Start With a Weigh-In and End With a Corgi

My very last day of 2010 started with a trip to the Weight Watchers center in town. After last night’s revelation I knew I was ready to face whatever number the scale had in store for me. The truth is it feels very empowering to have my task so neatly placed in front of me. Now comes the mission of figuring out the right combination of food and exercise for my body. This was the last precursor to a very difficult journey but knowing that it only gets better from this day forward is a motivator all on it’s own. 2011 will be my year to emerge something better.

My weigh-in was not exactly what I had anticipated. It turns out I had not gained back all of the weight I lost last year and am starting out 12lbs lighter than I thought. Even though I am not brave enough to share the number (today) I have accepted it and feel 100% ready to take on the challenge. While yesterday was a day filled with emotion today was a day filled with resolve. I talked with my leader (and cousin-in-law) Stephanie about Weight Watchers new “Points Plus” program and I left the center with tons of new material to help me on my quest to a healthier me.

My last day of 2010 could not be all about weight so I traveled to Roanoke to meet up with my pal Kristen and her little girl for lunch. Kristen is very much a part of my support system and we did a lot of talking about my goals and plan to achieve them. We left time for some fun “girl talk” too and we finally exchanged Christmas gifts. There is something so heartwarming about a friend who truly knows you well enough to pick out a perfect gift. Among some super cute gifts was this amazing apron in one of my favorite prints (monogrammed in pink of course) and matching wine goblet. Now I can start “Cooking in Pink” too!

Being back on an eating plan is somewhat daunting at first so I “played it safe” at lunch today and ordered a salad with grilled chicken. At least the roasted pears and almond slivers kept this salad from being 100% boring. However, when in doubt basic is usually better I think. 😉

After a late lunch I made it home in time to plan my meals and workouts for next week. I am all set up at the gym, ready to get back to running, and even signed up to start a Bikram Yoga class on Tuesday night. I contacted the studio about my weight concerns and they were incredibly supportive and positive. I can’t wait to give it a try! Tonight I am ringing in the new year with my hubs by my side, DVDs on the television, and this sweet Corgi in my lap. I cannot think of a better end to 2010 and start to 2011! Happy New Year!

Read Full Post »

Mini Goal- The Royal Family 5k

The Disney running events have had a huge impact on my desire to get fit. Disney is where I attempted my first ½ marathon last March as well as where I completed my first ½ marathon last October. In particular, The Princess ½ Marathon weekend is something I hold near and dear to my heart. It just so happens that the Princess ½ Marathon weekend falls during our favorite time to visit Disney (late Feb/early March) so it makes sense, with me being a lover of all things Disney and all things Princess, that I would participate.

This year is all about fitness and weight loss for me. I am going to concentrate on truly learning what is right for my body and getting back to my “happy weight” versus concentrating on training for distance and adding something more to the uphill battle I have in front of me this year. With that said, I did not want to be left out of this really fun, amazingly inspiring weekend at Disney. So, I have signed up for the Royal Family 5K. This way I can still go to the expo, see my wonderful healthy living blog girls, and take Saturday morning to run through the park for a 5k! We plan to spend the rest of that day at Hollywood Studios. I feel like this is the perfect compromise until I am in a place to train for a ½ again (maybe by next year.)

I was all smiles to learn the “theme” for the Royal Family 5k this year is Beauty and the Beast! How cute is that? I am hoping I can talk my expert tutu making friend Kris into helping me make a “Princess” tutu for the run and I will definitely have my tiara on!

The course runs through Epcot which should be fun and the best part is we are working some fitness into our family vacation! My goal is to get my speed/time up enough that I can stop at least twice to snap some Princess photos. It feels good to have a “stepping stone” type of goal to reach and I cannot wait to get to Disney in February!

Have you ever run a 5k, ½ marathon, or marathon at Disney?

Read Full Post »

Starting Stats…

“Never too late, never too bad,

never too old, never too sick

to start from scratch once again.”

 

~ Bikram Choudhury

 

 

So as I mentioned earlier in the week I felt it was time to get serious about my weight loss and fitness. In a lot of ways this is frustrating because I definitely un-did a lot of pretty much all of the good I did last year. After thinking a lot about the how, why, and when did I let this happen? and After a lot of long chats with the hubs I finally feel ready to get this done. While I won’t get my starting weight until I go to the Weight Watchers center in the morning deep down I know I am pretty much starting from scratch.

The hubs took my starting measurements tonight and we carefully measured my

• Waist
  
• Hips
  
• Upper Arms
  
• Bust
  
• Thigh
  
• Neck
  

I plan to do a monthly update at the end of each month showing monthly losses and total losses in inches. This monthly update will also feature something that kind of terrifies me, progress photos. I am choosing to do 1 face shot, 1 street clothes shot, and 2 gym clothes shots (front and side) each month so I can accurately document the progress. I am not too proud to admit I cried after taking my first set of photos tonight. The hubs and online pal Julia were huge pillars of support and helped me get my brave pants on so I would have the guts to post them. So with no further ado…..

Progress Pictures- Month 0 STARTING PHOTOS

So there you have it. It’s out there. You know it’s funny (and by funny I mean terrible) how I have started to view my issue with weight. I almost feel like it is my terrible secret burden. It’s not like other people can’t see this already (at least those with the gift of sight) but putting it all out there in photos this way makes me feel so exposed as if I have been keeping this a secret somehow. At least now, maybe for the first time, I am being brutally honest with myself (and with all of you). The next 12 months will be a true testament to my will and drive. The time has come to emerge something better. That is my motto and my project for this year.

Thanks for reading and sharing in my journey in 2011!

Read Full Post »

Happy New Year!!

It is that time of year again, the time of year when networks countdown the most popular news stories, radio stations countdown the most popular songs, and individuals reminisce about the biggest moments of the year gone by.

I can truly say 2010 has been an amazing year for me. I am at a job I enjoy working with people I truly like. I have reconnected with old friends, made some new friends, and am closer than ever with the people I love. I have a little home with my husband and two sweet pups. Maybe most importantly, I am content and very thankful for the life I have.

Since this is just the right time of year for countdowns I give you my 10 favorite moments of 2010! (You can click any of the bold links to read more!)

10. Running In Pink Project was born.  One little post in March of 2010 started my blog, which has grown tremendously over the last year. I love having this creative outlet, which I hope will grow into something really great in 2011!

9. Happy Birthday to Me-Turning 30 at Disney World. Even though this was pre-blog it still had to make the list. I turned 30 in the happiest place on earth, finally got a photo with Alice, had ice cream for breakfast, and generally spent one the happiest days I’ve ever had at Disney with the hubs.

8. Getting my PR during a local 5K. The hubs and I attended a local 5k where I felt “free” to just run for the very first time!

7.  Wicked (and Wicked Again). You all know I love a musical. Wicked is pretty much my favorite. I was lucky enough to see the touring production twice this year. Once on a nice date night with the hubs and once for a fantastic girls day out!

6. Family Time. The hubs and I took a road trip to WV to get in some serious family bonding time!

5. Finishing the Wine and Dine ½ Marathon. While this experience had its bumps (the hubs dropping out, getting permission to run his leg of the relay along with mine, finishing after nearly getting swept) it was a bittersweet experience. However, I think it is an experience that made me a better person and so it is on my list of favorites for 2010.

4. Attending the Healthy Living Summit in Chicago. This experience was pretty amazing. I got to meet some really great girls, including online pal Andrea. I learned a ton and had a wonderful time visiting “The Windy City” for the very first time.

3. Fit for a Princess-Disney Princess ½ Marathon Weekend. Even though this ½ marathon did not go exactly how I had hoped it still introduced me to the joys of organized endurance events (Disney Style), prepared me for future races, and put a drive in my soul to “try harder” and “be better” Later in the year (see #5) I did just that! (On a side note-I am somewhat sad, yet resolved, in reporting I am not participating in the ½ this year. We will be there on vacation to cheer you girls on and I will be doing the Royal Family 5k so I can participate in the Princess weekend but weight loss, not training, is my focus this year. I hope to cap off my year of fitness and weight loss by participating again next year. But, I can’t wait to see everyone!!)

2. Visiting New York for the very first time. There is not much I can say here other than “WOW!”. This was an experience with three of my great girlfriends that I will never ever forget.

1. God Bless Texas! The hubs and I took a trip to Dallas Texas and see the Cowboys play. This might seem like a strange thing to take the top spot. However, the hubs and I had an amazing week in Dallas bonding, ate great food, saw my most favorite team of all time play football, toured the stadium, and made some really cool memories. It definitely meets the criteria for an amazing moment.

What are some of your favorite moments of 2010?

Wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy, and Beautiful 2011!!!!

Read Full Post »

T-Minus 72 Hours

In less than 72 hours I’ll be weighing in at Weight Watchers and jump-starting my 365 days to a fitter (and happier) me. So what does one do in their last 72 hours of freedom? Some might indulge in favorite treats or “last meals” but I kind of don’t believe in that. I think that is the sort of flawed thinking that gets us into these messes to begin with. (Though I will admit I had full fat milk in my coffee this morning. *gasp!*

I am taking a different kind of approach during these last 72 hours. I am preparing the tools for my success.

1. My Weight Watchers Card. I am signed up for auto-pay and ready to hit the scale Friday morning and my meetings on Monday nights.

2. A Notebook. I can plan meals and work outs a week in advance. I can keep my WW logs in here, save measurements, and brainstorm for future blogs.

3. Water to Go. I am cleaning my trusty pink water bottle and getting her ready for some serious water drinking action.

4. DVDs. I am sorting through workout DVDs to pull out some faves for days I just cannot make it to the gym.

5. Yoga. I am busting out the new yoga mat and block I got for Christmas and looking for some classes to take in town.

6. Gym Schedule. I need to learn the weight machines and maybe take a class or two. The New Year is all about learning full body fitness.

7. Blogs. I am reading YOUR blogs to get some excellent fitness and food ideas.

8. Disney. Yes maybe it seems lame but looking forward to my next trip (and run) at Disney takes me to my happy place! I think its fine to pull inspiration from wherever you can (or wherever you want).

9. Volunteering. I am looking for races or events to volunteer at. Nothing is quite as inspirational as watching amazing athletes push their limits.

10. Friends. I am rallying family and friends to keep me on track. Your loved ones are probably your most valuable resource. They want to see you succeed!

What are some of the tools of YOUR success?

Read Full Post »

In the 212..NYC Trip Recap (Day 3)

Another morning and another free breakfast in NY thanks to our pal Nikki. She simply called the front to request breakfast and they gave it to us. I am not sure why they did but it certainly beat having to pay for my fruit and eggs.

After a little bit of a late start (well, late compared to the day before) we were off and headed to see THE Christmas tree. Rockefeller Center was pretty cool and with so much to look at we had the opportunity to take loads of photos.

We spent the rest of our morning shopping and snapping photos of other “famous” landmarks. Next time I am in NY during the holidays I absolutely must see The Rockettes  perform!

During our afternoon of sightseeing we decided to pop into Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes. I heart cupcakes-there is no denying that. However, I was shocked at just how many people were crammed into this tiny bakery to nab a cupcake or two. I finally managed to get my cupcake and I even got one to travel back to Virginia with me for the hubs.

Our last stop of the morning was Toys R Us. I am pretty much in love with the Barbie’s Dream House in there.  This photo actually has me in the window though it is very hard to see.

This Toys R Us store is another one of those “must stop and explore” destinations for a tourist. Though I will say I will never again set foot in there the weekend before Christmas!! It was insane.

After our afternoon of sightseeing and shopping we headed back to the hotel to rest up and get ready for our last night in New York. We could not have planned it more perfectly. For our last night of vacation the girls and I went out to see a Broadway show.

After a fantastic show, we headed over to Ruby Foo’s to make our late dinner reservation. This was my favorite (and priciest) meal on the trip. I indulged with duck nachos followed by two amazing sushi rolls.

With that, four very happy and tired girls prepared for a LONG trip back to Virginia. I can honestly say I will never forget my first trip to NY and I can’t wait to visit again!! Those shirts don’t lie. It really is easy to heart NY!

Read Full Post »

Getting In My Pants…

So after pouring out my heart in my 2011 goals post I wanted to share something a little more lighthearted. I think most women have done this, or something similar, yet this was so contrived that it makes me giggle just to think about it.

Let me paint a picture for you. There I was in New York, looking out at Union Square from the third floor of a Filenes Basement.

 

I was rifling through rack after rack of jeans when I saw them. They were a little diamond amongst the lumps of coal. They were just the right length, right cut, and right style.

I pulled them out and imagined myself wearing them in the spring with a cute flowing top and flip-flops.

I saw myself in the fall pairing them with a smart blazer and boots.

 

I imagined myself wearing them to football tailgates, casual lunches, and manicures with the girls. Basically, the jeans were perfect. They were perfect if you discount their one minor flaw…. They don’t fit.

Yes, that’s right. The jeans do not fit…yet. Not only that but they are nowhere near close to fitting. So, a normal person would leave them behind. And, is that what I did??

Of course not! I thought about it, but on closer inspection realized my dreamy jeans were a mere $11.99.  Not only that but they happened to be the last size I remember feeling very fit and healthy. It was pretty much like the universe was sending me a sign and that sign was “BUY THE PANTS!” That is exactly what I did.

Now, I am left with the task of getting in my pants. Ahem. While it may take from time for me to make it to my goal size, it is definitely a realistic size I am ready to celebrate and be proud of!

These infamous jeans are going to be hanging out in our bedroom as inspiration until they can start hanging out on my hips!

I joked with my girlfriends about the jeans until I realized that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. Inspiration comes from some crazy places. It is just crazy enough to make sense that a clothes lover like myself might draw some inspiration on the hard days from a pair of pants.

And so I begin my quest to get into my new jeans. They are my little light at the end of the weight loss tunnel.

Have you ever purchased an inspirational clothing item?

Read Full Post »

The Anti-Resolution (My 2011 Goals)

I am not a fan of the infamous “New Years Resolution”. It’s not that I don’t get the appeal, because believe me, I do. A new year feels untarnished with bad choices, untouched by drama. It feels full of possibilities and second chances. However, we all know that a turn of the calendar does not absolve us of our choices, rid us of our demons, or serve as a free pass to starting anew. That is why today 12-27-10 I am making my anti-resolution.

What do I mean by that? Well, I will explain. Through multiple vacations, illness, holidays, etc I found that I “un-did” a lot of the good I did last fall. I gained back a lot of the weight I lost (not all but close enough), fell out of love with my fitness routine, and became a little bit of a mess. I became so obsessed with getting “back” to where I was that I lost site of the ultimate goal.

Today, I am putting an end to those things. After some long chats with the hubs I have made some choices. I truly feel this is what is best
for me and I hope you will be interested in reading about my process along the way. Here is what I have decided:

• 12-31-10 is my start date. It is not a new year, month, or even week. This will be the day I will begin my journey. (Until then I am focusing simply on getting well. I have had a terrible cold since returning from NY and have been unable to do much of anything besides nap) 😦

 

• My focus is fitness and weight loss. For now I will be solely concentrating on those things. When I try to throw other things into the mix (training for long runs etc) I get off track. My general fitness including weight loss and health is my #1 goal. I will not be training for anything longer than a 5K (ie something that does not require a special change in diet) until I can get a handle on those basics.

 

• I will return to Weight Watchers 12-31-10 to start their new program. I am starting from “scratch” so to speak. Whatever my weight is on Friday will be my “start” weight. My goal is to leave the gains (and losses) of last year behind. I want to see what I am capable of in a year.

 

• I will do weekly weigh in reports. All losses and gains will be blogged about. My blog friend Julia has inspired me this year and watching her through the last year has made me realize the prize is still obtainable even when you have bumps in the road. In other words the forest is more important than the trees.

 

• I will do monthly updates (on the last day of each month) with photos.

 

• I am measuring inches. Pounds are not the only thing to measure losses by.

 

• I am not limiting myself to a year of fitness but using 2011 to see exactly what I can accomplish in 365 days!

Part of me is sad to be giving up distance running but I truly feel this is the best option for me right now. There are some very basic things I need to get in order before training for anything else. I know in the end this will make me a tougher more athletic individual. However, admitting this is what I have to do has been rough.  I feel  like I have done a lot of staring and restarting over the last year. However, the hubs and I both agree that this needs to be a top priority for us in 2011. I finally feel ready to meet the challenge. I hope that you will continue to read and join me on my quest!

What are your fitness goals for the upcoming year?

Read Full Post »

In the 212- NYC Trip Recap Day 2

Saturday morning found us all looking a little better and brighter than the night before. We got up around 6:00am because we wanted to soak in as much NYC as we possibly could. Here I am looking a touch too chipper for 6:30am!

We also woke up to a freezing cold room. After calling the front desk our heater was promptly repaired and the four of us were compensated with free breakfast at our hotel. You’ve got to love free in NY so we headed up for some orange juice, scrambled eggs, fruit and toast. I also indulged with a scone every morning. YUM! Other than a passive aggressive wait staff breakfast was simple and filling. We were out on the streets of NY in less than 30 minutes.

Our first stop was a 7:30am stop at what I lovingly now refer to as “the only Macys that matters”. This was a very smart move on our part as it was reasonably un-crowded at this hour.

The four of us split up since there was a lot of ground to cover. This Macy’s is massive. You could literally spend an entire day in there and not cover everything. However, with only 3 ½ hours allotted for Macys I had to do some serious speed shopping. This Macys was full of amazing sales and deals. My favorite find was this Dooney and Bourke bag.

A few hours later the four of us, multiple overstuffed bags in tow headed back to the hotel to drop off our purchases. Our room was starting to look a little bit disastrous but that was ok. At this point we went out searching for some NY style pizza. After a bit of a smart phone snafu we found exactly what we were looking for. I went with the somewhat unconventional choice of ham and pineapple.

This pizza was good but all of the grease immediately made me sick. It left me more than a little grossed out. While I was down, I was not out! We decided to head up toward Union Square to do some more shopping.  After some subway confusion (we went down the exact same set of steps, wrong steps I might add, TWICE) we hailed a cab and headed on our way.

There seems to be shopping at every turn in the city so after hitting a few stores we took another cab uptown. We wanted to look at the beautiful store windows at Bergdorf Goodman, Barney’s, etc and they did not disappoint.

However, our final destination uptown was Tiffany and Co. (~cue angels singing~). It is no secret that I love anything shiny and fabulous so I was pretty much beyond excited to get into Tiffany’s. I had visited a Tiffany’s with my blog pal Andrea on the Magnificent Mile in Chicago over the summer but had not purchased anything. However, during this trip the group of us were giddy from all of the shopping/giggling/fun and several of us rode up to the sterling silver floor (floor 3) and made purchases. I loved getting that famous little blue bag in my hands. It made me all warm inside!

We made our way back to the hotel, stopping to shop along the way. We were four totally worn out girls by the time we made it to dinner.

We chose a little place called Jack Dempsey’s since it was just a block or so from our hotel. I had an amazing lean bison burger (not pictured) and we spent the night talking, laughing, and winding down.

Even though we were pretty worn out, we could not resist the appeal of a late night trip to the top of the Empire State Building. We walked the two blocks from dinner to the Empire State Building and since it was around 11:00pm we were able to go right up with no waiting!! We were shocked. Even though this is a very touristy thing to do, I highly recommend it. The photos were beautiful, the view amazing, and the experience with my girlfriends is one I won’t ever forget.

We literally could not cram another ounce of fun into our day so we headed back to our hotel. We had a big day of site seeing and musicals to rest up for!

Read Full Post »

In the 212…NYC Trip Recap (Day 1)

After a little break for the holidays (and a killer cold) I am finally functional and ready to recap my fun winter vacation to New York. January 1 will be a kick off for new diet and fitness content so check back for that too!! But back to the task at hand, my trip recap.

On Thursday night a winter storm blew in which we were afraid might spoil our travel plans. The roads were pretty gross so all of the girls decided to stay over just in case. We had a full house but made the best of it. I think it is safe to say there was enough excitement in the house to last for days!

The next morning was snowy, icy, and yucky but thanks to the hubs all four girls plus luggage were safely packed up in our SUV and taken to the train station.

After a smooth check in we were all set with our tickets and ready for the SEVEN hour train ride to New York!

We settled in on the train and did our best to amuse ourselves for seven hours. There was napping, magazine reading, talking/giggling, and coffee drinking to pass the time. For what it is worth the train food and coffee was not at all bad! Plus because of the snow we passed some really beautiful scenery.

Kristen and Nikki napping

Me and my traveling partner Tiff

A long, yet bearable, 7 hours later we arrived in New York. We came up out of the train station and…..BAM! It was New York!

Three of the four of us had never ever been to New York so I am sure we were embarrassing to be around. We were snapping tons of photos and had to ask directions to our hotel around 5 times. 😉 After walking a couple of blocks we checked into our hotel (which was right around the corner from Macys) and started to make plans for the night.

After some deliberation we decided to catch a cab (easier said than done on this particular night) and head up to Serendipity for dinner.  Yes, I only knew about it because of the movie but I didn’t care. I was stoked! My girlfriends were nice enough to indulge me and our dinner turned out to be a lot of fun!

I had an amazing BLT with some black bean soup for dinner and then had the huge task of choosing a desert. I decided to go with the famous frozen hot chocolate. Even though I only had a few sips it was phenomenal! I definitely recommend sharing it with a pal or three though.

After dinner the crew headed over to Bloomingdale’s for some shopping. It took us around two hours to just browse the entire store. We had a lot of fun picking out cute clothes and Christmas ornaments.

Even though we were all tired (and looking tired I might add) we decided to head over to Times Square. We were all so glad we did. We shopped for cheesy souvenirs (I heart NY t-shirts anyone??), went to the Disney Store and MAC, and took tons of photos! It was the perfect end to our first day in the city.

We got another cab (much easier this time around!) and headed back to our hotel. We all pretty much collapsed for the night and rested up for the full day of shopping and fun to come!!

Read Full Post »