Go Green

Smoothies with added spinach or kale. They are kinda all the rage.

I’ve always heard how great green smoothies are (taste and health benefits), so I decided to try one. I had my premade smoothie bags, so in my first concoction; I blended 3-4 cups of spinach then added my smoothie bag. The smoothie bag had a cube of yogurt, a cube of pineapple juice, frozen kiwi, a frozen banana, and a cup of water. It was delicious. Full of flavor and I couldn’t tell that I had added vegetables to my drink. The color was also a bright green, which was fun.  My only complaint was the seeds from the kiwi. They are slightly annoying.

Thanks to pinterest, I’ve got a ton of green smoothie recipes. This morning, I decided to try another flavor, this time using kale rather than spinach. First thing I noticed was the kale had a stronger smell than the spinach. Fingers crossed, I added the yogurt, banana, and ½ cup of blueberries. It didn’t have the smoothie consistency that I hoped for…so I added some ice... still not quite right. Hmm. Let me add water (I’m trying not to add a bunch of calories). Crap. I’m now looking at a blue-green soup. Into the sink it goes.  Since this is supposed to be my breakfast, and I’m starting to run out of time, I decide to go back to the spinach…its safer. In goes the spinach, banana, yogurt, and blueberries… Blend, blend, blend. Voila. A blue-green smoothie.  This smoothie didn’t have an amazing flavor like my first one. Bland is the best way to describe this one. I’m posting this combination under the fail category simply because I’ve experimented a lot with smoothies and I have tons of full flavored combinations.

So far, I’ve learned a few valuable lessons on smoothie making. 1. Prepare everything in advance. Freeze your juice and yogurt in muffin tins and then place one of each with your desired fruit into sandwich bags…it saves a lot of time and mess. 2. Buy frozen fruit. It saves money. During the summer, I’ll prob buy some fresh fruit, but right now I’m not spending my money on half rotten fruit. 3. If you don’t like it, tweak the recipe. This is how I’ve come to enjoy my shakeology packets, including the greenberry. (Sidenote: I’ve read there is a third flavor now. Tropical.) 4. Do not try to eat plain yogurt. I love yogurt. But I decided to buy the plain low fat yogurt. While putting the yogurt into the muffin tins, I got some on my hand. What do I do? Lick it off. Worst. Decision. Ever. I immediately spit it out. Just trust me and do not try this.

I don’t do a smoothie every day because I love food. I miss chewing my food if I have too many. I probably have two a week. The great thing about them, they fill me up better than any other breakfast food. Thanks to the Trumps, I have a fantastic Steelers Turvis Tumbler. It holds about 4 cups of smoothie goodness. I can make it at 7 in the morning and it takes me a few hours to drink all of it. Any other breakfast is gone by 9 o’clock and I’m ready for a snack. Since it takes longer to consume…I’m not hungry till much later. Score.

New Years Resolution

So many people make New Years resolutions, but why wait til New Years? I’m making goals now, so that by the time New Years comes around, it will no longer be something I put effort into…it could be a habit.

1. Run or walk a mile each day. Everyone who knows me, knows I am a hot weather girl. I hate running in the cold, but I’m going to try to change that. In the very least, I can walk a mile.

2. Run a 10 minute mile. I have a steady 12 minute mile. When I started running, I was only able to run ¼ of a mile (that may be exaggerating) before I had to walk. Slowly, the distance increased. I figured if I can start the same way, eventually I’ll be running an 8 minute mile. J

3. Take pictures. I hate this one. I’m my worst critic. I’ll notice any bulge or flaw, but it’s so hard to see a change in my body because it doesn’t happen drastically. Taking pictures will allow me to see the change (and the places I need to focus harder on).

4. Eat better. I saw a blog where this girl took yogurt and froze it in cupcake pans. She then took the frozen yogurt blocks and fruit and put them into sandwich bags. Every morning she grabs a bag and uses her Magic Bullet and fixes a smoothie. She did a variety of bags once a month, so she wouldn’t get tired of the same flavors. You can also add frozen juices. I also need to be consistent at bringing my own lunch. I’ve been bringing it on and off for the last month…I’ve already lost weight as a result. When I wasn’t working, I never ate fast food. When I did eat it, I thought it was greasy and gross. I need to get that state of mind back.

5. Spend less. I want a new car. My car has about 120,000 miles on it, so she’s about due for retirement. I’m holding out for as long as possible (mostly because there isn’t a car that I absolutely love and can afford). I like the 2010 Acura MDX, but not the 2012…it’s too round. OR we can maybe talk McSteeny into the 4 door jeep wrangler. Terrible on gas and no extra room. But I LOVE it. I also want to spend less on clothes…which conflicts with goal #6..

6. Be simple, but trendy. I am a huge fan of solid colored long sleeve t-shirts and dressing them up with accessories and scarves. Here are some outfits I love.

Love the color combo and the shoes.

I already have the coat...the rest should be easy to get, right?

<3

Baby I'ma be your motivation.

I'm slowly learning ways that work for me to diet/exercise. I've learned that I can't run/workout with someone who is faster/stronger/in better shape than me. I give up. I like being the leader. It might sound crazy, but I like pushing someone else. In running, I like to say, "Just make it to that sign" etc. Some people get motivated by watching Biggest Loser. Again, that doesn't do it for me. Muscles. Seeing pictures of chicks with muscles. The only sad thing is that most pictures of these chicks...they all have fake boobs. I need to get me some of them too. Muscles first. Boobs later. Here is some of my inspiration:

                                                        I wouldn't wear pants. Ever.

                                                           She's Hot.

                                                     Holy Back Muscles
                                        
Its hard to find pictures of bubble butts that are freaking awesome...this one is pretty close. I like my big butt.

                            1. I love dancing as a workout.
                            2. I love workout clothes...especially leg warmers.

                                                           I love legs.

More motivation another day. :)

Junk in the Trunk.

Dear Blog, I'm sorry that I abandoned you. Please take me back. Love, Jamie


It's been a straight up eternity since I've been up here. I seriously haven't had time to get my thoughts together, writing them is a whole additional challenge. So, here I am. Same place as before. Trying to get skinny. I mean fit. Who are we kidding. I want to be smoking hot in a size 4. I'd settle for being one of those skinny girls that can eat anything, but Jesus just won't do that. So I'm gonna have to work for that size 4. Starting tomorrow, I'll be doing Brazillian Butt Lift. Not the surgery, the DVDs. It's a BeachBody product (P90X, Insanity, etc) so I know it's going to work. In addition, I'm doing Shakeology. I bought the chocolate and the greenberry. I'll let you know how they taste. I'm a bit worried about the greenberry.

My starting measurements are:
 Chest: 34" Pray this number doesn't decrease.
Right Arm: 11"
Left Arm: 11.5"
Waist: 28.5"
Hips: 44" CLEARLY you can see that I need to be doing this exercise program!
R. Thigh: 25"
L. Thigh: 26"
Starting Weight: 140



So, there you have it. I have too much junk in the trunk.

Today's Emotional Run

So- today's run was emotional for me. I know I have this run coming up in 19 days, so I really need to run whether I feel like running or not. After eating too much this weekend, I haven't felt like running. Today was the same problem. Luckily, my IPOD was charged to help me today. I didn't have my arm band, so I had to stick the IPOD in the little pocket in my pants.

The wind was kicking today. I didn't realize it at first because it was going in the same direction that I was going...then I turned the corner and it was obvious. As I rounded the next corner, the wind was in my face. I felt like I was running so hard, but not going anywhere. Then my lips felt chapped, I had a cramp, my mouth was dry...I was feeling defeated. I kept telling myself the hardest part was going to be the first mile, the mile back, I would have the wind working with me most of the time.

Of all the Massey girls- I may be the most feminine. Tasha and Erica have always been hard core at sports. I never played football with the guys, I don't like frogs, I can't even change a tire (I could prob do it if I had to...I've never had to). One thing I can't do is spit. So, today as the wind is blowing so hard and I don't have any candy to keep my mouth from getting dry, I needed to spit. I call it thick spit. So, spitting usually goes like this...I spit and it hangs from my mouth until gravity takes over. Here's the problem: 40 mph wind + plus thick spit= Jamie getting her own spit in her face.

After a little bit of a struggle with the wind, I finally made it to my halfway point. I thought about going further, but I was ready to be on the way back to finish my run. So, I turn around and start back. With the wind pushing me forward, I get these thoughts of Kathie in my head. I didn't have a playlist to run with today...I was just using shuffle. I normally don't listen to country while I run because I need a faster beat...but SheDaisy- Don't Worry 'Bout A Thing happened to be on...here are the lyrics:

Life is funny, life's a mess
Sometimes a curse, sometimes a blessing
Don't worry 'bout a thing, don't worry 'bout it
Life gets sticky, life can bruise
Sometimes you win sometimes your losing
No matter what it brings
Don't worry 'bout a thing

Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with thoughts of Kathie. I was running like I was being chased. No jogging, flat out running. I'm sure the wind gave me a push, but my strides were wider and faster and it wasn't feeling winded like I normally would. It was a total Forest Gump moment. I ran until the wind started working against me. Then, I cried. I actually wept.

I used to loathe running. I didn't run for fun. Now I run for a reason. In the last month of Kathie's life, I begged God to take away her pain or fear and just bring her comfort. There was nothing I could do for her other than that. I offered to shave my head when she went bald, I wanted to donate bone marrow, but in all my attempts, I still felt helpless. Running is the one thing I can do even after Kathie is gone.

I don't like to use the phrase "Lost her battle with cancer"...to me Kathie won. I know that she is now eternally free from cancer.

I run because cancer sucks.

I've told my story before about why I run, but I want to remind myself about my motivation...

I was hired at Farmers Bank when Kathie had to leave because she had AML- Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Kathie became healthy enough to return to work and we became amazing friends. Kathie once said that anyone who runs for cancer, is okay in her book. After Kathie lost her battle to cancer (stupid tears are keeping me from typing), I decided I want to run for Kathie.

I started running on the treadmill, which is incredibly boring. One mile on that thing feels like an eternity. Then, I started running through Windsor. I finally ran my first 5k on Thanksgiving Day in 2009. In March of 2010, I ran my first 8k (5 miles). My finishing time was 1:01:01. 1 hour, 1 minute, 1 second...I can do better than that! My goal this year is to do it around 55 minutes...which means I have to knock a minute off each mile I run.

This years 8k will be on March 19, 2011, in Virginia Beach, at 8 AM. What do I need? I need running buddies for the next few weeks. I run better when I have someone to run with. I would also LOVE cheerleaders for race day. You don't have to run 5 miles with me. Just stand on the sideline with a poster and hoot and holler when I run by you. Then meet me at the finish line and hang out on the beach with me the rest of the day and go to lunch with me...It amazes me how much I can eat after running. So, any volunteers?

I am officially signing up with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to raise money in memory of Kathie and to get help with training for a 1/2 marathon. I'm waiting to hear about starting up a team. If anyone else is interested in running, let me know :) The Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 marathon benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. That race is September 4, 2011...and it will be my first 1/2 marathon!

So...who wants to run tomorrow? :)

Game Day foods

I know that I am going to eat a lot during the Super Bowl. I eat when my boys are doing good and when they are not doing so good. These are some of my favorite foods. (I've listed healthier options for some of the ingridients...somethings are hopeless-fattening foods.)

Sausage Dip:
1lb bulk sausage (or turkey sausage)
1 brick cream cheese (or neufchatel)
1 can rotel tomatoes
tortilla chips (they make these in whole wheat now!!!)

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Dip:
1 brick cream cheese (softened) (Or neufchatel)
3/4 cup hot sauce
1 cup ranch dressing
3 cans chunk white chicken, drained and shredded
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

-Mix cream cheese, hot sauce, and ranch dressing. Stir in chicken. Pour in a casserole dish (spray it with Pam first...you'll thank me later.) Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Mediterranean Dip:
7 oz. Hummus
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup cucumbers
4 oz. crumbled feta cheese
slice black olives.

-layer in a dish in the order of listed ingredients and serve with pita chips.

Meatballs:
1 bag frozen Italian style meatballs
1 can crushed pineapple
1 small jar grape jelly
3 jars chili sauce (near the ketchup or A-1 at the grocery store)

Cook in crock pot all day.

Taco dip:
Refried beans
Sour cream
1 lb. ground beef (ground turkey and ground chicken tastes just as good)
taco seasoning
salsa
cheese
lettuce
tomato

Mix beans and sour cream together (if you want to go without meat...add the taco seasoning to the beans and sour cream.) Put a layer of salsa, then cheese, and finish with lettuce and tomato. (If you have any other taco toppings that you like, feel free to add them. Serve with fritos. :)

The Ab Diet

My apple shaped friends will really like this blog. If you have extra belly fat, eating these foods will help blast that fat away. (The only way to get a 6pack abs is to work for them, but this will definitely help with a muffin top.)

Cereal- Not Cupcake Pebbles (one of my favorites), but a high fiber cereal that isn't jam packed with sugar. Some of the better choices are cheerios, special K, or Kashi. Cereal has fewer calories from fat than almost any other breakfast food. Cereal makes you poo. (If you aren't a cereal fan...you have other options. Keep reading.)

Eggs- They are high in protein...protein is the key here.

Instant Oatmeal- Everything I read is saying plain, but I'm not sure I could eat plain oatmeal. I'm a raisin, dates, and walnuts kinda girl.

Nuts such as peanuts and almonds. They slow the rise in blood sugar and curb hunger. I personally like the cocoa almonds, but from what I'm reading, you should eat them in as close to their natural state as possible. It even says to eat the skins around them (not the shell for anyone that is confused!).

Low-fat yogurt...again. Plain is the recommended way, but I can't do it. I can't eat greek yogurt either. I love Dannon's light and fit vanilla yogurt. (1 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup any juice, 1/2 cup ice and any fruit makes a great smoothie that can be one of your 6 "meals")

Berries-high fiber- Raspberries have the highest amount of fiber then blackberries, then blueberries. *Add these to that smoothie!*

Turkey- (With your eggs, you can have turkey bacon) Turkey has the fewest calories per ounce and it will help maintain muscle mass as you lose weight.

Here are some other staple items to add to your grocery list:

Beans and legumes, spinach and other green veggies (google how to make a "green smoothie" it uses spinach and you'll never know it!), low fat or fat free dairy...milk, cheese and yogurt, Olive oil, peanut butter *only 1-2 servings a day because of the saturated fat*, brown rice/whole grains *1-2 servings a day*, and whey powder-adds protein to your diet.

L-Carnitine- this assist in the breakdown of fat cells and to produce energy and is essential in making fatty acids available for energy in muscle tissue. $11 for 30 tablets at walmart in the vitamin section. I know about this stuff because when I worked at the vet clinic this is what is in the prescription dog food to help dogs lose weight. (Specifically the Science Diet-R/D dog food) This isn't something just for dogs. :D

Foods high in calcium inhibit calcitrol which is a hormone that stores fat. Dairy and turkey have leucine which helps fight fat. Fiber keeps your sugar levels low which keeps you from feeling hungry and it cleans you out. Protein- Your body burns about 25 calories digesting every 100 calories of protein you eat. That is the highest calorie burning food you can eat without having to do much work to work it off.

Eating foods as close to their natural state is best for you (I love a bright pink steak. Yum)

For people with big butts...the best thing I can tell you is breastfeed. (My favorite diet)

For people with big chests...I don't know. I don't have that problem. Enjoy it or surgery :D

I fell off the wagon...

Or is it I'm back on the wagon. I don't know whether I want to be on the wagon or off it, but what I'm trying to say is, I've failed miserably at getting fit. My goal weight was 135 lb. My Super Skinny Goal Weight (SSGW) is 130. (Honestly, I don't even know what I'd look like at 130, but if I set my goal weight lower than the 135, I'm hoping it'll be easier to get to the 135.

When I started blogging about this, I believe I was 143 and I needed to lose 8lbs. After a bit of work, I was down to 138lb. I was pretty satisfied because most of my size 4 jeans were fitting, so I didn't push to get rid of those last 3lbs (or 8 if I was going for SSGW). Well, Thanksgiving happened, then my birthday, then Christmas. Next thing I know, I'm up to 146.

People who are apple-shaped tend to gain weight in their belly. I'm kind of hour-glass shaped except I say that I'm hour and a half glass shaped. I've got an extra half hour on my butt. When I gain weight. I gain it in my rear. I wouldn't be sad about losing weight if I gained it in my boobs (I would actually be excited if that happened...maybe I wouldn't be able to feel my ribs anymore.) Once I realized that I had gained weight, I didn't think it was too bad...until my size 4 jeans were washed. Yep. Stupid washing machine and dryer.

I've had to ween myself off junk food. I was like a crack addict. Now, I think I'm eating like a normal human being again. I've actually lost 3 pounds! Yay! I still don't have a great desire to run, but I'm blaming that on the cold weather. With classes starting back up, I haven't had that much time to workout anyway. So, to help me get back to at least 138lb (5 away!), I've started using the kids plates for my food. Instead of eating a huge bowl of cereal, I've been eating Gracie's little bowls. It's probably the proper serving size...our bowls and plates are rather big to begin with. So, ya. that's where I'm at.

Happy Wednesday!

-Jamie

New Years Resolution???

So many people made a New Year's Resolution to either lose weight, diet, or eat better...right? I made that resolution a while back and I haven't stopped yet. This week, I am going to do a carb free week (I was going to start today, but I mind-lessly ate perogies for lunch....if you don't know what they are its mashed potatoes inside a pasta shell. Fail on all accounts.) So, starting tomorrow, no carbs. Hey. I might start with dinner tonight. Who says you have to start on a Monday morning...those are tough enough with carbs. Although, I did have scrambled egg whites and turkey bacon...you get my point. You know why I run...if you don't know, go to my entry about diagnosed back fat...it's a tear jerker. I hated running. When people say "I only run if someone is chasing me with a knife", I think...screw that...I don't want to be out of breath when I'm trying to get that knife out of your hand. BUT because I had a reason that I'm very passionate about...I started running. I wasn't even running when I started. I started at 3 mph for one mile. Then I went up to 3.5...one day I realized I could jog at 3.5 miles per hour for an entire mile. Shortly after that I was able to bump the speed up and it didn't affect me. Right now, I'm able to do run a little over 5 mph, but 6 kills me.
What do I hate more than running? Lifting weights. I'm the weakest person ever. Not only do my muscles quiver, but my joints hurt. And that is lifting 5lb weights. My elbows make me feel like my forearm will snap right off. The crazy thing. I can do yoga and hold plank for a while. My upper body is well over 5 lbs. I can even do chutarumba (who knows how to spell that for real?) which requires me to bend my elbows. So, I'm out to accomplish the task of getting muscles. Guns. Big guns. lol. My 5lb weights are getting tolerable and they hurt less and less every time I use them. I'm assuming the hurt is due to a lack of muscle to support my joints.

Inspiration
What inspires you to exercise? When I get in a rut, new workout clothes usually help, but I'm running out of room and money for exercise clothes :) Putting new songs on my IPOD also helps. I like to figure out which songs work best for what type of exercise. For instance, I'm a joker by Tom Petty is ok for walking or spinning, but terrible for running. The beat is way to slow. Here are a few songs that I like to rock out to while running:

I Only Wanna Be With You- Hootie and the Blowfish
Hey Girl- OAR
Little Things- Good Charlotte
You gotta have Faith- Limp Bizkit
How Far Do You Wanna Go- Gloriana (this song is so out of place with the other ones, but I love it)
How's It Gonna Be- Third Eye Blind (this is good for jogging slow...great for beginners)
Rock It Till You Drop It- Fefe Dobson
Gold Digger- Kanye West (I get down with this song. lol)
Shoop- Salt N Peppa
Crazy In Love- Beyonce

That'll get you about three miles :) What else inspires you? Looking at people who are in shape inspire me. Some people say watching the biggest loser inspires them. Not until they are running the marathon do I ever want to get up and workout. While they are big, I could sit there with a bucket of ice cream and watch them run til they throw up. I need to see someone with muscles. Maybe I should tape pictures in my junk food cabinet. :D

Oh BTW- Since I was so terrible at taking those poop pills, I've decided to take them again...because I gained 7 pounds since Thanksgiving. No bueno. Let's see if I can get all 4 pills down twice a day and not poop myself. lol. On that note: Yall have a great day :D

Get your dance on...

Today, I did the most fun workout ever! First, I started with pilates and ab workouts, then I popped in Denise Austin's Dance Mix. It's about 15 minutes each of Club Funk, Latin Groove, Jazz &Pop, and Ballet Sculpt. My absolute favorite was the latin dancing. Normally, I have to find something for Gracie to do, so i don't have to pause the dvd every 5 minutes, but Gracie was up dancing with me :D If you're at Tasha's wedding, you'll see me busting my new moves ;p

Also-hello 139 lb.

XOXO-Jamie

PROGRESS!!!

Ok. I went and tried on my bridesmaids dress for Natasha's wedding. It didn't look THAT bad on me...but I didn't feel that great in it. So, I decided to do a diet. A real diet. Just to lose a little weight before the wedding.
I've never successfully dieted before, so this will be a first. I decided to try to cut my carbs, since that is the biggest thing I eat a lot of. My goal is to eat under 40 a day. I'm using calorie counter on my phone to keep track of the number of carbs I'm eating daily. Yesterday, I went overboard...I ate candy corn. When I looked back at it today, that is what put me over by 50 grams of carbs. Yikes! So far, today I've had:

Breakfast- 3 eggs, onion, green pepper, swiss cheese all in an omelet w/ 2 strips of bacon- 0.9 grams of carbs!!!

Lunch- Spinach leaves, 1/4 an apple, 1/8 serving of glazed pecans (so stinkin good!), chopped onion, 1/8 of a tomato, chicken breast (from last nights supper) and Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette...for a total of 13 grams of carbs

Dinner- I had 2 porchops (with 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar on them) and 2 slices of apple (cooked them with the chops...so good!) (I also had olive oil in the pan, so it wouldn't stick.) and cauliflower with cheese. (The rest of the family had mac and cheese...and I didn't eat a single bit!!!) and that was 8 grams of carbs.

I am totally kicking this diets butt! Oh yea- Snack-1 piece of Orbit gum...1 carb.
I am at 23 carbs for the day...I'm trying to stay under 40. I'm on a roll!

I'm a competitive person and a numbers person...so I'm trying to beat my own numbers! I do the same with running. Try to finish faster or run longer. That motivates me. Also, the last time I weighed myself, I was at 145...today, 142. I doubt that three pounds was from the last three days, but, I'll give it credit for 1 lb :D

If anyone has an carb free snacks I can eat, let me know...particularly sweet. I've got the salty end covered, but I need more sweet snacks. Or even chocolate! It's prob not possible...but its worth a try!
I will be SO excited to get back into my size 4's and 6's again :D

"Look Ma, no hands!"

When I was about 12 years old, I rode my bike EVERYWHERE! Windsor's grown up a lot since then. We used to only have two stoplights in our little town. Sarah, who was I guess 8 or 9, and I used to ride all over the place. If we had a few dollars, we would ride down 258, cross 460, and eat lunch at Dairy Queen. Then with whatever change we had left, we would ride down 460 until we got to the pharmacy, where we would cross those 4 lanes again to spend our change on candy. We'd probably ride past the high school, go down Deer Path and venture back home down 258 again. I'm not sure either of our parents knew what we were doing. To think that Logan who is 8, doing that scares the crap out of me. I hate letting him ride down the path in the backyard because I can't see him past a certain point. There's not any traffic...but it still seems dangerous. However, we had to be in incredible shape to make these journeys on bike...almost on a daily basis. I know that except for the turns, I probably road without holding on to the handlebars.

Today, I rode the bike for 1 1/2 miles...and my thighs are burning. Also, I started sweating, so I took one hand off the handlebars to wipe my face and it scared me to death. One hand, ain't no joke, anymore. I starting practicing to see if I could ride one handed for a long period of time and it was really hard to do. I'm not skilled enough to ride without any hands...yet.

Also, today, I went jogging. Last Friday, Sterling and I went jogging with Gracie. She would run and then need to walk, so we'd walk. It was great. While G was napping today, I said I was going running, so Sterling decided to join me. Not fun. He kept telling me I run slow and trying to get me to pick up my pace. I told him, I'm trying to run for distance, not speed. When I did get to the point where I was tired and I wanted to walk, he kept saying, You can't stop. Stopping is for quitters. No. I'm walking. Not stopping. And walking is not for quitters. It's for people who don't want to pass out. THEN. I had to pee. What does Sterling say "Peeing is a reward for when you finish running." What? No. Peeing isn't a reward. Peeing is what I do when I have to pee. I left him running and I came back home and peed. Ok. I got some water too. I don't think I'm going to let Sterling run with me anymore. I don't want to not like him...and I'll be honest...I wanted to punch him. haha. I know he was trying to be encouraging (sidenote: running with Tasha is the same way), but I don't like that kind of running. Also, he didn't talk! I'd ask him a question and he waited til we got to the end of our run to answer. Lame. But I still love him.

(This picture is from Gracie's tea party birthday party...looks like one of the princesses is putting the moves on the butler. Haha)

After Sterling went back to the house, I did another .6 of a mile. Running by the woods is great because I know a blue cobalt won't try to hit me. On the other hand, I'm constantly scared of deer, bears (there was one in the area a few years ago...I'm sure he hasn't gone too far.), racoons, snakes. For fun, I plan my escape route. Do I run? Do I stay and fight the bear? My best idea so far has been to download the light saber app on my phone and take the animal down Yoda style. I just need to start bringing my phone with me when I run.

I was once diagnosed with back fat. True Story.

My entire adult life, I've had these softball sized knots in my lower back. Both of my sisters have them, so we think it is pretty normal...does anyone else get them? They come and go, but I've noticed that when I exercise regularly they stay away. My doctor thought they were a hormonal thing...you know how some women get bigger boobs once a month...I get bigger back fat. Haha. Well, that isn't the case. I've had people feel them and they've told me...that is a bone. That's how hard these things are. They get really big and cause pain all the way down my legs. Back when I went to the doctor, he sent me to get an ultrasound. When I went, they happened to be pretty small...about the size of a golf ball. A few days after the ultrasound, my doctor called and gave me the diagnoses. I have fatty lipomas. (Funny...spell check wants me to change the word lipoma with diploma...I could have fatty diplomas. Haha) Anyway. I have tumors that are made of fat. Great. Diagnosed with fat. No wonder why when I work out they stay away...isn't that the point of working out? To keep fat away? This isn't rocket science. (Also, the radiating pain is because it puts pressure on my sciatic nerve.) Well, the other night my kidneys were hurting. Like, it hurt when I peed...only it was in my lower back. Now, my fat back is acting up. It's been months since my fat back has hurt. I'm wondering if they are related. They are relatively in the same area...my fat back is lower than my kidneys, but they are still pretty close.

This whole week, I haven't had the energy to work out. I feel like I could sleep all day. Like I have mono...except I feel fine. Just tired. I'm going to start taking a multivitamin...I think. I stink at taking pills. I don't even take tylenol to get rid of my back fat pain. I'd just rather complain. However, I really want to train for a half marathon. OBX 1/2 marathon is in November. I can be ready by then...right?

I figured I'd share my story about why I initially started running. I've always been a fan of yoga and pilates. (Its a lot of laying down or standing still...my kind of work out. Haha) However, in 2005 I was hired at Farmers Bank. When I was shown my office, I realized there were things from someone else still in the office. A calendar with every birthday labeled. Finger nail files. Coffee cups. Simple things. There was also a box labeled "Kathies". I soon learned that the lady that had the office before me was recently diagnosed with leukemia. We would get updates pretty frequently and I was just as eager to hear how Kathie was doing...even though I never met her. She got to a point where she was able to come visit and I finally met her. A few months later, Kathie was healthy enough she was able to come back to work. I still had all of her things in her office...but it was also now my office. It wasn't big enough for the both of us, but I wanted her to be able to have her office back. They ended up doing a lot of office rearranging and Kathie and I ended up in a new office together. It was small and didn't have windows. However, it did have a dry erase board. Together we went to walmart and bought material to make curtains for our windows. We had curtains for several months out of the year.

We both instantly bonded because we had very similar personalities. We caused trouble together, "worked" together, and had a lot of fun together. We figured out how to play frisbee in our office. During this time, the bank switched its banking program. It was a very stressful time, so we thought a hula hoop would help lighten the mood. It did...we even have pictures of the president of the bank hula hooping. Well, during one of my "performances", I hula hooped while walking like a chicken and a really good looking guy walked by(he was from the company that helped us get onto the new banking system) and everyone died of laughter because of the sight of me acting like a fool in front of a stranger. The guy had a very serious personality and didn't even acknowledge us. We found out the next morning that very serious, but good looking guy ran marathons for a little girl with cancer. Kathie said "Anyone who runs for cancer is okay by me."

The week of September 11 rolled around and Kathie was extremely quiet. I didn't pry because I thought if she wanted me to know...she'd tell me. Well, on September 11, she told me that her cancer was no longer in remission. I was trying to be and optimistic because that is what I do and that is what Kathie would also do. Kathie wasn't optimistic. She said she didn't think she could go through all of it again. Of course, every song on the radio that day was a sad song (we listened to country and it was sept. 11), so I spent my day secretly crying at my desk. Kathie wasn't crying, so I didn't want her to see me crying. She left work early that day and was headed to Duke within the next couple of days. We talked on the phone a lot while she was there. I could tell that she was getting worse, pretty fast. She got to the point where she would talk and I couldn't understand anything she said.

For about a month, I cried every day. I prayed every day. I hated knowing that she was in pain. When Kathie needed a bone marrow transplant I asked how do I get tested to see if we were a match. (We had the same taste in clothes and we wore the same size clothes...surely our genetic material was going to match!) They planned on testing her sister first. I wanted to do something.
I told Kathie before she left that if she came back to work bald, then I'd shave my head to match hers. I planned on us wearing really fun scarves around our heads or crazy headbands. Kathie never got to come back to work.

I decided that I was going to run in memory of Kathie. That was the initial reason I started running. TNT is a group that trains people to run 1/2 marathons, marathons, triathlons. Since it is almost September 11, I am reminded why I wanted to run. So, I'm going to take my multivitamin and run. Run for Kathie. Because someone who runs for cancer is okay by her. :D

One piece bathing suit...

I've been looking for a cute tankini for when we go to Disney. Today, I went into NY&Co. and saw an adorable 1-piece zebra striped bathing suit and the same bathing suit as a tankini. The back of the one piece was really cute, so I decided to try it on. (I've never been a 1-piece kind of gal, so this was something new.) I go into the dressing room and try it on and the results were terrible. Terrible, terrible, terrible. My body was too tall for this bathing suit... but imagine a halter style one piece...now imagine a thong-a-tard. Like a leotard only a thong (80's workout style). That's what this bathing suit wanted to be. I of course had my own underwear on under this, but it still wanted to give me a massive wedge. Also, because it wasn't for an average height person (I'm only 5' 6"...not giant-like at all)-it wanted to completely flatten my boobs. There were cups for boobs, but maybe this bathing suit is designed for a short person with boobs at her knees (lol. hope you are painting this picture right...it doesn't make it any better, but it makes me laugh). Basically, this bathing suit was not modest or flattering at all. On the other hand, I am getting the top to the tankini. I have a solid black bikini, so the zebra top will look good with it :D Score! I didn't get the tankini today because I wanted to cry after seeing how bad that 1-piece made me look.

On the workout side of things, I'm a little bummed. I haven't been able to exercise in a good week. Insanity caused me to have severe calf pain. I think I pulled a muscle. At first it hurt all the time, but as time went it only hurt when I tried exercising. I tried running a mile the other day and I could only run 1/3 of it and had to walk the rest of it. I've been doing pilates because it doesn't bother it, but I'm determined to do Insanity again starting Monday. Maybe one day I'll be able to wear a 1-piece thong-a-tard. lol. Don't hold your breathe :D

My life lacks insanity...I think I'll had some :)

Today was day 2 of Insanity. If you've done these before let me know if this is how you started off...Ex: 30 seconds of running with the high knees...I stop at 15 sec and watch them do the other half. I just can't do any of the moves for more than a couple seconds. I'm hoping it will get better each day, but maybe I lack willpower. I don't mind the sweating, but when I get out of breath, I stop to catch it.
Tasha called me in the middle of exercising and she thought she called a 1-900 number because my breathing was so crazy. Haha. I could maybe have a side job :)
And yes, I measured myself again today. I wasn't expecting to see any differences, but how cool would it be if I did :)
That's all. It is taking too much breath to sit here and type.

Time to get in shape!

Ok. I've been a lazy bum about getting in shape. I still can't wear any of my skinny girl clothes :( Natasha is getting married in less than 5 months. I have less than one month to get skinny so I can order my bridesmaid dress. I don't mind being the biggest person in the wedding because my "competition" is Shannon who is a stick, Erica-who is a stick and has three kids (nobody likes a show off Erica. lol) and Susan who is pregnant...and she would LOVE to be smaller than me after she has a baby...that's a great confidence boost to a new mom. So I'm fine with being the biggest of all of us, but I can have fabulous arms. Also- Tasha liked this one dress and wanted me to try it on. It fit in the chest area, but wouldn't even go over my hips. I'd have to bust a few seems for that dress to work. We went up a dress size and it was so completely unflattering on my hips...so we went up another size...it was way big in the chest and still didn't fit over my big hips/butt. What's a girl to do? For the record, I like having a big butt; however, I do not like having big hips.
This time around...I'm trying insanity. First thing I did was measure myself...so here are my beginning measurements.. 33.5" bust (bust or boobs...whatever you want to call it.) I wasn't sure if I was supposed to measure the biggest part of my boobs or under them...so 33.5" is the biggest part...without a padded bra. Haha. Waist is 28 and my butt is 42"...pretty sure I need a wide load sign there. I also did my thighs which were 22.5" and my arms were 11". I'd like my thighs to lose that .5 and my arms can stay the same, but I want them to be more defined. Should I do my neck too??? Hold on. Ok. It's 13". I also measured the fatty part of my stomach (muffin top, inner tube, back fat...all names it is usually referred to), but I'm not sharing that. I wrote it down...maybe I'll tell you what it was when it gets smaller. :) Oh and that weight hasn't changed since the last post...but I don't care about that number. I only really care about the number on the inside of my jeans (true story).
All of the house guests are gone and I've been going crazy wanting to get it all clean again, but I think I'll start this insanity thing. Eek. Wish me luck :D :D :D

It has been awhile!

I know I haven't blogged in a while. Over a month really. About two weeks ago I was going to blog, but I just couldn't bring myself to it. I gained weight. I was weighing 145lb...not just one day, but every time I weighed myself. I ate all of Logan and Gracie's chocolate that I bought for Easter. Like, a whole bag of the reese's peanut butter eggs, 6 of the big cadbury cream eggs, kit kats, 8 mini caramel cadbury eggs, snickers bars...yea...in about a weeks time. 145 lbs. I couldn't even get my size 4 pants over my hips. I had to go buy one pair of size 8's (I didn't even try on 6's...I knew they wouldn't work). I was worried that if I wore fitted clothes people would think I was pregnant. I had back fat and side fat...bad. One day I hit a low; a I'm going to be 160lb, size 12 in a matter of months, kind of feeling. If you weigh that much I'm not saying you are over weight, but that is not a good weight for me. The weather was warmer, so I went running. I couldn't run like I did last summer. I couldn't even do half the distance I did last summer. I ran until I couldn't run, then I walked. The minute I felt like I could run again, I did...even if it was for 5 feet before I stopped. I did that for 2.25 miles.

The day after that my stomach muscles hurt...from running. Never have they hurt from running. I did yoga that day. Then I ran again the next day, using the same method as the first day. I did this for maybe 5 days.

The day before my 8k, I weighed 141. Wanda (shout out to Wanda!) was my running partner. We started out at a great pace. Everyone was passing us, but it didn't matter. We were at the 1 mile marker before we knew it. No walking, all running. By the time we got to the 2 mile marker we were passing people. A lot of people. We were passing 13 year old boys. People were cheering for us on the sideline. I was cheering for us as we ran. I would randomly start cheering or shout what mile we were on and tell everyone we were almost done. It was pretty fun. I was cheering for the people passing out water (I loved them!) I was doing great...Mile 4 my body wanted to walk. Wanda was still wanting to run. I didn't want to walk but my body was begging for me to walk. Then this old lady came by telling everyone to follow Old Glory. I belted out, very loud and very much off key, God Bless America. A few others joined in. That got me another 1/2 mile, but then I wanted to walk again. I overheard this mom with her son. He wanted to quit and walk in the last 1/2 mile. She told him, Everyone is cheering at the finish line. Let them see you running. Don't let them see you walk. Why was I going to let everyone think I walked? I picked up my pace a little and made it that final stretch! I was so proud to go 5 miles and even though I wanted to quit, I didn't. Thanks Wanda for not letting me think I could walk!!! I'm looking forward to the next race!!! :D
The day of the run, I ate like a pig the rest of the day. I couldn't get enough to eat. Other than that day, I have not been snacking. I've eaten breakfast, lunch, dinner. The thought of eating a whole candy bar makes me feel sick. I'm now down to 139 lb. 4 or 5 lb to go! And...I can wear my size 4's again. I still have some side and back fat, but I'm still working on that.

My favorite exercise I have done so far has been this Kelly Ripa workout. The thing that caused the most pain to my body was leg raises. Stand next to your kitchen table. Lean over and place your right forearm on the table. Put your left hand on your left hip. Lift your left leg so it is parallel to the floor. Hold it there and pulsate it up for two minutes (I can only do 1 min, but the instructions say 2). When you are finished switch legs. After that, lean on the table with both arms and lift your right leg directly behind you so it is parallel to the floor and pulsate it for 2 min then switch legs. I promise, your butt and legs will hate you the next day.

Also- I was asked if I was interested in running the special olympic torch from suffolk to smithfield. Farmers Bankers...I expect to see you guys at the road giving me water. :D I'm pretty excited about taking part in that! I'm not sure of details yet, but when I hear more, I'll share.

This was long and overdue!
Have a great week :)

I am a chocolate whore...sorry Mom and Dad.

It's true...if I could shoot it into my veins, well, I wouldn't do that. Then I would be shooting up with chocolate and eating it. Not too mention eck. For Valentines Day, Sterling bought me the biggest box of Hershey's Pot of Gold he could find. Actually, I found it and told him I wanted it, but you get the picture. Valentine's Day was Sunday...the chocolates are gone (Tuesday). All of them. I don't even like dark chocolate, but no chocolate vs dark chocolate...clearly DC wins. Besides, if you chase the dark chocolate with milk you end up with milk chocolate...am I right or am I right?

Last week, Sterling had his annual health exam with the State Police. His cholesterol is high. Both of his parents have trouble with theirs, so I'm sure some of it is hereditary. I know delicious steak doesn't help, but he is a state trooper...we don't eat steak too often. I googled what type of diet we should go on to reduce his cholesterol...cut out red meat and eat more fish and eat a high fiber diet. High fiber diet=pooping. I stopped taking the poop pills a while back, but this should give similar results. I'm not a fish eating person, but I do like mahi mahi (I know its dolphin...whatever). Sterling said he only eats fish that he catches...well, if I'm going to eat fish, I'm going to have to buy it. I'm funny like that. I don't like eggs straight out of the chickens butt...I prefer to buy them at food lion. Any ideas on how I can cook fish so it doesn't taste, well, like fish. And what are some good non-fishy fish? I plan on keeping my husband around til the whole "Til death do us part" and I don't plan on that happening anytime soon.

32 days until the 8k. I ran 2 miles today and did 10 on the stationary bike. I hope it is warmer in 32 days, I hate running when I'm cold.

Officer, it wasn't my fault.

Yesterday was not a good dieting day. Sterling ate cake for breakfast, which made Gracie want cake also. She already had breakfast, so I figured...a little piece of cake won't hurt her. The smell of it was so delicious. I wanted a piece so bad. I opted for licking the knife instead. I didn't cut my tongue, so I consider it a success. It was better than eating a piece of cake for breakfast right?

I did great not eating any snacks, then around 11 Erica called because Camron (also known as Acornn) needed to go to the hospital for stitches in his thumb. I grabbed Gracie and went straight over to her house. Erica's daycare kids were having spaghetti. I fixed everyone a plate and saved a little for myself. I was getting ready to fix my plate when I heard someone knocking on her front door. I go and answer and what do you know...another kid. Of course he hasn't had lunch, so I give him my spaghetti. He's lucky...one more minute and that spaghetti was mine! Erica came back home about 1:30. She had to stop at the pharmacy and drop off a prescription...and she brought me a carmello...my FAVORITE candy bar :) I didn't eat it right away, although I was starving! I decided to stop at Burger King (because it is open now!) My heart was screaming...get the Hershey Pie! I knew I had the candy bar so I didn't get it. Instead I ordered a whopper jr, small order of french fries and a small coke. It smelled SO good. I grab my burger and what do you know...they gave me a whopper. No Jr. I ate almost all of it and I didn't eat the fries...waste of money. That shows strength. I'm improving. I did scarf down the candy bar after the burger.

Since, I had a high calorie lunch (and honestly I didn't have time for dinner) I ate a sandwich for dinner. A whole 300 calories...which isn't bad. When I came home, I ate that piece of cake I wanted for breakfast. :-/