Ch-ch-ch changes

We made the move! I'm blogging from our new house (renting) and I'm surrounded by boxes. I've gotten a lot unpacked but have a ways to go. Unpacking is awesome exercise, that's for sure!
I haven't had a run for awhile, and probably won't get one in before my 1/2 marathon this weekend.
I'll be okay...I can always walk if need be....

I'll let you know how it goes....

Hanging in there

They say one of the most stressful things on a marriage is home improvement. Another? Moving. We have both going on at once. But we're hanging in there and getting towards the end. This weekend is moving weekend. In fact today is my last day of work, and it's a short one. Right after work, we are going to pick up a 20 foot U-Haul. I'm SO excited for this move!

As far as my progress goes...weight is holding steady between 142-143.
I am very happy with that considering I've done less running the last 2 weeks, and my diet had been less than ideal. I am in the middle of a major life change, so really it's pretty spectacular that I've hung in there without gaining.

Next weekend is the Women Rock 1/2 marathon. I've trained less for this one than my last, and I know it's hillier, so I'm not aiming for any improvement. A decent time is nice of course, but I won't be disappointed, no matter what. I just want to have FUN!!

Cupcakes

Yesterday at work, some coworkers brought some cupcakes since my last day is tomorrow. Lots of people came by and had one/said good bye, but still, there were a lot of cupcakes...and they were sitting on my desk...taunting me ALL DAY. I gave in. More than once. That my friends, is why I was fat. Oh, and then I had Dairy Queen later in the day. And I know I ate so bad, but it was SO GOOD. Damn, I wish I wasn't such a food addict.

Today is a new day though, and I have a plan, including a nice run this afternoon. The plan does not include cupcakes, either.

Hiccup

I've had a hiccup and the result is lots of bloat. I feel icky :-(

Basically I've been eating not-so-great the last 5 days. This coincided with that time of month plus being so busy preparing for the move that I haven't been able to fit in a run, either.

Today I get back on track.

Endless Shrimp

I LOVE RED LOBSTER.
No joke. I love it. Right now they have their promotional "Endless Shrimp" deal going on. Last night I went with my best friend of 25 years - kind of as a bit of a "farewell" dinner with me moving next weekend.

It.was.delicious :-)

I had 3 biscuits. Yes 3. That's 450 calories right there. I had some grilled shrimp which isn't bad, some broccoli, some parmesan shrimp (which isn't actually as bad as one would think), and shrimp pasta. That is where the calories REALLY came in. I don't even know how many. Not sure I want to know. I did prepare and save up the whole day, but still I'm sure I was over. Today my weight is up a bit but only 1.5 lbs from last week...and I guarantee it is 95% fluid retention from all the sodium. So I am very content with that and it was totally worth it. If I do good this weekend, and get my long run in, I bet I will be back down to 142-143 by Sunday. No prob, bob!

Festival 5.1k

Last night I ran the Festival 5.1, which was a local fundraiser put on by a church, proceeds to benefit youth in the area who are in need.

This was the toughest race I have done. I heard many comments from others saying the same. It was FUN, but HARD. There were some big hills. One is right near my work and I drive over it every day...I never imagined trying to run up it. Yikes.... The last 1/3 of the run was also on a trail. which is new for me. That actually was not too bad. It was those nasty hills...long and steep...that gave me a run for my money. I am very happy with my finishing time of 31:07...3.5 minutes slower than my last 5k. Which is fine...it was also 10x harder!

Change...long and non-weight/running related

This moving business is crazy. This is such a huge change... And there is SO much to do. Add in the fact that we're making this move just days before our oldest daughter starts Kindergarten...there's just a LOT going on:

We had to find a place to live (done - renting a house for the next year, then next summer will be buying if all goes well).

Preparing our old house to sell. New paint throughout, carpets out and hardwood underneath cleaned up, kitchen countertops and bathroom sink/vanity/cabinet replaced, and new flooring for bathroom, kitchen and entry way. It's going to look great though and I feel cautiously optimistic about selling. It's a great home for a first time buyer. A young couple, like we were when we bought it. It has new siding and roofing and a nice fenced in back yard. The realtor says the market is actually good right now for houses in our area in our price range - so fingers crossed! We are lucky that with my husbands new job, we can afford mortgage and rent, but we need to sell ASAP so we can start saving for our next home!

Packing. Ew. My house is turning into a disaster. Boxes piled up everywhere and what not. One plus is that it's like a fresh start...throwing a lot away and donating even more.

Getting a moving truck...and all the hard work on moving day.

Unpacking. Especially knowing well just be packing again next year when we buy a home in our new city.

Oldest daughter starts Kindergarten just a week after our move. This all came on so fast! So there was/is a lot to sort out to get her enrolled and ready to go.

Getting loose ends tied up in regards to health care...referrals, signing permissions for our records to be sent to a new facility, making sure were caught up on check ups, etc.

Finding me a job...I do have one exciting prospect- fingers crossed for that..

And the list could go on. I am thankful for a go-getter hubby who takes care of so many of the random things.

That's good-because I'm probably going to do most of the packing...and it's a bit overwhelming.

And...that's my life lately. A big blur of change and preparations. But I'm excited and so happy and proud of my hubby for snagging his new job. He deserves it.

Size Whaaaaa?

The smallest size I can remember being (back as a teenager) is size 13.
When I got married in 2004, I was a size 15
When I started this journey, I was a size 22
Last night, I bought a size 6.

And I'm wearing them today!! *insert happy dance here*

It's kind of weird, it doesn't feel real. As a bigger person, size 6 always seemed so small and assumably unattainable for me. Now that I am a size 6 (well, at least in this particular brand), I sure don't feel as small as I always viewed size 6 to be...If that makes sense.  I guess I still see myself with size 22 eyes? You know, I think it's just about time for some progress pics...before, and a few "during", including a current one just 8 lbs from goal. I did keep one pair of old pants, I can't wait to take some fun pics in them....

So all this talk about sizes...it's all fine and great. It's exciting. But know what I now find most exciting of all? I am in shape! Plenty of "skinny" people are not in shape. I am SO excited to be both normal weight AND in shape. I can run a half marathon (training for my 2nd is underway - ran 12 miles on Sunday). I can sign up for 5k's on the fly (I have one tonight that I signed up for last week, in fact). It just feels so good to know I can do those things. That my body is capable of those things after how badly I really treated it all those years. Carrying around all that extra weight, feeding it a constant stream of junk. Now it's time to treat it right, to keep it healthy, and let it do amazing things for me!

Like half marathons, and some day, when I have time to train...a full marathon.

Wish me luck at tonight's 5k! Actually, it's a 5.1k.I am doing it with a few other momma's from Moms RUN This Town. I won't be setting a PR...my legs are still sore from my 12 mile run on Sunday! But I am excited anyways :-)

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Weigh-in Friday

After being stuck for over a month, we're back on track! I'm happier than a monkey in a banana tree, seriously. I'm not sure why I'm suddenly un-stuck...I haven't really changed anything....but last week I lost almost a pound, and this week my body decided to let go of 3.5 pounds?! That is HUGE considering I'm in my 140's and almost done. It sounds weird almost, but I seriously didn't do anything differently. I guess it was just "time"? My hard work and good habits for the last month finally all caught up with me? Whatever happened, I ain't complainin'.

Height: Between 5'5" and 5'6"
Starting weight: 227
Current weight: 143.5
Goal weight: 137 (that will put me at 90 lbs lost)

I am ridiculously shocked and excited today. And bewildered. I never, ever ever ever thought in million bazillion years that I would get to a place like this. I probably haven't weighed 143 since elementary school. It is CRAZY.

Updated

You may or may not notice (depending on how much you even give a crap or if you visit regularly or not) that I have changed up the navigation at the top of the page. As I stated in my last post, I wanted to add a Race Results page...so I did! I also updated my "About me" a little, and added a link for "How I did it".

Exciting, thrilling stuff, really!

Races!

I love races. I really do. I love competing against myself to aim for personal records. I love the energy at the start. I love the feeling of accomplishment at the finish. I love it all! Doesn't matter the distance...5k or half marathon - I love it!

Moving is going to bring about even more options for races throughout the year, and I'm excited. Already, I'm thinking of adding a 10k in October and I know more will follow over time.

I'll have to start a race stats page on my blog! I *just* now thought of this! OMG Im way excited. I know it's nothing new, plenty of bloggers do this...I'm totally doing it! It will be a great way for me to see my results at a glance and also to essentially see measurements of how my fitness has improved over time. And of course, share with you all.

I did just sign up for a 5k next week...it's cheap, nearby, chip timed, and you get a shirt. Why not? I'm signing up with some mamas from my running club...should be a great time!!

Goals

When I started my journey in January, 2011, my goal weight was 150. I picked 150 for several reasons...it sounded AMAZING, for one. Compared to 227, it sounded like a dream come true. I had never been even close to that weight as an adult. It seemed impossible that I'd ever go below that. Plus, it was a nice, even number. It would make 77 lbs lost, and I like the number 7.

Then I got closer to 150. I hit 150. And I realized that I still had plenty to lose. I had to reevaluate, because at 150 I was "normal", but it was the high end of normal...and had very obvious excess fat in some areas. I don't want or expect to be perfect, but I'm not talking about a little chub, I'm talking handfuls. And I still felt physically not at my best. After consulting Google for normal height/weight ratios, and consulting with my hubby (I promised him total immunity from me being upset...I honestly wanted his true, scientific opinion), I determined that I could easily and safely lose another 13-15 lbs, putting me at 135-137.

So, that's sort of my goal right now. Everyone is built differently and I will see how it goes at 137 lbs. I guess I never even knew what sort of frame I had under all that fat...turns out its pretty average...not nearly as big boned as I had previously thought.

When it comes down to it, my ultimate goal is to be whatever number I feel the strongest, fittest, and healthiest at.
I am SO excited to be nearing that goal, after a lifetime of being overweight, unhealthy, tired, and unfit.

I'm going to be healthier and more active in my 30's than I was as a teenager, and I love it :-)

A great, new chapter in life, but a new struggle to overcome

I mentioned last week that I had a lot going on and I said I'd post about it this week, so here it is - my awesome husband has taken a great new job and we are relocating a couple of hours away.

The last week and all this month are crazy busy - we already managed to find a nice single family home to rent for a year...we have packing and moving to do, work on our house to get it ready to sell ASAP, my older daughter is going into Kindergarten...

Moving day is August 26th. Once we're all settled, I'll begin looking for a new job. But while I'm doing that, I'll be at home. Every day. My struggle? Not eating everything! I am legitimately concerned and I hope I can get through it.

Any tips from stay at home moms, work at home-ers, or stay at home wives? How do you keep yourself from pigging out, especially if you have food issues like I obviously have had.

So worried!!!

What's up with that?

For a long time, I never had any comments about my weight loss (other than from friends or family who knew about my journey). It was a little strange, because back in 2004 when I lost 40 lbs, I got comments all the time. This time around, I started out heavier, and have lost twice as much, yet I don't hear as many comments - and I didn't start hearing them until late in the game.

There are exceptions here and there - there's a girl at work who comments every so often or asks how much I've lost now. One day, I was washing my hands and a woman at the sink next to mine sort of looked at me through the corner of her eyes and said casually "so...have you been losing weight?"

This week I experienced more comments than usual. Yesterday two separate people did double takes or didn't recognize me, literally. One was walking towards me and it just took her a few seconds to realize it was me. The other was particularly funny - we were right next to each other in line at my work's on-site cafe', and I said "hi". I used to work with this girl years ago at another company, but now we both work where I am now, although in different departments. About 1000 people work in my building, so I don't see her all that often. She looked at me and said hi back, sort of like one does when a stranger says hi randomly, to be polite. Then a couple of seconds later something clicked, she looked at me again and she said OH MY GOD I didn't even recognize you!!

Today, a friend and I stopped to chat quick with someone at work. Another person I don't really run into all that much, and someone that I've never really talked with much to begin with. He said "Look at YOU! Where did all of you go? You look great". I said thank you...and he said "It's like you've just disappeared!" and I said thanks again, and told him it has taken a long time. He said "Well, congrats, that is awesome".
I was beet red by this time, surely....kind of embarrassing to be called out that way! But nice, at the same time.

Know what else I notice? I swear that when I am running (and I run on a very busy, heavily used  path), way more people say "Hi" or "Good morning" in passing now, than they did when I started running that same path at 40 lbs heavier and 2-3 minutes per mile slower. I guess it's just an interesting observation, and when I see someone who reminds me of me when I started out, I try to make an effort to say hi. Sometimes, what I really want to do is join then in their run...give encouragement, tell them they are amazing and that they can do it. Tell them they are strong and awesome for getting out there... I don't, because that would be a little creepy.

But I always think about what it would be like if I did do it :-) I would either make someone day, or even week or month...or I would freak them the hell out.

Finally, a weigh in with results!

After being stuck for over a month, I finally saw a (small) loss on the scale again. It feels nice and I hope I can use this for motivation to keep it going in coming weeks. It was .9 lbs...not even a whole pound, seriously?! I can do better than that. Anyhow, it puts my current weight at 147.3. My starting weight was 227. That is 79.7 lbs - I can totally just round to 80 now, right? Hell, that .3 is nothing more than a good haircut, really.

I have some big challenges headed my way with regards to hitting my goal not to mention just maintaining my weight loss. I will probably post all about that next week, so stay tuned.