My story ~ part 2

if you missed part 1 you can find it here !

I went into that Slim Down with a focus and a drive! I learned to eat healthy and how to workout. Over the next few weeks of that challenge I lost 15 pounds. I didn't win the challenge I came in 3rd place! That was a great challenge for alot of us!

When I finished that Slim Down, my personal trainer (provided in the Slim down) pulled me into her office and asked "What is your next goal?" I can remember telling her that I'd just keep going with what I was doing. She pressed alittle more about a specific goal and I kept telling her I was fine and I didn't really have a goal, "I'd just keep doing what I was doing."

She was firm on that I really needed a goal, and left it at that!

I ended up losing another 15 pounds last summer, but I think I only saw that number for a day!

My oldest son moved back home from college for the summer. He and I have the same food weaknesses, that means that we love the same sorts of food. I used him being home as an excuse to bring some of my favorite foods back into my home. Not only did I bring them back into my home but I started enjoying them also .... it was a slow progression but I fell back into my old ways of eating.

My workouts began to be effected also. I hurt my shoulder in a couple of minor incidents (non workout related) that started the process of it freezing up! I began to be consumed with the pain and my arm last fall. By this time last year, my shoulder was almost totally frozen, I wasn't working out and I was eating everything and anything I wanted. Gaining weight again.

I can remember attending a church meeting last November 13 wearing a skirt that I'd wore all summer that night .

this skirt in the summer

I just knew I was going to bust when I sat down! funny (aka sad) thing was I stopped by a fast food place on the way home and got a burger, as if my skirt wasn't already tight enough.

By Christmas I was up about 15 pounds, and by Spring I'd gained 20 pounds of the 30 I'd lost!

I had surgery on my shoulder and switched physical therapist and things began to look up with my arm. I started working out again slowly! BUT I couldn't get a grip on my eating. I knew I had to be accountable to someone with my eating.

About that time the Y put up notices about their next Slim Down! I signed up. During the Slim downs you have a personal trainer that works out with you and you submit your daily food journal to them! AH, there was my accountable.

Fortunately, it all fall right back into place......
I lost 14 pounds and won this challenge, but when it was over, I remembered those words of my personal trainer from last year's challenge.... "What my goal?" I knew she was right and I had to keep a goal in mind this time.

Stay tuned for the Healthy Adventure challenge.....

Before and Current pictures!

what's gone ... in numbers!

Since May 2, 2011 I no longer have .....

25.3 pounds and 18 inches
-4 chest -5.5 waist
-4.5 hips -4 thing

there are GONE, GONE, GONE!

there was alot of
work, effort, planning, and sweat
to get rid of them but it has all paid off!

My story ~ part 1

I'm sorry for the funky spacing, gotta love blogger ??

What made me decide it was time to

become healthy!

I'm not athletic, I've never been but then a couple of years ago I found myself in the middle of an athletic family.

My husband was a wheelchair sport athlete, until his body said "no more"! Now he still works out by lifting weights, and riding his bike.

I had a naturally athletic son. Everything he decided he wanted try, he worked until he succeeded at, physically. After High School (the time of the picture) he was working out with the goal of setting records in Powerlifting!

Then my youngest son was taking off in swimming. He was a fish! thankfully he was taking after his father and brother and not his Mother!

Just a few days before this picture I had decided that I needed to just love where I was at, size wise, health wise, and look wise. So I was 'enjoying' life with the attitude of "this is who I am"

When I got these picture back (along with all the Christmas pictures) I realized I was the weakest link in my family. weakest athlete, weakest in being healthy, I was not setting a good example in fitness, or healthy eating

and I was not really enjoying my life at this size,

I was just making an excuse.

I didn't really want to look like this

This was not who I wanted to be!

So I needed to change it!

On February 14, 2010 I signed up for my Y's

Slim Down Contest.

this was my BEFORE picture that I took that day!

that day when I walked into the Y,

I remember saying to my self ....

I'm going to do something about my health so

BODY DON'T FAIL ME NOW!

and the adventure began.....

Jared Coones 13 Memorial Pumpkin 5k Run

This morning was my 15th 5k,

and my 5 5k race since starting my Challenge.

This was the biggest so far, there had been alot of communication about parking that I was nervous and didn't sleep well last night worrying about the distance parking. I got up and out the door early (6:30am) and was able to park in the parking lot I wanted to ... yea for small blessings. Instead of riding the bus shuttles I walked the just under 1/2 mile to the race start. I really didn't understand the need to ride the bus, I mean PEOPLE if you're able to walk, jog, or run the 5k you could surely walk the 1/2 mile to get there! I will give credit to some they had small children and that may have been too much.

I knew that walking would be an option yesterday when I went to pick up my packet. I drove from the startline to the parking places and knew I could walk it!
My before picture

It was a great morning, 68ish, sunny, but strong winds.

This race takes place in the subdivision, Jared Coones subdivision. It starts at the school he attended and winds around this community. When I say Winds around that's just what I mean. Have you ever been lost in a subdivision?? I have! just winding around and around not ever finding a way out! I felt like this was happening as I was wogging! the great thing was I was with 4000 others winding around too! They even had a drum line for us at one corner! Oh there were plenty of corners ... hence all the winding!

My after picture by the course Map!

Yes, you read it right there were just under 4000 participants for this race. This was my biggest thus far! We started in 2 waves. Depending on your pace time you choose your wave. I was in the second wave by choice.... well I don't wog a 9 minute mile (slowest time for the 1st wave) so it really wasn't be choice was it!?!

Start line ... Wave 2

I was in the wave with the slower joggers, walkers, strollers, and the kid's running clubs. I appreciate that all were included BUT it did take some getting use to wogging with kids around. They are all over the place! I believe some of them ran several more miles since they were zig zagging all over the place. It was wild! I don't believe the zig zaggers were in running clubs. Those kids knew how to run straight lines and pace themselves. They were impressive!

Once again I went into today without much time to work out this week. I worked 4 out of the 5 days this week, it was frustrating for me! My new CardioTracker says that my pace was 12.11 and that would make my time a bit quicker than the last race. I started at a nice pace and was able to jog much longer than usual.

Then I walked the 1/2 miles back to my car!

Official time is 38.54.1

Not my overall best but it was my best for this race!

Cerner Slim Down weight out!

This morning I checked out of my Cerner Slim Down weight challenge.

WOW this 10 weeks went fast.
I'm so pleased with the outcome.

so here it is by the numbers.....

I weighted out at 14 pounds lighter
at a weight of 168.2!

chest -1.5"
Waist -1.25"
Hip -1.0"
thigh .75"

it was 7.7% of a weight loss.

Rockin' workout #2 for ROCKTOBER!

This month I'm going to ROCK my health, by taking my diet up a level and making every workout ROCK! it's so easy to get into a rut, and I'm bustin' out this month of ROCKTOBER!

The first 30 minute workout today was this .....

from the FitChicks' Blog

I love these girls and they have some great workouts

that I'm excited to try!

Next I headed to a quiet corner of the Y for a GREAt KettleBall workout out that I've already raved about from ...Womens Health Magazine.
(Sorry I can't get the link to work!)

WOW it really wore out my shoulders, must mean that I needed it!

then I head back to the treadmill for another 30 minutes. This time I followed the Couch to 5k treadmill training. I know I've already conquered the 5k, but there is always room to improve!

After a Month of this kind of workout, this body will be ROCKin'

10k training ....

I've decided that there won't be anymore Y5k there will only be Y10ks on Saturday! I mean business about getting ready for this 1/2 marathon in April and sticking to a Y5k just wasn't going to get there.

So today I ROCK a 10k training at the Y.

1st 5k 41.36 minutes wogging at a 3.5 incline
2nd 5k 43.11 minutes just walking but used the interval training button on the treadmill to go from a 1 incline at 4.5 mph to a 3 incline at 4.3 mph.

I was getting tired for the second and my arms/shoulders were aching. I just wanted to hang on to the treadmill arms, then I would hear the Biggest Loser trainers screaming at me "Let go of MY treadmill" that was hard, I was tired!

I can now see how walking at this pace is a whole body workout. I thought about how if I'd strengthen my core and my shoulders this 10k would become easier. That's what I'll work at in this month!