I feel skinny...

I'm starting to feel like all my hard work is paying off. I am feeling great today. My clothes are getting too big...even my smaller stuff. I've got to go bra shopping this weekend I think. Who would think that getting smaller boobs could make someone so happy. It stinks a bit though cause the sports bra I bought a few months ago (and spent $68 on) is getting too big. I'm Miss Frugal, so that just hurts, but what's a girl to do?
The juice fast is going well. I'm on my third day and feeling awesome. I think today is going to be the last day... I miss eating solid food :) It definitely has highlighted how much extra I was picking at all through the day. There were a few times I almost popped something in my mouth before I caught myself. I think I'm back in the right mindset, which feels great too. I ordered a new workout called "INSANITY" but since I ordered it on ebay there are some issues that have arisen. Hopefully I can get it ironed out without too much hassle. I'll keep you posted. I'm super excited cause I am at the point where I feel major toning needs to be my focus. Keep moving forward!

Funkytown...

I'm trying hard not to be, but I'm in a funk none the less. I've been eating pretty bad the last few days and not exercising either. I went out for a run this morning and made it a half a mile before turning around and walking home. My calf has been bothering me for about 3 weeks and I am tired of running through/with the pain or discomfort. Some days it's better than others and I only feel a twinge that gets better as I loosen up, but this morning it was hurting. I made the decision that it just wasn't worth it. Since I'm starting a juice fast tomorrow, I figure I'll let the leg rest at the same time. Basically I'm going to walk and do pilates or yoga this week and leave the high impact stuff alone.
I am excited to start my detox/ juice fast though. I hope that it helps me push through this block I'm having. I'm stocked up on my fruits and veggies and I'm in the right mental place to start a juice fast. Since a lot of it's mental, you have to embrace the idea or you'll fall flat on your face (I'm speaking from experience).
There are generally two schools of thought in the juice fasting arena....Pro JF or Anti JF. I know how I feel after a fast, so I tend to advocate it. It's a personal thing though. If it helps you feel better, readjusts your taste buds, busts through a plateau or refocuses you into the right mindset, I think it's a good thing. What do you think? Have you done a fast before? Or, do you think it's crazy? Let's hear your opinion on the topic...

It's a Weird Feeling...

Some of you may know that I was breastfeeding. Well, not anymore. We finally completely weaned and I'm just trying to adjust. It is a little surreal. I'm so used to thinking about everything I eat and drink (in terms of what it will do to my milk). After almost 13 months of bf it's done. With my daughter I weaned at 6 months but she was on formula too. There was a difference. I think part of the issue is that monkey #2 is probably our last child. I'm finding my way through this, and I know my hormones are trying to stabilize. I'm not feeling bad or depressed per se, just a little sad at times that it's over. However, now that I'm done, I'm thinking of doing a cleanse. I have done juice fasts before, and I told myself when I was done nursing that I would do one again. Guess that time has come. Time to pull out the juicer and head to the store for my fruits and veggies. Stay tuned for that next week.

Cancer Awareness 10K

I had a great run on Saturday and set a personal record in the 10K with a time of 56:20. I finished 4th in my age group...11 seconds behind the 3rd place finisher. I was pushing hard to catch that girl in the pink shirt! It irks me that she's the one who got the medal. (I'm just slightly competitive if you couldn't tell). Anyhow, I ended up 69th overall out of 160 runners. Not too shabby in my humble opinion. I hit my weight goal of 160 and my time goal of a sub 57 min race. I was also able to go for a easy 8+ mile run Sunday morning with out difficulty. Hooray!
I'm 15 lbs from goal and it's getting easier most days to make the healthy choices. I feel like I'm finding a good rhythm. Now, I just need to stick with it. I'm going to try and keep my exercise routine pretty much the same for a while and just work on consistency. Also, I'm noticing a big problem area is my lower abs so I am going to work on focusing in and toning that. It's all about the goals for me...

Tried & True #5

Eat your carbs and fruits toward the beginning of the day and veggies and protein later. This gives your body more time to burn the sugars. And since excess sugar is what turns into fat, the earlier we eat it, the better. Your body does need carbs though. Eat them, but eat them wisely. Seriously, don't eat a cupcake or cookies then go to bed. Then they really will go straight to your tush!

Am I just a creep magnent?

Seriously, I'm so over the creepy guys coming up and talking to me or leering at me. I've dealt with it as long as I've had boobs, and I'm irritated. Does this happen to everyone or am I just hyper-sensitive to it? Ugh, for instance, last night I'm on the last bit of a 6 mile run...some creepy older guy rides up beside me on his bike and strikes up a weird conversation. Dude, I've got my iPod on and I'm running....what about that scenario suggests I want to have a conversation? He was giving off that creepy vibe too. I didn't even really want to go home, lest he see where I live. I just kinda ran onto my street and kept running till he couldn't see which house I was going to. Why should I have to do that though? It makes me so mad. It's not like I'm God's gift to men...
My hubby just bought me pepper spray the other day. I think I'm going to start carrying it every time I go running or walking now...just to be on the safe side. I haven't told him about the incident last night since he gets all uptight about me running solo anyway (hence the pepper spray). Does anyone else feel this way? Am I just over-reacting? I would love to hear feedback on this topic.

I threw it away...

I hate to waste food! I feel like I'm throwing money away. But, I know my limits. I knew that if I didn't throw away the leftover cake and the two partial containers of frosting I had from making the cake pops for my kids' birthday party, I would continue to pick at them. Since that would be counter productive, I bit the bullet and tossed the junk!It was hard, I won't lie. But I did it. The way I look at it, if it's not good for you anyway then it's not really being wasteful :)
I did well at the actual birthday party. I behaved and made good food choices. I had a couple bites of potato salad and mac salad when I got home but a taste was enough to satisfy me. The veggie trays were a hit and the watermelon was tasty. Overall, I'm pretty pleased by my lifestyle choices this weekend. On Saturday the hubby and I went to a concert and I got a turkey sandwich to eat...instead of garlic fries and pizza. I will cop to drinking a beer, but it was light. It made me realize that it is getting easier for me to make the better choices. And that's encouraging.

Tried & True #4

Eat a little fat 20 minutes before your meal (5-10 unsalted roasted almonds works well for me). Seriously, I said fat. This tip comes from the book YOU on a Diet. Basically you want to help your brain chemicals work with you. That means triggering them (with the good fat) to help you feel full sooner so you avoid overeating as it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register the "full" signal. If you are scarfing your food down then you will stuff yourself with extra calories before the brain says "Stop, I'm full". It also helps you feel full longer so you aren't as tempted to snack.
If you haven't read the book I also recommend picking it up at the library or bookstore. There are lots of great tips to help you make your body work with you instead of fighting against it. It's been a few years since I've read my copy, I think it's time for a little refresher :)
Are you gonna try this trick? If you do this or are going to try, I wanna hear about it. Remember, I LOVE COMMENTS :)

Get over it!

Pretty much everyone has some sort of body issues. I don't know anyone that is happy with every part of themselves. But me, I am paranoid all the time that some part of my body is looking unflattering. It's sad but true. For example, I rarely wear shorts. I own one pair...and I live in California! This past weekend I went shopping and found this cute tennis/running skirt. I've been eye balling running skirts for a while now. This one happened to be on clearance for $4. I couldn't pass that price up. I bought it without trying it on...
Holy cow, it's short. Duh! It's not any shorter than a pair of shorts, but for some reason the fact that it's a skirt makes it feel uncomfortably short. Add to that, I am still "the old body" when I look in the mirror. There's a disconnect going on in my brain. I KNOW that I've lost weight, I am just having a hard time seeing it.
Anyhow, I almost took it back. Then I thought, "Push the comfort zone a little Tiff". It's not indecent. Hubby likes it :) My legs aren't rockin', but they're starting to look pretty good. I put it on the other night and went for my evening walk. The whole time I was tugging the hem down, but I wore it. I don't think it will be one of my favorite things workout in, but I am going to wear it!

On my game...

I'm feeling very optimistic about this week. I've got lots to do, but I want to stick with my fitness plan and really concentrate on getting my eating back in line 100%. I've been fudging here and there and it's not really helping me get to the end goal. I've got my game plan worked out for the week and I'm gonna hit it as hard as I can. I had an awesome run this morning and two great days off with the family. Hubby is back at work tomorrow, the eldest child is back to school and Mommy is going to handle business :)

Color the Skies 5K Race

Just let me start by saying....WOO-HOO! This was such a fun race to run. A 5K is only 3.1 miles so it was easy compared to the last race which was the half marathon (13.1 miles). I managed to finish with an all time personal best. The clock said 26:45 as I crossed the finish line...and my prior best was 27:33 (and that was over 2 years ago). Since my goal heading into this race was to finish under 27 minutes, I'm doing a happy dance right now. And actually with as long as it took me to get to the official start line, my time would have been even better. I won't go on a rant about the people who line up in the front who have no business being there...I could, but I won't :)
Anyhow, I definately feel reinvigorated and ready to jump back on the wagon (or maybe push the wagon for a while) and keep going till I get to my goal. I only have 20 more pounds to go. I can do this!
*After looking at my official standings here is the outcome: 6th in my age group, 130th overall (out of almost 400)* Decent standings, I think :)

Tried & True #3

When you go out, it's easy to overeat....as we all know. So, ask for a box when you first get your food. Separate out your portion and box up the rest to take home. Or, if you want to stop yourself from picking at food left on your plate...dump water on it. You were done anyway. You won't be eating it if it's soggy.

How far I've come...

Wednesday was my little man's first birthday. Since then I've been thinking alot about how far I've come in the last year. A couple weeks after giving birth I stepped on the scale and it was still 232 lbs. I was mortified! I gained way too much during my pregnancy. But 1 year later I'm 165 lbs and still going. That means I've lost 67 lbs overall. That's HUGE! Sometimes you have to step back and look at the big picture to appreciate how far you've come. I am very proud of the progress I've made. I've had some difficulties lately but I am not giving up. I'm just going to accept that I've made some bad choices and move on to the next goal. Tomorrow I run a 5K and I am really excited. I'm planning on going all out and hoping for a personal record.
Seriously, I'm down 67 lbs AND I can run 10+ miles...are you kidding me? I can run 10 miles! I ROCK! I still have a ways to go, but whatever. I'm gonna get there. You will too. Keep moving forward...

I hate PMS!

That's really all I have to say. I am struggling! Grrr. I ate some bad stuff today and yesterday. I'm jumping on the treadmill right now. As much as I prefer going outside to walk or run, "IT DOESN'T MATTER". The treadmill is my only option since hubby is out and the kids are in bed. I should be thankful I have it to use! My calf is still a touch sore so I'm not going to run for a few days. I want to be in top form on Saturday for my 5K race. Okay, now I'm just stalling :) I'm seriously going and getting on the treadmill....right NOW!
*Update- I did an hour on the treadmill & feel much better!*

Be the tortoise!

The last few days have been ROUGH! Sunday night Riley didn't sleep...which means mommy didn't sleep either. Poor baby is sick, and it was grueling. Anyhow, Monday I was dragging. I had planned on doing an 8 mile run but by the time the kids' bedtime rolled around I didn't want to go anywhere. But, I laced up my Asics and headed out the door. Running usually energizes me (exercise in general actually) so I figured that a run would be just the thing to help battle the fatigue.
Unfortunately that was not the case. It was one of those runs where nothing felt right. At the 3 mile mark I turned around and headed for home. I'm disappointed I only ran 6 miles instead of 8, but most people wouldn't have even gone out. My watch died so I have no clue how long it took me. I couldn't seem to get my stride right. My left leg started killin' me. I was so tired I didn't have the energy to run very quickly. Basically I had to repeat over and and over in my head "be the tortoise" just to make it home. I'm very proud of myself for gutting it out, but it was a horrible feeling. My calf still hurts today, I have blisters from the wrong socks, and I'm still tired. I got home and Riley was crying so it was straight back into mommy mode.
I did get to thinking though that my mantra "be the tortoise" was apt. Think of losing weight as a race. Getting to the finish is the only objective. Don't be the hare...sprinting out at the start, burning out and laying down for a nap. Slow and steady wins the race. Just keep plodding along and before you know it, you've reached the finish line.