Weekly Weigh In: March 31, 2013

Just a quick post on how I am doing with my weigh in.

Last week I was down 1 pound for a total weight loss of 4.9 pounds. 

This week I am down another pound leaving me at -5.9 pounds which is great. 

I am wondering though, if anyone experiences issues losing weight early in the game when they are first starting out losing weight? I feel that my journey has had a slow start. I am proud of the loss I have accomplished so far, but am wishing that it would come off a little faster. I can't help but think that maybe I am doing something wrong?

Any suggestions would be great! 

Are you plateauing? Have you ever had slow weight loss? How did you come out of it?

Happy Sunday! Christ has Risen!

Madalyn

Finish The Sentence Part 1

I found this great linkup to do for the day and I am encouraging you all to check it out... It's hosts are Jake and Holly.

1. If calories didn't count, I would eat... a dozen barbecue wings instead of the "skinny boneless chicken strips" that don't even come close to tasting the same, mac and cheese instead of cheesy baked cauliflower, pumpkin whoopie pies instead of bran-pumpkin muffins, bacon instead of turkey bacon - who made that stuff anyway!, bisquick waffles, not the healthy whole grain mix that I pretend tastes good... and the list continues. 

2. On my Prom night... I rode with my squeeze at the time in his massive Ford F-something that was jacked up and ripped my dress. 

... Now do you understand why it was never going to workout?

3. When I go to the store, I always buy... Tons of fruit and vegetables! mmmmmm, tasty!

4. Family functions typically... consist of my grandmother forgetting to put baking powder in the desserts, my aunts burning the main dish, 

5. I think my blog readers... read my post and see all of the spelling type-o's and reply because they feel bad for me ;) Just kidding! They're great and so supportive of my journey!

6. I'd much rather be... on a sailboat, sailing the ocean than looking out my window and still seeing snow.

7. I have an obsession with... Seinfeld and Jeopardy. Enough said.

8. My work friends... are great people! I couldn't ask for better people to work for!

9. When I created my Facebook account... what Facebook account? I don't have one. It probably makes me some kind of social media loser. And no, I don't have Twitter either. 

10. My least favorite word is... plunker. I heard it in a movie when people were in England and saying that word, along with the accent, doesn't make the word sound sophisticated at all. 

11. I really don't remember... what I do over the weekend. I have two WHOLE days to get things done and somehow my todo list never shrinks! Someone help me with this one, please!

12. Justin Bieber.... "Baby, baby, baby, ohhhhh," I remember going into my sister-in-laws room and seeing her life sized J-Biebs cut out that looks something like this:

Pinterest Monday: March 25, 2013

Good Morning!

If you've been here before, you know that I love my Pinterest Mondays! This is the day that I share some of my favorite pins from the week! You can find me on Pinterest by clicking here.

If you pin and blog about it, be sure to leave a comment so I can visit!

Have a wonderful Monday!

Madalyn

Weekly Weigh In: Sunday March 24, 2013

Welllll... I skipped last weeks weigh in because I forgot to weigh and it wasn't a pretty sight. I didn't lose a thing which meant that I was still at -4.9lbs of weight loss for what feels like the last month... probably because it has been a month since I've lost anything. My friend Robyn talked about the same thing I am going to talk about this week. I really feel like I am following plan, but nothing is happening when I weigh in each week. UGH. It's enough to make me scream. 

But I'm not going to do that.

Yesterday when I got on the scale, I was praying for a miracle. Usually J and I go out Friday nights, so I have a day to recover from eating out. This weekend, we went out with friends on Saturday night so naturally, I was nervous yesterday. I stepped on the scale and saw something great!

Current loss: -4.9

Weekly weigh in: -1

Total weigh loss: -5.9

I'll take it!

This week I am going to try and get another pound off. I think was setting my goals too high and stressing myself out over achieving them. No more of that!

I want to see -7lbs next Sunday!

Have a great day!

Madalyn

5k Spring Challenge #3

Another day with white covered grounds is still so amazing to wake up to. I mean, I would LOVE for the sun to be out and the weather to be warmer, but I still always get so excited where there is snow on the ground!

This past week, I did a great job exercising. I was so proud of myself for working out at least every other day and for taking the time to stretch! Stretching takes time but makes it easier for me to run - and recovering the next day is much faster.

I have to say that I started with the couch to 5k workout plan and threw it out the window last week. I was progressing much more rapidly than the training suggested, so I just decided I would throw it out and continue pushing myself for longer and more difficult goals each week. Throwing out the plan was a wise choice for me...

On Sunday I went to the gym and ran my fastest virtual 5k to date! I ran 3.2 miles in 29 minutes which felt fabulous! The last mile was the hardest to crank out... maybe because I was running at 8mph by the end of the mile??? Who know's? I'm just pleased I finished it and could move on with the day. 

Today I plan to do the same think I did last week; run over 4 miles and then take the 45 minute kettlebell class. I am in love with this once a week class offered at a Mixed Martial Arts gym in my neighborhood. It makes my whole body ache for at least two days. It's great.

I hope to run 5 miles straight over the weekend (getting my long runs in over the weekend works best for me. Long runs are actually getting longer now.) I hope by the end of April, I can run 5 miles without stopping outside. 

Can you ever tell a difference between a treadmill run and a run outside?

High Five For Friday!

After stopping over at Penguins, Pasta, and Polka Dots this morning, I decided that I was going to participate in this weeks H54F (High Five For Friday) hosted by Lauren at At My Grey Desk. Head over and link up if this is something that tickles your fancyyyy!

1. This week I spent HOURS working on a gorgeous chevron striped, crocheted blanket. I am now about a third of the way finished and hope to finish very soon so I can put something on my lonely Etsy shop. This is something that I have been dreaming of doing for the past two years or so. 

2. This week I ran my fastest 3 miles! I was sooo overjoyed! I had to stop and take the photo quickly but I ran 3 miles in 27 minutes. This week I am going to try and run a little longer and a little faster. 

3. More running news: I ran what I thought was my fastest mile a day prior to #2. However I kicked that PR's butt when I ran those 3 miles the day after this. (Still impressive though!)

4. When the hubs and I went out to eat on Saturday, I chose a delicious salad, instead of the Mac and Cheese I REALLY wanted. It was delicious and MASSIVE. So I didn't finish it. Yes, there is bacon on it, and it was delicious!

5. This Monday marked 4 months of marriage with the most wonderful man on the earth. I may be a tad bias, but I love him so very much and am so thankful that the Lord placed him into my life. 

I am excited to say that we have dinner plans with friends on Saturday night! The friend I met a few weeks ago asked us to go out to eat with her and her husband to get sushi. I LOVEE sushi. I cannot wait to upload photos from our dinner! We have some pretty kickin' sushi joints in Lancaster County. 

What 5 events stood out for you this week? I'd love to hear or see them!

Madalyn

Non Scale Victories: March 21, 2013

Good Morning!

I am so excited to be sharing my non-scale victories again this week with KTJ and Lex.

NSV #1: My girlfriend and I ran 5 miles this week and then went to a 45 minute workout class... My legs still burn, which lets me know that I worked HARD on Tuesday. I skipped working out yesterday because I could hardly move and I don't even feel bad about it! I will, however, be working out today.

NSV #2: I am about 1/4 of the way completed with a crochet ripple blanket.

Isn't it gorgeous? I like to think so! I am starting up an Etsy shop to try and make a little extra cash on the side, along with my Thirty-One business. If you ever need product, have no fear, I have a personal website to sell product!

NSV #3: I ate 3 cookies for snack yesterday. I know THREE COOKIES! And they were fantastic. I felt bad, but got over it and thanks to my husbands support, we decided to eat salad for dinner last night. I love avacado. mmmmm. 

What were your NSV's for the week?

Madalyn

Today is Tuesday

When today became today at 12am I was awake and thinking of some awesome lesson plans. I also got this song stuck in my head about Tuesday and String beans. I guess that is to be expected when you are an elementary teacher.

Recently, I have been feeling intense pressure for no reason at all. In my mind, I feel like I have to be perfect at everything the first time I do it. The first time I ran on that treadmill 6 weeks ago, I thought I had to be able to run 13.1 miles, because I had done it before. Two months ago when I started recording and caring about what I ate, I thought I needed to eat everything good and right for me and that every day would be perfect. At school, I feel like I need to teach the perfect lesson the first time. 

Do you know how hard it is to try and be PERFECT all the time?

Really hard.

And based on what I know about what I believe in, I'm never going to be perfect.

Do you hear that brain?

I. AM. NEVER. GOING. TO. BE. PERFECT.

... but I know that I still want to try and be perfect.

And then I think of this verse:

^{Romans 3:23 - 24:}  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 

It kind of brings me back to earth. It's okay that I didn't eat 100 percent today or that I didn't exercise yesterday. It's okay to fail when teaching, especially when it's my first year, and I'm just beginning to understand teaching. More importantly, it's okay not to get everything right the first time we do it. We are, after all human. 

So this week I am going to work on eating well, exercising often, and being OK without perfection.

What do you struggle with?


Madalyn

Pinterest Monday: March 18, 2013

Good Morning Lovers!

Thanks for the unconditional support you have given me in the last couple of weeks! I have been working hard toward my March goals, and am happy to report that at this moment, I am almost accomplishing all of them!

I hope you enjoy Pinterest Monday!

I Did It!

On Tuesday I liked up with KTJ and began the Spring 5K challenge. I mentioned how I had already begun running a couple weeks ago and was rather far into the 8 week training plan to run a 5k. This week I ran 3 miles straight on the treadmill in just under 30 minutes!

But wait!

It gets better!

I knew that the hubs and I were going out for dinner last night so I thought it be best I exercised prior to eating out. What I thought was going to be a 30 minute run turned into a 4.5 mile run in under 41 minutes! I was so excited! 

Today, I really wanted to push myself to get three miles done as fast as I could so I alternated between 6.2 mph and 7.0 mph. Time went by quickly, thanks to the Bravo network on TV and within 27 minutes I hit 3 miles on the treadmill. Not bad for only starting running again a month ago. ( yes I know I'm bragging, but wouldn't you???) now if only I could get my weight to drop like I got my running time to drop...

Anyway, today is filled with grocery shopping, cleaning, and a benefit auction at my school for student scholarships!

Did anyone reach a huge milestone this week? I'd love to hear about it!

Madalyn

A Whole Lotta...

Last night, Josh wanted to go out for dinner, instead of staying in. We live in a town that is a half hour away from two cities in opposite directions so we have a lot of choice when we want to go somewhere. My husband was feeling Harrisburg, and mentioned a place called Bricco's which serves very authentic Italian cuisine. 

I was so excited to hear that this is where he wanted to go because my cousin, who is like a brother to me works there as a chef. 

I love restaurants where there is an open kitchen. It makes for an awkward photo opportunity!

I was thrilled when we arrived because it was still Happy Hour. We ended up ordering appetizers because they were all half off! I love a sale, even with food. We had a cheese plate, fries, and a veggie pizza.(A TON OF POINTS) I am proud to say that I stayed away from the fries, but not proud to say that I punished that pizza....

If you've been paying close attention to my blog, you would know that this is the second night in a row that I have had pizza for dinner! Ahh! However, because I have been eating less during the day, it hasn't positively or negatively affected my weight. YESS!

When we returned home, I had an hour before Grey's Anatomy began so I got my gym clothes on and headed to the gym. We are members of our neighborhood gym, so it's a keycard entrance because it's so small. 

I ran all the way there (less than 2 blocks) :) and realized that I didn't have my key to get in! UGH. I ran back and still couldn't find it. After looking for 30 minutes, I decided that it wasn't happening and gave up the search. I'll head there today after school and if I can't find my key, I'll just run around the neighborhood. 

This morning I left for school looking at the above picture... My boys were both sleeping. I wish I could have continued to sleep! This time change has been terrible in the mornings for me. It was light out when I got up, and not it's dark again. :( It also makes me mad that we paid a lot of money for a dog bed that would be big enough for George, and he chooses to sleep by the window with his feet up on the carpet and tries to eat his bed instead of sleep on it. 

Also, if anyone knows how to stop dogs from chewing on your walls, I'd love to hear your secret! Pretty soon we wont have walls dividing our rooms!

Have a great Friday!

Madalyn

Non Scale Victories: Thursday March 14, 2013

Good Morning!

The sun is shining where I am, I hope it's the same where you are too! Thursdays are the day of the week that I look forward to the most in the blogging world because I get to share and link up with KTJ and Lex to talk about my Non Scale Victories for the week (also referred to as NSV).

This week has been wonderful. I have been eating so well, and yes, even though I ate not one, not two, but three pieces of pizza for dinner one night this week, I had enough points so I didn't feel bad about doing it. I was even DOWN this morning when I stepped on that scale.

NSV#1: I have really been struggling to take myself over the 3 mile mark when I run. It's not because I feel like I can't do it. I know I can do it. I just am having a hard time inside knowing that I'll want to run 4 or 5 miles all the time and the day that my body says "no" I'll get upset. Lets face it, we all have those days where our body is tired, but our mind is thirsty and ready to punish those long runs. I just HATE that feeling of not accomplishing what I know I could do the day before. Alas, I will overcome. I plan to take that long, one or two mile leap next week!

NSV#2 - I have stayed on points plus for the past week - yay! Some of the days I have ate well over 50 points, but I at least tracked what I ate. From using Weight Watchers before, I know that I do my best when I write down everything I eat.

NSV#3 I have drank at least 8 cups of water for the past 5 days, and I can already feel a change in my body with all of the H2O running through it. And boyy, does it feel good!

What are your Non Scale Victories for the week??

Madalyn

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry

Good Morning Fabulous Blogging World!

Last night was great! I got home to an almost clean house. The husband had projects at home to work on, so that meant I could complete some of mine!

As some of you know, I love anything to do with crafting. I love anything to do with making a mess. And I love anything to do with cooking and baking. 

I am currently working on a neat ripple, crocheting pattern blanket this month. The colors are a off white, gray, and yellow. It is beautiful so far! (Truth is, I haven't messed it up yet)! I will show pictures of this, plus a link to the blogger I borrowed the pattern from on Friday. 

Today I wanted to leave you with an extremely healthy, and extremely delicious recipe. At our house, we love, love, love Indian food. With that being said, any excuse to consume or make these cultural meals is so exciting! While Josh was working on his project, I decided that I would prepare our dinner. 

**** Side note: Being married is A-MA-ZING! However, figuring out who is responsible for what on whatever night, is something that you should talk about or discuss as you are living through the first year of your marriage. It is so important to have that clear communication and expectation setup early on to alleviate a whole lot of arguing and stress!*****

Josh and I usually switch nights to cook or we cook together. We both love to do it so it keeps us feeling thankful for each others' talents and keeps up happy when we cook! 

Speaking of cooking, I am going to sweat tonight when I head to the gym! I have't been to the gym in days, partly because I backpacked 12 miles this weekend on the Appalachian Trail, but also because I am L-A-Z-Y!

Happy Eating!

Madalyn

P.S I also changed my blog name... A blog overhaul was in order... More changes to come!

5k Spring Training #1

I am linking up again with KTJweighing in and her friend Kim at "Latte and a Prayer" for their spring training: 5k Challenge.

I started my 5k training about a month ago and it was one of the best choices I made. After being a half marathoner not too long ago (Okay, like 2 or more years ago), I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to being running again.

I googled the "Couch to 5k program" and began my training. Below is a table to follow if you are interested in trying it out!

Anyway, I started by running as far as I could without stopping. I guess before I go any further I need to describe my working out environment. Because I live in Pennsylvania, it is rather chilly, So I am currently running on the treadmill when its nasty out and running outside when I can - so like above 32 degrees and when the wind isn't whipping.

I also have the Nike Running App, which you can see below. This app tracks my miles, pace and creates a map of where I ran. It also shows me the quickest part of my run and the slower parts of my run (so when I am dying and can't breathe). I love the app because it lets me see how many miles I have run all together, lets me set running goals based on distance or time, and talks to me every.25 miles (that can be changed, but it keeps my mind on track.

Because of the program and the app, I was up and running (ha - get it? Up and running) by about three weeks. Last week I ran my first 3 miles without stopping in under 29 minutes! You can read about it here.

This is from the website www.coolrunning.com

Couch to 5k Training Plan

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 22 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

By the end of the year, I want to run at least 3 5k's and one half marathon by the end of the year. I am trying to convince the hubs to let me do the disney half, but I am thinking he will settle for something a little closer. 


What are your running goals for the year?


Madalyn

Pinterest Monday: Monday March 11, 2013

Here's a little inspiration to keep you going!

I've got to get one of these, if even just in my bathroom or in my office!

Here's to the start of another great week!

Madalyn