Category Archives: Fitness

Here’s what he said…

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My husband, Al, who is the editor of the Echo Press newspaper, wrote about his experience running the half-marathon in Las Vegas. The story, along with a picture of him running the race, ran in the Opinion section of the newspaper last Friday.

His story is very vivid and almost makes it feel as if you could have been running right beside him. I would love for all of you to read it, so here is a link to the story from the newspaper’s website: Highs and lows of a half-marathon.

Check it out and let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

Number one!

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I have a confession to make…I am a magazine junkie. One in particular that I absolutely love is Consumer Reports. I know, not what you expected was it?

I have purchased many items based on how something was rated in Consumer Reports. Weird? Maybe. But I don’t care. I figure, “Why not let someone else do the research for me!”

Well, we received our February 2013 issue recently and as my husband was perusing through it, he was quick to point out an article he knew I would be interested in…VERY interested in, as a matter of fact.

It’s just another example of why I am so thrilled/excited/blessed to work for such an awesome company – Weight Watchers – the best weight loss/healthy living plan around (at least in my opinion!).

Not only are we rated the number one weight loss program by U.S. News and World Report, we also now received the highest score in the commercial weight loss plans in Consumer Reports. Yeah!

I know, I am probably not supposed to do what I am about to do, but I am super excited about the article, so I am sharing all with you! I tried highlighting some of it, but when I scanned it in, the highlighted part doesn’t really show up. If you don’t want to take the time to read the whole article, at least look at page four, where the headline reads: “Get the most out of Weight Watchers.”

It’s AWESOME information!

So, without further ado, here’s the article (all four pages of it!):

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

So, that’s it. Pretty cool, huh?

The results are in…

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I completed my first half-marathon. I actually did it.

And here’s my medal to prove it:

My medal!

So, I suppose you’re wondering how it went. Well, let me tell you…

First of all, I finished and I am extremely proud of myself for doing so…despite what it may sound like when you read this. I am happy I did it. I don’t have any regrets. And, despite the fact that I said I was only going to do one in my life, my husband and I have already decided to do another one. We are planning on signing up for another Rock ‘n’ Roll series one, but this time, it’s going to be in San Jose, California. We are going to Napa, California next October to celebrate our 5-year anniversary and San Jose just happens to be a host city for a Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon. And, San Jose is somewhat close to Napa. Logistically, it just seemed to work out!

Anyway, back to the Las Vega Rock ‘n’ Roll half-marathon.

At the expo the day before the race, which is where we picked up our race packets and swag bag, we both ended up changing our estimated times, which also meant changing corrals. At this race, runners lined up in corrals according to their estimated finish time. At first, we estimated that Al would finish in two and half hours and I would finish in three hours. But, based on previous races, we decided to up our times to Al finishing in two hours and myself finishing in two and a half hours.

This meant that Al changed from corral number 24 to corral 14 and I changed from corral 36 to corral 27. There was a two-minute delay between the start of each corral, which helped immensely with not having a crowded course. This was greatly appreciated. Neither of us felt like squished sardines when we started out.

The race started at 4:30 p.m. Al crossed the starting line shortly before 5 p.m. – official time was 4:51 p.m. I crossed the starting line a little after 5 p.m. – official time was 5:16 p.m. We know our times because I was getting text message updates on Al (which I didn’t look at until after the race was done), and my son, Brandon, was getting updates on me. A couple of other people were following me also, which was really cool because I got messages from them immediately after the race was done.

Here are some messages from my son – before the race and after the race:

Text messages from my son

Loved the thumbs up from him when I finished. It made my heart melt and eyes fill with tears.

The start of the race was okay. The wind started to pick up and it almost looked as if a storm was heading our way. I checked my phone for weather details while waiting in the start line and learned that there were wind advisories – wind was blowing anywhere from 20 to 25 miles per hour with gusts up to 35 mph.

Yep. It was just a tish windy. And I think it played a factor in my running. When the wind wasn’t at my back, it was tough to push through.

I started the race out at a nice even tempo. At the advice of several friends and other runners, I took in the sites and the sounds. I knew I wasn’t going for a win, so I decided to take it easy. Too easy maybe.

I kept a pretty even pace – about an 11 minute mile – until mile seven. It’s here I hit the wall. Not sure what happened. But the wall was big and I hit it hard. For miles seven, eight, nine and 10, my pace was closer to a 12.5 minute mile. At mile 11 and 12, it was jumped to a 16 minute mile – yes, I was pretty close to walking, but yet I kept plugging along, one foot in front of another – VERY slowly. I stopped at every single water/Gatorade stop between miles 10 and the finish line. There was a GU energy stop, but I didn’t grab any. I should have.

The last mile to mile and a half, I basically walked, albeit a brisk, fast-paced walk, which seemed, at the time, way faster than my slow jog. At this point, I just wanted the race to be done. I wanted – NEEDED – to be done. I was crabby because I walked. I was crabby because my stomach was churning over and over and over and all I wanted to do was hurl. I was crabby because every ounce of my body ached. I was crabby because I was thirsty – despite all the water/Gatorade I had. I was crabby because I felt alone – yes, despite the mass amounts of runners and spectators around me. This was the first time ever I felt so alone in a race. Not sure why.

I just wanted to be done and I just wanted my husband. I wanted to curl up in his arms and have him tell me it was all going to be okay. I felt defeated. I felt disappointed. I felt…everything.

Here’s a picture that pretty much sums everything up:

Near the finish line.

Quite a contrast from a picture that was from the start of the race:

At the beginning of the race.

Well, after I crossed the finish line, which I did run across, I guess I was fairly happy because the photographer got this photo:

And I finished!

Truthfully, I don’t even remember this photo begin taken. At this point, I just wanted to find my husband and make our way back to our hotel. Well, I eventually found him, cold, shaking and also very ready to be back at our hotel. Apparently, he ended up in the medical tent with the shakes and shivers and was extremely nauseous. Eventually, he ended up throwing up. Sure wish I had.

Al ended up finishing the race in two hours and five minutes. I finished it in just under three hours – my first predicated finish time (guess I should have just kept it, huh!). My official time was two hours, 59 minutes and 56 seconds!

Despite the fact that I felt disappointed and let down, I will reiterate that I AM VERY PROUD of myself for finishing. I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to run this race. And if truth be told, I am looking forward to the next one!

I’m. Not. Tracking.

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I am on vacation in Las Vegas, Nevada and I am not tracking.

There, I said it.

I made a plan before I left where I gave myself a 5-pound leeway. I am okay if I end up gaining five (5) pounds. Really, truly, I am.

On Friday, which is when we left, I weighed myself at home and I was at 144.4, which was actually pretty good considering I have been maintaining at about 148. I was actually pretty happy with what the scale said. So, I decided that I was okay if….and I mean IF….I end up gaining five pounds while we are vacationing in Vegas.

And, I have absolutely no intentions of tracking. None. At all. Nada.

For those of you who are Weight Watchers members, you will know what a big deal this is. For those of you who aren’t, in WW, we track everything. And, I mean EVERYTHING. Or at least I usually track everything.

By that, I mean that everything I eat – every last morsel – gets recorded and assigned what we call a PointsPlus Value. But, while on this vacation, I have absolutely no intentions of tracking. Anything. At. All.

HOWEVER….and this is a pretty big however. I plan on keeping my portions in check. I plan to not go overboard (except for maybe a few more beverages than I usually have!). I plan on getting in lots of activity (of course, I will be wearing my ActiveLink! And I can’t wait to see what kind of activity points I will be getting!), and I plan on taking photos of everything I eat, which will help in keeping my portions and my choices in check.

I know this is not usually the ideal situation, but, when it comes to vacations, my philosophy is that I want to have fun, but at the same time, I don’t want to go overboard. I don’t want to be consumed by Weight Watchers. I want to have fun, indulge and yet, still have a plan. By setting myself up for a five-pound gain, I am not setting myself up to fail; I am setting myself up to succeed. I know I won’t actually gain those five pounds – or at least I really don’t think I will – but, by allowing myself to do will not make me feel upset or guilty or bad if I actually do.

I hope this makes sense. It makes perfect sense in my mind.

So, my dear readers, wish me luck on this vacation as I am about to embark on my biggest quest so far…running a half-marathon down Las Vegas Boulevard!

Stay tuned for an update after Sunday evening’s race!

 

It’s happening, one week from today…

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I am hoping that at this time next Sunday, I am at some restaurant eating a deliciously high-caloric meal, drinking a large glass of wine and celebrating one of the biggest successes of the past year.

Next Sunday, my husband and I are going to be partaking in our biggest race of the year, of our lifetimes – the Rock ‘n’ Roll Las Vega Marathon and Half-Marathon. Yes, we will be running down Las Vegas Boulevard!

But, we are not doing the marathon, we are only doing the half-marathon! But it’s big enough in my book. And I am just going to say that even though I am excited as hell, I am also scared to death. Although, truthfully, I am not sure why. I guess I have been preparing and training. Well, kind of. Maybe. Okay, I didn’t follow a training plan. At. All. And the farthest I’ve run is only 10 miles. So, am I really ready? Did I really train enough?

I have no idea.

I guess time will tell.

So why a half-marathon in Las Vegas? Because I said if I was going to do a half-marathon, I wanted to do it up big because I have no intentions of ever doing another one. And I guess 35,000+ runners is pretty big!

I like running. Well, okay, I guess I kinda of love it (when I actually get out there and I am doing it!). But, I don’t particularily care for the long distance races. To be honest, I’m really kind of digging the 10K (6.2 miles) distance. It truly is my favorite. I honestly don’t ever see myself doing a full marathon. I really, truly don’t. Why? Not sure. Maybe it’s the training. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to push myself THAT hard.

I think it’s cool that people run full marathons. Those people are inspirations to me. Those types of runners are true athletes, true stars in my book. But I just have no desire to do one – a full marathon, that is.

I am psyched for our half-marathon. I truly am. But will I ever do another one? I guess we’ll just have to see how this one goes!

If you want to check out the Las Vegas run, here’s the website!

November 19, 2008…when it all began!

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So, I guess it’s been awhile, huh? Wow! I guess I let life get in the way. Or, maybe it’s because I’ve been lazy. Or, maybe it’s because I didn’t feel like I had anything else to say. Or, maybe I did’t think anyone was really interested anymore. Whatever the reason, I decided to come back. At least for now. :-)

Although I really don’t want to make any promises, I am going to try – really, really hard – to post at least once a week. Okay? Sound like a plan? Tell you what, I’ll make you a deal…I’ll post once a week if you, my dear readers, promise to check in on me and read what I write and maybe, just maybe, comment once in awhile. Provide me with some feedback. Is it a deal? Yes? Good.

Then, let’s begin.

November 19, 2008. Four years ago today.

Who knew back then how much my life would change? Who knew that walking through the door of my very first Weight Watchers meeting would make that big of a difference? I mean, really, it was supposed to be “just another diet.” Because, let’s face it, I had tried just about every other diet under the sun, why would this one be any different?

Let’s just say, it was different. WAY different.

For starters, it isn’t a diet. I repeat…IT IS NOT A DIET! It is one hundred percent – 100% – a lifestyle change. And if anybody thinks any differently, they don’t want/need it bad enough. That, my dear friends, is the difference.

A DIET. This is where you just want to lose weight as quickly and as effortlessly as possible. No change, really. No learning. No adapting. Not long term. No work. No effort. No desire. Nothing, really. Just get the weight off…fast and with very little effort. Truly, I don’t think I have met one person who has “dieted” and kept the weight off that they lost. Really. Truly. We’ve all been there. We’ve all done that.

A LIFESTYLE CHANGE. This one, on the other hand, takes work – HARD WORK, determination, desire, dedication, a willingness to change, much effort, support, trust and oh-so-much more. Truly, it is one of the hardest things to do short term, let along long term.

I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am that I decided – FINALLY – to do the lifestyle change and not “just another diet.” It has been one of the most rewarding journeys I have ever taken. Truly. Honestly.

CHANGES over the last four years:

  • No more high blood pressure.
  • No more high blood pressure medication.
  • No more high cholesterol.
  • No more yelling stern talks from my doctor.
  • No more diabetes lingering.
  • No more obesity – yes, I was in the obese category.
  • A healthier body mass index (BMI).
  • Less fat and more muscle.
  • More energy.
  • An expanded, healthier diet – as in the foods I eat on regular basis. (Don’t get me wrong, I still eat my favs – cake, ice cream, cheese, crackers, cookies, chips, etc. Just not on a regular basis.)
  • A more active lifestyle – I am now a runner. (In 2012, my husband and I will have competed in 27 races, ranging from a 1-mile sprint to 5K races, to 10K races, to a 10-mile race, to our first half-marathon!)
  • A new career – I quit my job of 12 years as a newspaper reporter to becoming a leader with Weight Watchers. I now try and do what my leader did for me – give me a life, a much better life.
  • A different and better attitude.
  • More confidence.
  • A better relationship with my husband. (Not that it really could have gotten better as we have a pretty awesome relationship the way it is.)
  • A better outlook on life.
  • An active YMCA membership.

I know I could go on and on with all the changes that have taken place, but I won’t bore you any longer. All I know is that I am glad I walked through that door the very first time and I’m glad I kept walking through it, week after week, year after year. As cliché as it sounds, Weight Watchers truly changed my life. And I know, it’s only going to get better.

 

 

Where have I been?

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Wow, it has been a long time since I last blogged. Time just kind of got away from me. So, I suppose you would like to know how things have been going. I don’t even know where to start!

How about I start with a photo comparison of me? I just posted these pictures to my Confessions of a [former] Fat Girl Facebook site, which you can find here. Check this out:

Yep, this is me.

Okay, so now I got that out of the way. Well, kind of. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I see the person on the left. It’s when I look at pictures – side by side – like this that I can actually see a difference.

I am proud of myself, I won’t lie. And I won’t lie and say that it’s been easy. It hasn’t. I have good days and then, I have bad days – well, weeks. Sometimes, I need reminders, like the picture above to prove to me how far I’ve actually come.

So, I suppose you’re wondering why I haven’t posted in such a long time. I guess it’s because things haven’t been the best. I have been on this downward spiral since probably Christmas. One of my Weight Watchers members made me realize this week as to why I have probably been in this slump. Two words: My sister.

As many of you know, my oldest sister, Donna, died last year – January 31, 2011. I went through a really rough time after her death – I thought eating my way through the pain was going to help. It didn’t. It made it worse. Well, this past Christmas was our first Christmas without her and it has been since then that things started going down hill. Then, when the one-year anniversary of her death came, I didn’t realize it, but it really hit hard. Again, I tried to mask the pain with food. And again, it didn’t help. It only made it worse.

I reached my highest weight in a long, long, long time…I hit 149.2. So. Not. Cool.

I realized I hit rock bottom when, while traveling back from St. Cloud, I stopped at a grocery store and bought this:

 

Yep, this is what I bought.

I ate half of it before I even realized what I did. When I got home, I wrapped the box – the evidence – in  some plastic bags and then threw it in the garbage – the outside garbage – so no one would know. Well, now all of you know. I think that has been my problem lately, is that I haven’t been honest – with myself – or with others. I have been “closet eating” again, which is why I haven’t felt like blogging.

In the last few months, I have had good days, but I have had some really bad days. One of the things that I think has saved me from gaining even more weight is that my husband and I have been going to the YMCA. So, at least I haven’t lost that part…I am still exercising. Thank goodness.

But, I am back on track. FOR REAL! I have lost about five pounds and am working on five more. I would like to stay right around 138-140. That is where I feel the best. And I know I can do it.

Thanks for all of your support. And I apologize for being MIA for so long. I will try not to do it again. Thanks for reading my blog and remember, you can keep up-to-date with me on my Facebook page, which you can find here.

Take care and remember, even when you feel like you can’t continue, you can. You can do anything you put your mind to. Baby steps. One foot in front of another. YOU CAN DO IT!

Is it time for a new start?

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The new year is almost here, which is always a great time to jump on board the healthy living train. But nothing says you have to wait until the new year. Why not start now?

If you have ever thought about joining Weight Watchers, why not come to a meeting to check us out. Everyone is always invited to attend one meeting for free. So, what are you waiting for. Come visit me and my staff to find out about the program – which by the way was rated as the number one weight loss diet (Yes, I despise this word, but whatever) by U.S. News and World Report.

Below, I have listed all the meetings that I do each week. You can also go to the Weight Watchers website and click on the “meeting finder” to find one if your area. Click here for more information.

Okay, so here is where you can find me each week:

Monday

CentraCare Clinic, Melrose – weigh-in starts at noon and the meeting starts at 12:30 p.m.

Senior Center, Sauk Centre – weigh-in starts at 5:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6 p.m.

Tuesday

PrimeWest Health, Alexandria – weigh-in starts at 6:45 a.m. and the meeting starts at 7:15 a.m.

University of Minnesota-Morris – weigh-in starts at 11:45 a.m. and the meeting starts at 12:15 p.m.

Morris Community Library, Morris – weigh-in starts at 4:30 p.m. and the meeting starts at 5 p.m.

Wednesday

Senior Center, Alexandria – weigh-ins start at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and the meetings start at 8 a.m., 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.

Ambulance Garage, Wheaton – weigh-in starts at 3:30 p.m. and the meeting start at 4 p.m.

Thursday

Encore Capital Credit, St. Cloud – weigh-in starts at 10 a.m. and the meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.

Wolters Kluwer, St. Cloud – weigh-in starts at 12 p.m. and the meeting starts at 12:30 p.m.

Glacial Ridge Hospital, Glenwood – weigh-in starts at 5 p.m. and the meeting starts at 5:30 p.m.

Friday

Weight Watchers Center, Waite Park – weigh-in starts at 11:45 a.m. and the meeting starts at 12:15 p.m.

If you have any questions about Weight Watchers or the meetings, PLEASE send me an email and I will do my best to answer! You can send an email to celbeam@gmail.com. I would LOVE to hear from you!!!!!

Being thankful

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It’s Thanksgiving Day morning and my husband is busy getting the turkey in the oven before we head out the door to run our first-ever Thanksgiving 5K Turkey Trot. I think it should be fun!

As promised, I am going to fill you in on what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving – November 24, 2011.

Here goes:

1. Most people don’t think I am a very religious person because I don’t go to church, but I am thankful for/to God. I am thankful for everything he has provided me with – the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the flowers, the birds, the wonderful world we live in. So, I may be a little irritated at him for taking some very important people away from me (apparently he needed them more than me), I still thank him each and every day I am alive on this beautiful Earth.

2. My son. Yes, moms and teenage sons have their “moments,” but we also have “our moments,” and those are the ones I will treasure most. Brandon truly is one-of-a-kind and I love him for all that he is. He’s outgoing, bright, funny, helpful, responsible, a hard worker, strong, caring and yes, I do believe he is loving, although he may disagree with some of what I said!

3. My husband. What more can I say except I love him with every ounce of my being. He is not only the best husband in the world, he is my best friend. He makes me laugh, he makes me smile, he makes me melt and feel all giddy inside. He cooks. He cleans. He grocery shops. He loves football and reading and hanging out. But best of all, he loves me and I know it and feel it…each and every day.

4. My family. Plain and simple, they are the best. My parents. My siblings. My nieces and nephews. My cousins. My aunts and uncles. Everyone single person in my family – whether related by blood or not, I love them all.

5. My job. Not much else to say about it. I am doing something I am passionate about and that I truly love. Sometimes, I wish I could do more. I wish I could make the healthy living journey easier for my Weight Watcher members; sometimes, I wish I could do the work for them. But I love at least trying to make their lives a little better. And, I love the people I work with…my team members that make my job oh-so-much better. I couldn’t do it without them.

6. My members. They are my inspiration. They are what I get up in the morning for. They are the ones that keep me going on my own healthy living journey. They not only inspire me, but they give me hope. I am thankful for each and every one of them. And I am thankful that I can call many of them my friends.

7. My health. Period. Nothing more to say about it.

8. Even though I may not like it sometimes and there are times I want to give up because I don’t feel like I am any good at, I AM THANKFUL that I am now a runner. Yes, I am a runner. There, I said it. I am very thankful that I have two legs that keep me moving – no matter how fast or how slow.

9. My friends. Even though there are some I don’t get to see very often, I know they are there for me and I hope they know I am there for them. I love my friends – the ones I have know for years and the ones I am just getting to know. They are all important to me and have a very special place in my heart.

10. Facebook. Yep, I said it. I am thankful for Facebook. It is such an awesome way to stay connected and in touch with each other when our lives are ever-so-busy.

So, there you have it. That is my Top Ten list of what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving Day. Oh, I did forget one…YOU, my readers. Thanks for taking this journey with me. Without you, I would be nothing more than words on a computer screen!!!!

Hope you all had a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. And remember, you can always find Confessions of a [former] Fat Girl on Facebook. Click here!

A little apprehensive

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This coming weekend, my hubby and I have a 10K race. I am feeling a little – okay, maybe a lot – anxious about it and for a few different reasons. Reasons, to some, that may sound weird or maybe even, do I dare say, childish?

First off, it is a race we have done before – it is for the Lakes Area Humane Society in Alexandria. However, the last couple of years, we have only done the 5K. For some reason, which now escapes me, we decided to sign up for the 10K. Why, oh why, did we do this?

Yes, I know, I have already completed a 10K so it’s not the distance that is necessarily scaring me. It’s the thought that there won’t be very many people participating in the 10K, which may mean I could come in last. Yep, that’s where the childish-ness may come in. I know that I am not the fastest runner and I am okay with that. I am just darn happy I can finish. However, finishing last in the town where I live when so many people might be watching, that’s another whole thing. I wouldn’t care if I came in last in our upcoming race in Fargo on October 8. It’s in Fargo. Nobody knows me. AND…..there are thousands of participants.

This is in Alexandria. People know me. There may be a hundred people running. UGH! That’s what’s freaking me out. I am almost regretting signing up for the 10K. I wish I would have just signed up for the 5K.

I know what you are probably thinking. “WHO CARES?” I know, right? But I can’t help it. It’s who I am. I don’t want to disappoint anyone. I have been trying to talk myself out of feeling this way for the last two weeks, but as the race gets closer and closer, it’s just not helping.

I know, I am going to be just fine. And who really gives two hoots if I come in last. I am going to be okay. I CAN DO THIS. I know I can.  Right? My goal is to run the whole thing. And as far as my time, I just want to finish in less than one hour and 12 minutes. That is my goal. I CAN DO THIS!

I’ll let you all know what happens after the race on Saturday! Until then, send me some good vibes that the race will go just fine. I would surely appreciate it!

Remember, you can always feel free to email me at celbeam@gmail.com and don’t forget, you can always check on my Facebook page. You can do so by clicking here.