November 17, 2010 By lisa
Good afternoon!
Today is the start of our newest challenge, the Holiday Hoedown!
Did you see my new profile/bio picture? This is about as “hoe-down” as you will ever see me- HA!
I would like to introduce you to my awesome team- The Healthy Holiday Ho’s– and my most fantastic team members: Bari, Kirsten, Tiffany, Beki, Thea, Jamee, and Elaine.
While a few of our group are at goal or very close to goal weight, a few of us still have a few pounds left to lose (like me!). However, the focus for our group during this challenge will be to maintain our health, be fit, not gain any holiday weight, and push each other physically. Most of us are runners (yippee!) and I know I will enjoy the camaraderie of this group, as these women are some of my favorite Sisters.
Personally, I want at the very least to maintain my current weight and hopefully, get into the 150′s permanently. This shouldn’t be that hard to do since I am sitting at 161.8, but the holiday season is upon us and that means parties, eating and drinking more the norm.
But not for me!
- Starting weight when I began “Shrinking” (Jan 2009): 188 lbs
- Starting weight for this challenge (November 2010): 161.8
- Goal to lose: 4 lbs
Oh yeah, did you know that I ran a half marathon a few days ago? Yeah, I am kind of proud of myself and have been tooting my own horn all week. You can read all about it here.
Now, bring it on!!!!
November 10, 2010 By lisa
but I have a loss this week. It is not by any means a big loss and it’s not because I actually TRIED to lose weight this week. I think since I have reached the lower 160′s my body has reached a faster metabolism because frankly, I am hungry ALL OF THE TIME. OK, that’s not ture, but there will be parts of the day where I want to eat everything.
Anyhoo, I posted a loss this week, 162 lbs down to 160.8 lbs.
Sunday, I run a half marathon- woot woot!
October 19, 2010 By lisa
It’s True Confessions Tuesday- the day where I lay it all out for all of you to read. Here we go!
- I am running my 2nd half marathon in 26 days- I am beyond excited! My first half marathon, done with Team Shrinking Jeans, was done with a hip injury and while I was overjoyed to be doing it with my hookers girls and I was so happy to be raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, it was not how I wanted my first half experience to go. This time I feel much stronger and ready to hit it.
- Last week, I ran a total of 15 miles, with my longest run being 8.5 miles- woot woot!
- However, my lovely lady friend must be getting ready to make a visit because I am wanting to eat everything single salty snack in my home….and I am. I am guzzling the water to offset the sodium intake but um, well, I won’t be surprised if I have a tiny gain this week. I hope I can keep it tiny.
- Life is so crazy busy. To add to the normal crazy, my husband and I are doing the unthinkable- moving our family of five to a smaller house noone ever moves to a smaller house! so that we save a shit-ton of money and eventually move to the house of our dreams wanna know what that looks like to us- just ask a few years down the road. Have we sold our current house? NO. Have we even put it on the market? NO. Are we in the midst of purging all the crap and getting our house ready to sell? YES. Translation: We have a lot of crap and GOOD GAWD it is difficult to get anything done with the toddler awake. And man oh man, is there a lot of wear and tear on our house that needs to be painted/covered up/fixed.
- I miss my friend Christy. Yes, our Christy, our fearless Shrinking Jeans leader and someone I have been friends with since 2004. Before our oldest kids’ started elementary school, we would get together about every 6 weeks to visit (we live 3.5 hours apart). Now, we are lucky to even to see each other every few months, IF THAT. Our last two scheduled visits were cancelled due to circumstances neither of us had control over. Although we talk on the phone every single day and we email even more, I still miss hanging out with her even with our combined brood of 5 kiddos- oh the noise!. I know that I will see her on Nov. 14th, the day of our half marathon. She is a faster runner than I but I wonder if I convince her to slow her pace down and run with me so that we can actually run the race together, talk the whole time, and cross the finish line together how awesome would that be? Christy is needing some love right now- could you please go give her some?
Allrighty-then- that’s all my confessions for now. Gotta don my running shoes and hit the trail for some more running mileage. I’m outta here- ADIOS!!!!!
October 10, 2010 By lisa
I am training for the San Antonio Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon in November.
Race day is in 5 weeks.
My long training runs are quickly ramping up in the mileage department.
This morning, I ran 7.5 miles in 1 hr and 30 min with an average pace of 12 min- woot woot.
My friend Amanda joined me for the first half of my run. We wanted to take a picture and were having problems doing it ourselves. Two male runners stopped and one offered to take our picture. Cool.
Except that according to him, he had just finished 50 miles (ha ha) and his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. Take after take trying to get a shot of us. His friend joked about us putting the photo on Facebook, which made me crack up because um yeah, duh- I’m putting it on Facebook. Then as the runner/photographer is attempting once again to take our picture, he quips- Well, at least your boobs will be in focus.
Amanda and I pause in our banter and then we BUST OUT LAUGHING. OMG, we couldn’t stop laughing. Some strange runner dude just told us that he was focusing on our boobs and it was the most hilarious and random thing E-V-E-R.
Only with Amanda do these bizarre things happen. I love having a friend to run with- we have the best time.
I have to say, too, aren’t we looking skinny?! We have both lost some major weight since the last time we took a picture together- how awesome is that?!!!!
October 6, 2010 By lisa
Last week’s weigh-in was an emotional one for me as I was finally able to scream from the rooftops that I had lost 25 lbs since joining Shrinking Jeans. Although I exercised hard this past week, I thought for sure I might have a gain as there was birthday cake and pizza involved this weekend (celebrating my youngest turning 2) and there may have been a basket of tortilla chips that I inhaled last night as I hung out with our very own Tiffany and watched the sunset at The Oasis.
FYI- if you are ever in the Austin area, you MUST visit The Oasis and watch the sun set- it is absolutely beautiful. For realz.
- Shrinkvivor Weigh-in Start: 166 lb
- Last week’s weigh-in: 163 lbs
- This week’s weigh-in: 161.8 lbs
- Weekly loss of 1.2 lbs
- Total challenge loss of 4.2 lbs
- Fitness challenge (fastest mile): 10:15 min
Other positives this week:
- My husband told me that “I am looking skinny”.
- I have inspired my friend Lauren to take up running again.
- My “little black dress” that has been hanging in my closet for years, waiting for me to fit in it again, NOW FITS.
Anyhoo, as my scale continues in the right direction (that would be down, down, down), I am starting to re-think things. I find myself coming up to a turning point in my thinking about fitness, nutrition and most importantly, the way I view myself. I keep thinking about Christie O. and all the mental changes she’s made through her own journey and seriously ya’ll, I am starting to feel those same changes, too.
I am not there yet, BUT I do find myself moving in that direction.
I feel as if I have been so FOCUSED on my own journey, that I have not been supportive, encouraging, and motivational ENOUGH to all of you.
I am so strapped for time, BUT I do find myself WANTING to move in that direction, to do those things for others, to do the things that ALL OF YOU have done for me.
Consider me a work in progress.
To be continued…..
September 30, 2010 By lisa
Damn, I feel awesome and so proud of myself.
You know that fitness challenge we have going on right now? The one called “Fastest Mile”. It just started today and I decided to take the challenge and see what my body could do.
- I did a warm-up mile of 2:1 (2 min jog/1 min walk)- 13 min
- Pause and stretch. Then I took off for my “fastest mile”.
- Drum roll, please……
- I clocked my “fastest mile” at 10:15 min- woot woot!!!!!!
- Stop, caught my breathe for a few minutes and then took off for my last mile
- Clocked mile 3 at 10:40 min- another woot woot!!!! Interestingly enough, the last 1/2 mile was mostly UPHILLand by the time I got to the last 1/4 mile I was ready to throw in the towel and give up. However, “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey came on my iPod and I instantly thought of Bari and how she loves that song and how SHE wouldn’t give up at the end and so I DIDN’T GIVE UP and I kept going. Thanks Bari- you got me to the “finish” line, girl!!!
My “normal” pace is 12-12:30/min miles so this is an AWESOME pace for me. I know it will not be the “fastest mile” out there. I will leave that to the pro runners, like Kirsten and Christie O…..possibly even Christy. However, this is a personal best FOR ME and isn’t that what this all about?
I am totally pumping my fist in the air…..TOTALLY.
September 29, 2010 By lisa
My life is moving at super-sonic speed right now. I have so many other things I should be doing right now. Instead, I sit here re-reading old posts that I have written and marveling at how far I have come. I have searched up and down and around again for my very first weigh-in post but apparently, I never officially shared my *starting* weight for this journey. Interesting, huh?
My very first post for Shrinking Jeans was December 1, 2008. My third child was only 9 weeks old then and I was in the throes of caring for an infant, a toddler and a pre-schooler. I refused to weigh myself at that time.
I did weigh myself sometime in January 2009. I weighed 188 lbs and hated the way I looked and felt. I was not exercising, not watching what I ate and still breastfeeding. I came on board full-time with Shrinking Jeans at that time.
I weighed myself this morning and this is what I saw.
It has taken me almost 2 years, but finally, FINALLY, I get to grab this button.
I kept re-reading that very first post and I thought about how far I have come and then, I burst into tears.
- I have lost 25 lbs.
- I began this journey in a Size 16. I am safely wearing Size 12 and even some Size 10′s.
- My wedding ring fits once again.
- I have adjusted to “life with 3 kids”.
- I am a runner. I completed my first half marathon with Team Shrinking Jeans in June 2010. I am training for my 2nd half marathon in November 2010.
- I will one day soon be a triathlete. I am very anxious to get started down the triathlete path and cannot wait to do it. I have a feeling that I might even enjoy triathlete-ism even more than just plain ole running!
- I no longer wonder about “failing” as failure is no longer part of my vocabulary. There may be detours and bumpy roads, but no failure.
I am SO grateful to the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans… SO VERY GRATEFUL. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now, here’s to losing another 10-15 lbs- woot woot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
September 22, 2010 By lisa
Last week was VERY stressful for me, so stressful that I ceased eating for over 36 hours and have only returned to a slightly normal eating pattern, one week later. I lost all cravings for any and all food and hence, I thought the scale might be kind to me. Although, in the past, extreme stress usually propelled me in the opposite direction- eating everything in sight and gaining 6 lbs overnight.
Anyhoo, this is all to say that I have a loss this week and I am going to do my damn-dest to keep it off and lose some more.
Last week: 166 lbs
This week: 164 lbs
Loss of 2 lbs
I haven’t been this low in over 3 years. THREE YEARS. This loss is bittersweet since I had to go through so much stress to lose it, but whatever- the weight is gone and I will take it and own it. I am only ONE POUND from claiming my “25 lbs lost button” from Shrinking Jeans.
Yes, since I joined Shrinking Jeans 1.5 years ago, I have lost 24 lbs- how awesome is that?!
Slow and steady wins the race, right?
Oh yeah, on the challenge front.
I am a water guzzler by nature, drinking 100 oz/per day at a minimum. So yeah, put me down for A LOT OF WATER. For miles logged, I logged 9.5 miles (8.5 running, 1 mile walking). In all actuality, I should have run more since I am training for that half marathon in November, but some ankle/heel pain sidelined me for 10 days and it was only last week that I returned to running, at a reduced schedule.
One more thing…….GO TRIBE BROWN!!!!
August 7, 2010 By lisa
Hot Running.
That is what I did this morning and it pretty much sucked A$$ the entire time.
85 degrees and 100% humidity at 8am this morning.
I *almost* bailed on the run, BUT I knew I needed it. Not for my mental sanity, but for my physical training for the half marathon in November. I feel so behind with my training since I am starting fresh, again. I needed to bank this run, no matter how hard it might be.
It was hard and sweaty and tiring and OMG- the heat, the heat about killed me.
Here was the inner dialogue going through my head during the run: Just do it. Just move your feet forward. Don’t think about the heat. Don’t think about how tired you are. Don’t think about how you would rather be in bed at home or drinking coffee in the morning quiet. Just go, go, GO. It’s only 2.5 miles. You, Lisa, ran a half marathon with a messed up hip and lived to tell about it. Sure, you are recovering now but you are RECOVERING. You can run 2.5 miles in the effin’ heat with a hip that feels much better. So stop your bitchin’ and whining, put your big girl panties on, and move it. You are strong. You can do this. Dedication and discipline….dedication and discipline….dedication and discipline. YOU CAN DO THIS.
I banked this bad boy and it’s done for today. I did it and I did not die- Hip hip hooray for not dying on the trail!
You know what else? The mental part of running? It’s just as important as the physical training. Trust me. I have grown in exponential ways since the last half marathon training. EXPONENTIAL.
August 1, 2010 By lisa
Today was my first *official* (training) long run for the San Antonio Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon in November. Race Day is 15 weeks away.
I ran 2.5 miles this morning.
This may not seem like much when I will be running 13.1 miles on race day, but for me, it is the beginning of this journey. Although I have kept up my fitness level since my hip injury on May 1st, by cycling and swimming and lifting weights, I once again feel like a newbie to the running world.
All was quiet in my house this morning, everyone was still sleeping, when I donned my running shoes. I quickly packed my stuff because I wanted to get out the door before anyone woke up. I scrawled a note for my husband since we hadn’t talked about this previously. I jumped in my car and drove to the starting point on the trail, a trail I haven’t run on since April.
I got out of my car and went….nice and slow. The sun was shining coolly (think 78 degrees cool, which IS cool compared to 85 degrees “cool”). There were lots of other runners on the trail. I rounded a bend to begin the bridge over a portion of the lake. I love this part of the trail because it is so beautiful and peaceful. My thoughts instantly returned to HOW LONG it has been since I ran this trail and I began to cry.
I was so very honored and humbled that my body is allowing me to run again. To give me the sense of freedom that I can rarely get anywhere else. To feel movement and motion. To have sweat drip down my face. To do the “runners wave” to others on the trail. To enjoy the outdoors.
I cried no less than 3 times this morning.
I will take what my body will give me. I will build it and make it stronger and love it. My mind is already stronger and ready for the mental part of running.
I want to cross that finish line in San Antonio, on MY terms, with nothing “broken”, with my heart soaring over what I have achieved.
I will do it.