Results a week late

Last time I blogged I was about to go to my first 6 week evaluation. It went well. I dropped two inches from my waist, 4 inches from my hips, lost 6 pounds, did 10 push-ups (first time I only did 5), and I am drinking more water, not quite teh crazy 4 liters a day I set out to do but definately more. So good stuff.

New goals for next 6 weeks:
10 pounds
2 inches off measurements
15 push-ups
10 burpees (crazy exercise that kicks my butt everytime)
RUN 1.5 miles by October 10th (Run to Read 5k)
RUN 2 miles by November 1st (Bass Pro 5k)
RUN a whole 5k by Thanksgiving

My Bodybugg arrived today. Basically, a device I wear on my arm that downloads calories burned, steps, and activity meter. Then I go to the software every night, put in what I ate and it automatically calculates if I had a calorie defiency. Also helps me figure the math...I want to lose 10 pounds in six weeks so I need to eat X amount of calories and burn X amount to have a defiency every day of X. Then I can see for instance, yesterday I didnt make it so I need to burn more/eat fewer calories today to make up. The cool part about the Bodybugg software is that it has a tutorial about how weight is lost, setting realistic goals, what you have to do to achieve...and EVERYTHING I already knew because it was information my great trainer, Missy had told me already. Thanks Missy, you are the best!

Thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement. I don't know if you read these blogs and that is okay if you don't. It has been a good place for me to reflect. Most of all, I want to thank Amber. Without your encouragement, movtivation, and pushing me along I couldn't do it. We are doing this together!

tomorrow morning is the big day

Tomorrow, Wednesday, is my 6 week check in. I'm nervous. My endurance is SO much better but I don't think I have lost more than maybe 4 pounds or so. My goal is 302.8. I will let you know how it goes!

what's coming up?

Next week will be the 6 week test to see how I have improved. Anxious. Hope I dropped a few. I know my endurance is better.

October 10 - 5k Run to Read here in WashMo. This is the race that starts at Lion's Lake. Serious hills. Should be fun.

October 31 - 5k Bass Pro Run in Springfield, MO. Would LOVE to be able to actually run at least 2 miles of the 3.1 by then. That would be great.

Today is a day off. Tomorrow, I am going to get up early and run a mile in the neighborhood.

A Small Victory

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another." Walter Elliot.

Small victory today. I ran a mile without stopping. Took me 11 minutes. Amber slowed her pace down to run with me and push me. Actually I think I could have gone a bit farther. Next goal is 1 and a quarter mile (5 laps on a track) without stopping. 6 weeks ago I couldn't do it. Amber encouraged me while we ran..it was great! Thanks to her for her help and thanks to Missy for all the training and pushing the past 6 weeks too.

Race Results

Saturday I ran my 5k. I ran it in 42:32. The first time I ran in 49:59. I'm good with that. My new goal is to run a 5k without walking through some of the course. Thanks for all the support. I am having fun. Got back in the Y today. A little sore, a little tired, had to turn up Eye of the Tiger a little louder.

Just ready to see some weight results. I am going to make a very hard effort on diet this week.

5k Tomorrow

Tomorrow will be my second 5k race. Actually, my first was two years ago so in a way this is the first....again. The first time I broke no land speed records. I came in at 49:59. Yes, one second under 50 minutes. That is about a 16.5 minute mile. My goal tomorrow is 40 minutes. That would be just over 13 minute mile. I'm pretty sure I can do it. Looking forward to it really. The race is in downtown historic St. Charles. It's a night race starting at 6:30.

Training this week has gone well. Still can't get a hold of eating the right things. I fall into old habits easily and rationalize so well. The only thing I can say is: I'm doing better than I did 5 weeks ago. For that I am grateful and will continue to press on.

HERE WE GO!

Playing Jr. Psychologist on myself

Have you ever seen The Biggest Loser? I always begin to laugh and mock when Jillian starts playing what I like to call Jr. Psychologist with her team. It seems like she makes things bigger than they need to be and every problem comes back to why people eat the way they do. What a joke!

Or is it?

Today was a crazy day. I was running around helping Amber get ready for MOPS, fixing the internet at church (or helping those who DID fix it), taking medicine to one child in her school, taking the other child to school...and all that before 11:45.

After I got back from lunch and was only at my desk for a few minutes, I started looking at the to-do list on my desk, thinking that I'm already a day short due to Labor Day and now half the day shot do to "other stuff." That is when I knew what would help me. A Coke and candy. I scraped together a dollar going through my desk, car, pockets, looking around on the floor. I would have gotten candy if I had the money...no DOUBT I would have, I just didn't have any to spend. I went and got my Coke (regular by the way, not diet. Why? Because after the day I have had, I deserve it.) Running to the Coke machine like a drug addict to his dealer for his next fix, the machine couldn't dispense fast enough. AH!! COKE! Somehow, God was able to let me see how ridiculous this whole scenario really looked. I was drinking sugar/caffeine and again WOULD HAVE eaten candy should it have been there because I was stressed. I needed comfort. Sugar would supply it. Coke would be my "dark master" (kudos if you caught the Seinfeld reference).

So not to push my problems off to stress of the job or something other than myself but maybe I was catching a glimpse of a weakness I have in making right choices. Food, no matter your situation, in shape or morbidly obese, shouldn't be where we look for comfort, peace, or help. I joked earlier about acting like a drug addict but isn't it the same in principle? I have placed my peace, comfort, and help in something other than Jesus. I need to be able to recognize that. I need to have a plan, a course of action for when the stress or disruptions happen. I need to be preventative instead of reactionary. Now I know.

And as a popular cartoon from my childhood would say, "And knowing is half the battle."

Getting Rid of UFOB

I just realized it. I have a 12 year old boy that follows me everywhere I go. EVERYTHING I do, EVERYWHERE I go, he is there. I like to call him UFOB. He is not a foreign exchange student. His name comes from Unwanted Fat On Body..UFOB. As stated in earlier blogs, so no secret, I weigh about 309 pounds. I would, in the end, like to weigh about 100 pounds less, which is about the average weight of a 12 year old boy. How much easier would it be to play with my kids without having the weight of an extra person to lug around. How much easier would the 5k be?

No offense, UFOB, but I am working at getting rid of you for good. The sooner the better.

On another note, Saturday is my second 5k. It's been almost 2 years since my first. I am looking forward to beating that time.