finding partners in crime!

So I found my groove this week and it felt so great! I was able to run every day this week and on a few days did Zumba and was able to meet up with my trainer too. But the best part of the week wasn't all the workouts I got in but realizing I could find people to do them with me. I challenged my husband to get in some cardio this week and he did it! And lost weight too!! I found a zumba partner who helps keep me motivated to go twice a week and I found a running partner who will push me to get it done. This week was eye-opening because I've been trying to do this alone...and then I realized I don't have too. So now I know that if I can't get my butt in gear, someone else will. Do you have motivation or someone who can help hold you accountable? If not, but you think it would help, let me know.
FYI - I did drop 3 lbs this week and feel great. Excited about the weeks ahead, hoping for little to no distractions...ha! Right!

A week of ups and downs...

So if I had written this on Monday like I usually do it would have had a much different tone then what I have to say today. I had a great week of running and doing Zumba and was really looking forward to this week as well. I felt like I had finally gotten over some major humps and my body was really beginning to respond to all the workouts and then BAM!! I got a cold. And not just some minor allergy attack, but a full-blown, fever-ridden, snotty  nosed cold. I haven't ran or worked out since Tuesday. Now while my diet hasn't really suffered because I don't feel like eating and my taster is off, I want this week to be a do-over. The excitement I had going into this week is going to take a little work to get back, but I am by no means going back.  I am going to start over as if this week never happened and get my ass back out there...as soon as I can breathe. I am excited to be going to zumba classes twice a week and so grateful to be back with my trainer once a week, but all the rest is up to me. Run, run, and run. I can do it....so can you!! Let me know how it's going for you and how I can help!

I hate you...freaking scale!!!

So there was a time when I weighed myself 5-6 times a day and everyone said that was CRAZY, so I only weighed myself once this week...not sure I like that either. If I had made any progress during the week, I didn't see it because by time I weighed myself on Saturday, I hadn't lost or gained. How do you run 5 days a week, take zumba class and play 40 mins of non-stop indoor soccer and see no progress? So this week it's a little hard to be positive about this diet crap. What I am beginning to ask myself is can I be happy being the size and shape I am now and just enjoy life? Or can I only really be happy getting back into those size 2's? I don't know yet, but I know that the best times I had this weekend were with family and friends playing soccer, eating and having drinks and the times that sucked were when I was beating myself up over having that  last martini...I guess I am still just struggling with moderation. Duh! If I could conquer moderation would I be having weight issues?...Hell no! Suggestions? How do you have fun and diet? Anyone having these issues?

The Verdict

I'm not gonna lie...the weekend was tough and I slipped off the wagon on Saturday night, but my weekend was so fun! So there is the question: Can you have fun and diet or do you have to have give up all the great times to get thin? I did stick to my work out plan over the weekend and got all my runs in and I wore my heart monitor during my indoor game (burned 526 calories in 35 mns), but I also had some drinks and wings at Hooters afterward and I had a GREAT TIME! But did I let myself down? Yep! Did I feel bad Sunday for my slip up? Yep! But can I refocus and get my ass in gear today? Heck Yea!!! So I say, Yes. You can have fun and diet...but in moderation. I can't party it up every weekend, but once in a while( like when I score an amazing penalty shot to tie up our game) is okay. But I gotta get up and get back on the diet train.  So here I am this Monday morning with my workouts planned for the week and the menu and grocery shopping done...should have a successful week! I have some pretty stressful tests this week for school and if I can take time out for myself to relax...food should not be a problem. We will see how it goes! I hope you guys had a great weekend! Let me know how it went for you! Lets do this together!

The Dreaded W word

So starting this whole thing sounded like a great idea when it was the week and I had nothing going on but school,work and house duties...but the weekend is another story.This weekend alone I have my 9 year-olds birthday party (cake) and 5 soccer games on Saturday( the last one being mine which means Hooters after),and the opening Sunday of football. So I know a challenge is coming...On the plus side, I have ran 4 of the last 6 days, did abs and arm work outs on 3 days and have lost 1.8 lbs. Now, of course I would have loved to drop 5 lbs this week, but for me, that's not reality...unless I was taking some pills or something,which I am not.I didn't take a pill to put on the weight, so bye-golly, I will not take anything to lose it. Plus, I mean come on, they are expensive and the results won't last...yes, I speak from experience. I wanted to share with you a droid app I found on my phone, 2 of them actually. One is called My Fitness Pal - it keeps track of all my calories and activity for the day. I love it because it has the newest foods on there and I don't have to manually add anything. The second one I am using is the Run Keeper. I turn it on when I run and it tracks my miles, distance, pace, and elevation. So I go into this weekend knowing it will be hard, I will run on Saturday and Sunday and play the 44mns indoor soccer game on Saturday,which I know will kick my ass, but I am ready for it. I may stumble,but I will get up and keep going. So Cheers to you if you are going to kick this weekend's butt too! I want to hear about it on Monday!
Have a great weekend!

taking back control

Alright, I get it. 3 years ago I started on this weight loss journey weighing in at over 180 pounds...yep, that's right. I was huge and for only bring 5'3", I think we can safely say I was pleasantly plump. I had an awesome husabnd who never once said anything about my weight, he just loved me for me. But I hated me! Same old story of over weight people everywhere, I know. But I took control and I lost weight. Over 50 pounds to be exact and I loved me! I was wearing a size 2 and felt great. It didnt happen over night, it took over 18 months and alot of will power. About the time I was at my lowest weight, we found out my oldest was going to have brain surgery, I was taking classes 4 nights a week after my day job of teaching 4th graders was finished and my world began to fall apart. Food and weight were the only things I felt I could control while the rest of my life seemed to be spiraling downward. I dropped 10 more pounds, but along with the weight, I lost my self respect, my faith and was close to losing my mind. 2 months after the surgery, we lost our house to Hurrican Ike and I started a new job and with the joys of remodling a house, living in an apartment and working the night shift...it's safe to say the weight began it's evil visit back to me. I can blame the weight gain on all kinds of things, but come on, no one makes me open my mouth and eat...no one makes me buy the foods I love and can't stop eating, no one makes me have another drink. I do it. And I am ready to undo it for good! I have gained close to 25 pounds back of the 50 I lost and I will not gain another pound. I don't need or want tragedy to be the only way I can lose weight and I surely don't want stress to be the reason I gain it. I will always have stress. I am a mom, a student and a wife...STRESS! So today I began my journey and I will write about it along the way in hopes that making it public makes me more accountable. The joys and defeats...my slip ups and my accomplishments! I hope to hear from anyone else who is tackling this issue also and maybe we can get through it together. Now I need to get off this couch and go run!