Being MIA and 40lb. Milestone

Hi there!  🙂  Life as a teacher definitely ramps up in the second half of the school year and I got caught up in evaluations, progress reports, conferences, etc.  There are still 8 weeks to go with no end in sight to all the activities and programs, but I have missed updating my blog, so here I am.

I have been a busy girl in the past 3 months!  During February and March, a majority of my afternoons were spent at Blendon Woods Metro Park under a picnic shelter with a couple other ladies and our trainer, Don.  It didn’t matter if it was raining, snowing, windy or below 30 degrees, we were there and working out!  It was tough at times, but I found out what I’m made of and kept persevering through.  I’m sad that it’s over and am hopeful that I can attend another one of Don’s bootcamps in the future!

I also ran my first race of the season…St. Patty’s 4 miler at Kinsale.  This was my second  year doing it.  A bunch of MIT friends ran this one, too, which made it extra fun and we were all decked out in green!  I PR’d with a time of 40:51.  The after-party was a blast with the band Conspiracy.  Lots of dancing and a little drinking took place that evening!

Oh, and as of last week, I’ve lost 40 lbs!  🙂  I’d like to lose 30 more, so still a ways to go, but feeling confident that I will get there…eventually!  Weight Watchers rocks!

Still more to update, but I’m getting sleepy.  Hopefully my next update will happen a lot sooner than the last one.

Finish Strong!  Amy

Finish Strong Sunday-Superbowl Edition

Taking a break from watching the commercials Superbowl to update my blog with the results from my weigh-in.

I tracked my points well and accounted for just about everything that I ate.  I earned over 50 activity points and ate less than a quarter of them.  Yesterday was the hardest day…I always am famished after my long run on Saturdays and tend to overeat and not on healthy fare.  I ate purposefully and healthy.  I ate foods that would fill me up, not fill me out.  We had dinner at a friend’s house.  My bestie served chicken noodle soup, bread and I brought a salad.  There were brownies for dessert.  She is awesome!  She knows how hard I have been working and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect meal.

Ohhhh, I haven’t shared my weigh-in yet, have I?!!  Lost 4.8 lbs. this week.  Yay me!  😀

Here’s hoping for another great week ahead!

Finish Strong!  Amy

Finish Strong Sunday-16 Weeks and Complacency

Hello blogland friends!  I can’t believe I forgot to post last Sunday about my weigh-in.  Last week I lost 1.2 and also received my WW 16 weeks award.

Adding to my WW bling!

I also had a fun time meeting some new running friends.  Most All of them run much faster than me, but we have the love of running, good food and much more in common!

Fun night out!

Anywhoodle, I am postponing the inevitable news about this week’s weigh-in…I gained…  1.8lbs.  UGH!

At first I couldn’t see how that had happened.  I’ve kept up my exercise and have been eating the same as I always have.  I haven’t been eating a lot of my activity points.  Still, the scale wasn’t moving.  In fact, AFTER my run on Saturday, the scale was up and I was hungry famished all day, so I ate.  I began to blame it on my food intake on Saturday, knowing it was more than normal, yet still not out of control.

I talked with my WW leader, she wanted me to continue what I’ve been doing and carefully track my food intake this week. As I sat in my meeting going over the past week in my head, I realized that not everything that I ate went onto my tracker.  In fact there were many BLTs (bites, licks and tastes) that were not accounted for.

I realized that I have become complacent with the program.  Yes, I am eating the same foods, but am I still measuring everything and not just eyeballing them?  NO.  No measuring.  Omitting things on my tracker.  I’m sure if I would go back and add all of those things in, my activity points would all but gone.  That’s not a bad thing, it just means I am eating more than I have been over the past 4 months and thus slowing down or gaining lbs. like I did this week.

Lesson learned.  This week it’s back on track and acting like it’s the first week on program for me. Back to the basics.  No more complacency!!

How about you?  Have you become complacent before with your exercise or eating?  How did you get yourself out of it?  All encouragement is appreciated this week!

Finish Strong!  Amy 🙂

 

Ticket for One on the Crazy Train

Cutting and pasting from my DailyMile site…too tired to be creative!  🙂

Wet run!

Let me preface this by saying I wasn’t planning on running tonight. 🙂 I got home at 8:30, tired and ready for bed. I hopped onto my training website and realized that I had a 2 mile run today instead of tomorrow like I was thinking. I also realized that Rich would be leaving uber early tomorrow am and I wouldn’t be able to run then or the rest of the day. Looked outside…looked back at my bed…I knew what I had to do.

Pulled on my running clothes, got out my blinkers and waited for an eternity for my Garmin to sinc. It was pouring. I ran too fast, but I just wanted to get it done! 😀

I was soggy…yet completely satisfied when I finished.

Have you ever decided to run or do something on the spur of the moment?  Do tell!  Are  you a spontaneous or regimented person?

Finish Strong! Amy

 

 

Finish Strong Sunday-A Winter Run and 30 lb. Milestone

Today’s weigh-in: Down 1.2 lbs. for a total of 30.4!  😀

I went to this weigh-in thinking I had lost nothing this week.  The scale remained steady at last week’s weight, actually up a bit, and refused to budge no matter what I did.  I thought this was finally the week that I was going to plateau.

I even tried to limit what I ate yesterday…bad idea, I know.  Well, it was an act of futility.  Since our training runs are starting to increase in mileage, I was more hungry that normal and could not stop eating!  It was all mostly healthy and it must have done the trick, because the scale finally showed a loss this morning! I guess I need to eat more?

30 pounds baby!

At my Weight Watchers meeting, I was excited to share my milestone!

30 lbs in 15 weeks isn’t too shabby.  I received a gold star to add to my ribbon.

 

Another exciting part of the week was our Saturday MIT run. I have been able to keep up with the 12 min/mile pace group…it’s actually feeling good!  🙂  I believe the temperature difference from the Saturday before was about 3o degrees different.  I went from wearing capris and a long sleeve shirt to bundling up in three layers on top.  I was able to wear my new (smaller!) jacket that my mom gave me for Christmas.  I had thought I might need my face mask, but I feel silly in it and since it was barely above zero, I decided to keep it in my pocket just in case.

Better watch out!

How was your week?  Do you rock a face mask or decide to forego it in the name of fashion?

Finish Strong!  Amy 🙂

Giveaway from All the Weigh!

I’ve been using an old food scale to measure my food.  While it works fine, when I saw this giveaway from All the Weigh I knew I needed to enter! 

Check out this scale from EatSmart. 

Here’s hoping I win!  🙂

Finish Strong Sunday-We’re doing this together!

Howdy blogland!  I am very much enjoying the unseasonably warm weather Ohio has been experiencing the past few days.  I know reality is coming soon.  I’m in denial!

Weight Loss report: Down 2.8 for a total of 28.8 lbs. lost!

I had a great week.  I didn’t enjoy having to go back to work, but I did enjoy getting back into the routine after being off for the past 2 weeks.  I had prepped all of the veggies and fruit for the week, so making lunches and grabbing snacks was easy.

My exercise went well, too.  I swam twice and ran four times.  I am really enjoying my mid-week tempo run!  There is something about running in the dark on a track that just inspires me.  Yes, I know I’m a freak.  😀  I am hoping to start doing some strength training this week.  I decided to start spinning in February.  I want to work up slowly and am also waiting on the gym crowds to die down a bit.  Spin classes are always full and I’m not getting up at 5am to not get into a class!

It was fun to see a few  familiar faces at my Weight Watchers meeting this afternoon!  They are all either current or former MIT members.  One had even remarked that she saw I was doing WW on my blog!  🙂  I wish them all the best and plan on seeing them again next Sunday…or else!

Becoming healthy doesn’t have to be a solitary journey. In fact, it shouldn’t be. It’s too easy to lose focus and give up when you are doing it on your own.   You need a support system around you to encourage you or give you a kick in the pants when needed!

Are you working on becoming healthy?  Losing weight?  Wanting to run a 5K or Half Marathon?  I’d love to hear your goals for the upcoming year!   I want to help you succeed!  Will you help me, too?!!

Finish Strong!  🙂

Amy

2012 Goals

I try and not use the word ‘resolution.’  I found out the other day that people stick with their resolutions an average of 10 days before falling back into old patterns.

I hope since I’ve already got a good start to my weight loss that I will not fall under that category!  Obviously, my main goal is to get to a healthy weight.  I have put my birthday as a deadline for this goal.  My birthday is August 14th.  I will be ffffforty-one.   Here is the breakdown of how I want to accomplish this:

Lose 44 lbs. by Birthday                                                                                                                  -11 lbs. by Feb. 29th                                                                                                                               -11 lbs. by April 30th                                                                                                                               -11 lbs. by June 30th                                                                                                                               -11 lbs. by August 14th! 

Yes, I realize it is a lofty goal, but one I choose to strive for.  Ask me how I’m doing!  Keep me accountable at a meal!

Also, I have made some Race Goals for the year.  Again, they are lofty! 

2012 Tentative Race Schedule                                                                                       March 10- St. Patty’s 4 Miler-Kinsale

April 22- Earth Day Half Marathon

May 6- Flying Pig Half Marathon

June 16/17- Relay Around Columbus

July 29-Giant Eagle Multisport-Either Sprint or Olympic Triathlon

Sept.    – Emerald City Quarter Marathon

Sept. 30- Wineglass Half Marathon

Oct. 21- Columbus Half Marathon

Nov.   – Flying Feather 4 Miler

Dec.    – Holiday Run

Sooo, what do you think?  Too  much?  Right on track?  I’d like to know!

Finish Strong!  Amy 🙂

 

Happy New Year!

Hi!  Sorry for being MIA, but I was having a great time being on vacation and hanging with my family.

I weighed in last Friday, the 30th.  I was down .6 for a total weight loss of 26 lbs!  I looked at my weight tracker and from Thanksgiving until New Years, I have lost 7 lbs. during the holidays!  In past years, I would have gained that much!  Maybe more!

Here are a few pictures from this past year to show my progress.  I’ll be blogging a goals post soon. Enjoy!

Last Chance for Boston Feb, 2011

St. Patty's 4 Miler March, 2011

Dam Food 5 Miler April, 2011

Cap City May, 2011

Sprint Triathlon June, 2011

Emerald City Half Marathon Sept. 2011

Columbus Half, October, 2011

Jingle Bell Run, Dec. 2011

Ugly Sweater Scavenger Hunt Dec, 2011

Finish Strong!

Amy 🙂

 

Finish Strong Sunday-Year Anniversary!

Weight update first:  up .8lbs. this week.  I was disappointed, but not surprised due to the number of parties/luncheons I had this week.  Although I did not go overboard at any of them, I definitely ate more than I usually do and that showed on the scale.  On a positive note, I’ve lost 3 inches on my waist, 2.5 on my hips, and 3 on my bust!

On another note, the new season of MIT (Marathoner In Training) started this past Saturday. As I was driving there, I couldn’t help but think back to last year when I had first joined.  I was a nervous wreck thinking, “what have I gotten myself into?”  I didn’t know anyone.  I was intimidated and felt very much out of my element.

Who would have known the journey  that decision took me on!  I completed not one or two, but THREE half-marathons!  I’ve met some wonderful people that I am honored to call friends.  I have lost 35 lbs and am on my way to becoming healthy and fit.  I am a stronger, more confident woman, wife and mother.

Damn Fool 5 Miler-Love these Ladies!!

This year my goal is to become faster.  I made the hard decision to move from the 13 min/mile pace group to the 12 min/mile group.  It was a tough decision, but one I knew I needed to make.  Since the Columbus Half, I have been running at that pace and know that I can sustain it at least at lower mileage.  I’ll see how it goes and if I have to drop back, I will.

I’m excited to see what this year brings!  How about you?  Any goals set for your running/exercising/life?

Finish Strong!  Amy 🙂