Saturday, December 31, 2011

One more for 2011! Bring it on 2012!!

Weight loss to date: 89 lbs

This is my last blog for 2011, so I decided to look back on the year I've had. We have had a lot of ups and downs here at our house, but never once did God leave our side.  We are going into 2012 with some trials already, but I am confident that God will always provide and we will continue to trust His plans for us.
This was a year of a few heart breaks for us. I lost my beloved Sophie girl in May, which completely devastated me. Say what you will because she was just my dog, but to me she was my best friend and some days she was the best listener I could ever ask for. I miss her like crazy, but I know God is enjoying her silly little face up in Heaven. I also lost one of my uncles this year. I think the hardest part was seeing the pain my cousins had to deal with. In the midst of the sadness, I always knew that God would prevail and bless us for being faithful. 
January was the start of a new Carla. I decided that I was not going to let my weight define me anymore and I changed my whole life. I never thought at that moment, how different my life would be a year later.  I never quit and lost 89 lbs so far.  I went from sitting on the couch ALL day, to running 5k's and working out as much as I can. I am blessed to have an amazing family and husband that push me and support me in everything. 
I am sad to see some doors closing in our lives, but I know that for every door He closes, God will open another one. He blessed me with incredible friends and introduced me to some amazing new people this year.
"Trust the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will guide your path." This has been my mantra for the last year, and it will be for the next year. I am going to put everything I have into trusting God and His plans for our lives!
Happy New Year everyone! Make 2012 the BEST year yet!!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

One-derland!! Feels so good!!

11 months into my Journey
weight loss to date:89 lbs.

I am so excited!! I finally hit "One-derland" on Wednesday of this week!  I was really hoping to make it before Christmas and it feels amazing!  What made it even better was that I keep losing putting me less than one pound away from 90 lbs. lost total since Jan 2011!  I have been doing much better this week with controling portions and fighting the urge to eat all of the sweets that come with the holidays. Well, until I ate a bunch of cookies for breakfast yesterday. LOL! It was just one of those days I gave in.  I weighed in at 198.6 yesterday. Once I hit 197 it will be 90 lbs total.  I cannot even believe I am only 11 lbs way from my major goal of 100 lbs lost!!

I am now on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks from work with Christmas and New Years around the corner. My goal for the next 2 weeks is to workout as much as I possibly can, and eat within my eating plan and calorie count. This will hopefully mean cardio every morning at the gym and then some Zumba or dance video in the evening. I feel amazing and love that I am finally out of the 200's and I plan to stay out of the 200's! 

Yesterday Matt and I ran a 3.4 mile route in the neighborhood in 37 mins and 13 seconds. I was so pleased!! I smashed my 3.1 mile record of 37 mins and 45 seconds. I am really praying to make it through the holidays and losing at least 2-3 lbs by New Years day.  I know it will take hard work and lots of will power to walk away from the yummy cookies and candy. As I always say , "Don't worry, I GOT THIS!!!"

HARD WORK, DEDICATION!!!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

To the "new" Carla from the "old" Carla

I was just sitting here watching Biggest Loser and the contestants made a video from their old self to the new self. I was in tears seeing the things they said to the new self and decided that I need to do the same. So, I am gonna take a minute to write a letter to the "new" Carla. 

Carla,
I am so incredibly proud of everything you have accomplished for your health these last 11 months.  Please don't ever let yourself go back to the way it was  before. And when you feel like giving up, think about how hard it was to be 287 lbs.  Think about the struggle to do simple things like getting up off the floor and walking a couple miles.  Don't ever let yourself feel that way again. You want to have kids so bad, so please take care of yourself so that you will live a long life for those kids you will have.  You have so much more fight that you ever thought you would. When you get to that place when you feel like you can't do anymore, find someone that loves you more than you know and let them lift you up.  Think about how great it felt to run your first 5K, or finally slip into a size that you hadn't been in over 10 years.  Most importantly, never let that drive and determination die out.  You are a fighter!! You got this girl!!

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Strong is the new skinny :)

Weight loss to date: 87 lbs

I know everyone was expecting me to be in "one-derland" by now.  While I am getting closer and closer I am still not there yet.  But I realized this week that my journey is about so much more than a number.  I have literally been obsessing about the scale and the number on it for 11 months.  I got so distracted with the number that I didn't even stop to appreciate the other things I have been able to accomplish.  So, I am going to take a few minutes to be proud of what I have done. I am not usually like that, but please just let me have a moment.

Thanksgiving day Matt and I (and our awesome running buddies) ran the Turkey Trot 5K.  I woke up sick and not motivated at all, but ended up running the 5K in 37 minutes, which is a personal record for me!! I have been doing bootcamp at the gym for 8 weeks. I will never forget week one and how I pretty much wanted to cry because I couldn't do any of the exersizes.  I was beyond excited when I did over 140 push ups (on my knees) today and for the first time EVER I held a plank position on my toes, not my knees!! I am really noticing that I am getting stronger and stronger.  I am hoping to measure this week and see how many inches I lost in 4 weeks, so stay tuned!

I was mentioning to a few people at work my goal to be under 200 lbs.  They kept looking at me funny.  They were is total disbelief that I weighed 200 lbs. I automatically thought, "Oh, man I must look like I am heavier." But both ladies said they thought my scale was wrong because I look much lighter than 200 lbs.  I know it sounds like bragging, but I felt amazing when they told me that and that's when it hit me that the scale will not control how I feel anymore!!!!

I wish more people would let go of that "thing" (for me it was a scale) that holds you back from true happiness. 

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Holidays

Weight loss to date: 86 lbs

Well, I was really hoping to be in "one-derland" by now, but I am so incredibly close.  I only need to lose about 1.5-2 lbs to get there.  My biggest obstacle at this point is the holidays approaching. I started this journey in January after I consumed a massive amount of food from last year's holidays. I am a bit paranoid that I will totally lose all control and eat like I used to.  Plus I have a whole week off for Thanksgiving break, so I may have to get my body used to a different routine for a while.  Hmmm...what to do??

I decided that I need to have a plan and stick with it. So my plan is this: get up and go to the gym for a run on the treadmill M,T, and W morning. I have Zumba on T and W.  For Thanksgiving day, my running buddies,Matt and I signed up for a 5K run at 9 am.  I am just going to have to watch my portions and be very careful with my food choices. Sounds easy now, but we will see how bad I really want this!  I would love to be at 90 lbs lost total by the end of November so I can work my hiney off to hit 100 lbs lost by January 10. 

One thing I do wish I had more of is workout buddies. Seems like I am doing a lot of my workouts alone lately.  I do have awesome running buddies (Pattie, Patrick, and Matt) but I often end up going to Zumba by myself.  It's okay, it would just be fun to have a buddy to go with. I do have to say that our instructors are amazing and make it super fun though!

Here's to a wonderful Thanksgiving and hopefully hitting "one-derland" in a few days!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I've lost a 5th grader...lol

Weight loss to date: 83 lbs and counting

Just had to share this.  Yesterday at work one of my co workers comes up and asks me "Hey Carla, would you ever want to carry a 5th grader around on your back all day?".  In my head I'm thinking, "oh heck no!!".  My response, "um...no that would be crazy!".  So she then tells me to think about this: her son (a 5th grader) weighs 83 lbs.  It took me a minute to figure out what she was getting at. I am down 83 lbs, which is the same weight as her son. She says, "Think about it, how hard would it be to carry a 5th grader around on your back all day?  I bet you feel much better having lost a whole 5th grader!".

It just made my day to think that I actually lost the equivalent of a small person!  :) So anyone working to get fit or lose a little weight, keep at it! It really does feel AMAZING!!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

So close

October 2011
weight loss to date:82 lbs in 9 1/2 months

Well, things are going better now that I got back on an eating plan. I went back to writing down all of my calories to better track it and lost 4 lbs the first week.  I am getting so close to "one-derland" and losing 100 lbs total.  Now I think I need to start dealing with some of the emotional stuff that comes along so I can kick some butt. 

I have really been struggling to learn to love myself for who I am and not always second guess myself.  I get frustrated when I can't do something right the first time, I don't know if I will ever look in the mirror and see anything but the heavy girl I was, I always think people are going to hate me if I say/do the wrong thing.  I know we all have these things too, but I just can't seem to let myself enjoy this new life I have.  I want to know that I worked hard and love myself for who I am.  Oh well.  I know it will come with time. So, until I can see myself the way God sees me, I will pray and know that He loves me just the way I am!

That's all for now.  Only 5 lbs to "one-derland"!!! So, off to work out I go!!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Ups, downs and a little bootcamp in between

weight loss to date:79 lbs

After getting so sick for a couple weeks, I finally got back on track this week. I even stepped up my workout routine with another Zumba class on Wednesdays and I joined bootcamp at the gym.  I went in to bootcamp last Saturday as nervous as I have ever been and not really sure what to expect.  I still struggle with the complex that I am and always will be the "fattest person everywhere I go".  So, I went in thinking just that.  While I was the biggest person there, I decided that I am not a quitter and I was going to push as hard as I could.  Bootcamp is no joke.  I was doing some exercises that I see on Biggest Loser and think, "Ha, I could never do that!" Never say never people!! I felt pretty good when I left, but still had that feeling that I probably looked like a total idiot because I am still so heavy.  When I saw our boot camp instructor on Tuesday she totally made my whole week. She said she was so impressed with how hard I worked and had never seen anyone come to their first bootcamp and push it like I did.  I went back this morning and I feel pretty great right now.  I did get really frustrated though, because there were some exercises that I couldn't do.  That just irritates the crap out of me!! I am the kind of person who has to be able to do everything I try and I have to do it right the first time. So, when I can't do something it pisses me off.  So, I am going to practice that dumb exercise all week until I get it right!!!!

Anyway, I have had a lot of ups and downs on the scale the last few weeks. I am getting really frustrated because the weight doesn't come off as fast now as it did in the beginning.  I think I just need to be more focused on better food choices and lots of workouts.  I am only one pound away from 80 lbs lost total and about 9 lbs away from "one-derland".  I get so upset when the scale doesn't read what I want.  I guess I just have to learn to let go and just focus on being healthy. 

I do have one more positive thing to share before I go.  Last week a friend posted a picture saying she lost 41 lbs. I was so excited and wrote to tell her how proud I was and her response back made me cry.  She said I was a huge inspiration to her and she started running because she saw that I was doing so well at it.  That was a great feeling!   Have a fantastic week everyone!!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Dirty Girl 2011


Weight loss to date: 77 lbs since 1/10/11

Saturday was the Dirty Girl Mud Run I have been waiting for!! This is what all of my hard work was for (well sort of).  My week leading up the the Dirty Girl was not exactly what I pictured though.  Monday I woke up feeling like a truck ran me over and my throat felt like someone stabbed me with a pencil.  After making it through what seemed like the longest day EVER, I went in for a Strep test. Lucky me...it was positive.  So needless to say, I spend Monday night, all day Tuesday and Wednesday morning curled in a tiny ball on my couch.  The doctor restricted all working out for the week and was pretty ticked off when I told him I had to do this race.  So, against what I wanted, I rested all week long.  In the end, it was the best choice for me. 

The DGMR was the most amazing thing I have ever done.  I thought  I was going to go into this wanting to run the whole thing and try to beat everyone. But, it wasn't like that at all. My teammates were so wonderful and we did every single event together.  My favorite obstacle was the big mud pit at the end of the race.  It was awesome to have Matt and our teammates families there cheering us on.  As they were chanting for us to jump in the mud, I got so excited that I just went full force!  I ended up smacking my knee on the bottom and now I have a few scrapes.  Let me just say...I love them!! They are my "battle wounds" LOL!! I did all of the obstacles with the exception of the 8 ft wall. I got up on the first step and totally freaked out.  I am not too worried about it, but I will do it next year. 

Yep, you read that right! Dirty Girl Mud Run is a go for 2012 and I AM SO THERE!!! I know my original teammates will be there and I am excited to see if we can bring in a new group to join the shenanigans. 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Sick of hitting the wall, but excited for where God is leading me

Weight loss to date: still 72 lbs.

I guess the good news is that I haven't gained any weight, the bad news is that I hit another stupid plateau.  I am not really worried about it, but it annoys me that I am working really hard and keep flat lining.  So, this week I decided that I am going to quit drinking Diet Coke unless we go out to eat.  I have a serious addiction to that stuff, it's just not right! lol  I think it went really well and I only had Diet Coke if we went out (which was only over the weekend).  The great thing for me was that I was drinking a ton of water and felt less tired.  So my new goal is to start this week with no more Diet Coke at all.  I didn't get in as much exercise as I was hoping this week.  The heavy rain really put a stop to evening runs for 2 days.  But, this is a new week and I am ready for a new challenge!! I am going to try and get to Zumba Tues, Wed, and Thurs.  I am also going to try to run another 5K distance on Monday and a short run with Matt before Zumba on Wednesday. 

This coming Saturday is the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5K.  I am pretty excited to get out there and see what this is all about.  I feel pretty confident that I will be able to do all of the obstacles and running.  My team is pretty awesome.  My friend that I used to teach with at Webster is on my team, and friend from church and a new friend that I haven't met yet.  I think we will rock it!!

I have been praying a lot lately about using my weight loss journey to help other women.  I know God is calling me to use this part of my life to minister to other women, I am just not sure how or what he will lead me to.  At my Zumba class this week I was able to talk to two women about my journey and give them some tips and tricks.  One of the ladies said "Oh well I've lost 11 lbs, but that's not much".  Are you kidding me?? That is the start of something great! It was so great to give her encouragement and ideas to help her keep going. So for those of you reading this, please pray that God will show me his plans for this and that I will be a faithful servant that follows wherever he leads! 

Sunday, August 28, 2011

70 down...30 to go!

Weight loss to date:72 lbs.

Well, I am a little over seven months into this journey and I have hit my 70 lb weight loss mark. My goal is to be down 100 lbs by Jan. 10,2012. That will be my year mark.  I was really worried that I would plateau again after going back to work, but I lost over 6 lbs in the first 7 days back with kids.  I just find that I am so tired when I get done at work, I lose motivation for the gym and running. I really have to force myself to get out and do it.  I know this is just a part of adjusting, and I am sure it will get better. 

I am keeping up with both Zumba and running. I am currently trying to get to Zumba 3 times a week and I am trying to get at least 4-5 runs in a week.  Yesterday when Matt and I went out running I ran my fastest mile ever. I ran it in 11:14. My goal is to get down under 11 minutes. I am finding that the more I run, the faster and easier it gets.  We are less than a month from the Dirty Girl 5K.  I am excited and know it will be a great accomplishment. I am going to try and hit up the 1K loop at Memorial Park a few more times to get an actual 5K run in.  I did it a few weeks ago and it felt amazing to say that I did it. 

I am noticing at work that being 72 lbs lighter makes a big difference.  I notice that I can keep up with the kids more and when I sit on the floor with them it's soooo much easier to get up.  A few of my kids from past years told me I look really different.  I am only 16 lbs away from weighing 199.  When that day comes I know I will be doing a great happy dance!!!!! For those of you following me, please pray that I stay motivated and keep my focus on getting into "One-derland"!

Thank you for all of the support and well wishes you all give me. You make me feel great and I know that you are cheering me on. Love you all!!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

one goal down...more to go

Weight loss to date: 68lbs

Many of you facebook friends already saw this, but I actually RAN a whole 5K this past week.  Matt and I went to Memorial Park, to the 1K loop.  Initially I only planned to run 3 laps around. Somewhere during the 3rd lap I got a second wind and decided that was the day to try and run (with no walking breaks) the 5K distance.  I am not gonna lie and say it was easy, because my legs felt like they were on fire!! I thought I was gonna have to crawl to the car after. LOL! But, I am feeling pretty amazing knowing I conquered one of my major goals.  I initially wanted to conquer this by mid September, so I am ahead of the game.  My new goal is to keep running the 5K distance and just work on improving my time. I finished in 40 minutes the first time, so I would like to be able to do it in 37 minutes or less by the Diabetes 5K on September 10th. 

In other news(ha ha), I found that going back to work was more exhausting than I thought it would be. It does feel great to be up moving around so much though.  I try to stick to a routine of going to the gym/Zumba/water aerobic at least 5 times a week and running the same.  I am finding that these workouts are great stress relievers for me.  I just focus on what I need to be doing and let eveything else go.  I am hoping to be down to my 70lbs lost goal by the end of this week!! Stay tuned....

Monday, August 8, 2011

Some Random thoughts on my journey

weightloss to date:65 lbs.

I am feeling a little irritated tonight and I don't know why. So I figured if I write some random thoughts I would feel better.  I don't think I am irritated about my journey, but if I don't regain focus it will hinder what I am trying to do.  So, Matt and I went for a long run tonight.  We are up to 2.5 miles on our neighborhood runs.  I am pretty excited about how far we are running now. I just wish I could get my legs to move a little faster. I figure if I just get out there and push as much as I can, my times and distances will get much better.  I am not really gonna stress over it.   I started running the second week in June, and could barely make it through a 30 second run, and now I am running 2.5 miles. I feel like I have made some pretty good progress.  According to my run tracker, I have logged 41 miles since the beginning of July. 

My weight loss is going pretty well. I am happy that I was able to kick my plateau and continue losing.  My goal is to be in "One-derland" by the Dirty Girl race in September.  "One-derland" is being at a weight anywhere in the 100's.  I know it seems silly but that will be an amazing feeling for me.  Once I hit 199lbs, I will have lost 88 lbs altogether.  I am at 222lbs today, so I have some hard work ahead of me.  I think getting back to a routine and schedule will be just what I need. 

I think my biggest issue lately is letting little things bother me and then I stress all day.  I have to learn to let things roll off my back.  That is maybe why I love to run so much. I just let my cares go and run.  A lot of times I pray in my head while I run and spend time with the Lord. 

My goals for this week are to spend more time with the Lord to learn to destress and enjoy every minute of every day!!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Back to school, back to routine :)

It is upon us...school starts in a week!  Most teachers are dreading going back to work, but I am pretty excited. I always get a little excited to see my co-workers and get into the daily grind. But I am mostly excited about all of the kiddos I get to meet.  This year I am really excited to go back and get back into some sort of routine. 

It seems like I just sorta did whatever I wanted all summer, with no routine or agenda.  While it was great for a while, it was horrible for my eating plan. I am one of those people that gets bored and eats.  So my goal for the summer was to get up and move when I got hungry.  It worked for a while, but I am just sick of sitting around.  I am looking forward to working everyday, working OUT everyday and getting on an eating schedule.  I am also looking forward to not eating out so much! 

I am going to keep up my running.   I plan to leave work and go run as much as I can.  Running has proven to be a great stress reliever for me.  I am pushing myself to new goals and doing some things I never thought I would ever do.  I am really looking forward to the Dirty Girl Mud Run in Sept.  It is a 5K with various obstacles along the way.  www.godirtygirl.com

I am also looking forward to what the kids have to say when they see me after a long summer.  The few I did see this summer just stared at me and smiled!

So, here's to the best school year yet!!!!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

A runner???

So, on Thursday I ran my first "race".  I only say it like that because there was no actual winner or loser, just a bunch of runners out running for fun.  Anyway, I thought it was a really good way to break into the running scene.  I did really well, considering it was a 2K.  I finished with a time of 15:18, which was my fastest to date.  So I decided that maybe I need to try to do less walking intervals so that eventually I am just running without any walking at all, and I want to increase my distances. Today while out running with Matt around the neighborhood, I started to think about all of this running I am trying to do.  I just got to wondering if avid runners laugh at people like me.  I mean some people go out and run like 10 miles a day and here I am with my measly 1.25 or 1.5 miles a day and I am dying.  So, I wonder, should I just jump in and try running like 3 miles, or should I keep doing what I am doing and take it slow?  I think I have been doing pretty well considering I have only been running for about a month or so and that I am still heavy.  I think I will just keep chugging along and see where this all takes me.  I was actually feeling pretty good after my run today.  For a quick 18 minute run I only walked at total of about 2 and a half minutes.  My goal by the end of July is to run without any walking intervals.  Here's to running without stopping!!!

Thursday, July 14, 2011

A day at the doctor

Weight loss to date:59 lbs.

So, today I went to the doctor for my physical.  When I began this weight loss journey in January I thought they told me I weighed 282 lbs. Turns out I heard wrong and I was actually 287. I know it's just 5 lbs, but ewww! When the nurse brings me back she is in total shock that I have lost so much weight and is literally falling over herself to hurry and get my doctor.  He was very proud of my progress so far and said everything was looking good. My blood sugars and bad cholesterol are great.  My good cholesterol is low, but it's sort of a genetic problem. I have been on meds for high blood pressure for over 3 years now.  I have been working so hard to get my bp down and was so excited when the doctor said I am doing great and took me off the meds.  This, I think, was way more exciting than the number on the scale. I guess it sorta showed me that I am getting healthier.  Not sure what I was really feeling but all sorts of emotions hit me at the same time and I started crying all the way home.  I guess I was relieved, happy, annoyed with my old number, and just overwhelmed.  The doctor actually told me I was too healthy to be there and kicked me out. Ha ha!

Tonight is my first big(okay, it's only a 2K, but it's big for me) race.  I am really excited and very nervous. I don't want to look like an idiot out there with all of these runners.  I am going to have Matt take some pictures when I finish and I will keep everyone updated on how it goes!!

Friday, July 8, 2011

Peace out Plateau!!!!

Weight loss to date: 55 lbs
Woo hoo! I have finally kicked that plateau in the butt! I have lost 5 lbs this week and finally got off of the 50 lb. plateau.  Thank goodness. I was starting to worry.  :)

As far as other things go, I am training hard for a 2K race on the 14th.  I have been going up to the high school and running as much as I can. A 2K is 5 laps around the track. When I started running it about a month or so ago I was doing it in about 18 minutes.  This morning I went up and did my 5 laps in 15:58! I feel like I am getting stronger and can do so much more now than when I was 282 lbs.  I am also signing up for the Dirty Girl Mud Run 5K in September.  Not only is this a 5K  but there are various obstacles along the way. I am so exctied I cannot even wait!  I will keep blogging about training for that event.  Right now I am just focused on the 2K. 
I got a lot of great advice when I started to stress about the plateau.  I have some pretty amazing people out there supporting me. Thanks!! I think what really helped was that I just started drinking a TON of water and took a few days off of work outs.  It seemed to be just what my body needed.  I am so ready for the next 50 lbs to come off. Next week I meet with my doctor to see if I can come off of the blood pressure meds.  If this happens, I will be amazed!! I also met with another doctor last week that I hadn't seen in over a year and she was so excited about my weight loss.  She is going to try and help Matt and I figure things out and try to get us in a good place to try for a baby!!!!!
I feel great and cannot say thank you enough to those of you who are supporting and pushing me through this! I was very unhappy in January and very sad that I let myself go the way I did. Now I put my health as a top priority and I feel AMAZING!!!!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Some pretty exciting milestones!!

Well, I am doing everything that I can to beat this plateau.  So far, the weight loss is slow, but I am going to beat this.  I am working really hard on my running right now.  I was so excited on Sunday when I got on the treadmill at the gym and actually ran (without stopping) a mile in 13 minutes!! I know to the avid runner that time is pretty slow, but for me it was great.  So last night I decided to try again and ran it in 12:45!  So, now that I know I can do it, I am going to keep working on getting the time down.  I also tried Zumba for the first time last weekend.  Now I am absolutely addicted!! I found a pretty cool game for the Wii that I can do at home, so I now try to Zumba as much as possible. 

I find that I am still struggling with food.  Part of the problem is that I hate to cook.  So, one of my goals for the summer, is to learn to love cooking.  I figure the more I cook for Matt and myself at home, the more I will like it.  I also think that the lack of routine has really made it hard.  I am trying to get into a routine daily with my workouts and walking.

At my last session with the trainer we measured my body fat percentage again.  When I began the gym in April it was 49%.  Last week it had gone down to 41%!!!!!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!! So, even though I am not seeing pounds come off, I know I am burning tons of fat. 

As of today, I am down a total of 52 lbs.  I bought a hot new dress ;) to celebrate.  So I think Matt and I are going to be enjoying a date night this weekend!! For those of you who are following along and working on your own weight loss, keep up the good work!!! If I can do it, anyone can do it!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

hitting a wall

I am officially 5 months into my weight loss journey.  So far I have lost 50 lbs, but it seems I have plateaued.  I can't seem to get over the 50lb hump. Summer has been a little rough for me, for the fact that I totally cannot stick to a good eating regiment. Exercising in no problem, but with such a laid back schedule, I am struggling to eat the right foods.  With Matt's family being here for a few days I also found us eating out A LOT! yuck!! Wish me luck as I try to get myself back on some sort of schedule with my eating!!

I have found in the last week or so that I have a new love of running.  When I started the gym, I was terrified to run on the treadmill.  So I began with little jog intervals. I would jog 30 seconds and walk 2 mins, continuing this for 30 mins.  I am so happy to report that last week I was jogging 4-5 minute intervals and walking for about 1 minute in between.  So, being that I am really wanting to try new things, I tell Matt and his friend that I will do the Manitou incline with them.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  The incline has over 4,000 stairs and goes straight up the side of a mountain.  I did okay and made it about half way before I freaked out at the height, and turned around to come down. I think I will attempt in at least one more time before summers end. I did discover that hiking just isn't for me.  Monday morning I wanted to see if I could keep up my jogging, only out around the neighborhood.  I don't know why, but I found that jogging the neighborhood was much harder than the treadmill.  I am not determined that I am going to become a runner.  I never thought I would like doing it, but I think it an outlet for me. It allows me to get out of reality and spend some time with God.  I am going to sign up for a 2K run at the end of June!  I will keep you all posted on how it goes!! Moral of today's blog: if I (the former couch potato) can become a runner, ANYTHING is possible!!

Friday, June 3, 2011

Summer, Summer, Summertime!

Well, I officially kicked of summer on the 25th of May! Woo hoo!! My weight loss goal was to be down 50 lbs by the last day of school. Luckily, I hit my goal on my birthday (the 17th), but it was all down hill from there.  On May 16th we had to make the worst decision ever.  Apparently Sophie found some more nails in the yard, and we had to put her to sleep on the 16th.  Being that I am one of the most emotional people ever, I cried for like 2 days straight.  She was my baby girl and I was devistated.  This totally threw my eating and workout plans all over the place and in the last week I hit a plateau.  I am not sure how to get over the 50 lb. hump, but I now have a whole summer to figure it out. 

My two goals for the summer are these: 1. lose about 30 more pounds before the first day of school and 2. be able to run (not walk), actually run a mile.  So far I am doing well on my running goal.  I get on the treadmill at the gym every morning and do running intervals.  So, I walk 3 mins. then jog 4 mins.  When I started I only jogged a total of 5 mins and felt like I was gonna die! Today I jogged a total of 15 out of my 30 mins on the treadmill!! It felt great and I actually like running for the first time EVER!! I even go my friend Nicole to start jogging intervals.  We are both learning that it just takes baby steps and that you cannot get too far ahead of yourself. 

Matt's parents are coming in on Sunday, so I am going to be challenged to maintain healthy eating habits and making sure I get to the gym as much as possible.  I know I can do this.  I know I can hit my goals and look amazing in no time. 

I went with my sister shopping yesterday, it was the first time in a long time that I actually liked buying clothes.  I am a size now that I haven't been in over 7 years.  Feels AMAZING!!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Let's take it from the top....

I am on my way to lose over 100 lbs.  My journey began on Jan. 8, 2011. I had been sick and after really embarassing weigh ins at the doctors office I decided that enough was enough.  I was sick of always being tired and not feeling pretty and just wanted a big change in my life.  I decided that I was going to do this myself and off I went.  I started with easy workouts on my Biggest Loser Wii game and gradually worked up to what I do today.  Here I am almost four months later and I have lost 45 lbs.  I wanted to keep a blog to be able to motivate and inspire other people, but also reflect on this journey for myself. 

I have always been the "fat" girl when it came to my life.  I have two amazingly beautiful sisters, and grew up with a drop dead gorgeous best friend. (Love you Nae!)  So, needless to say, I was well aware that I was bigger than my family and friends.  At some point I guess I just decided that it was just how life was and that it would never change.  I got tired of trying to be "pretty" and just decided that I wasn't worth it anyway.  When I was 19 I met Matt and he loved me for what I was inside so I figured there was no need to change.  It wasn't until I started watching everyone around me have babies and become mothers that I wanted to be different.  I want to be a mom someday, but with my health it was not going to happen.  I want to be the amazingly beautiful girl that walks into a room and it stops.  So here I am, 4 months in to a weight loss journey to become that girl and hopefully become a mommy when it is all said and done. 

If you are reading this thinking, "I just can't do it." Try again!! You can and you will.  I was 282 lbs at my heaviest, (I am so embarrassed to share that) and now I am at 237 lbs.  I was the girl that never moved from the couch and would complain about a 5 minute walk around the block. Now, I go to the gym 5-6 days a week, walk with my walking group and am in the process of signing up for a 5K walk.  So don't give up! There are days that I just want to quit and go back to lazy, depressed Carla.  But I look at how great I feel and how supportive most everyone around me is and I know that I will do this.  You can too!!