Weigh In Wednesday and So What Wednesday!

Weigh-in Wednesday! I think this is the third or fourth link-up I have done! I will figure this blogging thing out if it kills me :)

Erin posed the following questions on her link-up this morning:


How are you really doing? I am actually not doing too bad mentally for once. I am having to adjust to my husband working part-time on nights and weekends. That has really been a struggle for me, but it is getting easier and thankfully, is only temporary.

 Are you making as much progress as you had hoped? No, but then again I am not exercising as hard or making great food choices 100% of the time. However, not gaining is progress in my book!



Are you struggling or succeeding? I am struggling in some areas (exercising hard and eating vegetables) but I am succeeding with my portion control, choosing healthier foods the majority of the time, and not eating my feelings.

Are you where you thought you'd be when the seasons changed from winter to spring? No, I had really hoped to break into the 170's by the end of this month and I had hoped to be running a lot faster.

Since I got my half marathon out of the way, I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I hate that running isn't my relase anymore. I went to the gym last night for Zumba. I was only able to do 30 minutes before I had to "rescue" my son from the child care center. I loved it though! I forgot how good it feels to just let yourself move to music and have a good time. Now, if they would just hand out cocktails when you walked into the class :) I can pretend I am at the club.

So after, I pushed the "publish" button I wandered over to Trista's blog and discovered another link up! Yay!!

 

So What If........

 

I drink Splenda in my tea and coffee-you have to die from something :)

 

I never want to look great in a bikini, I could care less.

 

My house is constantly a mess, not a neat freak and nothing is growing where it shouldn't and my house smells nice.

 

I don't ever qualify for Boston. I no longer care.

 

I feed my kid McDonald's and Easy Mac. He likes it!

 

I am a 37 year-old woman who enjoys watching "Glee"-Mark Sailing is HOT!

 

I hate Adam Levine-he grosses me out and I hate his voice.

 

I hate crafting, decorating, and scrapbooking-I would rather spend my money on clothes and food-Mama has to look good!

 

I adore Ke$sha, her music makes me happy!

 

Happy Hump Day everyone!!

 



 



Finish the Sentence with Jake and Holly!!

So, apparently Blissdom was not all it was cracked up to be for two of my favorite bloggers. Megan (who is actually one of my favorite people in RL) and MamaLaughlin has been telling like it was and it WAS NOT fun. However, through their blogging antics I stumbled across Holly's awesome blog and today I discovered Jake's blog. I know, I am slow to find new an exciting blogs but I am learning. So here is my Finish the Sentence:

1. If calories didn't count, I would eat pizza, bacon cheeseburgers, and chocolate cupcakes EVERY.SINGLE.DAY washed down with a nice, crisp bottle of moscato.

2. On my Prom night I did not have fun because my ultra-religous boyfriend was not there and I was more worried about him than enjoying myself.

3. When I go to the store, I always buy apples and cheese.

4. Family functions typically stress me out (for my family) we are slightly dysfunctional and a whole lot of crazy.

5. I think my blog readers are awesome! So glad that I have followers!

6. I'd much rather be in bed, asleep all the time.

7. I have an obsession with shopping. I am always looking for bargains and new clothes, shoes, etc. It leads to being broke all the time.

8. My work friends have become my friends outside of work! I have been at the same place for nine years and I can honestly say that the majority of my friends are my colleagues. We have a great time at work and outside of work!

9. When I created my Facebook account I was very leary of putting myself "out there" because I am teacher and everybody is always watching, even if you keep your privacy settings high.

10. My least favorite word is the "c" word. Seriously, no need for it ever to be used at all for any reason.

11. I really don't remember phone numbers.

12. Justin Bieber is ridiculous and I wish he would go away and take Rhianna, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, and Adam Levine with him and their music too!

Happy Tuesday!

Motivation Monday: I Finished My Half Marathon, Now What?

Hallelujah!!!

I am DONE-I finished the Dallas Rock and Roll Half Marathon yesterday in 2:49 and some odd seconds. I will take it, even though I know I could have gone faster but I didn't-will explain later in this post.

Race recap:

Friday I jetted out of work to get in my car, brave traffic and get to the convention center to pick up my packet. At the expo I ran into one of my neighbors, who was also running. I had no idea, so I told her good luck and hoped to see her on Sunday. I knew the weather was not going to be ideal and was having a hard time figuring out what to wear. I didn't have many options for long sleeves, so I wandered over the Luke's Locker booth and found a sweet Nike pullover and a pair of shorts (that sadly didn't get used). I paid a grand total of $33.84 for both :) love me a good deal!!

On Saturday I tried to eat right, and hydrate as much as possible but my stomach just didn't want to cooperate. I really didn't eat enough and I knew that it would come back on me. I was so incredibly nervous about trying to get everything together. I waffled back and forth between wanting to wear shorts, my unlined leggings, or my fleece lined legging. I laid all three bottoms out and went to bed.

I got up around 4:30 A.M. Sunday (ugh...) checked the weather and saw that it might rain, almost crawled back in bed and said "Screw It" but I didn't. I thought about all the support I have had from my friends and more important, how disappointed I would be in myself. So, I sucked it up, threw my hair in a ponytail, put on my warm leggings, ate some pb toast, kissed the hubby good-bye and went on my way. I knew I needed some coffee so I went through McDonald's and got me a small coffee.

I arrived at Fair Park, found the shuttles, and got on the bus. A really cute and sweet girl set next to me-she was running her first half and we were in the same corral. We got to the start line and could NOT believe how freakin' cold and windy it was. At the last moment I had grabbed a jacket to wear and I was so glad I did. Around 7:15 I went and checked my gear bag, dummy me I took off my fleece earband and my other jacket. I really figured I would be okay. I wasn't. The wind just ripped through my long sleeve pullover and my head was freezing. I finally went to my corral and was really regretting not adding a few more layers of clothes. I passed by a clothing donation box, spied a scarf, and did what any sane, cold person would do...

Yeah, not my best look-but I didn't care I just wanted to warm up. It gave the crowd a good laugh. I also grabbed a random jacket closer to the start line. I eventually ditched the scarf, but I kind of wish I would have hung on to it-it was cute!

 Finally my corral was allowed to go and I started running. I was so cold and the wind was awful, but I so sort of warmed up and ditched the random jacket at mile 2. I was feeling great. I turned off Runkeeper's updates so I had no idea how fast or slow I was going. I really didn't care, I just wanted to get it done. I started out following the 3:00 pace group, but I left them behind pretty quickly. As I approached mile 3 I spotted the 2:45 pace group and I passed them :) I felt really great at that moment.

I always walk through the aid stations and because of my poor fueling the night before I made sure to really drink up. At mile 7 I started really feeling crappy and was slowing down. I kept going, by mile 9 I was STARVING. Thankfully, that was where the GU station was and I think I down 2 of them (maybe 3). I grabbed some water and kept going. I was passed by the 2:45 pace group but I didn't mind.

At mile 10, I looked over and there was my neighbor! I asked her how it was going and she told me not too well. Here is a little background on her. She is suffering from a degenrative vision disease and is almost legally blind even with glasses, on top of that her mother unexpectedly passed away last month. It completely devestated her and prevented her from training. She was very close to her mother. She was telling me while were running how much she missed her mom and how she just wanted to finish the race. I did what any decent person would, I slowed down and walked with her. I could have just kept going, but I could tell that she was feeling really defeated and needed a friend. I

We got to mile 11 and started running again, then walked a little more and by mile 13 she was feeling better, but told me to go ahead to the finish line.

I crossed that finish line and almost cried..I waited for her to cross a few minutes behind me and gave her a big hug. We grabbed our medals and headed to get our pictures taken.

So, I finished. I did it. I ran my 3rd half marathon with minimal training. I am so grateful for all of my friends that were supportive on this journey and knowing that they were waiting for my updates really got through this race.

What's next for me? I am going to give long distance running a break for awhile. My husband is working part-time on the evenings and weekends, so long runs are almost impossible to get done. I am going to continue to run and try to get faster with 5K times and I am going to become a gym rat. I am excited to try some new and different things.

(lack of) Motivation Monday

Reality check!!! I laid in bed all week during Spring Break, didn't run, didn't clean, didn't cook, but I went out 3 times and drank and ate like a pig. I gain 2.8 pounds. I should be mad, but I am not because I know why it happened. I joined a gym, which I fully intend to make use of tonight, after I go run 3 miles. I needed the mental break, I needed the phyiscal break, but I should have made better food choices and avoided the booze.

Sangria, should have stopped at one, but had 4.

 

 

Why, yes I would like some fried green beans to go with my 3 slices of bacon.....

What made me realize I have to get back in gear was a side view in a shop window yesterday when I met my husband for lunch. I look pretty decent from the front and rear, but I still look pregnant from the side and I HATE IT. I have a big rib cage and some curvature to my spine so I am round, but it is that stomach that really gets me. I hate the way I look and I am tired of hating myself, I am also tired of being tired.

My new gym offers the classes I have been wanting to take so my new plan is to run after school on  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Hit the gym for classes Monday-Thursday. Yes, this means I will not be spending as much time with my son (my husband is working part-time at night, but that's whole 'nother story), but he will be fine. I do not suffer from "Mommy Guilt" where he is concerned. Mommy needs to get her booty back in gear or she is going to fall apart.

I cancelled Weight Watchers because I wasn't using it, but I will continue to use My Fitness Pal. I grilled a bunch of chicken and roasted some veggies so I will have something healthy to come home to each night. I didn't buy anything to cook sweets with this week and I AM going to get this weight off.

What is your motivation today?

Weigh-In Wednesday or not.....

It's Wednesday again and once again I didn't submit my weight to the BL challenge going on over in MLFC. I am not doing what I need to do, plain and simple. I am sporadically running, sporadically eating healthy, and sporadically tracking. So, I know what the scale says-the same thing it has said for the last month (okay, 2 months) 182. I guess I should be happy that with all of my bad choices and lack of physical activity it isn't higher, but I am not. I am just waiting for my weight to magically go down without any effort on my part. I do feel like I am putting in some effort, I watch what eat (mostly) and I try to make an effort to get out and do something at least 4 days a week. Plus, I ran 10 freaking miles on Saturday-that should count for something right????

 I really want to lose more, but I am struggling so much in my head and with my energy levels. I am on Spring Break this week, and that wreaks havoc on my "schedule". Take today for instance, it is 2:00 in the afternoon and I am still in bed. I didn't eat breakfast and going for a run looks like a pretty slim possibility. I met two of my friends for sushi yesterday, and overate the fried stuff.

Godzilla roll

Lunch outfit yesterday

 Tomorrow I am meeting another friend for Chinese food. Friday were are going out with friends, and Saturday we have a neighborhood crawfish boil and I am so due for a night of drinking.  I don't know if I will run at all this week, which translates to really bad news since I am only 11 days away from my half.

I have plenty of things to motivate and encourage me (7,000 awesome friends in MLFC), and I just spent $150 on new clothes that I don't want to get too tight.

Motivation Monday and Make-Up Musings

I hate my scale, I really do. I know I say that and I know that I need to stay off of it everyday but I can’t. It’s an addiction. I have been disappointed in the scale, but what I discovered over the weekend made up for it.

 

Yesterday, I climb up in the attic to see if by some miracle I could wear some of my “skinny” clothes from 3 years ago, Last time I did this (back in September) nothing even came close. However, for once I was rewarded with success. Almost every pair of size 12s, I brought down fit (snugly, albeit)!!!! I also went shopping on Saturday and purchased new size 12s and several new tops. I have been feeling down in the dumps about my clothes lately, so I decided it was time to refresh the closet. I know I am not at my “goal” size or weight, but sometimes you need a new “pretty” to keep you on the right path!

 

 

There has been some discussing about make-up amongst my friends, how much, how often, natural or not? Here is my take on it. When I was heavy, I took way more time with my hair and make-up. Why? Because I knew that a pretty face and a head full of perfectly coiffed hair is a good distraction from a plus size body. Also, hair products and make-up do NOT come in plus sizes. Everyday for work I would apply concealer, foundation, foundation powder, eyeliner, blush, 2 or 3 shades of eye shadow, mascara, lip liner, lipstick, and lip gloss. On the weekends to grocery shop I would probably do the same, but maybe not as much on my eyes. For dates, I would glam it up with red, red lips. I would say it took me about 2 hours to get out the door.

 

My first realization came when I decided to start taking care of my skin. I have abused my skin in the tanning bed and the sun for years, so when I turned 30 you could really see the sun damage. I started using serums and moisturizing, religiously. I also switched to a real “cleanser” not just the random bar of soap in the shower. As my complexion improved, I realized I didn’t need the liquid foundation anymore, so I just did mineral powder. I started losing weight in 2009 and the more weight I lost, the more make-up I stopped wearing. The healthier I ate, the clearer my complexion became. Healthy really does show in every part of your being.

 

I was truly floored by the compliments I would get, not just about my new shape, but my skin, and my naturally curly hair. Once, I realized I looked just as nice without the make-up I pared my routine way down. Now, I simply don’t have time. I like to sleep way too much to devote that much time to my face. Do I deserve it, yes, do I want to, no. I like the way I look. I take care of my skin, I wash my face twice a day, I use anti-aging serums, I moisturize, and I use sunscreen. As far as the make-up goes, I wear loose tinted powder, one shimmery eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and a nice neutral lip gloss. I will wash my hair, throw some mousse in it, and let it dry. On date nights I doll up, with more dramatic eyes and I straighten my hair.

 

I feel like since I am thinner I do not have to hide behind fancy hair and make-up. I feel like people see “me” not a put-on face. That being said, if you have the time and the make-up makes you feel good, then do it! However, just go one day with the minimum you can stand to walk out the door with, you might be surprised at how people react.