New Distance

I wanted to change up the route of my run today, so I did. I wanted to run more back roads than main roads this time. I did run on one of the two major roads here, but it wasn't for a very long time - maybe one-half to three-quarters of a mile. But while I was getting back to the house, I looked at my stopwatch [on my watch], and it was showing about 25 minutes and some-odd seconds. I knew I wasn't done running yet because there was no way I knocked at least 1:30 off of my time. So I decided to just run a little bit longer.

I ended up running 2.6 miles in 32:38.72!! Not a great time, but the run felt really good to me because I wasn't very winded and I didn't feel like my legs were going to give out on me. So that all means that I know I can pick up the pace next time and push myself a little bit harder - which I definitely will!! I feel that I am doing a pretty good job at working to achieve my goal of being able to run 5 miles by October.

Four Weeks Later....

WOW! What a difference four weeks has made!! I can't even begin to tell you how much I have changed in the past four weeks!! I can just tell you the measurements and how much weight I've lost, but that's just not all of it. I wish I had a photo editing program so I could resize all of my massively large photos. [My last program went to crap when the laptop got infected with viruses, and I'm just waiting a few more weeks till I can get my awesome program package for school. And my pictures on my camera are so big that I can't even upload them to any site. Ugh.] But believe me when I say I have gone through some amazing changes!!

In the last week, I lost 2.8 pounds [bringing my total weight loss to 12.8 pounds]. Also, in the last week, I lost 3.25 inches [bringing the total loss to 15.75 inches]. My BMI has dropped 2.5 points in the last four weeks!! I am at the very low end of the weight range that I have trouble getting out of!! So next week, I should definitely be out of that weight range and be at the lowest weight I've been in in years!! I have been losing so much weight and so many inches that my clothes are getting a lot baggier on me!! I am very excited and happy about that!!

In four weeks, I've gone from not even being able to run one-quarter of a mile to running 2.3 miles!! I've gone from lifting light weights to bench pressing 20 pounds, lifting weights that are up to 50 pounds with my legs, and doing some other lifting exercises where I can lift up to 70 pounds!!

I have work out goals that I have set for myself. I believe that I can reach them, as long as I properly work myself up to those goals. I think I will make a blog entry about those goals to share with those of you who read this, and then we'll see when the time comes if I have actually achieved those goals or not.

I wasn't expecting THAT.

This morning, I went for my usual Saturday run. I wanted to change the route, so I did. I didn't think it'd be much different [distance-wise] compared to the route I ran Tuesday and Thursday. Well, I just got home from measuring the distance I ran, and it was a longer distance than I ran twice this week.

Today, I ran 2.3 miles!! Yeah! I ran it in 27:13.53. To me, that's not too bad for it being the first time I ran that distance while being up here. Maybe it'll be like the last distance - I cut 20 seconds off of my time from Tuesday to Thursday. So with a little bit of work and time running this distance, I can knock some time off and be able to run it at a decent pace. That is, unless, I decide to just go ahead and bump up the distance soon. I'd like to stay at the distance I'm running now and be able to improve my time, but it wouldn't be out of the norm for me to just bump up the distance within a week.

This week has been a good week for me though!! I'm lifting now and am seeing a difference already. I can lift up to 50 pounds when I do lifting for my legs. I'm only bench pressing 20 pounds, but can lift up to 70 pounds when I do other upper body stuff. I still do ab work on the days I lift, and I am definitely seeing a nice change in my torso!! My waist is getting smaller, and so is my "tire". All of my muscles are becoming more defined and toned, and I love it!! I decided to just go tanning Monday-Friday this week, and take the weekend off. But I definitely have a tan now, and it's nice!!

I'm just very happy with how hard I've been working this month. I have put so much effort into getting healthier. Some days are tougher than others because the boys will sometimes throw my schedule off, but I do try to stick to the schedule as much as possible. [I normally workout and go tanning during naptime so that I'm not just leaving two boys running around the house with my mom while I go do stuff and she has to take care of two out-of-control boys.]

I know I say this a lot, but I really can't wait to see how much I've changed in 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, etc.!! It's going to be so weird looking back and seeing the changes I went through.

Swimsuit Shopping is in Order

Yesterday was the first day I went swimming this year. I don't like to go swimsuit shopping [I haven't for 5 years now], and I decided a few months ago that I'd just stick with my swimsuit from last year because I'm almost the same size I was last time I wore it - or so I thought. Well, I put that swimsuit on yesterday, and Holy Moly, it was just slightly too big!! HA. [Thank God I wear a T-shirt over my swimsuit when I go swimming!! HA.] And when I say that my swimsuit is big on me, I do mean it is big on me. I could easily take the bottom part of the top in by 1-2 inches. [The bottom part of the top doesn't tie. Only the top part of it ties.] The bottoms were okay, so I can deal with them. But I really should go out and buy a new swimsuit - a cheap one. I don't need a nice swimsuit for this summer because if I'm going to reach my goal, stay there, get surgery, etc., it would be totally stupid of me and pointless to spend so much money on a swimsuit that won't even last me a whole summer. But it certainly is nice to know that it's time to get a new swimsuit - and have to get one because of losing weight, rather than gaining weight.

I went lifting yesterday afternoon for a little bit. It was a bit instense. HA. I'm starting off fairly low with bench pressing - I only lifted 20 pounds and did 15 reps. But there's this one thing I can do [and I can't think of what it's called at the moment] and lift a lot of weight - so I did 15 reps at 30 pounds, 15 reps at 55 pounds, and 10 reps at 70 pounds. I did one thing for my hamstrings - 15 reps at 15 or 20 pounds. I know I did one or two other things, but I can't remember what they were and how much weight. HA. It was so effing hot though and I was drenched in sweat!! After I was done lifting, I got on the elliptical for a short period of time.

Not only did I go lifting next door for a little bit yesterday, I also did some other stuff. In the morning, I spent about 30-45 minutes working with lighter weights doing some upper body stuff and doing some ab work. Then around 12:30 or so, while Brayden was napping, I took Michael out for a 30-40 minute walk. [Don't worry, my mom was at the house while Brayden was napping.] And like I mentioned before, I went swimming yesterday for a little bit.

At the end of the day yesterday, I felt really good about myself. This morning, I don't feel sore. I am loving that I am taking this seriously and working my butt off!! I can't wait to see where I am in 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, etc. I am very happy with the results I've seen so far.

Looking in the Mirror

When I look in the mirror now, I can see a difference. What I looked like over three weeks ago and what I look like now are just completely different. My face has slimmed down a little bit. I can tell that I've lost a few inches off of my waist and "tire". I can see that my legs have slimmed down a little bit. I can see the muscles in my legs. I can see the muscles in my arms getting bigger and my arms looking more toned. I stand up more straight now, whereas I didn't before because I wasn't very happy with the way I looked. I may not be 100% happy with the way I look now, but I am a whole lot happier than I was before.

One of the biggest things I have noticed recently isn't something that anyone can see when they look at me just standing around. It's not something I can see when I look in the mirror. Well, you might be able to notice it after I'm done running. But no longer am I constantly feeling "winded". I used to be out of breath just by doing simple things before. Now, I can run two miles without feeling "winded" at all. I love that I can run two miles, take two deep breaths at the end, and be fine.

Two Miles

I ran two miles this morning - the longest distance I've ran since I've been up here!! I didn't know if I was going to "shoot" for two miles today, another day this week [Thursday or Saturday], or next week. Well, today was obviously the day that I decided to go for two miles!! I ran those two miles in 24:23.84. I started cramping really bad about half way through the run, but I wasn't going to let those cramps stop me from pushing for two miles. Yeah, it took me a little bit longer than expected to run at least two miles, but I ran those two miles without giving up!! I pushed myself and didn't give up because of cramps. Also, today's run had me going up another hill. I am proud of today's run, even though I know I could've done better. I still have time to improve at this distance before I increase it.

Last night, I decided to cut the sleeves off of some of my T-shirts. [Of course, I only cut the T-shirts that are a little larger and not worn out to places because of how lame they are. HA.] It's getting hot out here, and I don't like the tan lines I have right now on my arms. So now I'll be wearing my cut-off shirts when I go running and work out outside. I do go tanning, but there is a slightly significant tan line on both of my arms. HA. It's just a bit ridiculous.

Three Weeks Later....

I am three weeks into this new lifestyle. The changes I see in myself are wonderful!! The changes I feel are even better!!

In the last week, I've lost two pounds [bringing the total to ten pounds lost]. Also, I've lost 2.5 inches in the last week [bringing the total to 12.5 inches lost].

This week, I am going to hopefully start adding some new things into my work outs. The one thing I really want to add is lifting. It'll help me gain the upper body strength I'd love to have!! I'm, also, going to maybe add a little bit more distance when I go running. I might add one-quarter of a mile so that I can be running an even 2 miles. My parents' neighbors don't just have lifting stuff, they've got an elliptical, boxing stuff, and some other stuff, so maybe I'll start using something else as well.

Right now, I am in the toughest five-pound weight range for myself. I hit the one end of that range last week, and I have three more pounds to go till I hit the other end of the range. I've had such a struggle getting passed the lower end of the range for a very long time. I'm hoping that this time around, though, I'll be able to get passed it and never see that weight again when I step on the scale. I am ready to be a weight that I haven't been in years!!

Lifting

As I've mentioned before, I would like to start lifting. I used to lift years ago, simply because I wanted to and I enjoyed it. I think that this week, I'm going to maybe start lifting. I really would like to do more upper body stuff, and lifting would be great for that, rather than just using my light weights all of the time.

I told Mark about how I'd like to start lifting, and that once I start, I'd like to continue lifting. I then mentioned that if we move in a house when we move again that has either an extra room or garage, we should turn one of those areas into our own little gym and buy stuff for lifting. Mark will be reenlisting in a few months, and I think it would be absolutely awesome if we bought stuff for lifting. It'd be more convenient for us to be able to work out at home, on our own time, we wouldn't have to pay for a gym membership anywhere [well, I wouldn't at least], we wouldn't be wasting money on gas to get to and from a gym, we wouldn't have to worry about whether or not a gym has child care/how much extra it costs/how long they'll watch the kids a day while we work out, and all of that kind of stuff. I just think that buying stuff for lifting would be great for us!!

We already have the Total Gym and a bike, so why not get stuff for lifting?! We could get a treadmill, too, if we wanted, but it's not on the top of the list. We have a jogging stroller, so Mark and I could just go out and run together while he pushes the boys.

I really want Mark and I to start working out together when he gets home - especially if we have our own stuff. I think it'd be fun. It would be something else we can do together, rather than just watching TV and movies all of the time. Also, I think it'd set a good example for our boys and we could teach them how important exercise is. I want to show them that it's important, not just tell them it is and be a lazy bum myself.

Running in the Rain

The weather up here has been so crazy lately!! It'll be so sunny and hot out, then an hour later it'll be pouring down rain, thundering, and lightning out. Craziness I tell you!!

I knew it was going to be raining this morning, so I waited for it to stop for at least 10 minutes before I went out on my run. The 10 minutes went by, and I went outside to go on my 1.75-mile run. About one-third of the way into my run, it just started pouring down rain!! Ridiculous! But I didn't give up and quit running - I just kept on going. I had to constantly wipe the rain off of my face so I could see where the heck I was going, it was raining that bad. I even ran right into a few puddles along the way, even though I tried to avoid the puddles as much as possible. And this time, I had to stop at two intersections because of cars - whereas I've never had to do that before.

When I got home, I was drenched from head to toe!! My light gray, long-sleeved shirt was a very dark gray. My shoes were full of water. My hair was flat to my head. Even 3 minutes after I got home, I had to keep wiping the water off of my face so I could see. HA.

I ran the 1.75 miles in 19:33.00 today. Yeah, it's a bit longer than the time I ran it in the other day, but I did have a few added elements this time [rain and cars at intersections]. But today's time means nothing to me - I finished the run I started even after it began to pour down rain. I wasn't going to let rain stop me at all.

As much as I wanted to, I didn't go tanning today. I got burnt yesterday. It's not too bad, though. I just didn't want to go tanning today and cause the burnt areas to get worse. That'd be no good!! So I took the day off from tanning. It just helps a lot that I use lots of lotions, as well as stuff with Aloe, because my skin doesn't itch and hurt often. I'm thinking about taking tomorrow off from tanning, too, so that the burnt areas have some more time to go down in redness. [Well, the areas that got burnt are a pinkish color right now. So that's good.] But I have been thinking yesterday and today - I might just go tanning Monday-Friday, and have the weekends off from tanning. If I don't go with two days off from tanning, I'll probably go with taking Sundays off. I don't need to go tanning seven days a week. Crap, I don't think anyone needs to go tanning seven days a week - just like no one needs to work out seven days a week - give your body a break.

Hmm....

I've been thinking lately about how I want to start lifting soon. My parents have a work out bench and everything else, but it's all put away somewhere [and I don't know where it is exactly]. Then I remembered, my neighbors have all of that stuff set up in their garage and they said I could use it whenever I want!! So if I don't dig out my parents' stuff, I'll just go next door and use their stuff for lifting. My little weights won't do much good for me in a short while. I used to lift when I was younger, and I could lift 100 pounds when I was in 8th or 9th grade!! HA. I was such a beast back then, I'm not even kidding you!! HAHAHA.

My mom looked at me earlier this evening and said, "You're butt's smaller." HA. I haven't really been paying much attention lately, but after my mom said that, I realized that my butt wasn't filling out the back of the pants I'm wearing. [Now, a month or so ago, my butt was really filling out the back of these pants I'm wearing. It was kind of ridiculous!! I couldn't stand it.] So I'm really happy that my weight loss is noticeable to others.

I've been tanning for a few days now, and I'm finally seeing some color on my legs!! I am so Irish and white [dang you, Italian genes for not being dominant!!] that it takes my legs forever to tan!! I'm just happy that I'm getting some color on my legs!! I can't wait till they're a nice tan color, because I want my muscles to be more noticeable - especially my calves!!

I am going to the grocery store in the morning with my mom and boys because of the MAJOR produce sale I blogged about the other day. We're definitely going to get as much produce as possible because the deals are just out of this world, they're so awesome!!

Running

I thought before that I was running 1.5-2 miles, but I was running about 1.25-1.5 miles. I only know that because when I went on my run today, it was the farthest I've ran up here. After the run, I took my car and it showed that today's run was 1.75 miles. I felt really good after that run, even though I was feeling a little sick when I was two houses down from my parents' house. I'm proud of myself - I bumped up the distance and I ran it in 19:05-19:10.

I am hoping to be able to run 4-5 miles come October. I'd be really happy if I could do that!! But with the way I've been going, I could probably be running 4-5 miles in 8-9 weeks [rather 14-15 weeks]. I'll stick with October being the goal though for running 4-5 miles because if I feel like I need to "drag out" running a certain distance, I'll be able to and not feel "rushed".

I really do love challenging myself and pushing myself on a daily basis.

Some More Changes.

I've been sticking with being vegan and working out 6 days a week. It's not easy, but it's no longer difficult. I keep pushing myself during work outs, and I've seen wonderful changes in just under two and a half weeks.

However, outside of food and working out, I've made a few other small changes. I figure that if I'm going to take care of the inside of my body, I better start taking better care of the outside. I'm back to using lotion on a daily basis [I used to do that before, but stopped for a few months]. I'm still washing my face 2-3 times a day [like I've done for a long time], but I'm using toner and lotion after each time I wash my face. The other day, I decided to get a two month tanning pass. [I know, I know - it's bad and unhealthy.] I'm always out running, and I hate having legs that could quite possibly glow in the dark. HA. [Plus, the tan will make my muscles look more toned - and that's wonderful!!] I recently canvased out my hair [that means I made it all one solid color]. I just was sick of having the highlights and stuff, so I decided to color my hair one day last week. Today, I went and got my hair cut. My hair was in desperate need of a cut!!

I am going to get back into waxing my eyebrows on a weekly basis so that they're always looking nice. [I'll admit it - I love my eyebrows!!] I got a heating pad today at the store, so I am going to try to use that at least once a week on my back. [I've got a messed up back. It's been messed up for many years.] I am going to try to soak in a hot bath once a week so I can have some time to relax.

I really am trying to change a lot of things in my life - and only for the better. I needed to change my life - I have for a long time. I am so happy, though, that I'm making changes now, rather than waiting till it's too late. I am now happier about myself than I have been in years.

Music

I love music. And when I say that, I mean I love music!! I have an incredibly large span of music knowledge, it's kind of ridiculous. [My whole family is really into music, minus a few people. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is Heaven on Earth to me - I'd live there if I could.]

We all know how much music can inspire us and motivate us. I love listening to music when I work out because it just gets me pumped up. I have never had my own iPod - I just always borrowed my husband's. But since he's deployed and took the iPod with him, I was left iPodless. HA. I told him before he left that I'd get one at some point while he was gone so I could have it for working out and in the car. Yesterday, I finally got my iPod!! I love it!! I got an amaing deal at Best Buy - 8GB iPod nano, arm band, wall charger, and $15 iTunes gift card all for $179.99!!!!

Naturally, as soon as I got home, I hooked up the iPod to the laptop and started putting loads of music on it!! All of those 8GB are just about used already. HA. I love music, but I'm very picky about what songs I want to hear when I work out and when I'm in the car. It's a long process for me to pick and choose what goes on the iPod, and what doesn't. [I'll admit it - I'm ridiculous about the whole process.]

But I thought that I would share some of my absolute favorite songs to work out to with all of you. Some songs are older, while a few are fairly new. I've got near 200 songs on my Work Out playlist, but I'll only list some of those songs right now.

3 Doors Down - "The Champion In Me"
38 Special - "So Caught Up In You"
38 Special - "Hold On Loosely"
The All-American Rejects - "Dirty Little Secret"
Blue Oytser Cult - "Don't Fear the Reaper"
Bob Dylan - "Like a Rolling Stone"
Bob Dylan - "Hurricane"
Bruce Springsteen - "Born in the USA"
Bruce Springsteen - "Born to Run"
Everlife - "Find Yourself in You"
Foo Fighters - "Best of You"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Real"
Goo Goo Dolls - "Big Machine"
Jesse McCartney - "How Do U Sleep" [I prefer the original edit over the Ludacris version.]
Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'" [Did you honestly think that I'd leave my favorite song ever off of this list?!]
Kelly Clarkson - "I Do Not Hook Up"
The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"
Kings of Leon - "Sex on Fire"
Matchbox 20 - "How Far We've Come"
Michael Stanley Band - "He Can't Love You" [The only concert I've ever been to was a MSB concert when I was 15. It was a fun time!!]
OAR - "This Town"
Outkast - "Hey Ya!"
Phil Collins - "Both Sides of the Story"
Tom Petty - "Won't Back Down"
The Who - "Baba O'Riley"
The Who - "You Better You Bet"

What are your favorite songs to work out to?! What songs motivate you?!

Improving Speed.

I know I just blogged a little bit ago. But I do have some good news to share. [Well, I think it's good anyway.]

I got back from my run about 20 minutes ago [give or take], and it was amazing!! When I first started this distance, I couldn't even run the whole dang thing. Then I got to running the distance non-stop, and it would take me over 20 minutes to run it. Over the weekend, I bought myself a nice little watch from Target that has a stop watch on it because I want to simply time myself and see the exact time it takes me to run. Once I started running today, I started the stopwatch. I felt like I was running so slow the first 2-3 minutes, but I just kept the pace because I didn't want to work myself too much in the beginning and feel like I wouldn't be able to make it to the end. A few more minutes go by and I see 7:40-something on my watch, and I was surprised because I didn't think I ran the distance I had done in that short period of time. I was proud of myself. I looked at the watch one or two more times before I saw I had a little over 14 minutes on my watch. I was shocked!! I barely had any distance left to run!! So I told myself Push for 15 minutes because you're almost there. Only two more corners to turn and you're on your street. Once I had about 500 feet or so left, I told myself Push yourself, Stephanie. Kick it in gear and sprint the rest of the way. I definitely sprinted down the street!! I made it in 15:11.22!! So that's pretty good!! Only 11.22 seconds over what my goal was!!

I still just can't get over what I have accomplished since June 1st!! It's amazing!! I am loving everything I have accomplished!! I've been working very hard at this, and I am so happy that it's showing!!

To work out or not to work out?!

Yesterday was a very busy day for me. I woke up, got the boys changed, got them breakfast, weighed in and took my new measurements, got myself ready, e-mailed Mark [he's been gone for over a month now and yesterday was his birthday], did a few things around the house, went to a few stores, went to the Post Office to send Mark a package, came home, got the boys taken care of, and put them down for naptime. By the time I was done with all of that, it was after noon. I still had to take a shower and get ready for the Cleveland Indians game [last night was Rick Vaughn bobblehead night - and yes, I certainly did get a bobblehead]. I was debating on whether or not I should work out yesterday and just bump everything back a day this week, or if I should just work out for a little bit. I decided that it would be best for me to work out yesterday. I didn't do my strength training work out for an hour or so like I usually do, but I still worked out. I was sweating, feeling the pain in my muscles, and it was great!! I even went on a walk yesterday, which was nice [even though I kept rolling my ankle for some stupid reason HA].

I'm glad that I chose to work out, rather than pushing it a day back. Who knows what pushing my work out a day back would've done!! I might've ended up not getting back into working out. And I'm not going to give up so soon on what I've already put so much hard work in to!!

I love that the weather is getting nicer around here because I've been saying for a few months now that once it's nice out, I'm going to add swimming to my work out. I might add it on the days I run so I have two different things to do on that day, just like on my strength training days I go for a walk. I mean, of course I'll get in the pool every day possible, but on my running days, I'll do more serious swimming than just swimming and playing around for fun in the pool.

Well, I might as well get ready so I can go out for my Tuesday run. I don't want to wait too long to go on my run.

Two Weeks Later....

Two weeks ago was the switch over to being a vegan and working out 6 days a week. I have accomplished a lot in just two weeks. I've been feeling a lot better - both physically and mentally. I am seeing more changes as each day goes by, and I am stronger now than I was before.

In just the last week, I lost 3.2 pounds [bringing the total weight loss to 8 pounds]. Also, in just the last week, I lost 6 inches [bringing the total to 10 inches]. Now, I don't just measure one arm, one leg, my chest, waist, and hips - I measure both upper arms, chest, low bustline, waist, "tire", hips, both thighs, and both calves. I measure those areas because I feel that they are very important, and I measure both arms and legs because I like to see how far off they are in measurement or if they're symmetrical [I do have a problem if things aren't symmetrical - blame it on the OCD]. But for a breakdown of my measurements, here's what I've lost:
Right Arm: -0.75 inches
Left Arm: -0.75 inches
Chest: -0.75 inches
Low Bustline [right under the chest]: -0.25 inches
Waist: -2.0 inches
"Tire": -2.0 inches
Hips: -0.75 inches
Right Thigh: -1.25 inches
Left Thigh: -0.75 inches
Right Calf: -0.25 inches
Left Calf: -0.5 inches


I can't believe that with being vegan and all of the working out I've done, I've actually lost 8 pounds and 10 inches!!!! How insane is that?! I'm really proud of myself for accomplishing those things!! But I'm even more proud of the fact that I've stuck with this and have improved my strength and my running a lot in just two weeks!!

06/14/2009

Last night, I tried the bath soak I bought yesterday at the Mustard Seed Market & Cafe. [That stuff seriously smells like Vick's rub.] I put a little over a handful of the stuff in the tub [it says to use at least a handful], and I let the warm/almost hot water fill the tub about two-thirds of the way. I soaked in the tub for 20 minutes [give or take], and when I was done, I felt so relaxed!! The smell just relaxed me so much!! I even got a good night's sleep last night!! I slept so well, and I even slept in for a little bit [thank God my kids slept in, too].

I even told my family that if they ever wanted to use some of that stuff, they're more than welcome to. They all thought I hated it when I told them they could use it, but I seriously like it that much that!! That stuff is wonderful!!

So my recommendation to you: Go out and buy a bath soak!! Use it every once in a while!! It'll help relax you and you'll be incredibly thankful you got it!!

Shopping at the Mustard Seed Market & Cafe

This afternoon, I went shopping at the Mustard Seed Market & Cafe. I was there for at least 45 minutes. That place is seriously awesome!! I love it there!!

The food products I bought were about one-quarter of an organic watermelon, nutritional yeast, four things of tofu, seitan, two things of tempeh, organic corn chips, two boxes of organic cookies for the boys, four things of vanilla soy yogurt [I absolutely love that stuff!!], and a couple other things that are escaping my mind right now.

The non-food products I bought were tea tree shampoo, tea tree conditioner, biotin shampoo, baby shampoo, baby body wash, tea tree body wash, rosemary body wash [helps tone skin], face wash [fresh cleansing gel with sea algae], toner [sea tonic rosewater and aloe toner with ylang ylang], and a bath soak [helps relax muscles, reduce tension, and help with sleeping more soundly - it smells like Vick's rub]. I forgot to get lotion while I was there, but I will be getting some lotion tomorrow when I go out. Also, I got two of those fabric grocery bags for my stuff to go in. For just 99 cents a bag, that isn't bad - especially since they give discounts to those who use the fabric bags!!

Before I went grocery shopping this afternoon [and before my MIL came over to visit], I went out for my Saturday run. I ran the same distance I did Thursday. Actually, I went the same distance, but started running sooner by about 25-40 feet. It was a really good run. It was just a bit cold outside, which took me a little bit longer to really warm up during my run, but I did good!! I am so excited about how much I have improved in just my running since I started running on June 2nd!! I really am looking forward to see how much I improve in the next couple of months!!

On Friday, one of the grocery stores here is having a MAJOR produce sale!! My mom and I are going to go and get lots of fruits and vegetables!! I seriously can't believe how cheap the produce is going to be. They'll be selling 5 pounds of strawberries for just under $5 - and I love strawberries!! A whole watermelon is going to be under $2!! I can't remember everything else off the top of my head, but it's seriously insane how cheap the produce is going to be!!

Doing Better. Getting Stronger.

The last two days have been really good for me. I still haven't had any animal products, and it's only getting easier and easier to stay away from that stuff. As for working out, I'm improving so much and am able to see a huge change in just less than two weeks!!

I'm not lifting heavy weights right now, I'm just sticking with light weights for the time being. However, I have bumped up the weight I am lifting [even though it's still nothing huge], and I can feel a major difference and see a major difference when I do my strength training exercises. My shoulders and triceps are the two areas I can see a difference in my upper body. I really would love to have nice shoulders and triceps!! I am seeing some really nice changes in my legs, too. I do focus on my legs a lot!! My calves are starting to look decent, and I can't wait till they're killer!! I am starting to get a little bit of definition in my thighs, and I can tell that they are getting a tiny bit skinnier [even though they're still monstrous]. I have added some more moves to my ab work out, and I can feel that they're getting stronger. I want my abs to be in the best shape possible for whenever I go in to get my abdominoplasty - I don't want the surgeon to have to do much work [if any] to reconstruct my abs, just get rid of the incredible excess skin.

My running has improved leaps and bounds within less than two weeks. The first day I ran, I couldn't even run one-quarter to one-half of a mile at once, and now I'm already up to 1.5-2 miles of non-stop running!! I went on my run today, and it was the farthest I have ever run since I got here in Ohio!! But not only was it the longest distance, I ran without having a hard time breathing, my legs didn't feel like they were going to give out on me, and I honestly could've ran at least one-quarter of a mile more. I'm kind of upset with myself for not running longer, but I did a great job on my run!! I think I'll just stick with the same distance I ran today when I go on my run on Saturday. But next week, I might try to bump up the distance. And with all of the running I've been doing, it has been helping out with my legs, butt, and all of my core. Seriously, I have gotten so much better within less than two weeks that I am really looking forward to seeing how well I'll be doing with running in a month, two months, three months, etc.

I am someone that really loves challenge myself when it comes to physical stuff!! I love "beating myself up" and working myself as hard as I possibly can. I have always been like that - even before I was 8 years old, I was like that. I don't like feeling like I can't do something. I am constantly pushing myself. I am constantly telling myself that I can do whatever it is I am trying to do. I try not to let things get me down, even though sometimes things do get me down. But I do try to just shake it off and get back to proving I can do something.

People don't truly understand the difference between "I can't" and "I won't". Most people say "I can't", when they really mean "I won't". How do you know you can't do something, especially if you've never tried it?! How do you know that you can't do something if you've only tried a few times?! How do you know that the next time you try something won't be the time that you accomplish what you've been working for?!

Not once, but TWICE!!

Holy moly!!

I went for my usual Tuesday run earlier today. That run was a complete success!! I did my normal very short walk in the beginning [about 50-75 feet or so], then ran the rest of the distance. I might've cut out one-tenth or less of a mile from the run I went on Saturday afternoon. So that felt unbelievably amazing knowing that I went just about the same distance I did Saturday, but ran the whole distance [minus the first 50-75 feet]!! I was on such an adrenaline "high" after that run, that I seriously couldn't sit still for about 20-30 minutes. HA. I was just drenched in sweat after that run, and I was loving every nanosecond of it!! [Seriously, if you know me, you know that sweat is my best friend and I don't mind being covered in it during and after a work out.] I just felt so good about that run - and I still do!!

But do you really want to know how good I felt about that morning run?! I went on another run around 1:30 PM!! That run was shorter than the first run I went on today, by about one-quarter of a mile or so. I walked about 75-100 feet in the beginning, then ran the rest of the distance. It felt wonderful going on that second run!! Of course, I felt like my legs were going to give out a few times, but I didn't let that stop me!! Oh no!! I didn't let that stop me at all!! I kept on pushing myself - telling myself You can do this!! Don't give up now!! And not once did I give up!!

I've been thinking lately, maybe I should just go ahead and write down some of my goals. If you know me, you know that I don't like to have goals written out in number form, but rather have goals like "Be healthier", "Work out more", "Drink more water", etc. I just don't want to set goals that could be too ridiculous and not reach them, and I don't want to set goals that are very possible to reach because I don't want to reach them and just kind of settle. Maybe what I'll do is write down a goal range. I'll write down something that could possibly be reached, and then have the other end of that range be something that's more challenging. I think that's what I'll do. And if I accomplish those goals, I will post them when they've been accomplished.

06/09/2009

What a lame title, 06/09/2009. Don't you think so?! HA. Oh well. I can't think of anything very creative. But on to blogging about food and working out....

Last night, we had Quick and Easy Potato Soup and salad [but I didn't eat the salad because I was way full on the soup]. Let me tell you, that soup was AMAZING!! I've never had any type of potato soup before - just hearing "Potato Soup" always made me want to be sick ten times over. But I decided to give the vegan potato soup a shot last night, and it was AMAZING!!!! I absolutely loved it!! I loved it so much that I had two helpings!! HA. To me, it tasted like the creamy stuff from the scalloped potatoes my mom makes. Ugh, so good!! I highly recommend this to anyone that is vegan or simply loves potato soup!!!! But if you don't like a lot of pepper, make sure you use the lower amount of pepper, or even less. My mom used the lower amount, and it was a bit peppery - but that didn't bother me like it did my mom.

Yesterday was a great day for me!! It was even a great day outside of the food and working out - and that makes all the difference!! So since I was having a great day yesterday, I not only went on a walk with my sister in the afternoon, we ended up going on another walk in the evening, and I worked out my lower body and abs for about two hours!! I was all kinds of sweaty yesterday, but it was an amazing feeling!! I love that when I'm having such a good day, I'll work out so much and enjoy every second of it!!

Today is a running day, and I should go get ready so I can go on that run real soon. So I think I'm going to go do just that now - get ready and run!!

One Week Later....

So here I am, one week after switching over to being vegan, and [trying to] leave nuts and oils out of everything I eat. As a whole, the week has been pretty good and easy for me. Yes, I have had a few moments where I wanted to have some sort of animal product. But as each day has gone by, it's been easier and easier for me to pass that stuff up. So that's a major step in this switching-over-to-vegan process!! So YAY me!! HA.

I've already weighed myself and taken my measurements this morning. Last night, I was "calling" for a 5 pound loss. When I stepped on the scale this morning, there was a 4.8 pound loss from last week!!!! So not bad at all!! I'm very happy with that!! I've also lost a total of 4 inches off of my body!! And of those 3 inches, 1.5 inches came off of just one area!! How amazing is that?!

I am very happy of what I accomplished in just one week of switching over to being a vegan, [trying to] cut out oils and nuts from what I eat, and working out 6 days last week!! I am proud of myself for actually making it the first week without messing up the whole vegan thing and not taking one of my 6 days off from working out.

I am loving this switch to vegan!! I told Mark in an e-mail I sent him a little bit ago

I've been feeling good, too, lately - so that makes this all the better for me!! I'm not going to lie, I really like this vegan thing. I always thought it was so stupid when people went vegetarian/vegan, but it's a lot better than I thought. The only bad thing about being vegan is that I ate eggplant yesterday - and I discovered that I don't like eggplant at all!! Oh well. I'll live without having eggplant.

I'm just so happy that I'm feeling so much better these days!! That's such a huge relief for me!!

Review: Strawberry Snack Cake

Here's my quick review on the Strawberry Snack Cake.

The strawberry topping was very good. It may have been just a little bit too sweet for me, but it definitely wasn't unbearable.

The actual cake was okay. I had a taste of the batter that was left in the bowl after it had been poured into the pan. It tasted exactly like normal yellow cake batter. But once it was baked and had the strawberry topping on it, the cake just was missing a tad bit of something. I think that something might've been a little vanilla and/or a pinch of sugar. I don't know. It was just missing a little bit of something. Plus, I think I would've added some more soy milk so the cake would've have been so dense.

But all-in-all, it was a pretty good cake. I'll have it again, for sure - but just make a few changes to suit my tastebuds.

Dinner Review: Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole

Okay, so I posted earlier today about what my mom would be making for dinner, the Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole. Now, here's my review.

It looked and smelled absolutely wonderful!! As for the taste, I'll give it a 4.5 out of 5. I've never had eggplant before [at least not that I can ever recall], and today I learned that I'm not a huge fan of it. [I'd prefer whole wheat lasagna noodles over the eggplant - but that's just my opinion.] The filling we used, however, was so good!!

So, would I recommend this to people?! Yes, I would!! But if you don't like eggplant, use some whole wheat lasagna noodles instead.

My mom went ahead and made the Strawberry Snack Cake, too. So once I've had that, I will let you all know how it is. [It looks and smells delish right now!!]

Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole

For dinner tonight, my mom and I are going to have Italian Layered Vegetable Casserole. I am really excited to try it. It looks so good!!

But instead of using the Creamy Bean Filling that the recipe calls for, we're going to go with the other option and use THIS for the filling.

I absolutely love Fat Free Vegan!! There are so many recipes that I want to try because the food just looks DE-E-LISH!!!! Plus, the ingredients in a lot of the recipes are amazing!!

I have been wanting to make the Strawberry Snack Cake for a while. Maybe I will make it some time this week or next week. I am definitely on a major strawberry "kick" right now!! I ♥ strawberries!! They are absolutely, amazingly delicious!! [You know I'm right!! Don't even try to deny it!!]

Changes

Even though I just started being vegan on Monday [June 1st], I've already noticed quite a few changes in myself.

I've already mentioned how I'm not sick every day, I don't have the daily migraines from Hell, and how I have more energy. But not only have I noticed those things, I've noticed some differences with my skin. I naturally have extremely oily skin and I break out all the time. I am almost 22 years old, and I have the skin complexion of a 12-14 year old that's just going through puberty. It's ridiculous, I tell you!! I hate it so much!! [Plus, it doesn't help that when I went to an appointment back in January, my stupid doctor gave me stuff that only worsened my skin and literally tore it up.] But since I've gone vegan, even in just a few days, my skin hasn't been as oily and I'm not breaking out as much!! How awesome is that?! Also, my skin isn't as "loose" and flabby as before. I can see and feel that it's changed already. It's not a massive change, but it has changed a little bit, which is better than absolutely nothing. I have, what I like to call, "old lady hands". My hands just don't look like they belong on an almost 22-year-old. But already, my hands don't look as "old". I know it might sound weird, but I am self conscious about my hands and feet. [Let's not even get started on my feet. Feet in general are disgusting, but mine are just a bit passed the disgusting line.] Other than my skin, I've also noticed a change in how I sleep. I've never been much a deep sleeper or sleep very well [especially ever since I had Michael], but I am noticing that I am getting more sleep now and that it's a deeper sleep than I'm used to. And let me tell you something, it's wonderful!!

Now I know this next bit will be a bit TMI, but since I've cut out animal products, oils, and nuts, digestion has been a lot better. Some people know that I used to get incredibly sick before the switch over to being vegan. My stomach would hurt so bad and I'd be curled up in a ball at least once a day, practically every day, crying because my stomach hurt and it'd be difficult for me to digest foods. It was horrible!! Grease and oils would tear my insides up like you can't even begin to imagine. But since I don't ingest foods with a lot of grease and oils [if any at grease and oil at all], my digestive system has been a lot happier, as have I!!

Working out has been going well. I haven't done anything yet today, but I don't know if I want to go for a run and/or do some Yoga. I'm still debating. But the last couple of days have been great. Monday I did lower body and abs, as well as took a walk. Tuesday morning I did some running/walking intervals, and did Yoga in the afternoon. Wednesday I did upper body and abs, and took a walk. Thursday morning I went out for a run [but did walk very little during that run], and did some serious stretching in the afternoon and evening. Friday [yesterday] I did lower body and abs, but I didn't go for a walk. I've been feeling good about my work outs lately. The one time I slacked, I made up for it that evening.

I'm feeling great about myself!! I love the changes I've seen in just a few days!! It's amazing what a little change can do to someone. Monday is when I weigh myself next, as well as take my measurements. I wonder how much of a difference in my weight and measurements there will be. It's going to be interesting. I'm not planning on seeing major differences in my weight and measurements, but I think there will be changes, for sure. So once Monday rolls around and I've got my new weight and measurements, I'll definitely share with you how much has changed.

UPDATE
Well, I decided to go for a run. I went out right around 1:00 PM, and was out for 1.5-2 miles. I ran all but about 800 feet. I felt really good when I was done - as well as exhausted. The sun was beating down right on me. I like to run in the morning because I don't have to worry about all of the heat and sun beating right on me, but it wasn't too bad running today. I'm really proud though because I did push myself. Whenever I started feeling like I was going to give up, I'd just tell myself Just get to that corner and you can start walking. But once I'd hit that corner, I'd keep running and just tell myself again Just get to that corner and you can start walking. I did end up walking though while I was out. I walked about 50 feet before I started running, just to warm up a little bit. About half way through, I walked about 500 feet or so because I was exhausted after running up a hill, then went back to running for a little bit. Then I walked about 100-200 feet because I was on a road without sidewalks, and there were cars going in both directions - I felt that walking was the safest bet in that area. But I did run just about the whole distance, which I'm proud about!! Once I got back from the run, I got in the shower and just stood there under the hot water for about 5 minutes before I even shampooed my hair. HA. I feel so good about myself today!! I woke up this morning after having a fabulous dream, but then had a complete 180 in my mood when I saw the bank account. I called and got a few things fixed with the bank account, which put me back in a good mood. After that, I went on my run, and I feel refreshed [with a little upper back pain - HA]. But let me tell you, my dream was seriously amazing!!!! I'd love to tell you about it, but I'm not going to. HAHA. Just trust me though when I say it was fabulous.

PS - I leave for Indy in one month!! I can't wait!! I'll be there for a week!! It's going to be nothing short of amazing!!

Mustard Seed Market & Cafe

My mom, the boys, and I went to this natural and organic food market earlier today. It's called Mustard Seed Market & Cafe. The store wasn't very big, but I did like it. Wait - I think I might go as far as saying I love that store!! We went there to get some nutritional yeast, and I left there with nutritional yeast, miso, and some organic tea tree chapstick [which is absolutely wonderful].

I thought that everything there were going to be ridiculously expensive and way overpriced, but I was wrong. Of course, some things were expensive, but I found a lot of things to be reasonably priced. [And with today's economy, anything that's reasonably priced is a huge blessing!!] I even saw some things there that I had never seen in my life, which was pretty cool!!

I made a "mental grocery list" while we were there because when pay day comes next week, I am definitely going there!! Not only do I want to get foods and drinks, I want to get some organic stuff for my face [cleanser, toner, and lotion], vitamins, maybe a cookbook or two, and I'm thinking about buying some of those 99 cent reusable, cloth grocery bags. That place is just amazing!! I wish more cities/towns would have stores like that!!

After reading and hearing things about genetically engineered [GE] foods, versus organic foods, I think I want to switch the boys over to some more organic foods, as well. I want to do this for the health of my family. Foods have definitely changed over the years, and that's why Americans [as a whole] are becoming more obese - it's not just the lack of exercise, even though that does play a part. Of course, I'm not going to make everything for my kids organic right now, and I probably never will, but I definitely want them to eat a very good amount of organic and healthy foods. I want to educate them about healthy, organic foods and drinks and the major benefits of going that "route".

Now, don't think I'm trying to shove my opinions on any one of you and that I'm trying to convert you to my ways, because that's not what I'm trying to do. HA. I'm just simply saying what I feel I should do. I don't think people are horrible or wrong for eating/drinking animal products, eating GE foods, and things like that. How can I be like that to people when I used to eat and drink things like that?! That'd be very wrong of me. I know that organic foods and drinks aren't cheap - but I do believe that the more people buy organic foods and drinks, the prices will go down some. I have nothing against people eating meat, drinking milk from or a cow [or even a goat], eating GE foods - as long as you allow me to live my life the way I want and feed my family the way I want.

Going Strong!!

I know, I know - it's only been a few days since you started the vegan thing, Stephanie. But let me tell you something, not just getting rid of meat has its tough moments, but no milk and no cheese is such a "killer"!! I ♥ me some cheese!! But not only that, I'm also going without oils and nuts!! THAT makes it even more difficult!! However, I'm still going strong and haven't given in. But no doubt, I have a few moments, like last night, where I just wanted to have one tiny bite of what the boys were eating. [Last night, they had cheese and potato pierogies!! YUM!]

This is what I ate yesterday:
BREAKFAST: Banana with a glass of low-fat chocolate soy milk.
SNACK: 1-1.5 cups of Strawberry-banana smoothie drink.
LUNCH: Lettuce, tomato, and mustard sandwich.
SNACK: Orange.
DINNER: BBQ Sandwich with corn.
DESSERT: Coconut Chai Breakfast Cake

Also, I've been working out. I wanted to take a nap yesterday, but I decided to work out before I fell asleep. The work out wasn't too intense, but I still worked out before I took that much needed nap. I knew that if I didn't work out before I took a nap, I probably wouldn't be in the mood to work out once I woke up. But once I woke up from my nap and ate dinner, I felt so bad about my horrible work out earlier that I worked out a little bit more. It was nice working out my arms, chest, and shoulders, along with some ab work. My shoulders are a little sore today, but with a little bit more stretching and some heat, they'll be fine. My sister and I took the boys out for a walk yesterday, as well. It was drizzling rain about 90% of the time we were out, but we were okay. The boys had their hoods on, they were bundled up, and we walked with the rain most of the time [versus walking against/into the rain]. Even with my little bit of slacking yesterday while working out, I made up for it in the evening, and I feel good about myself and how I did yesterday.

Today's been a good day, as well!! I've had an orange and a small amount of a fruit smoothie drink I bought yesterday. I already went out for my run, and I ran just about the whole distance. [The only reason I walked about 50 feet more toward the middle-end was because I thought my legs were going to give out on me. Once I felt that my legs were fine, I went back to running.] It was cold out when I ran, and I'm pretty proud of myself for running just about the whole distance. I just hate that since it's cold, I have to spit every 2 minutes because everything starts to build up in my throat. Yuck!

But things are going well. I'm proud of myself, and as each day passes by, I become more proud of myself. I've been feeling great lately, too!! I haven't had a migraine in days, I don't feel incredibly sick to my stomach when I eat, and while I do want to nap during the day, I have more energy now when I'm awake than I did before.

Day Two was a COMPLETE SUCCESS!!

So yesterday was a complete success!! No animal products, no nuts, and no oils in the things I ate and drank!! YAY! The switch hasn't really been that bad so far. I just get annoyed once or twice a day when I see the boys eat their "quick fix" lunches and dinners that have meat and dairy, while I have to wait a while for my vegan meals to finish cooking. Oh well. My mom says that after a few weeks, you'll go a day where you might eat meat or cheese, but the next day you'll know to not eat that stuff again because you'll be so sick. I'm really trying to hold off to have that day. If I have one of those days where I "fall off the wagon", it better be a day where the food will be worth it. HAHAHAHA. I really don't see that happening though. I've gone over a year without pop and fast food, so I think I'll be able to go without animal products, nuts, and oils for a long time, as well.

Here's what I had to eat yesterday:
BREAKFAST: Banana with a glass of low-fat chocolate soy milk.
SNACK: Orange.
LUNCH: Red beans and rice.
SNACK: Apple.
DINNER: Tomato, lettuce, and mustard sandwich. [It was actually really good!!]
DESSERT: Raspberry sorbet.

I went out yesterday morning and did some running/walking intervals, but I made sure I did more running than walking. During the boys' nap time yesterday, I did over an hour of yoga, which made me all kinds relaxed. I did some stretching, too. My thighs are a bit sore today, but it's nothing unbearable.

I went grocery shopping this morning for a few things. I bought some apples, oranges, grapes, strawberries, two all-natural fruit smoothie drinks, and then some Pull Ups for Michael and deodorant for me. I wanted to get some plums while I was at the store, but I forgot to. Oh well. Maybe next time I'll get some plums - as long as I remember.

I am proud of myself!! I know it's only day three of being vegan, but I've been able to stick with the no animal products. I haven't started, then end up restarting because I gave in and had some animal products. I've also been able to stick with working out. I'm about to go out on a walk with the boys, and after that, I'm going to work out [upper body and abs].

99.9% Success

Day One was a 99.9% success!! I followed the vegan rules and didn't drink/eat any animal products. I just didn't follow the "no nuts and oils" rules. I had ONE pretzel rod yesterday - ONE!!!! That pretzel rod contained a teeny tiny amount of oil. Oh well. I followed the vegan rules, which is the main thing to focus on. Plus, it was just one pretzel rod, so it didn't do much damage. Therefore, I am proud of myself!!

For breakfast, I had a banana and a glass of vanilla flavored soy milk. [Everyone thought it was gross that I drank a glass of vanilla flavored soy milk. I just told them, "Once you've had a glass of regular soy milk, you can drink anything!!" And that's the truth!!] I had an orange for a snack between breakfast and lunch. For lunch, I had some red beans and rice. That was actually pretty good!! I had another orange for my snack between lunch and dinner. For dinner, I had half of a vegan stuffed pepper [which was amazing] and an apple. For dessert, I had some raspberry sorbet. DE-E-LISH!! Then a little bit later, I had a pretzel rod. Also, I drank water throughout the day. It really wasn't that bad yesterday going without animal products. I thought it would've been worse, but it wasn't. The hard part about it is that I'm not supposed to have anything with nuts and oils. While it sucks that I can't have anything with nuts and oils, it's also a "blessing" in a way. Instead of grabbing a handful of chips to snack on, I have to grab a piece of fruit. So if you want to be insanely healthy, you should definitely become vegan and also cut out nuts and oils.

I know that this whole vegan and no nuts and oils thing sounds like there isn't much to eat, but let me tell you, I go to this one website, and they have SO MANY recipes that contain no nuts and oils. I've found everything from pancakes to cakes, pizzas to cookies, and everything in between!! And I'm not going to lie, the photos make the food look amazing, and the ingredients don't make it sound bad at all!!

Honestly, there's stuff that you can make that the whole family can enjoy, even if everyone in your family isn't vegan. And for some things, you can add a few ingredients that aren't vegan friendly for those that aren't vegans. For instance, you add some cheese, pepperoni, and other meats to the pizza. So while you're enjoying your vegan pizza, the rest of your family can enjoy their pizza, and you didn't even have to make two totally different meals!! The desserts can be for everyone. I have yet to try a vegan dessert [minus the raspberry sorbet], but I've heard nothing but good things about them!! I guess my one aunt is always making vegan desserts, and they're really good!! Hopefully I'll get to see her a few times while the boys and I are up here in Ohio, because I want to try some of the desserts she makes.

Along with eating vegan yesterday, I did a little bit of working out. My sister and I took the boys out for a walk. Everyone says that we went on a long walk, but it didn't feel that way to me. It didn't feel like a short walk, but it didn't seem like a long one either. After the walk, the boys had some lunch and Brayden went down for a nap, while Michael just laid on the couch and watched a movie. During that time, I worked out my legs and abs a little bit. I didn't do a whole lot [well, not as much as I used to], but my legs were definitely feeling it!! I felt a little bit of a "burn" in my abs, but nothing major. I also stretched 2 or 3 times yesterday, and that felt WON-DER-FUL!!!!

Today has been a good so far. I had a banana for breakfast, then I stretched and went out to do some intervals of running and walking [of course I pushed myself to do more running than walking]. Once I got home, I sat down for a few minutes because I felt sick [running in cold weather SUCKS]. After that, I got in the shower, and have been drinking a lot of water. I think during the boys' nap time later, I am going to do some yoga. I redownloaded the P90X Yoga video yesterday, and I love that one!! I love yoga in general, but the P90X Yoga is by far my favorite!!

I can't wait till Monday to see what one week of being vegan has done!! Not only will I step on the scale, but I'll also be measuring my upper arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs, and calves. [Yes, I know, I measure a lot of areas.] I'm a bit excited for Monday to get here, even though it's just Tuesday!! HA.

A New Day. A New Me.

Today's a new day, and today brings something new in my life - I am going vegan. But along with no animal products, I will not be able to eat anything with nuts and I can't have anything with oils. This is a "diet" [if you really want to call it that] that is to help lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, lower the risk of getting heart disease, and lower the risk of getting diabetes. My family has a history of those things, and I want to lower my chances of getting one [or all] as much as possible. I am very excited to be starting this!! My health is going to improve so much, and I love that!!

I haven't decided, but I am either going to go for a walk or a run today. I wish I could've brought the jogging stroller up here with me, but it was too bulky to put in either of the cars and have enough space for the other things we needed up here. Luckily, I do have strollers up here already, but it'd be really nice to have a jogging stroller. I'm considering buying a jogging stroller while we're up here [to keep up here] so I can take the boys out on walks with me.

In other news, Mark is getting promoted to Sgt today!! YAY! I'm very proud of Mark and very excited for him!! The next big step in the Marine Corps for us will be Mark re-enlisting in October!! We're very excited about that!! Hopefully Mark will get accepted into the MECEP program when he puts in the package for it next year [which will send him to school starting in 2011], and we can be in Columbus, Ohio!! Mark wants to become an Officer, especially since he's planning on doing at least 20 years in the MC. Both of us are very excited and very hopeful about what will come next for Mark in the MC!!

That's all I have for news over here. Time to go get my vegan on!! HA.