Success without a Scale

In working to achieve a healthier and fitter self, it's important to have more than one way to measure success. Since I'm trying to lose weight, one of the ways I measure success is with a scale - pounds lost of course. I'm grateful that I am wise enough to want more than to weigh 150 pounds (or whatever magic number). I want more! I want to naturally gravitate towards healthy food choices. I don't want it to be a chore either. A "poor me" attitude would be self-defeating while out to eat with family and friends.

At a baby shower this past weekend, I got a small plate with party wings (I had points for), stuffed eggs, and veggies: carrots, tomatoes, celery. I tasted a cheese dip (two tablespoons) using about three chips instead of covering my entire plate with the dip and the biggest handful of chips I could grab.  And, I didn't get cake just because it was a party. It just wasn't worth it. Sometimes they are good, more often they are awful, and rarely are they great (talking about those decorated party cakes). I'd much rather have plain ol' homemade pound cake. I packed my own snacks for the six hour drives there and back: fresh fruit, homemade snack mix, LARABAR. YUM! Now I don't always make the best choices, but I did this day!

At this stage in my life I am so much more inclined to appreciate the benefits of physical exercise. I really feel so much better. This past week I've been able to increase my weights in Chalean Extreme. Just yesterday we finally covered 3.1 miles in one outing. When we started with C25K we were always pressed for time because we both work and have four kids. We wanted to get done as soon as possible. So, when the C25K app was done, we were done. Now we are reassessing our priorities and making it work. As slow as we are, we can't cover five miles in thirty minutes, so we've got to extend our workouts. Another non-scale victory I'm proud of is running just shy of 2.5 miles without taking a walking break! Some worry about speed, but endurance is most important to me right now.

For the past two weigh-ins my scale has moved the wrong way. However, I'm not discouraged because I achieve new victories EVERY day.

C25K W9D1

Done! (6-26-13)

Running still doesn't come easy for me. I am looking forward to the day it does though. When we finished and were on our way home in the car I asked Fred, "What in the world made us want to do this - couch-to-five k . . . running?" I was so tired and sweaty and he had pushed me to go much faster during the last thirty seconds.

He replied, "We were tired of seeing the scale go up."

"Oh."

I was about to call it quits and throw in the towel. I was going to undo all the HARD work I'd done. Not! (maybe)

 

 

Even though Fred and I have attempted C25K in the past, this time we FINISHED it! All the while, we both shared a goal of finishing the program. Even though it took longer than eight weeks, we've kept at it. Not only have we made it a part of our lives, we are determined to keep going. (We completed the app this past Sunday, but wanted to another week of thirty minute runs to mimic some written C25K work-outs I've seen online. We also might redo C25K or move on to C210K.) We are looking to do a 5k in about seven weeks. 

Our non-scale victories this week are 1) completing the C25K app as written and 2) continuing with running after completing C25K. Yesterday, was our first non-prescribed run. I hope we never stop running!

Giving Thanks

After embarking on this journey for a healthy lifestyle, I find myself wondering about the future that GOD has planned for my temple (body). Only HE knows when I will accomplish the ultimate goal of complete physical fitness. Only HE knows why I am going through these difficult times of trying to get back into the physical shape that I once acquired. GOD has always known that I would take what HE gave me (my temple) and do harm to it. It has always been HIS plan to give me leeway, allowing me to do as I as desired. Only by HIS will have I been given a chance to redeem myself and leave behind the ignorance of thinking that I did not have to acknowledge the GOODNESS of GOD.

GOD has been so good to me in my life, and I acknowledge HIM more today than ever. I now know that the LORD has allowed what has been my life's journey for one reason and one reason only, and that is to see that HE is Sovereign and MIGHTY and that I will never successfully make it through any challenges without HIM being present in my life. One way that the LORD has been good to me is by placing in my life at the right time a GOD fearing young lady who I am proud to call my wife. If HE had not given me Bridgette only HE knows where I would be at this very moment.

Bridgette says that since we have started this journey toward a healthy lifestyle I have been an inspiration to her because I push her to achieve goals during our C25K program. However, I want to say that she has been an inspiration to me since we first began to court. The Lord knows that without his gift, my wife, none of this would be possible for me. I promised her that I will be responsible for our future in all ways with an emphasis on health. I told her that even when she doesn't feel like going out to walk/run,  she would for the sake of my promise to her. She believed at the time that I was doing it for the both of us, but I was only doing it for her. As time has gone by I have found myself enjoying the challenges that we are facing because we are facing them together. I thank her deeply for being my motivation for getting up off the couch to stop wasting time when we could have and should have been doing this all along.

I give HIGH PRAISES to GOD for giving me GRACE and MERCY during all of my hardships and also for giving me my BABY. Thank you and HALLELUJAH!

C25K W8D3

Looking back, I never would have thought I would be able to run 30 minutes without stopping. Though I don't know if I could run an entire 5K without stopping, I can honestly say that I know it is a possibility and not an impossibility. (God did that for me!)

Yesterday, Fred and I completed the last workout of our C25K app by Zen Labs; however,  we are going to do one more week of 30 minute runs before we claim to be official C25K graduates. I almost didn't want to get off the couch, but I did. I am so proud of us!

I generally let Fred set the pace for us and I just follow him. I noticed we were going faster than normal because of my breathing. (He said he couldn't feel a difference.) After he slowed it down a bit, I was able to feel more comfortable. Still, I had to engage in a lot of self talk because I felt I wanted to quit - tired, need to pee. However, one of the reasons I run is to be a healthy example for our kids. And since they were actually at the track with us, I COULDN'T quit. Talk about motivation! I don't ever want my kids to have to lose weight or get active. I want them, as kids, to grow into healthy, active lifestyles that they never outgrow as adults.

It's amazing how much of a mental exercise running is. These past eight weeks (more like twelve - many days off, a couple of repeats) have taught me that our bodies can endure sore, heavy legs, cramping, gassy stomachs, sore feet, heavy arms, dry lips, dripping sweat, boosts in speed, and other distractions - only if we get our minds to think it. I can remember during a past attempt at C25K, Fred and I were attempting the first twenty minute run of week 5. We went to the same track we went to yesterday, and I remember quitting and giving up telling Fred to go on without me. I've surpassed that milestone. What I know today is, I could have completed that run a year ago (or however long ago it was) if I didn't give in to the belief that I didn't have the ability to finish.

Today, I am not a quitter. No matter how slow I have to go, no matter if I finish last. If I start, I'll finish.

Both pictures are from Women's Runing facebook page.

C25K W8D2

Whew! I made it.

It's not that I doubt myself, I just sometimes have to see it to believe it. Before each run I am a bit eager, looking forward to crossing new hurdles. At the start of of each run, I just go. . . not knowing what the next couple of yards will mean for me, hoping that I can finish the prescribed workout. I've learned in the last couple of months or so that some runs will be invigorating, some will be fun, some will be HARD.

I started off feeling great today and spent the first half mile praying for the marriages of a couple of my friends because although marriage can be hard, marriage is GOOD. After that, I can remember thanking God for a strong husband. Here's why:

While I've never had too much of a problem with being active, I've never really played any sport formally. And I've never been a runner (though secretly I've always wanted to). Running is hard for me. I don't know if I have exercise induced asthma, but I've had difficulty with my breathing from the start. Now, I no longer have the sensation of burning lungs, but I still breathe rather hard. By mile one today, I was praying for God to give me the strength to endure. By mile one and a half I was a yard or so behind Fred. When I find myself more than a few feet behind him (which is often), I remind myself of how far I've come and that I don't want to quit. I match his steps - right, left, right, left - concentrating on anything other than my own tired body. He looks like the run is a breeze to him, but he always says it's not.

I am a quitter though. If I didn't go with Fred everyday, I know I'd stop as soon as I felt tired. With strength training, it's different: I'll keep going, pushing through 'til the end even if I workout solo. With this C25K, I wish I could tie a rope to Fred and myself so he could pull me. I know I'm making progress though no matter how slow I am. And Fred will not let me quit. Today he said, "You need to pick it baby," and I sped up. If I tell myself to speed up, I just might slow down! It never fails though when he announces, "One minute left," I dig deep and speed up to try and pass him. Sometimes I catch up; sometimes I keep going after he's stopped so I can make it to where he stopped or to a point past where he stopped. Other times I can only say, "Thank you, Jesus!"

I usually end my run with a "Hallelujah," because I know there's no way I made it x amount of minutes without stopping except by the grace of God. Yes, I contribute my success to God. It definitely isn't me by myself. I'm looking forward to my last week so I can say "By the grace of God, I made it!"

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)