My First Race

Back in May we took a little family trip to Brookings, South Dakota to participate in the marathon weekend. I ran in the Scotty Roberts 5K the night before the marathon. It was SO cold! The wind was blowing at about 25 mph and there was quite a wind chill.

I didn't really prepare for this race, I just knew that I could run three miles and thought it would be fun to try. It was really, really fun! The whole atmosphere with lots of other people there made the whole thing really exciting.

I finished the 5K in 25:31, averaging about 8 1/2 minutes per mile. That's the fastest I've ever run in my life! I felt so awesome after I finished and couldn't wait to do it again!


It was also really fun to watch my husband run the marathon. It was something he never thought he'd do, so it was awesome! I was so proud of him.

Not only was I proud of him, I was inspired by him... inspired so much that I have started training for the Omaha Marathon which will be held on September 27. My training is going really well. I never, ever thought I would actually enjoy running, but it is truly addicting!

So now I've said it out loud... I'm going to run a marathon! I thought at first that I wouldn't tell anyone because then if I failed, no one would have to know, but that's NO motivation! My experience with weight loss and this blog have taught me that for the most part when you tell others about your goals and aspirations, they can help support you through the good and the bad on your way to reaching those goals.

So, Omaha Marathon, here I come!!

Pancakes!

I just realized that a recipe I mentioned in my meeting last week isn't on the blog! We were talking about breakfast ideas and I talked about Gingerbread Pancakes. They are so delicious, you don't even need syrup. My kids chow them down. They're good any time of year, but especially so around the holidays. We had them last year on Christmas morning and they were a big hit!

Gingerbread Pancakes

1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 T sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 c molasses
1 T vegetable oil
Cooking spray

Combine flour, baking powder and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk.
Combine egg and next 3 ingredients in a small bowl, mix well. Add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Each pancake is about 1/4 cup batter.

I always double this recipe, sometimes even triple it. They keep well in the fridge and make great snacks. Also, if you don't have buttermilk, which I never do, just add 1 tbsp of lemon juice to 1% milk and it works just the same.

Bon appétit!

Lifetime!

Last week I officially became a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers. It was awesome! I was crying... half the members were crying! I'm just so grateful for all the people who were there, they have truly become my friends.

So, not only have I made it to my goal and made it through 6 weeks of maintenance--Now I get to attend meetings for FREE! What a reward! When I called the customer service number they even told me I'll be getting a refund since I was paid ahead a little bit. Awesome!

I'm entering the "Inspiring Stories of Change" contest for Weight Watchers this summer. The winner (3 grand prizes) gets a trip to New York for a photo shoot and a makeover. Wouldn't that be awesome?


I thought I would share the essay I wrote and the before and after pictures I'm submitting. They only allow you 400 words, so I couldn't really say all I wanted to say, but I think I got my story across. Tell me what you think!

Inspiring Stories of Change 2009

I have been overweight since I was a child. There were times when I thought changing was impossible, when I felt that being overweight was simply my lot in life. The day I turned 30, however, I felt something click inside me. I knew I could change! I was ready to lose the weight and get healthy. I had recently delivered baby #3 and hit my highest weight ever. I had chronic back pain and a herniated disk. I was sick and tired (literally!) and I wanted something different! I walked into Weight Watchers the very next day.

I picked Weight Watchers because I knew it was a healthy, long-term plan. I had tried lots of “diets”—but they didn’t last. This time was different. I walked through those doors highly motivated and completely committed to attending that meeting every single week. My leader and the group of people in my meeting have become my friends and confidants.

I knew if I was going to reach my goals I would need support, so I enlisted my family and friends to help. I started a blog about my journey and friends would post their support for me. My husband is in the military and deploys quite often, but he would call from overseas just before the meeting started to see how I had done. With this support and the science of Weight Watchers, I was a shoe-in for success!

It was a simple combination: Follow the plan and attend meetings. A simple combination that has helped me to reach goals I have dreamed of reaching for over a decade!

Weight Watchers has given me a new lease on life. I can’t remember the last time I had back pain—my herniated disk is healed! I can run and do full push-ups! I also gained the confidence I needed to get a job as a Group Fitness Instructor. I love it! Getting paid to exercise is awesome, but even better than that is helping people—people just like me, who are trying to change. I love seeing new exercisers in my classes. I tell them, “I know how you feel! I’ve been there!” I love sharing my story and helping others to know that they too can change. I tell them, “Decide what you want and go for it! Believe in yourself and you can do ANYTHING!”

Inspired!

I continue every week to be inspired by my Weight Watchers meeting. I'm so grateful for my leader Nancy--she has been an inspiration to me and the other members and I just love her! Her meetings are so enthusiastic and fun, you can't help but want to be there.

I shared my blog address in the meeting today when we talked about recipes, so I hope to get some new visitors. We talked about cooking beans and how people just don't know how to cook them. They are so easy and cheap, you've got to try them! Check out the sidebar for a couple of really good bean recipes. The Smoky Pinto Bean Soup is one of my favorites and it can be eaten alone or on burritos, or tacos or in a bowl with rice. It's delicious! Nana's Pea Soup is also wonderful (it's my 6-year-old's favorite meal!). I will try to include a few more bean recipes in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, here's a few of my favorite dishes. Brown rice is not my favorite, but cooked this way I really like it, and if you're a mushroom fan, this is a great dish.

Oven Baked Brown Rice with Mushrooms
Points: 3.5 Serves: 6

3 T butter or olive oil
1 ½ c chopped mushrooms
½ c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 c brown rice
1/8 tsp pepper
2 1/4 c chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 tsp salt

Melt butter in a 2-qt stove top to oven casserole over med-high heat. Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic and cook about 8 minutes. Add rice and pepper and stir until coated. Add stock and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and bake about 1 hour until rice is tender and stock is absorbed. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.


This recipe is a staple at our house and you can keep all the ingredients on hand in the pantry (except for the beef, which you can keep in the freezer). It's great in hot or cold weather and can also be used with rice for burritos.


Taco Soup
Points: 3.5 Serves: 8

1 lb lean ground beef, browned
1 c water
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cans kidney beans
1 can corn
8 oz tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning

Combine ingredients; simmer 45 minutes. Serve with cheese, sour cream, avocado, olives and corn chips.


I will also try to get up some summery recipes soon. I have a great Honey-Lime Fruit Toss recipe that's perfect for summer barbecues.

I've also had a few people ask me for workout ideas, so I'll try to post some tips soon.

Tip for this week: Do something healthy for yourself and see how good it feels... start small and work towards becoming the person you want to be! Envision, imagine, DREAM! A wise man once told me that "success is only a matter of continuous effort." As Dory says in Finding Nemo: "Keep swimming! Just keep swimming!"

Have a great week!