It's a Girl!

Yes I'm a week late, but I had a baby, so give me a break! Last Wednesday, the 8th, my sweet little girl was born! It was a huge shock that it was a girl, I was sure it was a boy! We named her Emily Margaret. I am still recovering from the c-section, and I won't be back to running for a minimum of 6 weeks, possibly longer. I had gained a total of 40lbs this time around, and as of this morning I've lost 20lbs. The baby weighed 7lbs 10oz, and when we came home from the hospital I had lost 6lbs! lol. They pumped me full of fluids, so it took awhile to flush it all out my system.

I haven't been watching my food intake at all, so I guess I better get back to it, blah! I am very excited to get back to where I was pre-pregnancy, just bare with me, it will be a slow go this time!

37 weeks pregnant!

Sheesh! Where does the time go? I am such a slacker when it comes to this whole blogging thing! Since I last posted so much has happened. We sold our house, and moved into a 1 bedroom basement suite. We are still on the hunt for a new house, we just can't seem to find something! I'll be bringing home baby #3 in three short weeks, and he/she doesn't even have a place to sleep yet! Good thing babies are small and don't need much space! It has been so stinkin' hot, I am seriously melting! My weight gain is out of control! I'm at 30lbs gained so far! I haven't done a lick of exercise in quite some time, what's my excuse you ask? I don't have one! My belly has grown a lot as well! It is a amazing though, I feel so good still. When I was this far along with my other pregnancies I could barely walk. My hips would be so sore all the time. Most days I forget I'm even pregnant. Although the other day I rammed my belly into something so hard, I forgot it was so big and....ouch! Exciting news! We bought a travel trailer this summer, and I LOVE it! It's so nice to go camping with it, having the little kids. Lots of fun planned in our future!

After the baby is born I plan to re-vamp the blog. Start the running program up again, and back to eating all healthy, low fat foods! I want a new title too, because, well the current one is lame! Any suggestions for that?

Well I'll leave you with my most current belly photo.

Update/weight gain/ultrasound!

25 weeks!

Phewf it's been a busy month. After the Sun Run I signed up for another 10k race for May 30th. It was a really good run, and I had a pretty decent time too. 1:05:10, so better than my most recent races. I get so thirsty for water when I'm running, that it becomes a bit of a hassle at the water stations trying to quench my thirst! I *might* invest in a water belt, but those seem so lame, especially just for a 10k....not sure what to do yet! Ideas?

I had my 3D ultrasound mid-May. The baby was still so small, less than a few pounds, but we got a few good shots. My favourite is this profile picture. It's hanging on the fridge right now, and every time I see it I am in disbelief that there is actually a little fully formed baby in me! Man I LOVE being pregnant! I can't imagine this being my last, although Randy thinks differently! I get another 3D u/s on June 19th, so we get one more little peak at the baby until September. We're still deciding on baby names, I always forget how hard it is to agree on a couple. I still have 3 months left, so hopefully it will come to us.

My weight gain is at a total of 16 lbs! And it's all in my butt and hips. Oh and some to my boobs as well. I haven't bit the bullet and bought maternity clothes yet. But I am getting really close to needing some. My jeans need to be unbuttoned with a rubber band holding them together, and my shirts are slowly getting shorter and shorter. Hopefully I can get by with a few pairs of stretchy shorts and tank tops....if the sun ever returns!




I am still keeping up with my running, although it's now Wednesday and I haven't ran since the 10k on Sunday.... Life has just been busy! Our house is for sale and do you know how hard it is to keep it spotless with two toddlers running around and being 6 months pregnant!

2010 Sun Run

On Mother's Day I participated in the 2010 Vancouver Sun Run. It's the largest 10k in North America. My goal going into it was to be under 1:10:00. Since my 10k last month was 109:00 Well I ran with 50,000+ people and came in the top 20,000....my time was 1:07:56. I was pretty happy with that. It was so surreal running with that many people. Some parts of it was not enjoyable at all! I couldn't imagine what it would be like, and seriously, some people are so rude. I was kicked and pushed a lot! It's a miracle I wasn't tripped by faster runners trying to pass me. And the worst part was when you would bump up against another hot and sweaty person. EWWW! But overall it was a great experience and I will for sure do it again next year. I was pretty sore that evening, back and leg pain, but that's to be expected running while 5 months pregnant! I think I will attempt another 10k next month, but maybe the month of June switch to 5ks. Now onto the weight gain...I was doing so well the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. I only gained about 5-6lbs, but the last month or so I have packed it all on! I am up to a grand total of 13 pounds!! I'm still running 3x a week, I guess I am just eating WAY too much. And not of the good stuff either. Chips and icecream have been my downfall. Specifically cheesies and McFlurries! Can't get enough of the stuff! I'm going for another ultrasound tomorrow, and then a 3D ultrasound on Saturday, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the baby again! We will not be finding out the gender, hopefully I can stay strong!!

23 weeks pregnant!

Baby Update.

I'm a few days late with this, but I am halfway through my pregnancy!!! I had my first appt. with my ob/gyn yesterday and it went really well. We talked about my c-section and most importantly running! She confirmed what my family doctor said, which is that I can continue to run as long as I'm feeling good. So the Sun Run is a go! She also said I need to up my calorie intake, I've gained 5lbs at halfway, and she wants me to gain about 20lbs altogether. So I just had a big bowl of cheesies! That should add a few hundred extra calories ;) I'll convince Randy I need pizza for dinner to help in the gaining weight department too! (ya know I'm only kidding, and I know it's supposed to be healthy calories...)

Also, I got enough money for my stroller!! I picked it up last Sunday and first thing Monday morning took the kids for a long 5km walk! It was well worth the money!!

20 weeks pregnant! Usually I take the picture before I go run, this time I forgot so I'm all sweaty and tired looking! When I am in my street clothes you can't really tell I'm pregnant, but my jeans are starting to get uncomfortable and my shirts are getting a bit too short so I better go shopping soon!!

Getting Slower!

My official time was 1:09:00. My slowest time yet, but I am ok with that. I ran the whole 10k and I felt good doing it. It was a beautiful Sunday morning, and really nice course as well. I felt pretty good most of the race, just the usual aches and pains I get while running, nothing major. Whenever I started getting too tired I would just keep reminding myself that I am 19 weeks pregnant and running! I am still amazed that I am doing this. When I was 19 weeks with Gaby I was already complaining about hip pain, and who knows how much weight I had gained at that point! I am still wearing my regular jeans, they are getting too tight though, unbuttoned as I type this ;) I have decided I am going to do the Sun Run this year, and I am super excited about it. I'll be 23 weeks pregnant by then, so I should be able to run the 10k no problem still!

On a side note: I've been saving up money to buy a really fancy shmansy stroller. I want to be able to run as soon as possible, so I need a nice comfy stroller for the new baby. I'm so excited! But I have a lot of stuff to sell on craigslist first.

Yet another race..

My weight is not so slowly going up and up, but that's ok! I know I won't gain it all back, and I'm really excited to pop this baby out and get back to hard training and dieting! Don't get me wrong though, I am thoroughly enjoying this pregnancy, knowing it could quite possibly be my last :( and I want to savour it! Plus I know I will never be as heavy as I was 8 months ago, and that's a good feeling! I saw the doctor yesterday, and everything is going perfectly and I got the go ahead to "race" the 10k this Sunday. So I am going to take it easy on Sunday and enjoy my run.

Had my ultrasound, and it's a........

really really cute little baby! I can't lie, I was extremely nervous going into the u/s. And I am now very shocked/relieved/happy that there is a healthy little baby in there. We didn't want to find out the sex, and I'm really excited to find out in 4.5 months what it is! The baby is measuring pretty much right on track, give or take a few days. I was thinking last night how I am so lucky to have no symptoms of pregnancy, well this morning I woke up with a very sore back. My lower back always hurts during pregnancy, it was my first clue that I could be pregnant this time around. But today it hurts really really bad. I have two other kids though that need a properly functioning mama, so I guess I better suck it up and get on with my day!

Baby, where are you??

I have decided to keep posting my weight for now. It might not be every single week, but I will try to keep it up to date. I am one day shy of 17 weeks now, and have only gained 2lbs. I don't look pregnant and I certainly don't feel pregnant. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a teeny bit nervous.....I have an ultrasound tomorrow, so we'll see what's going on in there! I'll update when I get home from that, hopefully with a picture of the little critter!

Not much else is going on over here. It's Reegan's 3rd birthday today, so that's been fun. I'm still running, mostly on the treadmill in this yucky weather, but I don't mind the treadmill most days.

Not sure what to do...

I am still weighing myself all the time, it's quite embarrassing how much I step on the scale, but whatevs, it was helping keep myself accountable. So this is where I'm confused and not sure what to do. Should I keep posting my current weight on the blog, even though it is slowly going up? (ok, not as slow as it should be going) This morning I weighed in at 164.0lbs. Should I record that on the side bar, or wait until after the baby is born and start fresh.....hmmmm. I'm thinking if I keep posting it, it might help me keep the gain to a minimum, but at the same time, it's kind of depressing to see the numbers going up. Not sure yet, what do you think?

Still Chugging along!

I'm 16 weeks pregnant and still feeling great! I am still running, and still enjoying it. My next race is April 11th, and it's a 10k. I don't know when I'll switch to racing 5ks, maybe when I'm 6 months along? I guess I'll just see how I feel.

I went on a bit of a binge last week. Maybe I was celebrating the fact that everyone now knows I'm pregnant....whatever my reason was, I am hopefully over it now! Now that all the chips are out of the house, I don't plan on buying my favourite kind again!

I took the kids in the stroller yesterday for a run, and that felt really nice. I can get a little burnt out from running on the treadmill all the time. And right now I'm dealing with a sick little girl. Poor Gaby has a really runny nose, weepy eyes and I can tell she is just feeling plain poopy.

That's my little update, and a photo to keep you entertained! I know I'm making a creepy face, I suck at 'posing' for pictures....

I'm ok to run, I promise!

Now that my pregnancy is public knowledge, everyone seems to have an opinion! And that's fine, but if it's something negative, keep it to yourself! I have run in three 10k races since being pregnant. I like it, I'm good at it, and I feel fine while doing it! Plus, my doctor said it's ok to do, and even good for me to keep it up! I just registered myself for another run next month. April 11th I'll be running another 10k. Obviously I'll continue training at home, running 3-4x a week and just staying active all the time. Trust me, I would never ever ever do anything to jeopardize this pregnancy, it is such a blessing, and I do not take it for granted! I do know my limits, and my time with these races will probably get slower each time, but I'm ok with that. This past race my time was 1:06:57, maybe next month it will be over an hour then, as long as I can finish the run I'm happy!

Here I am 3 weeks ago, at 12 weeks pregnant!

Lotsa changes 'round here!

Yesterday I ran the 10k race. I tried, but I didn't kill myself trying. I don't know my official time yet, but it was around an hour and 10 minutes. Shortly after the race I told my Mom I was pregnant, and then told most of my family. Now that they all know, I can let the blogger world know. I am just shy of 15 weeks pregnant, and feeling great. I kept it a secret for so long for many reasons. One being that I've had multiple miscarriages, but mainly because I wanted to be able to keep running without worrying my mom. I plan to keep running for as long as I can, and I am already registered for another 10k race next month. It is really helping to keep my weight down (haven't gained a single pound yet) and keeping me motivated to stay healthy for this little baby. When I got pregnant with Gaby I weighed 230lbs, and 260lbs by the time I delivered her. I am so excited to experience pregnancy at a healthy weight and I'm assuming the recovery will be quicker this time too.

I also decided to give the blog a new look. I'm still working on it, but I like the changes so far. I hope you guys will stick with me through this fun and exciting time. My due date is September 7th.

Yet another race.

Tomorrow will be my 5th race. I have two 5ks and two 10ks under my belt, tomorrow being my 3rd 10k. You'd think I would be used to them now, but that is not the case. I am still nervous the few days leading up to it, and I'm sure I'll be super nervous tomorrow morning. I still don't know what I'm going to wear. Maybe my green excersise shirt, since it is a Saint Patricks themed run. hmmmm, I'll have to see what the weather is like as well. I'll be back tomorrow with an update of my race time, fingers crossed that I do alright!

As for dieting, I've been doing ok. I'm just doing the bare minimum so I don't gain any weight back. And I have been keeping up with my running every week, so that helps keep my weight in check. I guess I'll get around to those last 20lbs later..... ;)

Bad, Bad Girl!

I am referring to myself! I haven't blogged in a long time, and I'm hating that! For the first time throughout the last 6 months, I missed recording my weigh in! Rest assured, I haven't gained any weigh, phewf! As of this morning I was 159lbs.

Random thought as of late: September 9th was the very first day I went for a run. Ahh I remember that day very well.

Warm-up: Walk slow & easy 5 minutes
Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 8 times.
Cool-down: Walk slow & easy 5 minutes

That was my run on the very day. A measly 34 minutes. It was the hardest 34 minutes ever! But also probably the most important 34 minutes of my life so far. I remember it being so hard to run 1 minute, and even the walking was making me out of breath. I was so darned determined though! I remember running through excruciating shin splints, thinking for sure my legs were breaking with every step. Running on the treadmill with only 5 minutes left listening to Gaby screaming through the monitor, wanting to stop so bad and go hug and kiss her, but knowing she would be ok for 5 minutes!! (she would wake up early from her nap, and cry for me, I wouldn't leave her in there for hours at a time). I remember doing my Billy Blanks DVD at 10pm in the living room while Randy watched eating buttered popcorn.

Looking back, I can't believe all the obstacles I've overcome. I can't believe I actually got my butt off the couch and did it. I DID IT!! When I used hear people say "If I can do it, anyone can do it" and I would roll my eyes! But honestly, If I can do it, anyone CAN!

Ok, so I know I sound like I'm done, but I know I'm not. I still have a bit of weight to lose technically, I was just feeling good about myself, and kinda felt like tooting my own horn. I am running my 3rd 10k run in one week, and it just reminds me of how far I've come in 6 very short months.

1:04:57

1 minute and 12 seconds slower than last month.

In my defense, this 10k course was HARD! There was soo many hills, and they were extremely steep. So I am pretty happy with my time. The next 10k is only 2.5 weeks away! And that course is fairly flat, so hopefully I can beat my time. The countdown is on.

Shopping!

Randy and I went shopping this past weekend for my birthday! It was such a blast. We left the kids with my parents, and I missed them like crazy and was a nervous wreck about Gaby (her first ever sleepover), but I got over it with some retail therapy! I spent boatloads of money and got tons new clothes. 4 pairs of shoes, 2 jackets, 1 dress, 1 bathing suit.....etc... I used to think I didn't like dressing up, and buying clothes, telling myself I didn't need new and fancy stuff...but boy was I wrong! (I still don't think I NEED it, but I do LOVE it). All in all we had a great, relaxing, fun time. I don't think I'll need to buy any new clothes for awhile...but don't hold me to that! I have a dress I bought not too long ago, and planned on wearing it this weekend, but never ended up getting the chance. The night before we left though, I tried it on and got Randy to snap a picture of me. Keep in mind, it's 11:30 at night, I look like crap and Randy was laying down in bed when he took the picture, but you get the idea...

This weekend also involved a lot of eating out. We went to Boston Pizza both nights around 10pm and ate lots of cheap appys...but it was fun and well worth it. So don't be surprised when you see my weight jump up a couple pounds this week, because I won't be! Lastly, I am running my 2nd 10k race this Sunday. I am really nervous. I finally looked up the course, and it's pretty much one big steep hill! What's the worst that can happen?

Setting a goal....

I think I do best when I set a goal for myself and that's what I'm doing now. And why not share it with all of you so I can be kept accountable. So here it is: I want to get out of the 160's! I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I have been stuck here for a long time! There is nothing to blame but myself. I have not been doing my part to lose weight, just enough to maintain, and I am not at the point where I need to maintain yet. I still have weight to lose! I have been splurging WAY too much and not exercising nearly enough. The weather here has been unbelievably beautiful, and I need to get outside and go for a run in the fresh air! So next week I will be checking in and recording my weight in the 150's!

Birthday Girl!

It's my baby girls very first birthday tomorrow! I remember this time last year so vividly! We dropped Reegan off with my mom, and went to The Old Spaghetti factory for dinner. One last hoorah before the baby was born! I was SO excited to find out the sex of the baby, ugh it was killing me not knowing! So that night I was getting all ready to leave for the hospital the next morning, and decided to check my weight one last time. Well it was exactly 100 pounds more than I was today. I was tipping the scales at 260lbs! And only 30lbs of that was pregnancy weight. So tomorrow we will be celebrating Gaby's birthday, and on the inside I will also be celebrating how far I've come in the last year. This last year has gone by way too fast and I'm excited to see what this next year of Gaby's life brings. Who knows where we'll be one full year from now. Maybe we'll have sold our house and moved, I could be pregnant again by then, maybe I'll run a marathon in the next year! Who knows! (besides God ;))

Jari Love

This is my newest workout. It's totally differant from anything I've ever done! It left me fairly sore the next day (which is good) and it was pretty fun too! It claims you can burn up to 1000 calories per workout, which is about an hour. I don't think I burn that many, because that would be impressive. I had to buy a step to do the exersises, and I probably look like a fool jumping around on it!

I have been plugging along, trying not too eat too much, and I made a big batch of stir fry again. Also I've been making my shakes for breakfast again, yum yum!

This weekend I went to shopping with some Christmas money I had, and I bought a pair of jeans and a dress. I NEVER buy dresses, so this was quite somethin! I literally tried on 13 pairs of jeans. Every pair fit, I just wanted to get the nicest ones. Randy was getting pretty irritated by the end! Back in October when we had Gaby dedicated I borrowed my neighbors dress. It was a size 16, and it fit perfectly, that was after losing a bunch of weight and feeling pretty good. Well the dress I bought on Sunday it a size 10, and it also fits perfectly. I don't know when I'll ever ever wear it, but I have it hanging in the closet, and I've tried it on twice already. Next time I put it on I'll take a picture and show you all!

If you noticed my latest weigh in, it wasn't too pretty. However, the day before that I was 159, and the day after I was 159 as well, so I guess I was just having a crappy morning that specific day. Tomorrow will be weigh in day again, so it should be down!

1:03:56

One hours, 3 minutes and 56 seconds of straight running. I completed the 10k! Not one second of walking! I am so happy with my time, and honesty quite surprised by it! I didn't think I would do so well. Randy ran the race with me, and he stuck by my side the entire time. Have I mentioned how great he is? Seriously, he is so amazingly supportive, and he was very proud of me at the end. Great day, that's for sure. I am a little sore this morning, but nothing major. My legs mostly. Now the count down begins for the next 10k. February 21. One month to try and improve my time. This course was almost completly flat, and the next one is very hilly, so we'll see how that goes!

Anyways, I just wanted to quickly pop in to record my time. Time to make lunch for the kiddies!

P.S. I do have pictures of me crossing the finish line, but I was on the brink of death, so they're not that flattering. Maybe I'll work up the courage to post them later!

How'd I do?

Not too shabby. But I said I wanted a day of perfection, and it wasn't 100%perfect. I might as well be honest, since I'm only hurting myself by lying. Ya see, I did really good all day long, but when Randy didn't get home from work until after 7, I got a little overwelmed with the kids, blah blah blah.....when he finally came home I just wanted to relax and unwind a bit, so how do I do that? By watching American Idol and eating popcorn. Popcorn is actually a pretty good little snack, but at 9:00pm it's not. I should not be eating that late! Today I was also really good. I ran my little heart out on the treadmill and felt good about that afterwards. I'm still nervous for the 10k on Sunday though!

Here we go!

The day has begun. So far all I've had is my cup of coffee, with a splash of cream and a tad of sugar. Months ago when I first changed my eating habits I used to use a lot more cream and lot more sugar. Slowly I have been cutting back, and it tastes WAY better. I can't stand it if there is too much cream or sugar.

If you look on the right hand side you'll see I had a loss of .4lbs this past week. Not amazing, but a loss is a loss, so I'll take it! Since revving up my strength training I have really noticed more muscle, that's a great feeling for sure! My abs are really hard, (under a few layers of fat and skin of course) still a work in progress though, but really, when isn't it.

So back to this whole, "One Day" business, I am really excited to jump start again. I especially need to reverse the damage I did last night while watching American Idol. Between Randy and I, we consumed 2 bags of skittles and a chocolate letter left over from Christmas!

I'm also going to track how much water I drink today. I need to up that amount for sure! I'll report back to you all at the end of the night, and it will be a good report, because I am roarin' to go! Off to make my breakfast shake!

Just one day!

-I got the idea to do just one day of perfection from a fellow blogger, so I can't take the credit for it! -

I haven't been that great with my diet lately. Not horrible, but it's been a few chips here, a cookie there, a slice of pizza over there....ya know what I mean! So I am committing myself to one day. One day of nothing but healthy food. No juice, no pop, no chips, no cookies. I need that fresh start again, to re-motivate myself. So since I already ate the kids leftover lunch, plus my own lunch, tomorrow will be that day. I challenge you to join me in this quest. Nothing but feel good, healthy foods tomorrow. Do you accept the challenge?

Thankfully I have been keeping up with my workouts. But the scale is reflecting my bad eating habits, and I might not see a loss this week. But, I'm not going to dwell on the past, rather focus on the present and future and do the best that I can!

The 10k is on Sunday, only a few days away. I can't lie, I don't think I'm prepared enough. I know I was really nervous before my first 5k, so it makes sense that I'm nervous again, I guess.....

Changin' it up a bit!

Since I can only talk about my running and weighs-ins so much, I am taking some notes from fellow weight loss bloggers and revamping mine a bit. I am going to share more about my diet and some of my favourite 'go to' snacks and meals. I'm no expert on this topic, but I know it's been working for me! So stay tuned, and please please, if you have some favourite recipes, share them in the comments sections, I can always use more ideas!

Also, I may mention the kids (Reegan and Gaby) more often as well. Because lets face it, they are my life and up top it says this is a 'Moms journey of weight loss'.

Eeek! Only 11 days away!

The 10k race that is. It is on January 17th, and it's creeping up WAY too fast. I am doing it with my mom, and we have talked a lot about it. We are going to try our hardest, but we're not too worried about our time in the end. Since we are already signed up for another 10k on February 21st, we'll have a chance to beat our time.

I haven't been doing so well with my diet. I am trying hard, but it's the getting to the grocery store and buying the veggies that I'm having trouble with. I had toast with peanut butter and cucumbers for lunch and dinner today. I'm not complaining though, it's delish! I am going to make a big batch of stir fry again, and maybe some spaghetti too. yum yum.

Hmmm...how 'bout mind your own business?

When I started this whole new 'healthy living' dieting thing, I kept it a secret from most people. I didn't think it was their business and I was a little embarrassed. I thought by telling people, Iwas admitting to myself, and others that I had a weight problem. Obviously as the weight started coming off it became obvious to people that I was doing something differant. I must admit, I liked not having everyone know. Especially through the holidays where everything was revolved around food. I think people feel they have the right to comment on what I am eating. I swear some people watch me eat, waiting for me to screw up. And boy did I screw up during the holidays. Last night at my in-laws house, my father in law, felt the need to comment about what was on my plate. Saying certain things were going to wreck my diet, and that I shouldn't eat the potatoes. Yesterday Reegan had a donut, and I asked him for a bite. Some women near by pipes up, that I'm not allowed donuts, and that I shouldn't eat it.

Mabye I'm just misserable because my lady friend should be visiting soon, but that kind of stuff really annoys me. Nobody commented on my eating habits when I was overweight, so why do they now? Is anybody else dealing with this problem?

I hate to admit it, but I'm happy the holidays are over! Now I can get back into the swing of things. I'm like a little kid, I need my routine. Plus, I am running a 10 in 13 days and I'm not feeling prepared, eeeks!

oh, one last thing, my mother in law bought me some sweet running gloves for Christmas, they are from lululemon and are really comfy and cute! YAY!