Best Compliment(s) Ever and HUGE Accomplishment!

Multiple things to celebrate right now:

1.  SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER!
2.  A little girl I had in class last year gave me a hug and then asked, "Miss Whisman, are you losing weight?"  Needless to say, she is my favorite kid right now.
3.  My friend and former student teacher Maria came to see the kids today and said, "You are looking good."  She is now my favorite adult. 
4.  This blog, that was just started in February of 2013, has surpassed my classroom blog which I started in August of 2010 in the number of views it has had.  Woot, woot! 
5.  The other night at bible study I was rubbing my shoulder because it was hurting, and I realized that it felt smaller.  Nice! 
6.  On Thursday I wore a Hawaiian shirt to school that was way too small to wear last year.  Best. Feeling. Ever. 

Three Year Old Trainer

This post has been titled Three Year Old Trainer.  It could also be called How a Three Year Old Made Me Skinny.  Last night Kristal and I took Kristal's daughter Shalom with us running.  It was quite comical.  It started on the first lap.  Kristal pushed Shalom around in a jogging stroller.  Shalom kept asking us why we were not running.  We told her it was because we were warming up.  Then Shalom kept asking us why other people on the track were not running.  Finally, a man that was running passed us and she was very quick to point out that he was running.  After warming up we started our running for sixty seconds / walking for 90 seconds training I mentioned earlier in the week.  When we were in our walking portion of that Shalom was constantly asking us why we were not running.  After we got done with our training we let Shalom loose on the track.  She was so excited to be running.  She would want to race and would run for a long period of time.  Kristal and I were both impressed with her form and endurance.  The hilarious part is that as Shalom runs she continuously says the word "focus."  It was so adorable.  I think we definitely have a future track and field star on our hands.  This girl taught us to "focus" and to keep pushing yourself and challenging yourself.  It was definitely an awesome experience.   I thought I would end this entry with a picture of the cute trainer herself. 

Focus!

Surprise Care Package

I got home on Thursday and had a slip in my mailbox that the post office was unable to deliver a package.  I had recently ordered a book and I assumed that is what it was.  I was able to make it to the post office on Saturday morning to pick up my package, and you can imagine my delight when it was not the book I ordered at all.  It was a package from my Uncle Steve and Aunt Joanna. 

I had told them a couple of weeks ago about my blog and my desire to become a runner.  They were very supportive at the time and asked me some questions and were very encouraging.  Knowing how emotional I am, you can imagine the tears when I opened the package and this was inside:

 
All kinds of goodies for a runner (me)!  I am beyond blown away by this thoughtful gift.  THANK YOU so much, Uncle Steve and Aunt Joanna.  (Don't worry, I will be mailing them an actual handwritten thank you card, too!)  I cannot even express in words how awesome it is to have people believe in me and encourage me. 

One of my goodies was this book:

I have been reading it since Saturday.  It is an easy read with great information and practical tips.  I love it!  This is the book where I got my new training program I mentioned yesterday.  Kara Goucher does a great job of educating and motivating and making me, yes, currently overweight me, feel like  a runner.  I highly recommend this book! 

The very best part of this gift was the card.  I hope they do not mind me sharing this part of it.  It says:

"Just remember - there is absolutely nothing that can stand in the way of Allison Whisman and her goals!!" 

Wow...brought tears to my eyes even as I typed it.  Seriously, who wouldn't feel motivated after a surprise like that?  Your goal for today: look for someone to encourage.  You never know the effect you can have in someone's life. 

Have an awesome day! 

Singing, I Mean Running in the Rain

Kristal and I met up to do our run this evening.  We started the new program I blogged about earlier.  It felt good to run an entire minute at a time (unlike the Mayo 5K where I had not worked up to a minute after 14 weeks of training).  The run felt good, and as we were running, we were watching the dark clouds roll in.  Kristal, the eternal planner, was trying to figure out where we would go in case of lightning and thunder.  I was trying to ramp myself up for the very real possibility that we would soon be running in the rain.  I had never done it before...part of me was terrified but the other part of me was getting pretty excited.  Real runners run in the rain.  I was about to prove myself as a runner.  Not long after the dark clouds rolled in did it begin to rain.  We were caught in two separate downpours.  We were drenched.  Our hair was stuck to our faces and our clothes weighed an additional ten pounds.  It was cold and windy and the rain was dripping off our eyelashes, but it was the most liberating, awesome feeling ever.  It felt amazing!  I was so stoked about running in the rain that I had to come home, take a shower, and blog about it tonight!  It felt so good being out there in the rain.  You should definitely try it sometime. 

Being out there made me feel so joyful, and instantly I thought of this song:

So, pretty much substitute every time he says "singing" for "running" and that is pretty much how I felt.  I didn't look nearly as graceful running in the rain as Gene Kelly does dancing in the rain.  In fact, when it was over you could probably use the words "hot mess" to describe what I looked like, but I didn't care.  I loved how freeing it was.  I loved it so much that I had Kristal take a picture so I could post it on here.  This is what I look like after I run in the rain:

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! 

I pray that everyone had a fun and safe Memorial Day.  I also pray that you took a moment to reflect about what this holiday is truly about.  I am so thankful for the sacrifices made by our military families so that we are able to live in a country where people are truly free. 

 Not only is today Memorial Day, but I have also dubbed it Mowing Monday.  Apparently this year I am going to make Mondays my day to mow my grass.  I was able to finish mowing right before a pop up shower hit my house.  If you can't ever find me on a Monday, I am probably in my yard mowing away...look for me there from now on!

Tonight I am also starting a new running program.  I have been doing the Mayo Clinic 5K program for awhile, but it is time for a change.  This is the program I will be using for the next eight weeks:

Week 1: Run 1 minute, walk 90 seconds.  Repeat eight times.
Week 2: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Repeat seven times.
Week 3: Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Repeat six times.
Week 4: Run 6 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  Repeat four times.
Week 5: Run 9 minutes, walk 2 minutes.  Repeat three times.
Week 6: Run 12 minutes, walk 1 minute.  Repeat three times.
Week 7: Run 15 minutes, walk 1 minute, run 15 minutes.
Week 8: Run 30 minutes continuously. 

Where did I get this program from?  I can't cite my source until tomorrow for two reasons:

1.  To build suspense.
2.  To not ruin tomorrow's blog post because it is really special and deserves its own day. 

Until tomorrow...Happy Memorial Day!

Weekly Weigh-In and May Picture

This is the first time in a couple of weeks where I got on the scale and the number was lower than the week before. Weird thing? I was not nearly as excited as I thought I would be. I lost 1.6 pounds. Maybe I am not as excited because it is weight that I had already lost at one point. I am weird. Anyway, I am down from last week and plan on continuing to lose this weight I have gained the last couple of weeks. Then I will be thrilled to see new numbers on the scale.

Here is my May 2013 picture:

May 2013

I am not really sure if I can see a difference in my body. However, I can tell that my clothes are getting bigger. Kristal says this is another shirt that I am no longer allowed to wear because it is too big. What do you think? Is it so big that it is unflattering? I am trying not to buy new clothes while losing weight but I may have to supplement my wardrobe a little bit when I go back to school in the fall.  That is not the worst problem to have. 

Track and Field Day

Today was track and field day at our school.  It was a great time!  I love this day and so do the kids.  We started our day at Fun Day where the kids played all sorts of games.  We then made our way to the tug-of-war.  I got quite the workout playing tug-of-war.  We went in for lunch and then were back out to play kickball, relay races, and four-way fitness.  I played kickball and kicked a single, triple, and popped out.  Playing kickball was the highlight of my day!  After that we went to the track where the kids competed in races.  I was being silly and did a little bit of jogging with my kids.  That was awesome!  I am definitely exhausted and plan on sleeping well tonight! 

I am sunburnt!  My cheeks got it pretty badly, but I also think the part in my hair got burnt.  Ouch!  It is a small price to pay for a day filled with fun and fitness! 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Warrior Dash Regret

I am having Warrior Dash Regret.  Why did I sign up for this scary race?  It is only 87 days away.  I will NOT be ready!  Yikes!  What was I thinking?  I will not be physically strong enough to do these obstacles.  I am not even sure if I will be able to run the distance at that point...let alone pulling myself over walls and crawling through mud.  Two of my friends are doing it with me, but will I embarrass them by not being ready?  Will I embarrass myself?  Will the other people who are doing it look at me and ask themselves, "What in the world is she doing?!?!?"  Will I be the butt of jokes or worse yet...the charity case...oh, that poor fat girl...will they pity me?!?!?!?!  I am not dropping out.  I can't.  I refuse.  I will have to train more and prepare myself for it.  Can I do this?  Pray for me!

No Filter Girl Strikes Again!

Okay, seriously!  What is wrong with this girl?  My sister and brother-in-law came to my school on Tuesday to meet my kids.  They brought snacks for the kids.  My kids had to take a math test that day.  Our math tests are in two different parts.  In between each part I have the kids get up and stretch and do some exercises so that they get pumped up for the second part.  Since my brother-in-law was there and he is in the Army and a Fishers police officer, I thought he could lead the kids in these stretching activities.  I am walking around while they are doing them, and I hear the same little girl from a couple of weeks ago say, "Miss Whisman needs to do some exercises."  Are you kidding me?!?!?!?  1.  I know this already.  2  I obviously have not done a good enough job of teaching her that if she doesn't have anything nice to say that she probably shouldn't say anything at all.  Is it bad that my feelings get hurt by second graders? 

My exercise today did consist of mowing the yard and pulling weeds.  I sweated a lot and I am already sore.  Is that an excuse for not working out?  I am not sure...

Excuses!

Another week.  Another 2 pounds gained.  This is getting out of control.  I have to snap out of it!  I have been using all of these excuses for the past two weeks:

*retaining water
*craving sweets
*stress
*too busy
*can't get up in the mornings
*way to tired in the evenings after school
*moving classrooms
*I will be better once summer vacation starts.

There may be more, but those are the ones I could think of this morning that I have told myself.  Those are just excuses!  Excuses make it okay to gain the weight or not to exercise.  Excuses do NOT allow me to be my healthy self.  Excuses are really lies and opportunities for me to deceive myself.  No more. 

Here is a list of 10 excuses.  How many of these have you told yourself in the last day?  Week?  Month?  Year? 

Am I really going to let my excuses win?  Am I really going to let these lies set me back?  I have come so far...was I really just going to let myself go?  NO!  I saw this quote, and I think that it sums up perfectly what excuses will do to us:

I do not want a monument of nothingness in my life.  I am a type A personality that does not function well with incompetence...yet I am going to be incompetent in this area of my life?  NOT UP IN HERE!  :)

I think a little reminder of why I have decided to run and eat healthier is in order. 

 

 

I particularly liked this reasons to run picture because of the comment about would you rather be covered in sweat at the gym or covered in clothes at the beach.  Let me show you some pictures of me on a beach:

 

April 2008

 

April 2012



Notice what these pictures have in common?  I am covered up as much as possible.  Part of it is because I get sunburned easily, but the biggest part is because I am overweight and want to hide as much as myself as possible. 

Posting these beach pictures is exactly what I need to remind myself that I am tired of living life in this fat person perspective I have been living in for the past 33 years.  I deserve more.  No one else can do that for me.  I have to do it for MYSELF! 

Wishing you an excuse free week! 

I HATE RUNNING!

I do!  I hate it!  I was SO discouraged when I went running with Kristal Thursday evening.  We went to our usual venue, and we started out.  I was (at the time) excited to be running because I needed to get back into the groove of running, and it is always fun to be running with someone.  We began our jog and everything was going okay.  However, I was getting winded very quickly, and I was having difficulty breathing.  Kristal could tell that I was getting frustrated and she began doing what she does best - helping me through difficult times.  We kept going, and at one point, I almost burst into tears.  I did get choked up, but I swallowed it back.  We finished.  We were hot and sweaty and winded, but we finished. 

This morning I got up to run, and I started out in my neighborhood.  Again, I had that moment of just wanting to quit.  It is within the first mile that I felt this way.  I know that is when I felt it on Thursday, too.  I am thinking that maybe there is just this point in every run when you feel like quitting, but if you don't, if you get past it, push through it, you can keep going.  That is my plan from now on - to keep going, to push through this point of wanting to quit. 

I scrapbooked at church today, and I was talking to some of the girls about the Run for God bible study that will be starting soon.  Gena was one of the ladies that was there and talking to her about running made me excited about running all over again.  It is amazing how being around like minded people with similar goals can inspire you to keep going.  Thanks, Gena! 

Do I hate running?  Not really.  Have I had some difficult runs lately?  You betcha.  However, every time I run I am getting stronger.  Even if I have a bad run, it is still better than just sitting on the couch.  I have to keep running! 

What Not to Work Out to

Today I worked out with my friend Kristal and her daughter Shalom.  We did a workout video.  I am a firm believer in mixing it up sometimes so you don't get bored, and I think that is exactly what I needed...working out with friends to begin crawling out of this rut I am in.  Kristal and I found a workout DVD to try tonight.  It is called Celebrity Fit Club: Boot Camp Workout.  We thought we would try it out.  It was a good work out.  It made me sweat and I am already sore from doing it.  However, the guy that was the instructor was a real jerk!  He made me so mad.  He kept calling us fat and talked about our big bellies and wide butts.  It was downright insulting!  There were not nice things running through my head the whole time, and I may have said some of them out loud, but in my defense, he deserved them!  Maybe for some people that would be motivating, but it just irritated me and made me not want to work out to his DVD ever again!  I love that I got so upset with a DVD. 

What about you?  What workout DVDs have you used?  Did you love them?  Hate them?  Would love to hear your thoughts.  Don't worry, I am still running...I just need to mix things up, and I need to strength train more to get ready for Warrior Dash in August. 

Math

Here's a math problem for you:

Teacher Appreciation Week + Funeral + Stressors that keep coming = Not a good week on the scale

4.4 pounds gained this week.  The silver lining in all of this is that I did not get upset and throw a big pity party.  Maybe because I expected it or knew that there was no way I could lose weight when I was not great this week.  Or maybe because it takes me back to the whole title of this blog.  I don't have a deadline that I am trying to get healthy / skinny by.  This is a life style change.  I am doing this for me and not for some event. 

Teacher Appreciation Week is the best week ever at our school.  Our PTSG spoils us!  The spoiling takes the shape of lots of candy, great meals, and other yummy surprises.  I know this, and I should have prepared for it, but I did not.  I did not track a single point this week...not a single one!  I also wanted and ate a lot of ice cream this week.  I did.  A friend of mine posted this on FB the other day, and I laughed because I definitely need to remember this:

Maybe when I have a desire for sweets I can remember that I am sweet enough.  I don't need that extra sweetness in me.  We will see how that works for me! 

I also didn't work out the way I should have this week.  I am not even sure if I ran once this week.  GASP!  (Not sure if the shocking part is that I didn't run or that I can't even remember if I ran this week!)  I am going to start again this week, and I will just do this week of running over again.  I will run for 45 seconds and walk for 15 seconds. 

The awesome thing about gaining weight this week?  It is motivating me to keep going.  Start again.  Get back on track.  Now the plan is to:   

The Morning After

It is amazing what sleep can do.  That, and taking comfort in this bible verse:

Psalm 30:5

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

 

I had my night of weeping and wallowing.  I went to bed.  I actually woke up when my alarm went off, and I worked out.  I am already starting my day on a much more positive note.  Praying my day stays that way! 

 

I have to fight through this.  It is not going to be easy.  I need to get in Warrior mode and get out of this rut! 

 

Also, something to celebrate...my blog has reached over 2000 views!  Thanks so much for reading it.  That inspires me to keep going! 

Stress!

Seriously.  I am struggling with stress right now.  I seem to be getting attacked from all different areas of my life - professionally, personally, physically, and even in ministry.  I am not sure how much more I can take.  I am not handling it very well right now.  I am not going crazy and binge eating or anything, but it is affecting my working out and my eating.  It is affecting all aspects of my life.  I am having a difficult time getting up in the mornings which means I don't work out when I normally do.  When that happens, sometimes I will work out in the evenings, or sometimes I will not.  So my working out has  not been consistent.  Eating has not been great.  I have not been tracking my points and what I have been eating like I should be.  I thought a pedicure would help me yesterday, and while at the time, it was relaxing, it was a short lived relaxation. 

Today when I got home from work, all I wanted to do was cry.  I actually started crying in my car on the way home from work and finished up while at home.  Now, I am just spent.  I didn't work out today (shame on me!) so my goal is to definitely work out tomorrow morning.  Sorry to be such a downer...hoping I get out of this rut and turn it around real quick! 

5 Ways to Live Your Life in Full Color

Saw this blog entry on FB, and I liked it so much, I had to share it on my own blog!  Click on the link and enjoy!

5 Ways to Live Your Life in Full Color

FINALLY!  THE WEEKEND!

"Fat Day"

Do you ever have one of those days when you are just feeling fat?  That was me.  Today.  I started the day off by going to my "skinny" clothes closet.  That is the closet where I put all of my clothes that I couldn't fit into before.  On Monday I went to the skinny clothes closet and found an outfit that I could wear finally, and I was so excited that I could wear it.  I thought I would try again today.  I found a shirt that I put on, and again, was thrilled that it fit.  I put it on and felt good!  I was feeling fine until I got to work.  I got out of my car and saw my reflection in my car window and immediately hated the shirt and the way I looked in it.  The shirt is short sleeved, and I didn't like the way my arms looked in it.  By the end of the day, I felt like the shirt was getting tighter and tighter around my arms and I was getting bigger and bigger.  Ugh.  I just do not like days like today.  How do I get over having a day like this?  I came home and immediately changed clothes.  Maybe a pedicure will help?  Let's hope so!