NSV Thursday

Well hello there!!

It's been awhile since I shared on the NSV Linkup but not because I haven't wanted to!  I think I just get worried that no one wants to read that I'm still just plugging along.

Certainly, when I started this blog and journey, I thought I'd be at my goal weight by now but I have come to realize that what I want and what will happen are two different things.  You sort of know how hard it's going to be but no one tells you that there are going to be MANY moments throughout this journey when you are going to have to dig deep within your soul to find the strength to continue on.  But you do...if you want it badly enough...and I do.  So, I'm over half way there, and that's okay - because that's the thing...I made it PAST the halfway point...and I'm still going.  In fact, right now, I've been at a plateau for 7 months.  If you had told me when I began that I would have a 7-month plateau, I may not have even started.  But again, throughout this whole process you sort of start to learn how strong you really are.  That's an NSV right there, wouldn't you agree?

Source

More recently, I completed a month-long bootcamp with my trainer and I was pretty happy with the results.  I posted this pic on Instagram last week - I improved a lot!  It was cool to see a starting point and an end result.  In the beginning I could do 12 rounds of the workout and by the last day I could do 17 - whoop!

Follow Me on Instagram!

Also, this week I decided that I'd do a smoothie cleanse...I'm not at all a fan of fad things, I have to tell you.  Like I will plug along doing my thing counting calories and working out for the rest of my life...it works for me and it fits into my life.  I'm not about to start crazy redonkulous diet schemes to see what happens.  This however, was something I could do.  Basically, you drink a fruit and veggie smoothie for breakfast and lunch and eat a lean protein dinner with veggies while eating some proteins and veggies throughout the day.  Uh...not much different than what I do now except I usually have a salad for lunch.  See what I mean, it has to fit into my life.  I decided to do this particular cleanse because I came off a few weekends of kind of eating whatever I wanted so I thought this might shake things up (see said 7-month plateau) and who doesn't think fruits veggies and lean proteins are good for you?  I feel pretty great, it's only 5 days, and I guess we'll see.  I think if the results work for me, I will probably do something like this to reboot perhaps after vacation.  I'll keep you posted!

On a separate note, if you're looking for a great, healthy salad that screams SUMMER to take along to picnics and gatherings this season, check this Tomato Cannellini Salad out - it's DELISH!

A Healthy Makeover:  Recipes

Hope you all had some fabulous NSV's this week and thanks to KTJ and Samantha for hosting this great linkup!

Trust the Process

Happy Thursday, loves!

Just linking with Katie and Samantha for NonScale Victories - what were your NSVs this week??

Mine was pretty simple and it is simply this:  I'm learning to trust the process.

They say that strength and success comes from looking in the mirror and seeing no change but continuing on anyway because you know it's the right thing to do...or something like that.

Last year at this time, I was looking forward to Spring and Summer and all of the cute clothes I was going to be wearing.  I'm still excited about that (after spending 20 years dreading the warmer months because that meant less clothes to cover myself up!) but it seemed like last year I couldn't buy something without it being too big after I'd only worn it one or two times.  That isn't happening at the same rate this year...and sometimes when I think about that, it makes me anxious.  I even get irritated and probably berate myself a little bit...I know, I know...I'm working on it.

But being anxious and irritated with the process doesn't make me quit...it's doesn't even make me want to THINK about quitting.  I sigh, walk out of my closet, face the day and do what I know I need to do.  I honestly can say at this point in my journey, I have no idea what quitting would feel like.  And this is coming from someone who didn't even have the confidence in herself to even TRY in my past life.

Each of the little victories I've had over the past two years made me stronger each and every single time I faced and overcame them.  The first time I went a whole week tracking my food, the first time I came home from vacation and got right back to my routine, the first time I gained and continued on anyway, the first time I climbed a mountain, the first time I ran for 90 seconds straight...each and every single victory built my strength and confidence up.

In today's society we want everything SO fast.  It doesn't help that pretty much every single thing can be made better, faster, stronger.  The thing is that nobody - NO. BODY.- has been able to come up with anything that will make the process of being healthy a quick fix.  It's not going to happen, people!  You have to be willing to put in every second, minute, hour, day, month and year to make it happen.  That's the reality.  And during that time, you are going to have ups and downs...LOTS of them...it's not going to be easy and there are going to be many, many obstacles to overcome...OVERCOME them.  Each one makes you stronger.

I'm here to tell you that you will be successful if you just know this, remember this, live this, and TRUST this.  If you do, you will be successful.  I'm not going to be a success WHEN I get to whatever scale-weight I decide works for me.  I'm successful NOW.  Every single day that I live this healthy life, I'm a success.  I have always wanted to be a healthy person, so here I am, living it.

Go me!

NSV Thursday

Yup, that's surprise on my face.

So this happened last night ^ ^

And that's my NSV, boom.

Okay, yes, that's my NSV but you KNOW I have more to say about it!

A very good buddy of mine (who is on her own healthy journey and has lost more than 90lbs; so proud of you Charmissa!), and I have started a wellness group at our company.  It was all her idea, I'm just along for the ride and thankful she asked me to assist.  Basically, we get together every other week with our colleagues and provide an opportunity  to share tips, resources, ideas for being active, and generally leading a healthy life.  Each week, we provide a topic for discussion and this week we will be talking about adding something new into your life.

The concept behind trying something new is that when you're starting out on a journey, attempting to try to CHANGE your entire routine is completely scary and overwhelming and utterly daunting.  You've got your routine that has worked for you, maybe you have a family that you're working around, too.  And whammo!  This happens:  "That's it!  Today is the day we're never eating anything unhealthy again!  I just went to the grocery store and spent $400 on vegetables and paid for a gym membership; we're doing this!"  We have ALL done this...in high hopes of being able to maintain it. But how often have we all tried that only to realize that it doesn't always work?  And two weeks or a month into it, we abandon our new plan?  Maybe you abandon it because your family hates all the food you're making...maybe you abandon it because it's just too expensive...maybe you abandon it because what you've decided to try just doesn't fit into your life in some way.  It happens to all of us.

But here's a great concept...what if we just decide to add a little something new to our routines?  Nothing big, just something really sort of simple.  Charmissa reminded me how when I started out, my ultimate goal was to lose weight, but I decided to START out by just changing my recipes to incorporate healthier ingredients.  Not a big change, just a little change.  Still eating things I loved, just making them a little healthier.  Once that became a routine, I began to incorporate some exercises into my week...I tried lots of different things, and some I liked and some I didn't.  A year ago, about this time, my friend Katie from KTJ Weighing In announced a Virtual 5K so I decided that I'd try to train for it.  It just so happened that on the same day of the virtual 5K, June 1st, there was an actual 5K locally, so I took the plunge and signed up for the race.  (Read about it here.)  I tried something new, decided that I would commit to just this one race, and if I hated it, I'd never have to do it again.  But the thing is that I loved it...it was hard...but it was amazing.  I never would have been able to experience that feeling if I hadn't tried something new.  And here I am, almost a year later and I'm a runner now!  I knock out 5K's on my own all the time and a lot of the times, I try to run 5 miles or more!

See how little things can lead to big things??  And you don't have to burden yourself with some grand big plans to make huge changes to do this...just try to add a healthy component to your day, your week, etc.  It doesn't even have to be a physical thing...like I mentioned above, I started to introduce new ways to cook foods and make them healthier...now that's just how we eat.  Again, my buddy Charmissa reminded me how hard it would have been (and probably disastrous!) to say to my Hubs, "This is how we're going to eat now.  Quinoa and chick peas for life!"  Uh, yah, never would have flown.  But ever so slowly, he started to try some of the things I introduced.  Some stick and some don't - he's still not a fan of quinoa.

Back to the pic above.  That's me, last night, deadlifting 145#s, for the first time.  I tried yet another NEW thing; it was amazing.  And I can't wait to do it again...and to lift heavier.

Get out there, try something new, and see where it leads you.  I guarantee you'll be so proud of yourself for doing it.

Non Scale Victory Thursday!

Hey Heyyyyyyyyy!  It's Non-Scale Victory Thursday and it's been awhile since I posted; I've missed you guys!  I have news to share and of course I would want my NSV peeps to be a part of it!!

Let's get right to it:  This morning, I finished my last assignment for my first Grad class, Research Methods - MY. GAWD. YA'LL...so stinking excited to be done!!  My life has been muddled by it for the last 8 weeks, which is why you haven't heard much from me...but I'm officially done and I have 5 weeks off before my next class begins - wooohooo!  My next class is Statistics and while a lot of people don't like Stats, I really did well in my undergrad Stats class so I hope that will carry through.

My next victory is that last week I went to the doctor for my bloodwork followup and I received great news.  If you have been following me for a while, you'll know that I have been trying to get off my cholesterol medicine for a long time.  The lovely side effects of spending 20 years of your life being obese are many and one of my burdens was high cholesterol.  Not only was I too fat, but it runs in my family so I had a double-whammy against me.  I've been healthy now for more than 2 years, but my dang cholesterol is still being a little tricky so my doctor has wanted me to stay on it.  BUT...last week he agreed to lower my dose AND if I can keep it where it is now, he's going to take me off it at my next appointment in August!  You guys...this made me cry!!  It's so frustrating on so many levels to be a basically healthy person but still have to take a drug that is so controversial...I am beyond elated.  One of the things I love about my doctor is that he's very much into natural and holistic healing.  He gave me a list of things that I could eat or take to help in continuing to lower my cholesterol and I decided to start taking Krill oil.  Anyone else taking it?  I'm going to to really concentrate on more natural ways to keep my cholesterol in check and I hope that in August, which also happens to be my birthday month, I'll have something to celebrate - stay tuned!

Lastly, I wanted to talk about my weight - I know this is a NON SCALE post, but I think it relates well.  So when I was at the doctors office, they of course weighed me.  I was up...like substantially.  In fact, more weight than I've gained at one time during this whole process - 8lbs.  The old me would have freaked...the EFF...out.  But oddly, I didn't.  I'm still kind of in wonderment about this.  And I came to the conclusion that for the first time in my life, I have to believe that my body is changing and maybe I'm starting to build muscle?  This is by NO means any type of excuse and here's the reason...I cannot look back and recall ANYthing that I've done over the past 8 weeks to berate myself over.  I have followed a healthy plan with very little deviation, I have worked out and stayed within my calories.  Do I wonder what the Hell?  Um, yah.  But what can I do?  MORE than I've done??  No...because what more can I do?  I HAVE thought about the difference in my routine, and what has changed is that I lowered my cardio and I upped my strength training.  I also incorporated more healthy fats into my diet and am consuming less refined carbs.  The reason that I know that this is working is because I am down in inches and my clothes are fitting looser.  We've all seen the before and after pictures of the difference in how skinny and fit look.  I guess I am now at that point in my journey.  I know this won't last...the weight will eventually fall off.  Am I looking forward to that day?  YUP.  Am I a tiny bit disappointed?  YES, more than a tiny bit.  But again, how much can I beat myself up over it?

I won't.  Not anymore.  I am going to believe this little quote below.  I have printed it out and it hangs right above my laptop so that I can be reminded of it on days when I'm feeling frustrated.  This whole journey is not about a number anymore to me.  It's about living a healthy life.  And I am...and I will continue to.

I also wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone who continues to inspire me and support me.  I could not do this without you and I am amazed everyday at the love and support people show me.  I hope I can do the same for you.

Be well!

Respect Reality

Hey there!  It's NSV Thursday and time to link up with two of my favorite ladies, Katie and Ashlee!

This week, I just want to talk about something that I think about all of the time and after reading some of my favorite blogs this past week, this might be of some help to others, as well.

If you get a chance, check out this article from US News & World Report.  It's called The Most Important Skill for Weight Management.  The article really hit home for me and the summary is that life happens and no matter what your best efforts are in healthy living, sometimes life is going to throw you a curve.  The only way to be successful in your healthy lifestyle is to Just. Keep. Going.

For instance, last weekend I PRd my running distance and ran 6.83 miles.  Then on Sunday, I biked over 15 miles.  I felt amazing; like I could move mountains.  I was a little sore but overall feeling pretty damn good about myself and my efforts.  I'm constantly amazed at what my body can do, so I'm constantly pushing the limits.  Constantly.

Then came Monday and my Crossfit session with my trainer.  My workout consisted of a warmup:  1 lap (.75 miles), 50 high knees and 20 squats.  Done.

The workout:

Run 1/2 mile
20 burpees
60 lunges
1 min plank

Run 1/2 mile
80 backslap jumping jacks
50 air squats
10 pushups
1 min each side, side planks

REPEAT

Cool down.  Which I didn't even get to.  Because at about lunge 35 of my first round I felt something tighten and almost snap in my left quad.  Did I stop?  Nope, I grimaced and I plowed on.  And guess what that got me?  The same feeling in my right quad.  By the time I got to the final round, I could barely walk.  But I effing did those MFing runs, squats, jumping jacks and planks. 

I finally let on how badly I was feeling and I was given the stink eye from my trainer as well as the stern instructions to take the next few days off.  I sorta gave her the "yah, as if" look and she told me about how being strong was not just about what your body could physically do and how hard you could push yourself, but that it is also about being mentally strong enough to say when enough is enough and to rest.

I have plowed through injuries before and ended up not being at my best for longer than necessary.  I'm learning that I need to know when to quit; I sure as hell don't want to be out of commission for longer than necessary.  But mentally, I'm not at the point where if that happens, I'd be okay.  In fact, I FEAR the possibility of not being able to work out and push myself physically; I have literally  become addicted to working out.  I'm not even ashamed, in fact I'm pretty damn proud of that fact, but still...

This sort of disturbs me and this article, which my trainer shared with us, really opened my eyes.  What would I do if something happened that sidelined me for a long period.  Do I have the mental strength to pick myself up and dust myself off and deal with it?  I don't know.  I'm still a little upset with myself when I overindulge for no apparent reason like on a random Thursday vs. at a special event or holiday.  The article states:

"Instead of being frustrated that your weight management 

or healthy living strategies are affected by reality, 

try to remember that your best efforts vary. 

The best you can do over the week of Passover or Easter is undoubtedly less 

healthful than the best you can do the week after. 

If your goal is your best, you'll never fall into the trap of repeatedly letting yourself down."

I have some work to do.  I am going to try to remember this and to keep this at the forefront of my healthy lifestyle.  I will continue to try my best every single day.  Whether or not I'm successful is up to me, but tomorrow is another day and another opportunity to continue with this amazing healthy life I'm not only enjoying now, but hope to enjoy for the rest of my life.

So my NSV this week was just one:  I did not stress about not working out the last two days.  In fact, I actually won't be able to work out again until Saturday.  But I'm not stressing.  

I have to admit...it feels pretty good.

Source

  

Non-Scale Victories, June 6, 2013

 

Hello!!  It's time for my favorite post of the week - Non-Scale Victories!  Time to celebrate all of the little things we do that are NOT scale related but are still just as important to our health.

 

I missed last week's linkup because things are just crazy around here, and you'd think that would mean that I have two weeks worth of NSVs to brag about...you'd THINK that but you would be wrong, ha!

 

It's not that I've not done anything to be victorious about, it's just that I feel like I'm gonna say the same things.  Oh, well, I'm going to list them anyway:

 

• I just completed 397 days straight of logging food into My Fitness Pal (hit me up:  jennlefebvre08)
• I completed my first 5K
• Even though I was sore from running said 5K (hazy, hot, miserable and downright blech!!), I have continued to workout and I was able to run yesterday for a mile and felt really great!
• This one is interesting to me:  I've made a conscious effort to eat less carbs this week and last night when I checked MFP for my week, I've been able to stay at about 35% carbs...my normal weeks are about 45%...so I've dropped about 10% in carbs this week
• Which made me wonder about this so I had to check:  I have only had ONE bagel in the past 13 days - hawhaaaaa???  That's crazy!!  Man, I love me a freaking bagel - Icouldeatoneeverysingleday.
• I'm continuing to try new workouts and tonight I'm going to check out Fitness Blender - anyone else using this?  A fun workout I did last night with some friends was kicking trees...don't worry, no trees were harmed in our quest for fitness.  I'll be posting about it next week on Workout Wednesday with Skinny Meg.  Basically, what I'm getting at is that I'm really digging finding new ways to workout in addition to my traditional cardio routines.  I LOVE mixing it up!
• I'm also continuing to add more and more weights to my workouts - I want to be strong!
• This coming Monday, the Hubs and I will celebrate 18 years of marital bliss and it's been 18 years since I was this size.  I gained 10lbs on my honeymoon and never looked back for 16 years!  You can bet your sweet buns I'll be trying on my wedding dress this weekend.

So there you have it - what were YOUR NSV's this week?

Non-Scale Victories Linkup May 23, 2013

Hello!

Time to share our NSVs of the week!  What were your Non-Scale Victories??

Mine were pretty simple this week and really have more to do with workouts than anything else.  I ran my fastest run in training last Saturday at 3.8 miles in 45:41.  Not the speediest but the speediest for me, ha!  I'm really trying to get in as many miles as I can before next Saturday's 5K.  I'm running on the treadmill tonight, which isn't my favorite, but it's all ucky rainy here so I don't have many options.

Also, I've been trying to do some different workouts and have been doing the plank challenge and I was able to hold it for 1:10 minutes.  I was shaking like a leaf, but I kept it together!

My favorite victory was being able to do a push up with alternating dumbbell row.  That's a mouthful, but it's basically this:  get in a push up position while holding dumbbells, do a push up, and then lift one dumbbell into a row, then alternate.  I honestly have seen it done and thought, "Oh, hell NO!  There's no way I could do that!?"  Well, guess what happens when you actually TRY to do something?  You find out that you can actually do it, LIGHTBULB!?  Anyway, it was kind of cool to realize that I had the strength.

I have been incorporating more and more strength exercises into my routine and I think they've been really helping.  More than anything, I feel wonderful being able to challenge myself and I feel strong.

Google Images

Hope you all have a great and safe Memorial Day weekend!  And please remember those who fight every day and have given the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms!

Google Images

Before & Now Pics & Non Scale Victories Linkup May 16, 2013

 

Hello!

 

It's time for my favorite post of the week!  What were your NON-Scale victories this week?

 

This week I have a few:

 

1)  I traveled to see my Mom last weekend and no matter which airport I was in, I used the stairs and walked vs. using the moving sidewalks.  Big switch from my old life where those modern advances were like little oasis's to a chubby chick carrying heavy bags.

 

2)  I didn't stress about eating on my visit - I ate things I don't normally indulge in and I didn't stress.  Since I'm weighing only once a month now, I realized last weekend that in the past, with Friday weigh-in looming, I would stress and stress about the wrong choices I made during the week.  In other words, I mostly didn't enjoy myself pretty much ever.  The thing with weighing less often is that when I weigh next month I'm not going to beat myself up for two days of enjoying myself!  When I weighed more often, I would get to weigh-in day and when I didn't see what I wanted to, I would pick apart EVERY.  LITTLE.  THING. I did during the week.  Do you know what that type of self destruction does to the mind??  So, did I mention I'm over stressing??

 

3)  I have before and current pics to share.  The first picture was taken at my highest weight.  I haven't shared it before now because I honestly had forgotten about it and a co-worker sent a bunch of old pictures out and this little gem was included.  This was from Halloween 2008 and my department decided to dress up as Beer Wenches (disregard the lovely wig).  My mom had to make my costume (back then she made a lot of my clothes to be honest) because there were no size 26 beer wench costumes out there.  The second picture was taken a few weeks ago.  There are 72lbs of difference in these pictures...but most importantly, tons of sweat, miles and miles traveled, thousands of hurdles tackled, and a strength I continue to amaze myself with:

 

 

The funny part about it when I look at these pictures, it almost looks like I compressed the top picture and stretched the bottom one.  I can assure you and promise you that the only editing I did was to crop them.

 

 

 

Non Scale Victories May 2, 2013

It’s Non-Scale Victory Time with Katie and Lex!  And a Happy May to you!

This week wasn’t as eventful as last week, but I continue to feel great about NOT stressing about the scale.

I’ve concentrated on getting in my strength training, watching what I’m consuming and getting in my cardio.  I am in love with this fit chick that has busted out of the chains the scale held on her – she is an animal!  Of course, next week, I will actually get on the scale because I’ve designated May 10^th as my May Weigh Day…well, look at that, I rhymed, ha!

When I do get on the scale, I will remember these words:

Google Images

One of the things I think I need to work on though, is feeling okay with NOT having a workout day.  It’s not that I don’t think I need a rest day, I certainly do.  On the weekend, I tend to be less stringent about the things I’m eating because all week long I’m pretty obsessed.  I never go all-out crazy on the weekends, but yes, I like to enjoy a pancake every now and again.  But the weekends are also usually some of my best workout days and I tend to burn a whole lot more because I have more time than I do during the week.  So even though I have a pancake, I feel like my workouts keep me in check.  However, with my injury last weekend, I had to be stricter on my calories on Saturday and that made me nervous; I really had to try hard.  Does anyone else feel that way?  Well, I did, but it felt great to have handled it, and I handled it well.  I was pretty proud of myself for that!

Still, there’s that little voice in my head that said, “You handled it, but it wasn't easy…and after all the hard work you put in, doesn’t that make you worry that you DON’T have it ALL together yet?”  Yah, it pretty much does.  I know that the food is the key for me – even though I’ve been doing this for 16 months, I still need to keep myself in check and food still seems to be my underlying issue.  I’m also a quantity girl; but I know when I’m feeling like a ravenous monster and those are the days that I have my B.A.S or Big Ass Salad.  You should see this thing…seriously, huge.  Or I cut up a bunch of broccoli and cauliflower and chow down on those.  So in a sense, I’m in control since I’m eating healthy and making healthy choices, but there is still that fat girl inside that wants to eat…a lot.

I wonder how long it will be a struggle and whether or not I’ll ever be able to let my guard down?  All I know is that I still need to be on guard for now and I'm going to keep on keepin' on because at this point, it's all I know to do!

So those are my NSV’s this week!  Which NSV’s are you celebrating??

Non-Scale Victories Linkup April 25, 2013

Hello!

It's time for my favorite post of the week, Non-Scale Victories with Katie and Lex!  And this week, I have lots to share with you!

1)  I started serious strength training.  I've been doing a lot of research lately on different things I can do to not only lose weight but to start toning and gaining some more muscle definition; apparently hours and hours of cardio is NOT the answer.  If there was a tiara for Cardio Queen, I would own it.  I spend SO much time doing cardio as well as watching every calorie that goes in and out for so long,  and I've been just slowly losing...and many weeks, losing nothing at all.  It's SO frustrating.  So, I took to the Internet to do some research and what I found was pretty eye opening.  Well, for me anyway.  Cardio alone will not melt the pounds away.  We need to incorporate more strength training into our routines AS WELL AS, limit cardio time.  I'm not saying not to attend your favorite Zumba class because believe me, no one is going to take that away from me.  But on days when you aren't doing cardio, do some strength training.  This could include something like Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred or kettlebell training.  Just add some muscle-building into your routines.  Now, I know you could go online and find an article supporting any type of subject you could imagine...but for me, I've been at a standstill for awhile now, and I'm going to try to see where this strength training thing goes.  I learned that even resting muscle helps to burn calories.  Here's a few articles I found on limiting cardio or including aerobic AND strength training:

http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/8-cardio-myths-are-making-you-fat

If you have a bit more time and like graphs and math equations:  http://www.precisionnutrition.com/rr-cardio-vs-weights

2)  After doing my research, and the feeling I had after an amazing run last week, I'm putting my scale to rest.  No more weighing every week.  I'm not even going to weigh every other week.  I am making a commitment to only weigh once a month.  And that might even change if I continue to see results.  One takeaway from the second article above is that scale weight is NOT precise:  Weight is not fat mass.  Check out this photo below from that article:

I am so sick and tired of the scale dictating my emotions.  I LOVE the feeling I have after a great workout and the excitement of smaller clothes, and I want to feel that good all the time...which leads me to NSV #3...

3)   I went shopping and I'm officially in the next smaller size - 16!  Since about Fall and through Winter, I've been stuck between 18 & 16, which in the big scheme of life is great...but NOT fun when you need new clothes!  I also took my measurements which I haven't done in almost a year and the difference was pretty profound!  I have lost a total of 13.25" off various parts of my body since June of 2012...guess where the biggest loss came from?  My girls!!  How frustrating is that??  I did NOT need to lose from that area, one bit!  Another cool part of this is that it was super cool last week and my Hubs had a sweatshirt in his truck so I grabbed it and not only was it loose, I could zip it up!  THAT hasn't happened in 18 years...just sayin'.

4)  My last NSV happened just yesterday.  I had a Dr's appointment which was a followup to labs we did a few weeks ago and everything stayed about the same as last year.  Which is good according to him, but bad according to me.  I had hoped that I was doing so well that I could be off the cholesterol medicine altogether.  My cholesterol levels were good, though...they went down where they were supposed to and my good cholesterol went up, but it wasn't what I wanted to hear.  I almost cried actually and I think he could tell because he all of a sudden came to stand right in front of me and said, “Jenn, you are MY success story…do you know that?  I tell people about you.  What you have done to change your life is amazing and you need to know that.  We cannot help genetics, and it sucks that you were dealt this little bump, but you are on your way and you can’t even spend one more minute thinking of this.  I DO think that if everything keeps going the way it is, this time next year, we will be having a different conversation.  Everything that you are doing to get healthy is working!  I am not concerned one bit and you shouldn't be either.”  So that made me feel much better...He even suggested that I write a book.  Funny, but I don't see that happening.

So there, you have it, my NSVs for the week.  Not a bad week!

Non-Scale Victories Linkup, March 28, 2013

Hello lovelies!!  It's time for my favorite post of the week:  NSV Thursday!  This is the time that we get reflect on all of the great, healthy things we did this week that are NOT scale related.

I continued to try to drink my water and eat my fruits; the hard part about the fruit consumption is that right now there aren't a whole lotta good-tasting fruits so I'm stuck with the usuals:  apples, pears, bananas, grapes...I love Cuties, but I'm the only one who eats them so I cannot justify paying $8 for a crate of them when I won't eat them all.  This week was weird as far as my water intake, because I noticed that I was having to go to the bathroom even MORE but I'm not drinking any more than I did last week!??  I swear our bodies are so finicky.

This next one may not be considered an NSV, but in a way I feel like it is.  I usually try to work out for like 3 hours a day on the weekends.  It's a lot...but I feel like when I do that I can be a little lax on what I eat and not be so obsessive.  The problem is that 6 hours of working out on the weekend is insane...like psycho-insane.  Don't get me wrong, I honestly love working out and when I have downtime, it's the first thing I'll use to fill it...but I need to do other things...I love to paint but I don't make the time for it...I also never get to sit on the couch & watch movies with my Hubby because I can never sit still long enough to do it...those are the things I should be making time for.  So my NSV in this sense is that I vowed NOT to work out that long AND to be more conscious of not going over my calories.  AND, I got some good couch time with my Man - we watched "This is 40"...twice, it was SO funny!

In doing some research on working out, I've been trying to get in more QUALITY workouts and doing more interval training.  My bestie sent me a great article about Burst Training and I'm trying to incorporate more of these types of workouts in.  They apparently burns many more calories overall than a typical cardio workout.  Definitely worth trying.

This one should probably wait for the 5K Challenge Linkup but I'm just so excited I have to share.  I'm officially RUNNING a 5K on June 1st - ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!  I just found out yesterday that my company is sponsoring one locally and since I was already planning to run our virtual one, why not commit to an official race??  I can't believe how excited and SCARED I am!!  Every time I think about it I get butterflies-in-my-tummy-nervous and come close to crying from being so afraid but that stressed out feeling I get when I don't want to do something is NOT there...that's a good sign, right??

I also had an overwhelming urge to eat everything in sight yesterday...but I didn't!!  Ohhhh, my inner fat girl was a beast, trying so hard to get me to eat a bunch of bad things, but I didn't let that bitch get the best of me.  Winning!

Hope you had some great non-scale victories, as well! 

Be sure to head over to my recipe blog & follow me for great, HEALTHY recipes every week!

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Non-Scale Victories Linkup March 21, 2013

It's Thursday and time for reflecting on the last week and all healthy things Non-Scale related!

My list this week is short - not because I had a bad week, but because I only did a few "new" things this week.

1)  Even though this can wait for next week's 5K challenge (and truth be told, I might mention it again...a few times...), I'm super excited so I have to report it anyway:  I wogged for 4mins straight on the treadmill on Monday and THEN on Tuesday, I wogged for almost a FULL 1/2 mile outside on the soccer field!!

2)  On Monday, I also drove through sleet, icy roads, and numerous accidents to get to the gym - what's that old post office creed??  Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night...okay, maybe not gloom of night - I'm a huge chicken.

3)  This week I also attempted to eat fruit with every meal or tried to eat at least 3 fruits a day.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.  I'm going to try to continue this.

4)  I'm one of those people who just doesn't think about drinking water...I actually don't think about drinking anything (except my beloved latte in the morning - Sweet Joseph, how I love thee...), so it takes effort to drink enough of anything, let alone water.  I've gotten so much better over the last year and a half, and I always drink at least eight 8oz glasses, but this week I tried to up my water to 12 and even some days I got up to 14.  When I first started my journey, I set a calendar reminder to pop up at work to tell me to drink water...I can't tell you how much that helped!  I've also been blessed with the tiniest bladder known to man, so all this water has me running to the bathroom at least twice an hour.  Extra steps during the day!  I actually have to stop drinking water by 2:30pm & use the restroom right before I walk out the door, just to be able to make it home without breaking out in the pee sweats...you know what I'm talking  about...when you have to go so bad, you start sweating?  Yah, that's me.  The great thing about trying to get enough water is that I rarely have any type of drink that isn't water, again except for my latte...have I mentioned how much I heart that latte?  I swear to you that sometimes I kiss my cup.

Be sure to tell me what your NSV's were this week!  Remember, it's not all about the scale.

Non Scale Victories March 14, 2013

Happy NSV Thursday!

Wow, it has been so very busy the last two weeks and I'm feeling overwhelmed with how much is going on - I haven't even been able to keep up with my blog buddies, so please forgive me!  I'm hoping I get a chance to catch up on them in the next few days but I have a busy but fun weekend ahead, too.  A few obstacles that I'll have to be careful of:  my dear friend's daughter's 16th birthday party, and another fun birthday party at our local race track which also features...dun dun dun...a buffet!  My plan is to work my arse off in the morning so that I can partake in some goodies, but not go too off track that I feel guilty about it on Sunday...I'm going to go ahead and say that'll be an NSV in hopes that it'll help me stay accountable!

My biggest NSV for this week is actually one of the main reasons things have been so busy for me.  In an effort to continue to step out of my comfort zone, challenge myself and get in some different workouts, I signed on to help my friend with her son's soccer team as her assistant conditioning coach...yeeks!  Now, the reason it's a little bit scary for me is that I have not always been comfortable around kids.  Hubby and I were not able to have our own, and we have nieces and nephews who we love and adore, but I don't have a lot of opportunities to spend time with kids in a social setting.  And, to be honest, I'm not really not comfortable around kids that aren't "mine" as in, in my family or my circle of friends.  So this is pretty huge for me.

Tuesday was our first practice and it became apparent RIGHT AWAY that I'm definitely going to be challenged physically, just as I'd hoped.  Part of me says, "What were you thinking??"  Careful what you wish for, right??  I thought I had built up some stamina but the first time we started running on the field, I couldn't even make it one length and I hurt my knee!  It actually pissed me off to be entirely honest.  I mean, here I've been training and I couldn't even run as long as I have been able to EVERY other time I've set out to run?  What the hell?  Maybe it's because the kids set the pace and clearly my "wogging" can't keep up?  I don't know, but the anger (and embarrassment) is there.  And because I couldn't keep up, there's also now this stupid fear that I WON'T be able to.  I hated that as I "ran" past the parents sitting in their cars, I was struggling so much...I'm sure they were thinking, "Oh, look at this chick thinking she can keep up..."  In my mind, I think, "Shut up - at least I'm out here."  Then the insecure chick inside me hates that they are probably judging me.  Thinking about it makes me anxious so I keep trying to put it out of my head and think about other things. 

I keep repeating this to myself:  No matter; I'm going to conquer this.  I'm stronger than my fear.  I want to challenge myself.  I want to step out of my comfort zone.  I want to continue to work on being a strong person physically and mentally. 

So tonight, I'm going to try again.  Wish me luck.

Non-Scale Victories Linkup Feb 28, 2013

It's Thursday which means it is NSV Thursday in my world!  This week, I did exactly what I said I was going to do last week and I wrote my NSV's down as they happened.  I feel like that could be my first NSV this week :)

Last Friday, I was having one of those uncontrollable days, and it was one of those days where I knew exactly what I was doing, I just didn't care.  Not in a bad way that I couldn't recover from, but an honest to goodness "I Honestly Don't Care" day.  I think I needed it.  There were cookies...glorious cookies...and by golly, I was gonna have some...or 10.  Of course, that's not my NSV!  That came in when I sat down at the end of the day to get caught up on all of my blog friend's posts.  Unless you have struggled with your weight on the same level that I have/am, you cannot imagine the support that you really need from people who just GET IT.  My blog friends get it.  Reading these blogs is SO inspirational.  The amazing strength that each of them harbors, as well as the inspiration they give to me every day, is one of the many things that keep me going.  So instead of continuing to have my "I don't care" attitude that day, I read those blogs and they MADE me care about how I ended my day in control, which is exactly what I did.  Thanks, Blog Buddies!!

This next NSV is a little bit funny, but again, unless you've never experienced it, you probably don't understand the joy it brings to find you actually have one...I'm talking about "My Lap."  As in, I found out that I have A LAP.  I figured it out when I was sitting in the car on a work trip and I was able to eat out of it, like a normal person...as in I could sit stuff on it without my tummy being in the way, and my breakfast didn't slide off the front it, or using it didn't give me leg cramps as I was trying to hold them together.  I really don't know how I can expound upon this one any more, but this is a huge NSV for me!

We were out of town this past weekend and there is a great little restaurant/bakery in the little village we stayed in and everything they have there is amazing.  I could have made a really healthy decision for breakfast and had egg whites, but as I stated at the beginning of my journey, I don't want to NOT experience things along the way and sometimes that may mean food choices.  I'm eating like I want to eat for the rest of my life, I'm on a lifetime journey, which means if an opportunity presents itself, I want to have a "normal" moment and enjoy it.  Enter:  Banana Bread French Toast with Blueberry Compote and Lemon Whipped Cream.  Three words:  Totally Worth It.  Now, my NSV is that I didn't eat much for the rest of the day, then I got my butt home and worked it out like crazy to make up for it :)  Give and take...I'm totally willing to GIVE some blood, sweat and tears to TAKE bites of delicious goodness such as these along the way!

My last NSV is that I started running using the C25K app on my phone.  I'm happy to report that I not only ran every time that little voice told me to, but I also added 3 additional runs in at the end.  Of course, "running" is probably a loose term, but I have these little stubby legs that right now can only run at about 4.5 mph.  I'm working on it, though!  Do any of you ever have running dreams?  I'm talking about dreams in which I am running like I'm an actual runner.  I run all over the place and never get tired!?  My aspirations are not to become a runner, but I really want to be able to run a bit of a distance...like maybe some day I'll be able to run a whole mile all at once!!

I hope all of you had a some noteworthy NSV's this week and remember that no matter how small your victory is, it is still a victory!

Non-Scale Victories February 21

Where did this week go?  Is it possible for a week to go slowly and fast at the same time??  And we still have one more day to get through!

My non-scale victories list for this week is pretty short; I must remember to write these little things down as I think of them.

I went a teensy bit overboard last weekend; not too crazy but I decided not to stress and try to relax in regard to eating...I'm trying to do that more - it's HARD!  Anyway, since I did enjoy more than I normally do, I worked out every day.  I normally try to take a rest day in between but I did some good cardio burning every single day including Saturday and Sunday.  I tried the 30 Day Shred and can I just say, "Owwww!"  It was such a good workout!  Also, my gym buddy even had me try some crazy treadmill moves which, BTDubs, is not easy for me as I am one of the clumsiest peeps I know.  I was a little nervous, but with some hidden ninja-like moves and perhaps a little new found core strength, I did not trip or fall off said treadmill - yay!

The one NSV that actually stuck out in my mind is that I forced myself to go to bed early a few nights in the past week JUST so that I didn't eat everything I wanted to...and boy did I want to!  I hate when I have that feeling:  that uncontrollable-nothing-will-satisfy-me urge...you know what I'm talking about?

I've also been trying to ween myself off of the sugar I put into my coffee and for the past two weeks, I've been able to have my favorite morning iced latte with just unsweetened vanilla almond milk and my liquid stevia drops.  I'm happy to report that I've finally discovered my perfect combination of flavor deliciousness!  It's honestly the favorite part of my work morning...it literally makes me happy just thinking about it!

That's all I have to report for this week!  I hope all of you had some great NSV's, too!

Non-Scale Victories Linkup Feb 14, 2013

Ahhh, Love!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Even though I'm a girly-girl, I'm not a big Valentine's Day person...And please don't get me wrong, I love a day that is specifically set aside for love!!  You probably think I'm weird, but I'm of the mindset that every day of the year should be celebrated with love...corny, right?  But seriously!  A long time ago, my sweet Hubby said, "Why do I need a holiday to remind you how much I love you?"  Insert *swoon*...and we've never celebrated Valentine's Day again...And to this day, he has kept his promise to show me every day...even if it's just throwing away my recently used tissue (true story)...sweet, right?  Haha!

This year though, a couple of my girlfriends and I are getting together for Girls Night In and we're planning some healthy eats and chick chat!  I'm excited since we don't get to do this much.  I hope you and your sweetie or friends have something fun planned too!  If you don't have plans with others, be sure to plan to do something fun to celebrate you!

Since I missed last week's linkup, I'm going to incorporate two week's worth of NSV's - hope you don't mind!

1)  Shopped for vacation clothes and bought LOTS of things in smaller sizes...although I was a little frustrated with trying to find a formal dress...shopping is way more fun if you actually fit into a smaller size...I'm in-between sizes and although I reached my first big goal of 50lbs, I was a little deflated that I couldn't find a dress that looked nice.  I digress.

2)  Since my vacation didn't officially start until Sunday night, I didn't go into "eat everything" mode until we reached our first destination.  In the past, I would have hit the vacation button at 4:30pm on my last day of work.

2)  While on vacation I brought my workout gear and my heart rate monitor and I worked out every single day.  The treadmill isn't so boring when you're staring at the ocean!

3)  As soon as we got home from vacation, I got back on plan.  Vacation is over!

4)  I've been eating my weight in broccoli and cauliflower this week...not really, but for some reason I've been craving it and I can't get enough...hoping my digestive system  doesn't hate me, heh heh...

5)  I was super excited that I was able to have a decent picture of me taken on our vacation so I'm counting this one as an NSV, too:

6)  This isn't my own NSV, but I just wanted to give a shout out to all of my new blog friends who have made my journey so much fun and I'm super proud of all of you and YOUR NSV's - you inspire me!  We can do this!