Alice is a Runner!!!

I keep telling myself that I am a runner. I am determined that I will run that 5k in March. I think you have to be a runner to run 3 miles in a row, right?

Seeing I want to be a runner, I decided to buy some running shoes. I got a smokin' hot deal on them at Big Five Sports. They are 100 dollar shoes and were on sale for 50. When I was checking out, I was pleasantly surprised that they rang up as 40 because of a 25% off the sale price deal they were having. So my awesome new running shoes were 40 bucks.

I didn't know how cool they truly were until I got them home and found a brochure in the bottom of the box for nikeplus.com. My shoes are actually magic shoes. They have a place where you can put a sensor that sends information to an iPod. The information is all about your speed, how far you have ran, your mile pace and how long you have been running. I was excited. Then I bought the sensor, and was not excited because my iPod Touch, because it is a first generation, does not work with the Nikeplus. Rude huh(stupid Steve Jobs!)? Well, I was about to give up, when I had a great idea. I would buy a cheap Nano online seeing that all Nano models work with the system. I found one for 35 bucks last night and drove up to Sandy to buy it. I was a little worried about the new purchase when it ran out of battery fast. I have now charged it three times and it seems that it just needed a real good charge(like a three hour one) in order to get about two hours of playback. I figure that will be enough for my running purposes. What a fiasco to get the system up and running! And now those 40 dollar shoes have turned into a 100 dollar idea!

I knew I had to get this up and running because I am a gadget girl and having this technology that tracks my runs will give me even more motivation to be running. I am not sure if it will work on a treadmill but I will get back to you tomorrow. I have a feeling it won't seeing I won't be moving places.

This week I run 90 seconds and walk 2 minutes for 20 total minutes. I thought that it might be hard to run 90 seconds at the end of my 60 seconds on Friday. I hope my body is ready. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

One of the new things about me....

I no longer look for "Rockstar" parking. I now try to park as far away as I possibly can, wherever I go. Just a small little thing I am trying to be just a little more active.

P.S. It was very cold walking to pick up the gift card I had gotten from my brother from another mother...but it made me feel good to walk! Good times!

Weighed in 1.2 down. Total 8.2 pounds lost....SO FAR!!!

Weight Watchers is still going great. I am loving the meetings because I am learning so much there. I even find myself sticking around to listen to the other members chat about what is good and what isn't. Good times.

I have started to become a runner. I really don't like to run unless somebody is chasing me, especially if I have a ball in my hand that they want. I also like to chase after people who have the ball. Sports have always been my favorite, but after last weeks' meeting, I have been thinking a lot about becoming a runner. I made myself run on the treadmill last night. I would run one minute and then walk one minute. Today, I started thinking more about it and thought I would check out some of the running programs on the Internet. (This was suggested at the meeting last week!) I found one that would get me from not running to running a 5k. Seeing our school helps with the Red Cross Run for the Red 5k each March, I thought I would give it a go and try to train to actually run in the race(I have never ran it) Unfortunately, the program takes 8 weeks and I only have 6...I figure that even if I don't run the whole time, I will still be doing better than last year! I walked a bit last year but was easily bored.) I have always wanted to run the 5k but always got discouraged about the whole training thing. I figured I would try this program, The Couch-to-5k Running Plan. It was similar to what I did on the treadmill last night but only 1:30 walking/1:00 running. It was a lot easier to run tonight. In fact, my body seemed to be ready to run after the minute and a half. I am a little excited about this program. Who would have thought? I really wish I wasn't such a pansy when it comes to the whole running outside because I really don't enjoy the treadmill. (I guess you could call it DREADmill like my leader at WW calls it.) Dang winter!

I was proud of myself because I did pretty good at this past week's challenge of being more active. I got pretty darn good at not looking for the best parking spot but actually trying to park as far away from the store or anywhere I was on purpose. It was awesome.

I ate my points today but I am too lazy to type it all down. Enjoy this week's pics. I decided to change to my digital camera and a new location: the kitchen. I don't think you can see the progress, but I really have been noticing that the basketball shorts are a little loose in the butt. The pics don't give it justice. Have a great day!

This is exciting!!!! (As you can see!)

This is my wonderful sister, Morgan re-enacting how shocked, surprised and excited I was when I looked at the nutrition label on the back of the Goldfish box and realized that you could eat 55 of those little suckers for one serving. Notice that she had to wear the hat that hardly ever is not on my head to make it more real! That was one heck of a lot of Goldfish and I was majorly excited. I had a blast with my second family this weekend. It was awesome.

Family is often about food.

I have been up with my adopted family in salt lake city and it seems that all we do is eat. I think this is typical of most families. Last night it was Applebee's and today it was Sizzler and Gandlfo's. I did ok yesterday but today was hard. Wait. Sizzler was hard. The salad was great. Not bad at all but the ice cream was my downfall. Oh well. I wanted it and it tasted awesome!

I am learning that going out to eat is a lot easier when I plan ahead! Sizzler through me a bit. I wish I wouldn't have discovered that the ice cream was included in the salad bar. Planning for that would have helped.

My skinny pants are fittng losely. That is an awesome feeling. I am excited for the opportunity to buy new clothes.

I think that is all. If you want to see pics of the cute nieces and nephews, check out my normal blog here I should have the pics up later tonight!

Happy Thursday and Happy Findings.(And an answer to Marla's Question)

I found some great Weight Watcher treats at Walmart today and I am very happy about them. I found some wonderful ice cream cups and bars and some twinkie like things and chocolate chip cookies. Let's hope I don't eat them all day!

Marla, you asked about what kind of bread I am eating. I always look for wheat bread that has at least 3 grams of fiber in them. I love Oroweat. Their double fiber bread is what I usually buy but it wasn't on sale the last time I went to the store so I just got the regular wheat that has 3 grams.

I am glad it is almost friday. I am also glad that the family plans on eating at Applebee's tomorrow night. That is an easy place for me to eat because they have a few items that have weight watcher points listed. HANDY.

I had a hard time working out today. I still worked out, I just felt like I was doing it half-backsided...I really wanted to curse there, but I refrained. I am so very proud of myself.

The menu today:

Breakfast:
1 cup cottage cheese
1 cup pineapple
One slice high fiber bread
1 tablespoon Blackberry Preserves.

Lunch:
A wonderful salad with lettuce, blue cheese, chicken and sun dried tomato dressing
Activia Yogurt

Dinner
2 slices high fiber bread
1 can tuna
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip Light
1 cup blueberries
1 slice cheddar cheese
1 medium red potato
1/4 cup non-fat sour cream

anytime:
Hostess cupcake 100 calorie pack
2 cups popcorn(It was burned and many of my co-workers had to make fun of me for it. I told them next time I was going to just start a fire and then the workday would be shorter!)

Well....

So, I mentioned that I had a hard time getting all my points in during the day. Well, that went a bit better today because I kept forgetting to track what I was putting into my mouth. Silly Alice! Anyway...I ended up actually eating more than my points. I also realized that I had not put my new weight into Weight Watchers online tools and I now actually get one less point per day. Silly Alice. I guess tomorrow is a new day and I know better!

What I ate:

Breakfast(I was actually up early enough and with enough energy that I actually had a Warm breakfast. Weird):
One Egg
1/2 cup Egg Whites
3/4 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup fat free cheese
One slice high fiber bread
One tablespoon raspberry preserves(forgot to track this)
One medium pear

Lunch:
One cup Progresso light chicken santa fe soup
Activia yogurt
1 cup broccoli/cauliflower

Dinner:
2 medium red potatoes
3/4 cup cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup frozen carrots and peas

anytime:
One small apple(forgot to add until after dinner)
1 1/2 cup cinnamon toast crunch
1/2 cup milk
20 almonds
18 TLC cheese crackers

I ended up using 3.5 of my weekly points. For a girl who keeps complaining about not being able to use her points she sure is using them and then some.

Must go and sleep now. Sleepy today!

3rd Weigh In...down 2.8 Pounds.

Hi. Today was weigh in and I am down 2.8 pounds this week. Nice! The pictures do not show any changes. I don't think basketball shorts and t-shirts are all that flattering. (I do love that I am a PE teacher and that this is professional dress!) I have been noticing that my clothes are fitting differently. My pants(and shorts) are getting a little baggy. I like that. I was thinking this past week, as I bought 30 dollars worth of new clothes, that maybe I shouldn't be buying too many clothes. These clothes may not fit very well in six months. So I am going to not buy any more clothes for a while.

I am still having a hard time getting my points in by the end of the day. I suppose this is a better thing than not having enough points for dinner but it is still a hard thing. I really need to find a way to beef up the food intake during the day. Any suggestions?

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
One medium apple
One piece of high fiber toast
One cup fat free cottage cheese

Midday:
One cup Progresso Light Santa Fe Chicken Soup
One Activia Light Yogurt.
Baby carrots

Dinner:
Two medium Red Potatoes
1/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 cup shredded chicken breast
1/4 cup bleu cheese
1 cup chocolate milk

Any time:
1 hostess cupcake 100 calorie pack
1 stick cheddar cheese
1 small Clementine
20 almonds
1/2 cup pineapple
12 cashews

That was a total of 33.5 points. 2.5 points over my daily points. That is okay though....seeing I thought I wouldn't eat them all. It was a good week and I really am enjoying getting to know the program.

I think I have fixed the problems that were happening with comments. So feel free to comment. Also, I added some music to the blog. That was inspired by one of the leader's at Weight Watchers blog. I like her music so much that I kept finding myself on her blog to listen to her playlist. You can check out Marion's blog here. Thanks Marion for the inspiration and ideas!

Long weekend.

Since I slack most of the time, I will just give you a sum up of the weekend. I have kept myself busy enough that I am not bored eating. That is a good thing seeing this a challenge for me. When I am just hanging at home and watching TV, I want to eat everything in the world! I also went up to hang with my adoptive family yesterday and even planned accordingly and had points to eat pizza and cookies. YUM. That is why I like Weight Watchers so much...I really can eat whatever I want, as long as I plan for it! :)

This week I will try to do a little better about posting what I eat.

The big thing I have learned this week is that if I want to be successful on this plan, I must plan ahead for things. I must research restaurants BEFORE I go to them. I never thought I would actually care about this, but I am starting to care. It helps to plan because then I can enjoy food that I love (LIKE BURGERS AND FRIES) as long as I plan for it! I also learned that I often underestimate what I am eating and have about 6-8 points left at the end of the day. I am not complaining but sometimes it can be stressful to actually figure out what to eat at 8-9p.m.

Food

Yesterday was so good. I got to eat steak. I had like 16 points left for dinner and it was awesome to go to Applebee's where they have Weight Watchers meals. I got one of them and was even able to get a bigger steak because of my abundance of points. Isn't that something. I could have even gotten dessert but I refrained because my stomach was full! (That crazy full again) I love it.

I am not doing well at writing down everything I eat these days. I am still tracking what I eat, don't you worry.

Today:
Two pieces of high fiber bread
An Apple
Cup of milk

Almonds

Baked potato
light sour cream(only a small dollop...I was so proud!)
ham
broccoli
cheese

popcorn
cheese

one egg
two egg whites
mushrooms
yogurt

hostess cupcake

cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch
1/2 cup milk

I ate all my points....it has been a challenge to eat my points lately. I think that might be because I am getting good at choosing things that are lower in points. It is fun to have some points left in the evening. I am a little worried for the weekend because I want to eat the world when I am bored and have unstructured time. I am working on it.

2nd Weigh In

Before I jet off to bed, I thought I would post that I lost 4.2 pounds this week. Go me! You can't see much improvement by the pics but I am feeling better already. Enjoy.

The Day before the 2nd Weigh In!

Tomorrow is weigh in and I am quite excited. That seems a bit weird to be but it is cool too.

I found out today that I want to eat the whole world when I am angry.

Here is what I ate today:
Slice High Fiber bread
Pear
Milk

Chicken Salad
Apple
Carrots
Yogurt

Cheese
hostess cupcake 100 calorie pack
almonds

Spagetti
mixed frozen veggies
cottage cheese
frosted flakes.

Weekend in Review.

The thing I learned about myself this weekend is that I have a hard time with hunger on the weekends. When I have nothing to do, I want to eat everything on the planet. That is a bad thing. I must find ways to keep myself busy during those hungry times!

I don't feel like writing down what I ate but I will put my points for the last few days. I am allotted 31 points per day:

Friday: 30.5 used (even was able to budget in a sandwich from Gandolfo's)
Saturday: 30.5 used
Sunday: 31 used

Pizza makes me feel icky....

....did I really just say that? I had some pizza for dinner and had some weird feelings during and after. It was like I was really full yet really hungry still. I just felt off. I guess there is something to your body knowing what is good for you!

Here is what I ate today:

Morning:
One Pear
One slice high fiber toast
One cup 1% milk

Morning Snack:
10 Almonds

Midday:
One Activia Low Fat Yogurt
One cup carrots
One cup whole grain pasta
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded chicken

Afternoon snack:
1/3 cup craisins

Dinner:
One large apple
2 slices Pizza Hut Pan Pizza Meatlover's

Evening snack:
100 calorie Hostess Cupcake Pack

Eye Opening.

Two things I noticed today. I felt hungry...and I felt full. I think I have ignored both of these feelings a lot in my life. Full because I often eat too fast to actually get to full in time to not feel uncomfortably full and hungry because I don't think much about food and have always just eaten to eat. Weird huh? I think both of these notices will help me to do well in the program. I also reflected how so many people live hungry. I am so blessed to have the many things that most would consider luxuries.

Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast:
One pear
One cup 1% Milk
One slice high fiber break

Morning snack:
20 almonds
1/3 cup Craisins

Lunch:
One Dannon Activia Light Fat Free Yogurt
1/2 Cup Chicken Breast cooked

Afternoon snack:
1 cup lettuce
2 teaspoons Sun dried tomato vinaigrette
1/2 Cup Chicken Breast cooked
A mixture of veggies

Dinner:
2 eggs
8 grams of medium cheddar
2 tbsp ketchup
One slice high fiber bread
1/2 Cup fat free cottage cheese
8 oz. Limeade
One Orange
100 calorie hostess cake

Cheers!

Day One...First Weigh In!

This is my new weight loss blog. This really isn't for anybody to read. I didn't sit down like Julie from Julie and Julia and think to myself: "Hmm....I am not productive enough in my life. I need to produce something." This blog is for me to be accountable to me(of course by it being a public blog, I will automatically be even more accountable.) I never thought that I would be the author of multiple blogs but I guess cyberspace needs my voice.

I love to take pictures of food and so there will be pictures of food on here from time to time. I would take pictures of everything I eat but that is a promise I know would be a challenge to keep. So, I will commit to taking pictures on occasion. I will, however, write down what I eat each day. Here is what I ate today:

One cup Grape Nuts
1/2 cup 1% milk
Craisins 1/3 cup
Almonds 20
Dannon Activia light fat free yogurt
1/2 can Progresso light Beef Pot Roast Soup
Hostess Chocolate 100 calorie cake
1 and 1/2 cups spagettit (whole grain)
1 cup Cooked Chicken Breast
1/2 cup Tomato Sauce
1/3 cup cottage Cheese
1 cup lettuce
2 teaspoons sun dried tomato vinaigrette

That is 31.5 Weight Watcher Points. I am allowed 31. So I was a little over today.
I walked for about an hour with my friend Shule and weighlifted for about thirty minutes this morning.

I will also commit to taking a picture of myself in the same spot and nearly same clothes weekly. That will be easy because today was the first time I weighed in at Weight Watchers and I will weigh in each week, thus a picture will be easy to remember. I am so excited to start this journey. I keep thinking that the majority of my health problems are related to my weight. I can't for sure pinpoint, if the surgery that I had to have had anything to do with my weight, but I have a feeling it could have added to it. I also know that my asthma will also be better if I am more in shape. I think overall, my system will run better, if I can shave off some pounds. Good luck to me and thanks for stopping by!