It's been a while...

I haven't posted in a while. I just haven't felt like I had much to say.

Today is exactly one year until my wedding. It's crunch time.

I will be walking down the aisle weighing 145 (or less), there is no other option.

I can ramble on about what I'm going to do but I'd rather just focus on doing it.

Small highlights of plan:
-workout 5-6x a week
-really reduce stupid carbs (i.e. pretzels, chips)
-focus on eating lean protein and veggies for most meals and snacks

Time to get going.

Small thing to note, starting today I'm going to track my foods on myfitnesspal.com instead of tracking points. I haven't been loving the new Points Plus system and think my calorie intake has been too high. I really like being able to see the breakdown of all elements of my eating. Calories, fat, fiber, protein, carbs, sodium, etc.

For instance today, I went 68 calories over my goal but managed my sodium intake well! I like being able to see those numbers instead of just points.

We'll see how it goes from now until next Saturday. The site also has a handy iPhone app.

I believe in Weight Watchers, but maybe I need something new?

Dear self, WTF?

I'm kind of annoyed with myself. I've been doing okay in terms of diet and exercises but I haven't been doing great.

I want to see bigger losses on the scale but how can I expect to if I'm not doing what it takes to achieve that?

I want to break back in to the 160s so bad and I could have done that by now if I had been more focused the past two months.

This morning my weight showed 174.0 at home. That is a little gain (around .4) from last week. Great.

Also, this past week I started snacking at night again. I guess it was silly of me to think the habit was gone for good.

My goals right now are to stop the night snacking again, but also, for this next week I want to not use any of my 49 WAP.

I know, I know, I've said this before and it's pretty hard to not use them but I feel like I want one full week of tough love/discipline.

Other than that, my excersie goals for the next week (which for me, starts over Saturday) are:

Sat. - basketball
Sun. - 5k run (outside, look for me on RunMeter)
Mon. - strength/cardio intervals
Tues. - off
Wed. - spin class
Thurs. - off
Friday - 30 min. run

If WHEN I stick to that plan, I know I'll see a 2+ pound loss.

I have to remember that in June I want to start trying on wedding dresses and I want to look and feel hot and I want to be at or under 160.

Not cool.

So let me break this down.

I wake up at 5 a.m. to pee and discover my monthly visitor a knockin'. FML. At least there is a reason for the lack of weight loss this week...

I get up at 8:45 and weigh myself a few times before I leave for my meeting, please note the craziness.

176.8
176.0
174.8
174.8

Let me just mention, my scale at home is about .8 to 1 lb heavier than the meeting, so after confirming that 174.8 THREE times I got my hopes up a little but knew not to trust this crazy.

I get to the meeting what do I get? 175.6 "Down .4!"

I am pretty pissed but clearly another force is causing my weight to fluctuate a lot.

I had a good time today with Jen at the mall and I got two dresses! One for my engagement party from Ann Taylor Loft in a size 10. It was a little snug on my hips but it was a little pricey and I was between sizes and if I lose 5-8lbs I don't want to have an expensive dress not fit. It's really cute!

I also got a really cute dress at Macy's that was on sale in a size 10. It's fitted so a little unforgiving around the stomach but even so it's flattering.

John helped Jen and I make a delicious WW dinner. We used a recipe from this new cookbook I got today at the meeting. It's called Just 5 and it's all recipes with only five ingredients. We did a Feta-Pesto stuffed chicken, green beans and some roasted potatoes.

I am out of points for the day but I'm full and if I get hungry later I can have some 0PP fruit or veggies.

I know if I have another great week I will see a big loss next week, so that is my motivation. I'm hoping to be down 3.6 this next week.

John and I may end up going to AirHeads tonight which is a trampoline place! I might earn an AP if we go!

smelly cat

Tonight John and I went to our second official spin class at this new spinning studio in Tampa. The first one we went to (that I'm not counting as official) was an intro ride.

Let me just say, this week was way harder than last week! I was dripping with sweat and man do I smell, I need to hit the shower once I am done posting.

I think I mentioned it, but the spin the bikes they have move so you can "turn." It takes a lot of upper body and core strength to do it. A lot harder than traditional spin! John did great again, I'm proud of him and thankful he's doing it with me. Thanks Groupon! The thing that sucks is this place is way to expensive for us to go once our 10 sessions are up. :(

I'm happy to report I didn't snack at night for the third night in a row! Yay! I feel empowered in the morning when I know I wasn't a bad girl going to the kitchen at 3 a.m.

I've also been doing good since Sunday with points. I've stayed in my dailies every day! I feel really great knowing that I'm doing so well, it's reminding myself that I am capable of being a little more strict and kicking some ass.

In other news, my company is having a Biggest Loser competition! You make a team of 2 to 3 people and it goes from February 14 through April 22nd. The team with the highest percentage of weight loss wins $100 Amex gift card for each member. I made a team with my old co-worker Anna. She used to work on my team but hasn't the past year. We have a lot in common when it comes to diet and exercise so I think we'll make a great team! We're in it to win it!

I don't even care about the $100. To see that I've lose 10, 15, 20? pounds is a reward enough. The best part it is it ends the week after my birthday so it should help push me to be at a great place in April. Not only that, but I will be getting prepared to start my wedding gown shopping in May or June!

I know it's going to take a lot more than three good days to get to my goal, but I feel confident and good about it.

OH! One last thing, John and I had a dinner reservation at a nice steakhouse for Sunday (early V-day dinner) and I talked to him and we decided to cancel it because there would be no way for me to count points and it'd be inevitable I'd use a ton. We made a reservation at Seasons 52 instead where their full nutritional information is online and I can make smart decisions. :)

Ok, now I better really go shower!

Gym over lunch tomorrow, I gotta keep pushing hard so I see the number I want on Saturday!

Hmm...

I've debating stopping my blog a lot lately. I feel like no one really reads it or cares. For now I'll keep it I guess.

Just an FYI to those who do read. If you comment here (even as anonymous) I get notified of it.

I skipped WW this week. On Friday it looked like I'd be down half a pound to a pound but then Saturday it looked like I stayed the same. It really upset me because we event went for a bike ride Friday night to get in a little extra activity.

Yesterday we went out for Daniella's birthday. I went in with a "plan" but they ended up not having the original thing I saw on the menu. It was also a tapas-style place which meant sharing small plates. I tried to not go crazy but I still went over points. I estimated the best I could after but I still felt depressed.

My goal is to only use my dailies the rest of the week. I know it will be a challenge but I have to do it. I also want to earn at least 10 AP 15 AP would be ideal.

Today John and I rode our bikes to Target. It was 8.5 miles and it took us around 55 minutes including stops at cross walks etc. Our average pace was 9.24 mph which was pretty good as far as I am concerned.

We were going to go to Bern's Steakhouse on the Sunday before Valentines but today I told John I think we should postpone it and go after I've lost some weight. If we go I know it will result in me going WAY over points for that week. So we are going to go to Seasons 52 instead where I know I can control and count points a lot easier.

My workout plan for this week is:
-Sunday: bike ride
-Monday: 5k run
-Tuesday: rest day
-Wednesday: spin class
-Thursday: cross train/upper body strength (will have to do over lunch)
-Friday: 30 min. run

If I can stick to that and stay in my daily points I know I'll see a good loss Saturday.

I am really going to try hard to lose 6lbs by our engagement party. I have three weeks which means three weeks of kicking ass is needed.

That's all for now. I hope next time I post it's with good news and it's more positive.

Actions speak louder than words...

So here I am, about to be facing my first weigh-in and February and I am in about the same place I was several weeks ago when I mad an infamous IT'S TIME TO GET SERIOUS post.

This morning when I was getting ready for work and regretting my late night binge (because that's basically what it was) I thought to myself, "Today is a new day!" Then an a voice inside my head replied with, "Really? I've heard that one before."

So there are a few things I want to address.

I was down last week, .8 to be exact. Nothing that was going to get me to that 165 goal for our engagement party. I have been half-assing my diet. I've been doing this long enough to know that even though I'm working out it won't do shit if I don't stick to the program.

My biggest problem is, like I've mentioned before, I'm a TERRIBLE snacker. I have a hard time identifying my true hunger signals (or maybe I choose to ignore them?). I've tried many things, reward jars, notes on the fridge reminding myself not to snack but what it really comes down to is that it's a deeper change I need to instill in myself.

Also, I don't snack on fattening/bad foods. I eat very healthy things but I eat too much of them. NOT GOOD!

I've actually been better about my night snacking. I have talked myself out of it a few times even! I have figured out though that when my anxiety is high and I'm not resting well my tendency to snack at night is greater. I'm guessing it's a comfort thing.

Well, last night was the worst snack night in a while and possibly ever. I ate a ice cream sandwich (4PP, snack mix 4PP and a mini-granola bar 2PP) at like 1 a.m. Really Danielle? REALLY?!

I can't really tell you what went though my head. Other than that I wasn't sleeping good, I felt crappy (my knee hurt, my facial pain was hurting) and that I clearly felt like I was very hungry. I wasn't.

So there is my confession. It really does have to stop. Even if it means keeping no snacks in the house until I can learn to control myself.

I do have a positive thing to report! John and I got a Groupon for 10 classes each at a spin studio. The bikes are crazy and you can "turn" on them which works your core and shoulders. It's intense!

Anyway, I'll end this by saying tomorrow is a new day where I can make new choices. No, screw that, right now is a new MINUTE where I can make new choices. If I make the right ones, I'll succeed and if I don't I'll face set-backs.


I hope to report that I'm down a pound on Saturday, so those good choices need to start now.

So I won't get my Magic jersey reward, it sucks but a deal is a deal. However, if I get under 170 by the 26th I can get a new dress if I choose to for our engagement party.

Wait! I did have one more thing to mention! My "no wedding dress shopping until I'm 160 or under" rule is still in play. I want it to be a happy and positive experience, not a depressing one. I don't really need to start looking until summer so there is plenty of time! I will be one hot bride.

Well, hello!

I didn't post this weekend because I skipped my meeting. Bad Danielle! In my defense, we had to head out to Orlando Saturday morning for a busy day of venue searching for the wedding.

I woke up on Saturday with the intentions to go, but after seeing my scale at home appear to be showing me that I stayed the same I lost the motivation to rush out of the house.

I've also been really bad with snacking at night the past two weeks. It's a horrible habit. I broke it for a few weeks and then started again. IT HAS TO STOP. Simple as that, really.

I'm happy to report I didn't snack last night! I actually want to implement the rule that I can't eat past 9 p.m. Of course there will be nights when that happens but for the most part, on weekdays I shouldn't be snacking that late.

I am hoping to be down a pound this week and have been doing pretty good. However, Aunt Flo came to visit me yesterday afternoon so I'm worried about the extra water weight she brings, bitch.

I started going to the gym over lunch a few days a week and I love it! We have a small gym in the building I work in. I can't do long runs (over 3 miles) but it works out great for at least two days if not three.

I'm also excited to report that on Monday I ran four miles! That's the longest I've ran since the 10k back in November. I'm glad I still have it in me. So here is what I've done this week:

Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: off (rest angry knees)
Wednesday: cardio/upper body strength intervals
Thursday: off (accupuncture)
Friday: 3 mile run

I will update more this weekend.

Here we go.

So tomorrow is my first official weigh-in in oh, five weeks. Yeah...

Between my NYC trip and the holidays I need to face the facts that I'll be up. Especially since my last official weigh-in was right when I completed my cleanse.

I am going to cross my fingers and hope my run this afternoon helps that I'll only be up 4lbs.

I'm going to do a 5k distance run today. I know it will be rough with a few weeks of no running but I am going to do it!

Considering everything, it could be a lot worse.

So far I really like the Weight Watchers Points Plus system but next week will be my first full committed week back on program. I'm excited!

I realized that there is a lot of negativity all around us (as well as within us) and I need to try harder not to let that affect me. I have to spend my life doing what is right for me and those I care about most.

I am hoping my weigh-in is no more than 175.8. That means a 10.8 lb loss for me to get to my goal before February 27th. It's super doable and I want that Magic jersey! :)

That will also put me close to a place I'd like to be for starting wedding dress shopping. Yay! I am really liking these two-in-one dresses. It's a long, formal gown with a removable skit so that it turns into more a cocktail dress for the reception!

I must run, but wanted to make a post before my weigh-in tomorrow. I will not let the gain bring me down, I will use it to push me forward and work to see a 3lb loss for the next week!

I hate posting without photos so I'll leave you with a picture of John and I on New Years Eve at dinner.

All new in 2011.

So here we are in 2011. It's crazy how fast time passes.

I renamed by blog today. "Look forward with hope, as opposed to back as regret," will always been a quote near and dear to my heart. Jillian Michaels said it a long time ago on an episode of the Biggest Loser that I was watching and it really affected me.

I'm not sure if I'll stick with this new name, but I was thinking and it sort of reflects how I feel about weight loss and health.

One of the things I realized when I started my weight loss journey was that time will pass regardless of everything else. For example, losing over 100lbs seemed impossible and like it would take forever. Yet, whether I did something or not time would pass. I could sit around for the next year being overweight and depressed or I could do something about it, because regardless of what I chose to do that year would come and go.

As far as everything changes, well, it does. It makes me think of a quote I read once, "However good or bad a situation is, it will change." If that's not the truth I don't know what is.

So here is to a fresh outlook for 2011.

- - - -

In other news, I thought I'd share a small goal for myself.

I want to lose at least 10 lbs by the end of February. If I really apply myself I should be able to lose more than that. I'm excited about really going full force with the new Weight Watchers Points Plus system.

Anyway, if I make this goal, my reward is going to be an Orlando Magic jersey. We are going to a game February 25th so I'd love to meet this goal well before the end of February so I can wear it. :)

[Image Source]

2010: A short post.

Overall, 2010 had it's ups and downs but I'd say it was a good year.

We had a super fun New Years and brought in 2010 with friends in St. Augustine, FL.

In May, John and I got to go on a super fun trip to the Bahamas and enjoy Atlantis, swim with sea lions, etc. Here is a photo of us at Mesa Grill in the Bahamas. Yes, we love us some Mesa Grill!

We got to do a lot of other fun things like go to Disney, water parks etc.

In March, I started Couch to 5K and completed it this time around! Jen and I did our first 5k on June 12th which was part of the Cool Summer Morning series in Clermont, FL.

I continued to run throughout the year and completed three more 5ks as well as trained for and completed two 10ks.

I am so proud of myself.

As for 2011 running/fitness goals, I am going to stick to maintaining shorter distance races. I want to start riding my bike and really focus on strength training so I don't want to take on a big task of training for a longer race. For now I am going to work on my speed for a 5k distance and look for a 10k in mid-2011 to later train for.

Finally, as you know if you read my last post I got engaged to the love of my life on December 9th in NYC. I am so happy!

As for 2011 goals/resolutions, you saw my goals for running, but what about the rest?

In 2011 I want to:

• Read more. First up is Eat, Pray, Love!
• Focus on toning my body more.
• Take a few minutes each day to meditate.
• Work on eliminating my anxiety in natural ways.
• Get to my goal weight once and for all!
• Get our finances together so we can have our two week honeymoon in Europe!

I hope everyone has a great New Year! <3

Lots of updates!

So it's been a while since my last post but I come with lots of updates. I'll try to keep it short though.

1. I'm engaged! John and I got engaged when were in NYC. I am so happy and we are so excited for what the future holds. No solid wedding plans yet but it looks like the date will be in Spring 2012.

Here is a photo from right after he asked me! :)

2. So as far as my weight goes I'm not sure. After our trip and the holidays I knew I'd be up. I got down to 171.8 before the trip. If I can get out of this and not be over 175 I'll count it as a success. I'll update this weekend about where I'm at.

3. I only have one more challenge coming up which is New Years dinner/drinking. I'm going to try and be as good as I can but I'm also going to consider it a last splurge.

4. Assuming I'm around 175 I need to lose 15lbs before I'll start trying on wedding dresses. I refuse to try them on before I hit 160. My goal is 145.

5. It's time to get serious for 2011. Not only do I want to make my goal for myself but now with a wedding coming up I need to get serious!

6. Running, what's that? I haven't been running much the past month. I still have a 5k distance in me but I've def. lost my 10k endurance.  I am going to start running again this week because I want to maintain a 5k endurance but I also want to focus more on strength training and toning.

7. I got a bike for Christmas! John got me a bike so we can start riding together.

Okay! So that is my quick update. I hope everyone had a great holiday!

Thanksgiving week is here/weigh-in!

Back to back posts, that is serious.

So I missed last week's weigh-in but I weighed at home and figured I was up about .6 so that put me at 178.

This week I weighed in at 177.8 so that is technically down .2 even though it's a gain on my sticker in my book!

John's birthday is today and last night we went to Ceviche with a bunch of friends. It was really good and fun! Daniella and I made a pact not to go crazy with eating and we did pretty good.

I had to estimate but I think I'm safe saying I used 17 points, plus we danced later at Czar!

Assuming my points calculations are correct, I have 30 WAP remaining. My goal is to earn 11 AP by Thursday too.

I don't love Thanksgiving foods so there is no reason for me to go crazy. We are going to be at my parents house and my mom is a WW member so that helps a lot. I may even make a baked potato for myself as a side so I can avoid higher point sides. :)

I decided to skip the Turkey Trot and save the $60 to sign John and myself up. I'll do a 3 mile run Thursday morning on my own.

There is one more challenge this week! On Tuesday at work we are going to my boss' house at 3 for a "Thanksgiving Fiesta." Crap. I'm bringing ground turkey breast and I think I'll also bring a bag of salad so I can eat it as a salad and skip taco shells etc.

I have to be strong if I want to wear my dress in NYC! I tried it on yesterday and it was closer but still tight.

In other news, I've decided to do a 9-day cleanse. I know, I know...sort of goes against my general attitude regarding weight-loss but with the success I've had with my acupuncturist for pain I trust her that this cleanse will be good for my body (IBS, overall health) as well as help get a few pounds off.

I will keep a detailed story of the 9 days (starting the day after Thanksgiving) and post it after. Hey, maybe I'll find it was legit and recommend it or maybe I'll find I was an idiot. Either way, I'm taking the chance...

Hope everyone has a great week!

"Hi it's me, I'm bored again..."

Okay, I'm not really bored, but I wanted to make a quick post.

So far this week is going pretty well. I have 20 WAP remaining and by Saturday should have earned 10-11 AP.

Tomorrow I am going to attempt a long run. I am going to go four miles minimum but push for five. Keeping my knees in mind I won't over do it if I feel pain.

I am not that worried about the 10k on Saturday. I know I'll get though it even if I don't get a PR. Although a PR would be a nice surprise!

The weather for Sunday says it will be a high of 80 and a low of 54. The previous nights low is 56 so I'm thinking at 7:30 a.m. it will be really nice for the race!

There are only two water stops on the course so I may try and carry a bottle with me but I haven't decided yet.

I'm excited to do the race, running is hard but rewarding and I love the feeling of finishing a race. Part of me is still contemplating the Disney Princess Half but with the knee issues I may just do the Gasparilla 15k that weekend.

I'll leave you with some canoe photos from the weekend!

I love this time of year!

We are getting a cold front in Florida this weekend! When I left for my WW meeting this morning it was 50 degrees! May sound like nothing to some of you but for us it's thrilling.

I weighed myself this morning when I got up and my scale kept giving me different weights. It usually doesn't do that so I was annoyed. I figured I'd go because I've been the past four weeks and it's a good habit to get into (meeting attendance) and next week I'll possibly miss my meeting because I'm headed to Orlando. I'll also miss my meeting Thanksgiving weekend but I may weigh-in at a different location.

So anyway, I weighed-in and I was down .6! Yay! To be honest I didn't do that great this week. I didn't do terrible but if I can really focus this week I have no doubt I can be down 2-3 lbs.

I am still aiming to get as close to 165 as I can for NYC so with a little over a month left I need to be 100 percent focused.

Next Sunday is the Founder's Day 10k. I am going to try my best and may try and run with Jen and Kitzzy but I'll run my own race and see how my knees feel. :) I hope the weather is nice!

Well I need to run and do my hair before I go out for the day.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Quick reminder to self.

I need to really stop and re-evaluate what I'm doing. I had a 3.6 lb loss a week ago and was up one from that at weigh-in Saturday.

This week isn't going perfect (not a train wreck either) so I need to STOP and turn it around into a good week. I am hoping I can be down at least 1 (to get rid of the gain) and any extra is a bonus!

I have this beautiful dress hanging in my room that won't fit. The one I ordered from Urban Outfitters. I can get it on and zipped 3/4th of the way. Enough to see how good it would look on me. Fxck the would! It will look good on me when I go to see how it fits the weekend before we leave.

I showed my mom this weekend and she was a little skeptical about it fitting in 5 weeks time but I want to prove her wrong and show myself that I can get back on the wagon.

The other day I even let myself think about a "back-up plan" dress. No. There is no back-up dress. I will try my hardest and if on December 4th the dress won't fit at least I'll know I gave it all I had and I can go to the mall that weekend to find something.

Additional incentives for NY trip if I reach my goal of 165-168:
-one new pair of jeans
-two new sweaters or shirts

I know this is going to sound ridiculous but last night I was watching this Say Yes to The Dress show but the new "Big Bliss" version for plus sized women and I felt sad. Was that going to be me? Okay, fine, obviously not because I'm a size 12 and not a 22 but they even said if you're over a size 10 you're in trouble with wedding dress shopping. I want to be back to a size 8-10 for when the day comes that I have to try on dresses.

The show really upset me to be honest. I know I'm not huge and just have a little extra padding to shed but I was huge. I remember the feeling as it was yesterday of being a size 22.

So yes, I just needed to remind myself why I'm doing this because it's one of the most important things in the world to me, so why am I putting it on the back burner? No more of that.

Hello, hello...

Thought I'd post a mid-week update.

Over the second half of the weekend my stomach was still acting up. I felt really sick Sunday after meeting up with Daniella. I came home and took a 2 hour nap and had some ginger ale and felt better.

On Monday UPS came and delivered my dress I bought from Urban Outfitters. I can get it on but it doesn't fit well. It's too tight in my hips (which is odd because I don't have big hips) and it won't zip well over my busy area.

The dilemma came up on whether or not I should keep the dress and hope that I achieve my 13.4 loss before the trip or return it. It's a $65 gamble!

I decided to keep it and see where I am in a month (30 day return policy). The dress is really, really nice and I want to keep it and wear it so GAME ON!

This week has been okay so far. Okay isn't going to be enough to get to that goal. I did a short workout Monday night and did a little cross training (30 min.) and yesterday I did a kickboxing class which was pretty good.

Tonight we are going to see The Flaming Lips but since the show starts late I am going to fit in a quick 30 Day Shred workout when I get home.

Tomorrow is an off day since I have acupuncture but Friday I am going for a 4-5 mile run outside afterwork. The high is only 81 so it should be beautiful outside! :)

I checked my weight today and I was about the same. I really want to lose at least 1lb this week so I need to be perfect with my points over the next three days! I can do it!

In other news John will be out of town Thursday through Monday for his 10-year HS reunion. :( Luckily my mom and sister are coming to visit on Saturday and Sunday. :)

I also have another long run planned for Sunday.

Last but not least, I finished Order of the Phoenix! Two books left!
Okay, I better go!

What's next?

So what is next?

Today I retired my “10k Training Plan” that was pinned up at work. It’s done now. I feel happy and also a little sad. I replaced it with a “Workout Guide,” so I have something visual to keep my on track for working out five days a week.

First things first, I don’t want to lose my endurance to run a 10k distance. Therefore, I am going to continue doing one long run a week of at least 5 miles.

As far as races, I’m unsure. I’m definitely doing the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving but that is more of a fun/leisurely event and it’s also just a 5k distance.

Once thing I learned this weekend was that I love the 10k distance! I was able to really get into the groove and cruise for a while. When I run 5k distance it’s so short and it’s hard to not be focused the entire time on the end versus the journey there.

There is a 10k on November 14th in Celebration, FL which I’m considering. It’s a little inconvenient but I’m thinking we can go to Orlando Friday night, spend time with my family and head to the race nice and early Sunday. I’ll have to see as it gets closer.

Another possible long-term goal is the Gasparilla 15k, which would be an additional 3 miles to tack on over the next five months which shouldn’t be too hard. Plus, they offer free pace leaders you can meet with to run with a group. I like the idea of that!

I’d be lying if I said part of me isn’t still thinking about the Disney Princess Half. It’s just such a commitment and like I’ve said before I want to focus on other things. Plus with my knees still acting up I don’t want to hurt myself. I know I could do it but we’ll see. It’s a no for now but who knows if the crazy run bug will bite me. Also, it’s a bit costly and between Dakota’s vet bills, our upcoming trip to NYC and the holidays around the corner, $120 is a lot to do.

Another consideration for not doing the half and sticking to the 15k is I really would like to work on my speed. I am proud of my 10k time but during parts of it I felt slow. I’d really like to work on getting my time down to 10 min. miles (esp for 5k distance). I know weight loss will help with this too.
I’m still working for the 165 NYC goal. It will be close and I have to work hard and be diligent but I know I can at least get close.

In other news, John and I found a cheap hotel in NYC for our trip and I’m really excited. We were worried we’d have to pay more than we bargained for but I found a deal this morning.

Workout plan for the week:

M: 30 min. elliptical/15 min. cycling
T: strength
W: 3.1 mile run (outside)
R: day off
F: 2-3 mile run (outside?) + strength

Ugh, my stomach has been acting up all day! It has a burning feeling that is almost like hunger right now. Blech.

Race for the Cure 10k!

So the day has come and gone! I complete the 10k I've been training for over the past 12 weeks!

The 10k started at 7:30 a.m. We set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. and I was tired! We left the house around 6 and it's good we did because it turned out we were in a rush for me to get to the start line.

For breakfast before the race I had a bagel thin with some almond butter and half a banana with some water.

We got to downtown St. Petersburg and parked. There was already some traffic but not too bad since the 5k started later. We ran into a Starbucks to use the bathroom. We had to walk a bit to get to the race start and I wanted to pee one more time and the lines for the port-o-potties were crazy. Luckily we made it and I got in line for the race. The 10k wasn't that packed so the pace markers were sort of irrelevant and I hung in the middle.

I made sure to use Body Glide to avoid chaffing from my ipod band, watch, knee sleeves and shorts! (Works like a charm! I was fine!)

The race started a little late (around 7:40 a.m.) so my nerves started to get to me as I waited in the crowd alone. I kept thinking how I might now be able to do it, how far it was, etc. Then I told my negative thoughts to STOP and I agreed to enjoy the view and enjoy the run for myself as much as I could.

Let's re-cap mile by mile!

Start to Mile 1: I was feeling good and wanted to keep a good pace but nothing too fast because I didn't want to burn out. The first mile went down a street and up and around the St. Pete pier. It was a nice part of the course right on the water. As I was coming up the stretch to the pier I saw my friend Mary coming down the other side on the way back (she is a long-time runner and speedy! She finished in 45 min.) We waved and I kept going. I got to mile one pretty quickly (around 11:45 min) and was feeling good. I took a cup of water and kept going!

Mile 1 to Mile 2: As I came off the pier loop I looked up and I saw John! He was doing the 5k and 8:15 a.m. and happened to see the 10k group and waited to see me!

Mile 1 to 2 seemed a lot longer. I tried not think much about it and seemed to be maintaining a 12 min/mile. I got some more water and went going on!


Mile 2 to 3: This mile went pretty fast for me. Nothing stands out about it really. Other than the fact I turned onto the second extra round abount for the 10k. Based on the map I knew it was going to be long. I reached mile 3 shortly after I turned onto that road and thought, "5k!" half-way there! At this point it started getting pretty warm. Earlier it was cool but this is when I started to notice the heat. Yuck!

Mile 3 to 4: I never thought I'd get to mile 4. I was going up a side street for what seemed forever waiting to get to the turn around point. I was hot and really wanted some more water. At this point I was hanging around the same women. Some were faster but would stop to walk and fall back to where I was. I decided to keep up with one lady who was consistently ahead of me even with her walking breaks.

Mile 4 to 5: This mile seemed a lot shorter and I got two cups of water at mile 4. I needed it! At one point I debated walking for a minute the second I slowed down my knees felt like hell. They felt okay running but the walking made them feel tight as anything! So I kept running. Shortly after the mile 4 mark the 10k course merged in with the 5k. It kind of sucked because the crowd got big and that meant some weaving around people. Luckily that point of the 5k group were still runners so I didn't have to weave in and out that much. When I hit mile 5 I felt really emotional. I realized I had one mile to go (and change)! My accomplishment was hitting me at this point and I felt like crying but I didn't. Right around that time my Glee version of I'm A Slave 4 U came on and I said to myself "Let's do this!" and I picked my pace! I wish I had my split times because I know mile 5 was a fast one for me. It had to be though because mile 4 was my slowest (I think).

Mile 5 to 6: A little past the mile 5 marker I checked my watch and I had 15 minutes to meet my goal time of 1:20. I thought I CAN DO THIS but I knew I couldn't slow down. I started getting some pretty annoying side stitches (I'm assuming because of my picked up pace) but I kept telling myself that I was almost done and to push through it! I kept checking my watch and thinking "Where is the finish line?!" I started to worry I'd just miss my goal time and It'd annoy me but I tried to tell myself no matter what happened it was okay and I was doing my best. I finally rounded a corner and saw the mile 6 sign! I picked it up and despite my side stich kept trucking!

Mile 6 to 6.2: I kept running and finally saw the finish line in view! The clock read just over 1:19 and I booked it! It was tough because the area was more crowded with all the 5k finishers so I had to do a bit of weaving but I crossed the mat at the clock time of 1:19:48!!!! That means my chip time was even less! *JUST IN* My official chip time is 1:19:20.

I AM SO HAPPY! When I crossed I felt like I was in a daze. I finished my first 10k and beat my goal time! I maintained around a 12:30 min/mile overall.

I stretched and roamed around a little before I met John at our meeting place.

At first I thought my knees were okay but they became super tight and achy fast. I do think the knee sleeves helped though.

John and I came home, showered and felt beat! We rested for a bit and then had a nice lunch at Seasons 52. We were so sleepy and had time to kill so we napped in the car for 20 min. after lunch. Heh.

At 2 John got his hair cut and I got a pedicure! It was a nice treat after a long run. I got a pretty bronze-orange color for October/Halloween!

After that we came home and napped until 6! Then we ordered Domino's Pizza to be delivered. I got a thin crust with light cheese (and I've learned this means a tiny sprinkle) which is fine with me! I ate half of my medium pizza. I was famished!

I ate all of my 7 activity points I earned today but the race made me hungry!

Tonight we are just relaxing! My legs are so tired!

Okay, time to go relax more! Thanks to everyone who wished me luck and for the support.

Lots to talk about...

So this last week went well as far as my 10k training was concerned. At this point I'm deviating from the plan to accommodate my knees but I'm still getting the proper amount of activity in.

I had my long run on Thursday and wanted to go 5.75 miles but I stopped at 5.25 because my knees were feeling really tight. I know I had it in me to go the full distance but I didn't want to risk injury so I cut it short.

Friday I went to the doctor. He thinks what I have is patella femoral syndrome and suggested that I get knee sleeves to wear while running, do ice massage after running and go to about three physical therapy sessions to learn some stretches/strengthening moves. Tomorrow I'm going to Sports Authority and see if I can find some knee sleeves.

Today we got up early and head to Orlando to go to Universal with our friends Sean and Claire. I missed my WW meeting but weighed myself at home. It appears I was only down .4.

I felt really sad because last week I was determined to have a good loss. I did okay this week but yesterday we had a team building and I ate some bad things, albeit not a lot, but honestly they probably added up to a lot of points.

Today I ended up using 10 of my 35 WAP from being out which isn't that bad.

My challenge for this week is to myself is to stay in my daily points the rest of the week. I have no long runs this week. I'm doing 3 miles max to rest my knees. I'd like to not use any activity but we'll see how it goes.

I can't weigh-in Saturday next weekend because of the 10k but I am going to go to the 1 p.m. meeting on Sunday. I am hoping to be down 3lbs this week.

Another thing is that for almost three months I've been on a new birth control which I think may be a small part of the problem. I have felt hungrier but I don't think I'm retaining water so who knows? I think I'll finish out this third month and stop it since the reason I started was to help with an issue and I don't think it's working.

So in about 2 months and 1 week we go to NYC and I can't wait. I wanted to be as close to goal as I can.

Right now my goal is to get back to 165 for the trip. That means losing 15lbs in a little over 2 months. I can do it.

John and I's 3-year-anniversary is October 29th and we are going to keep it low-key and get dinner at Seasons 52. Since that is about one month away I am hoping to be down about 7-10lbs.

My plan for reaching actual goal weight is going to be before my 26th birthday in April 2011. I don't want to rush myself too much and make unrealistic expectations.

I've also decided my goal weight is going to be 145.

When I first started WW my goal weight was 135. Once I got to my lowest of 150 and struggled a lot at that point I decided 135 was too low and would be too hard to maintain and I wouldn't be happy. So I upped it to 140.

I am going to make it 145 for now and after maintaining to achieve lifetime at WW I'll address if I'd like to get closer to 140.

OMG this is long and hardly anyone reads. Oh well.

Workout plan for my FINAL week before the 10k!

Saturday(today): got some activity walking at theme park :)
Sunday: 30 Day Shred Level 2
Monday: 3-4 mile run
Tuesday: kickboxing
Wednesday: 3 mile run
Thursday: rest
Friday: rest
Saturday: 10k!!!!!! I can't wait! :)

Finally, here is a picture of Claire and I today. :)

I'm feeling upset.

Over the past year my weight has crept up on me. Last year around this time I was back around 167. I remember getting down a bit from being a little over 170. I was doing spinning classes and doing pretty good on program.

Then the holidays hit me. I can't say for sure (too tired to find my weight tracker) but I believe by the time New Years was over (as were my many splurges) I was around 172. So around a 5lb gain over the holidays. Not too bad since they say the average gain is 11. The bad part is I didn't take it off.

Slowly but surely into the new year I was half-assing things and not being strict with points. Even once I started C25k I wasn't following the WW program well enough.

Then there was the Bahamas trip in March which helped add another few pounds on. I tell everyone, one bad weekend and I gain 5lbs. It's just how my body is. :(

Then I was up and down some and lately I've been stuck just over 180. It scares me. 180 is close to 200 and that is one big mental f*ck.

For the past month I've been trying to get under 180. I've missed two weeks of weigh-ins at my meetings due to being out of town, etc. but my last weigh-in I believe was 180.4 so close!

I have one more day before my weigh-in Saturday and what do I do? I mess up. I went about 5 points over tonight by basically binge eating.

I was starving when I got home from acupuncture but stopped at Publix to get some shrimp to make a nice healthy brown rice, broccoli, shrimp, orange sauce dinner and some edamame on the side.

I scarfed if down and still felt ravenous. So I ate a granola bar mindlessly. Then I went on to eat two WW ice pops.

I then went on to feel like shit.

Mind you, this is after I picked up a new jacket I ordered that came in and was at our leasing office. I ordered a medium which I knew would be snug because it's for a December trip and I was going to lose weight between now and then. I even had a conversation with John on my way to acupuncture about it and how instead of trading in for the large I'd keep the medium and lose weight.

I feel like a failure.

I get into these moods and it sucks. I managed to lose over 100lbs on WW and now I can't seem to lose 5?

I need to focus my energy more on my eating and if that means less on running/activity so be it.

When I was consistently losing back a few years ago I would rarely use my 35 WAP and use my APs each day as I needed them.  That worked for me. I need to get back to that!

John and I are going on a trip the second week of December and I refuse to be at this weight (or higher for that matter). I wanted to get down to 156 but that might be hard at this point.

I need to re-evaluate things and try to have some consistent weeks of losses before I try and give myself a number goal.

Another thing is for the 1,000,000th time I realized I can't keep red light foods in the house! No more granola bars, WW ice pops, chips, etc.

I can keep veggies, fruit, dark chocolate (oddly I do okay with this) and more delicious things that aren't processed and filled with crap.

I feel like I went all over the place with the post but I'm feeling pretty upset and keep tearing up. Losing weight and being healthy is a big emotional battle as much as it is physical.

I hope my five mile run tomorrow helps clear my mind and gets me back on track.

As far as weigh-in Saturday, it is what it is.