"H20" Exploding the pounds - 10 Week Challenge - Week 7 & 8

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!!! I finished my first 5k in record time. I was hoping to come in under 40 minutes and I CRUSHED it at 32:07

Memorial service - my kids did an amazing job. The hardest part was watching my 11 yr old give his eulogy. He stood on a chair with his older brother holding on to him and spoke from his heart, as only a child can. Lots of tears shed. But it was a celebration of his life. As people spoke... I wondered "Did this person even KNOW him?" It was last night when it hit me how we show different sides of who we are to different people...

Cazz - (((hugs))) Still praying for you and your children.

April - :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile: That is SOOOO exciting!!! I hope it works out that way for you!!! :bigsmile: :bigsmile:

Hope everyone is having a great Monday!! :flowerforyou:

Thanks, Crystal. Prayers are ALWAYS welcome and appreciated!!

But life must go on and I am getting ready to go on vacation! YAY! My brother has stepped up and asked Chad to go to the river with his family this weekend for a week. Which means his sister won't have to come stay at the house to watch him while I am gone. Chad is over the moon! It is amazing how my family has encircled him, knowing he will need male role models in his life. He needs to be able to do "guy things" that a mom just can't do. (My brother set up a "man cave" in their extra bedroom and told Chad he can watch all the sports he wants and burp and fart cuz there are no girls allowed in there!) :ohwell: Oh well - yeah - male role models!! :laugh:

So I am getting SO excited for my trip to Ohio! I love being able to see friends I grew up with. And I think I am closer to them now than I was way back when! PLUS - I will fit in the plane seat MUCH more comfortably than last year! :bigsmile:

I hope everyone is doing well! From reading the posts, it looks like it! :happy: Keep at it!!

And April - I wish you all the best with your prego plans!! :happy:

April... how exciting!!! Hope it all goes smoothly for you!

Crystal... I think that's amazing... way to show that cranky lady who's NOT hefty!!!! LOL!

Cazz... you are so strong. What a great brother you have as well, and I know your son will have an amazing time with his uncle!!

Linda... I'm glad you had fun in Michigan!!! Wasn't as warm as it could have been, but it was still a lovely weekend. It's actually a lot warmer today... surprise, surprise!!! Hope you get back to work soon, I hate being told what not to do too...

Ok, so I got in my three miles tonight. I was supposed to do them at about a 12 min pace, but it ended up closer to 11 min pace!!! I just can't seem to slow down!!! Which totally cracks me up because I never ran at all until a year ago. Life is strange, but I love this new athletic girl I'm turning into!!! My next big project is getting a new swimsuit. NOT my idea of fun, but if I don't get one I won't be able to swim at all this summer! The smallest on I had in my closet will fall off me!!! I know, I tried it on tonight... not cute, but major NSV that it was too big!!!

Anyway, have a great night... I still have to figure out a snack for all my calories left! I love it when I exercise. Eating back those calories feels like a freaking victory lap!!!!!

Ok, so I just need to brag a minute and I know you won't hate me, right???? I needed a new swimsuit for the summer. I mean, I'm nearly 40 pounds lighter than last summer and the suit I had was from a year before that... and was a tad big last summer. Ok, there were a few different ones from over the years in my closet and NONE of them worked. The smallest was even way too big... ok in a pinch, but not appropriate for public viewing if you get my drift (the girls are smaller for sure!). So tonight I went out to Kohl's and got a nice deal on a new one... and it's a size 8 bottom and 10 top!!!! Apparently the girls aren't as small as I thought they were, and I'm good with that! The only reason I didn't get the 8 top was I was squishing out the top (armpit muffins.. not cute!)!!! Yup, my last suit was at least a 14.... so I'm super happy. Now I'm ready for summer to come back so I can take the boys swimming in our community pool, or to the beach, or take the boat out... you get the idea! Bring it on... mama's ready to swim!!!!

Nikster...you go right ahead and brag! Awesome!

Thanks, girl! And I ran 5 miles today.... yup, I'm on a warpath!!! Oh, and I had to see my allergist today and she was THRILLED for me with my weight loss!!!! Hadn't been there for six months, which was a good 30 pounds ago.... yup, it's a good day!

Good saturday morning....seems many of us are MIA...summer plans will do that. I hope everyone is well and enjoying the weather. I am about to embark on a challenge...the Warrior dash. Of course, I cannot complete a couple of the obstacles because of my work injury, but I am gonna give it all I got! Pics to be posted later.

Thinking of all of you!
Linda

Linda, I hope you rocked the warrior dash!!! Sounds like fun...

I completed my training week yesterday, but it was HARD!!! The temps and bright sun were a little more than I bargained for and that 7 miles about did me in. I ended up walking about the last 1/2 mile, but still managed to keep my pace under 12 min miles... so that's something. Anyway, no running today, but I'm hoping to get up to the gym to lift for a while, it's been too long!!! Time gets away from me sometimes...

Happy Father's day to all your dad's, hubby's, friends, whatever... I miss my dad so much, but am so glad my hubby is an awesome dad to our boys!!! Enjoy your kids if you have them, your dad's if your near them, and your friends whereever you are!!!!

April, don't worry about it. Maybe make these last two weeks a "free for all", where we just go back and do our favorite challenges from weeks past.


I know I've been terrible at keeping up with everyone! I'm very sorry for that. I joined a gym, yay! It isn't fully built yet, but I still had an orientation training today. It was exhausting, the damn guy tried to kill me! The cardio (treadmill) test was fine, but it was when we were on the mat doing vigorous calisthenics that I started feeling weak. The non-air conditioned room was too hot for me. I thought I was going to puke so I went over to the restaurant next door for the bathroom, and walking over I thought I was going to trip over my feet and I saw spots EVERYWHERE. Like, there were moments where I was blinded by spots. I didn't end up getting sick, but I was definitely done for. That was only after 7 minutes on the floor! I was embarrassed but oh well. Looking forward to the gym opening in August.

Oh yeah and my trainer did a body fat test and whatnot and said I should shoot to lose 17 more pounds, which is more or less what my goal was already. That made me happy!

Nikster I think you're right. The only other time I've felt like that was on my honeymoon in the Bahamas when I was out in the sun and for dang sure I wasn't drinking nearly enough water then.

The trainer was funny, he kept trying to school me on weight loss and how it is 80% mental and 20% physical and all of this other talk...I just kept surprising him with my answers...like when I told him how I know I can eat what I want but I have to work that much harder to make the input/output balance. And when he asked what my goal weight was I told him that I know it isn't the best to rely on the numbers that come from the scale since they take into account so many different things so I'm shooting for a dress size instead. He was just kind of a deer in headlights. :laugh: That made me realize that I've learned SO MUCH from MFP and you ladies...I'm very very grateful!

So I have to ask - when you go to the gym what do you like to do? I know you like to run outside, so do you use weight machines/classes when you do some gym time?

Nikster I think you're right. The only other time I've felt like that was on my honeymoon in the Bahamas when I was out in the sun and for dang sure I wasn't drinking nearly enough water then.

The trainer was funny, he kept trying to school me on weight loss and how it is 80% mental and 20% physical and all of this other talk...I just kept surprising him with my answers...like when I told him how I know I can eat what I want but I have to work that much harder to make the input/output balance. And when he asked what my goal weight was I told him that I know it isn't the best to rely on the numbers that come from the scale since they take into account so many different things so I'm shooting for a dress size instead. He was just kind of a deer in headlights. :laugh: That made me realize that I've learned SO MUCH from MFP and you ladies...I'm very very grateful!

So I have to ask - when you go to the gym what do you like to do? I know you like to run outside, so do you use weight machines/classes when you do some gym time?

You rock! Yes, I'd much rather go for a run, but when I'm at the gym, I lift weights. Mainly I use the machines that are there. I go to Snap Fitness and they don't have classes or anything, but I was given a rundown on their "basic 8" routine which works really well. I've expanded on it since I learned it in December with more moves, more machines and definitely more weight and more reps!!! I also found a neat core workout in Women's Health last month I'm trying to do but haven't been regular enough with it yet to know how it's going to work. I change it up sometimes, but usually I warm up on the treadmill or ellpitical for 5 minutes and then lift for 30-60 depending on what my goal is for the day. If it's a basic sort of day, it's 30 min weights and 30 cardio (I like the ARC trainer which is like the elliptical) but if it's a day I just want to pump iron, I do 60ish minutes on weights and some abs and call it a day. I like to lift 2-3 times a week, but this training for my 1/2 marathon is really making it hard to dedicate extra time to lifting. At this point I'm not worried... but I'd still like to get in there more and lift. Tomorrow will be a 5 mile tempo run, so seeing as that's nearly an hour, I won't lift. Friday night I now have a funeral visitation to go to, so I may not even get in my 2 mile "easy" run!!! It's ok, as long as I get in my 8 miles on Saturday before the funeral and open house and other open house.... it's a crazy world!!!! If I don't see the results I want by the time my 1/2 marathon is done, I may invest in a few sessions with a trainer to get my strength mojo on. We'll see. I'm in no hurry, but would love to look as good as I feel!!!!

Another 5 miles done this morning.... I think I just might make this 150 mile challenge after all!!!! It's a craptastic weather week for us, but whatever... that's what the gym is for!!!!

My son gets his driver's permit today... freaking out just a little... but it's gonna be ok, right??????

Not sure where you all are, but just posting that not only did I run another 8 miles this morning... I'm down another 1.8 pounds this week! That makes 10.2 pounds since we started this challenge!!!!

Moving works... along with logging food and not going over on calorie goals. It really truly works, and I thank you for being there along with me! I'm so close to my goal that I may lower it again. Not sure really where my body will settle at, but I'm ok with letting it find out! Hope you all have an amazing weekend... I'm on vacation but not going anywhere, so I'll check in again soon... right now I need a nap!

You are doing fabulous! So very proud of you!