Running Update

Running is hard! I am not enjoying it but I am still willing to stick it out and see if it gets better. I am hoping the benefits I will see in terms of toning will out weigh the struggles of getting through the run/walk. I am also trying to remind myself this is only my second week of training. I am going to download some new music to my i-pod; maybe that will help. I read about a site called www.dontquitmusic.com and I am going to check it out.

Tonight I go see Sylvia so that will be fun. She has started me doing kick boxing to help tone my lower body. You would think between my run/walk and personal trainer seesions I would be in super shape but everything takes time right? As Nan tells me, I didn't put this weight on overnight and I am not going to lose it overnight either. It is coming off and I feel so much better than I did a few months ago; if it takes a year, that is okay.

So, what do you all do to stay in shape? I want to hear from you.

Recipe for Artichoke Dip

I have been going through some magazines around the house and I came across this recipe for Artichoke Dip. I haven't tried it yet but I thought I would share with you all because I know at least some of you entertain and may want to try. It is not fat or sodium free but better than a regular recipe. This recipe came from the May issue of Health Magazine -

Artichoke Dip (makes 6 servings)
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup light cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbs chopped scallions
1 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine artichokes, mayonnaise, cream cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 3/4 cup mozzarella, garlic salt, pepper, scallions, and parsley in a bowl; transfer to baking dish.
2. Top with remaining Parmesan and mozzarella; bake 20-30 minutes or until golden and bubbling. (Serving size: about 1/2 cup)

Calories 159; Fat 9g; Chlesterol 23mg; Protein 11g; Carbohydrate 9g; Sugars 1g; Fiber 0g; Iron 1mg; Sodium 684mg; Calcium 268mg.

Let me know if you try it and I will do the same.

No Plateau Yet...

I know I am always excited but this has been a pretty good "voyage" so far. Today at weigh-in, I lost another 2 lbs. for a total of 23. I am so proud of myself and excited about reaching 30 soon. I think a lot of my success can be attributed to a mind set. There have been a lot of times in my life when I wanted to lose weight but wasn't successful because I don't think I wanted it bad enough. A few months ago, I hit rock bottom by feeling bad, over all health not great, and I was out growing my fat clothes. That was a bad moment! Now I feel like I can do anything given enough time which is why I know I will be successful this time; it may take a year to get my BMI in the range it should be in but that is okay, I just have to keep going.

By the way, did I tell you all about my blood pressure? My blood pressure was inching up and my GYN was really concerned which is one of the reasons I got serious about the weight loss. Anyway, I had an appointment the other day with my GYN and my blood pressure was great! He couldn't quit praising me for the efforts I have made and how good I was doing. He just went on and on and I really felt good leaving there for a change. Next year, I won't dread it so much. One thing I still need to work on is my bad cholesterol number; when I had it checked, it was a little high but the doctor said my diet and exercise program should help it to lower. My good cholesterol level was good so the overall ratio was fine but I still would prefer that number to be lower. I will have it checked again at the end of July so keep your fingers crossed.

Does anyone have any questions or a topic you would like me to talk about? I don't mind sharing almost anything so go ahead and ask. I won't tell you my current weight though. Some websites I have found helpful are www.mapmyrun.com (thanks Keela) and www.health.com. They both have a lot of useful information in terms of diet and exercise. Mapmyrun.com has a cool feature where you can put in your walk/run route and it will tell you the distance and a lot of other stuff. Check it out; it is a fun site. I also have found out the diet I am on is similar to the Zone diet for those of you curious. I have really come to see how some carbs are really bad in the diet, especially if you are overweight in the first place. I really try to avoid breads, pastas, potatoes, rice, etc.

I Have Never Been So Sore!

Today was my second day of training and I cannot believe how sore I am. Now I am still seeing my trainer twice a week so I guess that is adding to my sore muscles but still, I am in pain. No one told me how sore running makes you. I am trying to imagine my thighs slimmer to stay focused and realize I have until October before the actual 5K run but I am not going to lie, the thought crossed my mind this morning that I could just walk the 5K and forget this running business. Not a good attitude so I could use all the encouragement you can give me. I don't run again until Saturday so hopefully I will recover a little and feel better. Weigh-in is tomorrow so maybe that will provide some addtional motivation too. Doesn't anybody want to join me in the effort? I wouldn't mind having some co-sufferers. :)

I am going to relax tonight and maybe even take a bath. Isn't that supposed to be good for sore muscles?

Have a great night.

Can I Do It?

As most of you know, I love scrapbooking. My favorite store in Birmingham, Scrap Etc., closed recently but Lucy (the owner) will still be hosting events. The next event is in October and the theme is Running with Scissors because they are combining it with the Susan G. Komen 5K Run. Well, I have never been a runner and the one time I tried with Marcela, it didn't go so well. Maybe I wasn't in the right mind set. Anyway, I decided to go ahead and register because if all else fails, I can always walk. But I am going to challenge myself and set a new goal to run, at least most of it. I have decided to begin training Monday and will follow a beginners 5K plan I got off the health.com website. Wish me luck and if you would like to donate to the cause, just let me know or go to my Facebook page. By the way, my weigh-in on Thursday went well; I lost another pound making my total 21 lbs! Sylvia, my trainer, wants me to lose more fat before I start seriously toning so this training program should help that effort. I am really excited; Clint even said the other day "It is obvious you are going to reach your goal." That is monumental coming from him because he is pretty pessimistic. If anyone would like to join our team for the run, let me know.

Have a great night.

My New Look

I forgot, how do you like my new look? I thought it was time for a change; hopefully you all will like it enough to keep coming back.

My Weekend

I was not able to "go shopping" this weekend for my additional beads because my niece, Izzie, was with me most of the time. She is 3 1/2 and full of energy! We had a lot of fun but I never realized how much attention children require since I don't have any of my own. She was constantaly on the go so I am extremely tired today. I have a new appreciation for parents, especially Don and Amy. :)

Maybe I will get over to Wraposdy this week to look at their beads and find me two new ones. I will post a picture if I do.

Have a great night.

I Get To Go Shopping!

I am so excited because I had my weigh-on today and I made it to 20lbs! Because I lost another 10 lbs, I can add to my bracelet and that will be a lot of fun picking out two more beads. I will post an updated picture after I have made my purchases.

I know in my last post, I told you I had gained two pounds. I think that was a big wake up call for me and helped me to get back in gear and serious about not eating whatever I want. This week, I lost close to 6 lbs alone which is what I did my very first week; I guess my body needed a jolt.

My workouts are going great. Sylvia is a wonderful trainer. She knows how to really push you but she does it in such a fun way. We laugh a lot during the workouts and that helps make the time go by faster. I have really improved on my stomach crunches. When I first started it was all I could do to get 20 done; this week, I did 130 in one session! It was hard but I got through it and I think I could do it again. I am really glad I did this and I think it is really starting to show. If any of you are thinking about exercise and a trainer, let me know and I will get you touch with Sylvia.

Another thing, (this has really been a good week) I tried on some pants that had become too tight and they fit this week. Woo Hoo, now I have more clothes to choose from for work. I have a pair of brown pants that are really too big now. I have been debating whether to donote them or hang on to them and hold them up to me when I am finished losing all the weight for comparison. I could take a picture like a lot of diet and exercise programs do as testimonials. What do you think I should do.

Okay, I have to get back to work. Have a great day!