buddy! And about puked! Then it was time to celebrate…champagne and chocolate! YES!!!

 

So what’s next you might ask? I still want to beat my 5K time and I have another race 1/2 marathon in October! BRING IT!!!!

What goals are you busting wide open or reaching for? Let me know so I can cheer you on!!!!

Week 13 1/2..the incredible shrinking woman!

Tuesday was week 13 weigh in…..I released another 2.2# for a total of 21.8# released!  That is fantastic news!  I LOVE IT!  More importantly, I love the changes being made in my life…..

So lots of things happen in my life besides Weight Watchers and losing weight.  I’m a mom.  I’m a wife.  I’m a daughter.  I read.  I’m a friend.  I’m a Sunday School Teacher.  I’m a student.  …..just lots of things.  What I have found is that when you live your life with purpose and ON purpose, your life unfolds perfectly before you.

A year or so ago, I was joking with my husband about wanting to work with the company he works for (Picaboo) as a customer care specialist.  He laughed it off and told me that unless we wanted to move to Palo Alto, CA. that just wasn’t possible.   So about a month ago, he came home from a business trip and told me that Karen, the VP of Customer Care had asked him if I would be interested in working as a Customer Care Specialist.  At first, he spoke FOR me and said no.  Then he realized he was wrong, and retracted his statement. That started a snowball effect.  Soon enough, I had an interview and an offer letter!  I have been hired as a part-time, work from home, Customer Care Specialist for Picaboo!  I’m sooo excited!  I didn’t go looking for this job; it came looking for me. But I set that intention a year ago!  Pretty exciting!  They even hired me, approving of the dates I needed off for a couple of big running races I already have planned!  Sweet!!!

The next big challenge?  Learning to plan, eat, exercise properly while working a real job…like everyone else in the world!  I can do this!

The other thing I am really proud about this week is that my daughter has begun to join me in the gym.  She was running track in the spring, but has decided that she wants to run NOW to keep it up.  So she asked me if she could go to the gym with me.  Today, was her first day.  She couldn’t keep up with my 5/25 interval workout; the sprint part was hurting her legs; I told her she needs to work through that pain.  But in the end, she decided to just do the “jog” pace on the elliptical. When we were done with the cardio, we headed to the free weights.  I started her out with 5# weights since that is all I could find there.   We did one full set of the upper body work out before her arms were like jello. We still need to work on her form.  She will get it!  The important thing is…she is there doing it!  As for me??? I have graduated in weights to 10# for all but 1 of the exercises (still working on this elbow issue of mine).  I am pretty excited about this milestone!

One last thing to celebrate……

The Boise See Jane Run 1/2 Marathon is next week.  So far, I am having a heck of a time with running clothing that will prevent me from chaffing.  Today we went back to See Jane Run to look for pants.  My running skirt I bought in May rides up on my legs….(the compression short part does).  Today, the sales lady helped me and suggested I try the XL size in running tights.  She also gave me an XL running tank.  Sure enough, the fit!!!!  I look so dang skinny in them!  I know I’m NOT, but I have to be honest.  I still saw myself as HUGE and when the sales lady saw me as smaller, I was shocked!   I guess I still have some body image issues to work out.  But in the mean time, I am no longer wearing PLUS SIZE workout gear!!!!  Go Me!!!!  Of course, she also suggested the body glide stuff..even the skinny girls use it *laugh*    I’m excited!

Anyway, there are so many facets of ME that are growing and shifting and changing.  I love that way my life is unfolding perfectly right now.  I love how my changes are spreading to and inspiring my own family.

How Do You Measure Success?

Two years ago, I was in therapy for weight loss of all things.  I knew I needed to get down to the mindset issues and deal with them in order to make a significant and permanent lifestyle change.  I thought I had found the right way to do it.  In the process of going through therapy, I became a Beachbody Coach, and I struggled with the idea of success.  How do I know if I am successful at being a coach.  To me at the time, it was watching my own body change and the way I inspired others to be healthier versions of themselves.

 

In the end, therapy didn’t do much for what I went there for.  And I let go of the Beachbody business.  I’m not much of a sales person.  *laugh*  But today as i ended my 5/25 workout the memory of sitting on Charlene’s couch and discussing success came to me.

 

How do I measure success when it comes to my health?  There is a reason we set goals.  Goals give us something to reach for, and they help us know when we have succeeded!  When we set goals they need to be S.M.A.R.T.  (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely).  Is it reasonable for us to set goals like we see on Biggest Loser?  “I want to lose 10# this week?”  Unless all you do is work out 8+ hours a day, its not realistic or likely.  Our goals need to fit within our lifestyle or at least easy enough to make little shifts in our schedules to make them part of our lifestyle (like getting up 30 minutes earlier or turning off the tv for 30 minutes to get a workout in).  So many times I have heard, “Well if I had a personal chef to cook for me, I could lose weight like Oprah did.”  Well unless you have several thousand dollars in expendable cash to do that, that isn’t a very realistic and attainable goal either.  But we CAN set little goals of popping in some oatmeal into the microwave for a minute and chopping up a banana to throw in there for a quit breakfast.  We can start small and move from there.  It’s the little things done over a consistent period of time that keep us going and reaching our  BIG goals.  Consistency and progress not perfection!

 

In March 2006, weighing in somewhere around 220# (about where I am now at 227#) I decided I was going to complete the City of Trees Marathon on Nov 6, 2006.  8 months away…haven’t ever been a runner, and for that matter, walking 1 mile hurt my feet terribly.  On my birthday, in May 2006, my hubby bought me a bike to train with (since I wasn’t released by the doctor to run yet).  I started riding.  And there was this huge hill at the end of Cole Rd, near where I lived.  Every day I would head for that road with the goal of getting to the end.  At first I could ride for a bit, but then I would have to get off my bike and rest.  It was too hard.  But I would get back on and continue the ride.  Sometimes, I would hop off the bike and WALK up a particularly hard part of the hill, but every time I went out, I made it to the top of the hill.  My goal was to RIDE MY BIKE all the way up that hill!  Eventually I could..not only that, I could go farther and make the turn left and go up THAT hill too!  It was amazing!  It was the small steps…the small goals…and reaching them.  That is how I measured success back then.  Somehow, somewhere, I lost that sense of measurement.

Today was the first time in 2 years that I have gotten back on my bike. I was so excited to ride today, and my goal was to do the 5/25 workout!  That was it.  I just wanted to do my 5/25.  I hopped on my bike and started.  First it was down my street and round my little one street subdivision, then I turned right on Victory Rd.  I wasn’t certain which route I would take from there, I decided to let the signal lights determine. If it was red when I got to Victory and Cole, I would turn right on Cole Rd. and face those hills!  Well sure enough, it was red!  Up Cole Rd. I went!  Some of those slow parts were up pretty steep hills, and sometimes the sprint part was up those very steep hills where it took all I had to just keep pushing!  And that very last sprint cycle was on the very last very steep hill at the top of Cole Rd!  I did it!!!!!!  I not only did the 5/25, but I did it going UP those crazy hills on Cole Rd…and I DID’T STOP!!!!!  I didn’t have to take a break to breathe.  I didn’t have to get off my bike to rest my legs.  I didn’t even have to walk up a hill. I was able to pedal all the way through!!!!!  The 25 minutes ended just about 7 yards from the end of the road before you have to turn left….  I finished climbing to the end of the road…to the dead end part.  Then I stopped and got off my bike to drink my water and celebrate just how far I have come in my life.  I celebrated just how far I have come in my health!  I celebrated just how STRONG I am mentally, emotionally and physically!  It was amazing!  My legs felt like wet noodles, and it felt amazing!

 

This is how I measure success!  It’s not about a number on the scale (though I will admit to liking watching it go down).  It’s about doing things I never thought I would be able to do, or being able to do them again after gaining so much weight back over the years.   It’s about about being stronger at 227# than I was at 220# in 2006!  It’s about pushing myself further than I thought I could go….running faster than I thought I could run….lifting more than I thought I could lift…..skating faster and longer than I ever could before.  Its about reaching those small goals and making new ones.  This is success!

 

How do you measure yours?

The feeling of needing more does NOT give you license to EAT more!

As I was sitting with my girlfriend today visiting with her while watching her son skate board and then later over lunch, it dawned on me this feeling I have been feeling.  I feel like I NEED more.  I need more from my friends.  I need more quality face time from my girlfriends.  I need more adult time with my girlfriends.  I need to be thought of first not as an after thought.  I’m not saying I need to be the most important thing in their worlds.  I’m just saying that I need them to say to themselves, “Hey, I have some free time, let me call Martha and see if she wants to do something.”  (Without the men in our lives..without the children in our lives….some good ol’ fashioned girl time!)  I need a girls weekend away!  I  need to laugh over lunch at silly things. I need to dance the night away in some crazy bar watching all the craziness around us!

I have been feeling very lonely for female companionship.  I love my kids.  I love my husband, but a girl needs girl time!  And for the last month or maybe even longer I have been feeling very neglected by my girlfriends.

So what does this have to do with Weight Watchers?  Well, this feeling has left me feeling empty inside.  And what do a lot of people do when they are feeling empty? They eat in order to NOT feel empty.  It’s a universal law that the universe abhors a hole.  Where there is a hole in the earth, the earth will find a way to fill it. Where there is an empty space on your counter top, the universe finds a way of putting something there.  That is why we are always cleaning.  Well the same is true for this empty feeling in the pit of my stomach…..  If it’s not filled with something positive, it will be filled with food.  This is called stuffing emotions.

Today, while visiting with my girlfriend, I realized what this feeling was.  I was able to name what I was feeling.  I NEED MORE.  I felt that feeling like I need to eat and eat and eat.  But I wasn’t hungry.  I just feel like I NEED MORE.  Great..so now that I know what I am feeling, and I am able to name it; the power has been removed from that feeling, and I need to take action in order to fill that void in my life.  With what? I’m not certain.

Right now I am just crying and vented to my husband.  I’m blogging.  I even wrote an email to my girlfriend….not optimal, but since we can never get time alone these days it seems like the only way I can communicate with her.  So an email it is.  But I need to do something to get out of this mood…I need to DO something.  I guess I will go clean. I will see if I can get an exercise routine in.  Hopefully that will help.  I know what I need to do..and that is FEEL what I’m feeling and then find a positive outlet to take care of this feeling without eating it away.