The Resurrection Post!

Good Afternoon and Happy Valentine's Day Blog World!

It's time to resurrect my blog! I plan to use this space again for weekly updates. I've made a few other commitments of late and I need to make sure I hold myself accountable. Blogging is how I intend to do so.

I am also beginning to run again - it's been almost a year since my half marathon and it's time. Already on the running docket for the year:

Run the Hood Shamrock Shuffle with Shrinkingjeans.net on March 16th. I'll be running the 5K in my neighborHOOD.

5K - March 30 Wounded Warriers Run

Broad Street 10 miler in Philly. May 4th.

I am part of the amazing Team CMMD working to raise $100,000.00 in the fight against Cancer. They are currently more than halfway there! A.MAZE.ING!! This cool magnet is available online and was designed by my awesome designer friend Leigh. Can't wait to run this race with her and the team! (Support my run here - I need all the help I can get to meet my goal!)

WHEW! Lot of running in my future - but it will be worth it!

Thats all I have for today's first post back. The goal is to return to blogging once a week again by finding One-More-Minute on Sunday's. I can do that!

Holiday Feet

I haven't posted a blog post in a long time, or entered a photo to I Heart Faces in quite some time either. 

SO, it's time to do just that. I took this photo yesterday and was going to post it as my photo of the day on my A Day in 365 Photo challenge. I was super excited to see today's category on I Heart Faces was On Your Feet! You'd never guess she is holding a dinosaur toy while being so cute with her holiday dress on!?

I guess I had better get caught up on my 365 posts next.

Holding my nose to the Grindstone

It's been really one of the hardest weeks in a long time for me, but I am pushing forward. Unfortunately, for me, it's not a downtime moment. I have to hit the grindstone and get some work (real work) done, UGH!

The only way I can deal right now is to keep focusing on exercise. And hey, that's good for the body, right?  It doesn't hurt that I am super amped up on adrenaline and cannot stop moving. Last night I got in a super walk/job and then the #tworkout and burned a lot more calories than I have in a while. It kind of beat up my knee a bit, but really the burn felt so good. So good in fact that I did a sprint run again tonight using my Lolo app. It was hard cause it is so freaking hot outside that no one should have been doing said run, but I stayed in the shade and managed 2 miles in 35 min (not really the best speed, but I was trying to take it easy too) and feel so much better now that it is done.

As for the Burst into Sumer challenge at shrinkingjeans, I think I was up when I weighed in this am, but only by a few ounces. If this adrenaline thing keeps up, I'll be back down again soon, so I hope it does! This is actually my high week in my cycle. So that is promising! I did not do too well with the sleep mini challenge. It is just so hard to get to bed at a normal time. I tend to stay up a bit longer so I can get my son up for a potty break - usually around 11pm. 7 hours means I need to go to bed at 9:30 or 10 at the latest.

This week's challenge is to kick soda - done! I haven't had soda in months. I don't even know how many now, 3 maybe? I did have three cocktails last Friday night, but they were the watery kind and did not draw me back to it's evil clutches. Coffee however, UM, yeah, I think that may be back in my life again. [Today I had a rough time getting it down being all stressed out, but I doubt that is a lasting situation. I am going to need it to get me through this week!!!] I did give it up completely for 5 weeks! Thing is, it did not do anything special for my weight loss, so I feel like as long as I get some caffeine and keep the calories down, It's a good thing - eh?!!

Okay, really now, I could talk all night, but I must get back to the grind!

It's Down Time!

As I start typing this, things are in their normal state of crazy bedtime routine. I had hoped not to be this late checking in, but alas, here I am.

This has been a good week. I don't see it so much on the scale, but I feel better. (Most of the time) I feel like the working out has been effective even though I am not doing the boot camp as I had planned. I have been keeping a close look out on my knee and how it is reacting to what I do, whether it be walking, trying some sprint training, or the tworkout.

All in all this week I added in some hills and a few squats. The sprints were great. (Thanks Lolo Burn) The more frequent walks have been fun (totally loving having a partner to walk with) and yeah (sorry @aprilshowrs), the squats were not the best idea. I'm just glad I stopped at 20.

So, the walk is done for today, healthy food was made for dinner tonight and for lunch tomorrow, the weight is down a tiny bit, the blood pressure is hitting an all time high after putting the kid to bed, and now I am ready for some DOWNTIME for me!

Skip Skip Skip...

Ever sit down to write a post and just feel like you are saying the same old same old? I feel like a broken record. I am always saying my weight is going up and down like a roller coaster or like a yo-yo, but it is so true, so I am skipping that for today and moving on with fun stuff!

Let's talk about some accomplishments!

I found a great walking partner that doesn't mind me being kind of slow right now. We're both working on our health and she's willing to keep me company even in this crazy humid heat!

We walked up a hill tonight, and a total of 2.8 miles and my knee is not too sore right now - huge huge accomplishment!

Even though I skipped Bootcamp and Tworkout, both of which I am really excited for, due to above discussion about my knee, I still have managed to get in 4.5 miles of walking and a pool workout for the week.

I have hit or exceeded my veggie and fruit mini challenge each day. (I love me some sugar snap peas!)

I am still consuming more than 60 oz of water each day. (Got a bigger jug to drink from too!)

I am eating a healthy breakfast first thing in the morning. (Either an egg with tomatoes and southwest seasoning, or some Better Oats Maple Oatmeal with Cranberries and almonds)

I have also been stealing time for myself - biggest accomplishment ever!

So, my weight - not bad - after I weighed in a second time. I am so glad I did! Not sure what was going on, but it was a big difference. Now, to keep on this trek!

Hope that everyone else was happy with their own accomplishments because it's what really matters in the end.

I'll end this with a fun quote I had in my in-box today from Givemore.com:

“Do or do not, there is no try.”

                  Yoda

If you haven't already signed up for their daily quote emails, you should. You can download their little posters of the quotes you like. I have my work wall lined up with my favorites, which are quite a few actually. 


Enjoy and see ya'll next week!

Success at last! Burstn2Summer Weigh-in Day

I worked hard this week with keeping food at a healthy high and a sweet low. It was necessary since I was forced to make many changes to my cardio routine.

Friday brought me the news about my knee and why it was so sore. I have Chondromalacia patella. Fancy word for old body, crappy knees. I know it's nothing major, well, at the moment they don't think it is going to be a surgical remedy, just need to stop doing things like Lunges, squats, running uphill and well, that about covers all the cardio I had been doing. So, I knew that I had to change the food habits more, since the amount of exercise would be more along the lines of body strengthening and not so much my outdoor run/walks. I was told i could still run, but only on flat surfaces. Too bad I don't live in Delaware anymore, I'd have it made. But I do have a treadmill, so I just have to accept that the downstairs walls will have to keep me company for a few weeks. I hope that the swelling goes down and the inflammation does not become recurring. I am not up for surgery right now. 


Anyway, all that lead me to rearranging the bootcamp and doing some of the Ripped in 30 workout. I have found most of them can still get me sweating even without the knee jarring! I hope this continues. I was back down today, even past my start weight, so I technically am down 1 pound from the start. I think if you were to look at just the difference between this weigh-in and last week's, I am down almost 3 pounds. It sounds better, but the real challenge is going to be keeping it down through next week. It's about that time for my weight to go up 5lbs.


I'll be sure to drink my water (which that mini challenge has been good) and eat my breakfast (which that I am already doing too) and this week is for us to make sure to get our veggies & fruits. I think today covered that well. I had already packed my red bell pepper, my mini cucumber, and my apple for the day. these three things are staples. I usually eat snap peas too, but today i didn't. i still have them packed. I also had my summer squash and tomatoes with noodles and fresh mozzarella - YUM!


Here's hoping the same good things can be repeated this week and I'll have great reports for next weigh-in

The first week was a doozy

Today marks the first weigh-in for the new challenge over at ShrinkingJeans. It's called Burst Into Summer. Summer is my absolute favorite time of the year. I am not the one you'll hear complaining about heat. Trust me. I love the higher temperatures, and only if the humidity hits an all time high, I am in my own little piece of heaven! I lived in S. Florida for a time, and only because of family and a job did I move back up North.

That being said, I am really excited for this challenge and hopefully reducing the waistline. However, this was not the week that was happening. I think I did everything right as far as workout and diet, only a few tiny hiccups with a fun girls night happy hour and one weak moment where M&M's were involved. I am sticking to the water hydration mini-challenge and even kept my vice, coffee, out of the diet!!! YIKES, I have been yawning though!!!

I will make this challenge work for me, and the Fierce Five team I am doing this challenge with. I do not want this summer to have come and gone without losing some inches and gaining some muscle!!!

Even though today's weigh-in had me at a slightly higher weight than the start - I feel good about it!

Let's go Fierce Five!!!!

Not going to let it get me down!

It is final weigh in for the May Your Way challenge over at Shrinking Jeans. It was not a good day for me. Not weigh-in wise anyway! It's just that way!

I am up again. I know I made bad choices over the holiday weekend, so I know that is why. And I am okay with it.

It's the same dreaded two pounds I go and lose one day, and the next they are back. Grrr!!!

Again, I am okay with it, but only because I know I am going to overcome it. It may not have happened this month, and I may not be ready for the Zooma 10K this weekend, but one day soon, things are going to turn around.

I just need to keep hanging out with the Sisterhood and the fabulous support system there to keep me going!

Thanks for another fabulous challenge, I'm ready for the next one!

On Track

Today's weigh-in went well. I feel I met all my goals set for the week - food wise. It's a great feeling to know I met those goals. The goals I didn't meet were the race training goals. I trained, just not as much as I need to be.

Here's where things are lacking:

Measuring - I could be better at measuring the veggies for servings but my favorite thing to snack on is actually snap peas. Totally raw and nakid! Another fav is Red bell peppers. I often wonder how weird it would be if I just bit into one like an apple. Where veggies are concerned I do well.

Sweets - It's the 2 o'clock hour that is bad for me. That's when the chocolate craving hits. The soda craving is still there, but I've more or less kicked that. I don't feel the NEED for it like I do chocolate. How is it that our bodies are so tied to routine? I am fairly certain it's routine more than the taste, or the sugar fix, but we all can agree, chocolate is pretty tasty and well, the sugar fix helps too. I just can't figure how to get past it for long. I made it two days in a row. That is amazing the way things have been going, but really, I need to stretch it further. I think I will try that. I think I will try for three days in a row starting tomorrow! Wish me luck!

Training - I do well, and then life just does what it does, it gets completely in my way! I'll workout as planned for about 3-4 days and then I have an off day. I run completely out of time and some times I just do not have the energy to get the workout in. Then the weekend rolls around and things get crazy. I really need to get to bed earlier and get up earlier in the day. I just do not know how to get back on track and move bedtime back up to a normal hour. I need me some time management solutions! Anyone know a way to get mentors or life coaches for free? I really need help!

It's time to work on making more changes - I am going to start with the chocolate goal for now.

Running is…

… hard work

… hard to stay committed to

… good for my brain

… good for my health

I know it's hard work, and I know it's good for me, but I really wish running and I got along better than we do, cause it is most definitely

        … a great way to spend time with me, myself and I! Oh, and my thoughts.


Today it is check-in day at Shrinking Jeans, and I'm okay with this week's numbers, because I know I didn't stay focused this weekend and it hurt me. I had all kinds of ideas, and talked myself out of them ALL! There were lots of reasons, I didn't want to, too tired, the wind and allergies were kicking my butt, then the rain came. I could not overcome any of them, and so, I just walked around and took photos all day. I could not force myself to get out on the hills of WV and run. Honestly, it's probably best that I didn't, I ran tonight, and it was hard, but it was definitely a good run. Better than I had expected and I needed it. I'm a far cry from making it 6 miles, but I will manage to run/walk it again in a few weeks, I know I will. Even if it's a longer race time than the last two. I'm going to push it as hard as I can.

I did stick to water intake goals. I even managed to skip one day of my morning coffee. Maybe next week I'll try skipping two, that's a hesitant "maybe" though.

I know this is a quick check-in and post, but I am sitting in the bathroom hurrying to get this up while my son is in the shower. It's a decent enough trade off. I'm multi-tasking! Have a great May Your Way Week!

Goal = Run | No Bad Ju-Ju Allowed!

Today is Wednesday weigh-in for the first "week" of May Your Way over at Shrinkingjeans. I say "week" with quotations, because the challenge started on Sunday so it's been only a few days vs a full week. Regardless, I feel like I am off to a strong start to the challenge, and only hope to be able to stay focused. There's always some work project or family crisis to come into play and throw me off track.

The next 5 weeks are very important for me to keep focused, so all that bad Ju-Ju needs to stay away. There's no room for you here!

I have a big goal of running the Zooma 10K on June 5th. YIKES! Months ago when I signed up it didn't seem as mountainous of a goal as it does right now. I'm trying to not look at it as that big of a goal, but it's been kind of tough.

I have trained off and on the last 4 months, but I've not been able to stay focused long enough to really say I'm gonna be able to do it. This year marks the 3rd year of signing up for this race with the hopes to run it. The past two I have managed to run about half, which obviously is the equivalent to a 5K, a far cry from the 10K. I know that in itself is a major victory since I didn't start running at all until I was 39. I really really really want to run it all this year. I think I might be able to get to the point I run just a bit over half of it at the rate I seem to be going right now.

The ways I have tried to stay true to my goals:

• Monday — Running with a podcast called Freeway to 10K. I ran Week 1 and I'd say all in all, not bad. I also did a quick workout with the Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 DVD. 

• Tuesday — Ripped in 30 and hanging out with the #tworkout crew on twitter with @shrinkingjeans.

• Tonight, Wednesday — Another Freeway to 10K run and I think it will be smart to stick to Week 1 again. 

The weather is rainy here today, so it's treadmill time and I am going to keep the treadmill at a low incline vs hills to see if that helps a bit. I'm already quite sore from trying to bust the fat, so, I think I'll skip JM Rin30 tonight and just go with the 40 min run to let the upper body recover a day.

This weeks mission on SJ is to drink at least 64oz of water - time to keep track! Honestly, this is the one place I think I usually stick to, it's the coffee addiction I need to try to curb. That may be a little harder to do though unless I can get my sleep habits under control. I will work towards adding those goals to my last later in the challenge, I'm not quite ready for that hurdle too!

Happy Mother's Day (in advance) to everyone who has the pleasure of being a mother! See ya'll next week!

It's time for another challenge

And it's time to refocus - again!

I haven't completely lost perspective, but the past couple of months have not been very easy. A household of sickness for almost two months, and just when that was clearing up, it was time for pollen season to roll in. I think we're starting to see a bit more clearly now. We're less itchy, and not such red eyes anymore, but I've got more weight than ever expected to worry about losing. I've also got a race coming up quickly (5 weeks) that I need to gear up for. I am not even close to being ready for it.

I started Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 DVD about a week and a half ago, before heading out of town for Easter. I like it, and could feel all the muscles working hard. I need all those muscles to find some definition
before the weather around here sticks for the summer season! YIKES!!

I'd like to start that again, and I have to get my run training in line. I need to do those 3 - 4 X a week. The meal planning is also another area I need to work on. Like right now, I made a healthy dinner, and there's a little bit leftover. Other than that, nothing else is ready to pack for lunches. That makes for a bad start to the day tomorrow.

I signed up for the next Shrinking Jeans challenge. May Your Way. I've done well in the past with the challenges they've had. The support and virtual friends are just what I needed. I love a good #Tworkout or two on Tuesdays too. Now, it's all about Me and making this a very successful May!

I had better get to sleep so I can get up early and get this week rolling. I've got a lot of training to do and some serious May My Way to get working on!

Sore Loser

This week over at I Heart Faces it's People's Choice Best Face in Feburary. I had quite a few shots I loved this month after doing the Joy of LOVE with Willette. I love the emotion in this shot. The boys played wii and guess who lost?!

I Heart these Faces!

I'd Love to Feel the Power

It's the final weigh in for The Power of One over at Shrinking jeans. I'd love to say I found my power, but today with a 100.8º temperature, I'm not feeling it.

My dr appointment where I had high hopes of getting more answers on this fight with my weight, I was instead diagnosed with bronchitis. I could not deal with any of the other questions I had, instead just being up and about, vs lying down was all I was able to focus on.

Now I've got a bunch of meds to help me feel better, but so far, it's not quite kicked in. I hope that when I wake up tomorrow the fever will have subsided and the pounding and ringing in my ears will be gone too.

Not very enlightening about my power of one journey, but this is about the extent of my online experience today. I am not thrilled about being sick, but this too shall pass.

Another week another pound or 2

Unfortunately - no news to report. Except I'm up a little again. I am not stressed this is all normal, plus we had olives with dinner the last two days. That adds in the bloating. Yeah me! Not good for a weight loss challenge, but it isn't abnormal.

My Dr. appointment for today was postponed, so that is why there isn't any other news. Hoping for something new to report next week. We'll see.

Here's tonight's favorite photo from my A Day in 365 photo project and The Joy of LOVE I have going on. Hope you like it, and if you want to see the beautiful dinner table from Valentines, take a look at the photo site!

Time to re-focus

It's too early in the year to become lost, or to give up. So far I have done really well at some items on my list of Goals, but in this goal to drop weight and keep it off, I am not doing very well.

I won't say I will not meet this goal, I am still up for the challenge, but I really need some solid weight loss soon. Cold hard numbers that go down and not up. This pattern is getting old. Up, up, up, then drop and then up, up, up and down week after week. After week. I at least know the pattern, and have figured out many foods that attribute to this. It's not even a massive eating binge, but one small item here and there, and I have to wait 3 days to see the swelling go down.

Salt. I think that is one of my biggest enemies. Not even fatty foods, because that isn't the diet, it's more like dinner at a friend's that cooked sausage and BOOM, 4 pounds. It's not even a big bag of potato chips. It's one chip and my calves are too tight in my tall boots. I can only attribute this to the Hasimoto's, but again, it's one of those things I will ask the Dr. about. My appt is next Wed. So, hopefully some answers when my next post is due!

So, for the positives this week? I've been successful at sticking to the following:

Day 41 posted of my A Day In 365 Photo Project which is also Day 09: Passions and Hobbies of The Joy of Love Class I am taking. Here's today's photo:

Day 21 - 21 miles walked of the 100 miles in 100 days challenge. (thanks @aprilshowers for getting me up and off my keister!) and I have been tracking it on Dailymile.com

Have a great week everyone and Re-Focus Re-Focus Re-Focus!

Wednesday Weigh-in #5

This was a good weigh-in week. It was as expected. Back down again. The bad thing is that it is not a real loss when you look at what I had gained the previous two weeks, but it is a loss.  And that makes me happy!

I am determined to get to a point where hormones do not rule my life and I have scheduled a Dr. appointment to see what the next step is. I'll go get my thyroid blood work done so she'll have that to look at, but the fatigue isn't there, so I am pretty certain that will all be okay (for the second time in almost 4 years). Another success. It's good to know that the Hashimoto's might be under control, though from what I understand, it may fluctuate a lot more than if I only suffer from Hypothyroidism.

I think the biggest factor in my weight loss this week has been this allergy/sinus/cold thing I got. I haven't felt horrible, but I lost my voice Sunday. It's coming back slowly. Whatever it is that causes you to not have an appetite when there is all that drainage, if you could duplicate that without the drainage, I'd buy it!

Hoping that next week also proves to be a good week!

Power On!

A Special Look

Today over at I Heart Faces they're having a Best Face Photo from January 2011 contest. Here's a photo I took yesterday. It's a "face" I'm certain to see a lot more over time. Imagine, he's only 4 and has such a look?!

I hope to have more photos to enter this year at IHF because I am doing A Day in 365 Photo project. It's been so much fun already, I can't wait to look back at the whole year and see it in pictures, all of my own!

Due for a good week soon

So frustrated, but still not giving up. This week was exactly what I expected. UP. Not all because of bad habits, though there were some moments, but because of stupid hormones.

It's all good. I've been great at some things and will not give up.

I've kept true to my A Day in 365 Photo project, taking a photo a day for the past 27 days. I also started the 100 miles in 100 days challenge. I mostly am doing the 1 mile because it's about all I can fit in. I need to get caught up at work, and I am going to get back to the C25K challenge. The goal to start that is in 2 weeks. Let's see if I can make that happen?!

This week I am going to have to step up the walks to burn some more calories. I am also going to work towards drinking 65 oz of water a day. I haven't gotten quite there the past couple of days.

It's gotta be a better week next week!

Another Bad Week

I haven't figured it out yet, but it happened again. A bad eating, lousy exercising, low motivation week. I am sure it's all that bad vicious cycle going on, but it happens to me time and time again. I have got to break this cycle for good.

But, whatever, the fact of the matter is that it was another gain. It's what happens every month. a 5lb gain. and I am on the rise. In two weeks I'll drop those 5 and start all over.

It was a bad night tonight, went out on a quick walk after deciding that I would do the 100 miles in 100 Days challenge that was posted on The Shrinking Jeans of April's website. It's going to be as much of a challenge to do as my A Day in 365 photo project, but - just a tiny bit shorter terms.

That's all for tonight. Going to get some goals outlined this weekend. I think it's going to be the least complicated weekend in about 3 months. Hopefully!