The Constant Battle

My weight has been an issue for all of my life. I have (nor ever will) never been the skinny girl. I was born big boned and broad in all areas of my body. My build has always been more of what I like to call a "thick" girl which really means I'm pretty muscular but with some squishy parts. It's not a bad thing, I was usually stronger than most other girls.

Since being married I have slowly put weight on. It was always 5 lbs. here, 5 lbs. there and it was never a huge deal. I could always get into my size 10/12 jeans and I was good with that. I never really  had to work at staying super fit because I have held a lot of manual labor jobs where just going to work was a workout.

In 2008 we moved (PCSed) to another base in England and thus I lost my manual labor job. I tried to get another job and the one that I ended up getting I was doing a lot of sitting around. It was a great job with not a lot of activity so more weight began to pile on. Then I got pregnant in 2009.

It was game over after that. I put on almost 80 lbs when I was pregnant. I truly believe that if I just walked more (like Tim told me to) that it wouldn't have been as bad. After giving birth I lost about 20 lbs. right away, then lost about 20 lbs more from just breast feeding and doing really light activity. I finally leveled off at about 40-45 lbs from my starting weight of getting pregnant. I was stuck!

I tried pretty much everything to lose weight. I bought two different workout video programs, joined the YMCA, started running outside, rode my elliptical during nap time, walked with neighbors, the list goes on. None of it really worked. But to be totally honest I didn't have my whole heart into it and  (looking back) I set my goals to high and to complicated. After that I knew I had to come up with a new plan.

My plan I knew would have to be drastic but simple at the same time. I have watched a friend of mine doing really well with Turbo Fire from Beachbody and I had the videos just never the done more than 2 of the videos. So here were my goals:

1. Never miss a Monday
2. Do every video in the program
3. Don't pay attention to the scale, just look at the Before/After pictures
4. NO BREAD!!

So right after my 34th birthday in March I started. I started slow by just doing the elliptical during nap time the first week. The second week I did better on my diet and still did the elliptical at nap time and finally the third week I started the videos. They were really hard at first and very long because I was having to watch the break down of each video to know what I was doing. It sucked but I started to see results...slowly.

So that's where I am now, slow progress. The picture above say 15 lbs but that is my overall weight loss from when I started wearing my FitBit. I'm really at about 10 lbs, but that's 10 pounds that hasn't come back. I still have a long way to go, but it's a start for now. I'm not quite ready to give exact numbers or post my gross before and after pictures, in due time I suppose.

Bucket List Item #43 - Run a 5K race - CHECK

Bucket List Item #43 - Run a 5K race - CHECK

The Bucket List post

It's all about the list and this year so far I have marked off 2 things but this one was kinda big for me. See I haven't really run or done any kind of real physical activity since about a year before Max was born. I have been trying to get out of my funk that has become my life for about 6 months now and while there are many things that I have come to accept and not worry about and have really started to feel better about being me, my weight was still one of those things that I needed to tackle. This race was kind of the beginning for that.

So I signed up for a 5K, I figured 2 birds one stone. I got to mark something off my list and I got to get out and be active again, and let me tell you, this was no easy task.

I found the Blazing Sun Race on Goggle (just typed in 5K races in Oklahoma) and I thought the time period was perfect. It was about 6 weeks away and I thought it was very doable. The main goal in doing this 5K was just to run the whole thing (and not come in last place, which I didn't).

I started looking at Couch to 5K training programs and I found one that pretty much fit my time line. So I asked Tim if he would help me and he of course said yes. The beginning was tough, I mean really tough but Tim kept me going, even though I was ready to quit. 

Tim and Max went to New York and I had my Epic weekend with Beth and I fell off the wagon. But once everyone was home the running started again, but the heat was just to much for me to run in the afternoon, so I started getting up at 5 a.m. to run when it was cooler. As much as I like getting things done and over with and the morning is a great time to do that, I still really like my sleep. 

So for pretty much 2 weeks straight I was running about 4-5 days a week. I was feeling pretty good but still getting a little nervous, I mean it was my first one. Tim and Beth both told me that once I got there my adrenaline would kick in and I would be fine and they were right. 

 So the night before I laid out my clothes. I had been trying different sport bras and found that the Nike one was the one I was going to go with since I only had to wear one instead of the normal 2-3 sports bras that I usually wear. I wanted my Adidas shorts because they had pockets in it and I wanted my newer Old Navy tank top because I felt that my fat didn't show as much in this tank than in my other ones. Yeah, I think like that. I had my sign all made up and put it in my pocket. I had driven to the park the day before so I knew where I was going and wouldn't miss my race.

I got there at about 6:30 a.m. or so. I got my race stuff and brought it back to the car. I was pretty impressed with the amount of stuff that I got, I think my favorite is my new American flag tote bag. It seems to be made pretty well. I really like it. I was number 8, the lady said that not a lot of runners signed up early for the race.

Then came the waiting. We waited and waited. Around 7:10 a.m. they did the sort of opening ceremonies, talked about the guy who the race was named for, and sang the National Anthem. It was no sooner than they finish singing, they did a prayer and we were off.

I started at about a 10:40 mile and at the 1 mile mark I had run an 11:40 mile, that's about 30-40 seconds faster than my normal run.

I stopped twice, once because my calves were on fire and I had to stretch them for about 50 feet and the other because my iPhone was playing a morning radio show and I couldn't handle it any longer so I had to switch it.

At one point I was ready to stop but well I knew I couldn't, I was tired but I kept going then I turned the corner I saw the blow up finish line and people on both sides cheering you in. It was a great feeling. I crossed the finish line and there was a photographer there. I told him to hold on, and I pulled my sign out of my pocket. I got lots of congratulations and good jobs once the sign came out.

 I went back to the car to get my camera and I went and got something to eat at the food tent. After feeling better I had someone take a picture on both my camera and my phone. Again, more congratulations and good jobs from people who saw me holding the sign.

Once I got back to the car I realized I hadn't taken a picture of my time. Its not the official time but at this point I don't really care. I'm sure they are about the same.

So what's next on the list, not really sure. I might be something simple like make pasta from scratch or take a cooking class. Who knows?

I am planning to run another 5K in August with Tim. It at the end of August and my goal for that one is run it faster than this one and to try and run/keep up with Tim. He's a much faster runner than I am.

I feel good, I'm ready for next item.

Always the Tough Girl

My sister and I didn't really grow up around family, at least for most of our childhood. We lived in many place due to Dad being active duty military (1st the Coast Guard and later the Army). It was normal for everyone to visit us and once a year, usually we went and saw everyone. Most are still there now. Being that my sister and I only had each other we and our parents, our parents brought us up to be fairly independant, I think anyways. This has found very useful later in life as I married military myself, Air Force, which has taken me away from my family. It isn't always easy but well it is what it is and there isn't much that I could do about it, so I just deal.

What I'm trying to get at, I think, is that being independant has also has a way of making you kinda tough. You learn to do things on your own more often than not and it isn't that I'm afraid to ask for help, it is just that sometimes it is just easier if I just do it myself.

Playing sports I have always been the tough girl, the big girl (I didn't say huge), the one that everyone was more or less afraid of, at least on the playing field. If I got hurt, I got up and walked off the field. There haven't been to many times where I have had to be carried off if ever from what I can remember. A tough girl I was. Injury shows weakness and I don't ever want to be that helpless weak girl. Now don't get me wrong, if I need help, I'm going to ask for it, but in the meantime I'll take care of me.

Today I was playing racquetball. It was the first time I have played in about 1 1/2. My racquetball partner left, moved away. Here at Fairford, they have only ONE racquetball court. ONE!!!! Now don't get me wrong, I know it is a small base and all the la la stuff, but just one. So everytime I want to play there is a line. I hate waiting line and I hate playing doubles, which you have to because there is only one court. One of the guys said you should come on Tuesdays and Thursdays because no one is here (mandatory PT is only on MWF). I said sure, but who am I going to play with, one of the guys that works in the building next to me pipes up. I'll come over and play, what time? I get there early to warm up and he shows up shortly there after. We were playing for about 20 minutes and what happens. I jump to get a ball, come down and CRACK! No isn't is broken, stop freaking out Mom. But damnit if I didn't roll the hell out of it.

The tough girl inside me comes out. I'm okay, I'm okay. It hurts like a MF but I'm okay. I get up, walk it off a little and then I look to see if there is instant swelling. Instant swelling = broken bone. No instant swelling. Well someone called the fire dept and told them I broke my leg. Five minutes later there are 4 very large British Firemen come in with bags and possibly a stretcher to carry me out of there. Seriously guys, I'm fine. I'm playing in the next game no matter how much it hurts. Well you really shouldn't. I know I know, but damnit, I'm that tough girl I'm going to play. I'm not going to known as the girl who said she could play and rolls her ankle the first day out. But in hine sight, that is what I did.

Currently I'm sitting here watching my ankle swell. It looks great, I can see all the colors coming out. I was never one to roll ankles, I was a knee girl in both HS and college, which is the main reason I quit playing soccer in college. So here I sit, still sweaty and gross, my leg propped up and in some pain but ya know what.....I'm still that tough girl and that is all that matters.

And So Begins the 2-a-days

So since I'm fat and I have lost a total of like 4lbs. since September it is time to try something more drastic...well drastic for me...2-a-days. So I get up every morning, from now on, and go to the gym for about an hour and just run on the treadmill and try to burn about 400-500 calories...then go to the gym in the afternoon and do the same thing except this time lift some weights. Fun times Fun times....
I know people are thinking, "Why are you doing this before the holidays? It's the holidays blah blah blah...." Well come January when you are 10lbs. more than you want to be and I have maintain my fatness through the holiday season I can at least not huff and puff on the treadmill and watch the rest of you. Is that bad? Whatever.....I'll be there at the gym, running on the treadmill trying not to throw up, and lifting weights trying not to get a hernia...fun times...fun times...