45 and counting! (261 days 'til the big 4-0)

Well ladies and gents, here we are at the beginning of another month.  Five months have passed since I began my wellness journey, and I am happy to share that today marks 45 pounds lost!  I couldn't do it without the support and encouragement of a handful of coworkers, a few close friends, my amazing children, my incredible boyfriend, and, believe it or not, the inspiration of the trainers and contestants of  this season's The Biggest Loser.  Making the time to work in the exercise is by far my biggest challenge. I know, I know, Dolvett and Bob... "No excuses".  However, being a single mom, working full-time, and raising two very socially active teenage girls does not leave much "me" time.  Trying to balance a home life with my girls, with my man, and still take care of business is a juggling act in and of itself.  If I go to the gym during the times that are free in my schedule (5 a.m. or 9 p.m.) then I am not getting enough sleep.  So what's a girl to do?  This is not a rhetorical question.  Some helpful time-management/prioritization advice would be greatly appreciated.  I definitely need to figure out how to get a handle on that.  I keep imagining how much further along I could have progressed at this point, if I was more disciplined with my exercise, but I am not letting it get me down.  If only my feet had the same 176K miles on them that my vehicle does, I would be in GREAT shape!  It would be so helpful to have an elliptical, a recumbent bike, or a treadmill, and a bench with some free weights at home, and I would be good to go!  If anyone has any of these items you're not utilizing, and would be willing to donate, please let me know.  Thanks!  Until next time.....

Workin my way to "swagalicious"! (279 days til the big 4-0)

5K in 47 minutes, a best time for me, at Susan G Komen Race for the Cure 3/10/12

This is my "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger" smile, pre-race.

That's me in the Ray Charles shades, above the foreground lady's head, crossing the finish line!  A great feeling after having to bail out less than a mile into the Edison Festival of Light 5K.  Still sporting the same dumb shoes that give me blisters...ouch!  The others didn't work out, but I'm hoping to trade them in this week.

To date I've shed 38 pounds since Nov 1, weighing in at 229 down from 267 (finally bought a scale), and dropping 2+ pant sizes... only 94 pounds to reach my goal.  I'm more than 1/3 of the way there!  Looking forward to continuing my fitness journey.  Thanks for following along.  I need all the support and encouragement I can get.

Awwwwwwwww yeah, I got your motivation right here!

Couldn't take the pants dragging on the ground anymore. The only thing holding them up was the junk in my trunk. So I stopped at the same store to pick up a new pair of the same pants, and SHAZAM... I'm two full sizes smaller than I was when I began my journey three months ago. Holla!  Who is full-steam ahead?!  THIS GIRL RIGHT HERE!

Wow... it's been a while! Can you say Happy New Year in February?!

HeartWalk went great!  With the help of friends and family I raised $450 for the American Heart Association!  My daddy would be proud.  The weather was beautiful, and I was rockin to go...until I arrived and realized no one told me I was going to be hoofing it up the tallest bridge in our county, but with my guy by my side encouraging me the whole way,  I came, I saw, and I (we) conquered!  Wore the same dumb shoes though, and yes ended up with blisters again.  Just bought myself a new pair this week, with the help of a birthday gift card from a dear friend.  I am looking forward to breaking them in tonight.  My next event will be the Edison Festival of Light 5K on February 18.

People are asking me everyday, "How much have you lost?"  Truth is, I have no idea.  I don't own a scale.  Guess it is time for a courtesy trip to my doctor's office to check that out.  Regardless of what the numbers are, I am wearing a pair of pants today that I haven't been able to put on in four years!  All of the rest of my clothes are falling off.  Needless to say, "saggin" for a near 40 year old, is not cool in the least.  I am looking forward to dropping another full size before doing any shopping though.

Not only can I see a difference, I can feel a difference.  I have more energy.  I can tie my shoes without feeling like I'm going to pass out.  My smile is brighter.  My step is lighter.  My confidence is higher.  Life is good... and will keep getting better as I continue on my journey.  Thanks for following me!

More to come soon...