A Journey to Fit & Fast

Sometimes you just come across things that bring back memories, nostalgia, and lots of interesting other emotions. This bad boy, below, did that for me today. This gem dates all the way back to 2003, when I was a high school senior, only 17. It is the first weight journal that I got upon joining Weight Watchers. It brings back memories of being tired of how I looked and felt, and feelings of excitement to start a journey with my then best friend.  It reminds me of where I came from, and of the 10 year journey to FINALLY win the battle within myself to just be healthy and happy. I think we spend a lot of extra energy trying to figure out what will just make us 'this much happier/thinner/wealthier/whatever the internal thought of the day is.' I thank God for the journey that I've been on for the last 10 years, because it helps give me the daily perspective that yes I could be healthier/skinnier/fatter/wealthier/whatever, but I will NEVER get this moment back again. This...

The greatest compliment to me is when someone sees the success that I've had in making major lifestyle changes, and asks me to help them do the same. What a great confidence booster and what a great chance to help someone out (while also offering accountability!).  Recently I had a family member ask this of me, and here's what I told her (with a few things added in-because I know she will read this): 1) Make small changes: each small change adds up to larger change. Changing everything ALL at once can make it that much easier to slide back into old habits. 2) Move your body-we forget how much we were designed to move. Our ancestors moved more hours in the day than we do in a week (quite literally). It was designed to move, and you'll feel better if you do it. 3) Build a support system-accountability is key. If you tell the entire world you are eating healthy and working hard at something, they will ask you how you're doing and hold you up if you're feeling wea...

It's interesting looking back on 13.1 miles. It is a lengthy distance to have completed. And now, I have two under my belt. I repeated the IMT Des Moines Half Marathon again just yesterday. It had me thinking about how I measure success in this situation. I successfully ran the 13.1 miles, without walking or stopping. Success! I successfully trained harder, and in a more healthy fashion. Success! I did finish about 8 minutes slower this year. STILL Success, because I trained wiser and gained more mental fortitude in the training. I got progressively faster and finished the second half of the race 30 seconds per mile faster than the first half. Success!! This year, I had the immense pleasure of training with some amazing people, who quite literally (Travis) walked into my life randomly. Thankfully he did, because it has been a cascade of meeting amazing and inspiring people since then. Success!! :-) With their help, guidance and company on our long runs, I was able to train smarte...

This week (half marathon taper week) has been an interesting challenge to me. I am not running much, as I should appropriately not be, and yet my appetite has remained in hyper mode. Luckily I've maintained my weight, as I've followed this a little more closely on the scale to ensure I'm not going overboard. And because I'm not as active, I have more time to sit and contemplate. I come to realize the themes for this week are "just give it all you've got," followed closely by "do what you can." This works in lots of areas of life: careers, exercise (ie endurance sports), proper eating habits, and general life changes.  I've been trying to eat lunches that contain no meat and incorporate forms of protein of natural sources, such as black beans, quinoa, etc into my daily diet. I'm 'doing what I can' with my diet this week, and trying to 'give it all I've got,' while still remaining human. On Sunday, I will certainly giv...

I'm not sure if any of you are like me, but I struggle sometimes with getting in a 'breakfast slump.' I tend to have the same things A LOT, and that gets boring. And we all know that getting bored is the first step in making less healthy choices or 'falling off the wagon.' This week I have been having a sort of deconstructed omelette for breakfast, because I am trying to get more veggies into my morning routine. I have been taking about a half cup of spinach, putting an egg directly over it, putting a touch of salt and pepper and microwaving it for 1 minute. I put it on a piece of bread or a mini bagel with just a touch of cheese and it is so super delicious! And fast, which makes life easier for everyone. Try it out, I promise you won't be disappointed. Have a happy and healthy Friday everyone!

I know as well as anyone that time is a huge commodity in the society that we live in. I happen to be a mom, wife, and a full time nurse/sidekick to a doctor in a crazy busy orthopaedic surgeon practice. It is of course overwhelming considering the obligations of all of those individual roles, and it can certainly make my healthy living a challenge. I cannot speak enough though on how much being prepared has helped me along my journey (battle?) that is weight loss/maintenance. The preparation that I speak of is regarding meals, or having quick and easy options available at a moments notice throughout the week.  I have been much better about this lately, and it is paying off because I'm not jumping to unhealthy 'easy' choices because I am surrounded by healthy easy choices also. Of course this is not always easy to find time, but with a little time investment I find a HUGE payoff in my weekly eating. Here is what I did today in preparation for the week ahead (and the tim...

This week I have had time to think (the first week I've had any time to do so in a while), and it has made me think about how I am transitioning as a runner. Last year, I started running races (starting with 5k's) and decided to the IMT half marathon and train for that. Last year, my focus was about speed. It was getting through the miles, but also getting through them at a pace I found acceptable. My average pace for races last year was about 7:45-8:00 miles. This year, I've been slower. And just recently through thinking about it, I've discovered that this is ok in my mind's eye. I average a 8:15-8:45 minute mile race pace. It's ok because I am both a better runner, and a runner who has more attention on nutrition and hydration while I'm running this year, which I believe helps to keep me healthier outside of my races. So, I suppose the moral of the story is that life transitions, and changes-and those changes are ok. After all, life isn't a spri...

Today has me reflecting on lots of different things, most memorably my great transition to health and wellness. 1 1/2 years ago I decided I had had enough of being overweight and unhealthy (and fighting the lifelong battle with myself to get "skinny"). I started eating right, with the help of Weight Watchers and started running (albeit 30 second increments at a time). It dawned on me this morning that this means I have maintained a 60'ish pound weight loss for 1 1/2 years, and it dawned on me that it's ok for me to be damn proud of that. Those pounds will never come back, much in part to my running and focusing on more healthy choices than unhealthy ones (thanks Steph for that analogy). Thus, this morning, I think I completed the mental transition from 'who I used to be' to who I am now and who I am meant to be. I am meant to be healthy and fit (not skinny), and someone who focuses on healthy, wholesome food for my body (and conveniently for my family). This...

I decided to mix up my workout today (from the standard running) because a) it was raining and b) I wanted to avoid the gym this morning. And truth be told I was getting a little bored of my days off running always being elliptical days. So.....I broke out my old "Biggest Loser Cardio Max" DVD this morning. Now, I'm a pretty fit person (or so I delude myself enough to think) but I honestly forgot what a total body cardio workout entailed. And how supremely difficult and refreshing they can be. Truth be told, I got my booty handed to me (and LOVED every minute of it).  I think the lesson I learned today is that there is always a new way to challenge oneself (even if it is revisiting old treasures), and the thing that keeps an active lifestyle fun is variety! I had a great morning with Bob and Jillian (The Biggest Loser Trainers), and will certainly keep this up until the mood strikes to try something else new (or again)!  Have a great, fit and fabulous Tuesday! ...

The story of me Someone suggested recently that I write my weight loss journey, because they viewed as an inspirational one. Let me set the stage and give some backstory. I have, from as far back as I can remember (and with picture proof of this being the case) been an overweight person. I had what some would consider a tumultuous childhood, with lots of emotional challenges. We lived on a farm, and nutrition was never really discussed or taught in our household. As per my mother, I learned to eat when I was happy/sad/fill-in-the-blank. We also were that “clean your plate” family.   I specifically remember hitting 200 pounds around the age of 12, and do not ever recall getting below that point until I joined Weight Watchers for the first time in the fall of 2002.  So, to say that I have fought being overweight my entire life is an understatement.   I have joined, and parted ways about 6 times with Weight Watchers, even having made ‘Lifetime’ o...