Seeking My Strength

Today is a new day! I have had a great summer. It was so fantastic to travel with my family and feel really good about myself the entire time. However, now that I have returned from my last trip it is time to get honest. I ate unhealthy foods, I drank more alcohol than I needed, and I stopped lifting weights. The result of all of those things is: my clothes are tight, I am tired, and I just don't feel as good as when Dare to Lose ended. The way I see it these are my options: Let it completely derail all of my accomplishments Be afraid to go back to the gym out of embarrassment Get back on track and use all of the tools I have gained to hit my goal I am choosing number 3. Although I am not going to pretend that I haven't thought about #2 a lot.   All of this travel has taught me something about myself: this journey will be a lifelong process and I am never giving up. It is ok, I am ok. I had an active summer full of hitting my running goals. I was able to ...

Kiddos watching the waves during our family photo shoot. It has been one crazy summer! My family and I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel a lot this summer visiting our extended family. By the end of this month we will have traveled coast to coast and spent time in Pensacola FL, Atlantic Beach N.C., and Seattle WA. The hardest part of all the travel has trying to be consistent with my workouts and half marathon training. I started out really strong on our trip to Florida. I went to the gym and lifted weights, did yoga and Pilates. My friend in the picture below and I ran twice. She got me to sign up for a 5k and I was hoping to hit a new PR, but then we went for a 6 mi run that ended up being just over 4 very sweaty miles. I was afraid there was no way I could run fast in the heat/humidity. I am happy to report that I was wrong in underestimating myself. I hit a new record of 27:19 and placed 7th in my division. My first top 10 finish! At the finish of the Firec...

So happy! I am at a loss for words, one of the few times ever in my life. When I signed up for Dare to Lose of course I thought about winning, I am a naturally competitive person, but in the last two months of the competition I didn't think I had a chance of first place. It seriously wasn't on my radar, I had become more focused on completing my goals of moving beyond my plateau and running my fastest BolderBoulder. I did both!  My trainer Ethan had told me that I was was in second. He said it was close. I assumed he meant between me and third. I guess I was wrong. I don't think I have ever been more surprised in my life. When they called second place and I didn't hear my name I was so confused. I even said "wait, what?" Less then one percent separated me from second place. I was so shocked and as I stood to receive first place and all the amazing gifts I was shaking. I felt...undeserving. It has been a week since the finale, and I am still at a loss fo...

I have 18 days left in this weight loss competition. I can not believe how much I have changed in two months. It is remarkable! I am happier and healthier, but I would have said that I was those things in February before I started.  It is true, this is my wish! It is interesting to be on this side, looking back, I had no reference for what "healthy" really meant. (I guess I am still trying to figure that out as it seems to change). I know that two months ago I thought of myself as healthy, and I was in comparison to the me from years earlier, but today I am lighter, faster and stronger. I still struggle with making consistently healthy nutrition choices, but it is getting easier. I have been able to stop mindless snacking, now it is purely a conscious decision what and when I eat. I have had an amazing realization that I will need to continue moving my body in some way for at least an hour every single day for the rest of my life. I have worked so hard to get to this ...

Keeping this as a Mantra this weekend! I had the opportunity to have another fitness assessment this week and I am so happy with my results. This assessment could not have come at a better time as my weight loss this two weeks isn't reflecting the work I have done. If you are undergoing a weight loss journey I highly recommend getting fitness assessments along the way. They offer a great way to look at your overall health and fitness levels which is so much more than just the number on the scale, and let's be honest the scale doesn't always impart great news. If it weren't for this assessment I could easily have walked away from my weigh in discouraged instead, I am riding high! Doing this assessment also gave my trainer and I an opportunity to discuss the psychology of weight loss and working out. He told me that people hit a mental block at two weeks and at six weeks. After two weeks on a program that has been adhered to strictly a person will feel empowered...

In 260 days I will head out on an adventure of epic proportions. I have just registered for runDisney's Marathon Weekend Goofy's Challenge 2015 and I am setting a fundraising goal of $1,000 !   Marathon weekend  is incredible. In 2013 a group of friends and I met there and ran the Donald half-marathon. For many of us it was our first attempt at that distance, and such an amazing experience.  The Donald Half Marathon 2013! The guys were fast and aren't pictured. We have decided to come together again, and three of us are going Goofy! Marathon weekend offers a wide range of races, everything from little kid dashes, 1 mile fun run, family 5k, 10k, half marathon, and the marathon. Then the races get crazy; you can run the half marathon on Saturday and the full marathon on Sunday (this is Goofy) or you can be Dopey and run all of them (race everyday from Thursday to Sunday). Disney is a magical place indeed as it makes the impossible possible. The finisher medals ...

This has been an exhausting week! I am so tired, and not all that proud of my nutrition choices this week. I have been hungry, stressed, and sleep deprived. This has led to giving in to cravings and eating too many calories. I am choosing to see this as learning experience; I am human. I turned to comfort foods in this time of stress, and I had TWO Dr Peppers. I am so ashamed! I went six weeks soda free, back to day zero. (It was so good and totally worth it!)  Truth! Every day and every meal is an opportunity to make healthy choices. So I sit here today ready to choose better, but to keep listening to my body. If I am hungry and I really feel the need to eat, I will eat. I just need to make sure that I am really hungry and not dehydrated or experiencing the effects of eating salty or sweet food.  I am so happy the weekend is here, hopefully that will allow me to catch up on much needed sleep. I haven't had a decent nights sleep all week. I have been dealing wit...