Running MoJo is back!

Past couple of weeks I've been so sad about my lack of interest in running. My body has sure been sad too as it was craving some good sweaty workouts and yet I hated the thought of running. Blah.

I re-joined weight watchers this week after a 7 month hiatus and I knew I would have to get into running to help with losing weight and toning up. 

 

It felt so good to realize I've ran almost 10miles this week! Boo yah. Even better, it felt so good while running to actually not be hating every second of it but to be happy and wanting to go farther than what my goal(s) were for that run. 

~

My week on weight watchers was great, I won't be doing this every week but I did lose 2.8 this week! I noticed that I fail during snack times and eat way to much to be considered a "snack." That's being corrected! 

Happy long weekend. 

Monday Thoughts

• It's the middle of May and it's feels like the middle of October in Toronto. Yesterday it was a high of 9, with flurries in some areas of Ontario and Environment Canada issued a frost warning. Mother nature is cruel. Cruel I tell you. 

• Yesterday was my brother Ryan and Danielle (my Sister in Law's) 1st wedding anniversary. That year went very fast!

• Turns out Alex and I have the same dating anniversary as Ryan and D. How crazy is that?!

• I joined weight watchers again last night. My goal is to lose 14-17 pounds. So far it is going well. I just had lunch and completely starving. The old me would say "go eat more" but I know I've had enough. I'll just continue to eat my baby carrots. 

The State of my Body

Last year, I took charge of my weight and lost a little over 30 pounds with running and weight watchers. Took me about 5 months because I wanted to look great for my brothers wedding in which I was a bridesmaid. And? I did. When my brother got married (this weekend last year) I felt so amazing, beautiful and I couldn't stop looking at the pictures of me that were took. 

Then summer came, and I started dating Alex. I gained the "honeymoon 15", but thank goodness it wasn't 15, or even close to that. Right now I'm about 6 pounds heavier than when I met Alex. I still worked out but I wouldn't be focused because I knew I would be meeting him and my mind was else where. 

When I started back at school in September I wasn't running as much. School got tougher and I felt that I couldn't go out running for an hour when I had an essay to write. Or when my boyfriend and I were going a date later. Basically, exercising was put on the back burner. Totally my fault.  

Then I ran my 1st half-marathon in October and decided I wanted to beat my time so I started training in mid December and ran a 2:07 Half Marathon in February. That was amazing. Even though I was running, that's all I did. No weights to tone or ab workout either. Granted, some days when I ran 12km or more, that was my workout for the day because I had no energy. But the days during the week where I was running 5k, looking back on that I could have pumped out for bicep curls and bicycle crunches. But I didn't. So my legs were strong and had muscles but everywhere else, was flabby. 

After my half in Feb, I took 2 weeks off to rest my body, and then running became once a week and maybe the max I ran was 5k. Naturally my body changed and I left it. The scale was sssslllooowwwwlllyy going up week by week. I became unhappy with myself, how I mirrors again how I was back looking at women's bodies saying how much I wanted that. The skinny ones that I once was. 

Then I went on vacation last week with my skinny best friend. And every picture I took I had to fight the urge not to delete. Then Karen wanted to take pictures on the beach, when we were in our bathing suits. When I looked at the many she took at me, it took everything I had not to cry on the beach. 

I swear thats not how I look. I never thought my stomach looked like this but pictures don't lie. 

It became really bad when I started wanting to skip meals on vacation and would rather spend time in the gym and not on the beach or pool. I was so unhappy and still am. 

~

I worked so hard last year and now I feel like my habits are back. I feel like I'm letting myself go and I even have looked at women who are very big and thought "I hope I don't look like that at 50+)

 I so badly want to get back to that place where I have confidence  in how I look. Where I'm in charge of my weight and food. So, my plan of action now is to make meal plans, do some sort of physical activity every day. I've started running again, ran 14k since sunday and weights are my friends. I plan on biking to summer school classes and go to skin class 1x a week. For food: I want to join weight watchers again to lose 10 pounds (6 that I gained since july 2012 and 4 more for "room.") It worked last year, and I know it'll work again. 

I know I'll get back. Back to my "comfort" number on the scale. And the comfort body I once had. Stay tuned. 

It's amazing what two years can do.

Before I start, I am alive.

Why haven't I posted in a while? A bunch of things. It's beautiful and hot out so I would rather be enjoying some sangria on a patio than instead of writing blogs that hardly no one reads. Debby downer over here.

That's another thing. I had a little internal freak out a few weeks ago when I posted some very special pictures from the wedding and my awesome speech and what? I got one comment?

I work hard to write a good post and then for no one to say "love it" or whatever, kind of hurts. So, I stopped blogging for a while.

I do remind myself over the past few days that I swore I would only blog when I had something to blog about. One thing I can't stand in the blogging world is when you know a post has been written because that person felt like they had to write for their followers. That's not me.

Second thing I reminded myself is that I blog for me. I do. I blog to write down stuff for memories.


Butttt, some comments and followers would be great! Don't be shy. 

Other than that, I've been doing well in summer school. Finished my paper today and it's pretty darn good if I say so myself. Hope I didn't jink it! 
~


Yesterday, I was thinking how it's already been two years since prom and grad. Two years! I'm officially an alumni of my high school.

So, I pulled out my photos from prom and was speechless over how much I have changed in two years, more like past 7 months. 30 pounds GONE and 18cm off my hips/waist/thighs all from working out and weight watchers.

June 2010

a) look at that double chin!
b) look how thick I was.

May 12, 2012. 

Losing this weight and making a whole new lifestyle has changed my life. I have done things that I would have never done if I was 30 pounds heavier. The confidence I have is 10384% more than 7 months a go.  

I can now go up to guys and talk to them. I can tell people to set me with guys because I feel so confident and we all know that guys like girls who are confident.

And now, it's not all about guys but thats important to a girl who never had a boyfriend in high school and didn't have her first kiss till 19. True story.

I can now run 10k and even have signed up for a 15k in August. Amaze-balls because I couldn't even run 2k back in November without dy-ing.

I love that I have inspired family members to start writing down what they eat. I love that at the wedding close family members came up to me and said "I saw you at easter and you looked great, and now you looks amazing, Sarah."  And my cousin Bryan grabbed me and said "since when have you lost weight?!"


sidenote: only have lost about 5 pounds since easter but your body can change when you tone it.   


I don't mean to brag, y'all know that. But every time I see pictures from 7 months + a go it makes me cry. I will never stop thanking weight watchers for changing my life. It really has.

I will never EVER go back to that weight. Ever.

Love for weight watchers.

Yes, once again I need to express my love for weight watchers.

On monday morning I got out of bed, went pee and decided to weigh myself. See how much I gained from the wedding. To my surprise I lost 3.6 pounds.

I now have lost 29.2 pounds!

29.2 pounds.  And 18cm from my body.

I remember when I was only at a 7 pound loss, thinking how will I ever get to goal?

But I did. I got to my goal, 7 pounds ago.

Back in October I made a choice to lose this weight for Ryan's wedding. I did not want to be the fat sister-in-law.

On saturday, I had about every single family member of mine come up to me and say how amazing I look and tell me I need to be a spokesperson for weight watchers.

And really, I would not be here without Susan and her sister Katie. Seeing them happy and smaller was my motivation.

Even though I got to goal, I am still working on losing about 5 more pounds.

Weight Watchers has given me so much and from that, I love them.

I did it! I got to my goal weight!!

I should have made this wayyy before. The differences on these pictures are incredible to me. Holy cow. 

I have been waiting for this day- the day when I can finally say I reached my goal weight plus two more pounds.


Back in October, I re-signed up for weight watchers in order to make sure I was not the fat sister at my brothers wedding. You can read about my journey here. 

My first goal was just to lose weight -anything.

Then I lost my 5% then my 10% and after that I started thinking about a number I wanted to see on the scale. My goal weight. And on saturday- after I brushed the sleep out of my eyes and jumped on the scale I stepped off with the biggest smile because I finally got to my goal weight. I didn't just hit it but lost two pounds of top of that. So technically- I've reached my goal weight and lost 25 pounds.

Even though I reached goal- I want to lose 3-4 more just for some comfort, you know, just when life gets in the way.

I am so happy right now. Hard work pays off guys.

THANK YOU WEIGHT WATCHERS!

Currently...

I'm linking up with my girl Jenn for Currently.

Yes, she is the one who makes me want to move to Texas every time she blogs.

Current book:

Current Playlist:

Glad you came-The Wanted

We are young- Fun

Starships-Nicki Minaj

Drunk on you- Luke Bryan

Canadian Girls-Dean Brody

Current Colour:

OPI Koala Bear-y

Current food:

Oatmeal and coffee this morning

Current favourite show:

Love that The Secret Life of the American Teenager is on. Someone please tell me you watch it even though it's for like 14 year olds!

Current need:

I need classes to be done

Current triumph:

GETTING TO MY GOAL WEIGHT! I will blog about this :)

 Current banes of my existence:

Not seeing my very best friend in almost 3 weeks! No ones fault just busy, busy around here! 

Current blessing:

My family. My parents for nursing me back to health about the nasty flu last week. 

Current outfit:

love this outfit

Current excitement(s):
-Two classes separating me between being done.
-Danielle's bridal shower this saturday for her side of the family

Current Quote: 

"Patience with others is love,

Patience with self is hope,

Patience with God is faith"

Have a wonderful Thursday, friends. Go link up with Jenn and leave me some love! 

A trip to Ikea, a 5K and a happy moment

You could say this is a weekend update but it is wednesday and closer to the next weekend than the one that just passed so we won't call it that. 

Saturday was a good day all around- I finally got to my 10% goal. Losing 10% of my weight was my next goal I have been working on and I'm so happy I earned it this week. Only a few more pounds till my goal. 

After Ladies Class, my parents and I went to Ikea to grab me a new dresser that I've had my eye on for a while.

Sunday I ran another 5k, can't believe I've run 4 in 3 years. It was a super cold day, and the course was horrible. Nothing was shovelled which made it so hard to push off from the ground. Even with those conditions I'm happy to say I ran 28:28! Ya, a little over my goal of under 27:59 but I'll take it.

My dad came with me and on our way home I said I'll run a new personal best in 2 weeks when I run another 5k. 

weight loss update. and link up.

I know I talk a lot about my weight on here. It's something that I've always struggled with. I remember being in grade 9 and being so down about my weight, being so angry at other girls who were able to eat fast food for lunch and look amazing. Naturally, since my grandma works for weight watchers, I joined. Yup, I was in grade 9, 15 years old when I went on a "diet."

I call it a diet because I was looking for a fast-fix. I didn't put in the work at.all. Needless to say, on and off for the next 3 years  I failed. I tracked only the "healthy" foods, because if you don't track the unhealthy foods it didn't happen would forget to track dinner and yet couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing weight. I would sit in meetings and pout when other people got to their goal weight. I did have times where I gave up. Quit going. Then I would see myself in pictures or the mirror and would start tracking.

I dropped 8 pounds in those years. 8 little pounds. It was so embarrassing when the topic of  me and weight watchers came up in conversation. I hated when people asked how much I've lost and would dread saying 8 pounds (or less when I say gaining.) The looks of surprise hurt. I know people were thinking I was going to say a bigger number.

And I know what someone might say "8 pounds is 8 pounds." or "at least it's going down."

True. But 8 pounds over 3+ years? Absolutely horrible to me.

Over the summer I didn't lose anything. Maybe it was the pizza we ordered or my mindset of "oh hey I biked 4.5k to work so I can have 3 slices of pizza, a pop and chicken wings." I still weighed-in but wasn't happy with the results.

Aug 14,2011.

Then in october something happened. Call it what you will but I "saw the light." I was going to weight watchers meetings every saturday, tracking and doing "well." But the only time I would lose on the scale was when I wore a lighter pair of pants or didn't have a big dinner the night before. I was seriously thinking of quitting again. This time for good. I started thinking about school and how I couldn't take 3 hours out of my saturdays to get up, have breakfast, shower, do hair/make up, drive to weight watchers, actually weigh in, listen to the the meeting and go home.

As I was telling my mom my plan I remembered that Susan and Katie and great results doing weight watchers on-line. I looked into it and on October 29, 2011 I joined ww online.

So far I have lost 13.4 pounds! I have started running like crazy. Since November 23,2012 I have ran 103km (plus a few more from when I was training for my 5k in October) and not stopping.

I've also lost 3.5ish inches from my waist and hips. The jeans are getting loose and I have to wear a belt everytime I wear jeans. My family has noticed changes aswell. Like my uncle on Christmas eve. I was standing across the room and he yells out "hey sarah, you losing weight, thought so, your face looks smaller"

Favourite uncle right there.

I do have to say this. Yes, I do have weeks where I only lose 0.2. I do have weeks that I don't lose at all (happened over Christmas, which is fine!) I do have weeks were I gain 1.8.

It happens. Life happens. Again, it's a lifestyle change. Not a let's lose and gain it all back...and more.

LOOK! I have a waist :)
*this morning*

As we enter a new year, I don't want to stop with this life-style change. My one and only sibling is getting married in May and I want to look hot! It would be so nice for my SIL to set me up with one of her 37 first cousins!

My action plan:

• continue with watchers online.
• keep kicking runnings butt
• run many races this year, starting with...
• a 5k in Febuary, a 10k on april 22 and an another 10k on may 5
• add in weight training once a week.

I do have a goal weight and goal measurements  When I get to my goal(s) I will share with y'all. *hopefully it's before may 12, 2012*

Pinned here.