A Fresh Start

It's April 1st. Easter was yesterday. Spring is in full swing. Everything is fresh and new and ready to start.

Me too!

Time for a fresh start. A renewed dedication to weight loss and healthy living. I realized with horror that I have gained back 20 of the 102 pounds I originally lost. Today I am 199.0 pounds. Sure, some of it is muscle from marathon training, but some of it is the late night fast food, the sodas, the potato chips I just have to have with tuna fish sandwiches, the chocolate eaten after the kids go to bed.

I've fallen back into some bad habits, but I'm going to do something about it before I fall back to the weight I was almost two years ago.

To motivate myself and hopefully others who have been asking for some help, I started The Jolly Green Giant Health and Fitness Challenge. It officially began today and there are a lot of positive vibes and motivational stories floating around over there. Over there being Facebook where the group is online.

There are nursing moms, working moms, single moms, moms over 50, people who aren't moms, people who battle depression, people who endure chronic conditions, those who want to lose 10 pounds, those who want to lose 50 or more, those who are in the middle of moving, a few overseas people, a few students, a few runners, several who don't exercise at all, and all ready to make a change in their life. It's very inspiring!

I have great hopes for all of them and for myself!

I challenged them this week to make one (or two) realistic goals for the eight-week challenge and to write them down. Here is mine:

No sugar five days a week. Only one serving of treats the other two days.

Sugar really is my biggest nemesis when it comes to weight loss. If I could lay off the sugar I could unlock all sorts of possibilities. More energy, more success on the scale, less emotional eating, less self-depreciation. It all seems to lay on my ability to avoid the sweet stuff.

Of course I'm hoping if I can stick to that goal that I will see lots of other goals come to fruition. 20-40 pound weight loss. Fit back into wedding dress. Run marathon without dying. Have more energy and physical ability all around.

Here's to a fresh start!

Fresh New Year, Fresh New Start

Is anyone surprised that after months of absence that I am checking in here at The Jolly Green Giant with the arrival of the new year?

Nah.

My guess is today your mind is similarly occupied: "Let's do something about all this extra body clutter!"

In the spirit of the new year, I'm forgiving myself of the failure of the past several months and giving myself the gift of a fresh new start. Ahhh. Now doesn't that feel better?

Not to turn up my nose at 2011 or anything. It wasn't a total failure. I lost 54.7 pounds in the year 2011. I ran my first 10K race. I learned how to be healthier and happier. I ditched all my maternity clothes and "fat" clothes. My "skinny" clothes are on the verge of being my "fat" clothes. All in all, not a total loss.

But here's to making 2012 an even better and more successful year! A year where I get closer to becoming the person I want to be.

I'm emptying out my goal list from 2011 and recording it here.
Exercise one day.
Exercise 3 days in a row.
Exercise every day for a week (6 days).
Lose 10 pounds.
Start P90X (03 Oct 2011)
Run 1 mile without stopping.
Lose 25 pounds.
Lose 30 pounds.
Run 2 miles without stopping.
Run 3 miles without stopping.
Run 4 miles without stopping.
Lose 40 pounds.
Run 6 miles without stopping.
Run 10 miles.
Join the gym.
Try Zumba.
Try Spinning.
Master the Plow (yoga balance position).
Hike a mountain.
Learn how to lift weights correctly.
Complete P90X.
Lose 50 pounds.
Run a 10K. {Pocatello Gap~03 Sep 2011~1:13}
Lose 60 pounds.
Lose 70 pounds.
Lose 75 pounds.
Run a Half Marathon. {Pocatello Gap September 2012}
Lose 81.6 pounds by Cee's 1st birthday (January 20, 2012).
Lose 90 pounds.
Lose 100 pounds.
Run a Marathon.
Keep weight off for one year.
Be healthy for LIFE!

And then it's time for a new goal list for 2012 (even if it is a tad familiar):

Today, January 2, 2012, I am 5'10" and weigh 226.8 pounds. I wear a size 18-20 dress and pant size. In 365 days I still want to be 5'10" and stable at 175 pounds, wearing a size 12-14.

Run 1 mile without stopping.
Run 2 miles without stopping.
Run 3 miles without stopping.
Run 5 miles without stopping.
Run 7 miles without stopping.
Run 10 miles without stopping.
Try Zumba.
Try Spinning.
Complete P90X.
Hike something big.
Lose 10 pounds.
Lose 20 pounds.
Lose 25 pounds by 31st birthday {April 18, 2012}.
Lose 30 pounds.
Lose 40 pounds.
Lose 50 pounds.
Run first half marathon {Portneuf Gap ~ September 2012}
*(to be modified)

Making it Happen Monday

Here it is quick and dirty.

I'm still here.
I have been so so bad at this weight loss thing for the past two months.
While I haven't gained, I haven't lost either.
I'm sitting at 227.3.
54.2 pounds lost since May 9th.

For some reason Labor Day weekend undid me and I've never been able to get the pieces put back together again.
I've been eating and drinking absolute junk for several weeks now.
I'm ready to get my act together today.
Thanksgiving is right around the corner.
I can't face my family or the inevitable holiday family pictures without giving this the effort it deserves.
So I'm back.

I'm readjusting a bit.
No pop.
No eating after 8 pm.
Cut back on the carbs.
Just aim for half an hour of exercise everyday.
If it turns out to be more...so be it.
If not, don't beat yourself up over it.
I'm a busy mom.
I'm often a single mom.
Half an hour is better than nothing.

So...there it is.
My new goal is to lose 10 lbs before Thanksgiving.
Lose 10 more before Christmas.
Lose an additional 10 before Cee's first birthday.
Bringing me to my goal of being under 200 by Cee's birthday.

I can do it.
Bring it on.
That is all.

The Funny Thing about Goals...

I made a rather tough choice today.

I decided to drop my goal to run a half marathon. At least a half marathon in October. At least one I have to pay for.

I received some rotten news earlier this week that has seriously impacted our family's finances. There just isn't going to be extra money to be used for stuff like racing fees.

This doesn't mean I'm giving up on running altogether.

But in a way...I'm kind of relieved that I don't have the money. I'm losing my oomph when it comes to running. It's getting really boring actually. I find myself beginning to dread the long runs. Just too long. Too much time away from my family and my mommy duties. It's getting too hard to fit in to a busy school day as the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the kids need more mommy help with homework, reading, etc.

My goals need a little freshening up. I'm not giving up on weight loss. I'm not giving up on running. I'm not even giving up on a half marathon. I just have to delay it for a bit. The goal is already set to complete one in September 2012.

I want to try something different. Maybe a little Zumba? A little spinning? Some P90X? These happen to be other goals of mine. And if I can convince Joe to join me...Even better.

The funny thing about goals is...they change. As I change they are changing with me. And that is a very good thing.

And so it begins...

I blog.

Therefore I don't do anything else.

Not entirely true.

But you see blogging is so much more fun than exercising.

But I got to thinking...

What if I could bring the two together,
hopefully inspiring me to exercise and be healthy if I knew I had the reward of blogging about it later?

Eh? Eh?

It could work. Let's see shall we?.

It is Monday, May 9, 2011.

I am 30 years old. I am a mother. I have four kids. Those four children are my life. I need to be healthy so I can be around for my life.

Because I hear when you're dead...You can't be alive. Huh. Go figure.

I also hear if you drink pop, eat sugar and fat, and don't exercise that you're a lot more likely to be dead.

Rats.

I kind of like pop and sugar and delicious food fat and not getting overly sweaty.

Probably why I now weigh more than I ever have before.

Yikes. I'm going to do it. I'm going to put THE NUMBER out there.

{gulp}

As of this morning, I weighted 281.5 pounds.

{hangs head in shame}

That is humiliating. That is shameful. That makes me angry and sad and embarrassed and overwhelmed.

It really just feels way too big and way too impossible to change.

But I have to. I just have to.

So today, I am going to start.

Nothing like a Monday to start fresh, right?

This morning found the Couch to 5K program online. I ate oatmeal (WITHOUT the sugar), strawberries, and skim milk for breakfast. I have been drinking water--4 glasses in already and it's not even 10 am.

Go me.

Oh and my phone timer just went off signalling that Bountiful Baskets is opening for ordering in 15 minutes. I'm there. Because I'm going to surround myself by all that is green and healthy and good for me.

This Jolly Green Giant is going to eat her veggies
and get a little more green,
a little more jolly,
and a little less giant.

{big deep breath}