New beginnings

So a few weeks back (several weeks) I got off track with my exercise when I spent a week in hospital rooms with my husband and his parents. We somehow never got back on track. It's funny how easy it is to make it happen when you're in the routine but one big event can change that 180 degrees! 

I've been gluten free since April 2013. About 2 months ago I got a little sloppy and no longer avoided cross contamination and then two weeks ago I was at a fundraiser for my husbands band at a pizza place. I was going to just eat the toppings. Then I decided it was highly wasteful and not very productive with their small amount of toppings. So I just are pizza and expected to get sick. I did not get sick. So the next day I decided "gluten is already in my system I may as well enjoy a few things I never get to have" that led to weeks of gluten here or there. It's caused some weight gain along with return of symptoms from my gluten sensitivity. Fatigue, not sleeping well, feeling "fluffy", etc. 

So I have a few new things in place to help me get back on track and hopefully be successful. (I know this isn't my first "get back on track post") It's just so hard to stay on track without a solid plan and results to keep me going. 

Here is what I have in place:

My new health insurance is Humana which allows the Vitality program where I can earn points for health checks and exercise and running races etc. The points can then be used to make purchases. Very cool. So I've started that program and want to earn points! 

I had a "vitality check" at work a few weeks ago. It was good. My blood work all looked good and was in range except my triglycerides which may have been falsely elevated because that was the morning after the pizza night. However they were likely too high anyhow. So that along with weight loss are the goals vitality set for me. 

I have linked my vitality to my fitbit and my Humana fit iPhone app to track runs and bikes and walks etc. 

 It makes a cool calendar. Which there is only one day of recorded stuff on here because I just set it up. Can't wait to fill the calendar. 

Next....

Today we started a biggest loser contest at school. Quite motivating!! We have the health dept coming in for 4 of the weigh ins. They give us tickets with our weight. Here is mine...

Yikes!!! I've gained a few pounds. Now I weighed at 291 at home. Of course at school it was after breakfast, after 16 oz of water w my thyroid med, and fully dressed including shoes. Way different from home weigh ins. 

I'm very excited to have this motivation and encouragement. My husband is on board to go along side me which will help today. I'm working to detox the gluten away again and be more diligent again. It truly helps me. I can't believe I let the habit slip away. 

I can't wait to update. Thanks for reading!! Follow me on Instagram @findtheskinny 

Week to week

Well I'm home from church today with a hubby who doesn't feel so great so I'm taking a few minutes to relax and blog. Somehow I still haven't gotten back into my blogging groove. I hate that because I love blogging. I still think Instagram makes for an unintentional replacement from time to time with pictures and quick blurbs. If you don't follow me there do that in order to see much more from me. (@findtheskinny)

So two weeks ago my husband and I had found a good gym routine. We were arriving before the New Years crowd each day I was swimming etc. things were good. Then on Wed of that week we got a call that his dad had been taken via ambulance to the hospital unable to breathe. I won't go into a lot of detail but one hospital transfer,  six days in the hospital (2 in ICU) and 4 doctors later he was released into out patient therapy with a diagnosis of having had three strokes stemming from his carotid artery. His road isn't over. He's scheduled for therapy three times a week for 8 weeks and will undergo surgery in a few weeks to clear the artery. Please be in prayer for his recovery. 

I took a selfie of my fear when I got in the ambulance to ride along on the transport! It wasn't too bad. Max speed of 80. Interesting to see what people do though. I saw one car get on the shoulder but stay at 70 mph. I was scared for them! 

In those 6 hospital days we made efforts such as taking the stairs making good choices in the cafeteria and trying to get sleep. However hospitals create a tough situation. You don't want to miss doctor rounds and when you're seeing three doctors a day for that you find yourself planted in an ICU room for 14 solid hours! You make the best food choices possible. But... When you're tired and stressed and your hospital has ice cream snickers for sale.... (If you're me you'll break down and buy one two times over the 6 days) and there is only so much movement you can get in a 10x10 room with enough cords to trip a bird!

Anyhow. We've had a tough time getting back to our routine since he left the hospital. 

Why is it so hard to go after a week off??? And GREAT!... Now it's been two weeks off!

I gained weight the hospital week. Began losing it this week though. Thankfully! We even travelled for work last week. But believe me the movement increased. Busy schedules and our feet for transportation for 4 days. Loved it! Seriously! I took my gym clothes there with an idea of grabbing the routine back but literally the gym wasn't open when we finished each day and the sidewalks were icy. Slick icy. 

Pic of my hubby and I when we took his students to a celebration dinner in the revolving restaurant on the 25th floor. 

So a bad week followed by a better week. 

My plan this week is to write a weekly schedule down tonight with my hubby. Get his mtgs, pep band nights, appts, etc all written down. Get my mtgs all written down. Then schedule in gym time and make a plan. I'll prep food tonight too. (Im going to out my green smoothie ingredients into freezer bags in the freezer for the week. I sure miss my smoothies!  I'm hoping this week can get us on track. 

I can say that this hospital experience didn't sabotage us like the last one when his parents ended up in two separate hospitals at one time during marching band season. That was next to impossible. I find this experience was improved from last time and with the upcoming stay for surgery if we can plan ahead maybe we can keep our routine. 

I just hope that we don't have to visit any hospitals any time soon (except when our new nephew is born). But if we do I hope the next experience we can be more ready for staying on track. 

My view for the upcoming week is the more "perfect" it is the better. I want to plan the cleanest most perfect week possible. I think it will help the routine settle in faster. 

Any tips for any of these things? please comment!

Also I giant thank you to the friends and co workers who offered to bring "my kind of food" to me at the hospital. If ICU had lasted any longer I would have put in my orders. 

Swimming.

So I have gone back and forth with a goal to do the sprint triathlon in my town in August. I thought of it last year but didn't do it. Now I have plenty of time and this, too, was discussed over Christmas dinner with the cousins. 

We had some awesome laughs over how they write your age on you fifty times and how people on $6000 bikes ride by you at three times your speed etc. my cousin and his wife did one and loved it. They had an open water swim. I can't say that would be number one on my list, especially the alligator waters they were in, but they also tell of how they've heard pool swims are crowded and rough too. Maybe I should just ask to go last. Haha. Anyone reading this with tri insight please chime in. 

There are six cousins: we've all run 5Ks. Some 13.1, some 26.2, now one and his wife a sprint tri. I love that we are all active like that. It's something fun to being to the table (literally) when we all get together a few times a year. 

There's one part of the triathlon that I don't do regularly. Swim. I love swimming. When I was a kid I took swimming lessons beginning at age two and took until they couldn't teach me anymore (several years). My cousins,  brother and I all took lessons privately in small classes and were all well taught. The one thing I NEVER mastered was the dive. Nope. Can't dive. My reflexes send my head up in a split second consistently creating awesome "belly flops". Haha. But I could tread water for hours, could swim a million different strokes, I COULD do the lifesaver dive (it's feet first)  

A forever issue with my swimming was that I hate water in the nose so I also hold it. I've been working on that and have gotten pretty good at blowing bubbles out my nose to keep me from looking like a drowning crazy person. 

So to the gym and swimming laps. A whole different beast. Seriously. Something about swimming a lap makes you feel as though you could drown if you don't pop up and stop halfway for air.  I have trouble actually breathing on the breath stroke. Go figure. 

So I went to the gym on Thursday and swam a little. I always do some pool exercises that a previous trainer taught me that are pretty killer between "lap attempts". Thursday I was doing a lap attempt and was attempting to breath on like every fourth stroke. This caused the panic jump-up-to-breath-I-just-got-water-up-my-nose-lack-of-rhythm issue. Couldn't get it. So I grabbed my kick board and did leg laps (hold the board out in front and only do legs kicks or frog kicks down the pool and back) they really get your heart rate going and work your legs like crazy with no knee impact. I highly recommend them. 

Anyhow an old guy probably in his 70s was the only other swimmer and he was in the next lane. I was frog kicking and suddenly found myself racing him to the end of the pool where he beat me in a photo finish. Haha. Sad day. Not only could he swim laps at more than twice my age but I couldn't even beat him swimming while I frog kicked with a kick board. Haha (probably unrealistic considering he had a two arm advantage. But still)

So Saturday rolls around and I'm back in the pool. I began with my leg exercises and watched as a guy, likely younger than me, swam laps in the next lane. When he took a rest I bothered him to ask if he takes a breath on each stroke on his breath side. He confirmed that's what I was seeing him do and said he was a new swimmer getting ready to join the Air Force and his swimming buddy helped him by telling him to do that. So I gave it a whirl. All the difference in the world! It gave me a rhythm and with a regular breathing cycle in and out on each stroke I was not feeling the panic "need air" feeling. Now that rhythm wasn't perfect and I still have to stop twice across the pool (this is a large pool) but it is better and is now something I can practice and improve on. The guy next to me noticed my smoother rhythm too. I was greatful for his help. 

So there is a tinny tiny light shining at the end of the learning to swim laps tunnel but it's there. I was also excited that 30 - 40 min in the pool burned 307 calories. Yay!!!! Btw I did flip over for one lap doing the back stroke thinking it wouldn't be so bad because breathing isn't the big issue there and oh my stars it's quite the workout that back stroke!!!

So my goal is to be making no more than one stop across the pool by the end of this week and no stops by the end of the next week. That will be so nice to be able to push off on all my starts. Starting in the middle stinks. Haha. 

Running Goals Set!!!

So I decided to add up my miles run for the year. I'm such a slacker: 14.9 miles in 2013 (April -Dec 6 of which have been since thanksgiving). As much as I love running I didn't have a race in front of me and therefore I didn't run. Simple as that. In 2012 I was training hard for my first half marathon when New Years rolled around so Jan-April 2012 I ran 82.8 miles. Big difference!!!! 

Dec of 2011 when I had began training I ran 38 miles in just that month. My best month ever! 2011 total was 72 miles. 

April 2012- April 2013 I didn't run. The full year after my half marathon. I believe it was out of fear since I had heart rhythm issues at the finish line. I think I may be a little crazy on this but I told my husband I'd like to wear a monitor next time I run a half in case I have an episode again. We will see. I'll discuss that with my cardiologist. 

Anyhow so after a good table discussion about races with cousins at Christmas I think I'll be doing the half marathon in my hometown over mothers day weekend.  I have one cousin planning to do it as we'll. maybe more will join in. Or some friends. Not sure but a goal /race ahead of me should get the mileage up again. 

I would like to set a new goal of a years total of miles as well. So hear are the goals below:

May 10th: half marathon

2014: 200 miles total (I'm hoping higher but want something completely attainable and 200 is more than 2011-2013 put together)

I also dedicated a drawer in my dresser today to running things: hats, gloves, socks, earbuds, etc and a workout clothes drawer too. Hoping that helps me have quicker prep time for getting out the door or packing a gym back in the morning. 

Loving how the runkeeper app lets you set goals now for tracking. 

A new plan is in the works! and Christmas chat

So yet again I'll have a new trainer beginning Jan 1st 2014. I can't keep a trainer. They all move away. I think it's part if living in a town with a university. They graduate get a job in their college town as a stepping stone to the job or town where they aim to be. I'm always happy for them but sad to make a change again. 

My new trainer will be awesome. I think I'm going to have the consistency I had back two years ago with my trainer Chad. He trained me for about a year. My new trainer has already started planning my Jan., what I'll change in my eating, what I'll do each day and what I'll do in my workouts. The best part about my new trainer is that they don't cost a thing and I'm able to meet with them any time I need/want to. My new trainer for 2014 is me, Bethney. 

Sounds silly huh? Not really. I've worked with 5 trainers in the past few years. I've learned so much in that time through workouts with them and other research I've done. I realize that it's time to use my own knowledge and resources to just do it myself. Do I know everything I need to know?... No way! But I know more than I probably give myself credit for and I have resources to learn more. 

I think this may be the key and may be my best year yet. I'm back to calorie counting so I'll be using myfitnesspal again using username findtheskinny and as we all know it's about calories in/ calories out so I'll be utilizing my Polar heart monitor as much as I can to track my calorie burn. My biggest key will be tracking and blogging. Blogging to keep myself accountable. Tracking to find trends and areas to improve on. 

I told my husband this a few days ago and he was thrilled. Zero cost! Haha! He is getting ready to return to the gym and go with me. I'm excited about that. Yay!!! 

I'm working on Jan right now. I'm looking at the month as a whole, each week, and each day. If anyone has any advice or tips for creating my own plans please share. 

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm three meals in and a few to go. We are just now traveling to see my family.  I did great Christmas Eve and Christmas Day though . Little spoons of several things. No big servings. Lots of open space on my plate!  I totally enjoy it because I don't usually do things like mashed potatoes and sweet potato casserole (and never together). 

Christmas Eve at my husbands aunts house I came in over 500 calories but just imagine if I filled my plate how much worse it would have been. 

Christmas Morning breakfast at our house with my parents. 

Christmas Supper last night at our house with my parents and Brandon's parents. We definitely cooked deer on Christmas. Watch out Rudolph! We cooked pork too with a fabulous cranberry sauce. 

I'm very proud to have stayed within reasonable calorie counts on these two big food days. Even including the two desserts I had yesterday. All gluten free too!

Oh and I took a Christmas run too! Which helped yesterday on multiple levels. Got me out of the house, helped with calories, made me feel accomplished, etc. 

Merry Christmas! 

Decision

I made a decision to stop tracking my good using weight watchers points and go back to calorie tracking. Back in May when I began eating gluten free I had not had much luck with weight loss. Taking the gluten out was a lot to focus on for a while as I learned the dos and don'ts of gluten. During that time I stopped tracking my points and found a great increase in my weight loss success. I continued my weight watcher recipes and Wednesday weigh ins and one day I realize I was paying my monthly few for the graph/chart that I could screen shot with my progress each week. That's an expensive chart. Funniest part is that I called my good friend who had been accountability partners with me and she pretty much told me the same story. 

I truly believe that removing gluten was one of my puzzle pieces and that calorie counting will be plenty alongside my exercise to help me continue being successful. I'm still following all of my weight watcher friends on blogs, twitter, and Instagram. I think it's fantastic but I couldn't justify continuing. Now I'm on a mission to find a fun and good chart/graph system to track my weigh-ins. 

Speaking of exercise. I haven't done much of that lately. On Halloween I was recovering from leg day with my new trainer who I felt would be good and I got sick. Long story short I have been through an upper respiratory infection, an infection that immitates the flu basically, and have a cough that my doctor estimates will linger for 6-8 more weeks. I have been released to exercise and believe that I may go for an easy run tomorrow on Thanksgiving to see how I feel. Mornings are tough right now. It takes me a few hours to get to feeling ok each morning. I can say that with a virus my doctor suggested good hydration, balanced nutrition and rest. I've been following those directions and it is amazing how much they help. Especially the rest. I've rested more than I think I ever have before the last few weeks. I've now been sick for four weeks. I'm way over it and can't wait to get back in my healthy routine. 

I'll post about Thanksgiving in the morning!

Bloggin' and meeting a reader

I have finally set my blogging reminders on my phone. At the least I'll be blogging on Sundays and Wednesdays if not in between as well. So if you're a regular reader check in on those days. 

I have been sick since Halloween. No exaggeration. That day at school I ran a fever but had too much going on to slow down. I developed a nasty sinus flare up over that weekend that led to a cough. I was so sad because since I removed Gluten I hadn't had any sinus trouble. Whe I finally went to the dr. He assured me it wasn't allergies so the allergy relief from being gluten free was still going. Long story short after antibiotics and a good amount of Mucinex I thought I was better then all of a sudden it hit me like the flu. Fever, aches, sinuses, nausea, ear aches, sore throat, cough again. So I went back to the dr. He thought it wa the flu or mono but both test negative. So his orders after blood work and lots of examination were to rest, take Tylenol, aleve, and tough it out. So tomorrow it's back to work for a two day work week. I've been resting a lot. The best I can. I'm not really one to do nothing. So in the midst of resting I've cleaned my entire house and reorganized/ cleaned out my home office. 

In the midst of these 3+ weeks I've not worked out with my new trainer Greg. I liked working out with him my first two weeks. He really pushed me to my potential. I called to schedule for after thanksgiving and he told me he was moving so I have to get a new trainer. Again. I think I know who I'll end up with. More on that to come. 

So last weekend I was at an event with my husband at his school and a fellow blogger who's fiancé is in our line of work was there with her fiancé. She blogs about her weightloss journey as well.  She is found at talesfromteamawesome.com 

A few years ago at our state conference a few people I knew mentioned my blog and 13.1 training to me when we saw each other throughout my first day there. I met back up with my husband I said I'm surprised how many people have mentioned my blog to me. He said "you have NO idea... A guy I know from home saw me and said 'my girlfriend reads your wife's blog' it was crazy". At that point I found out who she was and started following her in return. She and I didn't know each other or even of each other. She found my blog when a Biggest Loser contestant retweeted my blog. (My favorite part of the story I think) The next year at the conference I got to meet her boyfriend. Now two years later I finally got to meet her. We had the best time catching up with each other and getting to know each other in person. I'm so thankful for that time we spent chatting about runs and tris and biking and eating and doctors opinions etc. It was truly inspirational. 

I am at my lowest weight for the year at 189. I am going to try to at minimum maintain through thanksgiving. 

My next step is to determine what event I'm training for next. When Jessica and I talked we chatted about how having something on our schedule helps us greatly. So I need to schedule something. If I know it helps me I have to do it.