Toot Toot and A Sack of Taters

Tooting my horn here!

 I can't tell you enough how glad I am that today is over in the Cto5K program. Today I was to walk briskly for 5 minutes and then run 2 miles....straight....with no walking! I was dreading it. My awesome sister reminded me to not doubt myself because if I did then I would not be able to do it. 

I was trying to put it off as long as I could but with my schedule for today, I knew I had to hurry up and get on the treadmill.  I stretched really good and asked God to please give me the strength I needed to get through today.  I turned up the ipod and started walking. All was good and then the time came....4:57....4:58...4:59 and then BOOM, there it was.....the 5 minute mark. I started on a slow pace and just started jogging.  I didn't look down at the mileage or the time because I knew that if I glanced at it and the numbers were lower that what I thought they should be, then I would just get discouraged.  I ran and ran and ran. The lower calve muscle on my left leg started to hurt so I started focusing on the words of the songs I was listening to at that time.  When I focus on the words.....I'm not focusing on the pain.  And when I say pain, it's just a pain that feels like it's cramping and I need to stretch it out more.

The first time I glanced at the mileage it said 1.36 miles. I knew I had to keep going so I just kept jogging.  I looked down a few more times just to see where I was at......1.61 miles, 1.88 miles and then 1.99. I thought YES, I'M DONE, but really I wasn't . See, when I walked the five minute warm up, it took me to .25 so I knew that if I was going to actually do 2 whole miles, then I needed to go to 2.25 miles so I asked God to help me get through that and I told myself that I could do it.  I also remember thinking about the Bible verse, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)  How awesome that God reminded me of that verse!

I got to 2.25 miles and slowed the treadmill down. I couldn't believe it!! I had just run 2 miles!!!!  The song that I was listening to went off and another one came on. I didn't want to listen to that one so I advanced a song and it was a song called "Deliver Me" by Selah.  I immediately burst into tears!! I had actually done what I didn't think I could do and this song was telling exactly what I was feeling......HE delivered me! I was so overcome with emotion so I just raised my hands and praised God for helping me get through that!  I kept on until I had reached 3 miles and burned 640 calories!  My legs felt so heavy when I was done but that was ok!!  I got off the treadmill and then did 100 sit ups.....5 sets of 20.  I was sweating so hard and so much and was so glad that today's workout was over. It was a good glad! Yayness!!!

I did buy a new scale this week....not a digital one though and when I weighed myself again it said that I was 1 pound lighter! SOOOO that means that I have lost a 10lb sack of taters! Hee-hee!  And actually it kept teeter tottering back and forth between the 10lb and 11lb mark, but I'll stick with the 10lbs! I'm excited. I feel like I have worked really hard for those ten lubs to come off.  I think my body has figured out what I'm doing and it wants to hold onto my lubs instead of saying goodbye to them. BUT I WILL DO IT!!! Even if it takes a while!   

Here is the song I was listening to called "Deliver Me". Please just close your eyes and listen to it. It's  so powerful!!!  AND don't forget to "pause" the music in the sidebar ------> first!!!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend sweet friends! Again, thank you ALL for your encouragement! :)

It's Monday...Weigh In Day

So I weighed in this morning and my scale showed that I weighed the exact same as last week which means I didn't gain any (thank goodness) but I hadn't lost any either.  It's hard for me to believe that. I called two of my four in the bathroom so they could get on the scale and see how much they weighed and the scale wouldn't even register them. Nothing....no numbers or anything. So I'm kinda wondering if something is wrong with the scale.  It's a digital scale but I'm thinking I might just go buy me one of those older kinds......you know , the ones with the roller round number thingy and the irritating red line on it.  We'll see. I may re-weigh in tomorrow morning to see what it says and a friend also suggested that I change my weigh in day. Things I'm pondering. 

I've had several of you tell me that you have started doing the Couch to 5K Running Program too! That's exciting! Reminds me that I am not alone while doing this!! We'll be online running buddies! LOL!
I finished Week 4 Day 3, lifted weights and did 100 sit ups on Saturday and took yesterday completely off. I didn't do any type of exercise whatsoever and it was nice to rest.

Today, I'll start Week 5. It looks really intimidating. Here's what I'll be working on:

Day 1: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

Day 2: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then:

• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)
• Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)

Day 3: Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.

TWO MILES by the third day?  Oh dear Lord, please help me get through that!  It should be interesting!

I'll let you know how I do!  :)

Weigh In Day....Yesterday

So I've slacked on the blogging....I know. But, in my defense I have been sick.  Not the pukey kind of sick but the watery eyes, hacking cough, stuffy but at the same time runny nose sick, and let's not forget the headaches and the part where my eyes feel like I have rolled them around in a big bowl of sand kind of sick. Today I feel like I have a pitch fork stuck in my face. Nice huh?  :/

Yesterday was weigh in day for me and I'll just go ahead and say it....I was bummed. I had gained a pound. I know I have been watching what I eat except for that one day last week, but I know for a fact that I didn't go crazy and I didn't eat an extra 3500 calories (3500 calories = 1lb).  Sooo, David thinks that I could have gained a pound in muscle. I've been lifting weights on the same days that I do the Cto5K program so that's three days a week. I have also not been drinking the water like I should. I am at least getting in the 64 ounces I need but I guess I need to go back to drinking the ounces of half my body weight.  A friend of mine also reminded me that the "gained" pound could be because of different factors like water retention or stress or just whatever so that made me feel a little better.  OR I could just have a pound of snot in my head...yeah that's it right? ;)

Sooo, I think I am going to try something different.  I'm going to try to get in my carbs during the day and not have them at night.  That was something the consultants told me to do when I was doing LA Weight Loss a few years ago.  My body is weird. I have always had sugar "spill" over into my urine and everytime I go to the Dr. they freak out because of it.  I was tested as a child for diabetes but I didn't have it. I did have gestational diabetes with all four of my babies and was even on insulin for three of them. So obviously my body doesn't do whatever it is supposed to do in regards to carbs and sugar. I have been told that I am pre-diabetic so maybe losing some weight will help in that.

I am also going to re-start week 4 in the Cto5K program.  Because of not feeling well and two days last week where I was just blah....I didn't do the 3rd day, so I'm just going to re-start that week again this week and hopefully go from there. 

Please say a prayer that this terrible, no good day kind of cold will go away.

Because my face doesn't "feel" very happy to say have a happy day, I'll just say "Have a Day Ya'll"! :)

Let's Dance!

Zumba style! I went to my first Zumba class today with my friend, Heather, at a local Y! I was so intimidated when I first walked in. All you saw was skinniness and beefiness working out at the weights or ellipticals or treadmills.....you get the idea.  I guess I'm more of a private worker outererer. I don't want strangers people watching me in case I look really stupid and uncoordinated. I care too much about what others think....it's a flaw, I know. 

We went into the room, found our spot and the music started. I noticed that there were other people like me in there.  I wasn't the only lubby one. I'm sorry....I know that's not nice. Sooo anyway, the instructor was great! She was full of energy and charisma and you could tell she was having fun! She was very encouraging  to those of us that were newby's.  Heather and I were in the back so I had a hard time keeping up with the footsteps (because I couldn't see the instructor's feet) but for my first time I thought I did just fine.  *This* white girl does have some rhythm and I have always loved to dance. Those of you who've known me for a loooong time....remember the roger rabbit....I kicked it! HAHA!!

Except for the wedgie I got, it really was a fun time and I'm so glad I went. Thank you Heather for inviting me!! :)

On a personal note, I really wanted to say thank you to all of you for your comments and emails on facebook and on here in regards to how I was feeling the last two days.  Trying to lose weight is so very hard especially at my age.  The lubs want to stay with me instead of going away.   I felt guilty for not wanting to get on the treadmill but you guys encouraged me so much by saying it was ok to take a rest day...or two. Thank you so much sweet friends for your prayers also.  I have felt them! Today has been much better and I'm so thankful for the sunshine and the promise of some warmer days this weekend and upcoming week.  I really do think the sunshine makes all the difference!

 Monday is weigh in day and I'm nervous because I didn't work out two days this week, but I have been good with the eating...for the most part. Wednesday I ate just a few more points than I should have but hopefully that won't have ruined me. We'll see on Monday I guess. If I lose some more , than great! If I don't then I'll know to try and work harder.  If I have gained....well then I'll just choose to say that I've gained muscle because I have really been watching what I've been eating.  The battle of the bulge.....it's tough.

Hope you guys have a great weekend! :)

Ok ya'll. I need your prayers. I feel like such a wuss for writing this. I knew this whole trying to lose weight thing would have ups and downs. I just didn't expect them so early on. I know I've only been at this for a few weeks, but I'm struggling. I'm really wanting to cheat and be lazy. I know that gets me nowhere. And I know this weather doesn't help either.  I'm thankful for the snow we got. It is beautiful and God answered my prayers that we would get *some* snow. But the downside to that is that it's so blah outside. Even though the snow is gorgeous to look at, it keeps the motivation factor on the low side.  It's like, all I want to do is just snuggle up and sleep.  I saw this on someone's FB status today and I thought it was cute...."I think I'd like to try this whole hibernating thing...Eat whatever I want. Sleep til Spring. Wake up skinny."  Don't I wish it were that easy! 

 I decided to take a full "rest" day yesterday. I kept up with my points but maybe did have a few extra. :/   I have gotten on the treadmill almost everyday since I started...even if it was just to walk. But yesterday I couldn't ramp up enough motivation to get on it. Maybe it's because I am sleepy. At least one of my children wakes me up every night for something.  Plus, add in my own waking up for whatever reason and you have a restless night's sleep. AND, three of my four youngin's and David have been sick this week so that has kinda worn on me too. I know this low time is an opportunity for the evil one to wear on me. To make me think I can't do this. To tempt me. I don't need that.  So, if you don't mind, please say a prayer for me today. Pray for strength, motivation and my desire for healthiness to be restored.  Those sweet treats are reeeeeally calling out my name and the thought of going in the cold garage to get on the dreadmill (haha Sara B.) is not sounding tooo hot right now. 

Thank you sweet friends! :)

Torture

Yes, that's what I call it.....pure D torture with a capital T!!

I started W4 Day 1 in the Cto5K program today.  I was sooo dreading it too.  I didn't want to do it honestly but I put the two youngest down for a nap, asked God to help me and give me strength, and I got on the torturemill treadmill.  This is what I am working on this week :

Brisk five-minute warm up walk, then:

• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
• Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes)
• Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes)
• Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds)
• Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)

I was worried about the 5 minute sections. I haven't run that long consecutively....ever.....well maybe in high school when I was a cheerleader or at p.e. , but NEVER as an adult.  A chubby adult at that.

Even though my calve muscles felt like they had 100lb cinder blocks attached to them towards the end, I DID IT!!! And went ahead and did an extra mile too = 3 miles. YAYNESS!!  Thank you Lord! 

Ok, I'm going to crash now.  :)

Happy Day Ya'll!

Weigh In Day

Well, I weighed in this morning and the scale showed.....wait for it....wait for it.....2 more pounds lost!! YIPEE!! So that makes a total of 9 pounds lost!! :)

I completed W3D3 of the Cto5K program yesterday so today is my "rest"day but when my two youngest lay down for a nap, I'm going to get on the treadmill. I have also been doing some weight lifting and killing my stomach  sit ups. When I do my sit ups, I've been holding two 10lb weights so I'm actually lifting 20lbs along with my own body weight. I must say that when I started doing those I could only do maybe 10.  But for the last couple of days I've been doing 60.....yep 60!!!! Three sets of 20. All with the 20lb weights. I am sitting on a weight bench too but I don't think that matters.

I'm still sticking to the WW plan and points and drinking TONS of water.  I am still noticing the super salty taste of things.  It really has made me re-think about what I let the kids eat and how much . I really believe that my taste buds have been, for lack of a better word, "corrupted" because of the cokes and sweet tea and everything else that I would choose to drink instead of water. I really think the water is helping! AND not just with flushing out my system or making me extra sensitive to the saltiness of the food that is out there, but also with my complextion.  David told me the other night that my "complextion"  looked really pretty and smooth.  If you know David, then you know that's not something he would normally say. He might say I look pretty but nothing about my complextion. LOL! Gosh love him!!! :)

Have a happy day ya'll! :)

Unexpected Love

This week I started Week 3 in the Cto5K program. I am working on doing two sets of each: run for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 3 minutes and walk for 3 minutes. I didn't think I could do the three minutes but I did. I will do day 3 on Saturday probably. It's basically doing the program three days a week and letting your muscles "rest" on the other days but on those "rest" days I am still getting on the treadmill. I'm trying to do three miles a day. Some days I am able to and others I'm not just because of time constraints with all of the running around I have to do. But I am doing it and that's what matters.

I'm SOOOO ready for Spring! How about you? These cold days just kinda make it dreary and really make me want to just stay bundled up in my jammies all snuggly under a warm blanket eating whatever the heck I please. BUT that thinking is probably what has helped to contribute to my lubbyness. I'm still really motivated to do this. I really want to lose the weight. I wish I could just snap my fingers and "WHALA" the weight be gone but it didn't attach itself to me in a day so I know realistically it won't come off in a day. That's the hard part for me....the waiting. The patience. Making sure I'm doing it the healthy way....not just the easy way. Being healthy and staying healthy is not easy. It's hard work and right now I'm in for the hard work.

Yesterday I stopped in to see my pre-schooler's teacher and we got to talking about WW. She has done it for 5 years I believe and has lost about 75 pounds. She's a lifetime member. She was telling me about how the new points system works and what the new changes are. She's going to stick with the old system which is what I'm doing. Anyway, she was so sweet and encouraging to me and I just appreciated that. She told me that I was a pretty girl and she knew that I would be able to do this and I know this may sound really silly but it made me feel so special. I really needed to hear that and especially from someone that I wouldn't have expected it from.

Lubby people need the love too. :)

Water....and Plenty of It!

One of the things that I have heard is to make sure that I need to be drinking at least eight 8oz glasses of water everyday. 64 ounces right? Can anybody really tell me why that is? I mean, I know it supposedly flushes you out and all, which for me, I think everything in my body was "flushed" out on the first day (har har), but what is the real purpose of drinking that much water a day and who came up with that formula? If you can tell me then I'll send you something........is 50cents ok? How about a stamp? That's about all I've got these days. :)

Well, I have been drinking my eight 8oz glasses of water and then some. Plenty of some! I've actually been drinking half of my body weight in ounces of water. Why? I've heard that's what you are really supposed to do. I don't know if that's right or not but it sounds good to me. Some days I feel like I am going to float away. Water is pretty much all I have been drinking with the exception of some ff milk to eat with my cereal or I may have a DDP. But I have cut down the DDP's considerably since I started this a few weeks ago. I may go a day or two without one or I may keep the glass to a small one but I am for the most part drinking solely water. I actually had a glass of DDP today for lunch and kind of thought, Eh, this isn't that good. I really loved the fizzyness and burn of it in my mouth but I was kinda surprised that I had that first initial thought. I wonder if this is the beginning of the end of DDP for me? It just didn't taste right and it's a new liter. I just bought it yesterday so I know it's not the freshness or anything.

I'm beginning to think that maybe my taste buds are changing some? Last night I cooked David and me some tilapia for dinner. In the cooking process I normally add garlic salt to it. Last night, I added no more than I normally do. Well, when I went to eat the fish, I told David that my tilapia seemed super salty. I could barely eat it but I did anyway because I was hungry and didn't want to waste it. And today as I was fixing my youngest one some macaroni and cheese (yes, it was the easy velveeta kind...head hung in shame) I took a small bite of it to make sure it wasn't too hot for him and I noticed how salty it tasted. I thought WOW. David thinks that I am becoming sensative to the salt taste because of all of the water I'm drinking. What do you think?

Something else I've noticed is that even though I am drinking all this water....at night I seem to be so very thirsty. It's like I have a huge cotton ball in my mouth. By the night time, I have usually already had my waterage for the day so anything I drink is just extra. Any idea's on why I get so thirsty even though I've had enough water for the day?

A friend of mine told me that she was having trouble posting comments on here so I went and looked at the settings and had to change them, so I'm sorry if you have had any trouble being able to post comments. I love to hear feedback so be sure and say Hello sometime! It's very encouraging to know that someone is reading this! :)