I'm back...hehe

Where did we all go? Into hiding for not being superstars?

I hit a major plateau that was NOT budging.

I also discovered a wonderful sources of inspiration and life change - the Lord's Table course.

But despite all that, the scale didn't budge...for a while.

And I couldn't bring myself to write about that. What could I have said? Hi, still here, still not losing. Hmmm...but maybe I should have. There's nothing shameful in not being perfect.

But I'm back now, saying I conquered a very long plateau.

Weight lost over the last SIX weeks: 3 lbs.

Total lost: 9lbs

Take THAT you evil scale.

Week #8 of 16...half way!

Week #8 is here. I had hoped to have gotten 10 pounds down by this past weekend, but 7 will have to do. My 5K is down from 35:39 to 30:11!! That is pretty darn amazing. I think the fact that the scale is not really moving is because of the weight lifting I'm doing. Always remember, muscle weighs more than fat! Muscle is dense, covers less area, and revs the metabolism, so even though I'm not seeing the scale move like it did the first month, I now have to wear a belt with all my jeans. Irritatingly nice! Goal for the end of November...down 5-7 pounds. 7 would get me back on track with my pre-set goal and a total of 15 pounds by the end of the month. Best of intentions and some discipline with the marshmallow covered sweet potatoes and it will all go well!

In September, I discovered that speed work on my runs, less sugar, and a few less carbs really helped jump start the whole thing. Therefore, I will be incorporating an evening run with speed training at least 3-4 times a week in addition to my M-F 6 am gym workouts. Consistency works well for me. Here's to consistency! Mazel Tov!

Keep it goin'!

Sorry I haven't posted something sooner. After I posted my goals, I got sick for 2 weeks with a cold so I couldn't really work out. Then I hurt my back and couldn't workout for a few more days after that. I didn't really lose real weight when I was sick; I just lost a few lbs on water weight, which came back quite quickly when I was feeling better.

So this week has been fabulous! I have stuck to my lean diet I mentioned in my first post and I have made THREE 24lift classes this week! On top of that, I also did 2 extra days of cardio! I am super pumped that I've gotten back on track. It definitely hasn't been without a cost though; I AM SO SORE!!! :) I gotta keep this good energy up up up!

Total weight lost this week: 5 lbs

Small Victories

Today, for the first time since my pregnancy with Corbin, I was able to take off my wedding ring.

It's a small victory, but one I've been waiting for a long time.

Mel's Week Three

Chug chug chuggin' along. It's a slow uphill battle, but at least I'm not sliding back down, right? Last week was rough. The family got a small dose of the flu, it rained most of the week, and I hurt my leg, so running was scarce.

But, I didn't go back to old habits either. I kept on going despite it all. It's frustrating to have obstacles thrown in your way. It's even more frustrating when your pace seems so s...l...o...w. But I should be glad I have a "pace" at all. I mean, it could be worse.

I did regain some new clothes, as I mentioned in an earlier post - which always inspires me to keep going! I'm hoping to pull out some more after the next 5 lbs.

This weeks numbers:

Weight lost this week: 1 lb
Total lost: 6 lbs
Running: 2.2 miles

It's Always a Struggle

I've been thinking for weeks (maybe months) that I need to get back on track with working out and eating healthy. I was doing great last year. I was attending a boot camp class twice a week plus working out 3-4 more days on top of that. I was eating lean and healthy but with just enough carbs for continuous workouts and such. I was slim, I was tone, I looked great! I had surgery last March and that all came to a hault. I couldn't workout or anything similar for about 6 weeks, so I took it upon myself to throw my diet out the window. :) Man, food never tasted so good! I've been eating really poorly since then and have gained about 15 lbs.

The last few weeks have been moving towards the right direction with being more healthy and slimming back down. I have struggled with eating 'bad' food of course, but I have been more likely to eat at least one healthy meal a day. I have also been working out at least 2 times a week, usually 45-60 minutes each time. I thought about all the goals I want to accomplish, but then I realized I had overwhelmed myself and looked down to myself eating chocolate haha. I have gone back to simplistic, short-term basics, and here is what I've come up with:

Starting Monday, October 12:
~I will not be consuming alcohol of any kind for at least 2 weeks.
~Good breakfast of oatmeal, fruit, and protein shake each morning.
~Decent lunch, but can do a good amount of carbs since the typical workout is at lunch or right after work.
~Light, light, light dinner. In the event of still being hungry, drink protein shake.
~Workout twice a week with coworker, Elizabeth. Aim for 45 min, all weight training and abs.
~Workout twice a week at gym. 20 min cardio, 25-40 min weights.
~Attend at least one 24Lift class per week (4 are offered).
~Lose 5 lbs by the end of October, lose 5 lbs by the end of Nov.

Ok, those are all pretty simple. So in order to keep this all going, I have made a list that I keep with me to remind me of each thing. I have also setup cell phone reminders to go off daily about these things.

Too bad I can't just stop eating. Blasted food!!!!! :)

Oh Happy Day

So, ordinarily 5 lbs doesn't do or show much, at least on me. But I pulled out my most recently "grown out of" jeans and a shirt that was feeling a little too snug to wear, and guess what?!

They fit perfectly.

Here's to 5 lbs and getting me back 3 shirts (yes I bought 3 of the same shirt in different colors) and 1 pair of jeans.

Not so good

Well I must say I haven't wanted to blog because well I haven't been doing anything and have felt rather guilty. BUT that all ends today.

Andy and I decided that we were going to try something called P90x...it is a very hard but effective workout to videos for 90 days. I have seen and heard stories about how this is very effective and will also get you in the great shape! We got it in the mail yesterday and Sunday is the big day.

So here's to actually sticking to something and getting my body back into shape before I try for baby #2!

Mel's Week Two

Oh how the posting falls off...or for some hasn't started yet! For those still waiting to start, I encourage you to begin!! Even baby steps are forward progress. And for those that are stalled, just get back up, brush your self off and keep going.

We have an excellent group of bloggers (9 now) and I can't wait to hear all our stories when everyone is ready.

Now on to my week 2.

I only ran Sunday, Monday, and then Sunday again. My nights are generally very busy and last week was no exception. Add in some rainy days and that nixes my run. But I ran last night again and hopefully will make it out tonight.

I had a rough day on Saturday - you may have read my 10 cookie overdose post. But other than that I've been pretty on track. I got back on track Saturday evening and have stayed on since.

Powerful verse from the Lord's Table study this week:

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations - "Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle," which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in a self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of NO value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Colossians 2:20-23

This makes me think of all the diets out there right now and how they have empty promises to "make your life better". I'm through with all that. There is no satisfaction there.

This weeks numbers:

Weight lost this week: 1 lb
Total lost: 5lbs
Running distance 2.2 miles

Saturday - The Hardest Day

Ugh! Saturdays are definitely THE hardest days for me. Since it's Fall, that means football, which means FOOD. And not food I can control since we go to a friend's house for game days. It also means spending time with the hubby and kids, which can also mean eating out. Today was no exception.

Saturday for me is a "half portion" day - in other words, I just eat half of every meal that day. This is probably the hardest day for me as well. The eating plan includes partial liquid days and a fast day - and those I can do, it's telling myself I can only eat half of something that is SO hard. I'd rather drink a V8 and call it a day, than cut my sandwich in half. The temptation is so great.

So I blew today. I started out right, halving my bowl of cheerios at breakfast. But then lunch came. Mark's Dad came into town and we went to Smokey Mo's - oh goodness. Since it was"family style" a half portion was even harder to judge - and I know I didn't do it right. My half become a whole, and I stopped just short of full.

Then we were off to watch the game and we were bringing dessert. Cookies. Yeah, I had, oh, TEN cookies during that 4 hour game. Ten?!!!?? ARGH.

And now I'm exhausted from a long day of wrangling kids, plus Mark isn't home - so no run for me either.

I hate when I get off track - it's so disappointing and always seems like a long uphill battle to get back on track.

I was also discouraged that I really haven't lost anymore weight since the last weigh in. That always motivates me and well it's not there. The Lord's Table program tells me to satisfy myself with Christ, not food or obsession over weight, and here I am, down in the pit again.

Guess it's time to try, try again.

Fitness of what?

Did Mel ever say Fall Fitness had to do with our bodies? This fall, I am working on the fitness of my mind, my soul, my home, my finances....the fitness of my body shall follow naturally?

The thought of family Christmas photos, and furthur more, airplane seating, makes me very motivated to want to subtract some inches from my body though. I have been walking, walking, walking. As my annoying neighbor says: "ALL you do ALL day is walk, walk, walk, hehe." You think I would be this fat if that were true?? Ugh, some people are so unmotivating.

Mel's Week One

One week down in Fall fitness! How'd it go for everyone?

My week started off with food poisoning, which drug on for the week. Any overeating destruction I could have done was headed off by stomach pangs. I seem to be much improved this week - but man that went on forever. I did managed to walk every day with the kids (except Tuesday, I was too busy puking my guts out, but hey - that should count as exercise right?). I went for a run, ok a jog/walk - I'm so out of shape - Monday, and Sunday. Yeah, I was that messed up from the stomach stuff, I couldn't manage a run until Sunday!!!

I clicked on the links in GSV's post (I dunno if you guys want to be publicly named here, so until you tell me otherwise I'll use your profile name - btw, you can say Mel, I don't care) and checked out the Lord's Table program. It looks awesome!!! And I signed up for the online course - already on day 3 and even have a mentor I've been emailing with - super cool. I'm still up for the getting together as a group, I'm just a notoriously a DO IT NOW, gal so I had to start.

So here's some numbers for ya:

Week 1 weight loss: 4 lbs
Total weight loss: 4 lbs
Run distance 1.1 miles (I'm not saying how long that took me, but lets say I'm no 10 minute mile)

The 4 Month Challenge has begun...

Back before I went to India, I decided that I needed to take action on my weight situation. The weight came gradually as I worked as an Admin for an Assoc Dean at the UT Law School...a very stressful job AND the boss made good dessert. She cooked when she couldn't sleep...nice. That happened over a two year span back in 2003-ish?? I'm really, really good at maintaining weight. haha... I finally got tired of making excuses for the lack of weight loss over this past summer. It's amazing how you can justify eating 1/2 a pizza because you're going to run 8 miles the next morning and you "need the carbs"! There has been a bit of weight fluctuation (the 5#s) over the last few years, so once that barrier is crossed, I'll be really excited!

Therefore...I am setting goals, a time frame and am getting to work. Community support is definitely a good thing, too!

Start Date: Sept 8
End Date: Dec 31

Goals:
1. Lose 20 pounds
2. Run a 5K under 30 minutes
3. Run a 10K under 1 hour

Since my start on 9/8, I am down 5 pounds and can run a 5K in 35:39. Yay! I am at that 5# fluctuation mark that I haven't seen in 2 years...just an fyi... Goooooo Fall Fitness Team!

Inspiration from a Higher Power

So yesterday while I was driving I got this big moment of inspiration. I had a plan. And maybe I still do, it depends on the response, haha...

A few years back I did a study called The Lord's Table, through a larger group: Setting Captives Free. I'll be honest, I didn't take the course too seriously. I had a hard time grasping the concept that being overweight was connected to sin. I have a medical condition that requires me to take medication that have nasty side effects, including weight gain, substantial weight gain if used in high doses and long term. My medical condition also limits my energy and stamina and strength. Basically, I walked around with the premise that my weight problem was mostly not my fault but instead related to a medical condition that there is currently no way to prevent. Therefore, how can my weight be related to me being sinful? All those facts are still true. I still am on nasty meds. I am still dealing with function limiting fatigue. But then there is also me: messed up, jacked up, sinful me. Over eating is a sin. Gluttony is a sin. Laziness is a sin. Turning to food for comfort instead of turning to the Lord is a sin. So many people are held captive from bad eating habits. just like people are with alcohol, drugs, porn, you name it. Bad eating/over eating has just become in many ways the acceptable sin, but no more!

Anyone want to do this study with me? I warn you I am no expert!, therefore my plan is to not lead, but host and facilitate. I will open up my home and together we can work through 60 lessons to help gain control of our eating habits while learning to look to God for spiritual sustenance. Each lesson consists of biblical instruction, testimonies, and comments from other course members. The big point is to learn how to truly enjoy the Lord and "feed" on Him, rather than actual food. There are optional eating plans that go with the study. One involves appropriate portion days, half portion days, liquid days, and fasting days. Another involves listening to your body and eating only when truly hungry (such as growling belly).

I will include some links so that you can read up more on the course. Some of the links do go into the eating plans, but remember those are optional. The class can be done without it. It is personal choice there.
http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/courses/lords-table/faqs/#13
For those not in the Austin/Cedar Park area, you can do the class online at
http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/courses/lords-table/

Anybody in? Anybody want to be set free?

Time to start, or I'll never finish.

I have definitely packed on pounds this summer. After the birth of my son, I was doing great. I lost all the baby weight in less than a month and then preceded to lose an additional 20 lbs. Granted I still had more to lose even after that, but I was better off post baby than pre baby. But. There is always a but isn't there? As the weather got warmer, and warmer, and warmer, I found myself going out less and walking less. Then my son started eating food, as in real food. Or perhaps I should say he started to not eat food, and I started to eat his food. Yeah, a bite here, a taste there, a lick here. Don't want food to go to waste after all. Oh and I make his meals with whole milk and such, err I should I say I make my mini meals that way (what is left that he didn't eat). Yeah, combine that with the less moving part, and all I accomplished post baby is gone. Actually, I am currently at about the weight I was at say 15 weeks pregnant (and I am not any weeks, haha). Sigh.

My goals are simple.
Just Me is right though, nothing is simple in life.

1) Don't eat my son's food. Not one bite. Seriously this is one of the most sabotaging behaviors I have

2)Now that the weather is cooler, walk. Walk, walk, walk. That was my secret in the early post baby days. It worked then, it can work now.

3)Quit Women's Bible Study. Ok, just kidding. That said Women's Bible Study has way too much good food. Seriously, I could eat a day's worth of calories in 1 hr. There are sometimes healthy options, but the other options want my love, haha. I got to deny those options my love.

4)Stop the soda. Actually I am going to see if hubbie will be on board with a soda free household. He will probably say yes....starting Monday...the issue is Mondays rarely exist in this house.

5) I don't got a 5 yet, haha.

The truth of the matter is I got a lot of weight to lose. Over 100 lbs actually. If I were to lose 100 lbs I would still be considered "overweight." That is just plain scary. I am not good at breaking things into small pieces either. I fall into the trap of focusing on the big goal rather than mini goals. I could say one goal of mine is to lose 15 lbs like a couple said, but all I hear in my head is 15?, 15?, try 150! And boy is that an overwhelming number! Truth is I don't know if I ever will be not fat. I don't know if I am capable of being not fat. OK, what a motivator I am to you all!, haha.

Where I'm At

Life is never simple. Oh how true that statement is. Wouldn't you know it, the day I start blogging about fitness and work out for the first time, the next day I get food poisoning. And let's face it, that's just the way life rolls. Setbacks can and WILL happen. But, I will persevere despite them.

So here's my story. I've had two children now and my body shows it. Even after I lost most of the baby weight with Hayden, my body was still different than it was before. I might have been the same weight, but my jeans no longer fit. WHAT!? And after the second baby, well, let's just say I bought new clothes.

That's where I'm at right now. My room is filled with clothes that don't fit. The clothes I do have, just look plain frumpy. I'm tired of only wearing that one pair of jeans that fit comfortably. I'm tired of avoiding sleeveless shirts, shorts and skirts because I don't like how they look. I'm tired of cringing every time I see a picture of me. So I'm going to do something about it.

But, I don't want that quick fix. I want this to be a permanent change in my life. So I'm avoiding the fad diets I've used in the past, because obviously - the weight just comes back. I want to work on a healthy lifestyle - one that sticks with me.

My goals are:

1.) To lose 15 lbs - this would get me to my pre-baby weight, not that I would be done there though, haha.

2.) Reduce refined sugar and white flour in my diet

3.) Drink more water

4.) Add exercise back into my life. I've always enjoyed running and started again Monday night.

Goals

Every fall I have my students write their goals for our class, their semester, and their year. Since I challege my students to meet their goals I wanted to challenge myself as well as all of you to make goals and try to reach them.

So here goes...my goals are:
- work out at least 3 times a week
- try to not to eat fast food
- lose 15 pounds by Christmas

I know the first two seem easy but as a coach/teacher plus a mom I don't have much time to work out or cook. I have also decided that before I get pregnant with baby 2 I need to lose the weight I gained with Savannah and then some.

So here is to making goals and holding each other accountable!

Welcome!

Welcome to Fall Fitness.

When I think of the word fitness, the first thing that comes to mind is a buff chick doing some kind of cardio. But in actuality, fitness encompasses so much more than just exercise.

Fitness:

1. The state or condition of being fit; suitability or appropriateness.
2. Good health or physical condition, especially as the result of exercise and proper nutrition.

And so the name of this blog is "Fall Fitness". My vision is that as we share our individual stories, we would inspire, encourage, and support each other. I hope that both readers and contributors alike would feel this is a safe place to talk about struggles and successes - knowing that we are all working our way to fitness.

I'm very excited about the group of bloggers that have signed on to contribute to Fall Fitness - and I hope you join us in this journey.

~Mel