Need to Lose 100 LBS -Robins Thread !
Options
Replies
-
Yet anothe gray, rainy, cold day. I think we'll finally see the sun by tomorrow. I know Spring officially arrives tomorrow, but you sure can't tell from where I sit. This winter has seemed endless!
Nothing much to report, just business as usual: logging and exercising. Isn't weight loss magical and exciting? Not so much, but it is rewarding.
Have a wonderful day!
Exercise Goals:
Saturday - 3 mile minimum walk DONE
Sunday - Rest Day DONE
Monday- Cardio/Weights/Stretch DONE
Tuesday - Yoga DONE
Wednesday - Cardio/Weights/Stretch
Thursday - Pilates
Friday - Cardio/Weights/Stretch0 -
Wednesday Wish - That I wouldn't wake up so tired in the morning. I have noticed ever since daylight savings that I am waking up feeling like I could easily sleep for a few more hours. I just hate feeling that way.
I skipped my run yesterday due to the temperatures. I decided C25K this week would be Wednesday, Friday and Sunday instead. I am just hoping the weather cooperates with my plans.
Randomness: I am always trying to come up with interesting ways to help my students to reach their goals. Most of my students are nonverbal or have some emerging language skills. They have goals of identifying personal information about themselves such as their name, address and telephone number. This is a difficult goal to reach providing their skill level and functioning level. A few weeks ago I did a fun project with my students in my class to work on receptive name recognition. I used painter's tape to tape out their names on a thick paper, had them paint over the tape using random colors then sprinkle salt in the wet paint for texture (for their sensory input needs). We let them dry for 24 hours then had the children peel off the tape to reveal their names. I hung up on one of my bulletin boards in the classroom. They have been hanging up in my room for a while now and I still continue to receive compliments on their work from all the staff that are constantly in and out of my classroom. I have to admit it is a great feeling to have that recognition at how hard we have been working in my room.
Jeannie - Congrats on the challenge group. I have no input on insanity. Sorry.
Emotional - Sounds like you have a good plan with your daily goals. Your challenge sounds interesting. Best of luck with it!
ushkii - Congrats on the loss, staying under your goal and staying on track. Keep up the fantastic work!
Helena - Thanks for sharing the smoothie recipes. They sound yummy!
aimeemarie - :blushing: :blushing: Awe thanks. I am grateful to have you as well.
Karen - Glad to hear you had a good day!
Laurie - Oh, that makes sense. You started a little earlier than we did. Our summer program begins almost immediately after the school year ends so they cannot really extend the school year. Instead they ended up cutting some vacations a bit shorter so we can end on time. I don't know what they would have done though if this last storm hit us. I am thankful that it didn't.
Skinny - Thanks for the explanation of the chip. I don't think for me that is something at this point that I necessarily need. I think I am going to just register without it and save the money.
I like your idea of finding and event out west for 2015. That would be a lot of fun if we all could meet up!
I cannot believe you have Spring break already, though I understand the reasoning behind it. We, like Laurie's district, have it aligned with Easter. I am looking forward to having that week off. I plan on working outside in the gardens and doing a lot of outside activities (running, hiking, possibly biking). Like you, I find it hard to focus 100% on work when I know a break is coming up.
Hansea - I hope your sister's surgery goes well. Congrats on the loss and being in the Half- Marathon Club!
Rain - Kayaking around sea lions sounds like so much fun! I love that you did not feel self-conscious at the beach. That is a great NSV. Congrats!
Lives - It is gray here today as well with a little bit of sun trying to peek through. I dislike gray days. They are predicting some rain for us later on today. I prefer beautiful sunny days. :ohwell:
Well off to run. Hope everyone has a great day!0 -
Wed wish- That some of life's obstacles that I have going on will just go away.
Jnettie- liked your story about the kids you work with
Hansea- hope your sister's surgery goes well
Rain- glad you had fun on your mini vacation0 -
Wed. Wish: that I could stick to my good intentions
Finally, the weather has broken here....spring like conditions...freezing rain, but it's getting a lot warmer.
Monday,(really cold day), while babysitting the 2 year old grandson, I had hubby take him outside with him to break-up some ice and shovel snow...Little guy loved being outside, but had to call him in as he looked like he was getting a little frostbite on his cheek. At least he got out. This week I'm babysitting again and really hoping to take the kids down to the park. A lot of the snow is gone and hope I can wheel a stroller over the ice. (not enough snow for the baby sleigh).
Tomorrow is the first day of spring. I'm hoping this will change my motivation for sticking with healthy eating.
Robin: thanks for reminding me how lucky I am. This time with the babies goes by fast, and I know it.0 -
Wednesday wish: 1)I wish that weddings were cheaper haha. I am really torn about moving our date back to April. It actually upsets me more than I thought. I don't want a fancy wedding, I don't want a lot of people. I just want simple and outside preferably. Does anyone have any tips to making a wedding cheaper? I plan on making our wedding invites. 2) I wish my brain would really see that I'm making progress. I see the scale moving downwards, I see my clothes fitting looser, but for some reason my brain is not seeing the changes in my body. My eyes see some but my brain does not. I know to measure but I have a feeling I my beginning measurements are incorrect because I was so embarrassed about them. From now on I am going to be brutally honest with myself. I know I am losing weight. I need to be positive.
I had a good workout yesterday. I usually don't do cardio at the gym but yesterday I started with 15 minutes on the elliptical going pretty hard and got my heart rate up to where it should be while working out. I followed up with the weight lifting machines. I felt great afterwards. I felt like I could have done more on the elliptical. I start the stronglifts program tonight (Thanks for the recommendation Skinny!).
@aimee-Congrats on almost hitting 100lbs lost! That is just absolutely super! You are doing great! Keep it up! Awesome compliment from the lady at the gym!
@karenleona- Yay for staying on track! Keep it up!
@Skinny- Sounds like an awesome run! Progression in workouts always feels good, and super cool that you went longer and wanted to do more!
@Rain- IT sounds like you had a really lovely vacation! You're exactly right, don't let that stuff stand in the way of your progress, great attitude!
Have a wonderful day and don't forget to drink your water!! :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
Helena0 -
Hey folks!
I'm finally on the mend. Got hit with 3 different illnesses...:sick: That's what I get for being healthy all winter. :grumble: My exercise has been severely down and my eating control is all over the place. When you're bored and don't have the energy to do anything, it's very hard to not snack. I'm probably going to be up a lb or 2 this week. Tomorrow is my weigh in.
We'll see. The good thing, is also haven't been able to drink Diet Coke for 10 days. (Yes withdrawal headache on top.) Maybe I can keep my intake down to 1 a day, since I'm over the worse. The weather has turned here. So I'm looking for new bikes for the kids. I also got a bike carrier to pull behind my bike for my girl. She's just learning to pedal... but she won't be able to keep up for the longer rides. :laugh: I picked up a whole bunch of seed packets to start my veggies indoors. It's so nice to start to see my yard again. I'm starting my spring cleaning this week. I wonder if that's part of the reason I'm feeling off... maybe allergies to something in the house. I don't feel as bad when I'm out of the house for the day.
Oh, I talked to my son's teacher. Apparently he is actually doing really well in school. His worst class is L.A., I've been having him do story finishing or giving a topic sentence. He also has to write 1-2 full stories a week . I'm concentrating on him making a plan, descriptive details, getting his thoughts on paper and does it make sense. Apparently I wasn't informed about the assignment due to technical difficulties. She's going to send me something and have me check back if I got it. :ohwell: My son is being very well behaved right now. He tried to sneak out of handing in his late assignment and lost his tablet for a month. AND Mom embarrassed him by coming to his class at lunchtime to watch him hand it in. Spring break doesn't start for us until next Friday.
There are too many posts, since I last checked in, so here are a few I remember:
Thanks for the well wishes!!!
Robin: it's great to see you back around!
Nettie: It's fabulous that you're going to the T2T! So close to the teens!!! Great job!!!
Caramel: Just get back in the habit and keep going. This is the best place to keep yourself accountable.
JT: I like the new pic!
Pashunrose: Your grandson sounds very cute. My mom say my first word was "kitty" lol! Hope everything goes well for your brother.
Aimee, that's awesome that you're so close to 100lb!
skinny, Great job on the run!!!
Melwillheal, Little ones love it outside! My girl will sit in a puddle of frozen water to play if she has to. They're crazy! She's last one in and can only be lured in with a promise of hot chocolate with marshmallows. lol! I can't wait for the parks to melt all the way.
Helena, wedding are really expensive. My wedding cost $6000 and I cheaped out. I made my own invitations, but used specialty paper. They looked lovely. I rented a community hall... that I could use the chafing dishes and coolers there to store stuff, they also had tables and chairs, plates, cutlery. I prepped my own food for the buffet. Then just hired 3 cooks to come in on the day of to put it together. Made my own decorations and centre pieces. My mother in law made my wedding cake to a picture I drew. I got my wedding dress made for me. I designed it. $400.00 in fabric and 180.00 for the seamstress. Big one... made my own wedding wine. One red and one white with our own label on it. :happy: You have to do this in advance!!! We then paid for 2 kegs of beer. We warned our guests if they were looking for anything else they were scot outta luck. Hired a DJ for the party. Had an outdoor wedding in a public area and it didn't cost anything and got a JP. It really depends on how elaborate of a wedding you're looking for AND how many people you've invited. We had 130.
Gotta go bye for now!!!0 -
Good morning everyone. Ty for all the nice comments on my new pic. It is my first successful selfie taken on the giant ferris wheel on the Seattle waterfront. That was a great day with the hubby and kiddos. Had a busy day yesterday getting the garden plot ready. My dad gave me a square area that is 16x20 feet. We had to rotatill up the soil. Then I raked that and got out all the big rocks and roots while my husband built a one foot wall around it. We are having enough garden soil delivered today to make it about six inches deep on top of what we tilled up since the soil over there is mostly clay or sand and not very good for growing things. Its not huge but a lot bigger then the two little pallets I had last year. This year I am going to fill those pallets with herbs and where I had the pots with the tomatoes I am putting in strawberry plants. It should be enough to keep me busy and give us lots of yummy food this summer :bigsmile: Today is hubbyies last day home. He is over in seattle signing his contract while I clean up the house and start packing up his bag. My son went with him since he had a job interveiw over in that area today. Keeping my fingers crossed both my guys come home with a job:laugh:
Helena I wanted to say congrats on your engagement. I had a very small inexpensive wedding just under 1000. It was only about 30 people though and we just had cake and some snacks at the reception with no alcohol since a lot of his family have problems with that and we didnt want it to be an issue and well were broke as well:laugh:
Robin I was happy to see you posting again. Sorry you are still struggling with these issues. I hope they are able to find you some releif soon.
Well got to get back to the house. I hope you all have a great day.
:drinker: :flowerforyou:
Todays workout per hrm:
65 min
1165 cals/claimed 765
3.1 miles
7913
Maybe some hoops later if hubby wants. Tonight is all about him
0 -
Hey folks!
I'm finally on the mend. Got hit with 3 different illnesses...:sick: That's what I get for being healthy all winter. :grumble: My exercise has been severely down and my eating control is all over the place. When you're bored and don't have the energy to do anything, it's very hard to not snack. I'm probably going to be up a lb or 2 this week. Tomorrow is my weigh in. We'll see. The good thing, is also haven't been able to drink Diet Coke for 10 days. (Yes withdrawal headache on top.) Maybe I can keep my intake down to 1 a day, since I'm over the worse. The weather has turned here. So I'm looking for new bikes for the kids. I also got a bike carrier to pull behind my bike for my girl. She's just learning to pedal... but she won't be able to keep up for the longer rides. :laugh: I picked up a whole bunch of seed packets to start my veggies indoors. It's so nice to start to see my yard again. I'm starting my spring cleaning this week. I wonder if that's part of the reason I'm feeling off... maybe allergies to something in the house. I don't feel as bad when I'm out of the house for the day.
Oh, I talked to my son's teacher. Apparently he is actually doing really well in school. His worst class is L.A., I've been having him do story finishing or giving a topic sentence. He also has to write 1-2 full stories a week . I'm concentrating on him making a plan, descriptive details, getting his thoughts on paper and does it make sense. Apparently I wasn't informed about the assignment due to technical difficulties. She's going to send me something and have me check back if I got it. :ohwell: My son is being very well behaved right now. He tried to sneak out of handing in his late assignment and lost his tablet for a month. AND Mom embarrassed him by coming to his class at lunchtime to watch him hand it in. Spring break doesn't start for us until next Friday.
There are too many posts, since I last checked in, so here are a few I remember:
Thanks for the well wishes!!!
Robin: it's great to see you back around!
Nettie: It's fabulous that you're going to the T2T! So close to the teens!!! Great job!!!
Caramel: Just get back in the habit and keep going. This is the best place to keep yourself accountable.
JT: I like the new pic!
Pashunrose: Your grandson sounds very cute. My mom say my first word was "kitty" lol! Hope everything goes well for your brother.
Aimee, that's awesome that you're so close to 100lb!
skinny, Great job on the run!!!
Melwillheal, Little ones love it outside! My girl will sit in a puddle of frozen water to play if she has to. They're crazy! She's last one in and can only be lured in with a promise of hot chocolate with marshmallows. lol! I can't wait for the parks to melt all the way.
Helena, wedding are really expensive. My wedding cost $6000 and I cheaped out. I made my own invitations, but used specialty paper. They looked lovely. I rented a community hall... that I could use the chafing dishes and coolers there to store stuff, they also had tables and chairs, plates, cutlery. I prepped my own food for the buffet. Then just hired 3 cooks to come in on the day of to put it together. Made my own decorations and centre pieces. My mother in law made my wedding cake to a picture I drew. I got my wedding dress made for me. I designed it. $400.00 in fabric and 180.00 for the seamstress. Big one... made my own wedding wine. One red and one white with our own label on it. :happy: You have to do this in advance!!! We then paid for 2 kegs of beer. We warned our guests if they were looking for anything else they were scot outta luck. Hired a DJ for the party. Had an outdoor wedding in a public area and it didn't cost anything and got a JP. It really depends on how elaborate of a wedding you're looking for AND how many people you've invited. We had 130.
Gotta go bye for now!!!
You going to the school may have gave him the push he needs. I know when my son was in the 10th grade he was having behavior issues and was constantly blaming the teachers and other kids. I hid out in 2 of his class rooms under the teacher's desk then when I finally heard him acting out I stood up and marched him outside. Needless to say I haven't had much problems since cuz he will tell people my mom is crazy enough to stalk me at school. Now, I just can't get him to actually arrive at school.0 -
jtconst - My seeds are popping up and I have still not tilled the garden! It is driving me crazy, I am already behind and I have not even started!
rain - So cool you had a good vacation and were able to do what you wanted.
hansea - Good luck to your sister, hope all goes well.
karenleona - Interesting theory, your book, I would be knee deep in empty Lays potato chip bags and 40 lbs. heavier and just about to have a heart attack. And that is only after a week and a half.
Wednesday wish: I wish we all have a good week and progress positively
Goals:
A: Under calories 4/7 days
B: Walk 3/7 days
C: 8 cups a water 3/7 days
Mon: A
Tue: C
Wed:
Thur:
Fri:
Sat:
Sun:0 -
Good Afternoon all!! I hope everyone's week is going well!
Yesterday was a bit of a struggle. Once I got home I did not have the energy to go for a run. I didn't even do my yoga :frown:
I did hit my water goal and moved around work more so that was a win. Some how I just have to make myself do it no matter what.
Today has gone much better so far. Fighting the hunger. I drink my water and the dang hunger is still there. I think it is because I am bored since we are slow at work. So I jumped on MFP and thought I would answer some posts.
@aimee: YAY!! for hitting 100lbs! That is so AMAZING!
@Helena: Weddings are way too expensive! For my sister's wedding we had it outdoors in a park that was public. We contacted the city and was able to rent if for about 200.00. We made the decorations and even cooked the food. My dad loves to BBQ so we did brisket and chicken and made veggie patties for those who requested them. I made a mix from my iTunes list that would go for about 4 hours before it repeated and plugged it into speakers (I did know a DJ who let me borrow the speakers). As for the photographs, I hired a friend that gave me a good deal if I let her use the pictures to promote herself. I think all in all the wedding was about 2500.00. This did not include her dress. That was a gift from me to her but I only paid about 500.00 for it. And it was beautiful! Good luck, where there is a will, there is a way!0 -
Current Weight - 200.2
Goal weight in 100 days - 170.00
End goal weight - 130
Current Dress Size: 16
End dress size: 6-8
Goal for Today!
1) Stand and walk around more
2) To stay UNDER my calories
3) Walk my dog for 30 minutes today
March Challenge:
1. 1/4 weeks--Share a new recipe
2. 19/31--Eat a veggie/ salad every day.
3. 19/31--Water goal 12 cups/day
Exercise goals for this week:
Sat -- Yoga balance ball - 30 minutes workout (core and arms) - Done, Walk 45 minutes - DONE
Sun-- Yoga balance ball -45 minute workout DIDIN'T DO ; walk 30 minutes - DONE
Mon-- Yoga - youtube - 20 minutes - DONE ; Walk at 3miles/minute and jog 4.5miles/min 45 minutes - DONE
Tues-- Yoga ball - _:frown: ____; Walk - 30 minutes __:frown: ____ (going to do after work)!!
Wed-- rest day (Church); walk - 30 minutes ______ Yoga: ______
Thurs-- yoga _____; Fat burn - _______; Run 30 minutes
Fri-- Yoga ______; Walk 30 minutes - ______
Sat-- Fat burn - ______; Run 30 minutes - _______; yoga ball - _______
Sun-- Yoga ball - _______; run/walk - 45 minutes - _______
I hope everyone has had a great day!! Drink plenty of water! :flowerforyou:0 -
0
-
Wednesday wish: I wish that I had better advice for my friend that is going through a difficult time in his life. It is difficult to care about somebody that much and not be able to help them. I know that just talking helps but it doesn't solve the problem.
I also wish that these dang hunger pains would go away and stop tempting me. I have increased my fiber and other things and nothing seems to be working. :explode: :explode: :mad: :mad: Positive thoughts though!!!0 -
I also wish that these dang hunger pains would go away and stop tempting me. I have increased my fiber and other things and nothing seems to be working. :explode: :explode: :mad: :mad: Positive thoughts though!!!
Try increasing your protein. That usually helps knock out hunger.0 -
Bump! :flowerforyou:0
-
Wednesday Wish: Once again I’m in a funk. I’ll be fine, but I just don’t seem to care for some reason. I know deep down I do care, but I guess I need to keep digging deeper. It’s all mental right now and I get that. I’ll just keep pushing through. I think work has really been a MAJOR stress driver for me. While I really do love my job, I think I’m taking things a bit too personally. I need to get my butt exercising consistently again and I know I’ll feel ten times better.
Cyrus had an awesome time on his trip, but he was a bear Monday morning. Talk about drama – holy cow!!! I kept telling myself he was exhausted and that was the reason for the dramatics, but I about had to drag him out of bed for school.
For all the new folks and there’s been quite a few, here’s my Sunday Share I missed on Sunday.
Susan, 45, single mom to Cyrus whose 11 ½. I work for Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop as the Director of Supply Chain & Quality Assurance. We live in Henderson, NV, which is a suburb of Las Vegas. I’m around food ALL the time so it can be very challenging. No excuse, but it can be tough. I started MFP in August 2012. My highest was 325 and my lowest was 265. I’m hovering around the 280 mark. I’ve been in a funk since fall 2013 and keep gaining/losing the same 10-20 lbs. I know what I need to do, but the mental part of this journey has been kicking my butt!!!! Welcome to our group, which I simply love!!!
@ Laurie – Thoughts and prayers to your friend with the passing of her mother, but at least it was a peaceful passing.
@ Robin – It’s not funny, but you did make me chuckle. You’re not a crumbly broken down old lady. Perhaps the outside looks like that, but it’s the inside that counts!! Also, interesting about the Friday weigh-in. I use to derail thinking I could completely splurge over the weekends and catch back up for Friday. Monday’s seem to be better for me so I stay more focused on weekends, which are the tough days for me to stay on track.
@ Nettie – Woo Hoo!!!! We’re going to have so much fun roaming NYC!! I’ll be nowhere near Karen and Laurie that’s for sure. Also, Karen prefers to do her own thing anyway. I told her to run through that tunnel and just wait for me at the finish line. I plan to walk/run to be honest. I go for about 1 minute run then walk. Now I’m hoping to improve by then, but I’ll be right there with you!!
@ Mel – You poor thing! Grandkids or not kids need to get out!! I was a nanny for about 6 years and I went stir crazy too when I couldn’t take them somewhere.
@ Pashunrose – I loved the baby stage. My son started chatting really young and hasn’t stopped!! He’s 11 ½ now. Of course, it took him forever to walk though so I had a non-stop crawling baby for months and months. Enjoy every second as you know they fly by so fast. Congrats on the 2 lbs!!
@ Stacy – Congrats on the curling tournament! Very cool stuff. Again, welcome back!!
@ Tracy – Trainer? Good for you!! I can’t wait to hear about it. You brought back some wonderful memories. I haven’t heard People Need The Lord in soooo long. It was a song we sang often when I was on tour throughout college. Very emotional for me.
@ Karen – I’ll be in Chicago May 15-20. I normally get invited to some neat events on Sunday and you’re more than welcome to join me if you’re willing to come downtown. I can cover any taxi cab cost and write it off. I believe Sunday afternoon may be a rooftop at Wrigley. I know if you’re a Sox or Cub fans could squash that idea. LOL!!! Plus, there is something at Navy Pier with some yummy adult beverages and amazing food samples – all free too!! Once I get the invites, I’ll know more, but that could be something tentative we plan. On Monday AM, I’m visiting the Armour Eckrich plant, but the rest of my day late morning and on would be free too. We’ll keep talking for sure.
@ Kris – Thanks for the recipe!! I need to share one too. Thanks for the reminder.
@ Tanya – Woo Hoo on the 1.2 lbs lost!!!
@ Apeydawn – I’m a few days late, but I know this week is a tough time with memories of your Dad. I still have my Dad and count every day as lucky. Hugs to you!!
@ Kaye – I miss the post if you mentioned, but what did you share in church? I’m sure it touched someone.
@ Little – Hugs today!!!!
@ Jeannie – Congrats on hitting 200!!!
@ Helena – Congrats again and your hand looks beautiful!!
@ RobinB – Congrats on the loss and no arm pain!! Woo Hoo!!
@ Jt – Great new picture!!!
@ KarenL – Whose the author of the book your reading? I’ve got one arriving from Amazon and it’s something to do with will power, emotional eating, etc. . . Just curious.
@ Emotionaleater, Aoertner, Jeans, Abhull, Caramel, NYC - Welcome!!!!0 -
Just a quick check in... I'm short on time. Seems there are not enough hours in the day to do everything I want/need to... if I made enough time for it all, I'd be really short on sleep and I can't function at work like that.
Got my exercise in, I was dripping sweat the entire time. Yoga is much harder than it appears, especially when Jillian Michaels is teaching it LOL I love the video though.
Sunday: REST
Monday: 30 Day Shred level 1(day 3) DONE
Tuesday: Physio- bike and (full or lower body) DONE
Wednesday: HIIT (abs), Power Yoga level 1(day 2) DONE
Thursday: 30 Day Shred level 1(day 4)
Friday: Physio-bike and (full or upper body)
Saturday: rest or (hiking?)0 -
Wish- That I am NOT getting sick again. I can feel the sinus congestion increasing :grumble: and I want to stop it before it gets worse. Needless to say, a trip to the doctors is in order on Friday. I actually think it is left over from the last time I was sick in Feb..
I am getting excited about my trip to Las Vagas and meeting up with Susan and Tom. However, with this trip comes the additional stress of being out school for an extended period of time and writing the sub plans. Plus today I had to finish a project for school that involved analyzing data. The data does not look as good as I want it to, which is sad because the mid-point check the kids did great. I honestly think it was to many tests in a short amount of time and the kids were just tired of testing.
Karen- I did not realize how close we were in running speeds, you are giving a good goal of 6.0 mph to aim for by September. This is something I actually want to reach anyway.
Tom- I hope we can get together while I am in Vegas- I am thinking Friday night for the seafood place. Let me know if that is possible for you and Amy.
I am calling it quits a little early this evening so I can hopefully get some sleep tonight.
Sunday-Walk DONE
Monday-Trainer workout (I hope-weather dependent) NOT Done- shoveled snow
Tuesday-Rock climbing DONE
Wednesday- Gym hard cardio workout DONE
Thursday-Rest
Friday-Rock climbing
Saturday- Rest day (?) water aerobics possible.0 -
First, I want to share this post--it is from the following blog:
http://fellowflowers.com/the_5k_effect/
Here is the text:
The 5K Effect :: Rise Above the JUST
We’re all guilty of it. We’ve all said it. Whether downplaying our effort or in reaction (mostly awe) to someone else’s, we’ve all slid that unassuming four-letter word into our conversations.
‘Just.’
When a co-worker is talking about training for their marathon, and yours is suddenly ‘just’ training for a 5K. When a friend loses 50 pounds, and your hard-earned loss suddenly becomes ‘just’ a whopping ten. When the treadmill’er next to you is crushing 7-minute miles, and you look down to see your average pace is ‘just’ a 12-minute mile.
You get me, right?
And we (myself included) slip into the mind game of rank-ordering our effort in proportion to the collective mileage, pace and experience of everyone else. We do it in running – we do it in life.
Who am I to celebrate amidst so many who are doing more, going further and working harder than me?
We compare. We analyze. And then, we take the beautiful light from own our story and we shine it on someone else’s.
In conversations with others, we disregard and downplay our effort, even though we literally feel like we’re moving mountains. We hold back our giddy enthusiasm because it feels ‘less than’ somebody else’s. And often, despite an overwhelming sense of pride, we disconnect ourselves from the hard earned and deserving acknowledgement of the journey. And we do it with one little word, a heapful of non-verbals, and usually a spontaneous shoulder shrug…
It’s just a 5K.
It’s just 10 pounds.
It’s just a 12-minute mile.
It’s just a race.
Well, we don’t buy it.
We’ve talked with thousands of women throughout the country. And over the past two years of being amidst some of the most amazing women we have ever met, and hearing the most incredible stories of transformation one could imagine, we’ve noticed a steady undercurrent in the dialogue. Inevitably, while at a race or expo, we’ll talk to a group of excited ladies, and ask them about their races. And we’ll hear this:
Friend 1: I’m doing the full.
Friend 2: I’m just doing the half.
Friend 3: Oh, I’m just doing the 5K.
(Now, recall your own conversations. How many times have you heard this? Said this? Witnessed this? Felt this?)
We do this A LOT. And we need to knock it off.
Because let’s be real, transformation doesn’t happen through miles. It happens in the moments.
You took time out of your life – your already busy and chaotic life – for this journey. You said ‘no’ to fun gatherings because of early morning runs. You brought gym shoes with you on the supposed-to-be relaxing vacation. You drank more water, and less wine. You started to look at showers as a waste unless you had sweat at least once – sometimes twice.
You got stronger. You sacrificed – a lot. You pushed through pain and wanted to give up, but didn’t. You committed to something and finally, kept your word. You shifted priorities.
And when it’s all said and done, remember… The finish line doesn’t care how many miles you have ran, how fast you’ve gone or how many people you’ve passed or who may have passed you. It just cares that you arrive – that you finish what you started.
And that journey deserves to be validated.
That is not ‘just’ a 5K. That is JUST amazing, and worth celebrating.
And if we’re being honest, it’s bigger than just running. It’s a collective understanding to change the way we acknowledge and talk about our effort. Our goals and achievements. Our desires and dreams. To be proud of our journey and not measure or compare it to anyone else’s.
You matter. Your journey matters. So, we’re declaring a new rule. (Imagine us with fancy gavels, fashionable robes and neon sneakers.) We hope you’re with us…
:: It’s not JUST a 5K ::
We need to eliminate the downplaying-usage of this word, from our vocabulary and our way of thinking. The next time you hear somebody – a running partner, colleague, friend, teammate, even your children – minimize the value of their effort by placing the word ‘just’ in front of it, call them on it. Any distance, any pace, any goal. Call them on it.
Be the reminder. Be the validator.
And the next time it rolls off your tongue, correct yourself. Reframe, shift and change the conversation in your head, and with others.
Instead, with a proud smile on your face, try using it this way, “ I JUST did that.”
It just might inspire someone else to do the same.
Flower on…
Mel0 -
Wednesday wish: I wish that I knew what to do to get rid of the pain and inflammation in my knees. A nurse friend suggested that I may have to give up or cut back on my walking for awhile. I sure hope not! Today I settled for my short walks to and from school with gs.
This evening dh took me to JoAnn Fabrics to buy an Ott light for my handwork. It will an early Mother's Day and birthday present, but I needed it now. I'm excited about it.
Susan, sorry you are feeling down yet again. I spoke on the history and observance of the Sabbath Day.
L2T, just a week or so ago, we weighed the same. You have passed me up. I am excited for you being so close to 100#.
Mel, the picture of your grandchildren is darling!
Have great night. Onward and downward. Kaye0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 999 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions