Running is a term I use very loosely.

Yesterday, I ran my very first 5K! And by ran, I mean I very slowly jogged for most of it. I think I ended up walking about 8 minutes of it. My time was 43:29. I'm pretty happy with that. But, I did it on 5 hours of sleep. I know that if I had gotten a decent amount of sleep that I would have been able to run more. The first mile or so was a steady uphill climb that nearly killed me. So, lesson learned: Don't try to go to your 10 year high school reunion 2 hours away the night before you run!

Speaking of, I had a blast catching up with classmates. It's fun to see how we've all grown and changed since high school. It's also fun to see how some things never change.

I have plans for another 5K on October 12th. I really want to see if I can run the whole thing. However, I am going to take at least 5 days off from running for some recovery time. My hips are sore today, but it isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

I'm still picking color out of my nails and have remnants on my toes.

Before... and yes, we wore tutus.

And after!

A new picture!

8 pounds to go!

2 more pounds off! Took a few weeks, but the scale seems to be moving again. I cannot wait to see 218 on the scale. That will be my official 100 pounds lost mark! Funny thing is... I haven't run for a week because it has been so horribly hot, and I didn't eat particularly well this weekend. And I lost a pound.. ? Explain that one. I'll never understand it. Back to running tonight!

My loose skin is really bothering me. People say that they can't see it or don't notice it, but it's making me crazy. The only skin that people can really see is my arms. I'm constantly self conscious about them.

School is kicking my rear. I was so tired last week from the heat, the new schedule, and just general stress from the start of the year. I'm hoping this week will be a little easier. I'm encouraged by the sounds that my choirs are making! My junior high choir is confident and they are a fantastic bunch of musicians. We start on Christmas music this week! My high school choir is beginning work on our Variety Show music. We have a lot of new faces in the high school group this year, so we are rebuilding a bit, but I am so glad to see new people in my group! Thursday is the big musical announcement! I hope the kids are as excited about it as I am. 

The dating front remains unchanged. I date here and there and nothing ever comes out of it. I'm really tired of it. Can't I just meet "the one" already?

Back to school.. back to school...

It's so hard to believe that the summer is nearly over. I can't believe how fast it has gone, yet it feels like I got to do so much. It has been the best summer ever, made even better by the fact that I did not have to move for the FIRST TIME IN 10 YEARS!

Instead, my big physical labor project is working on my yard. Dad is coming down next week to trim all of my trees and bushes way back. We are also doing some other work around the house while he's here. My brother is going to be here in September to rip out all of the huge, ugly bushes that surround my house. I'm so excited to get rid of those disgusting things.

Running has also been on the agenda. I took a few weeks off in July when it was ridiculously hot, and got back into it a few weeks ago. I have been faithfully running every other day for almost three weeks now and have not seen any movement in my weight. I feel like I'm killing myself running (and I don't particularly enjoy it!) and not seeing any results. My food is far from perfect, but I don't feel like I'm making horrible choices. I'm thinking about going back to some protein shakes and see if that might jumpstart my weight loss again. I really, really wanted to be at 100 pounds lost before the start of school. 90 will have to do I think.

So, I believe I have lost about 10 pounds this summer. *rolls eyes* That sounds so lame. I have lost one pants size, as well. I guess that's something. I feel like it's going to take 10 years to get off this 50 pounds!

I am looking forward to seeing my kiddos again and get the year started. I feel like I have picked some great music (plus a fantastic musical!) and I can't wait to dig in! Here goes my third year!

Affairs and guilt

We have a love affair with food. I do, at least. I've never met anyone who doesn't genuinely enjoy good food. 

My love affair with food has been changed. I still enjoy good food, don't get me wrong. I enjoy it in much smaller portions and I enjoy healthier options. I mourned my loss of food for a very long time. It would be sad to me that I couldn't eat 2 plates full of food. I think the grieving time is over. I am learning to satisfy my mind with less food. 

Is it weird that it still bothers me to waste food? We ate at the buffet at our resort often and I rarely finished a plate. I tried to get as little as possible so I wouldn't waste, but sometimes I wanted tastes of many different things. I held such guilt while I was there. I know there were people just miles from me who are hungry and here I am; throwing away food. It just messes with me. But I have to keep telling myself- just because they are hungry doesn't mean you have to eat their portion too. I still remember my grandma making me finish my happy meal when I was little because she grew up so poor and went hungry often. 

I have made sacrifices and sometimes people are surprised at some of the things I have to do that comes as a result of this surgery. Just to name a few...

No more ibuprofen or aspirin for the rest of my life. 

Eliminating foods with added sugar. (And if I do make a poor decision, I pay for it!)

Never eating and drinking at the same time. (It hurts!!)

Plastic surgery for loose skin. 

I would do it all over again!! Obesity is like a prison. It's a vicious cycle that is so hard to get out of. The freedom I feel is amazing. I know that I could not have done this without the surgery as a tool. Because of the surgery, I was able to get weight off and be motivated by the results. I am able to exercise now without my joints rebelling. I now have the tools to keep going with my weight loss and live a healthy life. How lucky am I to have a second chance at life?

My 28th birthday will mark one year since I began my journey. I think that calls for a party!

Caribbean fun!

I've been in the Dominican Republic for the past week and have had an absolute blast! We have been on the beach, at the pool, partying, and relaxing. 

The Dominican men love curvy American blondes, so the attention from them hasn't been surprising. But, attention from other men has been surprising! It is an adjustment, that's for sure. 

Watching what I eat has been a struggle here, especially with the alcohol. I wouldn't be surprised if a few pounds snuck on this week. But, it's back to work running and eating right when I get back home. 

Tomorrow we are getting pedicures and soaking up our last day in the Caribbean. We fly out on Wednesday back to Richmond. Then I fly back to Indy on Friday. 

Here's a picture of my new swimsuit body! (Let's be honest, I'm FAR from a swimsuit body, but I certainly look better!)

1 week!!

Oh my goodness, I can't sleep because I am so excited about my vacation! 

I just got back to Hillsboro today from my moms. I played flute with the Urbana Pops Orchestra on their concert last night. I will be honest, I am pretty rusty as far as flute playing is concerned. I haven't done any hard core playing since my Millikin days 6 years ago. It took some serious work to get myself back in shape. By the concert, I finally felt like a competent flutist again. I really need to play more; I love it and I have an incredible instrument that does a lot of sitting in the case. 

I also managed to lose another pound while I was in Villa Grove. Woo!! I did my second day of C25K while I was there. I have yet to do my third day. I had some sort of bronchitis or something going on. Anyway, I've been hacking up a lung for multiple days. I would like to be able to breathe again before I do day 3 of C25K. We'll see how I feel tomorrow. 

I went to visit my dad today before I left. Even though our relationship has been pretty hit and miss, he has always been very supportive of my surgery. He always asks me how much weight I've lost and has a huge smile when I tell him the number. Support is everything to me- it keeps me going. There are days where I just really need encouragement, and I never have to look far. 

I will be getting blood tests done soon to check cholesterol, triglycerides, etc. After years of dreading those numbers, I'm actually excited to find out what they are. My blood pressure has never been high, but always on the higher end of normal. It did drop at my last appointment. Yahoo! My BMI is also down 10 points. My doctor's goal weight for me is still considered "overweight" according to the BMI chart, but I think that anything less is pretty unrealistic for my build. 

Sticking to no sugar! I didn't have any stupid mistakes this week. I am really happy that I've been able to stick with that- for the most part. I think it has made the biggest difference in my life and I can attribute my continued weight loss to it. 

Hopefully the next update will be from the sunny beaches of the Dominican Republic! I might even get really brave and post a swimsuit picture!