I want to move!

There I said it! Going out to Utah last week really made an impact on me and how I view life and my health. It was the first time I didn't feel inferior just because I wasn't "skinny." On the contrary, while it seemed like just about everyone was physically fit, it made me want to join in and put on some track shorts, not run and hide. I felt like could CONQUER the world! I was apprehensive that the thinner atmosphere would affect my asthma but it didn't, the air was crisp and clean despite the 90 degree plus temperature. I felt great every moment I was there.

Wouldn't you love to see this view when you go to work? My brother does. Well in the summertime that is. Apparently I was seduced by the summer there. I can't imagine all this pretty covered in snow, but 7 months out of the year this beauty lies dormant under a thick blanket of snow.

See that is the caveat to my idealized vision of the future...SNOW! EEK! I don't care for snow at all. So I've got to figure out how I can have the idyllic bucolic life without the dreaded snow. Help!

A view from the gondola down to the resort where we were staying.

A view of the canyon from the gondola.

So I plan on going back to visit in the winter so I can see if I could deal with the winter there. If I feel that I can, then I think we are going to head out west. I mean you only live once, why not live the life that makes you happy. I think if I moved out west I may find my happiness. What about you? Where do you feel happiest? I would love to know, post a comment below. (Hey that rhymed)

Tasty Tuesday: Low Carb Recipe Website

Hey low-carbers! I am plugging along on my atkins/PCOS diet and doing pretty well. A friend of mine who has been a low carber for over a year shared one of the best low carb recipes sites ever!

Low Carb Luxury

This website is chock full of recipes, articles and resources for the low-carb dieter. I am going to have regular blog posts titled "Tasty Tuesdays" and they will feature recipes that I prepare and share with you. Just to let you know many of the recipes I try out may come from this site. I will always let you know the source of the recipe so you know where you can find the information for yourself. So if you are looking for some low carb recipe reviews be sure you check back here on Tuesdays.

W1D1 of C25K and SWOT

You may be thinking WTF! Did her fingers lose control on the keyboard when she typed the title? Nope! I completed day 1 of week 1 of the Couch to 5 K program! And I just got home and I feel GREAT! I have attempted to complete one day of the program and could never do it. But today I was able to!!! Yay me!! AND I didn't have to modify the program!!! Woo Hoo!!! I ran a total of 9 minutes!!! There was a time I couldn't WALK for 9 mins!!! I feel great...like I could conquer the world!!! So tomorrow I will do a bit of upper body weight training. I've read many articles that you should alternate your cardio days from your weight training days in order for your body to get a FULL body workout. Just keep that in mind next time you are planning on going to the gym or a home workout.

SWOT:
I know you are thinking "what the!?!?!?" A SWOT analysis may be a regular post for me and I encourage you to do the same.

Here is what it means:
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats

So my SWOT analysis for last week was the following:
Strengths: worked out during my vacation and stuck to my weight loss plan 80% of the time. Lost 2 pounds on vacation!
Weaknesses: McDonalds on travel days this week. Convenience is my weakness. Not drinking enough water another and drinking fruit drinks (big no no).
Opportunities: Prepare more portable convenience foods for traveling and plan the best places to eat while on plan to stay within net carb goal. Drinking more water.
Threats: Birthday cake, and sparkling grape juice brought home after Maddy's birthday at mom's. Poor food planning.

Doing a SWOT analysis may help you identify what is keeping you from achieving your next goal. If you have time just do a quick one of how you did last week? Did you stick to your plan? Did you achieve your goal? Why or why not? It's best to keep a journal so you can see how you progress!!

Best of luck!

Considering a Half Marathon! Yikes!!

I've spent most of today lounging and resting from my whirlwind week of vacation. During my day I spent an extended amount of time on Facebook. It has been a while since I've spent quality time with Facebook. I was constantly refreshing my home page for exciting new updates from friends and fan pages. Then I saw it...the post from the Couch to 5K program. They posted: "Click 'Like' if you're running a half marathon this fall." Then I followed the link they posted for the top 7 marathons and there it was...a half marathon less than an hour away! I have to say that I have been itching to do a half marathon at Disney World but I never had the guts to train or sign up. But I was just thinking today that I need to start working on a running plan if I am to become a runner. A runner is one of the "Me's" I want to be by the way.

Back to the half marathon, it will be held on Wednesday, November 30th at 6:30am. <Record scratch> Wait! I didn't see that...6:30 AM??? Oh heck no! Okay, okay I've got to think a bit differently if I am going to lose this weight. So with that being said I will start the C25K program tomorrow to get the ball rolling. You can find that program here if you are interested in a running program for the physically challenged. They also have an iPhone app if you are interested in having a guide to help you keep track of your time. Keeping you up on what I am doing with the C25K program will be a regular blog post for me. I haven't decided what day I will post but I will let you know. Okay I am off to bed. Here is to a great week for all of you ME 2B'ers out there!!!

I need to go on vacation more often!

Hello all!

This blog post will be a bit short. I am still on vacation. We just got back from Park City, Utah for my brother's wedding. All I can say is when can we move! That place is unbelievable! Clean crisp air and people who take pride in personal health! Uh oh, I've used too many exclamation points and I've only written a handful of sentences. I have to say I felt GREAT when was there! It really makes a difference when your environment is conducive to losing weight and great health. The reason for my blog post is that I did my morning weigh in and I am 226.6 pounds! Woo Hoo!! Now is not the time for me to tell you that I had McDonald's QPC AND fries...yes fries yesterday. Yep I did. I was hungry and I had had my last Atkin's Advantage bar. So it was Mikey D's. I drank water though. And while on vacay I worked out at the gym in addition to taking every opportunity to walk around the sprawling resort's campus. So now we are off to Orlando for a fun filled birthday weekend for my little Me who turns 7 Saturday. I'll try to tweet while I'm away. But I will post my next blog post on Sunday when we return. Gotta get the laundry before we go. Have a great weekend!

Fashionable Friday

Today's post is going to be full of frivolity and fashion. I love fashion like most women do. Presently I am unable to truly enjoy the fashions I love. Why you ask? Well fashion designers don't think women larger than a size 14 are worthy of wearing their brands. So us plus size gals must conform to their designs and lose the weight if we want to "fit in."

So here is some "eye candy" I have been spying for a while. Some of my favorite brands are Lilly Pulitzer, J McLaughlin, Milly, Nanette Lepore, Lacoste, Kate Spade and J. Crew. So I have a strategy and tell me what you think. First off I planned that by June 2, 2012 I will reach my goal weight of 136 pounds. Now here is where my strategy comes in. I am going to begin shopping for my new size (ideally will be a size 4/6) at the end of summer season clearance sales. I think it would be a win win situation. I can start shopping now and build a wardrobe at a fraction of the original prices. And that will be very motivating for me. Being able to look forward to a fashionable wardrobe is THRILLING! So here are some looks I am loving right now.

Love the tee shirt, cardigan, and jeans look.

3 pcs from Lilly Pulitzer. 

Party Dress. Oh yeah!

Kate Spade

Fashionable Friday will be a regular post for me. It will provide inspiration and motivation. Let me know what brands you like. Post a comment below! 

Have a great weekend!!!

Coping with stress and sticking to the plan

I have to say that these last few days have been pretty stressful for me and today seem to reach epic proportions. Most people, and this is my perception, most people may experience stress at work so they go home to relieve the stress. Some people experience stress at home and have their job to offset their stressful home life. So what happens when you are faced with stress at home and at work? How do you cope? How do you alleviate the stress? How do you find balance so you can have some peace in your life? Well those are issues that I am facing and I don't have the answers.

I have a dear friend that told me a while ago that you "Choose" to be happy. Happiness doesn't just happen by chance. And I can see that theory being tested in my life at the present moment. I am going to CHOOSE to be happy/content and not allow the stress to take over and slowly kill me. So I ask you again how would you deal with stress in your life? I would love suggestions. I've tried counting to 10, deep breathing, and saying prayers. While they keep me distracted at the moment they don't typically make me feel any better. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.

On a brighter note I have been able to stick to the plan and I am still at 228.8 pounds so that is a great thing. I remember the days when I used to eat my weight in Little Debbie cakes to make the "pain" go away. Honestly that is no longer an option for me. Now I use reminder cards that list the reasons why I want to lose the weight. At first I didn't think it would work but it really does. Just taking a moment to really think about why I am reaching for something that is not a part of the plan has helped tremendously. Also when I get an urge to eat something (even if its on plan) but its past 9pm I will walk in place right by the sofa to fight off the urge to eat. What do you do to stay on track? Post your comments below. I look forward to reading them!