21 Day Fix: Day 2

This morning I woke up with sore legs, a sore butt, and just a general overall soreness. It is the feeling you get after you know you have busted your butt doing a good workout. Needless to say, I knew that today's workout was going to be harder than I figured simply because of the soreness.

I woke up late and before I realized it, I had not eaten all day. I got up and moving around 4 and took myself to the local Japanese restaurant where I ordered myself a dynamite roll. It met part of my meal for the day, but I know it was a no-no to simply not eat all day. I wasn't sure what the measurement was, but I knew that I had not met my daily quota, so I'm calling it a draw.

I completed the Day 2 workout which was called The Upper Fix. It worked on the upper body and much to my dismay still caused me to use my legs, which are still super sore. After the workout I finally had more mobility. I'm thinking the more I workout the better I'll feel. I've got to get these legs out of the sore phase and ASAP.

After the workout, I helped myself to another chocolate and peanut butter protein shake and am finally getting to relax. Hoping tomorrow's workout goes as smooth.

Until later,
Jana

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21 Day Fix: Day 1

Well, it has been a while since I last logged in and made a post. As usual, life happened and a lot of things got in the way. My relationship of 9 years ended and it has been an endless journey of trying to cope and move my life forward. I mention all this because it was (and still is) an important part of me. As I am moving forward, I am excited about some of the more positive changes coming. Some of which include a new job and a new town. I have accepted a new job teaching 6th grade Social Studies and I am very excited! I'll be moving closer to my family as well. But anyway, all of this will be reserved for another post. Onto the 21 Day Fix.

Monday on June 8, 2015 I began my 21 day journey to a healthier me. As I haven't really worked out much since returning from Disney in February, it is high time I get my butt into gear. I have signed up for the Disney Half Marathon in January of 2016 and its time to get prepared to start training. I'm excited because B is running the full marathon, but I'll leave that to her to tell you all about! :)

The premise of the program is you eat food that fit into these color coded boxes for 21 days and follow the workout plan and it is supposed to help you lose weight, tone up, etc. Each box represents a certain food and based on your weight determines how many times you get to fill each box.  If you know me, I am always up for trying something different, and given that I have had several friends recommend this program, I figured why not. You can read more about the actual program here.

Prior to starting, I read through the nutrition book and got to really know each of the containers. I took sharpie to mine and labeled them, but some people prefer to make real labels. I simply wrote the number of times I am allowed to fill each box a day and wrote the type of food that could go inside of it. So for example, I wrote the number 6 on the green box and labeled it Veggies. That means I can fill that box up to 6 times a day with veggies. I then checked out the shakeology cup that came with my set and looked through the videos that came with the kit. I actually sat down and watched the first DVD so I would know what to expect. Upon watching the videos I noticed that they did advertise for shakeology a lot. Shakeology is the nutritional meal supplement that is supposed to help with recovery after a workout, however it is a little more pricey than I could afford. I simply found a protein powder that was similar and more in my price range by looking online and reading a few nutritionists blogs. 

I also know that taking your measurements and pictures for starting was important. I typically would go ahead and post my before pictures and measurements, but I think I want to wait until I'm done with my first 21 days. I really want to see what kind of difference there is. And I'm a little embarrassed if I'm completely honest with myself. 

For my first day, I started out the best way I knew how. I made a pre-workout shake (chocolate protein powder, 8oz water, half a banana, and ice) and waited for it to kick in before launching into my very first workout which was the full body fix. Needless to say, it lived up to it's name. Less than an hour after finishing, my glutes and quads were KILLING me! I know it is because those muscles haven't been pushed that hard since February. I know now that I really need to get my butt in gear so that's not an issue. After the workout finished, I once again fueled up with a recovery shake (chocolate protein powder, 8oz water, 2 tsp peanut butter, and ice) and took a hot shower to help soothe the soreness. 

According to the plan, each of the shakes constituted a red container, the peanut butter constituted 2 teaspoons, and the half a banana was considered a purple container. For lunch I enjoyed a salad with chicken tenders on top with some avocado lime ranch (4 green containers, an orange, and a red) Dinner was a red container of pan seared chicken, 2 green containers of broccoli, and a blue container of cheese. Believe it or not, I still had plenty of options left to eat. It felt good to know that I'm making good choices for myself and I can still have other things to eat should I feel hungry. I really think this program is going to be a good one. I can't wait to hit Day 21. 

I'll be making daily posts or posting every other day in hopes that anyone else interested can do this as well. If you have any suggestions, please drop them in the comments and I look forward to updating soon!

Always,

Jana

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Watch me Go...



For those of you who don't know, I've been battling severe allergies since the beginning of October. Between sneezing, coughing, and feeling bad I have been struggling to get my runs in. That on top of a full plate at work and you get why I've been terrible at posting. I'm still a little under the weather, but I'm done letting that stop me from reaching my goal of completing my first half marathon. I've been getting in about a run or two a week, but they are pretty slow and I've only run about 30 minutes at a time.

Today was the first day I've felt really good in a while, and minus some coughing, I had no other issues. I warmed up around 3:45pm and took off on my first distance run in a while. 5 miles is a lot of mileage as the most I've ever run at one time was my 10K almost a year and a half ago. I expected a really bad time, but I was surprised to see that I'm not as far behind as I thought.

I finished my run and was flagged down by one of the guys who does training for a local gym. He often brings his classes to the track to run and use the equipment. (I am always cheering encouragement at them as I see them go through circuits and they are always cheering on the runners out at the track.) I waved at him and stopped by to see what he wanted. He told me that he had noticed my running form was MUCH better and he wanted to let me know that he could really tell a difference. I smiled and told him I was concerned because my time had slowed down as my form began to change. Apparently that is normal and as long as I keep running, I should be fine. The fact that he stopped me to tell me I was improving really  made me happy. It made me realize that you never know who is watching you. It makes me want to push myself even harder to ensure that I reach my goals in time for my big race. (And I told him about getting ready for the half and he gave me some really good advice on nutrition goals and pacing. :) For free...which is the best thing.)

It's hard to believe that we are only 111 days away from race day! It seems to be passing so quickly! I can remember when we were at 250 days...now we are almost down to double digit days! It will REALLY hit me when we get to single digit days! B and I are so ready and pretty much text non-stop these days about what all we are going to do! I can't wait to get there!

 

Enjoy your evening,

Jana

 

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Just Beachin'

I just got back from a much needed vacation to the beach. I am finishing unpacking my bags (which involves dumping out handful of sands), and I'm already missing the sun, sand, and waves. I could of used a couple of more days to get a little more tan and a little more relaxed. Don't vacations always end too soon? I am already missing my nieces terribly!

It really was a great vacation. The first night I got there I was having tons of anxiety about food. Food post weight loss surgery is so much more complicated than food pre weight loss surgery. The problem was I was staying in a condo with 8 other people, and that kitchen was stacked to the brim with snacks. Snacks I would have loved before my surgery!  Like Banana Split Oreos! Where were banana split Oreos when I still weighed in the 300s?  Or the banana taffy sonic slushie with nerds? I would have lost my mind over those a few months ago.

I'm  pretty much at a point with my surgery, that I can have a bite of almost anything, and I will try things because otherwise I would lose my mind. But for the most part I have a routine with food, that I find comforting. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle all the temptation.

I did pretty well. I do think I snacked more than I would in a regular week, but I didn't eat the unhealthy stuff. But I did have bite of the Oreo, and it was crazy good!

I stayed pretty active, I went for a 3 mile run one evening in the gym, while people stared at me from the pool. I was less embarrassed that I was sweating like a pig in front of a pool of teenagers, than I was that I was watching the Real Housewives while doing it! I swam non-stop, and I am participating in a crunches challenge for the month of August.

When  I got home, I was scared to step on the scale, I don't know why. It is just that being out of my routine scares me, I was BLOWN away to discover that I lost 8 lbs this week. BLOWN AWAY. So proud and so happy. I weigh in the 230s now, I am so close to ONEDERLAND.

Also, while we we were on vacation, Adam and I went parasailing. Parasailing has been on my bucket list for a while. Years and years ago, when I would go on beach trips with the church youth group, they would take people out to go parasailing. I would always act like I didn't want to go, but really I wouldn't go because there was a combined weight limit, and I doubted there was anyone I could pair with that wouldn't make us heavier than the weight limit. So I didn't even try. Just one more way my weight has held me back over the years.

But now that I've lost some weight, I could ride with my husband. So we went parasailing not once but twice last week. What an amazing experience! Not only was it fun and beautiful, it was just so amazing to be able to do something that my weight used to keep me from doing. 

Losing weight lets you have adventures. 

Tomorrow it is back to the grind, and we are moving into our new house on Friday! I'm hoping to get a run in tomorrow before work, so I can finish up some packing in the afternoon.   This weekend is going to be hectic and full of unpacking boxes and cleaning. I'm hoping to run a 4 miler over the weekend!

Catch you later,

Brittany

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J and B's Runiversary

July 29, 2014 was mine and B's 2 year runiversary. It seems so surreal looking back over that amount of time and how far we have come. I didn't even realize it until August 1 and of course I had to send her a message to let her know we had missed it. She and I both agreed that it would make for a good blog post, so here we are. :)

I know we post a lot about our running and how far we've come. I just want to say, I'm so proud of B! She had a 14 minute mile the other day! And not just 1, but 3 of them! When we started this journey I know I could barely do a 20 minute mile. The fact that we are up to 14 minute miles speaks volumes about our journey and we are hoping to only get faster the longer we practice.

Instead of writing all about our journey, I want to share a few pictures instead. Please bear with me as this will be a photo heavy post. :)

 These were taken after we finished our very FIRST 5K in September of 2012. We finished in under an hour and we were the last two to finish, but we finished! So blessed I had this girl in my corner. 

 Fun times at our very first foam race! As you can see, we enjoyed the face painting. :)

 Of course I had to throw in a few college throw back pictures. :) As you can see, we had a lot of fun. 

 When Brit and I started our running journeys, we inspired several others to join us for the Color Run in Jackson, MS. As you can see, it was a blast!

 Our very 1st 10K in Auburn, AL (War Damn Eagle!)

Random pics from Days Gone By!

I'm so looking forward to many more adventures with this girl and I can't wait until we get to post all about our experience at the Disney Princess Half Marathon! :D

Until Later,

Jana

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No More Excuses

It is hard to believe that 2 weeks from today I will be sitting in front of my computer constantly refreshing the runDisney webpage so that I can register for my very first Disney Princess Half Marathon. To say I am excited is an understatement. To say that I've been obsessing over this moment since March when Brittany and I decided to take it on, would be the honest truth. I honestly can't believe it is within reach. 

I'm finding it hard to believe that it is only 7 months until the race. Given that today is July 1st, I decided that I really need to buckle down on the training wagon and get my diet under control. I know in order to be at my best I need to eat as clean as possible. I also need to make sure I'm training regularly. So here are my July Goals for success:

Run a Minimum of 3 days a week

Cross Train 2-3 days a week

Log on myfitnesspal daily (janak2004 is my handle)

Meatless Mondays

Dairyless Tuesdays

Breadless Wednesdays

Sweetless Thursdays

No Fried Food Fridays

Water ONLY Weekdays (with exception of Gatorade for runs)

Today was Day 1 of my redo 5 mile week. I finished in 1:17, which is under the Disney requirement. I know I want to get my speed up, but right now I'm focusing on my distance and I will work on speed as I go. My goal is eventually get up to the 13 mile mark and complete it in under 3:30. If I can do that on my own, I can then work on picking up my speed. My goal before the race is a 3hr race, but if it takes me the whole time I won't be disappointed. 

I hit a wall around mile 3 today and tried to justify stopping and just calling it a day. I thought of EVERY reason possible, but then yelled at myself for being so stupid. If I can't handle 5 miles, how on earth do I expect to handle 13.1? After giving myself a brief, but stern talking to, I realized that I was almost done with mile 4 and I should just shut up and keep going. At mile 4.3 my feet started to kill me. Again, I could see the car right up the road and I knew I could just go on there and not worry about the last 7 tenths, but the voice of reasoning kicked in and I pushed through. When I finished I was hot, sweaty, and my feet hurt, but I was so happy that I had made it all the way through. Sometimes I can be my worst enemy. I know I need to get out of my head and just do it. 

I got to thinking about all the excuses I make as a runner about why I can't do it and what others have told me in the past about why they refuse to run. I have created this list of excuses and facts for your reading entertainment.

1. Excuse- Running is too hard on your body.

    Fact- Running IS hard on your body, but the more you do it the less difficult it is.

2. Excuse- Running hurts too bad.

    Fact- Again, YES, it does hurt, but not in a bad way. It hurts in a "I am kicking butt" sort of way.

3. Excuse- You get all hot and sweaty.

    Fact- I do get all hot and sweaty, but the most rewarding part of my entire workout is pulling off my sweaty clothes after a good workout and taking a nice, hot, relaxing shower. There is no other feeling that can compare to that. And FYI, that sweat is toxins leaving your body. The more you sweat, the better. 

4. Excuse- I don't have time.

    Fact- You have to make time. A one hour run is only 4% of your day. In the time it took you to read this blog post, you could have already started a good workout. Get out there and do it. 

5. Excuse- I'm too tired.

    Fact- A good run will actually make you less tired. You will be amazed at the boost of energy you get. A runner's high is the best thing ever. 

6. Excuse- I'm too self conscious. People will talk about me if I get out there.

    Fact- You would be amazed at how wrong you are. I have more people that give me a thumbs up and a kind word than anything when I go run. Nobody is focusing on you. Nobody is thinking what you think they are. Believe it or not, you might just be inspiring them. Keep going! Don't stop!

I'm sure there are a lot more excuses. Feel free to add them in the comments with your facts. I'd love to see what other pitfalls people have. 

Start the month of July off right! Get out there and Run! No more excuses! You can do it! :)

Talk to you soon,

Jana

Why I Run...PT 2

Brittany posted a really good post a couple of weeks ago about why she runs and it really got me to thinking about why I run. The truth of the matter is, what started out as two friends deciding to do their very first 5K turned into more than I could ever imagine. It helped me build confidence. It helped me feel better about myself. It got me to be active for the first time in a long time. But most importantly, it took me out of my comfort zone and gave me an outlet to work out stress and frustrations. 

Since I have started running, I can tell a HUGE difference. These two pictures are prime examples of the differences between then and now.

July 2012

Weight: 302

April 2014

   Weight: 265

When I started this journey, I was very secretive about my weight. I didn't want anyone to know that I had hit the 300lb mark. I was embarrassed and ashamed. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my come to Jesus meeting occurred on my very first flight out to California when I couldn't get the seat belt to buckle. That in and of itself was the beginning to my realizing I had a major problem. 

After Brittany and I started training with C25K, which is a great program for those wanting to start running, I found that even though I always joked about never being a runner, that yes...I could be. I had confidence for the first time ever. Clothes fit better. I was watching the scale move down, although slowly. And the inches came off. For me, the weight loss has been slow, but it has also been permanent. As the saying goes, "I didn't LOSE the weight...I got rid of it. I have no intention of ever finding it again."

I guess my reasons for running have far surpassed their humble beginnings. They have gone from a challenge to something I actually crave. I WANT to be healthy. I WANT to get out there and run. I WANT to see my body change. But most importantly, I WANT TO DO THIS FOR ME! When I can't control anything else, I can control when and where I run. I can control how much I run and I can ultimately control my health over the long haul. I only get one body and I hope that by my 30's I'm in better shape than I have ever been.

If you are thinking about becoming a runner, please remember a few things:

1. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to do a mile, the fact is that you are out there doing it.

2. Don't get discouraged that people are passing you. The only person you need to be in competition with is yourself. 

3. If anyone makes fun of you, don't stop! Everyone has to start somewhere. Some of us are just further in the race than others. 

4. Be proud of the body you have. If you aren't happy with it, only YOU can change it. 

5. Your head will give out long before your body will. Keep pushing or you can't grow. 

6. Sign up for a race before you start. It will give you something to work for. 

7. Have fun! Nothing better than getting out there with just you and the pavement. Forget your troubles and just run. 

For those of you looking for other reasons to run, this is for you. Enjoy!

Happy Running,

Jana