Keep on keeping on.

Wrapping up my 6th week of being completely in the game. It feels better and better every day. I am staying under 1200 calories a day, going to the gym 5-6 days a week, and not even really feeling tempted to do anything else. I feel great. I have so much more energy and am feeling smaller every day. I hope the scale is kind to me this week!

Last night hubby and I went to our favorite Applebee's for dinner as we found ourselves without the 2 youngest girls and we wanted to try something off the new "Under 550 calorie" menu. We both chose steak: I had the Signature Sirloin with Garlic Herb Shrimp and hubby chose the Asiago Peppercorn Steak. Both came with steamed herb red potatoes and steamed seasonal veggies. DELICIOUS!! We haven't had a steak in a while so it was just what the doctor ordered. The potoates were a nice treat and the fact that we had a flavorful, fresh and delicious dinner for 500 calories or less was awesome. Thanks Applebee's, as always for an amazing dining experience.

I made chicken enchiladas tonight, and managed to make them pretty low cal. I'm quite pleased with myself. They ended up 155 for 1 enchilada. I also made Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice Taco flavor and some FF refried beans. The whole meal was 355 per serving, but I skipped the rice for only 255 calories. boo yah!!

I also am amazed at how small my portions have become in comparison to what I used to it and I'm completely satisfied all day. I am working at eating more whole foods and less carbs, less processed food, less crap. Trying to eat more fruits, veggies, dairy, lean protein.

Keep on Keeping on my friends. Healthy is where it's at!

Inspirational Words.

"The most sacred place dwells within our heart, where dreams are born and secrets sleep, a mystical refuge of darkness and light, fear and conquest, adventure and discovery, challenge and transformation. Our heart speaks for our soul every moment while we are alive. Listen... as the whispering beat repeats: be...gin, be...gin, be...gin. It's really that simple. Just begin... again."
- Royce Addington

Lazy Sunday

Well I was super sore yesterday after hitting the gym hard twice on Friday and I did weights on my upper body, and apparently over did it. It was a blah day and I didn't get much accomplished other than working in the morning. Ate well though, actually under my calories for the day with only 880 consumed.

Today has been a very lazy day, other than folding laundry and going to Costco. I didn't eat lunch but I'm gearing up for a delicious dinner...my bff, his mom and her boyfriend are coming over tonight for dinner. They have an amazing family recipe for spaghetti sauce and he's making that. I bought whole grain pasta and salad. There are 2 loaves of garlic french bread on my kitchen counter but I will be skipping that. I might treat myself to a glass of wine.

Weigh in is tomorrow!! Couch to 5k Week 4 starts tomorrow. I am excited to kick some butt this week.

I'm going down...

in my caloric intake. I had been sort of watching what I ate and then after meeting with Arthur, he advised me to shoot for a target of 1680-1800 calories a day (based upon my current weight and BMR). So I have been logging all my food this week and counting calories, generally struggling to eat around 1600-1680. That is having to add a snack at night time of usually 200-300 to meet that. Arthur has now asked me to go to 1200 calories a day. I was like WHAAAT??! but now I'm thinking that shouldn't be too bad, considering I'm eating around 1300-1400 naturally right now. It's just cutting out a little bit. I can and will do that, no problem. :)

Yesterday I borrowed my daughters iPod for the gym and holy cow what a difference listening to music makes! I jumped on the elliptical as it was my day off from running, and managed to stay on there for an hour, on a random program (intervals of different levels) and I was sweating buckets. I also was sore last night. My inner thighs are soooore. Run today, so hopefully I can push through the soreness. It's my final day of week 3 of the Couch to 5k. Next week its on to week 4 and 5 minute runs...who would've thunk?!

Have a fabulous day ya'll! Remember this today...
"Excellence is not an act but a habit. The things you do the most are the things you will do the best."
– Marva Collins

Workout music

I am going to finally joining 2011 already in progress and getting a Droid phone. Yay!! I'm so excited to be able to download the C25k app and some good workout music to listen to! So any suggestions for good workout music would be helpful. I like just about everything, but seem to respond more to rock and hip/hop for exercise and getting my energy level up. Anything with a good pounding beat that makes me want to move.

Thanks in advance readers. :)

Had my breakfast, now off to the gym!

and the soup was amazing :)

Well it has been a busy day so far. I just came home and wrote down my breakfast and lunch and counted up my calories. I had lunch at Applebee's with a couple of old friends and struggled with the menu (note to self: so much easier to check menu & nutritional values online at home first and plan out what you are going to order. They have a great new (and very delicious looking) under 550 calorie menu, but those are huge dinner portions and dinner prices. I wanted a lunch. I checked out the "Pick n Pair Lunch Combos". I have had the grilled shrimp & spinach salad before and it is good. The server told us the soup of the day was broccoli cheese (my fav!) so I went with those 2, thinking the servings were small so it shouldn't be too bad, but thinking the soup was probably pretty high. Well, after consulting their nutritional info online, it was 530 for my lunch. Not too bad!! I'm so happy to know that I actually made a decent choice and didn't "blow" my lunch.

At the gym, I did 5 minutes on the stair climber and 30 minutes on the elliptical. I had to go to a work meeting or I would have stayed on longer.

I bought some more healthy things at the grocery store and also picked up a digital kitchen scale today, which I think is going to help me with getting my portions accurate.

"You have powers you never dreamed of. You can do things you never thought you could do. There are no limitations in what you can do , except the limitations of your mind."

word.

Couch to 5k Week 3 day 1

Last night began Week 3 of Couch to 5k, and I did it! I was a little (ok, a lot) intimidated when I saw 3 minute runs but I told myself all the way to the gym that I could do it. I would do it. So I did it. It wasn't easy for sure, but I did it. When my breathing starts to get labored I get panicky and that makes it more difficult. But if I could just even out my breathing, I think I'd be doing so much better. My hip is hurting a bit and my shins, but nothing I can't push through.

I'm only running at like 4.3 on the treadmill, but I'm running. During my last 3 minute run last night I bumped it up to 4.7 for the 2nd minute and 5.o the 3rd minute and 5.4 the last 30 seconds. I was dying at the end but felt pretty accomplished.

Just ate my oatmeal with some dried cranberries, a touch of brown sugar and some cinnamon. My 5 yr old was a little slow this morning and when we walked out the door, I heard the bus, so we full out ran to the bus stop and then I ran back. YAY! I would have never done that a month ago, I would have gone back in the house for my keys.

So I'm off the gym now! I think I will take a magazine and spend some time on the elliptical today. I hope that you all have a great day!

Follow the yellow brick road...

Welcome to my journey. It has already begun, when I joined the gym a month ago and decided to kick my ass in gear and do something about all the weight I've packed on in my adult life.
In the last month I have developed a gym habit (5-6 days a week), changed my eating entirely, increased my water consumption, began the Couch to 5k, and lost 13 lbs. GO ME. I have a long ways to go and every day is a battle to make the right choices but I am so determined to get there.

This past 3 days have been awesome for my motivation. I had the opportunity to meet Arthur from this season of the Biggest Loser. I didn't just meet him, I hung out with him. I danced with him. I even did a jager bomb with him. ;) Talking with him was just what I needed to confirm the path I am on and remind me that I am not only worth it, but I am capable and I am going to kick some ass.

I am excited about this journey. I can't even begin to imagine the places it will take me. I am going to be healthy. I am going to be fit. I am going to be an athlete. I am going to be a runner. Watch me.