Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Color Up 5K

So do you remember that time I said I was done with running?  I might have lied to myself a little. This last weekend I did the color run and had so much fun.  I think I liked it because it was all about having fun and there was no timer which meant no pressure.  I walked most of it and jogged a bit.  I have no idea how long it took me to finish and I don't care.  I finished and that is enough.

Before

 
After

So I guess I am saying that I could see myself doing more fun runs in the future.  

Have you ever done a color run?  What other types of fun runs are there?

Monday, April 28, 2014

Checking In

Hey y'all, I am still here.  I have been super busy at work and at home (family and school) and had to put the blog on the back burner.  I do have some things to share with you all this week and will be back posting starting tomorrow.  Stay tuned dolls and have a happy Monday!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Things My Daughter Has Said

The things kids say sometimes are crazy and random.  It either makes you almost wet your pants from laughing so hard or makes you want to die from embarrassment or slowly back away in fear.  Madelynn has been no exception to this fact.  For your entertainment I give you, Things My Daughter Has Said.

1. "When I grow up I wanna be a singer like Tom Petty."

2.  "Yea, my mom is always on the toilet."

3.  "I wanna be a grocery store girl when I grow bigger."

4.  "If my heart isn't clean then Jesus can't live there."

5.  "I am gonna marry a boy like my dad and they are going to be best friends and play video games."

6.  " Dad, when I get my purple gun I am gonna shoot those birds so they don't poop on our car."

7.  "Hey PopPop don't forget my purple smokes."

8.  " You smell that stinky funk?  I farted."

9. " These are my wrestling clothes, I am Nacho Libre and daddy is esqueleto."

10.  "Can we do a conga line after dinner?"

11. "Because I'm magical"

12.  Talking about her imaginary friend - "Anchor, yea he lives in the North Pole.  Ugh, he emails me all the time."

13.  My mom was describing this really crotchety lady that works at my sister's school and Madelynn pipes up with, "That sounds like my mom!"

14.  "Dad, I wish we had a rocket ship to go to outer space."

15.  "That car is being an idiot! They need to get out of our way!"

I could go on and on and I am sure I have forgotten some of the funnier ones.  I wish I had written them down.  

What are some funny, creepy, or cute things your kids have said?



Monday, April 14, 2014

Goal Oriented

So if you follow me on Facebook you probably saw this on Friday.

Well that came back to bite me in the butt because I did not follow my own advice this last weekend.  It all started to fall apart on Friday after work.  I got off work late around 5:45 p.m. and went to pick my sister up from a friends house.  She was coming to stay with us for the weekend because my parents were going out of town.  So by the time I got her and we went over to my mom's house to get her stuff she realized that she forgot her key.  So my parents had to turn around and let her in and we had to wait.  


By the time we finally got her stuff and I ran my last errand to get a lawnmower part for Brent it was almost 9:00 p.m.  So I stopped and got us pizza and called it a day.  When stuff like that happens I am still struggling with not letting one bad meal carry over into the next few days.  Needless to say my weekend was a mix of not super good choices and not eating enough.

But like I have said many times before I just have to keep going.  So Candra who blogs over at Camo and Lipstick prompted her IG followers (you can follow her @camonlipstick) to set some goals for the week. So here are my goals for the week.

1. Workout 4 times
2. Meet my calorie goal (approx. 2500 cal) everyday
3. Drink water only (no juice or tea)
4. Go to bed by 10 pm every night

My goals are simple and not overwhelming and will help me get back on track.  What are your goals for the week?

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Running On Empty

I recently came to the realization that I am not a runner.  Me liking running is never going to happen.  Furthermore, the chances of me growing a pair and actually completing a half marathon this year...


When I am done with my runs I feel like crap.  I hear about this runners high and how you just hit this place where you feel amazing and you cry tears of joy.  {Ummmm yeah, that has not happened to me so I am still counting it as a myth.}  I mean high fives to all those who love running but it ain't for me.

I am signed up for a color run on April 26th and I am still going to honor that commitment but I am not going to kill myself trying to finish it.  I am going to have fun with my friends and run (code for jog) when I can and walk the rest of the way.

  
During my contemplation of running, I also figured out that weight lifting is for me.  I get in there and get 'er done and finish feeling ready to kick ass and take names.  I mean I am exhausted at the end but it empowers me.  So from this point on I am going to focus on weight training with a little cardio sprinkled in the mix.

What types of workouts empower you?

Monday, April 7, 2014

Letting Go of the Secrets

When I started this blog several months ago I wanted to be completely honest with you all.  I won't lie some of the things I have shared (like progress pics in tight fitting clothing) have been hard.  This past weekend I made the decision that I wanted to tell all of my secrets.  As hard as it is to share this information I have to smile through the adversity.


I have decided it is time to share my stats with you all. When I started this journey in August I weighed 344.8 lbs.  My current weight is 313.9 lbs although I have fluctuated between 311-315 for the past 4 months. I started out a size 26/28 and am now wearing size 22/24.  I would really like to get down to a size 18 by the end of the year.  

When I first started I was so ashamed/scared to share my weight because I feared the unknown reaction of the strangers who might come across that info.  Now I don't care because I am doing something about it.  I figured that hiding that number is giving it power over my life and I don't need that in my life.

Since I have struggled the past few months I decided to updated my progress photos and my measurements (I could kick myself for not doing measurements in the beginning).   Below are my updates.

Measurements 1/2/14
Bust - 52.5"
L Arm - 18"
R Arm - 18.75"
Waist - 52.5"
Midway - 53.25"
Hips - 59"
R thigh - 29.5"
L thigh - 27.5"
R knee - 22"
L knee - 20.5"

Measurements 4/5/14
Bust - 52"
L Arm - 17.75"
R Arm - 17.75"
Waist - 50"
Midway - 51.75"
Hips - 57.25"
R thigh - 28.25"
L thigh - 28"
R knee - 21"
L knee - 19.75"
Left, 12/31/13 Right 4/5/14

Left-12/31/13, Right- 4/5/14 (I can see the most difference in my body in this pic)


Left, 12/31/13 Right 4/5/14

Although my weight is essentially the same I have lost 9.25 inches all over my body.  So there ya have it.



What are you letting go of this week?

Thursday, April 3, 2014

The importance of music

Finding the motivation to workout is a real struggle for me every week.  With that said, I have to find things that get me pumped to get my sweat on.  My music is definitely a key factor in my workouts.  When I switched phones in December I put some of my music on my phone quickly one day and have been listening to the same handful of tracks for a few months.  Last week I decided I need to sit down and get my music situation straightened out. So this last weekend I bought a few new tracks and added some new music to my phone.    I find that different types of music motivate me differently.  For example, rap/hip hop and hard rock make me want to lift all the heavy things, while music I can sing to (classic rock/pop and newer music) helps me get through my runs.

So I organized a few playlists so I could choose the right music at the right time in order to keep me motivated during my workouts.  I have shared my playlists below (I play them on random so I don't hear the same artist back to back) so you can see what I am listening to and maybe find some music you want to add to your mix.

Playlist #1 - Rap

  1. Eminem - No Love
  2. Ice Cube - Today was a good day
  3. Fugees - Ready or Not
  4. Juicy J - Bandz a Make Her Dance
  5. Nelly - Shake Ya Tail Feather
  6. Rick Ross - Push It
  7. Rick Ross - Hustlin
  8. Ying Yang Twins - Badd
  9. Ying Yang Twins - Shake
  10. Nelly - Number One
  11. D12 - Purple Pills
  12. Nelly - Grillz
  13. Youngbloodz - 85/Billy Dee Interlude
  14. Youngbloodz - Presidential
  15. Young Jeezy - Soul Survivor
  16. Young Jeezy - And then what
  17. Young Jeezy - I Luv It
  18. Ying Yang Twins - Salt Shaker
  19. Three Six Mafia - Side to Side
  20. Three Six Mafia - Poppin My Collar
  21. Three Six Mafia - Stay Fly
  22. Snoop Dogg - Drop It Like It's Hot
  23. Kanye - Heartless
  24. Kanye - Stronger


Playlist #2 - Rock

  1. Audioslave - Be Yourself
  2. Butthole Surfers - Pepper
  3. Carfax Abbey - Cry Little Sister
  4. Imagine Dragons - Radioactive
  5. Marilyn Manson - Heart Shaped Glasses
  6. Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show
  7. Black Veil Brides - In the End
  8. Nine Inch Nails - Perfect Drug
  9. Nirvana - Heart Shaped Box
  10. Orgy - Blue Monday
  11. Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song
  12. Offspring - Gone Away
  13. Offspring - Come Out and Play
  14. Offspring - Self-Esteem
  15. Limp Bizkit - My Way
  16. Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams
  17. CKY - 96 Quite Bitter Beings
  18. Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything


Playlist #3 - 70s, 80s and 90s mix

  1. Alice Cooper - I'm 18
  2. Billy Squier - My Kinda Lover
  3. Bob Dylan - Knockin' on Heaven's Door
  4. Bob Seger - Old Time Rock and Roll
  5. Bob Seger - Night Moves
  6. Bob Seger - Mainstreet
  7. Bob Seger - Turn the Page
  8. Bob Seger - Her Strut
  9. Bob Seger - You'll Accomp'ny Me
  10. Boys Don't Cry - I Wanna Be a Cowboy
  11. Breakwater - Release the Beast
  12. Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
  13. Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
  14. Duran Duran - Reflex
  15. Duran Duran - Planet Earth
  16. Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
  17. Gerry Rafferty - Baker Street
  18. Joe Walsh - Life's Been Good
  19. McHammer - Can't Touch This
  20. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
  21. Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
  22. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
  23. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
  24. Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
  25. Quaterflash - Harden My Heart
  26. Queen - Another One Bites the Dust
  27. Radiohead - Karma Police
  28. Rick James - Super Freak
  29. Salt-N-Pepa - Push It
  30. US3 - Cantaloop
  31. Weezer - Buddy Holly
  32. Tom Petty - I Won't Back Down
  33. Tom Petty - Free Fallin
  34. Tom Petty - Mary Jane's Last Dance
  35. U2 - Pride
  36. Pink Floyd - Another Brick on the Wall
  37. Moody Blues - Nights in White Satin
  38. Cars - Moving in Stereo
  39. Talk Talk - It's My Life
  40. A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
  41. Talking Heads - Burning Down the House
  42. Tears for Fears - Head Over Heals


Playlist #4 - Newer Music

  1. Awolnation - Sail
  2. Capital Cities - Safe and Sound
  3. Capital Cities - Kangaroo Court
  4. David Guetta - Titanium
  5. Death Cab for Cutie - Soul Meets Body
  6. Depeche Mode - Precious
  7. DJ Laz - Move Shake Drop Remix
  8. Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home
  9. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
  10. Foster the People - Helena Beat
  11. Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
  12. Foster the People - Waste
  13. Foster the People - Houdini
  14. Foster the People - Miss You
  15. Katy Perry - Roar
  16. Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
  17. Lana Del Ray - Radio
  18. Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness
  19. Linkin Park (Reanimation) - Pts. of Athrty
  20. Linkin Park - Faint
  21. Little Boots - New in Town
  22. M.I.A - Paper Planes
  23. M.I.A. - Bad Girls
  24. Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop
  25. MGMT - Electric Feel
  26. MGMT - Time to Pretend
  27. MGMT - Kids
  28. Missy Elliot - Gossip Folks
  29. Missy Elliot - Work It
  30. Modest Mouse - Float On
  31. Nelly Fertado - Maneater
  32. NKOTB - Remix (I Like the)
  33. Sean Paul - Temperature
  34. Shakira - She Wolf
  35. The Cardigans - Erase and Rewind
  36. System of a Down - Lost in Hollywood
  37. 30 Seconds to Mars - Do or Die


What are some songs that keep you motivated during your workout?