The 2 lb lie...

You may laugh when you read this, it's a little silly. I have one of those old scales that has the dial you turn to get the line pointed straight up at zero. I always have it set about 2 lbs lighter. There is just something psychological that makes me feel better when I'm at a heavier weight. However, when I get into the 160's I generally say, "that's ridiculous, why did I do that" and I fix it. Which means I have to deal with seeing a bigger number and the feeling "heavier" for a few weeks even though nothing really changed. I didn't gain weight. It's goofy, I know. So, I've done away with the 2 lb lie...even though I feel better seeing the smaller weight on the scale. I'm doing better staying off the scale anyway, which is a good thing.
Do you have anything silly that you do? I'd really feel better if I'm not the only one. Please share...seriously :)

Tried and true Fridays #2

If you feel hungry, drink a glass of water first. Sometimes we confuse the hunger and thirst signals our brain is sending out. If you are actually hungry after you've had a glass, great, eat. If you aren't, and you were just thirsty, now you've avoided the extra calories you didn't need.
This has been very helpful for me. Give it a shot, see what happens. Let me know if it works for you.

Time inside my head...

I figured out today why I like to run. There are several reasons, but the top three are-1) I can compete against myself and challenge myself to get better, 2) it gets the endorphins flowing, and 3) it gives me time to get inside my head. It's my thinking time. What I want to change, what I want to do next, what I'm frustrated about...etc, etc, etc. Let's face it, as a mom we take care of everyone else first usually. My running time is when I get a mental break from thinking about what everyone else needs and I can think about what I want :0) Mowing the lawn has the same effect for me too. I'm starting to crave the "head time" almost as much as the runners high. But it's a good thing to be introspective. I'm trying really hard to pinpoint my weaknesses so I can fix them.
For instance, Saturday was a 2 bowls of ice cream for breakfast kind of day, followed by anything else unhealthy I could put my hands on. What set off the binge you wonder? I did too. On my long run on Sunday I analyzed. And you know what I figured out? I freaked out because I can fit into 90% of the clothes in my closet, which means I'm getting close to my lowest previous weight from a few years ago. Silly, I know, but that's what touched things off. So what now? Am I just going to let my insecurities rule my life...I DON'T THINK SO! Recognizing and accepting that I am scared to see myself at my goal weight is a big step for me. I cannot control how others see me, or what they say. I am trying to be proud of the body God gave me and maximize it's potential. Whether I have a layer of fat to hide behind or not, I'll have an ass and big boobs that attract attention. That's just a fact. I need to keep moving forward...right through the fear and insecurities.
So now you know. I really hadn't planned on baring my soul, but now I feel better. I'm coming to realize that unless I fix the issues that made me gain weight or throw in the towel countless other times, I won't be able to keep it off.
You see, this is what happens when I spend time inside my head...epiphany!

Taking a breather...

I've been doing a lot of thinking and soul searching lately. The conclusion...I need to take a breather and pull out of the obsessive track I've managed to become entrenched in. I'm taking 2 weeks and I'm not going to count points, not going to weigh myself, not going to obsess about how many pounds I still want to lose. I'm not going to go hog wild, that's not what I'm saying. I'm not taking a break from the healthy lifestyle that I'm working on creating. I am going to keep running, working out and eating healthy.
The goal is to make food less of a priority...eat to live, not live to eat. Food can't be a comfort. Can't be where I turn when I'm having a bad day. I'm making an effort to really listen to my body too. Eat when I'm truly hungry and STOP when I'm full. I want to eat healthy and enjoy it. One thing I realized today was that I have a hard time stopping...even if I'm full, I'll keep eating just because "It tastes SOOO good". What is that? Like I'm never gonna eat it ever again? Not likely! Chances are if I'm enjoying it, I'm gonna make it or eat it again. So that means I need to enjoy my food responsibly. It's going to be hard. This I know.
I'm actually excited about letting my body tell me what it needs. I found today I was eating small meals more often when I followed my hunger/full cues. Interesting. Hopefully my body will respond to this new tactic. I guess we'll see. I'm really not worried about it though...my brain needs the rest from thinking and obsessing about dieting.

Tried and true Fridays...

So, I've decided to do a "Tried & True Tip of the week" every Friday. By doing this tip on Fridays hopefully you will have something to help you through the weekend....weekends are the hardest for me. I'll also post the tip on the side bar as a reminder all week :0) So, here we go....

~ Keep a package of Listerine breath strips, Altoids or something similar on the kitchen counter. Pop one in your mouth as a deterrent to snacking. Or, go brush your teeth. Have you noticed that stuff doesn't taste as good in conjunction with minty fresh breath?

My new favorites...

I have made no secret of the fact that I love fattening foods. Thankfully my tastes are adjusting and healthier things are now becoming what I crave. This was my breakfast this morning. I loved how it looked, so I thought I'd share. Cottage cheese and fruit has become my go-to breakfast of late. I'm trying not to vary too much because I know that the more choices I give myself, the higher the chance is I'll make a bad one.
Same thing at lunch. The more variety, the worse I do. If I take the guess work out of what's for lunch, it's better all around. Now, I don't eat the SAME thing everyday, I just eat a variation. These wraps are AWESOME! Not only do they taste great (I've tried plenty that are gross), but they have 9 grams of fiber so you'll stay full forever. There are plenty of different flavors too...I tried the spinach this time and it's YUMMY.
Do you have a favorite healthy food? Please share....I'm always on the lookout for something tastier.

We're gettin' there...

Haha! Yes! I have officially lost 40 lbs. I'm excited to get into the 160's! Though, I have to say... 150's here I come! I also weigh significantly less than my hubby now...a huge milestone for me. I HATED weighing more than him. There was just something that felt wrong about it.
I've been feeling really good the last few days, in control and finding things that I can eat that will fill me up and keep me satisfied (I'll share my new favorite food in another post soon).
But anyway, I'm getting there. I ran 9 miles on Sunday...and I'm not sore. That's HUGE! I found another half marathon I'm thinking of doing (in Nov) and a couple smaller races I'm looking forward to in the next month. I'm getting excited to see myself in the end. I think when I hit goal I'm going to give myself a makeover- (chop the hair and donate to Locks of Love, new clothes etc.) Can't wait...

It Doesn't Matter

I was reading some running advice on the message boards at Active.com and one particular quote struck me. I don't remember the content of the original question but someone offered up a response from an old high school coach....
"But I'm sore Coach"..... "It doesn't matter"
"I'm tired" ........."It doesn't matter"
"I had too much to do"......"It doesn't matter" !!!!!
You get the point. We can always find an excuse not to work out, not to do what needs to be done. Trust me, I know. I'm the queen of procrastination and excuses. But from now on I'm going to try and employ the "Doesn't matter" motto and get things done.

Yummy in my tummy...

I've been on the lookout for different healthy things to eat that will fill me up and taste fantastic. I grabbed a sweet potato last time I went shopping with the idea of making sweet potato fries this week. While that never happened, I did stick the sweet potato in the micro and had a lovely baked sweet potato for dinner last night. As I was munching away I wondered about some of the health benefits of a sweet potato. So this morning I found this article and thought I' share.
The Health Benefits Of Sweet Potatoes | LIVESTRONG.COM
One more thing I learned was that it's a great food for me to eat before a run. It gives me a nice sustained boost. This will definitely be part of my pre-run menu from now on.
So, do you like sweet potatoes? What's your favorite way to prepare them? Please share...

It's War!!

*This post is dedicated to my sis- the idea came from her*
I think that losing weight is like waging war...on body and mind. There will be many battles, and you won't win them all. Casualties(lbs lost) will be many and ultimately we hope to be on the winning side. War is serious business. Don't go in half @$$ or you'll lose. Strategy is important. Know ahead of time that it's not going to be fun...war never is. Become a general in your own personal army. GO, FIGHT, WIN!

The results are in....

So I finished the half marathon without walking...except up the very last hill. I just couldn't find it in me to jog that hill again (it was a double loop course so I'd already run up it once). We were almost 12 miles in and I was EXHAUSTED! Overall I'm pleased with my performance. I wish I had managed a bit faster pace, but I didn't prepare myself as well as I should have. Mainly, I didn't eat enough early in the day. Also, the course had some major flaws- insufficient lighting and a narrow trail made things treacherous and slowed it down. My finish time ended up at 2 hrs 24 min. That means I averaged an 11 min. mile. I did learn a lot though. The next one will be better. I am going to stick to shorter races for a while, but now I can say I've done it. I'll post a few pictures soon...right now I'm going to take a nap!

Oh so AMP'd

I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin right now...AHHHH! I'm excited and the adrenaline is starting to flow for my race. Whoever thought that an evening race was a good idea? If I find them, I may skin 'em alive. The anticipation is killin' me! I've had all day to think about how my first half marathon is going to go. For someone who suffers from low self esteem, this is torture. At least when the races are in the morning, you can toss and turn and sleep a little. Grrrr.
Okay, postive self-talk time...."I can do this. This is what I've been training for. Pull it together and enjoy the experience." :)
On a happy note, I did hit my weight goal. I am offically 170 lbs. I had revised the goal earlier this month to 172 on race day, but I was pleasantly surprised to see 170 when I stepped on the scale this morning. Yeah me!
So blogging helped me vent my anxiety a little. I'm feeling better now. Tomorrow I'll have the full story about how the race went...stay tuned!

State of Mind...

Sometimes it's all about the way you think about something. And you know what I realized? I am NOT deprived! I make a choice every time I eat something, be it good or bad. I can choose to eat healthy or I can choose to eat crap and feel like crap. Sometimes it feels like you can't control it...I know, I've been there recently. But most of the time you can. So, I've decided that I refuse to feel deprived. I'm making a concerted effort change my behaviors and habits, and it's working! Tonight at dinner I made the healthy choices and I feel great about it. I just got back from a camping trip and I made decent choices there too. My point is that you have to think outside the box. Consider your options from a different angle and you may give yourself new perspective. Focus on the prize and keep moving forward...

I am not a cow...

It dawned on me that I have been grazing- A LOT. I am not a cow though. So grazing is not how I should be eating. I find it hard sometimes not to grab a slice of cheese or whatever when I'm getting a snack for the kids, or even walking through the kitchen. That's part of the reason I'm not losing as quickly and why I'm feeling like I can't eat as much- I'm using my points on stupid things that don't fill me up. So, no more grazing. I'll eat my meals and snacks and avoid the calories that add up by grabbing a bite here and there.