Weekly Weigh-In 3/12

Heaviest Weight: 271.0 lbs
Last Week's Weight: 223.4 lbs
Weight Loss: -1.0 lb

Current Weight: 222.4 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 48.6 lbs

I'm down a pound since last week! I'm so excited to see a loss after making the decision to keep going. My plan is to work even harder this week and maybe see even more loss next Wednesday.

Workouts for the Week

Wednesday - 2.00 miles on the treadmill

Tuesday - Day 1 of Jillian Michaels' Kettlebell Workout

I completed Day 2 of the kettlebell workout today, but that will be included with next week's weigh-in post. Tomorrow is Day 3. I can really feel it working in my legs, especially the front and back of my thighs. The soreness means it's working, right? ;-)

14 in '14 Update

I figured I should write an update about how things are going with my 14 goals for 2014.

Complete a 5K.

It's not completed yet, BUT Mallory, Emily, and I have all registered for the Color Fun Fest in April. I think it's going to be so fun!

Read more than 10 books this year.

I've read 3 so far, and I'm working on the fourth. Maybe I can get some reading done during Spring Break, which is this week!

Give Emily a bridal shower.

This is the first goal on my list that I can cross off! Mallory and I gave her a shower two weeks ago, and I think it was a great success. Emily loved it, and she was 'showered' with lots of wonderful gifts.

On the left is Emily's mom (and my aunt) Darla and on the right is my mom

See a movie in the theater at least once a month.

Well, this one's already a bust because I didn't see on in February, but I'm now shooting for 11/12. In January, I saw Gravity, which I was very disappointed with by the way.

Walk/run 1,000 miles this year.

Ha! So far, I've logged 18.16 miles. To complete this goal, I will need to log at least 3.3 miles every day for the rest of the year. We'll see how that goes...

I haven't made much progress with my other 9 goals yet, so I just left those out for now.

Do you have any goals for 2014? How is it going for you?

A Fresh Start

*sigh*

It's been way too long since I wrote anything on here. I've decided I need a fresh start with my weight loss and with this blog. I have lots of updates to share, and I'm hoping I'll find the time to write about it all.

For today, I'm going to talk about my weight loss. I was looking through my weight tracker recently, and I realized I've been stuck in the same range since the end of August. I'm sure it was one of the first plateaus I would encounter, which is why the weight was harder to lose at first. Then, my dad's heart attack and consequential bypass surgery came about at the end of October, and I took care of him until December, which caused me to push my regimen aside. Since Christmas, I've just been in some kind of funk. I have had no motivation to work out at all.

All that is going to change. I want to keep going. I want to lose weight like I did during the first six months of last year. I want to feel good about myself again for choosing to work out and seeing the results that come from that choice. I think I got comfortable with where I was, but I've lived in this body long enough...long enough to be uncomfortable with it and slowly find that motivation I have been lacking for too long.

From now on, I'm going to keep up with my weigh-ins every Wednesday with a weekly post, which will include how much weight I've (hopefully) lost and what workouts I completed throughout the week. 

I'm excited to be back in the swing of things and to see where this fresh start takes me.

Heaviest Weight: 271.0 lbs

Current Weight: 223.4 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 47.6 lbs

2nd Annual Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K

On Saturday, I woke up bright and early to celebrate Katie's birthday by participating in the Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K.

I knew that it was going to be very cold on Saturday morning, so I prepared the night before by putting out all the layers I would be wearing: leggings, black workout pants, t-shirt, sports bra, jacket with a hood, gloves, socks, and shoes. The next morning when I was getting in my car to drive to the track, I saw my reflection in the window and thought of Damien from Mean Girls.

I posted this picture on Instagram along with the quote and #meangirls. After I got back from my run, my mom asked me what it meant because she thought some girls had been mean to me. LOL!

So, back to the 5K...I got to the track, set my music, started the app to track my mileage, and I was ready to roll! I had made the decision to run the straights and walk the curves, which is what I did through the entire 5K.

Last year, I ran it on the treadmill with a time of 41:19. I wanted to beat that this year, so I set a goal of 40 minutes. I finished in 43:45, which means I didn't accomplish that goal. Even though I didn't finish in under 40 minutes, this race made me stronger in (at least) two ways.

#1: This was the first time for me to complete a 5K in public. All my others have been completed on the treadmill. Last year, I gave up trying to run it outside because it was 37 degrees. This year, I ran it outside, and it was 30 degrees. I came prepared mentally and physically. I think I've gained a lot more confidence this past year, which helped me to start and finish the race at the track.

#2: The treadmill is definitely easier for me to run on than the track because it keeps you at a constant pace. I'm proud of finishing in 43:45 at the track. I think I'll have two different goals...one for treadmill running and one for track running.

Hopefully, Katie continues this tradition because I'm really looking forward to seeing the person I become this year as I continue getting healthier and more fit and comparing the results of this 5K with next year's 5K.

Weekly Weigh-In #35

This Week: +2.6 lb

Total Loss: -30.2 lbs

Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs

Current Weight: 221.0 lbs

Totally bummed that I gained so much this week, and I'm not even sure how it happened! I haven't been eating any differently, and while my workouts weren't that hardcore, I was moving more than I had in weeks. 

I need some kind of motivation to get back on the treadmill. That's what really helped me lose weight last year, but for some reason, I haven't been able to make myself get into a routine of using it every day. I told my sister I might not find it as enjoyable because I don't have a show on Netflix that I'm dying to watch each day. Last year I had a few that kept me entertained, and I used working out on the treadmill as an excuse to watch the shows instead of just laying around in bed watching them!

Any shows on Netflix you would recommend? 

Workouts for the Week

Thursday - Zumba for Beginners on YouTube (19:24)

Friday - Zumba Class 3 on YouTube (31:49)

Sunday - 3.09 miles at the track (39:51)

Monday - 0.68 mile dog walk (13:39)

I used to set goals for myself as part of my weekly weigh-ins. I want to start doing that again because I think it helps me focus on the week ahead.

This Week's Goals

#1: Work out on the treadmill at least three times this week.

#2: Complete my Runs for Cookies Virtual 5K in under 40 minutes.

I'm linking up with Heather and Ash for the first time for Weigh-In Wednesday!

#2014BloggerChallenge: Skincare Routine

I'm back with the second 2014 Blogger Challenge topic for the month of January, which is all about my skincare routine. Now, I'm not a beauty blogger, so I don't know the latest and greatest products on the market. These are just the 5 products I use on a daily basis. Enjoy!

#1: Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser ($22) - This is a mild cleanser that leaves my face feeling super clean. It lathers up into a rich foam, which only takes a small amount to accomplish. My favorite thing about it though is the smell. It's such a clean, fresh scent that isn't overpowering. I have never spent this much on a cleanser before, but I think Clarins is definitely worth it. Plus, it lasts a long time since you don't have to use a lot with each washing.

#2: Freeman Facial Polishing Mask, Charcoal and Black Sugar (~$4) - I included this mask in my favorite things at Christmas for Mallory and Emily. Before winter came along, I used this once or twice a week on my face, but ever since we've had colder weather, it has really dried my face out. So, I've started using it on my elbows every day in the shower. My skin overall has been so dry and itchy this winter, but my elbows have been especially bad. This scrub has really helped make them smooth again!

#3: E.L.F. Lip Exfoliator ($3) - I have a bad habit of chewing on my bottom lip, which causes it to get dry and chapped. This lip exfoliator is great for treating it. It's basically a compacted sugar scrub molded into a lipstick form. It has a yummy vanilla smell, which I love. The best part is the price. $3...can't beat that!

#4: Skin79 VIP Gold Super Plus BB Cream (~$16) - This is the main foundation of my makeup, but the reason I'm including it with skincare is because it has sunscreen added to it. When I was younger, I didn't really think about using sunscreen too much on a daily basis, but now that I have it in my BB cream, it makes it so easy to apply every day.

#5: Mario Badescu Peptide Renewal Cream (~$15) - Like I talked about earlier, my skin has been really dry lately. I have been using this cream as a moisturizer for my face. I really like it because it doesn't leave any residue or an oily feeling on my face. I don't know if I would pay this much for it though. This came from my mom, and I think she got it as a free add-on with some other things she ordered.

So, that's pretty much my daily skincare routine. Simple and easy to do. What are some of your must-have skincare items?

Thursday Thoughts

Linking up with Jennifer today for Thursday Thoughts!

~When I see stories of people that have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on plastic surgery to look like a certain celebrity, it makes me sad. I can't help but wonder when in their life they were made to feel like being themselves wasn't good enough. I think about how they feel after the surgery. Are they happy with how it turned out? When they look in the mirror, do they see the celebrity they aspire to be or just a different version of themselves?

~This may be a weird quirk that only I possess, but if I'm reading a book, I can't look at the picture of the author on the back. If I do, I picture them the whole time I am reading...kinda like if I see the movie before I read the book, I picture all the actors as the characters instead of creating them in my head.

~Has anyone seen the video of the woman that dedicated herself to working out 100 days in a row? She lost 51 pounds last year and 18 pounds in her 100 day challenge! To me, what's more inspiring than that is the smile you see on her face that grows bigger and bigger as she gains more self-esteem and learns to love herself. I love this video! You go LaKeisha!

~Does anyone remember Nikki McKibbin from the first season of American Idol? I saw a commercial today where her SON is trying out this season! That makes me feel old!

~One of my goals for 2014 is to see a movie at least once a month. My sister and I are going this weekend, but I can't decide what I want to see! American Hustle or Lone Survivor?