Falling Off Track

Happy New Year!

I know y'all have been wondering where I've been.... ok, probably not. But I'm going to tell you anyway. I've been on my couch. (Well, not just the couch but you know what I mean.) Throwing a pity party. Yup. Sad. I know.

What Led Me to Fall Off

FRUSTRATION
It all really start around the mid to end of July and after my final weigh in for my family weight loss competition. The scale hadn't moved in about a month and that was very frustrating. I tried to remain positive by focusing on my pace and not the scale. That tactic seemed to work as long as I was running.

NUTRITION
My nutrition started to slip as I was not tracking my food on MyFitnessPal. I had also stopped wearing my BodyMedia, taking pictures of what I ate, and updating my blog. Without tracking these things, I started giving in a little bit more to my cravings.

INJURY
In early August I started to experience some pain in my foot when I was running. I ignored it for a couple of days because it wasn't all that bad, but then on one of my runs it was a pretty severe pain and I actually had to walk home. I was completely bummed and knew I needed to take some time off.

TIME OFF
This time off came around my birthday where I took a trip to Cedar Point with a bunch of my girl friends. I was out of town not worrying about what I ate or drank. Girls just want to have fun, right?

HELLO COUCH POTATO
So a combination of all of these things lead me back to my former habits. I was making poor choices when it came to eating. Like, ordering carry out almost every night or going out with my friends for dinner and a drink. These poor choices made me lethargic, which led to making another choice not to cook and to eat out, which led me to feel lethargic again. You see where I'm going.

What I Learned

TRACKING
Although some do not see the point of doing it, tracking in anyway is helpful to keeping you on track. It's easy to mindlessly eat thousands of calories in one meal. I'm not saying you can never have pizza or your favorite take out anymore, but that needs to be a rarity. In most cases, the fast food you buy is going to be more expensive than a meal at home and three times or more your meal allotment.

ACCOUNTABILITY
I know this may sound silly but my blog was kind of my accountability. Posting what I was eating and doing daily helped me stay on track. I may only have a handful of readers but the feeling of posting my activities and eats for the "world to see" made me eat healthier. Notice that when I started slipping, so did my posts. Because lets be honest, no one is going to cheer me on when I'm eating pizza or take out for the fifth time that week. And doing so is just embarrassing.

LISTENING TO YOUR BODY
It is very important to listen to your body when it comes to injuries. Your body requires rest to recover and repair. In my case, having a foot injury did put me out of running for a time (I'm still not sure that my foot is 100% better, but I think its getting there) but it was not a good reason to stop all activity. I should have continued with lower impact cardio (either bike or elliptical if my foot could take it) and I could still certainly lift weights, work on my core, or even do some floor exercises for legs. The truth is: I used my injury as an excuse to be lazy. There you have it.

Getting Back on Track

Even though it is a new year, I don't do resolutions. I prefer goals. I have a goal list and continue to add and modify it. My goal for this year is to do good in school, PR a mini-marathon, and reach my goal weight. I'm going to use these goals to get back on track. To get back to being healthy. Before I start any training, I need to get to the Dr. and be sure that there is not an issue with the foot. Stay tuned - I'll have more coming for you!

Past Days Highlights, Halfway Goal, and Attitudes

So, I just got in from a run disaster. I went out for my 4 mile run today. It was almost like any other day. I had my tunes on and Roxie with me. The difference was someone else wanted to go with me. Let's just say that this is the second time this person has attempted to go with me and each time I was left frustrated. The last time, I finished my run. This time, I was so annoyed that I couldn't get back into the running mindset. So I walked home. I am disappointed in myself for allowing that and not pushing through but it happened. So, I will attempt to do my 4 miles either tonight or tomorrow.

Let's get on with a few highlights from the past few days...

On Wednesday, Cosmo wanted to share my breakfast made with PlantFusion protein powder, water, celery, cucumber, cilantro, banana and lemon.

I snacked on some strawberries filled with a banana and greek yogurt filling. The filling wasn't very thick so I prepared this on Tuesday night and placed it in the freezer. They were really good!

After my run that night, I decided to make a little watermelon drink to sip on while I was cooking. It's just coconut water, lime, lemon, and watermelon. It was good, but not as pretty as Pintrest made it look. 

I guess Wednesday night turned out to be a "try this pin" kind of night because I also made these grain free cookies I found on Pintrest that was pinned from Texanerin.com.

Thursday I hit my halfway weight loss goal! In just under four months I have lost 25 pounds and 16 inches off of my body! I am super excited about this. Here are a few before and after pictures (I apologize about the closet, but this is the only full length mirror in the house):

Thursday also came with a splurge dinner. Not to celebrate my weight loss but to see my recently engaged sister that was in town from SC. I had dinner with her, her fiance and his family at Chappell's Coral Grill. I had a house salad, almond crusted walleye that was served with a jalapeno tarter sauce, and then a turtle cheese cake that my sister helped me eat. (Sorry, no pictures!) It was all very delicious and it was great getting to spend a little time with her.

Friday was just a "blah" day. I had quite the week in training and my brain felt like it was in overdrive with all the information we were given. So when I got home, I just wanted to veg out. I think I was passing out on the couch around 9:30/10 o'clock. Yes, I am like an old lady.

It's now Saturday and as y'all read, it isn't exactly starting out the best. So I'm off to clean up, maybe run some errands (aka shopping), and then say good-bye to a good friend before he is deployed to Afghanistan. 

Question of the Day: Have you ever had a bad running day? Did you push through it or did you give up?

Comments? Questions? Thoughts? Helpful Tips? Talk to me in the comments below! I would love to hear from you!

Extreme Weight Loss + Crazy = Marathons

Yesterday was the start of week two in my training plan. I made a few minor changes because in week one I felt like a 2 minute walk was too long.

Week 2 Training PlanTuesday 6/4 - Thursday 6/6

• 3 minute warm up
• 1.5 minute run x 2 1.5 minute walk. Repeat 8 times.
• 1 2 minute cool down

Saturday 6/8 - 3 miles

When I hit mile 2 and MapMyRun announced that my mile split was 10:40 I literally raised my right hand in celebration! I would have raised both hands but my pup was secured on my left hand. When I was finished I made a quick trip to the store to grab so more fixin's for some more Fajita-Ranch Chicken Wraps that I was craving since I made it on Saturday. Yes folks, it is that delicious!

When I got home, I turned on Extreme Weight Loss while I cooked. Last night followed the story of Meredith. Chris Powell - trainer extraordinaire - gave her a challenge of running the Niagara Falls Marathon at the end of 'Phase Two'. This course is not only done around the beautiful falls but you also run from one country to another. Yes, you read that right. This course takes you from the US across the border to Canada! How cool is that?! I had to know more, so I checked it out online and found out the only way to run from country to country would be to do the full.

Rewind back two years and you may remember that after I had completed the RNR San Diego run, I said I would never do another full marathon. Well, as of today I  have added the Niagara Falls Marathon and changed the Nike Women's Half to a Full on my goal list. Yes, I am crazy.


Question: Do you have a goal list? If so, what kind of goals have you set for yourself?

Meg's Last Fling before the Ring!

Last weekend I took a trip to Nashville with my friend Megan for her bachelorette party.

DAY 1

We left early Friday morning and after an hour on the road, we decided we needed to decorate the car. So we made a quick detour off course, hit up a K-Mart and found some window paint, ribbon, and balloons. Here is our finished master piece:

It took less than 5 minutes for us to lose all the balloons, but the paint and ribbon stayed the whole weekend.

We arrived in Nashville around 3pm, unloaded the van relaxed for a minute and then got ready for dinner at Bosco's. I ordered some chicken breast, brussel sprouts, and sweet potato fries. It was delicious!

After dinner we headed for Broadway in downtown Nashville. Here are some snap shots from the night.

Megan (bachelorette), Richelle, BriAnna, Chelsea, and me

BriAnna, Chelsea, Megan, Richelle, and Me

BriAnna, me, and Megan

Richelle and Megan

We went to The Second Fiddle, The Stage, and then ended the night at Honky Tonk Central.

DAY 2

On our second day we were out the door by 10:30am to head to the Belle Meade Plantation for a tour and wine tasting. We had originally thought that it was a winery and that we would be touring that, but I really enjoyed what it turned out to be!

Belle Meade Plantation was founded in 1807 with 250 acres as a horse farm. At its peak, the farm would have reached 2600 acres. For the past 10 years, the bloodline of all the horses in the Kentucky Derby can be traced back to a horse at this plantation. It was really neat to hear the history behind the plantation and walk through the home. 

After we finished the tour of the home, we did a little wine tasting and then headed to The Harding House for some lunch. Once we finished our lunch, we did a walk of the grounds to see the original cabin that the family lived in until the mansion was built, the slave cabins, and more.

We spent about 6-7 hours total at the plantation and then headed back to the hotel to rest a little bit and then head out for dinner.

That night we headed back to Broadway to have a late dinner at Merchants. 

I ordered a Tennessee Mojito to start.

We placed an order for some fried okra and pickles, deviled eggs, and some duck fat tots (not pictured). At first we thought the tots sounded a little gross, but we had to try them. Needless to say, the tots were ah-mazing! 

That night was freezing cold and rainy. We spent the rest of it walking -- no, hailing cabs and trying to find a spot to have some fun. A few of us girls were so tired that we decided to call it a night and headed back to the hotel to clean and get things ready to head home in the morning.

It was a fantastic trip and we are already talking about doing it again! 

I already opened my bottle of the Muscadine wine from the Belle Meade Winery and it was delicious! Wine can be shipped to some states so check out their website!

12 x 12

Here are the 12 9 books I read in 2012. My goal was to make it to 12; however, this is the one place that procrastination has not played off for me. Although I had made it through nine books in 7 months and had completed 5 of them in December, I just wasn't able to make enough time to squeeze in the last three. I probably could have if I didn't work, want to have a life, or, lets be honest, if I hadn't procrastinated so much.

The title links will direct you to Goodreads for a far better description than you will get from me and I have provided links for the authors websites. You can follow me on Goodreads by clicking here.

Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

I picked this book up in the Denver Airport while on a layover. Once I opened the cover, I was hooked. It was almost impossible to put the book down because I was dying to know what would happen next.

"Told with Jennifer Weiner's trademark and with sharp observations, Then Came You is a hilarious, tender, and timely tale that explores themes of class and entitlement, surrogacy and charity, the rights of a parent and the measure of a mother."

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This book was purchased at the local Half Price Book Store and was collecting dust on my book shelf for months. So I dusted it off and started reading it on a Saturday afternoon and found my self not wanting to stop. I carried the book with me to work, read on my lunches and breaks, and often found myself trying to hold my eyes open late at night so I could just read a little more. I read this in about 3-4 days. After I had finished I watch the movie. On a weeknight. Now that's some crazy talk. If this is on your list to read, get to it!

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

The book started out slow for me, so slow that I had originally started to try and read it in August of 2011; however, I believe that was because I had watched the movie first and was waiting for it to align. Which it never did. Surprise. But once I stopped trying to compare the book to the movie, I found myself wrapped up in it. The book, as always, is better. Thinking I might need to read the next book in the series.... wondering what becomes of Rebecca Bloomwood.

The Violet of March by Sarah Jio

I absolutely loved this book. Although the book is relatively small and quick to read, Sarah Jio shows her skills in writing by capturing a story of self-discovery, love, and friendships that is entangled with mystery when she discovers a journal from 1943. I found myself reading the book with a piece of paper trying to figure out the mystery of the journal; to see if I would be right in the end. I loved this book so much, I purchased her next book Blackberry Winter.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

This was off to a slow start and was a bit of a challenge to read between things (like answering the phone at work) due to the time traveling; I had to keep flipping back to see where we were in time because it changed so much. And sometimes the changes and perspective seemed off. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

"An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come."

True Love (and Other Lies) by Whitney Gaskell

This book tells a story of a regular woman learning to take down her wall and let people in. Also one about friendships and making hard choices when you're faced with them. But this couldn't be complete with out the hint of a love story. Ok, so it's more of a hint -- after all, the book is titled "True Love and Other Lies." I completed this charm in four days. And I want a sequel. I just need to know where it all ends! 

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

I first fell in love with Mindy on hit TV show The Office. She has since left the office to start her own show (which she writes, produces, and stars) The Mindy Project.

Anyway, I wasn't really sure what I was getting into with this book but I thought if it was anything like what she does on TV, it would be hilarious. Problem is, my expectations were a little high. While I enjoyed the book and found parts to that reminded me of my life and were down right hilarious; there were also parts that I was confused with. Maybe that was her plan -- to leave some sort of question lingering so when she writes her next book, you nab it up to see if your questions are answered. If that is the case, then she is brilliant. 

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

I watched this movie a long time ago and didn't know that it was based on a book. When I found out there was a book, I had to run out and get it. It was an easy read and hilarious. I couldn't get enough of it. I watched the movie (again) the day that I finished reading the book. In this case -- there were details changed and left out -- but I found the book to be just as entertaining as the book. Granted, the details that were changed would have made it better, but I wasn't as disappointed with this one as some of the other "based on book" movies. I was going to purchase Two for the Dough, the second book in the series, but my local Half Price Book Store didn't have a copy on hand. I decided that I would have to wait and that I had plenty of books on my bookshelf that needed to be read before I purchased anymore.

How to Love an American Man: A True Story by Kristine Gasbarre

I really liked this book. I think every female should read it. It is a story based around a woman who is trying to discover who she is and, really, learning how to accept who she is. Her grandmother has the best advice ever. And if I had a choice, I would want a grandmother like her. Don't get me wrong, I love the grandmothers I was blessed with; however, it makes me wonder if my life choices would be any different if I would have received some of the advice she gives to her granddaughter in this book.


My 2013 goal is to read 24 books. I am currently at a whopping two. I really need to get a move on it. (You
would think I would have learned from last year..) Don't forget to follow me on Goodreads to stay updated on my progress and to check out my bookshelves. You can find me here. :)



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