And Now For Something Completely Different (sort of)

Hey check out the new blog that I am sharing with Brig (my daughter).  It is about food and other healthy-type stuff!  It's called Real Food Rots.

Challenge

Another weigh in last night.  I worked really hard this past week.  Zumba, kickboxing, surging and strengthening exercises.  Salads, protein and good fat.  Increased my daily calorie count and made lots of good choices. 

The result...Da ta da.......nothing.  No change, nada...

I could have been really discouraged, but surprisingly I wasn't.  Okay, another change...in the past, I would have given up and started eating what I wanted and lay around because what does it matter anyway, I am not losing weight. 

But now I have to say that yesterday I gave myself a new challenge.  I am training for a 5k.  The Hubs, who use to run, but doesn't anymore because of knee surgery, agreed to train with me and run it as well.  Two old gimps doing this together.

We have several friends who are or have fought the good fight of breast cancer.  My mother passed away from breast cancer.  So we are going to do the Race for a Cure 5k in exactly one month.  May 23rd.  That means a lot of training between now and then.  But I am looking forward to it.  Really and truly looking forward to it.

Having a goal, a purpose is something I need to keep me going on this road to health.  I am constantly reminded about Paul's letter to the Philippians, verse 3:14  "I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heaven prize for which God, through Jesus Christ is calling us".  Yes, at this point I am taking this quite literally, but this is also the verse I am striving to accomplish each day spiritually as well.

I am changing and pressing on, will you join me?

The Long Haul

My goal last week was to lose 3 lbs.  Well, sad to say, not only didn't I lose three pounds, I gained 1.  That's right, I gained a pound.  

After talking with the leaders of the BLC, I was told that it will take much longer for me to lose weight than the average person because of my thyroid issues. (I had part of it removed several years ago)  I felt very sad and discouraged to say the least.  But Dr. J assured me that by staying on the program I will lose the weight.  Right now I am getting in shape and that is proven by the inches lost. (27")  He told me his s-i-l had her thyroid removed and he worked with her for over a year and then all of a sudden she lost 30 lbs. in one month.  Her body finally kicked in and started working the way it was created to work. 

We only have seven weeks to go, but I am in this for the long haul. I may not win, but I will continue to eat clean and healthy, workout six days a week and make good choices for me and my family.  As for tonight, I am going to do my boot camp workout with the gang and be encouraged...

Kicking And Screaming

Well I did it.  I took my first kickboxing class.  It was Fun with a capital F!!!  When I first arrived, I realized I was the biggest person there.  The others were thin and fit and already warming up on the spin bikes (another class I may join one day).  I nervously looked around and thought, oh boy, am I in trouble.  Within a few minutes of standing there the personal trainer came in wanted to start right in.  At that point a familiar looking person came up to me and low and behold it was a friend from years back.  We went to church together and our children were in the Children's ministry together.  She said not to worry and to take it slow and easy. 

At that point we started.  I want all of you to know that not only did I not take it slow and easy, I kept up with everyone!!  My old friend even committed about how well I did, I surprised her.  See, that just means you can't judge a book by the cover.  It was truly fun and challenging and I am looking forward to doing it again next week. 

Thoughts

As a part of the BLP(Biggest Loser program), there are devotions we do every week.  I wanted to post some of the highlights. 

Lose the unrealistic Expectations...gain real hope.  From the book, "What have you got to lose?" by Stephen Arterburn.

1. I must be perfect for God to work in me.  Holding on to this kind of thinking, we tend to cover up our problems and be dishonest about our struggles because we think God is looking for perfection.
2. I've screwed up so many times it's just too late.  It's never too late with God.  Never!!!
3. I can do this alone.  If you can do it alone you would have done it by now.

I have to admit that I have said all of the above at one time another.  I just really need to realize that with God all things are possible.  They truly are!  Also, I need to be honest about why I let myself get to be the way I was.   Just some thoughts to ponder.

Kicking It Up

I changed my blog title because of the many changes taking place in my life right now.  I want to tell you that change is an understatement.  If you read my post yesterday, you will remember me talking about the running I am doing now, that is totally not me.  I NEVER RAN, NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER....   My daughter and husband did.  My brother and sister-in-law on my side did and does.  The Hubs family, almost all of them, did and do, but NEVER EVER ME!!!!  NEVER!!!  So now I am running a bit, not a huge amount, usually with surging and boot camp style training, but it is running none the less. 

Today I went to the gym to workout.  Well, I took my new shoes, which I will not wear outside yet, with me. (Yea, the nerd in me can stand the idea of getting them dirty.)  Because of this I needed to get a locker.  I brought a lock in which to lock up my horrible shoes (the salesman's term not mine) and my pocketbook.  The lock was too big and didn't work on the locker and I couldn't bring all my junk into the workout room with me, so I had to leave.  On the way out, I picked up the new class schedule and stopped at the counter.  Guess what I did???  I signed up for two classes, Total Body Sculpt and Kickboxing!!!  Yes, that's right, I enrolled in two classes along with my regular workouts.  Another change, something else I have NEVER EVER, EVER, EVER done before.  So now, along with surging and boot camp, which I have to do six days a week, I will be sculpting (my body not clay) and kickboxing.  This will be very interesting. 

Stay tuned.

Fat, Flat and Red, White and Blue

Shin splints...OUCH!!!  I have them and I don't like them.  Period...

All my bravado about working harder than ever and doing as much exercising as I can to lose three pounds this week...yea...well...that went out the window this past weekend.  I talked with the Hubs and since he is a former runner (knee surgery took care of that ridiculous behavior!) he suggested I go to the running shop and purchase a pair of good running shoes. 

I thought my nice sneakers from Wal Mart were good.  They have been doing the job of supporting (so I thought) my feet just fine.  After several weeks of doing a lot of running for my workouts, I found out they are the reason I have the dreaded shin splints.

So I head out this morning to the running store.  I walked in and I am sure the young guy at the register thought "what is this fat old lady doing in my young running store"?  He was way too kind to actually say that to my face and instead asked if he could help me.  I felt I needed to justify why I was there, why do I do that???  I began telling him about how I have lost 26 lbs. in three months and now I am running and have shin splints and need new shoes but don't know how to find a pair that would help me with the running I am now doing because I am working hard at losing weight and feeling better and did I tell you I lost 26 lbs. so far and now I am running to continue to lose more to feel healthy and make a cha...yea, it was really sad.   He was so sweet and told me to take off my horrible shoes (yes, he really did call them horrible) and walk the length of the store and back.  He then asked me to step onto this computer pad which analyzed my feet.   From that information I started trying on many different kinds of running shoes, ones that have lots of support because these fat flat feet need lots of support. (He didn't say fat flat feet, he just said flat feet, but I knew what he was thinking!!)  Finally after six pair, we found the ones that are going to make a difference for me.

These are my brand new and expensive New Balance running shoes and they feel really good on.  Look, they are red, white and blue, very patriotic.  In fact, they are made in the good ole US of A and here's proof!

So now I won't have an excuse to lay around the house anymore.  I am going to go out and begin my workout with the running because I lost 26 lbs so far and I am not going to let shin splints get in the way of running because I want to lose more weight and get healthy and feel better and.......

Plugging Along

It has been three months since starting the Biggest Loser program and I have lost 26 lbs and 25 inches.  Last night we had the workout from hell.  We ran back and forth, frontwards and backwards, as well as sideways for half an hour.  From there we went on to combination strengthening exercises for another half hour.  We do jumping jack squats into front planks into up up down downs (a variation of push ups).  We do toe touch crunches into pyramid squats into six inches (our ab work).  From there some lunges and then walk/run surges.  And once again I was dripping sweat. 

I don't know what came over me, but I am determined more than ever to lose three pounds this week.  So I am pulling out all the stops.  I did some surges today on the elliptical machine and tonight I will be doing some Jillian Michael's metabolism boost workouts.  I found out I was not eating enough to keep my metabolism high, so now I am making myself eat more.  More veggies, fruit, protein and good fats.   Tonight I am making a Kale and Chickpea soup, a soup loaded with veggies!  Update: The Kale, Chickpea Soup is amazing!  I will post this recipe soon.

Every day I will post how I am doing to try to hold myself accountable to you all.

Changes

I am changing in many ways.  There is so much happening in my life, I felt it was time to change my blog(s).  I will be combining my Heathly Dreams blog with this blog and it will be titled "Life Changes".

You will read about the changes taking place in my life spiritually, physically, emotionally, with my family, etc...   You will see some of my journal about the Biggest Loser program, as well as, my life being a mom with an adult son with disabilities.  I will post healthy recipes I find I really like and want to share.  Some exercises or tidbits about a healthy life style.  There will be some things about the midlife changes I am experiencing now that I am in my fifties.  And then again, there may be little nothings about what is currently going on. 

Thanks for stopping by!!

Ahhh...the economy. We have been hit hard here in the Midwest. The Hubs hasn't been working his full 40 hours a week in over a year. Things have gotten very tight financially, but I can say our God has met all our needs. I don't do any extra driving or visiting and nothing has been done in the house for a very long time. Because of my new way of eating and working out we are spending more on healthy and organic food, so there usually isn't any money left at the end of the week.

Well, since the Government is doing it's ten year census, my daughter and I applied and took the test. Yesterday I was called to be an enumerator. I am not too excited about this temporary job, but it is a job and pays well. We could really use the extra money to do some necessary repairs around the house and yard. I also want to get away with my man, just the two of us, for a little vacation. It has been years since we have taken time away by ourselves.

Now, if you haven't sent in your 2010 census form, start looking for me to phone you or knock on your door. (Well it may not be me, but start looking for someone soon.)