Spectrum 10K March 17, 2012

March 17, 2012 (St. Patricks Day) I ran the Spectrum 10K in Ivans, Utah.  It was my second 10K. It was a great race, beautiful scenery, not that I was paying too much attention to that...haha.

 I had heard that the last 2 miles was all a steady incline, but I didn't expect all the other inclines too. :) It was challenging.  But, It was great! All that was on my mind was "I gotta be faster than 59:22." That was my last 10K time, so I just wanted to make sure I beat that.  I love that running is just me against myself trying to improve each time. I'm glad I had some great friends to do it along with. So fun! I'll probably for sure do it again next year.  

This is us after the race...We did it!! It was Nikki & Jen's first 10K, they did great! 

Nikki & I

Jen & I

Nikki & Jen

All 3 of us :)

There was some great race pics posted on the sports photographers site, but I would have to pay for them :) They showed me finishing and during the race...I sorta wish I had them.  But, I really don't want to pay that much for them.  You can check out the link of the pics HERE...some of them make me laugh.

My time was 58:13

57 out of 105 in my age group

214 out of 459 women

440 out of 776 overall

I'm pretty much in the middle, and I'm fine with that. :)

I'm always looking for the next thing to sign up for...it keeps me going.  I thought I would give this virtual 10K a try on Memorial Day.  Sounds like fun! Check it out.  You want to join me?

Run the 'Hood Virtual 5K/10K/fun run

A Summer Challenge you say...

You may have noticed that I've been in some sort of slump lately :) Well... I'm ready to get out of that for good. Are you with me? Can you believe that summer is so close....ahhhhh!  Also, one more week and it's Spring break for us! Yay! For me it's no fun going into Spring and Summer weather with no confidence.  Don't you agree?? A confidence boost for me is eating healthier and exercising regularly. I know for an absolute fact that I am happiest when I do that.  It's a must. I saw this "Ready for Summer challenge" and figured I would give it a go.  I always do better at reaching my goals when I become part of something.  So, I'm excited for it.  I'm so close to where I want to be, but it still seems like so far away.  My body gets comfortable in one spot and it's hard to get out of that. I go down and up with my weight so fast it's crazy!





This is a 10 week challenge and the idea is to pick one goal (or more) in these four categories:

Weight loss
NSV (Non-Scale Victory)
Exercise
Nutrition

You can change your goals along the way and make sure it's customized to YOU! It gives me something to focus on which is how I work best.  So, here goes!

My Goals:

*Weight Loss- This is the hardest for me.  I know I shouldn't focus so much on a number.  But, I really would be super excited if I could be 125 or 130.  That would be smack in the center of a healthy BMI for me.  So, I know it could only be a good thing If I were there.  For now I'll strive for the 130.  That's 10 lbs.  10 lbs for me is soooo difficult.  I've tried and tried for a year now to do that.  If I go down 5 I go up 5 like 2 days later....ahhhh...it's so hard!! So, this time I will get there dang it!!

*Non-scale Victory- I'm not worried about a certain size.  I just want to look more toned.  I would love to get rid of my flabbier areas :) I want my arms, legs & tummy to look toned so bad. So, I guess I'll go for that! I should take some before pics....but I tried that before and it's too scary. I'll think about it....

*Exercise- I want to exercise at least 5 times a week.  I want to run more! Right now I can only get a run in on Friday or Saturday. I want a weekly goal of at least 10 miles per week.  I don't want two long runs back to back, so I'm going to have to break it up somehow and get up super early 4:30 ish or figure something out for the other days..... I'm getting nervous just thinking about it, but I gotta figure out how to make it work.  I also want to find another race to sign up for. That helps to keep me going. I will also continue to go to cross fit 3 times per week.

*Nutrition- I will get in 64 oz of water per day.  I will eat 2 fruits and 2 veggies per day.  My niece challenged me to go without desserts or candy.  So, I will strive for that too.  I can do this...I can do this!! I've tried to keep a food journal or track my calories, but never stick with it.  I'll think about trying that. I definitely think it will help.

I'm excited for this challenge starting TODAY!! If you need something to keep you accountable you should join too! It would be fun to have some friends join me in someway of a challenge. I hope you'll follow along and keep me accountable.

My latest Mantra about bad foods that needs to be imprinted in my brain is, "I CAN have it, but I don't WANT it." I will keep saying this until I actually believe it.

Here we go!! Wish me luck ;)

It's time to get over it!!

So, I have been so pitiful this week! :) Feeling sorry for myself, feeling depressed, injured and down in the dumps. Feeling like I don't want to do anything at all. What in the world is with me and this week?? I have been on such a roll before this, feeling so healthy, exercising like crazy! Totally happy! Why do I let myself feel so far gone? I guess I'm just human, right! It's okay to get in a slump sometimes.  But, I'm sorry for being so negative yesterday! Here I sit with my bag full of chocolate popcorn for the 2nd day in a row.....yikes!! It doesn't make me feel better, it only makes me feel worse! Food can only temporary make you feel good for the moment and then you realize you then feel worse.  The other thing that helps me when I feel stressed is Exercise, so now that I've been trying to take a break from exercise because I didn't want to injure my achilles anymore....I turn to food!! I need to find something else to cope.  What do you turn to in times of stress??

Well, I'm getting over this slump.  I WILL put down this bag of popcorn and bag of chocolates, I will get up tomorrow morning and exercise to whatever level I can. No more of this nonsense!! Do you ever get in a slump?  How do you get yourself out?

You need to go watch this online premiere of the film Hungry for Change, Your health is in your hands. It is about an hour and a half, so give yourself some time.  But, I think it really has the power to change your health and the way you think. I think everybody should at least educate themselves about it all.  It should be shown in every health class.  (It's only available online for free for about 9 more days, so If you really want to watch it do it soon).  The information is so true.  The hard part is putting it to effect in our lives.  I will never be a perfect eater.  But, educating myself and getting great information like this will change the way I look at everything that I eat and that I let my kids eat as well.  Hopefully I can go back to making smarter food choices and actually put this in to effect for good.  Sometimes we have a lot of knowledge, we know what bad food choices really does to our body, but following through in making better decisions is so darn difficult!!  If you watch the film I'd love to hear what you think about this.

Off the Wagon

I feel like I'm completely off the wagon the last couple days.  All I've wanted to do is bake yummy goodies and eat, eat, eat anything in site.  I've completely gone insane!! I think I've discovered that I'm totally an emotional eater.  I hurt my achilles tendon doing a 10K this last weekend.  (I'll update you about that later...it was a ton of fun and I beat my last 10K time...so yay!) But, anyway, during it my achilles started hurting a bit and later that day it completely hurt.  So, I hate taking a break from exercise...really I hate it! I do not like feeling like I can't do anything at all.  But, it hurts to walk or stretch it the wrong way, to go up or down stairs, it hurts to run.  Really...that's all I want to do is be able to run, especially after a great 10K Saturday, I can't stop now! :(  I feel like this is completely setting me back and it's DEPRESSING.  So, what do I catch myself doing....eating to make myself feel better!! Yikes!! I can't stop!! I didn't even go to Cross fit Monday night and I guess I probably won't all week because I probably need to rest it this whole week and I'm hoping it feels better.  (crossing fingers that it does).  I do not like being set back by little things like this.  Same thing happens when I get sick or anything...I feel so depressed and it's hard to get back into to and I eat like crazy.  So, I've fallen off the wagon.  I can't wait until this is hopefully healed and I have to get completely back on the wagon again.  I'm so much happier when I am!

Are you an emotional eater? Do you eat when you are bored, sad, depressed? Have you found strategies to cope with it?

Do you have any suggestions to help my achilles heal faster??

 

Weight Loss & My Bank Account ??

I Love the idea of thinking of Calories as a Bank account, it totally makes sense to me. Make a deposit.... withdraw it out! :) I've tried counting calories in the past, but I know I should really give it a better go.  My Fitness Pal is a great app.  I've tried it before but never seem to stick with entering everything in there.  So, Maybe I'll try it again.

 

 In order to lose weight, it is important that you are burning more calories than you are consuming each day. Think of your calories as a bank account. If you make even small deposits in the bank and never withdrawal any calories, you will gain weight over time. The idea is to have a slightly negative balance (up to 500 calories) each day. This does not necessarily mean that you need to cut 500 calories from your diet. You could also burn an extra 500 calories through exercise or a little bit of both.

You know what I would really love?

The BodyBugg! Tracks calories in vs. calories out!

(There is so much running gear and little gadgets I want right now....I need to settle down ;))

But Anyway-

Some eating strategies that may help you to lose weight are the following:

1. Eat breakfast. When cutting calories you do not want to cut out entire meals. Breakfast is a very important meal to rev your metabolism which will cause you to burn more calories throughout the day.

2. Drink plenty of water. Sometimes you feel hungry and really you are just dehydrated.

3. Consume high fiber foods such as whole grains and fruits/vegetables. Fiber contributes no calories but does add bulk to your food leading to earlier satiety. You will stay full longer on the same amount of calories.

4. Use a smaller plate. Plate sizes have grown 25% since the 1970s to over 12 inches in diameter. Use a smaller plate (10 inches or less) and you will serve yourself 22% less calories. This could add up to a 2 lb weight loss per month.

5. Eat lower calorie foods first. Fill up on salad or vegetables or fruit at the beginning of your meal. This will cause you to eat less of the higher calorie side dishes.

6. Eat 5-6 smaller meals per day. This will help you to maintain a higher metabolism. Aim to eat every 3-4 hours.

7.  I love smoothies, but smoothies can be high in calories, but they are packed with all good calories, like low fat greek yogurt, fruit...maybe spinach.  Protein, carbs and fiber.  All good things.  So, if you are going to have a smoothie like that it should probably be your meal replacement not just a snack if you are watching your calories.

  Now another way I've been helping my bank account is that I've been putting $1 in Savings for every time I exercise each month.  I track my workouts using daily mile and at the end of each month I count how many I had and I add that amount to my savings account.  It's been a great idea for me.  I can't wait to see how much extra I have saved by the end of the year.  Maybe with what I have saved I could give myself a little gift as a reward along the way and get a cool gadget of some sort.

 Since January 2012 up to the end of February I have put an extra $64 in my savings. I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's something at least.

Don't save up those calories today....this is your only chance to burn through your savings :) Waste, waste & burn those saved up calories! :) Weekends almost here! Have a great day!

 

My Fave Food trends right now

I thought I would share a few of my favorite foods or snacks.  Some of them I have every single day.  They help me through whether I'm craving something salty or sugary or just leave me feeling fuller.  Here you go!

Spinach- I love to add spinach in all of my smoothies.  No, it doesn't make it gross, you can hardly tell.  I add a handful and mix away.  I add it when my kids want a little smoothie treat also.  The more veggies in their diet the better and they are always begging for a smoothie.  I also add it to my salads, Some lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, maybe a boiled egg, a little cheese, sliced almonds for a little more salty crunch and a little balsamic vinegar.  That's my salads lately.  Yum!

Unsweetened Almond Milk- I mostly use this in my smoothies instead of regular milk.  I also add it to my oatmeal in the mornings. That brings me to my next food...Oatmeal!

Oatmeal- I love to have Oatmeal in the morning.  Keeps me feeling fuller longer.  I use to buy the little packets of oatmeal...Maple and Brown Sugar to be exact. :) But, they have a ton of added sugars.  So, I just make my own oatmeal with good ol' fashioned quick oats.  1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup almond milk, put in microwave for about 2 minutes.  (Sometimes I add a little tiny bit of PB, not often though....I already have it too much.) Then I slice some bananas on top, sprinkle with cinnamon and agave syrup.  Yum! If I have time I'll have a 1/2 grapefruit or a scrambled egg.  What a great breakfast.  Keeps you feeling full and tastes good!

Bananas- I love Bananas.  Not only do I add them to my oatmeal. When my bananas start to turn brown I slice them up put them in a ziploc and throw them in the freezer. I add them to my smoothies or blend them up until they are ice cream consistency, add a little cocoa and honey (sometimes pb) and you have a super yummy ice cream treat.  We go through bananas like crazy at our house.  When they start to go brown you can also add them in recipes instead of sugar.  Or cut the sugar in half and do 1/2 mashed banana and 1/2 sugar or sugar substitute.

Almonds- In the afternoon I grab a handful of plain almonds as I'm running out the door, I love to add sliced almonds to my salads or even to my oatmeal or pancakes as a little topper.  Love Almonds!

Popcorn- I will always be obsessed with popcorn.  But, I haven't had a store bought bag of microwave popcorn or movie popcorn for a while.  I even took my own popcorn to the movie this last weekend.  Yay me! A ziploc bag for me and each of my family members...shhhh...don't tell. :) It was great. I saw this Pizza Popcorn on Dr. Oz.  He does it the way I do in a Brown Paper Bag...Awesome! My kids love this pizza popcorn!

Pizza Popcorn

3 TBS popcorn kernels- put in brown paper bag, fold over twice, I pop mine for 2 minutes in my microwave and it comes out perfect.  All microwaves may be different.  Test it out.

Add 1 TBS grated parmesan
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp chives (I haven't add these yet, just because I don't have them on hand)
Shake it all up and enjoy your Healthy popcorn.  Only 200 calories in all 8 cups.

What are you favorite foods lately?  Will you share?


You are the CEO of your Health.  Control the things that you can control.  Be aware of the things you are eating and the things you are feeding your kids.  Buy less packaged stuff and always look at the ingredients if you do buy packaged stuff.  The less ingredients the better.  If you can't read it, don't buy it! Tip of the day :)

What has worked for Me

I haven't weighed myself in a month.  It has felt good to just focus on exercise and nutrition instead of wondering if that scale would finally budge. February 29 it had been a month since I last weighed so I figured I would see where my body was and I stepped on the scale.....after months of it not really budging...guess what, I lost 5 lbs!  It felt good, but you know what feels even better? The way I feel, the way I have made exercise a complete habit, the way I have been eating.  It all feels so good.  Here are some things that I totally feel had a part in finally getting the scale to budge for me this last month.  

*I have been drinking 64 oz of water everyday.  This has been a struggle for me in the past.  I just found that I don't drink much liquids at all.  I'm sure my body was dehydrated and holding onto everything it had.  But, now that I am finally drinking enough water I think it really helped me drop a few pounds.  Plus, it helps you feel fuller too. Oh- those first couple days were hard, I felt so bloated and had to pee every 2 seconds, but now I feel good.

*I only have sugar 1 day a week.  Believe me it has been hard, I have had plenty of temptation.  I try to choose my "free day" wisely.  But, there has still been plenty of chances for me to have baked goods, treats, etc and I have passed them up.  It did feel good to stay the course and I felt stronger after I said no. Every packaged food, cereal, snack anything I look at the package and if it has more then 2 grams of sugar I don't eat it.  I do eat Peanut Butter if there is 3 grams of sugar but no more than that. I have tried to not have PB as much, not everyday at least. I also use honey or agave to sweeten things sometimes. I have found little snacks that I can eat that help me with my sweet tooth.  I want to try and keep this habit either with having the free day once a week or say no way more often.

*I have eaten at least 2 fruits and 2 veggies everyday and again 1 free day a week where I don't worry or have so much structure.

*I have not had junk food or fast food, I have tried making meals that we love using healthy alternatives.  I again have the free day once a week where I don't worry so much about it and use better alternatives instead of chips or unhealthy snacks.

I eat Breakfast, snack, Lunch, snack, Dinner.  I choose my snacks wisely, things with protein and my veggies/fruits, etc.  to help me feel fuller longer.  I'm feeling great about bettering my diet.  I love it!

My diet changes a long with my exercise regimen have really helped me feel great!

I exercise everyday besides Sunday.  I exercise every morning for about 30 minutes doing a workout video like "Pink Method" (which I love) and I do cross fit every Monday, Tuesday & Thursday.  I run Fridays and Saturdays.  I feel strong and I want to continue these good habits.  Everybody knows once you stop it's so hard to start up again, so I will not stop!!

And I'm so excited I won something for working out so much.  Over at Get Fit Naturally they were doing a little challenge and every time I worked out I got to post it for an entry and I won...yay! Can't wait to get my package in the mail.  How fun!

***

Let me know if you have questions I would love to help you in getting better habits!

What has worked for you or not worked for you??

Happy March!