Exciting Changes!!!

So I have decided to add a new and exciting challenge to my life.  I am starting an Event Planning business.  I am so excited about this new opportunity and all that it is going to bring. If you want to check it out my website is www.eventsbyjennak.com

I would love to hear your feedback.

What would life's journey be like if we didn't add some spice to our life!

Enjoy your journey!

Time for what? I have so many other things to do though....

Where has the time gone? Clearly I am not the best at this blogging thing.  :-)

The last I posted I talked about getting back to the basics with my workouts.  Thankfully my walking has continued unfortunately not as often as I would like it to happen.  It isn't a matter of having the time to do it I am just finding myself creating distractions to keep myself from walking.  I am sabotaging myself and my workouts.  Ugh!  So I am putting it out there.  Please keep me accountable.  Ask me about my workouts and then ask me again.  I have gone to far down this path of weight loss to stop now.  I don't want to be safe in this place I want to challenge myself to move and lose.

In order to give my heart a push each week my husband and I signed up to play softball with our church.  The last time I played softball was almost 20 years ago.  What I found so awesome last night when we were playing was how much I truly enjoyed playing.  I also kept thinking to myself how I would never have played last year at the weight I was and how desperately I wanted to lose more so it would be easier for me to sprint to the bases.  Trust me the look on my face last night when I was rounding third base was not a pleasant one.

So I will try and do my part and keep my blog up to date for each of you my loyal followers.  :-)  And  all I ask is keep me accountable about my work outs.  Ask me as many times as you can until I give the honest answer.

With your help I will get back on track with my journey.

Safe travels and Enjoy your journey!!

Getting back to MY basics

So here I am just over a week ago.   I want to thank all of you who cheered me on through Facebook and text messages.  They were so very encouraging especially when I reached the 9 mile mark and I was still going up hill.  :-/  

I was so tickled (and choked up) to see my husband cheering me on that I ran that last half mile across the finish line 

So here is the shot. Me with my medal for my first ever half marathon.  I am so very proud of myself especially since a year ago I wouldn't have dreamt of doing even a 5k.

So what did I do to celebrate....nothing. 

Let me correct that last statement.  

We got home and I rested.  

I planned to rest for a couple days, but those couple of days turned quickly into a week.  That week then turned almost into two weeks of no exercise until yesterday when I woke up feeling really tired and just sort of blah.  I put my running shoes on and Spritz and I went for a really good walk.  He pooped out before I did, it was rather cute actually he just sat down on some grass looking up at me.  I know what he was thinking too, "mom can't we just go back home to our cozy spot on the couch?" I gave him some love and we finished off the 2 miles together.  

To keep up the momentum, this morning I got back up and did 3 miles and topped it off with 6 flights of stairs.  I think my neighbors think I am nuts since I kept circling our building going up and down our steps.  Oh well.  :-)

The key for me is I got back to my basics.  This entire process started because I started walking around my apartment complex.  I did that the past two days and I can't even express the difference I feel just getting back to it.  

Why did you start your journey? What are your basics? Do you need to get back to them?

Enjoy your journey.

Count down

So I am only a few hours away from participating in my first half marathon.  

Want to know the truth, I'm actually kind of scared of doing it.  I know I can do it, I just have to get out of my head.  My training is going well for as sporadic as it has been. At this point the furthest I have gone is 10 miles, just short of the half marathon distance.  

But I still can't believe that it's happening.

You can follow my race on Facebook there will be periodic posts.

I will follow up tomorrow after the race.  

Enjoy the journey!

Needing Motivation .... Selfie Style

I didn't think it would come to this.... I need motivation so this better work.

I am almost a month away from my half marathon and this freezing Texas weather has me beaten.  I have tried to maintain my diet but without the exercise I feel like I am at a horrible stand still.  I have gone to the gym only a few times over the past couple of weeks.  My poor dog has had to witness some strange dancing to "Happy" by Pharrell Williams and awkward pushups using the kitchen countertop just so I feel like I have worked some muscles during my day.  I have had some really great long jog/walks and have managed to get up to 10.5 miles a couple of weeks ago but I just feel beaten down.

You know how every spring you find yourself going through your home and purging things that you haven't used in some time. Well I did just that with my closet and dresser a few weeks ago.  I probably got rid of half of my clothes because they were too big.  Some of them looked like colorful potato sacks with some embroidery on them to disguise the fact I was getting as big as I was.  Well I purged and purged and purged some more.  Finally half of my closet was empty and I even went through my bathing suits.  That was interesting! There was one in particular, a suit that I bought before my trip to Hawaii last spring. It was a desperate attempt to look cute without feeling like a seal sunning on the beach.  When I looked at it holding it up to me I cried out...Never again!  It felt really good getting rid of all of those clothes.  There is only one pair of pants that I held onto, promising my husband that the only reason was for comparison later on.

But even with all of that change I still feel beaten and unmotivated.

So this is what I have resorted to.  How can I get some motivation? Post the selfie I never thought I would.

This is me back in September, I had already started doing some walking but wasn't as active as I was just a few weeks ago.

After taking this photo (well even during the photo) I was just disgusted with myself.  I couldn't imagine why in the world I ever let myself get to this point. I was pushing a size 26 bottom and 24 in my tops.

And for comparison here is a shot from today when I came home from the gym... feeling just a bit better about myself. Forgive the hair it was a hot mess.

I feel something stirring again. Hopefully some kind of motivation will come from this post.  

I know I certainly need it.

Here's to a beautiful 60+ degree day in Texas, may the sun shine brightly and may you sweat today even just a little.

Enjoy your journey.


Here's a side by side just cuz...

Stuff This...

On this cold Texas morning I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes.
I have been wanting to share a healthy recipe with you since I started my journey.  So here is one of my favorites...

Italian Turkey Sausage Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Caps.

Sausage Stuffing recipe: 

2 lb. of ground turkey

2 tbsp Italian Seasoning

2 tbsp of Parsley 

1/2 cup Bread crumbs

1 tsp Ground Fennel seed

1/2 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 egg

Mix all of the seasoning and meat together feel free to let it sit and marry the flavors together for an hour or so.   After letting the meat rest you will lightly oil a skillet with EVOO and brown the sausage until fully cooked. I like making the sausage the night before so all you have to do is stuff the cap, heat through and serve.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Next, take the previously cooked sausage and mix it with 3/4 cup of Ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup grated parmesan and 2 cups of chopped baby portobello mushrooms.  

Remove the stems and scrape out the gills from the cap.  Season (salt & pepper to taste) the Portobello caps then lightly drizzle the caps with EVOO on both sides. 

Stuff the caps with the sausage mixture and roast the stuffed caps for 20 minutes.

I serve them with warmed marinara sauce and a heaping pile of salad.

This recipe will serve 4 so be prepared to share!

Enjoy the Journey!

Creating a Monster

How can this sweet faced person become a monster behind wheels!?!

Because she hasn't eaten.  Since my metabolism his gotten better I feel like I am eating all of the time. So this morning when I was running some errands and nearly bit the head of a woman who was driving in the lane next to me I decided (with the coaching of my husband) that maybe I needed to eat something.  So I picked up my two Starbucks fav's a Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte and Reduced Fat Turkey Bacon Breakfast sandwich.  And all was right in the world after a short period.  

So I guess I should apologize to the woman in the tan Camry,  I know you couldn't hear me but I am sure you so my mouth flapping like a flag in the wind.  Sorry.

On another note I am super excited to be taking a trip with my husband to celebrate his 40th birthday the end of next month.  I hope to get some serious hiking and shopping done.  But most of all I want to celebrate the birth of the man I so desperately love and who I can't imagine my life without.  

I can't believe your going to be 40 Joe!! Where has the time gone!

Enjoy the journey!

Have FAITH

I would like to think and say I am a woman of faith. 

I have been in the past but I have found myself over the past few years struggling with my faith. I have prayed and have felt that they haven't been answered. I have put more faith into the what's in my life as opposed to the Who in my life.  Now I know and have known since I was a little girl that God is fully involved in my life simply because I wouldn't be here today without him.  I have gotten myself into some sticky situations in my past and I have only survived them because of Gods patience and intervention.  But like so many people out there we get into the middle of things and we can't see the light at the end of tunnel, heck we couldn't even see the high beam right in front of us pointing us in the right direction.

But there is a verse that I always fall back on when I have struggled with not knowing what lies ahead for me.  "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see"  Hebrews 11:1 NIV.  There is a profound simplicity in this verse, Faith is something so much greater than myself.  God has this and I need to recognize that everyday.  

 All I can do is put my Faith in God knowing that he will be there every step of the way.  During every moment  I cry out to Him wondering why things haven't worked out the way I thought they should. He is there. Faith is knowing that His plan is happening whether we see it or not. 


Enjoy your journey.

Have FAITH that you are not alone.

Run Baby Run! Oops.

Happy New Year!

Fun fact the dress I'm wearing in this picture I bought for my honeymoon almost seven years ago. I didn't get a chance to wear it then and then I couldn't fit into it. So on Christmas Eve I had a moment of celebration when I put it on and it looked and fit so good. 

So as the new year started I decided to make a move...

And so now it's official I registered for the Dallas Rock and Roll half marathon yesterday and today I began some serious training.  I've been training before but sort of slacked off on my cardio for all sorts of reasons over the past couple of weeks. After Ice-mageddon hit the dallas area it was a challenge to get out and move in the cold and then I got a cold. So when my folks came into town for the holidays my mom and I went on a nice walk and got my blood flowing again.  

Until my oops. 

I was doing pretty good today up until I realized I had to use the restroom and I was in the middle of no where.  What do you do?  As a walking runner in training I was unsure as what to do. The last thing I need when in the middle of the 1/2 marathon is to have to use the bathroom.   

What would you recommend?

I would love to hear your ideas.

Over the hump with My Fitness Pal

Finished the Dallas Turkey Trot with a personal best. Felt a little bad that I left my husband behind as I creeped towards the start line. But when I finished the 3 miles in a personal best time of 38 minutes I was very happy.

I got caught up with the running group so by the end of the race I jogged about a total of a mile.  

Since then I've struggled for the past few weeks with a plateau. Now plateaus happen especially when losing weight it's how you respond to them that matters most. I initially thought I had been doing pretty good with my calorie and water intake but I was so wrong.

A good friend of mine introduced me to Fitness Pal. It is a great app that helps you track your calorie, water and fitness both cardiovascular and strength.  You can also connect with others on a similar journey so that you can mutually support and cheer each other on.

By taking each day and inputting all of my information I was able to see I wasn't eating enough for my body to burn or drinking enough water to keep things moving.  Since I started using MyFitness Pal I have been able to get over the hump and lose another 5 pounds. Yeah!

So here is my recommendation for the day and for your journey, download the Myfitness Pal app and start tracking your journey.  You will be surprised how your journey can get a jump start.

Staring the Holidays Down

Holidays can be the hardest time for a dieter. If you have ever been on a diet, whatever it was and you  were trying to stick to it during the holidays it was probably very hard.  I mean REALLY hard.  All of the treats, delicious food, gifts in the shape of cookies and loafs of bread.

Well I love the holidays. No really I'm sort of obsessed about them.  I am that crazy woman up at the pre-crack of dawn on Black Friday shopping.  I start my count down of the days until I can decorate my home sometime in June.  At this point I am practically counting the seconds until I can put my tree up on Friday.  There are so many wonderful memories with loved ones that center around the holidays. But I also remember all of the great food, my dad's hickory smoked turkey, snacking on egg salad before the big dinner.  And it doesn't hurt that I love to bake.  I make a mean apple pie.  Some of you might have even had some in the past and so you know it is a tasty treat.

Well my conundrum this year with my new journey is how I can stare down all of those delicious temptations and overcome my desire to dive into the stuffing, mashed potatoes and bread rolls.
So here is my plan.  I am going to face those temptations in their buttery faces and say, "I'm sorry but you are not worth the extra hour in the gym or having my trainer Kevin give me me painful lunges."

I will have the right portions of turkey, green beans, and salad. I might even have a small slice of my apple pie.  But I won't eat the entire thing and I won't feel bad when I do enjoy that slice.

Just make a plan for yourself but don't beat yourself up if find yourself indulging a little.  Just get out and move around whether it's Friday morning ;-) or even after dinner on Thursday.

So that's my plan.  Enjoy the right portion of the right foods and move afterwards.

Enjoy your journey.

Reevaluation of Giving Thanks

I have always tried to express my love and thanks for those around me through gifts.  What happens though are those gifts tend to turn out to be food.  While on this journey I have found that there needs to be a reevaluation of how express my love and the gifts I give.  Especially if I want to have "Healthy" relationships.

I have found that when I have given gifts whether it was food or something else I have always wanted the receiver to know how I feel for them and the impact they have had on my life. I hope that I have been in some way an impact on someone else's life especially in a positive way.

For so many people today we take advantage of our friends, family and those people we "love" assuming that they know how we feel for them.  We don't say the words that need to be said or take moments that need to be taken. So maybe taking advantage is a bit strong but do the people in your life know how you feel for them? Do they know you appreciate them and the impact they have had in your life?

With Thanksgiving fast approaching and all of the celebrations that come with it.  Families being reunited, traditions being continued and new memories being made. I will continue on this journey reevaluating my expressions of my love and thanks.  Take the time with your family and take a moment to express your love and thanks to the loved ones in your life.

Enjoy the journey.

Lights, Camera, Selfie!

When I got home from church this morning I was thinking about posting a picture for you all to see.  I then quickly realized the only ones I have been taking are me in my work out pants and sports bra.  I most certainly am not up to showing you those pictures. At least not yet. :-)

And since I haven't taken a selfie (in non work out clothes) in a while I figured today was a good day to start.

The hair is a little longer but you can certainly see a difference.  

Here is the shot that started it all.  The last selfie.   

(My eyes are nearly closed because of my cheeks!)              

Here I am today...

And a full body for good measure.

55 lbs. lost, 7" from my waist and 2" from my chest (I'm not sure about my legs but I am down 2 pant sizes).  The fun thing about this picture is the rolls in the sweater are from it being too loose!

Well, there you have it.  

Enjoy your journey.

Season of Thanks

On this crisp November Sunday morning I just wanted to take a moment to say thanks.

Thank you for all of you who have supported and cheered me on over the past months.  When I hit my mile stone of 50 lbs lost I sent out a text to a few of you expressing my shock and disbelief.  Those of you who responded to me weren't shocked but ecstatic! You were so excited to celebrate with me that mile stone.   Reminding me that my hard work was paying off.

As I have finished my first week of training I have found myself looking back on how I was when I first started this journey. I would get so tired after just walking a mile and now I find myself wanting more when I have just finished three miles.  I am so thankful for a body that has adjusted to the changes and is responding so well.  This lifestyle change is just that a change in my lifestyle.  I might have those cravings every once in a while (the other day I wanted a huge diet coke) but I take each of those cravings and think about what it would cost me in the end. Is it really worth it?

I am thankful for my husband who in so many ways expresses his delight in my weight loss.  He is so proud of me!  And I am so thankful for Spritz who just looks at me with a comical expression on his face when I parade/dance our apartment in clothes I haven't been in for so long!

So thank you.  I have passed through some rough times and there will be more but for now I just want to celebrate and say thanks!

Enjoy your journey.

I am what I am...

Have you ever tried to convince yourself that you are something you have never been before?

Well that has been the next piece of this journey. Telling myself that I will be a runner. I am a runner. I want to be a runner.

 Here is an interesting point to make, I have never had any interest in running before. Those of you who have known me from the beginning know I would rather take a leisurely stroll than run.  My brother is the runner in my family. My word he played soccer practically his entire life! I was content playing catcher or right field in softball (slow pitch) or I would put my whole heart into cheering others on.  As long as I never had to run. So this whole challenge of a half marathon is just that, a challenge.

So are you telling me you have never seen anyone strolling along during a marathon? No.
Why? Because marathons are designed for runners or even sort of runners.

So that is what I will be, a sort of runner!  I have started my training this week and thankfully I have only had to do 3 miles on the first and third days of training.  Now I have been walking some of those 3 miles but pushing myself to jog parts of them. At some point over the next 20 weeks I will work up to running. It will be a challenge simply because of my size but that will change over the next 20 weeks which us good to know.

At this point I have lost over 50 pounds. Which in itself is a big piece as to why I can easily walk/jog 3 miles. When I first started this journey I was glad to get around my building. But all of those small steps are leading to big steps in March.

So I am going to put this out there. If you are in the Dallas area on March 23 and would like to cheer me on, I would love the support!!

Enjoy the journey.

(I might post a pic soon)

Transparency...

I have received several message and emails talking about how I have inspired so many folks with my journey.  I have been thanked for being so transparent when it has come to my honesty with this entire process.  Well in order to continue with this honest and transparent journey, I need to share some road blocks I have encountered.

First of all I need to mention that I really struggled with putting that commitment of doing the half marathon in March out there into the great unknown. Why? Because now I really had to do it.  I had to get out there and work my butt off for something that the only reward I could see was the weeks of hard work ahead of me.  And to be honest that doesn't seem like much of a reward.  But I went ahead and put that commitment out there.

But as for my road blocks they came in two forms, first a weight loss plateau and second a mental road I have been down before, one too many times.

If you have been on any kind of weight loss program or had any kind of weight loss in your life, you know what I mean when I say I hit that plateau.  I have bouncing between two pounds for the past week or so.  I seem to lose them only to find them shortly after.  I was doing really well when it came to holding off on weighing myself so I didn't drive myself crazy. Only to fall into that horrible trap where I would want to weigh myself almost every morning to see the difference.  I know that this is the first of possibly several plateaus I guess I just figured I was motivated enough to knock it out of the way pretty quickly.  I do know I have made some progress this past week because I have lost another inch on my waist.  But for someone trying to not be ruled by the scale, that inch just didn't seem to lift my spirits.

The second road block I am dealing with is all in my head. Literally!  I have walked on this mental path of feeling that I am not good enough for a very long time.  The discussion I tend to have is, "Well Jenna you probably won't do very well at that so why start? True but what if this time is different.  But we know it isn't different it is going to be the same line, you will say I am up for this challenge and once it starts to get a little bit too hard you will give in.  Only to laugh it off (cry inside) that it wasn't for you and somebody else can have a go."  I can't continue these thoughts anymore.

Here is the turning point for me and it came to me during my Life Group this evening.  I know that this time is different because for all of my life, well for most of my life my struggles I have kept private.  I have only shared of them once they have past or I am so deep in the pain I can't even see a way out so I ask for help.  This time I have laid it out before you.  All of you.  You can see the journey. You can be a part of my journey.  This is something new.  You all know me and love me (I hope) and have been a part of my life.  For me sharing this journey with you will get ME out of my head.  And I NEED to be out of my head.

I have seen for so many including myself that when our thoughts are private and not shared with those who love us, especially when we are in need.  Then Satan will use them against us.  He will infiltrate our thoughts and use our doubts and negative feelings to bring us further down than we ever need to be.  By getting out of my head and being transparent with you then I remove the power he has over me.  I give back the control to who should be in control from the very beginning.  The only one who can truly meet me in those dark moments and show me the way out.  God.  I have put my life in his hands and was reminded tonight that "For with God nothing is impossible." Luke 1:37

So to this journey, this inner dialogue, this training for a half marathon. This entire experience.  I will do it with God with all of the transparency I can muster.

And please,

Enjoy your journey.  

The Next "Steps"

Here is the literal next step in my journey.  

On Monday, November 4th I will begin my training for the Rock and Roll Half Marathon in Dallas.  The actual event is on March 23, 2014.  Please hold your applause…. although I will certainly need the encouragement.  At this point my best pace in walking I am about 30 minutes under the time limit for the race.  Which is good.  So over the next 5 months I will be following a 20-week training plan to improve my time (maybe even get some running in).  I will love and relish the cheers along the way.  As for the race I do plan on raising funds for the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.  I am not sure how yet but I will find a way.  As for now these are my next steps.  

These Shoes are made for walking...

Let me first start with I am so thankful for the new job Joey has.  He has set hours and it is so nice to see him so happy again.  With that being said it has been an off week when it came to my working out.  With Joeys early mornings and later nights, I have had challenges getting out to do some long walks.  So I took every advantage of my walks with Spritz.  We would jog as far as I could since we all know at this point Spritz could out last me.  But for all of his morning, afternoon, and evening walks I took each opportunity to get my needed exercise.  

So this morning when my boys were sleeping in I took FULL advantage of that time and headed out on a new walking path.  

As I started out my walk this morning here is was my view.  I love how low the clouds are here.  It reminds me of Africa.

I was determined to find this walking path I have been on before but at it's beginning.  

Isn't the beginning beautiful?!

I walked along the path to its end near an elementary school but I wasn't done walking yet.  So I continued past the school and through a neighborhood that faced Ridge Road. So I found myself at the proverbial fork in the road.  Do I continue down Ridge Road and end up on Stacy or walk all of the way back the way I came? Well this new journey I am on is all about moving forward….  so I proceeded to walk to Stacy Road then down Stacy to the Service road for SH tollroad.

Here is the view of our apartment building this morning from Stacy Rd.  I love the break in the clouds!!

 

When I was all done trudging through the edge of corn fields and totally freaking out my husband when I called him to wave at him from the service road.  I had walked 4.5 miles.  My shoes were muddy, my toes were soaked, and I was cold but I will tell you one thing I could have walked another 4.5 miles.  

Although, I promised my husband for my future walks, that if there isn't a sidewalk I won't walk it. 

For my California readers, what I walked today would be the equivalent of walking along side the 5 freeway right before rush hour.  I know. What was I thinking?! 

Quick Tip on a beautiful Friday!

I read about this tip in Fitness magazine and let me tell you it has been very motivating.

Put your fork down between bites during meals.

Simply put it down and pull your hand away from it. Don't focus on creating that next perfect bite on your fork.  What you fill find is that you actually take your time eating your food.  It may seem weird at first but let me tell you it works.  I don't eat as much as I used to and I really do become fuller faster.  By letting go of your control of your fork you give back the control to your body to let you know when it is done.

Just remind yourself, no one is going to steal your food even if you put your fork down.  Give your mind a chance to catch up to your stomach.

Have a great day and enjoy the journey!

Changes...

There is safety in the known.  But there is a different kind of safety in the unknown.  That safety is brought to you by who will meet you in your darkest time in the middle of the unknown.  

When I was a child my mother, brother and I would visit a beach off the coast of Massachusetts, Horseneck beach. It isn't an amazing beach by any means; it's covered in rocks and broken shells.  But Horseneck beach is a beach that brought my family safety, security and peace of mind. It is a place that we would visit when we didn't know where our next step would be or when the next bend in the road would come.  I have found myself often thinking of Horseneck Beach and how when I have visited this place whether in my thoughts or in person I am reminded of the various changes in my life that has taken place.

  When my mom a single parent had to work 3 jobs just to provide for my brother and I and spending some time on those rare days off at the beach brought her peace.  When my dad became an epic person in my life.  When I was reminded that being a part of a family meant I needed to contribute (no matter how far I had to lug the beach blanket over the sand dunes).  And when my family decided to move to the others side of the country for new opportunities.  

The place and idea of Horseneck beach has always been a part of my life and where I am constantly reminded that there is someone so much greater than myself in this world.  God has met me at every one of those changes in my life and He has challenged me to use them, embrace them and to learn from them.  I have always said I would not be the person I am today if I had not gone through the life experiences I had.  But it would be better said, that I would not be the person I am today if I hadn’t met God in those moments and learned from him the lessons he had planned.

So I am very thankful for Horseneck beach and the rocky shore it provides.  Because it is walking on it’s rocky shore that I have found God.

For my mom and brother,

"Me and You and you and me, No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be, The only one for me is you, and you for me, So happy together"