October 28, 2008

Obligations

Today I got a phone call from the daycare provider (around noon) saying that Abby had a fever and I had to come pick her up. For those of you who don't have children, this is not a fun phone call to receive. All the things you planned on doing and all the activites you're in the middle of automatically get put on hold. So, planning to work out was one of the many things that got put on hold. This is hard for me to accept because there's a limited list of things I do for myself and exercise is one of them. Basically everything else in life is tailored to be for Abby in some way, shape or form. Don't get me wrong, as you remember, she's one of my main motivating factors to achieve success in everything I do; it's difficult when our activites of daily living come to a hault and it's unknown when everything will be back up and running (no pun intended).

Today was an important day for me to work out. I hate to say it but I've gained back the last two pounds that I lost. I am, once again, 160 lbs. From birthday cakes to study food, my diet has been terrible. Today was going to be the day that I got back on track with my diet and back outside running. I guess that's part of the territory of being a mom. When it ultimately comes down to it, you will always help someone else before you help yourself.

Hopfully tomorrow brings health, happiness and a renewed course of action.
~Mama Beal

October 23, 2008

Change is Good

Because I can’t stand it when people make up a huge list of excuses, I’ll make this long story short.

I played in a soccer game on Monday and was somewhat injured so I didn’t run for the past few days. I’ve also been battling some sort of stomach virus so it’s been hard to eat or drink a whole lot recently.

Thus, when I left for my run today, I wasn’t sure how far I’d make it. A little bit after a mile, my legs started to feel really heavy and I knew I wasn’t going to make the complete loop. (How FRUSTRATING! You work so hard and something so minor can make you feel like you’ve been pushed back 10 steps.)

Anyways, as I slowed my run to a walk, I tried to come up with some reasoning as to why today’s run was so difficult vs. last weeks runs. My mind started to get upset with my body because I mentally wasn’t tired; it was my body that was giving up on me today.

As I kept thinking, I could tell I was starting to spiral down a negative path and I was reminded of a quote from a speaker I heard at school today. He said, “You are the same person as you were yesterday except for the conscious changes you make in this world today.” As I dragged my feet through the fall leaves, I pondered this idea, ‘how can I change this situation … how can I make this situation better? I don’t want to be the same person after this run as I was when I started it, the whole point of exercising is to change!’ Maybe I wasn’t going to fully complete this loop today but I was suddenly determined to change my attitude. Instead of jogging the last ½ mile, I changed my speed. I sprinted/jogged/walked the last ½ mile, and although I didn’t physically complete this "jog," I did overcome a potentially poor mental attitude. Change is good! Change is definitely HARD, but it’s also good.

What did you do to change yourself today?
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SONG OF THE RUN: The White Stripes - Blue Orchid

October 18, 2008

Short Term Motivation

In the beginning, the ideals of your long term goals are what motivate a person to start the process of working out. But, there comes a point when those long term goals begin to fade and become more boring to envision. For instance, the whole idea of losing weight doesn't seem to feel quite worth the effort and time anymore, becoming tone and fit doesn't seem to be worth all the time you spend in your stinky workout clothes. But, the Doctor aspect of me knows how important it is to my health more than anything else. Unfortunately, having an improvement in your health isn't always visible so, I've decided that in order for me to achieve my goals, I need to search for more short term motivation while I'm working out. Here is a list of short term motivation that I find when I'm running.

1. I look at the people driving past me in their cars and imagine that their thoughts are cheering me on. Occasionally I'll get a honk, that's always flattering.

2. I run through the forest on purpose because I'm afraid and fear is a good motivator to keep going.

3. When I see fellow runners outside, I ALWAYS say hello to them because it reminds me that I'm not the only one struggling to finish my work out. If they say something back that means we've made a connection.

4. I set visible goals for myself using land marks along the side of the road such as a tree or lamp post or stop sign and challenge myself to go 1/2 a block further.

5. I make up rules for myself, such as, if there's a car in my vicinity's, I HAVE to be running because I don't want the people in the car to think I've only been walking.

If you have other motivators, let me know, I am always looking for things to keep me going and keep me motivated to run.

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EDUCATION:

Last time I ran, I rolled my ankle so here's some tips on what to do if you have a minor injury.

RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation. This rule should be used for injuries within the first 72 hours of when it first occurred. DO NOT use heat right after an initial injury occurs. Heat increases swelling in the area which will make the injury worse. Although the heat feels good, do not use heat it usually causes more harm than good.

FAVORITE SONG OF THE RUN: "Let it Out" by Starrfadu
part of the lyrics, "do you want to lay your head on my shoulders ... I don't mind if you cry."

October 15, 2008

Several Things


I couldn't find just one topic to blog about today, I had so many different thing swirling around in my head while I ran today so ... here it a little insite into my mind while I'm running. It might be random so if you're confused, it's alright, sometimes I confuse myself with all these swirling thoughts.

As some of you have noticed, I recently changed the backround of my blog. I found it under the 'Inspire' tab. It suits the blog perfectly since my hope is to inspire my readers.

I have gotten over the hump. I have weighted 158 lbs for the past 2 days. YEAH!!! For about the last 2 weeks I've stayed at 160 and not an ounce less but now, I've been consistantly 2 lbs lighter. As people lose weight, we tend to plateau because our bodies adapt to the exercise we do. That's why it's important to consistantly keep working out even when we feel like we aren't losing any weight. Eventually, the pounds will start to drop.

It was laundry day the other day and I needed to find some pants to wear to clinic except all the usual pants I wear to clinic were dirty so I pulled out a pair of my semi-skinny dress paints and to my suprise, they fit! EXCELLENT! It's like going shopping in your own closet.

I almost didn't go for a run today simply because I have so much on my mind so here it comes ... I have a midterm for school tomorrow, I'm starting to draft my business plan and I underestimated how long a business plan actually is (30 pages!!!), I'm meeting with a realtor tomorrow to help us sign a lease for a business space (eek, this is scary!), I should be studying for my last BOARDS exam and I've barely started yet, I get the results of my previous BOARDS exam on the 21st, Jason's birthday is today (happy birthday my jay), and the last thing on my list of things I should do is exercise. But, I went anyways and I'm glad I did.

Let's hope with all this added stress, I can keep off the weight I've lost. This will be a huge challenge because I'm definately a stress eater.

Ugh, sorry to unload but, like I said above, welcome to my whirling-swirling thoughts while I was running today. I also thought I should add a picture so here are my running shoes.
FAVORITE SONG OF THE RUN: Lucifer don of the Morning, Jay-Z
I know what you're all thinking, I'm a white girl from the 'burbs ... I gotta say, it's got a GREAT beat. :)

October 14, 2008

Put on your Big Girl Pants

Today was a challenge to say the least. It was not a battle of physical achievement but more like a tug-of-war between my body and mind. I'm sure all you my fellow readers have had moments like these.

It started off by my mind throwing a fit in my head. I did NOT want to run today.
"NO NO NO, I won't do it! It's too cold, I don't have the right work out clothes, I can't find the right sports bra, if I work out now I'm going to have to shower later ... I just don't want to, not today, maybe tomorrow." The list went on and on in my head. (Sound familiar? I'm pretty sure this is Stage 2!!! Gasp!!! What a horrible regression this would be!)

Mentally kicking and screaming, my legs drug me up the stairs. I mentally took off my toddler pants and put on my BIG GIRL pants, physically put on my sweaty sports bra, grabbed the Ipod and walked out the door. Ugh! I was still mentally not ready to do this today. But, my legs started walking. They walked to the end of the driveway where a decision had to be made. Left (the three mile route), or right (the two mile route). Of course my mind is saying "go right!!!"

My legs took me left. My mind is moaning and saying, "I can't BELIEVE we went left. What were you thinking?" But, my legs kept on running.

Finally we came to another cross in the road. This time I could go left (and run through the woods which is flat and shorter) or I could go straight (and run the last mile UPHILL!) Of course, "take a left!!!" my mind was telling me but ...

My legs too me straight. "Good greif, who's making the decision here? I give up!" My mind finally gave into my legs and for the rest of the run ALL UPHILL, I didn't hear a peep from my mind and my legs carried me all the way home.

But, I will say, once we were home, I thought to myself, "Thank God we're home. While it was no fun at the time, I'm glad I went." Kind of ironic, I know.

Moral of the story, if you're having trouble getting out of the house to work out, PUT YOUR BIG GIRL PANTS ON AND JUST DO IT! You'll thank yourself when your done.

FAVORITE SONG OF THE RUN: Flogging Molly, Within a Mile of Home
This song came on while I was running that last mile uphill.

October 12, 2008

Education

While I was running today, I was trying to think of something to write about so, I am going to write a few educational points about the mental thought process behind making a life change to exercise.

Being an Exercise Science major, we had to take an Exercise Psychology course and I found this particular topic intriguing.

Technically speaking, to make exercise part of a life change, it needs to eventually become a habit. Thus, the psychology behind making this life change is based on the theoretical model of "the stages of change" which will eventually create a habit out of exercising.

Stage 1 : Pre-contemplation; this stage includes people who say, "Absolutely not ... No way I'm going to do that ... or, I can't because ..." I used to be in this stage, I remember telling myself, I can't because I don't have time. This happens to be the most commonly used excuse in stage 1.

Stage 2 : Contemplation; this stage is when someone is thinking about taking action. They know they need to do something, but they're not sure they want to start today. I was in this stage for a LONG TIME! This typically tends to be one of the longer stages of the 5.

Stage 3 : Preparation; this stage is when a person has attempted to make a change. This is a volatile stage because it's easy to revert back to stage 2. This was one of the most difficult stages. For me, it was a mental block that I had to get over. It's really easy to say, "this isn't working, maybe I'll try again next week." I mentally had to shut off that part of my brain and JUST DO IT!

Stage 4 : Action; this stage is when a person finally feels successful. This stage is supposed to last up to 6 months. I think I reached this stage when I lost the first 10 lbs. But, I am currently still in this stage because it's only been about 3 months. (I'm 1/2 way to stage 5.)

Stage 5 : Maintenance; this stage occurs after 6 months of stage 4. This is considered the least potential stage for relapse and exercise has finally become a habit. THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO BE! All in good time.

When I look at this model, it becomes so obvious as to why so many American's fail at weight loss and staying physically fit. There are so many opportunities to fall off the wagon. But, this time I will prevail! (I know, a little Gladiator-esk ... :P ) Feel free to leave comments and tell me which stage you think you're currently in.

Still runnin' strong!
~Mama Beal

October 9, 2008

Thoughts!

Typically when I sit down to write my blog, it's immediately after I've finished my run for the day. But, on Tuesday, I tried something different. Instead of running and then and with sweaty hands, pounding my thoughts into the keyboard of my laptop, I decided to write a blog before my run. To my surprise, I was more motivated and inspired before my run than I've ever been. Why? Well, right before I left, I happened to look one more time at my blog and 3 people had left amazing comments!! At that point, I was reminded that although I am running for myself, I am also running for everyone that reads my blog. The entire time I ran, I thought about the people who I am so proud to be running for.

I ran for my cousin who is going through the same situation as I am with weight issues and being a mom of 2! Keep on Keepin' on Barbara!!!

I ran for my friend Janet who lives in Brooklyn (so far away) who has decided to get back into the gym! WooHoo!! Janet, you ROCK, keep up the good work!

I ran for my friends Kendra and Margaret who just recently walked more than 60 miles for the breast cancer "walk for the cure." What an amazing feat to accomplish!

I ran for my mom who has been going to the gym religiously for the past few years 4-5 times a week. She's 50 something and hasn't given up that workout routine for years!!! That's awesome!

I ran for everyone who checks this blog, especially the women! These days it's hard to stay fit, it's hard to take time for yourself to get back in shape but WE CAN DO IT!!! It's HARD but it's not IMPOSSIBLE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! I can't tell you how encouraging it feels to be inspiring people while I am motivating myself to be a better person. I'm proud of myself but most of all, I am SO proud of my readers.

~Mama Beal

October 7, 2008

Goal Setting

Recently, my cousin has been keeping a blog and her last post was about a friend (mother of 2) who completed a marathon for the first time in her life. My cousin was moved by her accomplishment and she has decided to set a goal for herself for the next year. After reading this post, I remembered cheering on one of my friends, Dave Bargmann, who was running the twin cities marathon about a year ago. I remember looking at him in Aw and thinking to myself, 'that's amazing, I wish I could accomplish something like that.'

After all this reminiscing, I have realized I haven't shared my personal goals with my fellow bloggers.

My goals are not quite as hard core as running a marathon but they are measurable. My ultimate goal is to lose 20 lbs before my 10 year high school reunion in 2011. '2011!!! that's so far off!!!' you might say. Well, it may be a long time off but I have taken into account potential bumps in the road such as having another child before my reunion. Now, I haven't decided if I want to have another kid due to how difficult it was for me to have the first one but, I don't want to completely rule out the possibility. So, losing 20 lbs from the weight I'm at right now and potentially gaining 30 more and then losing it again ... that's going to take a lot of work.

Another purpose of this blog is to hold myself accountable so, the only way to do this is to tell you all exactly what I weigh and my progress hereafter.

When I ended my undergraduate degree I weighed 135 lbs
When Abby turned 1 year old, I weighed 170 lbs.
Today, 2 months later, I weigh 160 lbs.
My goal is to lose another 20 lbs to be 140 lbs.

This was really hard for me to post because I typically don't even like to tell my husband how much I weigh but ... this blog is about putting it all out there so ... now I am accountable.

October 3, 2008

For the LOVE of PETE!

Alright, I have a chip on my shoulder right now.

The rules about asking a women if they are pregnant are as follows:

MEN-I'm sure you all know this but I must re-iterate; it is never okay to assume that a woman is pregnant! It is also never okay to ask a woman if they are pregnant! I'm sure if you are male, you already know this.

WOMEN-It is also not okay for women to assume that another female is pregnant!!! It is also never okay for another woman to ask if someone is pregnant based on their first appearance of a woman!!!

It seems to me that most men have had it beaten into their head about how UN-politically correct it is to assume a female is pregnant. Females, on the other hand, most of us KNOW BETTER!!! But there are a select bunch of females (about 10 percent of the female population) who assume that because they have a uterus, they can make these assumptions. (if you can't tell by my tone of writing, I'm just a LITTLE peeved!!!).

Today, a patient ASSUMED, I was pregnant by first impressions based upon my appearance.

'oh, Julie, it's only one person. Don't let it bother you ... water under the bridge.' you might say to me to comfort my hurt feelings. BUT NO!!! This is not the first time, in fact, this is at least the 4th time someone has said that to me!!! FOR THE LOVE OF PETE PEOPLE!!! This is truthfully, the most horrible thing you can say to someone who is NOT pregnant!!! To make matters worse, once you've opened your mouth and said something, there's absolutely NOTHING you can say to cover your ass after you've said it ... nothing to make it better because instead of being a glowing pregnant woman, now you're just a greasy pott-bellied woman. AWESOME!! (insert here a picture of me giving you two thumbs up).

I've tried to shake this off in the past and tell myself, 'it's no big deal ... whatever ... who cares." BUT 4 TIMES!!! And it's all happened a YEAR after I've had a child. AAARGH!!!

So ... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ... for the LOVE of PETE, both men and women, do not assume anything about a woman's reproductive life and refer to the rules above if you're confused.

On that note, I'm going to go for a run with my pott-belly flappin' in the wind!

Have a fabulous day and if your day is not going well, just be thankful that nobody thought you were pregnant today.