The New Ride

Thank you to cyber-friend and blog reader, Holly, for helping me track down a double jogging stroller!  For not very much money, I was able to snag a second hand jogger for my boys.  This morning after a pint glass filled to the brim with green lemonade, we power-walked to boot camp.  It was cool - about 40 degrees.  At boot camp, I ran 20 minutes interspersed with a thousand 30 second sprinting intervals.  Wait... a thousand might be over exaggerating.  Okay, like 500.  Then my legs fell off and we moved onto a bunch of core muscle exercises.  When class was over, I was surprised to find that my legs had NOT fallen off.  So I jogged home with the boys in the stroller.  It was a good morning!

Here they are bundled up in their new ride:

Running Shoes

Alright.  I'm on fire.  After running a mile yesterday morning with the boys in our new hand-me-down jogging stroller, I ran another mile at dusk while Jack hung out with the kids.  Two miles in one day?  I don't know what has happened to me - Ive gone bonkers.

So after jogging only four and a half miles in three days, its clear that I need some real running shoes - especially if I am going to run a 5K in March. The Sketchers I currently own are nice for power walking, but my ankles are pretty wobbly without the support of a real running shoe.  What to buy?  I have no idea.  I've never bought a pair of running shoes.  Any recommendations from my runner readers?  I like the look of the New Balance Rainbow Running Shoes below, but who knows how they'll perform? 

...and P.S.  This morning, I made the yummiest, sweetest smoothie EVER.

2 bananas

heaping tablespoon almond butter

heaping tablespoon raw honey

heaping table spoon coconut oil

2 heaping tablespoons ground flaxseed

put all ingredients in Vitamix and cover with almond milk

Blend on high speed with big cup of ice

Pour and enjoy!

Weigh In - Week 26

Big week.  Thanksgiving was lovely and I kept my over-eating in check.  However, I would still categorize it as "over-eating".  I was able to get to boot camp on Monday and Wednesday before the binge-fest ensued.  Wednesday was awesome.  Mallory - the trainer at Positively Fit Lake Highlands - had us doing all sorts of new and difficult drills.  I even got muddy!

The thing I'm most proud of this week is that I went running on Saturday and again on Sunday and again today - and all on my own.  I ran one mile on Saturday and a mile and a half on Sunday and a mile today pushing 60 pounds of kids and stroller to boot.  I did not walk.  I just put on my headphones and headed out the door.  It was great.  It is the first time in my life that I've ever felt pleasure in running.  Sure, I've enjoyed running while in the course of a basketball game or while running down a tennis ball, racket in hand.  But to enjoy running for running's sake is a totally new sensation for me.  So, thank you Mallory.  I think this has a lot to do with you and your awesome workouts.

Pounds lost this week: 1

Pounds lost overall: 39

The "I Did It" List

two days of boot camp

didn't over do it on Turkey Day

went jogging twice - separate of my boot camp class

bought a double jogging stroller from a friend

lost weight over Thanksgiving week!

Still At It

My husband snapped a few shots of me heading out for my run this morning.  I haven't really posted any before and after photos here, so I thought I'd put these photos side by side.  Click on the image to enlarge it.  There is a 35 pound difference between the June photo of the photo taken today.  Yippee!

The big difference?  Instead of walking, I'm running.  

5k here I come!

5K Crazy Talk

Alright, here it goes.  I'm going to run a 5K.  There.  I said it.  The week after I started boot camp, I started thinking about fitness goals.  I like the simplicity of attending class and working out just because I know it's good for me and yada yada.  But ultimately, I'm the kind of girl who needs a goal.  So, I'm going to run a 5K in March.

I have some runner friends who do 5K races as "fun runs" just to keep loose and in shape for their marathons.  But for me, a 5K would be an enormous challenge and an enormous feat.  So that's it.  I'm going to run a 5K this March and writing here on the blog makes it so.  Booyah.

Weigh In - Week 25

To be honest, I have no memory of the past week.  Its been busy.  My husband is out of town again and I'm doing a lot of things on auto pilot.  Luckily, I'm not eating on auto pilot and I continue to attend my boot camp classes.  I lost one pound this week - I seem to be on the "slowly but surely" track this month.  Big steps or little steps - it doesn't matter as long as I'm moving.

Okay... I do remember a few things from the week, like peeing a little in my pants while doing jumping jacks.  They call it "exercise induced temporary incontinence" - I looked it up. You know what I call it?  "My hoo-hah had two babies - what do you expect?"  So, now kegels are on the the to nightly to-do list.

to do before bed:

Pee, check. (That one's easy.)

Wash face and hands, check.

Brush teeth, check.

Kegel, check.

Or better yet, Kegel while you brush.  Hey, that kind of goes to the tune of "Whistle while you work" from Snow White.  Peeing in my pants - just one more awesome side affect of pregnancy and delivery.  I'll add it to my ongoing list, which I've titled "The Parade of Indignities."  Isn't motherhood glamorous? 

In fact, let's just take a listen shall we?  Just mentally replace "whistle" with "kegel".

Pounds lost this week: 1

Total pounds lost: 38

The "I Did It" List

juiced in the mornings

ate sensibly sized meals consisting of mostly fruits and veggies

went to a Sunday brunch and shared a piece of pie instead of eating two pieces alone

two days of boot camp

sewed a pair of pants for my son. (Wait, that has nothing to do with weight loss - sorry.)

Raw Muesli

Sometimes when I'm in the mood for a really hearty raw start to my day and green lemonade and fruit aren't cutting it, I throw together some muesli.  My raw pantry is stocked with all sorts of yummy nuts, grains, dried fruits, etc, so this is a quick fix for me.  Basically I toss any combination of the ingredients below into a bowl, top it with 100 percent maple syrup and cover with almond milk.  And that's it.

Dry ingredients I've used before:

pecans chopped

walnuts chopped

almonds chopped

sunflower seeds

pumpkin seeds

hulled buckwheat or barley

goji berries

dried apples

dried apricots chopped

dates pitted and chopped

raisins

coconut flakes

cinnamon

nutmeg

Fresh fruit toppers I've used before:

bananas 

figs

apples

berries

Top it with a drizzle of raw maple syrup or honey and cover in almond milk.  Best cereal ever!  If you're up for something a little more involved (like baking) check out this Quinoa Granola recipe over at Hungry Hungry Hippie.  It looks really good!

Expectations

What are my expectations?  I want to be a smaller, stronger version of myself.  That is all.  I do not have the kind of build that lends itself to "skinny" or "lithe" or "willowy".  Let's be real.  I've had two children and I am six feet tall with shoulders like a Redwood.  I have lots of beautiful, healthy, willowy friends and their body type is just that - a body type.  Today, while sweating it out in the plank position during boot camp, I envisioned what I might look like in a bathing suit if I hang with this new exercise regimen.  And it looks like...

You Have to Decide

I used to think that thin, fit people were just blessed with great genes.  And while that is true for some people, like my college roommate who could put away two fried sampler platters from Applebee's and then slip into her size 6 jeans for a night on the town, its not the whole story.  Since beginning this weight-loss journey, I've started observing thin, fit people. Yes, they splurge and eat sugar.  But just enough to satisfy their sweet tooth.  Yes, they grab a bag of buttered popcorn on their way into the movie theater, but it is the smallest size and they are sharing it with their thin, fit friend.  For someone like me who hails from "eat the whole bag in one sitting" stock, this is a revelation.  And for me, its really hard to do.

Being in boot camp has helped clarify some things for me.  The women I attend class with are fit, yet still working at it.  You don't ever reach home base, wave to the crowd and say, "Well, I'm thin and fit now - no more need for eating well or exercise!"  If I am to become truly healthy and drop this weight for good, I have to decide that this is a change in life style that I must make for my entire life time.  I know it seems obvious - especially now that I write it down - but I see now that most people are thin and fit because they chose to be. 

P.S.  I wanted to add that one of the major contributors to obesity in our country is a systematic socio-economic situation that deprives many Americans of healthy, fresh food.  There are places in this country where it is simply not available.  It's far more economical for some families to eat at the McDonalds around the corner than drive one hour or more for a grocery store to buy expensive produce.  Obviously, my post isn't the whole story (it never is).  You have to decide to be fit and healthy.  But it also helps if you have access to healthy food.

Back At It

This week is definitely off to a better start.  The red velvet birthday cake is no longer lurking in my fridge and I'm back to my mostly raw diet.  Dinner last night was a big green salad and the night before was a raw garlicky cauliflower mash topped with marinated Portobello mushrooms.  I'm juicing every morning followed by fresh fruit until lunch time when I mix up a green smoothie.  After my previous binge week, I feel much better.

I just got home from another great boot camp class.  While I'm in the middle of the class, I feel stretched to the limit - just sure that I'm on the last rep I can possibly do.  But somehow, I do it and when class is over, I feel like a million bucks.  Today I walked to and from class.  My sweet neighbor let me borrow her double jogging stroller for the boys.  I'm in the process of buying a double jogger because we're a one car family.  If you or someone you know has a double jogger for sale, please email me and let me know!

Weigh In - Week 24

This morning, I stepped on the scale with a small trace of dread.  Its been an interesting week.  Emotionally and energetically, its been a wonderful, celebratory week spent with family.  On the food front, its been a doozy.  This was by far the worst week for diet that I've had since beginning this journey 6 months ago.

On Tuesday, I attended our neighborhood's annual meeting and fall social.  I had two pieces of pizza and three big chocolate chip cookies.  On Wednesday, after a long day of child care, boot camp and dealing with the tree removal company, I took my family to Pei Wei for a barrage of rice and sweet and sour sauce covered yumminess.

Thursday night Jack and I took the boys for a drive and some dinner.  By the end of the evening, I'd consumed a 16 ounce Caramel Latte and a trio of fish tacos, beans, rice and a margarita to boot.  I spent all of Friday preparing for my son's up coming birthday party by baking cake and some cake balls.  That night I went to bed with two cake balls and a glass of milk.  On Saturday, we rang in my son's fourth birthday with more cake and cake balls followed by a Sunday morning breakfast of coffee and cake. 

So given all that, its amazing that I only gained two pounds this week.  I lost two pounds last week and turned right around and gained it back.  Ouch.

Pounds lost this week: 0

Total pounds lost: 37

The "I Did It" List

boot camp on Wednesday (Friday was cancelled)

Juiced three mornings

one 2-mile power walk (with running sprinkled in)

Ate myself silly and only gained two pounds

The Slow Reveal

Stepping out of an old you and into a new you is tough.  Of course, I'm grateful to have the support and time to focus my energies on losing weight and getting healthy.  But I'm also in the process of shedding my skin - skin that has served me well.  My weight has always been a kind of armor for me and losing it has been an emotional roller-coaster.  Remember THIS post from a while back?  It still eats at me every once in a while. 

Today, I attended another boot camp session.  It was great!  I ran, walked, squatted, lunged, jumped, squeezed and crunched my way through the class thinking all the while, "My old self is disappearing."  But that isn't entirely true, is it.  If I really look at this process, I realize that its not a disappearing act, but rather a revealing act.  In essence, I'm shedding the weight, losing the pounds and revealing my old self. I feel more vulnerable, more visable and ultimately more vibrant.  But its tough.

When I returned home from boot camp today, there was a team of tree surgeons in my back yard.  We hired them to cut down a Silver Maple that did not survive the Texas drought.  It was sick and its limbs have been dropping off every couple of weeks.  I was so sad to lose this Maple tree - even if it is only a scraggly, infected, decaying vestige of its former self.  I'll miss sitting in its shade.

Weigh In - Week 23

I spent the week sans husband.  It was a tough week on my own with two little ones, but I managed to start something BIG: boot camp.  I've been wanting to kick my weight loss into high gear - waiting for the right time.  But as we all know, if we wait for the "right time", it never comes.  I had my first boot camp class on Friday.  I'll be going twice a week to start and then we'll see where that leads.

I'm also back at the walking routine.  I've found a lovely two mile loop in my neighborhood that follows a local creek.  Its a beautiful, tree-lined walk and I can do it with or without a stroller.  My plan is to do boot camp on Wednesdays and Fridays with at least two power walks between Saturday and Tuesday. 

Food for the week was simple and nutritious -mostly salads and nuts and avocado sandwiches, etc.  I caved and had THREE separate Starbucks runs.  But when you've got a four year old asking 5.8 questions a second and a 15 month old on the verge of a leaky diaper, you need something to keep you sane.  So this week, caffeine and sugar came to the rescue. 

Pounds lost this week: 2

Total pounds lost: 39

The "I Did It" List

began boot camp classes

ate healthy meals

replaced water for most beverages

juiced (green lemonade) most mornings

took care of the boys on my own for 6 days without strangling anyone

Cursing

So today, was my first day of boot camp...  oh before I go on:

I'm an English major and I think that a well placed expletive is sometimes the only way to convey one's exact feelings.  So if "shit bag" or the odd dropped F bomb is offensive to you, I would suggest skipping this post.

There is no better place for ingressive, gas-sucking cursing than at boot camp.  Today was my first crack at boot camp and honestly, that shit kicked. my. ass.  And I loved it.  Its a great group of women, the instructor is really nice - the perfect amount of "you can do it!" and "suck it up".  Granted, when I was in the middle of my timed one mile "run", I was thinking to myself, "What the fuck am I doing here? Why am I voluntarily subjecting myself to this?"  I was running, feeling my thighs laboring through each step - like I was trying to beat out each and every white, lumpy, Minnesotan ancestor hiding in the comfy fat stores of my giant ass.  I digress...

All I meant to say was I had a great time and am looking forward to more.  

Boot Camp

I want to change things up with my exercise routine, 

so I've decided to go to boot camp. 

Not that kind of boot camp:

This kind of boot camp:

There's an instructor who runs a mommy centered boot camp just three blocks from my house and she also offers a free baby sitting co-op.  How could I pass it up?  Well, I couldn't.  I've signed up for a full month of classes.  If November goes well, I'll keep at it.  If I hate it.. well, I'm not above announcing my wimpy-ness to the world and quitting.  Wish me luck.  My physical assessment is tomorrow and then I go two days a week starting next week.  Boo-yah!

Half Way

I just realized that I have lost half of the weight I originally set out to lose in June.  Half.  It sounds strange to say it out loud: "Half way there."  I've made some big life changes in the past five months.  Big for me, at least.  I've started moving more.  I've cut WAY back on refined sugars, flours and preservatives.  Not only have I become a "mostly vegetarian", I've also become a "mostly vegan".  Crazy.  I never thought in a million years that I'd stop eating hamburgers and french fries and whole milk and ice cream.  Sure, I still eat Salmon once every few weeks.  Sure, I still eat some unpasteurized goat cheese once in awhile.  However, when I look at my diet now and compare it to what I was eating before I transitioned, its amazing.

I feel the urge to sit back and coast now that I've lost half of the weight.  But I know that I have to resist that temptation.  My goal is 75 pounds.  Not half of 75 pounds.  I looked at my body in the mirror this morning and thought, "I feel great!".  But imagine how great its going to feel when I stand in front of that same mirror six months from now.  I want to stay motivated.  I want to remain connected to the goal and to my new life choices.  I also want to find ways in the following months to reinvigorate my one-year plan.  I want to really set sail and see what I am capable of.