Fat People Anonymous

Hi. My name is Phannie.

I'm a recovering fat person.

And by recovering I mean, still fat, but working to get "healthier."

As you know, I have been running for the last 4 weeks. And I've been loving it. It's an addiction that I am welcoming back into my life. Well, let me get to the point. I was running last night at my local recreation center when I started to feel a burning in my thighs. Now, normally this is a desirable feeling as a runner trying to thin out in that area, but not last night. The burning got more intense as my run went on.

So, I slow down and only run 2.75 miles instead of 3 miles. Not that big of deal, right? I get off the treadmill and start to check my thighs. Only to find it was what I call, the "fat burn." (The Fat Burn is when a fat persons thighs are rubbing together to create a burning sensation that results in raw, painful thighs.) Yes, I have officially rubbed holes into the thighs of my nice running pants. Sad, sad day. I love those pants. And I'm still in pain.

Still Fat. But still going running tomorrow.

Spinach Salad

It was just so good I had to share! Today my Hubby and I ate a fantastic spinach salad. It was mostly his idea, but I added a few things to mine.

Ingredients:

Lots of Spinach
1/2 can of Tuna
1 small Roma Tomato
Almond slices
Poppy Seed Dressing

Layer ingredients on top of a large plate or in a bowl. Scarf it down. Enjoy!


Realistically I don't know how many Calories are in this salad, but I don't imagine there are many. And I ate it as my meal, I would use 1/4 of this portion if it was a side.

100 Mile Challenge

I have been running for the last three weeks with my wonderful friend Janet. Last night on our run, she said that she was doing this 100 mile challenge. It's to run 100 miles by the end of the year. And she wanted me to do it with her. I said,

"YES!"

I am a little nervous about the holiday festivities getting in the way of my required 10 miles a week, but I'm hoping that I will be able to stay on target. It will also help me to prepare for my first Half Marathon. My little brother asked me to sign up for it with him. I did. I don't know what I'm thinking. I haven't even done a 10K before. Oh NO! It's in 8 months, which is plenty of time to train for it, but I've never ran that many miles at one time. The farthest I have run at one time is 5.5 miles. This will be the first real challenge I have set for myself in a while. I'm excited to keep you updated on my progress.

I Had No Idea. . .

just how out of shape I am. After popping my Green Bean out, I have been feeling great. Ready to run, lift weights, and just sweat all over the place. So, after being cleared to do all these things, I started by trying out the Biggest Loser Cardio Max video.



Before I was even through the 5 minute warm up, I was huffing and puffing like the Big Bad Wolf. My legs were burning and so were my lungs. I couldn't have guessed that I would barely be able to get through a 20 minute workout. I have been feeling so great. Even though it was hard and I wasn't sure I could get through it, I now feel fantastic. It feels so good to Sweating off those extra pounds. This will be a slow process, I know, but it will be worth the cardiovascular health that comes with it.

And There Was Light. . .

I have reached the end of my prego tunnel. I have been cleared to exercise. I can be active with my kids. I can get outside and enjoy the elements. Oh, the euphoria.

Today was Day #1. My little Sweet Pea and I did our Winsor Pilates and Walk Away the Pounds-2 Mile. It was pretty cute to watch my toddler kicking, walking, and raising her arms like the videos. She did well. However, I didn't feel like I did so well. I forgot how hard it is to start exercising after a c-section. The pilates was really my trouble spot. I didn't get through half of the video. Oh well. Next time I will get through at least half. It's hard. I did get through the whole Walk Away the Pounds video though. It felt great.

I love sweating. Have I ever mentioned that. Oh yes. I do. I'm not going to get into any workout plans yet (although I'm dying to try Insanity). I am just going to work on doing something every day to increase my strength and endurance. So that I can start running again.

It's so hard to do a lot of things in the winter. So, my goal this winter is to find fun ways to keep myself and my little ones active. Things that we can do every time winter rolls around.

Wish me luck!

Lazy Pregnant Eating

So much for healthy eating while pregnant. I haven't been to the store in over a week. I am left with an Eatmore and Ruffle potatoe chips for lunch. So nutritious!

Home Stretch

There is just so much pain that comes with the second baby. WOW. I would have never guessed. But it will all soon be over. I can't believe I'm on the home stretch. And by "home stretch" I mean last 2 weeks. Then I have have to be pregnant again. I will have 2 fantastic children and we will get to play and play. I'm so excited.

For now, my mileage is low and getting lower. I don't think that 120 miles in the next couple of weeks will be something I can accomplish. And I'm okay with that. My inability to really get out and move has truly taken over. It's okay. There will be plenty of times later to get some grueling miles in.

120 Mile Challenge Update

I am such a slacker. I don't report my miles very well this year. OR even keep track of them well. I guess that means that I lose them if I don't keep track. I know I have gone out with my Hubby and Sweet Pea a handful of times that I didn't record my miles for. Oh well.

I have been out walking a bit. This last weekend a ton. We went out to the Zoo, This is The Place, and Discovery Gateway. We walked a ton. I know that I am supposed to count my "I'm in my exercise clothes" times, but these were some really hard walks for me. I really worked up a sweat. Got my heart rate going. So, I'm counting it. This pregnant lady can use all the exercise I can get. At any time of the day.

That brings my total miles up to: 12.57 Miles. I know, I know. I'm WAY behind. But still moving. And that is saying something.

It is really getting hard to move. My first pregnancy never gave me pains like this one does. There are days that I can barely get off the couch. So, I'm doing well. Only 5 more weeks of the pre-baby pain. Then I'll just have a little bit of post-baby pain and it will be all over. There is an end. Yeah.

Back In The Habit

I did it. I got up and exercised today. I got my heart pumping a little and my arms and legs moving. It felt great. And I feel great still. It didn't give me a headache or make me extremely tired. I guess the last time I tried some of the things I did today I was just on the verge of sickness and tired anyway. Now I'm better and it feels great.

I'm 30 weeks from the end of my exercise restrictions. Well, more than that with recovery from my c-section, BUT still. I am excited. It's going to be a different season when I'm through with this pregnancy than last time. Going into Fall and Winter will be hard. I need to get some new ideas for exercises I can do with 2 kids around. But that's later.

Right now, I'm walking. I've entered the 120 mile challenge again this year.



I did this because I need a little bit more motivation to get out of the house. AND exercise. It's just too easy to stay home. I used the enormous amounts of rain that we have been having as an excuse, but just realized that even if it's sunny I just have no motivation. Cat's 120 Mile Challenge gives me someone to report to every week. I am pretty competitive and I don't like to come in last. So, this will be good I think.

Last week, I did just a little over 2 miles. (slow start, I know.) And this week I have already gotten that. I am going to at least double my miles from last week. That's the goal.

Wish me luck.

Book Review: Mile Markers

Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run by Kristin Armstrong

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I absolutely LOVED this book. If you are a runner at the beginning of your journey or even well seasoned, then you will love it too. Kristin kept me pondering so many different parts of me throughout the whole book. It made me miss running, but love that even though I'm on a required break I will get to do it again. It felt like light at the end of a tunnel. Many different tunnels. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.



View all my reviews

Disney Aerobics

Pregnancy exercise is so hard for me. Probably because I didn't do it the first time around. (too sick) Motivating myself to get up and do it is just so difficult. I'm tired from chasing my Sweet Pea ALL OVER the place. Naps are wonderful, I just want to take those.

However, today I decided that I was going to exercise. I put in my Sweet Pea's favorite video, Disneyland Sing Along, and made up my own aerobic exercise. Lots of movement, Weights, and a little bit of Kick boxing really gets your heart rate going. Even if it is only for a half hour.

It felt absolutely wonderful. And the whole time my Sweet Pea was leaning against the couch and kicking her legs up high. SO cute. I think we are going to have to make this a regular activity.

Salt Lake Running Company

We were at the Salt Lake Running Company to get my Hubby some new running shoes. Who knew it would take a man so long to pick out shoes? But the people are really helpful, nice and didn't mind that we were there a half hour after they closed. AND my Sweet Pea loved the store.

You know you have a great running store when they can keep your 1 year old busy for an hour.

She loves the exercise balls. Chased and pushed them all over their new store on 700 East. Fun fun.

Spring vs. Winter

I have been out walking a couple of times since my last post. It's hard to get out when the weather just will not decide if it's going to move on to Spring or stay Winter for a while longer. (I thought that Phil didn't see his shadow this year. Isn't Spring supposed to come early?)

Anyway, we have had a few blistering wintery days and I just haven't had the heart to bundle up my little one to brave the snow. But these last couple of days have been brighter and I'm thinking my walking days are back. Maybe we'll go tonight with my Hubby when he gets home from work. I love that it's light outside longer.

Pregnancy Racing

I made it before the storm hit. I went out for my first pregnancy training walk. I am going to do a 5k this spring/summer. I don't know which one yet, but I will find the perfect one. And I am going to get my walking back in gear to do it. I have wanted to run a race while pregnant ever since I got passed by two pregnant women in my first race I ever ran in. AND we were going up hill. That day I decided that I wanted to be that crazy prego lady. Since this is my last chance to do so, I figured I better stop being so lazy.

I need a walking buddy to race with. Even if we can't train together, we can keep each other accountable for our miles before the race and then meet up at the race. Any takers?

Breast Feeding to the Rescue!

Pregnancy doesn't feel official until you visit the Doctor for the first time. It feels as if I could get there and she would tell me that I'm not really pregnant and that it's all been a dream. The first time I get on the scale and they take my blood pressure always make me a little nervous. Yesterday I thought that I was going to be 225 lbs., the weight I was right before I delivered last time. But I wasn't. I also thought my blood pressure was going to be threw the roof. It wasn't. I hadn't been eating very well or exercising and I was very nervous, but my blood pressure was low and my weight was 191. Happy day.

I don't believe that breast feeding helped me lose any weight, but I DO believe it helped me keep some off in the last few months. Yeah for breast feeding. I'll just have to do it for a while longer to help me keep some weight off. Just until it gets warmer and I can get outside and walk.

I want to do a race this pregnancy. It's one of my things on my bucket list. I think I will just be walking, but I am going to do it. I just need to pick one to enter and then I have a goal to shoot for.

Suggestions?

Fat People Annonymous: I Fell Off and Rolled

Hi, my name is Phannie.

I am a relapsing fat person.

This year I found out I was pregnant again. Now instead of eating healthy for me and baby, I have given in to my (really early) cravings. The french fries, the burgers, the fried chicken, the ice-cream, the bagels, the CHEESE, the sweets. Oh the joy. UNTIL, I realize that I haven't even seen the Doc yet and I have already pulled out my pregnancy clothing because I HAVE to.

Crawling back to the treadmill is hard. It's so far away. And there are so many other things I could be doing. (ex: cleaning, playing with Sweet Pea, laundry) Focus. Focus.

One day at a time.

Any Ideas?

I am out of exercise ideas that I can do with an 11 month old around. She wants to climb all over me and wants my every attention. She always wants me to hold her while I'm exercising. Oh, and my stroller doesn't cut it in the snow and slush outside.

What did you do?

I'm in desperate need of help. I can feel the pounds adding up while I'm not exercising.

Fat People Anonymous: Holiday Hangover

Hi. My name is Phannie and I'm a recovering Fat Person.

There was Christmas. There was New Years. And I fell off the wagon. I just couldn't help it. All the sweets, the delectable delights. Sinful bliss. I want to say that it was worth it, but I'm just not sure that it is. I actually feel bigger. (probably because I am) I feel sluggish. And it's now hard to break the new habits I have developed.

How do you get over your Holiday Hangover?