Why I Run

As I have just started running, I am finding it difficult to actually complete three runs a week. Maybe a list of reasons that I run will help, so here goes…..

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#1. I have paid good money to run a 5K in less than 10 weeks.

#2. Running is one of the best butt-kicking, calorie-blasting workouts around. I mean, really, have you ever seen a fat runner (one who's been doing it a while)?

#3. I can do it anywhere. Inside or outside. Traveling for work, on vacation, snow, sleet, rain, hail? Yep, you can still go for a run.

#4. No pricey gym membership required.

#5. Exercise has been shown to help keep the mind sharp and might also protect the brain against Alzheimer’s.

#6. For a whole host of feel-good chemicals that are released in the brain.

#7. I can bring anyone along, my kids and/or my dog.

#8. It doesn't matter how you do it, it only matters that you do it. The only bad run is the one you didn't take.

Jogging, Week one; Weigh In, Week Four

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THIS WEEK'S WEIGH IN: 1.8 lbs gained!

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST: 4.8 lbs

STRUGGLES & CHALLENGES:

I am not sure that what I did last week could be called jogging, but, nonetheless, it's over. One week done, 11 more to go.

That first day, Monday, I could only run an average of 30 seconds at a time and then I would walk about two minutes to catch my breath and build back up my energy.

What's worse, on Wednesday, I could only run about 15 seconds at a time.

I felt so bad about how I did, that I only claimed that as walking on My Fitness Pal.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Jogged twice.
Kept off almost 5 lbs so far.

MILESTONES:

I have lost my first pounds.

NEXT WEEKS GOALS:

Lose 1 lb.
Walk/exercise three days.
Drink 122 ozs. of water every day.

What Have I Done?

In a moment of temporary insanity, I registered for a 5K! For over a year now, I have felt called to do this. I am not sure why....my failing health, my spreading waist line, my decreasing stamina...but it has been on my mind over and over and over.

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Well, a friend of mine posted about a local run called a ColorVibe 5K. I am excited, but oh so scared. I got to sign up for an incredibly low price and had to move quickly. My hubby's only prerequisite was that I train for it....ummmm....yeah.....I don't exercise. I despise exercise!

So, I have to plan it out....thus, my research.

From what I have been able to find out, the first step is to set up a plan, so here goes....

Next, register for a 5K. Check. Excercise and training are two different things. Exercise goes on and on and on. Training has a definitive time frame and a goal in mind.

Then, get a good pair of running shoes. I have a couple of pairs. They aren't the greatest, but hopefully they will do.

For me, a good sports bra is most likely going to turn out to be a must, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there...

Now, it's time to start running, which starts tomorrow. Since I am not a runner or even a walker, I will have to start with where I am at rather than where I want to be. Too many people pound the pavement too hard and injure themselves or have no fun and thus, they burn out on running quickly. My plan is to do a combination of running a walking gradually increasing the amount of running.

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Always warm up and cool down and stretch prior to and after running. Each week, run three days with alternating days off to rest and/or strength or cross-train. While you are running, you should be able to talk. If you can't talk or are huffing and puffing, then you are probably running too hard, pace yourself and remember to breathe.

I plan to follow the Mayo clinics plan to train for a 5K in 7 weeks. Now, I have about 12 weeks to train, so I have plenty of room to repeat weeks if necessary, etc.

This week, Week 1

I will run for 15 seconds and then walk for 45 seconds.

Monday           Run/walk 30 minutes

Tuesday           Walk 30 minutes or Strength or Cross Train

Wednesday     Run/walk 30 minutes

Thursday         Walk 30 minutes or Strength or Cross Train 

Friday             Rest

Saturday          Run/walk 3 miles (4.8 km)

Sunday            Rest, Walk 30 minutes, or Strength or Cross Train

Just Me, Weighing In

I am going to get a little personal.

I have been trying for years to lose weight. During those years, I have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism, then asthma, and then carried and given birth to a son. For almost 5 years now, I have been trying to lose weight and instead, I have gained almost 20 lbs.

Therefore, I am going to start documenting my journey as I reapply myself to this journey.

On Tuesday of this week, I weighed in at a whopping 248.4 lbs. Almost 250 lbs!

THIS WEEK'S WEIGH IN: 4 lbs lost!

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TOTAL WEIGHT LOST: 4 lbs

STRUGGLES & CHALLENGES:

There are two major challenges that I have faced...

The first, it is expensive to eat healthy. It is going to have to become a priority for me to figure out how to save money in this area.

The second is that it has gotten more and more difficult to talk myself into exercising. With a history of back surgery and continual complaints, sometimes, and now what is surely a heel spur, it is more and more difficult to get out and about comfortably. But, I am going to have to find a way if I am going to lose weight.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

I have tracked my water intake, if not completely met my goal of 1/2 my body weight in ounces every day (124.2 oz currently).

MILESTONES:

I have lost my first pounds.

NEXT WEEKS GOALS:

Lose 1 lb.
Walk/exercise three days.
Drink 122 ozs. of water every day.

Why Am I So Hungry?

My oldest has just turned 11 years old! And, yes, she has been in puberty for quite a while now, and I have known it. (She started developing breasts almost two years ago.) However, she asked me the above question just the other day and it hadn't been something that had occurred to me.
She is concerned over being hungry all the time. I always knew that teenage boys will eat you out of house and home, but no one ever really talks about teenage girls being that way. Mine, however, is. She eats more than my husband does, sometimes.

I know that she is anxious to grow up, but at the same time, she is dreading it. One day, I will come home and she will be dressed with hoop earrings and lip gloss. The next, she is out with the neighbors (who are several years younger) getting dirt under her fingernails.

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And, yes, we have read the books on puberty and, yes, my oldest has read them as well. But, she must be really hungry lately because she just looked at me the other morning and asked me, "Mommy, am I so hungry all the time because I am getting ready to start my period?"

That question actually tore at my heart strings. I don't remember looking for and expecting my period to come. I remember anticipating summer and planning out how I was going to ask to shave my legs (yeah, I think we all looked forward to that and regret it to this day.  :-)

So, I decided, for my oldest daughter's benefit, I would do some research on her question.

Now, from my 32 years (ah hem, my 29 years) of experience as a woman, I know that PMS has all kinds of emotional and physiological symptoms. For me, that includes an intense craving for chocolate.

However, did you know that the week before your period, you burn a lot more calories? For some women, they can burn 15% more calories per day.

My tween has a monthly cycle, even if it doesn't include a period yet. So, maybe there is some validity to her question...I guess time will tell.

McFatty Monday - Week 7

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Okay, yes, I have been M.I.A. for several weeks. I wish that I could say that there is a good reason for that, but, unfortunately, there isn't. I have been wallowing in self-pity, dealing with my daughter's depression, and just coping with day-to-day life.

My weight is still fluctuating. I followed up with my doctor and she has tried doubling my thyroid hormone. But, it's been a couple of weeks and the weight still isn't budging. As a matter of fact, my weight just took a 2 lbs step up.

I have worked hard for 6 months now and, if anything, I have ultimately gained 8 lbs. I am not sure what else to do. I know that I am reaching my breaking point. I am honestly ready to throw in the towel and just indulge however I want to.

McFatty Monday - Week 3

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Okay, trying not to get too excited buuuutttt...I lost 3.2 lbs this past week!

Okay, so I am very excited! Finally getting somewhere after almost 6 months of trying! Let's hope that it stays this time. (It's tended to bounce around in my previous attempts.)

My typical food diary consists of the following:

Peanut butter cheerios with skim milk for breakfast
Coffee (with an unbelievable amount of creamer)
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch
Cottage cheese for an afternoon snack
and then an at least semi-healthy dinner that the hubby prepares

This has upped my protein considerable.

I have also started a new rewards program for myself.

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If I stay within my calorie range for 14 days in a row, then I will treat myself to little things that I don't usually buy for myself. There are so many things to choose from right now that I will have to pick when the time comes. Right now, I am thinking either new shoes or a new bra. So far, this incentive has helped keep me within my calorie range.

McFatty Monday - Week 2 of My Weight Loss Journey

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Okay, I am going to try to blog about my journey losing weight against hypothyroidism. So far, I am up a pound. I am two weeks into Synthroid and I have gained 1.1lbs. Things aren't looking so well. (Big surprise these days.)

I am tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal.com, which I have been using off and on for months. It's been really hard to get back on the ball with eating only my allotted calories. It's been almost impossible! So far this month, I have only accomplished it 4 times, but I am determined! I love MyFitnessPal.com and it was even suggested to me by a nurse at my doctor's office. They have a large database to pull numbers from (calories, that is).

I am also exploring a new sight, SlimKicker.com. So far, it seems great! You can set your calorie and weight loss goals and actually join challenges. You can track your calories and what you lose as you exercise. You can also set up your own rewards for reaching different levels! (As you progress through your weight loss journey, you gain levels.) I hope to be able to explore them more tomorrow!

Hypothyroidism

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Okay, I have been struggling for a while, but I haven't posted here about my ... weight loss (or lack thereof).

The day after I turned 31, I weighed myself and I was... eeek!...230lbs. I joined myfitnesspal.com. I started tracking calories, fat, protein, and fiber. I maintained a 1700 calorie or less diet for three months! What did I have to show for it? Another 10 lbs!

Needless to say, I got depressed and obsessed with my weight. I even started contemplating starving myself and that is when I decided to turn to my doctor.

My doctor says that while my TSH is "within limits", it is typically over 3, therefore I have a sluggish thyroid. She drew blood for a final recheck and if my TSH is still 2 or 3, then she will call me in a prescription for Synthroid.