I owe myself...

The plan was to get up this morning and go for a 5 mile run. I had it mapped out. I was nervous, but I was ready.


And then Husband returned from the gym and informed me that it was 37 degrees outside. I know that it might seem warm to some of you, but for this born and raised So Cal girl, 37 is really cold. I mean, the last time that it was 37 degrees at 730 in the morning, I was probably on vacation. In the mountains.


So, I gave myself an excuse a reason not to run this morning. I could have just laid in bed under my nice warm covers and cuddled with the kiddos.


But I did not. I ran to my iPod, looked up the closest group X class, and off I went. 


And then on the way home, I had this urge to stop and do a 5K around a local lake. But I did not. Again, making excuses finding reasons for why that was just not a good idea (I had already been gone for over an hour, and Husband was home alone with all of the kids, my iPod was at home on my nightstand, it was still really cold outside). I'm really good at "finding reasons".


So here I am, a couple of hours later, wishing that I would have run my 5 miles this morning, because who knows when I'll get the time to do it again. And even though I still got a good workout in at class this morning, my heart was kind of set on 5 miles.


So, I owe myself a 5 mile run.


And if you haven't done so yet, go check out the Sisterhood. And join the Power of  One Challenge. You know I'm not a big challenge girl, but something has got to give at this point.

Yuck

I feel so gross.


Somehow, I have managed to gain 4 pounds since Christmas Eve. That's only 5 days!!! And I have gained 4 pounds. I mean, come on. How is it possible to gain that much weight in that many days? 


The crazy thing is I actually feel it. I feel so stinking bloated it's not even funny. And I feel disappointed, and discouraged, and gross.


Gross.

How was your holiday?

Merry Christmas!

Santa came a night early at our house, as I'll be working on Christmas day. Hope you all have the merriest of Christmases and I'll see you all next week.


Joy to the World!!!

Yes.

Today was a yes day.


A let's stay in our pajamas because it hasn't stopped raining in 4 days and we live in Southern California, so what the heck is going on, yes day.


Yes, you may color.


Yes, you may watch movies today.


Yes, you may have macaroni and cheese for lunch.


Yes, we can bake cookies after nap time.


Yes, you can sit on the play table, if that is where you are comfortable.


There are too many no days. So today it was yes.


And then tomorrow, we'll see.


And if you haven't read this, you might want to. Just because.

The eyes of a child

On a side note, I did my first spin class this morning, and I don't know how much longer I will be ambulatory. Wow.


Now to the story.
I took my brood to the grocery store yesterday. Both boys were in the cart (my store has double wides. love.), and the *almost* four year old was walking next to me.

We turned down an aisle, and coming in the opposite direction was a very large lady. She was so large she was using the cart as support as she walked.


Because four year olds do not have filters, the following happened.


Four year old : "Mommy, she's a real fat mommy. Not like you, you're a regular mommy. She's a fat mommy."


Me (out loud) : " Four year old, we do not talk about people that way. God makes people in all different shapes and sizes, and it is not kind to call people fat. We always like to use kind words when we talk about people. Do you understand?"


Four year old : "Yes, mommy. I'm sorry."


Me (inside my head) : "I'm totally not the fat mommy! I'm a regular mommy!"


I know. Totally inappropriate to rejoice at that time, but to be honest, after being mortified that she said what she did OUT LOUD, my next thought was all about me.


Because one of the things that I've wanted since we started having kids was to not be the fat mom. I didn't want my kids to be embarrassed of me because of my weight. I know that kids are embarrassed enough of their parents without having that thrown in to the mix.


So I'm proud to be setting an example to them. That even if I'm not the skinny mommy, that I'm doing the right thing. I exercise. I try to make good food choices. And they are watching. And noticing.


And I'm not the fat mommy!!!

Monday Motivation

My Christmas List

Because it's almost Christmas, I thought I would share a couple of things on my list this year. Husband and I won't really be exchanging gifts, because we've both recently received some high ticket items that we've been coveting. But it's nice to dream...


The first thing on my list is some serious motivation. Not something that can be given, I know, but I'm having a serious issue right now. We've talked about how this is my comfort zone. I need a serious slap in the face to get out. So, slaps welcome here. (by the way, don't do a search for motivational pics... some of them border on pornography. Thus I bring you an image free post.. again.)


Now, the fun stuff.


Bondi bands - I have some kind of funky, curly, frizzy situation going on with my hair that is only exacerbated by sweat. The headbands that I currently use do not stay in while running, nor do they effectively hold hair in place for a long period of time. I've heard amazing thing about Bondi bands, so while I have never tried them myself, anything is an improvement on what I currently use.


Road ID - After running my 10K, I have this weird urge to start running longer distances. ( Who is the person that is writing this? ) I would feel more comfortable with something stating who I am, just in case something were to happen. What can I say, I work in an ER. I see bad things happen every day.


Some kind of armband for my iPod - Right now, I hold my iPod in my hand. Convenient to push the button if I want to hear how long I've been running, or what it thinks my pace is, but inconvenient in every other way. And it gets all gross and sweaty. Yuck.


New running shoes - I really need to go the local running store and get properly fitted for running shoes. I never did this the first time, because I didn't have enough faith in myself to really believe that I would do this and stick to it. But now that I kind of like running, I should probably do the right thing. Don't you think?


iTunes gift card - after my recent song shopping extravaganza, I realized how inspiring a new playlist can be. Maybe I should do that more often.


What's on your Christmas list this year?

Playlist

I finally got my playlist for going under 200 pounds. I still have enough money to download 1 or 2 more songs, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.


Yes, I know that there is profanity. I listen to the songs for the music, not the lyrics. And I've heard all of the words before anyway.


I also realize that I have a whole bunch of different random stuff. Don't judge because of the boy bands.


Here it is!

I'm not a big planner

I am not a big planner.

Procrastinator, yes. Planner, no.

I am really good at waiting until the last minute to do things. Like buy christmas presents, and wrap them, and ship them.
And sign up for 10K's.

That is right. On Saturday afternoon, while the kids were napping, I drove myself to the (kind of) local RoadRunner sports and signed myself up for a 10K.

It was Sunday morning.

I had not trained. In fact, the last time I had even gone for any kind of run was about two weeks prior. But something told me to just do it.

To do the thing that I thought I could not do.

I signed up solo for this race, my first one without Husband by my side, and I was really anxious about it.

But I woke up early, got ready, and started out all by lonesome. I think I stopped at the restroom about ten times before the race started, just to make sure I was good.

Once I got there, I found my place at the back of the pack and waited for the race to start! I felt much more out of place at the start of a 10K than I did at the 5K's I've done.

I started out with my new play list rockin in my ears, and set a pace that I probably could have maintained for all 6 miles.

But somewhere around mile 3 I started walking, for no real good reason, and I'm still kicking myself for it.
Because after that, it was run, walk, repeat. Bummer.

At about mile 5 (maybe?) I saw Husband and all three kids!! He had gotten them all up and ready and they had come to cheer me on! It was so amazing!

Mallory and Donovan joined me for a little bit, but they turned around and went back to Husband after about a tenth of a mile. That was my favorite tenth of a mile, by far. And something I hope never to forget.

At the mile 6 marker, I felt like I was done and that I couldn't go any further. And that's when Darra came back for me. I had just met her 4 days prior at a SET class I took at the gym, and yet she came back to run the last part with me. How amazing is that? I know I wouldn't have kept running if it hadn't been for her.

Before I started, I set two goals for myself. To finish under 90 minutes, and to not be last.

Well, I did it. My time was 1:27. And I was not last. I may have been slow, but I was not last.

I decided next time I'm running with Adrienne, because she totally rocked her first one this weekend too.

But I did it. I ran a 10K.

And here I am with two of the kiddos at the finish line.

Monday Motivation

14

Size 14.
Jeans.
From a non-plus-size-store.
To some of you that's not such a big deal. To me, it is.
Because even when I was my lightest, on my wedding day, my bottoms were size 14.
I could do dresses that were 12's, and even 10's. But the bottom? Always 14.
What can I say? I have major junk in the trunk.
I know that I have a lot more to lose.
But right now, I'm relishing in my new size 14 jeans.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I have never tried to cook with spaghetti squash before, but I was inspired by Colleen over at Bee Fit, and decided to give it a try. I messed with her recipe a little bit, and it turned out delicious.

I would actually recommend making it the night before, and eating it as leftovers, because it was actually better the next day.

I added up the points (using recipe builder on etools), and it turned out to be 7 PointsPlus, if you divided the 9 x 13 pan in to 6 servings. It could probably be less if you used less meat, or crushed tomatoes instead of the sauce. Or if you were able to find (and willing to use) fat free cheese.


Here is what I did. Enjoy!!
(and did I mention that the kids ate it too?)

Have you ever cooked with spaghetti squash? What did you think?

For the Record...

For the Record, cookie dough totally counts. Bummer.


And the second thing is, we went to Husbands holiday party on Saturday night, and I actually felt pretty. As in, look in the mirror and actually like the reflection, pretty. I found an AMAZING pair of pumps (on super sale) that I can totally wear again with jeans and a cute sweater. And I kind of stole a flower from somebody's hair at my daughters Christmas concert earlier that day, which I totally rocked.

The picture doesn't do my memories any justice, so I'll just go by what I remember.


Aren't we handsome?


Do you have any holiday parties in the works?

Monday Motivation

Um...

Does cookie dough count?

Cause if it does, I am in BIG TROUBLE.

Saving Grace

I mentioned on Sunday that my saving grace over Thanksgiving week was my run on Thursday morning. Let me tell you about it, cause I know you care.


We have a lake by our house that has a trail around it that is 1.1 miles. Super convenient to know the distance and not have to figure it out using mapmyrun or some other craziness.


I left the house with the intention of running it at least three times. To complete a 5K, since the Turkey Trot in South County was not an option for me this year (it was at 9am. crazy. most runs are earlier). I decided that I was going to beat my previous 5K time, even if I had to run until I threw up.


So I got there and it was like 10 thousand degrees below normal here in sunny So Cal. And this spoiled little girl was totally not used to it. So I was trying to talk myself in to maybe only 2 laps, because it was so. stinking. cold.


I started running, and before I knew it, I had finished the first lap. I had walked a little bit in the beginning to warm up, but I had finished a whole 1.1 miles, without even noticing!! I continued to run for a while longer until all of a sudden, I was walking. I really don't know how it happened, but I was walking. As soon as my brain decided to catch up with my body, I started running again. 


Another lap down. And then this crazy thing happened, and I just kept going. I would take a couple of short walk breaks here and there (because my heart rate monitor told me that my heart rate was above 200, and really, that's just too fast), but for the most part, I ran as much as I could.


The next thing I knew, I looked down at my iPod, and it said 4.4 miles!! I went around four times in 56 minutes!! I knew in my head that it was totally a record for me.


I could have stopped there, but I wasn't ready yet. I was kidless, and alone, with only my music to listen to, and it was A.MA.ZING. I turned the iPod to some worship music and walked one more lap. I spent time with Jesus and thanked Him, and praised Him, and lifted my voice in worship (in my head at least).


It was the perfect end to a milestone run. 5.5 miles. Maybe I didn't run all of it. Maybe I could have pushed myself further. All I know is that it felt so good. And I am totally proud.

Totally Random

Welcome to a post of totally random and unrelated things. Just because.


1. My legs are actually sore today after BodyPump. Where I almost passed out. After the third set of squats. Could it be because I ran on the treadmill at 6.0 for a couple of minutes? Because, remember... I run SLOW.


2. I went shopping for a dress to wear to Husband's company Christmas party this Saturday night. I didn't get the dress that I really wanted because I couldn't justify the money when I still have so much weight left to lose. So I got another one. It's totally not as cute, but also totally not as expensive.


3. Husband bought me a pair of size 14 jeans. I tried them on, and could actually button them! They're still a little snug to wear in public, but I've been thinking of wearing them around the house to stretch them out a little bit. The only thing is, who wants to sit around the house in a pair of jeans that are too tight when you could be sitting around in pajama pants?


4. I've looked at the new PointsPlus program, and I'm a little concerned. I'm really comfortable with the Momentum plan, and I can pretty much calculate points values in my head (since I've done WW four times now...). Since PointsPlus doesn't calculate based on calories, I'm out of luck. I'm wondering if now might be a good time to switch up the weight loss strategy... I'll wait until the longer explanation on Saturday before I start contemplating for reals.


What are your thoughts on the new Weight Watchers plan?

Monday Motivation

Watch out iTunes

I reached my next goal!!


That's right people... 199.4 on the scale on Saturday morning. Officially. I'll tell you all about my Thanksgiving morning run later this week, which I'm pretty sure was my saving grace.


But however it happened, it means that I get to buy myself a new playlist for running. I have my eye on Ke$ha, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga.


What music is on your playlist? Any suggestions?

I Give Up

I was looking for some keys the other day, so Husband grabbed all of the extra keys that we had in our house and left them in one place.


This is what I found.

That's right. Three ten percent keychains. I have lost 10% of my body weight three times. And the first time I did Weight Watchers, I actually lost 20%, but didn't get a keychain for the second 10%. 


I sat there and stared at the keychains in my hand. I mean, for reals that I have done this so many times and yet still find myself back again. To lose the weight again.


And then Husband said it. "You just give up". And he's right. I totally do. I give up. Because I'm afraid to lose more weight, just to gain it back again.


I'm afraid to be back at wedding day weight. I'm afraid of that girl, who is more comfortable in her own skin.


As much as I want to be thinner, and more importantly, be healthier, I have grown so accustomed to where I am now.


This is where I reach in between each pregnancy. This is how far I get before I have an excuse to not be here anymore.


This is where I'm comfortable. Where I know how much I can get away with without seeing huge gains on the scale each week. And I know that means that I don't see huge losses, but for some strange reason I'm quietly okay with that.


I set my next goal so that I get a new running playlist when I reach below 200 pounds. At my last weigh in I was 200.0. The perfect failure. I can easily blame it on the fact that I had to go to the bathroom, or that I had a sweater on, or that I wore my wedding ring to the meeting, when I usually don't.


How dare I blame it on the cheeseburger and fries that I had last weekend. Or the margarita (or 2) that I had on Saturday night. Nor should I mention that I only worked out one time last week (even if I did burn 900 calories in that one workout).


I stepped on the scale this morning, knowing that I would see higher than that 200. And what stared back at me was 199.6. Um, that just started with a ONE, people!!


And yet I have already made the excuse in my head that this is Thanksgiving week, so I shouldn't expect to see that number at my official weigh in on Saturday. Which means that I don't get my new playlist.


Which basically means that I give up. Maybe not on purpose. But I do.

Monday Motivation

I should've listened

For years, husband has been telling me to buy straight leg jeans.


For years, I have snuffed him, because, um my legs are not straight.


So I have been buying bootcut, and flair leg, and yes, (gasp) mom jeans. All in an attempt to make myself look slimmer.


Until a recent shopping trip, when Husband convinced me to buy a pair of straight leg jeans. They were at an outlet store, and we were kind of in the mood to spend money, so I went ahead and bought them.


He can totally say "I told you so" whenever he wants. Because they actually look good. Not just ok, but actually good. I totally should have listened.

(photo credit elizajphotography)

And i'm not trying to brag or anything, but seriously, how cute is my family?

The Holidays

I posted a while back that they were finally here. That it has begun. The holiday season.


When more food than you know what to do with gets pushed in front of your face at every possible opportunity.


And to be honest, I can deal with that. I can either say no to the foods that I don't enjoy, or I can take responsibility for the foods that I decide to enjoy. Either way, the food I can control.


But, oh, the drama. The family-members-with-feelings-that-get-hurt drama. I could totally do without that.
I can not control that. And it happens every.single.year.


And I'm over it. It would be so nice to not have to deal with the drama at every holiday.
Because really, life is hard enough already. And aren't we missing the point of the holidays by making sure that everything is FAIR?


I thought the point of Thanksgiving was to GIVE THANKS for all of the blessings that we have in our lives.


And the point of Christmas is to celebrate the ultimate gift that was given to us when Jesus was born.


The point is not to make sure that the holiday happens on our own terms.


So this year, I am trying really hard to make the right decisions for my family, and include any one that wants to be included.


Can't we all just get along?

It was one of those days

You know, the days when you wish that you could just turn over and turn off the alarm, pull the covers back up to your chin, and lay in bed all day?


Well my alarm is 2 years old, and does not get turned off. Ever.


So instead, I got everybody ready and dropped off the 3 year old at preschool. Late, of course.


Dropped the boys off at the childcare at the gym, struggled through a one mile run on the treadmill (pathetic, really). And then pretended to do a BodyPump class.


We then somehow wasted 40 minutes, picked up at preschool and made a Target run. With a restless 2 year old, a hungry preschooler, and a grumpy mom. Sounds like fun, no?


We got home, fed the kids, threw some Taco Junk in the crock pot, and then I parked my rear end on the couch for the rest of the day. As in, didn't take the kids to swim class, rest of the day.


Somehow, amongst the pity party and grumpiness, I managed to do pretty well for myself today... health wise.


Now maybe I should adjust my attitude a smidge.

Friend Makin' Mondays

Had a rough weekend, followed by a little bit of the yuckies today. Good thing you don't have to actually hear my voice, since I don't have one.


So I'm linking up with Kenz.

What's in your DVR?

1. The Biggest Loser.  Obvs. I'm a little bit behind, so no spoilers here. I always get mad at them when they get upset with a 2 or 3 pound loss. I would love a 2 or 3 pound loss every week! But I guess I'm not working out 8 hours a day like they do.

2. Glee. Trying to decide how much longer I'm going to watch because I'm totally a prude and it seems really inappropriate a lot of the time. But I was in show choir in high school, so I kind of feel an obligation to support. Yes, I'm a Gleek.

3. Amazing Race. Love. Husband and I watch it together and decide who will do all of the road blocks. And how much we would train for stuff before we went on the show. Like running. So much running.

4. One Tree Hill. Ok. Don't laugh. I know. It's my total guilty pleasure. And the whole appropriate thing? Doesn't seem to bother me so much back in Tree Hill.

5. America's Next Top Model. It's like a train wreck. I just can't stop watching.

6. Private Practice. I'm a nurse. I like medical shows. What can I say? And Taye Diggs? Kind of hot. (Sorry husband)

7. Grey's Anatomy. Not actually in the DVR, but I watch it OnDemand when I remember. As mentioned above... I'm  a nurse. They are doctors. Obligatory.

Otherwise in the DVR, you will find Sesame Street, Jack's Big Music Show, and WordWorld. They save my life when I am cooking dinner. Or when my children don't nap and I need a minute to hear myself think.

What am I missing?

There's an app for that

Husband was kind enough to buy me an iPod touch for my birthday this year. I wasn't yet on my fitness journey, because tank baby was still inside, but I knew that it would be helpful once I began.


The commercial for apple "There's an app for that" is totally true. So many apps to help with fitness and weight loss it's crazy.


The ones that I use are pretty straight forward.


I have the Weight Watchers app, which allows me to track my points electronically (if I'm actually tracking that day), figure out points values of food, and figure out activity values.


Calorie Hunter Lite offers nutritional values at tons of popular restaurants, and although I don't always find them to be extremely accurate based on the actual website of the restaurant, they are pretty close, and easy to find on short notice.


The 24hr Fitness app has become one of my favorite. I can easily look up class schedules at the gym based on class or location. Awesome.


But my go-to favorite app ever is the Nike +. I don't know if any of you use this, but I love, love, love my Nike +. There is a little sensor that fits in my shoe and tracks my distance while I'm running. Then, based on how long it takes me, my iPod tells me my average pace, how far I went, and how long it took. It tracks my mileage and shows me what each run looks like. Here is an example:

Awesome, right? It shows my beginning run, then walking up the hill, then running, then each big dip is a stoplight. It then allows me to make a little note at the bottom about running conditions and where I went so that I can use it in the future if I want to repeat a run or see my improvements.

It tracks all of my runs, which looks like this...

And then I can see my longest, run, fastest run, and so on in graph form. Love.

And because I am such a big number girl, this is totally inspiring to me, to see how much I have accomplished and to see how much I've improved.

What tools do you use that you love?

Girls on the Run

I grew up pretty much sedentary.


It wasn't until high school that I started to take tumbling and dance classes. And even then, I was already overweight, so I was hindered in a lot of ways.


I came across this program the other day that I think I love.
I wish that it was around when I was younger.
It is an amazing way to instill self confidence in young girls.
To get them active and teach them discipline.
To make them proud of what they can do with a little bit of hard work.
To encourage a healthy lifestyle from a young age.


I want to be more in shape so that I can start a location in Orange County.
I want my daughter and her friends to grow up with this opportunity.
I want to be able to stand up as a role model.


It's called Girls on the Run.
And I kind of think it rocks.

Pardon the Interruption

I interrupt our regularly scheduled programming to bring you this...


Happy Birthday Husband!!


Thank you for being the encouraging, supportive, dependable person that you are. Thank you for loving me just the way that I am, regardless of what size I am, or what I look like. Thank you for being such a wonderful father to our children. You are more than I have ever dreamed of. God sure did know what He was doing when He brought you in to my life. I am so very grateful that I can call you mine.


You make me want to be a better person every day!


I hope that you have the happiest of birthdays on this last year of your 20's!!!


I love you!!!

I'm Tired

We have all read the studies that link sleep to weight loss. Sleep makes this hormone decrease and this hormone increase, thus whacking with your hunger cravings and metabolism.

Well, I have been getting nightly visits from this guy.

Yes, he is cute.
Yes, he is yummy.
Yes, he is just a baby and has needs.

But I am tired. And when I am tired, I am also grumpy. And ravenously hungry. And when I am hungry, I am even more grumpy.
You see where this is leading...
Tired mommy = hungry mommy = grumpy mommy

You totally don't want to be at my house right now.

I hope you're getting more sleep than me!!

Size Does Matter

You always hear that size doesn't matter, but it totally does.


Take my three year old for example. She is almost four, but already wearing a size five in clothes. She is super tall, and I feel like because she is so big, the expectations are so high. People expect her to be as smart as a five year old, as articulate as a school age child, as mature as a kindergartener. And she isn't.


Another thing that she isn't ready for? The girls department. I mean really people, they are still little girls.


This...


and this...


totally not appropriate.


I don't really have a lot of fashion opinions. But one that I do have, is just because they make it in  your size doesn't mean that you should wear it. Exhibit A, above.


However, I also feel that the opposite is true. Just because they don't make it in my size doesn't mean that I shouldn't be able to wear it.


A couple of years ago, husband and I went skiing, and I had a really hard time finding a ski jacket that fit me. Even worse were the ski boots that I tried to fit over my calves. I can't possibly have the largest calves ever to have tried to fit in to a pair of ski boots. If I do, I want my name in the world record book.
But seriously, fat people ski too, darn it. 


And I feel like a lot of the plus size clothes are so matronly and old looking, that it's really hard to find stuff that is trendy, but still flattering. Old Navy is one of the only places that I can find stuff that fits, and even then, I have about twenty of the same top that I just rotate out with different jeans.


I know that it's my fault that I'm large. And I know that the fashion industry doesn't owe my anything, let alone cute clothes. But still...


Anyway, I'm not quite sure that this made any sense, but my point is...


you always hear that size doesn't matter, but it totally does.

Monday Motivation

It was a good weekend

I went back in.

Husband came home from work early today so that I could go to the gym he could check on croup boy.


I got all ready to go, and when I got to the gym I chose my torture equipment treadmill and started running.
And then, honestly, I lost steam and started walking. and then running. and then walking. You get the idea. I had told husband I was going to do 3 miles on the treadmill, and that is exactly what I did, not an inch more. 


When I was done on the treadmill, I had promised myself 10 minutes on the stair machine. You know, the one where the stairs get fed to you and if you don't keep climbing you fall off the equipment. ( Which may or may not have happened to me in the past ). 


Well all of the stair machines were full. Occupied. 
And since I didn't feel like waiting around for anyone to finish, (since, after all, I have a sick kid at home) I decided to leave and go home. 


I had unlocked my car and sat down in the passenger seat. I was just about to put the key in the ignition. And then I saw one of the people that had been climbing stairs get in his car and drive away. 


I thought to myself ,"Nobody will ever know if I just go home. I've already left the gym anyway. What will the front desk person think when I walk back in? I have the perfect excuse since I have croup boy waiting for me at home."


And then I thought to myself, "Go back in. Who cares what the person at the front desk thinks? You promised yourself 10 minutes of stair climbing. You will be so disappointed in yourself if you go home now. You can do this. You have to do this."


And I went back in. 


I know the story was totally anti-climatic. 
I know that most of you are thinking, "And...". 
But for me, that is a big deal.
I actually chose something besides the easy way out. 
And I actually did 12 minutes instead of 10, just because I can.

Seriously?

(Kay. Two posts in one day. I couldn't contain myself.)

I usually try to keep my opinion to myself on things that can seem kind of controversial. I prefer to not get  in to arguments, because honestly, I just don't feel like fighting.

But today I was totally enraged by something that I read, and I had to share it with you to hear your opinions.

I read this article over at Marie-Claire today, and was left completely speechless.

I, personally, have never watched the show, so I can't say whether or not it is a good show. But why is it that just because the characters are fat they are not allowed to do what every one else is doing on TV these days? Apparently, they are not allowed to even kiss in public, because...

"I'd be grossed out if I had to watch two characters with rolls and rolls of fat kissing each other ... because I'd be grossed out if I had to watch them doing anything." 

Now, to be fair, I'm a total prude, so I'm uncomfortable watching anyone kiss in public. But at least I'm not biased against people kissing just because they're fat.

You know that if she would have written something this derogatory about a black person, or an asian person, or anybody else for that matter she would have at least been fired from her job, if not shot on the streets. And then her contrived apology is supposed to make it all just go away! How does one get by in life being so extremely hateful?

The author of this article should be fired from her job, and I will never buy a Marie Claire magazine again. Go read the article. Let me know what you think. I'm so mad I can't even get my words out right.

The Best Way to Lose Weight

A lot of stuff has been going around the blogging world about the best way to lose weight.


And as far as I'm concerned, the best way to lose weight is to do what works for you. It may be calorie counting, or just making better choices and exercising more, or you may choose Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, or you may have chosen Gastric Bypass Surgery or the Lap Band Procedure.


The bottom line is, what works for some does not work for others. So make a choice to get healthy, and do what you've got to do to get there. Whatever that means for you. Because this is your journey. And your life. And your choice.

Do the Work

I recently got a daily devotional from Proverbs 31 entitled "Do the Work". It totally struck a chord with me, as only God can really do...


And since then, it is all I have been hearing, in various ways.


So I will continue to do the work, because even if I don't see the results on the scale that I want to, I know that I'm getting results in other ways. I feel better, I sleep better, I'm in a better mood, I eat better. Everything is just... better.

Missed Weigh In

I missed my weigh in this week.


So I have no new updates as far as official weight is concerned.


But I missed it because I was running a 5K, so I kind of think I deserve a free pass.


Husband signed us up for this 5K a long time ago, and the date snuck up on me so fast, I almost didn't remember!!


I was super tired from a really busy day at work on Friday, and the kids had spent the night at Grandma's house Friday night, so I really had tons of excuses to not get out of bed and go run. But I did it anyway.


And I am so glad that I did! I had tons of fun running, and ended up improving my 5K time by 7 minutes!! I don't have the official time back yet, but I don't really care at this point. I know that I made a huge improvement over my last 5K, and I actually really enjoyed myself. However, please don't get me wrong, I was still really slow. 


My next goal is to do some speed work and see if I can get to running a little bit faster. I just kind of feel like my workout schedule varies so much right now that it is hard to figure out a really good time schedule. Some days I get up early to run, sometimes I run/walk with the boys in the stroller, sometimes I do classes at the gym. I guess all that really matters is that I'm doing something!


Wanna see my pic from after the race?

Please don't laugh at my frizzy hair sticking out from behind the headband. It was totally drizzling.

Any ideas for speed work?