Designing my resolutions

It's been a few days since I've posted, with the hustle and bustle of the holidays surrounding us. Surprisingly I had a lot of quiet time to myself in the past week and have used it to really start considering my short (2012) and long term health & fitness goals. I plan to fine-tune my thoughts and post on that in my next blog!


But now for a quick holiday review! I did it -- the week prior to Christmas I got in 5 work outs! I've been going to the gym (Fort Sanders Health & Fitness) more than when I started training, and it helps keep me motivated. There's something about being in a group of people who are all sweating to help keep you going. One day I remember glancing over at the gentleman on the bike beside me - he was maybe 60+ years old, had been on the bike longer than I had, but had gone a shorter distance. I thought, "look at me, ahead of this guy," and then I realized he was just in his warm up! Before I knew it he was cycling over 75 rpm! Sheesh. Instead of letting him get the best of me (mentally) I kept up with him, even cycling on the interval setting. It was probably unfair to him that he didn't realize we were competing ... but it gave me the push I needed! lol


My goal for the coming week is to really start some upper body and core strengthening into my workout. I'm really looking forward to our group training sessions that will start in January.


As far as Christmas was concerned, I feel good about what I did and what I ate. Sure there were a few splurges here and there (2 cookies on Christmas to be exact ... but it was homemade rugula and it was worth every carb). I made a really yummy Greek dip with hummus, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes & kalamata olives (finally something productive from pinterest!) that I took to Christmas at my folks house. It was so yummy that I took a 2nd batch back for night 2 of our festivities.


I got some great fitness related holiday gifts, that I'm really excited about! New headphones (that double as blue tooth if needed), and an armband holder thingie for my iphone for when I'm walking/shuffling/running. I also got a great new pair of running gloves -- which will really come in handy tonight since I'm planning on some outside training! And, thankfully, some gift certificates to go buy some new clothes. My pants (even the ones I bought 2 weeks ago) have started to look completely, and ridiculously big. Yesterday at work I had no fewer than 4 people tell me I needed new pants. While I appreciate them noticing ... it's frustrating and exhilarating at the same time! lol 


Well, off to work (my Friday for the week)! Hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful week! 

Fa la la la la la la la la

Wow, it's been quite a week. The week before Christmas always seems to be one of the longest and the shortest all at once! Funny how that can happen, isn't it? I both love this time of year and loathe this time of year. My husband works retail so last night was the first time that he and I were both in the same place, both awake, for about an hour or so. Christmas is his only day off this week.


I remember when I was younger how fun Christmastime always seemed! It was usually the one time of year that all of my siblings and I were in the same place at the same time. Despite where school, families, and travels took us, Christmas was when we were all home...even if for just a day. 


As an adult it seems that I spend most of this season stressing about getting my year-end work finished, shopping for the perfect gifts, and what casserole I'm going to bring to Christmas dinner. Usually little things like traffic, rude shoppers, and even my husbands' work schedule stress me out to the max in December ... however, this week I'm really not that stressed. I contribute this low stress holiday week to several things: 

• Exercise! OK, I know that was the obvious one! It's really becoming a habit. Even when I take my coveted "off days," I feel like I should be doing something. Almost guilty for taking a day off (even though I know my body needs a break). I'll admit it -- this week, exercise-wise, has been a tough one. I'm been hurting a lot. My feet don't like me this week...and I've been on them most of the week. So at the gym I've been taking Coach Kane's advice and doing things like the bike that are less impact on my feet. 
• Planning ahead! Planning ahead with my meals has been incredibly helpful! Each night before I get ready for bed I've been planning out what would be for breakfast, and what I would take for lunch, and even my snacks. I've realized that when I'm prepared with the good things that I know I can eat ... I'm less tempted to eat the things I shouldn't. I'll admit it -- I did have 1 piece of chocolate out of the huge box someone brought to work last week. And I did have a delicious macaroon that one of my co-workers made. But, in the grand scheme of things I haven't wanted all of the sweets and tasty treats that are in abundance this time of year! Mind over matter, right?!
• I've also planned ahead with buying holiday gifts this year -- which has been a huge stress reduction!               Working with our budget I have bought things steadily since last month, and will head out shortly to pick up the last few things I need, and do some grocery shopping! One of my biggest personal victories is that I got all of the out-of-town gifts packaged up and send way ahead of time (Arlington, Phoenix, Nashville, Maryland and Kentucky)! Anyone who's stood in line at the post office this time of year knows that is a HUGE win)!
• Thankfulness! I am so thankful for many things. I'm thankful for this amazing opportunity that I've been given to participate in this Biggest Winner program. It's given me the motivation and tools to work on something that I've never been fully prepared to tackle. I'm thankful for my health. Even if I'm not the healthiest person around -- I'm making progress! I'm thankful for my family's health. I have so many friends and co-workers who are struggling right now with personal or familial health issues. Some whose bodies are healing from surgeries, some spending the holiday season battling cancer, and some hospitalized for other maladies. Their struggles make me realize even more clearly that I need to be thankful for what I have and take care of myself. 

Wow, OK, this blog has gotten a little more serious than I'd intended -- but I really wanted to share those things. I'll close this one out with a few more little inspirational tidbits I found on (you guessed it) Pinterest.com. I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, or is having a wonderful Hanukkah, Festivus, Kwanza, or whatever you prefer to celebrate. Be thankful for the blessings in your life, even if you've spent years taking them for granted! 

Planning ahead

I feel like my main goal for the week is going to be planning ahead! 


Planning ahead to carve out time for my workouts, and planning ahead to combat yummy holiday foods!


Saturday night we went to a holiday party with friends, and before I went I ate a salad (hoping to fill up a bit). But of course, for the remainder of the evening, while surrounded by wonderful friends, I was surrounded by wonderful tasty morsels. One good side note - this group of friends usually has some very yummy, and healthy treats, and this year proved no different! Hummus, veggies, and my favorite homemade tomatilla salsa! But, b/c it was a party and I drank water (no libations), and graciously sampled the delicious cheesecake dip (several times)! 


Last night was my father-in-law's birthday celebration at Olive Garden (yum!)! Knowing that pasta & bread are two of my weaknesses I searched ahead of time for some nutritional info for Olive Garden. Didn't have to search far -- they have it on their website! OK, are you ready? One of those delicious buttery breadsticks counts as 2 services of carbs. Yes, 2 servings!! Let's not even go into the amount of fat, calories, etc!! 
Even the salad (what heavenly dressing) has carbs and fat! A salad with fat?!!?  I checked out my favorite dish (portabella ravioli). Usually I order this, eat half and bring half home, filling the void with bread sticks and salad! Not last night. Last night I had 1 bread stick (yes, you CAN eat just one), salad, and minestrone soup. It was yummy, and I filled up! 


Skipping back ... Saturday's training walk/shuffle/run was 5 miles! It was a great 5 miles (I have a blister to prove it). I admitted something to myself that I hadn't before. Until now I've said I'm training for the 5K. It's official folks ... the goal is ... cross the line of the half marathon! It might quite possibly be the slowest half marathon EVER...but my goal is to finish. I'm not trying to break any records, except my own. They may be shutting down the lights in Neyland Stadium when I get there ... but I'll get there! 


Thanks, again, to everyone who has been reading and encouraging! I really appreciate your support! 

How many push ups can you do?

Last night I went back to Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center to complete my Fit Test. Last night's portion was what I like to call the "Presidential Fitness Test" portion. Who remembers those days in elementary school -- tortured by sit and reach, sit ups, rope climbing and pull ups?! I do. I can still feel the rust beneath my fingers on the chin up bar at Sequoyah Elementary! Yikes! 

Needless to say the Fit test was a bit more refined (no pull ups)! :) I had to walk on the treadmill wearing a heart monitor for about 10 minutes. The first minute was no incline, and low speed, the next 3 minutes was increased incline and speed, and the remainder was additional increase in incline. The test was measuring my Maximal Oxygen Consumption. I don't really think that maximal is a word...but I'm reading straight from the Fitness Evaluation print out. 

"Maximal VO2 (maximal oxygen consumption) is the maximal rate at which oxygen can be taken up, distributed and utilized by the working muscles during physical activity. It depends on the efficiency of the heart to pump the needed blood, the lungs to oxygenate blood and remove carbon dioxide, and the musculoskeletal system, which utilizes oxygen to help convert circulated and stored carbohydrates (glucose and glycogen) and fast to energy, for muscle contraction."

My VO2 Max was 36.97. I am happy to report that this is one test I pass! I'm actually in the high average/low above average range! The disclaimer is that I have a really high resting heart rate (b/c I'm out of shape), so I didn't have as far to go to reach my target heart rate. Anyway ... that's all symantics...I'm going to take this win and hope to see it in the "Well Above Average" during my next Fit test!

On to flexibility. I have none. This flexibility is measured by the old fashion sit and reach test. My flexibility measured at 13 inches. Average for my age is 18-19 inches. I'm sure when I lose some more weight in my mid region I'll be much more flexible! I'm working on that and my stretching!

On to push ups. Ladies, how long has it been since you've done push ups? The modified, knees bent kind of course? Well, for me, it has to have been at least ten years! Ideally for my age I should've been able to do 21-27 push ups. I know, I'm still laughing, too! Well, I did 14!! Honestly I didn't think I'd make it past 4, but I did! My arms feel like jello-o this morning, but I know strength training will help improve this aspect of my Fit test.

Needless to say the Fit Test has been an eye opening experience, and I look forward to doing an updated Fit Test in a few months to see my progress! 

In other news ... I'm still working on adding more carbs into my diet! I'll actually be able to make it to the grocery store tonight to restock on some healthy items! I haven't been able to shop since I met with the dietitian. I'm very excited about trying some new products she recommended, as well as looking for some new ideas for snacks, etc. 

Also, drinking water continues to be something I have to consciously make an effort to do. Last week I bought 2 (1 liter) water bottles. I keep them both filled up (1 at home, 1 with me). My goal is to finish them both in a day. Yesterday I exceeded that goal! Baby steps, folks.

Thanks to everyone who has been checking out my blog. Since I started documenting my journey I've had over 1000 page views! I appreciate everyone's support, and encourage you to leave comments, and "follow" my blog! 

It's all in the numbers

This morning I had my highly anticipated first meeting with Barbara, the dietitian at Covenant Weight Management Center. I went to the appointment with mixed feelings of nervousness, excitement, fear, and anxiety. My teammates who had already had their initial appointments had come away with varying experiences, so I really had no idea how the visit would go.


The visit was wonderful. It was eye opening, and the perfect refresher course on nutrition that I needed. For a long time I've viewed carbs as the enemy, and have tried to limit them. For the simple fact that I am a carb addict I've always felt that if I kept them under control I would be healthier. Well, today was a big wake up call.


Let's rewind a little back to the summer. I started limiting my calories and my carbs. While I've seen some weight loss from the change, I didn't make any changes when I increased my activity level. So, instead of adjusting my diet appropriately a month ago when we started walking & working out, I kept up my old routine. 


Well, today Barbara explained to me that my body has been trying to protect me from myself. Since I haven't been fueling it properly (kept my diet around 1000 calories a day with only 2-3 carbs), and I have increased my activity by like 500%, my body is thinking that it needs to keep my fat around so that I don't die. The good news is ... I have enough fat to keep me alive for awhile. The bad news is ... I have enough fat around to keep me alive for awhile! :) 


My new food plan ... no counting calories. Really?! Nuh uh!! Yup, when you're reading everything else on the label and eating what you should the calories should fall into place. The only calorie rule is that a meal should have no fewer than 200 calories (my breakfasts and lunches for the past several months have been around 180 calories each). 


My ideal fruit, veggie & protein portions are all pretty much in check with my current eating habits. And Sodium goal 1500 mg or less a day. 


And now for my new carb plan ... 3 for breakfast, 3 for lunch, 1 for afternoon snack, 3-4 for dinner, and 1 for bedtime snack. 12 servings of carbs a day?! I'm still in shock. I'm actually still planning on how to work that all in! 


Barbara's review of food labels with me was absolutely the most helpful part of our appointment. I'm sure I'll carry this handout around with me the next few times I go to the store ... but it's a huge help. 


Some important things to look at when reading food labels:

• How big is the serving size? This can be sneaky! I spot-checked a few things in our pantry when I got home ... and Barbara was right ... some of them are sneaky! I even had my husband reading labels at dinner, when he realized 1 serving of club crackers was only 4 crackers. 4 crackers?! Sheesh.
• Total Fat: Ideally for me with weight loss (and probably a good rule of thumb) 5 grams or less a serving
• Saturated fat: Ideally 2 grams or less
• Trans Fat - 0
• Sodium: Ideally 300 mg or less
• And -- the more fiber, the better!!  More fiber gives you some credit with your carbs. For example If something has 30 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of fiber ... you only have to count the 24 carbs (30-6)!

Today was also my first weigh-in, exactly a month from our intro day when we did our publicity shots and first met each other. The good news is that I'm down 1.5 pounds. The even better news is that with the proper fuel, and new food plan, hopefully next month it'll be a greater weight loss. 

The week that would never end ...

Ever have those weeks that by the time you get to Tuesday you feel like it should already be Friday? I've felt like that since Monday! Tonight I'm exhausted, but it's a "good tired," not a "I'm going to pass out on my face kind of tired." 


Since my last post I had my initial fit test at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center - although for some reason we didn't finish the entire thing so I'm going back Wednesday to do Part 2. After I met with the exercise physiologist he gave me a brief tour of the cardio-theatre area of the gym. I have to say -- the realm of exercise entertainment has really progressed since I was last a member in a gym! They have a few bikes that you can dock your iphone/ipod into, and watch content on your phone on the screen of the bike...or, if you'd rather, you can play a game from the bike collection, such as solitaire! lol  I know, I know, not what I should be focusing on about the gym ... but, how cool is that! I like any distraction that will take my mind off of how hard I'm working!! 


This afternoon our team was on Live at Five at Four on WBIR. One Fridays the show films live from Market Square, so it was a fun change of pace. I hate that not all of our teammates could be there -- but one, actually had to be at WBIR to produce the show! I'm glad that they got to do a cut in of her during the segment!  I don't think there's a link to today's segment yet, but I'll keep checking to post for you guys to see.


Pretty exciting stuff. In Monday's Knoxville News Sentinel the Covenant Healthwise page will also feature our team. Be sure to check it out. You can also check out some additional info about our team, as well as links to some of my teammate's blogs here: www.covenanthealth.com/biggestwinner. There's also some of our fun publicity shots that we did during our first meeting together over a month ago. 


In other exciting news, after I left Market Square I headed to New Balance to pick up my new shoes. I took them for a little spin once I got home, and they felt great! I even ran a few intervals. Now when I say "ran," I really mean more of a "shuffle." I'm sure if anyone in the neighborhood saw me there would be much laughter. But, hey, who cares! Felt good, and making progress! 


Sorry I'm skipping all over the place, but that's how my brain is working today. Since our meeting with our trainer/life coach Chris earlier this week, I've been thinking a lot about my goals. I've always been very goal oriented when it comes to work. So it's been an interesting thought process to sort through personal goals. My #1 goal is: Cross the finish line on April 1, 2012. 


In June of this year I weighed 265.5 pounds. On the first day of our training I weighed in at 249 pounds. I've come a long way, even though I'm just beginning. This brings me to Goal #2: Be happy with my progress. I want to continue to celebrate my victories, even if they are small. I want to celebrate daily the task I'm undertaking, and be proud of myself. I want to be proud of myself even when I have a bad day, and don't exercise, or eat something I shouldn't. I want to eliminate self doubt. 

My 3rd goal is a little different ... instead of the goal being to lose weight, my goal is to lose my old habits. I'm trying to build new fitness habits that will help me succeed in achieving better health. Building new habits shouldn't be too difficult since there weren't many old ones to get rid of! :)


I'm working on more goals, but thought I'd share these.  I'll leave you with a few inspirational tidbits from, where else, Pinterest! I love these. Thanks for checking out my blog, I appreciate everyone's support! 

I am the author of my own story

Today was a long day, but a good long day. After work I had my runner/walker evaluation with Phil at Parkwest Therapy Services. This was an optional tool for us to take advantage of as part of our team training. I was eager to see what he had to say, given my plethora of orthopedic maladies. I really enjoyed our session, and learned a great deal about body mechanics, and what I can do to strengthen my body core in order to protect my knees and my feet. He had some very helpful suggestions for the ideal shoes I need (good stability), and recommendations for strengthening my left hip & IT band on both sides. 


After my runner evaluation we had our first group goal setting session with our trainer Chris O'Hearn. This was really the first time we've spent with Chris, other than our brief meeting during our kick-off day. Chris is a personal trainer at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center, and also a life coach. You can check out his website, Strong Within here. I think he's going to be an incredible influence on our team. 


Chris reminds me of Coach Kane, in that he is just a ball of energy! He talks a mile a minute (which is good, b/c that's the speed at which I listen), and you can tell he's really passionate about helping people realize that they are the authors of their own stories. If you can dream it, you can be it. I knew I liked him when he quoted Yoda, "Do or do not, there is no try." 


More excitement to come tomorrow night -- my Fit Test at the Fitness Center! I'll keep you posted! 

A great day for 4!

This morning I met up with Coach Missy Kane & most of my teammates for a training walk/run with the Knoxville Track Club! This morning's meet up was at the Runners Market in West Knoxville in its new location next to the Fresh Market in Farragut. Our goal (Biggest Winner team) was to up our longest distance by about half a mile...which took me and some others at 4 miles. Our route took us across Kingston Pike, and further down Campbell Station. 


Observations from today's walk:

• The sidewalk was a much harder (literally) surface on which to walk, and I felt it. 
• Knoxville Track Club members continue to be so supportive of our teams' efforts! They're so encouraging! So many of those I've met have their own amazing weight loss stories! Everyone started somewhere! 
• People who litter suck! I mean, for real, folks. The amount of trash I saw along the sidewalk was just disgusting. 
• My teammates are amazing! Everyone's got their own reason for our journey as part of the Biggest Winner team.
• Sometimes silence is amazing! At one point we'd all set our own pace and I was walking by myself. It was so nice to have that time to think about my day, my weekend, my week.
• We have an awesome coach! Missy Kane has more energy than anyone else I know! I don't know how she does it! But she inspires me! 

Some pics that Missy took from today's meet up.

Keeping warm before heading out! 

The Knoxville Track Club group!

New location of Runners Market! Next to Fresh Market in Farragut - check it out! 

Our team! 

If you haven't figured it out yet, Coach Missy loves to take pics (and I'm glad she does)! She had us pause during our walk to show off the scenery! 

Today was a great day! It felt good to push myself, and know I was OK. Yes, I'm a little sore after the walk (mainly my feet) ... but, for the most part, I feel great! 

Odd and ends... and fear of falling

I feel like a slacker, but I finally scheduled my intro Fit Test at Fort Sanders Health & Fitness Center (FSHFC) today. It's not until next week, but it least it's finally on the books. I have this bad habit of not doing things if I don't write them down, or create a reminder on my outlook calendar. Yesterday when I left work I put a sticky note right in the middle of my desk reminding me that today I needed to call and schedule my Fit Test. It is now done! 


I'm one of those people who tend to be more productive the more things I have on my plate. If that's the case then next week is sure to be a winner of a  week! 


Tuesday after work I have my walker/runner evaluation with a physical therapist, then later that evening I've got our first team meeting with our trainer and life coach Chris O'Hearn at FSHFC. Wednesday after work I've got my Fit Test at FSHFC. Thursday a festive holiday celebration with current & past team members, and then Friday a team appearance on Live at Five at 4. Then the following Monday I finally have my appointment with the dietitian at Covenant Weight Management Center. Yes, I'm already tired thinking about it all! 


I know many of you saw the link I posted on Facebook to the MTV show that featured an appearance by Chris O'Hearn. If you didn't get a chance to see it, it's now available here. If you've ever struggled with weight loss, it's definitely a must-see.


While working on building exercise as a habit in my life, I've been thinking more and more about if I can do this. If I can actually follow through with what I've started. Honestly, it still scares the hell out of me to think about where I'll be by April. Today I asked myself the question, "why have I never run before?" 


The simple answer - realistically and metaphorically - I've been afraid of falling. I've had so many injuries in my past, and I'm clumsy, so there's the survivalist fear of falling down and going boom. OK, worst case scenario, I end up in the hospital or dead (the previous is more likely). I work in healthcare, my friends will take excellent care of me. Mentally, if I set myself up for failure, I'll fail. If I convince myself that I can succeed, I will. If I "fall" metaphorically along the way, I've got a great support team of friends, family, and my new teammates to help me pick up the pieces, and keep working.


A few more nuggets of inspiration from my favorite time waster, Pinterest.

And my personal favorite, especially with my sesamoiditis...

Thanksgiving: Day Three

Today is day 3 of Thanksgiving festivities, visiting with the last of the family who is in town for the holiday. Three days, three households, a ton of food. I was afraid with the busyness of the week that I might not get in my 5 days of exercise that I'd hoped ... but I surprised myself! My walk this morning makes six days of exercise for this crazy holiday week! 


I'm proud of myself! I made it a priority every day ... even if it was just twenty minutes... to get it done! Since most of this week's exercise has been walking in our neighborhood Belle is certainly enjoying it, too! 
My pedometer has been acting up a bit so I found a cool app for my iphone - it's called iMapMyWALK. It's pretty cool - keeps track of distance, time, and via the gps it'll even map the route you're walking or running. Pretty cool. I also like it because it'll log all of your workouts if you choose, helping you see progress in your time, distance, etc. 


I hope everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. This year I have many things to be thankful for, including this opportunity for a healthy lifestyle. I appreciate everyone's support! 

Making new habits during the holidays

Is everyone else feeling the stress of a short work week, and too much cooking, baking, and other holiday festivities, and not enough hours in the day to get it all done? Don't get me wrong - I love the holidays and a few days off, but sometimes the preparation seems a little more stressful than it should be! 


And then adding in our pre-training for the Biggest Winner team, and there's another commitment I'm trying to juggle with all of the other holiday stuff. My goal during this holiday season, to make it to our official training start in January without completely burning out is one-step-at-a-time. I know it's not realistic to expect myself to develop the perfect activity habits in a matter of weeks. I know myself, and know if I jump into things way to fast, and get burned out, that it's harder for me to get re-motivated. 


So my goal until our full-time training starts in January is at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 days a week. Some days it may be more, some days it may be less. But I've decided to be proud of myself for making this a habit, and not discourage myself that I'm not doing enough.


I've been not doing enough for over 30 years ... so I am laying the foundation of my new set of activity habit.


Since the weather was really crappy last night, and I knew once I finally made it home I wouldn't want to go back out to do much of anything, my husband brought home a different activity game for us to try together, since the Zumba game wasn't quite our speed. 

OK, this one is much more our speed! We started with some basic steps, got our heart rates up, and enjoyed the activity with songs we knew (instead of the Latin techno on the Zumba game)! Although we were competing against each other (I had the high score), my main goal was to keep moving. Even if my moves weren't perfect ... I wasn't sitting on the couch, I was exercising!  I really like this game and think it's one we'll invest in. 


Unfortunately I ended up "on the bench" after about 30 minutes because I was overly eager to start the game, and didn't wait long enough after dinner to dance. Needless to say I was sick as a dog the rest of the night...and felt stupid for overdoing it ... but, hey, you live and you learn! 


Happy Thanksgiving week, folks! 

Finding motivation in odd places!

This morning's dose of motivation is courtesy of Pinterest! For those of you who have never visited the addictive site that is www.Pinterest.com, take it or leave it at your own risk! It's basically a virtual bulletin board where you can "pin" ideas you run across on-line for crafts, recipes, etc. It has a social media angle to it where you can "follow" others boards and pins, and get great ideas, or waste hours of time.


Today I clicked on a category I'd never clicked on: Fitness. I was hoping to some good ideas about preferred cold-weather running headbands, gloves, and other goodies. Instead I found some extra motivation! I'm a sucker for a catch phrase or a good tag line. I like to be inspired by simple statements.  Here's a few this morning that I especially enjoyed!

Feeling inspired? I am! 


Although our Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Biggest Winner Team challenge is really just in its warm-up stage, I'm excited. I'm excited for the opportunity. I'm excited that I've made this choice for myself to invest in my future. I'm excited for the accountability my teammates will bring to the game. I'm appreciative of the support of my friends, family and co-workers.


I'm proud of me. I'm one of those folks who would usually rather not take all of the credit for something good, but would rather make sure that everyone involved gets part of the praise. But this is me. 100% me. I am the author of this destiny - good or bad. I'm writing my own story.


In June I started my journey working on my diet and eating habits. Now, in November, I am 16.5 pounds lighter than I was when I started. This challenge is the the next opportunity for me to change habits: fitness habits. That's kind of a funny statement when I read it ... changing my fitness habits. I don't have any fitness habits. Correction: I am learning new fitness habits. This past week I have included aerobic exercise into my schedule 5 out of 7 days. For that I am thankful. From that I will build new habits.

Saturday morning training run/walk with the Knoxville Track Club.
I walked. It counts.

To Zumba or not to Zumba...

Our team manager Tonya suggested the other day that it was a good idea to try out different types of exercise including something we could do at home like an exercise video or interactive game. Since our training will run through the coldest part of the winter this will be a great option if making it the gym or working out outside is not a viable option.


Sidenote: For those of you who don't know, my husband works in retail management for the world's largest retailer of video games. So he is a plethora of knowledge when it comes to video games, and is able to "check out" games to test them out. 


This morning I asked him about some good fitness "game" options. He named a couple, including Zumba. I was so excited. I've heard that Zumba is a lot of fun, and know a lot of folks who really enjoy it. I'm completely uncoordinated, but knew that trying this in the privacy of my own home would make me a little more comfortable.


So my amazing husband brought this home tonight for me to try it out:

He is truly a great sport, and even tried it with me! lol Let's just say that we're definitely not in Zumba shape...yet! The good news is, between the "dancing" and the laughing, we definitely burned off some calories and worked up a sweat! Who knows, maybe before too long I'll be brave enough to try a real Zumba class!

Small victories ...

Today's one of those days I'm thankful for small victories. 


After a morning-long meeting my lunch took me to one of my favorite sandwich spots. Said sandwich spot is next door to the absolutely BEST cupcake place in town. They have these delicious pumpkin cupcakes. Nom nom nom. Today's main victory: I ate lunch, and then I got in my car and headed on my way. No cupcakes. Yes, of course, all I can think about right now is the yummy cupcake that's not mine...but, thankfully, those calories are someone else's!


Once I got home from work I was tired, and still had some work to catch up on since I'd been in meetings all day. I just wanted to chill out. But, how can you ignore this?!

Those eyes just scream, "Mom, I'm bored. It stopped raining, let's go for a walk!"


So, we went for our walk! 

20 minutes around the neighborhood until it started raining again ... but small victory! Heart rate up, sweaty, and quality time with Belle! Now there's one tired dog, and one tired me, but it's a good tired.


Thanks, everyone, for all of your encouragement and outpouring of support. Our training program is just getting started, and won't be in "full force" until next month, but I'm excited in the preparation! I made my appointment for my runner/walker evaluation today with Parkwest Therapy Services, and it's not until the first week of December, but that will be here before we know it! And my 1st appointment with the dietitian is scheduled for Dec. 12. Making progress!


Sidenote: Anyone know how to fix the time stamp on my blog? When I'm saving it shows current time, but then once it's published it's always several hours behind? Suggestions welcome! 

The universe has spoken!

My daily horoscope was kind of humorous and appropriate for today! lol Love it! 

The solar system is shifting gears today, Amanda, and it is liable to trigger a great transformation that will last seven months. The change will center on the means you use to fulfill yourself, in terms of both your career and your love life. If you feel somewhat hemmed in by your training or your upbringing, you can expect to seek liberation from these inhibitions in the months to come.

2 miles down ... many to go!

Just a quick update this morning about yesterday's kick-off walk at the Buddy's Race Against Cancer! First of all, what an amazing event hosted by Thompson Cancer Survival Center! So inspiring to see all of the cancer survivors receive their medals, and to see all of the teams walking in support of loved ones! Events like this make me truly proud to live in the community that I live in, and give me hope that people really do care about what's right.


Driving to yesterday's event I was nervous. Nervous about walking, nervous about getting injured, nervous about being held accountable, and not not living up to the expectations of my teammates, whom I'd just met a day earlier. I know it was just two miles. But, folks, the last time I walked a continuous two miles was probably in the mall at Christmastime, at the rate of a 50-minute mile. lol


Needless to say, most of my fears subsided as soon as I made it to World's Fair Park and my teammates started arriving. This part is going to sound sappy, and oh-so-very-Disney, but I feel like I've known these people forever. Here we are, a group of folks in all walks of our lives, thrown together by one common factor - our desire to get healthier, and build a better us! Yesterday was a day of laughter, sharing our fears and concerns about the walk yesterday and what we're up against in the next several months, and realizing that we're all going to make it. We're still learning each other's names, but I feel like we've got each other's backs!


And, our amazing Coach Missy! She made sure we were all comfortable yesterday, introduced us to people from last year's team, and other folks she's trained along the way, and truly encouraged us! I know she's going to be a huge part of our success!


Yes, I hurt a little this morning -- but it kind of feels good! Thanks to everyone for all of your encouraging words on yesterday's blog, and your encouragement in general. Most of you know how I am, if I want to do something I'm going to do it on my own -- that's just how I am! But this one task I know I'd be ridiculously stupid to try to tackle on my own!


Thanks to all of my awesome teammates for yesterday! It's truly the beginning I needed to build the inspiration inside of me! Lee Ann & Marie, thanks for talking & walking yesterday! I look forward to many more!

The first day of the rest of my life

Yesterday was a great day. It was emotional, it was exciting, and it was just a preview of the opportunity that I have been given to change my life. At 34 years old I've decided that I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired! Yesterday I met my Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Biggest Winner teammates!


Where I started
Dealing with my weight has been a constant struggle throughout my life. I remember being enrolled in a children's weight loss/lifestyle program at ETCH called the Body Shop before the age of seven. In the past thirty years I've tried every weight loss plan from Weight Watchers to Atkins, and never lost more than ten pounds, and definitely never kept it off.


At a young age I accepted that I was always going to be a "big girl," and that I just needed to embrace who I was, and make the best of it. It was a hope that if I accepted myself for what I was then everyone else would, too.


My family history
I love my parents, but they gave me crappy genes. Currently my mother, father, and I all struggle with Type 2 Diabetes and glucose control. I've also been given the wonderful gifts of a family history of heart disease and stroke. Gifts I'd rather return for something better!


The habits
Growing up the child of a physician and a nurse, and choosing healthcare as my own profession, I've always "known" how to eat healthily. Even when not observed, I've always been aware of proper portion control, and what's good for me, and what's not.


I'm a stress eater. I know I'm a stress eater. I will never deny that I'm a stress eater. My biggest stress relief is french fries. Yes, you read that right, french fries. Not reading a good book or going for a walk, but french fries. Even the worst french fries are better than no french fries at all!


I'm an intelligent woman - college educated, trained in critical thinking, and full of common sense. Yet somehow at 34 years old I still use food as an emotional gauge. I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm sad. I eat when I'm celebrating, I eat when I'm comforting or being comforted.


My nemesis: exercise
I hate to exercise. It's hard. It hurts. And in the past I've never seen results good enough to make me want to stick with it. When I was younger I developed a major resentment for exercise because I was forced to do it because I was fat. My siblings didn't have to exercise. They got to sleep late. I had to get up every day before school to walk on the treadmill.


In elementary school I ice skated for several years because it was my sister's "sport" of choice. My sister was built for ice skating - she's thin, athletic and graceful. I, on the other hand, was made more for ice hockey - husky, durable, bulky.


Needless to say, I never built a healthy relationship with exercise. This is no-one's fault, it's just a fact of life. I never had any fun with exercise, so why do it!?


My life today
I've been married to my wonderful husband for over two years, and we have a fur-baby Belle. My husband has always loved me for me, and is an amazing man. He supports me in everything I do, including the crazy journey I'm beginning.


I pride myself on being a dedicated, hard worker. No matter what the cause. I give 200% of myself to my job, and to everyone else. I've realized that for my sanity and health's sake I have to take a step back, and give 200% of myself to ME!


At 34 I have Type 2 Diabetes. I take 3 different medications for my Diabetes. I have high blood pressure (a result of one of the Diabetes medications). I have high Triglycerides (a side effect of high sugars). I am an orthopedic nightmare - a mess of chronic knee injuries, coupled with a recent foot injury.


In the past 4 months I have lost over 15 pounds. This is the most weight I have lost and kept off that I can remember in my lifetime. During a brief moment of euphoria caused by my weight loss I thought, "maybe I should try to exercise!" While most people would maybe consider re-joining a gym, that was a little too simple for my taste. I decided, "maybe I should apply to be on the Biggest Winner team!"


Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Biggest Winner Team
I know it's not going to be easy. I know there are probably times I'm going to want to quit. But I know that I need a lifestyle change or I will continue jeopardizing my health. I am realistic knowing that I may not come out of this loving exercise, but it's my goal to complete this challenge this loving what exercise has helped me accomplish.

I'm looking forward to getting to know my teammates. And I know if anyone can help get me motivated it's Coach Missy Kane, and our team manager, the lovely Tonya Stoutt-Brown! I appreciate everyone's love and support that has gotten me this far!


Today's adventure: Buddy's Race Against Cancer 2-mile walk ... see you there!