Color Me Rad 5K Chicago

I know I've posted about this before, but I feel it is worth posting and talking about again. How many of you Chicago area lovelies will be joining Michelle (https://www.facebook.com/MichelleResi82) & I for the Color Me Rad 5K on July 20, 2013??

For you larger lovelies concerned about having to run the 5K, rest assured that you can walk it too. Michelle and I will be doing just that. While we would like to be able to jog a portion of it, we know that running/jogging is a lot of impact and pressure on our knees in our current state, so we'll be walking a good portion of the race. So if you would like to join us, it's not too late!! Here is the link to join in on the fun. 

http://www.colormerad.com/race.i?raceid=125&t=Chicago

Michelle and I will be doing the 10:00am wave, and if you would like to join the "team" I've set up, click "join an existing team." It will ask you for my team name, which is Beyond The Fat, and my last name (Kelly). To get 10% off of your registration fee, you can enter promo code “WORLDSPORT." The use of the promo code also gives World Sport Chicago 15% of your race entry fee.

If you're not already familiar with World Sport Chicago, they're a pretty awesome organization. World Sport Chicago is an independent, non-profit organization that teaches positive values and leadership through sport. The organization acts on the belief that sport has the power to strengthen individuals, and in turn, Chicago’s communities. World Sport Chicago promotes programs and events and collaborates with several community partners, public agencies and Chicago’s professional sports teams to deliver impact and change.

World Sport Chicago has a unique history as the living legacy of Chicago’s bid for the  2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The organization has evolved substantially since the bid. However, the collaborative spirit that drove those efforts remains central to the work of World Sport Chicago.

The mission of World Sport Chicago is to promote the development of sustainable sports programming that improves the quality of life for under-served youth in Chicago and at-risk communities. World Sport Chicago does this by:

-- Teaching life-enhancing values and character development through sport

-- Leveraging on-going sport programs and events to engage families and strengthen communities

-- Directing resources and technical expertise to communities of need for high-quality and sustainable programming

-- Sharing practices and innovations to develop thought leadership on the positive impact of sport

-- Advocating sport-for-all, regardless of physical and visual abilities.

So pretty please, use that promo code when your checking out so that World Sport Chicago can get 15% of your race entry fee. They are a great organization and, if you would like to learn more about them, you can visit their website at the link below! 

http://www.worldsportchicago.org/

I would LOVE to see a lot of you there. This 5K is not about how fast you walk/run, but it is to do it for a great cause like World Sport Chicago. It is also to show that, no matter your size, you CAN get moving. Speaking from my own experience, you would be amazed at how much walking can do for you. So please, if you've been thinking about signing up for the Color Me Rad 5K, do it! Come join in on the fun with Michelle and I. And if you are going, please let me know so we can look for you! I'll be bringing a camera along, so expect LOTS and lots of photos. Let's DO IT!!! 

Checking in!

Hey everyone! Happy Sunday! It's a beautiful day here in Chicago, but I'm working so I can't enjoy it, haha. Hopefully you all are having a wonderful day.

Today was weigh in day for me. Last week I didn't blog my results, so I figured I'd cover that now. Usually the week right before my period I have a big loss. So when I weighed in on April 21st, I was down 5.8 lbs. That was to be expected since I was supposed to be getting my monthly visitor the following week. So that following Sunday I weighed in and I had gained 3 lbs. Again, that was not all that unexpected as I usually fluctuate a lot around my period. So again, I was not surprised. Well, it's Sunday again, so it's weigh in day. Also, I still have yet to get my period. It's 7 days late. Don't worry, I'm not pregnant.. haha. That would actually mean something would have had to happen, which I can say DID not.. haha. So unless it's an immaculate conception.. I'm golden. LOL.

So anyways, last week I walked Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I didn't walk as much as I would have liked, but I did at least get some walking in. I plan to change that this week. So when I got to work I weighed in and found myself down 7 lbs. Needless to say I was shocked with this weigh in. I didn't expect it, especially since I am a week late on my period. But, a loss is a loss and I'll take it! So that brings my weight loss total to 60.8 lbs (33.8 of it since 01/13/2013).

I would be telling a lie if I said I couldn't feel the difference in my body. I tried on some of my dresses that I wore last summer. I've always been really self conscious about my thighs, so I always wore leggings or shorts under my dresses just in case they rode up a little bit. Well, I am happy to say that this summer I will NOT be wearing shorts or leggings under my dresses. I tried some of the dressed on this week and there really is no need to break out the leggings and shorts anymore. :)  So that will be a whole new ballgame for me this summer. I'm super excited to break out some of the sundresses I have and really wear them for the first time. I also tried on a pair of black jeggings that I had. The last time I wore them was last spring and they were tight and uncomfortable. I was able to get them on last spring (I couldn't even get them on before that), but my thighs were too fat and they were tight in the waist which made things SUPER uncomfortable for me. Well, I tried them on yesterday and they FIT. They actually FIT me. My thighs have shrunk with all the walking I've been doing, and I actually sit down in them without cutting off circulation.. haha. Needless to say, I am super stoked to see what the summer holds for me. I can't wait!

So how have you all been doing? Any successes you would like to share? What are your plans for this new week to be successful? Let's kick this weeks butt!

Also, Michelle and I have been thinking about getting a group together on the weekends (Saturdays) to walk with us at Blackwell. Would any of you in the area be interested in doing that with us?

Happy Tuesday!

Howdy everyone. I hope your Tuesday is off to a good start. It's a rainy day here in Chicagoland, which made it difficult to get out of bed this morning. Sorry I haven't been updating like I should, I'm working on fixing that.

So Sunday was my weigh in day and I found myself down 5.8 lbs. The Sunday before I hit the 50 pounds loss mark! So that's two Sundays in a row of great news! But this Sunday I was shocked at the loss, but remembered that (this next part may be too much info for you guys out there) next week I get my monthly visitor. For whatever reason, I always have a big loss the week right before my period. So being that I'm supposed to get it in less than a week now, it all makes sense. But a loss is a loss, and I'll take it. So being down that 5.8 lbs brings my total weight loss thus far to 56 lbs, 29.8 lbs of it lost since 01/13/2013. Needless to say, I am thrilled with my progress.

So last week I didn't work out at all. I had been having some knee issues, so I gave my knees a rest. I probably could have done some arm workouts, but I didn't. So this week I had to get back into the swing of things. I realized last week that I am still too heavy to be jogging. While I LOVE it, it's too much impact on my knees at the moment. But anyways, my best friend is in Morocco until the 30th of April, so I went to Blackwell by myself to get in a good work out. It was such a beautiful day and I was feeling good.

When I got there, I expected to walk Mt. Hoy, walk the trails, get in some pushups, and then do some free weights. Yesterday it took me only 10 mins to go up Mt. Hoy, and down the trail. I only made two stops on the way up (usually I take 3 or 4), which is an accomplishment for me. For some of you, it might not be work, but when you're carrying around the weight I am, it is definitely a struggle. So, once I got to the end of the trail, I stopped and did 30 pushups (3 sets of 10) on the bike racks, then started heading back to my car. Once I got there, I found myself looking at Mt. Hoy again and the voice in my head told me "give it a shot, I bet you can do it again." At that point, I found my feet taking me back to the hill. I made my way up Mt. Hoy (making 3 stops on the way up), and I was shocked. If you would have told me two weeks ago that I would have been able to walk Mt. Hoy twice in one day, I would have laughed at you. But I did it, and I felt amazing afterwards. So, I walked down the trail, around the parking lot again, bringing my walking to 50 mins. Once I reached my car I did some free weights, and then headed home. All in all, I got in a great 60 minute workout and I felt great, though I am sore today. And, I did it all by myself. Usually I hit Mt. Hoy with my best friend, but I am glad I made myself go. Plus, it was nice to get out in the beautiful weather... though I wish it would have carried over into today.

With the rain today, and the dropping temperature for later, it's looking like Mt. Hoy won't be happening today. BUT, the rest of the week looks okay, so I think I'll head back out there hopefully tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday. Looks like some rain is possible, and it will be cooler so I'll just have to bundle up and be prepared. I may go walk the mall tonight after work, so we'll see. Either way, I'm happy with what I've been accomplishing. I have the Color Me Rad 5k on July 20th, so I'm hoping to get my walking up to speed. And maybe by then I'll be able to do some jogging.

Other than that, I've just been taking things once day at a time. I'm still tracking my calories (I'm KittyCat613 on MyFitnessPal if any of you are on there), and eating right. Though the M&M's I had the other day beg to differ. BUT, I don't regret them one bit. They were within my calories, and made a nice little treat. :) So here's to be successful the rest of the week!

Happy Monday!

Hey everyone! Okay, so I have just a few things I wanted to update here. Sorry I haven't been around much, but rest assured I've been eating healthy and working out!

So last Saturday my best friend Michelle and I started working out at Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL. As I posted before, we did some jogging, climbed Mount Hoy, and did some trail walking. We had such a great workout in the great outdoors that we decided to hit Blackwell as many times as we could the following week.

Sooooo, this last week Michelle and I worked out and Blackwell on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, & Saturday! Each workout we managed to throw in some new stuff. On Friday our friend Kristin came along with us, and helped us utilize some other places in the park for some workouts. When I tell you we utilized a good portion of the park, I mean it! Honestly, I think Michelle and I will make a video on how to make a park your own personal gym. :) But that day we did more jogging, climbed Mount Hoy, did some kickboxing moves at the top, walked the trails, did some push-ups & squats at the bikeracks, did some free weights, and then finished off with another round of jogging. It was a fantastic work out!

Honestly, it is amazing what you can do in the great outdoors. Since the weather is getting nicer, I want to be able to work out as much as I can outdoors. There is nothing better than getting in a great workout in the fresh air! So that really is my plan. To hit the park as many times as I can in a week and get my workout on!

As you all know, Sundays are my weigh in day. I weighed in and was down 1.2 lbs from last week, which brings my total to 49 lbs lost (22.7 lost since January 13, 2013). So this week I should be breaking the 50 lbs lost mark! I was expecting to lose a little more this week, but I know I have definitely lost some inches because my clothes are fitting better. Last week I wore a pair of jeans I've never been able to wear, and some underwear I haven't been able to wear in years. Haha! So I know I'm making progress, I just have to be patient. I also took my measurements today. It's something I wish I would have done at the beginning of the year, but at least I have them now as reference and plan to take my measurements once a month.

Another thing I have realized is that I miss working out on my "rest" days. My rest days right now are Sunday & Monday due to my work schedule on those days. Yesterday and today I have been chomping at the bit. I'm ready to get back out there tomorrow and workout. I have also come to the realization that I enjoy jogging. I know I have a long way to go before I'll be able to run, let alone run any great distance, but the time that I spend jogging I enjoy. Which brings me to my next topic...

Since I like jogging so much, and I have my very first 5k coming up in July (July 20th), I've been reading up on the Couch to 5k info and I'm seriously considering doing it. It's a 9 week program that prepares you to be able to run a 5k. I know it will take me longer than 9 weeks to be able to do that, and I know I may have to repeat some weeks a couple of times, but I feel like the structure of the program will help me a lot. And it will help me lose some more weight. So I think I may start giving that a try sometime this next week, we'll see. Either way, jogging will help me get back into shape so when I play basketball again, I'm not killing myself on the court. But, I did come across this article that I like, and I wanted to share it with all of you.

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=running_while_chunky_a_guide

Other than that, not too much is up in my world. It's supposed to rain a lot this week, but I'm hoping some of it will hold off enough to be able to get my workouts in at Blackwell. Otherwise, it'll be plan B. :) Hope you all have a wonderful week, and I will check in again with you all soon!

Getting my workout on!

As I have started to get into the swing of things with working out & eating healthy, I am feeling great. I've already noticed a change in my body and my limitations. I'm doing things that I never thought I would be able to do.

As I shared on my FaceBook page yesterday, I started some HIIT training with my best friend Michelle, which she learned from her trainer Christopher Sasha. On Saturday my best friend Michelle and I hit Blackwell Forest Preserve in Warrenville, IL and conquered Mount Hoy. It was such an accomplishment for us, and I don't think we realized the scope of what we accomplished until we were leaving the forest preserve and could really see the hill.

Sunday and Monday we didn't walk (different work schedules), but Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday we did. Tuesday we did our walk, but we added more in Wednesday and Thursday. For the first time in over 10 years I jogged on Wednesday. So we jogged a bit, then hit the hill for our walk. Today we did the same, and added in some kickboxing moves once we reached the top of the hill.

This is me pre-workout :)

Michelle showing me some wall kicks she learned from her kickboxing trainer Carrie :)

Me getting ready to throw some punches. 

Usually I would be embarrassed to post the photo right above (the one of me getting ready to throw some punches), but honestly.. I can feel and see a change in my body already. I'm approaching the 50 lbs lost mark (21 since January 13th, 2013), and I can tell in the way that my clothes fit me that I've dropped weight and inches. For example, I wore a pair of jeans to work today that I have NEVER been able to wear. So that was a victory ALL in itself.

Michelle has been kicking ass too. She has honestly been showing me a lot of new things to do. She was the one who suggested we do some jogging, and I'm glad she did. When she first suggested it, my initial thought was "no way, I can't do this." But, I DID do it and I felt amazing. There really is no way to describe how awesome it feels to do something you thought you couldn't. I hadn't jogged in well over 10 years, so that accomplishment was amazing. 

Another awesome thing that happened today was the biker training for a 100 mile race. As we were working out on top of Mount Hoy, this gentleman riding his bike up and down the hill came up and headed down the hill. He saw us working out, but left us alone. Sometimes it embarrassing when people bust in on your work outs, mainly because I have a lot to work on with my confidence. As we worked out and made out way down the train, he lapped us a couple times on his bike. As we reached the bottom of the trail he had already lapped us and was heading to ride up the hill again (this guy was a BEAST!). When he saw us at the end of the trail, he turned around and came over to us. He was honestly the sweetest man. He said the following: 

 "I'm not sure how often you ladies do this, but I just wanted to come over and say hi and show my support and encourage you to continue doing what you're doing. All the hard work will be so worth it in the end. Good luck to the both of you." 

He congratulated us on our effort and really just wanted to motivate us to keep up our plans, and encourage us. Honestly, it was just really awesome for a complete stranger to feel moved to give us some encouragement. I tell ya, God sometimes sends people your way to show you you're on the right path. We got the message loud and clear. I hope we run into him again so we can hear how his training is going. He is truly inspirational.

So, I can't wait for weigh in day. I can't wait to see my progress for this week. Weigh in day is Sunday and I'm really hoping to hit the 50 mark (I'm at 48 right now), and I will be SUPER stoked. Also, I have the Color Me Rad 5K on July 20th that I'm starting to train for. I know I won't be able to run the whole thing, but if I keep up the way I'm going I should be able to do a pretty decent amount of jogging. I'm super excited about that!

The plan for tomorrow (Friday) is to get up early and get my walk/jog on with Michelle at Blackwell. Our friend Kristin is joining us, so I am super excited about that! After that I'm doing a photoshoot with Michelle. For those of you who don't already know, I'm a photographer. :) If you want to see some of my work, let me know and I'll post the info. Then, later that night I'm hitting the gym with my friend Katie! I'm SUPER excited and I've been feeling SO accomplished.

Honestly though, I couldn't do it without all of you. I don't think anyone realizes just how much support from those around you means. It's hard when you're trying to do things on your own. You could have all the willpower in the world, but knowing that you have an army of support behind you makes life easier. It makes you want to succeed not only for yourself, but for the people who are supporting you. Knowing you have people behind you who WANT to see you succeed makes all the difference. I couldn't imagine doing this without all of your support. So THANK YOU all SOOOOOOOOOO much! I can't say thank you enough!

And I wanted to leave you all with a quote from Tony Robbins that my friend Jenni tagged me in recently. This quote has been on my mind a lot lately. So here it is.

"You're in the midst of a war: a battle between the limits of a crowd seeking the surrender of your dreams, and the power of your true vision to create and contribute. It is a fight between those who will tell you what you cannot do, and that part of you that knows / and has always known / that we are more than our environment; and that a dream, backed by an unrelenting will to attain it, is truly a reality with an imminent arrival." -- Tony Robbins

What flipped the switch

For those of us who need to lose weight, or even those who don't have a lot to lose & just want to look/feel better, there is always that one moment that propels us to get on the healthy wagon. It could be a photo, an article of clothing you can no longer fit into, or even an activity you are now struggling to do. Honestly, it could be a number of things. All that matters is you're getting healthy, and you're most definitely not alone on the journey.

I've always been the fat kid/girl. The way I dealt with being made fun of, was to make fun of myself first. I still find myself making jokes at my own expense, just ask my friends. Though, I don't see it as a bad thing. It's honestly more of a way to show that I have a sense of humor about my situation. Also, once I crack a joke, it makes it less appealing for someone else to do the same. While I was growing up, I used to play sports with the guys. I loved doing that, and honestly wish I would have just sucked it up and committed myself to getting healthy by playing sports back then. There are a number of reasons why that didn't happen, that maybe I can get into in another blog post.

Back then basketball was the love of my life. Around 5th or 6th grade I learned to play and realized I was quite good. Through Junior High and High School I played basketball in my free time with the neighborhood boys, at youth group, and at open gym through my church. Even for being large, I was good. When I would play, people actually wanted me on their team. I would take a basketball class in gym class every semester, which lead to my gym teachers always telling me I need to join the basketball team. I considered it for awhile, and in my sophomore year I was ready to try out for the team. Sad to say, once one of the things we had to pass was running the mile, I knew I was a goner. I was already quite large and running a mile in an acceptable time frame was just not something I could do. So, I didn't end up going for the try out. I honestly kick myself every day for that. Maybe I wouldn't have done all that great, but that could have also been the start to me getting healthy. Also, with my skills it was very possible I would have made the team.. which makes me think about what could have been. It's not a nice thought, and that is always a failure in the back of my mind.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I had a couple of things flip the switch in my head telling me I need to get healthy. The main one happened in 2009. In November of 2009 there was a birthday dinner and night out for my best friend Michelle. A group of us met up downtown Chicago at the Grand Luxe for dinner, and then we hit a couple bars for drinks afterwards. I had a great time, and our friends took a lot of pictures. The moment came when I saw those pictures on FaceBook. I was shocked and honestly, ended up untagging myself in most of them. I mean, I knew I was big (of course!), but I looked TERRIBLE. I hated those pictures, and after seeing them, I had a little but of a mini breakdown. I just, didn't take very well to the photos. After that, I started to make more of a conscious effort to eat better. It did take awhile for me to get into the swing of things, and I did fall off the wagon several times, but this time it finally stuck for me and I'm SO happy about that.

Those right there are two of the photos from that night. I was the heaviest I had EVER been at this point. Maybe someday I'll share the actual number with you all. I hate even looking at those photos and sharing them here, but I know eventually I'll be able to look back at them as a stepping stone. They will be a reminder of where I've come from & just how far I've come. The plus is, even after falling off the wagon quite a few times, I've lost a total of 47 lbs since this photo. So, I've already made progress, and I am proud of myself for that.

I guess the reason I posted this blog is because I know there are a lot of you out there who have already had the "oh my gosh, I need to get healthy" moment, and there are others that are just having that moment now. Or maybe you are at the healthiest point in your life, but know someone who may be going through this. Either way, I wanted to show that anyone taking that step toward being healthy is not alone. It is possible to get healthy. It is possible to lose the weight. Even if you have a lot of weight to lose like me, IT IS POSSIBLE. You just have to really want it. You have to be dedicated to getting healthy. And, there are so many options out there to get healthy.

What options did I choose for myself? I chose to do it all natural. I'm eating better & cleaner, tracking my calories, and working on moving more. Don't get me wrong, I had thought about weight loss surgery, but the idea of surgery scares me. I know I know, people go through surgeries all the time, but I'm a wuss. But, it was a thought. The reason I decided to forego the surgery was the fact that, by the grace of God I'm not a diabetic, and I don't have any health issues that would require me to go the surgery route. If I did, and dropping the weight was something I needed to do more quickly, it is definitely something I would do. I know a few people who have had weight loss surgery and are having success with it. They love the decision they made, and are feeling great! Any way you break it down, no matter what the method, getting healthy and losing weight is hard work. It takes a lot of strength, drive, and determination. We also need to remember that we didn't get like this overnight, so it's not going to come off overnight either. It takes time, and in the grand scheme of things, all the time and hard work is SO worth it.

And honestly, I want to thank all of you who read this for your continued support of my journey. Knowing I have you all in my corner makes this journey a little bit easier. And if you're also on a journey of your own, I hope my blog helps you on yours. We're in this together! So thank you for reading. I think my next entry will be my goals post, so stay tuned!

Payday & ready to grocery shop

It's Thursday! Thankfully today is my Friday, and I have the whole weekend off. I'm SUPER excited about that! I hope your Thursday has been fantastic! 

So today was payday, which means grocery shopping this weekend. I've made my grocery list and have a recipe in mind I would like to try. I've been finding some great recipes at the following websites: 

http://www.PaleOMG.com

http://www.PaleoPot.com

I found a recipe I want to try out this next week. It looks so yummy, and while it takes some prep (minor), most of the work is done in a crock pot. Here is the link to the recipe. 

http://paleopot.com/2011/04/stuffed-pork-chops-with-bacon-apples-and-garlic/

There are some discrepancies in the recipe from the title etc. For instance, the recipe is for stuffed pork chops with bacon, apples, and walnuts, but the actual recipe calls for pecans. So nothing major. I will, however, be making this with walnuts. I am also thinking about substituting cinnamon for the Spanish paprika. I'll let you all know how it comes out and I'll be sure to take some photos. I also read in the comments that, in the crockpot, it has only been taking most people 8 hours to cook. So I'll verify that as well. :) 

I need to start writing down some of "recipes" of the stuff I make. The thing is, I'm kind of a "throw it in the pan" kinda gal, so sometimes what I make is just a hodgepodge of what I have available, haha. I do measure though, I guess I'm just afraid most of you will think it's odd. Haha! But honestly, it makes for some YUMMY food most of the time. But, since some of you were interested in what I've been eating, I'll make a point to write what I'm adding down and take some photos. :) 

Also, if any of you have some great recipes you would like to share, please feel free to leave them in the comments here, or you can post them on my FaceBook Page here: https://www.FaceBook.com/MyJourneyBeyondtheFat :)  Also, please don't forget to like my page, if you haven't already. It's a great way for us to connect! 

Another thing, I am in need of a food scale (I wan't to be as precise as possible), and I would also like to get a food processor. I'm working on a budget, so if any of you have some leads for me on where I can get these items more affordable, I would GREATLY appreciate it. :) Have I mentioned how much I love you guys? 

So what will YOU be doing this weekend to be successful? What are YOUR plans?!  :)