The results are in...

Well, my first 5K has come and gone. I think I checked the sponsor's site about 80 times to find out the official results.

Seriously, who doesn't look at the time when they cross the finish line?!?!

My goal for this race was 45 minutes, but I knew that I finished in about 41:00, because my hubby looked at the clock when I finished. Then I got to thinking, 'I started in the back of the pack of about 750 people. If my "gun time" is about 41, my chip time is probably closer to 40!"

This was thrilling to me. I never would have imagined that I could do my first 5K on a decently hilly course in under 40! I thought 45 was a stretch.

I was on my way out to the gym tonight when I decided to check for the results one more time, and lo and behold, they were posted! My official time was 39:48.9!

::cue dance party::

The results of this race really helped me push it at the gym. My goal for February's race (less than 4 weeks away!) is to run it in under 35. Tonight, my C25K plan was to just run for 25 straight minutes, or 2.5 miles. I really didn't think I would be able to do it, but I ran 11 minutes at 6.0 MPH, walked for a minute and a half to get some water and straighten my knee-brace, and then ran the remainder between 6.0-9.0 MPH. I pushed hard and ended up doing this...

It's official... that is a 5K in under 35 minutes! Now I just need to be able to do that outside, with hills, in the cold.

Here is my awesome hubby, who really motivated me and has been telling me how proud he is of me.  Hearing that is so much better than nachos and ice cream.

I know the day is coming when I run the entire thing and don't stop to fix the knee-brace... I think that day might be this weekend, but we will see!!!

I know I was driving Jeff nuts by checking my phone so frequently today, but I told him when I got home that knowing my time was the best thing for me. I know I didn't do very well in the actual race, because I walked the majority of the time. BUT, if I could walk it, with the hills, in the cold, in under 40 minutes, I had BETTER be able to do it on a level treadmill in the gym in far less than that.

My goal is to keep improving. For February, I have a few goals:
1) Run the entire race
2) Finish in under 35
3) Weigh less than 182
4) Be able to run a 5K on a treadmill in under 30.


So that's what I'm working on... I'll be around to give updates!!!

Let's get naked... Part 2

Because I feel that accountability is a HUGE part of making a life change, I am sharing numbers. Just the weight and clothing size, because that's all I've got right now.

I will be very honest... I'm not just trying to lose weight. If I can lose a few dozen pounds, great. I try not to put too much emphasis on weight and clothing sizes. Especially clothing. Every brand has its own sizing structure for women's clothing, and I've stopped trying to fit into one thing across the board.

That being said, I still want to share those sizes.

Right now, I am in a 14, depending on the brand and article of clothing. Pretty much all my pants are 14, and a skirt or two might be 16. (Worthington from JCP seems to fit a little tighter than every other brand out there.) Shirts are pretty much all Larges. Every once in a while, I come across a medium that is perfect, or will be in a week or two.

Where I want to be, is a size 8-10. I would be super content with that. I know most women strive for size 4, or 6 (or maybe a 2?), but I know my body and I am not meant to be a 4.

When I first resumed exercise and healthier eating on November 12, I weighed 202.6 pounds. Let's be real, November is NOT a good time to try to change your eating habits, unless your goal is to consume more. I had lost 11 pounds in the six weeks before Christmas. Between 5 family Christmas gatherings and a New Years Feast, and all the leftover cookies and mashed potatoes and starches, I had gained 5 of them back. It took me until January 8 to find the courage to log the number in my tracker. On that date I was 196.2. I had successfully managed to undo 6 weeks of work in 2 weeks. I got back on track and was down to 194.4 on January 10 (see what can happen in 2 days when you go from really bad habits to really good habits?) On January 13, I was down to 193.1, and January 17, 191.6. So it's official! I have lost 11 pounds!

202.6 is the heaviest weight I ever reached, if you exclude pregnancy. The bad thing is, I had been 193 for a few months. I did a "3 day diet" and lost 9 pounds, to get down into the 180's. Somehow I thought I was suddenly free and clear and that I would be able to start eating what I wanted again. I ended up gaining almost 20 pounds after having such "success" with this diet. It showed me that I needed to make a real change to my lifestyle and not just look for a quick fix.

My goal is to weigh no more than 165 when all is said and done. I was 135 in high school, but since graduating in 2004 three things have happened: 1) I had a baby. 2) My body grew up. 3) I developed boobs. I totally want to keep the boobs, so I'll be happy with 165. Or maybe 155. I will have to evaluate.

I don't want to set the number too strictly, because it has been almost 5 years since I was under 190 (for more than a week) and I have no idea what my body SHOULD weigh. It's a guessing game, and we'll figure it out when we get closer to that point.

Now you know my numbers. I am so excited about the 11 pound loss in just a few short weeks... It has me feeling great about my progress and it encourages me to stick with it, because I can see the results on the scale, and on me! I feel so much better too, and tonight I RAN A MILE! I have not done that in about 3 years, so this is a HUGE deal.

Let me share with you the great tools that have helped me accomplish that:

This is what www.mynetdiary.com looks like. I used to use Sparkpeople but they wanted $3.99 for their app.
MyNetDiary lets me scan barcodes from my foods, and I can enter info online OR in the app on my phone, which means I can do it at my desk at work when I can't have my cell phone out, and I can check nutrition information at a restaurant so I know what to (or what not to) order. I tested a bunch of calorie counting apps, but loved this one best.

 

 

 

 

 

Part of the reason I love this one so much is because of all the options you have. It is so easy to use, and the home screen (seen here) lets you track all the important information. To start, you just enter your weight, your goal weight, and how many pounds you think you can lose per week. I went with a realistic 1.5 pounds, so my app customized my timeline and predicts I'll reach my goal weight in June, just in time for bikini season. You can also take Before and After photos on the app on your phone, so you can see your progress. It is my most-used app!!! (Also... please note, the information above is from the interwebz, not my own personal account.)

HERE is a link to the Couch to 5K app I use. It gets you ready in 8 weeks, instead of the traditional 9. C25K has helped me out by giving me those really short-term goals... as in, what should I do at the gym tonight? I came into this whole running thing with bad knee pains and no endurance... 6 weeks into the program, I can run a mile, walk 3 minutes, and run another one. It's a miracle worker.  The best part? They also have a Couch to 10K app. AND they are free. AND you can play your iTunes through this app, so you don't have to close this app to switch tracks and hear the music that gets you moving. I love, love, LOVE this app, too!


And last, but not least... something that helps motivate me to get to the gym? Clothes.

Activewear is ADORABLE these days. I just got these compression capris from Old Navy and LOVE them. They are comfy and slimming. Old me would not wear tight clothes, especially tight pants, but these fit and look great. Super lightweight and easy to move in!

Well... I think I have given you more than enough to read... I promise I won't overwhelm you with posts the next few days, but expect something on Sunday or Monday. I have my first 5K on Sunday and my goal is to complete it in under 45 minutes. The forecast says windy with a high of 38 degrees, so wish me luck! I'm excited to share the results!!!

Let's get naked... Part one.

Gotcha! Maybe that title brought you in because you'd think that after a year of having this blog, I'd be super fit by now.

FALSE!

It is time for transparency... time to strip away the excuses and just be real; be naked: I have failed.

The past year, I just didn't do it.

I could give you some story about how I switched jobs and now I sit at a desk 42 hours a week, sit in my car 10 hours a week, don't have time for the gym, blah blah blah. While it's all true, it's no reason to NOT get to the gym. The truth is, when I am done at work, I want to come home and sit on my butt, eat food that is so far from healthy, and watch TV.

That is what I WANT to do, but that has led me to a size, weight, and lifestyle that I do not want to have.

I think there comes a turning point for all of us, when we realize something needs to change. For a lot of us, it might happen when we see photos of how we are now, and then look at photos of how we used to be.

I have known for a while that I needed to make a change, especially now that I am a mom. I need to be a good role model for my son and encourage and inspire him to make healthy choices. I also want to inspire my incredibly fit husband. Sure, he can wake up and decide to run a marathon without having to practice running marathons first, but he eats like crap. I'm talking double cheeseburger, large fries, and large soda crap. And pizza, and pasta, and very rarely, green beans. The bad foods are never eaten in moderation in our house... and the good foods are about as common as Lindsay Lohan's good life choices.

In October, I had the great honor of waking up at 5:30 AM on a frigid Sunday to watch my husband run a half-marathon. He had done triathlons, Tough Mudder, 5Ks, 10Ks... but this was his first Half Marathon. He hadn't been feeling well and his goal of finishing in under 90 minutes (top 1%, based on the previous year's finishing times) quickly left his mind. The cold air did not help matters much, and the hills also proved to be a challenge. But one hour and 42 minutes after he started the race, he finished. In the top 5%.

I watched 5000 people run in that race. Many were clearly people who loved to run and did it frequently. Others were larger than me. Many walked the entire 13.1 miles. And there I stood, on the stagnant side of a metal barrier, watching people experience this great event... taking part in the action and not just cheering from the sidelines. I decided at that moment that my goal would be to compete in the same race in 2013.

I devised a plan: 5K in the winter, 10K in the spring, and half marathon in the fall. I figured that running would be a great way to burn calories and get in shape, and it would give me a tangible goal to work toward. With the event dates already set for 2013, I had set-in-stone deadlines to meet. And so the work began.

As soon as Planet Fitness announced their $10 enrollment fee, I was there. $10 to sign up, $10 a month. Absolutely perfect deal when you're on a budget. Let me tell you right now, Planet Fitness is amazing. I absolutely love it there. The gym I go to is never too busy, and they have doubled in size since the hubs and I had been members in 2010. It. is. awesome.

Previous posts talk about enjoying your workout. For me, I needed to enjoy it and have goals for each workout. I knew I would be signing up for a 5K in the winter, so I decided to get a Couch to 5K app for my iPhone. My phone has been my biggest helper for fitness... More to come on that later.

With the app, I had goals to meet in every workout. I found another app where I can track my calories, exercise, weight, and take notes on what I'm doing, how I'm feeling, etc, to help me better understand how my life affects my eating and exercise habits. Again, more to come later.

I can happily report that I am now back on track. I am so angry that I let myself become so relaxed about my health and fitness. However, I can't expect to undo those habits overnight. Truthfully, I have been this way since 2004, when I went to college and stopped participating in activities that required, well, activity.

While it scares the crap out of me, I want to get naked with you. No, not like that. I just want to be totally exposed and reveal the numbers... the old numbers, the current numbers, the goal numbers. I want to share my thoughts and fears, my triumphs and failures. I'm so excited to do all of that with you, through this blog.

Now... let's get naked!