A Navy Wife's Journey through Weight loss with a Touch of Deployment

The USHalf2- April 10th 2011- I ran my 2ND HALF MARATHON!

2011-04-21T23:59:00.000-07:00

On April 10th I ran the Golden Gate Bridge Again! and completed my 2nd Half Marathon! and it felt EASY!....
Yes it was easy! Do I need any more validation to call myself a runner? How did this chubby little girl turn into a Half Marathoner? I keep asking myself these rhetorical questions whenever I hit the treadmill or the road to go on a run. I just still cannot believe I RUN!
April is going by extremely fast! which is great for me because it means my husband comes back home from Deployment very soon! It also means that I have accomplished quite a bit in this short period of time...

As always (so far anyways) my little brother ran the race with me. I stayed at my parents house so at 6am promptly we woke up to my moms fresh pot of coffee, laughs and giggles as we made our way to the door. My parents are super supportive parents and after giving them grief about not coming to our race in November they decided there was no way that they would ever miss another race!

I am wore a top that I bought at Forever 21 for $1.99! I actually bought 3 of them in different shades of flowery print and decided that I would wear one for every race to come. Having a cheerful flowery top is now going to be my signature race look :)

I set up my outfit the night before and made sure that we were both ready to go out the door by 6:15am.

I want to disclose that I started training for this Half Marathon about 3 weeks before the race day. I didn't think I needed much training because I have been running a few miles a few times a week and I have adopted a new hobby- Turbo Kickboxing!
However, as we drove to the city with mom and dad all I could think about is whether or not I was actually going to make it through the whole course! I knew my body felt and looked better than it did back in November, I gained a lot of muscle mass in my legs and I had trained my lungs for extraneous exercise, but even then I had my doubts.

When we got to San Francisco, the energy was intense and there was so much joy in the air that slowly my fears just dissolved. The vibe was just perfect! mom and dad were acting like they were dropping us off at kindergarten, taking lots of pictures of us and cheering for us as we made our way to the finish line. Its was great!

At 7am sharp the race started! My brother and I ran passed mom and dad, both still taking pictures and cheering us and we were off... of course my brother sprinted passed me but we wished each other lots of luck! He actually came in at 2:06! also a personal best time for him!
The course is amazing! The views from the Marina, Crissy Field, the Presidio and across the famous Golden Gate Bridge "almost" make you forget that you're in any kind of pain. Running the course makes you feel so alive and grateful to have life and the capability to pick up and run your soul through the beautiful views.

The whole course was a very meditating experience for me. I thought about how much this deployment has changed me and how going through this time apart from my husband has not only strengthen our relationship and faith, but it has made us better people for each other, for our future family and for this world.
I went through all the various accomplishments that we have been blessed with in the long (but short) 8 months, we are truly blessed and I am really grateful to have an amazing supportive family and a strong dedicated and wonderful loving husband. Its weird how when you are in a state of physical pain, you reach deep within you and have self conversations with your soul. Of course the amazing views certainly do help to take you to that higher state of mind. Definitely an ultra meditative experience, much different than my first Half marathon.

Along with the lovely views I also saw a woman squat right in the middle of the course at around mile 11! Not the view I wanted to see or expected in this course, but I guess when you gotta go you gotta go!

Right at around mile 12 I had the pleasure of running into my running twitter friend @jacqialmond she had told me on twitter that she was also running the course and that she was going to wear a "running skirt" lol I remember thinking to myself "what the heck is a running skirt" but I never asked.... the race day and the course was almost ending when as I made my way up towards the mile 12 mark I see a woman walking in front of me in a running skirt! I thought "oh my god, what are the odds!" so I speed up to catch up with her and I was like "Are you Jacqui?" she said, "Yes!" I was like "Oh my god, come on lets go I will run with you!" So we ran and kinda chatted for a few minutes and wished each other luck and we separated again towards the end, but were so glad that we got to meet each other! Now I have a new real running friend, thanks to twitter.

As I made my way to the finish line, I really was running out of energy, but knowing that I had officially beat my time from the November Half gave me that extra boost to keep it moving. Suddenly right as I was approaching the finish line I see my bestfriend of 10 years Andrea! She was standing on a pole about 20 feet away from the finish line cheering me on! I then moved faster! Next thing I know I see my parents on the bleachers, cheering and taking more pictures!
I remember looking up at the clock and seeing "2:36" I ran like I never thought I could run before, I heard my name out in the speakers and the photographer caught me running into the finish line.
At that moment I realized I finished my 2nd Half Marathon!

I am glad my short training paid off because I shaved off about 15 mins off my 1st Half back in November US HALF Marathon- November 2010 !!!

This time around I managed to shave off 1min off my PM time and a total of 0.15 mins off my total time! I expected to finish in the 2:30ish range and I knew it could happen and it did! And now I have two MEDALS!

After all, I am now 15lbs lighter than I was back in November and I was also 150% more motivated and mentally prepared than I have ever been to embark in this challenge.

I didnt cry this time as I crossed the finish line, I actually was sooo excited that I was laughing nervously as I tried to find my friends and family in that massive 6000 people crowd. When I finally found them, I noticed I wasnt dying, I was feeling ok, in fact I could have possibly gone another mile or so... then I realized that if I want to complete a FULL marathon I would have to go do it all over again.
Question is can I?

I know I can and I WILL run the SF Marathon July 31st!

More race pictures:

USHalf2- My Second Half Marathon

2011-04-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

About a year and two months ago I decided to start running. I have never been a runner before- in fact, I dont think I ever ran longer than a few minutes. It just wasnt my thing, but after hearing how great running is for you or reading about all the amazing results you get from running I decided to give it a try. I actually used an iphone app called "Get Running" it was perfect, it set me up to run\walk in sessions everyday until I built up enough stamina to run for 30 minutes all in about 6 weeks. Suddenly I felt that I was totally addicted, I wanted to register for races and be a "Real" runner! So registered and finish a few races in 2010...

My First Race was the Mt.Eden Run to the Lake 10k - It was amazing! I felt so proud to be able to finish and so excited to be an official runner!Mt Eden 10K Race in July 2010

Soon after I got the urge to really challenge myself and run a 1\2 Marathon! On November 10th 2010 I ran the Golden Gate with the USHalf Marathon. It was so amazing to cross the finish line that I literally fell into tears.
USHalf - My First 1\2 Marathon

Tomorrow, I am running the USHalf 2. It will be my 2nd Half Marathon and the kick off point to train for my Full Marathon which I am running on July 31st.

Its been a pretty long road to get to where I am now, at -12lbs thanks to a lot of hard work and Weight Watchers I think I am ready to kick it up a notch and embrace this challenge to the fullest.

I am running a Full Marathon the SF Marathon on July 31st!

Running has been a form for me to get away and be with myself. Its weird because as my husband and I approach the last leg of this deployment, I am alone a lot, but being out running or even engrossed on the treadmill on a rainy day, really makes me get away with just me and my thoughts and my soul.

Its been very therapeutic to be able to take charge of my own choices and make good, healthy choices with an ultimate goal and a lot of accountability. Weight Watchers has given me a lot of that accountability that I didnt have before. The thought of having to weigh in every week and report back to my leader has been the ultimate reason why I have been so successful these last few weeks.
I am now down -12 lbs and have officially have 33.8 lbs to reach my target weight!

Tomorrow will be an amazing day- another 1\2 Marathon completed and done while enduring this deployment!

Week 5- Almost 10lbs lost!

2011-03-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Week 5 on Weight Watchers- Total weight loss -9.8 lbs!

This week’s weight loss reassured me that I can meet my goals and that although I may have some bad days, those quickly go away and there is always a good day!

I got in quite a bit of weight training in this week and I am starting to see some definition on my arms! It’s very exciting to see results, but at the same time it is kind of scary because this also means that I have to work extra hard to continue these results.

I achieved my goal of not overdoing it on the sodium this week, which helped a lot! I felt a lot less bloated and I think it definitely contributed to my weight loss for the week.

Cardio came into play only twice this week, which was ok because the days that I didn’t do any cardio I made sure I got in some weight training.

I sat in front of the TV, watched my favorite trashy reality TV shows, and did the following:

100 squats- with 8lbs weights on each shoulder
50 sit ups on the balance ball- with 8 lbs weight to pull up with
10 count 5xs arm press, shoulder press, bicep curl and triceps curl- with 8lbs weights on each arm.

Its fun to get weight training in when you’re totally into the show that you don’t even notice you’re working!

Unfortunately, I was not able to go to bed by 10pm and therefore did not get up and worked out in the morning. I just couldn’t do it. Could it be that I am just not a morning person? How does one even become a morning person?

Weight Loss this week: -1.4 lbs

Total Weight Loss: -9.8 lbs

Total Inches Lost: 9 (2 around my waist alone!)

New Jean Size: 8 (Down from 10)

Average weekly weight loss: 2.1lbs – Right on Target!

Tips for the week:

Move! Activity is obviously key for success, but even if you are not feeling well, or if the weather is crappy moving in front of the TV or anywhere helps with water weight loss and your overall success!

Changes for Week 6

- Cardio every day this week. I calendared Gym appointments for 5:30pm everyday this week and I expect to keep them all!

Have a Great Week!

Weight Watchers Week 4= Happy 1 Month Anniversary to me!

2011-03-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Week 4 on Weight Watchers! Its my 1 Month anniversary today!

It’s been one whole month and I am happy to announce that I saw a loss this week!

This week came and went very quickly and it was jam packed with responsibilities. Life is full of surprises and hurdles and for me, this week, was packed with homework assignments and a lot of reading for my Masters program. Of course on top of that I had a variety of projects to handle in the office, oh and lets not forget home… everything got done, at the expense of my time at the gym.

This week I put in only 6 miles to my Half Marathon training regimen which isn’t nearly as much as I should be doing in a week long. I did, however, put in about 90 minutes of weight\aerobic training with Billy Blanks Taebo and with Jillian Michaels Rip it in 30. Overall I was not satisfied with the way I managed my time this week, but I am learning new things about myself, like for example:

- Going to Bed by 10pm will make it easier for me to get up at 5:30am for an interval or running workout that will burn 500 calories in a single our or 10 activity points!
- Every LICK, TASTE and SMALL BITE COUNTS and affects my weigh in big time!
- Evening cardio workout or weight training video (alternating) will help me sleep better
- SODIUM is the enemy! I apparently, retain LARGE amounts of water and I need to cut down on the sodium intake.

Its been a month since I’ve joined weight watchers and I am completely satisfied with what I have learned so far and with my weight loss

This brings me to the following results:

Weight Loss this week: -0.4lbs

Total Weight Loss: -8.4lbs

Total Inches Lost: 8 (2 around my waist alone!)

New Jean Size: 8 (Down from 10)

Average weekly weight loss: 2.7lbs – Right on Target!

Tips for the week:

Watch your sodium! Water retention weighs in too! Those chips might be only 2 or 3 points but in the big scheme of things, they might not be worth the water weight you will gain from eating them.

Fruits and Vegetables – SALAD! Are your friends! Eat them!

When you fee full, STOP EATING! It doesn’t matter if its healthy. I failed to do this last week and my weight loss was quite minimal.

Changes for Week 5~

- Double workout days Mon-Thurs: Morning Cardio and Evening Intervals or weight training. Aiming for 20 Activity points per day!

Have an amazing week!

Weight Watchers Week 3= As expected...

2011-02-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

Week 3 was a challenge! I cant say much more than that!~ this was definitely a hard week. I take full responsibility for my 1.2 lbs weight GAIN! I deserve it!

I ate beyond my point bank account~ yes I like calling it my PointsPlus Bank Account that gets replenished everyday. Its easier to think about it that way :)
This week not only did I end my Sunday at school in classroom full of goodies but I also attended a Retirement Party where alcohol, pastries, fattening appetizers and champagne was served all night! Of course I used my weekly points, but I think I went way beyond my "portion size" Not surprisingly I gained weight. One whole pound! ugh!

This brings me to the following results:

Weight Loss this week: +1.2lbs

Total Weight Loss: -8lbs

Total Inches Lost: 8 (2 around my waist alone!)

However the following numbers do make me feel better:

Average weekly weight loss: 2.7lbs Thats amazing no?!

Tips for the week:

Measure, measure, measure! Portion control is key for good weekly results (obviously considering my bad results this week...) Use a scale or use your own body scale place the food item on a thin plastic plate and weigh in everything that you truly know what is going in your mouth.

When you find it hard to find something healthy, eat anything that is green. You never know what kind of sauce is on that chicken! You may find that the chicken breast dinner plate is smothered in butter sauce! Yikes!

Indulges:

I indulged in everything! hence my weigh gain... but what I could have done differently is indulging a bite into everything and consciously saving my weekly points for that particular item that I want to indulge in. The Key to indulging is also TRACKING! Track all the little bites that go into your mouth. Rule of thumb for "bites" is 2 oz of the food. Track accordingly.

Changes for Week 4~

- Cardio! Lots of running and cardio will fill my schedule this week.

- Portion Control and proper tracking

- No eating out! I dont have any dinner planes this week so it looks like it will be easy to stay on track.

Have a Happy First of March!!!!

Weight Watchers Week 2= 1\2 the Success, but nonetheless SUCCESS!

2011-02-20T07:43:00.000-08:00

This week has been a VERY tough one for me. Valentines Day completely caught me off guard this year because I wasnt emotionally "prepared" to spend it alone. My hubby called me from Afghanistan and sent some lovely Roses and a beautiful gift, but nonetheless all I wanted was him! We also had some internet troubles so I didnt get to talk to him at much as I had hoped for, and that disconnection alone got me really upset.

I noticed that in the midst of all the stress and tears of sadness I was a having basically every night this week, I managed to stay out of the fridge and eating healthy. Unfortunately I didnt make it to the gym at all!

Tip for the week: Have lots of 2pts (100 low calorie snack packs around) Chocolaty processed food stacked up somewhere in the house to help you when you need that "emotional eating snack". I am not a fan of those super processed foods, but it sure helped me through my anxiety and my emotional frustration this week!

Indulges: I have class Saturday and Sunday every 8 weeks, and normally my classmates and I bring snack to have throughout the day in class. (Long day 9am-5pm) One lady brought brownies! OMG I couldn't resist! luckily they were cut up in small bite sizes so even though I had a big full serving brownie it felt like I was eating multiple of them because the serving was cut up into little bite size pieces. Thats basically where my weekly points went to :)

Weight Loss this week -3lbs

Total Weight Loss -9.2lbs

Goals Reached: 5% Goal !!!!

Very excited and very pleased this week.

I start my 1\2 Marathon training this week, so I am hoping that the pounds loss will be even greater as I transition my body into some vigorous cardio!

Weight Watchers Week 1= Success!

2011-02-13T12:42:00.000-08:00

My first week with Weight Watchers was amazing! I lost 6.2 lbs! and 1 inch off my waist!

I ate everything I wanted to, within moderation and within my points and I never felt deprived or starved at all.

Tip for the week: Every night before I went to bed I made sure that I spent 10 mins online using their eTools and literally plan my meals for the next day. I planned Breakfast Lunch Dinner and snacks. On the days where I was going from home-work-home I was able to make sure I had total mental and emotional control over my choices. On the days where I knew I was going to be tempted I made sure I planned that temptation as much as possible by eating fruit for Breakfast and veggies with salad and lean protein for lunch.

Indulges: I indulged in some popcorn, taco bell and diet soda on Friday night when I went to the Justin Bieber movie with my little cousin :) It was a great movie, but it was even better for me because I didn't feel deprived at all! I had a very healthy 0-4 Pts Breakfast and Lunch so that I can have the two of my favorite Tacos at Taco Bell and some popcorn with butter!

Last night, Saturday, I had my niece, nephew and sister-in-law over for dinner and we had Pizza. I knew the night included Pizza and a cake, so again I had a very healthy Breakfast, Lunch and snacks so that when the Pizza came I didn't feel deprived and had 3 slices of Pizza with a small slice of cake.

Overall, this week went by really fast, it does take some time to get used to tracking your points and actually planning and making your meals, but a -6.2 lbs weight loss is worth it!

Next week will be a bit of a challenge because I have class on Saturday and Sunday (working on my Masters program and once a month I have class all weekend), so I will be attending one of the Monday morning meetings to get my weigh in. I am sure there will be a ton of pastries and high calorie foods during my classes so I will have to plan those days very strategically.

I am not expecting such a big loss next week but I would at least like to see a 4-5lbs! :) until then!

Weight Watchers- Day 1

2011-02-06T12:49:00.000-08:00

Today I joined Weight Watchers.

2010 was a great year, I must say I was challenged in so many ways and so many amazing things happened to me. I got legally married to the love of my life, I started running and ran my first 1\2 marathon. On a not so great note we also embarked in our first deployment. Needless to say 2010 had a very tough ending...

After a full month of struggling with my "New 2011 Plan" I decided I needed a "Home", a place where I can come in and be fully motivated and supported in person.

Emotionally and Mentally it was a tough Holiday Season, a tough start to the new year which got me completely off track on my weight loss goal and in the Healthy Eating arena. I can get to the gym, I just cant seem to get myself motivated and excited to eat Healthy.

I've been successful with WW in the past, and I will be successful with it now.

My wake up call came in last weekend when I went in for my wedding dress alterations... I saw myself in my beautiful dream wedding dress, and I can not see myself this way on that day.

I want to see myself thin in this beautiful shaped wedding gown that hugs my body in all the right areas. I want to be thin and stay thin.

Our wedding in November not only means the start of my new life with my deployed husband (we are legally married, so our Nov wedding is our Catholic Church wedding), it also means the celebration of my husband returning home. This is 100xs more than a wedding its a true celebration of a new life, and I want that life to start with me being thin.

Weight Watchers Day 1 Began today!

Thanks Liz and Susan for being such an inspiration.

Breakfast-Lunch/Dinners all under 400 calories!

2011-01-15T20:32:00.000-08:00

The last couple of weeks have been extremely tough to get through with "life" getting in the way. I did however, managed to cook 6 meals this past weekend and at least have dinner ready by the time I got home. Tomorrow I start my full cardio training and making sure that it takes priority. With that, I would like to share with you my recipes. I am really big on living an organized life and I figured if I outlined my recipes on the fridge I wouldnt come home hungry and tired wondering what to eat and then end up eating something that is too unhealthy. These recipes all take about 20 minutes to prepare and use simple ingredients.

Enjoy!

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkegV2oJ7MiIdF9HSHhDbGFFZlNDZ29wNXhoZXFKSnc&hl=en&authkey=CKbDi20

Recipes were derived from magazines, Biggest Loser meal plans, and my own taste :)

Faby's Rules for Weight Loss - 2011

2010-12-31T15:17:00.000-08:00

FABY'S RULES FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Exercise is a habit. Dicipline is KEY!

Plan as many HEALTHY meals as possible

Burn what you eat!

ALWAYS choose HEALTHY over taste

Indulge in moderation

FITNESS SMART GOALS

(Specific, Attainable, Measurable, Realistic, Timely)

Run a 11 minute mile for my 1/2 Marathon- 9-11 minute mile for my Full Marathon

Train 4-5 times per week

Finish my full Marathon in 4:30:00 minutes!

Train with Tempo Runs and Hill Runs

Hydrate 100 oz per day

2011 Running Goals

2010-12-31T15:09:00.000-08:00

2010 was the start of my new hobby- Running

I love to Run, Jog, or just walk it off. It brings me back to sanity and it brings me back to a place of peace.

My runs started thanks to the Getrunning Iphone appplication that basiclaly acts like a coach calling out instructions of when to stop and run. A few weeks later I was running for longer than 20 minutes without stopping!

Soon after my first long run I decided to register for a 10k. The 10k came around the time that my husband came back from Navy training in Pensecola, FL. He was gone for a couple of months which allowed me to have a lot of free time for training.

See Mt. Eden 10k Run to the Lake to read the experience of my first run.

Shortly after this run I decided I was ready to run a 1/2 Marathon which was an unbelievable experience!

See US Half Marathon to read about my 1/2 Marathon experience

For 2011 I have a few runs scheduled. I will successfully run all these events and have better mile times each and every time. I cant wait to officially be a MARATHONER!!!

2011 Running Events

1 - The Dam Run- Orinda-10k 29-Jan-11

2 - Run the US Half Marathon "Other Half" 10-Apr-11

3 - See Jane Run Half Marathon- Alameda 5-Jun-11

4 - Run to the Lake- Lake Chabot 10-Jul-11

5 - The San Francisco Marathon 31-Jul-11

Thank you to everyone who helped me stay motivated throughout 2011. I look forward to making more virtual friends who share the same passion as I do.

Faby's 20 Minute Plan

2010-12-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

I’ve been preparing for the New Year for a couple of weeks now. I wanted to make sure I was fully prepared to embark on my 2011 Weight Loss Journey in the easiest most “natural” way.

I am a huge Biggest Loser fan, and two weeks ago while watching the finally, I started to feel guilty that I was laying on the couch and not doing anything “productive” during the show. So I started to think about how these contestants lost all that weight. What was the thing they did constantly everyday (besides working out!) that made them loose all that weight?

The answer, of course, was eating healthy. These people are locked up in the ranch for weeks with nothing else to eat but Healthy nutritious fat fighting foods. They ate these foods for fuel! Not to “indulge” or because “they taste amazing” they ate Healthy (delicious) foods to fuel their exercise routine by providing them with the energy that they need to actually make it through hard long hours of exercise. Obviously, this is well known and advertised throughout the internet and in all the weight loss books and programs. But for the past 6-9 months I have not been able to stick to any Healthy eating program… so I decided to create my own.

While I was watching the show (2 hour episode) I pulled out my computer and started to come up with an action plan for Healthy Eating. I came up with the top three things that would make me want to stick to this “Faby 20 Minute Plan”:

1. Taste- Meals have to taste good while being under 400 calories per serving

2. Time- Meals cannot take more than 20 minutes to prepare

3. Maintenance- Replacing foods in my refrigerator and pantry has to be easy to do

With these 3 rules in mind I started to research some Healthy under 400 meals that I would actually like, that would only take 20 minutes a day to make and that I can easily replace at any local grocery store without breaking my budget.

After searching on the Biggest Loser website, Fitness magazines websites, and other Healthy Food sites, I came up with over 15 different Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners that are packed with delicious nutritious ingredients that I could cross use among the meals.

I organized them in a neat excel spreadsheet (I love Excel!) and I posted them on my cabinet doors. This way whenever I do feel like I don’t know what to make for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner I can simply glance up to my door and see the meals and ingredients to use and whip something up in a matter of minutes!

Based on these recipes I created a Grocery list of the main items (left out condiments) and organized them by “zones” to make it easy and quick for me to go to the local supermarket to pick them up. I can go in and be by the register line in less than 20 minutes!

The idea behind this “Faby 20 Minute Plan” is that its personalized to me. I love wheat muffins, l love Veggie burger patties; I am a huge fan of avocado and lots of salsa. All of these foods are foods I already like. These are foods I usually eat with some other item that are NOT low in fat or calories so most of the time I am not using these foods correctly.

I am very excited to start the new year with this new plan. I have been doing it for the last 2 weeks and it works wonders! I always know what I want to eat and my hunger can manage a less than 20 minute wait for a meal. Most of these I can make in less than 10 minutes!

Of course, with the holidays in the way I haven’t seen any true weight loss results yet. But I am confidence that with these low calorie meals, consistent cardio training and weight lifting, I am sure to hit my weight loss goal of 130lbs (40 lbs lost) by at least this summer!

Holiday Season~The Extra Pounds

2010-12-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

The Holidays always come with extra weight. It doesn’t always have to be that way, but for most of us it is. This year, I indulged, in moderation, but I indulged. I ate everything I wanted on my own designed Holiday days- Pdubb Thanksgiving (yearly friends Thanksgiving meal event) Thanksgiving dinner with family, Pdubb Christmas (yearly friends Christmas event) and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That’s it, nothing more and nothing less. On the rest of the days during this Holiday season I made sure I drank a lot of water, ate sensible low calorie meals for every meal of the day and got at least 2-3 days in of hard cardio a week.

For Thanksgiving our table is always full of Mexican\American Dishes. We do have a Turkey, this year it was marinated in adobo sauce, we have homemade refried beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, bread, tortillas, home made salsa and pastel de tres leches for dessert.

For Christmas my mom made 3 kinds of Tamales- Pineapple, Strawberry and red chile pork. We also had a big Roast for carving, and birria- beef stew. All of it was amazing! All of it was NOT fatfree :)

The result… no weight gain- the down fall, no weight loss.

I am not surprised at all with my results because that was technically my goal for this season. I thought I could diet and completely stay away from the typical Mexican dishes that are served in our family dinners or the wonderful desserts and courses that are served at our friend gatherings. But I just couldn’t. And honestly, I am not going to beat myself up for it. The Holidays come once a year. Once a year we get a chance to be around loved ones, laugh, cry and be merry! So why not indulge!

I am glad I didn’t gain weight and I am looking forward to kicking off my weight loss plan for 2011!

Holiday Decoration~Without a Christmas Tree

2010-12-27T13:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas came and went and now here we are waiting for 2011 to arrive. I am truly excited about 2011. I have this weird visual calendar that starts off slow (Jan-March) and ends quickly (Sept-Dec) and that’s exactly what happened this last quarter of the year.

This year because my husband is deployed I decided not to have a Christmas tree in the house. Back in 2009 when we spent our first Christmas at our apartment for the first time, we went out and picked a real Christmas tree together. It is kind of our own first “Jauregui-Gonzalez Family” tradition. I hope to add many more to the list, but for now that one remains. As you know, my husband is deployed in Afghanistan, and unfortunately was not in the states to pick and Christmas tree and set it up. So I was not going to do it for him. I want him to come back safe and sound in Sept 2011 and get ready to pick and set up of 2011 Christmas tree.

Despite the missing Christmas tree, our small suburban apartment still had the Christmas spirit loud and bright. I love the Holidays and love to decorate for all Holidays. It brings a bit of individuality to our home and our family. So I did as much as I could around the house and I made sure that the spirit was there.

Having a decorated home also makes me feel as if my husband was here. It takes the loneliness out of my nights and the lights and color sure to help brighten the evenings for me. I made sure to turn on the lights on the decorations, light candles while I watched TV, read or did some work and that made it all better.

Hope you and your loved ones had a wonderful Christmas!

Struggle

2010-12-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have not been easy. The struggle comes from all directions. From being away from my husband, to having way too many food temptations around, to work... Its been super hard. Its been incredibly hard.
I've tried to stay on top of my exercise schedule, but I have not been religious with it. I am really hard on myself especially when I dont stick with what I create myself! Like my schedule...
The truth is that the Holiday season really gets to me, and this Holiday season will be a little "Extra" emotional, extra sad, extra sensitive... I love having my friends and family around but I really need my husband around...this deployment is harder than I thought.

In any case, I am holding myself accountable- I am struggling and I know I can come back up. The "struggle" is going to be around throughout the deployment, and again I have to keep trying... one step at a time...

December will come and go- the faster the better- and my weight loss battle will continue along with my Marathon training... but for now, and before I move forward, I acknowledge that I struggle and its ok to do so... sometimes..

Breaking Points=Motivation Marks

2010-11-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

Depending on where you are in the world, you’ll notice that the weather is changing and slowly its getting colder. This change reminds me that the holidays are upon us and that pretty soon the year will end. For me, this change also means the first (and hopefully the last!) Holiday season without my husband. It’s not easy coming home to an empty house and going to bed to an empty bed. It’s been extremely hard for me to stay afloat and motivated to do anything.

I had one of those weekends, this past weekend, where I really felt the loneliness upon me literally taking over my body. I woke up with a migraine on Sunday and never left the house. I cooked up a storm- lunches and dinners for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday- and I laid on the couch watching meaningless TV and seeing the time go by. At around 5:30pm I got an email from my husband to log on to skype, suddenly I felt like my mood was over and done. Talking to him makes me feel so much better which is great, but it also made me realize this it is. This is the Holiday season with out him.

It’s already Thanksgiving this week and he is not going to be here. So what am I to do? I can’t lay in bed all day for the rest of the year! I certainly cannot let myself go. I have to get up and do something. So with his help, understanding and patience I am going to kick this deployment in the butt and win it!

I am not going to lay around and do nothing, I am going to be as productive as I can be during this Holiday season and ongoing.

And so I have decided that as a Xmas present to myself, I am registering for the my upcoming 2011 races

US ‘other half’ Marathon April 10, 2011 and…..
SF MARATHON on July 31, 2011

That gives me a solid 6 months to train for a full Marathon! Thats 26.2 miles :) aww sounds amazing just saying it!

These races will keep me sweating and motivated to make good times and finish them! And I am for sure going to loose my weight for that wedding dress that’s already hanging in my parents closet!

Some people deal with stress by eating, smoking or even (like me) laying around doing nothing. I cant do that! I have a husband who looks to me for moral support and I have lots of dreams and aspirations that I cant loose site of. Racing and training for a goal time, or a goal weight and, for me, also a goal size, will keep my mind focused on the goal and not on the reality of this deployment. Not to mention the wedding! The wedding planning it self will keep me distracted. I am sure I will have my moments where I will breakdown, but time is ticking and every breakdown I hope will be smaller than the next, the more time I loose “breaking down” the more time I waste not training, planning a wedding and probably doing homework, because I just found out I start my Grad School program in January! Even more to add to this action.

Until next time…

US Half Marathon "I ran the Golden Gate!"

2010-11-07T18:27:00.000-08:00

My brother- who is the athlete of the family- joined me for this adventure. Last night before I went to sleep I went on the web to check the chance of rain and of course all the weather websites said... 100% chance of rain! There was no way around it- it was going to rain! I went to sleep hoping and praying that the rain would go away. I cant remember the last time I even walked out in the rain without an umbrella let alone run with no cover for 13.1 miles!
My brother and I decided to stay at my parents house since it would be a shorter commute for the both of us into the city. We woke up promptly at 5am, ate breakfast, put our rain gear on and out we went... The ride to SF was very scary it was raining super hard and the Bay Bridge felt like it was swinging! We finally got to SF and our moods quickly changed when we saw the mob of people running towards the start line. We parked and started our walk towards the starting line. By then we were already soaked from head to toe so running in the rain was a fact. It was going to happen no matter what! I have to say it was exciting to see thousands of people excited, lined up and pumped to run in the rain!
At 7am we started moving, through Van Ness down towards the Presidio through Crissy Fields and on and on we went... Mile 1 went by, mile 2, mile 3 and so on... by the time I saw Mile 4 I was feeling lots of pain. I kept looking at my watch to see what kind of timing I had and I was going right on schedule- about 12 min mile...
Suddenly the course took a turn towards a steep hill that will eventually loop us up to the Golden Gate. At that point I had to walk it. The hill beat me, my hamstrings were burning and my thighs were yelling at me to power walk up this hill, so I did. Once the hill was over I got back on running mode as I stared straight ahead at this red monster! The Golden Gate!!
As soon as I stepped on the GG, I blessed myself and I kept moving, never once stopping I suddenly realized that I, the overweight young self conscious little girl, was running in the rain, on the Golden Gate Bridge! I tossed that self conscious girl off the bridge the moment I realized that nothing hurt and that in about 20 minutes I would be on the other side of the bridge heading back to the finish line.
As I finished the first side of the Bridge I looked to my left and actually saw my little brother running back. I was so happy to see him and see how far ahead he was just made me run faster. By the time I got to the end of that side of the bridge, I was feeling a bit weak so I slowed down a bit. At that moment I looked down on to the ground and I found a $20 bill! rolled up wet, but nonetheless a $20 bill!
I quickly picked it up and kept going- I feel bad for whomever lost $20, but for me it was an energy booster to keep going.
The course then looped under the bridge and under to the other side of the bridge along some downward steep trails that I happily took advantage of to built some momentum and start passing some people. But of course what comes down must also come up, so a new hill was approaching, this one to take us back on the bridge and back towards SF.
As we looped back on the bridge I saw that 7 mile mark. Yikes! I thought to myself '7 miles!' I felt like I had a long way to go and so little time. I was basically half way to the finish line. I kept going, never looking back and making sure that I was holding a good pace. Before I knew it I was back on Crissy Fields running along the water. The course at this point was uncomfortable for me. I am not a fan of running along the sandy dirt road, I felt like I was working twice as hard as if I was running on cement!
I kept going... soon enough I saw mile 10! My body was definitely screaming with pain, my hips hurt, my knees, my thighs, basically my whole lower body was aching. I decided to walk it off and power walk most of the time between the 10 and 12th mile, until I got to a a pretty little bridge that felt like it was moving by itself! It wasnt, of course, I was hallucinating at that point :)
I stepped on the bridge and started running a bit faster knowing that cement was approaching soon. Once I saw the 1 mile mark I knew I was almost there, I started pushing myself and talking to myself and it worked! I pushed and pushed and soon enough I was back at aquatic park, back where the finish line was suppose to be. Boy I was wrong! I thought the finish line was going to be in the exact same place that the starting point was, and it wasnt! As I went down a steep hill, that of course gave me some extra momentum and that I sprinted down from, I realized the starting line was missing and that it was a good .25 of a mile away! I could see a bunch of people waiting for us, tents, and the big finish line! I pushed harder... Harder than I had ever pushed myself in my life. I ran through the finish line and I just stopped.
My brother quickly found me and gave me a big hug!He then asked me if I was 'ok' as I broke down in tears right then and there. He probably thought I was hurt, but although I was physically exhausted emotionally I felt amazing! full of happiness and joy to be done that tears started rolling down...
I could not believe that I actually got out and ran 13.1 miles in the rain! and to top it off I did it while running across one of the most beautiful land marks of the world!
I am glad I get to share this with my friends and family as well as my husband who I know was there with me in thoughts and spirit all the way from Afghanistan.

My First Half Marathon was an amazing experience!~ I still cant believe I ran it in pouring rain and winds across the Golden Gate and back to SF. This could not have been a better First 1/2 for me! I am so proud of myself and so excited to say "I ran the Golden Gate"!!!!

Count down to my 1/2 Marathon and Hubbyless Blues...

2010-11-01T21:10:00.000-07:00

I am six days away from doing one of the most terrifying things in the world for me... Running a 1/2 Marathon.

I cant believe I actually paid the $80 (super expensive by the way...) and I am running this thing.
The last few weeks have been nothing less than an emotional roller coaster for me. Its been quite hard getting used to the idea of not having my husband around, and adjusting to life without him physically here has been really hard. Some days I have come home from work and literally not moved from the sofa, or I have eaten everything in sight, or have simply laid in bed... I am assuming thats called a slight state of depression- I call it "Hubbyless Blues". Thank God I have a super strong support system otherwise this blog entry will not be a positive one.
I have picked myself up, time and time again, and have been training- HARD! Really hard, mile after mile, interval after interval. I have only lost a couple of pounds but I feel good about myself. My body is ready. I am ready to commit to my 1/2 Marathon Goals:

1. Breathe at all times! I know sounds silly but you have to find your "Breathing zone" when you're running that much. I want to find mine and BREATHE!
2. Find my tempo, my rhythm and stay with it.
3. Never stop. Keeping going and not quit!
4. FINISH under 2:50hrs

I cant imagine that I would stop while staring at the Golden Gate Bridge, or seeing the beautiful views of San Francisco! I am completing a 13.1 course through the water front, through the GGB and back. How could I not meet my goals with this awesome backdrop?! I wont!

I am so excited about this whole weekend that I cant wait for this week to go by and Friday to come! My little brother and I are running the event together and our whole family is coming out to see us :) Its going to be super fun!

Keep me in your thoughts! and Send me positive vibes as I embark on this awesome 1st experience.:)

Week 3- Weight Loss Challenge (Create\Plan\Achieve!)

2010-10-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

Its been a couple of weeks since I decided to start my weight loss challenge to finish up the year. So far so good. I was a bit disappointed the first week because I actually gained 2lbs! bringing my weight to a solid 170 lbs! and its been fluctuating ever since. Not having my husband around and adapting to that has been really tough. Some days I do ok, others I did nothing but come home lay on the couch and eat. I know that’s not what I want to do and its certainly not a way of losing weight but that’s what I did. So I gained 2lbs between 9\27 and 10\2! It might have been water weight but most of it was just me being depressed.

Sunday night, I had a huge wake up call. I can’t really describe why or how it came about me- but I started thinking about all the great things I want for myself. It probably helped that my hubby was on the same page with me from afar. He too had an epiphany and reminded me of all the mutual goals we have set for ourselves and how we vowed to accomplish them together. My “Visualization” board came to light once again. So I picked myself up, went out and got a brand new Heart Rate monitor to help with my training and some healthy food to keep me on track and then I went on my happy way back home to plan the next week.

I have every meal of the week planned and every workout planned. I also planned out my goals for the week and action items associated with them. In case you haven’t noticed I “suffer” from OCD and sometimes I feel a little lost when I am not super organized about things that I need to do. My calendar and lists also have “room” for unexpected surprises, but for the most part I TRY my best to stay on track. This will help me achieve all my life goals and “daily” goals, like taking the car in for detailing. Goals need actions to come alive and that exactly what I plan on doing!

Part of this new week has also been incorporating some exercise of the mind. I want to make sure I feed my mind, body and soul in every way I can as I finish out the year by reading good fruitful books, training for my 1\2 marathon and connecting with God on a daily basis. Yesterday was the first day of my new routine and I loved it. I woke up energized, and determined to make it an awesome day at work and at home. The day went by super fast and by the time I got home I couldn’t wait to get out and train! I accomplished all of my “to do” items on my list and I put on my new Polar FT4 HRM and took off to the gym. I ran 4.10 miles and felt amazing! It was such a relieve to know that I was completing what I said I would do for the day. By the time I got home I felt relieved and relaxed so I called it a night with a good book and fell right to sleep.

This morning I weigh in and saw a 3lbs loss on the scale! Which takes me down to 167lbs! I was so excited to finally see weight loss that I was motivated to blog about it and share with you how I plan on completing my 32lbs weight loss goal in the next 12 weeks!

Create, Plan, Achieve is the key!

• Create your goal- Daily\Weekly\even hourly to help you stay on track

• Plan the action items to take to achieve that goal

• Achieve!- Cross out and reward yourself when you achieve a major goal.

I plan on getting myself a new pair of jeans when I hit a solid 159lbs.

Here is a snap shot of my training calendar- I posted it on my fridge and are looking forward to crossing out each training day and tracking calories burnt and Heart Rate level.

Week #1 100 days of 2010 Challenge

2010-09-27T10:55:00.000-07:00

100 Days of 2010 Goals

#1 - Eat within a calorie deficit everyday - I use my iphone ap loseit to track calorie intake and calorie burn. I hope to burn at least 500 calories a day with cardio (running or aerobics) and strength training. To achieve this goal I must log my foods daily, and plan them ahead of time as well along with daily exercise routines.
#2 - Review and share daily health and fitness movitvations with my close friends and family. This will remind me time and time again why I want to do this. Who I am helping (myself) and the importance of the path that I am accomplishing.
#3- Weigh myself weekly. Only on Monday mornings will I be able to track my progress, there is no need for daily weighins- it only takes your mind off the path to the gold!

I want to loose 30 lbs by December 31 2010. I have gained 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks. I am 168 lbs today.

My goals weight is 140- that brings me to consitently loosing approximately 2lbs a week for the next 12-13 weeks of the year.

Challenge startrs today!

Reasoning: 100 Days in 2010 Challenge Post Week #1

2010-09-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

September 23rd brought the Lunar equinox. This happens twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun. This brings the center of the Sun in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The start of this new season symbolizes the start of my new journey. A journey with a husband away at war, and a year long journey of praying, planning and lossing weight!

The term equinox is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day are approximately equally long. I dont want to stay "equal" size to what I am now. I am going to use my stregnth and energy for positive and amazing things for my husband, my family and myself.

I am setting realistic goals for myself for the next 100 days of the year!!

See Blog Above

I have maintained...

2010-09-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

I have extremely MIA in the last few weeks, but I have a good reason. Honeymooning and spending time with my soon to be deployed husband!

We've had a blast traveling to a bunch of random places this summer but time is running out and he is departing soon :( He has 2 weeks left home before he deploys and I plan on spending those two weeks strictly with him and our family.

He is gone of a year and a major part of how I am going to spend my time without him will be exercising like crazy and getting into that size 4 gown for our Church wedding on Oct 1.

I have only lost .5lbs to 1 lbs - which is probably water weight fluctuations from all the vacays we have taken. We do take hikes and walks together and we discovered the Wii fit! Its awesome to spend time together! with that time also comes dinning out dates and lots of meals!
Needless to say I did not meet my weight loss goals, but I definitely enjoyed all the time spent in Vegas, Tahoe and LA. My weightloss challenge will officially start (and be used a distraction) upon my husbands departure.

I will be updating my blog very soon with fun new pcitures and with my new weightloss plan.
Please keep in touch! :) I will be checking in with you all very soon! and keep us in your prayers as we embark in this new journey.

New Goals- August 16-24th

2010-08-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

I need a new goals sheet. I am done wedding planning and work is running smoothly, all I have left to "interfere" with my weight loss goals is vacations. But thats not a negative event, that is actually a very positive event worthy of some work to get it! (Even though tickets are purchased and all)

I have one week to Las Vegas and 2 weeks to Puerto Vallarta and 10 lbs to loose! How can I do that? I cant so I am scaling it down to 7 lbs. I think 7 lbs is reasonable in 3 weeks no?

So heres the plan... for August 16-24th
Deficit calorie plan- burning 65% of the calories I consume and only consume good healthy calories. The burning will consist of cardio and weight training a total of about 60 minutes a day. I will take Friday August 20th off and workout at the state of the art gym at the Encore in Vegas where we will be staying Friday - Monday. Alfredo and I are pretty good about working out before we go and venture out during our vacation. In terms of eating and drinking in Vegas I will stick with low calorie drinks and eat lots of salmon and veggies for dinner and healthy salads lunch and lots of protein for breakfast. Obviously I will keep my water consumption super high through out our weekend and I anticipate lots of walking during the day or swimming or sunbathing by the pool, which will feel great after a long morning (11ish am) workout. Oh and I almost forgot! There will be lots of dancing in Vegas! There it is calorie deficit will happen for sure!!!

Any other tips I should take into consideration?

I will check in on the 24th to see how I do.

Todays weight 164

The Wedding (Our Civil Wedding Ceremony)

2010-08-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

On August 8th 2010 I became Mrs. Jauregui. Try pronouncing it! Ready... 'How're'gi' lol

We had a beautiful small Civil Ceremony in front of our parents and siblings at my parents house. It was more thank wonderful it was amazing! Our day couldnt have been better. The weather was beautiful and the setting was amazing. As you may know by now, Alfredo deploys on September 18th and we wanted to make we were legally married before he left, and we did. We are now happily married and so in love. This summer has been a crazy roller coaster of emotions- from awesome trips, to random reminders of how little time we have together before his departure...
All of this has had me obviously crazy and neurotic from time to time, especially planning a wedding in such short notice! Having said this, I have obviously not been working out as much as I could be- but I am very happy with the way we look in this iphone pic from our wedding day!

Now that the wedding festivities are done, were back to traveling a bit more and back to running! We have signed up for a charity 10k on Sept 12th. Wish me luck! I am so excited to share a race with my new Husband!

Two piece in The Bahamas!

2010-08-16T22:15:00.000-07:00

At the end of July Alfredo and I went to the Bahamas for a quick trip before our Civil Wedding on August 8th! It was amazing! We had such a great time cruising the The Bahamas on a beautiful ship, dancing, sun bathing... oh and yes lots of drinking and eating. I was determined not to worry about anything else but having fun and enjoying myself to the fullest! and the best part? I wore a two piece! Swimming in the Caribbean in rain and sun was so much fun in a two piece! I had never been out on the beach in a 2 piece.

Four days away sailing, eating, drinking and sun bathing and I didnt gain one pound!!! I am still 164!!! Again, I havent met my goal, in fact I didnt meet any of my summer weight loss goals but I did do this... I wore a TWO PIECE!!!

Engagement Pictures...Long time of preparation...

2010-08-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

For the last few months I have been looking forward to our engagement picture session with my fiancé (now Husband!) and I actually have been super preparing myself! I've been working on my arms and my waist! I wanted our session to be cute, casual and flirty and it was! I was so happy with my results that I cant wait to loose more weight and do a compare and contrast!

Its been a roller coaster of a summer so many trips and so many "things to do" before Alfredo deploys...all great things.. all in preparation for his deployment. Due to this preparation I've kind of let go of my summer diet plan. I jump in and out but needless to say I am not at all happy about not meeting my goals :(

Run to the Lake 10k! Mt Eden 10K Race (First Race- Time: 1:09:14)

2010-07-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

On July 11th 2010 I ran my first race. Sunday, was the first time I participated in an Athletic event. I ran a 10k in 69 minutes and 14 seconds...On Feb 1st 2010, I couldn't even run for longer than 2 minutes! and on Sunday I finished a 10k with much joy and excitement to run again!

I started feeling stressed about the race when we got back from our 4th of July trip. There is so much to do for the wedding, so much to do for my upcoming birthday party and I only had 6 days left before the race. In an attempt to "calm" my nerves I started training like crazy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and Saturday. I also asked my younger brother if he would run with me. He agreed and we got him registered.

The day started out for me very early in the morning. I was so excited to wake up, have breakfast, get dressed, brush my teeth and head out for my run that I couldn't even sleep. My alarm was set for 6am to give me enough time to eat breakfast, get ready and walk out of door. I actually woke up at 4am and couldnt go back to sleep, two hours went by, two hours of thinking about wedding, about running, about vacations- my mind racing- and then the alarm went off. I got up, made breakfast for everyone, got ready and headed out the door.

Alfredo (my finance) drove us to the race, he has been so supportive of my goals and of this race, but yet, at that point he still thought it was a little bit of a waste of time...

We registered, put our bibs on and headed down to the lineup. My heart was racing, I kept looking around to see who I could "match up with" and I ended up heading to the back. I figured I should start with my group- the 10-12minute milers. Meanwhile my brother and his friend, who registered last minute, were up in the front at the 8mile mark. Alfredo was so cute, he took pictures of me while I was warming up and while we lined up. I just looked back at him and smiled- little did he know I was terrified of starting!

I took the first step and didnt stop! For 6.20 miles of cement, hills and terrain I didnt stop! I truly understand know what people mean when they say that running is 80% mental and 20% physical. I mentally coached myself throughout the whole race. I used music (I had an awesome remix going- created by Alfredo), mantras, racing against other people and even used the "counting" method to keep me going. I actually was not in pain, it was a great pace for me and a beautiful view! I loved it!

When we took the last turn onto Lake Chabot Rd I realized we were heading back to the finish line. It was so exciting I almost cried the whole way back to the finish line- I thought to myself "I am done" I am really done with this! As I approached the finish line, I saw Alfredo on the side line with his camera out smiling and cheering at me to keep going. I looked up at my time and saw a 1:08 and so many seconds, I started running as fast as I could to meet and under 70 minute time! I went through the finish line and into Alfredo's arms. At that point I knew I had lost my Athletic event virginity! I did it!

A few minutes later, I went up to a woman that was pretty much running my pace and we got to talking and congratulating each other. She asked me if I felt better this year than last year. I told her not only was this my first race, but I also barely started running in February. She was so surprised and congratulated me once again.

We took pictures got some freebies at the Health expo and started walking to the car. While we were walking Alfredo said "Lets do one together, before I leave lets run a race" I couldnt have heard better news at that point. So were in search for a upcoming running event to do together. Being healthy and fit is a mutual goal and priority and hearing him say that he wants to do a race together was like music to my ears.

I am addicted now! I want to run another race soon! Perhaps a 12k or another 10k to beat my time. I cant wait to do my next race and are looking forward to my training program.

Week 7 and 8- Long Hot Active Summer Challenge

2010-07-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

Week 7-8 (June 23rd to July 7th) of Long Hot Active Summer Challenge

Stats

Weight: SAME- No loss no gain in pounds I am 164 lbs flat!

Body Fat%: lost -1%

Fitness Minutes- 520 minutes

Its been an extremely crazy last couple of weeks! No time to cook healthy and no time to exercise and yet I put in over 500 minutes of exercise in 2 weeks and lost 1% of body fat and a couple of mor einches off my waist! But no pounds! I am not surprised. I know perfectly well that more than 50% of the weight loss battle is in the food that you eat. That’s and absolute truth and I know it. Obviously, I havent really been deligent with my habits and evidently that has affected my weight loss. Theres no excuse- but I will use one…Vacation! So hard to stay on trakc while on vacay… Its ok. I am ok with the results of these two weeks. This week is a new week and so far I’ve been eating healthier and know that I will see a loss in pounds at my next weight in.

4th of July Weekend

2010-07-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

For 4th of July weekend we went to Southern California to hang out by the beach and relax. Of course one of the first things that came to mind was how in the world was I going to NOT gain weight while on vacay? Well as it turns out I maintained my weight while I was gone and I even had a chance to train for my upcoming 10k! My fiancé is amazing and totally supportive of my goals, so every morning while in So. CA we woke up early- yes even after a late night of drinking and partying- and headed to the gym to work out. Our first night in Manhattan Beach was so much fun! We met up with some friends for drinks and dancing and ended up going to bed around 3am. The next day we woke up to an unpleasant overcast temperature but it was a perfect weather for a walk by the beach and an hour at the gym. Afterwards, we headed for some much needed retail therapy in downtown LA where we walked for about an hour and a half! I didn’t even notice the time was going by because I was window shopping (I bought a few nick nacks but mostly window shopped) and checking out prices for center piece materials. Yes, if you haven’t yet noticed by following my blog, I am a bit of OCD and I want everything to be as close to perfect as possible, therefore I am making my own center pieces for our Civil Ceremony, which will be “mini versions” of the center pieces that I am going to use for our big church wedding in Oct 2011! Anyway, so I didn’t even notice we walked that long! After our shopping adventures we hung out by the pool (the sun came out by then) and took a nap while we tanned. It was so relaxing, just want I needed. That night we went out to Hollywood to hang out with some friends and ended our late night again at about 2am. Fortunately this didn’t stop us from using the Resort gym which by the way had an amazing view! You can actually see the Hollywood sign off in the hills.

Who wouldn’t run with this view! I actually only ran a couple of miles that day and did my weight lifting routine with their really cool rubber weights! Working out in the morning is so good for you. I love it! I wish I was a morning person on a daily basis and could get up at 5am to workout! But I just cant  maybe when I have kids?

Our trip ended with a fun day at Laguna Beach, we had lunch by the ocean and tool a stroll downtown. The views were beautiful and the ocean just seemed to calm. Fire works by the beach were amazing! We actually saw 3 shows! Happy 4th!

Moral of the story- I CAN workout while on vacation! I am keeping the same attitude and commitment during our trip to the Bahamas coming up in 20 days!

The Goal Dress

2010-06-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

When I started this weight loss journey- back in February 2010- I set a few goals for myself, as well as “Visual Goals” one of them being a dress. I wanted to fit into a “Kardashian Bebe” style dress. Really tight fitted, single sided, and with a hot color! (no more black dresses). I told Myself that by my birthday – July 13th 2010 – I would actually fit into a dress in that style and wear it for a special event… well the day came on June 28th! I actually found my “Goal Dress” and it fit like a glove! Or even better! It was so much fun to go to the mall and shop for clothes that actually fit nicely without worrying about bulges, or my tummy sticking out so much… it was fun!

I actually went to the mall that day to look for clothes to wear to our LA trip for 4th of July, of course I didn’t stay on track and deviated to the fancy dresses section and there it was…The Dress! I took in the fitting room just to “see” and I saw! It fit! It looks really nice on me!

Needless to say I bought it and it will come with me to the Bahamas on July 30th! I am not going to stop there, fitting into this dress gives me even more fuel to meet all my other goals this summer… this is only the beginning.

Time to Shock my Body! - Studio Classes!

2010-06-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I’ve decided that in the next couple of weeks I need to “Spice up” my workout routine. I have a hardcore weight training routine which varies from week to week and I run for fun! (for my 10k training) yes.. for the fun of cardio – ha that sounds funny ha?- Yes I love cardio! I run 3-4 miles a day at least 4 times a week.

This is good for me and all, especially since I haven’t been eating healthy lately, but I think I need a little boost. In my search for a little “boost” I found a local exercise class studio that offers some crazy fun classes using, bar stools, dance routines, Bosu balls etc. Super fun an girlie! Totally up my alley! They’re awesome! I’ve only done one of the classes- of course I picked the hardest one- Hardcore Bootcamp! Amazing! Loved it, I mean I almost fainted and I was sore for like 5 days after it... but it was so cool I cant wait to go back!

Do you guys have any fun ways of spicing up your routine? After my 10k on July 11th I am going to sign up to take a few classes a week at the studio and combo them with my running days. I’ve been eating a lot healthier lately so I should finally see the scale drop lower and lower to meet my Summer Goals!

My First Running Event!- Run to the Lake 10k at Lake Chabot

2010-06-24T14:21:00.000-07:00

I signed up for my first running event! A 10k! I decided I needed to start working on building up my “Running Resume” and I did it! I am running a 10k on July 11th. I thought it be a perfect weekend since its right before my birthday. I can say I ran a 10k by the time I was 28 years old… I know 28 years old isn’t old at all! In fact I am looking forward to aging! Yup I said it! I am looking forward to turning 28, 29, 30, 35! How awesome is it to be healthy and fit in your 30s! 40s and even 50s! I am excited! I only have one regret… why didn’t I fall inlove with Running when I was in my early 20s. When every little thing ticked me off? When life was “tougher” because the boy I liked didn’t like me? Or when I didn’t get the date I wanted… why didn’t I start running earlier and really use that as a way to let my “negativity” out? Who knows… what I do know is that I got my bid in the mail and I am running a 10k on July 11th!

Summer Goals Redifined (June 18th-August 20th)

2010-06-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

Theres a few fun filled events coming down the pipeline for me in the next few weeks and I need to refuel, prepare and commit to my NEW goals in order to look and feel my best for all of these events!

Here is a mini description and timeline of my new goals.

Engagement Pictures- July 25th (Slim Jeans, small waist and great butt ready!?)
We are taking our engagement pictures on July 25th. They will be fun, casual and very "us" and I want to look slim in jeans, a cute top and be totally natural. I want to be at least 153lbs on that day. That gives me exactly 5 weeks to loose at least 10lbs. Thats about 2lbs per week- if not more :)

Bahamas Cruise - July 31st (Bikini body ready?)
I might not reach a bikini body by July 31st by I can certainly put myself into a super flattering two piece and bring my weight down to 145lbs. That gives me exactly 6 weeks to loose 18lbs thats about 3lbs per week. That might be a bit too much, but I am aiming for the GOLD! I would be satisfied if I loose 2 lbs per week and be at the low 150lbs... aiming for the GOLD!

Civil Wedding Day! August 8th (Beautiful knee length sleeveless dress ready?)
We are having a small intimate family and siblings only Civil wedding on August 8th. I am super excited for our wedding day- I plan on wearing a sleeless white, lace dress and Red shoes! :) We will have pictures and probably video to capture that special moment and I want to look my best! My true healthy BMI and my "High School skinny" weight of 140lbs.

Luxury Vegas Weekend getaway August 20th (Bikini Body at the Beachclub at the Encore)
We are taking a quick trip to Vegas on August 20th and staying at fabulous 900 sq ft suit full with views of Vegas. During our stay were planning on heading to dinners, shows and of course their fantastic Pool Club! This all sounds so wonderful, but it scares me- I want to wear a two piece bikini- and I want to show off a toned body, from my arms, to abs to my legs. I would like to maintain a 140lbs weight but if it increases due to muscle I am ok with that too. Bottom line- is that August 20th will be my big Bikini Body reveal! I will do everything in my power to accomplish it!

As I re-read this, I am realizing this means I have to overcome a lot of obstacles like:

My Bday Party Celebration
Workout during vacations
Keep my alcohol intake to a very minimum
Put in double time at the gym
monitor everything that I eat and not use my 20% portion control tactic- all healthy only foods!

Ok, deep breath.... I can do this. I can totally accomplish my goals. I didnt just loose 17lbs the EASY quick way I put in long hours at the gym, and still do! I learned hot to shop for good groceries and also learned how to cook them in a healthy way.

I can do this and I will use all the time and energy that I can possible have to do so. I am going to use the heck out of my gym membership, my complex gym house and my gadgets...

As you may or may not know, I use a few gadgets to help me with my weight loss such as

http://www.dailymile.com/

Iphone applications

Jillian Michaels Ap
Lose it and Loseit.com
Target weight
RunKeeper

All of these "gadgets", including this blog, have helped me stay accounatable for my actions as I continue on this weight loss journey. It has not been a fast journey and it certainly has not been easy, but I will say this it has been extremely fun and exciting to see that scale roll back, and I will love it even more when it rolls back to 145lbs of a solid toned body!

I especially love going shopping and feeling really good about trying on new clothes. I cant wait to go bathing suite shopping! wow! I never thought I would even say that... lol

Like I mentioned in my previous blogs I love love love dancing around naked! In the shower or while I am getting ready for work, or when I just get out of the shower- I stay naked! My fiance loves it! lol I guess that one of the perks of not having kids around (yet!).

In all honesty, I have enjoyed my journey to the fullest and NOT ONCE have I ever felt deprived or hungry or mad that I couldnt eat something. I ate good healthy nutritious foods 80% of the time and the other 20% I measure my portions. Its not easy- but it certainly doable.

Having said, based on my new Goal chart and after loosing m first 17lbs- I need to literally step it up and increase my intensity to the highest possible level when it comes to exercising if I want to loose the next 23lbs! Its going to be difficult, but I think I can take my body to that point, and I will.

I want a toned body and I will obtain it!

Bahamas, Wedding, Vegas, and maybe Mexico Beached (Labor Day weekend) HERE I COME!

(Week 6) Long, Hot, Active, Summer Challenge May 5- August 25th

2010-06-18T15:22:00.000-07:00

Week 4 weigh in: 163.4

I am little late with my #LHAS Challenge entry but here it goes…

222 exercise minutes
1 lbs lost!
163.4 lbs

I am surprised I see a loss at all! I have to be honest with myself and say that I have not been good at all! There is no one to blame here but me! I have to step it up!

I did have some other fun accomplishment this week… I got rid of all my size 10-14 jeans!!! My jeans that I’ve been wearing for the past 2-3 years are gone! I cant believe I am getting rid of them! My closet is finally “normal” because I don’t have such a large range of sizes of jeans: I am now a solid size 8! Yay! My goal size is probably about a 6-7 in jeans and about a 8 in dress.

I feel good about my weight right now and of course just when I am feeling good about my weight a new challenge comes my way…. Ready…
I am going to the Bahamas on July 31st!!!!! yay! Were taking a cruise out of Florida to the Bahamas!
My fiancé and I are taking a few trips this summer to not only spend time together (since he is being deployed on Sept 18th) but also to celebrate… ready…
I am getting married! August 8th 2010 we will be having our Civil Ceremony at my parents house. Our Huge Catholic Church wedding is planned for October 1, 2011!
So much pressure! But I am taking this all in one step at a time…

First I have got to get here more often

And It looks like I have to reset some goals (New Goals Link)

With your help and that of my friends and family and of course my fiancé I think I will have quite a successful summer!

(Week 5) Long, Hot, Active, Summer Challenge May 5- August 25th

2010-06-09T09:06:00.000-07:00

Week 4 weigh in: 164.4

This scale is moving extremely slow!
OMG again I need to make major changes this week.

I obviously cannot blame the scale- in all honesty I have been eating way over my normal calorie intake at least 3-4 times a week! Which doesn’t help when you’re trying to lose weight not maintain it!

You may or may not know, but my fiancé was away on special training (Navy) in Pensacola, FL for about 4 months- he recently made it back home- which I am super excited about! Of course with his arrival came a ton of outings, NBA playoffs games, baseball games, date nights, dinner parties (see below) and its only been a few days!

We hosted a dinner party and I made a full blown Mexican menu of food! (I doubt any of it was low calorie)

I made Chicken Mole, Pork Adobo, Rice and Beans

Yikes! I know I am in trouble! It’s going to take a lot of commitment and dedication to make sure I lose solid figures week after week! Especially because we have very important events coming up this summer like our Civil Ceremony!!! I want to wear a beautiful classy beige dress! Ugh! Ok I gotta get back on track!

Stats for the week

Total Exercise Time: 475 minutes

Total weight lost: 0.2 oz!

Total Miles Run\Jogged: 15.37 miles

Bathing Suit

2010-06-06T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today I wore a two piece bathing suite :) I didn't take any pictures because I am not necessarily completely confident with my looks in a bathing suite- just yet! But I am getting there!!!

My fiancé was impressed- not that he needs to be impressed lol - but he looked at me and told me I looked good! He said "WOW!" I just pranced around the house in the two piece while I got the rest of my things to get ready and head to the pool! Ugh! I seriously need to take more pictures- I promise I will next Saturday when I lay out again and try on another bathing suit that hasnt been worn -- EVER! :)

You absolutely have to look at yourself in the mirror NAKED- nothing on- just you and yourself. Say 3 positive things about your body and your changes for every 1 negative thing, keep the negative comments to a minimum- they're not worth it!

I hope you all had an amazing weekend! It was beautiful in California today :)

Picture of us at the ball game

(Week 3+4) Long, Hot, Active Summer Challenge May 5th-August 25th

2010-06-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

Week 4 weigh in: 164.6

Woo hoo! I dont feel too proud of this because I think my # should have been a lot lower- however I am 164 lbs!!!

I lost 0.8lbs (Thats almost 1 lbs! - probably water weight... but at least I am not 180lbs anymore! yay!)
Total Fitness Time: 258 minutes
Total Miles Jog\Run: 10.09 miles

This past weekend was full of food and tempatations.. not to mention the fact that I celebrated the fact that my fiance is back home from Navy special training! SO needless to say - I over ate and completely over indulged in burgers and cakes! yes plural! But I managed to put in some good cardio time and made my weigh in a Loss!

I have to step it up a notch today! I have to do extra cardio all week! Not only to maintain but to record some good solid negative weightloss #s!!!

How do I stay inspired!? I look at myself naked in the mirror everyday! Every night after I showe I stare at myself in the mirror and admire my progress and visualize my journey! Thats how I stay inspired! :)

__________________________________________________________________________________
Week 3 weigh in : 165.4

Over all I am proud to say I hit the 165lbs mark! This hasnt happened since 2007!

Total Fitness Time: 250 minutes

Total Miles Jog\Run: 14 miles

This week was a super challenging week, not only did I stuff my face with yummy food at my Friday night girls night out but I also had a few drinks! Major calorie intake. I doubt all those calories were burned.

Crazy as it sounds my "goal jeans" now fit baggy! lol pretty soon I will be headed to the mall!

(Week 2) Long, Hot, Active Summer Challenge - May 5th Thru August 25th

2010-05-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Week 1 (I think I signed in a bit late) was quite challenging, I had a ton of things to do and well... it seemed like LIFE just sort of happened to me this week. So my exercise time wasnt as great as it usually is- didnt do full 60 minute workouts but here are my stats

Weigh in- 166- flat! meaning I lost .4 lbs
Lost 2 inches off my wais (will post new pic soon)
Exercise total time for Week of May 12-May 17= 223 minutes!
Total miles running\jogging= 12.89 miles

I am feeling pretty solid and good about this. My weight fluctuated a bit and I realized its because I had a lot of low fat food that were HIGH in SODIUM! Which means I was retaining way more water than usual throughout the week.

I have to work on my water intake a bit more and I am also heading towards a super challenging weekend-
Family Gatherings and Graduation Party! (one of my brothers graduates college this weekend yay!) so I will let you know how it all goes next week! I am planning on putting in more time at the gym tonight and tomorrow night as well as Sunday morning...
Until next time...

Long, Hot, Active Summer Challenge - May 5th Thru August 25th

2010-05-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

The LHA Challenge is both an exercise challenge as well as a weight-loss challenge

I've never done this before but I think this would be something really fun to do! Social media networking has played a huge role in my weight loss journey thus far and so this is just an added spice to it :)

LHA Challenge Goals

Average of at least 400 minutes of exercise per week- Cardio and Weight training combined
Built up my endurance to be able to run a 10 miles straight without stopping or walking
Weight training and some additional fun workouts will be included in my training
Finish the challenge at 135lbs

Why am I really doing this?

2010-05-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I weighed in and came in at 166 (yay!) that’s 14lbs down from when I started and a bit less than the lowest weight that I have ever been. I can now fit in all my clothes, including dresses, jeans, tops everything that is in my closet fits! I actually kind of thought to myself- “I think I am ok now”. I mean, I fit into all my clothes, my pictures look nice, my legs are toned, my arms are lean, my belly is smaller, but not completely gone! .

I may be “done” but then I realized I LIKE this! I LIKE running I love the whole concept of being committed and challenging myself in this solo endurance sport. I like seeing what else MY body can do, what else my mind can do. I went from not being able to run 3 minutes straight to running 45-60 minutes only stopping to jog my way through my routes. I even went to get my feet measured and fitted for my new shoes that come in on Saturday! I’ve never been this excited for new shoes!

I have loved every minute of my marathon training these last two weeks. I went online – I use dailymile.com – and plugged in several routes around my neighborhood, calculated mileage and approximate time and went out the door. I’ve been running about 6 miles 2-3 times a week for the past two weeks and I’ve felt so good about it.

Running is a solo sport- it’s just you, your ipod and the road. I feel liberated and completely disconnected from everyone and everything and then when I finally walk into my home door I feel recharged and so full of power – I feel like a better person! I feel like I can do anything, help anyone, be there for anyone, I even feel smarter and full of energy! It’s an addicting feeling- I think its those feelings that keep me coming back for more.

I read an article about how Running helps you build character. It sure does! The article talked about 5 major Benefits of Running- which I am totally seeing in my experience with this journey.

• Endurance

o I have been completely surprised with the changes in my body. And I am not talking about weight loss or inches- those have all been great! But- I am talking about going from being out of breath with 2 minutes of jogging to being able to jog\run for 75 minutes straight! No stopping! I guess it’s kind of like giving birth –“ how did that come out of that?” you’d be amazed with what you’re body can do if you put it to the test! It does wonders! All it takes is a little bit of time…

• Patience

o It shows you how to be patient; you don’t transform into a runner overnight. Heck I don’t think I am a full runner myself- but it takes time and lots of patience. Patience to build your endurance is key when running. Being patient with this journey has taught me to be patient in all aspects of my life. Patience is key and results will come.

• Competitiveness

o Running against myself has kept my competitiveness on edge! I always aim for more, always aim for a better time, better speed etc… It keeps my hunger for success in running and in life well and alive! Always aim for more- for better for the best! Because we all deserve the best so go for it- compete and get it!

• Ambition

o Being ambitious is a must have when you are trying to be successful! I’ve always considered myself a pretty ambitious person- except when it came to my health and my weight. Now, I find that running 6 miles isn’t enough, or doing just one a year 1\2 marathon is the stepping stone to my historical resume of marathons that I plan on building. Ambition feeds my success in running and in anything else I set my mind to. Settling for what you can do is ok, but going for what you think you cant do, is the best.

• Self Confidence

o I feel better, I look better, (I know I am being very modest! :)) and I can honestly say I am a better person since I embarked on this journey. But the truth is that the most important benefit of what I’ve been doing is the mental self confidence that I am getting from “graduating” myself to an additional mile on my route or a heavier weight on my dumbbells or additional repetitions or longer sprints or larger calorie burns in one hour. As I achieve these goals my mental confidence flourishes- simply put, I was afraid to go outside and run outside because I didn’t want cars and pedestrians to “look at me” while I struggled to catch my breath-Now, I cant wait to go outside!

Being Healthy and Fit is going to be a lifelong commitment to myself and my family. I am lucky that my fiancé loves to work out too and is committed with me to live a happy healthy (Sexy!) lifestyle with me. Of course, we might indulge in out favorite dessert or some fast foods once in awhile but for the most part we will stay healthy, lean and live active lifestyles and that’s the main goal. Some how I will manage to maintain my lifestyle even when the little ones arrive in our lives.
When there is a will there is a way!

Now off to shred the next 26 lbs left to achieve my goal :)

Happy Running!

Here is the link to the article I referenced in this blog- fitnessdepot.com is a very helpful site!
http://myfitnessdepot.com/outdoors/running-outdoors/building-character-through-long-distance-running/#respond

My Fabulous Journey Update- 4/28/2010

2010-04-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Its been awhile since I have updated you on my progress so here goes:

I have only lost a total of 2 lbs since the last time I blogged. I am down to 168- 2lbs isnt much, however I have a lost a total of 8 inches all around my body. Most importantly, 2 inches off my waist!!!

I actually fit into those expensive jeans I use to wear in 2006! I am wearing shirts that I couldnt fit into 2 months ago but.....

Unfortunately I think I need to resize my engagement ring! Good thing of course!

You know whats also cool about my body changing- Everyday I have less and less giggly parts body parts! Its so nice to see muscle.

But most importantly, I love love love the way I feel when I workout- there is no other feeling in the world than feeling stress free, relaxed and completely serene after a hard workout out :)

I am a Runner

2010-04-26T21:07:00.000-07:00

I read an article in Runners World magazine that said that if you can run for more than 25 minutes straight at a speed that allows your heart rate to increase at a fast pace, then you are a runner.

Well I guess I am runner. I never thought I could say that- EVER!

About six months ago I couldn't even go up the stairs to our house without running out of breath. And now I am a runner? Thats crazy! But I love it!

I've been running consistently since February 5th or so... and I think I am addicted. I started off by using an application on my iphone called GetRunning. It gives you voice coaching while you listen to your itunes. Its a long process, but it literally takes you from running 90 seconds to 28 minutes in just a few weeks!

I think thats exactly what I needed, I needed someone to tell me in my ear that I "only have 30 seconds to go- you can do it!" and eventually I worked my way up to 5 minutes, 8, 10, 15, and now 3-4 miles a day! I love it!

Why didnt I ever think of this before? I guess I was ashamed- I remember being embarrased to go to the gym at one point. It sounds very silly but I think through my high school years and maybe even in college- I kind of just closed up shop. "No need to see all this giggling with no makeup on" and then when I finally got the courage to go to the gym consistently- I never pushed myself. I figured "I can't do that" I "can't" run or lift weights or do hundreds of squats.

Its truly amazing what your body can do in such a short period of time. (See my weight loss update entry)

Saturday, May 1st I am going out on my first "outside" run- theres this other iphone application (ha! can you tell I LOVE my iphone and it has come in so handy throughout this journey so far) that actually plans out a course for you around your neighborhood based on the amount of miles you want to run. Its awesome! So, I am going to plan my usual treadmill 4 miles but I am actually going outside to do it! - Thats if I dont get rained out :)

Wow now that I think about it- I probably would have never done anything like this when I was in my early twenties...to embarrased to walk or run on the sidewalk? How silly of me.

I am a runner now, and as I train for the December 1/2 marathon or the June 5K I will be not only shedding off all these pounds but all those "embarrasments" as well.

Week 1~ 80/20 Rule Here I come!

2010-04-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

This week couldn't have been a better week to start the "second part" of my weight loss journey. I followed my key rules of this journey- 80/20(portion control). I exercised as much as I could, 80% of the time I ate very well and I watched my portions the 20% of the time that I did not eat very well.
You see, I was in Florida visiting my fiance this past weekend Easter weekend. He is in the Navy and is doing a 4 month training program in Pensacola Florida. He's been gone since February 1st, which is the day I started my weight loss journey. I decided to literally pick myself off the couch and get to the gym. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to follow one of sacred military spouse rules and get a hobby while he is away. My hobby has now become a full time side job and one of my top priorities. I was skeptical at first, back in February, because I have never really seen any results with any of the diet or exercise plans I've embarked in throughout the years. However, I've never really made weight loss a priority, so that probably explains my weak results. Today, I actually see results- and so far I've lost 10lbs!
I am now at 170 lbs and ready to start this journey full force because I know i can do it! I've seen my body do things that I never thought I could do, like run a mile without stopping- or do 200 squats in one day! I am now training to run a 1/2 marathon in December! I never thought I would confidently say that I can finish any kind of marathon. This is real, this commitment is more than just the weight loss its an emotional breakthru for me- I've been heavy my whole life, and soon I wont be! :)

I know this journey will be hard, and temptations and disappointment will arise- but I truly believe that following the 80/20 rule (Eat Healthy 80% of the time and watch your portions 2% of the time) and exercising up to MY BODY's potential will help me reach my goal! 140lbs by July 13thh 2010.

I am using this blog as a tool, to keep me accountable for my progress and most importantly to share with you any tips and tricks that I am learning along the way. I have because very well adversed with Healthy habits and fun new exercises or routines that I will happily share with anyone who needs them. Motivation and support are a key element to this or any other goal in life. I've outlined some goals for myself and I also figure that achieving this weightloss goal will also serve as motivation later down the road in case I ever fall off the healthylife wagon.
Happy Thoughts= Happy Results... this is going to be fun!