Merry Christmas

I hope each and everyone of you were filled with the spirit of Christmas and blessings.

My family and I had a a very wonderful Christmas. Christmas has given me so much. So many wonderful memories were made. I baked and I baked and I baked... 11 dozen cookies and a batch of fudge this week alone. My niece and nephew came over and baked cookies for Santa with the girls and I. We gave 2 dozen of them to my parents as part of their gift. I sent 2 dozen home with the kids for Santa at their house. I brought 2 dozen to a holiday gathering at my other sisters. Another dozen to my father in law. I gave some more to a friend... and yeah we had a lot too.

We were incredibly blessed this Christmas. I was blessed with several new outfits, new boots, a new coat and running gear. I can't wait to run again.

I haven't stepped on the scale but I'm sure I've also been blessed with a few extra pounds to re-lose and a clear determined mind to start exercising again. I'm excited, not about the pounds of course, but excited to get back on track. I think I am going to start going to a different gym (temporarily) and swim. My mom gave me a 45 day trial pass (free), and I really think this will help a lot. I'm also going to start back with yoga. As I gain strength I will return to cycle, running and weight training. To keep me motivated, I'm going to start planning for the 2011 season. I see a few runs and triathlons in my future.

Post Thanksgiving

While most diet bloggers were making plans to survive the holiday, I was not. Intentionally, I did not plan. Is this failure to plan, essentially planning to fail? We will have to wait it out and see. Last year, I dieted during the holidays and I do not regret it. I did great. This year, I did not want to restrict myself. I wanted to enjoy Thanksgiving for a holiday it truly is meant to be, a feast surrounded by family. So I did. No guilt involved.

We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year. My younger sister helped me prepare my house by painting and cleaning all week. We picked a pale but cheery yellow and finally painted the kitchen. Only took 18 months to do it, but now my kitchen looks great -well for my kitchen. Before my kitchen barely looked live-able now it looks lovely. Well except the flooring from the 70's that I would love to be able to replace. I worked hard on my house from the time I woke up and got the kids off to school until 11pm and night when I was ready for bed all week. I was exhausted by the time family actually started to arrive on Weds night.,

I didn't make it to the gym at all. I miss it but my ankle wasn't healed all the way and I was busy. My ankle is still slightly swollen but feeling stronger. Thursday morning, Adrienne at Chronicles of a Curvy Housewife and I ran the Turkey Trot 5K. I was really worried about my ankle and being able to complete it.


Above: Mariyn and I by the start line
Below: Davey, Adrienne and I before the race.





There were so many people at the Turkey Trot, my guess nearly 2000 runners (kids included). It was freezing cold but still had a great turn out. The cold air felt like ice hitting your lungs, at times it hurt. It was non-electronic timing with a cross country style start and so the results aren't exact. There was a lot of congestion at both the start and finish line. So it took away from peoples time, mine included. The clock stated 30 mins 9 seconds when I crossed the finish line. That my friends, even with a bum ankle is my personal record. It's been several months since I've ran a timed 5K. Mariyn ran the 1/2 mile kids run, she was so cold but had a lot of fun. She was very proud of her finishers medal and her cousins were envious.
Mariyn post race with her medal and grandma.

Thanksgiving went off without a hitch. 12 people in my home a delicious meal. It had all the traditional fatty items like mashed potatoes, gravy and stuffing plus a few new healthier treats like my cauliflower broccoli cranberry salad. I enjoyed the day. Just like I wanted to because really, it's not Thanksgiving Day that makes you fat. Is it? It's the over eating and lack of moving every other day of the year. It's the feasting on the leftovers until you are stuffed to the gills. It's the lack of self control to say no thank you to food and the lack of motivation to get you off the couch to exercise. It's the every day choice we make that contribute to our lifestyle. I'm not going to fret over on what I ate for Thanksgiving. I ate a lot, I was active and I'm moving on.

Quite frankly I know I'm not at goal weight but with God's grace I will soon be.
I however AM living a healthy lifestyle each and every day. Isn't that what being at goal is all about?
Thanksgiving Day post feast.