Travel & how not to Gain on trips!

So every now and again I am required to travel on business for the company I work for. Aside from the one time in 2 years when they flew me out to Richmond to run a half marathon they were all work Trips. So I know 1st hand how tricky it can be to maintain your weight or lose weight when traveling all over. I am going to share with you a few tips I have picked up over the years to help keep you on track when you are traveling.
Tip #1:
Prepare!!!! -  I know it seems silly but just the same way you carefully plan each outfit, each pair of shoes and each document or proposal you must take for your work trips, you have to do this for food as well. EX. when I know I am going to be flying I pack crystal light single packs in my carry on. this way I can indulge in water that has a bit of a kick. it breaks up the monotony of only water or unsweet tea ( as I do not dring sodas anymore and have not for the last year and a half). I also go to Walmart and get granola bars or something that meets my dietary needs to throw in my bag to snack on once I am at my hotel. In the unlikely event you cant find anything to eat you will always have one or two of these grab and go snack or meal bars to eat. Most hotels, airports and restaurants now days have a good variety of choices, but just in case.
Tip #2  :
Make smart choices!!!- Let me explain. I know you want to eat healthy but a lot of the time if we travel to somewhere we have never been we rationalize in our minds...... "Well I've never been here and they don't have XYZ in my town." This is an Awful trap we get ourselves into. We need to make the right Choice not the Right now Choice. You instead need to think about the consequences of eating that XYZ food. chances are if you eat it once on that trip then you play the mind game well I have already been bad so eating this isn't going to hurt. then 1 day of cheating turns into 1 week of cheating and in most cases of cheating we consume 5000-10000 additional calories over what we would if we stuck to the plan and that's low end!!!!. Rather you should say Ok im somewhere Ive never been and they are known for XYZ I can try part of that. For example I am from Texas and we Have Mexican food everywhere so when I go to Virginia for work I dont get Mexican food ( which by the way my coworkers Love to take me to this little Mexican place)  HA HA HA it is so not real Mexican or even Tex mex. But I go along and you know what...... I will order the Shrimp fajitas or shrimp tacos cause believe it or not the sea food in Virginia is amazing. but I dont eat the tortillas, or the chips and quaso. I try to pre plan and I always calorie count but more on that in the next tip.
Tip #3:
Use free tools: -  I can not even though I try make the best choices on my own. (Ex. we go to a fast food joint and I think ordering the salad is the Healthy choice..... Most of the time that's completely false! Shocking I know! But at places like McDonalds they list the calorie counts out on the menu so you can go ahead and see how many you will be eating. At most fast food joints the salads are higher in calories then a burger or chicken. Here is why. they put fixings on that salad, sesame crisps, tortilla strips, nuts, berries etc.... then you need to watch the dressing most places say 123 calories for the salad then in fine print it shows the calories as 890 with the dressing. Dressings are AWFUL people! 
I love Mcdonalds despite what critics might say I love it because I know exactly how many calories I am eating. I also encourage each of you to download the free app Myfitnesspal. I swear by this app. I can log every meal, it sync's with my map my run app which then adds in the calories i burned. you set a goal and it tells you how may calories to eat, how much salt to intake, how many carbs, and how much protein to eat daily. this is the best weight loss and maintenance app ever!!!! This past week I went to Reno on business and other then Starbucks there were no chain restaurants in our Resort. So I would go look at the menu and type in the food item from the menu. it taps into the national data base of every user and it pulls up all foods described that way. I usually pick the highest in calories to log when this happens so I don't over eat. better to over estimate and eat too few calories then under estimate and come home 5 lbs heavier. There are hundreds of Free apps to chose from but the goal of all are to help keep you on track.
Finally.....
Tip #4:
Workout - 
I know what you are thinking But Im working, or on vacation...... Do I have to?
No you dont have to but do you want to hit your goals?
Every time I travel whether it be for work or fun, I always pack at least 1 change of workout clothing, and my running shoes. WHY you ask? ( or you are thinking , OH man she is a workout Freak!) 
No NO NO!!!! I am not a workout freak, Yes I love to workout, I love to feel my body aching and sweating cause I know that is my body getting stronger, healthier and becoming the best version of me it can. That pain indicates that I have pushed myself past what others tell me I can or should do. It tells me I am training myself to be a champion, on the race track and in Life. I will be a champion mom who can play ball with my boys, a champion wife who can have fun with my husband and enjoy growing older together rather then whining about being old and out of shape. And personal success leads to success at work. When I feel better and look better I work better. But back to the Tip.... 
When I travel I make sure my running shoes are in my bag so I can grab them if my heals are to painful in the airport, or if I get to the hotel and want to hit the gym. Correction when i need to hit the Gym. You see when I work it is long days of phone calls, meetings and running myself crazy, usually after the 8-5 we have some sort of dinner every night or company function to attend. but I don't let that stop me. some trips depending on time zone I get up at 5 to workout. if work begins at 9 that gives me plenty of time to workout for 30 min to 1 hr, get back to my room, shower, do hair and makeup and even get in a quick call to the kids before work and school. In other cases I have been known to hit the Gym at night when work winds down after dinner. Even a 30 min run on the Treadmill is more then most people do and it is a quick way to release stress from the day, and burn off dinner.
Packing for this is easy! when Ryan and I got married I was your typical Girly Girl. I would go on a 4 day work trip and have a family size bag, my carry on ,my make up bag and purse.Ryan quickly nipped this in the bud and taught me to pack it all in a carry on.  Now a 4 day trip equals 1 roll on bag and my over size computer bag, that doubles as a purse when I get there. OK OK 5 tips
Tip #5 - 
PACKING:
Ok so how did I go from Family size bag, makeup bag, carry on and purse to - 1 Roll on Carry on bag and a over sized computer bag/purse mix. Easy.....
Ryan!  LOL My loving Husband Ryan grew up traveling, his dad owned a sporting good manufacturing company and they were always traveling to shows and conferences. Ryan showed me a few Tricks.
1. Women you Don't need 4 pairs of shoes for this trip. Wear 1 pair of dress shoes with your outfit on the plane. Pack your running shoes, and maybe 1 other pair of heals. take black shoes that can go with anything. etc...
2. When you pack make up make sure you get the travel size or as I do go get a cheap set of 1 blush, 1 3 pack palette of eye shadow, 1 eyeliner, 1 mascara, and your base and powder. Lipstick is going in your purse/ computer bag anyway so no worries there. I call this my trip make up. it never leaves my inexpensive make up bag and it is always ready to go. it is small and compact easy to pack and light. I try to pack an older deodorant, and razor so I can just chunk them and don't have to bring them back. I always use the shampoo/ conditioner and lotions from the hotel( I know I know but it will ruin your hair) UMMMMM NO not in 4 days it wont! Trust me my hair lady told me it takes washing your hair with that stuff every day to make that kind of damage.
3. Finally Workout clothing. Take 1 pair of workout pants, one sports bra, and 1 shirt. every time you are finished working out use a little shampoo wash them in the bathtub or sink. Hang them up to Dry and boom ready to wear the next day. Trust me no one cares when you are working out in a hotel what you are wearing and you are sweating anyway!!!! This saves room and time. I do like to take a swim suit as well but I roll it up nice and small and shove it in a side pocket of my bag. This is in case my hotel has an indoor hot tub as I like to soak after I run.

I really hope these tips have helped. Remember no one is perfect, you will mess up but don't let it discourage you. Just get back at it. For every person who succeeds you don't see the 5 times they failed.
You can do this.
You deserve this.
Your family deserves this.
You are worth the commitment!
If you don't Love you and take care of you no one else will! And how can you Love others truly if you don't 1st love and respect yourself.

The pics below are from travel and workouts in hotel Gyms!!!
Virginia on work spring 2015, Virginia in the Gym 2015 same trip, Virginia for work trip and to run a half marathon in 30 degree weather, Nov 2015, Reno at a reception for work Last week, Reno after running 3 miles in the Gym 2016 last week. You don't go from point A pic taken of my and Ryan in 2008 to Point B pic taken in Reno last week, without Planning, Hard work and really telling yourself you are worth it!

At What Cost?

I use to be the biggest Excuse maker out there and My Favorite was always "Whats it gonna cost me to get healthy"?  Then my excuse was "That's to expensive I cant afford it!" I know this blog post may not be popular and you may not want to hear it but I call Bull Corn to that excuse! Here is why.....

I set out 6 years ago to prove you could lose weight without a gym, fancy equipment, fancy prepackaged foods that cost a fortune and yes even a trainer.  When I went this....

to this.....

So I canceled my gym membership, gave up my turbo kick and zumba classes and started doing 2 things.
1.) I ran every day.  and when I ran I use that word Loosely, I did what I at 250 lbs considered running, most people would consider it a fast walk. but I forced myself to do it every day for 20 min. I started walking 19 min and Running 1 min each week I would increase my run time by 30 sec or a min depending on how strong I felt. Pretty soon I was dropping lb's and able to run the full 20 min. Along with that I made myself do 50 crunches a day to help my abs. Once I went from 250 lbs to 155lbs I was up to 1000 crunches a day, and had gotten to where I was running half marathons 13.1 miles to be exact!
2. I watched what I ate. I started out by doing a version of Adkins which was Low carb NO sugar! this got me to the 200 lb mark quickly but is not a lifestyle that is easy to maintain. So after I had dropped 50 lbs I downloaded the free app to my phone Myfitnesspal and I then logged my food and exercise every day. To this day that is the app I use.

I will say it again when you are trying to lose weight it is 80% what you eat and 20% exercise, But after you hit your goal and are trying to maintain it is 80% exercise and 20% what you eat!

Now that I have proven that you can go from fat to fit without spending money. Let me address the BIGGER Issue.......
What is it really going to cost?
If you keep making excuses and putting off getting in better shape what is it really costing you?
For me it was my Health, My Life, My son's and my Marriage! 
You cant be happy with someone else( not truly happy) if you don't 1st love yourself. I never understood this until i found myself at a weight that made me hate me. Yes there are some fat people that are happy and don't care and I played the part well. But inside I was miserable. I cried when I went to take a bath and realized I barely fit in a standard tub. I hated to try on clothing.I allowed my self to feel rage and Jealousy. I was jealous of our friends or my husbands friends wives and girlfriends who were fit and looked amazing in "Skinny girl clothing". I found myself snapping at them and being hateful which is not me. I have over the last 10 years regretted who I allowed myself to become during this dark period in my life, as i managed to ruin most of my husbands friendships due to my negative attitude, and mistreatment of their wives and girlfriends.
Do I wish I could change that HECK YES, Do I pray for forgiveness and 2nd chances YOU BET, but sadly once you have crossed most people they dont grant you a do over. So how do I or did I fix it?????
I have Learned to Love the new me! I have embraced a healthy life style! I have learned to accept that there will always be someone prettier, smarter and better looking or more athletic then me out there but all I can do is Love me, and foster new relationships While Learning and growing from my past!
Change is never easy but it is worth it! Forgiveness from both yourself and your loved ones is a must! and you must be open and willing to change. Being overweight in and of itself is not bad, but when you allow it to take you over it is. When you are spending hundreds of dollars on meds each month to control conditions that you only have do to improper diet and exercise habits what is that costing? Probably more then a gym membership? When you lose friends and relationships cause you are not a happy person and your attitude goes south what is that costing? When you cant play with your kids or show your spouse the Love and the person they deserve what is that costing?
Sometimes the Cost of something isn't monetary, sometimes it costs much more then Money!
Are you ready to step out in Faith and say today is the day I sacrifice to take back my Life and stop Costing me and my family so much?
Below are a couple pics of the New me the Better and less costly me!

Fitness is like Marriage

Fitness is like Marriage.....
You must be committed 100% if you arent you will fail. Think about it why are there so many fad diets out there now, why are there thousands of gym's and fitness equipment sales that soar through the roof every January but sit collecting dust 10 months out of the rest of the Year?
People want a quick fix ( One night stand) when it comes to that nice body and being active but they aren't willing to put in the time and energy it takes to make it last ( like a 50 year marriage).
In marriage you have to wake up every day and commit not only in your Heart but to that person daily, every morning you choose to Love that person, support that person and be there for them no matter what, come rain or shine, good or bad times. So why do so many people not look at their commitment to fitness the same?  I can tell you my relationship with fitness and health has been dysfunctional at times. WE have had a marriage of separation, cheating, and at times passion. But this Year I have come back. I have decided that I am all in. I had a para dime shift and decided that I have to treat my body and my relationship with fitness and health the same as I do my Marriage to Ryan. Are there days I wake up and don't want to get my butt up and go to the gym or go run? HECK YES! But in our marriages when we aren't seeing eye to eye there are day you don't really want to be around your spouse but you do and you suck it up because you have committed to yourself, to Them and to God that you are in this for Life. I now Look at my relationship with Food, the gym and my body in this way. There are days I want to be Bad and eat junk food, there are days i would much rather skip the gym or my run to lay around with my kids and watch TV or play with them. But I don't and I cant, because I am now married to Ryan and My health! I choose daily to be the best version of me I can be! I choose daily to get in better shape for myself, my husband, my kids and for my God! God calls us to treat our body as a Temple and that it is the house of the Holy spirit. If you believe that then how you treat your body directly affects how you respect and treat God and the Holy spirit living within you.
My Challenge to you today it to decide once and for all how do you choose to live? What master do you serve? and Are you married to your Health or not?
Tips for getting in shape:
1. DONT DRINK YOUR CALORIES.... I have said this a million times so lets make it 1 million and 1 times, lol Drinking sodas, juice etc.... is giving your body little nutritional value and is adding extra calories you DONT need.
2. START SMALL..... Dont try to run a marathon if you have never run, dont enter a weight lifting competition if you never lifted weights and dont try to lose 100 lbs in 2 months. Choose small goals to start..... Want to take up running GREAT, start by walking 20 min then running 5, after a few weeks start to shift from 20/5 to 15/10, then to 20/5 this gives your body time to grow accustom to the new stress you are putting on it. Go to the gym and start lifting light weights the gradually increase.
Finally with Weight loss if you need to lose 100 lbs start with 5 lbs, and when you hit that set another small goal. Smaller goals are easier to stick to and you aren't as frustrated if you don't hit that goal.
3. TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER PICS.... If for any other reason do this for you and you alone. I have and do share mine but that is because the few close people i have shared with have told me that my transformation has inspired them, and helped them. If you are not comfortable sharing your pics DON'T. But have them so that when you do hit a lower weight or if you arent looking to lose weight but rather get fit then you can look back at the transformation and remind yourself never to go back to the way you were before.
4. HAVE A PLAN.... If we eat out at fast food restaurants we like to go to McDonald or Taco bell, because McDonald's posts caloric intake on the menu so we can see how many calories we will be eating and they believe it or not are one of the better fast food joints to eat at calorie wise. Taco bell we have gone to their website and done the leg work. we know that each Taco is 150 calories, and we know how much we can get to stay in our goals for eating that day. Weight watchers is another great way to have a plan. They even sell books for eating out with the calorie/ points per menu item at the major chain restaurants. If you set a plan you are mor likely not to deviate and to have success.

FINALLY I WILL POST MY BEFORE AND AFTER PICS FROM JAN - NOW.
I was reluctant to post this but several friends told me I needed to because it shows how even 23 lbs can make a huge difference in someones life. Please DON'T JUDGE!!!! ( these are 2 months worth of eating healthy, cutting sugar, NO Soda or Diet Soda, and working out 30 min every day) I also do between 50 and 200 crunches every other day depending on the day

Staying fit even while sick!

Being sick is never fun, but you can still remain in good physical condition when you are sick.
So for the last 2 weeks the Landon's have has a sever case of the Flu. 2 weeks ago My husband and kids came down with a Nasty case of the stomach bug, and then Last week they all got the Flu virus Type A, which is apparently the worst and most contagious. Somehow I managed to avoid both, so wither I am super MOM or Im about to get hit Hard!
Either way I have found some unique ways to stay fit whild felling like POO.
1. while laying in bed ( or on the couch) Flex your feet back and forth the entire time you your show goes to commercial. If you do do then you will keep your circulation moving and blood pumping.
2. even though you are sick you can still eat healthy. If you are normally a Macro dieter or Low carber you can still maintain by eating lots of Chicken noodle soup minus the crackers and drinking diet sprite or power aid Zero.
3. Take time to get up and sit outside even for 5 minutes the fresh air will energize you and sometimes after more then 1 day being cooped up the sun can really make you feel much better.
4. Soup can curls..... If you are too sick to hit the gym and your body feels aweful grab some soup cans and do some light weight work from the safety of your bad or couch with these. It may seem silly but even a very light workout when sick is better then nothing.\
5. Finally if you aren't running fever, and your illness isn't in your Lungs, I have always found, and it has been backed up by both my Dr. and Runners world magazine, if you run even just a short run can actually speed healing time and help you sweat out the toxins in your body! But if you wish to try this make sure you are a runner and this isn't your 1st time to try running. If you arent a runner go for a brisk walk. and you will be feeling better in no time.

Tools to help!

Over the past 8 years I have tried and failed in my weight loss journey I have also had some amazing successes, today I am here to share some of the tools that have helped me to succeed.
One of the Biggest keys to my success was finding a website and app for my phone that would track my calories in and calories burned so that I wasn't spending all my time doing it. I discovered www.myfitnesspal.com It is amazing in that it tracks your food, including restaurant food and counts your calories. I will warn that sometimes the calorie count is off so you do have to be careful when entering it. The thing I found that was best is that it can be customized to your specific weight loss goals and you can add friends just like other social media sights like Facebook. This way my friends and I can support and encourage one another without fear of others inter fearing or judging us. Another tool I found is www.mapmyrun.com  I use it to GPS my runs and my warm up/cool down walks. It tracks exactly where you went and how many calories you burned doing so based on your speed, distance and your body weight. I use it for everything. The best part is that it can be used for bike rides, walks, runs, etc... I have both of these tools on my Phone and computer.
Another tool to weight loss success is something that takes a little planning and time on your part but it is key. I have started making a meal plan for the entire week it includes breakfast, mid morning snack, Lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner, evening snack, and my 2 consumption's of Milk( or in our case almond milk) daily.  It takes about 30 min to 1 hr on Sunday afternoon to do but it makes things extremely simple all week and it helps keep me on track.
Another great tool is to have alot of 1 Tablespoon measuring spoons around the kitchen. Do not use a knife or eating utensil to scoop out peanut butter, butter, jelly, or any condiments you plan on eating. If you use a true measuring spoon you know you are being accurate and it makes things much easier when tracking your food for the day. I was originally turned off by this thought but then it dawned on me that you have to dirty a utensil anyway so why not use the right one, it just makes since. 
Finally The biggest Tool of all is to get the entire family on board, even the kiddos and people who do not need to lose weight. I am not saying put them on a diet but what I am saying is cook the same thing for the whole family. Change is difficult but if you do it as a team you are more likely to stick with it in the long run. If you are eating healthy Great, but if you lose the weight and then go back to eating junk cause your kids have it around or your spouse is eating it, then You WILL gain it all back!!! I am not saying that to be ugly, mean or rude. I say that because I have been there and done that. I cant tell you how many times I lost 30 ,40 50 or more lbs then put it back on because I went back to what everyone else was eating. I know what you think, I thought that way to, your thinking "ya but I will be skinny and working out so I can eat it" WRONG!!!!!  You can have tasty treats every now and then if you are working out, but it has to be just that an every now and then treat, not a daily thing!
Well I hope this has helped, next week I hope to have enough info about eating out meals to give you some great tips on how to stay on track at some of the most common fast food joints!

P.s. Im actually down another 20 lbs from this pic!which was taken about 1 yr ago

Do not Lose Heart!

Today as I read my daily devotional and reflected on last nights Ash Wednesday service I though how appropriate for my fitness blog today! As many of you know Jan 1 almost everyone sets a fitness goal, weight loss, get in better shape, etc...and ironically this week is typically the CLIFF. By that I mean the 2nd week of Feb is the Drop week, when most people cancel their gym memberships or keep paying but quit using them, and all Diet or healthy eating flys right out the window as Valentines is this week and Superbowl  parties last weekend gave way to falling back into the trap of Crummy eating habits.
Today the devotional from "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young quoted Hebrews 12:3 Which talks about Not growing weary and losing heart. This made me think.... WHY? Why do we give up so quickly on our weight loss &  fitness goals?  I  have come to the conclusion that it is because it is so Easy to grow weary, and we lose heart! Think about it..... it is very easy to eat junk ( which is so easy to get, cheap to eat and ready in 1 min) we can easily gain 5 lbs in one weekend, but how hard is it to  lose 5 lbs,pre prep your food, force yourself to workout daily and really count and watch what we put into our body. We too often want the Quick fix, the Magic pill or easy out! Rest assured people I have tried them all and yes you may have temporary success but you will gain it back. Here in Lies the problem.... With any fad diet, magic pill or Yes I am just going to say it Surgery( OH Gasp How dare she) but with all these you do not tackle the real problem! The Problem is mental you are not addressing your WHY? What is it that is causing you to be an emotional eater, What was it that caused you to put on the weight in the 1st place. We Lose heart because we are not willing to take a very personal very hard look inside us and try to fix the real problem. I myself have been guilty of saying oh if I can just hurry up and lost XYZ amount of weight then I will just work out more and keep it off. But I am here to tell you for 98% of the population this is a huge LIE!!!! Until  you look inside and face your demons, I don't care what you do you will gain weight back. I know so many people who spent thousands to lose the weight on surgery, fad diet plans, nutritionists etc... that gained it back or at least 1/2 of it back because when the new wore off and they had to put in the work the will wasn't there. They got stressed, sad, angry and went back to emotional eating again. 
I encourage you no matter what stage you are in with your fitness and weight loss goals, PRAY! Ask for help take a hard look at yourself and know your Why, then address it! If you need addiction help get it, if you need a counselor Go!Do not be ashamed to seek help because at the end of the day Friends will fail you, the things of the world will let you down but God and your own self are all you have and all you can 110% cling to. Do not Lose heart Do not Grow weary you can do this! You can grow and get to be the better version of yourself that both you and God long for you to be.
YOU ARE WORTH IT!
YOU ARE SMART!
YOU CAN DO THIS!
GOD LOVES YOU, AND WANTS MORE FOR YOU!
DO NOT LIVE IN FEAR, LIVE IN VICTORY!

Tips for the week:
1.) Dont drink your calories..... ( Juice and soda are chocked full of unneeded calories, don't drink them) If you want the nutrients of juice then buy a juicer and juice your own fruits and veggies, by doing so you get 0 added sugar, and more nutrients then you are probably eating each day. ALCOHOL is also a NO NO... While some alcohol has no or very little caloric value it does turn to sugar in your blood stream and sugars are automatically stored as fats!
2.) Have snacks ready when you are on the go..... ( have a Snack bag in your car, gym bag, or purse. Fill it with healthy alternatives to the high fat, high sugar foods in vending machines or at fast food restraunts) Great options are prepackaged nuts, Halo oranges, or protine bars( Lar bars are great or if you are low carb people like Ryan and I are grab an Adkins bar or Trail mix for the road)
3).Plan Ahead...... When it comes to healthy living eating out can ruin anyone's diet or plans. Not if you are smart. Understand that most restaurants are not about health they are about taste, so if you go to their websites ahead of time and look at the nutritional facts you can know in your mind what to eat and what to avoid. ( as someone that has both worked in restaurants and with family that does I can tell you the "Healthy choice "there isnt always the Healthy choice) ALOT of Restaurants add sugars to veggies to make them more appealing ( but they don't tell you that) at one national chain the green beans have more then a cup of sugar added to each batch, as does the corn and carrots. Salads are another trap at some fast food joints it is better to eat a burger then it is a salad. Be aware of the calories, the hidden sugars in dressings, and the toppings they put on things. If you walk in knowing I am ordering XYZ then you do not even have to crack open the menu to be tempted by the other goodies that will end up costing you in the long term.

Stay tuned for more inspiration, motivation and weightloss tips!

Faith, Family and Fitness!

OK so I know it has been a very long time since I posted in here. With having a new baby, Ryan starting a new business and frankly just being busy with life I have let this blog go. For that I am sorry! I have am committing to posting in here more often..... That said here we go!
2016 is a new Year, and a new You. I have been asked so many times how I stay on my healthy eating and running plan. Well let me share my 3 F's
1. FAITH -  Faith is my 1st F. Faith is something we too often over look in our journey to get in better shape and take back out lives! This is something I learned when I was 250 lbs and fighting my inner demons. W so often ask God for help in our finances, with health concerns, with our marriages or with our children but WHY NOT OUR WEIGHT???? Why do we feel that God doesn't care about our weight or our physical health? I am here to tell you that it is Critical that you ASK God for Help. Losing weight is not about vanity for 99% of us. For me and my family it is about Getting Healthy so that I can do more and be more for Christ and his Kingdom. So that I can be there for my children and husband. According to the bible in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -  we are told "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies" Yes I know this verse is referring to the authors lecture about sexual immorality but think about it why wouldn't this pertain to us and filling our bodies with junk food, and trash? We Treat our bodies like human wast dumps filling them with chemicals, preservatives, trans fats, and Chemically altered foods and then expect them to function at 100% HA HA HA fat chance, literally! I have started using this 1st F - My Faith to change my philosophy on eating and exercise. Daily I Pray for God to grant me the wisdom to make healthy choices, strength to say no to temptations, and the for site to give him the Honor and Praise when I do make those choices and people complement me on my new weight loss. When I Run I use mile 1 to Pray for my needs and to Thank God then any miles after that I say God I am listening and I truly keep my Heart and ears open to listening to what God is speaking to me for that day! ( NO I do not listen to music, I will occasionally listen to Joel Osteen on You Tube as I run but not often, as this keeps me focused and open to hear God"
2. FAMILY - Family is a double edged sword when it comes to weight loss and health, they can be your biggest ali's or your worst nightmares. For Ryan and I it is both.... We are 110% committed to our families we love our kids (who are our biggest supporters) and each other. We look at our babies and pray that we can get in better shape for them, to see our boys Grow up into Godly wise young men, who love the Lord, themselves and their family and friends. I look forward to watching them graduate High School, College, getting married and Lord willing seeing Grand children. They are my reason for wanting Health!! But then you get the Flip side..... You get the Parents, and in-laws, the brothers and sisters wanting to constantly eat out, or givign you false info about healthy eating. If you are like us and you have family that has never struggled with Food addiction and weight problems you get well meaning comments that Franky SUCK.... Comments like " just go walking", All you have to do is Eat less and move more" " just dont eat that if its a problem" Or my personal favorite, " Oh just one isnt bad for you, you can just eat a little." UMMMM WRONG!!!!
 While all of those are true the Fact is when you suffer from true Food addiction or weight control problems it is not so simple. while our family can be well meaning they are in essence sabotaging your weight loss. I know it is Hard but in those times you have to try hard to explain to them you neither need or want their advice and you have to revert back to the 1st F. and Pray for God to help you avoid making poor choices. If all else fails you should explain for a time you will not be able to go out with them or that you will eat before you come over.
3. FITNESS - Fitness is probably the hardest of the 3 F's to grasp and really force your self to do. For me I am now one of those crazy people who actually Loves it and gets very cranky if I don't get to workout daily. For me I have a bad day if I miss one of my 3 daily things. 1. God time, 2. Coffee ( LOL) 3. Daily  workout.  Don't get me wrong I wasn't always this way. In fact just 8 years ago I was full of hatred for a good workout and really I was angry at and jealous of those who did workout daily. I looked at fit people and thought OH they sicken me, they can just eat healthy and they stay so fit. But reality is those people work HARD!!! It is HARD to force yourself out of bed on a cold morning to get up put on runnig pants and go run in the chilly weather, or on days when it is 110 degrees at noon to take my lunch break to run a quick 3 miles. It is Hard to say NO to the cake, pizza and potato chips but if you want to be healthy, if you want to lose weight and keep it off and you want to be there for your kids and your self. Then you have to Let God and Let Go! You have to Trust that you can and you will get healthy, fit and feeling Great if you just put down the fork,and get in some more activity. Try a 30 min walk a day. go to the gym and start small, I don't care what you do just DO something fitness wise. for me when I was 250 lbs I one day said Enough is Enough, I'm going running. HA HA HA Running for me was a "Maybe" brisk walk for most people at 1st but then I built up and got faster and stronger. I started only doing 1 push up a day but over time built up to 50 at a time ( until i separated my shoulder). I started with 25 Crunches and worked up to doing 500 a day. I'm not suggesting you do what I did or even try to go out and run a mile your 1st go. What I am suggesting is start small know your body but get active, push yourself and know in both your heart and your head that you can do more then you really think you can.
Next time I will had out How too advice and maybe some Fast food tricks to stay in a good healthy eating plan! Until next time Follow your 3 F's and Pray hard/ Play Hard!

Training!

Well everyone since my last post I began training for my 1st half marathon since getting pregnant with my youngest son. Problem I did not allow myself enough time to properly train and the result????? Stress fracture in my Left foot. I am sure you are wondering if I completed the Race. I am proud to say I did. I didn't do terrible either. I finished my 3rd half marathon in 2 hrs 38 min 17 sec. It is not labeled the toughest 1/2 in TX cause its easy that's for sure. I ran the Bearathon. A half marathon put on my Baylor University student Foundation. It is 13.1 miles through Cameron Park. For those who are unfamiliar with Waco let me tell you bike riders have trouble getting up those hills. Hills is really an understatement, They are more like small mountains. I did it and ran the whole way with the exception of having to speed walk up 3 hills at the mid point. However in my excitement to get in a half I did not properly train my body, I pushed to hard to fast and as a result I went to the Dr. 4 days post race with a stress fracture. Now I must put my training for a full on hold. I must wear a boot or use crutches for 2 weeks min and I cant run for 8 weeks. Am I upset Heck Yes! Am I going to stick to the Dr.'s orders, Sadly YES! WHY????? Because I would rather stay off my foot and hold running for 8 weeks than to risk permanent injury and be unable to run long term or permanently. If I can offer up any advise to you as a person on a journey to live a healthier life, it is this.......
1. Listen to your body, & know the difference between just wanting to quit & real Pain.
2. Stretch & train properly! Find a program to do what ever your goal is 1 mi, 5k, 10k half or full, & stick to it. The experts know what they are doing and you do not need to tweek what works!
3. If you do sustain an injury listen to the DR. and follow their directions or you could be out a lot longer then you want in the long run.
Ps. This boot isnt slowing me down!!! I did go to the gym today and work out my upper body and abs all while staying off my foot! Pics to be posted tomorrow with some exciting news & tips for NOT MAKING EXCUSES!

Week 2 of new Fitness plan!

Well everyone the last time I posted I shared with you my true stats. This was not a decision I took lightly I am very self conscious about my weight and numbers. However I felt it important to post so that you can see the true transformation I am making and know that I is possible for you as well if you just stick to it.
WELL........
 Here were my stats last week

Starting body scan results:                     Week 2 Results:

BMI - 29.1                                               28.6%

Body Fat percentage: 39%                     28.0%

Visceral Fat  7%                                       4%

Skeletal Muscle Mass: 26.8%              33.1%

In just 8 days I was able to lose 10 lbs, I reduced my Body Fat % by 9 %, I reduced my Visceral bat by 3%, &  Increased my Skeletal muscle % by 6%.

I am sure you are wondering how I did it. Well it is simple really....... I work out Daily with 2 days of rest per week, I use will power and self control when it comes to my food choices and I track everything. 

Last post I shared that I would give you more of a glimps into my diet and work out schedule well here it is.

I eat ZERO, sugars none what so ever, I limit Carbs to 20 G per day and that must come from dark green veggies, & I limit salt intake. I eat a ton of Lean protein( fish, chicken, low fat beef, & veggie crumbles, lots of Eggs as well) When cutting Sugars Please read the labels on food dressings are chocked full of hidden Sugar and a ton of salt! just 2 tbsp of Ranch has 1/3  of the amount of salt a person is suppose to eat per day. and it also contains 2 grams sugar. thats 1 gram per tablespoon. 

Aside from Diet I am running according to my Marathon guide. for the last 2 weeks my training has looked like this......

WEEK 1:

Day 1:    Day 2:      Day 3:      Day 4:         Day 5:          Day 6:        Day 7:

 Run         Rest          Run            Run           Cross train        Rest            Run

35 min                     35Min         40 min         1 hr                                  45 min

 

WEEK 2:

Day 1:    Day 2:      Day 3:      Day 4:         Day 5:          Day 6:        Day 7:

 Run         Rest          Run            Run           Cross train        Rest            Run

3.5 miles                   3.5Mi         6 mi             1.5 hr                                7 mi

 

In addition to the running I make sure to do at least 25 pushups daily, 250-400 crunches a day( depends on the day and type of workout I had) and also use 5 lb dumbbells to bench & shoulder presses as well as curls. You may thing 5 lbs is kinda light and it is but its not about the weight at 1st its about reps, & consistency of workouts. 

UNTIL NEXT TIME KEEP PUSHING YOURSELF, MAKE NO EXCUSES AND FEEL FREE TO E-MAIL ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

 

 

 

I'm Back after Baby # 2

Well everyone I'm BACK!!!!!!
I know it have been forever since my last post, and for that I am sorry. Since I announced my pregnancy in May of 2012 I kept running up until 24 weeks I was running 2 miles every other day. Then the Dr. made me stop and just 10 weeks later at 32 weeks I went into premature labor. The day before Thanksgiving 2012 I delivered a baby boy 8 weeks premature he was a healthy 5 lbs 12 oz and 17 1/2 in long. His lungs were not matured so he did have to spend a grueling 13 days in the NICU. I am happy to say that he is now a Happy healthy 21 lb 1 Yr old and his Big Brother couldn't be happier to have him here.
All that said I wanted to let you all know that I am back! Back at Weight loss, back in Marathon Training and back to Posting tips, training up's and downs for you and anything else you guys want! Please feel free to Message me and let me know what you want to read about.

2014 GOALS.........OK so this Year I am all about motivation, accountability and Honesty! Since so many of you have messaged me or told me when you see me that You LOVE my posts about workouts and weight loss I want you to hold me accountable this yr. I have set 2 goals this Year in regards to fitness. 

1. by Dec 31, 2014 I will lose 32 lbs. 

2. Is to complete my training and Run another 1/2 and a Full Marathon. 

 Actually I plan to run the whole spectrum this year. I plan to run a 5k, 10k, 1/2 & full! ( the 2nd is only if I resist and prevent any further injury's, this week I messed up my knee but that didn't stop me from making a 5 mile run) As for the accountability part I will be VERY HONEST & slightly EMBARRASSED about my stats.

 For Christmas I got a body scanner and here are my results: I will post new ones weekly as I post my weight loss. 

Starting body scan results: 

BMI - 29.1 

Body Fat percentage: 39%

Visceral Fat ( the dangerous one, this is belly fat, which is the one that leads to higher risk of Heart disease, high BP, Cholesterol, and many other factors) 7%( that's 2% lower then the Normal range) 

Skeletal Muscle Mass: 26.8% 

 

Goal this year is to get  Fat % down & Muscle mass up! This is why I have incorporated strength and weights to my training schedule!

 I am also going to give you guys the averages for each of these so you can see truly where I fall.......

 

BMI: Less then 18.5 Underweight: 18.5-25 Normal; 25-30 Overweight, 30 + Obese

Body Fat %(Female 20-39)

Less then 21% Low; 21.0-32.9% Normal, 33-38.9% High; 39%+ Very High

Visceral Fat: Less then  9 % Normal; 10-14% High, 15% + very High & dangerous

Skeletal Muscle %: Less then 24.3 Low; 24.3-30.3 Normal; 30.4-35.3 High; 35.4 + Very High

(Skeletal Muscle is Good This is the only one you want to be HIGH!)

 

How do I plan to get the changes made. Jan 1 I walked .5 miles, Ran 3.5 Mi, & walked 1mi for a grand total of 5 Miles. I also watched what I ate. Today is Cross training for 1 hr and 45 min and tomorrow I run again. I am in training for a Marathon so Next week on top of my weight loss and scan changes I will post some of my diet and tips for my training schedule! 

2014 MAKE NO EXCUSES!!!!! SET SMALL GOALS AND GO FOR THEM!!!! THE ONLY THING BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR GOALS IS YOU! THERE IS NO CHALLENGE YOU CANT OVER COME IF YOU DON'T JUST GET OUT OF YOU OWN WAY! 

 

         

Slowing Down

OK well as many of you know I have not posted in over a month. Well I have not been lazy I have however been adjusting to being Pregnant! Thats Right Ryan and I are expecting our 2nd Child Due Jan 4, 2013.  Dont think this means this blog is going away, or that I am getting lazy, NO SIR! I am still Working out. I was told not to Run which trust me is killing me but I am speed walking, doing Zumba Rush on the xbox kinnect and after my dr. apt today I will see what else I can add in. I plan on putting together a list of calorie counts at fast food restraunts for the next blog! I will list the top 10 low cal choices from some of my favorite take out places. Hope you enjoy! Until next time, remember................ NO EXCUSES, DONT DRINK YOUR CALORIES, & KEEP MOVING! IF YOU'RE SWEATING YOUR LOSING!

Breaking habits

Bad habits are not unbreakable! I cant tell you the times I have heard and I have even said myself " I just cant give up ......" The truth is that it takes only 21 days to kick a bad habit. If your bad habit has to do with eating or drinking something unhealthy I have some even better news. Our taste buds are malleable. This simply means that they are easy to influence. It is proven that if you deprive your taste buds of the foods you crave and replace them with healthy choices your taste buds will within 1 month change and start to crave the healthy food. I challenge each of you to give up one of your biggest vices and replace it with something good for 1 month, then way in and let me know if Dr.'s, scientists and my blog are right about this. Another way to kick a bad habit is to add water to your diet. water flushes our system, refreshes us and can help curb your appetite, by filling your stomach.

30 Day shed takes a hault!

Well I am sad to say that my 30 day shed had to take a slight halt! for the last week I have had double ear infections and a chest cold and it made doing all the strenuous exercises very difficult so my workout plan got derailed a bit. However that's life! I have been working out but just on a much smaller scale! So as of today I am back on track and back to my workouts. I will pick up the 30 day shed workout again but the results will be off a bit since i will not have been on it for a full 30 days by the date of my vacation. I have 18 days until then so for now I am hitting it hard. Today's workout consists of 10 min walk, 40 min run, 10 min cool down walk. 1 zumba class(via xbox kinect), 800 crunches, 200 squats, 100 plies, 200 side bends, 200 leg raises and 100 reverse leg raises, 100 fire hydrants, & 50 burpies.  I have been eating 1200 cal per day and whatever I burn off working out gets added back in for additional calories to consume in order to keep my metabolism up. I am sorry I haven't got more to add at this time but things have been crazy here. Until next time keep sweating!

30 day Shed Day 5

OK so I have been killing it this week. I have new pics for you and here are my new weight & measurments
Weight:
154lbs

Measurments:
Neck - 12.25" (-.5")
Chest - 35.5" (-.5")
Biceps's - 11.25" (-.25)
Waist - 31.75" (-.25")
Hips - 39.5" (-.5")
Thigh's - 23"(no change yet)
Calf's - 15.25" (-.25")

I gave you a sample of my diet and exercise plan in my last blog. Well here is what I have been doing for the last 5 days. I have really been using the Myfitnesspal.com app and wevsite to track my food intake(sticking to my 1200 cal per day) and logging my workouts as well. I have been making sure that I eat the additional calories that I burn off in workouts so as not to throw my body into starvation mode, totally wrecking my metabolism.
As for workouts on the 30day shed I have been unable to run due to allergies & double ear infections so I am staying in but that hasnt stopped me. I have done 45-1 hr of eliptical every day similar routine as I blogged before. I am doing anywhere for 300 -800 crunches per day, 100-200 sidebands with 5 lb weights. Leg raises, squats, plies, & reverse leg raises 100-200 per day. I am also adding in pushups, hip thrusts and planks.  This weekend I hope to get pictures posted of these exercises in motion and a detailed sample of yet another days diet and work out. Until then Take care and keep sweating!

30 Day Shed part 2

OK she here are the pics I promised. I must be crazy for telling all you guys my actual measurements and weight but in order to do this right I am going to share the details in order to provide you with the best possible solution to getting the weight off.
As of 3/30/2012 my weight and Measurements were.......
Weight:
155lbs
Measurements:
Neck - 12.5"
Chest - 36"
Biceps's - 11.5" 
Waist - 32" 
Hips - 40"
Thigh's - 23"
Calf's - 15.5"

If you aren't sweating you are NOT Losing!!!! This picture was taken post workout 1 on the 30 day shed

Food Day 1:

Here is what I did day one on the 30 day shed. I ate 1200 calories.

Breakfast was 1 pkg apple cin oatmeal (sugar free), a snack of emerald cocoa almonds (100cal), lunch was a can of progresso light soup, with 1 slice Kraft American fat free cheese 25 cal. 3 oz of baby carrots, 2 tbsp hummus, for a snack later I had 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 tbsp honey, on 2 slices 35 cal wheat bread. for dinner we had a client in town so we went to a restaurant and I ordered grilled chicken breast( skinless, no marinade, no seasoning) a side salad with fat free honey mustard on the side, corn( I opted for corn over the green beans because I asked how they were prepared and they had both bacon and butter in them, the corn did not, I got it with NO BUTTER) then I ate 1 dinner roll since i had an additional 850cal to consume over my 1200 because after my work that was how much I burned.  I also made sure to drink a min of 10 glasses of H20 not including 2 glasses of UN sweet tea. Remember each bottle of H20 you drink counts as 2 glasses of h20. 

WORKOUT DAY 1:

45 min on the elliptical(Start -5 min resistance level 1; min 5-10 resistance level 6; min 10-15 resistance level 10; min 15-25 resistance level 16 (the max); min 25-30 resistance level 10;min 30-35 resistance level 6; min 35-45 resistance level 1)  If you do not have access to an elliptical you can run for 45 min on the road( that was what I use to do when I was losing my weight because it wasn't until a few months ago my husband purchased out elliptical) 

I followed my elliptical training with 5 min of planks, ( I did all 5 min at once but you can build to that if need be do 1 min take 30 sec to 1 min off then do another min until you reach 5 min) Next was 600 crunches( I alternated every set of 100 with knees, so the 1st set were normal crunches, the next set of 100 was to each side alternating knees, back to normal, then knees etc...) Followed by 100 Plies( this exercise is tough to explain but stick with me you spread you legs into the wide leg squat position, then lift up your body onto your toes, then do squats on your toes, never letting your heels touch the ground) I will try to get someone to take pics of me doing each exercise to post at a later date. I followed those with 200 squats, then 100 side bends(which work your obliques) I will post more tonight or tomorrow about the exercises I did today. Hope this gets you started right.

Until next time take care and keep sweating!!!