I thought I had a lot to say and maybe I do, I’m still not sure.  I’ve been getting so exhausted lately that I don’t know what to do.  Sometimes I wonder if there is something medically or hormonally wrong with me.  I will be fine over the weekend but then Sunday afternoon and Monday night I am so tired I can lie down and sleep and sleep and sleep.  Yesterday I slept from about 3pm until 7:30and then slept all night long and now today I am tired as well and can’t wait to go home and take a nap!  I’m sure tomorrow I will be fine and back to my usual self but this gets old after a while.

I still haven’t started officially training for my half marathon in October.  I know I should have started but every weekend that I want to do a long run, something comes up.  I know I can run 6+ miles no big deal.  Do I really need to train for a half marathon?  I suppose if I don’t want it to be an embarrassment I should.  I have also decided that I want to do a Tough Mudder race next year sometime.  Probably the one in Kansas City.  I have reviewed their website and the obstacles involved and it looks insanely physically grueling.  Right up my alley.  If you haven’t heard of it, think Ninja Warrior meets mud run and people do this just for fun.  I had someone tell me today that I was somewhat masochistic and I guess you could say that.  It’s not the pain I enjoy, it’s the adrenaline rush that you get waiting for the gun to start the race.  It’s the endorphins that kick in mile after mile.  And now with the Tough Mudder, the idea of obstacles that push your physical boundaries, well that is just tantalizing to say the least!

I had a friend tell me that I could not both lift weights the way I want to and be a runner and be able to run long distances, but I just don’t see why not.  Lifting weights makes you more efficient as a runner because your muscles are able to recruit and work together and use less energy to do it.  When you are strong, you can maintain better form for longer periods of time and your body has a better oxygen delivery system so your muscles and you don’t get tired as fast.  I like to lift heavy stuff.  We were helping a friend move recently and I remarked that I wasn’t getting stuck with the vacuum cleaners, I wanted to move furniture.  Everytime I tried to pick up something heavy there was a man trying to take it away from me or an older woman telling me to knock it off and I shouldn’t be doing that.  My body is fully capable of picking up heavy stuff and I enjoy the way it makes me feel.  I love being able to pick up stuff that weighs almost as much as I do and move it from one side of the room to the other.  It’s a strange feeling of self-sufficiency and independence.  At the same time, people look at you like you’re a freak and I rather enjoy that.  Maybe I am a freak.  I’m good with that.

A brief history

Some of you reading this probably don't know me or have never met me at least so I thought I would share a bit of me with the world. 

I was always a thin child. My grandma used to call me a beanpole and always said that one day my appetite would catch up with me. Boy was she right!  I graduated high school in 1995 and in March of 1996 I married my husband. In November 1996, my son was born. Before baby I was still fairly thin. A size 8 probably. After he was born I remember struggling to get back into a size 12 and was basically stuck at a 14. I even tried weight watchers and failed. So I resigned to being "fat". In 1999 I became pregnant with my daughter and after she was born I ballooned up to 225lbs. I felt terrible. I went on a diet and ate healthy and even started working out and got back down to 138lbs. I felt great, but I started having a pain in my left knee. A visit to an orthopedic surgeon rocked my world. He told me that I needed to stop running and that I wasn't doing myself any favors by continuing. There's nothing that can send a runners life into a tailspin faster than being told you can't run. I slipped into what I would call a deep depression and gained back every pound I had lost plus another 50 or so pounds. I tell people I got back what I lost and it brought friends and had a party!  In 2011, I decided that the whole diet thing wasn't working for me and that I needed a real incentive to work for. I needed a push that had no work around, no loopholes. My husband shared with me that he was considering a gastric restrictive procedure and I thought he was crazy at first. So I did my own research and we made a decision together to do it. We began the process together and worked together to accomplish our goal of successful surgeries. The closer the time got, the more excited I got because I knew this would open up a whole new world of possibilities for me. I had my surgery on April 12, 2012. At my heaviest, in January 2012, I was 287lbs. The day of my surgery I was down to about 265lbs. It was my goal that when I hit 200lbs, I would start running again. My husband had his surgery about 3 weeks after I did. It hasn't been easy by any stretch. The surgery is simply a tool and is not "taking the easy way out" or "cheating" at all. People that think that clearly don't understand what it takes to be fit and that some people just need a little help along the way!  We began exercising little by little in the months prior to our surgery date and started back up again within weeks after our surgeries. We set a goal that we were going to take a Disney Cruise during spring break of 2013 and we wanted to be at our goal weights by that time. We had been to FL a few years ago but due to our weight, were unable to enjoy many things that do not accommodate larger people. This would be our chance to "do it again" the right way. 

In July 2012, I hit my goal of 200lbs, just 3 months after my surgery, and bought a pair of running shoes. I could barely run across the street! I was able to start at the indoor track at the YMCA and could run 1 lap, walk 1 lap and paced myself that way. I did this a couple of times a week and it got easier and easier. Within a few months I was able to run a whole mile without stopping! So, I signed up for my first 5k. I did The Color Run in October and ran almost the whole thing. I use the term running loosely because my sister was walking next to me! My second 5k followed in November. It was timed so I know it took me about 38 minutes! I was so proud of my accomplishment! I had been bitten by the race bug! 

I hit my goal weight of 138lbs in March of this year and so far am holding steady. I think my body has found it's "happy place". That is, as long as I take care of myself and don't stop moving. I have run several 5k's since last October and even 2 10k's. as of right now, I am training for the IMT Des Moines Marathon half marathon. That's right, the girl who couldn't run across the street one short year ago is going to run 13.1 miles in October of this year! Thank you Terry Peterson for talking me into that. He also talked me into a sprint triathlon that I did in Feb 2013.  

I hope that you will follow me on this journey and encourage me and find encouragement through my journey as I chronicle it! 

It's been an even longer time...

Wow...

So I decided to make a fancy new Facebook page and keep with the times and I linked it to my blog.  When I went to my blog, I realized I hadn't written a post since 2010!  Almost 3 years have passed!  Let me tell you a lot has changed!

At the beginning of 2012, I had ballooned back up to 287lbs.  In April of 2012, I underwent a sleeve gastrectomy gastric restrictive procedure.  It has been almost a year and a half and I down to 138lbs and am feeling great!  I lift weights, not just any weights, heavy weights...I bench press 135lbs (1 rep max). I mean, I enjoy picking up heavy things, thoroughly.  I run....and I run....and I run some more.  Right now I am training for the IMT Des Moines Marathon half-marathon which takes place in October 2013.  I'm also looking forward to doing the Adel Sweet Corn Festival 5k on Aug 10th.  Actually, at this moment, I am looking forward to just getting back out on the road and running period.  I broke a toe last weekend and have been stuck in sandals, unable to wear tennis shoes, for the past week.  Nothing drives a runner more crazy than to not be able to run and drive down the road seeing other people out running.  I feel like a wild cat pacing, waiting for it's prey!

As far as diet is concerned, I am still doing my best to not prepare "processed" foods for my family or consume "processed" foods myself either.  We have a couple boxes of Hamburger Helper in the cupboard for emergencies but they've been in there a while.  My fridge is usually bursting with veggies or fruits, cheeses, greek yogurt and the like.  My family's favorite meal seems to be when I make stir fry because you can put just about anything in it and it always tastes good.  My biggest thing right now is high fructose corn syrup.  I refuse to buy food that has it added which excludes just about any "processed" food.  I always read the labels and try to explain to my kids that they shouldn't eat things that contain words you can't pronounce or that look like someone's science experiment.  My husband and I journeyed to Whole Foods for the first time this last week and I was bound and determined to find something in that store that couldn't possibly live up to the standard that people thought it did.  Needless to say, Whole Foods won.  I checked the ketchup, the bbq sauce and everything I could think of but did not find anything containing anything I wouldn't feed to my children (yet).  We also tried grass-fed ground beef for the first time this last week.  Thanks to my friend, Shanen Ebersole of Ebersole Farms, we grilled up some super burgers and I am pretty sure those were the best tasting burgers I have had in as long as I can remember.  So juicy and flavorful!  I cannot wait to see her again and grab some more grass-fed beef, YUM!

My family and I spent the whole afternoon today working out in the yard and my back is killing me, so I am going to do some relaxing the rest of the evening and will plan to visit my soapbox again real soon.  I promise this time!!  

It's Been A Long Time!

I can't believe the last time I had a blog post was in May!  I bet you all are wondering what the heck I have been up to these last almost 6 months.  Well, we went on vacation to Florida and thanks to my weight loss efforts, I was not turned away from any rides!  I can't help but think that if I hadn't lost weight I would have missed out on a lot.  When we were on vacation I began to get dehydrated and upon our return I ended up seriously dehydrated and sick in bed for 3 days.  This encouraged me to give up soda altogether.  I got an awesome water bottle and it goes with me everywhere.  I must admit, I do enjoy a soda or two on the weekends but during the week I only drink water and a coffee in the AM.  I feel great.  I must also admit that I was starting to cave on a lot of my principles regarding my family's nutrition but received a shot in the arm recently when my husband took us to an orchard near Nevada, IA to get pumpkins and pick apples.  We got my favorite, honeycrisp apples, and I have been enjoying them for a week so far.

So I've picked up some recipes lately that are super easy.  Today I made homemade tortillas and they were so easy!  I put them in the freezer to use next time we have tacos.  I did have to sample one and I must say they were super!  I also made garbanzo bean soup a few weeks ago and it disappeared faster than you could say "garbanzo bean soup".  Today we also had homemade pizza and I rolled the dough myself.  Way better than delivery or DiGiorno if you ask me.  I'm still collecting recipes so if you have some easy (since I do work all day) and kid friendly whole food, unprocessed, tasty recipes that you are willing to share, I will try them.  I need to expand my repetoire.  We are going back to using a menu to plan our meals and shopping list.

So, I wanted to keep this brief...just enough that you would know I was still alive.  Send me a message of encouragement or a recipe that is a family favorite!

Has it really been almost a month?

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since my last blog post.  I've been so busy taking care of my plants and keeping up with the housework that I haven't had a chance to even touch my laptop!  I wish I could say that my veggies were faring better, but after a weekend out of town and no rain, they are looking a little wilty.  I definitely need to give them some water.

I also took some, what I consider to be amazing pictures of my kids at a skate park in Columbia Mo.  They have the most amazing facility there.  In Des Moines we are blessed to have many parks that all offer different activities, but in Columbia they have one giant park that offers full soccer fields, softball/baseball diamonds, roller hockey, skate park, golf, trails and so much more.  Not only that but it's also beautiful!

So we went to a graduation and party yesterday for my niece, Jessica, and boy did I eat like crap.  I had cake and then we went to a buffet for dinner, this morning at the hotel I pigged out on our "continental breakfast" and then we journeyed to  BD's  Mongolian BBQ in Kansas City since we don't have one  in Des Moines.  This weekend has not been good to me!  At least I have tomorrow to redeem myself.  I can hang out at the church with my friends and hopefully enjoy some healthier munchies!  Oh yeah, and we took our dogs with us on our trip.  I think we were half asleep when we made that decision.  It was 93 degrees in KC so when we ate lunch we parked by a window and left the van running with the air on and the dogs inside then requested a seat by the window.  Our dogs were well behaved even though they have insane separation anxiety.

Okay, so you probably want an update on my exercise and weight loss.  I have still been losing weight, but it has slowed down.  I need to try to work harder and focus more if I want to make my goal before vacation.  That being said, slowing down beats putting it all back on!

not losing is not losing

It's been a rough week.  Coming off of a week of overtime, this nasty cold weather and being all around exhausted has put me into a funk that I can't seem to overcome.  Fast food Monday night, fast food Tuesday night, slept all night Wednesday, Mac-n-cheese with Spam Thursday, Quizno's Friday and then Tasty Tacos for lunch today.  It's no wonder that when I stepped on the scale at the Y this morning it went up 4 tenths of a pound.  All that junk combined with not eating a complete breakfast really has done a number on me.

It's these kind of weeks that serve as unpleasant reminders that just because I didn't lose anything doesn't mean that this is a losing battle.  It simply means that I had a bad week.  At least I can look back and recognize where I went wrong.  So many factors!!  I'm pretty sure the combination of stress at work, fast food and the cold just wore me down.  I only worked out twice this week which is only half of my normal routine.

I've always told one of the girls at work that when it comes to my weight, thanks to genetics (yes, I do believe in the "fat gene") I have to work twice as hard as a normal person to lose weight and keep it off.  Take a look at my family:  My grandma is a short round German lady who has had 2 heart attacks, a serious stroke and is diabetic.  My uncle is diabetic.  My mom is short and not small (she reads this so I have to watch it!) has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and has to watch her sugar.  My dad has high cholesterol and pre-diabetes.  My sister and I both are built about the same and right now are both fighting the same battle.  The cards were stacked against me from day one.

This week shows me how disciplined I need to be in my approach to food and fitness.  If I relax too much, the bulge gains ground.  I need to step back, review the weeks activities (or inactivity as it may be) and reexamine my battle plan.

This week I will be kicking it into high gear.  No excuses about going to the Y, no extra nibbles while preparing a meal and I will eat all of my breakfast including the fruit!  Plus, I will need all of the extra prayer and encouragement you can offer me.  I can't do this on my own, of that much I am sure.  With God and my family and friends on my side I know I can win the battle!

putting on the info filters

There is so much information available to us anymore that it is hard to discern what is truth from what isn't.  What is fact from what is opinion.  What has been spun to one perspective and what is spun the other.  I have been doing so much reading, trying to make sure that I am as informed as I can possibly be in order to make the best decisions that will benefit not only myself but my whole family.  I have been reading lots of blogs that are filled with very good information and a lot of it is, in my opinion, trustworthy based on the sources that were cited.

This week I read about the pros and cons of sprouting your own grain and found compelling arguments on both sides.  I read a blog about "salad in a jar" which was super interesting and I can't wait to try it.  I found an easy Tiramisu recipe from Jamie Oliver (via Twitter).  

I went ahead and decided to try the sprouting thing.  Wheat berries themselves are pretty inexpensive and if you have a jar handy, then you're ready to go.  One thing to keep in mind is that they swell while soaking!  I did not think of this and filled my jar probably too full so hopefully they don't get any larger.  They are on 48hrs now and if I have time tomorrow night I will dry them out in the oven (just be careful not to burn them).  I guess after that I will just keep them in the fridge because I don't have a mill to crush them in.  So much for fresh flour!  I'm not even so sure after reading arguments on both sides if sprouting my own grain is worth the wait.  Given the time that sprouting requires, I am not sure it is something I will continue in the future.

Now the whole salad in a jar thing had me interested from day one.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was.  It was literally just that, salad in a jar.  If you vacuum pack your lettuce in jars, it will keep for much longer than those bags from the store and the cut edges will not turn brown.  It seems that oxygen is the culprit.  I do not have a vacuum sealer or jars and at this moment, I do not have lettuce either!  The start up costs for me don't fit my budget at this time.  I guess this is one thing that can wait a little bit but I will definitely give it a try.

I have been reading about raw milk vs store milk.  I'm not so sure that the government had our best interests in mind when they instituted the whole process that brings us our milk at the store today.  Fresh, in my opinion, is truly best in this case.  One day soon, I do hope to try raw milk.

If I have a spare moment while sifting through blogs and get a chance to make fresh homemade bread (this is a whole other story in itself!) this weekend I will definitely take pictures to share.  I'll share anything else I have time to come up with.  I still have asparagus in the fridge and spinach, vying for my attention every time I open the door!