Motivation

Where has time gone? I mean it's almost February already!!! I know I planned on getting back to blogging, I just seem to run out of time with all that goes on working full time and raising 5 kids! Today I wanted to talk about motivation and where you might find some! 

I have given myself so much guilt over the money I have spent trying to lose weight, I have yet got to my goal weight in all the years I have tried to lose weight. I've spent money on personal trainers, fad diets, weight watchers, gym memberships, and fitness gadgets. The most recent big expense is the Nike fuel band. The hubs and I got the newest version when it was released (can't remember when). The purchase cost $150. Ouch!!! Todd set a goal of a year streak beginning 2014, we have both slipped up so we will not start 2015 with the streak but this time next year we are hopeful to have that 365 day streak!!! 

I don't know what finally kicked in for me, but I'm typing this as I walk circles in my house to get to goal!!! Tonight will make I believe 13 days that I've met goal!!! This week Todd and I have taken 2-3 mile walks together just so I can hit my goal. It's nice being alone together to just chat, last night we walked to the store so I could buy a bottle of wine! I've also been properly logging my WW points! Guess what the scale has gone down 2 weeks in a row!

What motivates you? A gadget, clothes, upcoming ball, your scale? Here's my little motivator. 

Day 1

I actually made it to the gym, counted my points, and even cooked dinner! I call that a successful day. On top of that I was domestic, I washed probably 8 loads of laundry and even folded it and put mine away!!!

Tomorrow I am going to the gym, taking my daughter to therapy, hitting the grocery store, and probably paying bills! 

As for now, I'm losing some brain cells watching Hulu original show called Misfits. 

Feeling defeated

As each new year comes around most of us review what we wanted to do and what we actually did. I remember one big goal and it was to wear size large scrubs sadly my extra large scrubs are feeling a bit snug. sigh.

Once I was the person who motivated others to run, to go to the gym, to lose weight now I am in their shadows. I am slower, lazier, and packed on some poundage. As I sit here deciding if I should blog again because this may be the time I become an after picture instead of the perpetual before picture.

I just kept reminding myself I have done it once before and I can do it again. It is just finding that equation that works for me again. I read other bloggers who have successfully lost weight and kept it out and it gives me hope.

Thankfully I have a very supportive husband. I have been dealing with some personal issues and been looking to find a therapist that is a good fit for me and start healing from my past and learn to love myself and hopefully become my own motivation again!

18 miles and holy freezing ice bath!!!!

So I love love love my Galloway group!! They are amazing!  I'm also loving that the temps and humidity is easing up here. We had a 16 miler 3 weeks ago that killed me! I had to walk the last mile in, today with the cooler weather 18 miles didn't seem too bad. We did 30:30, so run/walk 30 seconds each, I used to do 1:1 (1 mins) but I found with longer distance I am digging the 30 seconds. It's great running (helping) with others and hit distances they never have ran before. Today marks for me the distance I have ran one time before, so when we go up to 20 that'll be a new one for me eeekkk.

Tonight I have a 12 shift so I've decided to take a ice bath. I'm currently sitting in it and blogging to keep my mind off how frozen my legs are. They say it speeds recovery, can't I just take a Motrin? Lol 

Many of my friends ran races today! Did you? Are you training for one? Do you reward yourself? We did with a nice, last non paleo lunch yummy. 

   (That's a baked potato filled with yum)

Broken record

So I've had a hiatus from blogging for a couple of reason. First one, I'm just not an attention grabbing type if writer. Secondly, I've had so many fresh starts, so many cheat days, so many firsts that my pounds or pant sizes aren't going down!

Well Todd and I have declared ourselves paleo eaters. We subscribed to emeals, specifically paleo for two. We will be cooking two seperate dinners each night. I've spent the day making homemade beef jerky, scotch eggs, devilied eggs and currently have cinnamon sweet potatoes in the dehydrator and bone broth in the crock pot. 

Now update time!

- officially registered for 26.2 with Donna eeekk 

- off orientation at work and hoping to transfer to the closer campus

- had my breast implants removed

- started some weight lifting

- made an appointment to start therapy!

I'll be back sooner than later :) I miss my blog :) I'm ready to stop being a broken record! 

Wednesday Weigh In (on time!!!)

Sigh up 0.6lbs this week but its because I didn't track hmph

Today Ari had to go to the plastic surgeon to get her mole/freckle cut out to send for patho since its been atypical both times dermatology has shaved it. After that she wanted to go to Sonic or FroYo. She was driving and froyo was closer so we went there.
                                                                        Holy goodness!!!!

I had to divert my attention to this instead!

I topped it with some chocolate chips, candy corn, wheat germ & whey protein (that makes it healthy right?) 

After trading my Diet Dr pepper craving for a chilled glass of wine I've decided I need to get my head out of my butt and lose some weight this week!

Soggy socks

Yes I did it! Ran in the rain!!! I usually avoid rain at all costs but recently Katie from runsforcookies did a blog post giving 50 running tips which you can find here. She said running in the rain is fun. I had woke up early to get a run in before work so I headed out hoping to best the rain but I felt the first drop as my garmin located satellites :-/ it wasn't bad, I think I improved my pace a bit. I think it was because the weather was cooler but I was totally running in flooded area. Here's the aftermath (side note I shouldn't have ran in glasses or without a visor.

You can see the water in the streets!

I really need to upload my garmin and look at my paces and see how I'm doing! I'm ready to get back into the 10 min/mile range.

I came in and stripped down!

Depression

I am overall a very happy go lucky person but I have noticed since I moved and have just a few friends that I seem to fall into having the blues.  I have debated back and forth about going to the doctor for a mild antidepressant but then I usually hit the gym and guess what I am all smiles again. With that knowledge you would think that I would hit the gym on a regular basis but I don’t FAIL! I am really struggling with working 3 night shifts straight and then wanting to get back to the gym. I just feel so tired and lazy. Tomorrow is running group so hopefully I can start getting back into some type of routine, I do not like what I see in pictures taken of me.

On to other news my son took his behind the wheel test today! He passed and due to some rules in GA he will get it on his 17th bday which is in 13 days! I can’t believe at the end of this year Todd and I have 3 kids old enough to drive!

Weds weigh in a day late again!

Down 2.6!!! And yes I need a pedicure badly!

Saturday Long Run

11 miles in the books today!!! Our 30sec/30sec coach has a knee injury so her husband (my 1:1 coach) led both groups in a 30/30 pace. That ratio is nice because 30 seconds goes by fast! What is not nice is this heat and humidity! After we finished our run I was shocked to see Todd not waiting for me, since he is Mr. Fast Pants. He ran with the other runners who were doing a virtual half marathon. So two weekends in a row he ran a half! Show Off Amazing Stuff!

                   (On our way home)

Normally on the way home we stop at Target but we are trying to stop shopping so much. I felt nauseaous which helped me avoid a Starbucks run as well. I napped on the way home, it was great! I decided that I should get a small treat, I am counting calories honestly so I got something I could be accountable with. I tried a Campbell’s Slow Kettle soup, not bad.

I have made my first change to my blog as I said you’d see coming! I changed the name. I have been toying with the idea of going back in the military. My goal was always to be a military nurse. There are some things I miss about the military and obviously things I do not miss. Todd has just under 6 years left in till he is eligible to retire, so I may go in once he is out to keep our home environment stable. But as of right now I am 50 lbs over weight standards, so I have time to think about it while I watch the scale go down!

 In the next half hour my soon to be 16 yr old is having a guy come over to meet us before they go out bowling. We decided that in order for our children to go out, we have to meet them first. This may be interesting :)

Wednesday Weigh In

A day late... 

Three night shifts done!

As a nurse I only work three 12 hour shifts a week, but sometimes it feels like all I do is work. During nursing school I lost 100 lbs after having twins (as a surrogate) then quickly gained back 40 lbs my first year as a night shift nurse, last month I hit my 3rd year as a night shift nurse and I still am weighing over 200 lbs and it really stinks.

This week I ran a half Sunday, traveled home Monday, ran 30 mins and did some weights Tuesday, and then worked t-th bringing me to today. After watching breaking bad I feel asleep on the couch and woke up a few times and thought I'd share what I saw!

After napping off and on, I started reviewing my week and deciding if I needed to run today. According to my Galloway group if you do two 30-40 min runs during the week the long runs on Saturday will be easier. As I decided to skip my run tonight in preparation for 11 miles in the morning I receive a text from the hubsters. I still haven't decided where he is sleeping tonight :)

So if any one has advice on how to work 3 nights straight, commute 45 mins each way, raise 5 kids, and find time to work out more and eat less PLEASE share!!! I've requested to work 2 nights in a row and another night each week so maybe I can hit the road/gym 4-5 times a week! Well time to hit the sack 5am comes early!

Virginia Beach Rock n Roll Half Marathon

Well I did it...enough said lol jk. It was HOT and HUMID and the race started at 7am, I really wish it could have started at 630, sunrise was 635 why not? I did most of the race at 1:1 intervals. I finished in 3:04:09 which was my “C” goal, but hey I did it and have major room to improve. My amazing husband ran it in 1:50:09 a PR for him! Up next is the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Jacksonville, FL Oct 5th! I hope it is cooler and less humid! By the way that was state #6 for me!

Sadly someone did pass away, he was down at mile 1, Todd passed him while he was getting CPR. Very scary! Prayers to his family and to the runners who were traumatized as well.

I know I haven’t been the best blogger, which should give you all a heads up that the scale isn’t moving in the right direction either. I have been deciding between rejoining Weight Watchers or just staying with my fitness pal. I think i am staying with MFP because I really like the way it scans so much better. I am trying to refind the success I have had before and what is missing now. I have decided I will have Todd start tracking my weight and that may be motivating. So Wednesday Weigh ins start tomorrow. Since I work nights, I will weigh in the afternoon before work just like if I worked days and got up for work. I will be making some changes to my blog here soon, so if you are still will me THANKS!

Accountability partners

Have you ever had an accountability partner before? Have you seen them move on to another one and become more successful? I am a military wife and this has happened to me. My friend Molly is kicking ass on her pace while training for her first full. I ran with her during her first half, now she is surpassing me and has great running buddies. Oh and she has a killer bod now too. My friend Dee knocked 26 mins off a race she has done for 4 years in a row now! 26 whole mins off an 8 mile beach run. Dee and I would hit the Y together, was in a running group together but we also loved eating and/or drinking wine together. Sometimes we talked each other out of working out and having breakfast at Denny's or going there after 1-2 hours at the gym. Sometimes we make better friends than accountability partners.

It is intimidating finding a workout buddy, what if they are stronger/faster/have a better endurance than you. I recently started being envious of a gym buddy's facebook post at 8 am, she had already did 6-7.5 miles by the time I was crawling out of bed and logging on to FB. Ok time to reach out, I stepped out of my comfort zone and self invited myself to hit the pavement with her. First day I set my alarm for 530 and got to her house at the butt crack of 6 o clock (for a night shift worker, mornings aren't always fun for me anymore. I was a former early riser). She admitted if it weren't for me she would have slept in! Score that is the type of person you need to pair up with. I have ran/walked with her 3 times now. I love it. We are out there while it is quiet, still somewhat cool, and by 8am my fit bit flex has told me I have hit my goal. YAY!!! My goal is to drag my butt out of bed and be at her house to hit the road whenever I am not working!

Dee sent me this in a text message this week LOL. The benefit to having a running buddy that has lived in my little town for so many years she knows where the bathrooms are so we don't even up like this lady on MSN! Lawn vs toilet...

Have you had an accountability partner? Did it help or hurt?

Getting it right!

Well it's Thursday night and I can say I have successfully worked out 4 days in a row! I worked mon-weds (night shift) and worked out after each shift. My eating was well until tonight when we ate out mexican.  But back to calorie counting in the am. For now I'll enjoy a glass of cupcake moscato!

How's everyone's summer going? Our family went tubing Sunday it was a relaxing trip. This weekend we are planning a trip to a indoor trampoline place. Have you been?

Forming a Habit

Each day I wake up and start off good then somewhere after 2 I blow it. I think some of this is blame on the lack of a hard work out (or any work out for that matter). I need to change, I need to stop telling myself I am okay at this weight. I am not okay at this weight, I am in the obese category and need to focus on getting to the normal category (or whatever it is called). Today, July 8th I am making changes. I will for the rest of July do a photo food log, work out 5 days a week, and work on being honest to my fitness pal! No more uncounted spoons of peanut butter, slices of cheese, etc. It may be a boring month for everyone, but I am hoping that come August my mind and body are in the game! Last year I did Whole30 and did not cheat on it and was in onderland.  My short term goal is to get out of the 200s!  I know I am not alone in these struggles, what helps you form a habit and stick to it? 

Running in Southeast Georgia

equals mosquito bites, lost gps signal on rantastic, humidity, and frizzy hair!!! But I did it SIXTY minutes of 1:1 run walk intervals. And get this AFTER a 12 hour night shift. It wasn't a bad night so that might have helped my motivation today. Usually I go to work with all the intentions of getting off work and hitting the road or the gym and somehow on my 45 min commute home I deem that I am too tired to work out. I hope I can keep my motivation up, I do have vet appts and orthodontic appts after my shifts this week before heading to my dad's house in Panama City to see my 2 sisters that I haven't seen since Feb 2000. They have 9 kiddos between them and my kids are excited to meet their cousins.

Big news I found a Galloway training group! They currently are doing a 4 week free session and July 20th officially start half or full training. For those near Amelia Island here is the link. By the way I heard Jeff Galloway will be here July 19th!  I have met him once before in San Diego. Other news, I bought a new running skirt to try out. It is from skirtsports and they have an amazing sale going on right now! And they have men shorts and shirts too, super cute and fun! I bought two lengths the ones with 5 inch compression and the other with 7 inch compression shorts in them.

For another idea of life in S.E. GA I had to stop the other day while driving, not for traffic but for geese!

motivation

Hmmm I sat down with my Hal Hidgon’s novice half marathon training plan and rearranged the week(s) to fit my work schedule and then what happened? That week I only ran ONE time! One big fat X and the rest empty days. Well I got this in my email today and hope it is enough to get my butt training!

Father’s day was spent at the Jacksonville Zoo, we ended up getting season passes and we plan to  spend some of our free time there. We were there for about 4 hours and spent the entire day with our Navy friends that we were stationed with in Hawaii. Our kids all get along well. I would have to say our favorite part of the zoo was the Stingray Bay. It cost $1 per person to get in but it was so awesome! Next time we go I want to feed the giraffes! What is your favorite part of your local zoo         Berkley would have probably swam with them if she could! The sting rays were a huge hit with everyone in the family!

When will tomorrow get here?

AND STAY??

Have you ever started a diet aka a new way of eating? And you know how it is so amazing the first week and you see a loss so you do it again and see a loss again... Well dammit I can not get past one day of counting my calories! I make it 1/2 the day or 3/4 of the day then all hell breaks lose and I tell myself well I can start tomorrow.

I read amazing bloggers who have lost a lot of weigh and are in single digit pant sizes (my goal!) and yet I just can NOT get with the program. I wonder why? Why am I self sabotaging myself? Why can I not stick to a calorie limit, a planned menu, a training schedule?

I just want to pull my hair OUT!

Monday oh Monday!

Monday here in Saint Mary’s, GA means 2 things to me this summer, spin and pool closed for cleaning.  Well today it meant a couple other things like joining another diet bet and half marathon training. Since I work 3 (12 hour) days a week I have to rearrange the Hal Hidgon schedule to fit my needs. I ran on the treadmill while waiting for spin to start, and sadly spin was cancelled since the AC was broke. I don’t understand our gym, we have this amazing spin class with about 50 bikes but they only teach 4 classes a WEEK! I am used to over 4 classes a day, but what is worse they lock the spin room up. anyhow no spin. but I had an awesome run.

I had asked Todd to take at least Austin for a hair cut about 3 weeks ago and yet he still was shaggy today. So after picking him up from summer school I came home and fed the kids leftover spaghetti. Then we headed to get hair cuts, three of the kids got cuts today. As a treat we were going to head to fro yo which we love but it usually costs us about $20 so we headed to McDonalds for cones!

Not really the best start to my diet bet. but here is today’s starting weight... not the best weight ever but wasn’t my card with my word so cute??? Our sunny day ended in a tornado! Yes I now live in a town that has tornados, eeekkkkk