Mashed Potato Workout

Has someone ever disappointed you?  Have you ever been hurt by the words or actions of another person?  Did you ever discover that someone you trusted was not completely honest with you?

Okay, so now that everyone reading this post can raise their hands and say that they've been there and had one (or more!) of these experiences, let me ask you another question...how did you respond to it?  Has it ever driven you to food as a way to cope?

There's a great deal of information available on the topic of "emotional eating".  Examples may include using food to fill an emotional void, or taking comfort from food during stressful, painful, or challenging times.  While these scenarios are accurate representations, emotional eating can also be tied to eating when you are bored, social eating (joining in and eating simply because others around you are eating), pressured eating (friends, family, or co-workers urging you to eat something they have made, or to eat with them), or eating instead of facing strong emotions, among other things.

To tell you the truth, I have never really considered myself to be an emotional eater under most of these circumstances, and I can't recall ever purposely wanting a specific food in times of emotional crisis...until recently.

Last week, I had a situation where it came to light that someone I had trusted in the past had been dishonest with me several years ago about something significant.  It made me mad, but it also broke my heart to know I had been lied to.  It challenged my feelings of self-worth.  And all I wanted was mashed potatoes...

Mashed potatoes have always been my favorite food.  I like them just about every way they can be prepared.  Even in my baby book, in the section about my 2-year-old self, for favorite foods my mother penned "mashed potatoes!!!" rather enthusiastically.  As I have been losing weight, I knew I did not want to give them up completely, so I've trimmed them back on our family menus to only once or twice per month, and have taken out the butter and cream cheese and now use Greek yogurt in place of higher fat ingredients.  Different, but still very good!

As I stewed over my new-found disappointment, the madder I got, the more I wanted to get into my kitchen and make a huge pot of mashed potatoes, complete with cream cheese and butter!  I have never cooked or eaten out of emotion like this before, and at first, I really didn't even realize that was what was happening.  I walked into my bedroom to change clothes before cooking, however, and the sight of my weights sitting in the corner made me stop in my tracks.

Instead of cooking and eating, I changed into sweats and chose to workout.  Instead of burying my emotions in a bowl of potatoes, I worked through my feelings.  I allowed myself to experience the anger, the frustration, the hurt, and the betrayal...but I didn't stop there.  

By mid-way through my workout, in tears, I was reminding myself that I am valuable.  The person who wronged me was just that...wrong.  I refused to allow the words of others to have power over me.  I would not let another person's actions to drive me to undo the work I have done with losing weight by emotionally pushing me to eat foolishly because I was upset.  Every time I lifted a dumbbell, I let go of some of the hurt and I regained a little more of my freedom.

Exhausted, as I reached the cool down portion of my workout, I found myself forgiving the person who had wronged me and praying for them.  I honestly hope they experience God's love in their life.  In my heart, I released them from my anger, and in doing so,  I received the opportunity to move on.  And all without eating a single bite of mashed potatoes...

I Am a Runner

I am a runner. In fact, I have spent many years of my life running from...
 
As a child, I ran from the other kids who made fun of me because of my weight, and found places to hide and cry...
 
As a teen, I ran from the pain of feeling alone and misunderstood because I was always the biggest kid in every class...
 
As a college student, I ran from the reality of the food choices I was making and the harm I was doing to my body through over-eating and making excuses for my size...
 
As an young adult, I ran from the belief that I could ever make a change and lose weight, and I held onto the idea that being obese was just my lot in life...
 
Today, however, I no longer run from, but I run to...
 
I run to the truth that, with God as my foundation and my help, change is indeed possible!
 
I run to a future of healthy living and well-being!
 
I run to prove to myself that there is an athlete who has lived inside of me all along, and I have finally set her free!
 
I run to show my kids that they can set huge goals in life and reach them through commitment!
 
Today, I run because...
 
I run because the joy I experience in the freedom of movement is overwhelming! (I will neither confirm nor deny that I have had a "Sound of Music" mountain top moment, running, with my arms flung open wide and twirling on the back half of the track at the local park...more than once!)
 
I run because I have always been the slowest and the last in every sport and always dreaded gym class because I couldn't keep up, but I now know my body can be pushed farther than it ever has before!

I run because I want to encourage others that you don’t have to be at your goal weight to get up off the couch and start moving!
 
I run, simply because.....I can!
 
As someone who used to barely be able to walk to the mailbox and back, words can hardly explain the feeling I get when I lace up my shoes and hit the pavement. To finish and know that my body has carried me 3, 4, or 5 miles on my own two feet in a matter of minutes makes me well up with tears of thankfulness and amazement. To me, running represents healing, restoration, change, and freedom.
 
I am a runner!

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(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

I Did it!

I DID IT!!!!  On Memorial Day morning I completed my first official 5K with a time of 36:18!  What a crazy, eventful, and exciting day it was! 

I trained well in the weeks leading up to the event, and had my pace and time down into a good range.  I could easily walk the 3.1 miles in 44-45 minutes, and had done it with a mix of running and walking in about 39 minutes, so I was confident that I could finish with a decent time.  Honestly, I just wanted to finish, and not be the last person over the finish line!  I’ve spent so much of my life being last when it came to any kind physical event, competition, or game, that I really hoped to simply come in somewhere in the middle. 

When the race started, I felt great and headed out at a quick pace (for me anyway).  Thankfully, I remembered to hit “start” on my mapping app as I crossed the starting line.  This became very important later in the day!  As my app announced my distance through my earbuds every half mile, I knew something was drastically wrong when I passed the 3-mile mark and the finish line was no where in sight.  Now, the joke in our family has always been that I am totally, and completely, shall we say, “directionally challenged”.  Having a GPS system on my phone has saved me more times than I care to remember.  Well, before the race started, I looked over the course map as one of the volunteers was going over the 5K and 10K routes that were set up for the day.  I felt great as we started, and when my husband was at the halfway point taking pictures, our camera documented that I was just a couple of minutes behind one of our friends who was also running the race.  The back half of the course, however, proved a bit more challenging for me!

Apparently, in order to get the entire 3.1 mile distance into the course, there was a small detour through a parking lot that the 5K runners had to take towards the end of the course.  Well, it happened to be very close in location to another section of the course, and the volunteers directed me into this area at the wrong point, and then wouldn’t let me out without circling around the cones set-up a couple of times.  Then, once I finally made it out, volunteers made me go back through it again at the end (which is when I should have made just one half-loop through it). 

Once everything was said and done, I covered a total of 4.5 miles, instead of 3.1!  Initially, I was pretty frustrated about it.  After all, this was my first official 5K, and it took me 51minutes to actually cross the finish line for my 4.5 miles.  But the more I thought about it later on, the more I realized what a blessing in disguise it actually was.  You see, I never again have to be afraid of being able to complete a 5K.  After everything I went through a couple of years ago in a 5K walk that I couldn’t finish, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about this run.  Even though I had covered the distance many times over in training, being surrounded by other runners in a race environment was scary.  Knowing that I ran above and beyond the 5K distance has stripped away the fears associated with it, and next time will be even better because of the confidence boost this has given me!

Once the race was completely over, I was able to speak with the people at the timing results table, and they were able to take my running app and verify the altered course that I ran, along with the split times for each mile I covered to figure out my average speed and they calculated my total time for the 5K distance at 36:18. 

I guess you could say that, had I just ran 3.1 miles, I would have been an overcomer, but running 4.5 miles made me more than a conqueror! 

Several of the folks from our church pastoral team ran this race together, and we had shirts that said, “RUN YOUR RACE”, which references the scripture that states, “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV).  Truer words could not have been spoken for me that day!

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(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Highs & Lows

I had the opportunity to spend the last three days in Chattanooga, TN, and had a great time!  While I was there, I definitely experienced some highs and some lows...

The high points of my trip...literally...included standing at the top of Lookout Mountain!

On top of Lookout Mountain

And running up stairs...I climbed several sets of stairs that are decorative/fun features out in front of the Tennessee Aquarium and at other locations in the city, and I counted almost 500 stairs total I climbed on Friday!  This is pretty amazing to me, since I used to avoid stairs at all costs, and now I climb them for fun!




I actually did not get out of breath at all climbing these!





In times past, you would have found me sitting here watching everyone else instead of climbing the stairs myself!



Another high point of my trip was tackling the Chattanooga pedestrian bridge!  Not only did I walk across it and back, I walked over 5 miles around the city and enjoyed every minute of it!  I kept thinking over and over again how wonderful it was to feel so free and to be able to walk wherever I wanted to go!



And, as I said, there was a low point during my trip as well...I took the one mile walking tour of Ruby Falls, a cave with an underground waterfall that lies over 1,100 feet below Lookout Mountain!  It was beautiful!

It was a great long weekend that served as a wonderful reminder to me of just how far I've come on my journey.  I look forward to many more vacations filled with new adventures and activities in the days ahead!  I'm trying to get up my courage for ziplining, hot air balloon rides, and rock climbing in the near future!

DON’T FORGET:

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(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Tomorrows and Yesterdays

In costume, from "The Music Man"

Well, it’s over…the 3+ months of rehearsals, followed by 18 performances during the course of the last three weekends, and “The Music Man” has now become another part of my history.  It’s kind of bittersweet, really.  The schedule was extremely intense, and in many ways, I was ready for it to be over to return to my “normal” life.  There were a lot of things I had to put on hold to be a part of this show.  Among those, I have not been to the gym in a while, and I took a session off from school.  Getting home from rehearsals and shows anywhere from 10:30pm-midnight kept me from getting up at 4:45am for the gym, and there’s no way I could have kept up with schoolwork during the production while still working full-time.  On the other hand, I have to say, upending my schedule was well worth it and I was truly sad to see it come to an end!  I gained a whole new theatre family with our cast and crew, loved getting to experience it all with my oldest son, was reminded how much I love performing classic Broadway musicals, and had a few life lessons reinforced along the way. 

For instance, it can be so easy to get stuck in a rut of how we think we’re supposed to be living our lives, can’t it?  I mean, if we’re at least reasonably responsible, we get up every day and tend to our duties, whether that be to family, school, church, work, or other things.  In doing so, time, money, and energy can be stretched thin, and dreams often get set off to the sidelines.  Trying something new, or taking a leap of faith, or embracing an adventure, fall outside of the realm of the possible, because they just don’t fit the mold of what we expect of ourselves, or what the others who influence our lives expect of us.  We get caught in the trap of “tomorrow…”

Pushing dreams, risk, and exploration off until “tomorrow” keeps us chained to the past.  It's the classic case of doing "what I've always done".  Think about it…Examples of saying you’ll “get around to it” at some point in the future find their way into everyday matters, such as:

I’ll start eating right tomorrow…means you’ll keep putting junk into your body and gaining weight today

I’ll forgive that person tomorrow…means you’ll continue to bear the damaging weight of a grudge today

I’ll take the steps to start my own business or apply for that new job tomorrow…means you’ll still feel chained to your desk today

I’ll invest in relationships with others tomorrow…means you’ll stand alone today

I’ll try something new tomorrow…means you’ll miss out on opportunities and excitement today

At one point in the script for “The Music Man”, one of the characters speaks the most profound line of the entire show.  He says,

“You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.  I don’t know about you, but I’d like to make today worth remembering”

 ~ The Music Man ~

I want each of my days to be worth remembering!  I spent far too many days being afraid to try new things, afraid to let go of what was comfortable and familiar, and afraid to grad hold of something new.  Our lives are made up of days.  We only get so many of them, and I want each and every one of mine to be extraordinary!

DON’T FORGET:

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(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Sidelines to Frontlines

Whew!  The last week and a half has been crazy in so many ways!  Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of last week were our full dress and technical rehearsals for “The Music Man” and Wednesday night was our final rehearsal that doubled as a preview night for a small audience of friends and family.  Everything went really well and the entire cast and crew were excited about opening night on Thursday.

Thursday morning around 11am I received a call from our director, saying that the actress who was playing the role of “Mrs. Paroo” (one of the major roles in the show!) had just come from the doctor and was very sick with the flu and would not be able to perform.  She asked if I thought I might be able to learn her part and fill in…without going into all the details of that very stressful, yet extremely exciting afternoon, in the end, I was able to memorize all of the lines and songs, capture the Irish accent that was needed for the part, and perform the role…with just 6 hours of rehearsal!  I felt honored to be able to perform the part for all 6 shows over the weekend.  God was truly with me and enabled me to perform this role, of that, I have no doubt whatsoever!  His ability far exceeds mine every time!  It was so much fun and something I will never forget!

After spending the previous 8 straight days at the theatre, we were due for some much needed family time, and thanks to the President’s Day holiday, the boys were out of school and I didn’t have to work, so we were off to the zoo!  Using my runner’s app, I logged in over 3 miles of walking the paths and trails while we visited our favorite animal friends, and even after such a long week, I felt energized and enjoyed the day.  Our local zoo has a huge outdoor jungle gym, complete with wooden forts and a maze of rope nets to climb through.  In the past, I would have happily made use of the benches they’ve provided for weary parents, but not anymore!  I climbed through everything right alongside my boys, and although I have to admit that I was a bit scared of the nets, I jumped on out there and climbed through them anyway!  Before we left, we took a ride on the carousel, and for the first time since I was a child, I actually climbed up and rode on one of the animals myself, instead of just sitting on a bench watching the boys go around.

So, between moving from an ensemble role to the part of Mrs. Paroo over the weekend, and choosing to play and participate in activities with my kids instead of just watching them have fun without me, I feel like this weekend I’ve taken a huge leap from the sidelines to the frontlines.  These are things that I would have never dreamed of doing 157 pounds ago, and I’ve loved every minute of it and been so thankful for these experiences!



Riding the carousel at the zoo!  Not the most flattering picture, but the only one we had time to grab before we had to get off or pay for another ride!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Functional is Fabulous!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity!  Our rehearsals for “The Music Man” have ramped up to four days a week and are running between 3-4 hours each.  I can hardly believe the show opens next week!  Along with the show, I’m also still working 40 hours a week at the investment firm, with an additional 10 hours of commute time to get there and back each week, I’m taking care of my responsibilities at church, and I’m managing to sit down to dinner with my family every night.

We had our first rehearsal with costumes Monday evening, and it’s amazing how much that changes things and the extra amount of energy that takes.  I have four major costumes I wear in the production, and counting all of the shoes, hats, individual garments, and other accessories, I’ve got over 30 pieces to deal with personally, in addition to keeping up with all of my son’s costume pieces and changes as well.  I promise, I'll have pictures soon!  Oh yeah, and in between running back and forth to the dressing room and changing costumes every few minutes, I actually have to make it on stage for my scenes!

As I think about the frantic pace this show requires for rehearsals, and as we head into six performances each weekend for the next three weeks (one performance on Thursday and Friday evenings, and both matinee and evening performances on Saturdays and Sundays), I cannot help but realize that before I began losing weight, I could have never met the physical demands of a production like this.  I was barely managing to make it to work and church, and there’s no way I could have added a show of this level.  I was still directing productions with our church drama department, but I had to do it from a chair, which for someone who is as hands-on as I am by nature, that was an awful restriction to deal with!  Physically, I just could not have done “The Music Man”, and I would have missed out on the joy of performing in one of my all-time favorite productions and being able to do so with my oldest son.

In the past 19 months that I’ve been losing weight, however, I’ve experienced a complete turn around in my physical capabilities and mobility.  There was a time a couple of years ago where I had reached the point where it would take 20-30 minutes for me to go from a lying down position on the couch or bed to standing up because the pain in my back was so severe, and that is no exaggeration whatsoever.  Once I was finally standing, I could not remain on my feet for more than 2 or 3 minutes.  I couldn’t bend over to tie my shoes or put on socks.  Trying to go into a store was terrible…an aisle or so in, and I would be bent over the shopping cart in tears, trying to take the pressure off my spine and looking for a bench somewhere to sit down.  I could barely get in and out of the car, and I always had to be dropped off at the door of anywhere I went with others so that I took as few steps as possible.  I retreated farther and farther into the role of a spectator in life, because I just couldn’t participate any longer.

The limitations I experienced when I was heavier were horrible, but I can honestly say that now, even though I’m not yet at my goal weight, I have absolutely none of the pain or problems I used to have.  Losing 157 pounds has given me my life back!

I can literally pop up out of bed.

I can get down on the floor and play with my children.

I can dance around the kitchen with my family.

I can stand as long as I need to. 

I can go to events and attractions and walk around all day. 

I can park at the far end of a parking lot. 

I can shop without dropping.  

I can stand all the way through the worship part of the services at church.

I can run.

I can do whatever I want to or need to do without my body holding me back.

My life, which used to be framed by the words “I can’t” is now defined by all of the “I can’s” I can possibly come up with!  Regaining complete function and mobility is fabulous! 

So…on with the show!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Give Up and Gain

In a recent conversation about my weight loss someone asked me, “What was the hardest thing for you to give up?”  As I thought about it, there’s no one particular food item that came to mind as being particularly hard to give up.  Aside from fast food (which I talk about here), I haven’t really cut many things out completely.  Instead, the past 19 months have been teaching me how to live my life with a healthy balance in my food choices, which is something I’ve never had until now. 

There are things I have definitely cut way back on.  Butter, sauces, dips, and dressings are what I consider trouble served in a little cup.  Think about it…in a restaurant, these items are served in innocent looking small portions on the side of a plate, but they pack a huge calorie wallop with little to no nutritional value, and I’m just not willing to accept that any more.  While I may occasionally have a tiny amount of one if it’s very a good quality, I’ve found that most food actually tastes much better if it’s not swimming in a pourable or spreadable topping!

I really can’t think of anything else that I’ve completely eliminated.  I have made more healthy substitutions and swaps than I can keep up with, and as a result, I haven’t ever felt deprived of things I really enjoy. Throughout my 156 pound loss to-date, I have eaten out at restaurants at least a couple of times each week, I’ve had cake at birthday parties, and survived several church potluck events.  My family and I eat the same meals for dinner together every night (except when I swap broccoli slaw for pasta…I haven’t gotten the kids on board for that one yet!), and we make homemade pizza every so often.  Portion control, more nutritious ingredients, and overall healthier choices have made all the difference!

As I think about it, I guess I have given up some other things, but in doing so, I’ve gained so much more…

- I have given up spending time in front of the television…and gained lean muscle and functional strength by going to the gym to workout!

- I have given up fast food…and gained freedom from severe reflux problems!

- I have given up a negative self-image…and gained a sense of empowerment!

- I have given up the idea that I can do this on my own…and gained a new understanding of Philippians 4:13 that tells me I really can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!

- I have given up living in a constant state of denial…and gained a clear sense of reality!

- I have given up feeling out of control…and gained a peaceful balance!

- I have given up overeating…and gained my mobility!

- I have given up defeat…and gained victory!

The value of what I have gained far outweighs what I’ve given up.  There’s just no comparison!  What will you gain if you make the choice to give something up today?

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Firecrackers and Pilot Lights

As we’re now a little more than a week into the new year of 2013, I have to admit that the sheer number of television and radio commercials dedicated to weight loss products and services is a bit overwhelming.  In addition, retailers are on the proverbial bandwagon as well by putting all things workout-related on sale this month.  It’s as though the whole country starts a collective diet and exercise plan about the time the last of the Christmas dinner leftovers have been eaten or thrown out.

While I’m obviously a strong advocate for eating healthy foods and exercising, and sincerely applaud anyone who decides to make healthy improvements in their life, I can’t help but think of all the money that will be spent for gym memberships that will only be used a few times and forgotten about, and all of the trendy workout clothes that will be purchased only to be donated to the local thrift stores in a few months.  So many people go into the new year with the best intentions for their “resolutions” of diet and exercise.  Sadly, a majority of those resolutions go unfulfilled.

The way I see it, a person can make a resolution regarding changes they want to make in their life, and they’ll either become like a firework or like a pilot light.  Let me explain…

Fireworks are exciting!  They are typically displayed at important times of the year, most often during the holidays or at a big celebration.  Fireworks go off with a “BANG!” and because of this, they draw a lot of attention.  They get the “ooohhh’s” and “ahhhh’s” of onlookers and infuse the air with energy…but only briefly.  You see, that’s the thing about fireworks.  After the initial flash, they sizzle through the air as the spark burns out and they fade away.  There's no long-lasting comittment with a firework.  Fireworks are the perfect example of the expression, “well, it was great while it lasted”.

A pilot light, on the other hand, is not very exciting at all.  Honestly, most people don’t really think about a pilot light all that much.  It’s small and usually hidden away underneath or behind an appliance like a hot water heater or a stove.  No one boasts, “Hey, have you seen my pilot light lately?  Come on out to the garage a take a look!”  The beauty of a pilot light, however, is that it has an ongoing job to do and it just keeps on burning.  Did you catch that?  It just keeps on burning…

Resolutions can be like the exciting, but temporary firework, exploding into the new year with lots of pizzazz but forgotten about rather quickly.  Resolutions can also be like the ho-hum, yet continually burning pilot light that stays committed to getting the work done, day in and day out.

Me?  I’d rather be a pilot light than a firework any day!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Happy 2013!

Wow!  When I look back over 2012, it was an incredibly full year!  Some of the health and weight-related highlights for me included:

- Losing 92.1 pounds during the year

- Not having to take reflux medicine even once this year

- Regaining strength in my back and reclaiming my mobility

- Joining a gym

- Discovering that I actually enjoy working out

- Running a 5K distance in the local park in under 46 minutes

- Going down FIVE sizes in jeans (from a 32 to a 22)

- Going down from a size 30/32 to a size 18/20 in tops/dresses/jackets

- Teaching my “Reflections” Bible study series to a great group of women

In my blog from 11/1/12 titled “2012 Year End Goals” I listed 7 specific goals I made for myself to accomplish between 11/1/2 and 12/31/12.  Here’s my list of hits and misses:

1) Lose 15 pounds (this will put me exactly 75 pounds away from my final goal weight!) 

            RESULT: I lost 19 pounds across November and December!!!

2) Work out 3 times a week, even on holiday weeks

            RESULT:  As I noted in a previous post, I am in rehearsals for a show called, “The Music Man”, which I am having a fabulous time with, however, it has thrown my gym schedule into a tizzy!  I have not been in the gym nearly as often as I would have liked to have been, however, I’m getting in some cardio in dance rehearsals, and I’m getting ready to start the 30-Day Shred video workouts at home.

3) Increase the intensity of my workouts (higher weights, increased sets/reps, etc.)

            RESULT:  My trainer at the gym has reformatted my workout to help me accomplish this, and as soon as my show finishes, I’m going to head into my new routine.  For now, the videos at home will at least provide a fresh approach and keep me moving.

4) Register for my first 5K run

            RESULT:  I had planned to register for the local zoo’s 5K, which is held in January, however, I’ve got a rehearsal I can’t miss on the day of the run, so I’m going to look for a 5K for March or April instead.  I just need to find one now and get registered!

5) Increase my running speed/endurance (move from running intervals to extended periods of running)

            RESULT:  I have been making improvements in this area, but still have a long way to go!  This will be an ongoing goal.

6) Go down one size in jeans

            RESULT:  Yes!  I was in a size 24 on November 1^st, and am currently in a size 22, and  am not too far from moving down again to a size 20.  The last time I wore a size 20 jeans,  I was in the 7^th grade!

7) Pay attention to and appreciate the people and interactions at holiday gatherings more than the food

            RESULT:  I had one of the best holiday seasons I can remember having!  I truly enjoyed my time with family and friends and didn’t stress over food.  I wasn’t fixated on the goodies, but I wasn’t scared to eat either.  I kept things in balance far more than I indulged.  I had more hugs than cookies, and that equals success!

How was your holiday season?  Did you accomplish your goals?  What are you working on for 2013?

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)



Hello Facebook!

I am excited to tell you that I have set up a Facebook page for my blog!  I would love for you to check it out and to Like it while you're there.  Just click this link to go directly to the page (you'll have to log on to Like it):

www.facebook.com/FromPolyesterToSpandex

This will take you right to my page, where you can click to Like it, and then don't forget to hover over the Like button and check the box for "show in news feed" so that you don't miss any of the posts.

I'll be posting links whenever I have written a new blog, as well as fun updates from time to time.  I promise not to overwhelm your newsfeed! 

When I first began my journey to lose 225 pounds through healthy choices in food and exercise, I had a hard time finding others who had succeeded in doing what I was trying to accomplish.  I found many examples of folks who had lost 100 or even 150 pounds without surgeries, programs, fad diets, or other extreme measures, but those who have lost over 200 pounds "on their own" so to speak, were a lot fewer and farther between.  Although I'm still working towards my goal (down 147 pounds so far!), I hope that my story can be an encouragement to others.

Please feel free to share the link on your own Facebook page and help me spread the word about From Polyester to Spandex!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Another Openin', Another Show

As I mentioned in a previous post titled, "I Like It! I Really Like It!",  I was actively involved in band, vocal music, and theatre throughout high school and college, and even majored in Music Education when I attended college (the first go around) right out of high school.  I have always had a great love of performing.  There is something about telling a story, be it through word or music, that has always been dear to me.  The conveyance of thought and emotion via the arts is simply a part of who I am.  With that in mind, I just love how God brings the pieces of our lives together!  I have been very blessed to have served for the last 20 years in the arena of church drama ministry, and have worked as the Creative Arts pastor for my church the last several years.  It has been one of my greatest joys to share the Gospel in this manner.  My passion for sharing the thruths of God's Word has been blended beautifully with my love of the arts, and I am so thankful for that!

Recently, an opportunity came up that has returned me to my traditional theatre roots!  I had heard that a local theatre was holding auditions for one of my all-time favorite shows, "The Music Man", and after some prayer and discussion, my family decided that my oldest son and I would both audition.  I am happy to say that we were both cast!  This is proving to be a great time for me to sharpen my skills and learn from others, as well as to expand my network of friends who are locally involved in the arts.  Plus, I love that I'm getting to share this experence with my son!  We've only had a few rehearsals so far, but we're already having a blast with it!

As I think about actually performing in this type of show again, I cannot help but realize that 146 pounds ago, I would have never even considered auditioning.  Oh, I would have wanted to very much, but my physical condition would have kept me from it.  I wasn't sick or battling any illness, but there is no way I could have stood on my feet through the long rehearsals or had the endurance to make it through 15 performances over three weeks.  Not to mention, there is a good amount of dance that is involved in this show as well.  Just the small section we learned at auditions would have been enough to do me in back in the days before I started losing weight.  Now, I'm actually finding myself looking forward to starting the choreography work in the coming rehearsals!  I'm thinking I need to wear my HRM to dance rehearsals so I can track how many calories I burn! 

Day after day, I am realizing how much better my life is becoming as the extra pounds fade away.  Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that losing weight is making me into a better person or changing who I truly am.  I'm still the same person, with the same heart as before.  But what it is doing however, is allowing who I really am to come out of hiding.  Each pound lost represents a restriction that I break through.  I can psycially do more than I have in years, and I'm loving every minute of it!  Even though two years ago I would have argued that my weight was not holding me back from living and enjoying my life, I was wrong, but I couldn't see it until I started making changes.  I am able to do things and actively participate fully in life in ways I didn't realize I had been missing out on until now!

If I feel this good now, I can hadly wait to see what life is like when I reach my goal!

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Why Wait?

Having spent my entire life as an overweight person (seriously, I was way too heavy for my age even as a toddler!), I always knew that I needed to do something to get my eating habits under control.  An entry from my journal when I was 13 said, “I am going to start watching what I eat and get skinny…” The following day, my next entry expresses clearly that I didn’t know how to do that, and had failed miserably when I wrote, “Mama made macaroni and cheese with little smokies for dinner tonight.  I ate a whole plate of macaroni and 6 sausages and then had seconds.  Guess I’ll always be fat.”  While I can remember ALWAYS wanting to be thinner, it took me until I was 39 years old to actually DO something about it.

Knowing and doing can be worlds apart…but they don’t have to be!  I knew I had reached my all-time highest weight back in June 2011 long before I ever got on the scale because I was wearing the biggest clothes I had ever owned.  No one had to tell me that I needed to make some healthy changes.  No one reaches a size 34/36 without realizing that they are huge and have some issues they need to address!  I had decided that I was going to start implementing changes right after my 39^th birthday passed and start fresh at the beginning of the next month, on July 1^st.  On June 16^th, however, I was out shopping and found a great scale on sale that had one of the highest weight limits I had ever seen available for a personal home scale, so I went ahead and bought it in preparation for my big day on the 1^st.  I also downloaded the MyFitnessPal app onto my phone that morning so I could play around with it and learn how to use it properly. 

While trying to get everything set up for a day in the future I had tagged as my “start date”, the combination of tracking the calories of the food I ate that day, along with setting up my new scale and facing the truth of how much I actually weighed caused me to forget about waiting until July 1^st.  I immediately began weighing and tracking daily, and I have continued to do so diligently for the more than 500 days since then. 

It is easy to say you need to do something to improve your health, be it losing weight, making better nutritional choices, beginning a workout program, or something else, but if you convince yourself that you’ll start it on Monday, next week, next month, or with a New Year’s resolution, then chances are, you’ll lose the drive and motivation, or talk yourself out of it, and never start. 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned through the last 17 months is to identify the changes that need to be made, and then don’t hesitate, just make them!  The ideal time is now, because if you wait for the perfect time, excuses will get in the way and that perfect time will never come.

My motto now is, “Why wait?”

So…What are you waiting for???

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

A Happy and Successful Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! 

For the last few years, my sister, my sister-in-law, and I have taken turns doing the cooking and hosting of the three major winter celebration holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.  It makes it easier on everyone to only host one big meal, and we all really enjoy the one we each do.  My sister-in-law does Thanksgiving dinner at her house, which really helped me stay on track this weekend.  I didn't do any of the cooking, which meant no temptations to sample the goodies while they were being prepared, and it also meant no leftovers staring at me from my fridge the next day.  I call that a win-win situation! 

I had planned a few weeks ago to allow myself to go up to maintenance calories instead of my loss level on Thanksgiving Day, because 1300 calories was just not enough for a holiday!  I stayed true to my plan, and had a healthy breakfast, followed by some turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes, and had lots of good veggies like green beans (plain, not a casserole!), steamed broccoli, and carrots, and topped it all off with a small slice of pumpkin pie for our big lunch.  At dinner/leftovers time, I had a little more turkey and a spoonful of pasta and called it a day!  I was full and content, but did not overeat or make myself miserable as I admit I have done in years past.

My favorite part of the day came after lunch.  Before we began eating, my sister-in-law asked each of us to go around the table taking turns offering the prayer and giving thanks for whatever was on our heart.  Our boys didn't want to participate, and we didn't force them to.  After the meal, I could not resist the urge to get up and move!  I decided to go out for a long walk around the neighborhood, and the boys gladly came with me.  As we walked, I suggested we play the "thanks game" and each take turns saying things we were thankful for and why, and they were so excited to play, that their lists were endless!  We walked and talked for 30 minutes, covering 1.5 miles (distance recorded thanks to my mapping app I actually remembered to turn on when we started), and we were still naming things as we finished the walk.  Some of the things the boys named were pretty deep considering they're only 6 and 7, while others were just plain fun!  Some of my favorites included:

Thankful for toys, because they keep us from being bored
Thankful for Jesus dying on the cross to forgive us
Thankful for shoes, so we don't hurt our feet when we're outside
Thankful that Daddy didn't die when he was sick and in the hospital
Thankful for our family, so we don't have to be alone
Thankful for candy, because our mouths like it
Thankful for our dog, Happy, because we love him
Thankful for sunshine, because it feels good on our skin
Thankful for crayons because we like all the different colors God made for us

The rest of the weekend was spent doing things like putting up the Christmas tree, watching movies, doing a little Christmas shopping (I skipped the Black Friday crazy hours and still got everything on my list quickly and easily and without the shopping drama!), and just hanging out together.  Beautiful days, indeed!

Oh...by the way...I also got to move DOWN a size in my jeans this weekend!  There's a certain brand and style that I really like, and when I caught them on a fantastic sale a couple of months ago, I bought 3 pair in each of the next 4 sizes down.  It was a great deal, and that way, I've got the smaller sizes on hand for inspiration, and am also ready for when the time comes that I lose enough to fit into each of them.  Two weeks ago, I tried on the next size down, and couldn't get them over my hips.  This weekend, not only did they fit, they fit well enough I wore them for our annual family photo with Santa!  Being confident enough in a garment to wear it purposely for a photo says a lot for me! 

All in all, it truly was a happy and successful Thanksgiving!

2012 Year-End Goals

I can't believe today is November 1st and we've only got two months left of 2012!  Yesterday couldn't possibly have been Halloween, could it?  I think it was actually Valentine's Day and everyone was just confused...either that, or this year is absolutely flying by!

I guess reality wins out, because today I'm thinking about the goals I want to achieve between now and the end of the year.  For so many years in my past, Halloween was the kick-off to the prime food and goodies time of the year that involved several holiday parties and get-togethers over the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, and wrapped up with our annual family New Year's Day bash, guaranteeing each new year was started by trying to find my way out of a food coma.  But, by golly, times have changed!

Last year, I did really well throughout November and December by maintaining my weight, and actually losing a pound or two during that time.  I had only started my weight loss efforts in June 2011, so by Thanksgiving, I was only 5 months in with 56 pounds lost, but was determined I wouldn't blow it over the holidays.  To that end, I made a conscious decision to raise my daily calorie intake from loss levels to maintenance levels for those two months.  That allowed me a little wiggle room but still kept me in check as I continued to log everything I ate.  Yes, I even journaled my food on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day!

This year, however, things are a little different.  I'm now 16 months in with a loss of 136 pounds, and I really don't want to give up making progress for the next two months just because it's the holidays.  I've decided to go to maintenance levels (which affords me a few hundred extra calories per day) only on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, not for the entire season this year.  The fact is, I like wearing smaller clothes and feeling better far more than I like pumpkin pie or yeast rolls!

That being said, I'm heading into the final weeks of 2012 with specific health and weight goals I want to reach and with a plan in place to achieve them, and I thought I'd share a couple of them with you here.

November & December 2012 Goals
1) Lose 15 pounds (this will put me exactly 75 pounds away from my final goal weight!)
2) Work out 3 times a week, even on holiday weeks
3) Increase the intensity of my work outs (higher weights, increased sets/reps, etc.)
4) Register for my first 5K run
5) Increase my running speed/endurance (move from running intervals to extended periods of running)
6) Go down one size in jeans
7) Pay attention to and appreciate the people and interactions at holiday gatherings more than the food

So, there you have it!  Those are a few of my goals.  Have you started thinking about the end of the year yet?  What kind of goals are you setting?  I'd love to hear from you!  Let's finish this year off feeling great about ourselves by making healthy choices!

My Workouts

From time to time I get asked what kind of workouts or exercise that I’m doing, so I thought I’d share a bit about that part of my journey today.

When I first started my transition into a healthier lifestyle in June 2011, mobility and endurance were a struggle for me.  I was dealing with a sciatic nerve injury, which was intensified by the extra weight I was carrying on my body.  There were many days when it could literally take anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes for me to go from a laying down position to standing up from my bed in the mornings simply due to the pain being so bad and making it so hard to even move.  Once up, standing or walking for more than just a few minutes was out of the question. 

This being the case, in my mind exercise seemed out of reach for me when I first started making changes, although I knew that I needed to somehow find a way to get myself moving more.

For the first 11 months, from June 2011 – May 2012, my exercise was sporadic, at best.  From time to time I would do a brief workout with a video, or would go outside to walk during my lunch break at work, but that was about it.  During that time, I really focused on learning to eat right and get my nutrition into balance.  Self-control in my eating habits became my primary goal.  I knew that I had to get that area under control before exercise would do me much good, because I didn’t want to work myself silly in the gym just to try to keep up with my eating. 

The personal discipline I have learned in my food habits has now transferred over to my exercise.  As I have posted about previously, I joined a gym in May 2012, and have been going strong with it ever since.  I’m finding that I love pushing myself a little bit farther with each workout, be it through a faster speed or higher incline on the treadmill, or by increasing weights or reps in my strength training.  Most of all, I am continually thankful to no longer have the mobility issues I used to suffer with. 

These days, my workouts vary, typically between in the gym and at home workouts, based on my schedule.  I am pretty adamant about exercising a minimum of three times per week, and sometimes get in four in a week.  I know a lot of people swear by 6-days per week workouts, but I know what will realistically work for me, and setting challenging, yet obtainable goals has been key for my success thus far, so right now, my goal remains 3-4 per week.  What do those look like right now?

At the gym:

- My gym routine changes every month or so to keep things fresh, but always involves 30-40 minutes on the treadmill.  I do intervals with my speed, ranging from 3.3mph to 5.0mph with the incline ranging from 1.0 – 8.0.  In addition, I do strength training in the circuit using 12 different machines, lifting/pushing/pulling weights from 30-120 pounds with reps ranging from 25-40.  I also have two additional machines I use that are targeted towards helping the sciatic issues specifically.  When I can catch an extra day in the gym, I’ll swim laps for 30-60 minutes.

At home:

- Running/Walking up and down our hill – We live at the top of a fairly steep incline and our street is just over 1/10^th of a mile long.  As my heart rate monitor (HRM) has proven, making laps back and forth up and down the hill provides a great cardio workout and burns a lot of calories! 

- There is a park close by my house and I’ve just recently started making use of their pathways for walking/running

- I have several sets of weights and videos that incorporate both strength and cardio training.  I don’t do these too often, because I much prefer being outside or at the gym, but they’re good for a change every now and then.

That about sums it up! 

(Just a reminder/disclosure…I am not a medical professional or certified trainer, so anything I write in this blog is not intended to be taken as advice, guidance, or recommendations.  It is simply a journal of my own personal experiences.  Thanks!)

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Whew!  The last month has been a whirlwind!  Here's a few random tidbits of catching up:

- Today is my 16-month anniversary since my change to a healthy lifestyle.  I have now lost a total of 135.3 pounds so far!  I am now just 89.7 pounds away from my goal weight!  Whoo hoo!

- My husband and I recently celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary!  He is a 10-foot-tall superhero in my eyes, and I am so thankful God chose to give us to one another!

- I just finished another one of my college courses in working on my psychology degree and have spent the last several weeks doing a considerable bit of paper writing.  This class was called "Addictive Disorders" and although it focused primarily on substance use and abuse (such as drugs and alcohol, etc.), so much of the class was applicable to food addictions as well.  It provided a great deal of new insight to me in this area. The countdown is on...I've only got 7 classes left until graduation!

- A few months into my weight loss journey, I felt like God wanted me to share my story and to help encourage other people along the way.  One way I've done that is through this blog.  Another way has been through a class I've developed called "Reflections: Healthy and Beautiful from the Inside Out".  While I'm not a dietician or medical professional, I am a pastor, and as such, I've been given the opportunity through my church to present my class in an 8-week small group format.  We're going into Week 4 tomorrow night, and it has been a joy to speak to the women who have attended about spiritual, emotional, and practical issues regarding healthy living! 

- Without going into the details...our family experienced a terrible tragedy in the loss of my brother-in-law in a fatal car accident a couple of weeks ago, and my husband and I and our boys had to take an unexpected road trip to Texas for the funeral, covering over 2,000 miles in 5 days.  Along the way, we saw two major accidents on the interstate (one even had a life flight helicopter land on the highway to help out).  It was a rollercoaster of emotions as we prayed for those involved in those accidents, were grieving our loss, and were thankful for our own safe travels.

Through all of these events, along with many more, such as me continuing to work 40+ hours a week at the investment firm with almost 2 hours a day spent commuting back and forth, teaching a Bible School course on Ethics in Ministry, being out of town for 5 days on our annual pastor's retreat, being sick for two weeks, and keeping up with our kids, I've continued to carve out time to work out and have maintained healthy eating and kept losing weight through it all.

I guess that's the difference between a "diet" and a "lifestyle change" isn't it?  Diets are temporary.  They require strict adherence to work right, and typically have little to no flexibility.  When extraordinary life events pop up, diets can be thrown for a loop.  Making a lifestyle change, however, means learning how to make healthy choices and stick to your commitment, no matter the circumstances or situations you find yourself facing or how busy or hectic your schedule may become.

Finishing What I Started

This weekend I celebrated a major accomplishment!  I went to a park near our house and walked/jogged a 5K!  My total time was 45min 56sec for 3.13 miles.  I missed grabbing a screen shot of the mapping app right at the 5K distance and snapped it at 0.2 after, so I don’t have the time for 3.1 miles exactly.  I actually kept going though and did a grand total of 3.5 miles in 50min 52sec (which included a brief stop for about 10seconds to say a quick hello to some friends from church that happened to be driving by and pulled over when they spotted me).

Now, in the grand scheme of things, I realize that people complete 5K races on a regular basis, and that my speed may not have been all that fast, but let me explain why this is such a great success for me...

In September 2009, our church participated in a charitable 5K event.  My family, along with many others, registered for it.  This was almost two years before I started on my weight loss journey, and the farthest I was walking those days was from my house to the car, or in and out of my office, etc.  I really didn't take that into consideration when I signed up for the event back then, and just figured that since so many of my friends were taking part, I could too.

As we started out that day, I was pushing one of my children in his stroller and thought to myself, "this isn't so hard, I can do this..." but that feeling didn't last very long.  After just a short time, I found myself falling farther and farther behind in the pack of runners, joggers, and walkers.  Within a few minutes, I was the absolute last person trekking along.  Literally.  The LAST Person.  The police escort car assigned to bring up the rear was just a few feet behind me, and the space between me and the other folks in front of me was growing longer by the moment.  I was 37 years old and had been passed by everyone else participating in the race by an embarrassing distance, including children, senior citizens, and three women who were pushing people in wheelchairs!  I gave up altogether.  I dropped out of the course and cut across a parking lot and took my boys into the park where the finish line was so they could play while we waited for everyone else to complete the event.

That was three years ago, and the memory of that day has stayed with me.  I felt like such a failure that morning when I could not finish something I had started.  It was something that seemed so easy in my mind, yet my body simply couldn’t keep up back then.  When I started losing weight in June of 2011, one of my goals was to be able to complete a 5K and finish what I started.  15 months and 131 pounds later, I have done just that!  And...I have my eye on an official event I'm considering signing up for soon!

So, even though I was just at a local park, not participating in an official event this past weekend, it might as well have been the Olympics to me!  I experienced a great victory and I feel incredible about it!