Saturday's Weigh-in: 165.6lbs

Week Two Loss/Gain: +1.4lbs

Total Loss: 5.8

Saturday's Workout: 6 miles / 10:18 pace

I'm back! Sorry for the lapse in messages, but the past few days were a bit crazy. Friday ended up being a looong day with a 5hr hair appointment... I think it looks great though! :)

Josh was not feeling well that day, so I spent the rest of the day watching the kids. Luckily, he felt well enough to place SECOND!! in a local Jiu-Jitsu tournament. Very proud of him!

Before Josh's tournament, I went out and did my long run for the week. 10:18 pace, so I'm happy with that. I was sitting around 10:22 during the last mile, so I decided to pick it up and shaved 24 seconds off my time.

Now- as far as my weigh-in, I am not happy with the number. I'm a daily weigher, so I had a feeling it was going to be higher based on my weight on Thursday and Friday, but I was still hopeful. Alas, I was still up 1.4lbs Saturday. Now, I wish I could give myself a good reason for the gain- fortunately, I don't have a sob story of me reuniting with an entire box of mac and cheese at 2 in the morning. I actually had a good week with eating. What I didn't have was my run on Wednesday- oh, and a lot of bathroom time on Wednesday. :) So, I'm thinking the stomach bug threw me off. I am positive this Saturday will be better.

Sunday was Phoenix's 4th birthday!! We had a fabulous Toy Story party with friends and family. Really happy with how everything turned out and Phoenix had a blast.

Today includes a swim (and the mp3 player is charged!) and some time with the fam. Oh, and a delicious Garlicky Lemon Scallop recipe that I've been making for a few years now- definitely a personal favorite:

Garlicky Lemon Scallops

(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 º pounds sea scallops, dried with paper towels

2 tablespoon all-purpose Flour

º teaspoon salt

4-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 scallion or large shallot, finely chopped

pinch of ground sage

Juice of 1 lemon (2-3 T)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Be sure to pat the scallops dry before you mix them with the flour &

salt. That way they wonít soak up too much flour.

2. In a large non stick skillet, heat the oil.

3. In a medium bowl, toss the scallops with the flour & salt.

4. Transfer the scallops to the skillet; add the garlic, scallion & sage.

SautÈ until the scallops are just opaque, 3 - 4 minutes.

5. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley; remove from the heat and serve at

once.

Note: Scallops cook very quickly. DO NOT overcook or they will turn into

erasers. Be sure to have all other items ready before cooking the scallops.

Per serving: 187 calories / 5g fat / 1g of fiber

Thursday's Workout: 3 miles / 9:47 pace

Well, Wednesday's tempo run was a bust considering I woke up at 4am feeling pretty pukey. :) I decided to spend the majority of day in bed, excluding the glorious time I spent in the bathroom. Luckily, it seemed to be more like a 12hr bug and, after a good night's rest, I felt more like myself. Thanks so much to Josh for watching the kids- couldn't have done it without you!

As for yesterday's run, I decided to test out my little "walk some, get the same pace" theory. Needless to say, my theory did not pan out. My pace was exactly the same as last Thursday's run. So, at this point, I'm shaving about 45secs. off my 3 mile run by not walking. Worth it? Kind of... depends on whether or not I'm climbing a hill when the walking is set to start. ;)

Today may or may not include a swim for me- it looks like Josh now has the bug that I had on Wednesday, so I'm going to stay home as much as possible. He has OKed me to get my hair done at 11:30 as scheduled, so I just hope Ladon takes a long nap. Phoenix is easy- he plays so well by himself it's ridiculous, but Ladon- well, he's 9 months old, what can you expect? :)

Today's Workout: 3 miles / Pace 9:29

Happy with today's workout. I was actually disappointed that my time wasn't better since I skipped over the walk breaks, but I'm starting to think there might be some benefit to the breaks- even for my lower mileage days. So, I'll test that theory on Thursday and take two 1-2min walk breaks. If the time is around the same, I might just keep them in there for good measure (and who doesn't love to walk?!)

Oh, an update on Mr. Ladon- his appt. when great. The doc was very pleased with him and I was happy to see his weight and height were in the normal range again (for him- 40 and 30% respectively.) I did have to get the nurse to recheck his height though, since it came up low (27.25"). I showed her how he likes to curl up his leg and then, viola, he grew another 3/4". Doesn't seem like much, but when they're this little, it makes a huge difference in their growth percentage. At least now I know that I have to keep on them about it.

My MIL and niece are coming over today to hang out- Phoenix was supposed to sleep over at their house tonight, but he got sick 2 nights ago and I want one more night at home before we clear him for a sleepover. He has this tendency to get sick at like 4-6am and then he's fine around noon. It's happened about 5 or 6 times now and I always feel so bad for him every time it happens- nothing worse than seeing your little one throw up. At least it passes quickly though.

Alright, time to do a mad rush to clean the house before everyone gets here. Have an awesome Tuesday!

Today (Monday's) Workout: 45 swim

Yay- I have access to a pool again!! Since my waterproof MP3 player wasn't charged, I went old school and swam without tunes. Luckily there were about 40 kids in the pool while I was there, so it certainly wasn't quiet. :)

I did enjoy the time to swim though and even spent 10 minutes in the steam room afterwards. I swam a lot when I was pregnant with Ladon and I remember looking off wistfully at all the people going into the steam room. Now, I can go in there myself and it feels sooo good! :)

On a non-weight loss related note, I just spent the past few hours going through my mom's zorro collection. We're putting everything on eBay, so I wanted to give it a once-over and take notes before I start posting on Sunday. So, I don't go completely bonkers, I'm going to put up about 10 items at a time at most. I also have about 15-20 things of my own that will go up this time too. I'll be sure to post a link when everything goes up- granted I doubt the 3 people reading this will want to bid on anything, but it can't hurt, right? LOL :)

On another note, tomorrow is Ladon's 9 month appointment. No shots this round, so yay for that! I'm excited to see how much he's grown and I hope it's more than last time. At his 6 month appointment, they didn't stretch out his leg all the way and he came up as 1/4" SHORTER than he was at his 4 month appointment. The doctor chalked it up to different methods of measurement (one uses a pen to mark the top of the head and bottom of the foot and then uses a tape measure- the other one lays him on a pre-marked board), but, in true Jenny-fashion, it freaked me out. Needless to say, I ended up doing my own measurements that day and came up with over an inch difference (in favor of him being taller, of course!) If they don't stretch him out tomorrow, I may have to hurt someone. :)

Oh, and one more thing- I signed up for a race in April- this one is called Rugged Maniac and it's being held in Asheboro. It's similar to the Warrior Dash in that it's an obstacle course race where you may have to wade through water, hop through tires, walk over fire...ya know- little things like that. :) While I enjoy 5K's, I really want to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new and these obstacle races just sound like a lot of fun!

So, in summary, right now I'm signed up for:

Two Obstacle Course Races

Two Sprint Triathlons

One 5K

...and I'll be signing up for the Goofy Challenge once registration for that one goes live in March.

I think 2011 is going to be a great year!

Today I did something awesome. Well, I should say I signed up for something awesome- the Ramblin' Rose Women's Triathlon. Actually, I should say I signed up for 2 awesome somethings- the Raleigh Ramblin' Rose Triathlon and the Chapel Hill Ramblin' Rose Triathlon.

Now, before you call me a nut, please understand that they're 5 months apart (Raleigh is in May and CH is in October.) Also, these are sprint triathlons and the swimming is in a pool, which is easier than lake/river swimming. So, totally doable. :)

And, as luck would have it, I just started up my new YMCA membership on Friday, so I have access to a pool again. Now, I just have to get my bike in working order- granted it's a mountain bike and completely inappropriate for a tri, but I'm not quite ready to fork over $500-$1,000 for a new bike right now. The bike portions are only 9 miles, so I think I can manage that on a mountain bike with no problem, although I might change my mind after the first race. :)

Hope your Sunday was awesome!

Today's Weigh-in: 164.2

Week 1 Loss: 7.2

Total Loss: 7.2

Today's Workout: 5 miles

Today was a good day!! :) I finally got my butt out the door for today's run around 11:30 and it went well. Today was my long run for week 1 of Hal Higdon's Half-Marathon training, so I took it at a 1-2min mile pace slower than my usual runs. Came out to a 10:27 pace, which I was pleased with. It's hilly out here and I have to run on grass sometimes when the sidewalks peter out and the shoulder doesn't leave much protection- but, it all makes me stronger...and, eventually, faster!

The weight loss is an obvious WOOHOO!! for me. Like most people, I had my obligatory high loss for week 1 and I'm pleased with it. I know that next week will probably show 1 or 2lbs at most, which, again, I will be pleased with. You can come to expect certain things when you're losing weight and the first 2 week results are the most predictable. But, to be that much closer to the 150s makes me feel good. :)

I meant to mention yesterday that I joined a Biggest Loser challenge in a local mom's group!! There were BL challenges going on throughout the year on the Nutrisystem boards back when I was on the NS program in 2008. I loved them and, trust me, those challenges were sometimes the only thing keeping me out of the kitchen and stuffing my face with cookies. I had considered going back to the NS boards this year, but I didn't feel quite right about it since I'm no longer on the NS food program. Anyways, while catching up on old e-mails, I saw an ad in my local mom's group newsletter regarding its Biggest Loser challenge and, as luck would have it, Friday was the last day to sign up! So, I did and I'm really excited to share my weight loss journey with these other local moms.

Finally, I want to close by mentioning an experiment my husband, Josh, has set up for me. I'm currently doing 3 different exercises, 3 times a week that, in total, take less than 5 minutes to do. Right now it's like 15 butt raises, 15 alternate Supermans (not sure what to call them), and 50 kettle bell swings. And, since today was free day (eat what I want!!), I did 40 squats right after lunch and I'm about to do 40 more since I just had a big sushi dinner. These are all ideas that Josh got from one of his new favorite books, The 4-Hour Body. It's all about doing the least amount possible to get the most benefit. We'll see how it goes for me- so far, I find no faults with the time commitment! :)

Today's Workout: 3 Miles

Today was an easy run of 3 miles- ran it at a 9:47 pace w/ 1 minute walk breaks every mile (pace includes walk breaks.) I'm pleased with that number, but definitely want to see it go down-down-down. My neighborhood is hilly, but I know a lot of my issues with speed have to do with the junk in the trunk (and the chest, arms, legs, etc.) :)

I wanted to also comment on something that dawned on me yesterday. As upset as I got over that Disney waiter perhaps assuming that I did not run a marathon, I made my own assumption the morning of the race.

When I hopped onto the monorail to head over to Epcot, another runner came on with her Goofy bib (half marathon on Saturday and then the marathon on Sunday.) I noticed it- congratulated her on her accomplishment the day before and then asked "Did you walk the half-marathon?" She didn't bat an eye and said "Yes- and it wasn't that bad." We made small talk all the way to the entrance of the gathering area for runners near the start and then parted ways. Not a bad chat and when I saw her later in the day, I made a point to say hi again.

Now, you might ask, "what is your point Jenny?" Well, my point is that the reason I had asked her if she had walked the half-marathon is because she was overweight. She was tall, but she was also a big girl- probably bigger than me. And, because of this, I automatically assumed that she wouldn't be able to run both races.

So, here I am a hypocrite. As miffed as I was towards that waiter, I did the same damn thing a few days before. Made an assumption based on someone's weight. So, lesson learned- never ASSume. You might be right, but you might also be unnecessarily hurting someone's feelings in the process. I don't know how I made that runner feel, but I'll be sure not to make that mistake again.

Today's Workout: 5 x 400m Run

Basically this is 1.25miles broken up into five .25mile splits. I didn't have my watch set up for splits, but when I glanced down each time I was consistently under an 8:30min mile and typically in the 7:50-ish range.

Also, you're supposed to run this on a track, but since I don't currently have access to one, I just ran it on the flattest section of my neighborhood. The middle school across the street has a track, but school is in session and I'd rather have permission first before hopping on there. A phone call has been made, so my fingers are crossed they'll let me run on there 1 or 2x's a week. ;)

BTW, in case you're wondering, I'm using Hal Higdon's Intermediate Half-Marathon training schedule. I also use Jeff Galloway's walk/run method, which, in my case, means for every mile I run, I walk for 2 minutes.

Now, I've altered Higdon's plan a bit by taking out the Sat. run and adding in 2 swims a week (which I will start next week- I've got to get my YMCA membership going first). I've also adjusted Galloway's method by only walking once every mile, instead of every 1/2 mile. Based on my current min. mile average, I should be walking 1 minute for every 2-4 minutes I run, but that's just too much stopping and starting for me. I used to do 1 minute for every 1 mile of running, but I never felt recovered enough, so I adjusted it to 2 minutes and it works out great.

I used to be one of those "all or nothing" kind of runners, but I've learned that you can take the solutions that great minds have discovered and make something that will work out the best for you. It seems like a simple enough concept, but it was a tough one for me. :)

I just heard one of the best analogies- to paraphrase Dr. Huizenga from "The Biggest Loser", you have to treat and fight obesity just like you would cancer. Wow- I don't know about you, but that's pretty enlightening to me. When a doctor tells most people (including myself) that they need to lose weight- what do they do? They go home and think, "well, I'll get around to changing my lifestyle eventually, but right now I think I'll go out and have a pizza."

Now, would you have the same reaction if someone told you that you have cancer? "Well, I should get around to treating this cancer, but I think I'll go out and eat bad, smoke, and drink excessively for the next 6 months or more." No! You would go to the doctor and start treatment to fight that cancer! So, why do we treat obesity (which causes heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and strokes) like we would any other non-life-threatening diagnosis?

I know for myself, it's the fact that I have trouble sensing the urgency. I can still get around just fine and I can shop in regular stores (although there are some stores I can't shop in, like "5 - 7 - 9"). But, that's just it- I can do those things now, but eventually I may not be able to.

All of this excess weight is putting extra pressure on my knees. I'm also at a higher risk of heart attack- my own Dad died of a sudden heart attack at 55. And, just like me, he was a yo-yo dieter. I can't even remember how many times he lost and regained the same 20lbs. So, here's my Dad, who was not morbidly obese, fairly athletic (went to the gym several times a week, went on weekly mountain bike rides, and went hiking several times a year), BUT, he did have one problem: food. Just like me, he loved to eat and he loved to eat a lot.

With that kind of history, you would think I would know better. Like Dr. Huizenga talked about, you would think I would be treating my obesity like I would cancer. But, I wasn't. Like Margaret Mitchell penned, "After all, tomorrow is another day." And, I treated every day as the day before my diet- the day before my weight loss journey was to start. The problem is, I wasn't allowing tomorrow to ever become today.

Now, I have made the change many times, but I always see myself back in the place I was last week. Disappointed in myself- but deciding that a second or third piece of bread is worth the disappointment. This time, I have to choose myself over the bread. I have to choose my health- I have to choose to fight this disease like I would anything else that was threatening my life. And, this time, tomorrow isn't today- it was Sunday. :)

About a week ago, I accomplished something that I never thought I would- I ran a marathon. And, to make it more fun for myself, I chose to run 26.2 miles at Disney World and it could not have been a better choice.

So, here I am, running for over 5 hours and 14 minutes- and I still don't feel like I did enough. Even before the marathon, I was sometimes embarrassed to even mention that I was going to run a race, 'cause I felt like I was too heavy to even be considered able to do something like that. I even got a few looks of "really?" in the weeks before the race- it hurt BUT it was a fair assessment- here I was, clearly overweight and doing something very athletic.

After the race, that feeling didn't go away- I was wearing my medal at the park like a lot of other runners when a waiter looked at Josh and said "Did you run the marathon?" He's not even wearing a medal, but the waiter assumed that he had run it, 'cause, well, he looks like he could be a runner. Me on the other hand- not so much. The waiter did correct himself right after and congratulated me, but his initial comment did not go unnoticed.

So, my first reaction is to be upset- I'm only 35lbs overweight- why shouldn't I be able to run a marathon? I finished in 5hrs 14min. and that's with stopping to take pictures of characters and some walk breaks. So, clearly I can run a marathon, so why do I feel like I still have something to prove? Oh yah- I didn't fail the Disney Marathon- what I did was fail myself and my personal goals.

I wanted to be at or near my goal weight- I wanted to finish under 5hrs (initially the goal was to finish under 4hrs, but that goal came and went)- and I wanted to finish the race. I did the latter, but 1 out of 3 isn't great, especially for someone like me who is incredibly goal-oriented.

So, next year, I want to wear my medal with pride. I want to be able to look at myself and know that I accomplished something awesome- I ran a half-marathon and a marathon (yep- that's right, I'm going to do the Goofy Challenge!) in one weekend and I ran it well!

I just saw a blog where a mom, Roni, has been chronicling her weight loss since 2005. Just seeing that she had the diligence to post her journey and beyond for over 6 years now, inspired me to get my blog going. Once I have a week or two in me, I'm going to share this with Facebook- and then to the Richard Simmons boards. The only difference is this time I'm not going to quit.

Here's the scoop. My name is Jenny and I love food. I love the taste of food. I love feeling full. And I've been down this road soooo many times. After hitting my highest non-pregnant weight of 215 after having my first son, Phoenix, I lost over 70lbs- I was on QVC with Richard Simmons and then I was one of 16 lucky dancers in his "Sweatin' to the Oldies 5" video. Needless, to say, 2009 was a great year! And, then I got pregnant with my second son, Ladon... And, just like the first time I got pregnant, I got fat.

So, here were are again. I'm a little over 35lbs away from my goal weight. Ladon is almost 9 months old and I've been losing the same 10lbs for 4 months now. Needless to say, it's time to get serious- even my husband, Josh, told me that I need to either lose the weight or stop complaining about being fat. I choose the former!! :)

This blog will show my "weigh" as I lose this weight- and, of course, the "weigh" I maintain. I promise we'll get to that second part very soon!