Today I ran 5km

It is the end of the UpandRunning 5K course this weekend. I have bonded with the women on the course!!! It has been the most wonderful way to learn to run. This weekend (and the couple coming up for those that fell behind due to travel/illness and life) we are all doing our 5km races. And we are cheering each other on.

I decided to do almost the same course as the 4K fun run last weekend but extend my turning point. I did a trial there yesterday to make sure my new workout clothes were comfortable and to check the extended route. I also tried out runkeeper for the first time. As I finished up yesterday, I imagined the blue finish arch at the slightly new position and ran through from before the last corner to my new end point.

This morning I got up, had some breakfast, got ready, got my small one ready and we headed off. I really wanted to run the full 5km but was not sure if I could, my fall back plan was 30sec walking after 3km and another 15 sec at 4 km if I needed it; but that I would try dropping down a gear first before dropping back into a walk.

I did a good warm up today and a good stretch. I started runkeeper and I had my watch on as well as backup. It was time to start.

The first km was hard. It was the only time this morning that I really thought I might not be able to run the full length. But I know that the first 5 min is always hard and when runkeeper piped up at 500m and told me my speed I knew I was going a little too fast. So I dropped the pace a little, focussed on breathing and kept going. The second km was comfortable and so was the third. At my turning point I realised I had run further in one stretch than I ever had in my life. And I was running comfortably. I went into the fourth km still feeling comfortable but then it started getting difficult. At 3.5km I imagined the girls from the course lined up on the side of the track. They had pink pompoms and they were cheering and doing waves with the pompoms and calling out my name. They got me through that fourth km. And then, there was only 1km till the end. I had already run that last km so I knew that I could do it again. I could feel a blister forming on my left foot but decided that it would not stop me. I tried to pick up the pace by swinging my arms a little more. I had 500m left and I almost cried because I was going to make it. Every person that I saw that last km saw my smile. I was so thrilled to be out there.

I rounded the final corner and saw the end point. And then I saw my man and little boy all of a sudden start to run to try and get back to it before me. I imagined the girls from the course, I imagined the blue finish arch. I almost tripped because I wasn’t looking down but I recaptured my footing and kept going. And then runkeeper announced I was done and I still had 20m to get to my man and boy, so I kept running.

I made it to the end. I had not slowed to a walk. At each point runkeeper piped up I knew my pace was a good one. And I cried.

I am sitting here, 6 hours later, drinking a little champagne and having some cheese. My legs are tired but actually it is not that bad. And I am in tears again.

I am not the fat girl anymore. I am fit and I am healthy. Sure, I still have some weight to lose but I can run! I can run 5K! And I will keep running. I will keep making healthy choices.

I am so proud of me.

Times:
5K total – 36.32
1st km – 6.30
2nd km – 7.17
3rd km – 7.39
4th km – 7.39
5th km – 7.27

Rounding Up

Sleep is a wonderful thing. I am feeling more like myself. There is still some stress and sadness but I am no longer blue. And I have come through this partly because I kept exercising which was good for my head and I did not overeat. Mentally and physically, my body came through feeling alright. On this occasion, I did not let the old ways rule my actions. I don’t think I have been as aware before of my choice not to indulge in emotional/comfort eating. I must remember that I can choose better ways. It won’t happen on every occasion but I have really started forming new habits and patterns if under stress I can choose a better way.

I did very well last week. I met all of my mini goals. Setting the mini goals was just what I needed to really bring my focus back and it worked.
- I exercised every day, averaging 73 mins a day which is a step up for me. I don’t always do my exercise in one block, I include my two 15 min walks from the carpark to work in that because I choose to park that far away to increase my exercise
- I walked up the stairs at work.
- I ate according to my food plan, averaging at 8090kJ a day.
- I did not have any alcohol.

My stats today are
Starting weight: 140.9 kg (310 lbs)
Today’s weight: 95.5 kg (210.1 lbs)
Lost since last weigh in (2 weeks ago): 1kg (2.2 lbs)
Total lost: 45.4 kg (99.9 lbs)

Today, I am rounding up. 99.9 lbs – I am calling it 100. I have lost 100 lbs. And I am so proud of that. My next goal is close by – I am looking forward to another kg gone which takes me to a loss of 1/3 my start weight.

But also, today, I ran 2kms for the first time and I came in at 14.26 minutes. I am thrilled that I can run 2km and that I came in under 15. I was so excited. Towards the end, my legs were getting a little weary but my breathing was steady. After the 2km run, I had a 5 min break followed by another 1km run. And I completed the 1km jogging – I did not have to slow to a walk. My time was a little slower but I did it. I had an awesome workout this morning and I felt so much better for it.

My day was already excellent by 8 am! And amazingly I had some great workstuff happen and so it wasn’t all downhill from there.

This week I will have some interesting challenges. There is a work lunch, a dinner out, my mother coming to stay and a 4km fun run on Sunday. I plan to exercise everyday again and I will aim for 60min in total a day. I will do my running training on Wed and Fri which leaves me a rest day before the fun run (rest meaning no running not no exercise). I hope to run most of the 4km in the fun run. My exercise will offset some of the social occasions. But even with the social occasions I will choose wisely. I have already pre-ordered lunch for Friday. I have lots of tricks up my sleeve to keep on track; I have started accepting that no alcohol is one of my best strategies for staying on track. I have goals in front of me to help me stay focussed. I won’t need to round up for long.

Healthy for Life

I decided I needed some simple goals for this week to help me get back on track.

Last week was strange. I had the excitement and emotion of reaching a goal I had worked so long for. Part of my head says ‘Done! Now you can stop paying attention to it all.’ I need to get over that. I was not well and so my eating got screwed as I tried to listen to my body and adapt but I overcompensated. On Saturday night I went to a party and had some alcohol and I ate food that wasn’t good for me. Then I got home and kept eating. Sunday was not that much better. While my exercise was a little down because I had been unwell, I did get some good exercise in Thursday-Sunday.

It will take a couple days for my body to clean out from the excess sugar and fat on the weekend and I know that I will have some cravings and headaches until it does. So, this week, I need some straightforward simple goals to focus on.

1. Exercise every day
2. Drink enough water
3. Walk up the stairs at work at least twice a day
4. Stick to my food plan
5. No alcohol this week

‘Healthy for life’ is a mentality or personality aspect I am trying to develop to replace ‘Fat Girl’. When I think about what it means, it is not about what happened last week or what happens next week. It is about a decade from now. It is about living with my family into the future. But it is also about today – the choices I make today with regard to food and exercise. If I make healthy choices today then that is success. It is about every day and ensuring most of my choices are healthy ones. It is about each individual choice. This will become the backdrop to my life now that 40 weeks is up.

Today will be a good day. I have done my Up and Running workout, I parked 20 min walk from work this morning and so I know I have another 20 min walk this afternoon. I have my food sorted for today. I will drink water. I will make healthy choices today and tomorrow will be easier.

40 weeks – done and dusted

My plan is a 40 week plan. I know what 40 weeks is like, it has a start and a stop and what I have lost in previous efforts was achieved in a similiar time frame but then I got lost. My 40 weeks starts Jan 3rd on a Monday. It will take me through to the first weekend in October. In 40 weeks I want to lose about 35kg. That puts me just above 100kg and is where I got caught last time. So I know I can get that far.
From my first post

Today is my 41st weigh-in and marks the end of my 40 weeks.

Starting weight: 140.9 kg (310 lbs)
Today’s weight: 96.5 kg (212.5 lbs)
Total lost: 44.4 kg (97.5 lbs)
% start weight lost: 31.5%

I was a size 24. I am now a size 16. (These are AU sizes – sizes everywhere are different. How confusing!!! But the actual number is not the main thing, the difference between the two numbers is the point!)

I was exhausted after a 40 min walk. I now am training to run a 5 K in 4 weeks!!!

I was uncomfotable in my body, I was self concious and ashamed of my size. I am now amazed that my legs can move me the way they do; I have curves, I can see my muscles move. My work pass now looks like I reacted to something I ate; my face is puffed up!!! (I have to grab a photo of that before I hand it back. I could do a comparison between my old and new work passes)

I used to be the biggest person in the room, didn’t matter where I was, it was usually the case. I am not the fat girl anymore. Now, I am just an ordinary looking girl. And I love that!!

I used to eat all the time, from boredom, from stress, just because something was there. And I ate too much refined sugar/fat. And my body felt sluggish and awkward because I was always eating. I now eat a much better variety of foods, with more fruit and veg, less fat and sugar. I feel hungry between meals – that is a good thing. Before I rarely got to the point of hunger between meals and I use my hunger now to guide me. I am satisfied with what I am eating; the amount and the variety. I have energy because my body is fueled with foods which give it what it needs.

The only before after comparison that is not favourable is that I have been cold all winter because I keep my body in a kJ deficit. And you know, that is one I can live with!!!

I have saved my own life this year.

Post 40 Weeks

I need to put some thought into what happens from Monday. Going into things without a plan is not a good idea for me; I am likely to get sidetracked when I don’t have clear goals and plans.

So, what happens from here???

I want to keep the current momentum going through to the beginning of December; so another 8 weeks. I have the Up and Running course which takes me through to the start of November and then I want to push through to December.

Up and Running gives me an exercise commitment. There are also running workout plans for the 5K level available from Up and Running that I can commit to once the course is over. I think this is a very good idea. Now that I am running and training I don’t want to lose it once the course is finished. I want to at least maintain my fitness in this area.

Generally, with exercise, I am getting in about 5 hours a week. That is 5-6 dedicated exercise sessions of about 40 minutes plus the incidental exercise to and from work 4 days a week which is an additional 20 minutes on those 4 days. I would like to keep up this amount of exercise; it fits into my life and it helps me stay sane. I know that no exercise is bad for my head; I feel that now when I miss as little as 3 consecutive days. But 5 hours a week is also not taking away from my other responsibilities. It feels like a good balance.

Foodwise, I like what I am eating at the moment, the food and the amount. My weekdays are pretty similar for breakfast, snacks and lunch. Dinner brings variation into the day. It is pretty easy and healthy. I like that weekends I have different breakfast options and greater flexibility for lunch and dinner. I am aiming for about 8000kJ a day at the moment and that allows me to have some treats but makes me think and plan my food. I like being aware. This amount of food is enough to lose weight but still support my body with the amount of exercise I do. And to maintain at a healthy weight, I would be eating about this amount of food so getting used to it is a good thing.

There are some variables which I will need to take into account. I start a new job in a new part of town at the beginning of November. That will impact starting and leaving times, where I park and the incidental exercise to and from the car and possibly my lunch time exercise. But I can work with this, I want to work exercise into my day so I will build it in right from the outset. It should also reduce my stress levels which would be a wonderful thing.

But then, what happens from December???

December and January are such social times. My thoughts are a little vague but I would like to track my food for most meals and snacks except for those social occasions, thinking of one or two a week. Most food then should be similar to what I am having now and that will give me some stability. Then, at social things, I will make healthy choices but try not be too concerned about not having total control. I would like to learn to trust myself a little in this area. I will plan to keep exercise going through the summer but might need to shift it to early mornings because of the summer temperatures. That is ok, I can do that. Over Christmas and New Year, I think my goal will be not to gain weight. If I can keep things stable that would be an excellent result.

I am also starting study next year. I am going to do a Graduate Diploma in Human Nutrition. I have found it so interesting to look at my food this year, looking at the kilojoules and macronutrients and building an eating plan that works for my body. And I want to learn more. The study is going to be a fascinating way to learn more and then I can look at applying it to me!

My longterm weight goal is 65 kg. If I can get to between 90 and 93 kg by the end of the year that will mean I have less than 30 kg to goal. I have lost 30 kg already, so that is not such a scary thing to think about. I know that the first 30 is different to the last 30 but I can apply the same principles. I am looking at consistency in my eating and exercise; making these patterns of behaviour ingrained; making healthy choices most of the time. That is what I want to do for the rest of my life; make healthy choices most of the time, live long and prosper.

Official Weigh In Monday – Less than 100

Yeah Baby!
I got up this morning and jumped on the scales. I am so happy to be reporting on my stats today!

Starting weight: 140.9 kg (310 lbs) 3 Jan 2011
Today’s weight: 99.2 kg (218 lbs)
Loss since last Tuesday: 1.2 kg (3 lbs)
Total lost: 41.7 kg (91.7 lbs)

I am so thrilled To be less than 100kg was my goal for Christmas. And I have done it! My mind struggles to accept this because it seemed so far away when I started and I still have ‘fat girl’ as part of my identity. But ‘healthy for life’ is getting stronger; committing to the Up and Running program is really helping build this new aspect of me. (See Kaleidoscope View for more about what this means)

I had an excellent week last week. I exercised on 6 days, averaging at 47 minutes. Not including Saturday, my kJ intake averaged at 7900/day. And at the party, I did well.

I also asked for help last week and that was a big step for me. My man was amazing and his love and support was so evident in the way he helped me with the post party clean up. I have no idea what happened to all the left overs. For that I am extremely grateful.

Today I will celebrate. I will celebrate my weight loss and improved health and fitness. I will celebrate my waist and my curves. I will celebrate that I am strong and beautiful.

99.8

Hello!
It is my man’s birthday today. We had a small party yesterday with cake and a BBQ. Knowing that the party was happening, I weighed myself yesterday morning… 99.8

99.8

99.8

99.8

If I knew how to increase the font size I would write it a few more times

And then, with the cake and the BBQ I ate more than I should have. It was all healthy stuff. But I just ate too much. Needless to say, I did not get on the scales this morning.

The funny thing is today, I am not hungry. Well that is not funny so much. But even though I am not hungry, I want to eat. Part of it is that I usually have a standard breakfast but today I just had a piece of toast and my latte. And for morning tea I had a small handful of almonds. And I am not physically hungry but my head is telling me to eat.

So far I have resisted. I am drinking green tea and herbal tea. I am just about to break out the chewing gum. I want to make healthy choices today. I want to see 99 on that scale again really soon.

But I got there! I lost a whole digit on the scale and I wore my special pink T-shirt that is a size 16 off the rack to celebrate, even though it was so cold yesterday.

99.8!

40kg is gone!

I have reached another goal! And I wasn’t expecting to this week, what with the weekend and little exercise in the last week. Some of it is hormones, some of it is eating well after a period of hit and miss with food. Whatever the rhyme and reason of the scales, I have now lost 40kg. I find it quite incredible that I have achieved so much this year with my health and fitness. I am 40kg lighter than I was at the start of the year.

Today’s stats:
Start weight: 140.9 kg (310 lbs)
Today’s weight: 100.9 kg (222 lbs)
Loss this week: 1.5 kg (3 lbs)
Total lost: 40.0 kg (88 lbs)

I am so excited to be this close to losing one of the numbers of the scale… at some point this week, I will lose the ’1′ out the front and go down to only two numbers. That was something I really noticed on the weekend that motivated me to eat well; I was thinking about weighing less than 100kg. And it really will happen this week if I exercise and eat properly. I am so excited. It is the same concept as ‘onederland’ when you weigh in in lbs but for kg and it is a really big deal for me; although, I am also looking forward to onederland

This morning I got up, went walking and included some jogging intervals in that. I am looking forward to the Up and Running training starting next week. The clouds were just amazing this morning with the sunrise. It was beautiful.

I have lost 40kg. That is 28.5% of my starting weight. I am so proud of me

20% of my start weight is gone

I have gone from an AU size 24 to an AU size 18. I have gone from a 137cm waist to a 121cm waist. I have gone from 140.9 kg to 112.7 kg. That is a 20% loss.

I am thrilled with how I feel and look now. Today I am wearing a skirt that I loved a few years ago and a new pretty top I got as a bargain on ebay. I look good! I am walking with confidence and my face beams. It is just so good to know I am already so much healthier and stronger. I can play for longer with my little boy, and I actively play with him, not just watch him playing. He loves being chased

I am also looking to the next few months of this journey. It is so motivating to have done so well and my success is driving me forward. Having goals that fly up so quickly is also wonderful! It gives me something to celebrate every week or fortnight. With just one more kg I change BMI category!!! And then so close to 30kg lost, followed by 110 kg! Which is only 10kg away from 100. I can almost reach out and grab it. I can almost taste it.

When I started I set achievable goals and was hopeful that I could attain them. But I was also so scared of failing. I had put alot of thought into what I wanted to do but the actually doing was still unknown. I have come a long way from my start point and while I still have a long way to go I have a much clearer vision and plan of how to get there. I have refined my eating plan, I have built my exercise plan. I have the information, the tools, the structure and the flexibility to make this work in my life today and for the forseeable future.

This weeks stats:
Start weight (3 Jan 2011): 140.9 kg (310 lbs)
Current weight: 112.7 kg (248 lbs)
This weeks loss: 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs)
Total loss: 28.2 kg (62 lbs)
% loss: 20%

Last week, I averaged 8206 kJ a day, which was right on target. I did just over 5 hours of exercise and I have started strength training to complement my cardio exercise.

This week, I am back at work after a 2 week break and so I hope to have a normal week in front of me. I do have 2 days training on Wed and Thurs but I am going to bring my normal food and have that regardless of whether they supply food or not. The training may make my lunch time exercise a little difficult so I will need to play that by ear. On the weekend I have a 1 year old birthday party to go to but I can take a pack of cashews with me to snack on. This week I also really want to exercise every day again. It helps with my head and keeps metabolism ticking over.

I am so happy!

20kg loss achieved – stepping stone goal reached

I have now lost more than 20kg!!! Woohoo! Yeah! Cheerin! Hurrah!

This morning I walked up the hill for my Monday morning walk. The light changed as the sun rose. As I left the house the light had a rosy edge and then it turned golden, then light yellow and finally clear. It was a beautiful morning, fresh and bright. I love this time of year. And on my way back down the hill, I told one of the walkers coming in the other direction that I had lost 20kg. And she was thrilled for me. It was the first person I told and it was so good to share my achievement. I got a little emotional after continuing on my way. Somewhere in my head I am still scared of failing, that I can’t maintain a healthy lifestyle or exercise routine, that I will put the weight back on. But I can do this.

This weeks stats
start weight: 140.9kg (310 lbs)
current weight 119.6kg (263 lbs)
loss this week: 1.9kg (4.2 lbs)
total loss: 21.3 kg (47 lbs)

This week I have decided to increase my kJ uptake by about 800kJ/day (about an additional 200cal) from last week. This works out to be about 8500kJ a day (just over 2000cal). Now that I am exercising 6-7 days a week I really need to be eating a little more. I keep saying I want to slow the weight loss down but it hasn’t happened yet. Part of me knows that I am losing more than recommended, part of me thinks that I am going to fast. And part of me is really excited and thrilled to see so much change so quickly! Part of me doesn’t want to slow down. But I think most of me agrees that a loss of 2kg a week is too much. So, this week, I am trying an experiment. I am increasing my food intake earlier in the day with an extra handful of cashews at morning tea and a slice of reduced fat cheese on my lunch in addition to what I was having. That comes to about an additional 800kJ. I think it is better to increase my daytime food rather than what I have for dinner. I will do this for a week and see how I feel energy wise and try to listen to my hunger and see what happens on the scale next Monday.

Next goal is only a short way off – to have lost 50lbs.

Challenges this week:
- keep exercising – I am up to 9 consecutive days now and I want to keep that going.
- I need to eat up to my daily kJ target every day. I might blog a couple days of food here as part of that.
- give myself a reward for what I have achieved! I am really bad at rewarding myself. So, my challenge is to set up a reward for myself to celebrate the commitment of 13 weeks of healthy living and a loss of 20kg.