HIS Courage is what I need!

Great news...I am now running 5 minutes at a time and as long as I breathe right it seems to be okay. By the time I get to the 4th 5 minute segment I am feeling pretty tired and that 5 minutes seems like forever. I'm not sure what is so hard about breathing while running but it is clearly a technique that I haven't figured out.

I am still losing but not like before. I shared in a status update on Facebook that although I had only lost 8lbs in 8 weeks...(down from 2-3 lbs a week) I had lost 14.5 inches. Before I measured I was very discouraged. My girlfriend told me that when I get discouraged I need to replace the D with an H and split the word so that I can rely on His Courage. Good advice; being I have asked Him to accompany me on this journey and lead often. I feel back on the wagon although I have days that I want to eat everything I see. YIKES!!

While I lost 4 lbs this past month, I am up 2 lbs this week. Not really sure why. I have been exercising, eating correctly and such but alas...the scale is singing a different song this week. I am successfully in a size 18 now...down from a 24/pushing 26. I watched biggest loser last night and realized that I have done pretty well challenging myself to "just do that last 15 minutes" or "walk away from the food." The last few weeks I have been tempted to stop challenging myself but watching Jillian push them even when the were ready to quit made me realize that I can continue to remind myself that "I CAN DO IT!" Those times that I quit a little early, think my legs are to sore to continue or just think I can't do it add up to lots of extra calories staying with me when I could have or should have burnt them off. So....at 10PM last night...I got on that treadmill and did my workout even though I was tired and it was late. Whew...now....just gotta remember to not get discouraged over the weight gain this week and instead use HIS COURAGE to keep motivated.


Only through Him,
LeAnn

Just say no to "STRESS FRACTURE"

Good morning friends,

I haven't blogged for about three weeks but I am ready today. In the last three weeks I have made a few changes. Both are good changes. First...I started a running program that I found in a fitness magazine. I swore I wouldn't start/try running until I was under 200# but this article sounded like something I could do. I warm up for 5 minutes with walking and then run 2 walk 3, run 2 walk 3 until I get to 30 minutes. Then cool down. I LOVE IT!! It kicks my butt every time and I don't think I have ever sweat so much in my life but it is awesome!!! WOW!! If you know me at all you would be thinking "What? LeAnn loves running???"

An old pain in my foot started bothering me and I went to the doc. I was soo worried that it would stop me from this new thing I have come to really love. Boo hoo. He thought it was a stress fracture but after reviewing xrays he gave me the go ahead. Perhaps it is just arthritis but he doesn't want me to run every day so I must hold myself back to every 2 days. Someone get the handcuffs!! Ha Ha....okay. So I guess this would be a good place to insert strength training. Go!!

The second change is that the scale is moving downward again. I think I am down about 7.4 lbs since the last post. I lost that 4 lbs I had gained back and then some. Frankly....40 lbs in 5 months ain't bad!! We are headed to Mexico to see my family in October. I am excited to show them the changes I have made for myself. That is the operative word. "Myself"

Thanks to the Lord for the strength He has given me to make these changes and for directing me to the friends and family that offer so much encouragement and good advice. Thanks also to those who have helped me by exercising with me. I love you all.

The BRAT Within!!

I'm sure you are wondering what I am talking about; THE BRAT WITHIN. I have been stuck at the same weight for 2 weeks and now today am up about 4 lbs. I know exactly why. Since being ill a few weeks back I have had a hard time getting back into the exercise regularly again. I'm frankly a little bored with what I have been doing so started a class at the YMCA called Zumba. It is fun again but I am at the mercy of them holding the class and can't just go when I have time. The other reason is my eating. I have been doing okay but not great in that realm. I am still eating things I should and watching my portions but once in a while I just eat something that is WAY out of bounds. UGHH!! Starbucks Java chip frappaccino's are not on the plan!!

My friend, Charity, challenged me to fill in the blank on the following three sentences and this challenge came at a good time for me.

1. I have really had to check IT (fill in your own "it") a lot this week.

2. IT has been a monster hanging over my shoulder all week.

3. I'm back into the swing of things but IT has been hard to shake.

My first "it" is complacency. Go back and fill in the blank with that. How about lack of motivation, lack of resolve, backsliding, selfishness or...my favorite...THE BRAT WITHIN. My internal brat is a monster that demands I listen when she wants that 2nd helping...she insists on pouting when I want to exercise. I try pushing her out of my mind and running away from her by weighing the consequences of bowing down to her demands but she has become stronger due to my recent illness, trial or whatever. She was gaining strength as I was sick; down for the count. So...I have spent the last week trying to expose my "it." I think I have seen her true colors and I don't like her very much. She threatens to destroy my chance at health and happiness. My resolve, starting yesterday, is to keep her down....try and watch for the signs of her arrival. I am back on track with my eating and back to exercise. I will lose this extra 4 I have put back on.

Frankly, I believe we all have a brat within that keeps up from reaching goals. When does your brat come out to play. Does he/she keep you from spending more time with family, from doing your housework or other work. Maybe she is the one who keeps you tied to your computer or TV. My brat is very selfish and when I don't keep her diciplined she throws a tantrum. Sometimes those tantrums are hard to fight.

Please God....give me strength for the task. You are my strength. I need help.

It's time to send out my weekly check in. I didn't lose or gain any weight this week. I was able to get back on the wagon with my exercise but not with my eating. While I was sick I craved very salty, junky foods and that continued on until yesterday. I had to get the cravings out of my system so have tried very hard the last few days to stay away from sugary snacks and trashy carbs. After a few days of this the cravings really go away for me so I hope that means a loss again next week.

As I must be honest I have to tell you how ridiculous I sometimes am now. Clearly this is because of my changed thinking. I weighed myself yesterday, as usual, and was up about 5 lbs. Now I know some would say that I shouldn't weigh every day or that we can fluctuate that much and I shouldn't worry about it but...let me say this. I like weighing every day. I like knowing that I weigh 2 lbs more before bedtime than I do in the morning or that I often weigh more right after exercise than when I started. In doing this I don't typically get freaked out about fluctuation. I have learned the rhythms of my body and it's journey by doing a daily weigh in and sometimes more than once a day and I can assure you that in the last 19 weeks I have never fluctuated like this. Of course I freaked out. Aliens must surely have taken over my body because I exercised an hour in the morning and then walked 3 miles in the evening. Well...I ended up being right back down to my norm the next day. LOL! What did I learn from this.....I AM NOW ANAL!! I must not take myself so seriously. However, I will still defend my habit of weighing often...it is the successes that have propelled me forward. If they start pushing me down I might consider a changs.

Anyway...this is the first time in 19 weeks that I haven't experienced some sort of loss. That bothers me a little but I recognize that it is completely within my power to change it by making better decisions for myself. Remember last week....I will NOT be oppressed by food. Many times this week I have thought of those words I so boldly blogged and do not want to find myself eating not only the oppressing food but my words as well. LOL!!

God must be my strength this week and always because my will is very weak on its own. Unless of course it is my "will to sabotage"....that always seems to find its own strength. YIKES!!! I hope you all did well this week and at the very least you learned something about the Lord and yourself.

Question: How long before starting your daily exercise should you eat? If you choose to eat after exercise how long should you wait? Answers appreciated.

Let me get started

Well...I created this blog to share my journey through weight-loss. At this time I have been traveling along for18 weeks and have lost 34.2 lbs. *whew* I'm not going to go back and try to catch you up on all that has happened but will just share a few milestones I have already experienced along the way.

I'm down two dress sizes
My ankles rarely swell up anymore (this was a daily issue)
I am not nearly as tired as I have been over the last 10 years.
My kneecaps are starting to emerge as the weight around them evaporates.
I'm sure there are more....maybe I'll remember soon.



I lost 2.5 lbs this week. That was a surprise for me because we had snacks soo often during VBS and in the week leading up to it I was eating out a lot. I have been sickly for the last 5 days so haven't had a chance to exercise and have worried that this will knock me off my great run at the goal. Someone said to me recently that we CHOOSE our oppressors. While they made this comment in a political conversation I understood it in a totally different way. How often have I let food be my oppressor?! I am determined to deny it any rights to my life anymore. No longer do I want to skip that bike ride with my kids, high school reunion, mission trip or any other activity because I have allowed food (weight-gain) to be my oppressor. I cannot live life that way. Christ says we are to do all things to His glory. Well...this time I am losing the weight that He would be glorified for freeing me from one of my oppressors. That I would be more able and willing to go out and make diciples because I am no longer burdened nor embarrased by that which keeps me captive.Amen and AMEN!! May God be glorified!!