The journey, #halfmarathontraining

I had another picture in mind but this will do. Apparently the photo stream doesn't feel all photos belong. 

Just like losing weight, I've discovered that running is a journey that never ends. I will always find another goal and another race. I can cross the finish line, recover, and get back out there. As long as I take care of my body, I can keep running. Besides running, there's also walking, which is am equally a big fan of. 

I've also recently discovered that my weight loss goals have morphed into training goals. I need good nutrition to fuel long runs. The scale has not been kind to me but my clothes remind me that things aren't so bad. I fit into my current 6s and 8s. I remember the days of 12s and 10s. If I think about it, I high school I was 16/18. Thankfully, I chose a different healthier path.

While my goals have shifted, the journey does not end. I just have to remember to celebrate my successes. Tonight was my first run back at it and it felt great! Saturday is looking to be soggy in Oklahoma City. Bring it weather, I'll be ready.

Weight Loss Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of Weight Loss Wednesday. This is my opportunity to share my journey towards weight loss maintenance. I remember being the overweight girl in junior high and high school. I didn't accomplish my weight loss goals until in my 30's, which meant I had struggled with losing weight for about 10 years. 

Recently, I started a Facebook group to help keep myself and my friends accountable. If you'd like encouragement, find me on Facebook and I'll add you to the group. If you are starting out in your weight loss journey, I would like to give you two solid small steps toward your goal.

(spoiler alert: I've mentioned these before in previous posts)

1 - Don't drink your calories. Personally, I am guilty of this in the form of beer and alcohol and the occasional smoothie. I try to keep those calories in balance with my workouts.

2 - Walk every day. I am good at this one. I actually go to the gym 5 days a week and I run on Saturdays with the Runhers organization.

If you can make these two small changes to your routine, you will lose some weight. Remember that losing weight is a long time journey and it never ends. (Even at goal, I am still needing to stay focused.) I really wanted to link up with some of my favorite bloggers because they are an inspiration to me.

The journey that never ends

In an effort to continue my weight loss journey and not gain weight again, I have started a Facebook group. I will also be hosting short meetings once a week in Oklahoma City. If you're interested, please let me know. I plan on sharing my tips and I hope that I can encourage others to continue their weight loss journey as well. 

At the beginning of 2013, I realized that my journey will never end. I will always be working. Its either losing some pounds or not gaining any weight. On my two week adventure, I gained 3 pounds. That sounds about right. If I can lose about 1 pound a week, then gaining about 1 pound a week is fair to expect. So far, I have successfully lost one of those vacation pounds. 

The beginning of my journey

My journey towards health and losing weight started when I was 17. I went looking for photos that would document my progress and I didn't find much. What surprised me more was the few photos I did find, on the outside I did not look bad. That's not what I remember and there's a good chance that at my heaviest I won't find any photos. 

At 17, I weighed in at over 150 and wore a size 16. I recall purchasing some size 18s as well. I refused to get on the scale because I was afraid of the reality. I was not healthy.

All of my life, from grade school through college, I have struggled with weight. I was always getting the larger sized clothes and I would prefer baggy clothes over fashion because that was comfortable. I could hide my weight.

I don't know where I learned my eating habits from exactly. I remember eating until I was literally sick on several occasions. Looking at my parents, my dad is fit and trim but my mom is not. While I was a junior in high school, my mom and I decided to lose weight together.

We joined The Prism Weight Loss Program and attended weekly meetings. We had 4 phases to get through and it was faith based. I stuck it out but I can't remember how far my mom made it. I lost at least 20 pounds and went from the size 16 to a 10. I was feeling good but my struggles with food continued. I'd feel guilty when I had something that was not on the diet. Eventually, I grew tired of feeling guilty and stopped doing this diet.

I will need to take photos of my photos and that will be for another post. Have you struggled with weight your entire life? Am I the only one who dieted at age 17?

Drinking beer at McNellies in Oklahoma City 

Thankful Thursday

Dear Friends, Welcome to Thankful Thursday. If you have followed my journey, it comes as no surprise that I am passionate about being thankful. Even when times are tough. Today, I am thankful for the generally good times I am enjoying. There is much to be thankful for. I have a sweet little family of my loving husband and to adorable kitties. We have a roof over our heads, food in our fridge, and jobs to provide support for our artistic and traveling adventures.  Please stand in prayer with me as we continue the house hunt. I know the right house is out there and I pray for the wisdom to see it at the right time. Please remember I am co-hosting a fun giveaway!   Please stay tuned for High Five For Friday!  

 

Weight Loss Wednesday

Dear Friends, Welcome to Weight Loss Wednesday. Read below for a super awesome story from Halie and keep reading for a fun surprise at the end of this post! Good morning readers of Esther Norine Designs! My name is Halie and I blog at Penguins, Pasta & Polka Dots. My blog is kind of all over the place, with random topics like: nail art, recipes, crafts, wedding planning, beach trips, silly adventures, health and fitness. Today though, I'm excited to be guest posting here and sharing an updated version of my weight loss journey for Weigh In Wednesday!

I first shared this super long weight loss journey on my own blog, back in mid-January. I had previously talked about my weight issues and would also post some of my successes and failures. But it was all pretty vague, and I stayed away from to many specifics, because I was too embarrassed to share actual numbers. Let me back up and try to give you the Reader's Digest version of my story, (but I tend to be a talker...)

I've kind of always been a little on the chunkier side. (And to put my weight into perspective, I'm only 5 feet tall...) In high school, I wouldn't say I was "fat" but I was definitely overweight -  I don't actually remember what I weighed then, but it was probably around 180-ish or so I'd assume. Then throughout college, things got bad. I hardly ever worked out or did anything active, and rarely cared what I put in my body. My very last semester I decided to start doing a little something about it. So I went to zumba twice a week, and tried to eat a little better. When I graduated college in April 2010, I weighed 227, which was the highest I've been. (Although I assume I was probably around 230 or more before I started zumba that semester.) By that August, I was ready to kick this into high gear, after going on an amazing trip with my girlfriends. I could barely keep up with them on an easy hike, and I hated the way I looked in all the pictures.

August 2010, around 225-230 pounds probably, on our big 10-day road trip with my girlfriends

In December 2010, I was down to 217, and only just beginning. I started going to zumba again all the time and eating as healthy as I could. And before I knew it, in August 2011, I had lost 35 pounds, weighing in at 192! That was the lowest I could remember being at that point in my adult life. But I had met a cute boy that May, and by August, we were very serious. (He's now my fiance!!) We spent all of our time together, and I started caring wayyy more for my sweet boyfriend than about what I was eating and being healthy.

August 2010, around 192 pounds.

And thus began a bit of yo-yo-ing. In February 2012, I went to the doctor for a sinus infection, and found out I was back up to 212. That was a shock to me actually. I knew I had gained from the past August, but I didn't know how much. So once again I kicked myself into gear, and from February through September 2012, I got back down to 196-ish. And then I went through about four months of not caring again, and by January 2013, I weighed in at 217. Ugh...

So in January, I finally decided I was done with this up and down, and back and forth. I was ready to get healthy for real, and stay that way. I kicked off the year by doing the Daniel Fast. That was extremely successful for me, and I lost 12 pounds in three weeks, putting me at 205 on January 28. Since then, I've been counting calories like crazy on MyFitnessPal, working out a lot, going to zumba twice a week and doing the 30 Day Shred quite often. And I've even started running. Most of y'all probably don't know me yet, so you have no idea how much of a struggle I've previously had with running. But it was definitely my most hated physical activity. (If you can even call it that since I rarely ever did it!) But I've actually started liking it! And now I run about 4-5 days a week usually. Not very far, but any running for me is a big feat.

April 2013 - 190 pounds. L: ready to go. Top R: weather is hot in FL! Bottom R: calories burned on 1-mile run & zumba.

As of today, I'm down to 190, for 27 total pounds lost in a little over three months! One of my short-term goals was to get to 180 by my sister's wedding, on May 18th. I don't know if I'm going to make it or not, but I'm darn sure trying still. I've been more determined than ever lately, and I've been going strong. Blogging my entire story was definitely a great decision, and I'm so glad I shared such personal details of my weight loss struggles. Doing Weigh-In Wednesday posts each week is also a huge motivator for me as well. And I also love reading other people's weight loss stories. Which is why I wanted to share mine with y'all today.

I hope my story can motivate and inspire some of y'all. Even if it's only one person, that's still worth it to me! Feel free to ask me any more questions you might have. I tried to keep this short (not sure I was really successful though...), and so I still have more to talk about and share. And I'd love to talk to you about it! You can also just come and visit my blog, because I tend to talk about weight loss and fitness stuff pretty often. Can't wait to hear from y'all, and hopefully make some new blog friends, because I love making new blog-friends!! You can also visit me on Twitter and Instagram (username is "HalieRenee88" for both) too for weight loss and fitness stuff! Happy Weigh-In Wednesday everyone!

And thanks again for having me here today :)

Here is the promised fun surprise!

All four of us cool bloggers are co-hosting this fun $40 Target gift card giveaway. Click on the link to enter and good luck to every one!

One $40 Target Giftcard

Esther Norine Designs//Bugs and Beans

The Non-Martha Momma//The Active Mum

The giveaway: One $40 Target Giftcard! Please follow All the rules of the giveaway...if you don't you can't win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please stay tuned for Thankful Thursday.

Make a difference Monday

 Make a difference Monday is an important part of my life.  I want to use this series as a way of giving back and as a way of making the world a better place. 

Right now, I feel that my world would be better if I was passionate about how I make a living.  There are so many jobs that I am capable of doing but the passion is not there. I will find my dream job someday. In the mean time, I will surround myself with activities I am passionate about. I will continue to write, play piano, take photos, crochet scarves for the needy, read books, travel or dream about travel, bike, run, learn. I will be an active member of toastmasters, COPA, and be a part of my community. 

This is what I will do. And when the time is right, the door will open to my dream job. 

Dear Lord, please give me the patience to find my dream job and the contentment to enjoy the job I have and the journey to the next opportunity. Amen. 

Peaceful

I have a confession to make. I am rarely satisfied with where I am in life. I am always looking to move forward and get somewhere else. I never take the time to enjoy where I am in the moment. To get places, there is a process. This journey called life is not to be taken for granted. God is patiently teaching me to relish the process and find contentment. I think I'm ready to move to the next job or the next city but God has different plans and timing than I do. It's a daily struggle for me and I am constantly reminding myself that God has great plans for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says, " For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." NIV My struggle is not over. At times I feel that it's difficult to rein my mind onto positive thoughts. Thankfully God does not give up on me. Amen. END