And Then There Were Three!

Week two of running!  It is going well.  MUCH better than I expected.  There are so many people in this area that run!  I am actually friends with lots of people who run 5K's and even marathons.  Many times I have caught myself calling them "crazy runner people" and I can see why!  I could EASILY become one!  It is so exhilarating and almost addictive.  Hopefully I will be a crazy runner person here before long.  It would not be such a bad thing!


Today Lacey and I had a new addition to our run.  Another new runner!  I am so enjoying this.  It is time out for me with friends to do something healthy and kid free.  Please do not get me wrong, I LOVE my kids.  Every mom needs time for herself though, right?

Bye-Bye Sparkly Nails

Well a few weeks ago I splurged and got myself some sparkly pink nails.  They have been so fun!  I have not had acrylics in YEARS.  I love to have my nails done because my natural nails are HORRIBLE.  No matter what I do, I cannot grow them out.  They are thin and brittle.  I have my cosmetology license, so I have tried pretty much every professional product on the market.  Nothing works.  I was going to keep them up and get them filled and all that jazz BUT I decided instead to soak them off (not peel them!) and save my money for a new pair of running shoes!

This is my first goal and reward.  I have to run for however long it takes me to lose the remainder of the twelve pounds I had first decided to lose, then get the new shoes.  

I have already lost seven pounds so I need to lose five more.  This is a VERY attainable goal!  I wanted to lose twelve before we go to Florida in June.  I still have about three weeks.  If I lose the twelve before we go, then I get to take my new shoes and run in the awesome, tropical Florida sunshine.  What a great reward!

Today was only our second day to run.  The C25K thing is great!  I also think that having a great running partner helps!  It is so much more motivating to know I am not doing this alone.  Thanks, Lacey!

So my first long term goal I think will be to run the Valley Fest 5K.  I then would like to do the Soaring Wings Half Marathon.  Do you have any other suggestions???

What about shoes?  What are your favorites?  There are so many out there.  I would love to hear your personal opinions and experiences with specific brands.

Well, I need to go soak off the sparkly nails.  I am sure they will soon be replaced with some fun sparkly polish!

I Need Your Help

I have decided that I need to set some goals.  I need short term and long term.  This could be weight or exercise related.  Hopefully this will keep me motivated.

I also need to come up with some rewards for myself.  It would be good if most of these were inexpensive.  I am a full time mommy and student, so I do not have my own income to splurge all the time.  One thing I know I NEED is a new pair of running shoes.  Mine are OLD.  They were purchased at the beginning of last summer and I have worn them quite a bit.  I think this will possibly be my first goal and reward.  I do not know much about running, but I know good shoes are a MUST.

Do you have any creative or fun ideas?  What are your goals and rewards?  Do you have a favorite type or brand of shoes?  Remember I need to keep it practical and inexpensive!  Thanks for your help!

Yummy Snack!

Today is the day!  Day one of running.  My friend and I begin tonight.  She downloaded the Couch to 5K app on her phone to help us along.  Hopefully the rain will hold off and we will not have to postpone.  I have faith!

For the past few days, this quote keeps running through my head.  "Don't worry, everything is going to be amazing."  I know that it is true!  I am so happy right now.  Happy AND motivated.  Not being in school the past couple of weeks has been so nice.  I'm enjoying my time at home with my family.  My stress level is super low, which is totally out of the ordinary for me.  It's AMAZING!!!  Not being in school is also giving me more time to cook.  This allows me to make healthy meals for myself and my family.  It is nice!

So... I totally just passed up the Oreos and milk for key lime Fiber One yogurt and cinnamon graham crackers.

SCORE!

  

I will have to admit that this is tough.  I want those Oreos so bad, but I know they are NOT worth it!!!

For breakfast today I had an oats and peanut butter Fiber One bar and black coffee.

Lunch was a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with reduced fat cheese and grapes, and iced tea.

I was hungry when I got home so I grabbed a handful of low sodium Pringles (which are pretty good!).

When I realized I was going to keep snacking on junk, I headed for the Oreos.  I opened the fridge to get out the milk and saw the yogurt on the bottom shelf.  Then I remembered the graham crackers.  I immediately changed my mind and headed back to the pantry to get the healthier snack.  As I was putting the Oreos away I began to recite a very familiar scripture:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  -Phillipians 4:13

One thing I have discovered in the last few days is that I HAVE to snack more during the day.  I am hungry.  I need to stop and take the time to grab even just a handful of grapes to get me through to my meal.   Do you have any suggestions of healthy, easy snacks?  This is a tough one for me.  What about on the go snack foods?

Finally... a Cure

Well folks, I have found a cure for my chocolate cravings.  This is HUGE!!!!!  

Here is the secret:  

Only buy dark chocolate.

Yep, that is all it is!  Pretty simple, huh?  I do not really like dark chocolate.  I do not crave it like I do milk chocolate.  So I am only going to buy dark chocolate to keep in the house.  When I have a craving, I grab a couple of dark chocolate Piecies, or a dark chocolate Hershey Kiss.  I also keep the Kisses in the freezer so they do not melt in my mouth like milk chocolate does.  Problem solved!  I do not even usually go for it, because I know I will not really like it.  We will see how long this works for me!

Do you have any secrets to curb your cravings?  I would love for you to share!

I Have a Running Partner!

So, my sweet friend, Miss Wacey (Lacey), sent me a text last week.  Apparently she heard from someone else that I am wanting to run.  My goal is to do the Soaring Wings Half in the fall.  This would be HUGE for me.  I have never even done a 5K.  I know that with HIM all things are possible... even this!


Now I know that this scripture is not at all about me running a race, but I am going to focus on this during the next few weeks.  It will not only help me keep my focus on what I am working toward, but also WHY I am here on this earth.  

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  -Philippians 3:14

So now I need some help.  I am NOT a runner.  Do you have any tips for me.  What do I wear?  What do I eat?  What about shoes?  Do any of you local runners have a good running spot you would like to recommend?  What about good music for my ipod?  Any advice is welcomed!

My Newest Discovery... So Excited!!!

I just discovered that Lipton Cup A Soup is only 1 point per packet!  

This is with the old points system.  Not sure about the new.  I'm so excited about it!!!