One Step at a Time

Another week along the Journey...

Not everyday is a landmark

So, one of the things in this journey to fit is not everyday is an 'Oh my God' day. Most day are the 'Just keep going' kind of days. In some ways...this is an epic epiphany for me! I have no patience...I want immediate results. Life doesn't quite work that way unfortunately. The big victories come from persistence and the everyday hard work. I have to realize that every little bit of work everyday, produces the results I need. One thing that reminds me how normal and wonderful life is are my friends. My husband is on a crew of 20 guys firefighting for the forest service. This last weekend was their 50 year anniversary as a crew. We got to meet all the wonderful people who have done this past and present. And also the wonderful men and women behind them!! Here is a shot my friend Jen took of the ladies behind the Pikers. 

My normal, everyday week...

So, last time, I posted my before pictures. Lets be honest, right now it's very hard for me to look in the mirror and be proud of how I look. But you know what, I have to remember I am beautiful just the way I am. Now, I'm just upgrading the package. (Lame I know, but I work for a software company :) So, here are a few things I've done since my last post to help me keep on keeping on.

Food Tracking and my good friend Amy...

So, I needed some help with food tracking, I was having no luck. I didn't like the apps or styles I had been using. I've used weight watchers in the past and I've liked their tools. But, with so much out there for free I just can't justify the money when I don't have time for meetings. So, my friend Amy came out to Denver for an interview and we had some time to visit. She mentioned an app she used called MyFitnessPal.com. Its not just an app, its a community. You can link up with any friends you have that use it and share your success, dole out motivation and generally chit chat about how life it. Also, and this is a HUGE bene for me, you can ficken fracken scan bar codes of what you've eaten and it automatically uploads! BOOM! Sounds lazy you say? Well poo poo on you its so fun! By doing this you don't just upload calories, fat and carbs, you upload everything!!! Sodium, vitamins, you name it! And for my last push on this app, I love how when you work out it gives you more calories for that day. Like gaining weight watcher activity points. This is very important for me since I get so amazingly hungry when I work out. 

Here's the website for more info

Pinterest, how I love thee...

So, I, like many young ladies my age, am addicted to Pinterest. I love it for all the motivation and ideas!!! Its actually what inspired me to write a blog! Even if now one reads it :) So, here's what I decided to do! 

The first vase is everything I have to lose. There are 70 beads in there! For every pound I lose it goes into the pounds lost vase. I cannot WAIT for them to move!!! I'm a very visual person so, for me, this is an ideal representation of weight loss. Also, putting them back into the pounds to lose would piss me off so bad!!

A few things I found Inspirational this week...

Here are a few things I love this week. One, I need to work on my running form. I feel like I am fighting myself the whole way!!! So, I saw this wonderful, simple guide on pinterest. 

Four simple steps to good form. Stop fighting yourself!!

The only thing that matters is you keep on going. 

So true, if you have time to Facebook, you have time to workout

Cheers!

Allie

Its time...time for before pictures.

Everyone Has to Start Somewhere

So, when I started this blog I was really hoping for immediate results. Even though I said I wasn't, of course I was. Unfortunately, I haven't been very consistent, with the wedding, getting a puppy and all the craziness of life. Instead of seeing these as challenges, something to keep going through, I've let them be obstacles. Well, I'm done with that. One of my friends mentioned that sometimes taking a before picture is a really good kick in the a@@. So, thats what I've done. So, here we go. 

Yuck

Yuck

Yuckity

Yuck

This is me at 250lbs. And I will not go a pound higher. I'm going to literally work my butt off :) 

So a few things I've learned

So, while taking these pictures about put me in tears, I've learned a few things. One, I always thought I carried all my weight in my hips. This is obviously not true. I have it in my belly too, in fact, I think I carry it pretty evenly everywhere. Not complaining, this is good and bad. Its just a good fact to know. Also, I have never been so un-toned in my life! Def motivation for a little weight action. Third, and this is important to me, when I saw these I didn't cry, I got more determined. This is a very large mental shift for me. Normally, I would feel beaten down and give up. But you know what, the very next morning I got up and ran and had the best run of my life! So pardon my french, but FUCK YOU OLD ME! Get out the way, here comes the new, improved, inside and out me!!

Allie

PS. I ran for 23 minutes straight today. And I could have kept going except I had to go to work!!! I also was hurting really bad in the beginning but kept going. All new wonderful high's for me!!!

My fitness journey continues

This journey of fitness for me has not really had many milestones yet. I have been running more and eating better but obviously I'm not doing quite enough, as I haven't lost any weight. But, hey, that's okay. All that means to me is I just have to make some changes. Be more conscious of the calories/fat I consume and keep workout a constant. 

Of course, this can be really hard since I travel quite often. But oh well, just have to get better at it. I look at all these successful workout blogs and I'm like shoot, I'm  getting nowhere close to there! I just want to finally post a picture of me losing some weight, or something like that, but alas, I don't have much to post. But I just have to remember to keep going and get better at what I'm already doing. 

So, this has to be my attitude!!! I must beee the mouse!! The frustrating thing is my husband just runs one more mile a day, or doesn't do one thing and loses like 5lbs. I run and gain weight! Ah! Now, I know part of this is because I have a hypo thyroid and its very hard to lose weight....but I like to think I can do it! I can beat my body into submission! I just have to keep on going!!! Well, I have a another 5k this weekend, we'll see how it goes :)

My first 5K Done!!!

So, for so long I've been saying how I wanted to do a 5k. But I always had excuses, I'm not in shape enough! I haven't been working out for it enough! Blah, blah, blah!!! Well, I finally ran one! I sucked it up, paid the money and ran. I might not have run fast or even the whole thing, but I ran most of it and I did it! And hey, I wasn't the last one to finish! I ran the St. Patty's Day 5k in Colorado Springs and it was such a blast. Everyone was so encouraging. I think on of my fears was that I'd be shunned or laughed at by all the super fit run-aholics, but I wasn't! They stay by the finish line and cheer everyone else on as they come through! It was so amazing! My wonderful friend Emily even ran the whole thing with me, which was awesome cause she can probably walk as fast as I run. :) The whole experience was so rewarding I've already signed up for another one!!!

So, in terms of my weight loss journey. I haven't really been losing all that much weight. Its been really up and down. This week I decided that I can't just think I'm eating healthy and just exercise, I need to keep a food journal and try and stay withing a certain calorie/mark. I've tried the groups, weight watchers ect, and they haven't really worked for me. I think its because I keep expecting the program to do it for me instead of doing it myself. I looked into slimgenics, but that looks more of the same. So, I've decided with the help of my handy, dandy iPad to do it myself! My goal is to run/workout 5 times a week and eat about 1600 calories a day. If I exercise more, I totally understand I'll need more calories! But, this is about what my doc said I need to eat if I'm not exercising heavily. So, now that I've been running 2-3 times a week I just need to ramp it up! And be patient! I just read an article about how when you start losing weight it takes about 2-3 months for it to start showing on the outside of your body, if you're doing it right. This is because things start to shift at a cellular level first, you build more mitochondria, your bones strengthen, stuff like that. So, patience, patience, patience! I'm going to weight myself once a week but we'll see where I am in 3 months! Hopefully feeling energetic and healthy, cause really that's the goal!!!

Cheers, 

Allie

Seriously, how could I not, I'm a Harry nut!

This is really the goal, I want to raise my children like this :)

Finally...wedding is done...life can begin

So, I've never been on to subscribe to the fact that the wedding day is the biggest day in a woman's life. Its really just one day, one extremely long day filled with love, family and friendship. On March 3rd I married my best friend and love of my life. My day was perfect. Not a thing wrong. I cried, I laughed and you know what, I looked beautiful. All 240lbs of me looked great! It was a great lesson in my life. Just because I'm overweight dose't mean that I'm not beautiful! I want to lose weight to be healthy because you know what? I'm the only me out there and I'm already beautiful just the way I am. If I tie my beauty to my weight, then I'm totally missing the point.

My husband and I during our first dance. 

So, now the real challange begins. I need to continue this journey without any big even or end date. I just need to change my life. I've managed to lose about 10 lbs so far and have definitely looked slimmer with a bit more muscle on me. So, I just need to keep going. I've signed up for a 5k run on St. Patty's. With all the wedding planning I haven't been running much so It'll probably be a run/walk. But hey, that's okay! I'm doing something I've never done! Getting out there!!! So you know what, I'm excited. And I'm going to work hard to at least have a fighting chance to do well at it :) I'm going to try and take more time to get ready for work. Maybe work out before hand :) You know, feel beautiful :) Inside and out :)

Something I seriously need to remember. 

Truth.

Goals. 

Going to change the grapefruit for Orange but really into Quinoa. Looks yummy!

So...its been a while. Ding Dang Holidays!!

So I haven't been back to my online journal in a little while. Whoops, I guess life got a little bit crazy for me! Luckily, even though I haven't been blogging, I haven't totally fallen off the bandwagon either. So, I went up to North Dakota for the holidays.

I joke, I joke....but seriously. Noooot a whole lot to do while my fiance and I were up there. He is actually from the oil boom part of the state so things were a bit nuts. But, to our astonishment the weather was amazing!!! So, while I might have overindulged in a few things (cookies, beer, my fiances' amazing chili!) I also started the next phase of my workout agenda. So, being from Colorado, working out can sometimes be daunting just because of the elevation. My cardiovascular health is on of the areas that is in serious disrepair. So, with my honey's encouragement, I took the opportunity at lower elevation to start running outside! Yikes!!! This is something I thought I'd never be able to do! One of my goals has been to run a 5k and I've constantly missed the mark over the years. But now, I feel like maybe I can do it! When we came back to Colorado I started actually running outside!!! NO FRICKEN WAY! Now, when I say run, I mean run/walk/scream in pain, so obviously I still have a long way to go. But hey, I've started! 

This neeeeeds to be my new mantra (I always want immediate perfection!)

On a slightly more bummer not, I've lost absolutely no weight. In fact, after the holidays I had gained 5lbs. Booooooooooo! But, I'm not going to let this discourage me! I'm not going to give up! I'm sure part of the problem is my eating. I've always been an overeater and tend to rationalize a treat or two. So, here's to healthier and more creative decisions!!! That's part of it, I need to be creative with the healthy food so I don't get bored, and so that its always delish! Here's one recipe that struck my fancy.

Zucchini Pizza Bites! 124 cals for 4! Nice little snack! Or a lunchy maybe?

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2010/07/zucchini-pizza-bites.html

So, here are a few pics that have inspired me recently, or just made me giggle :)

Mostly just because I adore Harry Potter. 

Idea: Every time you work out, put a dollar in a jar. Then, you have money for a cute new piece of clothing when you loose the weight! Brilliant!

Words I need to live by. 

This as well. Once you start don't stop! So hard to get back in shape!

Yup!

So cute!

Friday!!! Yes!

Yay! Its Friday! Thank Gosh! This had to be one of the longest weeks of my life, for really no reason whatsoever! Friday is my weigh in day. I try to weigh myself only once a week and at the same time. Little tip I picked up from Weight Watchers. Helps reduce the drama in your head. Well, so this week I worked out Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Did I lose a single pound? Nope. F that. I wanted to scream!!! But then I remembered what my Mom had told me earlier about he journey towards health. Baby Steps. Sometime, just getting up that day with the intention of working out is better than nothing. For her, baby steps are baby steps. The program she is following is about mental health and factoring physical fitness in as part of it, so its a little different than the typical GET YOUR BUTT IN THE GYM! Which, I think, is a pretty healthy approach. So this is how my day started.

Yeah, I was over it! But, this isn't just about losing weight, this is about being healthy. Not having diabetes at age 26 and getting my thyroid worked out. I have to remember its harder for me to lose weight because of my horribly slow metabolism. And this time, I refuse to give in! So, what did I do? I packed my lunch, brought healthy snacks and worked out at lunch! I did the elliptical for 15 and the bike for 15. I would have tried the treadmill but I've done something to my foot so I'm going with less impact. So you know what? I woke up with the attitude of that little frog but I turned it around. If I can just do that 9 out of 10 times I feel that way my life will be dramatically different!

This makes me sooooo mad sometimes!!!

 And here are some things I love:

squeeeeeee!

So, I travel a lot for my job...I feel like this EVERY time. 

And on top of it...my laugh is a guaffah

I want to wear this outfit and feel amazing!

I love this.