2 months?? Really???

So, it's been 2 months since I've posted! My first question is "Man, where has that time gone???" My second is "how can I possibly condense all of the events of the past 2 months in one post???" I will do my best!


We took our first vacation as a family of 4 in late October to Walt Disney World! We had a blast! Though over 1000 pics were taken, I will just post one iconic family pic!

We are planning our next Disney trip for November 2012 with my sister and her family! So excited!


I've been keeping up with races most weekends. Since October, I've run in The Covington Classic, A race sponsored by the U of Florida Vet School down in Gainesville, Keeping up with the Jones' Race, 3 Rivers Art Festival Race, Turkey Day Race at City Park and St. Paul's Christmas Run. We'll be doing the Celebration in the Oaks Run/Walk this weekend and maybe one or two more in December. I have two, yes TWO 1/2 Marathons in January, so I am really trying to keep my miles up during the week. 


Another exciting thing to happen since I last posted was that we were featured as a local success story in Louisiana Health and Fitness Magazine! You can read it on their website or check out the PDF here. We've received lots of feedback, and even a few people that have told us that our story has inspired their family, so that's awesome! 


We've been really busy with holiday events, shopping, etc! We were able to spend time with my sister and her family for Thanksgiving and it was really fun having my girls and my nieces together. Here's a pic of the 3 oldest girls playing on the lawn at Loyola!

Here's Maddie at Cracker Barrel on the Evans' Family Shopping day to Baton Rouge:

And here are Morgan and Maddie with friend Ryann at the Hammond Christmas Parade!

We also took family pics a few weeks ago for our Christmas Card. I will preview one pic now and add others later after I get the card out!

As far as the weight loss goes, I'm about 5 (or less) pounds from my ultimate goal weight. To date, I've lost 135 total. It's pretty exciting but I will continue to stay challenged as I strive to maintain. I'm still running all the time, so that helps, but my willpower with food has been somewhat down lately. In my head, I know that I can eat most anything now and lose it in a day or 2 because of my workout routine. That's a really bad approach, so I need to change that. So the journey continues!


Janel

1/2 the person, twice the heart!

If you've been following my blog since March, you've walked with me through this journey. You've seen me break the 200lb mark, you've seen me hit a 100 lb weight loss...Well, yesterday, 10/9/11, was a VERY important step in that journey. I COMPLETED A 1/2 MARATHON. In a few short months, I've blown away every expectation I've had for myself. If you would had told me on 1/1/11 that in 10 months I would lose 125 lbs., complete over 30 5Ks, ride in 30-mile bike tours and RUN a 1/2 marathon, I would have NEVER believed it. But yesterday, I realized that "CAN'T" is just a 4-letter word. I am proof that you can do ANYTHING that you set your mind to. Not to get into details, but this whole journey began when someone pointed out my weaknesses and then told me that I would/could never change my behavior. And if you know me very well, you pretty much know that I am also one of the most stubborn/determined people you've ever met. Let's just say: Challenge Met - Challenge exceeded. :)

Here are a few pics from the 1/2 Marathon Yesterday:

Jonathan and I after completing the 1/2 Marathon

Me with Jon and Dustin before the 1/2 Marathon - since training for this race beginning in March, the three of us have lost a combined 227 lbs!

A few other updates since my last post: I spent last week in Dallas at the POOLCORP International Sales Conference and Vendor Showcase. It was extremely educational! The Hilton Anatole was beautiful, and having a 1/2 mile walk from my hotel room to the conference site was extremely helpful in my prep for the 1/2 marathon.

The POOLCORP Internet Strategies Team

Sarah and I at the Vendor Showcase

We've also been extremely busy with Fall events. Last weekend, the girls were in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade after being crowned Queens in the pageant. We also went to the Southern Miss game last weekend. Jon and I also attended Morgan's first field trip to Red Bluff Farm and we took the girls to the Pumpkin Patch in Hammond after the 1/2 Marathon.

Maddie and Morgan in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade

At the Southern Miss/Rice game - 10-1-11

Morgan at Red Bluff Farm

Hayride at Red Bluff Farm

Peek - A- Boo!

We're headed into more exciting times...Disney World in a few weeks, then the holidays! As usual, more pics and adventures to come!

Janel

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Happy Fall! I LOVE Fall. My fave month of the year is definitely October...not only is the weather in Southeast Louisiana beautiful, but the area is full of fairs, festivals, and lots of other outdoor activities! That also means it's a really busy time of year!

The kids have been into the swing of school now for the past 6 weeks. Morgan is adjusting to a whole new world of Kindergarten, and Maddie is her usual laid-back self, adjusting to whatever. 

We've been staying very active - since my last post (August 5th), we've participated in 7 more races and continue to train during the week for our upcoming 1/2 Marathon on October 9th.

I also participated in a 30 mile Bike Tour of Tangipahoa Parish last weekend. It was beautiful!

I'm down 22 more lbs. since my last post bringing my total weight loss to 122 lbs. I'm less than 15 lbs from my goal, so factoring in a few cushion pounds for Disney and the holidays, I should hopefully reach that by Christmas with no problem.

Since the last post, I am also happy to say that my team won the Biggest Loser - POOLCORP! We lost a combined total of 67 lbs as a group in 6 weeks (6.61%).

Here are a few picture highlights from the past few weeks:

Morgan's First Day of Kindergarten - August 2011

Morgan was flower girl in Dustin and Melanie Lively's Wedding - September 2011

Maddie was crowned "Baby Miss St. Tammany Parish" - September 2011

Morgan was crowned "Petite Miss St. Tammany Parish" - September 2011

Because they were both crowned "Queen" of their divisions, they will ride in the St. Tammany Parish Fair Parade this Friday, kicking off a busy few weeks: we're heading to Hattiesburg for the USM Game on Saturday, I'm headed to Dallas on Sunday for a few days for work, next week is Homecoming at Northlake Christian with a TON of daily activities, Morgan has a field trip, we have the 1/2 Marathon and then recover for a week or 2 before heading to Disneyworld! Then Halloween...then Thanksgiving...then Christmas.... where has the year gone???

Always running (literally and figuratively) - 

Janel

Today is a GREAT DAY!

Today is an amazing day. In fact, if you had told me 6+ months ago that on August 5, 2011 I would be celebrating an AMAZING accomplishment, I would for sure never have believed it.

Today I celebrate the loss of 100 pounds. I started on this journey by joining Star Fitness Center on January 25, 2011. On February 5th, I started making healthy eating choices. And today, I have had a 100 lb weight loss.

Here is a pic of Then and Now:

There is SO much that I've accomplished over the past several months and if you've been following my blog, you know most of them. Here are a few highlights:

• I've participated in 22 5K or 2 mile races, including the Spillway Run through mud (so fun!). 
• I started running in April no more than 60 seconds at a time. I can now run 4 miles/45 minutes straight without stopping.
• I am training for my first 1/2 marathon on October 9, 2011. 
• I have more energy than I could have ever imagined. 
• I take no less than 4 classes at the gym a week. Those include Boot Camp, Body Pump, Spinning, and Zumba. I have done Boot Camp EVERY Monday and Thursday since April 4th and have only missed ONE class.
• In April there was a competition at the gym to recruit the most members. I won and won an iPad2.
• In April there was also a competition for 6 weeks of the Boot Camp class to see who lost the most body fat. I won.
• In May there was another 6 week Boot Camp competition to lose the most body fat. I won again. Although I am still enrolled in the class, I am no longer eligible to compete so someone else could get a chance. :)
• Someone that had not seen me in months actually accused me of having gastric bypass surgery. I wanted to punch them in the face. If they only knew how many fries I've passed up, how I didn't have a piece of my own kids' birthday cake, how many times I've replaced my contacts because the sweat had ruined them, how many times I've climbed up to the 5th floor at work to use the restroom even though I work on the 2nd floor, how many times I've got out of bed at 5am on a Saturday for a race...the list goes on and on. This is ALL HARD WORK. NO SHORTCUTS. And I've earned every ounce of happiness.

Here are a few pics of the journey:

My driver's license pic - January 2011

My first 5K - March 2011 - Covington Spring Stomp

American Heart Association Heart Walk - April 2011

Stone Creek 5K - May 2011

Money Hill 5K in Abita Springs - June 2011

4 on the 4th - July 2011

Spillway Classic - July 2011

After a very intense run (I know it's gross!) - July 2011

And celebrating 100!!! - August 2011

Thanks to everyone that's offered encouragement and support along the journey...the co-workers that listen to my diet and exercise rants daily, my husband that has watched kids so I could hit the gym or brought kids to races so I could compete, my parents for their un-ending support....and all friends and family. I love you all. 

And the journey continues...I'm in a Biggest Loser Contest with a team of co-workers that concludes late August...and I will NOT let them down. So far in those 3 weeks I've lost 12 lbs! 

As always, more later!

Janel

85...it's not just the speed I drive on the interstate...

JUST JOKING, MOM! I think it's funny that I am married with kids and I still can make my mom crazy with statements like that. But seriously, 85 is a great number this week! Since Feb 1, 2011, I have lost 85 pounds. I am so proud of that. People have asked me for Before/After pics. Well, I refuse to call it "after" because it's Before and "Now". I still have more to lose and am SUPER close to my goal of feeling awesome. So here is a "Before". It was taken in August 2009, before I was pregnant with Maddie (about exactly what I was when I started this journey). 

Here is a "Now":

This was taken yesterday at the "4 Mile on the 4th" Race in Covington.


And here is a pic of my patriotic princesses:

And here is one from Father's Day. 

As you can see, Jonathan has also made an amazing transformation! I'm so proud of him. We are really enjoying being active all the time, running in races, going to the gym, chasing the kids, etc. 


Be sure to keep following us! I just ran in my 16th and 17th races this past weekend and have another tomorrow night. I am taking this weekend off from running to do some Habitat for Humanity work and then I hit it hard again the following week in what proves to be the MOST FUN YET: The 24th Annual Spillway Classic Trail Run.  I am SOOOOO looking forward to this one. I'm flying solo with this one as it's not really kid-friendly. My friend Ronnie promises to run with me, but here's a personal invite (ahem...challenge) for anyone else that wants to join us! 


Stay tuned! 


Janel

Road Blocks!

I've been trying to run everyday. However, I skipped yesterday because it was the 1st day of the new Summer Slimdown class at the gym and I had to be re-assessed before the class, which left no time before the gym. So I really wanted to get a run in today. At 5pm, it was POURING, so I went to the gym and did Body Pump class. It was a great class (and a great workout), but I still wanted to pound the pavement a bit because I have a Trail Run at Fontainebleau State Park tomorrow evening. So when I came home from Body Pump, this is what the sky looked like:

So I decided to wait a bit...about an hour later, the sky somewhat cleared, and I went to my usual running spot on the Tammany Trace in Abita. I got about 1/2 mile into my run toward Mandeville and then I saw this:

That had fallen from this:

SIGH....so I went in the other direction...toward Covington... I got about 1/2 mile back the other way and a block down and saw this:

And by "bridge" they meant the one over the Abita River - no way around it. OK, message received. I called it a night and went home. Sometimes we just need to take the hint the first time. 

Today is a day to celebrate! And 20 questions...

Today, June 17th, is a day to celebrate...but more on that later. 


First, I realized that it's probably time to address a few of the MANY questions that I have received over the past few months from a ton of different people. Some people seem timid to ask about my weight loss...some come right out and ask. So I am going to put a bunch of facts and figures out there...I will start with the basics and forgive me if you've heard it all before (namely my 2 awesome coworkers that I pretty much live with over 9 hours a day). 


WHO? - Well, me. So maybe the correct question is "WHO are you doing it for?" Well, me. And my husband. And the two little girls that I want to have the energy to play with and watch grow up as long as I can.


WHAT are you doing? Well, I am losing weight. I am going to the gym a few times a week. I am running outside in the Louisiana heat several times a week. I am participating in an organized 5k at least once a week. And I am eating healthy. (More on that later). 


WHERE? - Well, I am working out at Star Fitness. I take a Boot Camp class on Monday and Thursday nights and Zumba on Wednesday. If it's raining on the other days, you can probably find me at Star then as well. I joined in late January and am still going strong. I love it there because it's a small gym and the staff is really great. I am also running and walking on the Tammany Trace. I've been following the C25K app and it's really helping get my distance up for my runs. I highly suggest C25K (Couch to 5k) if you are a beginner. 


WHEN? Well, often. I have this weird thing that if I skip a day, I feel REALLY guilty. So I vary my workouts so I am not using the same muscles day after day. I go workout at the gym or run after work. I'd rather workout in the morning, but our family schedule doesn't allow. Another WHEN? is "When do you do 5ks?" Usually each Saturday morning or evening. I have become active in a local running club, The 15th Street Flyers, and they organize races and/or share about other area races. 


WHY? Usually the question is: "Why did you decide to lose weight?" Well, there are MANY reasons. Let me start with this: In January, I changed my life in a big way career wise. I left my job that was 50+ miles away and took a job less than 3 miles from my house. I found that I had a ton of extra time on my hands that I used to spend in my car. I had made all of the excuses before of why I didn't have time to lose the weight, but I had no more excuses. I also wanted to be able to come home and have the energy to play with my kids, but I just didn't. So I guess it was time. 


HOW? This is a biggie. "How have you lost the weight?" "How are you eating?" "How do you have the energy to workout all the time?" "How can I be successful too?" Well, ok, I have lost weight by a combination of many things. I have given up all soda, even diet soda. I have given up sweets. I have given up fried food. I stick to 1200 calories a day. I workout at the gym. I run. I have accountability friends. And somehow, the combination of that had helped me lose to date (and this is why we celebrate) 75 lbs! Yep. As of today, Maddie's 1st Birthday, I am down 75 lbs. So excited. As far as the other questions - I get more energy the healthier I get. I take vitamins. And I think it's also because I am not putting the junk into my body that I used to. 


So I put all these facts out there for this - there are no dumb questions. I am not shy about sharing my success nor should anyone be timid to ask. The only difficult question that I struggle with is this: "How much more do you want to lose?" Well, I for sure have more to lose. I can only answer like this: losing this weight has not just been a change in eating and a change in habit, but a total change in lifestyle. I may not restrict my caloric intake to 1200/day forever, but for sure I will not go back to fast food 2 times a day. I love the energy I have and the way I feel. I love doing the 5Ks each week. I love the classes at the gym, so I don't see that ending anytime soon. I am going to keep doing what I've been doing for 4.5 months now and when the weight loss tapers off after a while, I guess that's where I am meant to be. 


I mentioned that today is a day to celebrate. Today, I celebrate that I am 75 lbs lighter and much stronger than I was 4.5 months ago. But I also celebrate the year of precious life that God has given us with Maddie. She has been such a blessing to us. Her spirit is so sweet and she has been such a great baby. Here is a pic from today as she received her birthday gift. Tomorrow, we PARTY!

That's all for now! We have a BIG day tomorrow with the double birthday party, waterslide ladybug extravaganza. 


Janel

I learned a very valuable lesson today...

Yesterday, Jonathan and I did a 5K in Gonzales, LA. We noticed that we were the fastest walkers in the 5K so there ended up being several people behind us. When we made a turn into the end of the 2nd mile, we noticed that NO ONE was left behind us (that we could see) and NONE of them had passed us. We then began to grump about how it sucks that people cheat and turn back (or in this case, had skipped the loop from mile 1 to 2). We tossed around phrases about finishing what you start, etc. It ended up that not everyone turned around...there was an older couple that was at least 15 minutes behind us and indeed did finish, but at least 20 people just plain quit and that really bothered me...until today.


Today I decided to go biking instead of walking my normal Sunday 6 miles. I have not biked in forever. I started out in Abita Springs, on the Tammany Trace. I rode all the way to Slidell (about 24 miles). I had three bottles of water with me, but it was SOOOO hot today (easily in the 90s). I had gone through all three bottles by the time I was on my way back and going through Lacombe. I rode as far as I could which happened to be near Fountainbleau State Park (about 14 miles back from Slidell). I was afraid to go much further without water and there was not going to be a chance to get anymore for another 5ish miles. So I called Jon to bring me water. I knew that he was at least 15-20 minutes away, but I really felt like I was going to pass out. I sat down, waited on the Trace, but then decided that my best bet would be to walk up to the main road to wait for him. The whole time I was bummed that I didn't finish the round-trip back to Abita. But then those people from yesterday came to mind...I have no idea why they didn't finish either...maybe someone got a blister? Maybe someone got dehydrated or sick? So my lesson was to not jump to conclusions about people not finishing. Maybe the victory is just in starting? The phrase "It's not how you start, it's how you finish" may not be accurate. Maybe it's just that you start. Every step I take forward is a step closer to my goal - even if it's just 1 step or 10 steps or 100 steps. I rode 38 miles more today than I did yesterday...or in 2010...or in 2009. I need to be happy with that. 


Lesson #2 that I learned is to ALWAYS carry more water than you think you will need. For sure I will bring a ton of water from now on. 


Lesson #3 - You really find out who's got your back when you're in a jam...special thanks to our awesome friend Dustin who was way closer than Jon and came to my rescue with about 100 oz of water after Jon called him to help until Jon could get there to pick me up. MUCH appreciated. 


So this was just a little impromptu post, but more later! 


Janel  

She still runs like a champ!

Time flies...I don't just mean because it's been nearly three weeks since my last blog...but I mean that it flies because I now have a Kindergartner. Yep. Morgan graduated from Northlake Christian Preschool on Tuesday. SIGH. I have no idea where the time went. And Maddie will be a year old in three weeks. We're in full party planning mode for the big dual party for them on June 18th. Have I mentioned how busy May/June is for us???

Many people know about my little Honda. I've had it for a little over 4 years and I love it. It's seen me through many, many miles. Sometime last year, it began to rattle and shake when I drove it over 50 mph. I kept chalking it up to the extreme high mileage that I've put on it. One day, Jonathan took it to Honda and got an alignment and a new set of tires. When I got it back, it ran like a champ. It was faster, smoother and it was like new. In my mind, it was old and worn. But a new set of tires made the 98,000 miles seem to disappear. I tell you this because I had a similar experience today. This afternoon we went to Varsity Sports. If you've never visited Varsity and you are a running/walking enthusiast, you REALLY need to go. Jon went to pick up some compression thingies for his shins. While I was there, I decided to look at new shoes. Although I bought new shoes in January, I have already worn the tread down. At Varsity, they outfit you for your shoes - you don't just try them on and buy them. The guy was able to tell me which shoes were best for me, my activity level, the support I needed, etc. Wow. I found a pair that I loved and they were probably the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn- so I bought them. Tonight when I went home, I went for a run in my new shoes. I have a 5K in the morning and wanted to break them in before hitting the race course. I have to say, these shoes are AWESOME. I felt faster, never tired and never had a bit of pain. AND I RAN. Now, to some of you, that may not sound like a big deal. But for someone that has spent most of her life overweight, it's a huge deal. I've dreamed about running. And running. And running- no fatigue, no stopping. It's a good thing. I beat my normal time and distance by leaps and bounds. I guess all I needed was a new set of tires!

As I said, we have another 5K in the morning. I am happy to say WE because Jon and the family have now joined me in this 5K adventure. We did our first 5K as a family last weekend at Stone Creek Country Club. I was able to score a double jogging stroller at a consignment shop for way cheap so that we can all go together. 

We are scheduled for 5Ks for the next several weeks through late July. Next up after tomorrow's Jambalaya Fest Run is the Fireman's 5K, Blueberry Festival Run, Northshore Tri-Club Run, Fireworks Run, 4 on the 4th and Spillway Classic.


For those wondering, I am now down 63.6 lbs since January 25th. I also just finished the second boot camp class at the gym. In the 6 weeks of that class, I lost 16 lbs and 4% body fat. Still waiting to hear if I won that segment...there was still one class member that needed to weigh in. 


One more thing before I sign off...many of you have seen the pics posted on Facebook the past week. We did a photo session with Amber V Photography a few weeks ago for Morgan's 5th and Maddie's 1st BDays. She is amazing. It's one of those situations that I REALLY had a very hard time deciding which I loved the best because they were SOOO amazing. Here are a few...

I won't post more because I don't want to ruin the surprise of their birthday invitation. If you need a photographer, I HIGHLY suggest Amber. You can also find her on Facebook at Amber V Photography. 


That's all for now...5am comes early for a 5K! Stay Tuned!!!


Janel