Thanksgiving Photo Post...Hoorah!

Hello, hello!  Happy Tuesday to all of you!  I hope it finds you well.  I am finally feeling like a human again!  The cold of death is finally losing its steam.  This makes me a happy woman!  Anyway, I thought I would post some pictures of me from Thanksgiving since I haven't posted pics for a bit.  I'm wearing new jeans in these photos!  I splurged and bought a nice pair from the Buckle in my current size and then bought some REALLY cute ones in a size smaller than what I am now in hopes of using it as motivation.  It is working!  I should hang them on my wall...

This is my pretty face. 

Snow!  And Christmas Lights!

Psychedelic Lights on the Tree

Beautiful Ogden Mountains

My cute husband!

Cheese!

My Grandpa!  Love him!

Today I WILL go to the gym.  Some exercise is better than none, and my relay race is steadily approaching.  I need to get with the program!

The Gift that Keeps On Giving...

My husband gave me a lovely "gift" two weeks ago.  It is this wonderful cold that I've had for the last little while. You would think that since it was over two weeks ago that I got sick that I would be better by now.  Sadly, this cold is like the Energizer Bunny.  It just keeps going...and going...and going...  It's driving me nuts!  I've had enough, and even though I am still not really well enough to workout I will be running tonight.

I know what you are going to ask me next.  "How did you fare over Thanksgiving weekend?  Were you able to keep the calories in check?"

.......


Dear readers, I survived Thanksgiving Day okay.  I would give myself a B-.  Not great, but not flunking either.  The flunking would come later.  As in Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...  Oh yes, I ate a great deal of tasty food on those days.  I didn't count the calories.  I don't even want to know.  All I know is that I finished Sunday with a whopping SIX sugar cookies in my belly.  I gave myself the worst sugar headache in the world.  Served me right!!

So...it is clear that I have fallen off the wagon.


....Yeah....not a very encouraging two weeks.  I don't know why I eat so poorly when I can't workout.  If I am running and exercising, I eat well.  Once I stop, I pig out.  That is TERRIBLE logic!

So, I am REALLY hoping for a change this week.  I'll be in Milwaukee this week for work seeing people I haven't seen for a few months, and I want to look physically different.  I need to work hard this week to undo the last two weeks' damage!  I'm in control of this, so I need to stop sabotaging myself.  It doesn't make me feel good (mentally or physically) to eat like I have been.  Time to get serious.  Will you keep me in check?  I need some tough love!

Inspiration for the Day!

I don't know if any of you have had a chance to check out Sandrelle at Maintain My Weight, but if you haven't yet you should.  She has lost 70+ pounds through diet and exercise and recently achieved her goal of appearing in Shape Magazine.  She's a local Utah girl, so I can't help but share her story.  She was recently on the news and I thought I would pass along the video link for some daily inspiration for those of us still on a journey to lose those extra stubborn pounds.

Before/After Picture from her blog

Click here to see read the story and see the video of her from our local news channel.  I think she looks fantastic!

I ran into my worst enemy last night...

And it was awful.  She was mean.  She made me feel terrible and because of her I did things I haven't done in months and participated in behaviors that aren't typical of me these days.  I hate her so much!  It was so frustrating.  She hasn't been around in a while, but when she shows up I forget how far I've come and how much progress I've made.  She resets me at zero.

My worst enemy is me.

The old me showed up last night.  She threw calorie counting out the window.

"Would you like two Mountain Dews?"  

"Sure!" she said.

"Would you like a GINORMOUS bowl of ice cream?"

"Why, yes!  I would LOVE a big bowl of sugar!"

............

I seriously pigged out yesterday.  And while I'm being honest, it wasn't just yesterday.  I've been like this since Saturday.  Hormones being out of whack isn't even an excuse.  I knew I was overeating but didn't care and didn't stop.  I'm freaking out about this.  Usually I at least care.  Why am I falling apart after coming so far?  I truly am my own worst enemy sometimes...

Oh, and I gained 4 lbs this week according to my scale.  I don't even know what to say about that.  I'm so disappointed in myself, and there is no one to blame but me.


Speaking of disappointment......(and trying to change the subject to something other than my epic failure of a week)...the so-called "blizzard" was a total letdown!  It barely snowed 3 inches at my house!  I did take some pictures on the commute this morning to share.  The roads were a bit nasty, but nothing that this area isn't used to.  I was hoping for something much more epic!

I love how white this mountain gets!

Nice and Snowy Roads

Blizzard!

Hello hello!  Since I'm still sick and haven't been able to work out, I'm left to resort to talking about the weather. It's a cruel world.  Bear with me, people!

Utah is expecting a massive blizzard to roll in later tonight.  We are supposed to have 50 mph winds and lots of snow.  It should make for an interesting Thanksgiving commute for many people!  In the spirit of epic snowstorms, I thought I would share some photos from a few years ago of snow up in my hometown.  It DEFINITELY knows how to snow there!

Me with my dad (on the right) and my father-in-law

Tall snow drift!

Hail the Conquering Hero!

Now THAT is a lot of snow.  I don't expect to see anything like that this storm, but it would be kind of awesome if we did!  I could use a snow day!  

In the meantime, I feel like all the forces of nature are colliding against me in a dangerous way this week.  One, I'm sick so I haven't been working out.  Two, it's that magical time of the month so I find myself ravenous and craving all sorts of bad foods that I can't offset with exercise.  Three, there will be an endless bounty of food available for my intake come Thanksgiving Day.  YIKES.  Here's hoping my willpower will see me through!  I'm super nervous about it.  I just want to keep losing and stop gaining.  I'm going crazy not being able to go outside for a run.  I just want to be better already!

Have you all managed to avoid the cold season?  I hope you stay feeling well throughout the holiday season!

Let It Snow!

Taken this morning on my drive to work!

Utah has been preparing for a large winter snow storm for the last week, and it finally arrived on Saturday.  We got a 6-8 inches of snow in just a few hours!  I've decided to try to embrace the snow, even though I really don't want to.  If it is going to be really cold, there might as well be pretty snow on the mountains and in the yards for the neighborhood kids to play in!  Either way, we got a lot of snow and it isn't done yet.  We have another larger storm scheduled to hit tomorrow evening and last through Wednesday night.  Just in time for all those poor holiday travelers!

As for me, the cold that stuck last week is continuing to limit me.  I missed work on Thursday and Friday, but am back to business today.  I'm still pretty sick and haven't been able to work out at all.  I'm really hoping I'm well enough to run the 10K on Thursday.  I'm getting pretty nervous about it; my husband was sick a week before I was and he's still not better.  Yuck!

How was your weekend?  What was the highlight for you?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  I also want to say hi to all my new followers!  You don't know how much you mean to me!

Weigh-In Suspense

So....did I finally reach a new milestone by breaking into the 140s?

*pause for dramatic effect*

I DID!  YAY!  I tried very hard to get a picture of it for you all, but apparently my scale was stubborn.  True story--every time I got the camera ready to take a picture the scale would magically add .5 lbs to me.  Then, as soon as I would put it away it would say I was under the 150s.  It is important to note that I did not have the camera in my hand at either times so that's not what the difference was.  I think my scale just wanted to make me crazy!

Anyway, here is the weekly update:

Wahoo!!  Hopefully I am able to keep my weight under the 150s over the holiday weekend.  I will actually be able to spend it with my family.  Australia has been delayed/cancelled so I will be home for the holidays.  I can't wait!  I have decided that I will only put my favorites on my plate (turkey, stuffing, and green bean casserole) and leave the rest off.  Also, my hubby and I are running a race the morning of that will burn off enough calories for the day that I won't feel too guilty if I overeat!  What race?  This one:

That's right...I am running another 10K.  I wasn't very happy with my time last race, so I am hoping to improve it by about five minutes.  Hopefully I will be feeling well enough by next week that I am able to give a tip top performance!  Wish me luck!  I am also debating running another race that Saturday.  It is a Santa Run and part of your race fee goes to getting you a full Santa suit that you run in!  And the aid stations serve milk and cookies to the Santas running the race.  The course is designed to give tons of visibility to all the kids who come to watch it and there is a parade afterwards.  Too much fun!  I'm not sure if I'll run it, but I love the idea.  It is a 5k and a few other people I know are running it.  My hubby's twin brother might be in town which would be the main factor I wouldn't be able to run it, but I'll keep you updated!

Weekly Weigh In (delayed until tomorrow...)

I woke up this morning with the worst headache I've had in a LONG time.  Hello, sinus infection!!  I stayed in bed for a couple of extra hours and didn't come into work until 10 in the hopes that I would feel better.  Not so much.
Anyway, the moral of this story is that I did not feel like taking my measurements today.  I couldn't convince myself to take those few short minutes and see if I'd improved during the week.  Apparently, I wasn't feeling very well!  I did weigh myself and came in at 150.8.  I'm pretty sure those extra few ounces can be found in the massive amounts of congestion in my head.  Seriously.  It's been a rough day!

I will hopefully be feeling well enough tomorrow morning to give you updated measurements.  I don't think I've lost anything this week, but that's okay with me.  I just like to maintain when I am sick.

PS--Thanksgiving is only 8 days away.  How are you preparing yourself for the on-slot of food?

Fightin' Mad

I do not know what is going on with my immune system lately, but it is DEFINITELY losing the battle to germs.  I've been sick THREE times in the last six weeks.  What the heck is up with that?  I had laryngitis for a week, then was better for a week, then got the stomach flu, and now I have an awesome sinus infection.  What in the world?  I never use sick days and this year I am already out of them!  I also have had pneumonia this year as well as some freakishly high fevers.  What is going on?!?  

The Hubster sent me an article a few days ago that said that people who work out get sick less and the sicknesses aren't as bad.  I think they should've included me in that study!  The healthier I've eaten and the more active I've been, the sicker I get!  And it is good to note that I also take a multivitamin and I wash my hands frequently.  :)  So, hopefully this is just a fluke year.  Is anyone else getting sick more this year than any other years?  I'm curious if I'm alone in this!

Either way, training is on the back burner while I get better.  There is no way I am going to run out in the freezing cold when my throat already hurts as bad as it does! 

Ooooh fun!

Hello again!  Two posts on a Monday...that's a rare thing!  It means I am definitely not being as productive as I should be at work!  I blame the cold that is making my throat feel like I swallowed razors.  Tis the season!


As a good distraction, I am going to share some fun details about myself!  I was tagged by Kati and couldn't help but participate!  I think these things are fun.  So, let's get to it!


1- What is the happiest moment of your life?
Soooo many to choose from here!  I think that I have been blessed with a great life and wonderful people in it.  I would say my wedding day, but let's be honest--those are stressful days with having to get from point A to point B in less than 5 minutes!  So, my happiest moment was probably when my husband proposed.  He caught me completely off guard (even though we had talked about our future) and was so open and honest with his love for me that I couldn't help but beam like a love-sick fool.  Saying yes was the smartest thing I've done in a long time!  :)

2- Who is your favorite television character of all time?
Also, quite a lot to choose from here.  Hmmmm...I am going to choose a "good guy" and a "bad guy" for this.  My favorite bad guy has got to be Ben Linus from Lost.  Man, that character was creeeeeepy and disturbing on so many levels.

My name is Ben Linus and I am creepy.

My favorite "good guy" would be Ned from the too quickly cancelled show Pushing Daisies.  He's probably  not my favorite of all time, but I like him a lot at this moment! Super cute, he is!  I watched Season 2 this weekend which is why he is on my mind.

Ned from a great show cancelled too soon...

3- What is your favorite bumper sticker (or funny/interesting quote/saying)?
Not a bumper sticker, but my favorite quote is "Don't give up what you want most for what you want now."  It applies to so many things, including weight loss!

4- What are three things you are really good at?
Uhhhh...Blogging while I am supposed to be working?  :)  Hmmm...I don't know actually.  I am good at cooking, good at singing (though only in the privacy of my car with the stereo blaring), and good at typing.  True story--I type over 100 wpm.  Booyah.  I bet you didn't know that!  :)

Now, time to tag a few other people:

Sabrina at Sabrina is on the Move
Michelle aka The Running Diva
Lisa at 110 Pounds

All these girls are worth checking out.  Here are the questions I have for them (if they feel so inclined to answer!):

1. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree, where would you spend it at and on what?
2. What is one of the top 10 on your "bucket list"?

3. What is one thing you are looking FORWARD to over the holidays?

4. Finish this sentence.. "All I want for Christmas is..."

Perception

Last night I was brushing my teeth in my bathroom before going to bed and I was facing the big mirror we have in there.

I was wearing some capri pajama pants that I haven't worn in a really long time because I have been told they are "unflattering" to the figure.  I can't take offense--it is definitely a true statement which is why I wear them only to bed or when cleaning!  Anyway, I stopped wearing them once I gained my weight because the weight made them look all the more atrocious on me.  So last night I was looking at my legs in these pants and I thought "wow, I look a lot skinnier than I did last time I wore these."  But then my perception switched and even though nothing had changed, I could suddenly see how fat I looked in them.  And then the perception switched again back to skinny.  It went on like this for the duration of my teeth brushing and I was left really confused by the time I hit the sack.

If perception can show me at two extremes within such a short time, who is to say that the way I perceive myself is even a reality?  It bothers me that what I see in the mirror is not a true reflection of what I actually look like.  I think my sight needs to be more objective!  :)

Just what I needed!

So, as you gathered from my post below, I've been struggling this week with being on the healthy bandwagon.  I pigged out big time with the pizza, and unfortunately had ditched my training program for Monday, Tuesday, AND Wednesday.  Yikes.  That makes 8 miles of running that I missed.  Totally not cool!  Anyway, yesterday was supposed to be a "rest" day  but I definitely knew I hadn't earned a day of rest so I decided to get a run in.

I need to add that it has been right around 30 degrees all week long so it's been much colder than what I've run in before.  This fact has greatly contributed to my lack of desire to go running.  It's hard to motivate yourself to step out into that cold weather!  But, after some hemming and hawing last night I finally sucked it up and stepped out into the crisp air and set off for what I had planned on being a 3.5 mile run.

It became clear right away that I was overdressed.  I hadn't needed the coat or the gloves I had brought on my run, so I tied the jacket around my waist and held the gloves in my hand while I ran.  Annoying, but better than being too hot!  When I reached the 1.75 mile mark where I needed to turn around, I felt so good I just kept going.  I ended up going for 5 miles, and it was delightful!  It was the first run I've ever had where I could say I LOVED running.  Usually I just tolerate it!  But last night was different--it was amazing!  This is just what I needed to get me back into gear.  I've got to stop getting in my own way!  I'm so close to what I want!

Anyway, before my run last night I had the hubster take some photos of me in my new running gear for ya.  I hope you enjoy!

Running tights are intimidating to wear!

You can see the enthusiasm for my upcoming run in my face...

There we go--now I'm looking excited for the run!

The tights may be interesting to wear, but I loved them on my run!

Confession

....oh wow.  I just ate an entire carton of Little Caesar's breadsticks AND three pieces of pizza.

I am so grossed out that I did it, that I knew I would do it, that I knew I shouldn't, but that I still did it.

Pretty sure this is the opposite of progress...especially because if I went running right now I would be too sick to my stomach to finish.

Weigh-In Wednesday

Woot woot!

It's Wednesday and we are halfway through the week.  I find that this almost always puts me in a good mood!  I'm feeling pretty fantastic today, and I hope that you are as well!

Let's get down to business...it's stats time!

I am SO close to the 140s!  It's almost tormenting me every time I weigh in.  I keep hoping and wishing and praying... Perhaps if I hadn't been a slacker this week (oops!!) and would've ran my 3.5 miles and 2 miles I was supposed to run on Monday and Tuesday I might have kicked that 0.4 lbs to the curb!

Oh well...I still lost a pound from last week and I am feeling good.  I bought some outdoor running clothes last night so that I don't FREEZE to death while running, so that will help.

Time to get back to work.  Sorry for the lack of posts--it will be much better next week!

How are you spending your Wednesday?  Any fun plans coming up this weekend?

The Weather Outside is Frightful...

...and inside it is not so delightful!

This week will be a limited posting week due the the fact that I am training a new hire (and I think he might judge me for writing a weight loss blog while he hovers over my shoulder!).  The good news is that when I have this person trained correctly, I will FINALLY be working less hours.  YES!!!  I can get in my runs every evening and not stress eat!  HAPPY DAY!

I have to make this quick, but I wanted to let you all know that I DID get my 8 mile run in (8.4 miles!) and I finished and it was hard, but also awesome.  Our bodies can do incredible things when you force them to set your mind to it!

How was your weekend?

NSV on a late Thursday Night

Last night I went to the So You Think You Can Dance tour with my husband.  I took many pictures that I will share later (as soon as they finish uploading from my phone...it is currently taking FOREVER).  In the meantime, I want to share my shopping trip that I went on last night.  I got five new sets of pants and didn't even spend a dime.  Where did I shop?  Oh that's right...the Back of Becky's Closet!

I am currently wearing work pants that I haven't worn in about 4 years.  They are a size 9/10.  I didn't think I would have a hope of fitting into them, but I am wearing them to work without much concern.  HOLY CRAP.  I couldn't believe how many pairs of pants suddenly fit me.  If I wouldn't have been so tired, I would've done a really long victory dance!  My husband was laughing at me while I was trying on all these sets of clothes.  I think I might have been in shock!  I do have a bunch of cute jeans that are still a size or two too small, but they are so much closer to fitting than they were a few months ago.  I tried them on tonight and could get them pulled up and some I could even button, but it just wasn't a good look if you know what I mean!

This weekend I am going to attempt an 8 mile run.  I am scared out of my mind.  That's approximately an hour and a half of straight running.  I'm sure I'll have to pause and catch my breath a few times, but I would like to do the whole thing without much walking at all.  I'll let you know how it goes.  My mind is a funny thing--I spend a ton of time researching various Marathons I could run and I get super excited and want to sign up right away, but at the same time I can barely convince myself I want to run 8 miles.  I can't imagine having to run three times that distance.  Yikes!  Does anyone else have this problem?

Run and Tell That!

Heh heh.

As part of my training program for my half marathon/ragnar relay, I ran 3.5 miles last night.  I normally run at a 12:00 mile pace, but last night I was running at 10:45.  This makes me VERY happy.  I really would like to improve my pace prior to both of these runs, and I'm hoping that diligent training will get it done.  Wish me luck!

Also, I updated my About Me section if you feel so inclined to check it out.

I weighed in this morning at 150.6.  I don't count this as an official measurement since it isn't Wednesday, but can I tell you how much I want to lose that extra 0.7 lbs?  I promise I will take a picture on the first day that the scale dips in to the 140s.  I hope you will be as excited as I will be!

This weekend I am going to Idaho to visit home.  I love where I grew up.  Here are some photos to give you an idea:

Baby Potatoes!

Grand Tetons

My dad's GORGEOUS yard

Flowers in dad's yard

More flowers!

Grand Tetons!

Straw Bales

Wheat fields

Medium Potatoes!

Tractors!

My Dad's Front Yard

Dad's Backyard

Heh heh.

 Also, while searching through these photos I stumbled across some photos from my honeymoon:

 Hello goal weight!  I can't remember what I weighed during my honeymoon, but I wouldn't mind weighing that again!

I hope you enjoyed the random pictures!