Final SCC update

The Spring Chick Challenge has come to an end.  Here is how I fared with this challenge.

1. Commit to a NSV: Improve my 5k time.  Current 5k time is 42:11.  Well I can't really say if this is completed or not.  I haven't done a 5k in awhile.  I will try to improve this on the next challenge.

2. Fit into my size 16 jeans comfortably. Currently wear size 18. Not comfortably, but I did get into a size 16 set of stretchy capri pants.

3. Commit to a set of nutrition parameters:  Cut out diet soda. I don’t drink it very often, but why not cut it out completely. DONE  I haven't had any soda since the end of the year. Drink at least 64oz of water a day. Trying.  Can't say that I have succeed in this one. Reduce the amount of processed foods. Yep, still working on this one, but getting better. Eat more veggies, Still working on this one too.

4. Commit to a set of exercise parameters. Run/walk 2-3 times per week. This hasn't happened every week, but I haven't given up. Strength train 2 times per week with weights or an exercise video. Epic fail.  Will work on this in the next challenge.

Starting weight: 222 

Ending weight:213.4

Total SCC weight lost: 8.8 pounds

Not as much as I would have like to lose, but I'm on my way.  I will be joining the next challenge starting next Monday.  The Ready for Summer Challenge.  I will do my opening post separately.  

SCC Update and Thailand Pictures

Did you miss me?  I’m back from vacation, but I am currently lacking sleep.  Jet lag after returning home on Friday from a 15 hour ahead time difference has really messed with my kids sleep patterns and they are keeping me awake for hours during the night.  I have been a walking Zombie the last couple of days.  This is why I haven’t posted earlier about my vacation.  

Quick check in for the Spring Chick Challenge.  I weighed myself this morning and the scale said 214.  Yep, that’s right I didn’t gain weight on vacation.  I’m sure it’s because I was sweaty all the time.  Haha.  I’m excited to get back into a routine with exercise and eating though and get myself losing again.  I’m not making an exercise goals this week because I’m just trying to function with the lack of sleep.  It’s all I can do just to stay awake during the day, much less exercise. 

Now on to my vacation recap.  Thailand was very pretty and we fit in a lot of things during our trip.  I will say that Thailand is HOT and STICKY all the time.  I think the average temperature right now is 90 degrees with 70-90 percent humidity.  Luckily there was air conditioning in the bedrooms so we could sleep in a decent temperature. Most things we wanted to do required a 45 min. – 1 hour drive even though they live on an island.  Lots of curvy roads in Phuket.  I will just provide some of the things we did with pictures.  Sound good…great.

This was a waterfall we went to which is only about 30 minutes from my in-laws house.  It’s called Lampi waterfall.  We waded in the bottom part for awhile.

We ate one night at a beach restaurant that is only about a mile from my in-laws house.  It was a beautiful night actually quite nice with the ocean breeze.  Here is a picture of my daughter with the sunset in the background.

There are MANY, MANY motorbikes in Thailand.  Some are even altered into side cars or food carts.  Here is an example of one with my son and Ohn who is a Thai translator for the church my father in law is a pastor at.

We went to this overlook called Andaman 360 where you can go up in one of these:

That is lifted in the air by a crane.  There is a 360 degree view when the crane lifts you up and I took this picture:

My in-laws watched the kids one day so my husband and I could do a tour alone and so we went on a speedboat to Phi Phi island and some surrounding islands.

We saw this big guy wandering the island.  We made sure to stay far from it though.

Another day all of us went on another tour that involved canoes and caves and James Bond Island. 

This island they named James  Bond Island because it was in one of the James Bond movies. 

So this is just a small sampling of the things we were able to do while in Thailand.  It was a good trip, but I’m glad to be out of the humidity.  I don’t know how some of you do it living in humidity all the time.

SCC update week 7

This week has been better.  As of yesterday I am down to 217.2.  So that is a .6 pound loss for the week.  I actually saw lower on Sunday, but I won’t count that.  I did eat some things this weekend that I wouldn’t normally eat and I take responsibility for the weight that won’t go down because of that.  I have been getting in my run/walks at least 3 days a week, but not much else.  I do take a 10 minute walk on break most days.  One day last week I walked around the block (about a mile) at lunch time.  I could be doing better, but I will soon be getting in lots of exercise because I leave in just a few days for Thailand.  I’m excited and nervous at the same time.  Having two young children 1- ½  and 3- ½.  It’s going to be trying.  I’m going to pray about it and give it to God though.  Not much I can do, but try my best to interact with them and keep them busy.  I would appreciate any prayers you would like to pray on our behalf.  I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures and do some posts when we get back. 

I will do my best not to go overboard with food while on vacation.  I’m sure it won’t be that hard since I’m not used to a lot of the food there, but there are plenty of “American” style foods to eat there too.  I hope everyone is doing well with their weight loss.  Have a great week everyone!

SCC update

I have been doing okay.  I haven't been strict with food intake, but I have been keeping up with my run/walking at least 3 days a week.  My weight this week.  217.8.  It stinks that I can't manage to stick to my food plan and lose some more weight, but I do have a NSV this week. I went shopping on Saturday and found a couple of shirts and a couple of capris.  The NSV is that the capris were a size 16 and the shirt was a large.  Woohoo.  I felt so skinny when I put them on.  I know I have a long way to go still, but it was nice to be able to find a couple outfits I can wear in Thailand.  It's getting so close now.  I will be packing the kids this weekend and all none essential items of mine so I can be ahead of the game.  I'm excited, but also a little nervous of getting sick since there are so many people coming down with the flu right now.  I must do the best I can to keep us all healthy.  We started drinking Water Kefir last week and it has probiotics in it so I hope that will help us.  I do have two people sick at work who sit in the same area as me.  UGH. Please lord help keep us healthy, especially my son who's little body turns little colds into much worse things.

SCC wk 5 update and 1/2 marathon recap

I will start with SCC update post.  I managed to lose the little bit I had gained last week.  I am back down to 218.4.  That is definitely not where I would have liked to have been in 5 weeks.  I have let life get in the way and not worked out as much as I wanted to this week.  I did get in a run/walk on Saturday morning and again this morning.  I didn’t fit in any other workouts beside my run/walks this week and a couple of walks on my lunch break.  I really would like to do better this week.  My goals for this week are to:

Get in 3-4 more workouts this week.

Make healthier choices (I had salmon and broccoli for dinner last night, yeah me)

Eat smaller portions.

Now on to the weekend:

My husband’s first ½ marathon was this past Sunday in lovely Huntington Beach and it couldn’t have been a nicer day for it.  Blue skies and mild temperatures made it a great day.  

We stayed the night in Costa Mesa which was only a 10 minute drive to the beach for parking.  We got on a shuttle bus to the start of the festivities and then hung out in the expo tent until it was time to start the race.  We had over an hour to wait.  Here is a picture of my husband doing some warm up exercises.

The next picture is a picture of the crowd waiting to start the race. My husband is right next to the guy with his arms raised in the air wearing a black shirt and sun glasses.

 There were 17,000 people doing the ½ marathon and they started in waves of people every few minutes.  There were 15 waves of people and it took about 45 minutes from the time the first ones started running until the last group started running.  The waves were started based on your estimated finish time.  It would have been cool to see the people lined up from the top of the nearby hotel.  Just imagine 17,000 people plus family and friends everywhere. My husband was in the 1:58 hour start time.  He finished the race in 1:55:15.  I even managed to get a little video of him crossing the finish line.  Here he is after he got his finishers medal.

There was a band playing and a beer garden at the finish line area.  There were also other bands throughout the course.  I didn't get to see them though since I was stationed at the finish line to wait for my husband. We didn't listen to the band or partake in the beer garden.  It is actually kind of weird that there was a beer garden when racers shouldn't really be drinking beer to rehydrate themselves. But, some people have signs that say will run for beer.

After the race we waited in line for my husband to get a free massage.  It took about an hour and 45 minutes to make it to the front of the line, but he did get a 25 minute massage.  I am surprised there wasn’t a strict 10 minute time limit per person.  I am sure my husband thought it was worth the wait though.  He is doing his next ½ marathon in May.  Maybe one day I will do a half marathon, but it certainly won't be with a time like he did. haha

SCC Wk 4 Update/ Wk 5 Goals and a 21 Day Challenge!

Okay people it’s time to buckle down and take action.  There is no more time to waste being lazy and making excuses.  I have about 27 days until I leave for Thailand.  HOT and HUMID Thailand, where I won’t want to be wearing a lot of hot clothes.  I need to face the music that my weight has gone up 2 pounds instead of down 2 pounds.  I have let the last month slip by with nothing to show for it.  Granted I was sick and the kid was sick, but I can’t let that stop me from taking care of myself.

My weight is 220.  I have not been eating so great the in the last week and that number clearly shows it.  I reached out for help last week and only got one response.  Kind of disappointing, but it is what it is.  Knowing I only have one month to get my act together has inspired me to make exercise a priority.  So with that being said my SCC goals for the week are:

Exercise in some way 6 days this week. 

I did a run/walk for 30 minutes yesterday. I plan to do this on Thursday too.

Today I have walked for 30 minutes at work during break (10 min) and lunch (20 min). I plan to do this every day this week.

I plan to do some weight exercises when I get home from work today and later in the week an exercise video or Wii workout.

Eat healthy meals and snacks.  A treat should be a rare thing and not and everyday thing.

I saw on a fellow SCC challenger’s blog the 21 day challenge which I am going to join.   

You can find it here.  The 21 day challenge for me will involve the two things listed above.  I hope the 21 day challenge will help me stay focused and after 21 days it should become a habit (if what they say is true).