The light is getting nearer!

Hello!! Just a quick update to say that I had another special weigh in today. I lost 2.4kg (5.2lbs) which now means that I have lost more than what I weigh. Total lost now is 87.5kg (193lbs) and I now weigh 82.7kg. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and closer and I am soooooo excited. I am almost in the 70's as well, which is my next goal after getting to 90kgs lost which is just a tiny bit before it. I may well hit both goals at the same time which is definitely fine by me!! I have also signed up for a 12 week transformation challenge at one of the local gyms near my work. There is a $5000 prize for the person who achieves the best overall transformation in the 12 weeks. I am not doing it for the prize, but I really really really want to get to my goal which is probably another 20kgs or so and I thought it might give me that little extra incentive to really pull all the stops out and just get it done. I am so close now I just want to get there!! Well here's hoping anyways! Catch up with you all again soon!! Shari

August!? How is it August?

I'm sorry to say that this blog post is yet another "I'm-going-to-get-motivated-soon" post. But we all know you can't start until you are ready to commit to it. I've made some life changes lately and feel that this is yet another jumping off point for me. I was fit once upon a time. And I will be again. It's just a matter of getting there. I have to break into the habit again and discover the joy in getting there. I've done it before.

I'll be 40 in 2014. And I think that making my goal weight by then is a reasonable long term goal. So that's what I'm shooting for long term. It looks like a long way off, but its going to be a challenge.

Short term goals are harder to pin down. I've spent some time over the last few weeks ramping up and getting in a little exercise here and there. I've got to learn to cook now, so I'm working on learning to do it in a healthy way that will help me and make the kids happy too. Honestly, diet is my chief concern right now. I have figured out how to incorporate exercise in (even if I don't do it as much as I should still), but cooking and eating right is something I have to start from scratch at. And I have to be able to do it in a schedule full of work/school, gym, football, aikido, and any other extra curriculars. So goal number one is make a meal plan I can stick to. Goal number 2 is to loose 5 pounds by the end of the month.

Shari is so inspiring to me. I keep thinking about how much determination she has to reach her goal. She not only has the determination to reach it, she already has a plan to maintain it after she has reached the target. Her enthusiasm is contagious. I just need to keep checking in a getting dose of it!

I'll check in again soon with progress. One of these day's I won't be posting that "I'm starting today!", I'll be posting "I'm continuing and setting new goals!"

Half the Person!!

Hi All Sorry I haven't posted for a while but I have been trying to get to my next goal and because it was such an amazing goal, I didn't want to blog until I got there. It has taken me a bit longer than I thought it would, but as with all my goals, I got there in the end. Today was the day!! This morning I had an extra special weigh in. At my Weight Watchers weigh in the scale registered 85.1kg which means I have lost 85.1kg (187.6lbs). Yes! You did read that right! As of today I have lost exactly half of my starting weight. If I could have done a backflip I would have!! According to my Curves measure this morning, I have also lost 308cm (121 inches). Woohoo!! Words cannot describe how absolutely fabulous I feel today and to know that I am on the home stretch gives me the motivation to keep going until I get there. I have about 25kg (55lbs) to go I think until I get to my goal weight and if can get this far I can definitely do that. One day at a time, plugging away little by little, it will happen. Anyway - I hope you all have an awesome weekend - I know I will!! Shari

Bloomsday

Almost 20 years ago I made my friend Loretta do Bloomsday with me.  I did have to drag her along for part of it (and she hasn't let me forget it yet).  That was the last time I joined 50,000 people to walk or run 12k (7.5 miles). 

I signed up this year as motivation to start getting into shape.  I didn't train as much as I should have but I didn't give up either so that's good.  It helped that I roped many of my friends into joining me. 

The race was Sunday, May 6.  On Saturday morning I woke up with a very sore throat that developed into a cough through the day.  I was completly out of energy and very worried that I was going to HAVE to bag the race.  I worried about it a lot!  I really didn't want to let down my friends.

On Sunday morning I was feeling a little better.  I loaded my pocket with cough drops, and geared up for the walk.  I told myself that I wasn't running.  I wasn't going for a time.  I was simply going to do the race and know that I can complete it. 

I made the kids do it with me.  And at the last minute Aaron also signed up to walk with us.  I was pretty sure my youngest would pull me along and I'd have to be a cheerleader for the older one. 

Every racer has a bib with a number on it.  Embedded in the bib is a chip that is activated when you cross the starting line and certain points along the race, including the finishing line.  It gives you your personal race statistics.  This is new technology for me!  They didn't do this 20 years ago!!

The race started at 9:00.  The elite runners are able to head off at this time.  Then the next group is lead to the starting line and funneled through.  Then the next group, etc.  I signed us up for the next to last group (lilac).  The blue group was in front of us.  Blue group people expect to cross the finish line in 2.5 hours or more.  I expected 3 hours or more.  It took 45 minutes (and probably a mile of walking!) for our group to get to the starting line!! 

We started out at a reasonable pace.  We weren't passing people, but plenty of people we passing us.  I knew that we had a long way to go and I didn't want to blow all my energy right at the beginning.

The kids started to look for the big orange mile makers.  They were able to keep track of where we were.  The oldest started to complain about 5 miles in.  He twisted his ankle and was pretty tired of walking.  He powered through though.  The youngest only complained of having to go to the bathroom!  But by the time we waited in the line for the honey bucket, we could have finished the race, so I encouraged him to keep going.  About halfway through people started to slow down.  We were passing people!  We caught up to people who had started in the group before us. 

The clock at the finish line when we crossed said 3:10:57.   But remember that it took quite a bit of time to get to the starting line.  The chip in my bib said I made it 12K in 2:26:15. 

My overall place was 38,385 (out of 47,841 finishers)
And it took me 8 minutes to cruise up Doomsday hill!
I walked with a pace of 19:36 per mile. 

I  made it.  We all did.  And now I have a number to beat next year!
http://www2.brightroom.com/97735/64254

Update on Gold Rush Marathon & Double Digit Bid

I know, I know - I am a slacker!! I haven't posted in a while and I am sorry. I have had a lot on my plate lately. That is normal I know, but I had a lot more than normal in the last month which is why I have been so lax. Luckily that doesn't mean that I have slacked off with my weight loss, although I must admit that it hasn't been going as well as I had planned and I am definitely behind where I wanted to be by this time this year, but that's ok. We will get there in the end. Anyway, I really wanted to fill you in on how the Gold Rush Marathon went. There are a few things I feel the need to mention. First of all, it was harder that I thought it was going to be and I thought it was going to be hard!! I guess my mind was in a tiny bit of denial and probably didn't want to acknowledge the fact that it was a rainforest run. I didn't really think too much about the fact that it was not a run on the road, but through the rainforest. I have to admit that I really didn't start to think too much about that side of it until we were driving towards the starting point and were heading towards mountains. That's when I started to really worry!! It is probably good that I didn't think too much about it beforehand because I may not have signed up for it in the first place lol!! Anyway, we did it. I had a lot of support doing it and that really helped. My sister & her husband, his brother, myself & my daughter Nataasjia all did it and finished. I was last but I really don't care. I was so proud of myself that I actually did it. I finished that damn run and I didn't stop running almost the whole time. At some points it was just too hard to run and so I was forced to walk. You have to realise that this run was through a rainforest. I know I have said that a few times lol!! We had to wade through about 18 creek crossings (the wet feet actually became soo refreshing towards the end!!!), pick our way over rocks, through mud, avoid tree roots & fallen branches and weave our way through nasty plants hanging over the path. We were also told in the briefing before the race to watch out for leeches, spiders overhead & snakes on the path. Why the heck did we still do it you may ask?!! I am asking myself the same question lol!! But we did and I know I am glad that I did. I don't know if I will ever do it again, but I guess you just never know. I came last, but I don't care in the slightest. I was the biggest person there & I finished it. I fell over not once, not twice, but yes - three times and I was so frustrated with myself, but I picked myself up and kept going. My knee hurt after the first time, but I was not going to give in and just told myself to keep going. I could hardly walk that afternoon and the next few days, but I finished that darn race and that was all I cared about!! We can do it! There is a saying that they have written on the board at my gym and it is something that I have definitely learnt in the last year or so - "If you say you can or you can't, you are right. You can do whatever you tell yourself you can" or words to that effect. It is so true. It is our minds that stop us & I am determined that mine will not stop me because I am telling it everyday that I can and I will. As to my weight loss of late, I realised that I did not get back to update you all on my double digit bid. I did actually make it. It was right down to the wire, but I really wanted it and I ended up getting that magic number - JUST!! I didn't care - I just wanted to see two digits on the screen instead of three and you have no idea how long it has been since I had seen it and how so absolutely fantastic it was TO see it. It still brings a tear to my eye, although that is probably just because I am such a sook lol!! I have to admit I haven't gotten much further as I guess I have taken my foot off the pedal a bit due to having so much on my plate. But that is life and I have been endeavouring to rectify that in the last couple of weeks. While saying that, I do believe that although I haven't lost the numbers on the scales, I have actually lost centimetres of late which I will confirm in a couple of weeks when I have a measure at curves. I am pretty sure that is the case though because I could feel my ribcage when I had a shower last night. It was quite funny actually because it has been such a long time since I had felt it, I didn't at first realise that it was my ribcage lol!! It is such an awesome feeling and I think I will keep feeling for it in the next few days just to make sure it is still there!! It seems such a little thing to most people probably, but to me it is definitely not a small thing. Anyway, that is enough from me for now. I know that Krista is probably just about to do her Bloomsday walk and I hope that she will be updating us on that. I can't wait to hear how it goes! My friends who started their journey this year are also going well, as I hope are all of you. We can do it if we just believe in ourselves and tell ourselves we can!! Shari

Still catching up!!

I'm still here! I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.  Yet.

I joined a gym a month ago.  I spent the first few weeks trying the elliptical torture machine and recumbent bikes.  The first time I got on the elliptical I was only able to make it three and a half minutes.  I got off and did the bike for the rest of the 25-30 minutes... (closer to 25 if I'm going to be perfectly honest).  The next time I went in I stayed on for 7 minutes, and then 10, then 12.  Then 20!!  I can do 20 minutes on the elliptical!  It hurts still and I don't love it.  But I'm starting to look forward to it, just a little bit. 

I saw a trainer who encouraged me to join a BodyPump class.  I haven't done it yet.  It doesn't happen at a convenient time for me.  It isn't an impossible time.  Just not ideal and I haven't made the effort to schedule it yet.  It scares the lights out of me!  It looks like serious business.  I'll get there though.  It's on my list. :)

The trainer also set me up on a weight circuit. There are 13 machines that I go through in a circle (hence circuit).  They cover everything upper and lower body.  I think I started out with weights below what I was capable of, again because it made me nervous.  I'm slowing increasing the weight as I go.  The last few reps are supposed to be hard to do.  And they ARE! 

I haven't lost any pounds yet.  I'm maintaining.  But I'm seeing a difference in my body.  It's a small difference.  And one I'm sure I'm the only one who can see.  But it's there.  And it's a start. 

I took measurements the first week of March.  So it's time to do it again.  I'll try to remember to post them all, or at least any changes.  Nag me if I don't put it up here.  I think it's important, and a part of a SMART goal!!

Keep it up!  See less of me soon!!

Weigh In Day

Hi everyone

Just a quick update since I had a weigh in today. I lost 2.2kg (4.85lbs) which is ok since I didn't weigh in last week. I have 3.9kg (8.6lbs) to go to hit double digits. I told myself last week that I needed to pull my finger out and stop fart assing around and get to my next goal which is double digits. I knew I wouldn't get there this week but I know that by next Saturday I can definitely be there and I am going to make it happen. I will have to work really hard but I know I can do that and when I get there it will be so so worth the effort. So I gotta get to it, but I hope everyone has an awesome week and I will see you back here by next Saturday at the latest, under 100kg (220lbs)!

DOUBLE DIGITS HERE I COME - WOOHOO!!!!

Shari