A New Idea, Direction and Goal

Today is April 30th, the end of the month...the date I'd been looking forward to for the last 4 months as the day I saw 210. The day isn't over but it would take a minor miracle to reach 210 today. I'm sitting at 214 which I've been at for well over a month. I'm feeling great though, I'm a little upset at a missed goal but am still amazed that I am where I am. I never thought I'd get here.

Anyways, not that you haven't heard all that before, I tend to reiterate a lot of what I've already said :) I suppose it's lack of material, since, you know, I haven't been doing as much as I've been saying lately! I've been doing some searching and (yes, here we go...another regurgitated idea) I really feel naming my blog Seeing 210 has been the best thing for me and the worst. It gave me a tangible goal, something to strive for...then I realized I was scared/anxious to reach the goal.

In the next few weeks you can expect some changes. Changes in my goals and changes on this blog. I'm going to do my best to get some more progress pictures up and hopefully add some different features. I'm also starting the process of renaming it...I plan on changing the Title Bar but leaving the URL until I've finalized it all then I may migrate this blog to the new address. You'll be the first to know!

Thanks for your continued support and for following me along this crazy fat loss path!

Feel Good Post-Prego Stuff

Shifting gears here for a little bit…talking about a sensitive issue here. As we get closer to the baby's due date, Sally and I have talked about our plans for our post-baby workouts. We have all sorts of walks planned which will be great for us and the little one to get outside but she is very interested in getting back to pre-baby weight as soon as possible. In addition to our planned outings, Sally has heard about and is planning on buying a post-pregnancy workout video. There are many of them out there but the one that keeps coming up in her searches is the Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy Workout DVD. The problem is it's so popular that it's nowhere to be found. Do a search on Tracy Anderson in Google and you are bound to see how she is the personal trainer for Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Yesterday we did a photo shoot of a friend, her husband and their 1 year old daughter. The day before she had done a 3.5 mile walk for the March of Dimes. I thought to myself, what a great way to get back out there…great exercise for a great cause! It also got me to thinking about an 8k coming up that's a really popular one for this area.

Beat the Bridge is an 8k which raises money for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund). 2 mile's and 20 minutes after the last wave leaves the start area, the University Draw Bridge goes up…the idea is to "Beat the Bridge". I've volunteered a few times for this race and have participated in it twice. It is a blast. I'm looking at my schedule but would love to run it again:) They also have a 4 mile Family walk and a Diaper Derby.

It's great to know there are events like this to get us out of the house (with baby) and doing our part. I will be following up with more post-pregnancy ideas when I come across them!
Have a great week!

Happy Birthday Dad and Steve

It's been all about birthdays and BIRTH days lately!

Since my success has reached beyond the level of a freakish my family has been taking note. Maybe not taking notes, but definitely they have noticed and our motivation and enjoyment at becoming smaller versions of ourselves has grown by leaps and bounds.

My brother Steve and his family have changed up so much of the way the eat and think about food and exercise. Steve's birthday was on the 18th and one of the greatest presents that I think he got was a new wardrobe because he can fit back into the clothes that he wore when he just got married! (it wasn't too long ago so the looks aren't too out of style;). I'm just so stoked to see him melt before our eyes...both he and his wife Nicole have really turned the corner. Out of experience and seeing the change within myself I can recognize that what they are going through now will change their lives! They are doing so well!

Today IS my dad's birthday! One thing I feel my dad and I shared was the "Big Guy" mentality. Once I finally broke free of that identity I noticed a dramatic shift in my attitude. He is on the cusp...he has made some great strides and hearing him talk about it with such hope and actual belief that it will happen for him makes me so excited for it to start showing for him! I'm in a great mood right now (for various reasons) and I'm happy that my hardwork and my struggles have helped them see that they too can make changes for the better!

Happy Birthday Guys and well done!

Life Happens

Everything is lining itself up nicely for a wonderful afternoon jog today and tomorrow.

70+ degree weather. Check.
Physically able. Check.
Emotionally ready. Check.
Motivation on high. Check.
Time to run? Not going to happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Ugh. Life Happens.

Take today for example: Get home at 4, pay bills, mail off client's pictures, clean up from a party at the house yesterday, edit 5 photo shoots worth of material (over 1000 images), post on the blog (not this one), eat dinner, call the guy that hit our car (again!), grocery shopping, refinish the changing table (yes! Still working on that!), rehang the shelf in the baby room, patch 6 holes in the wall, hang a new light, work in the yard and then it's time for bed. Yes, you're right…too much!

I've been contemplating the morning runs now. I'm out of time, I have no other good time to get out there and take care of business…I've always been an afternoon/evening runner. I've gotten out on the rare morning occasion but it was usually around 9:30 not 4:30/5 like I’m planning now. If I time it right I will be getting back home right about the time I normally roll out of bed. I'm out of ideas because life is coming at me full force these days.

I've written many times about prioritizing your life and making time for a jog or a workout but the 30 - 1 hour blocks are very hard to come by these days. I'd love it if any of you have any other ideas how I can free up some time?!

"Keepin' the Faith"

It's a saying that often adorns all email communication between Dennis and me. It's not really meant in a religious aspect but more for the actual word and meaning of faith itself. Of the many definitions of this word the one that best encompasses what is meant is: the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a promise (person, engagement, etc...).

We go back and forth about our newest conquest, our newest personal record and pretty much anything that keeps us headed in the right direction. It's very evident that having support has played a HUGE role in my ability to stay the course, to keep my sites set on my goal and to keep pluggin' away!

My "faith" and obligation is only as strong as I want it to be. Fortunately, I have Dennis to keep me striving to outdo myself (or him) in various ways. He credits me for keeping him in line which is great because I have found (as most humans probably do) that it's easier to say, than do. I've done a lot of both. This blog has allowed me to "say" a lot and it in turn keeps me honest and I "do" a lot as well. That's how it works with Dennis and I.

Often times, the "faith" is my loyalty to Dennis, to Sally, my readers and to myself. I can't let them and I can't let myself down...gotta keep the faith. It will happen!

Seeing 210 by EOM

I'm in high gear now as I try to hit the 210 mark sometime during this month! The end of the month is looming and visions of attaining this goal are shining like the light at the end of a very long tunnel. At night, I've been back to my push-ups... last night I knocked out 100 push-ups in 4 sets. I could've done more but I was exhausted from staying up too late watching a movie.

I've been working some overtime as well as getting stuff ready for baby. Yesterday I assembled the crib and put a coat of primer on the changing table. Tonight I will apply the first coat of paint but am dedicated to going for a jog. It's been harder and harder to get out on the road (read: I've made every excuse possible!) but I must make time! Remember, I'm committed to this goal!

Sally is helping out tremendously. She continues to wake early with me and makes me the most beautiful bowl of oatmeal complete with raisins, cinnamon, a little brown sugar topped with a large dollop of yogurt... oh, it's so good! What a great way to start the day!

There are so many things going on in the families right now. Babies on the way, houses and practices selling, today is TAX DAY, birthdays... you name it and it's probably happening this month! I am still floating between 213 and 215 but I know with my determination I can get it to 210...even if just for a moment, I need to see it, this is the month it'll happen. I'll work on keeping it 210 later (and lower for sure) but for now, it's Seeing 210 (by the End of the Month).

Flea Circus

You've undoubtedly read about how you can train fleas to jump a certain height, right? If you haven't read this quote… I learned about this way back in college and it stuck with me (thanks Mom & Dad for tuition, figures I'd remember the important things)… While reading this you should make a few connections with our motivation (or lack thereof) or possibly, as I've realized for myself, you'll see a pretty strong correlation between your goals or expected results and your efforts.

"Flea trainers have observed a predicable and strange habit of fleas while training them. Fleas are trained by putting them in a cardboard box with a top on it. The fleas will jump up and hit the top of the box over and over and over again. As you watch them jump and hit the lid, something very interesting becomes obvious. The fleas continue to jump, but they are no longer jumping high enough to hit the top. When you take off the lid, the fleas continue to jump, but they will not jump out of the box. They won't jump out because they can't jump out. Why? They have conditioned themselves to jump just so high."

This all came up because of a push-up email Dennis and I have been sending back and forth recently. Well, that's how it started anyway. I was doing a burnout of push-ups the other day and I got to 32ish and I stopped and got up. I had more in me, my body just said "you're done, dude, get off the filthy ground." So I did. The next day after the email thread had started and Dennis push-upped about 40 or so I got back down without any thought of how many I was going to do. I hit 51. Hmmm. When I typically do my sets of push-ups I usually stop at 25. My thought was this: have I been conditioning myself to only be able to do 25 push-ups at a time?

As the thread went on we talked about hitting this point and the awareness of our own walls and "lids"… what we haven't figured out is how to break this conditioning… how do we let ourselves achieve greater goals and see the potential? I suppose it's just "keepin' the faith" as Dennis leaves every email to me... yes, a lead in to another post... (to come)

Suckin' (warm & flowery) Air

I kept my promise yesterday and I jogged my normal 5 mile loop! Except that I was sucking air the whole way...and not to mention the trees are in bloom (pastel pinks and whites) right now so I was breathing predominantly pollen! Luckily I'm not allergic, well not that allergic to pollen... but it got to be a little overwhelming at times. It was one of the more uplifting and beautiful runs I've gone on in awhile but also one of the hardest mentally! Coming off of 3 weeks of nada (Spanish for nothing) I kept wanting to walk and almost talked myself into thinking it was smart to do so. But I persevered, I pushed on, wading through the thick, aromatic pollen blanket until I finally reached home.

My goal was to See 210 by the end of this month... at this rate that means I have about 1.25 pounds to lose per week...totally doable, especially if I'm working out regularly now too! I have a birthday party to attend tonight so it's a test. How badly do I want to make this happen? Only time will tell, in fact 24 days will tell.

I woke today feeling alive! It's that post-workout numbness that courses through your body that gives you a sense of purpose and excitement for the day to come. I love waking up early to watch the day take shape and feel like my body is doing the same! Wish me luck on the home stretch! I'll keep you posted with my progress!!!

In the (blue) Shadows of the Great Olive 8

My cubicle is next to a floor to ceiling window on the 16th floor of a building in Downtown Seattle. There is a new building, the Olive 8, being built across the street (South East) of me. The building has these odd, blue glass plate accents all over it. As the sun was passing through one it cast an eerie blue blast of sun into my whole cubicle. It was such a weird feeling that I had to grab some other co-workers and show them! And...so far...that's about the most interesting thing that has happened to me today!

The weather forecast looks great... at least for the next few days...enjoy the weather!

Calling Myself Out

Here it is, I'm calling myself out! Since I tweaked my back (which actually happened), I haven't gone jogging once, I haven't lifted a single weight (unless you count my camera) and I have even skipped some of my nightly routines (push-ups and abs). I've been using the back as an excuse but now my back is fine. In fact, it's been fine for a week and a half. We shot a wedding last week for 14 hours...no problems with the back.

So I'm laying it out there. I'm writing with my tail between my legs and a red face just to let you know and to promise myself that today I will be changing my routine (again) today!

Tonight...I'm going for a jog. I'm returning to my roots or (routes) and will be hittin' the road around 4:30 today. I'm shooting for a 5 mile loop...then I'm going to come home, have a nice dinner and feel good and less hypocritical about my "inspirational blog". Sometimes, you just have to call yourself out. I haven't been slipping at all though, in fact, my weight has stayed the same and actually has dropped a little so I'm lucky...but adding the workouts back in will drop it even faster!

No more lying to myself... if you are living up here in the Pacific Northwest you all know this is rare weather...get your butts off the couch and get outside!!! Enjoy:)

Dream Run - #7 (Lake Bled, Slovenia)

Have you heard of it? Most people haven't and stare quizically at me when I say one of my favorite places I visited in Europe is Lake Bled, Slovenia. Favorite partly because of the beautiful lake with the path that circumnavigates the water's edge (often times over the water), favorite because of the view of the Alps rising above the cliff with the castle on it, favorite because of the church on the little island in the middle of the lake and also a favorite because the great people I met while I was there.

The route shown is an actual path that I walked with these new friends I had made. It was a snowy, messy, cold morning but we trudged through it all…and we were awestruck most of the way. When I think about my photography and places that stand out as possible turning points, Bled ALWAYS stands out. I only had a point and shoot with me but the images I was capturing still amaze me.

The path around Lake Bled was partly paved (think Greenlake) and partly raised, wooden pathways (like a dock) that curved with the lake's edge and at times was over the lake. It turns out, our leisurely stroll (to help the hangover) ended up being a 4 mile journey. Who would've thought!? And, like so many other places I've been, I've promised to return here as well:)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2694174

BMI : My Journey to Normalcy

34.1 was my Body Mass Index at my highest point. This gave me a baseline to work from…even though I've read so much about how it isn't the most accurate I kept it filed away. I checked back on it midway through my loss and was still discouraged by how slow it seemed to be dropping. A score over 30 is considered Obese. An example I just read about why it is flawed is to think of Arnold Schwarzenegger. During his prime lifting days when he was Mr. Universe he weighed 235 pounds and is just over 6' tall. This put his BMI over 35 which made him "obese". Clearly that cannot be correct, look at him.

Regardless, it has served me a good base to check against since my goal thusfar has been strictly weight/fat loss. I'm not getting any taller (and hopefully not any shorter!) so my BMI should change in a fairly linear and somewhat accurate way.

I have been weighing in under 215 most of this week and hit 213 yesterday so my new BMI is now 25.9! According to the Index, I'm still "Overweight" which, judging by my shrinking but still prevelant spare tire, I reluctantly concede that this a fair and accurate assessment. However, once I eclipse my goal of 210 and land on 204 I can finally call myself "Normal". <-- insert joke here!

Was turned on to a wonderful site that I didn't even know existed. Thank you Emilie! You have to check out http://www.livestrong.com/. Lots of great information on there!