30-in-30 Run Challenge FINISHED!

Woo hoo!  I finished the 30-in-30 Run Challenge over at MapMyRun today!  I ran the final 3 miles today under a big, open, beautiful, & sunny sky!  NOT in the gym - as I had planned.  It was warm enough out for me to wear a short-sleeved shirt!  I was super-happy!  Also....can I brag just a little?  I did it with 8 days to spare!  Plus, once I logged my miles - I randomly looked at the leaderboard.  Of the participants who started the day I did - I came in 7th!  5th amongst the women!  COOL!

So, yeah...I've run a lot this month!  I definitely made up for lost time!  My hip feels great, and I'm sooo BACK!  It feels great to have finished this challenge!  I'm already trying to figure out what to do next month!  I really found that having an actual goal for exercise helped me this month.  Had it not been for the challenge, I doubt that I would have run all those miles.

Does anyone know of any good challenges out there?  I know that MapMyRun has a few other challenges going on in conjunction with the run challenge I just completed.  I need to check them out...hmm...
If you run across a good one, let me know!

I've Been Bugged...

Yup, you read right, I've been bugged.  I finally broke down and bought a Bodybugg.  I've been wanting one for months, but just wasn't sure I needed one.  It came in Monday, and I was super-excited to get it.  I spent all evening trying to figure out the ins & outs of it. 

First off, it was slightly amazing to me to realize I had burned 800+ calories while I slept.  I purchased the model that syncs with my iPhone, so I can keep tabs on things pretty easily.  I wore it to work yesterday, of course...and my calorie burn & number of steps definitely surprised me.  They recommend 10,000 steps per day.  I thought I would have trouble meeting that.  However, I totally exceeded it!  I'm really anxious to see what kind of things I find out once I wear it a few days.  I'm supposed to have a coaching session after 7 days of wearing the armband - and I'm really hoping the session is informative.  There are many things I'm not real sure about. 

To be honest, at the moment - I'm not impressed with the food logging system.  I've continued logging with MyFitnessPal so far.  I just logged my food as a lump sum of calories per meal instead of logging every item.  I have only found 2 things I eat in the database so far.  Everything else I have had to manually add to the system.  I do NOT have time for that!  Ha!  Maybe I'm missing something, though.

I was anxious to work out while wearing the armband.  Last night I did a little Turbo Kick, and the results were conflicting.  I checked my total at the beginning and end and got one total.  Then, when I actually synced the bugg with the computer I got a different total!  300+ calories difference!  So, it looks like I definitely need that coaching session...

Anyone want to weigh-in on the Bodybugg?

Weigh-In | 1.24.11

I hate these posts.  Not the weigh-ins.  The weigh-ins when I'm UP.  Even more than that, I hate the weigh-ins when I'm up....and it doesn't make sense.

I'm up 1.4 lbs today.  I was seriously shocked when I stepped on the scale this morning!  Yesterday, I was DOWN almost 2 lbs!!!  I mean, don't get me wrong, I have some theories on this - but, I don't know have a real reason.  To list a few - muscle gain, sodium, TOTM? 

It's a little disheartening to know that I worked out SO hard and didn't enjoy a loss!  Seriously, I logged 374 minutes of exercise this week.  My goal is 210 per week.  I also burned 4462 calories (how many calories is in a pound? Huh?  Huh?).  My goal is 1950!  I ate pretty well this week.  There is always room for improvement, but, I really did well! 

Ok...scrap that.  First off, I know that in the next week or so, I'm most likely going to enjoy a bigger loss than usual.  Darn that delayed gratification!!!!  So many emotions come out when stuff like this happens.  Weight-loss is a mystery....it doesn't always happen the way we think it should.  I must dust myself off, lace up those running shoes and get moving again this week.  The same way I would if the scale had shown a loss. 

God has been speaking to me a lot lately about this weight-loss journey I'm on.  I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is helping me.  I've given this all to Him.  Yesterday, during worship at church, a song we sang spoke to my heart.  It has many meanings to me, and I'm going to share some lyrics here: 

Healer

by Hillsong

You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease

I trust in You
I trust in You

I believe You're my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You're my Portion
I believe You're more than enough for me
Jesus You're all I need

Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands

Yesterday I just cried out and sang this from the bottom of my heart.  I really feel that obesity is a disease.  God is going to heal me of it!  I feel it!  I know with every fiber of my being that I will be freed of this!  We may at times feel like things are impossible for us, but as this song says, nothing...NOTHING is impossible for Him!  I'm so grateful that when it comes down to it, my biggest "cheerleader" in this, is God.  I have felt Him pushing me...rooting me on lately.  It's an amazing feeling!  I have to do my part, though.  That means picking myself up today and moving!  It means eating as well as I can possibly manage!

You know, I have to thank every one of you who are reading.  I see my stats and know that people are reading.  I'm so happy you're all here!  I see supportive comments and they help me so much!  Thank you all!  They really make my day and keep me going!  This blog has been one of the best things I've ever done in dealing with weight-loss.

Well, today is a new day, in a brand-new week!  Wish me luck!

Jo



New Record!

Oh my word!  I burned MORE calories than what this heart rate monitor is showing (let my friend borrow it at first)!  Ha!  Even if that was my total - it would have been a record high!  I had an AMAZING day at the gym!!  Grand total for the day?

2399! 

Yeah, oddly enough - I was 1 calorie shy of 2400! 

I was at the gym for about 4 hours!  I started out working with my friend, Laci.  When she finished up, I decided to stay longer.  I thought, maybe an hour more?  That turned into almost THREE more hours!  I've been called insane more than once today!  Maybe I am?  I just felt really good today and decided to take advantage of the extra energy!

I worked out on the elliptical(unrecorded 374 cals), ran, did strength training, walked, and did some exercises with a medicine ball!  I feel like a beast!  It's great!

One thing that helped me was watching "I Used To Be Fat" on MTV.  It happened to come on, and I zoned in on it.  It was pretty motivating to see someone's journey unfold in front of you.  The added bonus was the trainer pushing the girl on today's show!  I found myself working harder when he was pushing her!  Woo hoo!  I'm going to have a "I Used To Be Fat" story of my own soon!

Oh, I mentioned that I ran today - I ran 4 miles!  I have 17 of 30 miles complete with 16 days left in my challenge!  I'm definitely going to finish this challenge, even if it's not the way I had intended to finish it!  Maybe.....just maybe....I'll win that iPad?  Never know....

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend!  I'll be back on Monday for weigh-in!  Looking for a good number this week!  Fingers crossed!

Slim Pickins

Good morning!  I needed a little extra motivation to go workout this morning....so I decided to go "skinny shopping" again!  This time I went to:

bebe

Asymmetric Cascade Dress

Colorblock Racer Tank - BEBE SPORT 

I picked this 'cause I thought, "This skinny girl will still work out!"  P.S.  I've always wanted to be one of those girls you see running in a sports bra...(I mean...a "modest" one, ya know?)

Rosette Silk Dress

Rosette Strapless Top

with Glamour Long Blazer over it (site suggestion)

Aaaaah...I'm SUCH a girly girl.  I love it!  I guess I just love rosettes & ruffles!!  These are the things that struck me most at bebe.  I'm off to go burn some major calories now!  :)

Have a great weekend!

Jo

13/30 - Run Challenge

I fell off the wagon on Monday with the run challenge.  I had the WHOLE day off, and I did nothing.  It was amazing, no lie.  I had grand plans of taking some time out to go for a long run.  It didn't happen.  I stayed parked on the couch with my hubby and we watched hours of Netflix.  Hours and hours.  Ha!  Around 8 pm, I started feeling a little guilty.  By this time it was dark and I was kinda bummed that I had "wasted" the whole day.  However, I started to gear up - and it starts raining.  Yeah...like I want to go out now!  I start thinking of the dog down the street that keeps freaking me out.  I worry that he's going to bite me.  Ugh.  His owners had another dog that bit me a year or so ago and they weren't so concerned/helpful.  So, yeah...it wasn't but about 5 minutes and I was parked on the couch once again watching Netflix.

I "didn't have it in me" yesterday either.  I had home group (bible study) after work and once I was home, I was "done."  Ha. I totally could have gone for a run, but decided against it.

In saying all of this, as of tonight, I'm caught up!  I went to the gym with my friend, Laci, and ran a very boring 3 miles on the treadmill without music (gasp)!  My headphones weren't working!  Surprisingly, it went by quickly...... :)  Now I'm debating whether to finish the challenge as I had intended (1 mile per day for 30 days), or just get in 30 miles - no matter how it's broken down? 

Decisions, decisions. 

Weigh-In | 1.17.11

Minus 2 pounds.  Holiday weight NOT gone after all.  Oh well.  Almost. :)

I've worked pretty hard this week.  I've been running a mile every day.  Some days I did more that, but most days that was my only exercise.  I ate well this week, too.  There's always room for improvement, but, it was a great week for me!  I still feel like I'm back in the groove.  I'm going to work harder this week!

I went to the doctor on Friday.  When I saw him in November for my hip, he wanted to do some blood work.  My blood pressure was up that day.  He wanted to check some things out.  On Friday, everything checked out well.  BP was good as well as the blood work.  I was relieved.  I will see him again in May, and he told me that he would like to see 32 lbs. gone by then.  So, there's one goal to add to my "goals" page.  I WILL meet it!  Hopefully, I can exceed it! :) THAT would be awesome! 

I hope you all have a great week!

Tales of a Compulsive Weigher

You guys all know by now that I weigh myself all the time.  Right?  Sometimes multiple times a day.  It's kind of silly.  There are times that I wish I could just hop off the scale on Monday, and not step foot on it again for an entire week.  With me, that just doesn't happen.  I have to know progress.  Am I headed in the right direction?  Am I headed in the wrong direction?  Is that meal I screwed up yesterday showing up today????   Even when I see what I don't want to see, it typically doesn't affect me negatively.  9 times out of 10, there's still time to correct it.  I guess it keeps me focused?

In fact, today was awesome!  I hopped on the scale this morning, and to my utter AMAZEMENT - I was down 3 pounds!  Seriously?!?  I was overjoyed!  Almost all of the holiday bulk is gone????  Wow.  I'm very anxious to see if that number holds, or even drops by Monday.  We'll see. 

Are there any other compulsive weighers out there?  How does it affect you?

Weigh-In | 1.10.11

Shew!  I just got finished with a very chilly run!  Day 4 of the 30-in-30 Challenge is complete!  The stats are kinda sketchy tonight.  I didn't get my timer started until 10-15 seconds into the run, so, I'm guessing I would have clocked 14:03 or a little more.  As for calories, I only recorded a wimpy 59 calories.  I wore my new touchscreen gloves tonight.  I thought they would work with my heart-rate monitor, but after I started running, they stopped working....grr.  It was a hard run tonight, but, I'm proud of myself for getting out there at 10pm to do it!  I've had a busy evening, so, I had no choice.

OK...Let's get down to business.  I am DOWN 2.2 lbs. this week!  What an incredible feeling!  I feel like I'm "back in the game" now!  I'm looking forward to accomplishing great things this week!  Are you?

30-in-30 Day 2

Day 2 - COMPLETE! 

When I saw 4" of snow early this morning, I was pretty bummed.  I started this challenge yesterday, and thought, "Man...stumped already?!?"  I was seriously contemplating running in place for 15 minutes! Ha!  That should work, right?!?

I slept in this morning, and when I woke up, I looked out and noticed that my street had been cleared!  YES!  I did some random things, watched tv, ate some breakfast, and finally psyched myself up for a run in the cold.  As I was getting ready to go out, I could hear the wind.  I was not thrilled.

Well, I shaved off a little bit of time today!  I ran the mile in 0:14:13!  Woo hoo!  It's great to see progress the very next run!  Now I think I'm going to do some Turbo Jam to round out my workout!   I hope you're all having a great weekend!

30 in 30 Run Challenge!

I just found a great challenge over at MapMyRun.com!  It's the 30 in 30 Run Challenge!  Run 30 miles in 30 days!  I'm excited!  I NEED a challenge right now!  Not only will me and my body be challenged, but there are some great prizes to be won if you finish!  Say, a brand-new iPad?  I could handle that! 

I completed my first run this evening.  My time was 0:15:18.  Not a great time.  I was taking it easy on myself, though.  I'm still cautious - a little nervous about the hip injury I had in November.  Plus, I had a problem with my knee this week.  I'm pleased to report that both felt great tonight!  Woo hoo!  I'm looking forward to seeing how much I can improve my time over the next month!  I plan to log my miles on the blog, so if you're interested, check 'em out!

Anyone want to join me?  Comment and let me know you're IN!  I'm pumped! :)

Psst!  If running is NOT your cup of tea, check out some of the other challenges here!  Let me know if you decide to try one!

Slim Pickin's

I've been inspired by PlushBelle!  I've seen a few of her "Skinny Shopping" posts - and thought it would be fun to do a series of my own. 

So, here I am, imagining myself as a tiny, skinny lil thing...
walking through the mall and into Anthropologie. 
Oh wait, we don't have an Anthropologie in Charleston, WV!  Since I'm imagining myself skinny, I can imagine we have Anthro, right? 
I walk in with NO regards to size and see these things and have to try them on!

Anthropologie

Clear Choice Sweater
The name says it all, doesn't it?  Cute. 
I'd dress this up with a long, pretty necklace.
Ok, so I could kick things up a notch, I'm sure.  After all, I've lost 137 pounds! 

Polynya Corset Top
This would be nice on a hot summer day...out on the lawn at Symphony Sunday, perhaps?

Foliage Finder Jacket
The name of this jacket suggests nice little stroll through the woods on a beautiful fall day. 
I would never wear this in the woods, but, it would look lovely in photos, right? Perhaps taken by Heather Smith Photography?
 I'd probably just wear it to work...


Sing Sweetly Party Dress
THIS dress, I can imagine wearing to a beautiful outdoor wedding in the spring...
Cute little birdy pattern...
Wonder whose wedding it will be?


Artist's Study Tee

Can I pull off stripes now?  I shouldn't have to worry about them making me look bigger any longer, right? 

I continue on, after purchasing these lovely items, and find myself walking into

Banana Republic
(Oh wait...we don't have this store, either.)

Ruffle shoulder cardigan

Oh look at the ruffles on this cardigan!  It looks soft and cozy.  The cute little belt!  I love that look!


Tall ruffle-placket textured cardigan

More ruffles!  Pretty color!  I love cardigans....


I really love this! 

Made up of these two items:

Silk ruffle layer dress

Tie-waist sweater blazer

Add some brown leggings, cute shoes and you're all set!


Well, that's all I have time for now...I'm officially motivated. :)

This week has been challenging!  My eating has been hard to gain control of, but it's getting better daily.  I did something to my knee the other night, so, no exercise for a few days.  I'm hoping get some in tonight!  I'm not expecting a big number on the scale Monday at this point, but we'll see.  There's still a few days left!

Weigh-In | 1.3.11

Six pounds, eh?  Yep, I'm up 6 pounds today.  Wow.  I'm honestly not sure what to think.  On one hand, I wasn't expecting to be up that much.  On the other hand, I know how I've eaten, and how little I've exercised lately.  I'm also wondering how much the scale would be up if I hadn't exercised the last few days.  Scary!  I could rattle off some reasonings, but I don't want to bore you......

Oh well.  I'm ready to get serious again.  I want to ATTACK these 6 pounds!  Not to mention the rest of them!  A Facebook friend posted a status this morning asking what we want our greatest accomplishment to be this year.  I quickly responded, "Goal weight, baby!"  After responding, I realized just how much work that would be.  I mean, really....I would have to be just about "perfect" to lose roughly 114 pounds in 52 weeks.  A little over 2 pounds per week!  Do-able?  Sure.  Realistic?  Probably not.  However, the potential to get there - or be very close is exciting.  The skinny girl inside me is already planning outfits!  Ha!

Well, here's to a brand-new week, in a brand-new year!

Welcome, Twenty-Eleven!

I'm feel as if I'm a little tardy on the new year reflection/resolution/goals thing.  I had good intentions to post yesterday, but I got caught up in creating a new look for the blog (like it?), and I ran out of time.

I'm not going to lie, I haven't had a whole lot time to sit and reflect on 2010 OR make goals for 2011.  I've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I'm just now beginning to slow down and breathe.  I'm trying to get myself back into a routine.  It's not easy.  My eating has been pretty crazy, and it has caused me to pick up a couple of pounds (at least).  We'll see exactly where I am on the scale tomorrow morning.  I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but, most of me is ready to face the music.  Last week's weigh-in was kind of botched, and my weight has fluctuated all week.  Tomorrow I will see what's going on and work from there.  It's really no different than any other week....... I suppose.

I'm proud of myself for getting myself out of the house this weekend to jog/run!  I've been noticing much improvement in my hip - and was itching to get out and give it a shot!  The weather was unseasonably warm, so I went for it.  It went REALLY well!  I walked and ran - and paid close attention to how my hip was feeling.  I was so excited!  It was a great way to close out the year!  It got me pumped up for the new year and what is to come fitness-wise.  I went out for a good walk/run on Saturday, too!  I threw in some faster running toward the end of the workout!  The last 20 minutes I ran the distance between every other telephone pole.  I loved that, surprisingly!  I stayed out much longer than anticipated - and burned lot of calories.  I'm still feeling that burn!  It's great!

So, I am hitting the ground running in 2011!  What a great feeling!!  You know what also feels good?  Not having to "resolve" to lose weight this year!  I know I'm well on my way!  To anyone reading who has made the resolution to lose weight this year, you're going to quickly find out that it's not a one time, beginning of the year resolution.  It's definitely a daily thing.  Several times a day!  My advice to you is to keep trying!  Keep making that resolution!  If you mess up at one meal - get right back in the game at the next one!  If you miss a workout one day, make it a priority to get it in tomorrow!  It will get somewhat easier, but it will never become a piece of cake...oh, sorry.  Just hang in there, ok?

Happy New Year!