Guess who made her way back to “Onederland”?!

Yep, I weighed in this morning at 199.1 lbs which is a 1.7 lb loss for the week. This brings my total weight loss so far to 56.9 pounds.

I’m thrilled to be making progress again!!! I don’t want to say I’ve put the struggles behind me, because I don’t think that’s fully possible. There will always be struggles. Every day is a struggle. But what I can say is that I’m learning how to cope with them better and making progress in spite of them!

I’m 10 weeks away from being at this for a year. That boggles my mind! When I initially started this journey last September, I had no idea I would have been this successful at losing weight, I had no idea of the relationships that I would make a result of blogging, and if you would have told me a year ago that I’d be running 5 miles straight by now I would have laughed in your face. I still have about 10 weeks before my anniversary…but yes, I’m getting very excited about it! I thought about setting some goals to reach by then…something to work towards over the next ten weeks, but I’m not sure what. I don’t want to set a weight goal, because I can’t control what the scale says. And I don’t want to set anything unreasonable or anything that could cause injury. Anyone got any good ideas for something(s) I could challenge myself with over the next 10 weeks?? Anyone want to join me??? Since I don’t have internet at home, I don’t think I could fully run an “official” challenge because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with everyone….but still…let me know what you think….I want to end my “year” with a bang!

Have a great week everyone! xoxo

203 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
53.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st.

Weekly Goals Update:

• Run at least 10 miles this week.

Success! I ran 10.2 miles this week!

• Ride my bike at least once this week.

Couldn’t ride this week due to my tire. I need a new tube and wasn’t able to get one yet.

• Not drink ANY soda.

Success! I’m on day 291 of no soda.

• Eat breakfast everyday.

4 out of 7 days. Getting better.

• Go to bed by 11:00 on work nights, and by 8:00 PM on Friday nights.

I’ve been good at this. I think there was only one night where I was up past 11 during the week and I WILL be in bed by 8 tonight.

• Do one exercise class this week (Yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp, etc)

Had planned to join this bootcamp that some of my running buddies told be about, but wasn’t able to make it. Definitely will next week.

• Keep my training log updated.

It’s now completely up to date.

• Do 5 days of training per Caleb’s Crusade schedule.

Not quite. I only did 4. My schedule got thrown off because on Monday, my leg was still sore from Saturday’s run so I didn’t do my scheduled run that night. That threw my whole week off a day. I could exercise today to make up for it, but I really like to rest the day before my long run which is tomorrow morning.

I want to thank all of you who voted for Caleb’s Crusade in the Chase Community Giveaway on Facebook! You helped keep them in the top 200 and as a result they won $20,000 to help kids with cancer! THANK YOU! ♥

198.0 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
53.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

Weekly Goals Update:

• Run at least 10 miles this week.

I ran 8 miles this week. Not quite at goal, but a lot more than I have been. Feels great to be back.

• Ride my bike at least once this week.

Rode my bike Tuesday night. It was actually the first time I’d ever rode my bike since I got it almost 2 years ago. Sad it took me that long, huh?

• Not drink ANY soda.

I’m on day 285 of no soda.

• Eat breakfast everyday.

Only had breakfast 3 days this week. I need to work on this.

• Go to bed by 11:00 on work nights, and by 8:00 PM on Friday nights.

I did great through the week, but wasn’t in bed by 8 last night. I just couldn’t rest for some reason. I think it’s because I was nervous about our long run this morning (5.5 miles!).

• Do one exercise class this week (Yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp, etc)

Wasn’t able to this week, but I did find a bootcamp that I’ll be doing this week.

• Keep my training log updated.

I have been logging everything on paper, but haven’t had a chance to update online yet.

• Do 5 days of training per Caleb’s Crusade schedule.

DONE! This was the first week in forever it seems that I worked out this much. I’m VERY pleased with my progress this week.

I also wanted to mention that I picked up my new running shoes this week! They are Skydex Pearl Isumi:

and I LOVE THEM!!! We were scheduled to run 5.5 miles this morning (which scared the crap out of me). Thank God I had these shoes because I definitely could tell the difference between these and my old Nikes. Definitely. Huge thanks to Mike at Run Florida for donating them and he even threw in a pair of running socks for me! So cool. But yeah, the run this morning went great! We actually ran 5.8 miles and I did the entire distance without stopping to walk. (Well, except when I stopped for water at the halfway point). I was very proud of myself and my progress.

Hope you all had a great week too!

193.6 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
53.0 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

This post is long overdue. And it’s going to be a long one.

It’s no secret that I struggled pretty bad last month. Thankfully, I’m making strides now to “come back” and re-lose what I gained. I’m getting my mojo back and I sure don’t want to lose it again…so that’s where this post comes in. I want to give a complete status update on where I am currently in my journey as well as share my plans going forward.

This is me wiping my hands clean of the last month and starting anew.

WHERE I’M AT:

Mondays are my ‘official’ weigh-in days and as of Monday of this week I weighed 200.5 lbs. I’ve lost a total of 55.5 pounds since the beginning of my journey 9 months ago, which is 21.6% of my starting weight.

When I started this journey, my BMI was 44.1, which meant that I fell into the “morbidly obese” category. At 5′-3″ and 200.5 lbs, my BMI is now at 35.5, which means I’m just “obese” now without the “morbidly”.

My measurements as of today are as follows:

Waist: 44 1/4″ (3″ smaller than it was on 1/25/10 and 5 1/4″ smaller than it was on 7/27/07.)
Chest: 45 1/2 (3″ smaller than it was on 1/25/10 and 8 1/2″ smaller than it was on 7/27/07.)
Hips: 49″ (3 3/4″ smaller than it was on 1/25/10 and 5″ smaller than it was on 7/27/07.)
Thigh: 23 1/2″ (1 3/4″ smaller than it was on 1/25/10 and 3″ smaller than it was on 7/27/07.)

So, OVERALL, I’ve lost 5 1/4″ in my waist, 8 1/2″ in my chest, 5″” in my hips, and 3″ in my thigh.

So that’s where I am in the numbers. Now let’s see where I am in pictures.

WHERE I’M GOING:

One of my good friends, Steve, recently wrote about his struggle and his PLAN to overcome it. His posts on that really inspired me to regain my footing and part of that process is to instill some new goals (and maybe resurrect some new ones).

That’s the one thing this journey has made me — very goal oriented. I LOVED being part of the various challenges that have been out there, especially the ones that required a weekly check-in on our goals. I attribute a lot of the success I’ve had to those challenges! It’s been months though, since I’ve last been a part of one…and although I said I was going to continue weekly goal tracking anyway, I didn’t. That changes now.

NEW WEEKLY GOALS:

• Run at least 10 miles this week.

Many of you know that my goal for the year is to run/walk/jog 500 miles. So far, I’m at 179.8 miles logged. I’ve fallen behind. I’m still confident that I’ll reach my goal, especially as my miles increase in my half-marathon training, but I need to at least get 10 in per week to stay on track.

• Ride my bike at least once this week.

You may recall that I was actually scared to ride one for a long time, but finally did several months back. I really don’t enjoy bike riding, but that may be just because I never do it and haven’t given it a chance to grow on me.

• Not drink ANY soda.

So far, it’s been 277 days since I last had a drink of soda and I’d like to make it a year.

• Eat breakfast everyday.

I’ve struggled with this since the beginning, but there is a clear difference in my energy levels on the days I have breakfast and the days I don’t. I perform better with it!

• Go to bed by 11:00 on work nights, and by 8:00 PM on Friday nights.

I meet with Caleb’s Crusade at 5:30 on Saturday mornings, so that’s why I need to be in bed so early on Fridays.

• Do one exercise class this week (Yoga, kickboxing, bootcamp, etc)

I was doing SO well when I was attending the kickboxing class every week, so I’d like to start going again. I’m really looking forward to incorporating this back into my routine.

• Keep my training log updated.

I need to keep up with this, even on the days I can’t get online…so I have a paper journal that I will use for those times.

• Do 5 days of training per Caleb’s Crusade schedule.

Well, I obviously couldn’t discuss my goals and the future of my journey without talking about Caleb’s Crusade! They are the group that I am running the Disney Half-Marathon in January with/for and what an amazing group of people! I feel so blessed to have met them. My training consists of 2 days of running through the week (usually Monday and Wednesday) and 2 days of cross training through the week (usually Tuesday and Thursday) and then our “long run” on Saturdays with the group. For my cross training, I want to ride my bike one of the days, and then whatever class I join (see above) will be my second day of cross.

For our long run this week (tomorrow) we are on schedule to run 5.5 miles. The longest I have ran thus far without stopping to walk is 4.5 miles, so we will see how I do. I’m not going to over-push myself, but I really would like to see if I can run the whole way. I am also planning on getting my new running shoes tomorrow that I won! I wish I could have gotten them already so that I could wear them for tomorrow’s run, but my schedule just didn’t allow for it.

So that’s it. Those are my new weekly goals, some of which may look familiar to you. I’ll check in every Friday** with an update. Speaking of goals, I’ve updated my goals pages here and here if you want to take a look.

**You may recall from my last post that I don’t have internet at home right now. This was a hard decision for us to make as a family, but it was necessary. So, for the next few months, my internet access will be limited to my lunch hour at work or whenever I can go to the library or use a friend’s computer. When I can get on, I’m going to try to keep my blog updated as much as I can…if nothing else, I’ll at least post my weekly weigh-ins (Mondays) and weekly goal updates (Fridays). I need to do that for me. For my journey. The worst part about this is that I won’t be as connected to you all as I once was. I have really thrived on the accountability and encouragement I get from you guys and am not sure how successful I can be without it. Obviously, I won’t be able to read your blogs and comment like I used to. However, I can encourage you on facebook or through email (both of which I can access on my phone). So I’d love for you to add me on facebook or email me (josiephelps @ inbox .com) if you want to stay connected that way. ♥

I warned you this was going to be a long post! Congrats if you read the whole thing…hehe.

179.8 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

I weighed in yesterday at 201.0 lbs which is a 1.2 lb loss for the week. This brings my total weight loss so far back to 55 pounds.

I am so happy to be back on track! I’m so pleased with myself this week and not just because I posted a loss, but the whole picture — I’ve been RUNNING again and eating healthier again. This is what I’m most pleased about!

So, let me recap the week. I ran a total of 4.5 miles. This is well below my initial goal set this year of 10/week, but the good news here is that my leg is no longer hurting after I run! Even when I ran the full 3.5 mile run on Saturday with Caleb’s Crusade…my leg was fine and did not hurt the next day like I was expecting! So it really looks as if I’m on the other side of this injury. I’m still cautious though…I’m not going to overdo it. But yeah, I’m really, really happy about this progress. I also enjoyed being out there with Caleb’s Crusade again. For a few weeks there I started having major doubts about me really being a runner. I was even starting to doubt whether or not I could actually do the half marathon, but now? I’m starting to believe again

My eating has been at about 80% on target. I’m not ’stress eating’ anymore. I’m sure that has more to do with my stress levels not being as high than it does my willpower, but nonetheless. I’ve taken control and have almost gotten back into the same eating routine that I had before my setback.

So, that’s where I am. If you haven’t voted for Caleb’s Crusade yet, won’t you do it now? It only takes a moment of your time and could mean the world for this wonderful organization. Just click the image below to vote…Thank you!

174.3 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(6) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

It’s been a very surreal day.

What could I say that the picture doesn’t already? In this case a picture is worth a thousand million words. When I stepped on the scale this morning and saw a “1″ before my weight, I wanted to run through my house and scream to the top of my lungs. (I didn’t, only because my family was still asleep!) I was SO happy and couldn’t stop smiling all day long. It’s like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I realize that I still have a long way to go before I reach my ultimate goal -before I’m at a healthy weight- but reaching this milestone changed everything for me. Suddenly, I don’t feel as overwhelmed about facing the rest of this journey.

The end doesn’t seem so far away now.

It’s within my reach.

I can visualize it!

So that’s milestone #1. I’m walking in ‘Onederland’! Aaaaaagh!!!!

Now onto milestone #2!

The other day I mentioned that today was my first training run with the running coaches for Caleb’s Crusade (the group I am running the Disney Half-Marathon with/for). But I realized when I read Karyn’s comment that I never talked about the actual training or running coaches yet. That was one of the reasons why I chose to participate in this race, because the training program looked so solid. Every Saturday we will meet at 5:30 AM to do our practice runs. (YES, 5:30 AM) They will have running coaches and walking coaches to work with us, which really excited me. Well, this morning was our first day of training. I overslept, so I didn’t get there till about 5:40 AM, but luckily, they hadn’t started yet. The route today was 4.5 miles long, but if we wanted we could stop at the water stop and loop back which would have been 3 miles. They told us just to go at our own pace, which I did. I started off walking for about 1/4 mile and then began to run. Lynne was there with me and we were basically side by side during the entire run, which was GREAT! She rocked it by the way!!!!

Anyway, we made it to the water stop so I knew we had went 1.5 miles at that point. I didn’t want to turn back – I wanted to do the full 4.5 miles. My initial goal was to run to the half point, but I surprised even myself when I kept running even after that. We looped back and made it to the water stop again, which meant we had gone 3 miles…and I was STILL running. At this point, my body was like on auto pilot. I was in some sort of zone where I wasn’t concerned with my breath, or soreness, or anything. I was just simply going…and I kept on going right up until the end. All in all, I RAN 4.25 miles non-stop. Technically, it was probably more like jogging, but WHATEVER. We did the entire route in about an hour which meant we were going at about 13:33 pace!

My legs were like JELLO once I stopped. I could barely stand, so I didn’t. I plopped on the ground and one of the other runners graciously brought me a Gatorade which was AWESOME at that moment.

I was in disbelief. I started questioning the distance, thinking maybe they mis-measured and it wasn’t really 4.5 miles. It couldn’t have been. I *couldn’t* have ran that far. So when I left, I actually followed the route again with my car and sure enough, it was 4.6 miles according to my car’s odometer. WOW.

I did it.

I REALLY did it!

So, yes. It was a very surreal day with two very big milestones reached in my journey.

My running goal was to be able to run 2 miles by the end of May and a 3 miles by November. It’s May 8th and I ran 4.25 miles.

Between that and the fact that I’m now under 200 pounds for the first time in over 12 years? What more could a girl possibly want?

Surreal indeed!

158.7 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(5) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

I was thrilled when I read that Pubsgal had passed this super awesome award my way:

Here’s what I get to do:

1. Get really excited that you got the coolest award EVER!
2. Choose ONE of the following options of accepting the OMB award:
   • Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus.
   • Write about your most embarrassing moment.
   • Write a “Soundtrack of your childhood” post.
   • Make your next blog a ‘vlog’/video blog. Basically, you’re talking to the camera about whatever.
   • Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, make up, etc)and post it.
3. Pass the award on to at least three, but preferably more, awesome bloggers as yourself. Don’t forget to tell them.

Consider item #1 DONE because I AM excited and it IS the coolest award ever!

In deciding what to do for item #2 I knew that the first option was out because I don’t drink. And I figured there’d be no fun in the last option since I pretty much look the same right now as I do when I first wake up. (I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis – only special occasions) So I was torn between sharing my most embarrassing moment and doing a video blog.

And then I remembered this….

An embarrassing moment caught on video!

Now I get to pass this award on which is difficult because there are soooo many great people out there who I would LOVE to see embarrass themselves…hehe. I chose the following people…most of whom I’m relatively new to following and all of whom I’m incredibly inspired by on a regular basis:

Tara
Jess
Sean
Lynne
Shelley
Chad
Carla
Amy
Meegan

In other non-blog-award news, I did something to my leg earlier tonight. I was all proud of myself because I ran for a solid mile and a half before stopping to walk. Then when I left the gym I noticed this pain in my left leg with every step I took. I must have pushed myself too hard or something. I’m icing it, and will just not exercise/run again until it’s better. I don’t think I pulled a muscle or anything, but I don’t know. I’m gonna baby it. I have my first training with the running coaches this Saturday, so hopefully it’ll be better by then. I had also planned on doing the Mayfaire 5K this weekend, but I’ll just have to play that by ear now.

Edited to add: I know I’ve been slacking on blog commenting and I’m sorry. I’ve been planning a family reunion which is now just a couple weeks away, so I’ve been busier than usual. I promise I’ll visit you all soon! xoxo

154.2 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(5) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

I weighed in this morning at 202.8 lbs which is a 2.2 lb loss for the week. This brings my total weight loss so far to 53.2 pounds.

I’m sooooo close now. Could I possibly hit ‘onederland’ by next week? Bliss. The last time I remember being under 200 was about 12 years ago – I am long overdue!

INTERESTING CONVO
I want to share part of the conversation I had with one of my bosses today. Yes, my boss. I don’t remember how the subject of weight loss came up, but we started talking about it and he congratulated me for doing so well. He said “man, Josie, when you make up your mind to do something, you really do it, don’t you?”

He’s right. That’s exactly what happened. For so many years I wanted nothing more than to lose weight, but was never quite ready to make the commitment I knew I’d need to make. So I never did. I’m an all or nothing kind of person. If I do something I want to throw myself 100% into it and not give some half-assed attempt. Perhaps that’s why I never yo-yo dieted – because deep inside I knew I wasn’t ready to make that lifelong commitment that’s needed for this sort of challenge. Anyway, he went on to tell me that watching my success (and his sister who has also lost weight recently) has inspired him to try himself. He said that he’s watched me transform my body right before his eyes, so he knows it’s possible. That was pretty cool to hear….from my boss no less. Oh, and he also told me something his daughter had said. I passed her the other day in the hallway and it was the first time I’d seen her since I started losing weight. I said “hi” and she said “hi” back and that was it. Well, apparently, after she passed me she asked her dad who I was. Didn’t even recognize me! I’m sure I was blushing as he told me this. I feel awkward when I hear comments like that in person, but man it does wonders for my confidence. Honestly, it was a great way to end what was probably the most hectic day at work I’ve had all year.

TRAINING LOG
I started a new training log that I will use to track my training for the Disney Half-Marathon next year. Hal Higdon recommends a log like this so that you can see patterns in your training and how each workout affects your body. This will hopefully help me to optimize my workouts so that I can see the best results. I will use it to track my workouts, but more than that, I’ll be sharing how I feel during (and after) each workout, what pains I may or may not have, and other pertinent information that might become useful to know in the future. The reason I made it separate is because I didn’t want to weigh this blog down with all my minute training details. I might reference it at times, and there is a link for it in my navigation bar at the top if anyone gets curious.

149.7 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(5) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

Let’s recap the weekend, shall we?

Weekend Warrior Goal: Go grocery shopping. I have to say that the best part was embarrassing my daughter in the produce section:

Weekend Warrior Goal: Workout for at least 110 minutes. I originally planned to do this Friday night, but I had so much left to do to get ready for the yard sale, that I put it off until today. Better late than never.

I walked my first mile (19 minutes):

Ran the second mile (13 minuntes, 35 seconds):

Ran/Walked the last 1.26 miles (21 minutes):

For a total of 53 minutes done on the treadmill. I decided to do the rest out on the road, so I ended up walking for about an hour. Me and my red face after it all, haha:

Weekend Warrior Goal: Don’t drink any tea. I didn’t do so hot on this one. I had a glass on Saturday and a glass today. Still, that’s a lot less than I had last weekend, and I drank a lot more water too, so I’m content.

The yard sale on Saturday was a MAJOR success! The first person who stopped by bought $35 worth of stuff and the very next woman bought $44! So I made $79 in just the first 30 minutes! My goal was $100 and we ended up making around $200 after all was said and done. YES!

All in all, I’d say I had a successful weekend; hopefully the scale will reflect that tomorrow for my weigh-in. How was your weekend?

149.7 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(5) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)

In case you couldn’t tell, I had a lot of fun writing that last post! Thank you everyone for such amazing feedback on my announcement. I left out a lot of details about the race, the training, and my fundraising plans, so be on the lookout for another post concerning all of that soon.

My weekends have been screwy lately, and it’s been reflected in the scale, so what better way to combat this than the Weekend Warriors Challenge – Braveheart Edition? Yep, Brandon’s hosting it again and I really need to join this time to keep myself accountable. So no, I’m not gonna don a kilt like some people, but I will wear blue nail polish like others!

How awesome is that??

Anyway, my goals for this weekend:

• Don’t drink any tea. (My consumption of tea has gotten WAY out of hand lately)
• Go grocery shopping. (We really need some fruit and other healthy snacks for me to choose from)
• Workout for at least 110 minutes, dedicated to Shelli’s kids. (see below)

You may be wondering why I specifically chose that number – 110 – for the number of minutes to workout. I’m sure you’ve all read by now that Steve hosted another amerryworkout pledge. For every comment he had to do 30 seconds of cardio and the grand total wound up being 110 minutes. I pledged to match him in my workout tonight. The reason it’s dedicated to Shelli’s kids? Well, she offered a challenge to her students (very creative, if you ask me!) and for every question they get right on the Geography test today, she will work out for 1 minute on the treadmill, elliptical, or bike. There are a possible 148 correct answers, so in doing the math, she could very well be working out for almost 2.5 hours! Eeek! I told her I would dedicate my Friday workout to her kids. So, all 110 minutes of my workout tonight are dedicated to them and Shelli.

We decided to hold a yard sale tomorrow. It was a spur of the moment decision, but we have several bins of stuff and figured it was time. We’re going to put all the money toward my Caleb’s Crusade fundraising goal. I mention this in case any of my local friends/family are reading this and want to either come buy things, or donate items to sell – please let me know! All proceeds will go directly to Caleb’s Crusade to help fund cancer research and to help families affected by childhood cancers.

One more thing. I just want to say how proud I am of Lynne, who’s running and biking in the 2010 Law Enforcement Torch Run today. You go girl, I am so proud of you and can’t wait to hear all about it!

143.4 miles walked/jogged/ran since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 500)
49.5 miles biked since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 300)
(5) 5Ks finished since January 1st. (2010 Goal: 12)