Just Do What I Know

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
I was catching up on some blog reading the other day — this is always very motivating to me when I’m lagging in my good eating and/or exercise habits — and I noticed some people getting back on track with weight loss attempts.  Some just do what they know to do, but many are writing about the new program they are trying to get the weight off “this time”. 
It makes me think, because I know exactly how they feel.  When I’m feeling pudgy, or have fallen off the weight loss wagon I tend to go looking for a “new” eating program that may be what I need to get back to losing weight.  Somehow I think that I stopped losing weight, or started putting on some because what I was doing wasn’t working.  
But that’s not true.  Not for me anyway.
When I’m completely honest with myself I know that the reason my weight loss, or in this case maintenance, is off kilter it’s because I haven’t been doing what I know works.  Basically, it really does come down to calories in versus calories out.  Yes, better food choices are vital to maintaining a healthy weight, but more importantly I still have to burn more calories than I’m taking in to lose; or burn as many as I’m taking in to maintain. 
It’s pretty simple and it’s what I’ve been reminding myself this week.  There is no magic plan for weight loss.  For me, I need to get back to tracking my food and getting in regular exercise, I need to remember that when my stomach tells me it’s satisfied I need to listen to it and I need to remember that quick fix diets don’t work.  
I lost 70 pounds by eating less and moving more and I’m going to continue doing it to get this six pounds back off before it becomes ten or fifteen or twenty.  It’s what I know, and I know it works.
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Turkey Trot Results

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding

It was a small gathering, but three people did join me in doing a virtual Turkey Trot during Thanksgiving weekend.  Two of my friends sent me pictures, so they got an extra entry into my little drawing.  🙂

Thank you Chris, Suzie, Christine and Diane for joining me in staying active over the holiday weekend.

The winner of the prize is … Suzie!

And some visual proof of our activities….

When I saw what the temperature was going to  be I almost decided to wait until another day to do my run.  But I knew I had to be a leader for my own event, so I bundled up and got out there.  It was a glorious sunshiny, COLD morning.  My layers kept me warm and I enjoyed the run immensely.  

 My friend, Chris, encouraged me when she said she was going to use this opportunity to get back on track.  And she literally did over the weekend, getting in her 3.1 miles on her treadmill inside.  I’m so proud of her!

Suzie inspires me, because I knew she has always been active and when I realized I was inviting her to run … well…that’s what new endings will do to a person.  🙂  Knowing I can now “run” with her was inspired me to keep pressing on in my weight loss journey. 
Thanks to all who participated, even if I didn’t get a picture.  Just knowing I had put my little turkey trot out there for anyone to join me helped me stay committed to getting it done.  And I’m thankful I did. 
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November Weigh-In

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding

November 30
Today’s Weight:  166.5
Loss/Gain:  +5.5 lbs

Goodness.  The only good news about gaining over five pounds this month is that I put it on in the first half of the month and then stayed there.  I weighed myself a week after my husband got home, and we’d gone out of town for a couple of days, and saw the scale was up about five pounds.  I was like, “Yikes!”

Well, then I didn’t get it off.  I finally did get a couple pounds down the week of Thanksgiving, but then the scale was back up today.

It’s not that I’m learning that I have to still be diligent while in maintenance, it’s more that I have to remind myself not to get lazy.  My workouts hadn’t been what they were when training for the half and then the 10K in October and I was still able to keep my weight down.

Then I let my eating slide and the scale went right up.  So, I’ve set my goals to workout 4 days a week and get back down to 160 by the end of the year and I know that getting my eating back in order is key to doing this.

My husband is also up about 7 pounds since he got home, so we are going to work together to get ourselves back into better eating habits.  So, while I’m not so pleased with the gain, and subsequent sluggishness and pudgy feeling in my middle, I know I’ll get it off.  Gaining permanently is not an option in my life now.  🙂

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My First Virtual 5K Turkey Trot

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
So…I’ve been perusing the internet for a bit looking for a virtual 5K to join up with on Thanksgiving Day.  Last year I did one and it felt so good to get out there and run a bit and be reminded of how thankful I am to have gotten better control of my health.  Since I didn’t find anything locally I could attend or anything virtually that interested me I decided to do my own. 
To make it a little more fun I invite you to join me in committing to get some exercise over the Thanksgiving weekend and I’m going to put together a holiday-themed prize to give away afterwards.  Here are the important details…
Rules: 

  • Simply run, walk or bike a 5K (3.1 miles) sometime during Thanksgiving weekend – November 28, 29th or 30th.
To be entered into the drawing for a holiday surprise:
  • Leave a comment below stating what you will be doing.  You may enter my drawing even if you are doing an actual race in your area that day.  🙂 
  • For an extra entry into the drawing email me a photo of you before, after or during the activity at scrappin4fleia (at) gmail (dot) com no later than midnight November 30th.
Note:  At this time the prize can only be mailed within the US. 
I will compile the pictures and post them the Monday afterwards, along with announcing the winner of the drawing.  Have fun and happy trotting!
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Lessons from Mom

Posted on November 20, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding

Today is my mom’s birthday.  My friend’s mother passed away this past Sunday and another friend’s father passed away this past Saturday.  My mother is a breast cancer survivor and knowing we came close to losing her a few years ago makes every birthday more special.

Being overweight is an issue both she and I have dealt with all of our lives.  Here are some of the best lessons in life she ever taught me with regards to my health:

  • All things in moderation.  There were always treats in the house growing up, but we didn’t just eat and eat them whenever we wanted.  
  • Love yourself as you are.  Growing up I was a chubby girl and then teenager and I never once heard my mom tell me I was fat, nor did I hear her ever suggest I needed to go on a diet. 
  • Keep trying.  If I did feel a little overweight and wanted to lose some weight my mom would encourage me as best she could; even if it was the 3rd time in a year I complained about my weight but did nothing about it.  She never suggested I’d failed so many times at weight loss that I should quit trying. 
  • Dress for your figure.  My mom taught me to dress modestly and in a way that flattered my figure, no matter how curvy it was. 
So, to my mom I say, “Thank you, Mom, for your love and example in my life.  I wish you the happiest of birthdays!” 
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New Jacket and SPI belt

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Our temperatures dropped back down into more autumnal degrees today, so I pulled out my new jacket I bought for running.  I have to say I think wearing cute workout clothes makes everything better.  🙂 
The little pink pouch hanging out the bottom is my new SPI belt.  I’m in love with it.  It holds my iPhone and keys while I run.  I am also kind of super excited that I am being able to wear it lower on the abdomen and it doesn’t slide up to my waist.  
It’s the small things that brighten my days sometimes.  🙂
Note:  Did I mention I got a new Canon EOS 650D camera for Mother’s Day/My birthday in July?  I can’t remember… anyway..please excuse me as I tried taking a self portrait today with the timer.  Gotta work on that.. 
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A Party & Chocolate Gifts

Posted on November 18, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
What a nice weekend we had!  Saturday we had a welcome home party for my husband with a bunch of friends coming over to enjoy some filipino food we had catered.  My husband is in the Navy, but attached to a US Marine Corps unit, so we live in a Marine Corps town.  Since we are surrounded by “jar heads” I had fun decorating with anchors and representing the Navy at our party.  🙂 
A friend of mine gave me a gift since she said I was deployed also.  lol  She and her husband said they saw a sign that said, “He enlisted, She was drafted”  Of course, I fully support my husband in his job, but it was fun to get a little gift.  
When I opened it I was a little taken aback because it was all chocolate treats.  Yikes!  I will admit I’ve had three pieces already.  I know everything in moderation is okay, but chocolate treats have been a problem for me this past week or so.  Darn it… I was thinking, “Hm…can people please not give me chocolate gifts??”  I just have to put them up and save them for once a day. 
Today I went back to the gym and took the “Total Athletic Conditioning” class that I love!!  It rotates between cardio and core/strength for an hour.  It can be very hard, but I took it a little easy today to ease myself back into tough strength workouts.  
As for my Monday update: 
  • I will exercise 4-5 days a week. I did workout 4 days last week! 🙂
  • I will maintain 160, and maybe even lose a few more pounds by January. Fail.  The scale is up..thus this goal.  :-/
So, here we go!  New week and new days to work on those goals.  🙂
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What A Run!

Posted on November 17, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Lately I’ve been babysitting a toddler on Thursday and Fridays, as needed.  When I first agreed to this temporary job I knew it would mean planning my exercise around the hours I would have this little one — 8:30am-3:30pm.  So, yesterday I decided I would go run after she was gone and with the colder morning weather we’d been having it was going to be nicer out at that time anyway. 
What a great run it turned out to be!!
By the time I left to run the family was all home, everyone was occupied with something to do and I didn’t have to prepare dinner because we had leftovers for everyone to pick on when they got hungry.  This fact, along with the fact that the weather was beautiful, spurred me to go ahead and run five miles instead of my planned four.  
I didn’t push myself for any specific time, but allowed my body to just go.  Having not run very regularly since my 10K at the beginning of October I knew I wouldn’t be very fast, but I wasn’t worried.  I simply enjoyed the exercise, sometimes hardly believing I was still running for exercise. 
When I got home I looked at my Garmin to see that I had run 5.5 miles and my average pace was 11:13 minutes per mile.  Nice.  After a day of housecleaning I wore myself out with that run, but it was such a good feeling.  My legs were challenged and in a way they were reminded of what they are capable of.  I look forward to more running in the future!
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My 2013 Holiday Goals

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
I’ve already written two posts this morning, but I wanted to post one more thing before I get too busy with my day and weekend. 
We are two weeks away from Thanksgiving.  And while I may think it’s still a tad early the stores are beginning to hang Christmas decor and I’ve even heard Christmas music already in one store.  
Although I do love baking and sampling baked goods this time of year, it’s the busy schedules that get me more off track than anything.  By off track I mean that I tend to kick exercise to the curb in lieu of needing more time to complete holiday tasks. 
Not this year.  I don’t feel well when I skip exercise (this last month of hardly any exercise is proof).  And when I exercise I find it easier to stay better on track with my eating. 
So, in the spirit of all things party, holidays and fun…here are my goals for this 2013 holiday season: 

  • I will exercise 4-5 days a week.
  • I will maintain 160, and maybe even lose a few more pounds by January.
I think I’ll check in on Mondays so that I can report on the week prior and let you know if I’m sticking to my goals.  
How about you?  Are you setting any goals for yourself during the holiday season?  I’d love to hear about it.  
Meanwhile…I may hang this on my fridge.  🙂  
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Scale is Up, But I’ll Be Fine

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Leah@MyNewEnding
If today was a “weigh-in” day as it was until about a month ago I’d have to come on and tell you that I’ve gained a few pounds.  I’d also have to admit what I could already tell physically; that I’ve put on a couple pounds, am not feeling so great and I need to get back on track. 
It’s not a horrible gain, but I’ve been dipping too much into sweets and breads and I have not been feeling my best.  The lack of regular exercise in the past month (as compared to the months previous) is taking a slight toll on me as well.  
The good part??  This text conversation sums it up pretty well: 
Me: (after discussing how my Panera bread autumn squash soup in a bread bowl was too much bread for me)  Yes, I love the flavors they put together, but today was too much bread…especially since I’ve had lots of junk lately.

Steph:  That’s how you know you’ve so completely changed!

Me:  Yay!!! 
Yes…yay!!!  TOM was here last week so I realized that must be why I was craving the soda and chocolate and carby foods so much.  However, I didn’t quite bounce back from it like usual and I was beginning to feel it in my body — and not like it. 
So, when the scale was up these past few days I knew why and I know it won’t stay up.  Just this morning I reminded myself that I WILL NOT gain back the weight I lost.  Life happens, but I am living a new ending and I know I’ll be fine.
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