LAURIE-RN's SparkPeople Blog

That little voice in my head

Sun, 30 Sep 2012 08:53:07 EST

You know how when you sit in the chair at home and your body just hums because it is ready to get moving? I was ready to get some exercise. I felt like I could run for a long time. I had this picture in my head of my feet flying with ease.

So, Keith and I went to the river for an afternoon run yesterday. Twice around is about 3.4 miles. I felt good starting out. I made it half way around and hit the wind tunnel on the other side. "I can do this" in my head. I turned my musi...

Updates and musings

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:24:26 EST

Plant based update: I have been exploring different food options. We are definitely not there yet. But, I have added flax seed meal and almond milk to my oatmeal in the morning. I also made meatless meals for dinner several times over the past week. Overall, I am pleased with some of our changes, they are gradual as they should be.

My MIL was placed on a heart healthy diet recently and she said to me "it's so hard, I feel so limited, there is nothing to eat." I thought about i...

I did it!

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:06:12 EST

Keith and I were in Chicago this past weekend for the Chicago 1/2 marathon and 5k. I am so proud of both of us. We both had firsts with this run:

Keith completed his first half marathon 104
I completed my third 5k this year - but this time, I ran the whole thing 312

Wait, what was that 38 I ran my third 5k this year! I have had "run a 5k" on my goal list for 2 years. Why didn't I do it before? I was scared. I thought I wa...

Transitions

Fri, 31 Aug 2012 11:45:04 EST

Transitions. Change. Stress. We have experienced many of these in a few short months.

I have spent a lot of time focusing on other priorities and not myself. My weight has reflected this. I have to wonder how the world works sometimes. How do we end up meeting the people we meet and choosing the paths that we take in life?

As a nurse, my passion in patient teaching is prevention and healthy lifestyle. I believe that we can impact our health by making better choi...

Shamelessly collecting points

Tue, 1 May 2012 19:33:46 EST

Ok, so I'm blogging today because I am just 46 points away from hitting 25,000 spark points. Yay! When I found Spark People in December 2009, I never would have thought I would be close to this milestone.

I love Spark. I love that it is there, always, regardless of what my needs happen to be at that moment.

When I am energized and motivated and focused.....I find the resources to keep me going. 224
When I am feeling blah and realizing that I have ...

Thoughts and Musings about Body Media

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 10:33:57 EST

Well, I am going on day 10. I am down 3.8 pounds and have moved back down into a weight range that I haven't seen in 6 months. I am happy that I made the decision to purchase this tool. While I have had great success with tracking my nutrition and activity with Spark, there was always a small feeling of guilt if I ate over my calorie range for the day. I compare it to looking at a drawing vs a 3-D sculpture. Logging calories and activity is 2/3 of the information you need, it doesn't inc...

Body Media and on track

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:51:34 EST

We went to New York to watch my daughter's choir sing at Carnegie Hall on Saturday, April 14th. It was a wonderful weekend with my husband and several close family members. We did a LOT of walking, and a lot of snacking. I stepped on the scale on Sunday afternoon and found that I had gained 4 pounds. This put me into a new weight territory, one that I have not been in for over a year.

I broke down and purchased the Body Media through Spark People last week. I am on day 6 and...

Brutally Honest

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:51:37 EST

The detour was nice, but now it's time to get back on the trail. I have been deceiving myself. Last year at this time I was close to completing a 12 week body challenge. I was driven. Eating right, working out. I felt great! My pictures were great! I bought new clothes!

In November I started a new job (that I LOVE). The drawback is that it is considerably less physical than my role as a staff nurse on the cardiac floor. Within a month I had gained 10 pounds. Wow! Where d...

My First 5k - DONE!

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:23:50 EST

Woo Hoo!

I did it! No hype. No awful, anxiety provoking build up. I just did it!

Keith (dear husband and partner in crime) and I decided last Sunday to run the Samson Romp & Stomp at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

A year ago I would have said NO WAY! I CAN'T run a 5k ~ 3.1 miles! Are you CRAZY? There's NO WAY I can run that far.

A year ago the anticipation and the unknown kept me from exploring something that seemed SCARY and OVERWHELMING. Why was...

New Year, New Challenge

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:11:54 EST

It's time once again for the Transform Your Body Challenge at Gold's. Not much to say except that I'm looking forward to the intense focus of the next 12 weeks. My husband, sister and her husband have signed up too. Nothing like a little family support to help stay on track.

Heading back to Guatemala on a healthcare mission trip with my husband and middle daughter in 3 weeks. I love the people there and I love the work.

Time to bloom.

Laurie

How do you know you are back on track?

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 07:46:09 EST

How do you know you are back on track?

You can track your food, every bite, and you make the effort to do so on the same day you actually ate it.

You go to Burger King with your husband....
You order a salad - but they don't have the dressing you like
So you order a chicken sandwich (without fries)
You steal just a couple fries from your husband - without the guilt of a whole order
You drink water instead of soda

You make it a point to have...

Thankfully I have Sparkpeople to Thank

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:43:31 EST

Hi, it's me again. I know, it's been awhile. School started up for the kids and me. Work got hectic. Life happened. I stopped shopping healthy, eased up on the gym. In my usual habit just kind of let up just to see how far I could go before seeing results that were unacceptable to me.

Huh. Let's see. What did that do for me?
I was increasingly tired
I was increasingly less tolerant
I gained weight
My clothes still fit, but they were getting a little s...

On the Eve of Change.....

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 07:19:04 EST

School starts tomorrow. I am starting back to complete my MSN so that I can work as a Nurse Practitioner. I just finished reviewing the course material for my classes. Four, 15 page papers, a power point presentation, two exams, and numerous required on-line discussion posts. Everyone says that homework in your master's program is different than your undergrad. It is better because you are pursuing something on YOUR terms, that you are REALLY interested in.

As I think about i...

A Brighter Day

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:40:04 EST

Went for a follow up with my physician yesterday. Still under lifting restrictions for another week, but got the go ahead to walk in the pool! She said it can take 4-6 weeks to completely heal, but assured me that we would continue to partner moving forward. My doctor is awesome. She did say that I would most likely need to walk my 5k next Saturday, but that's ok. I am just happy to be feeling less pain. I am also happy that now I am done with the prednisone, the scale is right back to ...

Progress

Sun, 7 Aug 2011 06:46:12 EST

Yay! I got to sleep in my bed last night - for the whole night! I didn't have to sleep on the couch. I actually got to SLEEP for the first night since Monday without waking up in pain every time I moved. I was worried that I would set myself back by working 12 hours yesterday. My back is tight this morning, but I definitely have a better range of motion than I've had.

I also have been very conscious of my nutrition for the past 2 days. I've been tracking, and paying attention...

A little better....

Sat, 6 Aug 2011 07:05:57 EST

Saw the nurse practitioner yesterday. Work restrictions including no exercise for a week and changed up some medication. As the day went on with the new meds the pain was more tolerable. Unfortunately I was wide awake most of the night...thank you prednisone.

Today is my first day back to work on light duty. I am really looking forward to getting back to some form of normal, just need to be careful not to overdo it.

Stayed in my calorie and water range yesterday. We...

One step forward, 2 steps back

Fri, 5 Aug 2011 09:32:12 EST

Yesterday started out pretty good. My back was twingey, but not awful. I could move fairly easily if I was careful. I drove Anna on some errands, we had lunch, and then came home. I did some work from home on the computer. By 5 my back was in full flare up. I decided to go to the gym with Keith to stretch and get in the whirlpool.

I did 10 minutes on the exercise bike since that was the only thing that didn't make my back hurt, then I did my back stretching exercises that ...

Cautiously Optimistic

Thu, 4 Aug 2011 07:18:42 EST

Yesterday I could barely walk. My lower back hurt every time I swung my left foot forward to step. The mere act of the slight twist of the hips was horrible.

I have been icing, stretching, taking anti-inflammatory meds, and a muscle relaxant. I called my doctor and she put me on a 5 day course of low dose prednisone - which I started yesterday.

I woke up feeling a little better today. I can move without as much pain. So far this morning I can walk with just a little...

Pain, Cranky and a pity party

Tue, 2 Aug 2011 22:26:30 EST

I hurt my back. Pain is an interesting creature. It permeates everything. It affects something as simple as rolling over in bed. It affects your ability to get a good nights sleep. It affects the way you move. It affects your ability to do anything that you take for granted. It affects your mood. Pain makes me cranky. 28

I'm normally a very positive and optimistic person. I normally laugh and am happy. But yesterday and today, I am CRANKY. I know what to do f...

My first 5k

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 06:52:30 EST

I wrote in a previous blog that I was feeling lost. I decided to do something about it. I put my money where my mouth is and registered for my first 5k run in September.

Afterwards I thought about it. Why am I waiting until September? I can run 2 miles. I can run 2.5 miles. I just need to push a little harder to get the whole 3.1 in.

This morning I registered for the Madison Mini Marathon and 5k on August 20th. This run is a little under 6 weeks away. I am excit...

Day 4 daily check in

Thu, 7 Jul 2011 07:24:03 EST

Phew! Finally got back to the gym yesterday, and it felt GOOD!

Multi-vitamin - check
Eat breakfast - check
Move for at least 30 minutes -
64 oz water -
Track all of my nutrition -
Scheduled 12 hours today - get out on time

Have a wonderful day!

Laurie
224 87

Recap of Day 2 and Goals for Today

Wed, 6 Jul 2011 07:53:58 EST

Recap of Tuesday (day 2) of my daily check-in.

Multi-vitamin - missed it
Eat breakfast - check
Move for at least 30 minutes - nope
64 oz water - check
Track all of my nutrition - check
Work our volunteer stand at the Brewers Stadium - check (HOT but fun)

Goals for Today
Multi-vitamin - check
Eat breakfast - check
Move for at least 30 minutes - CHECK!
64 oz water - Missed it - got 48 oz in
Track all of my nutrition - che...

Goals for today - day one

Mon, 4 Jul 2011 07:38:50 EST

It's the fourth of July - a celebration of our independence. In honor of this great holiday, I am kicking off my own Independence Day. Here is day one of my daily check-in.

I am scheduled to work 12.5 hours today.
Get out of work on time - check
Rest my weight ticker - check
Multi-vitamin - check
Eat breakfast - check
Move for at least 30 minutes -
64 oz water - check
Track all of my nutrition - check
Enjoy the fireworks with my family - n...

A little lost

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:15:18 EST

It has been 2 years since I joined the gym and started my journey. I attacked my most recent weight loss at the beginning of this year with focus and intensity. I worked out. I tracked. I hit all my goals.

I like the way I look. I feel good. So, what's my deal?

I feel lost. I have talked myself out of the gym so much recently that it gets easier and easier to do. I have stayed pretty consistent at my current weight, up or down within 3 pounds. Is this a subc...

Weekend vacation from Spark

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 07:05:32 EST

What!?! First, let me preface by saying our 20th anniversary is coming up at the end of June. Keith and I just happened to have this weekend off together. It's a rare occasion when nothing is written on the calendar.

Me: "We have nothing planned this weekend. I work our anniversary weekend. Want to go away?"

Keith: "That sounds like an awesome idea!"

Me: "Would you rather go to Milwaukee for a night or Door County?"

Keith: "Door County! W...

Dabbling and thoughts about maintaining vs goal weight

Mon, 30 May 2011 08:39:14 EST

I have been dabbling a little bit. Although I lost 30 pounds at the beginning of the year (Woo Hoo) for the past 6 weeks, I've not been focused on losing the last 10-15 pounds to get to goal weight. What's that all about? I think I need to make sure it's real, and that I can maintain my success on this journey.

Although I have not been tracking my nutrition, I've been logging in to Spark every day. I've been tracking my daily weight. I've found that with some adjustments alon...

Shopping for jeans and an AHA moment

Tue, 17 May 2011 09:49:13 EST

I went shopping last Friday. My size 12 jeans were too big and I wanted just one pair of jeans that fit. I pulled some 10's and some 8's from the rack. In the dressing room I thought "what the heck" and tried the 8's on first.

As I put the first leg in, the familiar doubtful voice in my head said, "nope, not going to fit." Then, I put the 2nd leg in and the voice said "hmmm." As I slid the jeans up over my hips I realized that I didn't have to "shimmy" to get them up. I wai...

Ran today :)

Mon, 9 May 2011 15:29:30 EST

Ran 3.55 miles in just over 40 minutes. Yay! Didn't have to stop. Had good control of my breathing. Felt really Good!!

Laurie

Set a goal, make it public to succeed

Tue, 26 Apr 2011 00:05:04 EST

I finished my Gold's 12 week challenge. I promised before and after pics. Here they are:

(Jan 17, 2011) ( 4/9/2011)

I lost 30 pounds during that challenge. Now I have to set a new goal.

As I've written before, I've been running at the gym. I was looking for races online to sign up for and came across the Iron Girl on Ju...

Bleh....

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:54:25 EST

Feeling a little out of sorts today. Worked a 12 hour shift. Had Easter buffet in the break room at work. Ate without really caring what I ate, which is not like me at all.

One day is not the end of the world. Tomorrow is a new day. And, the gym is calling my name!

Educated eating

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 08:45:53 EST

Short blog today. Went to the gym yesterday. Made good choices for my meals yesterday....until dinner. Hmmm, good lesson learned to look ahead at the nutritional values of the menu. Ate dinner at Texas Roadhouse.

Started out with a warm roll with cinnamon butter.....yum!

Ate a side salad with lo-cal ranch on the side.....good choice

Ate a 6 ounce sirloin steak with sweet potato side......good choice

Water to drink.....good choice

Go...

That Person in the Mirror?

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:41:39 EST

Wow! Who is that? Who is that slender, fit person that looks back at me in the mirror? Is this a dream? Is this for real?

That person in the mirror. That person is the one that I used to envy at the gym. The one I used to silently compare myself to at the pool. The one I used to wish I was when I was trying to find clothes that fit and looked flattering.

That person in the mirror is the one who didn't starve herself and gave herself permission to indulge in the ...

The wedding dress and destination words (pics included)

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:30:01 EST

That dress. The dress that symbolizes hope, love, joy, future, commitment, excitement, and happiness. You know, the one that you wear on one of the most important days of your life. And then... it gets hung in the closet.

As I am writing this, I realize that all of the words that I used to describe the dress are very often destination words. They are words that we hope will describe how we will feel or what we will find when we get to our "goal" weight.

As I began...

Goal met

Tue, 5 Apr 2011 09:14:29 EST

I met a goal today.

According to my BMI of 24.9.....

I am no longer obese.

I am no longer overweight.

I am HEALTHY.

Our 12 week "Transform Your Body Challenge" ends on Saturday with weigh in and pictures. More to come....

Laurie

Almost? Not anymore.

Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:04:34 EST

I have been puttering for awhile, run/walking on the treadmill. I usually hit the elliptical for my cardio. I started increasing my treadmill time, but had not really committed.

Let me preface this by saying last year at this time I cringed at the thought of jogging. When my trainer suggested it I balked, but in the end - "well, I'll try it." I could barely make it 2.3 minutes at 4 mph. Ugh. It was a chore. It was hard. I didn't like it.

Unfortunately, or fo...

Getting closer, the last 19 months in review

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:38:36 EST

I calculated my BMI. I am no longer obese. I am overweight. But I am much closer to a healthy BMI than I was at the beginning of this year.

In June 2009, my BMI was 36.6
In January 2010 my BMI was 31.8
In January 2011 my BMI was 29.1
Today my BMI is 26.6

I am 64 pounds lighter

I am 11 pounds away from a healthy BMI of 24.9
I am 25 pounds away from my goal weight

I have less stress. I can walk several flights of stairs at a...

Use Your Voice, Share Your Story... it Matters

Tue, 8 Mar 2011 21:56:28 EST

I am a newer nurse, but have practicing long enough to feel there are days when I truly advocate for my patients. I have been practicing long enough to see repeat visitors with flare ups of chronic conditions such as heart failure and diabetes. I invest everything I have in each of those patients and their families without regard to anything else but what they need at that moment and moving forward to get well and be able to go home. Why does this matter to you?

I attended Nurse...

Update

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 12:38:09 EST

Quick update.

No weight change this week. Ate out in restaurants 3 meals, but.....stayed within my calorie range for all but 1 of them. Yay for me!

Still drinking my water. Still eating my veggies. Still working out 3-4x/wk.

5 more weeks to go.

Time to kick it up another notch.

Laurie

Week 6 Challenge Check In

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 09:48:05 EST

I have been out of vegetables and salad fixings for the past three days. Even though it was 9:30 at night, I didn't want to go one more day without healthy choices in my kitchen. So off I headed to the grocery store. I grabbed oatmeal and coffee, hit dairy for soy milk and string cheese, grabbed some chick peas and beans, headed over to produce for romaine, tomatoes, and fruit, and then headed to the check out.

As I was walking to each of those areas, I walked by the chips, so...

I AM a Nurse.

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:31:16 EST

I AM a Nurse.
I am there at a time when you are at your most vulnerable.
I am responsible for knowing about you, your disease, your allergies, your medications, your plan of care, your family situation, your home situation, your learning style, your current physical situation, and any changes of condition that indicate you are in danger of becoming more ill.
I am there to listen to your concerns, your fears, your hopes.
I am there to clarify answers to questions that may n...

Friday musings - 11 changes over the past 4 weeks

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Since my husband and I joined the "Transform Your Body Challenge" at the gym, there have been some changes in our lives. They are listed here in no particular order:

1. We eat a lot more fruits and vegetables than we ever did before.

2. We support each other and act as catalysts to get each other to the gym.

3. The kids are eating healthier because that's all we have available in the house.

4. The scale is moving down again.

5. My jea...

One day at a time

Mon, 7 Feb 2011 13:02:29 EST

So once again I got caught up in weigh in day. Despite my best efforts, the scale has gone down since my last official weigh in, but really hasn't budged this week. Although, I can FEEL the difference. So, I took some pictures to compare to my before pics. Yep, there is definitely a difference. I am not posting them now, but will at the end of my 12 week challenge.

Progress is slow but steady.

Shameless plug

Sat, 5 Feb 2011 16:12:09 EST

Ok, so I admit. I'm starting a blog to help me get to 100 spark points today. I'm at 76. Once I get to the gym and finish my cardio and strength, I should be just about there. The blog should put me over.

So a quick progress update:
Nutrition - Doing and awesome job of tracking everything, but under my goal most days last week - need to add a protein or a glass of milk. That SHOULD be enough to put me up to about 1500 calories/day.

Water - 80-100 oz day - met <...

My rice cooker

Wed, 2 Feb 2011 17:01:18 EST

"What do I need a rice cooker for when I have a pan to cook on the stove? " I asked myself this very question as I was eyeing the rice cooker at the store.

"Well, I would like to branch out into different foods besides minute rice. And, I've heard that the rice cooker is pretty fool proof. And, if my last attempt at brown rice is any indication, it might be worth the $15 to find out."

Needless to say I brought the rice cooker home. Then I went to the store and boug...

Update on Monday's weigh in

Tue, 1 Feb 2011 07:35:03 EST

I went to the gym twice yesterday. Cardio in the morning with my honey and strength at 3:30 with my trainer. I like splitting it up on my days off. It keeps me out of the stores spending money - lol. Anyway, much to my chagrin, the scale was unavailable at my appointment time.

So my official weigh in at the gym did not happen yesterday. But......drumroll please.......

I still track my weight at home. I stepped on the scale this morning and have lost 10.2 pounds sin...

Random thoughts about the scale - weigh in today

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:33:23 EST

Today is weigh in day, and I must admit I'm a little nervous which makes me a little frustrated. When I started this journey in June 2009, my focus was all about taking my time, building good habits, feeling good and healthy and strong.

My focus became more focused 2 weeks ago. I've been doing awesome with my nutrition, tracking and water. My work schedule has been such that I've only made it to the gym 2 days each week (although thorough and hard workouts each time).

Transform Your Body Challenge - Week 2

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:01:59 EST

Yesterday technically started week 2 for me, but I weighed in today. Total weight loss for the week 4# on the Gold's gym scale (7.8 on the home scale).

Here is how I did with my plan:

Try to blog daily, but will commit to blogging at least every Monday - weigh in day. (Checked in once during the week)

Commit to at least 30 minutes of cardio 5 out of the 7 days/week - alternating treadmill and elliptical (Managed 2 days of cardio)

Commit to 30 minu...

Checking in on Week 1 goals

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 06:59:46 EST

Just a quick note to update myself - I have taken off 7 of the 7.6# vacation weight gain - Woo Hoo!

Behind on the exercise, but I'm on a 4 day stretch of 12 hour shifts - gotta find a way to get those work outs in.

Right on track with nutrition and water.

So far so good!

Laurie

Transform your body challenge - week 1

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 15:40:20 EST

We just got back from an all inclusive week in Cancun. There were several really positive things about this vacation. I bought a new bathing suit that I felt really good in. I loved my pictures from this vacation. I am still about 50 pounds lighter than I was in June 2009. I went to the pool and didn't feel like I had to cover everything up. I enjoyed my family, and the time we had away together. All of those things made me feel really good.

While on vacation, I ate and d...

Jumpstart January

Wed, 5 Jan 2011 07:23:34 EST

I love January. Fresh start, fresh motivation = fitter and healthier me!

64 oz water - check
2 days strength - check
5 days cardio (3 in so far)
tracking food every day (check)

Not too bad for a start.