Left the nurse with nothing to say...

A few months ago I posted how the scale is just a number and it has taken me a long time to really come to terms with that.  So many of us focus on the number on the scale - mainly because it's the easiest measurement too that we have available.  We all know that none of us have time to take measurements all the time, and this is not practical... so we rely on the scale.

I have learned over the last year or so, that the scale is one of of the last things that I look at when I measure how far I have come on this journey to a healthier me.  What amazes me, is the fact that there are medical professionals out there that still focus too much on the scale.

I experienced this first hand last week, when I went to the doctor for my yearly physical.  When I was talking with the nurse before I actually got to see my doctor, she was asking me all the usual questions.  She then got to the point where the questions focused on my weight.  She commented that with my current weight and height, my BMI was higher than they like to see - in fact I was borderline obese (yes for those of you that know me well, I do not look even remotely "obese") and asked if I was currently doing anything to work on bring my weight down.  Well, yes, of course I said I was.

After asking me how many days a week and for how long I exercised each week, she asked me if I had a goal weight in mind.

"Nope"

(insert puzzled look from nurse here)
"You don't have any sort of number in mind that you are shooting for?" she asked.

I then proceeded to tell her that the scale is just a number.  I understand that according to the BMI charts, I am borderline obese, but that is not the whole picture.  Right now, I weigh 20 pounds more that I did when my John and I got married 7+ years ago... but I am wearing the same size jeans.  If I were to LOSE 20 pounds right now, I would not be or look healthy.  The scale is just one factor in the big picture and I am not going just focus on that.

"Oh, ok" was all she said and moved on to the rest of her questions.

Over the last year, with all of the training sessions, running and changing my eating habits, I have lost 20+ pounds, but I have also lost many more inches.  I have gained more muscle and feel so much better in general.

I have really seen this again in the last few months.  In November, when I joined Fitness Renegades, we took measurement on Day 1.  I made it through my rookie class and then started going to the gym for class 3-4 days a week.  I made a few more adjustments to my eating habits and started eating cleaner.  Fast forward 5 weeks to when I did measurements again.  I worked hard and lost 5.5 inches in 5 weeks - but GAINED 2 pounds.  I was now able to fit comfortable into jeans that I had not even been able to put on when I started as a Renegade.  I call that success.  But for those "scale believers" all they see is the 2 pound gain.  The fact that I lost over 5 inches screams out success to me!  Plus, the added energy, and the fact that I am sleeping better is just the icing on the cake!  Oh yeah, I also have improved my Benchmark time at the gym by over 2 minutes!

So do yourself a favor... use the scale as a tool on your journey but don't make it the ONLY thing you look at!  There is so much more to a happy, healthy you than the number on that scale!

Here is to a happy, healthy 2014 everyone!

New Year, the journey to the new me continues!

2014 is here and I am ready for the continued journey to the new me!

As we all sit here thinking about what we want to accomplish, overcome or challenge ourselves to do with the fresh start of a new year, I honestly can say that this is going to be an awesome year.  How do I know this?  Simply because I am going to make it just that!  No excuses!   I have decided that there are some things that I want to do and I don't' want to let anything stop me from accomplishing those things - this includes me getting in my own way!

I have already mentioned a few of my goals for this year and I wanted to expand on a few of those now that they new year is here...

My running journey is going to continue.  I have signed up for  my first Full Marathon and training starts on the 11th.  These first few weeks (ok months) of training runs are going to be cold, but I need to just get out and do it!  Even if this means investing in some warmer gear for running, getting up early on Saturday morning and facing whatever mother nature throws at me. The idea of running a full marathon still scares the heck out of me!  The furthest I have EVER run is a half marathon!  Running 26.2 miles is a scary thing!  I however know that I have an amazing group of friends and family that will be there to support me 100% of the way.  Deep down, I know that I can do it, I just need to keep a positive mindset and take each training run, one run at a time.

I have also decided that I will probably not run as many 5k's over the next year, but will instead focus on a few key races and fill the rest of the weekends with training runs, Events with myTEAM TRIUMPH and actually spending more time with family and friends.  Last year was awesome, but I also know that there were many things that I missed out on because I had races that I was registered for, virtually every weekend from June through November.   Don't get me wrong, I love the excitement and adrenaline rush of a race, but I can run anywhere, it doesn't have to be an organized race with a few thousand other people!  I will just be more selective on which ones I register for!

On this on-going journey, today I started my Advocare 24 Day Challenge.  The next 24 day will be filled with fresh fruits and veggies, lean proteins and getting back into a regular routine at the gym and running.  Over the last few months, I have eliminated a lot of processed foods, but avoiding them is my mission during this challenge.  No junk food...  No Beer, no wine...  I am determined to do it!  Over the next few weeks, I will try to post updates along the way on the progress!

What are your goals and aspirations for 2014?  How will you challenge yourself to make it the best year that it can be?  What ever it is, just go out and make it happen!

Where did the last year go?

This morning was bittersweet...

At 5am this morning, I was at the gym for my weekly training session with BJ.  This marked exactly 1 year since the first time I worked out with him!  Yup, I started my personal training adventure with him on Halloween last year... it also marks the last training session that I will have with him.  :(  I will be forever grateful to him for everything that I have learned from him in the last year, and where I am  as a person today!  I still remember that first workout - I couldn't even make it through the entire workout... between feeling like I was going to pass out and almost puke, we had to cut that workout short.  I couldn't run a 5k without having to walk at least half of it.

Today we pushed through rounds of push-ups, core exercises that I couldn't even do last year and a battle rope workout!  In the last year, I have lost 18 pounds and almost 17 inches, but more importantly I have also lost just over 12% body fat!  I have also improved my 5k time by nearly 10 minutes between March and November, plus have finished 3 Half Marathons (improving my time by over 10 minutes from the first one in May).  I know that I could not have done it without BJ pushing me to do things that I never thought possible.  The last year has helped me to see that there is so much out there that I want to do and that even though the road will be tough, I can do it!  I will guarantee that I will keep in touch with BJ going forward as my health and fitness adventures continue.  I know that I will always have him. as well as my awesome family and friends to continue to push me to the next level!

You are probably asking what's next for me, because by now, you all know that I can't just still.  You are right... and I won't be sitting still.  I start my new fitness adventure on November 11th at Fitness Renegades.  Fitness Renegades is a new gym that opened in Green Bay last May.  It is all small class training sessions (no more than 12 per class, as some as small as 2!) that combines High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Olympic Style Weightlifting, Gymnastic movements and quick cardio.  It's not going to be easy!  I have been at the gym already and saw part of a few workouts - I will be honest, the workouts scare me to death!  I felt like I was going to die just WATCHING!  But in reality, I know that it is going to be fun, as well as the push that I need to take it to the next level!

Today is also the final day of the Biggest Loser at work.  Although I did not do as well this round as I did in the last one, I am proud to say that I pretty much maintained my weight over the last 3 months.  With summer coming to the end, my running as tapered off, and I had to get used to eating differently to make up for the reduced miles that I was running.  That also means that today is also the start of the next BL round at work!  With my new adventures beginning a few weeks at Fitness Renegades, I am determined to make this round another good one and get the scale moving again!

Here's to the start of new things to come!!  Look out 2014!  This year's adventures are almost finished and I am already looking forward to the next adventures to come!!!

Remember the scale is just a number...

After another crazy few weeks of running and adventures, achieving new PR's for my 5k and half marathons and just having some great weekends with my friends and family, summer is quickly coming to a close.  I can guarantee that the adventures will not end there!  I have more adventures to come this fall and I am already looking to 2014 and some events that I want to check out, challenges that I walk to tackle or adventures that I want to take.

I also realized that I have not posted anything about my ongoing mission to get back to a healthy weight.  You may recall my post from the end of July regarding the Biggest Loser competition at work.  Right after that round ended, we started the next round! After my success in the last round, I had dreams of continuing on that momentum.  Unfortunately, my body had different ideas.  Overall, in the last 6 weeks in this round, I have maintained a pretty consistent weight.  It gets frustrating seeing the pretty much the same number on the scale week after week.  

I decided this week that I am not going to worry about what the scale says.  No, I am not giving up on getting to my goal weight.  I am going to refocus on what I need to do and keep on this long and winding road.  I have been very pleased with my runs in the last few weeks and can honestly say that I have been feeling great after each run/race.  I also have found jeans in my closet that I have not been able to fit into in over 3 years. The scale just hasn't moved. Over the last year, I have come to realize that my weight loss and any inches lost never happen at the same time.  When I first started working out with my trainer, I was frustrated because the scale was hardly budging - for the first 2+ months!  However, each time we did measurements, they inches were disappearing. Then things would turn around, and the the scale would start to move... but the inches would slow to a crawl.   Since August, when I had to change to morning training session, we have been more focused on getting going and working through each weeks workout - at 5:30am!!! These workout have also been more focused on preparing me for the endless weekends of races that I have been challenging myself with.  We have not had the opportunity to take any measurements. 

This morning, was finally measurement check time!  We didn't realize until the morning that the last time we did measurements was July 9th.  I was curious to see how things went!  First was the scale... down about .4 from last week.  Just what I figured. I know that I have been watching what I have been eating, but I have also not been as focused on this as I have been in the past.  I know that I can work on this, and probably should get refocused on my meal planning, food choices and a consistent workout schedule. Now for the real results!  In the last 6 weeks, I am down a total of another 7 inches!  Guess that explains why my jeans are fitting better (or not fitting anymore in the case of a few pairs of shorts!).  I will take it, enjoy it and use this as continued motivation to keep moving forward.

We all need to remember that each of us is different.  Different in they way we lose weight, work through challenges, and even the way that we use the tools that we have to work towards our goals.  The key is to learn what works for you, how your body reacts to what you do and how you are going to move yourself forward toward your ultimate goals!  Just remember, don't give up on what you want - with hard work and perseverance, you can achieve whatever you want!   

The Biggest Loser Challenge at work

This round of the Biggest loser at work came to an exciting conclusion at work yesterday!

I started participating in these challenges several years ago and they have been a huge source of inspiration in my journey.  I may not have been in the running for prizes or lost huge numbers on the scale, but these challenges have helped me to keep my focus and make many of the changes that I have made for myself over the last few years.

This time, with the encouragement of my amazing friends, my running partner, co-workers and family, I was determine to step it up this round!  I knew that I had all the tools at my disposal that I needed to succeed, I just need to apply them everyday!

I turned more of a focus to being honest with myself about what I was eating, putting 100% effort into each and every gym workout and added a few more miles to my running.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't give up everything that I enjoy.  I still enjoyed beers around the campfire, Chinese food (a huge weakness me but the sodium is always a killer), my favorite wine and even a few Choco Taco's during Summer Celebrations at work or a big ol' cheeseburger after a long day!  But everything in moderation!  I know that in order for me to be successful, I still need to be true to myself and I am not going to deprive myself from those things that I love!

There were several of us that were neck in neck throughout the entire competition, which for me was another huge motivator!  I am proud to say that in the last 3 months during this challenge, I have removed (not lost, as I don't intend to go back and find them again) 14.3 pounds and a total of 7.46% of my starting weight. With our final weigh in's complete, this was enough for 3rd place!  A huge congratulations goes out to Sallie who came out with a huge number at the end to pull out the victory!  Thank you Sallie for the challenge and I am so proud of you for everything that you have done - you look fabulous!  One day, I know I will get there too - it's just a matter of time!

Next round of the Biggest Loser at work as started.  I am ready for the challenge, are you?

Breaking the scale

Ok, I am sure that many of us have wanted to break the scale because it didn't show us what we wanted to see, or we thought it was broken because it didn't us tell what we thought it should.  Right now, breaking the scale habit is where I am.  I admit it, I am a peeker when it comes to the scale, have been for many years.  If the batteries in my scale died, I had to replace them immediately.  Last week, at the urging of my trainer, I need to break that habit of stepping on the every morning.  Weighing in at the gym once and work once is more than enough.  No need to stress myself out about the scale any more than that. How am I going to do that?   My morning stop at the scale us part of my morning ritual, just as much as getting dressed and eating breakfast!

I can proudly say that I have survived week one!  In the last seven days, the only time I have stepped on a scale was last Friday morning at work (Biggest Loser weigh in) and then tonight at the gym, witnessed by my trainer.

Why did the scale become such am integral part of my daily routine? Back in my Weight Watchers days, I had convinced myself that it was a way to keep myself accountable.  Did this really work?  I thought so. If the scale was up, it motivated me to eat better, exercise more etc.  If the scale was down, I knew that I was doing the right thing and needed to keep working. However, there is a downside to this.  There are so many factors that can make "peeking" daily a negative.  Most bathroom scales are very temperamental- are you sure it is in the same spot on the floor?  Is the floor actually level? That is just the scale itself.  Are you wearing the same clothing?  Shoes? Is the sodium from last night's Chinese dinner helping you hold on to more water than usual?  In the end, the number on the scale was became the most important thing in my journey.  It was at the forefront of my mind everyday, whether I would admit it or not.

Spinach Artichoke Tart
Original Version

I have learned over the years that the scale is not the only thing that matters in the journey to my ultimate goal - a strong, healthy body... and of course be able to go shopping because nothing in my closet will fit me anymore!  The food choices that I make are just as important as everything else in this journey and we have been working to find more new, exciting recipes to try!  Today was one of those days that we tried something new!  I found the recipe for this Spinach Artichoke Tart that I just had to try!  I actually bought some of the ingredients for it a a few weeks ago, but had to wait until I could get my almond flour from my mom (best deal I could find was through her food coop!)  This morning we finally dove in and made is, and I am so glad that we did!  It was phenomenal!  My apologies for the not so brilliant photo - it was tough to get a good shot before it started disappearing from the pan! I did realize that since I used almond meal instead of almond flour, the crust did not have the same texture as the original  but it was still wonderful.  I actually had 2 pieces with lunch just because I wanted to eat it when it was still warm!  I was going to make a quiche to bring for Easter Brunch, but I think this just may be replacing the quiche!  It was the equivalent of spinach artichoke dip, in a crust!

Oh, before I forget... the scale at the gym tonight?  Yup, down 2 pounds from last week!  Was this because I didn't stress myself out over the scale?  Hard to say.  I guess we will have to see what the next week shows!