CONGRATS KAT!

Congratulations to my little sister, Katy!!!!
She made Senior Lieutenant Officer, for her dance team next year! This is a big honor and we are all very proud of her.

Positive Thoughts...

I am feeling MUCH better today. I had a great workout with Paul yesterday afternoon and although, I did throw up outside, I felt like we had a productive workout. It was very hot and I think that might have had something to do with it.
I was able to get in another GREAT workout this morning (5:30am) at a park right by my house. I walked a mile, did sets of lunges, squats, high knee skips, and other fun exercises! It was a nice morning and it was a beautiful sunrise.

Positive thoughts:
- I have a great husband and happy, healthy little boy
- I have lost 38 pounds since Jan. 1
- I wore a skirt to my nieces dance recital on Saturday that I haven't fit into since my honeymoon
- I have an AWESOME trainer who will never know how grateful I am
- I have a wonderful support system (MOM!, Family, friends, etc..)

Looking forward to another great workout tomorrow morning and afternoon. I have started back on a great exercise routine this week. I have lost weight, and I feel more organized. I know I can reach my goals by the end of summer!!!

The Climb

I am really, really not trying to be negative...I enjoy writing about positive things and staying upbeat....but I am not feeling super upbeat at the moment.
Yesterday Paul and I worked out, and I felt like we had a great workout, although I threw up at the end.....again. For some reason I am STILL throwing up usually about once a week after a hard gym workout. And I think it is not only frustrating me, its frustrating Paul too. He doesn't understand why I am STILL throwing up after 15 weeks of training. He thinks it's psychological, which is possible, I guess....but made me mad. I don't want to throw up, I don't enjoy it, in fact it I hate it. I just feel like I am letting him down. I need to be getting stronger, lasting longer, doing MORE....not throwing up. Ugh.
I'm just having an overall bad few days. Work has been crazy busy (hince the not blogging!) And I am feeling a bit down. I need to snap out of it. Ryan seems to have a lot going on, golfing, fishing, etc...and maybe I am just feeling over worked and jealous!
I know people are probably reading this and saying...waaawaaa, get over it! Sorry for being so negative and whiny. I promise I will be happier tomorrow :)

I heard this song on my way to work this morning and it made me cry...don't know why I am being so dumb today! But I think it is an awesome song, even if it is by Hannah Montana! (Confession: I did see the movie and loved it!)

"The Climb" (by Miley Cyrus)

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I,
I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

Jealous Competitor!

After having training from MaretHouse Fitness, going to Aggieland Fitness Dome is the only place I want to work out. I actually have a membership at Gold's Gym too, I have just never used it...thats what fat people do, they get memberships with good intentions, but don't use them! Ryan goes to Gold's Gym, only because he gets a super cheap rate through his job. So anyway, Ryan walks into Gold's one evening last week wearing a MaretHouse t-shirt(one of mine...yes I used to wear an XL 4 months ago!) and a trainer came up to him and said "That is like wearing a Longhorn t-shirt". Ryan looked down and smiled and said "He trains my wife, and I pay my dues like everyone else here, so I can wear what I want". The trainer rolled his eyes and walked away!

Nice, huh????

Happy Friday!

I'm back in business!
The workouts have been tough this week. Here is a quick re-cap:
Tuesday - HORRIBLE!!! I finished by running (like a duck) to the locker room and throwing up more than I have ever thrown up before. It was bad.
Wednesday - Better...outside day, I worked hard and got in a great workout. We finished up by going inside and doing abs. Paul was in rare form...making lots of motivational comments.
Thursday - I was VERY sore from tues,wed workouts. I was able to get in cardio.
Friday - cardio in the morning and I look forward to a nice, hard workout this afternoon with Paul.

I have tried to get myself organized and back in the "serious" working out mode. I would really like to reach my weight loss goals by the end of the summer. Which I think is doable if I work hard.

I am looking forward to a nice three-day weekend!!!

Blog UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Sorry, I tried to get fancy and download a new design background for my blog....didn't turn out so well. So I tried to go back to my original template...and it erased all of my side pics and font colors and font sizes, etc... :(
I could cry, but I know...its only a blog...and it will be okay! It might take me a few days to get up and running again! NO MORE FANCY BLOG DESIGNS FOR ME!!!!!!!

Fun Weekend....getting back on track!!!

This weekend I decided to throw caution to the wind and eat like a cow and drink like a fish....both, not brilliant on my part. My body is not happy with me at the moment.
I have 40 more pounds to lose...and in Paul's words, I have been mickeymousing around for 2 weeks and I have to get serious again! I have been training hard and eating right, don't get me wrong, I have just slacked off a little since the real "competition" ended. I have only been working out 4-5 times a week...compared to 8-10 times! And as for my diet...I BLEW it this weekend. Although in my defense, it's Paul's fault! Haha! It was his graduation that sent me to alcohol and fried food!!! I know, I know...not his fault...but he did have something to do with it!
What I have to do now is not to dwell on my mistakes...and focus on today. I am determined to be back in gear and in the frame of mind to keep going on this journey.
I am ready.
I work out with Paul today at 5:30...it is going to be tough...but mandatory. The good thing about Paul is he will give it to me straight. He doesn't sugar coat anything or let me off the hook when I start slacking. I just thank God that I won the fitness challenge and still have him around to train me for three more months because I need it! I need the tough love! He and Ryan are good for me.

My goals for this week:
- workout a minimum of 6 times...M,W,F (5:30pm with Paul) and T,W,TH,F (5:00am cardio) and possibly a kickboxing class on Sunday.
- DRINK MORE WATER (I have been slacking big time in this area!)
- Start keeping my food journal again (it really helps and keeps me accountable)

I feel that in the last 2 weeks I have eased out of my strict routine as far as knowing EXACTLY when and what time I am eating/working out/etc..
I think if I get back on my schedule, and feel a bit more organized, it will help. I did step on the scale this morning and I miraculously have not gained any weight. However I did not lose any weight this week either. I am still doing well, my expectations and standards for myself are on a different level than they were 4 months ago! Its a good thing!!! If you don't have high expectations for yourself or set high standards, you will never reach your goals!

More Motivational Moments...

"That is the sorriest excuse for squat jumps I have ever seen"

"You have to grab the weights first, to do the exercise Ashley"

Mother's Day FUN!

Mother's Day was nice and relaxing. I slept in until 9 o clock (when you have a two year old...that feels like NOON!) Charlie woke me up by jumping on me and shouting HAPPY MUDAS DAY!!! Good thing he is so cute, or I might of had to knock him out! After I got up, Ryan took Charlie to deliver a Mothers Day card to his grandmother and I was able to enjoy a shower by myself...without trying to get Charlie out of the bathroom cabinets, or keeping him away from my straightener, or out of my drawers, etc...I was HEAVEN!
My mom, dad, and sister came over. We left the boys watching the game....and us girls enjoyed Pei Wei and pedicures, it was great!

Pedis with my Favs....Katy and Mom!

Katy and I got matching pedis! My feet are the tan ones!

Relay for Life

My workout on Friday ended with me throwing up in the locker room at 6:30pm and I had to be at Relay for Life at 7:00pm!
I signed up to be a part of Relay for Life a few months ago. An email circulated around and I skimmed through it and assumed I was signing up for fun run/walk on a Saturday in May. Well, that was not the case. After our first team meeting a month ago I learned that Relay for Life is an ALL night event, that's right people....ALL NIGHT. 7pm-7am!!!!
I was exhausted coming straight from my workout with Paul on a Friday afternoon after a long work week, but it was an awesome event and I am so glad that I was able to a part of it.
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. It offers everyone in a community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. Teams of people camp out at a local high school stadium and take turns walking or running around the track. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. 7am-7pm! Relay For Life is a life-changing event that brings together more than 3.5 million people to:

• Celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer. The strength of survivors inspires others to continue to fight.
• Remember loved ones lost to the disease. At Relay, people who have walked alongside people battling cancer can grieve and find healing.
• Fight Back. We Relay because we have been touched by cancer and desperately want to put an end to the disease.

Relay For Life is more than just a fundraiser. It’s a life-changing experience. At Relay, every person in the community has a chance to celebrate, remember, and fight back. And every person who participates joins others around the globe as part of this worldwide movement to end cancer.

I was fortunate enough to be joined by my boss, Dr. Donnelly, who has been battling esophageal cancer for over a year and a half. When he was diagnosed, he was given a 2% chance to live a year. Now, a year and a half later, he continues to fight. I was also joined by my another close friend and co-worker who lost her father last month to cancer. It was an emotional evening, filled with tears and laughter.

I did not last all night, but I walked for hours! It was an incredible event and I plan to participate annually. Below are a few pictures:

Dr. D sporting his Relay for Life Survivor shirt.

The bag we donated in Dr. D's name, honoring him in the Luminaria Ceremony. Hundreds of bags were lit to the sound of bag pipes playing, Amazing Grace.

We had bracelets made for our department and other faculty to wear that read, "Team Donnelly" That is Dr. Donnelly's hand on top.

Friday

Friday workout with Paul was ROUGH. Unfortunately it ended with me sprinting to the locker room....Thanks Bo for cursing me!

Week 13!

Paul and I had a great workout on Monday....just like nothings changed! Except now I think he is even harder on me! Which is a good thing. I have a ways to go to meet my goals and I am so incredibly excited and grateful I have Paul with me for three more months.
I know I have said this a million times but the outpouring of support has just been overwhelming. In 12 weeks I have become a completely different person. I can not describe the feeling of being healthy, the feeling of self worth and accomplishment, the excitement for the future. I had reached a point in my life that I no longer cared about myself. My life felt it really had no purpose other than Charlie. It wasn't fair to my husband, Charlie, other friends and family, and mostly myself. I had reached the point that I did not even want to be seen in public, for fear I might run into someone from my past who would gawk at the fatty I had become. There are no words that can describe the happiness that has entered my life again, the feeling that I can reach any goal I put my mind to. I never thought I would EVER be physically active and I WON THE MARETHOUSE FITNESS CHALLENGE!!!!
I am still floating on Cloud 9....

OK---I am done, sorry for the tangent! My journey is not over, it has only just begun. (OK, now I sound like a self help book, I apologize again!) But its true, this is something I will need to do for the rest of my life to stay healthy and happy. I have embraced that.

If it is OK with everyone, I don't want to stop blogging. It has been so therapeutic and helpful for me! I have come te rely on my loyal blog readers for advice and positive reinforcement!

Motivational Moments from Paul on Monday.....
- "You didn't win this thing by sitting on your butt...."

- "Ashley, how does that weight feel...(Ashley)Good....Good, because the weight doesn't get much lower"

May 2, 2009

I am THRILLED to announce that I won the MaretHouse Fitness Challenge!!!!!

Poor Paul is stuck with me for another 3 months. And I received a free YEAR membership at Aggieland Fitness Dome! I am beyond excited! My dearest competitor and workout partner, Sterling Allen, was awarded 1st place for total weight loss and body comp improvement. Congratulations are in order for him too! Words can not even express how appreciative and grateful I am to Paul and David. They have saved my life.
The support I received absolutely blew me away. Here are a few pictures of graduation and some of the awesome gifts I was given...

Sweet card from my Mom...

WillowTree Angels from my Mom and Charlie

Lean Cuisine Dish Holder from my Mom!!! Is that not the cutest thing?!

Beautiful flowers from Britta along with a massage gift certificate!

Adorable flower plant with ducky (Paul always says/calls me "runs like a duck")
from Paul's Mom, Glenda!

Card from Ken and Nan along with spa gift card!

I also received support from many other people including my aunts, cousins, friends, and other family. It was amazing. I definitetly had the best support group. And I could not have won this challenge without all of the support.

Here are a few pictures from Graduation:

My awesome family (Granny...Father n Law, Ken...sis n law, Stacey...husband, Ryan...brother n law, Paul...stepmom n law, Nan!)


My adorable niece and nephew, Nathan and Natalie

Getting my diploma (Charlie wouldn't leave my side, when family tried to take him he would scream, so he sat in my lap and went up on stage with me!)


Sterling and David


Paul giving his awesome speech!


Paul, me, and Ryan


Group Shot!


Sterling and I showing off our guns (Friday before graduation!)

Positive Thoughts and LOTS of Prayer

Ok, today is it. I have made it. Survived. Come farther than I ever dreamed I could in 12 weeks. I have been so blessed by all of the support, I can't even begin to figure out how I will repay everyone.
My progress since January....
- I have lost 34.2 pounds
- My blood pressure is PERFECT
- My cholesterol is lower than it has ever been, and I will not have to be put on medication
- My Body Fat % has decreased almost 10%
- I am healthy enough for fertility treatments
- Pap (female issues) went from abnormal in December, back to normal this month
- I went from not being able to walk up ONE flight of stairs, to running FIVE flights at a time (between exercises)
- I have gone down 4 pant sizes and 3 shirt sizes
- I have energy to play with my son
- My resting heart rate has improved from 100 to 63
- I have developed new friendships that will last a life time
- My self worth has improved tremendously

I could go on and on...
I can not even express my gratitude to MaretHouse Fitness, David, and especially Paul for saving my life. I have not only gained knowledge on physically how to become healthy, strong, and reach my fitness goals...I have completely learned to change my lifestyle and I have stuck with it. This is not a fad diet, or extreme measure to make a quick fix...this has been a COMPLETE lifestyle change for me. I am a different person entirely than I was 12 weeks ago. I will be forever grateful that I was chosen for this challenge.

Ok, now that tears are running down my cheeks as I type....I just want to ask again for PRAYERS. I will receive 3 more months of training and a year membership if I can pull off a win. Can you imagine where I could be in 3 months, or a year....it gives me chills just thinking about it. I have some very tough competitors, I hope what I have done is enough.

The winner will be announced tomorrow morning at the graduation ceremony.
A&M Methodist Church (located on Northgate)
The Great Hall
10 am

***At the beginning of this challenge, my husband took a "before" picture of me after my first workout. That night I stared at that picture and cried. I told him there was no way that I would ever show anyone this picture.
The next picture is me....this morning....