The Little Engine That Could Part 2

So I decided late December that I would run a Biggest Loser Challenge on Facebook. I invited my friends and we got a group ready to start on January 5th.  I've run these challenges in the past and usually do pretty well, so I figured it would be the kick in the ass I needed to get healthy once and for all.  But when I'm done with the challenges, maintenance is always my worst enemy.

See, I have never known how to just maintain my weight. It's not just EASY for me.  I always gain it back.  So who was to say this time would be any different? 

I didn't know that my AHA moment had shown itself. I didn't know that I would use this Biggest Loser Challenge as a springboard to go above and beyond.  I like to play it safe. I set attainable goals to avoid being disappointed.

I met with a trainer at the gym on base who did a free fitness assessement - weight, calipers, inches.  I saw her every 6 weeks for the first few months.

I ended up winning the BL challenge and lost about 22 pounds in 8 weeks. I was motivated. I ran another few challenges, the last one ended about 2 weeks ago.  My starting weight was 198.  My current is 143.  I do not know when I have been this weight before, not anytime that I had a scale!  Probably high school or college. I didn't weigh myself much then. 

People have asked me how I lost the weight - I know people want a magic pill. I know people want there to be a quick fix. I know because I've lived it. I used to pore over people's Instagram's and Facebook pages and see how they lost the weight.  I knew I couldn't do any fads. No low carb, no low calorie, no gimmicks. I had to pick from different approaches and carve out a plan that worked for me.  I stuck to a lower carb plan but still eat plenty of carbs (150g per day). I try to get at least 100g of protein per day.  I limit sugar.  I work out 6 days a week.  In the beginning I was doing cardio and weights most days, then running took over my life. LOL.  I'm still running 4-5 days a week but plan to get back to weights 2-3x week next week.

So what should you do?  FIND WHAT WORKS FOR YOU!!  What is something you can sustain for the long term?  Is low-carb something you see yourself doing forever?  What is your lifestyle like?  What exercises do you like doing?  Carve out a plan that works for you that you can stick with every day.  We are all different and need different things.  For me, I LOVE running. Love it. I also love lifting, but not as much as running. Running is my ME time.  I function better when I get a run in.  I'm a better mom and a better wife. So find what makes you feel that way and run with it!

To date, I have lost 55 pounds. And I'm not done.  So stay tuned!! 

The Little Engine That Could - Part 1

I'm back on the blog!  It's been awhile. I know I don't really have an audience, but I need the therapy that writing gives me, so I've decided to TRY to get back to blogging regularly. I feel like I lived a whole new life this year and I haven't documented any of it!!  Boo me.

2014 was a rough year. Friendships were lost. My husband was gone most of the year.  I was in a FUNK. Totally funkdafied. My health suffered because I was suffering.   I can see it now, looking back on it with a fresh pair of eyes. I was lost, I was sinking into a depression. I'm pretty lucky that my true friends stuck it out with me!

What happens when I become depressed? I stop caring. I start forgetting what the things I love to do are and lack consistency in everything.  It really is a slippery slope. Complacency, it's real. Now, I didn't completely drop everything. Was I in the worst shape of my life?  Nope.  I still was exercising - was I pushing myself? No. Would I rather go out for coffee than workout?  Heck yeah.  I wasn't really focused on my food intake. Clothes started getting tighter. Excuses were being made.  I blamed my thyroid.  I was sure there was a medical reason!

Got my blood work back. Thyroid - healthy!  A1C - above normal.  Pre-diabetic range. Say what???

A1C?  I'd never even heard of it. Well, it measures your blood sugar over a period of 2-3 months.  And my A1C was elevated.

Military doctor's advice?  Diet and exercise.  That was it. I actually didn't even get an appointment to talk face-to-face.  Military medicine at it's finest!  They put in a referral for a nutritionist.  Yeah, that nutritionist works on another base 90 miles away and only comes to the area once every 3 months.  What a joke.

What did happen?  Well, I thought about it. I really thought about my life. And how important it was.  I thought about my husband.  My three kids.  I had to make a choice - keep going on as I was, floating along. Maybe I would get diabetes. A preventable disease.  Some people might choose to go that route.

I didn't make that choice. I chose ME. 

More in part 2 later!! :D

2014 is here??

How in the hell did that happen?

I'm flummoxed.  Flabbergasted.  I can't believe it came so quick. Because I was definitely  not prepared! 

The second-half of 2013 was a busy one. My fitness took a big backseat to everything else (including kids, moving, work etc).  That was not my plan, but I'm not going to focus on things that I should've done last year.

I do that rearview mirror crap with so many things in my life, but I'm not going to do that here. Not with my health and fitness.

Coulda, woulda, shoulda.

That's a damn good Sex and the City episode too, if you haven't seen it.  Love that show.

I digress.  I've been pondering some goals over the last few weeks.  I want to get some solid goals with solid dates written so I can share them on the blog for accountability (aka, I'll forget what I said). 

So, I will list a few things I want to accomplish this year.  Tomorrow I will get some hard core plans together. 

- Join a gym.  Really don't want to because it's so expensive out here in Cali.  It annoys me.

- Lift weights.  Besides hauling my kids all around the damn town.  Heavy weights. A la Brittany Eats Clean and FIT by Jordan.  I heart them.  I will be following a Jamie Eason plan.
 

- Eat cleaner.  Less sugar.  Less artificial sugar. Less carbs. More protein.  Probably need to break up with white bread.

-Run more.  Well anything is more than I have been!  I got a Garmin GPS watch for Christmas, and I'm so excited to use it! 

I'm sure there are more.  Until then, ta ta!

Weekly Goals Link Up - 7/22

Happy Monday y'all!

It's happy for me because my hubby actually had today off, yahoo!!

But of course I didn't get to sleep in because I foolishly made a doctor's appointment for my daughter at 8am this morning.

Foolish.

Oh well, I had no idea he'd have the day off anyways!  He had to work Saturday and has been working 12 hour days most of the past week.

No fun for this mom.  Luckily I recently met this really cool fellow mom and Navy wife and we hung out most of last week!

On to my goals.  Yesterday was my youngest daughter's 2nd birthday (cue the awwwwws).  Of course I made cake and cupcakes.  Of course I ate cake and cupcakes.  Delish!

And pizza. I ate lots of pizza.  Sigh.  I've been feeling craptastic everytime I have pizza now.  Because, if you've read my previous posts, I have a pizza addiction. I can't just have one or two slices.



It's a sickness, people.

So I'm linking up again today to get back on track.  I'm going on vacay in 19 days and I'd like the good habits in place prior to that.

There will be pizza on that trip too.  The best pizza.

Goals for Week of 7/22 -

1.  Run 4x this week.  I managed to run after the birthday party yesterday (a 5K, yes I did), so 3 more to go.  I'll be heading out right after this post.

2.  Start some kind of strength routine. Whether it be some squats, lunges and planks in my living room, I need to start building that lean muscle.

3.  Eat out less this week. We were out and about so much last week that we made one too many stops at the drive-thru.  I've meal planned through the end of the month so I hope to stick to that.

What are your goals this week?  What have you had trouble with in July?

10K Training, Again

It's Tuesday, peeps!

I feel like I haven't had a chance to get on my computer in DAYS!  It's hard to find the time when the trio is up and running around.

I knew it was time to get re-started in my 10K training. I have started it more than once and gotten all the way to week 7, and then BOOM - off the wagon I fell.

It was a hard fall.



I started again and kept repeating weeks 1 and 2. I love those 3/1 intervals!  But I was having motivation issues along with some breathing troubles.

So I restarted the plan yet again. I swear it's probably my 5th time.  Today would be the day I start week 2.  Again. Again. Again.

But I feel bored. I don't feel motivated. I feel like I should be DONE already. I should be able to run 5 or 6 miles no problem.

I used to mix up my running with gym classes.  Sigh. I LOVED my old gym in Maryland. Loved it.  I had a great group of friends that I made through the gym and I always looked forward to going to class.

Body Pump.  Body Step.  Body Attack.  Body Combat.  I love you all and miss you. 

That plus running was fantastic for my motivation.  Now the closest gym that offers those same classes is 18 miles away.  It's not super realistic for me to join when it's totally out of the way.

What's a girl to do?  Off to go run for now.

Actually Alana

Hey out there in the blogsphere!  Not that I think anyone will be reading this blog, but I have a good imagination.

I wanted to start blogging again because so many crazy, random thoughts go through my head day after day.  I considered posting them on Facebook, but sometimes (hell, most of the time) I don't want everyone I know to read that stuff. Some people use FB as a place for their word vomit, but that is not me. I try to keep it semi-private in the real world, you know?

A little about me - I am a Navy Wife!  My husband, Mister F, has been active duty for over 16 years!  We've been married over 11 of those :)  I'm a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids.  A1, is 5, A2 is 4 and A3 will be 2 next month. I am lucky to be able to stay home with them, but let me tell you there are some crazy shenanigans that go on around here.  Cuh-ra-zy.

I am a wannabe runner.  I started running after having my son a little bit, picked it up again after my second, got into it again after number 3.  I'm not fast. But I'm out there doing it.  My farthest distance is 5.5 miles back in 2010.  I recently did 6 miles of 3/1 intervals which was huge for me.  My goal is to complete a 10K sometime before my husband deploys.  A 1/2?  It's always possible :D

We recently moved back to California from Maryland and I am lonely as hell.  I kinda miss MD - I swear to you I never thought I would say those words.  I just miss my friends and haven't had an easy time making any here so far.

That said, I figured why not get it all out in this blog since I don't have many people to talk to right now.  At least I can get my obsessive, crazy thoughts on paper, right?