A tip or help please…

I ran today, for 30 minutes at a 4.5 to a 6.5 with just two short 20 second rest at 3.5 to get a drink of water and I went 2.53 miles. I want to run the full 5k in 30 minutes and I can’t seem to get past or just past 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. How am I going to make my time? I warm up for 5 minutes walking at 2.5 –3.5, I stretch before hand so I’m starting out with warm muscles. I cover up the time and mileage as I’m running because I’m not yet in the love of running, just the liking and sometimes it seems to be a very long minute or two. When I finished today I looked at the numbers and started to cry. I am disappointed in me, why I’m not sure because I am giving it my all but did I set up a speed or time that I can’t do? I have 3 weeks before the race, can anyone help me see what I’m doing wrong. I truly wish I had stayed with Brad’s 100 day challenge and I would know this all by know but I didn’t and I’m rushing myself a bit because I want to run this race faster and better then in June. I’m being to obsessed about it maybe. Help if you can.

Today’s the first day of the challenge. I ate well, I exercised well and I drank my water. I didn’t read my book yet but will as soon as it arrives (yes I just ordered it from 1/2.com so it’ll be a couple more days). A great day #1.

This week is daycare for 6 days, I’ll have apples to do, tomatoes to do and a trip to Brainerd for groceries. 2 scout meetings tomorrow night and I also have the first 2 cords of 12 cords of wood to start stacking. Mike is working away again for the next 5 days, 2 in Detroit lakes and 3 in Bemidji. I’m not yet use to him being away for so long and weekends seem so short but he’s loving it and earning some money so it’s all good. A busy week is on it’s way.

I wish you all well on your challenge's, life style changes and journeys. Have a blessed Sunday. A day of rest, a family day, a day to rejuvenate and prepare for a grand week. Take care my friends. God bless you all!!

Christmas Dress Countdown…September 11th-December 18th…

The challenge and the dress. It is the first dress Jim bought me 32 years ago. The tag says it’s a size 10. I am a bit leery of using this dress as part of the challenge. The belt misses my middle by 5” and I’m not positive in 14 weeks this dress will fit but I am going to try my best to see if I can wear this Christmas day for him. It’s old, it’s well worn but it would be a fantastic surprise and gift to Jim if I could.

There are many rules to this challenge so here are my goals for each rule:

1. Today, September 9th, 2011 my weight is 185.2. My goal will be 165 (though when I wore the dress it was 150 lbs) but even in my wildest dreams I can not lose 2.5 lbs every single week. There will be those weeks it might happen and more weeks then not that I’ll lose a pound or so. So I’ll set my goal to lose 20 lbs in 14 weeks.

2. The size of this dress is a 10, before babies, before getting a bit older. I wore this when I was 18, now I’m 49 so my shape is not anywhere’s near the same as it was but still I can try to be a hot mama in this dress for Christmas day.

3. My book: A bit about it: One of the hardest tasks on a spiritual journey is letting go of ingrained thought processes, beliefs, opinions, and obsessions in order to plunge directly into the reality of the moment. And yet Eckhart Tolle believes this is the key to transformation. THE POWER OF NOW is a direct, simple, and highly readable explication of this powerful principle. Written in a Socratic question-and-answer form, Tolle describes the process of letting go of our ego-identified selves, our "pain bodies," and embracing the present moment. He outlines the pitfalls that sabotage our attempts to change our lives, and gently leads the reader to discover the incorruptible joy that resides within all of us. I have been learning about meditation and in order to work on myself I have got to learn to not listen to all the outside stuff and just center myself and listen to God’s will, God’s peace and God’s voice and if I can learn to just LISTEN I think I’ll be able to take better care of me.

4. My calorie limit will be no more then 1200 calories or a total of 8400 a week. So that will allow for some days a bit higher and some days lower. I know with Halloween, Thanksgiving, more camping and school breaks there will be days my intake is more but I also know that when that happens I’ll go less or IF the day before or after to make up the difference.

5. This one for me is an easy one, exercise. Since I am back at the gym I have to go at least 3 times a week or 12 times a month in order for my insurance to help me pay for my membership so I’ll be there with bells on. As for my exercises, I am working on running a full 5K by October 1st. This run is something for me, I want to do it. I want to do it on or under 30 minutes. I’ll do my best and when it’s over I’ll work hard on Brad’s 5K in 100 days so I can learn to run and enjoy it too. I need to trim my middle, my fluffy, way to fat middle. So even though you can’t really target certain areas I can work a bit harder on that area while toning the rest of me.

6. The picture, well you seen it already up top.

7. Water. Water for me is another easy thing. I don’t drink anything but water and a glass a milk a day. I don’t drink pop, coffee, tea, cocoa, anything else so I always drink 100 or more oz of water a day. So I’ll keep it like that or even a bit higher and shoot for a gallon a day.

Because I falter this summer I am a bit worried about this challenge and the dress. I know I know how to lose the weight, I know I know how to exercise but I also know how to fall off big time and I am a bit worried that I won’t get back on full force because what happens when I make my goal, will I screw up big time again? Will I have learned this time around? It’s hard but I am determined to give it my best shot. I am determined to get that dress on and surprise Jim. I so want to see his face Christmas morning when I walk in wearing it. A size 10 is mighty tiny, at least from my point of view. Possible, I sure do hope so. Will I give it my best, you bet I will and I also know when I screw up, all you out there will pick me up, dust me off, give my butt the kicking it needs to get back on and get to losing and becoming the most healthy, toned Julie I can possible be. And in return I will be there for you, cheering you on, picking you up and kicking your butt to China if I have to so that you too can rejoice in the Lords birth happy, healthy and beautiful.

Good luck to each and every one of you. You can do this, I have faith in you. Now to work up the faith in me again. I know I can, and I know that I will do my best. Take care and have an awesome and blessed challenge.

Also thanks Mir for this challenge. I really think now that I have thought about it for a week or more that this is just what I needed.

Great grandma’s birthday….

My grandma turned 94 today. She is an awesome woman. More then awesome though, she is the greatest grandma in the world. I love her so much and am so thankful that she is still here to share all her knowledge with. My grandma still gardens, cleans her own house, fixes family meals every day, helps feed baby goat and baby sits her great grandbabies when ever any one needs help. She loves everyone and is so great with kids. She volunteered at our churches DVBS and brought in 3 baby goats, by herself, so the kids could see and touch and enjoy them. I call grandma almost daily and we visit at least 2 times a week. She answers all my questions, she supports my in so many ways and you know something else, she’s not afraid to call and ask for help but you know when she does she’s done everything possible first to fix it herself. My grandma is a blessing to us all and grandma, I know you don’t do computers but I want you to know I love you so very much.

Today the kids made grandma a card and we took a picture of the kids to give her. Here’s the picture…

And opening the gift…

Then while we were at grandma’s Rachel asked if she’d let us take a picture of the kids and her. She’s not a camera person, really she hates them but how can she say no to the kids. :o)

 

Just wanted to share my grandma with you. I want to live just like her. A full and busy and loving life.

Happy birthday grandma. Thank you for being such a huge part of my life, both personal and my business. I love you!!

Take care my friends, hug and love your families….you just never know.

Blessings!!

Harvest of the week…

3 5 gallon buckets, and a wash tub of tomatoes with hundreds more in the garden, 4 dozen ears of corn and the last 5 kohlrabi. Usually I do the harvest, canning and freezing alone but Jim helped with the corn this year. It sure made it nice. I got 12 meals of corn and so far 36 quarts of tomatoes. Some are spaghetti sauce, some are just seasoned tomatoes, some are pureed tomatoes and there’s salsa that I think is a bit spicy and a few jars of goulash sauce.

 

If you’re not a canner or processor of veggies I took just a couple pictures to show you just the beginning process of doing tomatoes. You first boil the fresh tomatoes in water for a couple of minutes until the skin splits, then you put them in ice/cold water and cool them down. Then you make them naked and put them into a stock pot and begin the process of boiling them down and adding whatever ingredients you need for taste. I use onions, peppers of all kinds, garlic and many different dried seasonings. When I make my spaghetti sauce I add my grounded hamburger/turkey/pork. There are so many uses for tomatoes and I know exactly what’s in mine.

 

I also now have 15 meals of green beans, 3 quarts of apricot syrup, 10 meals of beets and squash and the beginnings of apple sauce. Terri is bring me over elderberries tomorrow to make some jam and Brenda has crab apples for me for jam also and then Mark’s tree has tons of apples on it so I will ask him if I can get a few bucket full's for more sauce. I think we’ll be set for the winter. Now to just find a good deal on some meat and to butcher my chickens. Thank goodness for living in the country. I truly am blessed.

Take care my friends and have a great evening. Blessings to you all!!

The good, bad and very ugly….

So I was talking with Debbi, Allan, Suzie, Jennifer, Kim and I have come to the conclusion I can keep quiet and not share and just maybe not learn or teach anyone anything or I can spill the beans and just take the very ugly and get back to the races. The putzy races for me but still the races.

In June I hit my goal weight. I was so happy, so healthy and so ready to rule the world and show everyone that I’ve learn the way, that I can do maintenance with no troubles at all. Heck I had better then a year of dieting, of creating a new life style for myself. For teaching myself the right stuff, for the research, the support …. well for everything. But you know something, I didn’t learn it all like I had wished I had. I screwed up so bad it’s going to take me a good two-three months possible longer to lose what I gained back and then keep working on losing some more. Today I weighed in for Allan. Really it’s not a requirement to share, it’s just for ourselves and I even asked Allan if I could just skip the scale and try weighing in next week. Well that was one of the things that got me in trouble in the first place, it was ignoring or for me putting the scale away. Remember I had learned how to do this, I knew what to eat, what not to eat, how much exercise I needed to do to keep a bit slimmer. So I put on my big girl panties (2 months ago they weren’t this tight) and I stepped on the scale. Want to know what it said … well other then tilt? 187 lbs. I gained 20 lbs in 2 months, do you know how long it took me to lose those 20 lbs? WOW, maintenance is not for me, at least not for a very long time of more learning.

I could do the woe is me, how stupid could of I been. I could just skip this whole diet and exercise thing and go back to eating what I really like. FOOD!!! But you know what I liked better, at least most of the time. Fitting into size 14 clothes, shopping in the normal lady isles. I loved the looks Jim would give me. I loved the hugs daddy gave me and said just how nice I was looking. I loved feeling great. I even love reading labels and comparing stuff. The journaling, not so much but I know I need it so back I go. I never said I was perfect though for a short time I though just maybe I could do maintenance perfectly.

It’s a new day, a new week, a new way of life. A new way to look at life and learn again how to be happy, healthy and taking care of myself. We can do this, the ones that are new or the ones that followed me from my old blog it’s amazing the support, the love, the encouragement, the tips, words of advice, the kick in the pants and so much more that we all have together. We can conquer the world together, one day at a time, one meal at a time, one moment at a time.

Today’s a new day, let’s do the best that we can to make us the healthiest people we can be. I know I’m going to give it my best shot.

Take care my friends and do have an awesome and blessed day. We have so much to be thankful for.

Had to share….

So I made it. I did 2.46 miles in 30 minutes without stopping except to take two drinks of water (which I just slowed down to drink). I warmed up for a full 5 minutes and cooled down for 3 which neither are counted in my 30 minutes or miles. Not perfect but a starting point and I was very happy with myself. I ran at 4.5-5.3 the full 30 minutes. A rest day tomorrow from running, it’ll be my 5K in 100 days walk/run. I also did the weights and elliptical. Was there for 2 hours this morning, felt good not to have to hurry. Now laundry is going and I’m heading out to the garden. I just had to share and am still looking for input if there is anything I need to do differently or add to or whatever.

Take care my friends, it’s an awesome day. Blessings to you all!!

Off to the gym and…

Well it’s just after 6 and shortly my partner will be here for us to get to the gym. Not having to hurry this morning will be nice. I want to set a time for running and see just how far I can go in 30 minutes. It won’t be a full 3+ miles but I can see where I stand and just improve from there. I also have got to get to toning. So I’ll use what there for that and then I’ll be home working out more because today is picking tomatoes and corn and getting to processing and canning.

It’s 39* this morning and fall is really in the air. I sent Mike off to work at 5:15. He’s working in Detroit Lakes with an insulation company. Other then this early morning stuff he’s loving it. He feels good working and doing something on his own without any assistance from dad. Spreading his wings and learning to fly. I’m loving it, well mostly….I was loving having him home after so many years of school and full time work. He does hate leaving Scout behind, he really wants to find something he can be home with her but for now, I’ll take good care of her.

I have a kink in my neck this morning I am trying to stretch away but it’s not going. I have to ask Brenda to see if she can rub it away or maybe after my muscles warm up a bit more it’ll be better too.

So today is the day to do the best that I can. To eat what’s right, to exercise strongly and to thank the Lord that I’m here to do it all. My daddy always said, “just do you best and let the Lord do the rest”. Well I’m going to do my best and let the Lord handle the stuff I can’t do a thing about anyways.

Take care my friends and have a great and blessed day today.

October 1st….Aitkin Fit City 5k walk or run…. and Camping…

This race I can’t do walk/run together, I either have to do the walk or run. My Hallett 5k I could do both. I am worried I won’t be able to run the full race. I am going to practice the next 20 days (the last day to sign up) and see what I can do. I really, truly want to run the full race (jogging is running too, right?) My time was 34:08 so what I’m going to do is work on Brads 5k in 100 days but I’m also going to work on beating my time. I’d like to set a time of 30 minutes and make that. Now I have been walking and this weekend I did two great walk/runs. Nothing fast though but also since we were camping it wasn’t on any terrain I had been on before. I do really have to speed it up and hope I can. I was reading a few blogs and posts about times for running a 5k and 30 minutes is slow but if I can do it, I’ll jump for joy and then work for a better time each time I run. Tips anyone?

We had a great family camping trip. It was cold and wet and windy but you know, it didn’t matter we were together and the guys got along and Jim and I had time to just connect and we needed that. I was determined to go fishing but look at Wilbur’s ears. We didn’t catch a thing though, after all that.

We went to Moose Lake , about 80 miles from home, and we thought it would be full with campers but guess what? There was no one there. We had the full 15 site camp ground to ourselves. It was awesome. We could let the dogs play, bark and enjoy. We could just be and not worry about anyone. It was quiet and peaceful.

 

This is the warmest if got and the coldest, 38. Getting up at 38* is not the funnest part of camping, cold clothes, no fire, but it doesn’t take long to warm up collecting wood and fixing breakfast.

 

When we got home today we got unpacked and got things put away and then the Wysocki’s came down for a visit and also brought me a grocery bag of green beans so while they visited I got another 10 quart bags blanched and frozen. Now this week will be more tomatoes and our corn is ready too so time for that.

Brenda and I are going to go work out tomorrow. It’s been a long time since we’ve worked out together and I’m excited to have my exercise partner back. It won’t be all the time but at least some of the times with be great.

I hope that you all have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. There’s always stuff that has to be done but getting away once in awhile is a great thing. I wish we could get out and about more often.

Take care my friends and have a blessed week.

First day back at the gym….

You know, this summer I did participate in Debbi’s Slimmer this Summer challenge and I did get some exercising done but you’d never know that with the first day back at the gym. I did get on the elliptical and went 15 minutes from level 1-15 and worked up a sweat and worked hard but when I left the gym in May I was able to go for 30 minutes, but 15 was my max. For the treadmill I figured a strong, fast mile at a level 5 incline would be easy….nope, not. I’ve been walking this summer but not pushing myself to hard…it’s hot and I’m a baby and …. well I lost there too. I did a 15 minute mile. I did my normal on the abs machine and that went well and the same with the back machine, neither of those too changed. I think I can thank doing the planks all summer long for that. But here’s the kicker and I am very disappointed in myself, my vertical sit-ups, I was able to do a strong 30 when I left but last night I did 9. 9 that sucks!!! Well I guess what I’m going to be doing until next May, working my butt off and stomach off and bat wings and back fat and toning everything. Oh how could I do that in just three months? How could taking 3 months off change me so much. Now I could say for an excuse I had super long hours, daycare from 7 am on Wednesday until 7 pm on Thursday, no time off, little sleep but still a person can’t slip that much unless they let themselves go. No wonder I gained back to many pounds of fat.

Well I will just have to work hard to get back to where I was and then work harder to get better then where I was. It’s possible because even though I didn’t do great last night, I enjoyed myself. I was back where I love being, where I love going to make myself a better fit, healthy person. Tonight I’ll go back and work on my arms, legs, back and tummy. I’ll give my legs the day off to recoup from yesterday (unless I just go a bit easier because come Saturday and Sunday I won’t be working out…..we’re going camping).

Yesterday was a great eating day. Calories were 664 and I burned 412 at the gym so stepping on the scale next week (as long as I keep this up) should show an improvement. Today’s a new day, waters going in, breakfast is done. I am canning this morning and then this afternoon taking the kids to the park and also going to storage to pick up all the camping gear. It’ll be a great TGIF!!!

Take care my friends and enjoy your Labor day weekend. I will be back next week with sharing our camping, my life style changes and more. Have a blessed and awesome weekend.

Hungry…my friend?

Well it’s September 1st and you all know that that means, it’s time to get my head back in the game and lose what I gained back and more. I know I can do this but my stomach is sure my mouth has forgotten what it’s used for. I have had just liquids so far today and really that’s all I get for the next couple of days and then I’ll get back to some more solid foods. I’m not going to die, but my stomach is sure thinks it’s gonna. Especially since this was the overnight camp out with the daycare and everyone brought some mighty good tasting treats, well the kids said they're great.

Camping…games and more…

 

And then this…

 

And now they are dancing to music and playing while I get ready to do that wash tub full of tomatoes.

Anything to keep my mind and my stomach from talking to my mouth. :o)

So take care my friends and if you’re in my area and need tomatoes, I am sure I will have plenty to share if you’re interested.

Blessings to you all!!