100 posts and still craving pizza!

100 posts, holy crap.

I wish I could be more articulate then that but that pretty much sums up how I feel. Its been over a year since I started this journey towards a healthier, happier me. I have learned a lot about myself, pushed my body farther than I ever thought it would go and definitely made progress towards the Lauren I hope to one day be.

Hell, I ran 20 miles last week and not just through out the week. I ran 20 miles in a row! That's 4 hours of running...in a row! I know I keep saying that but I am not the kind of person that you look at and think "she must be a runner." I am the kind of person that you look at and think "she must really love pizza" and I do, I really do love pizza.

So here are a few things I have learned along the way

1. First off, whoever decided to spread the nasty rumor that nothing tastes as good as being skinny feels is a lying bastard. Cupcakes are delicious and as much as I love wearing smaller jeans, denim does not taste as good as cream cheese frosting. Cheat meals keep me sane and if I say no all the time then I will binge and when I binge it is not pretty...  please see example below




2. Your body can do more that you give it credit for. In the last 12 months I have run countless miles, been electrocuted (voluntarily), and pushed myself to new limits. My body said screw you, I am going to sit here and drink a margarita and I my mind said no! screw you, we are going for a run and then we went for a run. I have iced almost every part of my body, found new muscles I didn't even know could be sore, bought stock in ibuprofen and enjoyed the hell out of myself.

3. I can eat a lot... like a lot a lot. Add in a good calorie burning workout or 2 and get out of the way. I have learned that it is best for the general public if you do not stand between me and my food. What I eat is usually pretty limited to a few things and if you try and barricade me from the few things I am allowed to have then I will cut you. I will go all sorts of east mesa gangsta on you and do whatever it takes to get to my food. It may be a battle for carrot sticks but dammit if I run a good chunk of miles then I deserve my carrot sticks.

4: Along those same lines... I eat fast. Really, really fast. It makes my sister in law and partner in crime laugh most of the time, sometimes it terrifies her (she doesn't say this out loud but I can see it in her eyes when we go to eat and I finish before she has time to get her silverware out) This is a bad thing and I really do try to slow down but patience is not one of my virtues.

5: Preparation is key. I am probably the last person you should take advice from when it comes to preparing.  I can barely pack my own suitcase... But my boy scout hubby is always there to make sure I have what I need. Like a tooth brush or underwear, simple things really but I almost always forget them.... wait... Where was I? Shit. ummmmm

Oh, right! Preparation! Make your foods ahead of time, grill your chicken, scramble your egg whites, chop your salad. I do this on Sundays that way during the week it is all ready and pre-packaged so all I have to do is grab what I want and throw it in my nifty kids lunch Subway bag. I am waaaay less likely to cheat or go out to eat at lunch if I have it all with me.

6: Find what works for you. Everyone is different, if you don't like tiliapia or white fish, don't eat it! I sure as hell don't. I have a pretty core set of meals that I interchange and that works for me. When I get tired of one thing I change it up. This is my current meal plan:

Breakfast: 3/4 cup scrambled egg whites with taco seasoned ground turkey, and cheese. Side of fruit and 7 or 8 cups of coffee.

Lunch: Big salad, 2 chicken breasts (don't judge) and some kind of dressing
*this is the meal I have to change the most, you can only eat so much grilled chicken and salad. Blah Blah Blah!

Dinner changes every night but I rotate between 5 or 6 meals. Its just me and the hubbs so I don't have to appeal to any picky eaters. Here are a few examples...
Chicken salad (chopped chicken, red bell peppers, onion, celery, mashed avocado, feta cheese)
Baked chicken fajita lettuce wraps
Turkey taco lettuce wraps (I wrap everything in romaine boats, then I close my eyes and imagine its a tortilla)
Turkey burgers
BBQ Chicken with steamed veggies

7: Screw everyone who says you can't. I take every negative piece of criticism and imagine cramming right back into the gaping hole it came out of, then I giggle. I can only act like an adult for so many hours of the day...

8: Take the time and enjoy it. There may come a time when I won't be able to run, or lift, or swim or be active and until that day I am going to enjoy the hell out of myself. Some days I just don't want to go to the gym, I don't want to run, and I don't want to have to do any of it. Those are the days that I sweet talk Scott into loading up the truck, corralling the dogs and heading the lake. I spend a couple hours swimming, kayaking, playing with the dogs and enjoying life. It may not be the same calorie burn as a 10 mile run but it keeps me sane.

9: Involve your family, if you don't have a family then hijack a few friends, if you don't have any friends then grab the homeless dude on the corner. He's not doing anything and could probably use the exercise...
This awesome group of people are your support, they listen when you are bitching about shin splints, they come to your races and hold signs that say "high five station." If you are as lucky as I am then then run the races with you and drink beer with you afterwards...

10: Do it for yourself. If you try to make this lifestyle change for someone else it will lead to bitterness and resentment. You deserve to be the best you, you can be.  I hate to get all sappy and heartfelt but seriously... If you want this to be a decision you are going to stick with then you have to find a reason to fight for it.

My reason changes everyday but make sure that I have a reason.
Here are a few of my reasons....
-My family has a history of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and strokes. This is my best defense
-I want to be there for my future kids and I want to be able to keep up with them
-I like pizza and beer
-I want to rock a bikini
-I want to finish a triathalon
-I want my family to be proud
-I want to prove everyone who says I can't, wrong.
-I want to put up some kind of fight when I my 150 lb rottie decides she wants to sleep on the bed
-I want to be happy with myself, I want to be proud of what I see in the mirror. I am tired of sucking it in, wearing spanx, and limiting what kind of clothes I can wear.



I hope I have helped a 1 or 2 people along the way, I hope I have made people laugh and ya'll enjoy reading this.


Here is to 100 more posts, laughs, and stupid ideas  (this is where we cheers our imaginary drinks)

one more picture...


promise! (kinda)

the benefits of locking kids in cages

I am a big believer in living life to the fullest. Drink wine, eat red meat, and just generally do what makes you happy(unless it involves murder or watching toddlers in tiaras). I have an inner fat kid so I have too watch myself and keep him on a short leash but every now and then you just have to let the leash go and hope for the best.

I let the fat kid out this weekend and he came to the party dressed in cut off jean shorts, an 'merican flag tshirt, a beer in one hand,  a turkey leg in the other and a fanny pack filed with donuts. The fat kid was ready to party and party we did. Beer was consumed in mass quanities, and the food.. sweet baby jesus, the food. It was fair food on steroids, if it wasn't barbequed it was fried and if it wasn't fried it was wrapped in bacon. We had an amazing time but I will be on a steady diet of pepto, tums, and advil for the next couple of days.

This means we are now in the official marathon countdown and that means as soon as I leave country thunder it will be egg whites and chicken. I am not overly excited to shove the fat kid back in his cage but it has to be done. I will lock him in, wrap bungee cords around it and then padlock that sumabitch if I have to.

the standard picture, in honor of cages...

Channeling the Spirit of Chris Farley

You know what sucks about marathon training?  You are hungry all the time… and not just “oh give me a few carrots and I will be good” hungry. Like “somebody give me a whole GD chicken and leave me the hell alone” hungry.  Yeah…

 It’s not pretty and it’s certainly not lady like. Scott knows to just drop a goat in the cage Jurassic Park style and run for the hills after I do a major run .

 Yesterday I ran 18 miles (in a row!)  then I had an egg white sandwich from Paradise for breakfast, it didn’t fill me up but I was too excited to get to the lake to care too much. Scott also brought me a banana and some Gatorade to help me recover, running that much seriously kicks your ass.  Then I swam for an hour or two, kayaked around the lake and just generally relaxed with the hubs. This was all fantastic but by 4pm I was ready to EAT and because I had run 18 miles and then swam for a little while, I had calories to spare. So we went all out it was a sausage, extra cheese, hold the rabbit food and leave your dignity at the door pizza. It was delicious!!! I am still hungry today and its killing me. I had a big lunch of rotisserie chicken and a giant salad but I still could eat a couple foot longs from Subway (Yeah, I said it! Don’t judge).

 

 

This is me when I am hungry. Again… this is a judgment free zone, so lay off me, I’m starving!

10 steps to your first marathon! (only 2 involve pizza)

This journey to my first marathon has been a long one, its had its ups and downs. It is the one the most rewarding decisions I have ever made that I somehow still regret (kinda). The feeling of accomplishment and doing something I never thought I could do keep my feet moving along the road. I am now less than 1 month out from D-day and I thought I would share with you a few things I have learned along the way.

 Here is my 10 step program to running a marathon

Step 1: Go to an extremely inspiring event. This usually involves people crying, cancer (that rat bastard), exercise, and raising money. For me this was PF Changs Rock and Roll Marathon, watching cancer survivors cross a finish line, people raising money for every kind of terminal disease, and realizing that this is something I can do to help make a difference. This is something I could do for my family members with cancer, for my god father, for all the people who can't get up and run. The moment you realize that what you take for granted and probably don't even think about in a normal day, other people are praying that one day they might be able to. If you run for a cause its hard to back out...

Step 2: Find a friend and get them drunk.

Step 3: Talk drunk friend into running 26.2 miles with you (make sure this is someone you enjoy spending time with and that you are ok sharing stories about bodily functions)

Side note: you can also join a bad ass running group if your friends refuse your awesome drunken plots. There are TONS out there and they will help you train and provide support.

Step 4: Find a race that inspires you. It doesn't matter why it inspires you, as long as it is something that will keep you on track. This could be a run to support breast cancer, a run that ends with free beer, or a destination race. I went for the destination race, because if I am going to run 26.2 miles it better involve a beach and drinks with umbrellas afterwards.

Step 5: Pay yo money. Its hard to back out when you have already forked over the cash. Unless you are a former lottery winner or trust fund baby, and it that case... Bite me.

Step 6: Spend lots of money on new gear (I will elaborate further after I finish the steps)

Step 7: Train. Train. Train. Train.

Step 8: Well I personally am not at step 8 yet but its race day. So run your race and kick some serious ass...

Step 9: Drink a cold adult beverage (unless you are under age, then you get a frosty glass of milk and a high five from me for being so far ahead of the game... seriously if you run a marathon before you are 21 you didn't reach your full lazy adult potential and you can probably still wear the same clothes from high school you bastard. Never mind, no high five for you! and quit making the rest of us normal adults look bad!!)

oh and pizza, eat lots of pizza!

Step 10: Ice bath and a hot date with ibuprofen...and pizza. It will be a super awkward but awesome bath.


Things you will need:

Good running shoes. I cannot stress this enough, go to a running store and get fitted. You will spend more money than is comfortable and you will leave an empty wallet, sweet kicks, new socks that are designed for runners, and insoles. It feels like a scam but its not, you actually need all of these things.

New socks. I prefer the ultra thin ones with arch support that a low cut. Don't go to Walmart and just  grab any old pair. This is also something you will need to buy at a sports store, unless you enjoy blisters the size of a chihuahua.

Sweet fanny pack. You will be running stupidly long distances and this will save you from dying. You can fit all your waters, goos, and spare change in it. Again something you will need to buy at a running store, they have special running fanny packs that are not big and bulky.

Goo's. They suck and taste awful but they work and when you are running 2-5 hours at a time you need a calorie replacement.

Body glide. (If you need an explanation as to why you need body glide, go run 5 miles without it and you will see how effective it is when it comes to putting out the fire that your thighs rubbing together started)

Spandex. (see above) don't question it, just hand over your credit card to the judgmental 17 year old at Sports Authority along with your dignity.



Great tools:

www.mapmyrun.com

seriously this website is awesome, they also have an app that you can use to log all your runs. It tells you your pace, calories burned, distance and all that fun stuff. I use the website to map out my long runs so I know where I am going.

I am sure there is tons of stuff  I am forgetting but just leave a comment if you have any questions.

thanks!!

*** FYI these are MY steps to running a marathon and other than I am currently training to run one, I am in no way shape or form qualified to give running advice :) think of them more as helpful hints from a lightly seasoned running veteran (I've got the blisters and chub rub to prove it!)






ha. You thought I forgot to include a picture....

Marathon Training through the fat kids eyes

I have never felt more Bipolar then I have during the last 9 months, let me explain that sentence a little more. About 9 months ago I made a very stupid and idiotic decision. I decided to run a marathon, if you are not familiar with marathons, they involve running a stupid and idiotic 26.2 miles. When I made this decision I could barely run 1 mile without ending up bent over sucking wind and thinking about tacos. 9 months later I still think about tacos while I am running ( and ice cream, smashburger, etc, etc) but I spend hours doing this instead of minutes. This is where the bipolar comes into play, now that I am into my major mile runs I have lots of time to spend thinking. I spend most of this time thinking about running, how much I hate it. How much I love it. How proud I am of myself. Wondering why I am allowed to make my own decisions. Wondering why I am paying someone for 5-6 hours of pain. Thinking about all the high heels and new clothes I could have bought with the money I spent on new running shoes (minus the bad ass pair my husband bought me for my bday). Thinking about how bad ass my new running shoes are.  Wondering when the last time I wore something other than running clothes was. Thinking "damn I love yoga pants."
It goes on like that for 3+ hours.... Riveting I know.

Training for a marathon has introduced me to a whole new world. (admit you sang that last part to the tune of  Aladin)

I had dipped my toe into the world of active adult living a time or two but nothing as serious as this. I had no idea how intense and huge this other world is. You find your self talking and reminiscing with complete strangers about things like chub rub, body glide, and the pros and cons of fanny packs (yeah take a second and absorb that gem of a sentence). Or say things like, "oh its only a 9 mile run" to which my inner fat kid responds with something like this...



yes this just became a picture book-esque blog.

People will also tell you that you are an idiot, a lot. Like a lot, a lot. But they will also tell you that they are proud of yu, that you are in inspiration**. These are the things that in combination with better fitting clothes and an huge weekend calorie deficiency, keep you going. I am sure you are wondering how someone calling you an idiot will keep you motivated to get up a 5 am and go run 17 miles, but I am overly competitive and this pushes me to prove them wrong.

**side note, I am still not sure how to take that one. I am used to impressing people with how much pizza I can put away in such a small amount of time or my innate ability to use cream cheese in all of my recipes.



So that's a short look into where I am with marathon training. I will check back this week with more... :)

ok, one more picture....



you're welcome.

Handling stress like a true fat kid

The more I stress the more I want pizza. As my work load, family worries, and general “being an adult sucks” stress increases I try to find ways to bury them in gooey, delicious, cheesy, doughy, goodness. Yes, it’s not the most adult way to handle my adult problems but it’s how I have always dealt with things in the past. Take a hour or so, enjoy a good meal and an adult drink, relax, forget my worries (just for an hour), regroup and then tackle everything head on. So this week when I am thinking about moving ahead at my job, getting the mortgage out on time, my family in Texas, I immediately want to go to my old standby. I want to order an extra-large Barros pizza with pepperoni, sausuage, and extra cheese. Maybe a side of wings if I am feeling dangerous… Oooo and let’s not forget the extra sides of ranch. You are not a true fatty unless you have an emotional connection with ranch (I am worse because if I am not smearing something in ranch then its mayonnaise and the real stuff not the wimpy “miracle whip”) The hardest part of trying to make a lifestyle change is the fight you have with yourself, the rationalizations, the arguments, the “but everyone else cans”, or my particular favorite… How many miles do I need to run in order to cancel out the heaping serving of cardiac arrest I just served myself? It is a constant frustration, all I want to do is eat what I want and not get fat. I don’t think that’s too much to ask…

Last night I went to the gym, ran 3 miles and did the intermediate 300 workout. That workout kills me everytime, my abs are still sore. Now that the half marathon is over and we are creeping up to the Mudder I really have to work on upper body/core strength. Being able to run for hours at a time is not going to help me get over a 20ft wall. I have asked Scott to make sure that I am sufficiently terrified in the hopes that it will keep me from eating crap.

Today has been really, really, really hard to not shove my face with carbs covered in cheese or chocolate, or ranch. I am trying to stay strong and right now my only defense is to combat the urge to eat crap by eating good stuff. Carrots, bell peppers, almonds, hummus with a whole wheat pita, salad, chicken, egg whites, gallons of water… the urge is still there, I still think I am hungry when there is no possible why I can be, but this is part of the fight, part of the changing, and part of the challenge to better myself.

So off I go to eat rabbit food (I am not overly enthusiastic about it today) and continue my prayers that one day I will live in a world where pizza is calorie free and doctors encourage you to eat tons of it.

The tinkerbell half marathon results

I have run 3, 1/2 marathons in the past two years...here is the run down

Women's half marathon: 3 hours

Phoenix PF Chang's: 2:35 hours

Disney's tinkerbell half marathon....drumroll please....

2:10:37

Ahem....

Love, hate, churros, and running

The closer I get to race day the more I seem to dread running. We are now 4 days away, countless miles have been ran, goo’s have been eaten, blisters/bruises/scrapes and scratches have been attended to, costumes are planned and now it is time to put all of this time and effort into 13.1 miles. The last 6 weeks have been spent on a pretty strict running regimen (minus 1 week when the flu kicked my ass), 4 shorter runs during the week and 1 long run on Sundays. This also included 3 other races (green run 10k, turkey trot 10mile, and chocolate run 15k) to help prepare us. I feel like we have spent so much time running and putting miles on our shoes that I need to sleep this week away to get ready for the race. Of course I can’t do that so I get home, put on my running shoes, head phones, 18 layers of clothing and head out the door.

I have this love/hate relationship with running. I hate almost every second that I am out there, I hate breathing hard, I hate the cramps and the aches that come with it but I also can’t seem to function without it. It also relieves stress and makes me feel better. My legs look better and I am proud of myself for setting goals and accomplishing them. Then there are the days where everything just seems to click and I just murder a run. Those days are when I decide to lose my mind and sign up for another race but it is such an incredible feeling to just let go and run. Let my stress melt away, let myself get lost in the music, let my aches and pains fall away with every mile. I love the days that I feel like I can run forever, but for every day I have like that I have a day where I can barely get myself out the door. Every step feels like my knee is going to give out, I can’t seem to find my pace, and I spend the next three days holding onto stair railings or using the handicap bathroom to pee because I am so sore I need the bar to help me sit down. It’s a very frustrating game of internal tug of war

Other than the 13.1 miles I am pretty damn excited about this race

A: It’s in Disneyland

B: I get to run with two of my best friends

C: Disneyland

D: Churros and margaritas after the race

E: Disneyland

F: Disney runners expo

G: Disneyland

H:Carbs

I:Disneyland

J:and Disneyland.

There is no point in arguing against Disneyland, it’s the happiest place on earth which is now even happier thanks to Downtown Disney and the availability of adult beverages!

The Mind of an Athlete with the Body of a Competitive Eater

Thanksgiving morning I ran in my first official "Turkey Trot" it was 10 miles of hills, gasping for air, and calf cramping. My goal time was 1 hour and 30 minutes, I finished in 1:35:22. Not bad, 5 minutes off of my goal time but I have another month before my next race (chocolate race 15k) and I am hoping to shave some time off of my mile time before then. I am 8 weeks out from the Disney half marathon and my goal is to run it in 2 hours or less. That means I need to average a 9 minute mile for 13.1 miles, right now I am averaging 9.5 minutes. As I start to complete more of my races I start to freak out a little more and more about the Marathon. 26.2 miles ..... WHAT THE F*&$# was I thinking?!?!

I know I have the mental strength to do it. I was an athlete at one time and not matter how old I get or how out of shape I might be I still have that little voice in my head that pushes me to be the absolute best I can be. Yes it sometimes comes out at awkward moments and family game night can be a little tense when that competitive streak comes out but hey, its what pushes me to make myself better.  That voice is what makes me keep running when my knee is telling me to slow down and grab a cane, that voice is what puts a little extra drive in my pace as I start to pass people in the final mile, and its what continues to push me out of a squishy, round body and into a runners body.

I have had this body for 25 years going on 26 and at this point I know pretty much everything about it. I know that I look better in jeans and a T-shirt than a fancy gown. I know that I have more chins that I did in high school (but less than I did 3 months ago). I know that I am changing and evolving into what I want to be. I am very aware that if need to walk/run/jump or make any sudden movements then I should be wearing body armor because I tend to fall down more than the average person. Dairy products are my kryptonite. I have a weakness for anything coated in cholesterol and triglycerides. I also know that I look more like a competitive eater than someone who runs on average 15-20 miles a week and spends a minimum of 1 hour a day , 6 days a week at the gym.

So I will continue to run and to push myself into the uncomfortable world of shin splints and ice bags (Good thing I married a physical therapist/ATC) and I will dream of doughnuts and frappachinos as I go. Maybe one day my worlds will meet in a doughy (the food not my body), svelte (my body not the doughnuts), mixture of awesomeness. 

Wagon Riding

Hi everyone :) 

Sorry it has been a while, I was busy being run over by the wagon that I was supposed to be proudly riding on. It was a wagon made out of mostly beer, a little whiskey, some Dr. Pepper, and a few slices of pizza. Of course I found excuses and rationalizations, at the end of the day I am a human being and I am going to cheat, I am going to have bad days, and I am going to work on pulling myself out of the pizza pot hole every time I do. I am trying to be positive and find the highlights, because when I find the negatives I tend to throw myself a pity party and drown my sorrows in a large pizza (extra cheese). So lets review the past couple of weeks....

Week 1: Whiskey, beer, more whiskey, rodeo, dancing, and more whiskey.
That pretty much explains the weekend (what I remember of it). The upside was that I had an absolute blast....

Week 2: Road Trip!!
We drove up to Colorado to spend time with Scotts family and celebrate our nieces 3rd birthday and as is the road trip tradition we had crap food, soda, energy drinks, coffee, really loud music, and what I think was a heart attack from the combination of coffee, monster, and Greenday playing on the radio at top volume as I tried to keep myself awake at 1:00am driving through the Indian reservations. Heather and I did get up and run 3 miles one of the days we were there but that was the best we did...

Week 3: Flagstaff
Last weekend we drove up to Flagstaff for the night, when we got up the next morning we went and had breakfast complete with chorizo. It is impossible for me to eat right in that town, so many memories and restaurants!! 3 words..... Pesto.Cream.Cheese.

Sunday I found my resolve tucked away between the chorizo and a bag of cheese. I made myself a healthy breakfast, painted the house, redecorated (kind of), and got the ball rolling. Scott and I went grocery shopping, cleaned out all the crap food in our house and reorganized. We grilled a weeks worth of chicken, boiled eggs, prepped veggies for snacking, and made our weeks menu. So far I have stayed on the wagon... Its been hard, I want eat a candy bar and stuff my face with more pizza but its been egg whites and green veggies. My main motivation (besides my health! blah blah blah) is that we will be in out of town again soon and I want to look goooood!!!

Quick Update

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't written in a while, life has kept me busy!

quick update: 27 pounds, gone. 10k, done. Pizza extravaganza, check. House painted, eh kinda. Foster dog in fur-ever home, check. New stupid goals, yep. New recipes, deliciously done.... I think that covers almost everything!

Sunday we  (me, Heather, Krisha, and Stacey)  ran our first race together. If you are wondering, Stacey is Heathers best friend from forever and Krisha is one of my friends from work. They have been recruited to do dumb stuff with us. Ok where was I? Umm, oh right! This was the first of many many many more to come, it was a 10k to warm us up for the upcoming stupidity we have planned. It was hot and humid outside when the race started and it only got worse. I was crampy and tired and I didn't do as well as I wanted. This could be for many reasons...A: Copious amounts of beer consumed 2 nights before B: I didn't pace myself and ran way too fast to start  C: I didn't drink my gallon of water the day before D: I have only run on a treadmill for the last 3 weeks. I am not sure if I am being too hard on myself or I am finding too many excuses.  I did finish in under an hour which was the goal I set for myself (Scott bribed me with pizza). I think  I can really take some more time off my miles and I am hoping that by April I can keep a consistent 7-8 minute mile for at least 10 miles. April is when the spartan race is in Vegas and I hope to run for time and stay somewhat ahead of the pack. My brother has agreed to run it with the group and race me for time, loser buys dinner and drinks.

We are starting to creep up on some of the scarier races, we are less than 2 months away from the first 1/2 marathon, 4 months from the disney 1/2  marathon, 5 months away from Mudder, 7 months away from spartan, and 9 months away from..... The full F'ing marathon in San Diego. I am terrifed.

I will post some new recipes hopefully tomorrow and a few new workouts. Thanks again for checking in :)

Lunch

Here is what I eat for lunch on an average day, this meal fuels me through my afternoon workout so it tends to be my biggest meal of the day

3 cups of spring mix with light dressing

1roma tomato

1/2 cup rottisiere chicken

1 avocado

500 calories
36g carbs
28g fat
43g protien

Snacks

I still miss my donuts but I really can't complain about todays mid-morning meal...fresh peaches in from CO and a hard boiled egg

Calories:140
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 17g
Protein: 8g
Sugar:15g

Not too shabby

BOOYA

I am finally at the point where I am starting to see change and that is one of the most exciting and motivating things ever. Two years ago I decided to run a race with some friends and our moms, it was a nice and easy 5k. Just 3.2 miles but I remember training for it like it was the Boston Marathon, I didn't think I could run 3.2 miles. I struggled with a 12 minute mile and took a lot of breaks while I trained on the treadmill. I ran 1-2 miles at a time and I was genuinely scared to run in the race. I ran it in 33 minutes, averaging an 11 minute mile. Scott ran it in 27 minutes and that became my new goal, run as hard if not harder and faster than the boys (have I mentioned I am tiny bit competitive?). So as we all know I have been running... a lot. I have been running sprints, hills, sprints up hill, long runs, short runs, runs with burpees in between, even a rock run to make things interesting. Well folks it finally happened yesterday, I ran 3 miles in under 27 minutes. If you are asking yourself, I wonder if Lauren finished her run then got off the treadmill and kicked it while screaming BOOYA MOTHER F&%$#@#!! The answer is unfortunately (for me and the surrounding treadmillers) yes...yes I did. I made that treadmill my bitch and I am proud of it, I went home and told Scott what I did (while showing him my guns, of course).And because he is an amazingly loving  and supportive husband he congratulated me and even gave me a hug and a kiss, which was a big deal because I did not smell like a basket of roses. Of course today I can barely walk and I feel like I have been hit by a car. Every freaking inch of me is sore but I am not alone in my pain, Heather is feeling the same.

This last weekend we went camping, it was my first time camping and I was about ready to pee my pants with excitement. We bought a tent, excessive amounts of alcohol, bad food, and firewood, It was awesome. I had deliciously bad food, cold beer, and the time of my life. We did do one workout while we were up there and if you haven't run at a high altitude before I recommend it. It was just a short run but we made it count. We ran 1mile-ish to the Walmart down the road (not the most primitive camping trip ever) and did three rounds of 15 burpees, 15 push-ups, and 15 squat jumps. Then we ran back but to make it interesting we grabbed some nice looking boulders and ran with them. Then when that got old we decided to throw the rocks, run to the rock, throw the rock, run to the rock (you get the idea). That sucked big time and by the time we made it back to the campsite I was sucking wind. We also fished, swam in the lake, walked around, played horseshoes, corn hole and frisbee golf. I only gained two pounds but based on the way I ate and drank I will take it.

This weekend is our first weekend warrior trip up Camelback Mountain, I am really excited and I can
t wait to see everyone. Email me if you want to join!

Motivating

Lately I have had people start to ask me what I am eating and what exercises I am doing at the gym so I decided to start a weekend workout group. This is a group of girls that can get together every weekend and hike, run, workout, and just enjoy each others company. I know not everyone can afford a trainer or a boot camp but everyone needs to be active. So if you want to join us just shoot me and email or join the group on facebook.

I love trying to motivate people to live a healthier life, to try and make the changes that I am making. I have been trying to get a few people to run some races with me and Heather in the next couple of months and I have been able to sign up a few recruits. One of my friends told me that I was taking her out of her element, she said that she was never an athlete and didn't know if she could do it. I know she can, she is a mom, a wife, a employee, she is one strong lady and she can do anything she puts her mind to! But that got me thinking... We are never too old to make these changes but why not do it now before the serious consequences set it. I have never been a serious athlete, I was a cheerleader and a golfer in high school. Not exactly the most athletic sports in the world, but I have always had the athlete mindset. I love competition, I like pushing myself, and I like rewarding myself when I am done. I am in no way shape or form a obstacle course athlete but I am trying to shape myself into one. Change is a good thing and the more we push ourselves the better our outcome is going to be. I look at those girls who run the obstacle courses and win or the girls who compete in the crossfit games and that's what I want to be like. I want to push myself to that edge and find that athlete that has been hiding behind a layer of fat and a bag of potato chips. It takes a certain amount of courage to make the changes, it's easier to stay the way you are but for me it was harder to look in the mirror everyday and not like what I saw. I am not even close to being done but already I am happier, lighter (literally), and less stressed. Decide which voice you want to listen to... the one who tells you to get your ass to the gym and put down the donut or the one who thinks its ok to be unhappy.

So I guess the take away message for today is think about who you want to be, where you want to be and what is holding you back. The only person who can tell you you can't is you, and you don't have to listen.

Small Victories

You know those days when the last place you want to be is the gym? The days when you would much rather be cuddled up in bed watching a mind numbing reality show and eating pizza? Or out with friends drinking a few beers, eating whatever you want? That was me and Heather yesterday. We just didn’t want to be there but we were.

Heather ran before I got there and we started our Spartan workout as soon as I walked in the door, it started out kind of slow, lots of talking, and lots of whining. That’s when I realized that just because we are at the gym doesn’t mean we are going to get anything out of it if we keep acting like this. I thought to myself, suck it up! You got yourself in this position and you have to get yourself out! If you don’t want to go to the gym everyday then maybe you shouldn’t have spent so much time eating pizza and watching TV. So mid-whine I told Heather let’s put on our big girl panties and get this workout done! No more talking in between reps, no more whining! She agreed with me and we got to work. We all have bad days at the gym but I think yesterday helped bring the big picture into focus. We were starting to slip and we weren’t pushing ourselves to the limit like we have been. We made a pinky promise (don’t judge) while stretching after our workout to get back on this weight loss/healthy lifestyle train and plow through our workouts and eating habits. No more testing food we don’t need to eat, no more whining during workouts, or talking for 20 minutes between reps.

Some days are harder than others. Some days I am so motivated and excited to be doing what I am doing that I can barely stand it, I whip through a workout and finish sweaty and out of breath then go home and enjoy my salad. Other days I drag my feet, take breaks on my run, and eat my salad while grumbling under my breath. I know I have said it 100 times before but every day is a struggle and every day that I make it through a workout out or meal is a small victory for me. I have to constantly try to keep myself excited about things, excited for a new outfit, excited to finish an 8 mile run, excited to not be fat anymore. Today’s small victory is wearing a shirt that I have not worn comfortably since the day I bought it (Don’t ask me why I bought something that didn’t fit) I looked like a sausage that has been packed to tight but today I wore it with confidence and that felt goooood!

 On a side note… My office is slowly trying to kill me with donuts and swivel chairs. I feel like I spent most of my morning trying to avoid the delicious pink and orange box from Dunkin. Stupid frosted, fried, deliciousness.

Surviving the ups, the downs, and the crazy like a pro.

Once a month my uterus makes a serious attempt to get me killed. It has many different approaches but each one  has the possibility to land me in an early grave.

Top 3 Possible Causes of Death:

1. It tells me to eat anything and everything coated in grease, deep fried, or anything with sugar listed as the first ingredient  which as we all know leads to.... DIABETES!!! YAY! (delayed and prolonged death but still death)

2. It makes me so crazy and unstable that my husband considers hitting me over the head with a frying pan

3. The pain of cramps combined with absolute starvation 10 minutes after I finish eating causes me to run into  oncoming traffic.


So that's how my week has gone so far....

Eating has been ehhhh, workouts have been killer, and my mind has been a bowl full of crazy. I have spent all week arguing with myself which we all know is super healthy. Friday it really came to a peak, all I wanted was ice cream. Nothing crazy but I wanted it and I wanted it bad, I had already had a slip up and devoured a mini almond joy in a moment of raging hormone weakness and I wasn't going to allow myself to have anything else. My mind tried tricking myself into it, I asked Scott if I could have some (he said no), I thought about texting Heather to see if Fro Yo was on our list of approved foods (its not) and I even tried to figure out a way to sneak it. I haven't felt that out of control in a while or spent that much time trying to rationalize cheating. We went to blockbuster to pick out a movie and I grabbed every type of candy in the checkout lane just to read the calorie/sugar/carb contents of each one. I do this a lot when I am craving something and I think once I see how bad it is for me I actually am able to take a step back and say no. For some reason it becomes real once I see the 220 calories per serving. The craving goes out the window at that point because then I start to think of how long I would have to run in order to burn it off.

Today I got up at 4:30 and hiked Camelback mountain with Heather and my cousin Victoria. It was a good solid two hour hike followed by an egg white scramble and protein pancakes (not as healthy as it sounds but a great cheat meal). This week I hope to lose a couple extra pounds and get in some extra miles running, I think it is time to step it up again. I feel like I am starting to get into a comfort zone with my food and workouts and that's not a bad thing but I need to make myself uncomfortable and push myself to the limits. I have goals that I plan on giving my everything in order to attain them and I can't do that and I won't change anything by letting myself get comfortable. I have to keep reminding myself....

"If you're tired of starting over, STOP GIVING UP!!"

Somebody's got a case of the Mondays....

Its Monday…. Boo Monday.

The one nice thing about Monday is it is my day off from running, my one day a week that I let my knees/ankles/body recover from the concrete and treadmill. I will usually get on the stationary bike or elliptical when I get to the gym to warm up before we start our circuit. Yesterday I ran 1 mile at high speed and then jumped off the treadmill to do our Bosu workout (I made it up). I finally bought new headphones so I was able to listen to music while I ran which was nice. I had forgotten what a huge difference that makes! 8 miles on Saturday to the upbeat tune of the wind didn’t really get me going… But on Sunday I was pumped up, singing, and just generally in a better mood as I punished my body. I worked hard, sweated more  (not sure sweated is a word but I am going with it) and I can barely walk today because of it. My butt and arms are so sore! Scott recommended that I try doing more 1 leg squats in order to banish my inner thigh jiggle (at my request). When it comes to my legs they are                 S-O-L-I-D, as soon as I do one squat or calf raise they muscle up and lean out so to have one problem area on my legs was driving me crazy. So in order to get rid of the problem area I substituted a medicine ball chop/1 leg squat in for one of my exercises and I can feel it today.

I am usually a lot hungrier on Mondays. I think it’s just getting back into the routine combined with occasional boredom that makes me hungry. If I am busy then I don’t notice that I am hungry but when I have a slow day it feels like I am constantly starving. Today I was saved by Dawna and her Mary Poppins bag of healthy food. I went to the snack drawer hoping against hope that they had stocked something relatively healthy in there for me to eat but I was out of luck and staring at a candy bar/cracker/popcorn/Mac and cheese Mecca. Dawna saw me staring in and drooling all over the snickers peanut butter bars and offered me a cheese stick and strawberries. CRISIS AVERTED!!!

We tried a new twist on an old favorite last night and could have easily eaten the entire dish by myself, I ended up only eating four because I felt bad that I was going to polish it all off before Scott had a chance to eat one. We had baked fajitas, I ate them wrapped in lettuce leaves with a small amount of cheese and fresh guacamole. Scott ate them in tortillas with sour cream, cheese, and guacamole. This was a nice change of pace because it was something I could make for both of us without forcing Scott to eat what I was eating. He had the option of tortillas or lettuce.

Baked Fajitas:

2 chicken breasts –sliced into thin strips                               

1 bell pepper (I used red) –sliced into thin strips

½ onion –sliced

1 tsp Garlic salt

1 tsp Cumin

 ½ tsp Chili powder

½ tsp Oregano

1 Tbls evoo

**feel free to mess with the spices adding more or less as you choose

Toss the chicken, onion, and bell pepper with the spices and olive oil until coated arrange in a baking dish (you want it big enough so that you only have a single layer)

Cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

Eat with lettuce as a wrap or tortillas J

Lauren's World Post Pizza

It's the day after pizza...gooey , cheesy, delicious, pizza. I gained 1.5 pounds from yesterday to today but I will take it and not let that get me down. I told myself that I would get a reward when I hit a certain weight and it felt good to celebrate.

Pizza day started with an 8 mile run around Arrowhead, I really wanted to get in a good long calorie burning workout out before I stuffed myself full of cheese and carbs. The run went OK, I hit a wall around mile 7 and I had some chaffing issues (or as I prefer to call it "Chub Rub"). Scott said that this will happen with almost any long run so I went and invested in a pair of Nike spandex shorts to wear under my running shorts. That made the last mile or so of my run pretty uncomfortable and I am pretty sure I looked like a jackass running wide legged down Union Hills. I also felt around mile 7 that I just didn't have the energy, probably due to the fact that we went dancing and drinking the night before and I only had about 4 hours of sleep. I am still proud that I got up and ran despite the fact that I was exhausted. 8 miles and 1.38 hours later I talked Scott into going and grabbing breakfast with me. We went to Wildflower (one of my favorites) and I had a roasted vegetable egg white frittata with fruit and toast. It was amazing, I love bread so much and I really enjoy the times that I actually get to eat it. After that we went home and had a pretty lazy Saturday, most of our day was spent napping and watching Gene Wilder movies.

I was so excited by the time dinner time rolled around I could barely stand it. I had spent most of the week trying to decide where I wanted to go for pizza, the debate had been narrowed down to two choices: Grimaldis(thin crust NY style) or Barros (home town favorite, Chicago style).... Grimaldis won but it was a close battle. My parents, Scotts parents, and Heather and her two girls all met us to celebrate the combined 50+ plus weight loss between Heather and I. We drank wine, talked, let our nieces entertain us, and killed 3 large pizzas. I helped as much as I could, taking out 4 of the slices. It was so good, it reaffirmed my love of pizza. It also felt good to eat it in celebration, and not just because its easy. My stomach hurt all night long because it is not used to the grease, fat, or carbs but I still would do it all over again!! I think my next reward (after I lose another 20 lbs) is going to be new clothes. I am sure I will find a way to sneak another pizza day in there somehow :)

Don't stop until you are proud

Sometimes it’s hard for me to not go all Richard Simmons or Act like a nut bag spreading the word when it comes to eating healthy and staying fit.  I want to share my story and how hard it was for me to get on track and how everyday is a constant struggle. I want to do this so that other people can find a way to be healthy too or lose that extra weight they have been lugging around. I am not finished working on myself and in no way shape or form am I shining example of how to lead a healthier lifestyle but I get so excited trying to help people that I think I come across as pushy or crazy. Which to be fair I am pretty bossy and slightly crazy (In a good way)… I want others to be as happy as I am, losing 20 pounds has done more for me mentally than physically. Yes I can run faster and longer, lift heavier weights, and push myself to go that extra mile but I have always been an active person with an athlete mindset. The bigger problem was getting myself in the right place mentally, learning to say no and learning to enjoy my healthy food without feeling deprived. I still want to eat the bad stuff but now the good stuff is my main focus. Eating out or having a cheat meal means that much more than eating pizza every week or having fast food for lunch, I celebrate those meals and savor the taste. Before I would eat so fast I didn’t even taste my food. I like having a routine, I work better knowing what I am going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This helps me stay within my boundaries, and yes it can be very tedious and boring but it’s what works for me. Trying to make a different meal every time and trying to fit those different meals within my food boundaries stresses me out and then I end up going back to what I would eat before.  

The other big factor is my success is my family and the support they provide. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t have Heather to meet me at the gym,  Scott to remind me that cheating isn’t worth it. Today was the first time in a long time that I actually felt like I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am hoping that light isn't a train but  I finally feel like I am doing something, that every pizza slice, cake slice,and hamburger patty I have turned down in the last two months is starting to show. I can see myself losing more weight, Hell I lost 20 pounds whats to stop me from losing the next 50 pounds that I plan on losing in order to reach my goal weight??!! I want to be proud of my body and I feel like that day is coming. Ok let me back up... I am proud of my body and the time and effort I have put in to changing my body but I want to be a different kind of proud. I want to be running in a sports bra, not wearing a cover up over my swim suit, wearing a string bikini kind of proud.