Fat-Free Friday! (official)

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Today Here Comes the Sun, Many Sleepless Nights and myself are kicking off the first official blog hop for Fat Free Friday! We have all had very different journeys with weight loss & we hope to inspire & motivate you each week.  We also know that you have your own stories of inspiration.  We want to hear your stories as well!  Your loss, your gain, your goals, your rewards, everything!  We want this to be a place where any other blogger that is sharing our weight-loss journey can link up their blog and share their story.
For our first official week, we are all three hosting the blog hop and then we will alternate weeks in the hosting spot but we all will link-up and pass the link information on to our readers so you can link-up as well!  We don’t want you to feel restricted by tons of rigid rules, but we would like for you to follow as many other bloggers in the hop as you would like and if you feel motivated or inspired or meet a kindred spirit in your mutual love of chocolate cake, leave a meaningful comment on their weight-loss post!  Having a good support system is such an important part of the weight-loss journey and we hope that this blog hop is a place that you will find that!
This week for me...I am down -1.2 from my +2.4 gain after Thanksgiving. Hey, it's getting somewhere. This week also kicked off the 1st week of Weight Watcher's program PointsPlus. While I am weary of the plan, I an anxious to give it a shot. I bought the new PointsPlus calculator and dining out guide..they were on sale both for $10! Score! I'm going to give it 100% this week and put trust in the new program. Are any of you trying this new program? Tell me your experience with it so far!
I am also getting back to my regular work out routines this coming week. I was actually missing the gym {can you believe I'm REALLY saying that?!} I battled a sinus/ear infection last week and i'm finally feeling better so I'm ready to get my booty back in gear!
See ya!

December is here

I can have a bad month, right? November was it for me. I honestly think it was the worst month for me through my journey thus far. I didn't meet my goal of averaging 1 pound a week and I DIDN'T lose through Thanksgiving..I actually gained 2.4. I didn't post because I was embarrassed! Sorry for the lack of posting..I have felt extremely unmotivated. But this is December now, right? right!
I want to think that December is going to be better, but I'm worried. A LOT of changes are coming up.
We have a trip to Las Vegas planned on December 17-20th and then we are moving out of our house and into an apartment (to save $$ for my husband's schooling) on December 21st then of course there's Christmas.
I'm still 100% to meeting my ultimate goal by June 2011 of 150lbs soo I'm still trucking on! Good luck to everyone in the month of December!

Thankful..

I am so very thankful for....

My husband, Jordan

My Dad and Mom and their 29 years of marriage.

My sisters Sidney (left) and Lindsay (right)

My nephew Elias and niece Ariauna

My dog Travis xoxo

Nephew Lathyn and niece Kamryn (sis in law's kids)

My beautiful and loving Grandma

My best friend Marlene for being a great support in my weight loss journey.

*Scentsy for being such an awesome company to work for. I have loved every moment of growing my Scentsy business!

*My health

*Weight Watchers for providing me with the tools and knowledge to lost over 40lbs this year.

*Blogger for letting me create a blog where I can be myself and be candid about this journey I'm on. and for all the wonderful bloggers I've "met" in blogland..such an inspiration!

Friday I DO plan on weighing in at Weight Watchers even though it is a day after Thanksgiving! I'm crossing my fingers that I can meet my goal of LOSING through the holidays! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and don't forget to count your blessings :)

*

Bittersweet

Today is a little bittersweet for me. Today was my due date for my first pregnancy {you can read more about my miscarriages here}. I can't believe {if things would have gone differently} that Jordan and I would have a one year old baby today. When I think about it, I get this little pain and tightness in my chest. I'm certain it's my heart breaking a little bit more.

Mercy Me "Homesick" 

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Spilling it

Something on my mind..
-Last week at Weight Watchers, we went over Thanksgiving dinner with how many points everything is worth..how to change recipes to lessen points, portion sizes, etc. During the meeting I was so gung-ho about staying on track during Thanksgiving. I was thinking how I really haven't lost any weight in the month of November so this was my chance to show how strong willed I am by not over eating and staying in control during the holiday and hopefully even shed some pounds (how awesome would that be to say you lost weight the week of thanksgiving?!). This week the devil on my shoulder is saying It's freaking Thanksgiving, Allie! Eat what you want!! What the heck. How did my thought process change? That just goes to show that even after 10 months on the program and *almost* 50lbs lost I still don't have it down. Some weeks it "clicks" for me and I'm right on target and some weeks I'm just like "This is life. I like this food. I want to eat such and such. I deserve it." Then the scale doesn't lower and it's a vicious circle!! How tiring!!
How do I fix this train of thought??!!

Weight Watcher weigh in 11-12-10

Sorry I am late posting!
I always get a little behind on the weekends and getting the week started. Anyway! I lost -.2 at Weight Watchers. Whoopty-do...I'm still at it and will be until I see my goal weight on the scale. I'm behind on my monthly goal of averaging one pound a week. I will get there though. I have faith in myself!
I thought I'd share some out takes of me and Jordan's Christmas card photos. My mom ended up taking our pictures in her front yard then I editted them on picnik.com to make them look a little more professional. Then I used my coupon code for 50 free Christmas cards (finished product on last entry) that Shutterfly gave me for posting a blog entry about their Christmas card collection. I ended up spending $7.00 TOTAL on Christmas cards this year. Is that budget savvy or what??

Have a healthy week!!

Christmas Card 2010

Vintage Provence Holiday 2011 Christmas 5x7 folded card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Time for a hair change!

Let me give you a background on my hair..I was born with white-blonde hair, as I got older..probably around 12-13 years old my hair started to turn darker..the weirdest color..you couldn't consider it brown, but it was too dark to be "blonde" either.
Anyway, around 7th grade I became obsessed with those highlighting kits. You know where you pull strands of hair with a plastic hook? I was really into the "chunky" look (this was circa 2001 ok?!) So one day I decided I wanted all over blonde hair so instead of pulling my hair through the cap I poured the whole mix of bleach on my hair..um yes, think Christina Aguilera WHITE, FRIED hair. o.m.g.
My mom took me to a professional salon and we went through treatments upon treatments to get my hair looking "normal" After that my dad said I could not color my own hair! When I got a job at 16 I started going to my own hair stylist and she started foil weaving my hair to put some blonde back in. She only charged $50 for a full foil weave so I thought I was getting a great deal!! I would go in every 6 weeks to get my roots touched up. And I've been doing that ever since. Now my hair is all blonde. It doesn't have any "depth" to it..just blonde. My husband has been trying to get me to go darker since we've met..just for a change. I made an appointment for Saturday and here is the photo I'm taking to show my new hair dresser the color/style I want:

I know I'm not quite as tan or skinny as Lauren Conrad (she's beautiful!) but I think adding some dark to contrast all the blonde in my hair will look good on me. I looooove her hair color here! I'm scared though..of change of course! Wish me luck. (for my hair change and when I step on the scale tomorrow..I think my Birthday weekend took a toll on me..eek!)

Christmas Cards!

Last year Christmas cards were really important to me because it was my first Christmas as a married woman! It was fun showcasing our wedding photos on our Christmas cards and where else would I order them through? Shutterfly of course. I remember their shipping was super fast and the cards looked expensive, but they were actually very affordable. Shutterfly was also awesome for photo books that I made and gave as gifts to our grandparents for Christmas of our wedding photos. So cute. This year, their Christmas card selection did not disappoint. We are planning on my mom taking a few photos of us outside our home this weekend so they will be perfect for our 2010 Christmas cards.  Here are my top 3:

Shutterfly is giving 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers so head over there and get your FREE prints!!

WW weigh in 11/5/10

So, when I went to Weight Watchers Friday I knew I had gained a little. -.8 to be exact. I wasn't happy with this at all. Last week was an awesome weigh in and this week wasn't what I wanted to see. But what can ya do? Pout a little and keep on truckin', right? 

Saturday was my Birthday! I turned 23 and had an awesome day. I started the day off with watching my niece play in her first basketball game. Four year olds and basketball is too much cuteness for my eyes! Then my grandma invited me to lunch. I was hesitant because I was planning on going to the noon Zumba class, but you can't deny your Grandma! So we went to a mexican restaurant and I just had one chicken enchilada, rice and probably too many chips and salsa. Then I got home and my husband wanted to go have lunch! So, we went to Olive Garden and I just got the salad and breadsticks since I was already really full from just eating 2 hours prior. We went shopping afterwards and I got a few things for my Birthday. Has anyone heard of Biosilk for your hair? Mmm love it!! Then my sister Lindsay was hosting a dinner in my honor so we went over there and ate spaghetti and had cake and icecream. I drank one too many alcoholic beverages and ended up "falling asleep" at my sister's for the evening.

So, basically, I had an awesome birthday, but ate/drank too much?! This is always the case for me. Any "celebrations" like family reunions, BBQ's, birthdays, etc I over eat and end up paying for it later. Why do I do that to myself? And the sad thing is, when I'm over eating I know I'm doing it but the little voice inside my head says "It's your birthday! enjoy!" I think this will just be a process. Will I ever be OK with food during "celebrations?" I know we have Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up..oh and a trip to Las Vegas in December as well. I will really need to buckle down and be strong.

Here's to another week on this weight loss journey! Hope everyone has a great week :)

WW 10-29-10

Happy November!!
It's a new month; a fresh start if October wasn't everything you imagined. October started off slowww in the weight loss catagory for me. I was losing -.6 here, -.2 there and feeling very discouraged, however; I did finish the month off with a -2.6 which I was soooo pleased with! -2.6 and that is with the scale hidden! I didn't focus on the number and just trusted in the Weight Watcher program. It hasn't failed me yet! This loss was a breath of fresh air. I.can.do.this!! I lost -4 in the month of October so I am still in the right direction of meeting my goal of 150lbs by June 2011!

In other news, my sister Sidney was nominated for Homecoming Queen this week. She is a Senior in High School and will be heading off to college this coming summer and leaving her big sissy behind :( I am so proud of her though! Isn't she beautiful? {I did her hair for homecoming} :)

    

I love you sissy!!

Everyone have a great week! Remember, tracking points, calories, whatever WORKS!!

The scale is still gone, people!! This is the longest I've gone without weighing myself since I started my weight loss journey January 8, 2010.
I actually feel very good about it. I haven't been obsessing and even though I feel a little anxiety since my weigh in is tomorrow and I don't know where I'm at; I feel fairly confident. I know I've worked out 4 times this week..I've tracked all my food and stayed at or 1-3 points below my daily points value. I've drank a lot of water..I've gotten at least 8 hours of sleep every night..what can go wrong? This is where that trust comes into play.
It feels nice to not let the scale dictate my feelings. I remember one Friday when I first started Weight Watchers I think I gained a pound or something-anyway-I came storming home and I didn't want to do anything the rest of the day. I was sulking because of a number. Isn't that just ridiculous? I should have been celebrating the fact that I went to Weight Watchers..I stepped on a scale in front of a stranger..I sat through the meeting and wasn't giving up. Instead, all I saw was a number.
Today I'm going to celebrate the fact that I've gone this long without my scale and stayed on track. I'm going to celebrate that I can run a mile in 16 minutes and I'm going to enjoy my evening with my husband and step on that scale proudly tomorrow!
I'll let you know the outcome :)

Wordless Wednesday

Back to Basics

Since I've gone "back to basics" I've decided to sign up for another race. On November 7th {one day after my birthday!!} I'm going to do the Inspire Hope Run. I've decided to only do the one mile instead of the 8k. Why would I do that when I've already run a 5k, you ask? Well, I'm back to basics. To be honest, I haven't even ran since my 5k in September so I know for sure I wouldn't be ready for the 8k. I think the one mile will be enough to boost my confidence to keep going. And guess who is going to be by my side? Only the best running partner ever..Marlene, of course.

Day 2 without a scale and guess what? I'm OK. I felt a little anxious without weighing this morning, but I had to keep telling myself..you had a great Zumba workout last night..you tracked all your points..got all your water in..and got a good night's sleep. I will be OK.

Fear:
Fear of not seeing the scale lower.
Fear of feeling disappointed in myself.
Fear of not accepting that I am doing the "right thing" with my weight loss journey.
Fear of feeling like all the hard work I put in at the gym isn't working.
Fear of not meeting my goal weight.
Fear of disappointing those around me.

Trust:
Trusting that I'm doing the "right thing."
Trusting that the Weight Watcher program actually works.
Trusting my ability to track my points correctly.
Trusting that my portion sizes are correct.
Trusting that I actually can lose weight.
Trusting that I can lose this weight in a healthy way.
Trusting how my body feels and not what the scale tells me.

Basically, what it boils down to is I have way too much fear about my weight loss journey. Whyyy can't I just take it one step at a time and trust myself that I'm doing the best that I can? Last night I finally cried. I let my frustrations finally get to me. And guess what my husband did? He hid the scale. For real this time. I am going to do this..the right way..I'm going to accept the fact that I have lost 4 pant sizes, 40 pounds since January 8th, and that I work out 5 times a week. I'm going to continue on my journey trusting that I'm doing the "right thing" and let nature run it's course. I need to put a little more trust in myself and my ability to lose this weight. Back to the basics..

Little late, I know..

OK- I'm a bad blogger! Sorry I'm a little late!
Tuesday was the Carrie Underwood concert. Let's all say it together...uh-maz-ing..

Love, love love her! Front row is definitely the way to go!! She is practically perfect.. body, hair and I was waiting on even ONE wrong note! But nope, she did not disappoint!

                                                Me before the concert
Friday I went to my weekly Weight Watcher weigh-in... -.2 VERY frustrating to say the least. BUT I did admit that I have fallen into a rut. My Dad signed up for Weight Watchers this week as well so now I'll have someone to go with. I stayed with him after the meeting and went over all the material again with our leader so it was kind of like I was "starting over" with the program as well. I'm going back to the basics with tracking in the Weight Watcher tracker instead of my complicated Excel spreadsheet and just re-learning the points on everything. I hope this helps get me back on track. So far for October I'm not on track with my goal of losing one pound a week to meet my goal weight of 150 by June 2011. I really need to step it up with the nutritional side. There for awhile I would binge on something..not track it..and just say "Oh well, I'll just work out extra hard tonight." Doesn't work that way, Allie!!
Sometimes we all just need a "do-over"..here's mine..



Wordless Wednesday

Not much to say today...
Except that I'm wearing a pair of Maurices slacks size 13/15 that I haven't worn since 2007!!...and so what if I have a little muffin top :) They fit, I promise!!

...Tomorrow: Carrie Underwood concert pics and recap :) Let me just say this..I love her even more than I did before!!

WW weigh in 10-15-10

First, I was losing my weight a pound at a time. It seems here lately I'm losing them ounce by ounce. AGAIN, this week I lost -.4oz. This is getting very frustrating. Any tips? I'm going to switch up my workout routines a bit. So, we will see.

(Yes, I have wood paneling in our den area :) )

On Thursday evening, my Mary Kay consultant called me and asked if I'd be interested in being a "face model" for their fall line. This goes back to those insecurities I have "You have a pretty face, but.." but I shoved those thoughts out of my head and told her I would. I absolutely LOVE MK products!! So, yesterday morning my mom and I went and it was very nice! Here I am on the way to the show:

 (EEk!! No makeup!)

And After..

They actually used a blue eyeshadow on me?? Which I wasn't used to, but I wasn't opposed to. It was a good day to get out with my mom too. After the fashion show we went to see the movie "Life as we know it." Tell me why I cried 6 times during this movie?! It was cute. Let me just say..I LOVED Katherine Heigel's (sp??) fashion and clothing in this film. She always looks so cute and put together. Something I need to work on!! Which brings me to...
My Carrie Underwood concert attire? COMPLETE! ...But that is for a different post :) :) :)



Wordless Wednesday

I want to be a Future Prior FatGirl !!!

Yup, that's right. I sent in my application today.

Whoop Whoop!

**crosses fingers**

a few things..

There are a few things I'd like to talk about today:

1. What am I going to wear to the Carrie Underwood concert???

I have this mental image of how I'm going to look, front row, when I see my IDOL. Too bad my vision is of me at 150 pounds! I'm thinking something like this:

Jennifer Hudson looks awesome and just so happens to be the spokesmodel for WW..whoop whoop!

2. Whyyy are people so ignorant about their health insurance coverage?

Ok. First things first..I am not proud of my job. It does not define me. I just pay your medical claims according to how your plan is written. Oh, you didn't know you needed a referral? Should have read your plan booklet. Oh, you didn't know your plan only covered at 80%? Not my problem. Imagine taking 60+ calls a day regarding issues like that. Take some responsibility, people. Moving on.. 

3. I'm considering just doing Gift Cards as gifts for Christmas this year.

$25.00 gift card to you..to you..and you. Easy enough, right? I think so too. Of course I will throw some Scentsy presents in there too :)

4. I'm going to start going to the 1pm WW meetings instead of the 10am starting Friday!

Last week before my weigh in I went to the ymca and got in a 30 minute cardio session and swam some laps. I felt awesome and rejuvinated all day! So, that's the new plan.

My Dad ran a half marathon!

I wanted to dedicate this post to my awesome Dad! On Sunday, 10-10-10, he competed in The Prairie Fire half marathon finishing {unofficially} at 2 hours and 40 minutes. Now, keep in mind that this guy has type II diabetes and has lost 70 Pounds!! He has since changed his lifestyle, running 4-5 times a week, weightlighting and keeping up with his grandkids. My Dad started training for this half marathon February 2010 running 4 to 8 miles 4-5 times a week. He is going to run the full marathon next year! I know he has been a huge motivation to me especially as I trained for my 5K..giving my tips about my shins, stretches etc.

My Dad crossing the finish line!

Me and my Dad in 2008

Proud of you, Dad!!

WW weigh in 10-8-10

This week at Weight Watchers I lost -.6lbs. I know in a few posts back I said that I am going to start appreciating any losses, but I honestly feel like I deserve to have lost more. I feel like ever since I lost -4lbs one week my body has been holding on to every pound. I think I'm going to start focusing on even more of the nutritional part of my weight loss journey. I feel like I have the activity part down..I absolutely love going to the gym {that still sounds so crazy to me} I love trying new things {yumba, running, etc} but the diet part has kind of stayed the same.
I do struggle more over the weekend than the week..for instance, if the hubs and I go to a movie..I feel like I need some sort of candy or snack. Or if we go out to dinner, I need to order an alcoholic beverage or pop. Why can't I just order water? I drink gallons of water throughout the week at work and have no problem. Whyy do I feel the need to drink a Dr.Pepper with a grilled chicken salad when I know it's not worth it? This week I'm really going to be on my A Game with the food I'm eating..I'm going to keep it as balanced as possible, whole grains, low carbs, vegetables, fruit, fiber, water..and then just keep up with my workouts and hope for a better loss next week! **crosses her fingers**

I want to wear {and look good in} cute clothes

For real, people. I looked in the mirror today and I look like a slob. A mess. scrub. sloppy..and all the other words opposite of fashionable. Today I am wearing trouser jeans that are size 18 and practically falling off of me..a black vneck and my Fuggs (fake Uggs). No accessories, barely any makeup, and I let my hair air dry today (gross). Like I've said in a few posts back, I want to go on a shopping spree! I'm just waiting on some miracle extra money to go on said shopping spree ;) It'll happen..soon.
The only other thing I can do is internet shop at this point..So, here are a few things I'm loving right now:

                                                      Target cardigan

Taget Tunic

Lauren Conrad for Kohl's

Forever 21

Forever 21

See? Even this stuff is pretty boring. I'm not fashionable and I don't claim to be, but I'd like to start dressing a little more clean cut! Hmm Allie, Maybe if you didn't wake up 45 minutes before you're supposed to be at work this could be an attainable goal...

Letters to my younger self..

Have you all seen "letters to your younger self" floating around blogland? They are neat to read, and so theraputic! I'm going to take a stab at it..

Dear 13 year old Allie,
Hold on tight because Middle School will be the worst three years of your life. No joke. There will be three girls who were your best friends (who you can now look back and laugh at) that will torment you every.single.day! Don't waste your time trying to make them like you. They don't like themselves! That is why they are mean to you. Don't worry about them; you have your awesome family to see you through..don't forget about the importance of your family..

Dear 15 year old Allie,
This is the year you will have your first real boyfriend. More like, the first real loser in your life. You will stick around with him for 19 months and think you are head over heels in love. You are wrong! He is a bad, bad guy..the type your mother warned you about. Why didn't you listen to her? You will spend the next few months after the break up trying to get him to leave.you.alone..even needing a protection from abuse order against him.

Dear 17/18 year old Allie,
You are in love! For real this time. Too bad you are in love with the wrong person who will lie, cheat and degrade you almost as bad as the previous boyfriend. You are wanting to grow up too soon. Slow down, sister! Enjoy your High School days! As soon as you are an "adult" (aka 18 years old) you will move into your first apartment with said boyfriend and play house for awhile..all while building debt. You will graduate High School, but are too worried about being in your relationship to think about post secondary schooling. You will continue to wait those tables and one day you will walk into your apartment to see another girl with your boyfriend. Your relationship will dramatically end. You are left to pick up the pieces for 2 years! You can do it though; you are stronger than you know!

Dear 19/20 year old Allie,
You are doing something with yourself! Remember when you always said you wanted to be a flight attendant because they wore those cute uniforms? Well, you are on your way to Phoenix, AZ sister! You will go through a grueling flight academy and be one of the 19 who graduate. You will move to Washington DC where you will navigate the subways, taxi, airports and town all by yourself without fear! You will get your first big paycheck and think you are literally going to be rich! Until..your airline files bankruptcy. Back to Kansas you go..to work at the most unsatisfying job ever..insurance.

Dear 21 year old Allie,
This is the year you will meet your future husband. You know it on the first date and even text your friend after he leaves "start planning the wedding!" This guy is too good to be true! So don't you dare take it for granted, Allie. This love is different than you've experienced in the past..it is mature, genuine and true. You will find out you're pregnant this year..all while planning a wedding. You are a planner though! You're planning for a baby and wedding..ok, so you're a little stressed. God decided your baby needed to be with Him in Heaven though..you will never forget your 14 week old baby. You and Jordan will get married on the freaking hottest day of the summer. And you really are a fat bride, Allie. But despite the weight you've gained, your husband looks at you like you are the most beautiful bride and expresses how much he loves you every day. That is why you continue to eat and not care much about your appearance. You will lose one more baby this year and hate the world for a little bit. You will eat your way through your emotions, but in the end find peace and the courage to start fresh.

Dear 22 year old Allie,
Your weight really has gotten out of control. The scale is tipping at 240lbs! You can barely walk from the parking lot to your office without being out of breath and those size 20 jeans are too tight to wear right out of the dryer. You are going to take control though. You will join Weight Watchers for the 4th time and dedicate yourself to the program. Nearly forty pounds will fall off one at a time..each pound a success. You will also become closer to your family this year. Your job still does not define you, but it is okay, Allie. You will find your place. You will continue to support your husband through his schooling because you know he is doing it to better your life together. You will start writing a blog because you love writing and love reading blogs and you will start selling Scentsy because you love to plan events and you love the product! Overall..you will be a much, much happier woman and full of love. <3

WW weigh in 10-1-10

I don't get it :( I gained .4 this week..on top of the 1pound from last week. Ugh. I worked out five time this week..tracked all my points..drank a lot of water..I just don't know. It's like the scale was "stuck" on the same number all week. I AM going to break through this week though!

I am not happy about this number..but It's a new month. A new month to work even harder, to watch my portion sizes, and lose more weight!
Happy October!!

Hurts so good

Last night I had the best.workout.ever..my new love= ZUMBA!!
I started Monday night and it left me a little frazzled and feeling very uncoordinated. The instructor was awesome though, great routines and extremely upbeat, but I felt like I couldn't keep up! Yesterday, I went again despite my insecurities. It was a different instructor and she was just as great. I actually felt like it was a better workout yesterday because it felt more focused on muscles than a choreographed dance..for instance, she incorporated squats in with the music instead of just booty shakin. I loved it! It was nonstop for an hour and I was able to keep up more..I'm not sure how many calories I burned (Heart Rate Monitor..birthday?? Christmas??) but I know I was dripping sweat! Aftwards I continued to work out..ran a little on the treadmill and the arc glider. I was drenched!
In other news..I am planning my "Scentsy Launch Party" in full force! It is going to be at my house on October 9th (btw, where did September go??) I have a lot of great ideas! If you aren't sure what Scentsy is..check out My Scentsy Website.
Have a great day!!
Weigh in tomorrow..eek!

5K recap

I woke up Saturday morning to get ready for the 5k and ate a mini bagel with peanut butter and banana slices. I was watching Biggest Loser clips for motivation. I was so pumped!! Anyway, Jordan and I left to pick up my running partner and her hubby and off we went. The traffic on the highway was sooo packed because this is how many people were there:

 Marlene and I have been training for this moment for 8 weeks, people!!

Me and my #1 fan, Jordan <3

The race started on time and honestly I had so much adrenaline pumping through my body that I started off running waaay too fast. I felt like I was sprinting. So, halfway into the first mile I had to start walking. The good thing about training with Marlene all this time is that we are really good at keeping the same pace to eachother. It's like we knew when we both had to slow down. The second mile seemed harder to me..partly because I felt like I was using all my energy to run past the people who were walking. Next year I need to do the timed race, for sure.

The last leg of the race was fine for me. We were back to seeing all the people, the music, the booths and I saw Jordan when I crossed the finish line even though I wasn't trying to make eye contact. We ended up finishing at 48 minutes. I was perfectly fine with that, because I know I gave it my all and this was something I never would have even thought twice about a year ago! The first week of the Couch to 5K I could barely run one minute, let alone a mile. I would recommend the C25K program for anyone interested in distance running or just trying to build endurance or getting into shape.

Crossing the finish line!!

And yesterday..I did somethinhg I've never done either! Zumba!!..Oh my, but that is another post in itself :)

Byeeee



Weight Watcher weigh in 9/24/10

So, let's make this weigh in bit short and sweet..I gained one pound even at WW this week. What the heck. I didn't do anything differently..I was very focused on training for the 5K. Thursday night I had my best run ever because I was so pumped thinking about all the hard work I've put in the past eight weeks for this race. So, I don't really understand the gain. I'm hoping it's muscle or just water weight gain from the "time of the month" (is that TMI in blog world?!) I'm going to keep working just as hard this week!

Tomorrow I will do my 5K recap. I will say this..I survived, finished in under an hour without any injuries! And..I will leave you with a picture:

How I got to where I am now..

I've compiled a few photos to show how I've got to the weight I am now..

I can no longer be in denial..

2005- 150lbs

2007- 165lbs flight attendant interview

2007- 170ishlbs after flight school graduation

2007- 175ishlbs size 13 dress

2008- 180ish lbs size 15 jeans

2008- 195lbs

The day I met my future husband :) 195lbs

2008- 195lbs

2009- engagement pictures..215lbs pregnant and didn't know it yet.

2009- 220ish lbs.

Our wedding day 6-27-08 at least 225lbs

2009- 225ishlbs

The WORST before of me EVER 2009- 230lbs

I look at these photos, especially the last few, and I don't ever want to look like that again!!