Hello, my name is Katie and I'm addicted to potato salad...

Memorial day welcomes the summer and summer brings the potato salad. I love potato salad, the color, smell and taste. It is very rarely that I have encountered potato salad that I didn't like and I can usually have it at a couple special occasions and call it good. Unfortunately, really good potato salad is NOT really good for you and adds up all Weight Watcher points before your belly realizes how full you truly are! I can't just stop at potato salad, however, I'm a potato girl and enjoy my chips too and, for some reason, chips seem to be more abundant during this season as well.

I know that one of the golden rules for permanent weight loss is to not eliminate anything from your diet, the problem is that I do not have the self control to say no to that wonderful root vegetable and, therefore, must eliminate it from the house. I won't say that I will never have these delectable indulgences again, there is just no room for them in my fridge/ cupboards anymore. I want to be a better me and to build my will power muscle but I believe I must also recognize my weaknesses and create an environment where I can more easily obtain my goals.

This week at Weight Watchers we discussed going through our fridges. The message really hit home as I rummaged for food this weekend, not because I was hungry, but because I was enjoying adult beverages. I have been much better about not keeping them in my house but had bought some to celebrate the holiday weekend. The less I have my wits the less I care about points or the cues my stomach tries to send to my brain. I will have to be more selective about the availability of said drinks and limit them to very special occasions in which I have also eliminated impulsive, unnecessary snacks and food. I will be clearing out my own fridge and cupboards this week to start this process. Our fridge and counters are currently full of many fruits and veggies from Bountiful Baskets as well as the grocery store so if I get rid of many of the processed food we'll have no option but to snack on the good stuff. 

My foot is on the mends, I'll be cleaning up my pantry, and be back on schedule with workout classes and half marathon training. All of these steps should ensure an easier road to my goal weight and hopefully before the end of June. I'm not totally naive, I know there will be a few more bumps and forks in the road, nonetheless, I'm optimistic that by attempting to stack the deck in my favor, I will come out triumphant by mid summer.

Sprain on my parade...

Sunday was awesome, I was so happy to have been able to run six miles... unfortunately, I don't think my body was completely ready. My muscles are not sore, but by Wednesday I was feeling pain in my foot. I went in this morning and was praying that it wasn't broken. Fortunately, the PA couldn't find any breaks but she did say it was badly sprained and I had to take it easy (no running) for at least a week. I am more than grateful that it isn't broken but less than thrilled about having to take it easy... and what does that really mean anyway? I have to move around the house and take care of my kiddos and I have to clean up and organize my classroom for end of the year checkout. I guess I'll just have to scale back on all of my extras and pray for speedy recovery?

I did HORRIBLY this week, I'm talking over eating every evening and giving up on tracking points almost the second I walked through the door after school. I know that it started with all the graduations last weekend and as I watched the scale take a hit, my self esteem did too... and as my self esteem took a hit it became easier to give up plus the added stress of last week of school paperwork, cleanup, etc.... it was kind of like my week was set up to destroy any progress I had hoped to make.

So where do I go from here? Past experiences keep surfacing to my mind and saying, "Give up,  you can't do it," "This is your body's way of saying you aren't strong enough," "It's easier to be sedentary!"

It would be really easy to say I'm done, I tried and failed, and move on but no, I just can't throw in the towel. I have to take this opportunity to prove to myself how important these changes have been to me and how much better they have made me become as a person. If I give up, I am showing my kids that it's okay to call it quits when the going gets tough. Instead, I will "take it easy" for a week and only go to spinning and weight lifting, I won't do any weight baring activities other than the normal day to day stuff and I will take care of my foot (ice, elevate, rest) as much as possible. I will also amp up my efforts in my diet, no more fluffing it or estimating that... I have to be more strict than normal to make up for the lack of cardio.

After this week I will restart my half marathon training and body sculpting efforts in a slow progression, no jumping into a six mile run! I will make sure to give myself 'rest' days and become a healthy food guru for me and my family. I am excited at this chance to learn from the challenges I've been presented and to grow into a better me. Happy Memorial Day Weekend, Welcome Summer!

Just suck it up, change your attitude and do it!

Well I had an exhausting (but fun) weekend filled with graduation parties, playing with my kiddos, and visiting friends and family. All of these items included LOTS of food! I tried to stick to the veggie trays and fruit platters... but that just didn't cut it... I have a weak spot for potato salad and cream cheese mints, so plenty of those were also consumed. I tried to stay active. I ran before we left on Saturday but had to stop as my pants were falling off as I ran. I know that's a good problem to have and I have to laugh at it, but it cut my run short and by the time I got back and changed I didn't have time to run again. I also made sure to move around as much as I could. I was going to go swimming with the kiddos at the hotel but the water was pretty much ice water.... and I wasn't going in that craziness! We did walk around Storybook land, my favorite place of all time, and I know that helped a little.

Needless to say, I put on a couple pounds over the weekend and woke up in a bit of a funk from it. My frustration was only amplified with the beginning of the last week of school. I know I should be feeling a sense of relief and excitement as the end draws near, unfortunately, the end of the year for a teacher means report cards, progress reports, students awareness sheets, and much, much more... PLUS the students are in 'summer' mode and have no thought processes left to even complete simple lessons. So my main mission today was to keep my students busy learning as much about measurement as possible while fitting in paperwork wherever possible. I didn't leave until 5:30 and definitely could have stayed longer if my husband didn't need to head to an orchestra gig, so I headed home to clean the house and watch my kids play in the backyard.

As I ran around the house picking up and sorting laundry, I decided that I HAD to record what I ate today (even though I knew the dominoes pizza my hubby ordered for supper was going to be bad). I was grateful to see that I had only gone over by a couple points, not as bad as I had thought. This revelation made me rethink my entire attitude toward the day. I take all of my minor hurdles in my life and make them into huge mountains. These mountains seem so huge and daunting that it has a domino effect, making all other obstacles seem monumental as well. After I realized that nothing is as bad as I thought it was today, I decided that I was going to go on a run (since I was also upset that I had missed my workout class today).

I killed two birds with one stone and took the redbox movie I had gotten yesterday for the kiddos on our drive and ran it (literally) back to Walmart and returned home. It ended up being 6 miles in all. It took me about an hour and 4 minutes, so about a 5.62 mph run/ walk when necessary, up steep hills, etc. The best part of the run was the smell of the flowers and having a student scream hello as they rode past in a vehicle. I am also proud of the fact that I finished and ran most of it! That gets me almost to the half way point for my half marathon. My least favorite part of my run was my body and my headphones. I have to say that being a woman who has had three children makes things really difficult. I am grateful that I wasn't a runner in high school or college because I am sure that I would be even more appalled and disappointed with the way my body works or doesn't work now that I have had my beautiful children. Anyone who is a runner without kids, please take a moment to appreciate how wonderfully your body works and doesn't try to corrupt your running efforts... Okay, enough said. As for my headphones, I would take any suggestions for better headphones. I cannot wear the ear buds as they bug my ears and I have the ones that fit over the ears but they fall off constantly on the side away from the arm that I have the headphones plugged in on. I'm thinking I'll have to get the big headband type ones but am not sure... but I really do like listening to music, when it works!

My lesson for the day is that I need to not look at my hurdles as mountains and to push through them one step at a time. Tomorrow is a new day and I will make the most of it!

Back In The Game!

I am so very excited, stressed, and exhausted!

I'm stressed because I feel like I'm on a roller coaster as far as my eating and the scale go. It seems like every step forward there are two steps back and I have been stuck with in the same 5 pounds for nearly 2 months. It doesn't help that there are a constant stream of goodies at work and events to go to that also have treats. I also am stressed with the chaos that is the end of the school year. Music programs, report cards, forms, standards, clean up, check out, as well as my own children's spring/ summer activities beginning... pure CrAzInEsS! On top of that I have been asked to get my aerobic and yoga certifications renewed and to start course work for the SD Math Counts program... Ok, deep breath, things could be worse... now onto the excitement...

First off, I have been looking to change things up a bit to get off my plateau and Sunday seemed to be my day! I had two wonderful friends mention wanting me to join them in half marathons this summer, so I signed up for one (maybe the other one too but we'll start with one)! I admit that I am VERY freaked out by the idea but quickly got very excited when I went out last night to see if I could still run a 5k... and I finished in 34 minutes and ran all but the last tenth of a mile! I was SO excited and happy! It is truly amazing how this first run since starting my body transformation proved to me that I HAVE changed. My body felt lighter and much stronger. It wasn't painful, didn't make my lungs scream for oxygen like it did last spring when I started the couch to 5K program at the Y. I truly believe that all the hard work I've done in diet, aerobics, weight lifting, etc. has made my body ready for the next challenge. 

I am also excited because of an article that another friend sent me today (http://elitedaily.com/life/the-secret-to-losing-weight-is-gaining-a-new-perspective/), "The Secret to Losing Weight is Gaining a New Perspective." The part that really sparked my interest was the part about eating real food. I think that I've been avoiding taking a close look at what I eat because I know it's not healthy enough. I understand calories, fat, fiber, protein, etc. but I want to focus more on all the artificial things and eliminating all of them and sugar from not only my diet but my families diet as well. This task seems overwhelmingly daunting get highly rewarding. I know this will take quite a bit of time but I am hoping that we can make small changes throughout the summer. I know even a few small changes will help me tip the scale into my favor again!

The final thing that has me very fired up is my move up to teaching 5th grade math and science. I am very excited to teach higher level math concepts, I'm a dork and LOVE math! Although I am stressed out about signing up for the SD Math Counts program/ coursework I am also VERY thrilled to get to learn how to be a better math teacher and to understand so much more about the subject and job that I love! Science will be exciting too and getting students ready to enter the middle school will be a great adventure!

All that being said, for obvious reasons, I'm exhausted! Running around to numerous events for school, my family, working out, and keeping up with the day to day has my mind and body saying, "ENOUGH" and "GO TO BED!" I'm pretty sure it will get a little better when school ends next week but won't last long with half marathon training, running around to all my boys' summer activities, two weeks of professional development, and a two week road trip BUT it's ALL WORTH IT! Not only do I have numerous challenges and blessings to look forward to, I feel like I am back in the game. To me, that phrase means that I am pulling myself out of a rut and placing some new goals on my path to make me a better me! I'm on a improved path of fitness, health, professional development, and being a better mom (I'm amped to run my boys around to their activities all summer long and cheer them on).

I'm back in the game and feeling better than ever!

Rebooting my attitude

You know those shock collars you put on dogs to keep them from barking? I think someone should invent one for people like me to keep me from putting unnecessary food into my mouth. Okay, I had to vent that out... that's the last little bit of my pity party which ended just now after I read this great quote:

Now I'm going to reset myself. I have all the tools necessary to make every minute count towards continuing this great journey toward a new me! I have the online and face to face support from Weight Watchers, I just need to utilize the point tracker more, I have a YMCA membership and go almost every day (sometimes twice a day) so yay for that! I also received a fitbit for an early mother's day present and plan on utilizing that to motivate me to move even more and to compete against any friends who also use fitbit, hint, hint! ;)

My wonderful mom bought me a brand new outfit to celebrate my weight loss achievement so far and that was a HUGE mood boost! It definitely gives you an extra hop in your step when you can fit into a smaller size and show off some of your hard work. I need to focus on those accomplishments and not the boo hoo Sally Sue mumbo jumbo that creeps into my mind over and over to tell me that I'm failing and not trying hard enough. I've been down this road many times and my former self would begin to let self doubt take over and the pounds to slowly find their way back onto the scale. Eventually I would talk my way out of attending the gym using numerous excuses and end up back in my fat clothes.

Fortunately I have many more fail safes in place this time. I also have goals that I haven't reached and fully intend to see fulfilled before the end of June. I WILL lose 15 more pounds and I WILL become a fitness instructor and I WILL be a WW leader!! I created a vision board that I look at every morning and try to find a motivational quote to post online to inspire myself and others. I have also made friends at my fitness classes and know most of the instructors. My family is being more supportive and I love that my middle son wants to be in a weight training/ running program this summer (there is no such thing for a six year old but it's cute that he wants to do it). My husband has encouraged me to take the time out of my day to go to the gym and, if possible, watched the kiddos so I can go. I have also done the same for him so he can go run too!

Whew, I feel a lot better than I did an hour ago! Hopefully a full night sleep and a fantastic Friday will continue to push me forward on this path of positive changes!

Putting myself out there means opening myself up to criticism...

I'll admit it, I like a complement as much as the next person. It definitely makes all my hard work seem worth it and pushes me to try harder. I have discovered, however, that there's a flip side to receiving praise, receiving the cold shoulder and/or criticism. Yes, I have been checking into the gym, sharing this blog, and posting motivational fitness quotes on facebook. I am NOT doing it to brag or to make people feel bad about their lives, my two main purposes are:

1) It makes me get off my butt and go do something knowing that SOMEONE may see it.

2) If it motivates even one person to be active, I feel a sense of accomplishment!

I have felt that the more time goes by and the more days I post my check-ins and quotes, I have found a surprising number of people that are distant and unkind when I see them in person. Some have said things like, "Oh, are you going to put this on fb?" or others who won't even talk to me as if I have nothing new to say (I ALWAYS have something to say and LOVE talking to people)!? It actually really hurts my feelings when others don't seem interested in having a conversation with me. Do they think all I'm going to do is talk about what workout I went to today or how many points my food is worth?!? I have three kids for goodness sake and work with elementary kids all day, I have tons of other exciting things to fill conversation with than myself! I love to chat about family, books, movies, weather, climate change, common core, Obama care, or Norway, to name a few ideas...
I would never try to make someone feel bad or guilty but, if someone wanted advice or motivation, I would be more than willing to share ideas or information.

I will continue to post despite having felt the chill from some cold shoulders and harsh words recently. Why? Because I have also had many friends thank me for my motivation and that's what it's all about for me! It does make me sad if someone thinks I am being annoying, however, it truly empowers me and gives me a sense of purpose knowing that something that I posted encouraged someone to get up and do something that made them healthier, more fit, and happier!

Today I ate within my WW points and I made it to Body Rock aerobic class. My body reminded me that I hadn't done either for two days and will most likely continue to remind me tonight and into tomorrow as my legs ache from numerous squats... but it's worth it! I have 4 pounds until I make my goal #1 and 14 until my ultimate goal! I CAN do this and I WILL do this, for myself, with or without anyone's support!!

Baby Steps...

This week my biggest struggle was illness. I'm still not sure if it was a quick case of the flu or food poisoning, but that combined with the cough that just wouldn't let go and my stubbornness to accept that I need to rest and not push myself , created a tough 24-48 hours. It was very difficult for me to stick to any kind of meal plan and I couldn't move enough to get any kind of workout in, I could barely walk around my classroom let alone do lunges or bicep curls!

After my bout of illness, I did make a great diet tip/ discovery. It's so very simple that I'm very disappointed in myself for not having done it earlier. This small change was fruit, yes fruit. Apples, pears and bananas (oh my!) to be exact! All of these wonderful fruits are worth ZERO Weight Watcher points, which I have known, but never really thought about how I could be eating more of those and then needing less of the snacks I have been eating worth 1-3 points. I went to the store and bought more fruit and, TA DA, ate less points each day without feeling super hungry.

Another small change I made this week was upping my water intake. My first major reason was being sick and pushing fluids but I continued this small change after feeling better as well. It's amazing how much better you feel when drinking more water and less pop.

The final change I made was fitness related. I decided to sign up to get re-certified to teach yoga (and maybe cycling) again. Even if it's just subbing at the Y, the extra pressure of being a teacher and wanting to present an image of fitness is a great motivator to get myself to the gym everyday. I also have to keep track of the classes I attend toward my certification, so that's another great incentive to get my act together!

I didn't get to go to Weight Watchers today since I'm out of town and there aren't any meetings here today. I did however (according to my mom's scale) lose a pound this week, so small steps create small changes that result in big progress over time, and progress is good! Happy weekend everyone, take baby steps in the right direction! :)

P.S. I have discovered that I have this awesome four pack but am struggling to get rid of the excess skin, etc. over the lower two of my six pack, thank you to my beautiful three children, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Currently, I think only a tummy tuck would remove it but I'm hoping for a more realistic option! ;)