Motivation-Get you some!

Where do you get your motivation? Seeing the scale move is definitely fabulous, but sometimes it’s not enough. And then, what about when the scale isn’t moving? These past few days, people have made little comments to me that have given me a little extra push to keep on going with the weight loss thing, and validation that it’s working. While I  am on this journey for myself—to feel good about myself, comfortable in my own skin and happy with the way I look, sometimes a compliment here and there is a little bit of extra motivation.

This weekend was extremely busy for me. I had a wedding to coordinate all day Saturday. Being on my feet for 8 hours and eating wedding food hardly had me feeling beautiful. But immediately after I was done with the wedding, I had another wedding to attend as a guest. My husband’s cousin got married Saturday night. He was at work so I attended alone. I got so many compliments on how good I looked and how much weight I looked like I had lost. Two relatives even sat down and asked what I was doing to be looking so great. This made me feel like a million bucks! It was probably easier for them to see a change because I had not seen them all since April when it was our turn to get married. S’s skinny cousins with great bodies were telling me I looked amazing! Can I get a hell yeah?! (And of course I have not one picture of my blue dress from Old Navy that I bought last week and wore to the wedding. I'll try and snap a picture next time I wear it)

Fast forward to last night. Since I couldn’t get my 5 miles in on Saturday because of the weddings, I aimed to do it last night.

(this is about as cold as it gets in Louisiana)

I bought a brand new pair of running shoes, but they were the same brand and model (?...lol..) as my last pair. About a mile in, I got a shooting pain in my left foot, on the side. I tried to push through it but I didn’t want to injure myself, a week and a half before our 10k! I ended up walking a bit then ultimately changing into my old shoes. I am not sure if the best thing to do is to keep trying to break them in on shorter runs or to return them. Any thoughts on this runner friends? I don’t think it would be wise to wear them for the 10k next Saturday.

After putting on my older shoes, I got back into the zone and kept running. Then, my shins started to burn. I mean, bad. Then, this came on:

 

I downloaded it last night after putting it off, thinking it would be cheesy. Hell to the no! It pushed me to go farther and faster. I felt like Rocky. Well not really.

And finally. this morning, I woke up to an email from my husband. This isn’t rare when he is at work, because he’s usually up really early so he shoots me a “good morning”. This morning’s was a little different though.

 

How sweet is he?! I just recently told him I had a blog, but never really elaborated. He knew it was about weight loss but I thought he might think it was silly. Come on ladies, we all know our husbands can lose weight by just looking at a treadmill. I was afraid he’d think I was going overboard, because honestly, losing weight can be as simple as calorie counting and working out. But for me, and I’m sure most of you, the support of my blog gets me through the plateaus and the rough spots. I was so thrilled that he read it and he liked it. It made me want to go out and run five miles right then and there! Of course I didn’t have time this morning, otherwise I would’ve.

That’s all for today. But before I go, make sure you have emailed me at kassiemromero@gmail.com if you want to participate in the Swag Swap in the month of November. You have until Thursday to sign up! I have gotten a GREAT participation rate so far, so I know this will be a fun oneJ

Throwback Thursday and my trip to the Dermatologist (fun times, I know)

First off, have you signed up for the Swag Swap yet? If not, shoot me an email at kassiemromero@gmail.com. It's not too late!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled broadcast...
In all seriousness, please think before tanning in a tanning bed! Being tan and all Pochahontas like ain't worth skin cancer, in no way, shape or form.

When I was in high school, being a little on the chub side, the only thing I felt like I had going for me was my long black hair and my bangin' tan. I got complimented constantly on my tan and complexion and since that was the only thing people seemed to notice positively, I felt like I had to keep up with it. I remember my first tanning membership was before I could drive. My mom would bring me to the salon 3-4 times a week and wait. in. her. car. till I was done. How amazing was my mama? And how bratty was I for letting my mom do that?

Anyway, my tanning habit continued and got stronger once I was driving and by the time I graduated high school I was full-on oompa loompa orange. I wish somebody would've told me. (a little throwback thursday for yall..)

The tanning tapered off a little in college mostly because of lack of time, but also lack of money. College kids are broke. I would start up again a few months before big events. Most recently, after not tanning for over two years, I started again before my bridals. Why? You couldn't even tell!

I decided after that I would never do it again. While I know what kind of damage it could cause, the vain side of me just kept on. Not again though. I didn't tan in preparation for the wedding and to be honest, I think I looked the same.

Anyway, I have been putting off going to the dermatologist for about a year. I had been having breakouts on my chin starting after I graduated college. Seriously, who never has a single zit in high school then suddenly goes through late puberty as an adult?! I would have gone get this situated a long time ago, but to be quite honest, I was so afraid. What had all those years of tanning really done to me? Were those freckles really freckles? A girl I know passed away last year from skin cancer. She was only 27 years old. I know I am not invincible.

I finally buckled down and scheduled an appointment. Thank GOD everything checked out okay. I am pastey as hell but I am cancer free. Nothing even looked suspicious. My derm also told me that breakouts in the chin area are purely hormonal (which I knew already) but what I didn't know is that no amount of creams or gels or topical ointments can fix it. The only way to fix it is within, and I would have to take an anti inflammatory for about a month. Who knew? She also prescribed a spot treatment but it will only reduce redness. Nothing makes zits just vanish, unfortunately for me.

The moral of the story is, don't wait to check something out just because you are scared. While I was lucky, I could've caused serious damage to my skin, all to look tan. How stupid is that?

Blogger Girl Swag Swap

Here are the deets, I just couldn't wait to share!:

Inspired by Katie am hosting a goodie swap in the month of November. There are just a few rules. Each person will be paired up with a random partner. You will be given their name, address, and a few details about who they are and what they like. The contents of the package can cost no more than $30 and must be mailed by November 30^th. You can include either things you love that you’d like them to try or just things you know they’ll love based on the info you receive about them, what you’ve read in their blog, etc. I would love it if atleast one thing could be health/fitness related--or even a majority of the items!  If you are interested in participating, shoot me an email at kassiemromero@gmail.com with “Blogger Swap” in the title line. The email should include your:

Name:

Address:

Favorite Color:

Favorite workout (Cardio, strength training, running, walking, cycling, underwater basketweaving, etc.)

Favorite guilty pleasure:

Hobbies:

Describe yourself in one sentence:

You can also include information you’d like your partner to know, call it market research haha, i.e. Twitter Handle, blog address, Facebook Page, etc.

I will accept emails until November 1^st (sorry it’s so last minute!) then you will receive your partner’s information. Also try to include a card or note so they know a little bit about you and why you chose what you did. I really think this will be a blast and I hope we have tons of participants! Feel free to share the link to this post on your blogs, or just copy and paste the information right on there.

For those who are stumped, you could include things like magazines, a book, nail polish, snacks (that don’t melt of course!), dvd’s, something handmade, workout accessories, fashion accessories, something that represents where you're from, the list goes on and on. You can even be creative in the packaging! Wrap each thing individually in fun paper, pack it all in a cute box, or just throw it all in there and mail away. The creative freedom is yours:)

How T-Pain Made Me a Better Runner

Yes, it's yet another running post. (Sorry to all my non-running readers!)

Last night I had two miles to run on my 10k training schedule. I had a dermatologist appointment (more on that later) first thing in the morning. Literally, first thing, I’m talking 7am, so I couldn’t do my running in the morning like usual. I also had an errand to run once I got off work at 6:30, so by the time I got home, it was dark. I could’ve easily changed out of my work clothes and laid on the couch. That’s what I really, really wanted to do. Instead I downed my first ever Gu for a little pick me up, ensuring that I’d run. I know things like that are for longer runs but I wanted to try it anyway. I tried Strawberry Banana and HATED IT. Not sure if it was the texture or the flavor. Any of you use Gu’s? Better flavor suggestions?

I didn’t start till nearly 7:15 so it was pretty dark. Luckily, our neighborhood is well lit. I have a bad habit of not stretching well enough when I’m in a hurry to start and that’s what happened last night. I did stretch, but not for long enough. My shins started burning about a quarter a mile in. I told myself not to stop, and I didn’t. About 1.5 miles in I wanted to stop and stretch but then “All the Above” came on my ipod. I don’t know what it is about this song but it instantly makes me feel 10 feet tall. I love the lyrics:

Tell me what do you see
When you looking at me
On a mission to be
What I'm destined to be
I done been through the pain and the sorrow
The struggle is nothing but love (nothing but love)
I'm a soldier, a rider, a ghetto survivor
And all the above

Really what do you see
When you looking at me?
See me come up from nothing,
To me living my dreams
I done been to the bottom,
I done suffered a lot,
I deserve to be rich,
Headed straight to the top
Look how I ride for the block,
Look how I rep for the hood,
I get nothing but love now
When I come through the hood

How the hell could you stop me?
Why in the world would you try?
I go hard forever,
That's just how I'm designed,
That's just how I was built
See the look in my eyes?
You take all of this from me,
And I'm still gon' survive
You get truth from me,
But these rappers gon' lie
I'm a part of these streets
Till the day that I die
I wave hi to the haters,
Mad that I finally done made it
Take a look and you can tell
That I'm destined for greatnessI can so relate to this song, minus the whole “ghetto survivor” thing…how bout suburbs survivor? No? Okay..I realized a few runs ago how perfect the sport was for me. I love my alone time, surely due to being an only child, so the time to myself to think is right up my alley. I also realized that running is something I can do for me, much like getting a pedicure or going on a shopping trip. Such a great form of therapy.  

Anyway, I felt like I was flying throughout this song. I literally remember laughing because I couldn’t believe my legs were moving that fast. I felt like Fred Flinstone driving his little stone age-mobile. I was on cloud nine after I was done, whether it was 2 miles or 20.

 

 

While I was running, I thought about all those pep talks from Leigh Ann and pats on the back from Holly and Melanie. I also thought about the email I received from Megan, in response to my list of running questions. Thanks girl! I had been contemplating if I could be ready to run a half in February, and I wanted honesty from someone who had done it. She was honest, and she made me realize I could do it too. Why not? Her email was just the push I needed. She seriously is one of my top running motivations and I will for sure keep her in my thoughts during this training process.

So on February 24^th, 2013, I will be a half marathon runner and what seems to be one of the most fun halfs there ever was, the Rock N Roll half, in New Orleans. I am super excited with only a tiny dash of scared. I am hoping to meet some of you fabulous ladies there, too! Who’s in?

Check back on the blog tomorrow for a fitness/health food/running Goodie bag swap! :)

Weekend recap and running for my life

Good morning skinny ladies! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Mine was jam packed with friend and family time so I can’t complain. I only wish it could’ve been longer. Here is my super long  weekend recap!

Friday night, my husband cooked dinner and our neighbors that we love unnatural amounts came over. It’s so great that my husband gets along so well with JD and I get along so well with J. We also love their kids and even their dog. My husband made super rich pasta which I was dreading but I had maybe half a big spoonful, so I did well. I loaded up on salad and drank tons of water before hand.

Saturday morning, my husband had the bright idea to run to our gym, get in a quick arm workout then run home. Our first mistake was not calculating how far the gym was from where we live. We estimated about a mile and a half to two miles, but it turned out being closer to three. No problem on the way there, but the way back was torture. I tried to negotiate with my husband to run home and get the car to pick me up, but he politely declined lol..Atleast I burned a ton of calories!

 

After we showered and got decent, we had my family reunion to go to. Over all, it was nice to spend time with my immediate family, but getting introduced to tons of strangers isn’t really loads of fun. A fun fact about the reunion: a guy I “dated?” before my husband came into the picture arrived a few hours after we did. Instantly panicked a little thinking, WE ARE RELATED?! Before realizing he was there with a relative, phew. Crisis averted!

 

We stayed there from around 11am-3pm. The food there was delicious and so unhealthy, but I had a tiny bit of everything and I had just burned over 1,000 calories so I wasn’t about to starve, thanks! I opted out of drinking, and chugged water and one diet root beer. Diet A&W is my new love. I let myself have one a weekJ

 

One of S’s friends just bought a house about three blocks from ours and they were grilling as sort of a housewarming that afternoon. We sat outside in their massive yard and watched their kids play. I ate my weight in hummus and pita chips. I didn’t have much for dinner because the food to people ratio was a little off and I would’ve felt bad grabbing the last chicken leg. We left pretty early and watched a movie on the couch before calling it a night.

Sunday we went to my mom’s for lunch because it was her birthday Friday. She just had a huge patio built so it was really nice to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. After lunch, S wanted to shoot his new gun with his dad to make sure the scope was right for a big hunting trip they have coming up. Yes, we are those kind of people.  

After all of that fun, we drove home and realized we had nothing to cook for dinner. We decided to eat at Texas Roadhouse and I may or may not have eaten three huge cheese fries, covered in bacon, cheese and grease, before my meal even came out. It is what it is, people.

Tonight I have a two mile run to complete, but Saturday’s run will be the killer. Five miles, yall! I find running in the morning is way harder than in the afternoon. Does anyone else feel that way? I better get used to it though, since most races are bright and early. I’ve been toying with the idea of signing up for a half marathon at the beginning of next year, but I think I may be a little out of my league. Any advice?

Friday Ramblings

Good morning! I am in a great mood today because it’s finally Friday.

Last night, our running clinic had a 4.5 group mile run. Keep in mind, I was three runs behind them because of sickness and one day of laziness. I was terrified to say the least because I knew I’d feel it. I tried not to whine to Leigh Ann too much because the girl has given me atleast 34514 pep talks since we’ve been friends. Had to give her a day of peace lol! I arrived at the gym around 5:15pm and thought “holy crap this is gonna suck!” and to be honest, for the first half mile it did. I kept thinking I’d never make it through the whole thing but shockingly enough, it got easier. I felt great after, dare I call it a runner’s high? Even Leigh Ann commented that she saw a difference in my post-run demeaner. You mean like I didn’t seem like I’d pass out and/or puke? Sweet.

 

 

 

During Monday's run I felt pain in my left foot but I pushed through it. I know it's because I didn't stretch well enough. Yesterday before we even started running, I felt the pain again. Our running coach has been talking about Planter's fasciitus for weeks so I knew that's what it was. She showed me how to stretch it on the side of the treadmill and suggested rolling a softball or frozen water bottle under my foot. Didn't have either so I settled for a tennis ball and my feet feel totally 100% again today! I'll definitely be doing this after all my runs from here on out.

Tomorrow I am attempting to run my Saturday 3 miler with my husband. We will see how that goes. That lucky duck has the ability to run for miles and miles after not running for months. We are planning to run to the gym, do some strength training, then run home. God help me.

After that we will shower (I promise) and head out to my very first family reunion. Fun times there. I am excited to see some family members I haven’t seen in a while and get introduced 48382756 times to the family I’ve never met (not). I am more concerned about the food than anything because it’s being catered so I have no idea what to expect. I am used to my routine of knowing exactly what is in everything I make and eat. Counting calories is hard when you don't make the food, but I will survives (as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive)

Sunday we are going to my mom’s for a barbeque. I was asked to bring a side dish so I’m making “skinny” green bean casserole. I LOVE this dish because it feels so bad even though it’s really not. I use fat free cream of mushroom. My husband will be running errands today so I asked him to pick up the ingredients.

 

Had to throw in a little Honey Boo Boo for you this week! Just can't escape it

I am also devastated to announce that I have in fact decided to return the famous pink pants. I know I caused a stir with them yesterday, and I truly wanted to be a bad ass and wear them proudly, but I just can’t. They fit well, I just discovered this morning that I have not a single article of clothing that looks good with them. I tried yall, really I did! I think I will return them for either a khaki pair that matches with everything or those red polka dotted ones I was eyeing! I promise to keep you updated, as I know this is pressing information in all y of our lives. Kidding.

Have a good weekend ya’ll!

The Difference a Year Makes: Progress Pictures

All of us on a journey to lose weight and be happy with the way we look have come to this point.
The point when you can’t even fit into your “fat clothes” or you don’t recognize yourself in a picture.
The point where you are sick and tired of being sick and tired and can’t bear to go another day without making a change.

For some of us, this takes trying and failing at every diet out there. For me, that’s exactly what happened. I got to a point where I thought nothing has worked so this is just how I’m meant to be. I wasn’t confident or comfortable, but nothing was going to change, so I had to accept it. I have even been told by friends and loved ones that I should just accept myself as I was and be happy. But I wasn’t. Who were they to just tell me to just stay as I was and not change? I’ve even been given the line, “We live in the South, our food is too good to be on a diet”. My grandma has even said to me “We’re all fat, this is just your genetics, stop making yourself miserable”. I wish I was kidding.

 All my years of struggling with my weight, it never really “clicked” until I saw the Picture. I think a lot of us experience mirror haze, whether it be for the worst or better. I knew I was overweight, but I never thought I was AS big as I looked in this picture. My mom had a 70’s themed party for her 50^th birthday. All my cousins rent or bought cute costumes to wear. I went to the Party store and figured the Men’s size Large bell bottom costume pants would fit, and I could wear a shirt I already had. Bought some costume glasses and a headband and would make do with that. I got home and the men’s large STRETCHY pants would not go over my hips. Must be a defect. I returned them and wore my own jeans. We all had a blast. My cousin posted pictures the following Monday. I didn’t expect to be in any of them because at this point I had stopped posing for pictures. I had just gotten engaged the July before and I was topping out at my highest weight. I never thought I’d post this here, but I weighed 204 pounds. (Shout out to my now-husband for putting a ring on my chubby finger anyway!) I had just had a failed attempt at trying Ideal Protein with a friend after getting engaged. I was miserable the whole time so I quit, like every other diet I had tried. I came to terms with the fact that I wouldn’t feel beautiful on my wedding day. Looking back, I see how sad that is. Anyway, back to the picture. The minute I laid my eyes on it, I was horrified. Did I really look this bad? Was it a bad angle? Surely it was a bad angle. I immediately untagged myself and shuffled through the rest to make sure I wasn’t in any others. I blew it off for a few minutes but kept going back to that picture. Keep in mind, the whole 70’s party thing, I normally don’t dress like this in real life…

I remember looking in the mirror and thinking those jeans made me look thin. Really?

Earlier this week, I hit the 20 pound mark(keep in mind I haven't really been serious about weightloss till July or so), so I thought I’d do a post about my journey thusfar. Looking through countless pictures and not finding a “before”, I remembered the 70’s party picture. I found it and realized it has been exactly a year since this picture was taken. To the day. It wasn’t until I compared my 20 lbs lost picture to the 70’s party picture that I realized what a transformation I have made. I am by no means “done”, but I feel so proud. I could’ve easily, easily gained 20 pounds in a year. While I could’ve lost more, I know slow and steady wins the race. I’d still like to lose another 35-40, but I am so content right now with the rate of my progress. I know my body can do things now that it couldn’t have done 20 pounds ago. The first time I tried to run, I barely lasted 40 seconds. Now, I can run 2 miles without stopping. One day, I’ll run 13 miles. One day, I’ll lose 20 more pounds. And I’ll have done it without the help of any diet. Just eating healthy and staying active. I also could not do it without the support of all you wonderful readers who leave me nothing but love all the time.  I think about you often during my hard runs. When I want to quit, I can’t. I have to keep going. It’s the same with this journey. I can’t stop until I’m healthy. It feels good to know I’m well on my way.

A few comparisons:

The picture on the left was the day I got engaged. My face was so full here, I barely recognize myself. The picture on the right was taken two weeks ago.

October 16th, 2011 (L) October 17th, 2012 (R) Who looks happier?

Let's Talk Tattoos Tuesday Link Up with Mel!

  Happy Tuesday my good people! Today I am linking up with the ever motivational Melanie! I love this chick, ya'll. She is always there to give me a little e-pat on the back and I have thought about her during many of my grueling runs. When she announced that she was hosting this link up about tattoos, I was super excited because I am one of the few and far between that love my tattoos and don't even regret them one single bit. (Not yet anyway)  

I got my first tattoo at the ever so popular-tattoo-gettin' age of 21. I got it over spring break, but there's no drunken college kid story here. (I'm not that fun). I went to visit my brother in Nashville for a week and my bro is full of tats. I knew he'd be the perfect person to accompany me. His tattoo artist was out of town but he found out about this tattoo and, get this, horror film convention coming to town that weekend. His hair stylist is also tatted up so she recommended a good artist that would be at the convention so we were all set. I knew what I wanted, I just needed to pick a font. I am a huge nerd Beatles fan, and I wanted a line from one of their lesser known songs on my foot. I wanted to be able to cover it with a flip flop so that's how the placing came about. Looking back, I wish I would've put it a little lower because it shows in business type shoes, but I've never had any employers who had a problem with it. The full line of the song is "Tomorrow may rain, so I will follow the sun". My tattoo has only "so I will follow the sun" because that was simply all that would be able to fit. I also wanted it in Spanish, because at the time I was a Spanish minor and had planned to study abroad that next summer. I was all into Spanish culture. Even though I never completed my Spanish minor, I plan to become fluent one day. The only aggravation is to constantly get "What does it say?" when people notice it. It's a little faded and no one will touch it up because the font is so small, but recently someone told me it looks like a faded hand written letter, so I am just going with that! lol The picture above was taken by my photographer during my bridals. She noticed it at the end and asked if she could photograph it.        

My second tattoo is still pretty new. I got this one in July (around the time of my birthday). I always loved this placement, just never had the courage to go through with it. I decided this year was the year, I just wasn't sure exactly what I'd get. I played around with fonts and quotes until one day it hit me. Ya'll are gonna laugh your a-s-s-es off, but I was watching Back Story with LeAnn Rhimes one day and they were discussing this song of hers I had never heard. (Stay with me here). I am not a LeAnn Rhimes fan by any means. No offense if anyone here is a husband-stealin' honey boo boo too, but she never was my cup of tea. This song, though, just changed my mind. It's called "What I cannot Change". Go download that shit. The first time I heard it, tears literally were falling down my face. I heard it at a time where I felt like I needed to hear the words she was singing. I don't feel that way often (except when I am a barrel full of hormones and fun). It drives home the same message as the Serenity Prayer, which I pray on a daily basis. This prayer has gotten me through some dark times, and I have it posted up about anywhere it'll stick-my office, my mirror, my planner, etc. That's when it hit me that this what about the only phrase that I could live with up there on my shoulder. The font was chosen simply because it was the only one that allowed all those words to fit. After several failed attempts at getting it with my husband and two friends (tattoo parlor closing early, artists being booked up, etc) I ended up going alone, on a Tuesday afternoon, and 15 minutes later I was done. I love the way it turned out and sometimes forget it's there. I figure that when I'm 67 years old, I won't be wearing off the shoulder tops anymore, and if I am, I think a tattoo will be the least of my problems.

     

Southern Girl's Super Skinny Chicken & Veggie Alfredo

Hey ya'll! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Today was super relaxing and wonderful, as yesterday was long and tough. I had a wedding to coordinate with a TON of elements so I was at the venue, literally running around, from 10am till about 11pm. I planned to do a four miler today but my feet were still killing me. Will have to push it off till tomorrow night. I'm two runs behind the group and I'm definitely feeling it! Yikes.

Anyway, tonight I created a new dish based on what I was craving and it turned out even better than expected. I didn't follow a recipe or anything but here is what I did:

Southern Girl's Super Skinny Chicken & Veggie Alfredo

Small spaghetti squash

1 large chicken breast or small package of tenders (I used tenders)

1 cup brocolli

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Diced garlic

Classico Light Alfredo sauce (in jar)

Roast cut up broccoli till lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside. Cut chicken into bite size pieces, season to taste, and cook in skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. While chicken is cooking, sautee mushrooms with garlic. I used about 1 Tbsp. of garlic but you can omit or add more, based on your taste. Pierce squash with fork and microwave in 5 minute increments till soft. Shred squash with fork once sliced in half and seeds are removed. If preparing for family, mix all ingredients together, adding enough sauce to be creamy. Season to taste (I used light cajun seasoning and onion powder). Cook on low till sauce is heated through. 

My husband is working this week so it was just me eating. I mixed only enough for one serving. All leftover ingredients can be mixed before eating.  I will definitely be making this dish again! Hope you enjoy:)

My First 5k

Hey ya'll! I know I am late in posting this, but this week has been crazy hectic already. I couldn't wait to share my experience but I haven't had a chance. Here I am finally, though!


Last Saturday (October 6th, 2012), I ran my very first 5k. I am so proud that I got out there and did it, because I certainly didn't think I would complete a 5k anytime soon, even though our 10k is scheduled for November. I guess I just thought I'd go big or go home, so to speak, and my first race would be the 10k. When Leigh Ann suggested we run a 5k in our town in the place of our 2 mile "homework" for running clinic, I figured, why not? I will admit, it felt like a good idea until I showed up, but I did want to practice a race and get the full experience before our 10k, so I knew it would be a good idea to start with the 5k.

I woke up Saturday morning around 6 because sign up was at 7:30 and the race was at 8 and I wanted to eat something well in advance. I had a Peppermint Stick Luna Bar and a tall glass of water and got dressed and ready. I arrived a little bit earlier than Leigh Ann because I'm always nervous to be late to stuff like that. I signed in and received my "swag bag" which was just a t shirt and some ad's for local companies. I also got my race bib, which I was super proud to put on-my first of many! Leigh Ann arrived and we warmed up a little bit. Next time I will stretch at home then again at the race site. I got my music and heart rate monitor all ready and the nerves started going crazy. Was I really doing this? It was what they call a fun run, so I knew there would be runners and walkers. I think if it was strictly running I'd have been a little more hesitant.

In all the chaos, I wasn't expecting that gun to be shot so when it was time to start it was kinda like, "oh crap, let's go". I totally forgot to start my heart rate monitor, because I was too busy adjusting my little belt I use to hold my car key and phone.

As expected, I started out way faster than normal. Everyone was running together, as there were no corrals or anything, so I just kept up with the pack. I didn't really struggle as much as I thought. My first mile was completed at a 9 minute pace. That shocked me because my average pace is 12 minutes, then 13 or 14 as the miles progress. The second mile was finished in about 12 minutes. I lost track of my pace towards the end and don't even know what time I finished yet. (More on that later.)

While I was still toward the back of the pack of runners, I could tell I paced myself better than some and although I was slow, I felt steady and strong. I kept thinking, "I'm really doing this! I'm really doing this!" Such a proud feeling for me. I stopped to walk a couple of times but always just for a few seconds at a time.

At about the last 1/2 mile, my music stopped. I pulled my phone out of its pouch and that's when I realized my car key (which I had detached from my key ring) was no longer there. I kept feeling around and ultimately stopped to see if it had just then fallen out. I made a decision to just keep going because I could see the finish line. I know that cost me some time, but I really tried to make the best of it and not stop. I crossed the finish line with a couple of girls from our running clinic cheering me on, again such a great feeling. The first thing I told Leigh Ann was "I lost my car key!" The running high was short lived because I don't have a spare (smart, I know) and my husband was not anywhere near to take me home. We walked to the starting point to see if I had lost it when I put my phone in the belt at the beginning. It wasn't there so I said, "Hell, let's get a mimosa" Yes, there were mimosas at the finish line! We tried to figure out what to do before Leigh Ann suggested asking a cop if anyone had turned it in. He said they hadn't, but he could have the DJ make an announcement. Thankfully, about 5 minutes later, someone turned my key in and they announced it was at the award table! I was so happy it was found and I could go back to being excited about what I had just accomplished.

In all the lost-key-excitement, I forgot to stop my running app that told me my pace and time, so I don't know what time I finished or what my actual average pace was. I am hoping I can find it online sometime soon. Once I do, I'll definitely post the results.

I never thought I'd be a runner. I never thought I'd run a 5k. I never thought I'd run a mile. I never thought I'd run more than a minute without feeling like I was about to collapse a lung. But I did. And I will keep going. I am a runner. If I can be a runner, you can too. I can't wait to run more 5k's! I can't wait to run 10k's. I can't wait to meet my ultimate goal of running a half marathon. I can honestly say, running has changed my life.

4 miles-check!

Hey ya'll! I know lately my posts have been quite frequent, but I thought yesterday's run needed a separate post. Earlier I posted my very first vlog, and if you've got 45262 eight extra minutes, check that thang out!

For those of you that are new to my blog, I started a running clinic three weeks ago at Leigh Ann's gym. It's a nine week program that leads up to running a 10k as a group. We are about 18 girls that run together on Thursdays (our long runs) and have "homework" to complete the rest of the week.

I do wish I had completely finished training for a 5k before starting the 10k program, but I new I needed a push so I bit the bullet. I was, frankly, a little out of my league. All I had done was about half of the Couch to 5k and got bored with it. I needed something out of the box and this is definitely it. I had a rough start but I am improving by leaps and bounds.

Yesterday's group run was 4 miles. I am getting so much better with pacing myself and breathing that I was so much more prepared yesterday than usual. I had a rough start but I was able to take control and ran most of the 4 miles. I actually finished 4 miles in less time than last week's 3.5! To me that is a success, whether I was dead last or not. I will say, though, I was only dead last this time because two girls cut across a street and I ran the whole thing. I look at it as my run and whether I'm last or not, I will make it count. I told Leigh Ann earlier in the day that my goal would be to finish all four miles in an hour. And that's exactly what I did. Exactly one hour, down to the minute. I was so pumped! I forgot to turn off my heart rate monitor after, so the time was off, but look how many calories I burned! Ain't that somethin'?

 

I was feeling like a major boss lady, as Elle Noel would say! Speaking of her, apparently I discuss her often enough with my husband that he has begun to refer to her as my lover girl. I can't help that we have alot to talk about! Plus she is kinda hilarious and adorable so yes, she just might be my lover girl after all. Don't get a restraining order!

Anyway, tomorrow we have a 2.5 miler (or maybe 3, I forget) to accomplish bright and early before we both head out with our husbands to go tailgating. It should be a full, fun weekend for me!

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend and I can't wait to catch up on all the new blogs I've discovered for the link up today!

Yes, I talk this much in real life too.

 

Hey ya'll! TGIF! Today I am linking up with Holly and Emily to answer a few questions and let ya'll hear my fabulously southern accent. Don't laugh too hard. Also ignore the crab in the background (another Louisiana thing). If you are just cringing to sit through my EIGHT MINUTE VIDEO, just admire the crab after all, I painted that sucker! And yes, you read that right. Eight minutes long. Us southern girls are long winded. Okay, maybe just me. I think I may be the only one who took a whole minute just to answer what my name was. Bless my heart. Enjoy (and laugh it up!) and keep and eye out for another post later today. Holla for a dolla honey boo boo!

I wanna wear an eeny meeny bikini, yall.

Alright, so this whole weight loss thing is great. It's a journey, it's tough, the scale sucks, running sucks (but works) yadda yadda yadda. I talk so much about my "journey" in this blog and my before and the struggle to get to my after, but I've never talked about where I want to be. So here we go. Like most women:

I want to be comfortable in my own skin.

I want to feel as sexy as my husband thinks I am.

I want to wear sleeveless shirts and shorts and not keep adjusting them or pulling at them.

I want to feel fit.

I want to be confident and proud of how far I've come.

I want to inspire others to better themselves, physically.

I want to show those who doubted me that I'm capable of more.

I want to be healthy for my future children.

I want to wear a dress that shows my curves and not worry if my hips look big.

I want to not hate shopping for clothes and stop being disappointed that they don't zip up.

I want to wear a bikini, on the beach, in front of people, and not suck in or feel uncomfortable. I want to rock the hell out of it the whole freakin' time.

When I started writing up this list, the bikini thing stuck out to me alot. Of course it's not as important as being fit and healthy and proud, but it's a goal I've always wanted to reach. Looking back, I've always been the "fat friend".  In high school, all my bff's were 110 pounds and I was 160. I was the wing-woman, if you will. I remember wearing a t-shirt and basketball (i.e. long) shorts over my bathing suit on my senior trip in Cancun, and overhearing my classmates saying how ridiculous I was. In my own head though, I needed to cover up. I never realized that piling on the clothes made me stand out more than letting my fat flag fly. (yeah, I just said that)

 In college, I wasn't much of a partier, but when I did go out with friends, I was the only one that didn't get hit on. I never got asked for my number. I stood out, though, again as being the fat friend. I have never gotten the care free feeling of wearing a bikini (other than a tankini) without shorts, a cover up, a towel wrapped around me, etc. and I want to feel that before I have 15 babies--okay, that is a biiiig exaggeration...

But I am bound and determined to make my eeny meeny bikini dream come true. It will happen. Next summer. I have plenty of time to lose the weight and tone up. I'm not dreaming up this totally unrealistic plan to be beach ready in 6 weeks. I can do this, and I will. And there will be photographic proof. Right on these pages, I promise you all. I am committed to this and you will see this girl in a bikini.

While daydreaming that I was at the beach, I came across a few beauties that I'd love to rock some day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's right. Go big or go home. No black one-pieces here. If I'm gonna do this, I might as well stick out like a sore thumb, but for being in a bright ass bikini, not for being covered up like an Alaskan salmon fisherman. 8 months and counting---well, 4 if you could Louisiana summer. Who's with me?

Kassie and the Crockpot Catastrophe

Hey honey boo boo's! And welcome to my blog, to all my new readers. You're actually joining at a great time because Friday I'm doing a vlog link up with Holly, my favorite fellow Bill Clinton lova girl. You'll get to hear my adorable horrifyingly southern accent and laugh your biscuits off (a little more Honey Boo Boo humor coming at you).

I really don't have anything super exciting to say today because I planned on posting about two GREAAAAT recipes I've tried in the past few days. Only that won't work out because one tasted like feet and one made me feel like my head was detached from my body. Barrel of fun, huh?

I finally tried a cauliflower pizza crust, after seeing all my friends pinning it on Pinterest. I need to realize that most of the time, people pin stuff and never try it. They pin the idea of it, I think. So just because tons of people pin it, that doesn't make it good. It was ALOT of trouble to make and took forever to prep. It tasted like mashed up, uncooked cauliflower and was a total waste of perfectly good cheese.

Yesterday, I tried Crockpot Buffalo Chicken. I won't even link up with the recipe because I don't want you to try it. It's that Pinterest recipe that calls for frozen chicken breasts, a whole freakin bottle of buffalo sauce and ranch dressing mix. I used half a bottle because that just seemed absurd to me. It was a little dry due to less liquid but it still looked and smelled amazing. Plus it was easy! Dump and go.

 I got home 9 hours after turning on my crockpot and shredded the chicken. I served it on a lettuce wrap and discovered I had no ranch dressing. No problem, I thought. Less calories to use and I love buffalo sauce on anything. Well, I stand corrected. A small amount of buffalo sauce on chicken is one thing. Buffalo sauce seeping into every square centimenter of my chicken ain't good yall. Oh. em. gee. I took three bites and threw it away. Not only was it too hot but the sodium made me instantly feel sick. I just couldn't do it. I ate a banana and peanut butter instead because I wasn't all that hungry to begin with. I would suggest you not try this recipe. Had my husband been home, of course he would've gobbled it right up, but since it was just me, in to the trash can it went.

I promise to have better recipes to share with ya'll one day! They normally don't turn out this bad so I'll get back to the drawing board!

In other news, tomorrow is group run #3 with our Running Clinic and I am sad to report that I'm kinda dreading it. That won't stop me though! I have way more poundage to get rid of and running surely does the trick. Leigh Ann and I will do our normal Saturday run bright and early so we can head off to tailgating and drink back our calories burned hang out with great friends and support our home team!

More on the weekend tomorrow though! Hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday.

Hello October!

Hey ya’ll! I’m in a great mood this morning (yes, on a Monday), for a few different reasons. First, I got in my run bright and early so I’m all done. I told Leigh Ann this weekend how before a run, I’m so pumped up and excited to just RUNNNN! Then during the run, I am wanting to put my own self out of my misery because I’m silently singing “FML, FML, FML” the whole time—only the actual words, not the initials. But then after the run, I feel energized and proud and in a great mood. So I guess I have to put the pain aside and just freakin do it. I’m also in a great mood because it’s October! And as luck would have it, the cranky bitch that is Louisiana Mother Nature has finally decided to get down to the 60’s instead of the last few weeks in the 80’s-90’s. Fall weather makes me happy yall! I’m even wearing boots today. Another reason to be happy. It’s the little things!

 

My weekend was very productive, despite my desire to do nothing. I met up with Leigh Ann for our Saturday run (IN THE RAIN I MIGHT ADD!) I never thought I’d run in the rain. Hell, I never thought I’d run unless an ax murderer was chasing me. We were so proud of ourselves.

 

After that, I went home to shower and dry off and did my grocery shopping for the week, braved the wild baboons again went to the mall to refill my foundation and mascara collections and tried to find a dress for an upcoming wedding (no luck). Am I the only one who has an EXACT idea of what I want to buy and if I can't find that EXACT thing I am not satisfied? Probably...

Saturday night I attempted to make a cauliflower crust pizza and this happened:

The piece missing is actually underneath the foil, also in the trash can. I ended up eating a turkey burger and broccoli because I couldn't stand another bite. I planned on posting a recipe and tutorial but I’d never subject you to eating that pile of feet tasting goo.

 

Sunday I got two work outs in and did 13525 loads of laundry. I also caught up on my DVR which is like my third favorite thing to do.

 

A few update shots for ya'll- I am finally seeing a difference! No more looking four months pregnant! (Maybe just two now.) I'd like to look not pregnant though, thanks.