Booth or Table? How to LOSE the fat mentality

We had a fantastic group last night. As we talked about high's and low's, one of my friends commented that she can finally sit in a booth at a restaurant comfortably now, where as before she always had to request a table. She could fit through the turnstiles at Disneyland without have to go through sideways and for the first time, she could move up her driver's seat from the position its in when her husband sits down. Wow!

This new mentality is a game-changer. What happens when we finally say, "I can do this!" and we do it? For me, running was awful. I never understood people running early in the mornings, rain or shine, period. Now I am one of those people. What happened?

It's when I started believing this statement: I can do hard things.

All the sudden it didn't matter if I had to take a break or walk when I was out. I was still OUT doing something that was hard for me. These changes make you feel powerful.

Next time, ask to sit in a booth.

Thankful

This morning when many people are sleeping in or putting their turkey in the oven, I was up running. The weather has been amazing this late in the season, and I couldn't help but take advantage of a nice day.

Instead of listening to my regular music mix, I turned on some inspirational tunes and really paid attention to my surroundings.

Some observations:
1. I now know where to go in my neighborhood if I want to run 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 miles.
2. Horse poo changes back into hay when it biodegrates. I swear.
3. Living by new construction has its advantages - can you say porta potties?
4. I wasn't able to run like this last year at this time - and I was over 40 pounds heavier.
5. After the first mile, getting into a groove feels good.

I'm healthy and I'm happy. And for that, I am thankful.

Helping you live the healthiest life possible

After 40 years, my employer updated their mission statement. Intermountain Healthcare's new mantra:

Helping you live the healthiest life possible.

How fantastic is that? It aligns everything we do. One of the biggest support structures I've had on my journey is the LiVe Well program.

"LiVe Well. It's not a diet. It's not a boot camp. It's not about the perfect body. It's not about a quick fix, a six-week program, a band-aid, a fad. It's a lifestyle, not a crash course. It's about learning how to LiVe Well.

Based on research and a better understanding of the complex challenges we face in managing our health for better quality of life, LiVe Well is about fresh ideas to help you make healthful choices and become more physically active in your journey to well-being through a healthier lifestyle."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

LiVe Well video

 

My cousin's story - for your OWN sake, keep on!

Cynthia is my cousin. She lives in College Station, Texas and has an incredible story. In fact, she motivates me to run every day. With her permission, I would like to share her story with you:

Yesterday I didn't run. It was too hot. I was maybe getting sick. I didn't have time. Today I wasn't going to run. It's too cold. It's raining. I was up with a stuffy nose half the night. I don't have time. 

Then I remembered. Two years ago, this week, a 225 pound tired, depressed, miserable, embarrassed woman took a few steps out her door. And then took a few more. The next day she did the same. And then took a few more. Rain, sun, time, sickness- there were no excuses. She amazingly and faithfully kept going. Amazing because she had no idea if THIS would be the time. Faithful because she believed it COULD be the time. She had no idea that her journey would be life changing, and quite possibly life saving. 

I am amazed at how strong that woman was. She had no idea. She looked in the mirror and saw failure and humiliation. Her husband and children saw love and beauty. And told her daily. She didn't believe them. But, yet, she still took those first steps. Those hardest steps. Two years later and she's changed my entire physical life. No more asthma. No more chronic migraines. I'm training for my second marathon, because of her - the woman I was two years ago. 

And because of the woman I was two years ago, I ran today. I ran tired, in the rain, with a stuffy nose, even though I don't have time. Because of her. And I still struggle with who I see in the mirror. But I am slowly learning I am so much more than my physical appearance. Because of her. I am in awe of my fellow friends who are beginning or in the middle or even in the "stuck" phase of their own journeys. You are stronger than you know. You are worth more than you know. You can do more than you possibly can imagine. 

I would love to go back in time and show that woman who she became, to help her on those days when she felt hopeless and that she'd never succeed. But she didn't need it. And neither do you. Keep on. Keep on! For goodness sake - for your OWN sake, keep on! (Disclaimer: if Simon Cowell were judging this post he'd say it's self indulgent, and he'd probably be right, but I posted it really in the hopes of encouraging those who are courageously fighting a similar battle every day! Keep on!)

Cynthia pictured (l to r) two years ago, one year ago and this year.

Finishing The 30-day Health Challenge

I learned a lot about myself during this challenge. It was hard, but I managed to be consistent the whole time. It included doing a lot of funny things to get 10,000 steps: running in circles in the back yard, running around the block at 11 p.m., marching in place by my bed, etc...

The first day I didn't get a perfect score was Day 21 (the first day of my business trip). I worked out at the hotel, but I just went crazy with food - namely the pumpkin cheesecake at Barnes & Noble.

Every week a prize was given and I managed to win the 4th week consistency prize, which meant a lot. In fact, the contest ended on October 30 and I still reported in on October 31 because I was so proud I had a "perfect" day on Halloween!

Old habits die hard. 

Training Day 

(doing mountain climbers on the left) Stacy Reed (organizer of the challenge) is second to the right.

Nice Ride in Minneapolis

I was fortunate to go to visit the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for a Social Media Summit by Ragan Communications. It was my first time visiting this part of the Midwest, and I had a spectacular time! My conference was incredible and I met a lot of great people.

After the conference I headed a couple hours north to Minneapolis and took in the sights. The weather was a balmy 70 degrees and I walked through the Sculpture Gardens and toured a basilica. The highlight of the day was renting a "Nice Ride" bike and cycling around the Lake of Isles. The lake was beautiful and the leaves were unreal. The only sad part was that my wallet fell out of my basket and someone stole it.

So, I got 20,000 steps that day - the first half was spent in tourist bliss and the second half was spent retracing my steps in the dark to try to find a light brown wallet.

Met my goal to run a 10 K

I entered the Great Pumpkin Race by Herriman Rec Center in keeping with my goals. The morning of the race was perfect - nice weather, not a lot of wind, and a beautiful course on the Jordan River Parkway. 

I wore a Superwoman shirt (not the most original, but symbolic) and was super nervous before the race. I had never run this far in a race before. I made sure to hit the porta potties twice before I started. 

With Latin beats playing on my iPhone, I set out with a couple goals in mind: 1. Finish the race and 2. Finish in an hour.

I ran a good pace and even had someone comment, "Keep going! I've been keeping pace with you the whole time!" What? I was someone's pace runner? Unbelievable! Then an older gentleman called out "Superwoman!" as I ran past him. And I was starting to believe him. It helped me keep going.

The last bit before the finish line was switchbacks up a steep hill. I knew it was going to be tough, but I was so glad when I cleared it. 

And then, for the first time, my sweet little family was at the finish line yelling and cheering me on. I'll never forget it! 

The result? I finished the race in 1 hour and 13 seconds. I took second place in my age division, sixth overall. 

Next up: The Ogden 1/2 Marathon on May 16, 2015

"Let me help you reach your goals Mom."

I am about a week in to my 30-day health challenge, and my family is paying attention. My eight-year-old went on a walk with me "to help you reach your goal". They know I am tracking my steps and are encouraging me to succeed. I love having little cheerleaders!

I continue to meet with my friends every Monday night. They have so many good ideas and recipes. My high's this week were starting the 30-day challenge and running 8.4 miles - the farthest I have ever gone! My low's were eating two Blue Lemon sugar cookies (a girl has got to live, right?). I allow myself to have "cheat moments" every once in a while. I am not saying goodbye to carbs and sugar - I am saying I don't need them to feel good. I am rewarding myself in other ways.

Some fun ideas for my favorite comfort food, the pancake:

You can buy this bag at Costco.  One serving has 190 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 14 grams of protein. If you prepare it with milk and eggs, it has 21 grams of protein!

Egg pancakes (you are blending it all together to make the batter, carmel dip is optional)

Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when your part of the team.

Well, the Lego Movie has real-life application for me this week as I started a 30-day health challenge with some friends at work. The rules are simple and for the first time - a challenge that is based on points you can earn daily for healthy living - rather than pounds or inches lost. I love the idea! Participants can earn up to five points daily by doing the following:

• 1 point for logging your food on MyFitnessPal (there is that app again!)
• 1 point for staying under your calorie goal on MyFitness Pal
• 1 point for 6,500 steps
• 1 point for getting up to 10,000 steps
• 1 point for hitting your own personal goal (I chose to drink 64 oz. of water.)

I was already doing some of these things, but with my fitbit I can log my steps and water and sync it to MyFitnessPal. To get all five points has been challenging, but fun. I have gotten up from my desk at work and walked around. I have played more with my kids outside. I take the stairs. 

It's becoming a lifestyle. And that's awesome. 

Watch the Lego Movie trailer here: Lego Movie trailer

To learn more about the challenge, follow the30dayhealthchallenge.blogspot.com

The Big 4-0

Even though I don't turn 40 for a couple more years, I recently have lost that many pounds! It feels good. It feels DANG good. I am learning so much and continue to struggle and conquer every day. 

Some good tidbits from the group last night:

1. We watched a clip from "The View" that featured the weight loss story of Tory Johnson. It was amazing. My favorite quote from Tory:

 "A 'diet' is a temporary pause on bad behavior."

She tells her story of losing 80 pounds in her new book The Shift. I plan to buy it and post a review when I finish. She was inspiring - and actually was interviewed while walking on her treadmill desk. I seriously don't know if I could walk and work at the same time!

Find Tory's clip on The View here: Tory Johnson's story

2. My friend shared the story of Noelle Pikus-Pace. She took the silver in skeleton at Sochi in 2014. Years of setbacks - including a major injury - prevented her from competing earlier. In a talk called "Your Four Minutes" by Gary E. Stevenson, he explains why her dedication established her as a world-class athlete. My favorite quote from Gary:

"It may seem unfair that Noelle's entire Olympic dreams hinged on what she did during just four brief minutes. But she knew it, and that is why she prepared so diligently. She sensed the magnitude, the urgency of her four minutes, and what they would mean for the rest of her life."

Noelle also recently wrote a book called Focused. This is another must-read for me. Review to come!

Find the complete talk here: Your Four Minutes

3. I bought a fitbit flex. Can't wait to track my steps and get a great picture of my health. I like that it buzzes when I reach my goals. I also love my pink wristband :). 

A couple other apps I LOVE: MyFitnessPal for the food aspect (which I see that fitbit has that as well) and Strava for running. So many tools are available to help you succeed!

A couple of yummy recipes with "fake" peanut butter:

Lunch box 

No-bake cookies

My name is Laura, and I have joined a weight loss support group

Four friends and I decided to get together every Monday night to share high's and low's, tips and tricks, and healthy recipes. What do we have in common? We are women and we are mothers. That is where the similarities end. We all have different stories but we want the same happy ending - to be healthy. 

Our inaugural "meeting" was last night. We weighed in, shared stories and LAUGHED. There is something cathartic when you realize you are not alone in your successes and failures. One friend shared that she had an ice cream cone at DQ - her failure, yet a success for her family who wanted to go there this last month. Another said goodbye to carbs last week and lost 5.5 pounds - picking up where she left off in February. One got home from a vacation and took a "vacation" from healthy eating, but managed to go running with a dear friend. One ate eight cookies just that day. And yet another had surgery and her progress is slower than she wanted it to go. 

I won't tell you which one I am.

But I FEEL like I am each one of them - can't we all identify with these "low's"? I look forward to posting a summary each week about this group. We even came up with a cool name and t-shirt idea (I've been sworn to secrecy for now, shh). Needless to say, we are each getting three t-shirts: one for right now, and then two of the next smaller sizes for later. 

Because there is going to be a later. I can't wait!

Monday night's recipe

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

Lunch in a cup

No, it isn't a liquid diet - it's a salad shaker! These fit easily in your cup holder in the car, your fridge, etc... It's an easy way to get a healthy meal on the go. Who said being healthy wasn't convenient?

There is also something to planning ahead the day before. Did I mention my husband made my lunch for me? It makes my mornings so much easier to have my running clothes set out and breakfast and lunch made and ready to go. 

I actually had time to put laundry away this morning before work. (Gasp!)

Why are we getting fatter?

National obesity rates are rising, and while Utah ranks 5th lowest in the nation - we are no exception. Our rates have doubled in the last couple years. I had a chance to talk about my weight loss journey on KSL last night. 

KSL story on obesity

Helping others reach their goals

It was just over a year ago that my sister started training me. She actually went to school, got her bachelors in training and coaching from Southern Oregon University, and started training in her home. She is a great example of health to me and I felt comfortable sharing all my numbers with her. She is strong and tough - but she is nice. I just wasn't into being judged or yelled at by a trainer. She really set me down this path and helped me take my first steps.

I had my fourth baby seven months before, and knew I had to take my health seriously. I didn't lose any weight breastfeeding (bummer!) and had to take matters into my own hands.

Her gym is where this picture was taken:

I wanted a "before" picture that adequately reflected how I felt - I completed my workout, but it was HARD. I had a couple of sessions a week, and would work out at South Jordan Rec Center a couple of days as well. I started seeing small results. 

This was just the beginning...

My sister moved and is now expecting her first baby. I am so excited for her! Though the training sessions stopped last Fall, I credit her for starting me on this path. Thank you!

Next Step: Training for a 10K

I've been running a little over three miles four times a week. On Saturdays, I try to double that. This Saturday I ran seven miles. This is the farthest I have ever gone! A 10 K is 6.4 miles, so I want to do that for my next race. 

http://www.fitbie.com/get-fit/beginners-guide-running-10k-checklist?ocid=NL_FBGF_1821830_08282014_Beginners_Guide_Running_10K_Checklist

Adding variety to your workout routine

Our PR team has started to do an activity once a month to focus on living well. Yesterday we met early and hiked up Lower Bell Canyon to the resevoir. It was an easy hike and as you can see - a breathtaking view. It was a good break from my morning running routine.

Photo credit: Jason Carlton 

What a difference a year makes!

It has been a big year. I am the mother of four little kiddos, I started a new job, and I began a fitness routine. Any one of those could put you under, but I got inspired by some good examples and changed my life. I wish I could say I have been blogging about it from day one, but it took some successes and some encouragement to be ready to share. Here goes: