01/28/2011 Week 15 weigh in

Another week has come and a few more pounds are gone! I had another great week this week. Not only did I start a new job with a great company, I also lost 2.2 pounds! That brings my current weight to 263.2 and I have now lost a grand total of 26.8 lbs! I am hoping I can have a super week and get down to 260 by next Friday.

 I am planning on doing a little more training this week. Unfortunately I was hit with the injury bug this last week and was not able to do my timed 5k and have been battling through some shin splints. I was able to get 2 miles in on Saturday morning before I had to stop. I have not walked or ran this entire week hoping the time off will help. I am planning on running again tomorrow morning, shins permitting. Strangely enough I didnt get them from running, but from playing full court basketball. No more hoops while I am training for my runs! I just hope the time off wont hurt me too much. I was just starting to get a little base going, and there is less than 50 days til my first race.

Any runners out there with some advice on treating and preventing shin splints? Please share! Til next week!

Week 14 Weigh in

Another week has flown by. I really can't believe how fast Fridays come now. It was a great week! Alot has happened this week other than weight loss, but lets start with that first.

I lost 2.6 pounds this week and that brings me to 265.4. I am .4 pounds away from losing an even 25 lbs., I finally came off that plateau I had been stuck on for the last couple of weeks. I think the new running training program has alot to do with finally starting to see some weight loss.

I have run approx 6 miles this week and threw a few hours of full court basketball in there for good measure. I am hoping to kick my mileage up to 9 miles next week. I am going to run a timed 5k tomorrow. I need to get a baseline set so I can so how much I have improved. I am always looking to be able to measure my progress.

I am also closing a significant chapter in my life this week. I have officially left Chase bank. I spent over 5 years with Chase/WaMu and had some really good times there, but in the end is was becoming more about numbers and less about people. I was really fortunate and blessed to be able to find a great new job with a great company. Im really looking forward to being able to grow and learn with this new challenge.

Til next week!

01/14/2011 Week 13 Weigh in

This was a wild, crazy week here in the ATL. We had some serious snow and that put a cramp in my routine. The storm started Sunday night and by Monday morning we had 7 inches of snow. I know what your thinking, but that is a TON of snow in the South. By Monday afternoon it was all ice. The kids were out of school all week and I was snowed in from work for 2 days. Idle time at home does not mix well with my diet plan.

I was pleasantly surprised to see a 1 pound weight loss for the week. I am now back to pre vacation weight at 268.0

I had my first training run on Sunday and it went pretty well, the only unfortunate part was all the snow kept me from running outside and the gym was closed until Thursday. So I didnt get my second run in until earlier this evening. I am supposed to make 3 runs a week, so I am now behind! I should be able to get back on pace within a week or so. I need those rest days though, so I cant get too aggressive.

I really enjoy running outside much more than on a treadmill. I have been looking at running tights to help combat the cold weather. Any suggestions on any brands that are good or to stay away from?

Breakfast of Champions

This is the first of many meal/ recipe posts to the blog. I thought I would share some of my meals and what I am eating. These meals are really great ways to start the day and have very few WW points. I am crunched for time in the mornings, these meals can be made in 5 min or less. These are my two favorite breakfasts, and they keep me full and satisfied all the way to lunch!

Breakfast 1:
1 bowl of Quaker instant grits (75 seconds in the microwave), 1/2 cup of southwest flavor egg beaters (scrambled), a Dannon light and fit yogurt, a low fat cheese stick, and a full glass of water. I like to mix my eggs and grits together and add salt and pepper.

Point breakdown:
Grits: 2 points
Eggs: 1 point
Yogurt: 1 point
Cheese stick: 1 point

Total: 5 WW points

Breakfast 2:
1 sliced medium banana, 1 Dannon light and fit yogurt, and a sprinkle of corn flakes combined in a bowl
1/2 cup of any flavor egg beaters (scrambled), 1 slice of turkey bacon, 1 low fat cheese stick, and a full glass of water.

Point breakdown:
Banana: 1 point
Yogurt: 1 point
sprinkle of corn flakes: no points (not enough to calculate)
Eggs: 1 point
Turkey bacon: 1 point
Cheese stick: 1 point

Total: 5 WW points

01/07/2011 Week 12 Weigh in

This was a crazy week. I went back to work on Monday after having 2 weeks off and my parents left to go back home on Thursday morning. So it was back to my daily routine. I hadn't been drinking much water on my vacation, so I had to start that back up again. I am consuming anywhere between 100-120 ounces a day. So needless to say, my body had some adjusting to do this week. I got on the scale this morning and came in at 268.8, which is a .4 gain from last week. I am not really to disappointed or surprised considering I had taken New Years weekend off and have been drinking about a gallon of water a day since Monday. I am really hoping that I will be able to get back into my routine and start seeing some weight loss again. The holidays were tough, but I survived them. I started my vacation at 268.0 and only gained .8 lbs.

It's official. I have started my marathon training and have already scheduled my first few races. I will be racing the "Hope for the cure 5k" in Winder in March 19th. My training program starts tomorrow and in 8 weeks I should be able to run 3 miles, without walking. Lol! I have my second race April 9th, also a 5k. This one is called "Run Zulu" and all the proceeds go to help get township kids in South Africa shoes, and a running track. This is going to be a special one for me as I used to live and work in the townships of South Africa. I am trying to get ready to run a half marathon with my sister and brother in law in Utah in September. Its called "Top of Utah". I am really excited to start running (see photos of my new running shoes below) and hope that I can become a "runner" in time. If any of you have any tips, or tricks for running I would love to hear them. Leave your tips in the "comments" section below.

Til  next week!

My new running shoes!

I hope I can get many miles out of these shoes. I can never seem to find any shoes that fit my feet right. Most are too narrow, but these feel really great. They are Adidas Marathon 10m's, Lets see if they feel as good now as they do after a few miles!