Lifestyle Changes

The Banshee

2012-01-31T17:27:00.000-06:00

Whenever I tell this story, everybody gets a good laugh, so I figured I would post it because it's somewhat a spin off on the topic of the day: Food/Environment.

As I mentioned in April, I am a chicken co-owner, but the coop is at my house. My friend and I decided to raise our own chickens for fresh organic eggs, and it's been well worth it! At first, we dealt with moles and/or voles around the coop area, which seemed to have disappeared this fall, but we were having new fecal matter in the coop. The week prior to this event, the nesting box broke and since we were considering how we were going to build the new coop, which included moving the whole thing, I wanted to make sure nothing was living under the coop that could hurt us. I didn't think anything of it, until I heard the Banshee.

I just got home around 9pm, and settled in to get some homework done that was due that night at midnight. All of a sudden I heard this loud shriek from outside "EEEEEEEEEEEEEE" with a flutter of wings and loud noises from the chickens. I didn't know what to make of the noise at first because I have never heard it before. Was that the feral cat outside trying to get at the chickens again? I grabbed a flashlight and headed outside cautiously because I wasn't sure if the thing that startled the chickens was inside the coop or wandering around the gated area that we had. (To better understand our setup, a picture of it is below.) There was the potential that it could try and attack me too if it was not on the inside. As I wave the flashlight back and forth across the yard, I walked in the direction of the chicken coop. I first shine the light on the chickens who are huddled together by the gate entrance and then I survey the area. Beady eyes look at me as he stood still on one of the chicken perches. I glared at the possum and thought "How in the world did you get in there?!?!" But then I realized that we were giving him a lot of great food! Not only in the coop area was he getting eggs, but he was also getting leftover chicken feed and/or the moles/voles. AND...right next to the gated chicken area is my compost pile! No wonder why he was around. In all honesty, seeing him on the perch, I realized all the possum wanted to do was "hang" with the chickens on their perches, and they decided to be high maintenance and not want him around. I don't blame the chickens by any means. After seeing the culprit, I called my chicken co-owner, who was already in bed, and then my boyfriend who gave me strict orders "not to go in and remove the possum myself." I can't help but be injury prone... When I got back out there with my cell phone, the possum had already left. Ironically, about a week later, he climbed up my oak tree in a rain storm.

We still need to re-do the coop, but we assume that the possum is getting in from the backside. He hasn't been much of a bother, if any at all, since we turned on the heating lamp for the winter.

L. Composting piles. R. Chicken area with wooden coop (prior to having chickens)

Recipe: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake

2012-01-16T22:47:00.000-06:00

This recipe from Tasty Kitchen is simple and rather healthy. I used nonfat Greek Yogurt rather than the sour cream and didn't notice any difference in texture or taste. I think I just might start substituting nonfat Greek Yogurt for any recipes that ask for sour cream because it's healthier (more protein, less fat, and contains probiotics). Livestrong reviews the difference between the two in an article.

I did a Weight Watcher's point calculation, and for five servings, it's 11 points, but it could easily be six or seven servings depending on hunger. I found that the brown rice really filled me up. I made a few minor modifications to the original recipe of Tasty Kitchen, which I also added in below.

Ingredients

2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (cooked, boiled)
4 cups Cooked Brown Rice
1 cup Frozen Corn
15 ounces, Can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed
1 cup Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
3 Jalapenos
½ cups Salsa
1 cup Low-fat Cheddar Cheese, Plus More For Topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F while boiling the chicken.
2. Cook brown rice according to directions. Add chopped jalapenos to the boiling water.
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, cooked chicken, corn, black beans, nonfat Greet Yogurt, salsa, and cheese. Stir and season with salt and pepper if desired.
4. Add to oven-safe dish and top with extra cheese if you choose to. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

Just Do It

2012-01-10T12:43:00.003-06:00

Yes, it's a well known Nike slogan: "Just Do It," but it's fitting in anything and everything we want to pursue. Well, at least for the procrastinator it is, even when all signs are pointing in that direction.

Sign #1
At the end of last semester I was walking out of Kick Butt Coffee in the Triangle, and I saw a woman wearing at Team 413 t-shirt. This peaked my interest because I grew up in area code 413, so eventually I Googled the slogan. Team 413 is a ministry based on Phillipians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The best way to describe the ministry is that it's a "running club" that speaks the truth of our Savior; through Him, all things are possible. Do you believe in coincidences? I sure don't.

Sign #2
My pastor is the best. I'm probably going to make him blush if he ever reads this, but he recently blogged about something that hit home to me, "How to Avoid a Massive Failure." I recently wrote about my failure to finish the Austin Half Marathon last year, and how it destroyed any and all ambition I had since I felt pretty prepared for it. In his blog, and I won't give it all away, he has five tips:
1. Know what you are getting into (I did, I ran a 10K after all.)
2. Listen to wise counsel (I really should have sought this a bit more.)
3. Start small and be OK with it (Wasn't a 10K small enough to start with?)
4. Don't carry a bunch of excess baggage (Hmmm...how about some emotional and physical baggage in my case?)
5. Know when to quit (But I think more importantly, know when to try again.)

As we all know, I'm back at square one, and I need to be okay with that. I will be okay with that, as soon as I stop making excuses and procrastinating. Tomorrow may never come.

Sign #3
My Joyce Meyer daily devotional today was John 14:23 (NIV): Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them." Joyce made some great remarks about this passage which I need to hold close to my heart:

This simply starts with being obedient to His Word. A commitment to turn from behavior that offends God is the number one sign of spiritual maturity. It shows you care about what He thinks.

That means you choose to be generous toward others, you learn to forgive, let go of your offenses and live in peace. When we choose to be intentional with our words, giving thanks to God and lifting up others, we'll feel connected to God all throughout the day.

Sign #4
A Facebook post about slaying my dragons before breakfast. I need to re-focus my attention to things that God will approve and wants for me. He wants me to be healthy and live a long fulfilling life, so what keeps getting in the way?

My Next Steps
1. I need to devote more time to my Bible and to prayer. With my new daily devotions sent to my inbox, this will help. I need to please Him rather than myself.
2. I need to exercise in the morning before work or school, no matter how tired I am. Once I'm out of bed, I can function pretty well.
3. I need to reach my target and read seven books (besides school books) this year. This is easily obtainable if I hit the gym with my Kindle.
4. I need to forgive and let go of those who have "trespassed" against me. As much as I hate to admit it, God will forgive them if they ask for it, so I should too. I'm beginning to think spiritual maturity is not going to be too easy. I need peace.

A Worrying Fool

2012-01-03T11:55:00.000-06:00

I'm a natural over-thinker and worrier. I worry about day-to-day items. I worry about the future. I worry about the past. I worry about the decisions I need to make and how those decisions will affect my life FOREVER. Over-thinking will ruin things. It will consume you and will make you miss out on what's happening in the present. I try not to over-think when it comes to being healthy, but I can't help but do so. Will my friends still accept me if I physically change? Will my personality change? Will I become more egotistical and more me-focused rather than others-focused? Over-thinking has always been my downfall, but I have yet to come up with a solution. Any thoughts from my readers?

Kisses from Katie

2012-01-02T15:41:00.000-06:00

I am completely amazed and humbled by this young woman. Katie decided to go into ministry after high school and follow God's plan for her life. She is now 22 and has her own non-profit for orphans in Jinja, Uganda; a country and city I fell in love with in 2009 when I was there. I would like my readers to take two things away from this:

1. If you allow God to use you the way He wants to, amazing things will happen for your life. We all have a calling, but do most of us utilize the skills that have been given to us? I know I haven't, and that's something to change in the New Year.

2. I understand that the United States has a number of orphans that need families too, but witnessing the poverty in Uganda and knowing that most of these orphans are due to HIV/AIDS, it's a humbling experience. Please consider sponsoring an orphan in Uganda through Amazima; they can feed a child three meals per day and educate him/her with only $300 per year: http://www.amazima.org/sponsor.html.

I hope everybody had an eventful and safe new year. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for you this year!

It's been awhile...

2011-12-28T10:08:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't posted since May, but I suppose you can say life happened.  I've taken seven classes for my doctorate degree and will be enrolled for another three this spring. The spring will be my last crazy busy semester.

I could make every excuse in the book for falling off the bandwagon this past 1-2 years in my weight loss journey. (Actually, upon editing this post, I find it funny that I call it a weight loss journey and not a lifestyle change becuase it really needs to be a lifestyle change; a change in how my mind works and functions as it relates to food and exercise.) I could blame it on school (started Fall 2010) and working full time, or my move to a house 14 miles farther from work (December 2009), or my failure in running a half marathon (February 2011), or my new-ish relationship (September 2010), or my volunteer work, or just the everyday preoccupation of my mind. The fact is, I will be asked hard questions in a couple of weeks by my new trainer and I don't know if I have any answers. My current trainer is moving his career forward and is becoming a firefighter. I wish him the best, of course, since it's a pretty sweet gig and great for his family.  I think, though, as a friend, he may have let me slide in accountability a little. A new trainer could (and will) be a good thing, but it also has to be the right trainer because Matt was the right trainer for me at the time I needed him. With his guidance next week, we will discuss who may take over that role. It's funny. I used to always pick up and leave when things were progressing to "comfortable," but I'm afraid of the accountability, something I should have been doing every single day. I suppose it's best to face it now rather than in my coffin.  I used to run from feelings and getting close to people, but now change (and a change of scenery) kind of scares me. Am I growing up? Or am I just not challenging myself enough?

My best friend would say that I'm settling, that I see life for me as "good enough" and it's my fear of taking chances, or perhaps that I'm not afraid of failing but I'm even more afraid of succeeding. I have to agree that my half marathon failure was probably the item that hit me hardest, and sometiems I feel that when I fail, I might as well fail the best way I know how - completely.  My best friend could possibly even call me a coward for not moving life forward; we can be brutal like that.

What I do know is that I'm going to miss my brother (my current trainer). I am determined that the two and half years that we spent together was not for nothing; in other words, it was for something. Matt (my current trainer) probably knows more about me and what I have been through than anybody else, and he's completely right when he says that I think too much and that's the interference that has caused a reversal in my weight loss progression. He and I discussed a few months ago the idea of switching trainers to get out of my stalemate because he wanted me to keep progressing. Now, through fate alone, I have that chance and I'm going to take it. Perfect timing for a new year's resolution, eh?

Daylight Savings Time

2011-05-11T09:47:00.002-05:00

For a literal person like myself, there is a difference between CST and CDT, especially since I work and know people who live in states that do not acknowledge daylight savings. During the summer, when you're setting up a meeting with me, use the appropriate initials: PDT (Pacific Daylight Savings Time), MDT (Mountain Daylight Savings Time), CDT (Central Daylight Savings Time), and EDT (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). During the winter, we're back to standard time which would be PST, MST, CST, and EST respectively. It's amazing how many people don't get this simple difference, but it is an hour and some states (like Arizona) stay on standard time all year. That's my rant for the day.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8

From the iPod: Burn it to the Ground by Nickelback

2011-05-09T22:57:00.000-05:00

Just another favorite song to workout to - either running or weight lifting!

Recipe: Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken

2011-05-08T21:34:00.001-05:00

This recipe is from the American Heart Association (originally in their 4th edition low-fat, low-cholesterol cookbook). I received it at a conference where they were a vendor.

Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp dried basil, crumbled
- 1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
- 1 14.5 oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 9 oz package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (I used canned artichoke hearts)
- 1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

Directions
1. Discard all visible fat from the chicken. Sprinkle both sides with the basil and oregano. Put the chicken in a 3.5-4 quart slow cooker.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours.

Nutrition (per serving, serves 8)
- Calories: 162
- Total Fat: 2.5 g
   Saturated: 0.5 g
   Trans: 0.0 g
   Poly: 0.5 g
   Mono: 1.0 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
- Sodium: 334 mg
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
   Fiber: 4 g
   Sugar: 2 g
- Protein: 28 g

Dietary Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 3 Very Lean Meat

Avoid Boredom Eating

2011-05-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

How can you avoid boredom eating? Here are a few thoughts and ideas that may be able to help.

1. What do you like to do? For me, I missed reading books, so if I pick up a book to read, I will not eat out of boredom. Maybe someday I'll get an iPad, Kindle, or Nook. The Kindle that has free 3G looks rather impressive (hint hint to those who love me)!!! I'm blogging again too!
2. Tackle that "to do" list. Not only does it make you feel accomplished, but things actually get done!
3. Get out of the house! Try something new or go somewhere you have never been to.

Any other ideas?

From the iPod: Right Round by Flo Rida

2011-05-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite running songs for the trails down at Town Lake (aka Lady Bird Lake)! What are your favorite workout songs?

Recipe: Balsamic Chicken Pasta

2011-05-01T08:51:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure where I first got this recipe, but I've made it my own over the years and get rave reviews whenever I make it. I love having this recipe during the summer with vegetables from the garden.

Ingredients
- Balsamic vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Chicken
- Fresh vegetables (typically I use garlic, broccoli, yellow squash, zucchini, and green onions)
- Basil and/or oregano
- Pasta (I recommend Great Value Whole Wheat Pasta because it only has one ingredient - durum whole wheat flour. I find mine at Walmart.)
- Feta cheese
- Fresh tomatoes (cherry tomatoes cut in half work great!)

Steps
1. Cook chicken and garlic in a little bit of olive oil on stove.
2. At the same time that the chicken is cooking, cut fresh vegetables (broccoli, yellow squash, and zucchini), and add to cooked chicken and garlic (or if you choose to remove the chicken, just add to pan). Also, have the pasta cooking at the same time.
3. When vegetables, chicken, and pasta are cooked, combine and toss in balsamic vinegar (if you choose to, you can add a little more olive oil at this time). Add basil/oregano, green onions, fresh chopped tomatoes, and a bit of feta cheese.
4. Eat cold or warm. Typically I eat it warm on the first day and cold on the others.

Sunday Football! The NFL Draft...

2011-05-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

I am a HUGE football fan, and even though I live in Texas, I mainly follow the NFL rather than college (but I do cheer for my Spartans and Longhorns!). Since I grew up in New England, I am a die-hard Patriots fan. I also cheer for the Giants because I had the opportunity to be on the field with them one summer while they practiced at the school I went to, but I follow, live, and breathe the Patriots, so of course I was watching the draft closely, praying that they select a quarterback that could be molded for when Tom Brady retires. Let's face facts, Brady's getting older and he's been suffering from more injuries. He still impresses me, though. Ryan Mallett is a great choice for the Patriots, and I hope Brady molds Mallett sort of like how Bledsoe mentored Brady. Although in this case, Brady's not going anywhere unlike Bledsoe at the time. Other areas of need were definitely offensive linemen and running backs, in which we scored two of each. Here's to hoping each follows through on all the hype!

(Is it weird that I'm such a Tom Brady fan, but I cheer for the Spartans? And don't get me started on when the Patriots played the Giants in the SuperBowl!)

A Little Bit About Me

2011-04-30T22:07:00.000-05:00

Let me introduce myself to my new readers. I am a 31 year old epidemiologist (and student) who lives and works in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area in Texas. I moved here in 2006 after briefly living in Michigan. The joke in my family is that I'm slowly moving west; perhaps Hawaii is next?

I work full time and am a full time doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of Texas School of Public Health. I will be taking four classes this summer, two of which I'm sure I'll be posting about because the topics are extremely interesting (occupational epidemiology and pharmaceutical industry). I don't feel at liberty to discuss where I work; as a disclosure, this blog is about my personal journey and my beliefs, interests, and views. I hope that the knowledge that I share with you will encourage you in your life, and maybe I will challenge your thought process as well. Feel free to encourage me and challenge me too.

I am a cat owner and a chicken co-owner. As an urban chicken owner, I feel the need to discuss and teach others about chickens as I learn. I am also learning about home ownership; I've been in my house for just over a year now. And yes, being organic is important to me; I suppose a bit of Austin has rubbed off on me.

The main reason for this blog is about my weight loss efforts - my successes and my failures. Currently, my failures have been vast in comparison to my success; I'm back at square one in this journey. The key, though, is that I haven't given up. Nobody should ever give up.

Imperfections...

2011-04-28T18:43:00.000-05:00

It's the imperfections that make us who we are. Why is it that I can accept and even love other peoples' imperfections much easier than my own? It's my imperfection, or flaw, of wanting to be perfect that has led to my "destruction" in the past. Will this time be any different? Why can't I convince myself that I will never truly be perfect and that's just simply okay?

The Optimal Workout

2011-04-27T17:11:00.002-05:00

YahooSports had an interesting article posted today (Warm Up With Cardio, Then Go To Weights. Right? Wrong.) on what the optimal workout is. Go figure, my trainer is right (shhhh...don't tell him). You do a 10 minute warm-up, and 30 minutes of weight lifting followed by 30 minutes of cardio. When I was at my best, I was doing 30 minutes of warm-up followed by 60 minutes of weight lifting and 45 minutes of cardio. I just wish I had the time these days to do that again! Working full time and going to school full time has eaten up a lot of that! Give up sleep? Perhaps that is what I need to do. Any thoughts any juggling workouts, school, and work?

Oh yeah, the article does mention that if time is restrictive, go for the weights, but at my size, I definitely need to get that cardio in!

Song of the Week: Javier - Lovin' U

2011-04-26T23:23:00.002-05:00

We've all been there before. Other people have wanted to love me, but never knew how to. This reminds me of how lucky I am right now.

Just as an FYI - Javier is a contestant on The Voice, which I kind of got roped into tonight as I was writing up a final exam.

Ready to blog again!

2011-04-20T22:23:00.001-05:00

I miss blogging! And more importantly, I did SO much better in my life journey when I did blog. I am officially back! I am going to start blogging in the next couple of weeks due to finals, but I will ramp it up as quickly as possible. As a guideline, I'm leaning towards to posting on specific topics on certain days of the week, but this will not be set in stone.

Monday - Song of the week and/or "need to know"
Tuesday - Food and/or environment
Wednesday - Typical weigh-in day at Weight Watchers
Thursday - Physical fitness and/or the body
Friday - Data day
Saturday - Past, present, and future
Sunday - Recipe of the week

I have a few housekeeping notes before I start blogging again.
1. Please feel free to sign up to get e-mails of my journal entries! And don't hesitate to follow me on Twitter too!
2. If you are a fellow blogger and would like to be added to my blog roll, please let me know, and I will take it under consideration.
3. Lastly, I am 95% sure that I will never been adding advertisements to my blog. If I do so, there will be strict requirements of what I will allow to be added. Advertisements, in my opinion, take away from the blog and what I want to convey to my readers.

I'm excited to be back, and I look forward to getting to know you!!!!

Conference Inspiration

2010-06-17T07:54:00.001-05:00

Two days ago, the keynote speaker of the conference I'm attending said something very inspiring - "The healthy choice should be the default choice." This got me thinking. Not only should businesses be only serving 90% healthy options, in my opinion, since temptations are too hard sometimes, but this should be everyone's mindset no matter what options are in front of them. From food, to physical activity, to the products that are bought, to where you live... The healthy option will be the only option for me.

The Challenge

2010-06-10T18:36:00.001-05:00

I know many of you probably no longer read my blog, and I completely understand why...the new technology that's out there - Twitter, Facebook, and the thousand other applications that are out there. Personallly, this blog would be completely abandoned right now if my phone didn't have an application for it. Hopefully some of my old readers will return and I'll gain some new ones during my 8 month challenge. On February 20, 2011, I will be running my first half marathon. If the Biggest Loser contestants can run a marathon in ~4 months, I can easily achieve this goal. granted that's all they train for, but I think I'm giving myself plenty of time. I've even committed to the Austin Half Marathon, as of June 8th!!!

What do you want to do in 8 months?

Ready, Set, Go...

2010-05-21T19:39:00.001-05:00

Ready for a change.

Set for a change.

Going to change.

It all begins June 1st. Be prepared. I have a challenge for all.

I'm my worst enemy...

2009-09-20T16:27:00.003-05:00

I'm my worst enemy. I'm self-defeating. I set myself up for failure. But I blame everyone else for my failure. I make any excuse I can to do/not do x, y, and z. I want things now, not later. If I don't get it now, I'm not patient enough to wait. I wear my heart of my sleeve. I get crushed emotionally and mentally all the time. I secretly despise beautiful people. Okay, maybe it's not so secret anymore. I can't take compliments because I feel I can always be better and do better. I will never be completely satisfied with myself. There are very few things I want out of life, and I'm afraid a few of them will never happen the older I get. I wish more people could look past my faults. Just maybe I don't deserve to be loved because I constantly disappoint them. I hate routine. But maybe that's what I need most. I'm not looking for pity...I'm just beating myself up right now. I wish I could re-live most of my life; I'd do a thousand things differently. I guess I shouldn't live in the past.

2009 Trans-Amazon Expedition

2009-09-17T19:54:00.003-05:00

In September, expedition leader Joseph Hochman from Austin, Texas and his expedition partner, Timothy Hawkins, will embark across the South American continent on an ambitious descent of the Amazon River in a canoe. The trip will span three months and 2,500 miles through breathtaking rainforest ecosystems from Yurimaguas, Peru to the river's terminus in Belem, Brazil.

The expedition has a higher purpose than mere adventure travel. The team is collaborating with Rainforest Partnership, an Austin-based nonprofit dedicated to the cause of equatorial deforestation. Rainforest Partnership has an innovative approach in that it links deforestation's global impact on climate change to people who can help in local indigenous communities. The journey provides a personal account of a vibrant ecosystem facing these living, ongoing issues of human-environmental interactions.

Tim is a good friend of mine, and I am excited about this wonderful opportunity that he has. Joseph and Tim are tracking their trip through TripTracker.net, and also maintain a group on Facebook. Please join them on their journey through the Amazon!

Universal Health Care Coverage

2009-06-28T19:27:00.003-05:00

Now through the end of July, you will have the ability to vote on whether or not the United States should implement a bill that allows every American to have health care coverage. This has been a very hot topic, and each week I will highlight something for you to consider. So vote now if you want to, or wait until the last moment; it's all up to you!

Africa: The Uganda Flag

2009-05-31T18:00:00.003-05:00

The black stripes symbolize the African people. The yellow symbolizes the sun and the red stands for brotherhood and fraternity. The crested crane is a national symbol of Uganda - which was first used during British colonial times. Black, yellow and red were also the colors of the Uganda People's Congress party, who came to power in elections in April 1962.

Health Alert! Excessive Cola Consumption

2009-05-28T17:37:00.001-05:00

Excessive Cola Consumption Can Lead To Super-sized Muscle Problems, Warn Doctors

ScienceDaily (2009-05-20) -- Doctors have issued a warning about excessive cola consumption after noticing an increase in the number of patients suffering from muscle problems. Evidence is increasing to suggest that excessive cola consumption can lead to hypokalaemia, in which blood potassium levels fall, adversely affecting vital muscle functions. Symptoms can range from mild weakness to profound paralysis. Worldwide consumption of soft drinks was 83 litres per person per year in 2007 and is expected to rise to 95 litres in 2012. But it has already hit 212 litres in the USA. ... > read full article

Africa - Support Raising

2009-05-26T18:40:00.002-05:00

I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!! Say what?!?!?! I'M GOING TO AFRICA!!!

I have an exciting opportunity this summer! From August 9th - 19th, I have the privilege of traveling to Jinja, Uganda with a team from my church, Austin Christian Fellowship (ACF) to join God in His work there. We will be caring for orphans at a babies’ home in a village called Bukaleba, visiting impoverished communities, serving students in schools, and building relationships with individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Simply, we are going to Uganda as servants and learners.

This experience will also allow me to decide if humanitarian work is what I want to do with my life and to what extent. I have been toying with the idea of joining the Peace Corps since college, and more recently I have been contemplating working with Doctors Without Borders or Mercy Ships. I have this huge heart to serve and go places where others do not want to go to help. Did you know that the life expectancy at birth in Uganda is 49 years for men and 51 years for women? Twenty-five percent of all deaths in Uganda are due to HIV/AIDS. I want to inspire, encourage, enlighten, touch, and help those living in Uganda. This will be my first missions trip out of the United States. I have helped locally with lunch and church programs for the homeless under the I-35 bridge and have gone on trips to Galveston , TX to help rebuild after Hurricane Ike. All have been amazing experiences and I cannot wait to go to Uganda.

The purpose of this post is to ask you to be a part of my support team. I am also asking you to pray about being an extension of my team by supporting me financially. The cost of the trip will be $2,700 and this will cover airfare, room and board, insurance, and ground transportation.

Even if you choose not to donate financially, please let me know if you would like to join my prayer team. If you choose to provide financial support, you can do so online, please go to ACF's online giving page.

1. If you do not attend ACF, then click on the "Give Now, Non-Attenders" button. It will ask that you register as a non-member of ACF by giving some personal information. Complete the information, type in the alpha numeric password on the screen, and you are in. Once in, you can immediately give by choosing the "Africa Mission Trip" under the heading "Give To," choose the amount, and write "Michelle-Africa" in the "Optional Memo" line. To give an additional time, it will ask that you change your password, so that you can return to the site again using the ACS non-member login.

2. If you attend ACF, then use the "Give Now, Registered Attenders" button. If you are not yet registered, please fill out the "Get Plugged In email" and instructions will be sent to you within 48 hours. Once registered, log on using the Access ACS member login. Once in, you can immediately give by choosing the "Africa Mission Trip" under the heading "Give To," choose the amount, and write "Michelle-Africa" in the "Optional Memo" line.

Donations can be tax-deductible. It is requested that contributions be received by June 9, 2009.

I will be continually blogging about my adventures before, during, and after my trip to Uganda. Thank you so much for the support!

Indecision wastes time

2009-05-24T19:45:00.003-05:00

I won't lie; I'm indecisive at times, but I was thinking about it quite a bit lately and it just wastes time. I'm going to make decisions and stick to it. I value my time. It's the one thing I ask people to respect. I work 40 hours at a minimum per week (if I'm traveling, more). I'm at the gym 2-3 hours per day. Commuting takes 1-2 hours per day; daily hygiene is about two hours per day. And I like to sleep at least six hours per night. I don't have a lot of extra time to waste in a given day.

Am I really happy?

2009-05-23T20:23:00.003-05:00

I thought I had it all the past few months. I had a reliable relationship with a fantastic guy who lived 900ish miles from me. People in high places have been acknowledging my work. I have great friends and an active life - volunteering and being outdoorsy. Who really would want anything more? Why would I need to lose more weight when I was comfortable in my own skin?

Then, I did what I always did. I relied on other people for my happiness. I volunteer because I like to see people's joy in what I do...it makes me happy. My boyfriend DID make me happy, but then things took a turn for the worse, and that's when I felt my life was crumbling - I relied too much on him. I dived into my work further, just to get pleasure from people's compliments. I put too much of my happiness based on other people and not on myself. While I still exuded confidence superficially, deep down I was not confident in anything about me.

The more I worked out the past couple of weeks, the more I have felt confident in myself. I've taken a few day trips in the area by myself and have been finding comfort in my own skin. I still realize I don't know how to balance my love and happiness to help others with keeping my confidence in myself. Will I always go through these crazy cycles time and time again?

At the end of the day, I am with myself. I can only rely on myself. I need to stop focusing my attention on others and occasionally I can be stingy and demand others to focus their attention on me as well. I don't always have to be the giver.

Wednesday Weigh-In: 02/12/09

2009-02-12T18:38:00.003-06:00

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (2/12/09): 284.50
Weight Loss To Date: 81.50 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 22.3%

Measurement Statistics
Starting Total Inches (10/26/06): 258.25
Total Inches Started with Matt (5/14/07): 247.50
Current Total Inches (2/12/09): 219.5
Total Inches Lost To Date: 38.75 in

1 Corinthians 13:13

2009-02-08T16:24:00.002-06:00

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

*Life Application Note: In morally corrupt Corinth, love had become a mixed-up term with little meaning. Today people are still confused about love. Love is the greatest of all human qualities, and it is an attribute of God himself (1 John 4:8). Love involves unselfish service to others; to show it gives evidence that you care. Faith is the foundation and content of God's message; hope is the attitude and focus; love is the action. When faith and hope are in line, you are free to love completely because you understand how God loves.*

Without faith, I don't have hope. Without faith and hope, I cannot love. I cannot love myself or others. That's the thing I struggle with most - loving myself and forgiving myself.

Exercise Talk: Training For My 10K

2009-02-08T16:16:00.002-06:00

Week 5 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training
Tuesday: strength
Wednesday: 45 min cross training; 2 mile run
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 2 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 90 minute cross training
Sunday: 3.0 mile run

Week 4 Accomplishments:
Monday: 105 min cross training (elliptical)
Tuesday: strength
Wednesday: 2.0 mi run (26:00 min); 30 min elliptical; 10 min track walk
Thursday: strength
Friday: 60 min cross training (walk/run only ran about 0.75 miles)
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 3.0 mile run (outdoors)

How am I feeling going into Week 6? One word: Tired. My trainer recommend certain vitamins to take to help with muscle soreness, so I'm going to give them a shot. I am superly encouraged to be enjoying the outdoor running with friends, even though we split up to be at our own paces. They always wait at the end for me, which is super sweet! (Thanks Ladies!) Now I just gotta get that nutrition back on track.

Week 6 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training
Tuesday: strength and 2.5 mile run
Wednesday: 60 min cross training
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 2 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 3.5 mile run

Exercise Talk: Training For My 10K

2009-02-03T21:27:00.003-06:00

Week 4 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training
Tuesday: strength, 60 min cross training, 1.5 mi run
Wednesday: 90 min cross training
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 1.5 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 2.5 mile run

Week 4 Accomplishments:
Monday: 90 min cross training (elliptical)
Tuesday: strength
Wednesday: 1.5 mi run (19:30 min); 32 min elliptical; 10 min track walk; 20 min outdoor walk
Thursday: strength
Friday: 60 min cross training (elliptical); 1.5 mi run (19:10 min); 20 min walk
Saturday: 1.5 hour hike
Sunday: 2.5 mile run (outdoors)

How am I feeling going into Week 5? One word: FANTASTIC! My knees hurt a little bit, and I'm not sure how the new shoes are working out. I'm not sure if I'm getting shin splints because of the new shoes or if because I'm running the longer distances in my old worn out shoes. We'll see how all that works out, but I'm kind of pumped for this coming week! Especially since I'll be at 5K mileage this weekend!

Week 5 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training
Tuesday: strength
Wednesday: 45 min cross training; 2 mile run
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 2 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 90 minute cross training
Sunday: 3.0 mile run

Exercise Talk: Training For My 10K

2009-01-26T19:47:00.003-06:00

Week 3 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 1.5 mi run (outdoors)
Tuesday: strength and 90 min cross training
Wednesday: 1 mile run and 60 min cross training
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 1 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 2.0 mile run

Week 3 Accomplishments:
Monday: stretch and 1.5 mi run (outdoors)
Tuesday: strength and 60 min cross training (elliptical)
Wednesday: 60 minute cross training (treadmill, 1.0 mi run - intervals)
Thursday: strength
Friday: rest
Saturday: stretch and 60 minutes treadmill (inc. 1.0 mile run)
Sunday: 2.1 mile run and 60 minutes cross training (elliptical)

How am I feeling going into Week 4? One word: ALLERGIES! It was the attack of the allergies with our cedar pollen count getting near 40,000 for two days in a row. I had sinus blockage which lead to my ears popping all the time, which left me dizzy! Finally got to the doctor on Friday and am on some steroids, which have been working! The steroids that I'm on also help reduce inflammation, I think that's been helping me in the long run! Onto Week 4...

Week 4 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training
Tuesday: strength, 60 min cross training, 1.5 mi run
Wednesday: 90 min cross training
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 1.5 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 2.5 mile run

Others have faith...

2009-01-25T19:25:00.005-06:00

...and I lost mine along the way. There are a few people at the gym that genuinely motivate me. My one friend, Len, has the best timing ever. One time, while running stairs for my trainer, he helped me finish them out, made me keep up with him. Pushed me to my limits. Today, when I was running two miles, he showed up by my side at 1.6 miles in. I was struggling to get through; my knees were starting to hurt, but I was trying so hard not to lose focus on the goal. The remaining 0.4 miles, I didn't even know I did because we were chatting and catching up.

Why do I keep losing focus on my goals? I really need to just suck it up and do it. Stick to my rules and stop screwing up. It's just nice to have friends to help out along the way.

Exercise Talk: Training for My 10K

2009-01-19T18:26:00.006-06:00

Week 2 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 60 min cross training
Tuesday: strength and 0.75 mile run
Wednesday: 90 minute cross training
Thursday: 1 mile run / strength
Friday: rest
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 1.5 mile run

Week 2 Accomplishments:
Monday: stretch and 90 min cross training (Town Lake walk)
Tuesday: strength and 60 min cross training (elliptical)
Wednesday: 60 minute cross training (treadmill, 0.75 mi run)
Thursday: 1 mile run / strength
Friday: 40 min cross training (walk)
Saturday: Galveston - hard labor
Sunday: rest

How am I feeling going into Week 3? I'm pretty excited for the challenge. I'm not feeling the greatest due to my allergies, and I fell up the stairs yesterday so my shin is severely bruised, but I think I can do it! Starting Feb 1st, I'm going to have some running buddies who are training for a triathlon, so it'll be a nice change. Onto Week 3...

Week 3 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 1.5 mi run (outdoors)
Tuesday: strength and 90 min cross training
Wednesday: 1 mile run and 60 min cross training
Thursday: strength and 60 min cross training
Friday: 1 mile run and 60 min cross training
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 2.0 mile run

Notes from my journal this weekend

2009-01-18T18:50:00.006-06:00

Hurricane damage in Galveston, TX four months after Hurricane Ike hit. Yes, that is a boat crushing a truck in a store's parking lot. Within 0.5 miles on this road, there were four boats in different parking lots and many had been tagged either by angry residents or gangs.

September 13, 2008
My sister and I packed our bags and left Kauai for Oahu. In the back of my mind I knew Texas' coast was going to be battered by Hurricane Ike, but I didn't know how bad it would be. Galveston - demolished. Only one house standing for miles.

November 7, 2008
John and I drove to New Orleans for a mini-vacation since neither of us had gone before. On our drive out there, we still saw overturned boats in the bayou and houses falling halfway in three years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. New Orleans painted a different picture. The B&B we stayed at was in a dying neighborhood. Businesses vanished; the homeless and unwanted (there is a difference) were on the streets. I was haunted by the newspaper images of doors with orange spray painted numbers indicated the number of dead in the home. Homes where all walks of life had lived. A city that is still recovering.

December 13, 2008
John and I split. He told me that in the long run he would hold me back from my dreams, and in the end I would hate him for it. John believed it was in my best interest; I believe it was in his, so I wouldn't tie him down.

The loneliness has been unbearable at times. I gave him everything I had - emotionally, mentally, and physically. In my mind the two of us were no longer individuals, but rather a couple. In the end, he still rejected me. I wasn't good enough. I began to question who I am and what I am about. Who am I? What causes do I believe in? Do I truly believe in God? Why is it so hard for me to let go? Can two people form one union but still be unique in their identities? Why have I lost hope in the human race? Are people really that materialistic and conceited? Do I expect too much? Do I live too little? Will I ever be content and happy? Will I ever stop fearing? Why can't I just stop thinking and start doing? What keeps me from going all in?

My soul is unsettled, and I need to find peace with the decisions I have made this past year. From this day forward it is my quest to find myself in the rubble.

January 16, 2009
I drove with two strangers for five hours to Galveston. Excitement. Nerves. Anxiety. Ninety-five people from Austin, Dallas, Houston, and Mississippi united and got their hands dirty together. I am amazed at how generous and helpful people are in a time of need even when they are in need. Survivors of Hurricane Katrina, people who still need help rebuilding, have helped us rebuild from Hurricane Ike. It comforts me knowing that there are strangers who can give unconditionally and without expectation. While the number of selfish people in this world still outnumber the generous, my faith is slightly restored in humanity.

January 17, 2009
Jenny, her mom, and I got up early to walk on the beach and see how bad the damage is from the hurricane still. The one thing that affected me the most was the door frame that stood where a mobile home once did. While we took the opportunity for a photo op, it felt creepy to do so. Somebody's life was destroyed because of the hurricane.

We went back to the church for breakfast and prayer followed by going to our assigned houses. Before we left, this man in overalls and long hair drove up on a scooter, handed a Valentine's bear to Jenny and a school bear to Aletha, grinned, and left without saying a word. We ended up calling the episode "the teddy bear drive by." Later in the evening, a lady who has been serving with Mobile Loaves and Fishes said a guy looking exactly like our teddy bear driver went up to their trailer as they were handing out drinks and food, told them he didn't want anything (by answering all their questions with one word) and threw five dollars at them. This mystery man will always make us wonder what his intent and purpose was, but he put a smile on our faces with his random act of teddy bear kindness. He will be in my prayers.

When we got on-site, we were debriefed about the two houses. Both owners were disabled; one rented the house to her sister who nearly destroyed the place. The lady's mom was never supportive and she only made $200 per week while living in California, yet she is putting her niece through college. I was happy to see the owners contribute to the cleanup. In the morning, a neighbor offered drinks out of the generosity of her heart.

The lady across the street came by with a walking cane. She had stayed with her son for a few months and had to gut her downstairs. She was still recovering from the storm and was glad that we were helping her neighbors so that their living conditions could improve and they could move back.

The three of us from Austin Christian Fellowship (ACF) worked with a team of 18 from Long Beach, Mississippi. ACF has a long relationship with that community in Mississippi as we helped them rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. I have never worked with a greater group of people. And the kids who were working with us were so well-mannered, open, and generous. I hope someday that my kids are exactly like that.

January 18, 2009
Somehow hope still exists in this Galveston community. I think people bring hope to the city; we brought hope. The hope is not just that someday their city will be back to normal, but also that people care. Hurricanes destroy; people rebuild. I could never be able to, yet I keep destroying my life to constantly have to rebuild. I have the hope that I can rebuild my crushed heart and soul. This trip was the first step.

Admist the rubble, just a door stands from a mobile home.

Wednesday Weigh-in: 1/14/09

2009-01-14T19:28:00.003-06:00

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (1/14/09): 283.20
Weight Loss To Date: 82.80 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 22.6%

The FANTASTIC
I lost 2.6 lbs this week!
Farmer Market Wednesdays - Now that I changed my training schedule to mornings, I can make a much more convenient Farmer's Market! :)

The Good
I don't think it was exercise-induced asthma. :)
My body is sore from working out so much.

The Bad
My body is sore from working out so much.
Lactose-intolerance is definitely getting to me!
The New Year Resolutioners are bothering me at the gym. I wish them luck, but it is interfering with my training schedule!
::sigh:: I'm really missing the guy I was dating.

The Ugly
I've been having dizzy spells the past few days. I'll need to keep an eye on that.
I've been living minimally this week, including the grocery shopping!

Exercise Talk: Training For My 10K

2009-01-11T19:11:00.004-06:00

Week 1 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: strength and stretch
Tuesday: 0.5 mile run
Wednesday: 60 minute cross training
Thursday: 0.75 mile run / strength
Friday: rest
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 1 mile run

Week 1 Accomplishments:
Monday: stretch and 60 min cross training (elliptical)
Tuesday: strength, 60 min cross training (cycle), 0.5 mile run
Wednesday: 45 min cross training (elliptical), 30 min walking
Thursday: strength and 15 min walking
Friday: rest
Saturday: 30 min cross training (treadmill, inc 0.75 mile run), 60 min cross training (elliptical)
Sunday: 60 min cross training (treadmill, inc 1 mile run)

How am I feeling going into Week 2? Well, after a pretty good Week 1, I'm ready for the challenge. I am nervous about the longer upcoming runs, but I have to remind myself one day at a time. I will not do back-to-back runs again, my legs are really sore tonight. Other than that, I think things went pretty well. Onto Week 2...

Week 2 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: stretch and 60 min cross training
Tuesday: strength and 0.75 mile run
Wednesday: 90 minute cross training
Thursday: 1 mile run / strength
Friday: rest
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 1.5 mile run

Going Green: Say What?!?!?!

2009-01-10T11:22:00.004-06:00

I had always heard that electronics draw electricity even if they're not on, but I never realized how much that possibly could be until I stumbled across a website called Standby Power by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Since I'm trying to save to buy a house this year, starting next month, I'm unplugging to see what a difference this could make in my electricity bill. I'll let you know! Anybody up to the challenge as well?

Treating AIDS Is Not A Crime

2009-01-08T21:21:00.004-06:00

Iran, Free Doctors Arash & Kamiar Alaei
(an exert from the website)

"Doctor Arash Alaei and Doctor Kamiar Alaei are two Iranian physicians who have reportedly been detained in Iran by Iranian authorities. The physicians, who are brothers, were apparently arrested at the end of June, 2008 and their current whereabouts are unknown. Physicians for Human Rights calls on the government of Iran to disclose their whereabouts, provide them access to lawyers and family, and either to charge them with an internationally recognized crime or release them immediately.

Doctor Arash Alaei and Doctor Kamiar Alaei have played a role in putting the issues of drug use and HIV/AIDS on Iran’s national health care agenda. They have worked closely with government and religious leaders to ensure support for education campaigns on HIV transmission, including those targeting youth, and for HIV and harm reduction programs in prisons.

Since completing their medical training, the brothers have worked in AIDS research in Iran, and along with other clinicians and advocates, helped make the country a leader in prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS. They played a part in the creation of Iran’s HIV/AIDS prison program, one of the best in the region if not the world. The program passes out condoms and syringes in the prisons, one of only a handful of countries globally doing so. The doctors have also shared their knowledge with neighboring countries by holding training workshops for Afghan and Tajik health professionals.

Family, friends, and colleagues from around the world are deeply concerned for the brothers’ well-being. It is urged that you to take action today to ensure their human rights are protected and they are reconnected with their family."

On December 31, 2008, the brothers were tried in a one-day secret army trial. The brothers have been charged with attempt to overthrow the Iranian government and a number of secret charges that the governement would not share with doctors' attorney. A verdict is expected on Saturday.

Wednesday Weigh-In: 01/07/09

2009-01-07T18:27:00.002-06:00

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (1/7/09): 285.80
Weight Loss To Date: 80.20 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 21.9%

The FANTASTIC
I lost 6.6 lbs this week!
I'm back into my exercise program.

The Good
I'm not stressing about work.
I'm starting to figure out what I'm all about again.
I'll be helping rebuild Galveston next weekend after Hurricane Ike!

The Bad
I'm still sick.
My cholesterol is still a littler bit higher than it should be, but not in a danger zone or anything.

The Ugly
I am praying that I do not have exercise-induced asthma. I'm hoping it's just my lungs learning how to breath better when I exercise at a higher intensity for a longer duration.

My Fatal Flaw

2009-01-06T21:33:00.004-06:00

I have a fatal flaw that makes me self destruct. It's a mental thing, and I think it re-occurred this past year. Would you like to know what my fatal flaw is? The one that I will have to continue to battle day after day?

My fatal flaw is the fear of failure. I quit before I can fail.

Why? It's easier, but it's not always better. I am not going to quit this fight.

Ben Harper - Fight Outta You

Exercise Talk: Training For My 10K

2009-01-04T20:55:00.006-06:00

Last year, I said to another person who trains with my trainer, "We're going to run the Capitol 10K with a chip time next year!" Well, I'm not sure if she's going to, but I'm training for it - starting tomorrow.

I'm lucky in the respect that I'm friends with so many trainers at my gym, and they all have different areas of expertise. Kellen runs. Kellen runs marathons at really fast paces. I think Kellen even does triathlons. He knows how to train people in this area or at least make recommendations. Kellen actually recommended that I join a running group, but I'm trying to save cash so I took his (and Matt's) other advice and looked on the web for a training program. I found a few, but only one really seemed probable for me: Hal Higdon's Novice 10-K Training. It's an eight week program, but I have decided to take it back an additional four weeks, using the same kind of method.

Week 1 Goals (Minimum):
Monday: strength and stretch
Tuesday: 0.5 mile run
Wednesday: 60 minute cross training
Thursday: 0.75 mile run / strength
Friday: rest
Saturday: 60 minute cross training
Sunday: 1 mile run

I might have a rocky start because I'm just starting to feel better from this nasty cold I've had since New Year's, but I'm going to give it a shot!

Going Green: Pack Your Lunch!

2009-01-03T11:52:00.004-06:00

Not only is it healthy for you, it's healthy for the environment too! Here's a few pointers to having a "Green" lunch! (From: The Daily Green)

1. Pack your lunch in a reusable lunch bag or box
2. If you bring your lunch in a paper or plastic bag, reuse or recycle them
3. Use plastic containers and silverware that can be washed and used again
4. Switch to organic food and drinks
5. Drink from the fountain or a water filtration system instead of bringing water bottles
6. Recycle your soda cans, bottles and aluminum foil
7. Use a washable napkin instead of paper towels
8. Walk to a lunch eatery if you forgot to pack it

I admit it, I'm a culprit to the third one (using plastic ware and throwing it away) and the seventh one. What can you improve on?

Quiz Friday

2009-01-02T11:35:00.000-06:00

You Act Like You Are 23 Years Old

You are a twenty-something at heart. You feel like an adult, and you're optimistic about life. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences.

You're still figuring out your place in the world and how you want your life to shape up. The world is full of possibilities, and you can't wait to explore many of them.

What Age Do You Act?

Music That Moves The Soul

2009-01-01T14:10:00.005-06:00

I listen to a lot of music, especially when I work out. some songs in my workout playlist are not fast, upbeat, break-a-sweat kind of songs most would listen to, but I still listen to them during my workouts because they somehow inspire me. The song below is one of them, and has helped me tremendously during my "breakup" a few weeks ago. (There isn't an official video that the artist has compiled, but I did find this tribute on YouTube from DentProductions.)

The song itself is very soothing, but the following chorus is what gets me every time: "Hold your own, And know your name, And go your own way." I am only given one name in this life and I have to stay true to myself - my values, my beliefs, and my opinions. When somebody brings up my name in a conversation, what and how do they think of me as a person? How do I want to perceived by myself and others? I don't want to be thought of as the "girlfriend of so-and-so;" I am uniquely me. I need to go my "own way" and re-establish who I am individually.

Jason Mraz - Details In The Fabric lyrics

(Feat. James Morrison)

Calm down
Deep breaths
And get yourself dressed instead
Of running around
And pulling all your threads saying
Breaking yourself up

If it's a broken part, replace it
If it's a broken arm then brace it
If it's a broken heart then face it

And hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your own name
And go your own way

And everything will be fine
Everything will be fine
Mmmhmm

Hang on
Help is on the way
Stay strong
I'm doing everything

Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way
Hold your own
Know your name
And go your own way

And everything, everything will be fine
Everything

Are the details in the fabric
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling?

Are the things that make you blow
Hell, no reason, go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault
Of faulty manufacturing.

Yeah everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Everything

Hold your own
And know your name
And go your own way

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic
Are your thoughts results of static cling? (Go your own way)

Are the details in the fabric (Hold your own, know your name)
Are the things that make you panic (Go your own way)
Is it Mother Nature's sewing machine?

Are the things that make you blow (Hold your own, know your name)
Hell no reason go on and scream
If you're shocked it's just the fault (Go your own way)
Of faulty manufacturing

Everything will be fine
Everything in no time at all
Hearts will hold

Lyrics Jason Mraz lyrics - Details In The Fabric lyrics

New Year, New Beginnings

2009-01-01T13:40:00.002-06:00

Here's my "Wednesday Weigh-In" but on New Year's. It's a new year; it's a new commitment to weight loss.

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (1/1/09): 292.40
Weight Loss To Date: 73.60 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 20.1%

The FANTASTIC
I'm re-committed.
I'm starting a training program so that I can run a 10K at the end of March.

The Good
I only gained 0.8 lbs in the past two weeks. I think I conquered the holidays pretty well.

The Bad
I'm really sick right now. I shouldn't have gone out last night, but I did...
I had to cut down the number of sessions I train with my trainer.

The Ugly
I've gained a lot of weight since September (11ish pounds) and I've been avoiding the whole blogging issue because of that. I hate disappointing people, my trainer, my friends, and myself.
I only lost about six pounds this year.

Christmas Letter

2008-12-18T06:56:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope everybody is having a wonderful holiday season!

This past year brought me great joy, sadness, love, and perhaps even hardship. It was a year in which I had many “firsts” – my first love; my first heartbreak; my first motorcycle ride; first time eating venison, alligator, frog legs, and crawfish; first time shooting a gun; jogging my first two miles straight; my first over water air flight; my first time snorkeling; my first catamaran ride; and lastly, my first 10K race. Work has been overwhelmingly busy; since September, I have worked an extra 80 hours. This is nice because I know get to use it as comp time, but who knows when I’ll be able to take it! We have awarded our contract to a new vendor this year, so instead of heading to warm, sunny Tucson, Arizona in January/February each year, I will now be heading to Boise, Idaho! Yeah potatoes!

Speaking of travel, I did a lot of it this year:

Two trips to Tucson, Arizona (January and August): On one of these trips I met a minor league baseball player for the Arizona Diamondbacks who is rehabilitating an arm injury. We still keep in touch occasionally. I also stayed an extra day on my trip in August and visited two national parks – even took a run in the desert to help prepare for the Human Race that was held in Austin a couple weeks later! Both the run in the desert and seeing the different wildlife and the Human Race are things I will never forget.

Orlando, Florida: Work brought me to sunny Florida for a conference. My teammate and friend, Rebecca, came along and we found some extra time to hit Universal Studios. I forgot how fun Orlando was!

Atlanta, Georgia: Since the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are located here, I tend to get to go here a lot. I was invited (such a privilege!) to present some findings at a national conference in August. I stayed a few extra days and saw some sites I had not seen before and got to meet a friend of the family (my third cousin’s wife’s sister, got that?).

Roswell, New Mexico: Becky (my sister) did a one month rotation in New Mexico for work, so I took it as an opportunity to get to see her. In one weekend, we went to a casino (we both won!), Carlsbad Caverns, and the White Sands National Monument. Of course we went to the alien museum in Roswell as well! Who would miss that? I also got to experience night life in Roswell – that was a hoot! Lots of cowboys!

Hawaii: A good friend of Becky’s was getting married on the island of Kauai, and she asked me if I wanted to join her in a trip to Hawaii. Of course I went! We spent seven days on Kauai, a small, very nature-based island. We got to hike a canyon, snorkel, and ride on a catamaran around the Na Pali coast. I would like to go back to hike the Na Pali coast next time. After Kauai, we island hopped and went to Honolulu for four days. We went to Sunset Beach, the Dole Plantation, and the Pearl Harbor Memorial. Becky had been to Honolulu before a few years ago for the Pro-Bowl, but since I had never seen Pearl Harbor, she went back with me. I still miss my time in Hawaii!

San Diego, California: We had about five papers accepted for presentations at the largest public health conference, so I ended up going to San Diego to present. I didn’t get a lot of down time while there because I was networking, but since my hotel was a mile from the conference, I got a lot of walking in! They also had a great running path by the bay that I did most mornings.

New Orleans, Louisiana: My ex-boyfriend and I decided to make a long weekend of Veteran’s Day and drive out to New Orleans. We stayed in a cute bed & breakfast a couple miles from Bourbon Street, but right on the Street Car line. The casino took my money; nothing new there! They call Las Vegas the City of Sin, but honestly, I think everybody has that wrong because for me, New Orleans is definitely Sin City. New Orleans was a good trip, but I do have to say, it has definitely not recovered from the hurricanes back in 2005. There are still so many vacant buildings for businesses and apartments. Hurricanes Rita and Katrina definitely left their mark in Louisiana.

With all the traveling I did, I lost focus of a lot of goals in my life in which I am now re-committing to:
1. Continue my weight loss efforts – I lost only about 10 pounds this past year, time to keep moving.
2. Continue to blog about my weight loss efforts and my life.
3. Start volunteering at the homeless shelter (again) and the German Shepherd Rescue Mission.
4. I am finally ready to buy a new car. I’m still driving the first car I ever possessed and have had it since 2001 (it’s a 1997 Geo Prizm).
5. With the economy the way it is, I hope to buy a condo this year.
6. Look at graduate schools in the area and start pursuing my doctorate beginning Spring 2010. I really want to be a professor, so this is something I need to do to get there.

So that sums up my year! I hope you are doing well and I’m wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year! I'll be back full swing in the New Year!

Values & Respect

2008-11-05T19:41:00.003-06:00

Standing up for one's values, that's what it's all about. I stand by my beliefs, thoughts, and values and push back all the time at work. I'm not going to sacrifice who I am for somebody or something else, but this is only true for work. Some say that's the hardest area to stay true to your values, but I think it's different for everybody. I don't always stay true to myself in my day-to-day life; I sacrifice my values all the time without even realizing it. This is going to change; I'm going to work on this from this day forward.

How did I start thinking about this? My trainer and I had a conversation today that truly made me realize his commitment and dedication to the field - the field of changing lives. I don't want to go into great detail about it because it's not really my place to do so, but I respect him even more than I did before. He has humbled me beyond words (almost). Sometimes you just have to stand up in what you believe in, and I've forgotten what it's like to stand up for myself in the world around me. I have a voice and it needs to be heard.

As if...

2008-11-04T18:29:00.004-06:00

It seems like forever ago...but it was probably 9-12 months ago when Matt (my trainer) and I were running one (0.1 mile), two (0.2 mile), three (0.3 mile) laps around the track...him always encouraging me to push myself to go faster and be better. One of those days, he made a comment, "Imagine this. You're running 50 second laps now. Some day, for warm up, you'll be running a mile." (He requires me to do a 10 minute warm up before training, so in essence, doing a 10 minute mile.) I rolled my eyes at him and probably said, "As if."

Again, Matt has proven me wrong. I am now running a mile for warm up, but it's not a 10 minute mile, rather it's a 13 minute mile. I guess I've come a long way; I just wish I've had a better attitude about it.

What gives...

2008-11-01T20:06:00.005-05:00

I'm still slightly frustrated with something that occurred a couple of days ago. I was in San Diego for work, and three out of the five days, I went for a run in the morning along the bay. It's a rather nice run, to be honest, and would recommend it to anybody who's going to be in downtown San Diego. Anyway, while on this run, I pass an older guy, probably in his 40's, and he exclaims, "Way to go!" ... Way to go? Say what? A fat person can't be up that early in the morning for a jog? I'm not sure why this simple statement has bothered me so much... Maybe it's because I'm jogging a mile regularly and slowly increasing it to two miles this month. Maybe I'm pissed off because I've seen some great changes in myself lately...maybe not weight-wise (still not losing the weight I gained over my Hawaii trip), but I feel like I'm making great strides physically.

I ask myself if I'd be just as pissed off if it came from a fat person like myself; the answer would be no. I felt like he was judging, not encouraging, and he had no place to do so.

That's my vent for the week.

Hawaii

2008-09-20T20:33:00.002-05:00

I was in Hawaii for 11 days and had a blast. Below is a current picture of me, I used to never be able to do this angle because of my double chin, guess that's going away!

The Nike+ Human Race

2008-09-19T13:51:00.004-05:00

I had been meaning to blog about the Nike+ Human Race for quite some time now, but my traveling schedule was overwhelming, between being in Tucson for about week, in Austin a week, in Atlanta for a week, in Austin two weeks, and finally in Hawaii for two weeks. I'm catching up now on it!

This race absolutely AMAZING! It was incredible seeing everybody wearing the same color running around corners and up and down hills. The concert afterwards wasn't too shabby either. Our start time in Austin was 6:30 pm the day before Labor Day. Since I knew this, I started training outdoors whenever I could because I knew the heat would play a huge factor for me. In my outdoor training jogs/walks, I was doing a 16.6 minute mile after work in 95+ degree heat. Usually with a morning start time, my goal has always been a 15 minute mile, but with the heat, I changed it to a 16 minute mile. My average race day? 15.9 minute mile! Here were my times:

First 2.5K: 9 minutes, 30 seconds / km
Second 2.5K: 10 minutes, 20 seconds / km
Third 2.5K: 10 minutes, 02 seconds / km
Fourth 2.5K: 9 minutes, 45 seconds / km

It was my first chipped time event, so no guessing this time! A few other interesting facts about my race:

1. I came in 215,394th worldwide.
2. I came in 9,790th in Austin.
3. I came in 73,957th among women runners worldwide.
4. I came in 4,867th among women runners in Austin.

So who's up for it next year? :)

Nike+ Human Race

2008-08-03T16:45:00.003-05:00

The Nike+ Human Race is exactly that, a human race for the human race. Think about it, the concept is fantastic: People uniting for fitness. In 25 cities across the world, everybody will be running a 10K at the same time on August 31, 2008. How cool does that sound? Well guess what, even if there is not a 10K race in a city near you, you can still participate at home!

My start time in Austin, Texas is 6:30pm , and it will no doubt be a hot one! But I am still going to run as much as I can of it. I ran a mile today on the treadmill (a first) in 12:10, my fastest time yet (I've jogged a mile before in races). The cost is minimal for a lot of blood, sweat, tears, and fun (there's a concert afterwards). I'm super excited!

Friends who are in town, I'll be sending out an e-mail to see if anybody may interested in joining me. Yawhoooooo!

Motivated...

2008-08-02T21:05:00.002-05:00

You wouldn't think that I was motivated by the fact that I skipped the gym today, BUT...I sure did go shopping, and I am SUPER stoked! Depending on the cut or style of the clothing, I can now shop at regular stores. Holy crap, did I nearly poop my pants when I tried something on at Bass today and it fit. IT FIT. I know, I know, some store clothing lines run a little big, but I'm glad I decided to try it on anyway, something I normally wouldn't even attempt. The only frustrating thing is that I'm not losing the weight proportionately, so there are many things that just look hilarious on me. I'll take pictures next time...if they allow photography in the dressing rooms. Do you think they'd care?

Wednesday Weigh-In: 7/30/08

2008-07-30T21:39:00.004-05:00

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (7/30/08): 282.50
Weight Loss To Date: 83.50 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 22.8%

Measurement Statistics
Starting Total Inches (10/26/06): 258.25
Total Inches Started with Matt (5/14/07): 247.50
Current Total Inches (7/30/08): 219.25
Total Inches Lost To Date: 39.00 in

The FANTASTIC
I'm back on track! I've lost 10.5 lbs in the past 3.5 weeks!
I feel like a girl, I can cross my legs!
I'm going to Hawaii! It'll be my first real vacation since I started working 4.5 years ago!

The Good
I'm almost down another size!
I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the Nike+ Human Race 10K on August 31st. I'll blog about this later.

The Bad
I'm exhausted, and I feel like I don't have a life again, but I'm making it work.
I'm still not getting enough calcium, I think I'm going to have to supplement. I hate supplements and whole-heartedly believe you should get all your vitamins and minerals through diet alone.

The Ugly
The chocolate and salt cravings have been unreal lately. I'm unsure about the salt thing, but if your body craves something, you usually need something that it offers.
WORK........

Walking on a Tight Rope

2008-07-13T13:25:00.003-05:00

Most tight rope walkers have a net below them just in case they fall; I'm not sure if mine has one installed yet or not. I have been tip-toeing along this line for too many months, and I think I have gained my balance again, finally. Just because I didn't plunge to my death at any point these past five or six months, it doesn't mean I didn't get hurt along the way.

So where am I going with this post? I have no idea. I'm just going to let my thoughts and feelings flow at this time and let them be.

I met an incredible guy this past week and we went out on Friday for sushi. He didn't want to flake out on me, so he drove up from San Antonio for a two hour dinner just to turn around and go back to San Antonio, talk about sweet. This guy, I have always felt since we met, is way out of my league: funny, sweet, gentle, genuine, kind, open, and completely gorgeous (he was a model and had acting parts on TV shows). He is the epitome of what I desire in a guy, but I doubt I am what he's looking for...physically anyway. This is the second guy in six months in which I have wow-ed by my personality, but they cannot help but see the fat me; it just hurts, especially since I've lost so much weight already. I just want to find a guy who is willing to transform with me. What even hurts more is that I'm still friends with the first guy, and who knows if I'll be friends with this second one. I guess friends is better than nothing, right?

It hurts so much that I almost gave up on humanity, and in doing so, I almost gave up on myself. Saturday, I nearly skipped out on the gym and re-entered my old destructive behavior patterns of binge eating. If I'm not going to be liked now, why bother doing what I've been doing? So yes, I probably did eat a little more than expected, but overall, I stayed on my tight rope. I feel like I can say I broke away from my emotional eating habits this weekend. Yes, I was hurt (and who knows, maybe he will call), but I didn't turn to food in the process. Talk about a Non-Scale Victory.

Anyway, you'll be seeing more of me in the upcoming days and weeks. I'm beginning to re-focus my energy on me and I'm going to start making the guys do a little work to get to know me. I'm worth more than what guys have been giving me, much more.

The Difference Between Co-Dependence and Reliability

2008-06-20T08:42:00.003-05:00

Today as I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat and fought the tears, I couldn't help but think about the transitions that have been occurring in my life. I have always been a very independent woman, and I have always hated relying on other people because I had these high expectations. Slowly, these barriers have been broken since I moved to Austin, and I actually do not mind relying on the friends I have established. But today, after being severely disappointed by the one person I have always trusted and relied on, I realized that I didn't just rely on him, but I was nearly being co-dependent. Me? Co-dependent? What? This is truly uncharted territory for me.

I broke into tears this morning not because I was upset with him (technically I was...but let's look at the bigger picture), but because I feel like I've been trying so hard and I'm still stuck at this same dang weight. Trying and doing, though, are two separate things. "I tried my best" and "I did my best" are very different. Trying is almost like saying that you're ready to propel into action, but you haven't quite decided to actually do it. I have been trying to do a lot of things, but haven't quite done them to the best of my ability.

Where did I go wrong? Why can't I rely on myself and my decision-making skills anymore? How do I find that perfect medium of dependence and independence?

Quotes of Inspiration

2008-05-27T19:25:00.002-05:00

Back in January, I met a guy. No, no, no, nothing ever really happened, but upon meeting him, I knew he was different. Anyway...there were a few quotes on his facebook page that made me feel better...inspired me.

Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance take it, if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said it' be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone, and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear our presence automatically liberates others.

Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossilbe is not a declaration. Its a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.

My Walking Maps

2008-04-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

My Walking Maps is a really cool website in which you can track your walking/running routes around town! Check it out, it's super exciting! I mapped the 10K from this past weekend. Google sometimes messes up on this computer, so hopefully you can see the path clearly...

Texas Round-Up 10K
Find more Runs in Austin, Texas

Race Day: Texas Round-Up

2008-04-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

I participated in the Texas Round-Up 10K yesterday morning, and I definitely have a few thoughts...

1. The course was more difficult and challenging than the Capitol 10K.
2. The Capitol 10K had more "cheer" support along the way.
3. The Capitol 10K had more music along the course; although the Texas Round-Up did have more music at the end of the course (I believe).
4. We got to see and hear the governor at the Texas Round-Up. I loved hearing how passionate he is about fitness and health.

I'm not going to lie, I found this 10K extremely challenging for a couple of reasons. First, I lacked a good night's rest the night before, I won't dive into details, but I had a blast Friday night! Secondly, it was humid. Thirdly, the course was tougher!

My accomplishments:
1. My first mile was faster than the 5K (but this first mile was slightly downhill compared to the other one). At the 5K, I did it in 14:15, this time, 13:20.
2. My overall two mile was faster than the 5K. At the 5K, I did it in 30:30, this time, 30 minutes even (maybe a bit quicker than that). Now I do have to say, the second mile was really slow for me, but it was continuously uphill, so the fact that I was till ahead of pace was great!
3. I hit the 5K marker at about the same time as the last race.
4. I finished the race in 1:40:00, pretty much on the nose. Much slower than the first 10K when I was chasing Matt (he timed us at 82ish minutes, I timed us at 93ish minutes), but there are several reasons why. The course was much more hilly, and I have not been training for hills as big as these. In addition, due to the hills, my heart rate got into a range in which I was not comfortable with, so I had to slow down a few times. On the hills, if I was jogging, it was in the 85-90% of my maximum heart rate, which is never the case when I'm at the gym.

I'm not sure when my next race will be, it may be the Lone Star 5000 mid-May...we'll see!

Busy weekend...

2008-04-21T20:40:00.005-05:00

I had a really busy weekend, but had so much fun!!!

I had a potluck dinner with a few good friends on Friday night. My friends just built their house, so they have a number of projects they are still working on. I asked them if they need any help, or would like any, and they accepted. They mentioned that they may let me work with the jackhammer. Super exciting if I can! I like big machines!

On Saturday night, I went with my two Michigan buds to my first Round Rock Express game. The Round Rock Express is the Triple A club for the Houston Astros. Even though the Express lost, it was a great game and a lot of fun. Our section actually won a prize! We're going to plan another outing on a Friday night and take over a whole section. Oh yeah, for those who don't follow sports, this is baseball! :) Yee-haw!

The Oasis is known for its sunsets; and yes, the picture to the right is just one view of Lake Travis from the Oasis. This restaurant and bar is a must-see (in the top 10) if you ever come to Austin. I've always wanted to take a salsa dance lesson, but have never had a partner to go with, and Juston didn't know about this sweet spot, so we decided to go to the Oasis for Sunday evening. I can't wait to go salsa dancing again!

I did learn one big thing from this weekend; I'm a pretty good leader, not a great follower (especially in dancing). Sometimes, just sometimes, I should be a better follower than leader. Hmmmmm...

Challenges...

2008-04-16T21:12:00.002-05:00

I tend to meet challenges from friends head on, as if I have to prove to them I can do it. I'm not sure why I always felt like I needed to prove myself, but I have.

My trainer, has on occasion, "challenged" me to a few different things. About a month ago, I won $5 for completing my last set of jumps, and last week...well, I won a sort of different challenge.

Matt has this habit of making me do something so much, I end up hating it. Something I hated one month can be easily replaced with something else. For the longest time, I hated shoulder presses because he made me do them ALL the time. I would groan and moan every time he made me do them. Well, a few months ago, this was replaced with girl pushups, we started out small, three sets of 10, then three sets of 12, three sets of 15, and then last week three sets of 16. I was PMSing pretty bad last Wednesday and put up a stink about doing them, so he made me a challenge: If I could do one real pushup, I wouldn't have to do three sets of 16 girl pushups. I quickly made the deal. I got down on the ground and did a single pushup. He said a deal was a deal, and we walked the track and did my second favorite thing in the world (sarcasm): shoulder presses. We got back to the mat, and Matt says, "A deal is a deal, you won't be doing three sets of 16 of girl pushups, I want three sets of 10 of the real thing." My mouth dropped, and I slipped under my breath, "Jerk!" He kept his end of the deal, now I had to keep mine. I didn't get three sets of 10 of real pushups in (muscles fatigued), but it was a start. Next time I won't open my big mouth, OR...only accept a challenge after I really think about the aftermath. :)

Recipe of the Week: 4/14/08

2008-04-14T23:05:00.003-05:00

Cooking Light - March 2008 Issue

Mango and Black Bean Salad (6 servings)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups chopped peeled ripe mango
1.0 cups thinly sliced green onions
0.5 cups cooked wild or brown rice (If you are short for time, a great substitute is whole grain couscous.)
3.0 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2.0 tablespoons roasted tomatillo or fresh salsa
2.0 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I'm not a fan of lime, so I cut this in half.)
2.0 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil (I usually exclude this.)
0.75 teaspoon salt
0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1.0 (15-ounce) can organic no-salt added black beans, rinsed and drained (I don't do organic or no-salt, most of the sodium is removed when you rinse.)

Directions
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix.

*Bonus idea (from the kitchen of Michelle): add cooked chicken to make a full meal!*

Nutrition (1 serving - 0.67 cup)
Calories: 167 (48.6 calories from fat)
Total Fat: 5.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.7g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 226mg
Total Carbohydrate: 25.5g
Dietary Fiber: 5.5g
Protein: 5.2g

First Non-Scale Victory: Race Day

2008-04-13T11:51:00.005-05:00

Today I had to give myself my FIRST Non-Scale Victory (NSV)! I wanted it to be ultra-special, and that it is!

I participated in the Schlotzky's 5K Bun Run '08 this morning. I wasn't going to do another race until the 10K at the end of April, but I got talked into it, only for her to have to cancel last minute, life happens. So I decided to do it on my own anyway, and had a blast! Matt (my trainer) wanted me to run the whole thing; I told him I would try, but after waking up to a slightly sore knee, I knew I had to alter that goal. My new goal was to jog a mile, walk a mile, jog the last 1.1 miles. (For those who don't know, a 5K is 3.1 miles, a 10K is 6.2 miles.) This, of course, would be a challenge all on its own because the furthest I have ever jogged on the treadmill was 0.6 miles straight. I also planned it strategically because the "hill of death" (as I would like to call it) was in that second mile, and I knew I'd have to walk up that anyway...

Seeing that we are celebrating my first official NSV, one would assume that I met my goal. In fact, I creamed it! I jogged the first mile with hesitancy, but made it. Once I got into my rhythm, it was quite easy not to stop. I walked after the first "watering hole" which was at 1.1 miles, picked up my jog again until I hit hill #1, which is followed by a nice downward slope (runs pretty nice), with the hill of death just as you round that corner onto 15th street. The hill of death kicked my butt during the Capitol 10K a couple weeks ago, but I knew about it and was ready for it! Overall, I estimate that I jogged 2.6 miles (may be a conservative estimate). So again, here's that fun math stuff; this time I actually remembered to wear my watch:

Mile 1: 14:15 minutes
Mile 2: 16:15 minutes (clock read 30:30)
Mile 3: 15:00 minutes (clock read 45:30)
Finish: 01:30 minutes (clock read 47:00)

Originally I wanted to do it in 42 minutes, after the first mile I said, nope, should be 45 minutes... Turned out to be 47 minutes, but that's okay! I jogged for at least 40 minutes of this thing, and dammit, that's something I'm going to be proud of because the most I ever jogged on the treadmill in intervals was 16 minutes (averaged 4.5mph).

That's my FIRST NSV... Actually, it should be my second because I proved Matt wrong at the gym last week. Now that's a funny story I'm going to have share very soon...

And for those of you who are interested in seeing how wet and miserable I looked during the Capitol 10K a couple weeks ago, click here. I'm in the green tank top. My favorite photograph, by far, is the second one, where I'm racing to the finish line while Matt's high-fiving another friend's success.

What is Your Exercise Personality?

2008-04-11T08:11:00.002-05:00

I love quizzes; I like to test them out to determine if they're accurate reflections of who I am. Therefore, I have deemed Friday to be "Quiz Friday."

What is Your Exercise Personality?
Find out which type of workout best suits your personality.

I took the quiz, and here's what they tell me:

Your Personality Type: INSPIRATIONAL
You're the type who catalyzes other people into action. You know how to say all the right things, which is why people gravitate toward you, tell you their problems, and look to you for inspiration. You're creative and are concerned about achieving personal growth.

Your Exercise Rx:
Dual-purpose exercise. To you, working out is engaging only when it's about more than just your body. You are more apt to enjoy it if it's about being part of a community or about exploring your inner self. To enhance your spiritual side, try listening to music to set the mood for a peaceful workout.

Best Choices:
Softball
Volleyball
Soccer
Dance classes
Water aerobics
Martial arts
Trail running
Swimming
Tai chi

Leisure Activities:
Your first priority is to work regular exercise into your week. But also think about using your leisure time to burn off a few extra calories. Here are some extracurricular activities for your personality type:

nature walks
yoga

Obstacles:
Different personalities don't just take to different activities; they have to contend with different obstacles too. Here's what you might find in your path, as well as ways to get around it:

Because you may often engage in activities that involve instructors or coaches, you run the risk of being turned off by corrections or criticism aimed at you--or anyone else in your group.

Solution: Remind yourself that the teacher or coach is only trying to help you; if that doesn't work, look for a class or team that focuses more on teamwork or a teacher or coach whose style you prefer.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

How did the quiz stack up for me? I LOVE nature walks, and once I get the running down, I can't wait to start doing some trail running around Austin. Out of my best choices I really only enjoy volleyball and swimming, but maybe I should try out a few classes at the gym. Kellen (a trainer and cycling class instructor) thinks I may enjoy his cycling class. Only if I have the guts to do it.

I do gravitate to the "inner self" part of working out. Not only am I changing physically, I am also changing mentally too. I just have to overcome my mental flaws. I loathe being criticized, and I think that's where Matt and I have butted heads lately. BUT, in all fairness, I have deserved the criticism.

So I'm curious, what's your exercise personality? Either leave a comment or write a blog about it (just let know you did!)! :)

Going Green: The Daily Green

2008-04-08T18:50:00.002-05:00

The Daily Green: The Consumer's Guide to the Green Revolution

Tip of the Day (by Brian Clark Howard):

Keeping your refrigerator full, but not to the point of overstuffing, will allow it to run at max capacity. To help retain cold temperatures when the fridge and freezer are less full, place glass or ceramic pitchers of water in their compartments. Like using ice in a picnic cooler, this will insulate the interior and keep it cold.

Refrigerators and freezers account for about a sixth of all electricity use in a typical American home, and they use more electricity than any other single household appliance.

Over- or under-crowding makes the fridge work harder to maintain its optimal internal temp (37 degrees F).

Also check out the website for other cool features! :)

Recipe of the Week: 4/7/08

2008-04-07T21:47:00.006-05:00

I just tried the following recipe this week - EXCELLENT! I split it into 5 meals so that I could keep it in my per meal calorie range (300 calories per meal). Enjoy!

Recipes inspired by The Best Life Diet - Bob Greene

Mediterranean Chicken and Pasta (4 servings)
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Start to Finish: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked multigrain/whole wheat penne pasta (6 oz)
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 package (8 oz) sliced fresh mushrooms (3 cups)
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 cup grape tomatoes halved
2 medium green onions, sliced (2 tbsp)
0.25 cup chopped fresh or 2 tsp dried basil leaves
0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 tsp cornstarch
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
0.5 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 oz) (I use the reduced fat kind.)

Directions
1. Cook pasta without salt as directed on package, adding broccoli during last three minutes of cooking time; drain. (My modification: To keep the nutrients from the broccoli, I actually combined the broccoli with the mushrooms in step 3.)
2. Meanwhile, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until chicken is no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet. (I actually kept it in.)
3. Increase heat to medium-high. In same skillet, cook and stir mushrooms (broccoli) and garlic 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, onions, basil and pepper flakes; cook and stir 1 minute longer.
4. In 2-cup glass measuring cup, mix cornstarch and broth until smooth. Add to vegetable mixture in skillet. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Stir in pasta mixture and chicken; cook and stir until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese.

Nutrition (1 serving)
Calories: 420 (100 calories from fat)
Total Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 380mg
Total Carbohydrate: 42g
Dietary Fiber: 6g
Protein: 37g

% Daily Value
Vitamin A: 20%
Vitamin C: 20%
Calcium: 15%
Iron: 20%

Exchanges
2 Starch, 0.5 Other Carbohydrates, 1 Vegetable, 4 Very Lean Meat, 1.5 Fat

How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Stopping

2008-04-06T17:41:00.003-05:00

Last week I got extremely frustrated at the gym. On Tuesday, I was frustrated because no matter what I did, I couldn't get my heart rate to stay in its target zone. I used to be able to go hard for a few minutes, then go "lighter" and keep my heart rate up. Now, it drops quickly, so that I constantly have to "push hard." Then, on Wednesday, Matt and I had a small spat...we were both frustrated with one another. Him because we're not seeing results, me...well everything else. I felt like he wasn't listening.

I received the following article in my inbox on April 3rd, and it helped.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Hitting That Big Old Wall: How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Stopping
By: Julie Isphording, Olympic Marathoner (Found on SparkPeople)

Just about everyone has heard of the "Wall," as in "hitting the wall." And lots of us - in running and in life - have run straight into it. Head on.

A wall is the point in a race (or in life) where you're used up. You're officially done. You feel as if you are draining away into a little puddle on the ground. Your legs don't respond to the word "go." You vow never to do this again.

Although I hope you never have a wall get between you and a goal, here are some tricks I've learned from running that can help you get over your own wall when it's in the way:

Keep going regardless
Promise yourself that, no matter what, you will press on, even if you are walking, crawling, or puttering. In the Boston Marathon in 1993, I was running so slowly to the finish that I felt like I was actually going backwards. Stay on your feet. Eyes straight ahead. Move.

Don't think
Just go. Do not dwell on how overwhelmingly awful you feel. Focus on the cheering crowds, your friends and family waiting at the finish, the cool water, the trees... anything.

Try bribery
Tell yourself, "Self, when I get done with this, I'm going to buy you a new car, a new house, whatever you want."

Word-watch
Watch the negative words and thoughts. Think instead about all the successes you have had. How about all those hills you conquered? All those long workouts you endured? You are a great person. Relish those thoughts.

Negotiate with yourself
Give yourself permission to simply go to the next water stop, or to the next milestone, or even just the end of the day. Keep repeating that strategy until you see the finish line. Just one more mile before you say one more mile! (Exactly what I did on Wednesday!)

If it was easy, everyone could do it. You are the one who will make it. And don't forget the finish line pose!

--------------------------------------------------------------------

So what do you do when you hit a wall in your workout?

More about the 10K

2008-03-31T21:07:00.004-05:00

Now that my head's screwed back into place, I can tell you a bit more about my first 10K!

There was a 30% chance of rain, but the weather guys always say that and it NEVER rains here in Texas, so I thought they were lying to me again. For those who don't know, I read somewhere that 30% means 30% of the viewing area, and in Austin, the weather is very different in South Austin compared to North Austin compared to West Austin. Anyway, it was super humid (near 100%), and as we waited for the timed runners to take off, it started to sprinkle then rain steadily. By the time we crossed the start line, it was already 20 minutes into the race.

The Capitol 10K encourages people to dress up, so we got to see a few interesting costumes along the way. My absolutely favorite part was when we were by the University of Texas stadium, we started hearing chanting behind us, you know, soldiers jogging in formation kind of chant. Eventually they pass us, but it was Austin Police Department cadets. They "sang" some interesting tunes for us. OH! And how can I forget, there were bands throughout the course playing for us! It wouldn't be Austin otherwise!

The rain ended about half way through. While the rain was refreshing, I just felt like I wasn't sweating because of the humidity, not to mention the roads get slippery when they're just wet and not soaked. I also had no hand-mouth coordinator when I grabbed water either! I literally spilled half the water down my chest and drank the other half. I guess I have to work on my transitions!

Matt asked me something interesting today: "Were you proud of yourself when you crossed the finish line?" I actually had to think about it because I wasn't sure - but yeah, I was proud. I wish I ran more of it, but there's always next time? Who's up for the end of April?

meetup.com

2008-03-30T14:25:00.004-05:00

I've decided to start highlighting some of my links because I think they are super awesome. (Super has become a favorite word of mine, so you're going to have to learn to deal with it.)

I just added a link called meetup. Meetup is "networking" community for people with similar interests:

Time: "A convenient, non-threatening way to connect to other people who share similar interests and live nearby."

Newsweek: "...helps groups of strangers organize monthly powwows at local watering holes."

Toronto Sun: "...it's important to stay true to your passions or interests, whatever they may be... An opportunity to reconnect with yourself and others in a stress-free environment. It's as simple as that."

So how can this work for you? While meetup is for any type of interests, you can find fitness related groups as well! I actively participate in two healthy lifestyle meetups in my area: 1) Get Healthy Now: Weight Loss, Health, Fitness & Fun Meetup, and 2) Fitness - Female's 28-48 Seeking Workout/Gym Partners.

In "Get Healthy Now: Weight Loss, Health, Fitness & Fun Meetup," I have learned how to beat sugar blues and make healthy smoothies without the added sugar that all those wonderful smoothie shacks add. In the "Fitness - Female's 28-48 Seeking Workout/Gym Partners," I have to chatting to a woman about doing a cycling class out our gym. It probably won't work out due to a scheduling conflict.

As with any internet group, if you're uncomfortable doing it by yourself, bring a friend! Better to be safe than sorry!

My First 10K

2008-03-30T13:01:00.006-05:00

I completed my first 10K a couple of hours ago. Notice how I said first? I suppose there's more coming my way! I spent most of the race "catching up" to Matt, Terri, and Leslee (sp?), but we all finished. (Just a quick update, we did a run/walk; my "catching up" was always a jog because they were walking so fast!) I meant to time it by my watch, but I forgot my watch at the car, so we had to rely on the race clock or Matt's cell phone. Matt calculated that we did the 6.2 miles in 82 minutes, meaning it was 14.4 minutes per mile, or 4.4 mph. My calculation, though, was based on the time clock, and I got we were doing 15 minutes per mile, or 4 mph. What can I say, I'm a math geek; I do it for my day job. As usual, I think I'm right...I'm a woman after all. :)

I've decided not to do the Bun Run in mid-April, but rather skip over it and do the Texas Round-Up at the end of April. I have a month to train!

I also have to state the fact that Matt did not have to do the 10K with us, but this is just one thing that makes him, as a trainer, above the others. Even though I give him crap all the time, what sister wouldn't?

Just An Update

2008-03-18T22:18:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago I had strep, and last week I was sick. I'm now sitting in Orlando on a business trip, ready to rip my eyes out because of allergies. So is life...

About a 1.5 weeks ago, I did cardio with Stephanie (one of the trainers) at the gym. She's fantastic. Stephanie's training for a competition at the end of the month, so she's always looking for people to do cardio with. We jogged/walked about three miles; jogged a mile and walked the other two. I jogged one lap, two laps, three laps, and four laps (my first). Each lap's a tenth of a mile. She gave me so many great pointers for running and showed me some new stretches on top of that. It was by far my greatest cardio workout in a long time.

Last night I had a breakdown here at the hotel. The fire alarm went off at about 11:15pm. It was the first night that I went to bed before 11pm and I was going to get six hours of sleep (I have averaged just under 4 hours of sleep per night since Thursday). AND I was waking up early to hit the fitness center to get some cardio in since I have not done cardio in weeks because of illness. Well, after the fire alarm, there went all my sleeping time again...but I have to look on the bright side, even if I did get up, I would not have been able to work out at their facility because a leak. I skipped a conference session today to go mall walking because I feel like I've been so lazy and just not eating well while not at home. It was something, I suppose. I was just frustrated with the fire alarm because I had an 8:30am presentation today on top of everything else.

I feel bloated and just super fat tonight. It hasn't helped that I haven't left the hotel (and be in daylight) for two days now. I had 12.5 hours of meetings yesterday and 10 hours of meetings today (would have been 12 if I didn't take that mall walking break!). And this is straight meeting after meeting, with maybe ten minutes inbetween to grab water and a snack.

I'm frustrated, tired, and can't wait to get back into a routine at the gym...

Another Year Older, Another Year Wiser?

2008-03-07T09:15:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday to me! Today marks my 28th birthday on this planet. I cannot believe how much I have learned about myself this year, through my own endeavors and through people I have met.

There's more to life than the few things that can frazzle my everyday life.

I am passionate about what life has to offer. I try to give my time and resources unconditionally to those I love, like, and don't know.

I am a do-er, not a talker.

I'm sarcastic, giggle a lot, and wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm okay with this. It's better to understand yourself than try to change yourself sometimes.

I am independent, open, and honest. Possibly unforgettable too.

I don't judge, and everybody gets two shots with me, even if they judge me.

I don't really care what you or anybody else thinks about me. I like me, and that's all that matters.

I like watching people and how they interact with the world. It reminds me that the world does not revolve around me. (I should do this more often.)

I'm a writer and need to continue in that freedom of expression.

I'm an artist-wannabe. I love doing it; I'm just not perfect at it. (And please, get your mind out of the gutter!)

I love to travel, see new places and meet new people.

I'm a sports nut and love watching most of them. I try to play sports, but lack the skills necessary to go professional. I cheer for the Patriots, Knicks, Red Sox, Red Wings, and Longhorns.

Although on occasion, I screw up, I am health conscious. I love pushing my body to limits I never knew I could.

My body can do things my mind says I cannot.

I'm okay with the idea of settling in Austin. Last night when it reached 37 degrees, I could not fathom moving back to anywhere up north.

I enjoy quiet times of reflections and slowing down at work. I even took today off to enjoy it.

Wednesday Weigh-In

2008-03-05T19:56:00.004-06:00

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (3/5/08): 289.50
Weight Loss To Date: 76.50 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 20.9%

Measurement Statistics
Starting Total Inches (10/26/06): 258.25
Total Inches Started with Matt (5/14/07): 247.50
Current Total Inches (3/5/08): 221.00
Total Inches Lost To Date: 37.25 in

Monthly Total Inches Lost: 1.5 inches

The FANTASTIC
I'm getting back into the swing of things when it comes to weight loss.
Matt is giving me new things to work on at the gym.
I'm under 290lbs!

The Good
Matt worked me out so hard on Thursday, I could barely walk on Friday.
Matt, another client of his, and I entered the Capitol 10K at the end of March. I will also be entering the Texas Round-Up Challenge 10K at the end of April. I'm hoping these "competitions" will motivate me to work harder, and I always like to improve, so that's my goal between races.
This guy at the gym is encouraging me to train for the Austin Marathon next year. I find this unrealistic, but I'm up for the challenge. First thing's first, though, let me run a 10K!

The Bad
Matt worked me out so hard on Thursday, I could barely walk on Friday. Needless to say, I skipped cardio on Friday.
Soup and liquid diet this week...

The Ugly
Strep - need I say more?

Back On...Back Off...

2008-03-03T15:36:00.003-06:00

Just as I got back into the swing of things, I came down with strep and have been completely wiped out of the game since Saturday. :( Took my first set of antibiotics today, so hopefully I will be better for my birthday party this weekend! I'm still doing a weigh-in and measurements on Wednesday with Matt, so we'll see where we are at and where we need to go!

Procrastinated Confession

2008-02-28T21:27:00.003-06:00

I have been procrastinating this post for some time now, but since a few of you have been noticing that I have not posted in awhile, I figured it's time to confess... I fell off the bandwagon big time, and one of the easiest ways to know that I have is when I don't post to my blog at least a few times per week.

I do have to say, even though I live in sunny Austin, I went through a couple weeks of winter blues where I had no desire what-so-ever to exercise. The adrenaline that I got from working out decreased, so I looked to other things to keep going...aka sugar, the worst thing possible for a dieter, or, in my case, a lifestyle changer. I became addicted to sugar again, and last week was not too pretty when I tried to detox from it.

A couple weeks ago, Matt (my trainer) made me promise to go to the gym every day for a week to try and get out of my slump. I had the hardest time telling him of my woes because I knew it would make him upset and sad. He has put a lot of himself in me, not just work-wise either. Anyway, I did work out for a week straight, and was going strong on my second week until yesterday. Sundays have become my "day out of the gym" exercise day for variety. Last Sunday I played sand volleyball for 3.5 hours, and the week before I hiked probably 7 miles or so in the greenbelt. My nutrition is not completely back to normal, but I'm working on it.

Man, this post sounds depressing. What have I learned through all of this? WELL...Matt is right yet again, I'm sometimes way too hard on myself. I need to work on forgiving myself. I can forgive others pretty easily, but for some reason if I screw up myself, I just can't do it. And that's how I spiraled down.

I could blame this on the new guys that are in my life, but that would be just another excuse and I'm tired of excuses. I need to step my game back up, it's just super hard to do so when I have so many exciting things outside the gym occurring.

SO...for accountability...I weighed in this afternoon (usually I do this in the morning before my morning workout, but I haven't had one of those in weeks) at 295, last week I was 293. I may be retaining some water due to my sodium intake last night, but who knows. I have started logging my food again, so that should help.

Thanks to those who noticed my disappearing act...I've been procrastinating my confession for about week now, but now you and the world know it.

Setting Her Free

2008-02-05T19:45:00.000-06:00

Setting Her Free is a blog I try to read regularly about a wonderful woman's journey to becoming healthy. I never thought I would be able to relate to Heather because she is absolutely beautiful, but I have been thinking about what "setting her free" really means.

Although I still weight 290 pounds, still obese by all means, I have been extremely happy, it's like the endorphins have kicked into overdrive. Even when I have an extremely bad day (have had plenty these days at work), after I take it out at the gym, it's like a burden is lifted off my back. My confidence is higher than ever and I'm getting bolder by the day. I truly feel my new lifestyle has set me free, and that is part of my happiness.

And when you're happy, people notice and people talk to you because they want to know you. They want to know your secrets.

This isn't just a physical journey, it is also a mental and emotional one.

Wednesday Weigh-In: 1/30/08

2008-01-30T19:54:00.000-06:00

Today I weighed in at 290.0; a loss of 3.5lbs. I do apologize for not catching up on people's blogs lately; things have been pretty busy at work and in my social life around here.

The FANTASTIC
I lost 3.5lbs this week.
I am wearing makeup almost every day.
My cold's gone!

The Good
I am going out and having a blast these days. I am barely home these days - I actually schedule home time.
Matt pushed me really hard this week and I succeeded big time.

The Bad
I missed three days of gym.
I ate out a lot (but obviously I didn't do THAT bad...)
Friends may be leaving work. :(
I got a blister last night while walking around and it broke open - ouch!

The Ugly
I drank twice this week instead of just once.
Work is nuts right now. If I have to go to the 7th floor any more times this week, I'll shoot myself (not literally).

Going Green: Grocery Bags

2008-01-26T21:44:00.000-06:00

From the Sierra Club:

In New York City alone, one less grocery bag per person per year would reduce waste by 109 tons and save $11,000 in disposal costs.

Plastic bags carry 80% of the nation's groceries, up from 5% in 1982.
When 1 ton of paper bags is reused or recycled, 3 cubic meters of landfill space is saved and 13 - 17 trees are spared! In 1997, 955,000 tons of paper bags were used in the United States.

When 1 ton of plastic bags is reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil are saved.

Reusing a bag meant for just one use has a big impact. A sturdy, reusable bag needs only be used 11 times to have a lower environmental impact than using 11 disposable plastic bags.

The solution? Canvas bags. I keep a stash in the trunk of my car, just in case I decide to run to the grocery store. They're reusable and washer friendly. A one time investment - even better!

Other Resources:
National Geographic
Reusable Bags

Life Happens And We Have To Deal

2008-01-25T21:56:00.000-06:00

It's the second day that I have not been to the gym in a row. Yesterday I didn't go because of sore (possibly "torn") quad muscles, and today...well...there really isn't a good excuse for today. Could I make one up? Like being sick? OR...better yet...one of the guys that I'm getting to know? C'mon...I need to convince myself that ONE of these excuses works because we all know I'm not to blame, correct? I'm only trying to fool myself, and I think all of us do at some point or another:

I'm not that fat...
I'm big boned...
I don't need to exercise/move every day...
This one muffin isn't going to hurt (maybe the one won't, but the fifth will)...
One glass of wine won't hurt...

All these negatives and/or lies...self-defeating as somebody put it. I need to get back onto plan and do it now. Tomorrow's a new day.

Wednesday Weigh-In: 1/23/08

2008-01-23T22:17:00.000-06:00

Most of the bloating is gone now, so my life's getting back to normal. Today I weighed in at 293.5. Not losing a lot these days, but I've been slacking in the diet (see below).

The FANTASTIC
I haven't missed a day at the gym and I did three double sessions.
A friend is going to cycle from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska with the Texas4000 club to raise cancer awareness.

The Good
I got to see Five Times August last night at Stubb's.
I'm going to bed soon, I can't wait to sleep!

The Bad
I'm getting another cold.
I worked on Monday even though it was a day off.
Lots of deadlines at work.
My shins aren't doing well.

The Ugly
Ugh...chocolate chip muffins and french fries. Thankfully there isn't any football this weekend.

Lactose Intolerance

2008-01-21T09:36:00.000-06:00

Any frequent reader of my blog knows that I'm dealing with some major bloating and water retention these days. I have talked to three trainers from the gym, and got these viewpoints (some of which a few of you pointed out).

Trainer #1: Matt (my trainer)
My monthly is coming up, and I'm usually bloated the week prior. We'll start worrying about it after my period. (Sorry to any guy readers...too much information for y'all.)

Trainer #2: Brian (Matt's boss)
Salt intake was slightly higher the week prior due to being sick. I was eating a lot of canned soup. High sodium diets makes most people retain water.
He also inquired if my water consumption was low, and for the most part, it hasn't been. I've been drinking about a gallon per day. Water should flush the toxins out.

Trainer #3: Stephanie (a master trainer)
She also inquired about my water consumption. We also discussed sodium intake and my monthly cycle (I know Matt hates talking about it).
She mentioned that when she drinks milk she gets bloated because she's lactose intolerant. It was interesting that she mentioned this because that is something I increased since the new year - drinking milk to get my calcium (see goals).

What is lactose intolerance?
Lactose intolerance is an inability to digest and absorb lactose (the sugar in milk) that results in gastrointestinal symptoms when milk is drunk or products containing milk are drunk or eaten. (MedicineNet.com)

The problem underlying lactose intolerance is a lack of lactase - an enzyme produced by the lining of your small intestine. Lactase breaks down lactose so that it can be absorbed into your bloodstream. A deficiency of lactase leads to problems in breaking down and absorbing milk sugar (MayoClinic.com)

What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
1. Diarrhea
2. Nausea
3. Abdominal cramps
4. Bloating
5. Gas (both types)

Do you have to completely stay away from milk and milk products?
Not necessarily. Most people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate small or even moderate amounts of lactose. It often takes only elimination of the major milk-containing products to obtain sufficient relief from their symptoms. (MedicineNet.com)

Seeing that I am experiencing cramps, bloating, and gas after drinking milk, I'm wondering if my stomach cannot tolerate milk. I will have to wait until my monthly is over to start experimenting to see if I may be lactose intolerant to some milk/milk products. I'll keep everybody posted!

Resources used:
Wrong Diagnosis
Medline Plus
Mayo Clinic
MedicineNet

The National Weight Control Registry

2008-01-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

As an epidemiologist, I work constantly with all sorts of data from surveillance systems, disease-related registries (eg, cancer and trauma), medical records, hospital discharge records, birth records, death records, etc. I actually manage two surveillance systems in Texas.

While I lived in Michigan, I came across The National Weight Control Registry, and always kept it in the back of my head that someday I will join in this effort because I think it's important research. Since many people visiting my blog have succeeded and are succeeding in this weight loss journey, I thought y'all might be interested in joining too when you meet their criteria. I will forewarn you, though, it is a commitment, and from an epidemiologist point-of-view, it's extremely frustrating when participants are lost to follow-up.

From their website:
The National Weight Control Registry (NWCR), established in 1994 by Rena Wing, Ph.D. from Brown Medical School, and James O. Hill, Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, is the largest prospective investigation of long-term successful weight loss maintenance. Given the prevailing belief that few individuals succeed at long-term weight loss, the NWCR was developed to identify and investigate the characteristics of individuals who have succeeded at long-term weight loss. The NWCR is tracking over 5,000 individuals who have lost significant amounts of weight and kept it off for long periods of time. Detailed questionnaires and annual follow-up surveys are used to examine the behavioral and psychological characteristics of weight maintainers, as well as the strategies they use to maintaining their weight losses.

Eligibility to participate in the registry:
1. Lost at least 30lbs.
2. Maintained a 30lb weight loss for a minimum of one year.

NWCR Facts
1. Eighty percent of persons in the registry are women and 20% are men.
2. The "average" woman is 45 years of age and currently weights 145 lbs, while the "average" man is 49 years of age and currently weights 190 lbs.
3. Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years.
4. These averages, however, hide a lot of diversity:

a. Weight losses have ranged from 30 to 300 lbs.
b. Duration of successful weight loss has ranged from 1 year to 66 years!
c. Some have lost the weight rapidly, while others have lost weight very slowly--over as many as 14 years.

5. Forty-five percent of registry participants lost the weight on their own and the other fifty-five percent lost weight with the help of some type of program.
6. Ninety-eight percent of Registry participants report that they modified their food intake in some way to lose weight.
7. Ninety-four percent increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking.
8. There is variety in how NWCR members keep the weight off. Most report continuing to maintain a low calorie, low fat diet and doing high levels of activity.

a. Seventy-eight percent eat breakfast every day.
b. Seventy-five percent weigh them self at least once a week.
c. Sixty-two percent watch less than 10 hours of TV per week.
d. Ninety percent exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

I will attempt to review their research articles that were published in journals and highlight some of those findings so y'all have as much information as possible about losing weight.

I LOVE ME

2008-01-19T18:17:00.000-06:00

I'm catching up on blogs tonight, and came across Krissie's "I LOVE ME" list, so here it goes...

1. What do you absolutely love about your body?
Of course, the hardest question has to be the first one. I really had to think about this one while I was at the gym. The answer? My growing muscles. I've been impressed with how strong I have become physically (did 20 pound bicep curls today!).

2. When did you surprise yourself with your physical strength?
A year and a half ago, I was doing bicep curls with 5lb weights. Depending on the type of curl, I'm either using 15, 17.5, or 20lbs. My trainer helps me realize my physical strength all the time when he pushes me on the track, running two or three laps for a first time. He's always so proud and excited when I do hit a new goal like that; I may not physically show my excitement, but I do express it inwardly.

3. When were you braver than you ever thought you could be?
When I moved to Texas without ever visiting the area.

4. When did your self-control blow you away?
There was plenty of times in the past year in which I would go out to eat and only eat half of my meal. I'm slowly beginning to focus on the people I am with rather than the food consumption part.

5. What is your proudest moment ever?
The first time I was ever proud of myself was last month when my weight dropped below 300 pounds, reaching my first goal.

6. When was the last time you felt absolutely beautiful?
Five (maybe four...) guy personal trainers and my trainer's wife took me to a bar to celebrate reaching my first goal before their Christmas party. I bought a black dress the day before, wore heels (never do), and just felt absolutely beautiful. We were the only group in the bar, but eventually other groups of guys were coming in, so pretty much it was just me and my trainer's wife for females in the whole place. I had to go to the ladies room a couple of times, and I just felt these gazes follow me. Usually, I would think these gazes were because I was too fat or had toilet paper on my heel, but I felt like they were checking me out. The last time I went to the bathroom was right before we left the bar and it was just something special to see the crew standing, waiting by the door for me. I just had so much confidence that night, I think that was the key.

7. Why do you deserve to meet your goals?
I deserve to be my first priority in life. It's the first time I have ever done anything like this for me.

What It Means To Be Green

2008-01-19T09:30:00.000-06:00

I am going to post a mini-series on what it means to be green. It's a term that is being used more frequently, especially here in Austin, and as I change my lifestyle, I'm slowly adapting to a greener life as well.

As a starting point, I found a survey from Conservation International that allowed me to see how eco-friendly I already am (or possibly not be). I scored a 51 out of 75, which makes me an Eco-Ally, but this score was the bottom of the barrel for being an ally for the environment, so it looks like I have a lot to learn!

How eco-friendly are you?

PS Thanks for all the warm compliments from my weigh-in. I'm going to do a spot check tomorrow to see where things stand.

Wednesday Weigh-In

2008-01-16T19:56:00.000-06:00

As I assumed, I gained weight, but I'm not going to update all the statistics because I feel it has to be water retention. I weighed in on Saturday at 291.5, and this morning I weighed in at 299.0 - 7.5lbs weight gain in less than a week. Now let me tell you, I didn't eat an extra 26,250 calories in four days. I'm not worried about it, I weighed myself tonight and I was already down two pounds...so I'm just going to wait it out.

The FANTASTIC
I didn't go to happy hour tonight; instead, I went to the gym!
My confidence is through the roof right now, and let me tell you, guys are easy...just a little smile and wink.
I got two more compliments this week.

The Good
I may have met some fun workout buddies at the gym.
I had 13-14 hours at the gym this week.
My friend started training with my trainer, so it's a great support system.

The Bad
I'm still bruised from my fall.
I missed going to the gym on Thursday because my car needed to see the doctor.

The Ugly
Jalapeno poppers, chili cheese fries, and two vodka and diet cokes.
I had Subway and Chipotle this week.

Hopefully Just Bloated...

2008-01-15T19:52:00.000-06:00

I'm frustrated. I feel like I am bloated beyond belief. I drank my water, and none of it is coming out of me what-so-ever. I know tomorrow's weigh-in is not going to be accurate, but I will weigh in for consistency. I weighed myself Saturday at the gym and I was 291.5, but my official weigh-in isn't until tomorrow. I think my sodium and fiber intake is a bit higher than usual, which would help explain being bloated. It's not even close enough to that time of month for that to be a factor (unless I'm going to get my cycle early). Argh...the scale is going to frustrate me tomorrow; it already is.

It is what it is.

My Decision About Boston

2008-01-14T13:18:00.000-06:00

Everything happens according to God's plan; my life to-date is a pretty good example of that. After undergrad I wanted to go to Michigan for grad school, but I went to New York instead. After grad school, I wanted to move to Houston for a job, but was given an opportunity in Michigan. Couple years later, God gave me this job in Austin (not Houston, but still Texas). Each one of these journeys has taught me a life lesson. Michigan taught me how to forgive from the heart, and moving to Texas was a test of my faith. (One example was having a new year-long apartment lease in Michigan as I decided to move to Texas. How in the world was I going to pay two leases? God provides a way...always.) I thought God gave me Texas to teach me faithfulness and obedience, but after I reflected for over a week, I don't think those were the life lessons he wanted me to learn from Texas.

During my time of reflection, there was one verse that I kept going back to: "A man's wisdom gives him patience..." (Proverbs 19:11) At first I thought this was telling me to be patient and God will speak to me in time about the decision I needed to make, but it was really telling me that I need to be patient in
every aspect of my life (to name a few, love, weight loss, close friendships, etc). I honestly believe this is the life lesson Texas is supposed to teach me: patience. Maybe it won't be the only life lesson, but it's a start.

Although I would love to move to Boston to be near my best friend, go to Boston University for my doctorate, be recognized as an expert by experts in my field, and start my consulting business, I desire for what I already have here, and I believe it is according to God's plan. Financial growth can be replaced (or supplemented), personal growth cannot.

Mmmmm...I love football just as much as pizza and ice cream...

2008-01-13T09:37:00.000-06:00

I have a confession to make - I LOVE FOOTBALL. And, believe it or not, I really only watch the pro-football teams rather than college (even though I live in Texas). I do regularly cheer for Texas and Boston College (BC), and occasionally Michigan State and Michigan. I grew up in the Northeast, and the only rankable school out there has been BC, so everybody always focused on the pro sports. I am a die-hard Patriots fan (yeah, they won last night!), and my #2 team is the NY Giants (hope they cream the Cowboys today!). I cheer for the Giants because they have summer camp where I did my grad degree (graduated 04) and it's amazing just to see players out-and-about in the city. I even got to experience being on the practice field with them, so yes, they have a special place in my heart.

I was definitely good this football season, watching most of the games at the gym because my football junkie friends were busy supporting friends and family members who were on football teams (again, I live in Texas). Now that college ball is over, we've been going out to watch the games, which means I have splurged a little the past couple of weekends. I had some jalepeno poppers and two vodka and diet coke's last night while watching the Patriots, and today we're heading to a sports bar to watch the Cowboys (lose). I'm planning on getting a salad, but passing up beer while watching a football game is going to be super duper hard. The two seem to go hand-in-hand. Actually, I think it's the environment that makes me want to drink. I feel guilty taking up space at a bar and not having a drink because that's less tip money for the bartender. I used to be a waitress and I hated having tables that would sit there forever and not leave a good tip. I guess I could tip for drinking water... I don't know, thoughts?

New Motto...that needs a bit of explanation.

2008-01-12T09:30:00.000-06:00

My trainer has me jog a lot during our weight training sets. I despise jogging. I'm slow, and I don't run right. Not to mention you hear my flab (sorry, I know, too much information). But I still do it because it is one of the only things these days that gets my heart rate up into the cardiovascular zone. I can routinely jog 0.1 mile lap in 55 seconds or less. On a good day, it's about 46 seconds. The most I have ever run consecutively was three laps.

The past week and a half has been hard to get back into the swing of things. Matt's now pushing me even harder on the running and less resting between the cardio part of my program and the weight training. Not a bad thing at all, but I'm trying to adjust to it. We've also increased the number of laps I jog in a session with him, and for somebody who doesn't like jogging, it hasn't been very fun, so I procrastinate the jogging part. Luckily, Matt joins me on occasion. To help me get through all of this, I've come up with a new motto that even Matt enjoys. "The faster I get 'er done, the faster it'll be over."

If you really think about this motto, it makes a lot of sense when it comes to cardiovascular exercise. Let's do the math (oh no I didn't say that!). If you are targeting a certain number of calories to burn, if you work out at a moderate level, you may burn that many calories in an hour, but if you work out at an intense level, you may burn that many calories in a half hour - you're being "more productive," so to speak.

I know I should have a more positive outlook on jogging, but it's not quite there yet, so this motto is going to get me through it. Please note, this motto should ONLY be used for exercise and not for overall weight loss. I truly believe in order to maintain a significant weight loss and a healthy lifestyle, it has to be gradual.

It's Okay to be Selfish

2008-01-11T21:08:00.000-06:00

Throughout my blog I have discussed having a problem with putting myself first. It has always been easier to focus on somebody else's needs, wants, and desires than mine. Sometimes I fall back into this black hole without realizing it, and thankfully this hasn't happened for quite some time.

On January 3rd, I posted about a decision I have to make concerning a job up in Boston. I still have not made any decisions, but will by the end of the weekend. I have been praying, reflecting, and reading the Bible to get some clarity. Amidst all this, a verse has popped off the page for other reasons.

"He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who cherishes understanding prospers." (Proverbs 19:8, NIV)

The Bible notes for this verse are quite interesting as well:

"Is it good to love yourself? Yes, when your soul is at stake! This proverb does not condone the self-centered person who loves and protects his or her selfish interests and will do anything to serve them. Instead it encourages those who really care about themselves to seek wisdom."

And that is what I will continue to do in this lifestyle change: to expand my knowledge base so that I don't make the same mistakes. Maybe after that, I can expand and help others too.

Tip #6: Avoiding colds at work...

2008-01-10T19:10:00.000-06:00

A long time ago I heard the following tip on the radio and have always kept it in the back of my head. I thought y'all might enjoy it.

Do not keep a tissue box on your desk at work. People will come by to grab a tissue from you and who knows what kind of germs they will leave behind. More than likely they need a tissue because they are sick (or may have allergies); do you really want to take the chance?

I hide mine in the filing cabinet.

And speaking of germs...do you know what public place has the most germs in which you are going to catch a cold from (e.g., the office, the gym, a bar, etc)? I'll leave the answer in the comment section this weekend.

As promised, here's the answer. When I first heard this question, my thought was a subway railing, being from the Northeast part of this country, but alas, that was not correct either. Actually, it's a gas station pump. Handles are rarely cleaned, and hundreds of people use them every day. AND...I don't know about you, but I know when I used to take long road trips, I would buy something edible in the convenience store. So not only are you using a gas pump in which thousands of people have used, but then you are also eating right after doing so.

I now keep a mini hands cleanser in my car that I use every time I go to the gas station. Okay...call me an aware germ-o-phobe...I'm okay with that. Actually, it's probably because I'm an epidemiologist that I'm so aware.

Gasp...

2008-01-10T19:00:00.000-06:00

Okay everybody here's your opportunity to gasp...I didn't go to the gym today. Say what? Yep...no gym time today. Slept in, went to work, took my car to the doctor (aka mechanic), and will be heading out the door shortly to see some friends for a couple hours. I had the following decision to make:

1. Eat out twice today (Chipotle and Subway) and get to the gym for 35 minutes, OR
2. Eat out once today (and walk to Chipotle), not go to the gym, but eat a healthy dinner at home.

Now I know y'all are thinking, "Well Subway's not that bad for you." Hmmmm...not when you love the Chipotle Southwest sauce, which I LOVE. For those who don't know the nutrition, 1.5 tablespoons is 100 calories, 10 grams of fat (1.5 saturated), 10mg of cholesterol, 220 mg of sodium, and 1 g of carbs (1 g sugar).

I opted for #2 instead, and will be doing a double gym day tomorrow with weight training. Sometimes you need to make these executive decisions.

Update: Holiday Competition

2008-01-09T20:15:00.001-06:00

Over Thanksgiving, my sister and I were chatting on the phone and decided to have a competition to see who could lose the highest percentage of their body weight (post here). The loser would have to buy the other lunch over Christmas. Yeah, I know, rewards should not be food orientated, but this would have given us time to just hang out (we went shopping instead). We started the Monday after Thanksgiving and then re-weighed ourselves the day before we left to go to our parent's house.

So the final results? We both lost 2.62% of our body weight. Technically speaking, I won if you went to the fourth decimal place, but we called it a draw. I'll get her next time!

I do have to mention, I lost just over 12 pounds this holiday season, compared to my seven pound weight gain last year. Now that's motivation to keep going!

Wednesday Weigh-In

2008-01-09T18:48:00.000-06:00

Just a small reminder, my last weigh-in was on Friday, so it has not been a full week yet.

Weight Statistics
Starting Weight (1/1/05): 366.00
Weight Started with Matt (5/14/07): 342.00
Current Weight (1/9/08): 295.00
Weight Loss To Date: 71.00 lbs
% Body Weight Loss: 19.4%

Five Day Weight Loss: 1.0 lb

The FANTASTIC
Today, I turned the corner out of my office just as Cindy did down the hall. Cindy works in a different area of the department, but we have chatted a bit here and there. As we approached the door to the hall, she exclaimed, "You've lost weight!" The only person in their section that knows I'm losing weight is Carrie, so it was nice that somebody noticed.
While at the gym today, Destiny, a trainer, grabbed my attention with a "How much have you lost so far?" (I think her male client was curious but didn't want to approach me.) I asked back, "Since I started with Matt or overall?"

The Good
I got two double sessions in this week (which is good since I'm sick).
I ran 6 laps at the gym on Monday.
I've been very productive at work.

The Bad
I have been sick for almost a week now.
I'm stressed for a variety of reasons: deciding about Boston, deadlines at work, and confusing men.
Three beers on Sunday (one per half).
I should be eating more protein (I really should add this to resolutions list).
Instead of doing four weight training sessions (two with Matt, two on my own), Matt and I only did two full body workouts.

The Ugly
I'm a big klutz. I fell on Sunday, bruised my hip and left quad. Still really sore when I run.
I was way under in consuming my calories today (busy at work). I tend to then "overconsume" when I get home...trying not to tonight.
Sweets and salty stuff - need I say more?
My water consumption is not as high as it should be for the amount of exercise I'm getting (I should be drinking a gallon). I cramped up pretty bad last night.

Tip #5: When you need a bit of motivation...

2008-01-08T19:59:00.000-06:00

My trainer has me walk with weights all the time. Usually, I'm doing something with those weights - lateral raises, bicep curls, shoulder presses, triceps, etc. On occasion, he just adds extra weight and has me walk with him. On Monday, I got to walk a lap (0.1 mile) with 40lbs in hand. Do you know how heavy that felt? And to think three years ago I weighed 70lbs more?

When you need a little bit of motivation, grab a weight that equals what you have lost and walk for a bit as a reminder of where you once were. It'll get your butt in gear again, guaranteed.

Contemplations

2008-01-07T19:51:00.000-06:00

The week after New Year's is the busiest time of year with people making resolutions to either stay in shape or get in shape. I commend people who want to do this because I know how hard it is, but for a gym regular, it gets slightly frustrating when the fitness center is packed to the point where there is no equipment open to use. Luckily, my gym has an indoor track that I can use, but that can get pretty busy as well.

Why is it only one time a year (New Years) people decide to recommit themselves to changing their lives? Why not do this once a month or week? Heck, I sometimes do it daily if I'm having a bad week exercising and/or eating according to my food plan.

Why is it only one time a year (Christmas) people decide to show one another how much they care by giving gifts or sending cards saying "I'm thinking of you."? I vowed this Christmas that I would send my "newsletter" bi-yearly instead of just Christmas-time.

Why is it only one time a year (Valentine's Day) people decide to express their love to their close friends and family? Should we not commit to a life of love?

When you try to meet your health goals this year, I ask that you don't get tied up in the mentality that you can only recommit to yourself once a year. You mess up, tomorrow's a new day - better yet, the next hour is a new hour. Live your life of love for you then for others. This has been the first time I have put myself first and I have found others respect me more because of it.

My hope this year is to inspire and to maybe add a few new habits to the mix of things. How can I inspire you to be all that you can be?

Jonathan Clay: Whole New Me

2008-01-05T12:03:00.000-06:00

I love music and try to support local artists as much as I possibly can. I found Jonathan Clay on MySpace, well, he and/or his crew found me, and I enjoy his music immensely. This one song of his has really hit home to me, and I wanted to share the lyrics to it:

Whole New Me - Jonathan Clay

My heads been spinning and thinning out
Just trying to stay
Away from it all

Feeling like no one will feel me out
What I'm all about
At all

Do you think that I
Could talk to you
Do you think that you could listen past my name

See my darker shades
And not argue
Would you look at me the same

I took their plans and I let them in
With no regard
To my own

I took my hands and I put them in
Something that I've
Never known

Do you think that I
Could show you
Everything that I've kept locked up on the inside

See I've been hiding out
In my own mind
And I'm getting out this time

This time

So grab your things
And hold on tight
Cuz a brand new me
Is coming out tonight

I'm feeling like
Nothing is the same
Everything is changed
But this tired name

My heads done spinning
I figured out
What I'm all about today

Don't care if anyone feels me out
I know what I'm about
Know what I'm all about
I'm alright
I'm alright