I ate the turkey and won

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  

Mine started with a fabulous race weekend spent with many of my favorite people.  Route 66 was a brutally cold race but always fun when you have excellent company!  Half #59 was survived!  I then got to spend some wonderful days celebrating an early Thanksgiving and birthday with my Tulsa family!  I love getting to see them!  Thanksgiving was great and spent with the people I love dearly.  It was followed up with an amazing birthday with my besties seeing Aladdin and eating yummy food.  I am truly blessed to have the best people in my universe!!  

I am incredibly proud of the fact that I ate a little of the things I wanted and left feeling satisfied but not stuffed  I think this is the first Thanksgiving/birthday celebration that I didn't overindulge.  I enjoyed myself!  I even lost 2 pounds!  Those 2 pounds brought me to 30 in 7 weeks!  WHAT??? Apparently, my body wants all the weight off too!  I know that this entire journey won't be easy or go smoothly all the time but I am going to rejoice in this little victory!  

To celebrate this milestone (and my birthday) I bought a new dress or two.  Many of you know how much I love LuLaRoe clothes.  There is a dress in their collection that never fit.  The zipper would not even come close to going up in the biggest size available.  I used to look at them longingly and admire the cute silhouette AND the pockets.  I was thrilled to realize I could now zip one up!  Non-scale victories are the best!!  It was warm enough today to wear one. I walked around swinging my hands in those pockets all day.  Something about a skirt with pockets that turns you into a 5 year old girl! 

I am a little concerned for next week.  I came home from Tulsa starting to feel a bit off.  Between the cold and the perfume smell of the hotel room, I was super wheezy.  I spent all of Saturday enjoy the amazing weather and had the screen door open all day.  Then on Sunday I really felt bad with tons of congestion and coughing.  Last night I had a pretty bad asthma attack and started prednisone.  I won't be on it long enough to really cause any real issue but who knows how my body will respond to being sick.  

I took a photo at the 1-month mark and forgot to share it with all of you.  I'm not sure if I forgot or I was scared to show it to my friends.  I will take another one on Monday to document month 2.  I wanted to be able to see the difference since when I look in the mirror I don't actually notice the changes.  I failed at documenting with pictures or even weight updates the first time I went on this journey.  I want to document and celebrate all the small things this time around.  

Left: Taken in Philly end Sept 2018 and Right: Taken Nov 2018

Stats:
Weight Week 1 (10/8/18):  336.2
Weight Week 6 (11/19/18):  308
Weight Week 7 (11/26/18):  306
Total Lost: 30.2

Beware the holidays are coming

It has been 5 weeks since I decided my life needed some changes.  Whoa!!  Time is flying by and I still feel like I have barely scratched the surface of my journey.  I suppose that a month is a short time.  I actually worked out a couple days last week.  I know that doesn't sound like much but compared to doing nothing for weeks, walk a half marathon, repeat.  It was a huge improvement.  It felt good too.  I need my brain to keep realizing that it likes moving more than being a slug! 

My favorite half marathon of the year is this weekend!  Route 66 with so many friends will be an awesome time!  I can't wait to spend time with one of best friends next week either! 

I'm already dreading Thanksgiving and my Birthday next week.  All anyone can talk about is food.  I get it.  The entire holiday revolves around food.  It is after all, carbfest on steroids.  Potatoes, pies, bread, stuffing....oh my. 

But people...I'm not changing my diet for one day of binge eating and being miserable.  I was miserable.  Hence the need for change.  I am trying to retrain my brain that food isn't a reward or what every celebration revolves around. 

Sure I want to celebrate (bring on the wine).  Would I love to devour am entire cake on my birthday?  Hell yes.  But I won't!  Instead, I will go see Aladdin and enjoy lunch with my friends.  The key to that sentence is my friends not the food.  I want to spend time with my loved ones and push the food to the background. 

So yes, I will eat more turkey than the average human next week.  I may stare longing at the potatoes and rolls but I know that my journey is more important than consuming those things.

Thank you for all the kind words of support.  It thrills me that y'all are in my corner!  This isn't a solo journey.  You all keep me moving forward.  And hey, I'm down 24.8 pounds!  So there is much to cheer! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  (I seem to be on a 2 week update cycle, LOL)

Weight Week 1 (10/15/18):  326.4
Weight Week 4 (11/5/18):    313.2
Weight Week 5 (11/12/18):  311.4
Total Lost: 24.8

Settling into a new diet

Hi friends!  I am still here.  Life has been busy and I haven't had the chance to update.

Week 2 went really well.  In a week that is notorious for a lower weight loss, I actually did well with a 5.4 pound deficit.  I am trying to settle into this low carb lifestyle.  I am finding that I really don't miss the bread and potatoes.  I have been trying new foods, hello Brussel sprouts.   I made keto pancakes that actually turned out pretty tasty!  It gives me a nice break from eggs for breakfast.  I having been looking for new recipes and enjoying cooking again.  So if nothing else being on a weight loss journey has me cooking again.  

Week 3 was a different story.  I had my first half marathon since starting this diet to get ready for and not sure how less carbs would effect my performance.  I tried to up my daily count but that was harder than I thought.  Needless to say, I had horrible calf cramps during the race.  That is supposedly a side effect of low card dieting.  I hope my body adapts better before the next race.  Weigh-in on Monday was neither good or bad.  I guess between the race and other factors that a zero loss isn't too bad.

The current week has gone better.  I am finding that I am full longer and not as hungry most of the day.  Recovery from my race was better though.  I am hoping to be back on track with weight loss this week.

My next big goal to find my motivation to exercise.  Work keeps me busy and my love of sleep keeps me from waking up early.  I just need to force myself back to the gym and I know once I am in the habit that I will feel amazing.  I have had more energy thanks to this diet.  I just haven't turned that energy into a routine.  Baby steps.  I know it will happen again.

Weight Week 1 (10/15/18):  326.4
Weight Week 2 (10/22/18):  321.0
Weight Week 3 (10/29/18):  321.0      
Total Lost: 15.2


A couple pictures from The Good Life Halfsy in Lincoln, NE.  Half #58 and State #33

Jamie and I during our half last weekend! 

Our confetti finish for being the last finishers!