Fitness Friday: Week Six & Kim Borchert Inspires!

May 4, 2012 By 2 Comments

I can’t believe it’s been six weeks since I left the fat-girl closet with you all! In addition to my usual updates, this week starts a series of guest posts I’ve lined up to share with you. I have so many friends who are inspiring me with their life changes and I wanted you to hear from them. This week’s guest is Kim Borchert. I asked Kim to write a guest post because she a super busy woman who set a fitness goal and worked her (normal-sized) butt off to reach it. She’s inspiring, ya’ll!

Kim’s words…

“I have never been an athletic girl. I danced for 7 years and played soccer and even football. But I was always the one with the pot belly that couldn’t run the mile without getting winded. I was slow and while I loved playing games, hated the competition of it all.

Then in Jr. High I tried the track team. I was good at sprints – short and fast distances were good. But I still didn’t love it. I had always loved the water, so in that time, I joined a city swim team. I loved the non-contact sport and loved being in the water. Again, I was never very fast, but I really enjoyed myself. I swam and joined the diving team in high school. This lasted until middle of my Sophomore year when we moved. My new high school not only didn’t have a swim or diving team, but it didn’t even have a pool!

The rest of my high school days were spent trying to avoid running. My senior year of high school I even took a modern dance class to avoid running.

It has been 17 years since I graduated from high school. In that time I have tried running and never loved it. I have fallen in love with cycling, and kept up my love affair with swimming. In the last 10 years however, I have given birth to 5 babies. Five pregnancies in 8 years really took a toll on my body and as much as I tried, I was not getting the weight off.

Feeling frustrated and really defeated I had decided this was just how my body was going to be. It was what it was and there was nothing I could do about it. Then I had an opportunity to train for a 5K or a half marathon with the help of an experienced mentor.

I jumped on this opportunity. I wanted to do something for myself. I wanted to prove to myself I could do it.

For 15 weeks I ran at least 4 times a week. I was slow, oh so slow. When I started I could barely run a mile and a half. I will never forget after my first run crying that there was no way I would be able to run 13.1 miles when I couldn’t even run ONE!  My wise husband reminded me I wasn’t running tomorrow and to just take it one run at a time.

I did this. I took it one step at a time. Some miles were easier than others. Some miles were fun and some were downright torturous. But, 15 weeks after my 1st run, I did it. I ran 13.1 miles and finished my first half marathon.

I say first because I absolutely will do it again. The weight is coming off, but more important, I found myself. I found parts of me that have been buried for longer than I can remember. I found that I enjoyed taking care of myself and that I was worth it.”

Kim is the Mama to 5 hooligans, 1 in Heaven and 4 on Earth. She and her husband are recent transplants to Texas and she loves running in the mild Texas winters. You can read more of her ramblings on her personal blog, Prairie Mama and follow her on Twitter!

 

Sherry’s Week Six update:

Successes

  • A gallon of H2Orange every day this week.
  • I put on a pair of 24 pants I haven’t been able to wear in two years (and they are kind of big!) When I started my program, I was wearing a 28.
  • One exercise session this week.
  • I had my yearly physical last week and my numbers are already improving!
  • Weight: I maintained again at 280.0, so I’m still at 10 pounds lost on the program and 21 pounds lost since my high of 301. While this is good, it’s also frustrating to know I’d be losing if I were following the program more closely.
  • Inches: I lost 2.5 inches this week! I’m down 22 inches total so far!
  • I saw several people this week who I haven’t seen in a couple of months and they all commented on the weight loss. It was fun to know that other people are noticing.

Challenges

  • I had several episodes of sugar cravings (they corresponded directly with stress) that I gave in to. I didn’t beat myself up over them, but it’s something I think I’ll have to watch my whole life.
  • I wanted to exercise more, but wasn’t able to get it done.
  • There were one or two times when I ate when I wasn’t hungry.
  • I’m really having to fight getting upset with myself when I don’t have a perfect eating day.

 

How was your week?

Past Posts on my fitness Journey…

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Fitness Friday: Week Two

April 6, 2012 By 7 Comments

Week two is done! This week was more difficult than I expected, but I made it through. Here’s the breakdown:

Success

  • I’m sleeping better. This is a huge one for me. I know that a big part of this is that I’m having almost zero caffeine now that I’m not drinking as many diet sodas. I may have one with lunch, but that’s the most (and that’s not even every day).
  • I’m not as tired during the day. I have so much more energy during the day and I’m not crashing in the late afternoon like I usually do.
  • I’m still managing to drink the gallon of H2Orange every day.
  • Weight…I have lost three more pounds (that’s 6.6 total so far).
  • Inches…I lost another 1.5 inches! My abdomen measured an inch bigger than last week, but I’m not stressing as I fully expect that to be an area that fluctuates a lot.

Challenges

  • Sugar…as I mentioned last week, sugar and sweets are my biggest challenge. I had a serving of peach cobbler at my Grandma’s house last weekend and a candy apple yesterday. I’m not happy about this, but knowing I’m in the for the long haul, I’m trying not to let it be a huge downer.
  • Eating when I’m not hungry. The major point of the program I am on is to retrain yourself to know when you are really hungry and to only eat at those times. Twice this week I’ve eaten when I wasn’t hungry, but rather because it was “time” to eat. Each of those times I’ve eaten a normal portion and I’ve still felt sick to my stomach afterward. Ooooohhhh, so you’re only supposed to eat when you’re hungry!
  • Sugar. This is Easter weekend, y’all. With all the treats and sweets that implies.

Past Weeks

Week One

I’m Fat, But That’s Changing

So, how was this week for you?

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I’m Fat. But That’s Changing.

March 23, 2012 By 42 Comments

I don’t like to talk about weight. As my very smart friend said, it’s like the elephant in the room. It’s not like I don’t know I’m fat, because I do. But I also know my husband thinks I’m hot, I’ve got a good smile that I use all the time, and I have a good shape. I’m not a healthy fat person. I know curvy women who are fit, but I’m not one of them. I want to be.

It’s difficult to talk about wanting to get healthy without talking numbers. I hate looking at numbers on a scale. Unfortunately, the easiest way to track progress on the fitness front is by counting pounds lost. So, I’ll be counting pounds lost (inches lost too).

I’ve been in the 200s on the scale for 18 years. Which means that I have been overweight for half my life. I haven’t run since I was 18. Before that, I was healthy and in good shape. I was always a fit kid, never overweight (despite what I thought as a teenager). I played sports in school and my body did whatever I needed it to do. Then I went to college and started eating my feelings and stopped exercising.

As much as I hate looking at the scale, it’s the number I saw this summer that convinced me to take this body and my health seriously. I hit 300 pounds in August. This was a holy-shit moment for me.

My goal weight (because progress is easy to track with numbers) is 180ish (I’m 5’8″). I’m tired of being tired, out of breath, walking slowly, not being able to get on the floor and play with my kids. I’m tired of using belt extenders when I fly and of none of my clothes fitting. I’m tired of not wearing shorts in the summer. I’m tired of being tired.

I’m starting a program at work that is supposed to jump start this whole healthy-living/weight loss thing. I hope you’ll join me here to urge me on and maybe yell at me every now and then if I need it. I’ll check in with you all each week. I don’t want this blog to turn in to a place where all I talk about is my weight, but I know a lot of you struggle to get healthy and we can all use the encouragement. I’ll talk with you all about what I’m doing both food-wise and exercise-wise and I would love to hear your tips and thoughts.

Here’s where I am now.

 

So…are you in?

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Hopes for 2011, February & March Update

April 2, 2011 By 2 Comments

I know we’re into April, but I still wanted to update how February and March went. You can look back to my January update if you’re *really* that into my list!

Feeling 16 again. This one is the general health one. The biggest thing I did here was go see my doctor for a physical. The good news is that my body isn’t falling apart (always a positive, yes?) I also did this alternative therapy to try to get rid of  some pain in my heel/ankle. It hurt really bad, the treatment was expensive, and it hasn’t worked that well…so I guess my next move is to power through. So, now I just have to get off my rear and start working out. For me the fitness thing really kicks in when I start working out because I don’t want to mess up all my hard work by choosing the wrong food.

Don’t over commit. This one has been more difficult than I thought it would be. I did give up a gig that I have been hanging on to (and feeling guilty about) for too long. It was a huge relief.

Drink more! I’ve fallen off the wagon a bit here. I’m definitely having more water, but I’ve also been slipping on the diet soda. I’ve been trying really hard not to have it after noon though, hoping it will help both Tobin and me sleep.

Budget. We’re doing pretty well on this one. With our tax return we paid off some big chunks and did some other necessary things. Now we’re working on figuring out where we are, what our new costs are, and budgeting accordingly.

Give. After my friend, Ronny, died in March, we gave to The Livestrong Foundation. I’ve also been exploring Love Drop which is a fairly new organization, but one that is helping its donors (team) feel connected in their giving.

Get Green. I’ve been doing small things here and there for this goal. Not as much as I hope to work up to, but it’s slowly happening.

Follow directions. Following directions is hard, y’all. After visiting with the doctor in March, I’ve gotten better at this, but still not the most compliant patient.

Scrap. I haven’t scrapped much, but I did a lot of crafting for Tobin’s birthday party the first week of March, so that counts, right?

Write. I’ve been writing more here, but not my other outlets…so I’ll get right on that.

Remove distractions. This has probably been the one goal I’ve been the most proactive in reaching. We’ve cleaned out our closet, cleaned out Nicholas’ closet, posted items we aren’t using anymore for sale, I’ve cleaned out a couple of email accounts, and recycled a ton of old magazines. Still more to do, but I love the feeling of not have so much around.

So, how are your resolutions or goals for 2011 coming? I want to hear all about it!

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Hopes for 2011 January Update

February 1, 2011 By 1 Comment

Back at the beginning of January, I told you all the 10 things I hoped to do more of in 2011. I thought, in an effort to be accountable to myself, I’d update how I’m doing each month. So, here is how I did in January.

Feel 16 again. The only thing I’ve done for this one (which is really my fitness hope for the year) is to make some doctor’s appointments that will make exercising and getting healthy easier. That’s progress, right?

Don’t over-commit. This one is a goal I have to remind myself of pretty often. I have said no a couple of times though!

Drink more! I’m doing better on getting water into my daily routine. And I’m doing a lot better about avoiding diet soda (which is a lot harder for me than drinking water). I have a long way to go on this one though.

Budget. We’ve done a few things to work on our budget including going back through old check registers to really see where our money goes. What an eye-opener that one was! We’ve already gotten our taxes done and we get to pay off some debt. I’m so stinkin’ excited!

Give. Thanks to my friend, Rachel, we have already given to the Corpus Christi Food Bank this year. I’ve also done some research to see just what we want to focus our giving on.

Get Green. The main way we’ve done this is to stop drinking soda. I know it doesn’t sound like a huge step, but we were drinking tons of cans and not always recycling them, so by avoiding them altogether I feel like we aren’t dumping so much. The other thing we stopped doing was buying bottled water because we weren’t doing a great job about recycling the bottles. Instead we bought some metal bottles for the fridge. Little steps.

Follow directions. This goal mainly goes toward being compliant with my medications. I’m doing soooo much better with this! I haven’t been checked out to see how big an impact it’s made, but I’m proud of remembering to pop those pills!

Scrap. I still haven’t caught up with N’s book or started Tobin’s book; but, I have scrapped in January! I finished N’s 4th book (which makes me only one year behind for him). I’ve organized the digital photos for T’s book, and gotten some papers to start his soon.

Write. I’ve sucked at this one. That is all.

Remove distractions. I’m super happy with this update. So far I’ve cleaned out Nicholas’ closet, organized our closet, cleaned out our books (and sold what we didn’t want to keep), canceled a subscription to a magazine that I wasn’t reading but was driving me crazy because I wasn’t reading it, and William and I spent a full day opening every box in our storage unit to see what we have. We aren’t quite done with the storage unit but the progress is awesome and we’ll be able to go down to a smaller unit (saving us money for our budget). I love this hope!

How are you guys doing? If you made resolutions are you sticking to them? If not, have you started doing anything this year to make your world better?

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The Freckle

January 18, 2011 By 8 Comments

I have a lot of freckles. Not tons, but enough that I could play connect the dots on my body and make some weird drawings. But today, I want to tell you about one freckle specifically. I hate The Freckle. I hate The Freckle because of where it is. I hate The Freckle because of what it means.

The Freckle is under my chin, about halfway between the tip of my chin and the top of my throat. You shouldn’t be able to see The Freckle. You know the only time you can see The Freckle? That’s right. When I have a double chin. That’s the only time The Freckle shows its ugly face. The only time The Freckle dares to show up is when it’s cushioned by layers of fluff. If you see The Freckle, that means my face has gotten fat.

My face is the last place on my body that shows weight gain. I know I’ve reached a bad place when my face starts gaining. And I know I’m at that place when The Freckle appears. I didn’t even know I had The Freckle until a couple of years ago. I was surprised to see The Freckle. I mean, how do you know something is on your body if you’ve never seen it in the mirror?

The Freckle is no longer tucked up safely under my chin. Where it belongs. The Freckle thinks it’s too good for its home. The Freckle needs to back up slowly until there is nothing more to see.

Perhaps I give The Freckle too much power? Or perhaps The Freckle needs to go back to where it belongs! Stupid The Freckle.

So, do you have something about yourself that is your maker for change? Something that, when it appears (or disappears), tells you it’s time to get moving?

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Reasons Why

January 11, 2011 By 4 Comments

I have always felt it was important to know why a person does something. Not so that it can be excused or reasoned away, but so it can be countered (or encouraged). I always thought, if I could just figure out the Why of the way I treat my body, I could change.

If I could just figure out Why. Why do I eat stuff that I know is bad for me? Why do I get lazy and not exercise? Why do I drink too much caffeine? Why? Because. I do.

At this point, it doesn’t matter Why. It’s just become another excuse. If I don’t figure out Why, then I can keep looking and won’t have to do anything about it! But driving in the car the other day, pondering the Why, I realized. The Why doesn’t matter.

The point is, I know I do it, and that should be enough to stop. I know when I do it and, really, I mostly know Why. So, I can work on giving up one of my last excuses. Giving up the search for Why is hard, yo.

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Ready, Set, Get Healthy!

September 21, 2010 By 6 Comments

This isn’t the post I intended to write about health and fitness and how it relates to me. I was going to do something frothy and upbeat, but I changed my mind. Because, maybe, being frothy and upbeat – therefore avoiding too much honest emotion – has been one of my tools for staying unhealthy and unfit. I’ve had a few kicks in the pants lately, and am determined to be healthy for the rest of my life.

In an effort to be honest with myself, in this very public place, I think I need to review.

1. I’m the most unfit and biggest I’ve ever been. In my life. Ever.
2. I want to be healthy for me and my family.
3. I want to see my grandchildren (and be able to run and play with them).
4. Hell, I want to be able to run and play with my children.
5. I need to stop treating my body like there aren’t any consequences to my actions (have I mentioned my love of ice cream?)

The encouraging thing is, I know I can get healthy because I did it while I was pregnant with Tobin. I was diagnosed early in the pregnancy (around 6 weeks) with gestational diabetes. I had had it with Nicholas, and when I felt some of the same symptoms, I asked my doctor to test me. So, I had it in control early and did it mostly with diet. While I had a little insulin, my control of my glucose levels really came through keeping track of my carb intake and portion control. While I was pregnant with Tobin, I lost around 30 pounds and felt awesome. What does all that mean? That I can’t use the excuse that I just *can’t* lose weight. Because I didn’t go on a diet, I just ate correctly, and I lost a good chunk of weight. And I did it while growing a human being. Got it.

In addition to a talk with my doctor that has helped to spur this new determination, I have had a couple of other being-taken-by-the-shoulders-and-shaken moments over the last few months. I have two people that I really love fighting cancer. People who are incredible, wonderful, kick-ass people. Also? People who were incredibly fit and healthy when they were diagnosed. People who are using every tool at their disposal to fight this disease that is trying to take them from their families. And here I am, taking my body for granted. It’s ridiculous.

Last week, on CNN, my amazing friend, Ronny, was interviewed about the breast cancer medication that she (and her doctors) feel is keeping her alive. She’s 34 and has been fighting cancer for 7 years.

I watched the clip with pride for my friend who is articulate and did a great job putting a face to the fight. I watched the clip with tears running down my face for my friend who is a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a photographer, a cheerleader, and who has one of the biggest laughs in the world.

There are other kinds of survivors in my life, people who have battled disease or accidents. People who didn’t let anything stop them from living the lives they wanted to live despite their “bad luck.”

All this to say I’m getting healthy. And I’m starting today.

My incredible friend, Ronny on CNN last week:

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