My Third Virtual 5K

I ran my third virtual 5K today! It was the second run in the 13 in 2013 Virtual Race Series, the St. Patrick's Day Virtual 5K. I started training for a half marathon a little over a week ago and my first long run was this past Saturday. 4 miles. I was planning on using that run towards this race, but that was a slower run. And it was very cold and windy that day. 

My friend Desiree and I weren't able to run this morning like we have been, so I decided this afternoon to run a 5K on my own to count for the St. Patrick's Day race! (Even though it's not St. Patties... oh well! I wore my GREEN Bay Packers hoodie to be festive!) The weather was a little chilly but GORGEOUS and I had enough time before my circuit training class! My goal was to finish in under 30 minutes. This was my first virtual run on the pavement and NOT on a treadmill!

I finished with a time of 28:10! I started off fast and I knew it right away! I was excited to be using my new Garmin! It is wonderful know my pace! I slowed down enough to get a nice pace going during mile 2. I kept it there! I had some pretty tough hills during my run, but I powered through them and finished strong! 

I hope that I can finish some of the 5K's that I've signed up for with a time this good! I don't think it's fast enough to place high, but it's fast enough for me! I was very tired by the end of this run, so hopefully with some more training, I can get a little faster!

Registration for the Dam to Dam opens tomorrow! I will be registering as soon as I possibly can to ensure that I get in in time (there are only 8,000 spots and they fill up fast!)! Considering it's the reason that I've been training! It will be held on my one year anniversary for my lifestyle change! What an awesome way to celebrate! I'm going to be running a 20K! Woo hoo!

Carie's Weight Loss Journey Week 34

Has it really been 34 weeks? Sheesh! That's almost an entire pregnancy! Having been through three of them, I know what it's like to count down the weeks until you meet your new baby! Except this journey, I'm counting down the pounds until I reach my goal weight! And I am SO close! I will laugh if it takes me 40 weeks! That will be AWESOME! Almost as awesome as this shirt that someone needs to buy for me:

Found HERE

As the 2013 started, a lot of my friends and I made fitness resolutions and/or goals. A lot of those goals are the same, but when I tell people that I want to run a marathon, they look at me like I'm crazy! Maybe I am! But it has always been a dream of mine!

I remember the days I spent running track and cross country in high school. I remember being encouraged by my coaches to push a little harder and run a little faster. They told me that I could do anything I wanted to do, as long as I was willing to put forth the effort. If they gave the team a workout that required us to run to a certain point and then turn around, I would ALWAYS run to the exact spot I was told to turn around, and turn around. I NEVER turned around early. There were people on the team who did... and it would always make me SO angry. I would always finish the workouts last, or close to last. I would get so mad when I was ahead of people, I reached the turn around point, and as soon as I was coming up on those people, they would just turn around when I passed by them. Then they would pass me up near the end and finish before me. Even talking about it stirs up those old feelings I had about always finishing last.

I hated it. I felt like I ALWAYS put forth a huge effort. I did everything I was suppose to do. I did everything I was asked to do. And all the while, others were cheating and finishing before me. It killed me when the coaches wouldn't put me down for a race during track season... I remember passing around the event list and looking for my name, only to find that it wasn't on the sheet. I would try SO hard not to cry... but it never worked. There were only ever a few times in my entire high school running career that I wasn't scheduled to run, but those days were the hardest for me.

I would go over and over in my head, "What did I do wrong? Is coach mad at me? Am I being punished?" I would sit and stew in my mind and get very angry about not being able to run. I hated feeling inadequate and unworthy to even represent my team during a meet. There were plenty of events to go around... some people even ran 3 events in one night. And I got none. I still don't know exactly why. It was hard... But that's okay...

All of it made me a strong person. A strong runner. I may have not been the fastest, but I know I pushed hard each and every workout and race. It made me appreciate the events I got to participate in. It made me appreciate the fact that I could even run at all. There were times I hated running... but in the end, running was my own therapy. I had a hard childhood and a lot of negative thoughts in my head. At all times. Running helped me work out those feelings and leave them all on the road behind me. 

It was because of all that, I KNOW I can run a marathon. I remember setting the goal to run a marathon when I was younger. (I think the original goal was to run the Boston marathon... just to run it, not compete.) I knew it was something that I wanted to put my time, heart, and body into. I don't think I realized just how long a marathon is! But now that I know, the 26.2 miles don't scare me. My mind does.

That statement might sound silly... but it's true. 

That photo says it all. Exactly what I'm afraid of in a marathon is the voice inside my head telling me to quit... telling me that I'm hurting and that I should stop. But the truth is, my body is capable of AMAZING things. And my mind is going to be worn out LONG before my body is! And even if I'm the last person to cross the finish line, I will finish.

I have finally found the marathon that I will be training for and completing this year! I spent last Saturday planning out all of the 2013 races that I will be doing this year! My current list is:

January 25 - Virtual 5K via Runs For Cookies (Time PR 27:32)

May 11 - YMCA 5K
June 1 - DAM to DAM 20K

July 4 - Independence Day 5K

July 13 - The Color Run 5K (Still in the air, one of my best friends is getting married that day.)

Aug 24 - Restoration Run Half-Marathon (13.1 miles)

Sept 14 - Wabash Trail Marathon (26.2 miles)

Sept 21 - Balloon Chase 5K

Nov TBA - Fireman's 5K

I will also be doing more virtual running events as they are created! Basically what happens during a Virtual run is that you sign up to run a 5K, 10K, or whatever the distance is. You run that event on your own, where ever you are, on the day the event takes place. If you sign up for a 5K, you can either map out a 3.1 mile run around your town or run it on the treadmill. Whatever you're able to do! The best part is, they are FREE running events! This is always good for my family!

I ran my first Virtual 5K yesterday after Zumba. I told my friend, Erin, that I was going to be running a 5K afterwards and she decided to join me! I know my endorphins were high because I started out running at 6.3 mph. It felt too slow, and I thought, "What if I get tired really fast, I'll want to stay at this pace." But I decided to bump it up anyway! I increased my speed to 6.7 mph (or a 9 minute mile). I still felt slow, so I increased my speed again to 7 mph (or an 8:30 minute mile). I came up on having under a half of a mile left and decided to push myself even harder and set the speed to 7.5 mph (or an 8 minute mile). I had a rush of endorphins because I literally felt AMAZING. Runner's high! I was watching my time as the distance increased. When I finally hit the 3.1 mark, I stopped the treadmill and looked at my time of 27:32. I almost fell over with excitement. Seriously! I was dripping with sweat but I felt like I could have kept going. But once I stopped, my body caught up with me and I was exhausted! Erin finished her 5K and told me that she was only going to run 1 mile, but seeing me running pushed her to run a full 5K! I am proud of her! I took photos of my racing bib (my number is the birth months of my girls: March, May, and October), me running, my distance, and my time!

I am hoping that my 5K time on the pavement will be equally amazing as my time on a treadmill! Treadmills have inclines, but when you're running a 5K on roads and/or trails, there are hills and wind. I want to get a sub-30 5K on the pavement! Maybe I'll do Zumba beforehand so I can get my endorphins pumping!

My workouts are the same as always! Zumba, Power Hour, Running, and Swimming. But one thing that is new, I've been doing Jillian's 30 Day Shred this month! I have only missed ONE DAY! Aside from my rest days! The results are AMAZING! My jaw dropped when I looked at my before and after photo... and I'm only on day 25! (See my glorious stretch marks from my babies! Oh Lord...)

My pants go up farther now! Ha! My belly no longer rests on top of them! I just put my pants on this morning and didn't even realize it until I compared my photos. And then I cried... happy tears, of course! I am still very self conscious of my belly and stretch marks, but there they are. Raw. Fading. Boom baby. I am proud of my belly though. I've held three babies in that thing! (Well, technically my uterus has, but you know what I mean!) Getting a tattoo on my side was probably not the best idea in the world... my stretch marks have separated the colors and go through the design! Glorious youth! Oh how I've aged!

Start to Week 1, Week 2, Week 4, Week 7, Week 13, Week 26, and Week 34 progression photo:

Start to Week 34 Photos:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 27 Weight: 151 lbs
Week 28 Weight: 156 lbs
Week 29 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 30 Weight: 154 lbs
Week 31 Weight: 154 lbs
Week 32 Weight: 153 lbs
Week 33 Weight: 152 lbs
Week 34 Weight: 151 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 30: 3 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 51 lbs

Weight To Go: 16 lbs

I have spent the past 10 weeks in the 150's! It has been very frustrating for me. It's hard when I work really hard during my workouts and stay within my calorie range for each day, and the scale doesn't move. I tend to binge when I stress. I have had a few binge nights lately. Not HUGE binges, but a binge is a binge. And they suck. I will even say to myself, "Do not self-sabotage yourself Carie! You don't even want what you're eating! You are just stressed!" And yet, I still eat... Then when I get on the scale the next morning, I beat myself up for the binge. Which stresses me out even more.

It is a vicious cycle.

I have decided to start seeing the positive about my body and my weight. I want to free myself from my emotional attachment to food and my food addictions. I have realized more and more as this journey goes on just how attached I am to food. I've said it before, but I seem to keep forgetting. I noticed myself putting a huge bag of Lay's potato chips in my shopping cart last week. I snapped out of it and put the chips back on the shelf. I kept asking myself why I had even grabbed the chips. I went home and cried about it. I sobbed. Over potato chips. I kept telling myself that it was ridiculous to cry over freaking potato chips. But there I was... sobbing over them.

I started my period the next morning. (Sorry fellas, TMI... but this has a point to it!) I realized right then and there that I ALWAYS buy a huge bag of potato chips the day before I start. I never realized it until that moment. I realized then that I wasn't being ridiculous, I was breaking a cycle. My body craves salty foods, which make me bloat like crazy. Downing an entire bag of salty potato chips was horrible for my body. So on top of my period bloating, my body was being loaded with salt, which makes your body retain water. I didn't cramp as bad. I didn't have crazy cravings. I felt clear.

I started talking to my family about this. About eating healthier. Not just being healthier, but eating healthier. My sister-in-law mentioned the movie Hungry For Change. (It is on Netflix and Hulu. Watch it.) We talked about how the companies making our food pump them full of crap that makes us addicted to it. High fructose corn syrup is in almost EVERYTHING on the shelves at the store. MSG is in a ton of stuff and it is hidden under different names. It is insane. I felt outraged when I watched the documentary. I was ON FIRE. I felt helpless. Until the point in the movie when Joe Cross showed up. I remembered him from the documentary Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead. (It is also on Netflix and Hulu. Watch it, too.) Then I remembered his stand on Juicing. We can juice fresh produce and have the micro and macro nutrients that are super healthy for our bodies absorbed within minutes of drinking them. There are so many health benefits of juicing. Charles and I are purchasing a juicer with our income tax money so that we can start juicing! You KNOW what you are putting into your body when you juice. When you buy bottled juice from the store, you are putting added chemicals and crap into your body. Which makes it harder for your system to digest and heal itself.

I think a huge part of breaking my food addictions is eating food that is as close to natural as possible. When we eat healthy food, our bodies will crave the healthy food. Sure, a food craving for ice cream or candy bars may arise, but it is SO much easier to fight them off when you think about what you would be putting into your body. Our bodies WANT to be healthy. I want to give my body the healthiest food that I possibly can. That includes the types of meat that I consume. I won't get too much into this, but I want meat from animals that aren't pumped full of hormones. Animals that are free range and grass fed. Reading labels and seeing what is in the food that I purchase and eat has helped me feel better about my health.

I also realized that part of my problem is that I still see the "old Carie" when I look into the mirror. And I am very hard on myself when it comes to my "problem areas" on my body. In the movie Hungry For Change, Dr. Christiane Northrup suggests a daily affirmation, “I accept myself unconditionally right now.” She writes it on a prescription card for her patients. You are suppose to tape it to a mirror and read it, out loud, to yourself for 30 days. It takes your brain that long to learn that simple truth. I am going to start doing this on Monday. I think that it will help me by leaps and bounds. I am learning how to love myself. I thought it would come easy with weight loss, but it is proving to be a struggle. Like most things in life! 

My plan for the next month is to keep up on clean eating and drinking LOTS of water. I am making small changes each day. I learned the hard way that it's not good to go cold turkey on sugar! So I am going to be weaning myself each day. I want to start a binge-free streak as well. And be honest about it. Today is day one. (I can do this!) I am also going to start lifting to build more muscle to burn the fat that is still on my body. I'm thinking of lifting twice a week for right now while I finish Jillian's 30DS. Afterwards, I think I'll go three or four times a week, depending on what's going on. (I'm still trying to wean my baby from breastfeeding.)

I am starting the Live Healthy Iowa 10 week challenge on Monday. I have also signed up on TheBiggestLoser.com for a 6 week challenge to reach my goal weight of 135 lbs in the next six weeks. That's roughly 2 pounds a week! I've gotta get moving! Talk about motivation!

My motto right now:

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 30

I closed last month's post with a picture that said, "It's December. Finish strong." Well, December hasn't been my friend. I started the month off strong, only to have a terrible flu-like cold hit me very hard. My throat started feeling a little scratchy within the first few days, but by Thursday's Power Hour, I knew I was in for more than I wanted. I toughed it out for Zumba on Friday, and actually started to feel better. I woke up to go swimming on Saturday and couldn't even talk.

I had no idea what the next week had in store for me! I had the worst sore throat that I can even remember. It. Was. Awful. I was congested, I had a runny nose, coughing was torture, and I couldn't breathe very well. I was so tired all the time, but I hated sleeping because I couldn't find a comfortable way to sleep and breathe at the same time. I felt beyond dehydrated even though I was getting WAY more than 8 glasses of water a day. It was awful. I did no physical activity at all and vegged out every day. Not to mention the fact that I had a five pound gain on the scale at the end of the week. I was crushed.

I finally felt well enough to go back to Zumba on the 17th. I struggled a little bit and felt extremely fatigued half-way through, but I finished my workout and gave it everything I had! Each day it got easier to workout and not feel like I was about to fall over. It's been a crazy few weeks, but I think I'm just about back to 100% again!

I started Jillian's 30 Day Shred again, but stopped when I got sick. So, once again, I haven't completed it. I fully intend on having January being the month I complete it, if I don't get sick again! Or lazy like the time before... I just hope that I am able to actually complete it this time!

Aside from the sickness, my workouts have remained the same. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. Swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week. I haven't been on a run this month, which makes me sad, but it's been difficult with being sick and the snow outside. I am going to run this coming Monday so that I can say that I ran once during the month of December!

Even though I have a gain this month, my size is still going down, so I know that my body is still shrinking! I never thought I'd see the day where a size medium anything would fit me! I'm still in shock. I'm comfortably wearing a size 12 jean now, but they are getting bigger as well! I am very much looking forward to being able to shop for a completely new wardrobe when I reach my goal weight!

Start to Week 1, Week 2, Week 9, Week 17, Week 26, and Week 30 progression photo:

Start to Week 30 photos:

Week 26 and Week 30:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 27 Weight: 151 lbs
Week 28 Weight: 156 lbs
Week 29 Weight: 155 lbs
Week 30 Weight: 154 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 26: 1 lb

Total Weight Lost: 48 lbs

Weight To Go: 19 lbs

So with the loss that put me at 51 pounds down, it really sucked to see the scale jump up five pounds. It takes a lot of hard work to lose weight, yet it is SO easy to put back on. Looking at the bright side of it, I'm still in the 150's! Which makes me super happy! I'm SO close to the 140's, but I've worked really hard to be in the 150's! The 140's will happen! I decided to focus on my measurements since I haven't updated anyone on those in a while! You can really see my hard work paying off in those numbers!

Waist

Start: 40 1/2"

Week 30: 31"

Inches Lost: 9 1/2"

Hips

Start: 47"

Week 30: 38 1/2"

Inches Lost: 8 1/2"

Bust

Start: 45"

Week 30: 37 1/2"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Belly (Widest part of my "pooch")

Start: 45 1/2"

Week 30: 38"

Inches Lost: 7 1/2"

Right Thigh

Start: 27"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 3 1/2"

Left Thigh

Start: 27 3/4"

Week 30: 23 1/2"

Inches Lost: 4 1/4"

Total Inches Lost: 40 3/4"

It's crazy to me that I even had those 40+ inches on my body! I am still unaware of just how many inches I've lost. I see cute clothes at the store and can actually try them on. Which is huge for me. I have been shopping in the plus size section for a while, so now I always have to redirect myself towards the smaller section. I can actually find clothes online that are in my size and in stock! One of my goals when I started this journey was that I wouldn't be afraid to try on clothes... and I am almost there!

Since I hit my 50 pound goal earlier in the month, I decided to wear the shoes I won from a giveaway on Cherie Runs This. I had been praying to win that giveaway! My old shoes were in serious need of replacing and good shoes aren't something my husband and I can afford right now. I got the shoes in the mail a few days before I actually reached my goal. So the day I hit my 50 pounds lost goal, I decided to break out the new shoes! I even took some photos of my old and new shoes! You can see the holes in my grey shoes!

Seems crazy that I am almost to my goal weight! 30 weeks is a long time! It seems like yesterday that I started this journey... and then there are days where I feel like I've been counting calories for YEARS! Those days are especially hard because I just want to eat everything in sight and not care... but that's why it's so hard. I DO care. I WANT results. It takes almost everything that I have to stay away from unhealthy food on those days. Food still has a hold on me... especially when it comes to Dairy Queen. Thank goodness they are closed for the winter! (In my town, that is. I know there are DQ's that are open everywhere else.)

With the year coming to an end, I have put a lot of thought into my fitness goals for 2013. Most of my goals are actually races! I want to do a lot of 5K's, a 20K, a half-marathon, and a full marathon. Here is my list of races and goals (so far) for the year 2013:

• Start Hal Higdon's Half Marathon and Full Marathon Training Schedules
• Reach my goal weight of 135 lbs
• Start lifting weights regularly 
• DAM to DAM (20K) - June 1, 2013 (on my 1 year weight loss anniversary!)
• Fourth of July 5K - July 4, 2013
• Warrior Dash (5K with obstacles) - July 27, 2013
• Balloon Chase (5K) - September 2013
• Band of Brotherhood 5K Run/Walk - November 2013
• Half Marathon - TBA
• Full Marathon - TBA

It has been difficult to find a half marathon and a full marathon that aren't held on a Sunday. I don't run on Sunday's because it is the Sabbath day. There are a few Saturday races in my state, but there hasn't been a 2013 date set yet, so I'm keeping my list open! But I will get my 13.1 and my 26.2 stickers in 2013!

I have had so many people comment about my weight loss and how good I am looking. It has been a wonderful experience. I still feel shy about myself and, at times, a little awkward. But it is a wonderful feeling to wear clothes and not worry about if I'm hanging over my jeans or hanging out of my top! So many people have been inspired my me. I am humbled by that. My main goal when I started this journey was to inspire others. To show you all that YOU CAN DO IT! If you want to lose weight, you can do it. If you want to run a 5K (or any other distance), you can do it. I am here to show you that the road is not easy, but if you stay on it, you can do anything you set your mind to. I didn't believe it at first... but I believe it now!

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 26

I waited an extra week to do my monthly update because last weekend was Thanksgiving and I was visiting family on the other side of the state. And because it was the holiday! In the past 5 months, I haven't had a cheat day. I've had a few cheat meals here and there, but never a full day of no calorie counting. I let myself have three days of freedom. They were nice... but they were also hard.

The entire first day, I was terrified of the food. I decided to make a plate with a little bit of everything on it. I had the gravy drizzled all over my turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and roll. I ate the candied yams with marshmallows. I ate my Mom's pineapple fluff. I enjoyed every single bite! I was full, but not stuffed. After the meal, I didn't think about the calories in the food, I thought about the conversations I had with my family and how much I enjoyed relaxing with them! It helped me to relax the rest of the weekend. We went to a bakery one morning, and I ate a huge apple fritter. I made a comment about how many calories were in it, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it!

By the time Sunday came, I was ready to get back on track. I stayed under my calories for the day and felt the side effects of the food I ate over the first few days of the holiday. I was in the bathroom most of the day and I had some major headaches. But all in all, it was worth it! I very much enjoyed my cheat days!

My workouts have remained the same this month. Zumba on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Power Hour on Tuesday and Thursday each week. I've been getting a 6 mile run in each Saturday (except for the holiday weekend). And I've been swimming laps at the Y when I can, about 2 times a week.

I started doing Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred and stopped about 12 days in. I have no real reason, I have no good excuses. I was tired. I was exhausted. I'm human. I started noticing a difference in the way my jeans were fitting and that I could easily wear a size 13 jean! I didn't need to wiggle or hop to get them on. It was very exciting for me, and even though I was getting results, I still stopped. I'm sad about it... but there isn't a lot I can do about that now.

I have been doing the plank-a-day challenge! I am up to a two minute plank! This is huge for me! It took me up until now to make it the entire two minutes. Doing them each day (except for my rest days) has been interesting. Some days I feel very strong when doing a plank, and other days I can't even hold a plank for over a minute. Some planks I feel like I'm going to die. My back starts hurting, my legs start shaking uncontrollably... but through it all, I can feel my core getting stronger. I don't have to concentrate as much during the first minute of my plank like I did when I first started them. It's only after the first minute that I have to start breathing and focusing on not falling! It feels great to be getting stronger!

I have also noticed that the more weight I lose, the faster my running time is. Seems simple enough to understand, but I guess I really didn't realize it until I ran two weeks ago. I mapped out a 10K run and wanted to run it in under 60 minutes. I have been so close to breaking an hour, but I've been over by about 3 to 4 minutes. When I was on the home stretch, I pushed as hard as I could. When I got to the finish, I looked at my time. It was 1 hour and 1 minute. 61 minutes. SOOOO close! I think that if I ran the same route right now, I'd break under an hour! But I won't run my 10K again until next weekend! I went swimming this morning to get my calorie burn in  for the day!

I changed my photo outfit for this week! I know! It'll probably throw you off for a second, but the pink top that I've been wearing is too big now! It's a size XL and you can't really see my progress as well when I wear it. I changed the bottoms as well. The black ones that I have been wearing are a large, but they've been  stretched out and don't show my progress. So the top and bottoms are mediums. A little tight, yes, but that's the point. I want to fit them nicely at the end of my journey.

Start to Week 3, Week 8, Week 13, Week 21, and Week 26 progression photos:

Start to Week 26 photos:

Week 21 and Week 26 photo:

Starting Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Week 9 Weight: 177 lbs

Week 10 Weight: 175 lbs

Week 11 Weight: 174 lbs

Week 12 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 13 Weight: 171 lbs

Week 14 Weight: 172 lbs

Week 15 Weight: 173 lbs

Week 16 Weight: 169 lbs

Week 17 Weight: 168 lbs

Week 18 Weight: 167 lbs

Week 19 Weight: 166 lbs

Week 20 Weight: 164 lbs

Week 21 Weight: 162 lbs

Week 22 Weight: 161 lbs

Week 23 Weight: 160 lbs

Week 24 Weight: 157 lbs

Week 25 Weight: 159 lbs

Week 26 Weight: 155 lbs

Weight Lost Since Week 21: 7 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 47 lbs

Weight To Go: 20 lbs

I cried the day I weighed myself and the scale showed me that I was in the 150's! There were a lot of emotions going on. But the one that stood out the most was the feeling of "I am proud of myself". Through this entire journey, I have been proud of myself. But I never really let it sink in. The day I saw the scale hit 157 lbs, it sank in. And I cried. No one helped me lose the weight. No one can help me... it is something that only I can do. I feed off of other people's motivation, but in the end, it's me. I'm the one who has to do one more burpee, one more push-up, etc. But I know I couldn't do those things mentally without the love and support I get from my family and friends.

I took a picture of the scale this morning to prove that these numbers are legit. I've been accused of lying about my weight because of how my body "looks". I was upset at first, but I just ignored the person for the most part. But I also wanted to prove to that person that I am not lying about this stuff. This is my current weight. My husband was standing right behind me when I got on and off the scale. Every gain is noted above. Just like every loss. This is honest weight loss and hard work.

I still can't believe that I'm SO close to the 50 pound mark! Three more pounds to go! I also can't believe that all I have left to lose is 20 pounds! That's 10+10! Or 5+5+5+5! I am so close to being done! But it is getting harder and harder to lose this weight. I know that people don't go by the whole BMI thing, but my scale shows me what it is and if it's within range or not. Right now, I am 0.1 lbs away from a healthy BMI. I calculate it on Myfitnesspal every so often, and these were my results this morning:

I am restarting Jillian's 30 day shred this month, starting today. The only exception is that I don't work out on Sunday. I know that it goes against the whole "30 day" thing, but it's my rest day! I need my rest days for physical, mental, and spiritual reasons! But I will be completing the 30 days, it will just take me longer than 30 calendar days. I am not going to stop this time! I'm going to stick with it! I want an amazing before and after photo!

I am also going to continue doing the plank a day challenge. I really enjoy it so far! I'm still working for my goal of a 10-minute plank. And yes, I know that I am crazy!

I also won a new pair of running shoes on a giveaway this week! Check it out here: Cherie Runs This! I am very happy to have won because my shoes are suffering terribly right now! I need new ones bad!

This is the last month of the year! December is here! Seems crazy that I started this journey on the first of June. I am 6 months into my journey today. I am 47 pounds lighter. 2012 is almost over! I have a lot of goals and races planned for 2013! I just need to remember this:

October Already? Update time!

Where has August and September gone? We have had an amazing few months! But I guess time flies when you're having fun!

Most of August had the weather being either super hot or really rainy, so we have spent most of our time inside. My girls love to read and have me read to them. I have spent countless hours on my couch reading book after book to my girls. There are some books that I don't even need to read anymore because I can tell it from memory! With Vivian becoming more mobile, she's discovered books. Although she can't read and won't hold still for me to read one to her, she sure loves to find our tiny books and flip through the pages!

One of the things I have always wanted to do was raise children who appreciate books! I think I'm doing a great job so far!

Charles and I found out the day after our anniversary (8/12/12) that his great aunt had passed away. We went to her visitation and brought our girls to meet Charles' extended family. They were so sweet and just loved getting to meet a bunch of new people! We got so many nice compliments on our beautiful daughters! I took a photo of each girl before we left, and looking like this, it was hard to not just swoon over my girls!

On August 18th, Jamie and I ran our last run for the Couch to 5K running plan! It was a bittersweet morning, but we finished our 30 minute run without stopping and did it with smiles on our faces! By the time I got back home, I had to start getting ready for Karmen's surprise birthday party! We had to leave around 1:30 to make it to the church to set up before she got there. It was a wonderful moment when she came into the room and was genuinely surprised! She almost passed out! There were a ton of people who showed up! We traveled home, then Charles and I went to Karmen's house to watch The Hunger Games to wrap up Karmen's birthday party!

I have had some difficulty with Caitlin and not wanting to take a nap in the afternoons. I have tried putting her in her bed and leaving the room hoping she'd fall asleep, only to find that she won't go to sleep and ends up waking Rosalie too early. I got frustrated with that because I would have two crabby kiddos instead of one. I had no choice than to keep Caitlin up. But by the end of the day, she was beyond fussy and cranky.

An idea came one day to have her take "rest" time on the couch. She could color, read books, or watch a movie as long as she was laying on the couch and being quiet. And it worked! Some days, she'll stay up, but the other days are ending up like this:

I know she needs her naps! She feels so much better on the days she falls asleep on the couch! Even if it is only for 30 minutes, she gets her rest! This makes me very happy! I'm able to get some quiet time to relax, clean, or craft!

We had a week of cooler weather, so it was a great opportunity to get the girls outside without worrying if they'd get overheated in a short amount of time! I actually had to pull out the girls' fall/winter clothes! While doing this, the girls noticed a pattern in their clothes. They came up to me carrying every shirt that had Dora on the front! It was followed by, "It's time to get dressed with Dora, Mommy!" So I dressed the girls up in Dora clothes and got some photos of them playing on the porch one morning!

The vest that Vivian is wearing actually goes with the outfit that Rosalie was wearing, but she decided to share with Vivian! It was so cute watching her put the vest on Vivian! Caitlin helped!

Vivian got hold of some crayons from Caitlin's color box one evening. Charles and I didn't realize it at first because we were helping the other two color. It wasn't until Vivian climbed up the side of the couch and I reached for her that I realized Vivian had been into the crayons! I saw purple all over my pants and the couch cushion... not to mention, all over Miss Vivian!

Vivi has been very independent lately! She wants to do everything herself.  Everything. And she will scream and fight if you try to help her do anything.

Welcome September! I went shopping for some clothes for Vivian and stumbled upon some awesome deals for used Halloween costumes for the girls! The rectory was having a costume sale, all costumes were $1! Caitlin will be SpiderGirl, Rosalie will be a Princess, and Vivian will be a ducky!

The next day, September 2nd, we traveled to Red Oak for my Mom's surprise birthday party at my Aunt's house! We showed up early to help with the food and to spend some time with our family before my Mom showed up!

My Mom really had no idea that we had planned it all behind her back! She thought that maybe we were having a party for her baby brother, but no! It was for her! We all hid in the garage and waited for her to come inside so that we could yell, "SURPRISE!", and then sing Happy Birthday!

September 6th, Vivian turned 11 months old! It has flown by! She is growing so fast! She is petite compared to her sisters when they were that age, she is unique! She has a fantastic personality and is always happy and clapping her hands! When I was trying to take her 11 Month photo, she would not hold still or leave her yellow flower alone! I took about 50 photos and only one turned out good! So I decided to put a fun one and the good one next to each other! Happy 11 Months, Vivian Rane!

September 13th, we took the girls to a Parents as Teachers fun night! The theme was ducks. The girls read some stories about ducks, made some paper crafts, and had a puppet show. We put our names in a box for a chance to win one of the puppet boxes and ended up winning the biggest one! I snapped some photos of the girls playing with it the next morning! They were just tickled that we won it and got to take it home! Vivian didn't really like going inside, so she sat outside of the box and read some books!

September 14th, we took the girls over to Mike and Karmen's house for a soup pot-luck before the hot air balloons had a fun flight that evening. Mike and Karmen live a few houses down from the football field where the balloons drop the sandbag onto the target. So once we saw some balloons in the air, we took the girls over and watched the balloons come really close and fly away! We had an amazing time!

You can see the balloons in the pictures, but they are very small in the sky! In the third photo, Caitlin is pretending that the hot air balloon is on her finger!

Watching a balloon land on the football field!

September 15th, I got to represent the YMCA in the Balloon Days parade that morning by doing Zumba! If you have been following my weight-loss journey, I did the same thing in the fourth of July parade. I was 20 lbs heavier then. This time was SO much easier!

Charles took the girls to the depot to watch the parade! He said that Caitlin sat on the curb and didn't want to do anything while Rosalie was running around picking up candy and waving at people in the parade! Vivian chilled in the stroller next to Daddy.

Mike and Karmen came over for lunch and chilled with us for the rest of the day! Karmen and I watched some movies while Charles and Mike went Frisbee golfing. When the sun was almost down, we took the girls over to the airport to watch the night glow. The balloons line up and do a count down. Once it's time, they all make the balloons glow at the same time. This year wasn't as good as the past years, but we got a few good photos of the balloons lighting up! Caitlin was in awe as she watched! Rosalie kept saying, "Hot. Air. Balloon. FIRE!" Vivian just chilled in the backseat of the car!

September 18th, our Parent Educator, Retta, came over to spend some time with Caitlin and Rosalie! She told me before she came over that she wanted to finger paint with the girls. It was hard keeping it a surprise, but the girls were so excited when Retta and I told them what we were doing for her visit! The girls got right into it and were pros! This was both of their first time finger painting! They also got to watercolor paint! It wasn't as fun as painting with their fingers, but they both loved being able to use a paint brush! They both created masterpieces!

With the cooler weather coming more frequently, I had to switch Vivian's clothes over from her summer attire to her fall/winter attire. Most of the clothes she has that are meant for this season. She is also moving up a size in her clothes. We are finally in 12 month clothes. So when I was switching over her clothes, I had a moment of sadness when I realized that she wouldn't fit some of the 6-9 month winter clothes that her older sisters got to wear, and some that were new to Vivian. Since it was a cool day, I put Vivian in most of the outfits I wanted her to have at least one photo while wearing! She was a trooper and loved playing dress up!

She's posed similar in the middle and last photos because she was trying to pull the rosette hairband off of her head from behind! :) Strike a pose!

This brings us to the end of September!

September 28th, Homecoming parade! I took the girls over to T's house for the Homecoming parade done by the High School/Middle School. We came over a little early so that the kids could play and get the wiggles out of their systems. By the time it was time for the parade, everyone had their own lawn chair that was lined up on the side of the road!

There was lots of candy being thrown and both girls picked it up this time! Caitlin held her hands over her ears most of the time because of the "loud firetrucks". Rosalie took time to wave to each person in the parade and say, "HIIIII!!! HIIIIII!!!" She had the Queen candidates laughing pretty hard and saying, "Oh! She's so cute!" Rosie was LOVING the attention! By the end of the parade, the moment we had been waiting for was coming down the road! My nephew, Austin, was riding on a truck representing his football team! I didn't get a close-up shot of him on the truck because by the time the girls realized that he was on the truck, I had to hold them still because they wanted to run to him! It was super cute! They were so proud of Austin!

Welcome October!

This month is packed with stuff for our family! I am going to to try and stay updated on here! Especially since Vivian turns ONE this month! Her party is planned and I've been working on her party decorations and pinata! There is also the Color Run, other birthday parties, a wedding, Halloween, and more! I'll keep y'all updated as best as I can!