I looked at a calendar and I have 19 weeks until my half. I have looked into  a few different training programs and I am going to follow Hal Higdon’s plan for novices. The HH Plan is 12 weeks long with the final run in the 12th week being my race. *random thought popped in my head~ I hate calling it a race…I don’t care if I am dead last…I just want to enjoy myself and cross the finish line with a smile.

I am still waiting on my orthotics to come into the foot doctor. I called Friday and the orthotics should be here by Monday or Tuesday and I am sure there will be a break in period.  So for the first few weeks I will use the elliptical at the gym 3-4 times each week. I will aim for 3-4 miles each time I run on the elliptical.  Week 3 I will start hitting the pavement. I will set out to do 3 mile, 3-4 times per week.  Week 8,  I will begin following the HH plan.

I will continue training at LA Boxing. I love it.  This is the first time in my life I have ever loved exercising. My classes and personal training is transforming me and it is more than the physical transformation. I feel more confident and I feel STRONG. I am pushing myself in ways I don’t think know I would not be pushing. I have pushed my body to do things I ignored for years. I made excuses and let my knee and ankle issues be my excuse. It feels so fucking awesome to push myself the way I have been pushing at LA Boxing. I think that confidence is the reason I know I can ROCK this half marathon.  I will take 2-3 boxing/kickboxing classes each week. I will continue training with Cory on Thursdays. Cory knows I am training for a half and he is gonna whip me into shape.  I will use the bike there too.

I think I need some help with stretching and flexibility so I will search out workouts on DVD or On-Demand. I will do these in the mornings until I start my outside running. I will ease into needing to wake up earlier than usual and wake up gently with a nice yoga/stretching workout.  I am not a morning person but I will need to run in the mornings before it gets too hot. I plan on starting my outside runs with walking breaks throughout. I like the idea of walking breaks.

1. june 7-13: begin training (getting adjusted to early wake ups) elliptical
2. june 14-20: elliptical
3. june 21-27: start outside running in the morning: 3:2 (run: walk)
4. june 28-july4: 3:1
5. july 5-11: 4:2
6. july12-18: 4:1
7. july 19-25: 5:2
8. july 26-august 1: start official half training 5:1
9. august 2-8
10. august 9-15
11. august 16-22
12. august 23-29
13. august 30-september 5
14. september 6-12
15. september 13-19
16. september 20-26
17. september 27-october 3
18. october 4-10
19. october 11-17

October 17 = RACE DAY!!!

*Full disclosure: LA Boxing is providing me with a free membership in exchange for my honest opinions. I simply write about my experiences. You only get  the real deal from me.

**A two disclosure post: Shrinking Jeans is sponsoring my first half marathon. I am blogging my experience for me and it will be my real journey – the good, the bad & the ugly.

I hate the scale. Yet, I still step on it every week. I was totally expecting this gain today.

It is that joyful time of the month where I am unhappily bloated.  I knew I would gain so I am not all that upset. I am just annoyed – why must being a woman be such a pain in the ovary.

<~~ WHO THE HELL THOUGHT this was a good campaign slogan….had to be a man!!

Ok, moving on…

I know it is only Wednesday but I am having a great week. Yesterday an today I was up and out on the bike path getting some meditative mileage in before getting ready for work. Again, it is only Wednesday but I journaled my food the last few days. I focused on getting in at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies. I have not had oreos since last week. I am tired of the scale bouncing up and down an up again. I want this weight off me.

Moving on…

Today, I joined a new Shrinking Jeans Challenge.  This is an 8 week weightloss challenge that will include mini challenges each week. I will keep you all posted. The SJ chicks host amazing & fun challenges- I am sure this challenge will be no different.

AND finally….

What if I told you….

I decided that I will train an complete a half marathon.

Would you think I was crazy?!?!

I wouldn’t blame you, I think I am a little bit crazy!!

I am planning on running the AC (1/2) Marathon in October. I am excited. I have not registered yet – the registration fee is $60 and I really just don’t have it right now*.  I am looking into training programs right now so I would love any advice.  I will blog every step of the training [pun intended]!

*If you want to sponsor a crazy blogger to run her first half-marathon, please email me at jeninreallife@yahoo.com ~ I know, a shameless plug but ya can’t blame a girl for trying.

The Shrinking Jeans Sisterhood is one of my favorite stops in the blog-o-sphere. These hookers know how to throw a great party and host awesome challenges. Today kicks off the latest SJ challenge.

Someone once said “it takes 21 days to make something a habit.”

The SJ Sisters have flown the challenge flag and this flag screams HABIT!!!

I have changed many habits along this journey but there are some that I just never seem to “get” all the time. I go in spurts. A week or two of totally awesome and a week of ummm..yea…let us not think of those weeks.  I am taking the 21 Days Challenge and I swear when I read Lisa’s challenge post today, I felt like she knew all the areas I am a wee-bit slacking in these days. I added a few and stole some of Lisa’s list and here ya go, the habits I will be creating over the next 21 days:

I think I do a good job with staying within a good calorie range. I think I eat all my fruits and veg. I need to know!!If I am going to move past the gains and funk and start losing the rest of this weight I need to focus on good, healthy habits. I am trying to eat more intuitively and natural. But, that does not give me an excuse to not focus!

Here is to 21 days and new habits!!

What habits will you create with 21 days?

I am not happy with the scale today. I am not so sure of its accuracy since I am just starting that wonderful time of the month where I get all bloaty and crampy and kinda grumpy.  I am also very tired. Big Man’s new job has us getting out of bed way too early and we are both very tired. I think I ate pretty ok the last week but I did not track in any way. I know that this is not good. I may not want to count points (or calories for that matter) but I have to at least document what I am putting into my pie-hole.  4.8 pounds is equal to 16,800 calories. I don’t think I consumed that many extra calories in the last week.  I only worked out when I went to LA Boxing – granted, boxing and kettlebell workouts are intense and I sweat and burn tons of calories.

That may sound like excuses but I swear it is not.  I am trying to move over from counting points (and obsessing) to a more natural way of eating and living. I am learning as I go along. I am slowly cutting out the processed “crap” out and adding in all the good, yummy & good-for-you foods. This is a new process. I have a lot more work to do but I am not going to let one “bad” weigh in derail me.

I am going to step up my game. I finally got out of that “end of winter-almost spring-still cold outside-not wanting to deal with losing weight, working out, any of it” funk and I am not going to sink back in to it. I am going to step up my game and really really get out of this funk.

The plan:

*write down everything I eat, once per day enter food into calorie counter (probably sparkpeople.com)

*focus on “healthy guidelines”  (water, fruits & veggies, vitamins, etc.)

*continue LA Boxing classes but add in 3 days of running/walking

*work on adjusting to new earlier schedule (have I ever told you how much I dislike 5ish am?!?!)

I will focus on me and healthy living. I want need to lose weight without focusing on losing weight. I want need to teach my daughter to have a healthy relationship with food and exercise and I am worried about this the most. With that I am going to spend the next week truly getting back to basics.

How about you, how do you recover from a gain? How do you live and lose weight in this crazy world? Are you pulling yourself out of the funk (it is like the flu – it seemed to spread blogworld-wide very quickly)??

**I am still involved in several challenges: Fight to the Finish, Plus Size Tracking challenge, and whatever the Shrinking Jeans sisters cook up this week. I love my challenges and they truly help me come here every week and admit what I saw on the scale.

Today is the final weigh in for the Shrinking Jeans Spring Fling and I am pleased to report a loss for the week and a 4.6 pound loss for the total 8-week challenge. Last week I completely missed my weigh in. I got to work before I even realized what day of the week it was. I am happy to say I have finally pulled out of the getting sick, gaining weight, spring break, gaining weight FUNK I have been in since getting sick after Fitbloggin.

Funk gone!! Obliterated!!

Saturday I went to my first ever boxing class at LA Boxing. I loved it! Some people say yoga is their go to exercise to clear their minds. Yoga pisses me off!! There I said it!! I cannot get yoga! I can’t turn my brain off and I feel so uncoordinated and clumsy – which I totally am but that’s not the point. I think about all my stuff and I just plainly never get comfortable in yoga but boxing, that is somethin’ else!! I can only think about what I am being told to do: jump squats, lunges, shadow boxing, jumping jacks, and I know there are more but I cannot seem to be able to think about them right now.

Tuesday I went in for another class. Did I mention how Tuesday was the first day I wasn’t sore from Saturday’s class?!?! Still, I went. I have been given an amazing opportunity and I intend to make the absolute most out of the time I have at LA Boxing.  Tuesday’s class seemed a little harder at times and much sweatier. I woke up today feeling great, not sore at all.  By the end of the day, however, I am feeling a bit of muscle tightness. Nothing a hot shower and time won’t cure. Last night I slept like a rock!! I hit the pillow at about 10:30 and next thing I knew it was 5:55am.

Great workout = Great night’s sleep!!

As one

challenge ends, I find another!!

I am such a challenge junkie!! I just can’t help myself.

I read Mish’s post Fight to the Finish: Ready for War and I was instantly hooked. I am feeling revived and ready to “do this thing!”

So me, you, Mish & Ryan are getting into fighting shape!! We have 6 weeks to lose as much as we can…each in our own ways but I request we all do it safely and healthy. Weight loss will be based on % loss (Biggest Loser style). The prize: a hot sexy body in time for summer! HAHA!!

My starting weight for challenge: 189.8

Goal weight (for challenge): 180 lbs

Total Goal weight: 142 lbs

Will you join me in this exciting Fight…I mean challenge?!?!

See ya next week!

I can’t say I am surprised at all about the number on the scale! I wish I could say that I worked hard this week, but I did NOT.  I worked out twice: last Wednesday was Mary‘s workout pledge and I walked for 90 minutes. I ran/walked 8 miles on Saturday with Lissa. And yesterday I took a 2 mile bike ride around my neighborhood.  I am not sure what the heck is wrong with me! I am not sick anymore and I am on Spring Break but I cannot seem to shake this funk I am in. I just want to lounge around and read a book, which I actually did and I gotta tell ya, it is about damn time I read an actual book! I can’t even tell you the last time I read an actual book. Time I used to spend reading books I am now spending reading blogs and tweets. I am an addict I tell ya!

See how I ramble!

I need to get back into my groove! I was doing great before I went and got sick! While I was sick it was perfectly acceptable to lounge and let my body recover. I like hanging on the couch and watching TV and tweeting and blogging and reading blogs and tweeting and doing nothing! Even though I have been feeling better I have been down right exhausted. For no good reason, exhausted! Apparently just another side effect of this round of bronchitis.Every time I think I am finally on the mend I get walloped but I am done this time! That is it! NO.MORE.

Have I even mentioned the food?!? It has not exactly been pretty. There was an incident with Ben & Jerry’s Triple Caramel Chunk. There was date night: burgers, steak fries and beers.  Me and Big Man went to see Clash of the Titans Monday night – there was a popcorn incident with butter. Spring Break has meant I have no schedule and no schedule really fucks me up! I am up way too late at night and sleeping in until 10 most mornings.   Every day is like Sunday and I can lounge with my coffee and lazily start my day. Don’t judge!

So my slovenly sickly ways must stop!! STOP

Sorry….I don’t know about you, but I was totally singing some Vanilla Ice Ice Baby!! Is it wrong if I go add that song to my ipod?!?!

A gain! It sucks but it is what it is! I am not surprised at all about the gain but I was a bit surprised to gain over 3 pounds.  I have not worked out since last Wednesday. I have had a nasty case of bronchitis. I was down and out: sore throat and aches all over!

And just because being a girl is oh so much fun, my little friend decided to be wonderfully on time! OH JOY!

I did not allow myself to eat like crazy! In fact there were times when I was just too dang tired to want to eat. Big Man wouldn’t let me starve and even made me homemade soup! I drank an entire carton of orange juice on Sunday. I drank a crapton of coffee.

Life happens & the scale sucks. What really sucks is I am on a team for the current Shrinking Jeans challenge. Gaining makes me feel like I let my team down.

Moving on!!

How does one move on?!? She makes a workout pledge with some friends and she walks for 90 minutes!!

Yep, I walked 90 minutes this afternoon! I promised Mary and Steve!! I am so glad that I got my butt out there and walked. It was not my best showing at all and I felt so out of shape. Every inch on my body let me know it has been one week of lounging on the couch since I last worked out. I kept going! I had my tunes (I listened to the Dead show from 5.1.09 in Philly) and I had a beautiful blue, warm sky. One foot in front of the other! I usually cannot turn my brain off but today I did! I just let the walk happen.

Thanks Mary!! I needed to get my butt back out there and this was the perfect time and way to do it! I just walked – no worries for speed or distance just had to walk for 90 minutes!

I have the privilege of being friends with  some AWESOME people!!

So Today, I give you my heroes!! These ladies and gentleman seriously, rock my socks!!

Shannon and Ryan ran a 5K to Fight Austism

Christie O of the Shrinking Jeans walked/ran 26 miles on a treadmill in the middle of her local mall. ChristieO is part of a Virtual Team in Training along with bunch of other Shrinking Jeans girls (and a boy I think) and she walked/ran on Saturday to raise money for LLS.  If you have not heard of the SJ team or VTNT go check it out here!

Rachel tweeted about being in her car in the parking lot scared to go in to the ice skating rink! Well, she did it!! Go give her some support!!

and while I have many, many heroes I will leave you with Trish. Trish has had many heartaches this year and she is staying strong and staying/learning to live healthy! Trish has recently put herself out there in a way I never could; on video!!

WHO MOTIVATES YOU?

Current Weight: 198.8  lbs
Previous Weight: 190.2  lbs
Weight loss: -1.4 lbs
Weight loss in March: -6.0 lbs
Starting Weight: 242.6 lbs
Weight loss total: -53.8 lbs

Weigh-ins are getting easier! I just step on the scale, make a mental note, and go about getting ready for school. I am loving Wednesday weigh-ins; I am so not with it enough on a school morning to really dwell on anything the scale can throw at me. I also like weighing in on the same day as the hookers over at Shrinking Jeans. They are currently in the middle of the Spring Fling challenge and this is the second challenge I have joined in with them! I have been a shrinking hooker since January.  I love how the Sisters design challenges and projects around community and the mental side of weight loss!

The Sisters have a new challenge!! 16 sisters and 1 brother have hooked up with Team In Training through The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and will be running a half-marathon in San Diego in June. When the Sisters first started this training I wanted to join but I was not a runner!! In fact, I swore I was not a runner. Plus I am still in school in June so there would be no way I could make it to San Diego. Now, I am super jealous because I would totally love to go and run a half with ShrinkingJeans team!

So, I can’t be in San Diego but I can help!! I donated $30 to the cause. It is not a lot but it is my contribution. I am also working on a plan to participate in my own half at home the same time the girls will be in San Diego!

Can you spare $5 for this wonderful cause??

Just $5 will enter you in the awesome giveaways hosted by Shrinking Jeans. Click on the purple badge (it is your invitation to the most awesomest party going) and read more!! Help my friends help people in need!!

WEEKLY WEIGH IN STATS

Current Weight: 190.2  lbs
Previous Weight: 192.4  lbs
Weight loss: -2.2 lbs
Weight loss in March: -4.6 lbs
Starting Weight: 242.6 lbs
Weight loss total: -52.4 lbs

To go along with my break up with WW meetings I am also changing my weigh in day to Wednesdays. I made this change for a number of reasons:

1. I have joined yet another Shrinking Jeans Challenge. The sisters have Wednesday weigh ins and it just seemed like a logical switch.

2. School mornings are too busy to dwell on what numbers pop up on the scale. I literally step on the scale record the number and move about my day. Saturdays were becoming all about the scale.

3. and finally, I love alliteration so weigh in Wednesday just works for me!!

**This is a short post but I still need to get my workout done! I have been blogging a little bit more often these days but some of my posts are shorter than usual…..what do you think? Do you like more posts or longer, less often post?!?!