Thursday, May 21, 2009

Thank you!!!!!

On this, the eve of the end of the 100-Day Heart Challenge, I want to express tremendous gratitude to all who have been involved with this journey. Thank you Traci for your weekly encouragement and guidance; Jalaine for our wonderful nutrition classes and tools to keep us on track; Kelly, my trainer, for pushing me to do more than I really wanted to do; All you wonderful participant ladies for being supportive and wonderful examples; My husband and children who have supported me 100%, even when I made them eat brussel sprouts; and all those behind the scenes who have made this opportunity possible. THANK YOU!!!!

This has been a turning point and has blessed my life more than I could have imagined. I began the challenge hoping I would come to enjoy exercise, and I do! I've learned how to be an intuitive eater, which is a huge change from my former emotional addiction to food. I don't eat food I don't enjoy and I eat slowly and savor every wonderful bite of what I like. My husband and daughter have begun exercising and are motivated to continue. I see a future of health and strength as I continue to exercise and eat healthy. Just as several other participants have said, this is not the end, but the beginning. I'm not where I want to be, physically, yet. It took years to get into this condition - it won't all go away in 100 days - but I've progressed so much further than I thought was possible in such a short time and am on the right road going the right direction!

THANK YOU, again, and again, and again...

Friday, May 15, 2009

New workout routine

I can't believe we only have a week until we have our final weigh-in and testing. For me, it definitely is not the end of the challenge. I'm so thankful for the life changes I've made and will continue to make even after May 22nd.


I had hoped to run the Run for the Red 5K the end of May, but it looks like I'll be walking it due to shin-splints. When I first tried to run, my shins were hurting a little. I thought it was the way I was running, so tried to adjust. I was able to run on the treadmill without any pain after trying to land lighter on my feet. Unfortunately, it was more difficult on a regular trail. Traci suggested I have my shoes checked out to be sure they were giving my feet proper support. That's when I remembered that I hadn't been using my prescription orthotics. I'd tried to use them when my shoes were brand new, but they made the shoes slide up and down on my heels. I should have taken the inserts with me when I went shopping. It's a hard lesson to learn! I guess my high arches caused my feet to pronate which created a strain on the muscles and tendons along my shin-bone. Once I started using the orthotics, it was too late. The damage was done. The doctor says to stay away from high-impact exercising (or anything that hurts) for several weeks. Just doing work around the house hurts, so I've needed to take it easy.


I really want to "sprint to the finish" and up my exercising, not "take it easy", so today I went to the Fitness Center and swam laps for the first time in probably 30 years. It took awhile, but I completed just over half a mile. It was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time! -Quite a workout! I plan to continue with swimming at least until my shins have healed then keep it in my routine as I add back other activities. My grandfather was a competitive swimmer. He swam a mile a day and continued to compete well into his late 80's. He was back in the water just 6 weeks after hip-replacement surgery. His arms were strong enough that he could swim without kicking. He passed away about 13 years ago from a stroke he suffered while swimming. We all thought it was the best way for him to go. He continues to be an inspiration for me. Thoughts of his example kept me going during those laps!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I'm not going back!

The past month has flown by, filled with challenges and successes. I'm not quite where I thought I'd be at this point in the challenge, but I have progressed and need to remember that even slow progress is progress.


The middle of April our family went to the East Coast for my father's memorial service and for a little vacation. It was wonderful showing my family the areas where I lived while growing up and seeing extended family we haven't seen in several years. We walked around the Mall area in Washington, DC and I raced my 8-year-old daughter up the steps to the Lincoln Memorial. She beat me by a step, but a few months ago I would have elected to use the elevator! While my family was struggling with leg fatigue due to all the walking, I felt great. It was a beautiful day and I just loved all the walking and site-seeing. I'm so thankful for the changes happening with my body. I'm thankful to be strong and able to endure more than I could before this challenge. I don't want to go back to the way I was - and I won't!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Back on Track!

I feel like I'm back on track and it feels great! I've been able to exercise all week, although a couple of times was only for 30 minutes, and it's easier to pay attention to my body's cues about eating. As I pay attention to why I want to eat - hunger or other - I find I naturally eat less. I also don't eat anything I don't really want.


A couple weeks ago in nutrition class, a suggestion was made to request a box when your food is served at a restaurant and immediately put half the meal into the box. Last night I tried it out. My husband and I went to Mimi's Café. I went online ahead of time to check out the nutritional values so I could make educated decisions about what I'd order. (They have meals that exceed my entire daily calorie allowance!) When our meals arrived I asked for a box. The waiter said he'd never had anyone ask for a box that soon. I responded that I wanted to make sure I have leftovers! I love the carrot bread, and had some. I love the corn chowder, and had a cup. I never missed the other half of my dinner and was so full. I walked out of there, very satisfied, having eaten what I wanted to for 614 calories. I still have 267 calories worth of leftovers for today's lunch - yummmy! I didn't feel deprived at all. Yes, I love their pot roast, but didn't want to have that many calories this time. I'll save that for another visit and plan ahead. I chose a grilled chicken dish from their Lifestyles menu that filled the plate. It was lots of food and I was satisfied with only half. It feels so great having the confidence to go to a restaurant and be in control of what I eat and not feel like I'm missing out on anything. Yeah me! :0)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Life Happens!

During the past week and a half things have occurred that made it difficult to fit exercise in each day and to eat plenty of healthy food. Sick children and spouse (of course one at a time!) kept me home when I wanted to be at the gym. I've noticed when I don't exercise, I tend to crave more "junk" food - sweets and high fat items. It was very hard to stay on track and I felt badly for it. Then I thought about what I read in "Intuitive Eating" about feeling guilty for eating an apparently "forbidden food". No food is forbidden and we need to stop feeing badly when we eat something we feel we shouldn’t. I began to equate that with exercise. I did the best I could under the circumstances. I'm making these changes for a lot longer than just the 100 days of this challenge. Life will happen for the rest of my life. I just need to accept that, pick up where I left off, and move on. There should be no guilt involved. The family is now healthy and I'm getting back on track this week, without beating myself up over last week's experiences. It's all OK!

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

I'm so tired!!!!

Last week went very well. I was able to do harder workouts and felt great! This week has been a more difficult one. My last good exercise session was Saturday. Sunday is my day off. On Monday, I was only able to exercise 20 minutes due to family activities. I resolved that Tuesday would be the day to get back on track and have a good sweat! Unfortunately, as often occurs in life, the unexpected happens. My 21-month-old daughter came down with a stomach bug and needed continual love and care. I missed exercise, but it was a good reason to skip it. This morning I am SO TIRED! I know it's because I haven't been physically active for a few days. Early on in the challenge I discovered how much extra energy I had because of the exercise. Now I've discovered how slow I'm moving after missing a few days! My daughter is doing better today, so we'll go for a stroller ride/walk a little later and hopefully I'll make it to the fitness center tonight! I miss the energy!!!!!!


My weight has been gradually coming down and I was wondering why I hadn't noticed any differences in how my clothes fit, then it happened -- Monday morning I looked in the mirror and my face was slimmer - not so large of a double-chin! I got dressed and my pants were looser! It seemed like an overnight transformation, but I know it was the result of 4 weeks of hard work finally manifesting itself!

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

A lifetime adjustment, not a short-term diet

I have five kids (ages 21 months up to 17 years) who keep me quite busy. Before this challenge, I often skipped meals and usually just grazed during the day, thinking I was too busy to make myself a decent meal or snack. When I dieted in the past, it just meant I grazed on more healthy foods, like vegetables, and didn't have any substantial food until dinner. I knew about the "starvation" mode my body could go into if I wasn't eating enough calories, but figured as long as I was losing weight, that was OK. (eventually, I'd stop losing as my body held on to everything I fed it) When Jalaine let us know what our personalized caloric intake should be she mentioned that some of us might think it's too much to lose weight with but, because we are exercising, our bodies need the energy. My number, 1500, didn't seem high to me until I started planning and preparing meals and snacks. I'm eating lots more food than I used to and am losing weight! I've discovered that it really doesn't take too much time to prepare a meal or snack for myself and I'm really enjoying the tastes of my food choices. I know this way of eating is healthier and is a lifetime adjustment, not just a short-term diet.


I love to see the calorie counter on my treadmill show how many calories I've burned. I don't know how accurate it is, but the number is lots higher than when I could only do about 15 minutes before giving up. I've had this treadmill for 5 years and have never been able to go for more than 30 minutes at a time and that's with no incline. I'm amazed at the energy I have to not only briskly walk for an hour, but at a number 4 incline! This is only after 3 1/2 weeks. I can only imagine what I'll be able to do at the end of the 14 weeks of this challenge! I'd love to be able to run that 5K in May!