Back on Track

Today was a good day ate right, excercised, and had a productive work day.  Now to just string a few of these together and I will be in on a roll.    I feel like my head is in the game today and that is a great feeling. I have spent some time on the blog adding pages and updating things it is looking better.  I know it will change overtime and this is still mainly for me at this point.  I want to remember what my feelings were and what I was willing to but out there to get this  done.   I also know how much I am inspired by other bloggers.  So maybe some day this will help someone make in on the track one more day.

Happiness is... a 101 in 1001 update

One of my 101 in 1001 is to make a list of 50 things that make me happy.  This is what makes me happy today and at this point in my life.

 I spent some time updating my list today at about the 1 year in mark.  I am doing well I really think I can get all of them done. There were a couple that needed to be modified in the timing but that was it.  I have some of the financial ones that I need to focus on in the coming year. But my health is still #1.  It costs money to wage this battle and I am in it to win it.  Not the I am going crazy spending just that is is the way it is for now.   I have some work to do on the  ones that  require introspection and writing.  Not my strong suit but something that will help on this  journey.

So I have 34 completed, 17 that I have made some progress on,  7 that are time dependant, and 40 that I need to work on (23 of which are things that will take  a couple of hours to complete).

Refocusing. . .

July 10th marks the 1 year point on this journey I have averaged 2 lbs per week with 110 lbs gone and I will be very close to 366 miles on the treadmill.
 This is the right way to do this.

I am in no way unhappy to be wearing size 18 and 20 pants.
I am only kicking myself for not sticking with the plan for the last 6 weeks I have been eating and moving but not following a plan.
I intended to take a couple weeks to focus on other things but I just kept skating along I am up about 5 lbs from my lowest.
I am ready to get back at it. The last week has been good work out wise. I have logged my food but the counts are not good so it is time to get back at it and get through another 50 lbs.

I  joined a lose a marathon challenge that ends in mid sept.   Jess  of Run with Jess is doing an great job of  keeping us going and the Facebook group is very active and supportive.

I am also excited that Best Body Bootcamp round #2 will be starting soon.  It is not too late to sign up. Tina did a great job in round #1 and I ended up not only $1000 richer but with a much better body.  I  had not done the interval training and strength training that this added in to my daily walks.  I really got alot out of it.  I can do way more that I thought I could.

June Foodie Penpals #2

Shannon from Colorado sent me a great package this month. I was looking for savory and spicy snacks and she delivered.   I  love  Boulder  Canyon Chips the Parmesan and Garlic were too yummy.  They went to work to share I knew they would not last long.  The  Spicy Vegetable Dip was awesome.  It had a nice blend of savory notes and a kick of habanero that made your tongue tingle.  I mixed it with  Greek yogurt and fat free sour cream.  Totally  yummy with  fresh snap peas, carrots and jicama.   The  drink mixes were good.  And the pepper jelly is on me list of things to try out this week may be a firecracker appetizer for the fourth.     The Milka Bar was a bit melted but it is in the freezer waiting for a  reward.  Justin's hazelnut peanut butter was  on my breakfast bagel the next morning such restraint to not have it that night.  It is a one pack at a time item in this home. 

I sent a box of treats to Sara in TX.   I had fun shopping for her and picked up lots of new to me things.  Cake Batter Goldfish, Almonds, Chocolate Covered Pomegranate, and Olives. The last 3 are all grown near my home and the Goldfish have been banned from my home too tempting.



And now it’s time for some details about Foodie Penpals.  In case you’re a new reader, here’s a reminder of what the program is all about:
-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions. -You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!  -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination! -You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!) -Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.  -Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.  If you’re interested in participating for July, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. You must submit your information by July 4th as pairings will be emailed on July 5th!

Going Nowhere!!!

I am just hanging out in the 290's. This 10 pounds has been tough. I dropped down to 287 for about 5 minutes then back to the 290's. I really needed a break from the workouts and diet. It is a lifestyle change but a really dramatic one. I went to my hometown for a week and saw a lot of family and friends so now they all know!!!!! That is a scary thing; not wanting to let them down but I know that is crazy insane and does not make any sense. It is all just pressure that I am heaping on myself. I need to get back on track. I have had a series of bad days and just need to make a break and get back on track. I have not hit 10,000 steps in more than a week. The treadmill is getting lonely. But tomorrow is a new day. I will conquer the 290's in June and leave them behind for good. I am very happy to be wearing 18W pants and some 2x shirts vs the 6x and size 30's of last year at this time. In May I did a great job for my 3 weeks of traveling back to back. I conquered hotel gyms, outside walks and kept a 25 day streak of at least 10,000 steps alive. It was the exhaustion that followed those weeks that lead to may nights on the couch and not the best eating pattern. I have logged 331miles on the treadmill and 1000 mile with the fitbit. That is amazing and something I am really proud of and 100 lbs is amazing too.

Foodie Pen Pals #1-better late than never

So I decided to jump into the Foodie Pen Pals Pool.  It is a gift box exchange where you send a  box of  goodies to one person and receive one from another.  Then you post a reveal post on the last day of the month and everyone hops from blog to blog.  I am really late in posting this. So I am better late than not posting at all. My first box was from a Twitter user in  OH @CarmicWords.   She sent great stuff.  the popcorn on the cob was a HIT!!! The honey was  great too as I had just emptied my bear and had it on my shopping list.

If you want to join the fun!!
Find out more from Lindsay.  She is the  awesome organizer of the swap that is getting  bigger every month.

Update 1/3 of 2012 gone

Over the last 10 months I have:
Lost 108 lbs
Walked 260 miles on the treadmill
Logged 1,891,320 steps and 836 miles with fitbit
Learned that I can do strength training
Found new friends to share this journey with
Completed TWLC2 with 58 pound loss and joined TWLC3 it ends in Oct
Completed best body boot camp. Yeah! And was one of the three winners
Used twitter for motivation and inspiration
Have a great gym in my garage

2012 progress:
Hit 100 lbs lost--2/14/2012
Hit 150 lbs lost---42 to go
Walk/Run 600 miles----150 down
Log 3 million steps with Fitbit--900,000 down
Nurture new friendships Join other online challenges--- finished TWLC2, finished best body boot camp, joined TWLC3
Participate in 6 5K races both virtual and in person-completed HBBC Resolution Run,twitterroadrace 1&2, TWLC3 May, and a Run for Sherry.

Take time to celebrate success--wrote and shared my story and pictures from TWLC2 on  That Wife