3rd Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge: Dealing with Vacation

I'm 2 weeks into this 3rd Body by Vi Challenge and my weight has not changed. You might think that lack of progress is a downer, but no, it's actually the opposite.

We returned from a family vacation to that most magical destination: Walt Disney World. We absolutely love Disney and go every other Spring. Your first thoughts of Disney might include a certain mouse, castle and pirates hailing from the Caribbean, but also stuck in the middle of all of that is FOOD and lots of it. I made the decision going into this vacation that I would not stress about food choices, but instead would do what I wanted to do. Mission accomplished! I began each day with a BBV shake but then ate from whatever overpriced, calorie-filled menu that was in front of us each day in Mickey-land.

And, you know what? I enjoyed straying away from healthier choices and I'm not going to lie about it. But I also looked forward to returning to better nutrition once we returned home. I score that as a major WIN on lots of different levels!

Oh, and the vacation was the best one my family has had in many years as you should be able to tell from these pictures.

A-ha!

I just knew my job is killing me & here's the proof ...

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

3rd Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge: Chaos!

I've decided to keep an online record of my 3rd Body by Vi Challenge. I'm going to do my best to post periodic updates here on the blog as another level of accountability. I'm down 23 pounds so far since September 2010. The best part is that the inches have melted away - I'm now wearing size 10 pants and large tops (some mediums and that's quite the accomplishment with these big boobs). I never in a million years thought I'd be this size again. So for the record, that's down from a tight size 16 in pants and extra large tops. Yep, I'm excited!

My goal for this next 90 days is to lose 10 pounds and go down to size 8 pants. I'm not going to set a goal for a smaller top because, again, big boobs ... don't think it's reasonable to expect a lot more change there. The way I'm going to have to meet this goal is to concentrate on exercise and building lean muscle. Luckily for me, the Vi-Shape does just that!

I may be a little crazy starting this challenge right now because there's a lot of craziness going on. We're going through a small remodeling project at home, so my den is currently in this state:

The project is almost complete although there are repairs to be made to the floor that can't be seen in this picture. Obviously, this empty room means all of the den furniture is in other parts of the house. The demolition that has since been cleaned up left plaster dust all over everything, so there's the added chaos of washing everything in the kitchen. The calm in the middle of the storm: the day's 2 shakes and my morning coffee!

Of course, it could always be worse. My husband's office literally no longer exists. The tornadoes in NC destroyed his building leaving him with an unwanted skylight. Thankfully, the tornado hit on a Saturday when the office and other commercial buildings were empty. God is good!

I know I'll face some unique challenges during this third 90 day challenge. I have many positives in my life that will help me overcome the obstacles: a supportive family, motivation to succeed and a great arsenal of tools at my disposal. Stay tuned for updates!

Canal Trail 8k - quick details

Today was the Canal Trail 8k. Here are the very quick details since I need to shut the computer down. I will do my best to post again tomorrow with a recap.

My splits:
Mile 1: 11:09
Mile 2: 22:17 (11:08)
4k: 27:15
Mile 3: 34:13 (11:56)
Mile 4: 46:01 (11:48)
8k: 57:32 (11:31)

Chip time 57:31 - instant PR since it's a new distance for me!

69/107 overall men & women, 12/21 40-49 females

Taylor - 49/107 overall men & women, 8/11 40-49 men 50:59 chip time. I am so proud - this was his very first race ever!

Three Things Thursday

I'm still here and still suck at establishing at any sort of blogging routine - so nothing new there. So I'm going to write this post the easy way: three things Thursday, bullet-style!

• I'm still doing really well with my weight loss, nutrition and fitness. I'm at my lowest weight in years - 158.5 this morning. I found my wellness program numbers from 2008 a few weeks ago. I was 188 that August which I believe is my heaviest non-pregnancy weight. Most of those 30 pounds have been lost since September 2010 when I started my Body by Vi challenge. I feel so good and am so energized that I now go to the gym 3 mornings a week at 5:30 a.m. I'm not exactly jumping out of bed with a huge smile on my face at 4:50 a.m. in order to make the 20-minute drive into town, but I love it afterwards. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are group classes with hand weights and steps. I am a drippy, sweaty mess afterwards but it's an incredible way to start the day. Wednesday mornings are treadmill runs, which oddly enough, I really enjoy. I guess it's because I don't normally have easy access to a treadmill so I try to turn it into a speedwork session. Routinely hitting the gym this early in the morning is a HUGE accomplishment for me as I have never been a morning person!

• The Canal Half Marathon is this weekend. This is the half I ran last year with such a horribly slow time thanks to the muddy trail. It's also the event that started an emotional downward spiral that made my self-confidence hit an all-time low. My plan since last fall has been to conquer it this year. Unfortunately that's not going to happen. I didn't stick to my training plan close enough and my right heel still gives me problems for a few days after long runs. But here's the positive outcome. I downgraded to the 8k and best of all, my husband Taylor is going to run it with me. After 2 1/2 years, he's finally given in to my pleadings to join me in this "running thing." He won't admit it quite yet, but I think he enjoys it (sweetie, in case you're reading this, just agree with me).

• The ACC tournament starts today - my absolute favorite time of the year when it comes to sports. I have to say it since it's my alma mater ... go wolfpack! I don't think there's much of a chance we'll play any more this year after tonight's game with Maryland, but it would be wonderful to be wrong.

Body by Vi Giveaway Winner!

I'm so excited! The deadline for my first giveaway has passed, so now it's time to determine the winner of the Body by Vi Balance Kit.

There were 16 total comments ...

So like I've seen on other blogs, I went to random.org to find out who is the lucky winner ...

Then I checked to see who had the 5th comment ...

and it's TZel!

I'm not sure how TZel initially heard of my blog and giveaway, but I'm very glad she did. Her new blog and its posts are very well-written and are obviously very purposeful in expressing her thoughts. Her posts about prayer and her relationship with God speak volumes to me. Although this giveaway is just one small act, reading her words in her post on Tuesday just seem to round out this giveaway in a very nice way. She wrote:

"Now, here is where balance really comes into play. We have already discussed our relationship with God and taking care of our own needs. But Jesus advises us that there is more happiness in giving than in receiving ... Nurturing involves helping fulfill the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others. Volunteer work, taking care of family members,' workmates' and friends' needs satisfies in us that basic human desire to serve others. Without working hard to help others, our lives will seem empty and without purpose."

Looking back at the first 8-9 months of 2010, I realize now that I was not living and enjoying life as God wants us to do. I was not leading a life of purpose. Was I depressed? I honestly don't know. There were no huge factors going on in my life to bring on a depression. I am incredibly blessed: I am married to my best friend since childhood and we have 2 wonderful, healthy children. I have a job which I enjoy. Materialistically, there is nothing that we truly need that we don't have. Spiritually, I know that I am a child of God who gave us all the gift of His Son so that we may live forever in a relationship with Him.

Why was I in such an "inner funk" for much of the year? Why did I feel that I couldn't love myself as others love me? I haven't resolved all of the emotions associated with this, but what I do know with certainty is that I felt that a part of my life - my health, my body - was spinning out of control. Finding Body by Vi changed that for me and for the first time in 20+ years I am loving my body - and all of me - again. To say that is a good feeling and that it has changed my life is a tremendous understatement.

That is what I want to share with others and why I write about Body by Vi on this blog. Yes, I'm selling the product because Taylor and I need the extra income to help patch some holes in our budget. But even if I did not have the financial needs, I would still be telling everybody I possibly can about how Body by Vi has helped me gain control of one part of my life which obviously makes everything else so much better. I want to nurture others and help them gain that same control by reclaiming a healthy lifestyle.

So, TZel, I do not know your story but since you entered this giveaway, I hope that in some small way this balance kit can help with nutrition and weight loss. I sincerely thank you for entering so that I can now follow your journey.

To everyone else who entered, I thank you as well! I know this will not be the only time I host a giveaway as it has been a wonderful blessing for me.

God is good!

Goals for 2011 - Recycling is the Key!

Geez, way to start the new year. My first post of 2011 is kind of late. Oh, well, my blog, my rules, right?

Like so many others, I have set New Years resolutions for countless years. And, then again like so many others, those resolutions fall to the wayside by February not to be looked again until it's time to set resolutions again for the next year.

A new strategy for this year: recycle last year's specific goals for this year. Recycling is always good!

Anyhoo, let's take a look at last year's progress and what I'm working towards again this year.

Lose weight: reach and maintain 150 pounds - FAIL

I'm actually quite pleased with my weight loss success in 2010. According to my Buckeye Outdoors training log, I weighed 181.5 1/1/10. At some point during the year, I distinctly remember weighing 186 pounds because I had setup a weight loss ticker for this blog that I deleted once it started depressing me. I didn't reach the 150 pound mark, but I am in the low 160s for the first time in years. That is a huge accomplishment! I will weigh 150 pounds or less on 12/31/11!

Run more miles: run 520 miles before January 1, 2011 - FAIL

Not just a FAIL but a big, fat FAIL! The disappointment of a super-slow time at the half-marathon in March resulted in a huge let-down and no running at all until June. Not only did I fall out of love with running, I moved past like and viewed it as a chore for several months. It took a long, long time to start enjoying running again. I've hesitated setting this as a goal again, but I'm going for it anyway since running is so much easier and enjoyable now that I've lost weight.

Race different distances: complete at least one at each of the following distances - 5k, 10k, 10 miles and half-marathon - SUCCESS

Well, that's better. I'm not sure which of the distances I prefer. I liked them all, actually, and would love to run a race of all these distances again in 2011.

******

Don't forget my Body by Vi giveaway that ends tomorrow (Thursday, January 6). A little self-promotion never hurts, does it? And you have a pretty good chance of winning because there aren't a lot of entries yet!