Mini-breakthrough?

So today I pulled myself off of the couch and decided to do my run outside in my neighborhood. It is chilly and windy, but at least the sun was out today. I figured a bit of fresh air would do the trick. I can't tell you how awesome it was!

Today like I said I ran in my neighborhood. I did C25K Week 2 Day 1. For those of you not familiar with the C25K app ~ this is what I did today: Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Then a 5 minute cooldown. Last week I did the same thing except I would jog for 60 seconds and walk for 90 seconds. I struggled less with the 90 seconds of running outside than I did with the 60 seconds on the treadmill. I felt so good that I was going to walk the main street in my neighborhood one more time after my 5 minute cooldown. My Iphone had different plans. It died 5 seconds before my app finished. I wanted to keep walking with the music but now looking back guess I could have just enjoyed listening to the leaves and wind. Speaking of the wind, at times it was VERY strong and it was definitely hard breathing when I was running into it. Cold + Wind + Gushing in your face + fat girl running = definitely can't breathe. I would just hold the back of my hand up in front of my face when it got to bad until it surpassed.

OH!  I think I might have figured out my mental games problem...it all has to do with one little word I wouldn't think I would ever say I hate. So many of my runner friends have all said this before and I always wondered why, it never seemed like a big deal to me. So what is it that I am talking about?  The TREADMILL. That's it folks, I know its winter but I think I am going to have to train outside on all days that are possible! I think in the back of my head I always knew the problem might have been the treadmill. You see treadmills are boring, you have nothing to focus on to keep your mind off what you are doing. Also, I tend to focus on the screen in front of me wondering when I am going to be done and monitoring that too much. At least at the gym you might have a tv to watch. I loved running outside today. WAIT......

Did you just see that? I typed a sentence that had RUNNING and LOVE right next to each other. I don't believe it folks!

So all in all today was a GREAT day for me! I almost want to go back out and do it again! Anyways, I need to go, in-laws got here during my run so I need to go spend time with the family!

Hodgepodge!

Lots of things to blog about today! This may be a long one folks. Today I decide was going to be a day with big changes aka commitments. Like I need more commitments right? Well I am the type of person if I have something structured to rely on I will follow through. Kind of like why I am blogging, I am being held accountable by those of you that want to follow my journey.

I saw this on Pinterest today and I am going to do it for a visual for me. Each stone = .1 lb. So my goal is to lose 100 lbs. That will be 10,000 stones. Obviously I am going to have to get a lot smaller stones than the person in the picture has or I will have a ton of jars on my counter, or I could use a bigger vase instead I guess.

Second thing I did today was join Weight Watchers. Like I stated above I am all about structure and accountablity. Otherwise I will slip up. MOST of you know this about me. I think that is why I have gotten as far as I have. On the other hand I have been holding steady at my weight, I have not gone over 245 that I know of.

As you recall, when I started this journey I weighed in at 241. When I weighed in today (which was my weigh in day anyways) at WW I was 238.4. That means when I go get my stones tomorrow I will already get to start out with 26 stones!! How awesome is that!??! I also had my mom help me do my measurements tonight. So I can track that as well. With WW I get 37 points a day to eat, and 49 points extra weekly if I choose to use them. You also can earn more points with activity and use those if you choose to as well.

So after I left WW I headed to the gym since I was kid free. I did C25K Week 1, Day 3. Felt pretty good about it, but still playing mental games with myself. I can't tell you how fast my brain goes back and forth with "I can do this!" and "What the *#@$ are you thinking? You can't do this!" I know most people go through this and I will overcome it as well. I just hate the mental game you have to do with yourself over and over. I hope it gets easier down the road!

And with that I have been trying to find a picture/thought to leave you with for the past hour and can't find one that I want to post. I found one, but it wouldn't let me save it from the web. Oh well! I will leave you with all the addons I did tonight for now and we will see what I can come up with for the next post.

New Outlook

OK So I went to my parents again to use the treadmill. Fred is sick so I didn't want him to have to watch the kids while I was gone at the gym and my parents like spending time with the kids, so I took them with me. As I was walking up the steps when we got there, something in my knee popped and I couldn't put weight on it going up the stairs. It felt okay walking though.

I was going to try my Nike+ app tonight but I don't know if it wasn't logging things right since my phone wasn't "moving" and I was on the treadmill. I think it would have worked fine if I was holding my phone and it was moving? Plus it was playing my music really low after I turned the app on.

I ended up walking 1.6 miles tonight at 3.3mph, figured I would take it easy on my knee. I did run for 2 minutes of it at 4.5 but my knee wasn't liking that too much. Hopefully it was a fluke thing for the night and I can get back with trying to go further in miles this week.

As I was walking tonight I was thinking about changing it up and walking a little slower like 3.0 or maybe even 2.7 a couple days a week. My reasoning behind this is to get more distance in now but taking it slower. Or should I just keep doing what I am doing and work my way up in a couple weeks? I mean I only have what 14.5 weeks left to train. So what are you runners and seasoned walkers in distances suggestions? Walk slower at first and get the miles in and work the speed up or keep going at the faster pace and shorter distances and work up to more miles? HELP!

I was going to have my mom help me do my measurements tonight and completely forgot. So maybe I will see if she has time to help me tomorrow. I know boring post tonight, maybe something fantastic will happen that I can post about! I know I am just starting out but its frustrating when it seems I am posting that I am not doing what I want to be doing. I suppose 1.6 miles is better than 0 right?

Workout #2

So I went to my parents again tonight and walked/ran on the treadmill. I sure hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew with this half marathon. I wanted to quit before the halfway mark on C25K tonight but I didn't. It does always get better when I hear "Halfway" and I think to myself, "I can do this for 15 more minutes!" I hope it sure gets easier as I go because right now with walking at 3.5mph and running at 4.5mph is about killing me (but like I said at the end I feel great that I stuck it out). Even Monday when I was wanting it to be over before it was, at the end I thought to myself, "That wasn't that bad, I could go a little longer." I did end up walking for about 15 more minutes after my app ended tonight as well. As you can see I keep going through these little struggles with myself of back and forth of how I can't do it, and I can, and I do. I am guessing this is normal??

 I did drink more water today, which is a plus. We did go to the museum this morning though and had lunch after the kids played. I wish I would have been stronger and gotten a salad or something but no, I got a piece of pizza. I suppose once in awhile isn't bad, I just need to be stronger when I am out and about.

I hope I don't bore you all and if there is something I am not documenting or telling you about just let me know. I am completely new with blogging so I have no idea what I am doing!!!

Workout #1

Well I skipped the gym, but went to my parents house to use their treadmill! I told my parents if it goes missing I have no idea where it went! LOL It is really cool, I could plug my iphone into it and it plays the music through speakers as well as my C25K app - was so nice not having to wear my earplugs! It also has where you can plug in maps,  and will change your incline like you are outside. I wonder if I can find and input the flying pig course to practice on. I am very proud of myself as I completed the Week 1 Day 1 of C25K again, which I haven't done since Freddie was a month old. I kept trying to start over with it and would end up stopping it and just walk when I was at the gym before. So I am so proud of myself that I stuck it out. I was also pushing myself with the speeds as well and not going too slow (well as fast as a fast mom can go in the beginning!). I didn't drink as much water as I wanted today because I forgot my bottle of water when I left work to go get new shoes. But I did only have one coke today which is a big achievement for me just right there! I am going to try and fit a workout in tomorrow morning while Bella is at school because I have a meeting at Church in the evening. So I will probably just do a video here at home with Freddie. He is at the age that he likes to do what Mommy is doing so that will help keep him occupied too. I also plan to do some sit-ups and push-ups before I go fix myself a nice big salad for dinner!

Fat Mom 2 Skinny Mom's Journey

My name is Amy and I am a fat mom. I have decided to blog about losing the weight and becoming a skinny mom! I believe this year is my year! My starting weight is 241 lbs. - I vow I will never see this number again after this week! My goals are: to drink more water, eat and cook healthier, exercise 4 to 5 days a week, I will also try and blog at least 2 times a week, and my ultimate goal is to lose 100 lbs. My newest challenge that I have set for myself is my cousin and I have signed up for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 6, 2012. We will be doing run/walk intervals for this race, but mainly walking it. I also walk for the March for Babies every year and that will be a 5k on April 29, 2012. I am signing my Uncle who just recently passed away up as an honoree in the Run to Remember Race in Anderson Township as well that is on September 8, 2012. My goal for that race is to actually run the whole thing! I have a big year ahead of me and cannot wait to see what else is in store for me!