Feeling A Little Better

So lately I have been trying really hard to continue to lose the weight. One thing that I have been trying to do is still cook at home on a daily basis. It's been hard because I'm so used to going out to eat and not having to cook but after the doctor told me that I have high cholesterol I have to change something. Eating fast food isn't going to work anymore no matter what I say. I'm not a teen anymore nor am I in my early 20's either! I have to change my living and eating habits or else I'm not going to be around for my child anymore or my husband.

So one thing that I have been wanting is a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer. Actually I have wanted one for years but never cooked or baked enough to justify to get one. Instead I would just spend that money that I could have saved for one on fast food. It was a quick fix then but won't be now. Jason surprised me with my very own Kitchenaid stand mixer on Wednesday after he came home from work and so I was so surprised! So I decided to go ahead and make a batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. I know bad for me but they were oh so good and fluffy. Never have I ever made them and they were fluffy! I didn't eat much of them because I wasn't craving them so it made me feel good about not having to devour them that very instant. My weight has finally started to really come off lately and I'm not sure if its because I know I have to eat healthier or not but it's leaving and never coming back!

I hopped on the scale last Monday and it said I weighed 277lbs. Not what I was thinking but it's better than the 297 that I was at in June. Better than I thought I would be at. So that is 20lbs gone! I feel better and my clothes are starting to fit better or look a lot looser on me. I hopped on the scale this morning and I am at 272.4. Getting better! I'd like to be at 250 by the new year so then I have another 40 lbs to lose in order for me to have the surgery to have another baby. I was hoping we would get a treadmill this Christmas but we decided to get a new love seat for the living room. We only have one couch that is old and very uncomfortable so we chose that instead. So I have lost so far since starting this weight loss journey for good is 24.6lbs! That's awesome and makes me feel so good about myself and the way I look. Many people might not notice the change or difference but for me I can tell the difference in my face and neck. I don't look like I have rolls in my neck anymore or a double chin. This is also my weight for a week before getting my monthly cycle and normally I gain weight. Instead I am losing it which makes me feel so much better about my weight loss journey. I might actually weigh less than the scale says just because I'm a little bloated since next week I am going to start. So we shall see the first or 2nd week in December if that is true!

My next step after losing almost 30lbs is to start being able to walk or jog. I want to start to run but my first step is to walk a good 3 miles without having to catch my breath. What are some of your goals you have set for yourself?

I'd love to be able to run in the Princess Half Marathon in February 2015 if I'm not pregnant and haven't just given birth!

Seeing Signs of Weight Loss

I have been seeing some signs of weight loss already. I have been doing my best in eating at home with drinking no soda and it seems to be working. My face and neck look thinner than they did in September and even when I'm on my monthly cycle I can tell that I'm not bloated as much. This is a huge change since June. If you are wondering why I was so concerned about it in June was we went on our family vacation to Walt Disney World and my face and body were so swollen from all the steroids that I was on for almost 6 months. Well I put on the shirt that I wore at Disney World yesterday and it fits so much nicer. It's not super tight on me and it actually looks a lot nicer on me. I can tell I feel better without the soda too because I'm not so tired and swollen feeling. Whenever I would drink a ton of soda I would feel like my hands and feet are swollen.

My face looks thinner as well.

Halloween and Working Out

I hope all of you had a great Halloween! I did and I even walked a good 3 miles while out trick or treating last night. I didn't realize how much walking I actually did but it was so much fun! I felt good after I did it and I'm glad that I was able to spend plenty of family time with my loved ones.

Weight Loss Still Going

My weight loss is still going strong. I've lost another 2 lbs and while that might not seem like a big deal for many but for me it is. I've decided to start back with walking at least 10 minutes a day and I decided to start back up with weight watchers as well. It's something that I have tried before and lost over 30lbs before and since I got the call from my doctors office saying that I need to do something because my cholesterol is high and I need to start exercising, eating out less (much less) and taking 4000mg of fish oil a day that is the last straw of being overweight. I have never had an issue with my cholesterol before so this is something that needs to get undercontrol now! So here is to working out more and weighing less and to working on running the Princess Half Marathon by 2015!

Princess Half Marathon

One thing that I have been wanting to do is to run in the Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World. Now I know that I am not the best runner actually I'm more of a wreck when running but I am going to start walking now and get up to where I can walk with ease until I know that I can start to run next. I want to be able to run with not a problem and not have to stop for breath or where I am so out of breath I can't talk. I know I'm completely out of shape now but that has never stopped me from trying to overcome my goals and hopes and dreams. I have been thinking of going out and getting a tattoo that's says something like this, "Dreams do come true if you just believe!" I know that dreams can come true because I found the man of my dreams, got engaged in Cinderella's Castle and went on a Disneymoon! Yes I know I'm all about Disney but if you didn't know me then you probably would think I'm crazy but my friends know that's who I am and they have come to accept it. :)

Still losing weight

Since the beginning of the summer I have lost over 18lbs which is wonderful news for me. I'm still trucking along with the weight loss and my goals for running the Princess Half Marathon! Not sure if I will get to run it in 2014 but I am looking forward to running it at least in 2015!! I have started Focus T25 this past Monday and have noticed its definitely not for whimps! It's hard work that's for sure! I've also started Shakeology today and I can't believe that I actually drunk it without the reactions like I have had in the past. This is big news for me so I am really excited to be drinking this for my first meal of the day every day!!! What all have you all done for weight loss goals? Is it something you have been able to stick with? Let me know!

Still Trying

Since I last updated this blog I was having trouble losing the weight and I was having a difficult time with my legs and feet hurting. I thought this was just because I was completely out of shape but come to find out part of the problem was I had been on steroids for over 6 months and the other part was my weight. While in Disney World this year I even had major problems with my legs. That was the heaviest I had ever been while going to Disney World and I had a hard time with my legs cramping up so bad. Now that the summer is just about over and I have decided to start losing weight again, it's finally starting to come off. Since May I have dropped 15.6 lbs. I feel so much better and my clothes are finally starting to fit better and even looser. My hair isn't falling out anymore (well not much) and my fingers and legs aren't swelling. I have cut down on the amount of soda I drink and that is helping tremendously. I can tell a huge difference in my face so far and it feels great. While I know this February I won't be able to run in the Princess 1/2 I will be continuing my chance to run in the Princess 1/2 Marathon for 2015 if I'm not pregnant. :) We are going to be trying to have a family next year and this weight loss is a big thing for me because in order for me to get pregnant I have to have surgery to have my tubal reversed. They won't do the surgery if my BMI is over a certain amount and so I need to lose weight. I feel that if I can lose enough weight by February then I can go ahead and have the surgery done. Not sure if we will even be able to get to go to Disney in 2014 but we are going to try. Praying for a quick surgery and recovery so that I can go ahead and start trying for a new baby. I have baby fever. But I will begin to try to run as soon as my foot heals from an injury. But for now I will just walk instead. :)

Hit a snag in the road...

The last time I went running I had some major cramping in my legs and my hips. I went back home to my parents house last weekend and in doing so I stopped by my old workplace and picked up a tube of BioFreeze. I also asked the doctor what I could do as far as stretches to help with the shin splints and hip tightness. He showed me some very good stretches to do before the run and also showed me some good ones for the hips. I haven't been back out to run since I got home but I have made a concious effort and decision to eat less out and more at home. I found that it's easier than I thought to cook at home and will help us save some money too. We figured that we eat out way too much and when I do so I sometimes overeat when we go out to eat. So tonight will be the 4th day of eating at home. Can't wait to eat dinner tonight either. Just have to do some dishes and we're good to go.

Now as far as the training goes for next year's race...which I hope to be able to attend since we're going to be homeschooling Olivia, is I plan on making a goal that's easy to get to.

To help with my weight loss I've decided that the first 25 lbs I lose I will go purchase a iPod Shuffle so that I can clip it onto my shirt without the heavy weight of my iPhone. I also plan on getting myself a Garmin Forerunner 10 to help use that on accuracy since I have been having a hard time getting my phone to be correct.

I can't wait to lose the weight and now I've got to try to lose some before we head to Disney World in less than 40 days until we leave. I think I have a pretty good goal set to lose 25 lbs by then...starting today!

I'm drinking my cup of coffee and will then get dressed and ready to hit the track with Olivia. It's going to be a great day no matter what I may think!!!

Grilling for Loss

Ever since Jason and I got the new grill the other day I've been a grilling machine. I told him that I'd like to have a grill to help lose weight. I know that when I was at home with my parents I lost weight by eating healthy and by cooking our food on the grill. I love the way it tastes too on the grill. I miss cooking with my parents but it's ok. We can start our own family traditions now.

Thursday I went for a run while Jason put the grill together and I had a horrible time doing the run and finishing up the run. I ended up hobbling back to the house almost in tears. Between the horrible shin splints I had, the tightness in my hips and the pain in my lower back I decided to call it a day and stop working out for the day. Yesterday I walked some and the shin splints came back but not as bad. I guess since it's been years since I've actually ran and worked out outside, I have to get used to it again. Today I didn't run and took it easy. Tomorrow I'm going to try to head down to the track instead and see how things go then. I've upped my potassium intake and water intake too. Today has been drinking nothing but water, a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Other than that it's been good and no soda which I know has a ton of sugar and makes me feel like crap. This time last night I was ready for bed. Tonight I'm up a little longer.

I've had a small headache today and I'm sure it's from lack of caffeine. I'm sure it's in shock that I didn't drink any soda and no sweet tea. I put 3 sweet 'n lows in my coffee and a little bit of coffee creamer (sugar free of course). Tonight for dinner I had one chicken leg quarter that had some George's Bar-B-Que sauce on it and I had some fresh grilled squash and onions. Yum. And I had water with my meal. Tomorrow will most likely be leftovers since we still have a ton of chicken leftover and some veggies. I'm looking forward to losing this weight once and for all. I hope I can lose enough by the time we leave for Disney in June so I won't have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe and if I do then I want it to be for losing weight and not gaining it. :)

Weight Needs to Go!

So today I got out most of my summer clothes to see if I had any shorts that I could wear. Nope! Nothing except for workout ones. Not what I was looking for! So I'm now on a bigger mission to lose this weight and start running and working out more! I need to lose enough weight before we leave for Disney in 58 days! I'm on a mission and I'm not going to stop until I get there. So that means no more eating fast food a lot and if we do go get fast food I will get a grilled chicken or a salad instead. No more drinking a ton of soda like I have been and eating at home more often. Today we went to the store and I picked up a bunch of fresh fruits, lean meats and wheat bread to help us. Plus I got light margarine and light mayo. I think that will be a good start. I was planning on going for a walk/run today but the track was being used by two different sports today. So it looks like tomorrow I will have to get it in. Plus the pollen count today is high so that's also stopping me. Times like this I wish we had a treadmill so that I could still get my run in even though the pollen count is high. Hopefully this summer we can get one or at least it would be nice to get one for the house.

I got my new shoes today and I wore them to the school to pick Olivia up and then we went to the store after that. For once my feet don't hurt so bad to where I have to stop walking for a few minutes. It's amazing what a pair of fitted running shoes can do for you!

New Shoes on the way!

So I went running last week and after I completed the running my feet and knees were killing me not to mention the killer shin splints I was having. I have always gotten shin splints and just thought it was because I don't stretch like I should before I workout. But after reading up on it I found out it's from lack of arch support and shoes that fit your foot right. This past Saturday Jason and I drove up to Raleigh to hit up one of the homeschooling stores. While we were up there we decided to check out the Running Store there as well. I wasn't planning on getting new shoes but I did want to have my feet fitted for the right shoes for when I do get them. I tried on several different pair including Saucony's, Acsic's, Addias and Mizuno's. The Saucony's didn't feel good on my foot because of where the back of the shoe hit on my achilles tendon. I'm very picky about that and if it's too low then it will bother me. I tried the Mizuno's and fell in love with them. They were very lightweight and they felt like they had just the right cushioning and arch support that I needed.

I got the Mizuno Wave Rider 16's in Teal, Pink and Black. They are beautiful! I ordered them from Dick's Sporting Goods. They should be here Thursday! Then I can't wait to begin my full training for the Princess Half Marathon!

I've lost almost 5lbs this week so I'm on the road to a healthy weight and weight loss!

Today is a new day!

I'm still on track for losing weight but today was a new day for me! Today I actually got out of the house and went to the local high school to do my first workout using Jeff Galloway's 5k App on my phone! Plus I love having the idea of Jeff Galloway talking to me to encourage me to keep going. It's nice not having to hear the lady on the other apps say "it's time to run now, go" and me feeling bad if I didn't run at all! I feel really good now that I've done this. Tomorrow is my break but Thursday is my second day for week 1. I can't wait to do that workout. I ran several times during the walk/run but the one thing that I'm struggling with this go round is the shin splints! If anyone knows how to get rid of them please let me know. I think I'm going to have to break down and go get a new pair of sneakers after all. I didn't want to and thought I could wear the ones I have had for a year (and no I wasn't wearing them the entire time, more or less I was wearing my flip flops and crocs before). But nope it looks like it's going to have to be new shoes time for me.

Today was a much better day eating wise too. I started back to taking antidepressants because I knew that it was definitely time to. I just couldn't get out of bed and I was always hungry. Big sign there but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to go to the doctor to tell him it's time to go back on them but yesterday I knew I had to. Today was my 2nd day taking them and I didn't lay in bed all day long, I actually got out of bed, took a shower and went out for a walk/run! Big step for me there. Plus I haven't been eating much either which is wonderful because I notice that I'm more of an emotional eater and so I'm ready to drop the poundage again!

Still losing...

Yep I'm still here. Been kind of out of touch on here because I have two classes that are getting ready to be done with and so I'm trying to get all of the work complete in time. Next week is the last week in those two classes. :) Still have A's in them though.

I'm still doing WW and I'm still losing weight. Yay! I haven't started to go running yet because I am waiting to have allergey testing done on April 9th and can't take any allergy meds yet. :( But as soon as I have them done I will definitely be out there walking/running training for the Princess Half Marathon! I also am planning on getting a Garmin Forerunner 10 to use to track my progress while on the track. Just little things to do but I know I can do it!

Working Hard

I'm still working hard on my weight loss. My running though has been put on hold this week since my other two classes have started at school. I hate my statistics class and love the other one. I'm still working on 4 classes this semester and can't wait to be finished with the first two. Still have 2 more weeks after this week. Not too shabby! Plus I have an "A" in both classes. Yay! So after this week I should be back on schedule for my runs. I've been thinking of getting a Garmin Forerunner watch so that I have something to keep up with my running, time and all and can use my phone just for the music player instead of tracking me too. Something to think of plus I can use it when I run hopefully in the Princess Half Marathon in Feb. of next year. :) Would be wonderful don't you think? I do!

I might head out to the track this weekend after I get some homework done and get some of Olivia's project done for school! It should be wonderful this weekend too to get out there and start to run! Gotta make sure the phone is fully charged for both days to get out there!

Weight Loss

This morning when I hopped on the scale at home I was super happy to find that I was down another pound. I was super excited too! I'm on a roll here in the weight loss. This afternoon Jason and I went to see a movie and while I ate some popcorn and drank some drink I couldn't eat as much as I used to. Plus I didn't drink a lot either. Maybe this is a break through for me. For dinner we went to Kickback Jacks in town and I ordered a 7 oz Sirloin with a baked potato and a salad. I saved some of the potato and steak for tomorrows lunch. I did order a slice of cheesecake and at that and it was awesome. But I had enough points to eat it all. I want to say I only ate about 3 oz of my steak because I still have quite a bit left for tomorrow's lunch.

Things are going good for me. Let's hope and pray I can keep up the good work.

Welcome

Today is my first day of a new life and start to healthy. I've been overweight for the past 8 years and it's time to be accountable for my actions and what I put in my mouth. I started back with Weight Watchers online and am glad I did. Just in the past two weeks of being on WW I have lost a total of 7.6 lbs. Wow! That's awesome in my opinion! Now comes the time to start doing what I have been wanting to do for years. I want to Run for Mickey! I want to run next Feb. in the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I know it's a long shot but ya know what? I can do it! I will start walking/running next week after my antibiotics have kicked in and I can start breathing right. But for now it's a weight loss goal and I'm going to hold my self accountable! Let's lose the weight for Mickey!