K.I.S.S. Weight Loss Style

I got ambitious and finally blogged on my main blog under the premise of K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid). How can I forget the weight loss blog too? So I've reset my 15 minute timer and what happens...happens.

So much has happened since I last posted in July. I'm sad that I've slacked off on recording my weight loss journey. While this blog has served its initial purpose of getting me started and committed to a healthier lifestyle, I have not served it very well back. Bad Jolly Green Giant.

Noteworthy things:

I ran my first color run (Color Me Rad 5K in Orem, Utah). WAY too much fun! Definitely a race I would recommend to a beginning runner. It's not timed and it's purely about having a good ol' messy time. Next year I want to take my older kids along.

I bought my first pair of REAL running shoes. Very glad I did. They have made a significant difference. Along with the super comfy running socks I splurged on too.

I ran my first half marathon (13.1 miles) September 1, 2012 (Running the Gap, Pocatello, Idaho). What an incredible experience! As soon as it was over I was ready to sign up for the full marathon in 2013...

...which I did on opening day. Fall 2013. 26.2 miles. It WILL happen.

And I'm playing the lottery for the first time. And go figure...It's in the state of Utah. That would be the Ogden Marathon Lottery. Frustrating that this race I've heard so many great things about has moved to a lottery system the year I decided to join in, but I'm feeling lucky. *fingers crossed*

I've started taking my kids on weekly hikes in the SLC valley. This has been more fun than frustrating (and with four little ones ages 7 and under, it CAN be frustrating!). I'm trying to teach my children all sorts of things on these hikes (about plants, about exercise, about eating, about life, about spiritual things, about anything and everything). My hope is one day they will remember a few of the more important things from "those hikes we did with Mom".

At the beginning of September I joined an online weight loss competition hoping to jump start my weight loss back to life. I have struggled to lose any significant weight since April. It seems to be working. Mostly because I'm finally finding some will power to abstain from sugar. This is not an easy task, my friends.

Weight loss as of Sunday, September 31, 2012: 92 pounds!! Getting soooo close to that 100 pound mark!

That's about all the time I have today. Hopefully I will be back to expand on some of the more noteworthy noteworthy things. Until then...Happy Tuesday!!

The Absent Giant

Eeek! Another month has blown by and I have neglected my poor little weight loss blog. I suppose it's the nature of being on a weight loss journey. By this point I am working out more than 2 hours a day some days of the week just trying to keep losing the weight and that leaves very little time or energy for much beyond mothering and running a household.

I wish I had more to show for my exercise efforts. Unfortunately, I really haven't lost any weight since my last blog post back on April 18th. Which is really really frustrating. Working out more than 2 hours a day and nothing to show for it?! It kind of makes you want to give up.

But I'm not going to! I can pinpoint exactly why I haven't made much progress this last month. I know I haven't been very good at the eating end of things. Between stress, loneliness, celebrations, and just plain laziness I've been eating all sorts of junk that is counteracting my hard work. I need to get diligent and strict again. *sigh*

It really goes to show that you can exercise all you want, but unless you are willing to have self control on the dietary end of things...you won't get too far, weight-loss-wise.

Blah. There's that "s word" again. Self control. Blah.

In other news, I reached the year mark on my weight loss journey last week. I would really love to write a blog post (WITH PICTURES!) just for that occasion--and I will! Just not right now.

On a more positive note, I have been finding therapy in running.

And I have been inspired through my slumps by the persistence and dedication of others.

(Click on the highlighted sentences above for those blog post links.)

Other than that...I'm still here. Still chugging away. Still making soppy excuses as why I'm not blogging here more regularly. One day...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But the bandwagon looks so small from here...

A month?!

I let a whole month go by without updating the Jolly Green Giant?!

Yikes.

Well...there's a few excuses reasons I let that happen.

I've been a little sick.
It's hard to want to exercise when you can hardly breathe already and ache all over.

I've been a little busy.
School is well under way and with two kids with two different pick up times and two sets of daily homework assignments it's busier than ever.
Then there's dance classes and friends over and church activities and this and that and that and this.
And you don't have four kids and not be a little frazzled at least nine different times a day.

I've been a little depressed.
I was laid off from my work from home job.
This greatly strains our financial situation.

I've been a little lazy.
I don't know if I would call it so much "lazy" as just not having as much self control. "Busy" and "depressed" combine into one nasty little one-two punch that knocks out my self control in no time.

I've been a little overwhelmed.
We just found out our daughter has something called Celiac Disease. This means her body attacks itself when she eats anything with gluten (wheat) in it. While this can be controlled with a gluten free diet, it is a life long condition that there is no cure for. The diet is pretty intense and as I look through my pantry I can't help but feel overwhelmed when I see that 85% of our food has wheat in it. And I already struggled with what to make for dinner every night. *sigh*

I've been a little embarrassed.
I didn't exercise consistently. I ate a lot of junk. Even a couple of Dr. Peppers. I gained a few pounds back. I couldn't face the blog with my failure.

So...now that I have gotten all the excuses out there, it's time to take control again and get back on the bandwagon. Even if it does look so teensy tinsy from here.

I gained a few pounds back, but after a 3.4 weight loss this week I am currently at 227.7. That means since 09 May 2011 I have lost a total of 53.8 pounds. And that, my friends, is nothing to shake your head at. I will not let the last sloppy month destroy the success I've already had. Onwards and upwards.

As I try to shake the plateau and get back on course I have finally entered the world of calorie counting and with the help of loseit.com it's easier than I anticipated. I'm still breastfeeding 8.5 month old Cee so I added on 300 calories in my daily allowance. How long can I get away with that one, eh? ;)

I restarted P90X last week and made it through all six days. I know it's only been a week but I can already feel a difference in my muscles. I'm rather excited to see what can happen in 90 days. I don't want to look like a steroid body building Amazon woman or anything, but a little tone and definition wouldn't hurt.

Please don't think I'm so hard core by doing P90X. I don't do the pullups. Instead I use my hand weights and imitate what the people with the resistance bands are doing. I figure there's time for real pullups later. I only have a set of 3 and 5 pound weights so I'm not pumping eye-popping weight either. For right now, 5 pounds is enough. I plan to get on KSL.com and find an inexpensive weight set soon. Oh and I haven't started following the P90X diet yet either. I just can't seem to get on board with one carb, one fruit, and seven--SEVEN!--servings of protein a day.

And honestly, P90X is not as bad as everyone makes it sound to be (except for the diet). They sure intimidate the sweat right out of you with all the commercials on TV. All those sweaty, ripped beasts cranking out pullups like nobody's business. It's totally doable as long as you're willing to follow Tony's motto: "Do your best and forget the rest!"

I haven't ran in a few weeks. I miss running, but with Joe being out of town all the time, the weather cooling off, the days getting shorter, and my mommy schedule, running has to take a back seat for a bit. My hope is that doing P90X will help me be a better runner when I can get back to it.

And there it all is. The excuses, the failures, the updates, the hope. Bandwagon, here I come! Happy Monday everybody!