Week 24: Day 7 (SFC Day 1)

Hey!!  I have been meaning to post allllll day, but it has been kind of a rough one.  American Idol concert was last night.  My good friend and I chose to act like we were celebrating our 21st birthday.  Ha, ha, ha.  We had a great time and crashed at her in-laws' place downtown, so there was no driving involved.  Those are the best nights. 

Strangely, I totally missed my kids and husband.  I guess that isn't "strange", but things have been quite tense around here (we are all a little sick of each other) so I was really ready for a night "off".  Then I got sad when it was happening.  Silly.  Trust me, it in NO way affected my ability to have fun.  Yay!

So, I'm pretty sure the makers of Slim Fast were NOT referring to a Sonic value meal when they instructed a "sensible meal".  However, it's what I had today.  It was awesome.  AND necessary.  I did have one Slim Fast shake and just finished a snack of celery and Laughing Cow cheese spread.  Mmmmmm. 

Would you believe my weight this morning was back to 188.5???  I was surprised.  Pleasantly surprised, of course, but that was NOT expected!!  We have 5 official entries in the Slim Fast challenge, and I am waiting to hear back from 2 more...possibly even 3!  I went ahead and ordered the prize...I hope everyone likes it!!  I can't find a good picture online, but it is a bracelet from Premiere Designs called The Love Cuff.  It has parts of the verse from 1 Corinthians 13...what I can see of it shows "love is patient, love is kind, it always protects".  I'll see if I can post a picture somehow.

Here are the starting weights!!
Audrey - 188.5
Bonnie - 237.6
Heather - 143.6
Liz - 195.4
Shonda - 156.8

Good luck everyone!!!  I will add in anyone who wishes to join tomorrow.  Contact me at aldunkle@msn.com with your starting weight and you will be added to the list!

Have a good night.  The hubs and I are having a movie night...and simultaneously sleep training the almost 2 year old.  Again.  Again.  Again.

Week 24: Day 5

Good morning!

I truly don't have anything to say today.  :)  I just wanted to update everyone to let you know I currently have 5 people in the Slim Fast Challenge!!  I'm going to rename that today. 

Anyway, we have 5 contenders.  I will list everyone's names (some real, some fake) in Sunday's blog.  This is the day we will start, so don't forget to send me your starting weight!  If we get at least 8 total contenders, I will get something awesome as a prize.  Probably a piece of jewelry?  I have a friend who sells Premiere Jewelry and there are some really great pieces...

So, once again, please let me know if you would like to be added to the list!  All you have to do is send me a picture of your scale on Sunday morning (July 31) and then another on Monday, August 15.  Also let me know if you would like to be listed with your real first name or a phony.  ;)

Talk to you soon!!  xoxo

**NOTE:  Slim Fast shakes are on sale at Publix (at least here in Tennessee) - 2 six-packs for just $10!  This is a great deal.  Just FYI.

Back from the Beach!

Hey gang!

Sorry for my absence - I was very busy last week sipping Malibu and pineapples and playing on the beach with the girls in Destin! :) It was lots of fun and I'm sad our yearly trek is already over.

I wasn't totally bad though - I did two runs last week - one along the trail by the beach and one on the treadmill in our condo complex...kind of out of curiosity. Different experiences. It was fun to run along the bike trail by the beach because I love to people watch, but admittedly, I didn't really take in the beauty of the scenery or anything. I tend to look down when I run haha, so the atmosphere was kind of lost on me. I did about 3.2 miles (despite my mapmyrun accidentally recording a burning fast 4.2 mile/7 minute mile run hahah).

I tried the treadmill the second time because people seem to like it - I see posts on FB about being able to run forever, it's easier, etc. So I hopped on, expecting to run miles and miles at a lightning pace.

I didn't. In fact, I think the treadmill sucks!

First off, my ipod died about ten minutes in. Second, because I assumed I'd be listening to music, I hadn't changed the tv channel - which was stuck on yet another "you are NOT the father" episode of Maury. I mean, I love trash tv, but I do not love trash talk shows. Gag. So I was stuck watching a crappy tv show on a treadmill that squeaked every time my right foot came down. I was kind of in hell. While I made it three miles, my pace was average (9.30-10 min), my mind was wandering (and not in a good way) and I was left wondering yet again how these women can have, ahem, "relations" with so many men in a week or two period that they are truly confused about who their babydaddy is. So that's pretty much that for treadmill running.

Anyhoo, back to the real world.

My goal these next few weeks is improving my time and my endurance. To that end, my Tuesday run was shorter than usual, but I tried out upping my first mile pace then slowing back down for the second 1.5 to see if I totally burned out or if I could fiddle a little with pacing for the next 5k. My first mile pace was around 8 minutes, which I was pretty stoked about, and while I didn't stop running the last 1.5 miles, I wasn't just overall thrilled with the result. So for the next three weeks, I'm going to try this plan:
http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How-to-Double-Your-Endurance-in-6-Weeks.htm?cmp=17-7-920

I'm curious to see how it works out AND I get the added benefit of using the term "fartlek" at least once a week. I'll give you a minute to enjoy a giggle.

I was supposed to do my first fartlek this morning, but unfortunately Miss Sadie had other plans. We had a newborn style party last night (up every 2 hours), so Mama was tie-ERD this morning. Ah well - plenty of time to fartlek all over town tomorrow, then plan my big run for Saturday - maybe down by the river?

Also-speaking of my next 5k - it looks like I'm shooting for "Run with the Son" sponsored by the Geyer Springs Baptist Church on August 20th. While there is one on August 13, it's frankly on a route I'm not crazy about for racing, since it goes across the Big Dam Bridge. After my hot, hot run across it a couple of weeks ago, I can tell you that being stuck on a bridge the width of about six people across with a bunch of other runners doesn't sound particularly fun. So I'm running with the Son (and my husband tells me it's only polite to let Jesus win;)!

Glad to be back!
Ashley

Quickie

Good morning!!  I just wanted to quickly post a little something.  First things first - come on people, sign up for the Slim Fast whatever-I-called-it!  I can't remember right now and I have 3.2 seconds free, so no time to look.  Is it just the Slim Fast challenge?  Boo if it is.

In any case, I don't want to call people out publicly, but there are a couple of sweet, beautiful, dear friends I specifically am looking to hear from...you know who you are!!!  C'mon.  15 days.  That would equal out to 5 boxes of the Slim Fast shakes.  Or you could even use the Wal-Mart brand!  You can be anonymous...even pick out a fun code name?  That sounds awesome.  It's all about percentage lost...in 15 days!  Way too many people tell me on a daily basis they are really wanting to get started and this is the perfect time!!!  Plus, Slim Fast is truly the EASIEST plan. 

Okay, here's how to contact me.  Comment here (and please make a note if you don't want your comment published, I review all comments before they actually get posted), Facebook message me, aldunkle@msn.com, smoke signals.  I think the acceptance signal should be 2 big puffs and 8 small ones?  DO IT!!!  We will begin Sunday, which I admit i'm totally not looking forward to after my plans for Saturday, but I plan to eat my 500-calories in the morning and Slim Fast shake it the rest of the day.  Just a little hint for someone reading who may be in a similar situation on Sunday....   wink, wink.

I'm not saying any of you need to lose weight.  You are beautiful.  Stunning, in fact.  I just want a friendly competition to get my gears back....in.......gear.  Sigh.  :)  You get it.  You know what I mean. 

The End. 

P.S.  I have a doctor's appointment today and I plan to ask for my blood work to be done as a comparison to a year ago when I was borderline diabetic! 

BYE!  xoxo

A Blog Full!!

GOOOOOOD MORNING!

I have no minutes to type this and lots to say!  Well, maybe not "lots"?  We'll see what comes out...

First things first - ASHLEY!!!  Come back to blogland, please!!  We wanna know how vacation went and your running and all that jazz...please oh please.  ;)

Secondly, Bonnie had a fantastic idea yesterday and I would like to expand a bit for everyone.  We are going to begin a "Slim Fast Challenge" here at the Goal Post.  LOL   That's how I will refer to this blog from now on.  Love it. 

15 days of the Slim Fast diet.  Take a picture of your scale on Sunday, July 31st, and then another on Monday, August 15.  We will go by percentage of weight lost (for example, you start at 200 and lose 10 that would be 5%; start at 160 and lose 10 that would be 6.25%!) and there will be a winner!  What will you win?  I don't know yet.  :)  But one thing is for sure - you will lose some damn weight!  Isn't that winnings enough?  I will think of something else.  OR - if you are in a position to donate something for a "prize", feel free to contact me!

This moves me on to my next item of business.  I received an email from "Chef Jeff" yesterday and he is giving us all a super cool cookbook!  Fun!!  Simply click on cookbook.  I downloaded it yesterday and all of his recipes have the nutritional information listed at the bottom.  They are under 10 ingredients each, and take 30 minutes or less to prepare.  Perfect for your 500-calorie meal during the Slim Fast Challenge, right!??  When you make a recipe, please let me know how it goes!  I will be using this cookbook during my 15 days and promise to share all thoughts from myself AND the fam.

Finally, last but most definitely not least, I did choose a local girl for the Jump Start goodies!  She said I could use her name, but I want to call her "Eliot" instead.  Ha, ha.  So, Eliot started yesterday and texted me last night to say she hadn't felt hungry at all!  I will ask her to email me a "blurb" today about herself so you can all know more about her.  From me, though, she and I met 9 years ago when we worked together at an apartment community here in Nashville.  She is one of my most favorite people and we maintained a friendship even through some minor drama and my crazy travel.  She has two children, ages 8 and 6, and has been wanting to find some motivation to lose weight.  Her 20-year high school reunion is coming up in just a few weeks, I believe, so hopefully the 2-week Jump Start will at least get her to a point of feeling more confident and comfortable in her skin!

I think that's all for today.  I will definitely post tomorrow to let you know my weigh-in and plan for the next few days.  I'm not going to start Slim Fast before Sunday, so I think I'll do Special K until then.  Well, there, I already told you my plan.  :) 

I ran last night and my calves were really, really super tight.  Not sure what that means, but I'm planning to do some cross training this morning and then sit in the hot tub at the Y.  I stretched and massaged my legs last night, but they are still kind of sore this morning.  The run felt good, at least!  I went to the Y, so it was an air conditioned run...I expected to be significantly faster due to that fact, but I seemed to still be over a 9-minute mile.  I have a few friends who are runners, so I may be consulting them...I was thinking it had something to do with the 8.65 miles on Saturday? 

Have a great day!!

Week 24: Day 1

Good morning!!  I slept through my alarm (liar, I chose to not get up), so no run this morning.  I plan to head up to the Y when Shaun gets home this evening and run then.  I think I need to switch some things up in order to see any loss on the scale.  I am getting SO discouraged!!!  Not with the running - strictly with the weight loss.  I was reading some other weight loss blogs and I definitely see a plateauing "trend"...seems like when you hit a major goal (for some it's 30 pounds, others it's 100+!), it is so easy to relax your efforts and then get frustrated with no loss, or even some gains.  I haven't seen anything less than 188.5 since July 1st, and I am really, really, really hoping Wednesday's weigh in shows that number or less.  Please oh please oh please!!

So, I had some thoughts.  I do believe I'm gonna get back on the Slim Fast train starting Wednesday.  I know I said I would give Jackie Warner's meal plan a shot, but I feel like I need to do something with less thought and more obvious results right now just to get me mentally back in the game.  I will be able to get to the grocery tomorrow and I can go ahead and get my first week of shakes and snacks.  I bought a "goal outfit" yesterday at Old Navy (thanks Katy H.!!), so I'm going to post my first picture of me wearing it on Wednesday - along with a weigh in picture of the scale.  I told Shaun I was giving myself 3 months to look very, very good in that outfit.  I mean, I can button it and all that right now, but I wouldn't DARE wear it out of the house.  Just for an internet picture.  Ha, ha, ha. 

This upcoming Saturday is the American Idol concert!!  A friend and I bought tickets way back during presale, so we have really, really been looking forward to this.  :)  It's a 24-hour vacation for mom!!!  I will not be sticking to any sort of dieting plan, but I think I can actually stay close.  Obviously, there will be alcohol consumed.  I'll try to stick to some low-cal beer options...Mich Ultra or something?  I am typically just a beer drinker, but after looking at some calorie websites, I might have to switch it up.  Southern Comfort appears to be the lowest in calories...whoooooo.  Anyway, just letting you know this is something we've had planned for a while.  I couldn't have known I would be at such a frustrating point in my diet.  It might actually do me some good to let loose, right? 

I have a  ton of pics of the kids from our adventures over the weekend, but haven't been able to edit any of them yet.  Here's a cute one for you...

At the zoo, squeezed into a double stroller.  That's how we roll!

And here's one more to share a new frustration.  :)  My husband thinks it's ridiculous for me to be in any way "upset" about this...

You like that bra hanging out of the shirt?  I have never had this problem...because I've never worn a bra that actually covered everything!  So, right before I started losing weight a friend gave me 4 brand new Victoria's Secret bras.  I love them, they are pretty and comfortable...and no longer fit.  :(  BUT, I still wear them!  Because I don't have money for nice new bras...I realize it's an awesome problem to not be able to afford new clothes, but need them because you have LOST weight.  Awesome, but no less frustrating.  I have lots of great new stuff in smaller sizes for the winter, but 90+ temps are not exactly suitable for jeans.  Grr. 

Okay, the end.  Have a great day!!

xoxo

Week 23: Day 6

Howdy!!  Check out the mileage I put in today!!  Wow.  It was hot and it was long, but I feel grrrrrr-eat!  Truly.  So happy I finished and made relatively good time.  I decided today I was going to focus LESS on time and MORE on just the beauty of running and pushing my body to be in great, healthy shape.  Of course, I still want to run that 5K on August 13th in 27 minutes or less, so that WILL be about "timing".  Outside of that race, however, I am going to TRY...I guess that won't mean much, but I just really want to be less hard on myself if I slow down as I increase distance.

I am really looking forward to checking my measurements next week.  Also, for August 1st, I want to take a new picture to post.  I feel like it's been a long time, but I guess it's only been since July 1st.  I really don't see much change, but I look at myself every day so maybe taking a photo will help me see some transformation.

Well, I gotta be honest I am worn out this afternoon!!  According to my fancy heart rate monitor, I burned 1,215 calories this morning.  WHAT?!?  Rock on.  By the way, my new shoes?  Awesome.  Flat out awesome.  No blisters, no pain, no issues.  I love them.  LOVE! 

Later.  :)

xoxo

Week 23: Day 5

Good morning!! 

First things first, my new socks AND shoes came in!!  I will highly recommend Zappos.com to anyone who's looking for shoes...that was some darn fast shipping!  I have exactly one very small issue, however. 

I had no idea the shoes were two different colors?!  I even checked the website again and absolutely NOWHERE is it mentioned...luckily, I don't hate it.  :)

They are growing on me.  Now, the socks pictured go up to my knees and are all-around awesome.  I felt super cool...kinda like a school girl who was pushing the rules.  :)  If I had ever gone to private school, I can guarantee you I wouldn't have done that then.  BUT, as an adult, I have some confidence...and lack of consideration for what others are thinking about me.  It's kinda nice.  Ha, ha.  These socks came in a "set" of 6, all with the black stripes, but the other colors are purple, green, orange, yellow, and red.  Then I got another set of six striped knee-high socks, but those are multi-colored.  I cannot wait to have a little extra money and buy some outfits to go with these combinations!!!  Building my "race wardrobe" is going to take some time, but at the end it will be SO cool.  These shoes are truly the ultimate "minimalist" shoe.  Very thin, VERY light...I was nervous that I may have overlooked their description and maybe they are more for wrestling or walking on the beach, but when I went back to double check they are definitely for running.  Specifically "cross country" running, so to my relatives in California - I may make it there yet!

Dieting wise, I'm going to go out on a limb and anticipate a drop very soon.  I think I said I would weigh on the 27th?  Yeah...the numbers should definitely be down by then.  Something has occurred after being missing for a couple months...I'll stop there, sorry to any boy readers.  ;)  I will also take my measurements that morning, just in case the scale doesn't obey.  I have to mention that the kids have been messing around with it a LOT (I moved it to the kitchen so I wouldn't be so tempted every morning in the bathroom just to sneak a peek)...it's not an excuse, just sayin'. 

Also, I was doing some Googling last night and have found another training program I like!!  I feel like I have only been half following this 10K training...mainly because I'm so excited about the half marathon, I have been increasing the distances even though the training doesn't call for it.  Basically, I'm planning to start Hal Higdon's "Novice-1 Marathon Training" program on August 1st.  It is a plan for training to run a FULL marathon, but at the end of 8 weeks, he recommends doing a half!  August 1st will have me 8 weeks out from the Women's Half Marathon.  WOW.  That is coming up fast!!  I have signed up to do the Tomato Fest 5K, so I will definitely be running in that, but since it's only 3.1 miles and I'm supposed to run 7 that day, I was considering running a couple miles before the race starts.  Not at "race pace", but just jogging or walking a bit as a warm-up.  OR, I could do the race twice!  Ha, ha, ha.  I may be getting ahead of myself.  Since I am actually running this one as a RACE this time (against my time of 28:20 last time), I may be pretty worn out at the end. 

The rest of July's running plan is this:

Friday	Saturday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Cross	8 miles (run at least 4)	3 miles run	Cross	3 miles run	REST	Cross	9 miles (run at least 4.5)

Sundays are still REST days.  In the new training, I will rest on Sundays and Thursdays.  It's very, very similar (same trainer, after all), but only one day of Cross Training and I will start attempting a different tactic on the long run days.  Maybe.  We'll see how the next two Saturdays go.

"Cross" training for today has yet to be determined.  I really wanted to get out and run with my new shoes this morning, but Zoe woke us up screaming at 3:30 and then 4:30 came way too quickly, so I allowed myself to go back to sleep.  I am considering a zoo trip which will count...otherwise, I may just hit the Y when Shaun gets home and do some elliptical or biking.  Or a combination!  Tuesday I plan to take Zoe swimming for our last Tuesday alone together.  Awwww.  Then, next Friday I will PLAN to take the kiddos to the pool again.  I realize these are not your traditional "cross training" activities, but I really focus on keeping my body moving and playing with the kids and raising my heart-rate a couple of times at least...I figure it's better than sitting on the couch or a bench and watching them play! 

I ran into a little snag with shipping all of the promised goodies to Canada (cost of shipping to there is crazy!), so Bonnie is now trying to find out how much everything will cost her there so I can send out a check.  Unless any of my friends in Michigan are planning a trip to Windsor very soon???  :) 

I have one last thing to mention.  Last night for dinner I had the yummiest meal.  I mean, it was crazy simple, but it was SO tasty!!  I was browning some sausage to make spaghetti for the kids and Shaun, but I didn't want to make a whole box of spaghetti, so I browned a full pound of sausage and removed almost 1/2 before adding the sauce.  This half I added to half of a package of Steam Fresh Whole Grain Rice with Broccoli and Carrots.  The "broccoli and carrots" ended up not being as many veggies as I thought it would be, so I used a whole bunch of celery instead of a spoon to scoop it up and eat it!  Yummmm. 

That is all for now.  I will probably post tomorrow after the long run, but may not post again after that until the weigh in on Wednesday. 

Hey Erin, could you weigh LJ that morning, too??

xoxo - ALSO, PLEASE CLICK THE BANNER AND VOTE FOR ME AGAIN!  You can vote once every 24 hours.  I am dying to be in the top something or other.  I'm #5 on the Health and Fitness list, but #160-something on the main list. 

Week 23: Day 3

If you didn't get a chance to see the comment on yesterday's post - the "LJ Challenge", uhm, challenger reported a weigh-in!  He has lost 9.3 pounds and I have lost 6...of the 30 required to WIN!  Fun.  Way to go, LJ!  I was totally going to send out an email or Facebook message to ask, but I promptly forgot.

This has been happening a lot, to be honest.  I know I've mentioned my extreme forgetfulness before, but it sort of seems to be getting ridiculous.

Anyways, I just wanted to post a motivating quickie.  Mainly for myself.  I have been SO down and frustrated lately and I really think it's been affecting my life as a whole.  Not just in the weight loss area.  Yesterday I found myself snacking on crackers (at least they were whole wheat, right?) dipped in Nutella.  Oh, why on earth did I buy the jar of Nutella?  It's so freakin' good.  Mmmmmmm. 

Back to business.  :)  As I am snacking and rolling my eyes at my sweet baby girl screaming once again - we are having "nap refusal" week, apparently - I thought, you know why your damn weight isn't moving, missy???  It's because you are not even HALF as focused as you were in the first several weeks!  You think running and working out justifies extra snacking, which is one of the reasons this weight loss fight has been lost so many times before!  Yes, you look great.  Yes, you have come a long way...but look at all these blogs out there of women who have lost 80, 90, 100+ pounds and are still doing great!  190 is NOT a comfortable weight, no matter what I tell myself.  170 is comfortable.  But that is still 20 pounds away, lady.  SO GET ON IT.

I can be a little blunt when it comes to internal speak.  :)  My point is this - yes, I'm trying out Jackie Warner's 2 week Jump Start, and yes she says you can "eat what you want", but this doesn't mean I have to throw all my knowledge out the window.  This doesn't mean "eat when you aren't hungry", it doesn't mean "eat when the kids are whining".  It simply means, choose from these items when you are hungry.  When you have eaten these items and become hungry again, then eat.  Until you are NO LONGER HUNGRY.  I think my "hungry" meter was broken a long, long time ago...but it doesn't mean it's not fixable!

Okay, that's all for today.  This morning's run was fantastic...my legs were kinda burning because I mapped a new route with some great hills, but it was a good burn.  I have 2 or 3 more runs to do in these shoes because last night I ordered some fabulous, awesome new running shoes!!  I am so excited. 

Super cool, right???

Well, it sounds like the wild bunch is up and ready to fight...time to get to referreeing!

 

Week 23: Day 1

Good morning!

Wow.  It is Week 23?  That's pretty darn cool to me.  So, I guess I have 17 weeks left to lose 29-39 pounds?  29 would put me at my original 80 pounds goal...39 would be to my altered goal.  Wait, no.  It was 189.5 this morning (grrrr)...that is 49 pounds.  So, 31 pounds to original goal.  39.5 to altered goal.

Sorry for the written out math...it's still kinda early.  Even if I did run this morning...my brain is still on "normal time".  Ha, ha.

I don't have much to say today, but I wanted to announce I have a Challenger!!  Well, maybe that's not the right word.  She's not challenging ME...she's challenging her weight, though.  So, yeah, we'll still call her...."THE CHALLENGER".  It looks better in italics. 

Introducing Bonnie from Fat-Be-Gone.  Her blog is fantastic and funny and she is as real as they come.  She is also Canadian.  Not sure why that's important, but I just felt you should know.  :)  Check out her blog, feel free to become a "follower", and we will do more introduction when she gets her goodie box and is ready to begin her 14-day Jump Start!  Yaaaaayyyy, Bonnie!!

Judging from the photos on Facebook, Ashley appears to be enjoying her vacation.  I'm so jealous.

Well, as I mentioned above the scale showed 189.5 today.  My run went well and I did weigh AFTER the run and with wet hair...sorry.  Total joke.  I love making excuses when there isn't any need.  I will continue on this 14 day "journey"...maybe I will not weigh until after the 14th day?  Today is day 6.  I'll post a pic of the scale on the morning of July 27.  THEN, we will get back to Monday weigh-ins.  I love keeping you all on your toes!

I was thinking I don't seem to post much about my adventures with the kids these days...it's not because we don't have any, but it has been so hot outside, we really have been kind of sticking with the indoors lately.  Today, however, we will be heading out to the Smyrna Splash Pad, so I'll get some cute pics there and then we will go have lunch with my sweet grandfather. 

I guess I should go.  :)  I did want to say one more quick thing, though.  I downloaded a new "album" last night on iTunes.  It's 50 Praise & Worship songs re-vamped (right word?) to be workout music!  It was super cool to run to this morning!!!  It was kind of amusing at first, but definitely kept me pumped and reminded me of WHO was the real reason I am succeeding with my weight loss and fitness goals.  Awesome.

xoxo

Follower Challenge!

I have a proposition for you.  Yes, you. 

Please answer these questions (out loud is fine, but try to remember your surroundings):  Do you want to lose weight?  Do you have more than 50 pounds you want to drop?  Are you truly ready to begin your personal weight loss journey??

If your answers to these questions are "YES", then please seriously consider my challenge...

I have hit a plateau.  It seems like no matter what I do, I continue to see 190 on the scale.  Granted, I have seen 188.5, and a couple days it has shown 191, but let's just average it all out to stupid 190.  Ugh.  My true point to this blog was to try different diets and discuss them so Joe Consumer could visit my blog and get an honest "review" from a real person who had been there.  Luckily and fortunately (and awesomely) I have lost quite a bit of weight through my trials!  The only unfortunate point to this is that the diet "jump starts" don't seem to be working anymore.  Not that I'm going to do anything drastic, but I really, really like this 2 weeks jump start from Jackie Warner's book (This is why you're fat) and it is not doing anything for me.  I truly think this is due to the fact she is used to dealing with people coming off of eating all crap and this meal plan shocks their system.  Let me quickly make one point - I am NOT quitting this meal plan.  I will give it the full 2 weeks and I will give her "life time" plan 2 weeks.  I will continue to blog about how it does (and doesn't) affect me.

Here's where YOU come in.  I need someone else (preferably who has at least 50 pounds to lose, and hasn't been doing any real dieting recently) to do this diet for/with me.  All I am asking for is someone who will commit to at least the 2 week Jump Start.  It is so easy, truly.  You can either choose to be a co-author on the blog during your 2 weeks, or just "report" to me and I can relay your thoughts.  You can choose to be anonymous (to everyone but me), you can choose to not report your actual weight - maybe just how many pounds you want to lose.  We can cater this to you and your comfort level. 

First one to respond and truly "sign up" will receive the following:
     *  2 boxes of oatmeal to get you through your Jump Start!
     *  Since the book doesn't belong to me, I can't give it away, but I will photocopy all of the pages dedicated to the Jump Start for you. 
     *  1 box of decaf green tea
     *  1 container of Whey Protein for your shakes.

What a great deal, right??  I really, really need you to think before you respond.  Are you willing to DO this?  Are you willing to write truthfully and honestly and really, really try to follow this plan??  Think about it.  It's 2 freakin' weeks.  What can't you do for just 2 measly short weeks??  Make sure you check your calendar.  However, the awesome part about this jump start is that you don't have to deny yourself the foods you want.  Just add in the ones she tells you to eat. 

If you're considering it and have any questions, write to me.  ALDUNKLE@msn.com  or message me on Facebook.  Or post a comment...your question may be a question someone else has and is too afraid to ask!  Or call me. 

Thanks!!!

Week 22: Day 6

Hello!!! Today has already been amazing.  Seriously.  Look ---------->

When it's later and this post has moved down, the arrow won't mean anything.  When that happens, you will just have to read my exclamation of....

I RAN (and walked) 7 MILES!!!    

I am really working on not looking at any amount of walking as "failure".  I mean, that is the wrong word for how I'm feeling, but I feel like I need to tell people when I run some and walk some, even though I did go from a point to a point and the total mileage was 7 miles and it could have taken me 7 hours and I should still be proud because of how far I've come, right!?  Anyway, 7 miles in about 1 hour and 20 minutes is pretty darn good for this girl.  YEEEEEEEHAW.

I haven't weighed, but I am just going to say again I like Ms. Jackie Warner's diet plan so far!  This morning I got up about 5:45 and ate a bowl of oatmeal and some strawberries.  I had frozen a whey protein drink last night so it could thaw during my run...that was perfect for an afterwards snack!  Cold and chocolatey...mmmmm.

I will be finding the winner to our first giveaway later this afternoon...the kids are kinda restless today, so I am limiting my computer time while they are awake.  Naptime will be good.  :)

I hope everyone is having a great day!!!

xoxo

Week 22: Day 5

Tomorrow is the drawing!!!  I have changed the rules a little bit...nothing major.  I discovered a website called Random.org and that is how the "drawing" will be done.  I am making a spreadsheet of everyone's entries, then I will have Random.org give me a random number that will correspond to someone on the spreadsheet.  Awesome.
So, this diet is my favorite so far.  I guess that would be kind of obvious considering I get to "eat what I want".  I am enjoying the add-ins, though!  I was already eating at least 2 fruit servings a day, and 3 vegetables is also easy since baby carrots are the best darn thing since....well, I don't know what, but they're good!  Also, celery rocks my world.  I've been dipping both of these in those Laughing Cow cheese spread wedges - Mmmmmmm!!!  One bowl of oatmeal is super easy to fit in, and the whey protein "shake" just gets chugged at some point in my morning.  (**side note, I totally agree with "anonymous" (mom?) about the fruit blended with the shake, but i don't own a blender.  Sad, I know.  Especially since Shaun and I were given 2 for Christmas in 2005.  We're hard on blenders!)  I intend to invest in one very soon (like, this weekend).  I have been scrambling two eggs for "dinner" while the rest of the family's dinner is in the oven, and I still stop eating at 6:00 pm.  Yesterday I did have a cup of decaf green tea, too, but missed it the day before.

So, for the past two days, outside of the making sure I get those items in, I have been eating whatever I want.  Turns out what I want is bread.  Lots and lots of bread.  This is resulting in quite the upset stomach on my part, so I think I have had my fill.  Today I'm going to start back to watching what I eat beyond the add-ins.  The weekends are kinda tricky when home with the kids (and husband) and the restock from the grocery trip(s), but I read a little further in TIWYF (This is why you're fat) and have decided to go ahead and start weaning out the chips and sugary treats for good.  I also plan to hit up Trader Joe's once a week and try some organic choices!  I have always complained that these are pricier, but I think we may be able to cut down on some costs in other ways (chips and sugary treats?) and just stock up on fruits and veggies.  Also, the kids love canned fruits, too, so I can just get a ton of those for them...

Rambling!  As I type this I am being constantly pulled in other directions to do other things.  The no tv rule is sticking and seems to be working well.  The kids don't even scream at me when it goes off at 7 anymore!  Progress!!  Tomorrow will be interesting as I head out for a long run and daddy will be home during the 7 o'clock hour.  I asked him to please uphold the rule and even gave him a couple of tips  on keeping them occupied away from television!  I plan to leave the house at 6:15 and promised to return by 9:30.  He'll be fine.  Right? 

So, as I join up as a follower to all these other blogs, I am noticing a lot of pictures being posted.  Does this mean my blog is boring with no pics?  I mean, I post them sometimes, but not every time....I think I'll start.  Here's how I'm feeling right this minute...

 

As I thought about what I wanted to google search, 2 of the boys began fighting and throwing markers at each other.  "Pulling Hair Out" is what came to me.  I think I feel like this at least once a day, so it's a good picture to start with! 

Anyway, today I'm going to do a Body Pump class for my 40 minutes of cross training.  Tomorrow's run is supposed to be 3 miles, but I am joining up with a group doing a 6 mile walk to get some more mileage on these feet!  Here's my plan:  My friend who told me about this group says they walk 3 miles to a point, then turn around and walk back to the cars.  This is all done on a greenway about half an hour from my house.  SO, I am planning to run at least the first 3 miles, then turn around and either walk all of it back, or (if I can) keep running until I can't anymore.  I haven't done anything (walking, running, or a combination) farther than about 4 miles, so I'm excited and maybe a little anxious about this plan!! 

Back to feeling like the picture, by the way...in the 2 minutes of trying to type that paragraph, two more children are fighting and screaming about who gets to carry the timer.  Seriously.  I have a timer because I discovered it is the BEST way to transition activities...they just get all caught up in who gets to carry it and who gets to push the buttons and who can put it up the highest on the fridge so the others can't reach....it's ridiculous.  I want to video all of this and use it as an at home "Sex Ed" class when they're older.  Think you wanna have sex and maybe have a baby?  Here's what you can look forward to kids.  Shoot - the boys may ask for vasectomies at 15!  Ha, ha.

Well, Zoe is "on the toilet" according to one of the twins...guess I'll end this now.

Week 22: Day Three

Good morning!  In case you were worried about me yesterday, I did end up getting that thing done I had forgotten to do.  Yeehaw.

Well, I have lots to share, but I am sitting at the table with my kiddos and may have to get up several times to retrieve things.  They are a needy bunch...and I very recently (yesterday) started banning television between the hours of 7 am and 5 pm.  They are going crazy.  I was allowing them to turn into total junkies, staring at that darn thing for hours!  It was bad.  Yesterday was fine, but I do have to mention they were at school from 9 to 3.  :)

This is a nice segue...while the boys were at school, Zoe and I visited a friend and her son for a morning play date!  We had a great time and I got the chance to do lots of catching up with someone I hadn't seen in a few months.  She also gave me a book that has led me to drop Weight Watchers!!  I know it is a great program and I am so happy that WW works for so many people who are close to my heart.  I love you all for wanting my success and recommending the plan.  Unfortunately, I'm not disciplined enough to follow the points system.  Maybe later, for maintenance?  Right now, though, I just find it way too easy to eat bad stuff and track it...then some part of my brain thinks we have "cheated" and just feels like we might as well keep going!  I'm not saying this is the right way to think...believe me, I wish I had some sense of portion control and moderation and all those great things.  I'm just not there yet.

The book is by Jackie Warner and is called "This is Why You're Fat (and how to get thin forever)".  Some of you may have watched the show on Bravo called "Work Out", Jackie is the owner of the gym.  She is tough and has a super hot body.  SO, her food plan begins with a 2 week jump start and I have started this today.  It is not about what you can't eat, but she tells you 7 things you MUST eat.  I have written each item on a piece of paper to cross off each day over the next 14 days.  Smart, right?  :)

Here's the added foods!

Eggs (2 daily) - hard-boiled, soft-boiled, poached, or scrambled, but without added fat.  (**the only way I have ever eaten eggs is scrambled)
Oatmeal (1 cup daily) - she doesn't specify if this needs to be a certain kind of oatmeal, but she has a "tip" below that says "I keep packets of instant oatmeal on me at all times."  This leads me to believe I am fine with the Active brand of weight management oatmeal.
Hormone-Balancing, Detox Vegetables (2-3 cups daily) - veggies listed: artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, garlic, green beans, kale, lettuce (all varieties), mushrooms, mustard greens, onions, parsley, peppers (all varieties), radishes, scallions, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnip greens, watercress, yellow wax beans, and zucchini.  (**wait, what?  the list says "garlic"???  a vegetable????  awesome.)
Fresh Fruit (2 servings daily) - apples, apricots, bananas (underripe), berries (all varieties), cherries, citrus fruits (all varieties), kiwi, guava, mango, melon (all varieties), papaya, pear, peach, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, and watermelon.  A serving generally equals one piece of raw fruit or one cup of chopped fresh fruit.
Water and Lemon Juice - so, she says lemon combined with water is a "bile thinner" and it prevents cravings.  I have no issues with getting all my water in each day, but I will be adding at least one full 8-12 ounces of water with fresh lemon squeezed in each day.
Whey Protein Shake (8 ounce serving daily) - We have some whey protein for Shaun, so I just mixed one scoop with 8 ounces of water and chugged it down.  It wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting.  Ha, ha.
Herbal Teas - I am going to type exactly what she has in the book about this and ask for your input.  "To satisfy oral fixations (most late-night snacks are really about oral compulsions), have one packet of decaffeinated green tea with one packet of herbal fruit tea every evening.  Green tea contains L-theanine, a chemical that increases dopamine and serotonin in the brain, two chemicals that regulate appetite, mood, energy, and cravings.  It also contains compounds that block fat storage.  Ther herbal fruit tea gives green tea a delicious flavor."  Nevermind.  I was thinking I wouldn't do this, but after fully reading the description, I believe I will. 

 And that's it!  She literally says she doesn't care if you eat fried chicken or pizza or whatever, just make sure you eat these things also EVERY DAY.  I'm sure I will, at some point, be too full of these things to worry about eating other things, but this morning that has not been the case.  I'm thoroughly enjoying toast with honey.  I've eaten my fruits today already and had the whey protein drink one hour after my run.  I am taking my instant oatmeal to Bible study and planning to eat eggs when the kids lay down for quiet time/nap.  I will still stop eating by 6:00 pm and do my apple in the mornings.  Although, I am considering giving up my coffee.  Maybe not during this next two weeks...the coffee is actually NOT the problem, but I was reading her info on the sweetener I use and it's probably not the best thing for me.  I have never tried black coffee, so I guess it's not fair for me to say I don't like it, but I don't think I like it.  We'll see!

My run this morning was great.  Truly great.  I discovered a "track" about a 1/2 mile from my house that is just over a 1 mile around.  There used to be a great mall in town, but it went down several years ago and is now just an empty building with a Sears leftover!  The drive circle all the way around the perimeter is my new "track".  In order to not get "bored" or accustomed to my runs, I will be switching it up quite a bit, but this was really great to discover.  (Obviously I always knew the mall was there, but I never thought about running around it.  Plus, it was cool to learn the distance is doable and can be done a few times to rack up the mileage!)  On my 10K plan today I was supposed to do 2 miles and then strength train.  I didn't get around to any strength training this morning, but I have a couple of ideas for things I could do this afternoon.  Yesterday I went to the Y and did the elliptical for 30 minutes as my cross training.  I was going there for a Body Pump class, but I was late and I am incredibly shy when it comes to stuff like that. No, really...i am shy!!  I just fake it sometimes.  :)  The elliptical was a nice change. 

So, tomorrow is "rest" day and I sure am going to be RESTING.  Some friends and I have a "girly day" planned...pedicures in the morning and laying out by the pool afterwards.  Lunch ordered in and trashy magazines galore.  Ahhhhhh.  Jealous??  You should be!  :)  We have been looking forward to this for a couple of months now, and I cannot believe the day has come! 

Another note, since I'm not doing WW anymore, I will resume weighing on Monday mornings.  We'll get back to the original tracking method of trying to reach 80 (88.5) pounds in 40 weeks.  I cannot believe almost 23 weeks are almost done!!  Exciting.  :)

xoxo

Ridin' on a Heat Wave

Hey gang!

I want you to know I've written about five blogs in my head (usually during my runs!) but just forgot that critical typing step. ;) In any case - happy Tuesday! I can say for certain it's a happy Tuesday here at the homestead because we are currently counting down til when we leave for vacation this weekend - whoohoo! I'm actually excited to find new routes along the beach, maybe try a treadmill workout and have some new places to go!

First an update - I opted to not run the BDB 5k on Saturday. It was a twilight run (at 7:30 pm), and for those of you who live anywhere other than Alaska, I'm sure you've noticed the heat. I did a test run along the route last Thursday night, during which I "wrote" a blog titled "The One Where I Talk about (Extreme) Heat." No seriously - that's what I did while I ran. I went out after work at about 6:30 and it.was.HOT. Brutally so. I ran across the bridge and down to a boat ramp along the river, then turned around to head back. I admittedly walked the grade up the bridge the second time, but in my defense, I was getting a teensy bit dizzy haha. Then I picked back up and ran the rest of the way across, down the path and around back toward the parking lot. I've been using MapMyRun.com (neat website!) and the entire run was around 3.25 miles. Did I mention it was HOT? And the ramps up the bridge on either side are no joke - looooong hills going both ways.

So in any case, I hated running in the heat and running across that bridge, in the heat, with a few dozen people seemed like a terrible idea. Instead, I went and had drinks with my friend Erin (yay!) which was a much much better Saturday night.

I have not run yet this week. Mondays are off days because I have early staff meeting, and today ended up being off after Lucy had kind of a tough night last night (poor kid's allergies are making her crazy...and snotty), so I slept in a little. I'll be out WThF this week to get my three in before our trip, and I've mapped some new routes in my neighborhood to try, so I'm anxious to get going.

In any case, kind of a running fail so far this week. I think I've found a running plan I want to implement after we get back from vacation, so I'll post more about that next time. Hopefully it will help me improve my stamina and speed. In the meantime, everybody stay cool out there! After my adventure last week, I definitely recommend getting those workouts done early if you're going outside! Stay safe!

Ashley

Week 22: Day 2

Good morning!!  I said I would post last night.  I didn't.  It happens.
Aaaannnnd now my husband just reminded me of something else I completely forgot to do last night.  UGH.  What has happened to my super-smart brain??  I forget everything.  This is no exagerration.  Oh, except I can totally remember stupid things that happened years and years ago.  Awesome.

Moving on, quickly.  Yesterday I set out for my day one of my 10K training and supremely failed.  It was hard stuff!!  Might have been just a mental thing, but I was supposed to run 2 miles (did it, felt great), then 4 one minute aerobic intervals (uh...tried it...felt good for about 20 seconds), then run another 2 miles.  I mean, I get that "running" doesn't have to always mean full out running, but I just cannot figure out how running slower can feel any better?  It's like hopping or bouncing.  Something like that.  I cannot find an "easy" pace.  Except my normal pace.  I appear to be averaging about a 9 minute mile, so I realize I could slow down a tad and still not be going super slow, but then I find it hard to even balance!  I hope someone else out there shares my feelings on this.  For my first 2 miles, I had run from my house to the track and did one extra loop on a cul-de-sac, so after my failed aerobic intervals, I chose to NOT do the extra loop and instead just ran home which ended up only being 1.09 miles.  Fine. 

When I got home I looked up another 10k plan my friend had sent to me that is 8 weeks long and it looks much more doable for me.  I promise to STOP switching plans at this point...I will follow the "Hal Higdon" Novice 10K plan for the next 8 weeks.  Same friend is one I am doing the half marathon with in (eeek!) 11 weeks.  WHAT!?  We discussed "strategy" for completing the half yesterday and, as of today, I am planning to walk a few miles in the beginning, run as many miles as I can, then walk until the final sprint over the finish line!  I just don't think intervals works for me.  I will try it over my final couple weeks before the actual run, however, and I may change my tune at that point.

Here is the *new* week plan:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
2.5 miles	30 min. CROSS	2 miles + strength	REST	40 min. CROSS	3 miles

I have no idea what I'm going to do for my 30 minutes of cross training today, but every Friday I will go to the YMCA and find a fun class to do. 

Contest bonus question for today:
If you could eat anything for one meal and the calories/fat grams, etc would not count - also assume you wouldn't get too full - what would you choose to eat?

I think my answer would have to be greasy, deep dish pizza with extra cheese and ham and pineapple.  4 pitchers of beer.  Finished off with a banana split.  Ahhhhhh.....

xoxo

Quickie

Just to let you all know what that new banner is at the top of my page!!  If you would please, click that link and even browse around and check out some of the other blogs.  I have found some awesome ones to add to my following list.  They have a really nicely put together site and it's easy to maneuver.  Even check out some blogs NOT about Health and Fitness.  :)

Okay, that is all for now!  I will be posting tonight about this morning's run and my new routine I have decided to follow.  The one I posted this weekend proved to be a little hard for me...I sometimes forget what a "newbie" I am at this biz they call running.

xoxo

Week 21: Day 7 (contest question!)

Hey!!  No blogging today about diet and exercise.  I promised some more ways to enter the contest, so here is today's question...

What is your favorite magazine and why?

I received my first issue of Runner's World magazine yesterday (maybe a couple days ago?) and I just got around to reading it today.  Love it!!!  It is the most motivating magazine I have ever read.  The articles and the tips and the pictures...everything just made me want to bust out my front door and run like Forrest Gump!!  Awesome!  It has also further solidified my "theory" that running is one of the most spiritual acts you can engage in.  The way people describe their runs and their feelings...it is just so beautiful and truly inspiring.  I want to feel that way!  I do feel that way!  I want it some more!!

**I will interject a small announcement, however, blog-related.  I had an awesome visit from some old friends I haven't seen in about 7 years today.  They live in Texas (we all met in Kansas), so this was their first time meeting my husband and kiddos...I got to meet two of their kids for the first time, as well.  The husband/dad is LJ and he has challenged me to a bit of a weight loss race!!  We both got up on the scale and have agreed on a 30 pound "duel".  First one to 30 pounds gets to host a 3 or 4 day visit from the LOOOOSER (and family).  :)  It's totally a win/win.  Losing weight and a guaranteed second visit (whether here or there).  I do recognize it is quite challenging to go up against a MALE's weight loss, but I am happy to go there.  Especially because that will mean he has lost 30 pounds!  His wife told me he will likely just not eat for a while so he can drop the weight super fast and "win".  This led us to the rule that we have to maintain the loss (or lose more) for 7 days to be declared winner.  On the scale this afternoon, he was at 248.5 and I showed 195.5.  I guess whenever one of us can get the scale to show a weight of 30 pounds less than today's showing, we will start the 7 day countdown.  Fun!!

Week 21: Day 6 (...and contest details!)

Good afternoon!!

Up to 33 followers...love it!  :)  I have to tell you that I was in a bit of a funk yesterday after the no loss weigh-in, and I was seriously thinking "Why do I care about weight anymore?  Why don't I just eat whatever I want and just focus on the running for now?"  Wanna know why?  YOU!!  You readers and followers and especially commenters!!!  I need it.  I crave it.  I know I would feel sooo bad if I failed at this point.  Every day when I hear a new person tell me they are "inspired" or "motivated" by something I have done...well, it makes tracking my food worth it.  It makes analyzing every little sliver of pizza worth it.  It is really gonna be worth it when I randomly drop 5 pounds after a few weeks of plateau, right?!  Yay!!

So, today is exercise recap for the week.  I have had a really good week!!  Monday was the Firecracker 5K (see previous post).  I am still pretty excited about the outcome of that race.  I don't think I posted the "latest news" from the race...when I went to the Nashville Striders website (here) I discovered I actually should have placed 3rd in the Athena category!  I could have sworn I registered correctly, but my time was definitely faster than the woman whose name is listed as 3rd place.  Woo-hooo!!!  My father thinks I should call a lawyer.  :)  I just assume God knows she needed that cool water bottle more than I did!  Next year's goal...finish 1st in the category, or no longer qualify for the category!!!  (Athena is 150+ pounds for women - in all honesty, I will likely always qualify for that category.  I'm 5'8"+, so it's fine)

Anyway, Wednesday was a rough run.  I mentioned getting back outdoors, so I am expecting some tough transition days.  I got up at 5 am and headed out to the quarter mile track for my 30-minute run.  My legs were super tight and I just kept "deciding" to quit...every lap was my "last one".  When the music finally stopped, I was SOOO happy.  I figured it out to be 3.1 miles, so basically another 5K, but almost 2 minutes slower.  Still, happy to have completed it and felt really good at the end!!  I got home and "journaled" about how I felt so I would have something to refer back to when I think I'm going to quit in a few weeks.  (hotter weather, longer runs...whew!)

Friday was awesome.  I felt good and rested, I slept through my alarm so I headed back to the Y.  Air conditioning and an indoor flat track - yes, thanks!  3.33 miles in my 30 minutes of running and that marked my final workout for the Couch to 5K!!!  I was so excited and happy to end on a positive, good note!!  Hooray!  I had planned to do something today, but cannot get motivated to get out the door.  I'm tired, I'm working on a photo book for my father-in-law's birthday, I took the kids to the park all morning while my husband went golfing (for his birthday)...I just have a million excuses to stay home!!!  There is a body pump class at 4...it's 2:30 now...we'll see.  I'm not making any promises.  ;)

This week's running schedule:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
2 miles, 4x1:00 AI, 2 miles	REST	4 miles, 3 GP	REST	5 miles	REST

"AI" - Aerobic Intervals 
"GP" - Gentle Pickups

Here are the explanations for Monday and Wednesday's routines...
2 MILES EASY, 4 x 1-MINUTE AEROBIC INTERVALS, 2 MILES EASY Start by running at a comfortable pace that feels easy enough to carry on a conversation. For your aerobic intervals, push the pace a bit, but don't run all out. After each bout of fast running, jog slowly until you feel rested enough to speed up again. Finish with two easy miles.
4 EASY MILES 3 GENTLE PICKUPS Maintain your easy, conversational pace for four miles. Then do three gentle pickups. Gradually increase your pace over 100 meters until you're running at 90 percent of all-out effort, and hold it there for 10 to 20 meters, then gradually decelerate. Walk in between the pickups to recover.

I have mapped out a route at http://www.mapmyrun.com/ that is 2 miles from my house to the quarter-mile track I have been running, then I will do my aerobic intervals at the track and run back home.  I haven't mapped out a 4 or 5 mile route just yet...my neighborhood is not a great one for running.  Taking it one day at a time...I can always do the 2 mile route and back for the 4 miles, then my gentle pickups in the street.  We'll see.

****Very frustrated with a Blogger FAIL that just occurred.  I had a nice lengthy blog posting written and something happened with the auto save and then the "post" button didn't work and this is the last time it saved.  Great.****

SO - with that in mind, here are the details for my very First CONTEST!!  Fun!  I am planning to conduct a very official drawing on Saturday, August 16, 2011, at 12:00 noon CST.  Wanna be involved in this drawing??  Well, here's how you get your name in the hat...or, more likely, a large bowl. 

        *Be a follower of this blog!  That's right, click follow and your "user name" will be on 1 entry.
        *Be my friend on Facebook! Search for Audrey Jeffries.  I should be the ONLY one.  ;) 1 entry.
        *Post a comment on this post with details about your current fitness goals!  1 entry.

During the week, I plan to post a question a day to give you more opportunities to comment and earn entries!  Also, if I see you "share" this blog link on your Facebook page, you will get another entry!  Isn't this fun???  Oh...you wanna know what you can win?  In an attempt to promote fresh fruit eating, here is the prize...the Core & More!  It is the best melon baller I have ever used with a strawberry corer on the other end.  I use this every single day.  We eat a lot of fresh fruit.  AND YOU SHOULD, TOO!!  So, get going..."follow", "share", and, of course, "comment"!!! 

xoxo

Week 21: Day 5

Ugh.  No loss.  What is going on?  I'm sort of thinking Weight Watchers just doesn't work for me.  This past week I was very diligent about tracking both my food AND activity.  I logged everything!  Even the bite of Conner's Cheerios I took yesterday!!  ("0 points")  Still, same weight this morning when I stepped on the scale.  Remember last week when I had a -2 for the week?  Same weight.  This week, I had, like, 14 activity points leftover...same freakin' weight.

Well, I'm not going to dwell.  I am happy about the overall loss, and I am happy to not have gained anything.  SO, I'm going to follow the Special K plan this week to see if it kicks anything into gear!  I have several boxes of the cereal hanging out in the pantry, and it's grocery day (maybe tomorrow), so I'll stock up on their snack bars, as well.  I'm still going to track the food in Weight Watchers...I paid for three months, so I don't want to get out of the practice!  I will be getting in touch with my good WW buddy to see about doing some meal planning and recipe swapping.  This week has been hard because I haven't been to the grocery and we've been eating what's left in the house.  (anyone else have this week every month??)  Ha, ha. 

I'll tell you how the running is going tomorrow.  ;)  Stay tuned!!


P.S.  Have you heard of Sensa? It's a clinically-proven weight loss system that can be used with any diet  plan for more efficient weight loss!

xoxo

Week 21: Day 2

I'm all confused with today being Tuesday.  I don't know why this happens every time there is a holiday weekend, but this time seems to be the worst.  I just want to go back to bed!!  The kids also seem a bit out of sorts.

Anyway, I think I'm going to start telling you my weekly workout "plan" on Mondays and then updating on Saturday how everything went.  If I have something out of the ordinary to share, I will butt in during the week, but otherwise look for only a couple postings a week over the next month or so.  Sundays are all "rest" days following my new training program.  (I will, though, post weight loss numbers on Fridays...so that makes 3 posts per week!)

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Firecracker 5K! (28:20)	REST	C25K: W9D2     30 minute run	REST	C25K: Final workout!  30 minute run	Zumba!

This is my plan for this week.  Wednesday and Friday I am going to get up at 5 am (what?!?) and see how it goes getting my run out of the way first thing.  If I hate it, I will switch it up next week to evening runs.  I really want to get back outside, and I know this isn't possible with our current 90+ temps during the day.  Next week begins my 10K training program from Runners World magazine.  It adds in some things I haven't had to do with the Couch to 5K plan...like "Aerobic Intervals" and "Gentle Pickups".  Not to mention the 4 mile runs here and there...some 5 mile runs...oh, 6 mile runs.  I mean, I realize it's training to run 6.2 miles, but I guess I just hoped I could get there without actually having to....RUN 6.2 miles?  :)  Ha, ha, ha. 

Ashley!  What sort of plan/routine are you following these days?