Handy Dandy Nail Polish Strips

I don't usually talk about beauty products here but I had to make a little post about this! 

I've always seen the Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips in drug stores and Target and whatnot and have always wanted to try them, and I finally did! I was afraid they would be hard to put on but they were super easy and looked like normal polish. The best part is that they're made to last for a long period of time and come off with normal nail polish remover.

I got an air bubble in the first one, but the rest were easy peasy! So go check 'em out because I'm definitely getting more! I think they'd especially be good for a vacation so you don't have to take nail polish with you for touch ups. They come with extras in different sizes in case you mess up or one peels off (like my right pointer finger nail did, I just use it so much).

On a different note, go check out my friend Victoria's blog, @ victoriaruns.com. She has a Transformation Tuesday series on her blog and today she featured little old ME :)!

June Goals

At the beginning of every month I like to take a second and write down my goals for the month. I didn't do this last month so I think it's important to do it this month!

1. Lose 5 pounds (I've already lost 3 this month).
2. Join a fitness class (Yoga, Bootcamp, or Zumba).
3. Work on posture and core strength.
4. Do sprints.
5. Drink my weight in water every day by ounces (literally, 150+ ounces of water a day).

There are my 5 goals for this month! I'm also trying to focus more on my job hunt and waking up earlier in the day, but those are things I'm always working on. I'm just not a morning person... and I hate cover letters!

Today, I woke up to rain for the second day in row, the third rainy day this week! I miss the pool. But I LOVE running in the rain, and to top it off it was only 70 degrees! On Wednesdays I usually eat whatever I feel like eating when I go out for dinner, let's call it my cheat day. Last night I had a heavy duty (aaaamazing) pasta. So when I got outside, anticipating a 2 mile run, I realized I could go a lot further since I had all this energy from those carbs and the extra two hours of sleep I let myself have. I basically kicked my Thursday run in the ass. Averaged a 9:40 min/mile for 4 and a half miles (I wish I had a way of knowing my individual mile times)... woo that's fast for me! I'm so used to heat and humidity slowing me down that the rain really did wonders for me.

New hair!

Yesterday, I got a hair cut. It was an amazing hour of me-time. It was also a celebration of the fact that I haven't dyed my hair in 10 months! No more crazy money and chemicals are going into my hair. 

On a side note. I've been watching Boy Meets World a lot. It comes on MTV2 during the day and I just need to say that I love Mr. Feeny. That's all.

Took a Little Break...

It's been a little over a month since I wrote a post, and it's mirrored in my weight loss. I was pretty slack at the end of April and most of May. I've cracked back down the last two weeks, so I figured I should get back to the blogging. 

The last 10 pounds have really made a huge visual difference for me, and apparently every one else. I get lots of compliments, and at times it's embarrassing but I appreciate people noticing my hard work.

At 167

At 157

I've changed my goal from 154 to 149. I'll maintain there for a few months, probably till after the half, then re-evaluate to see if I want to lose more.

Eating right and working is still hard. I don't have time to eat when I'm there, plus my options are really limited, so if I forget to bring something or I don't eat before hand I end up not eating or I stuff french fries and a turkey sandwich in my mouth. Between Friday and today I lost 3 pounds... which I  think a lot of you would say, "That's a good thing!" but losing weight because I'm not eating or not eating right, in my eyes, is a bad thing. So I'm happy to have some time off to get back to my routine.

This week marks the kick off for my half marathon training! I'm stoked. I've never run with a group before so I can't wait to experience that (plus I'm a little nervous). We have our kick off on Thursday. That means I'm going to start really annoying the heck out of you guys for some money. I set my goal high, and it'd be AWESOME to reach it. I'm trying to think of a fundraiser I could do through work and maybe some other bars/restaurants on River Street so if you have any ideas, pass 'em along!

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ga/rnrsav12/kkerkhoff

Race for The Cure!

This week I worked my little fingers as quick as I could to pump out some tutus in about a days time. They got finished just in time, but there wasn't enough time to make my own! Mostly because I had to work on Friday night, when I'd anticipated having it off. 

I also played softball twice! I joined a team called the Ballbusters, which has been kind of awesome. I played softball for years and years but I was never really in shape or really put my best efforts into being a full on athlete. I haven't played in a looooong time so I can't say I'm very good anymore but it's definitely nice to get out there on the bases and enjoy the sprinting.

On Wednesday I made the last minute (and I mean last minute, I decided with 3 hours left to register haha) to run the Susan G. Komen race in Savannah on Saturday. I originally decided not to because I was in the middle of training for a 10K and had to work at 10:30 on Saturday. Then I said screw it! I've never participated in this event, even though it's pretty big in Savannah because I didn't just want to walk it, and honestly ... I didn't want to walk that far haha. So since I had such huge success at my first 5k in March (a little over a month before this one),  and I'd been working on running longer distances, I was excited to shave some time off of my 5K time. 

But I wasn't as restful this week as I'd like to be. I was super sore from some squats I did Tuesday, plus I ran 3 miles Wednesday, and of course the two softball games I played. On top of that I had to work Friday night which means a lot of walking and standing. And because I always chose fashion over functionality I wore shoes with no support. Going into the race I was still confident, even with the humidity!

Pre-Race with Mindy and Ann.

That being said, I think I was over confident and let my mind fall by the way side. I started up front mostly because that's where I ended up! So being up at the beginning was a little discouraging since everyone (and I mean everyone) was passing me! I cannot believe I let it bother me, but it definitely did. My mind just wasn't where it should have been. I've run this distance numerous times since my first race and at the end I felt like I could have gone further, but this time either because of my mindset, tired legs or the heat, I was EXHAUSTED afterwards. 

Post-race with Ann, a Breast Cancer Survivor, and my all important post race (free) beer.

But in the end I finished with an unofficial time of 30:21 (no chip!)! Which I think is pretty bad ass. But now I'm going to start back on the 10K program and do week 4 over again. Instead of relying on my GPS app I've mapped out various routes with my car in hopes of getting something a little more accuracy.

Here's to a new week!

Milestones

I was a little afraid to talk about this on here because when I weighed in on Wednesday morning I thought it might be a fluke. And so far I've been correct, but I've decided to write anyway (I've also been pretty sore which I've read somewhere could mean I'm retaining more water than usual).

As of 9AM Wednesday morning I have lost 25 pounds on Weight Watchers! 

Wait... huh? WHAT?! I've lost 25 pounds?! It certainly doesn't feel that way. And as much as I brag about myself and the success I've had so far, I don't honestly feel like I've done that much. Yes, I am amazed every time I go out and run 3 miles, and I am able to push myself harder during work out, but other than that and the way my pants fit, I don't feel that different. Why is that? People freak out when they lose 5 pounds, and I've lost that PLUS 20 more. All I can think about is that I have a long way to go. And I don't mean LIKE OMG I'M SO FAT! I HAVE SO MUCH MORE WEIGHT TO LOSE! OMG! I mean that I have a long ways to go before I feel accomplished. 

I've had a few people ask me how much more I'm going to lose and I don't really have an answer. There is a goal that I have on the Weight Watchers site, but it's just a number. What I want to reach is so much more. I want to finish a half marathon... and who knows maybe finish a WHOLE marathon one day. I want to be able to do push ups. I want to be strong. I don't care if I never weigh under 160 pounds. I'm happy at the weight I am, I'm just not happy with the level of fitness that I'm at. I have so much more that I want to do, and that's what I mean when I say I have a long ways to go.

A lot of people on WW seem to think celebrating milestones is important, and in WW land they give you stars for percentages lost and some other increments. Well last month I ran a 5K when I didn't think I could, this weekend I will run a 5K with CONFIDENCE! Hoping to improve my time, not just run the whole thing without stopping. That's a milestone. I'll celebrate that. Today I decided to join the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training to train for a half marathon (and raise $1,250!) this summer (the race is in November). That's a milestone. For a late night snack I had an apple and peanut butter instead of ice cream. That's a milestone, let's celebrate that!

So next time you see me and notice I've lost weight (or have read this), don't say "When are you going to stop?", ask me why I started.

The weight is just a number. The size of my pants is just a number. 

13.1 miles is soooo much more than a number.

Gotta Get Movin'!

This weekend was a pretty big fail on the healthy lifestyle for me. I drank too much and didn't eat enough. Normally I would say that's not a terrible thing but I just felt absolutely terrible all day Sunday and therefore didn't do my long run until Monday. It's just thrown my whole schedule out of wack.

I was scheduled to run 4 miles this weekend, the longest I've ever run (once again) and it went really well! I was 150% sure that my free app on my phone was tracking me wrong and that I wasn't really running as far as I should but I know I'm running further than I was before, which is something. To double check my route I mapped it out and it turned out to be about 3 miles. So it's waaaay off and it's got me thinking I need to invest in a new way of tracking my distance. My heart rate monitor's chest strap recently snapped so I need to replace that, so why not just invest in something nice that has a GPS? The biggest reason not to, obviously, is the cost! I'm trying to make a decision soon because I rely heavily on my HRM to motivate me. Plus it tracks my calories. Calories burned = Weight Watcher Activity Points!

Do any of you out there use a GPS watch or iPhone App that you love? Let me know!

Out With the Old

Yesterday I took a whole laundry basket full of clothes to Plato's Closet to try to get some money for some of my clothes that will never fit again. They took 5 things! They're pretty picky so I thought that was spectacular ;). I took the rest over to Goodwill. It felt amazing! For one, there is a lot more space in my small closet/room and two, it's nice to get rid of all those clothes I refuse to wear again. I don't ever want to go back to a size like that unless I'm pregnant or something.

I lost a pound this week. I'm trying to be really happy that I've lost one pound two weeks in a row. My weight loss should naturally be slowing down at this point, and if I lose a pound a week for 10 weeks then I'll have reached my goal. And I know that WW preaches slow loss and focusing on a lifestyle change, but that doesn't help me get into the right frame of mind. It's definitely the latest of my challenges. It certainly doesn't help that I don't feel like I've really been committing the way I used to since I moved back to Savannah. My goal this week is to crack down on the fitness portion of weight loss. 

In the end I'm not really here to lose weight, I'm here to get in shape, the losing weight is just an added benefit.

Working Girl

I got a part time job working at an Irish Pub on River Street in Savannah and it has been a huge adjustment to my eating habits. For one I'm obviously working when people are eating, so I'm not eating when I used to. If I work at night I leave for work at 4:30 and don't get home till 12:30, and I'm pretty busy the whole time I'm working. I've started trying to eat as much protein as I can during the day so I'm not hungry at work and then scarf down a meal replacement Special K bar while I'm at work some time around 8. It's definitely going to take some getting used to!

On another note, yesterday I ran farther than I have before! I ran 3.5 miles in about 34 minutes. Since my runs are shorter during the week I figured I focus on getting my time down then and just worry about running without stopping on my long runs and it really paid off this week! I didn't do as much cross training as I'd like (which I should be doing right now...) but I've probably walked a bazillion miles since I started waiting tables 4 days ago so I like to think that evens it out a bit.

This week my 10K training consists of a 2.5 mile run, a 2 mile tempo run, and 4 mile long run, plus strength/cross training. I have my first two days off tomorrow and Wednesday and then who knows when I'll work after that. I might get a second job somewhere too so that's a possibility too! I'm just taking it one day at a time.

Gotta save money for this!

Why have I been successful?

Starting Weight: 189 Current weight: 167

I've used the Weight Watchers program a few times to lose weight, but nothing seemed to stick. To be honest I don't think I ever really tried that hard. This time, for some reason, it's been much different! The past 3 months haven't just been about losing weight, it's been about becoming a part of a community and changing all of my habits. 

So what have I done different this time to make it stick?

I joined this group on the Weight Watchers website for people in their 20s. Seriously, this small act changed everything. It turned the idea of losing 30 pounds from a challenge into a completely possible (easy even) task. The people (mostly girls) on this group were invaluable! For one thing, many of them had already had success on the plan and were sharing their tips and stories, but two they were all so supportive of each other. They know so much, and were sharing all of that information. If it weren't this group I'm sure I would have given up.

Couch to 5k. I can't say that is was all the program that got me into running. It had a lot to do with my determination. C25K really got me moving. I needed some sort of regimen (I still do!) for my week and I got exactly that. It was hard. It was really hard, actually. The fist time I got up on that track I was just running a minute, walk a minute and a half, but I got so out of breathe and pushed so hard that I started getting tunnel vision and almost blacked out! I really took my time with the program. If I didn't feel comfortable moving to the next week, I didn't. Simple as that. In my eyes, I was doing it. I didn't care how fast or slow I completed the program. In the end I didn't really finish it. I got to the point where I was running 27 minutes without stopping and I took it from there on my own. The program I was using there are a bunch out there) focused on running for a certain time, I switched it up and started focusing on distance. I didn't see the shame in walking if I needed to. In the end I ran the 5k I'd signed up for and I did it without walking, and under 35 minutes! Definitely a PR for me ;). 

Another thing that has made or break my success is simply following the plan. I follow it as close as I possibly can. I calculate the points for everything, I hardly ever guess. I bought a heart rate monitor so that I know exactly how much credit I should be getting for the activity I'm doing. I eat all of my points allotted for the day, but I don't just eat anything that has low point values. I eat fruits and veggies (but only in the allotted amounts), I drink LOTS of water, I try (try being the key word) to get my daily oils in, I get my calcium in and then when I have room at the end of the day I have dessert. I'm human! I like sweets. Sometimes that sweet stuff is ice cream, sometimes it's fruit and yogurt, and sometimes I resist the urge. I've tried my hardest to make this a lifestyle change and so I don't limit myself. If I did, I would resent the plan and not follow it. When I do go off plan, I always count and track, even if I go into the negative.

I also did a lot of research. Every body is different and responds differently to weight loss, but in the end it comes down to caloric in take. You eat too many and don't burn any of it off then you'll gain weight, if you work out you might need to eat more so your body doesn't hold on to that fat for dear life, so on and so forth. You've got to find what works best for you! So far I think I've found what works for me and I'm not slowing down any time soon!

Whew!

For such a lazy weekend, I sure feel stressed! I guess unemployment and taxes can do that to you.

Yesterday I got up earlier than I have in a couple weeks and had a nice run around downtown in muggy 70-something degree weather with Victoria. 3 mile run check! Week one of Hal Higdon Novice 10K Training Program, check! 

Once I got home I was amazed to see that mom and dad were still asleep! That NEVER happens. Our dog (Kody) seemed just as confused. So I showered and worked on a flyer for my tutus. After everyone got up and going we finally got to the spring cleaning... and this is where the "Whew!" comes in.

The pantry before:

4 opened bags plus a plastic container of nestle chocolate chips!! Seesh!

 After:

We got rid of a lot off stuff. Seriously, these pictures don't do it justice. There were about 15 boxes of pasta and rice, 7 different types of vinegar, and 4 year old boxes of graham crackers!

We moved onto some serious refrigerator cleaning too but I got so involved I forgot the pictures! It looks much better now, and I'm glad I convinced my parents to do it.

My week ahead consists of lots of job hunting and running/strength/cross training, hope your week goes the way you want to!