A new low and being a mom is busy!

I'm happy to report that this morning I hit a new low... Just barely! I'm down 6.7 lbs!! 

Good job to everyone who completed the 5k today! I have been busy ALL day. I used to get up early to get things done... Well baby started waking at 3 a.m. And would cry about every 1/2 hour after that.  So that didn't happen. I planned to walk after I got my casserole made and cheese ball in the fridge... But as soon as I had that moment (also taking care of baby) it was time to leave and I hadn't even showered yet!

So, I've decided to complete my 5k on Black Friday and spend the evening with family. Good thing that fits within my own rules!!! The best of intentions...

Who else plans to complete the #THB5K tomorrow?

Happy thanksgiving!

Be Active this Thanksgiving and Win Prizes with the #THB5K 2014 (EXTRA ENTRIES)

Are you ready to complete your 5K? If you’re like me, you’ve been eating extra well this week and you’re probably looking forward to indulging in some delicious off plan Thanksgiving food tomorrow. I will be happy to get some activity in tomorrow to balance it out.

So, if you haven’t yet, sign up for the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K 2014! There are a total of 99 entries so far (18 people officially signed up). I will tell you that in previous years there are more people who sign up than participate. Don’t be one of those people and lose all of your giveaway entries (it’s gift cards for goodness sakes)!

I have added an extra bonus entry option. As in previous years, if you convince friends/family members to participate with you—you will receive extra entries. You will get credit for up to five people. Here’s the best part:

• one extra person- 1 entry
• two extra people- 2 entries (plus 1 from above= 3 entries)
• three extra people- 3 entries (plus 1 and 2 from above= 6 entries)
• four extra people- 4 entries (plus 1, 2, and 3 from above=10 entries)
• five extra people- 5 entries (plus 1, 2, 3, and 4 from above=15 entries)

Make sense? If not, you just make the entry on Rafflecopter for ALL of the listings (if you have 5 extras) and not just the “5” option. As mentioned before, you MUST make your entries on Rafflecopter to be counted.

All entries must be entered by EOD on Friday, as the giveaway will close then.

Good luck!!

What’s your Thanksgiving Day plan?

My philosophy is to enjoy food on special occasions instead of trying to avoid the deliciousness and end up feeling deprived, which often leads to over eating and feeling guilty. That’s just me.

So my plan for Thanksgiving Day is to eat an on plan and healthy breakfast, but allow myself to eat off plan food for lunch and for supper (if I want to). And I don’t mean go on a crazy eating spree—I just mean that I will eat foods I wouldn’t eat 99.9% of the time. Of course, I plan to complete the #THB5K, so I will be getting in a good amount of activity, too.

Friday morning, it will be back on plan 100%. And that’s actually not all that hard to do since I love my new way of eating anyways.

What’s your plan?

The Greatest Love

I try to put my best self out there. I try to be the person that I want to be and should be. I try to do the things that I should do.

I am genuine. I cannot be otherwise. You could say that I wear my heart on my sleeve, but I’m also prone to bottle it all up inside until the pressure is unbearable.

Because of this, I’m often the silent person. And I’m usually the most silent when I am struggling to be the right person, to do the right thing, and to say the right words.

In my outward silence, I try to make the sun shine on peaceful shores, but inside the dark clouds are rolling and the waves a crashing forcefully against my heart. And my silence is most likely heard, even though I don’t want it to be.

And when you and I are alone, you’re often the shore where the waves come crashing in. The storm rages and the salty rain pours and you stay strong. I can see you flexing and bending with the wind like a palm tree in the midst of a hurricane, but you don’t break. You’re strong for me because I am already broken. And with your quiet strength, you carry me through.

And when the storm has passed I am broken still. When the calm has settled, you pick up each and every fragmented piece and you put me back together again as if you were a potter and I, your most treasured work.

In your strength and your patience, when I am least deserving, you show me how you see me and how that has never changed and that it never will. And I, filled with immense gratitude, am made aware that this is the greatest Love I have ever known and will ever know.

10 days left to sign up!

Thanksgiving is only 10 days away, which means that you have just as long to sign up for the #THB5K 2014. The gift card prizes are a fabulous change this year…who couldn’t use a little extra spending money this time of year?

Get over there and sign up!

So you think you’re old and fat?

In the past few weeks, multiple women in their 50s have commented to me, “if I wasn’t so old and fat…”, and each time I was taken aback and I’m pretty sure my mouth was hanging wide open while I tried to think of the right words to say. The words never came and instead I just smiled and shrugged my shoulders. But these interactions continued to weigh on my mind, and I felt guilty that I didn’t have the right words for these women.

Not once did I think to myself, “boy, this woman sure is fat and old”, or anything to that effect at all, actually! To be honest, I actually thought to myself, “she is pretty” or “she has such nice hair”, or “I hope to look that good at that age”. So when these women made negative comments about their appearance, I was surprised! These were confident and good looking women—and they were not fishing for compliments—they genuinely felt bad about their appearances.

There is something beautiful about women 50s and up. I hope that when I reach that age that I can be one of those women who is not embarrassed about my age, but that I rather embrace it with pride. You can always be young at heart—even at 90.

We are far more critical of ourselves than we are of others. How often have you looked at a woman and thought, “boy, she sure looks fat and old”? More than likely, you have been so wrapped up in thinking about how “fat and old” you feel that you haven’t even noticed the other women. Either that, or you’ve been thinking things like “boy, I sure wish I looked more like her instead of how fat and old I look” while the said woman is thinking the same thing about you.

There is beauty in all ages. It’s a different kind of beauty, but beauty none the less. No greater and no less. There’s a story of life lived in those wrinkles and gray hair. The younger years and a younger beauty are elusive—you can no longer get them back. Embrace the beauty of today and cherish the memories of yesterday. Most importantly, don’t hate yourself and stop the negative talk—it’s bad for your. Do good for your body, soul and mind—after all, what really makes you beautiful is within.

And I’m down more weight!

Yipee!! I lost weight this week. I was down another .8 lb. this morning for a total loss of 6.6 lbs.!

I was afraid I was going to have a gain this week since my last loss was last Saturday. That was cutting it pretty close! Now I hope I’m on the losing end again. Those 10 lbs. are getting closer to being gone!! Pedicure…here I come!

Have you signed up for the #THB5K 2014? Sign up—I’d be all over this if this wasn’t my blog and I wasn’t the one giving the gift cards away!! hehe

Update for the week

Hello everyone! Are you excited about the #THB5K? What do you think about the prizes? So far there are only 7 signed up, and that includes me. So it looks like you’re all winning a prize at this point! Those of you who aren’t signed up…what’s holding you back? Get over there and sign up! Make sure that you use Rafflecopter…if you don’t, you won’t be entered in the giveaway.

So what do you think about the new blog design? I’m working on getting things cleaned up and updated—but that process could take some time! I am loving the new look though. Much cleaner. Let me know what you think!

My mom came to stay for the past few days. It was super nice having her here. It allowed me go out and take some photos for a side job. She helps out around the house constantly—and it was a much needed break.

Baby girl hasn’t been feeling very well…something has been a little off for the past week. She has done pretty well today, but I noticed her taking her naps a little early so she must be tired. Last night she only cried a few times for her pacifier—so that’s some improvement. She was sleeping through the night without a peep up until last week. Interrupted sleep really wears on you…I have been pretty lucky.

I haven’t had a loss since Saturday. The scale has been all over the place—so I hope I can lose by this Saturday and not have to count a gain. I enjoyed all kinds of losses last week—practically every day!

It has gotten cold here! Monday it was in the 60s and today it’s in the 20s. Brrrrr! The last I knew it was May! I swear, these past 6 months have zoomed by. I hardly remember a summer in there…but it happened.

Have a great day!

The Official Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K 2014 #THB5K

After a year off, we are back with the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K for 2014—the fourth event!

As in previous years, to participate in this virtual 5K, you will need to complete a 5K (walk, run, dance, skip, prance, bike, elliptical, etc.) on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday. This race is about just being active and finishing, so don’t worry if you are not super speedy and fast (I’m certainly not)!

This year, there are gift cards up for the winning! Thanks to your votes in the #THB5K Poll, the prizes are as follows:

Prize #1- $50 Amazon.com giftcard

Prize #2- $25 Target giftcard

Prize #3- There will be 5- $5 Starbucks giftcards

(images from Google)

That’s 7 chances to win some really great prizes! This is in no way associated with the above companies—this is out of my pocket and my way of thanking you for reading all year! Thank you!

The rules are very simple:

• Sign up for the #THB5K by leaving a comment on this post
• After you’ve completed your 5K on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday do any of the following and come back to this post to make your entry via Rafflecopter:
  • Post a photo proving your participation to the A Journey to Thin Facebook page (1 entry)

AND/OR

• Tweet a photo proving your participation on Twitter using the hashtag #THB5K and tagging @Ajourneytothin

OR

• If you do not have Facebook or Twitter, email me your photo (Ajourney2thin@gmail.com) (1 entry)
• For additional entries into the giveaway, you can spread the word about the #THB5K via the methods on Rafflecopter (many of these options can be done daily also)
• Feel free to proudly display the official #THB5K participant button on your blog! (and get your Rafflecopter entry!)

 

<div class="a-journey-to-thin-button" style="width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://www.ajourneytothin.com/2014/11/the-official-thankful-healthy-blogger.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-OQDsyKdSJY8/VGC8z6Za97I/AAAAAAAAAAw/Zx_ivbzHWrk/s536/button.jpg" alt="A Journey to Thin" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div>

 

Winners will be randomly selected, entry verified, and the the winner will be contacted via email. Winner will have until EOD December 6th to claim their prize or a new winner will be randomly selected.

How about a flash back?

THB5K 2012
THB5K 2011
THB5K 2010

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just have to tell you...

I am down more weight!! 5.8 lbs. lost!

For the Mommies out there

^(source)

^{I saw this quote on Facebook the other day and it offered comfort to me.}

^{I am a worrier and it’s no surprise that after having a child, I worry about everything mom related. I’m sure that as baby girl grows, my worries will change and possibly become greater. But this quote makes me feel a lot better about my constant worrying that I am “screwing it all up”.}

^{I have a happy baby girl full of smiles and giggles and that doesn’t just happen. I must be doing something right.}

^{For any mommies out there like me, give yourself a break and a pat on the back. You’re doing just fine.}

Another itty bitty loss and missing my clothes

The scale showed me more love again this morning! Down another .3 lbs. for a total loss of 4.4 lbs. as I approach the end of my 4th week. Yay!

I cannot wait to fit into my old clothes again. I don’t want to spend much money on new clothes, so I feel like I’m wearing the same things all the time—which I probably am. I bought a few things so that I don’t feel absolutely horrible about myself all the time, but I miss my old clothes!

I keep talking about those 10 lbs. I will feel better after 10 lbs. lost, right?! I feel better already, but I want to start to see differences in the way that my clothes fit. Another 6 lbs. would probably make a difference.

Thank goodness I’m home most days and just wear my yoga pants and comfy shirts. I know my yoga pants are a bit too snug, but some days I’m just like “forget it” and go to the store (or for a walk, or most recently to vote) in them anyways. I’m pathetic. Don’t worry about me over here, I’m just singing another verse of the Fat Girl Blues.

I’m leaving the 5k poll up for a little bit longer—so if you haven’t voted yet, please do so. Apparently, there’s going to be another blogger Thanksgiving virtual 5k… so hopefully you will all stick with this one too. I appreciate all of you readers out there (if you’re still out there). Crickets… lol

A little more progress… and getting antsy to blog about my new diet plan

As I mentioned, I’m not going to do an official weigh in day anymore—when I make progress, I will count it as progress whenever it is! I will expect another loss 1 week from each loss—if I don’t have another loss in 1 week, I will report it as a gain.

This morning I lost another .6 lbs. bringing me to 4.1 lbs. lost total since 10/10/14. Not too shabby! I’m not yet back to that 5 lbs. I initially lost, but I’m losing just fine. And it’s really encouraging to be able to acknowledge the loss—no matter how small!

I don’t know if I can wait until 10 lbs. lost to tell you all of the details of my new plan (my original promise because I wanted to make sure this wasn’t just another fad). I just love it so much. I can’t even tell you how incredibly different I feel. And food doesn’t hold me hostage anymore (at least not very often). I like the real foods I’m eating. I’m not hungry all the time. And I’m having a lot of fun experimenting in the kitchen—and I can’t wait to share the recipes!

I’ll keep going at it…come on 10 lbs.!!

Don’t forget to vote!

Hopefully you have cast your vote in the 2014 elections, but if not—get out there and get it done!

Since it is election day and all, don’t forget to cast your vote in the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K poll-- which will determine which gift card receives the biggest prize dollar amount for the #THB5K!

Update on my Progress

On my Friday weigh in, I lost .3 lbs. I hoped for more after an entire week on track 100%—but I had hormones working against me so I need to keep that in mind and try not to get discouraged.

That’s a total loss of 3.5 lbs. in 3 weeks. That’s good progress of over 1 lb. per week, even though it was that first week that I lost 5 lbs. and then gained the next. But you know what? Weight loss takes time. I should know this—it took me years to lose weight the last time…but it happened.

I had a couple of slip ups this weekend. I’ll blame the hormones for half of it.

But I weighed this morning and it wasn’t so terrible—so I’m back at it again! I hope to see a loss by the end of this week. I’m kind of sick of official weigh in days and want to count my “lows” when I hit them—so that’s how it’s going to be.

I completed 2/5 days of 30 Day Shred last week. Excuses. Excuses. Can I use the hormones card again? haha. I did rake leaves one day… that counts, right? I think this week I will do something with less impact anyways…try to make my left hip-leg-knee-foot feel better. I’m thinking some pilates.

BUT this morning I am feeling slightly better in body and mind. I am less monster-like and a little more Alissa-like. Hubby will be happy about that. Seriously. It’s like that. Total transformation. I don’t even know myself!

It was up bright and early this morning due to baby not being aware of the time change—even though I told her Saturday night when she went to bed and gave her permission to sleep in. On Sunday morning, she woke up at 4:30 and hubby told me that I needed my rest so I wouldn’t be cranky all day (I told you it’s true!!) and he woke up with her. This morning it was up at 5:30—so that’s a little progress.

Please take a moment to vote in the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5k (#THB5K) poll. I’ll leave it open for a few days and then I’ll get the official post with prizes put together!

#THB5K Poll

It's that time of year again! And while last year the #THB5K didn't happen due to pregnancy and just being busy...this year it's back on! Please take the poll below so I can determine prizes!

For anyone new to the blog, #THB5K stands for the Thankful Healthy Blogger 5K, an “annual” virtual 5K I host on Thanksgiving Day. Prizes are always involved and it’s just a great way to be active on Thanksgiving Day.