Hey Happy Wives!

You pick which one you are! lol

Sorry I have been a little off the radar this past week!  I've been entrenched in life's little surprises...but things are looking better now.  Jake got blood and platelets today and has some color to his skin again.  YaY!  This is my "feel good" blog, so I am going to tell you all the awesome stuff!

Biggest Loser Update:  First weigh in today...down 6 lbs!  My goal was to be past my plateau/impasse that has plagued me for so many years.  I accomplished that goal today!!!! (Even with 2 b-day cookies and 2 trips to the hospital this week)  I'm so happy!!! (happy dance!)  I know I can do this!

Here is the "skinny" on what I learned about nutrition:  Weight loss (for those trying to do this) is 80% nutrition.  Sugar is bad!  And to metabolize the fat, we need to eat more protein.  She has us on protein shakes...and to tell you the truth, I just wasn't hungry after drinking 18 oz. of that stuff a day!  My body is still adjusting to the change of eating that I have programmed it to do for the last 50 years.  I believe the weight will drop off faster when it does adjust.  My percentage of fat has gone down and I have been off sugar long enough, I don't crave it anymore!  I have to be careful about eating when I'm bored...usually before or after dinner.

I'm having a birthday this Sunday!  I'm not sure what to serve for b-day cake.  One of my cute friends brought me a plate of my favorite...snickerdoodles!  I put them in a Ziplock and hid them in my drawer.  Maybe I should hide them in the freezer...less tempting if they are frozen!  Yes, I'm going to have one every once in a while...it will be my punishment if I exercise too much or don't eat enough calories! Ha!

I'm trying to decide if I want to do a 5K next weekend.  I have no doubt I can do it, the Utah weather is so unpredictable in April.  I know you runner girls think nothing of a 5K, but hey, I just started, marathon mamas! (you're too awesome for me!)  Maybe I think about a 10K, but then, maybe not.  Running is not my thing (right now).  I do like the way you feel after running up a hill or after a short, fast paced run.  It's very invigorating!

Well this is a long enough post.  Life might be hard, but it's good!
Love you guys!

Update*

I still hate running.






As a response to The Queen Vee, there is a site called dailymile.com. It's helped me be accountable, since I know my friend logs her stuff in every day and gets on me when I don't run (or walk). You can be friends with anyone and I've enjoyed seeing my progress, how many miles I've run/walk, how many calories, etc. So sign up and be my friend!

120 Mile Personal Challenge

I've set a two month goal for myself. I want to walk/run 120 miles by the end of May which works out to 15 miles per week. For some of you that probably wouldn't be much of a challenge but it will be for me. I start tomorrow in case anyone wants to join me. I might be an April fool but this is no joke.

This Saturday I ran in the DC National Half Marathon. It was such a blast! I woke up at 4, ate breakfast and got dressed. My friend picked me up at 5 to drive into DC. Traffic was pretty bad and we finally arrived at 6:30. The race was starting at 7 so we quickly made our way over to the port-a-pots for one last pit stop. We hugged and went our separate ways to our pre-assigned corals. I found the pace group I wanted to run with and made sure to stay with them for the first few miles of the race. Now, I had a goal for this race. It was to finish the half in 1:45:00. It was a bit lofty for me, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to do it, but according to my last 5k race, it was the time predicted for me. I could see the 1:40 pace group in front of me and the 1:45 pace group behind me, so I just hung out there for the whole race.


It was a fun race, weaving through the streets of DC. When I finally finished, I was in awe of the marathoners who continued on to run 13 more miles. I did reach my goal, and crossed the finish line in 1:43:08. I cried. I always get emotional at the end of a race, but I couldn't believe that I actually set a goal and accomplished it. My training has now turned to the Marathon in November. If I train smart and work hard, I have a good chance of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which is another secret goal I have. It's always a little scary to say your goals out loud. It means you're accountable now, but I guess that's what I need to do. So here it is out loud "I'm going to qualify for Boston some day!". My qualifying time would be 3:35. Last year it was 3:40. They just dropped it by 5 minutes across the board. It's going to be a fun goal to aim for!

Is Diet A Dirty Word?

I went to bed last night feeling like I had nothing left to give and nothing inspirational to say to all of the lovely Healthy Wife Ladies. I thought to myself that I don't know how Trainer Momma does it day in and day out. I was ready to throw in the towel. Then I started thinking of each of you. How I wish that I could sit with each of you individually to talk about things that might help you. Misconceptions that you're still hanging on to that need to be addressed. I knew that as much as sometimes I feel like I have nothing to say...if I really think about it there is so much to say and maybe I feel more overwhelmed than anything.

My thoughts then turned to the word "Diet". I've spend so much time trying to convince people they can't go on a diet...it needs to be a lifestyle change. The word "diet" has come to mean doing crazy things to loose weight or even gain weight. However that's not really what it means at all. Diet
di·et¹

NOUN:

1. The usual food and drink of a person or animal.
2. A regulated selection of foods, as for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss.
3. Something used, enjoyed, or provided regularly: subsisted on a diet of detective novels during his vacation.

I think that it's interesting how this word must have evolved. I believe the defintion #1 is what it's really all about. When discussing the health of person we question what is your diet like. They doctor or nurse, aren't they usually the ones asking these questions, is not asking what are you trying to do to lose weight they are wondering what you normally eat and drink.

Because Americans in general have struggled with eating a normal diet that is healthy with their caloiric intake equal to their caloric output the word diet has taken on a totally new meaning which unfortunately has crazy and unsustainable actions.

We need to think of the word "diet" as what we normally eat. Do we normally eat a well balanced diet? We should be striving to do this, not living on a "restricted diet" that will not and probably should not become what we "normally" eat.

I also love definition #3. Our diet isn't just about what we put in our mouth but also what we are doing for ourselves. Having a balanced diet should include exercise, family, social, spiritual....whatever else you think it important in your life but you have to find a balance.

I hope as you work on improving your health that you are trying to do things that will become what you "normally" do. That your steady diet of life is balanced and not restrictive or short term. The balance may always be changing but finding that balance is what keeps things running smooth. Even when there are bumps in the road you can come back to that balance.

Let's not make "diet" the dirty word it has become but part of your spice of life.

Water

I feel like I am the only one who hasn't added water as my goal, so here I am joining the ranks. I love it and hate it at the same time. I do feel so much better when I drink my water but I really hate the frequent trips to the bathroom.

As for this past week, I feel really good about how I did with my goals and I am hoping to finish out the challenge strong. I think my 10 lb goal has helped a lot because I know I have to be good if I am going to be anywhere close.

One problem I am having though is I feel like when I focus on my health everything else goes crazy. I get my workouts in and I am getting more sleep at night but my house is in shambles and I haven't done laundry in who knows how long etc. Does anyone else struggle with this? I realize having little ones at home is not helping my situation but I feel this constant battle between order and organization and my health. It's like no matter what I do I am struggling to stay afloat. I guess it will just take time to figure out how to make everything work together, right?