I "won"?

So, I found out this morning I won a number in the Peachtree Road Race this year. It's the largest 10K in the world and I will be running with 59,999 other people, up hill, in the 90ish degree heat. Suddenly it doesn't seem like much of a "win" but I promised myself that if I was lucky enough to get in, I had to do it.

I think that I'm going to participate in the official 11 week training program that meets on Saturday mornings at 7:30. It will keep me accountable (that is key for me!) and hopefully help me build some confidence. Plus, I've always wanted to join a running group!

I started running again after 5 weeks off (it was supposed to be 6 but I couldn't take it anymore) and it feels so good! I did a 5k on Friday then 2.5 miles today with ZERO pain in my foot. My quads, now that's another story! :) I didn't fall too far behind and I think my work with my trainer, hours on the elliptical and yoga really helped that. I'm glad I didn't just give it all up for that long!

This should make for an interesting summer!

Down but not out!

Just wanted to let y'all know that I've been down with a cold and we're having the worst pollen season in Atlanta history which means a head that feels like concrete. In fact, the air resembles my favorite post-workout treatI'm still drinking my veggie smoothies twice a day which is starting to taste more and more like dirt so I'm going to have to mix it up a bit. I have yet to buy a VitaMix or a juicer because I can't decide between the two. Either way, they aren't cheap so it's going to have to wait a little while. Luckily I have a wonderful juice place halfway between my trainers studio and my house and I treat myself twice a week to their spinach slam which has mango and pineapple. Delish!!

The scale? Not moving as per usual. I was hoping the juice would be the secret but nothing seems to work. And yes, I'm getting REALLY depressed about it. There IS some light at the end of the tunnel. I can run again in 2 weeks and my foot feels great and I'm feeling pretty energetic despite the pollen (it's from all that spinach!) I know what I need to do - that energy needs to be used for MORE cardio. Ugh! Can't we just do yoga and pilates? :)

All juiced up

Y'all are going to get sick of me talking about juice so I'm just going to share what my trainer has to say about it....

Oh and I've lost 4 lbs this week by juicing during the day and eating a sensible dinner (I should note I worked out like crazy too!) I have energy to spare, my skin is baby soft and my pee is a funny shade of green ;)

Back...with a vengeance...and a green smoothie

This time I really mean it when I say I'm going to blog more. I miss it. I miss everyone's blogs I read. I really missed EVERYTHING. Especially my life!

The strange thing is that I feel like I lost my job again and that was an unexpected reaction. I guess when you go from 120 miles an hour back to normal pace it's a little bit of an adjustment. I've been equating it to when my wedding was over and how strange it felt not to think about it constantly. The project was a HUGE success and I'm proud to say I finished it with no mistakes and barely any meltdowns. Did I mention I gained 10 pounds?

So, back to my desk at home, my dogs, my gym, my trainer, my yoga and my own kitchen. All making healthy living possible again. I'm also ridiculously inspired by "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and if you haven't seen it, drop what you're doing and watch instantly on Netflix :) For right now, I'm juicing during the day and having a sensible dinner and I can't believe how amazing I feel. I never in a million years thought I would crave a drink that had vegetables in it but I want it more than food. It's the strangest thing.

And for even more good news I got 2 cortisone shots in the foot (ouch!) for a tendonitis issue and it seems to have cured me. I can't run or walk for 6 weeks (down to 5 now!) but I can do everything else. The workout schedule is brutal and expensive but if that's what it's going to take then I'm just going to keep doing it until I can't any more or I run out of money!

I wish I could bottle up this energy and save it for the bad times (I'd mix it in a smoothie!)

Yo-yo (yo)

So I'm days away from finishing my huge consulting job - hanging on by a thread. I had the flu and still had to keep up with 16 hour days. I even managed to gain 10 pounds in a month! Who gains weight with the flu?!?! I swear that I gain weight 4 times as fast as "normal" people.

I'm totally beating myself up about it so I'm glad I read this latest and oh so timely blog post by my trainer.

It made me tear up a little because I believe it was yo-yo dieting that killed my father at 49. Constant weight change was hard on his heart. Now I'm following in his footsteps and this is NOT good.

This post is not as desperate as it sounds. I know what to do, I just have to make it through the next 5-6 days of work. Then we will revisit this issue! Let me know what y'all think of her post!

Preparation (in pictures)

In my world, preparation is the second key ingredient for success in the fat fight. The first is accountability which I wrote about the other day.

I decided to break these things up into 3 blog posts (you'll have to stay tuned for the 3rd) because each and every part is essential. One doesn't seem to work without the other.

This consulting job was a slap in the face on the preparation front. I was doing little, if any, and now that I have to travel, pack lunch, work 7-4, workout and then cook dinner, there's no other way around it!

I set out to the farmers market on Sunday morning when it opened and just barely beat the ridiculous crowds. I came home with ALL of this for $28. All of it organic except for the clementines.

It makes me ill when I have to buy vegetables somewhere else and pay twice the price for non-organic produce. I just HAVE to make the weekly stop part of the preparation which isn't easy. The place is the size of 2 Walmarts and full (and I mean FULL) of people. I have had to take a xanax to go there on a Saturday.

Now here's where it can go all sorts of wrong. I have the choice to shove all of this in the fridge right away OR wash it and prep it all for the week so it lasts long and is more convenient. The difference is, if I shove it all in the fridge, that's where it will stay, rotting and unused, while we order pizza.

So I washed and prepped it ALL where it's resting comfortably in the fridge in paper towel lined bags. Ready to grab, cook and eat. I need an alternate storage solution - I hate using so many plastic bags but that's going to require a little research. Suggestions are welcome!


Now that I know what I have to work with, the meal planning begins. This is a work in progress shot...

I have a whiteboard calendar on the fridge. It's a month calendar but I only do one week at a time which leaves me room for my lists at all the different stores I have to go to. It's USUALLY color coded but as you'll notice on my target list, I need new dry erase markers :)

Wednesdays dinner will be a treat - our local market cooks weeknight suppers for $7 each. Wednesday is grilled flounder and zucchini. We try to limit them to one night a week since even though it sounds healthy, the chef is not known for low-fat cooking!

The next step is cooking anything that's cook-able in advance.

Jenny O Turkey sausages on the grill

added to 6 eggs (using only 3 yolks)

poured in a muffin pan and mixed with little bit of cheese and baked for 20 minutes

There was LOTS more but I had to stop being a photographer and get to work. I cooked and washed and planned and cleaned for 3 hours. It's NOT easy. It can be fun if you enjoy cooking but it's a serious commitment.

Last night was the big payoff. We've had such a mild winter that there's no excuse not to be outside. I got home at 5 and was able to power walk almost 3 miles with the dogs knowing I had the time since dinner was all ready to go. I can truly say I spent the whole day stress free because of the planning ahead. I'm hoping that lasts the whole week!

My weigh in will be Saturday morning with my sweet and supportive friend Crys who I unexpectedly ran into at my very first Weight Watchers meeting. I'm hoping and praying that putting all of this into action is going to show on the scale!

Living in the present

I'm extra guilty of the things discussed in this great post my trainer wrote.

My first week on my contract job in the burbs is coming to a close and except for an extremely hungover start to yesterday, it's been great! I feel confident I can do a great job here and really make a big difference on this project.

The bad news is I haven't worked out all week. I have to get up at at 5 to be here by 7 and that took it's toll on me all week. Today I feel like I'm in the swing of this and next week will be a little easier. Saturday is my trainers class and that will help get me going again!

Food has been a bit of a challenge with no refrigerator but the cafeteria is great...I had a salmon salad 2 days in a row cooked on the grill right in front of me...it even had nutritional information with it. Snacking is not as easy as you are expected to go to the cafeteria to eat anything (even if you bring it from home) but I have had a few snacks at my desk ;)

This is a boring post so I'm glad I posted an interesting article.