Starlight 5k Night 2012

This past Friday night, Jon and I volunteered at the 3rd Annual Starlight 5k Night!! This was a community 5K that my friends and I sponsored for Weight Watchers members and their families!! There were about 191 people that participated in this 5K and 110 of them were Weight Watchers members!!

We started setting up for this 5K early Friday afternoon. It was so hot, but we were not going to let that stop us from getting everything ready for the Weight Watchers members that were counting on us! Somewhere between 4:30 & 5:00pm it started raining!!  We all did our best to keep things from getting wet. We also had to hold down the gazebos, because the wind started to blow them away! For a while it felt like the rain would never end. It finally stopped and the sun came back out.

Praise the Lord that our 5K was not rained out!

Many of the people who walked in this 5K were so excited to be there, because they had never done anything like this before Friday night!! We had a great time standing on the sidelines and cheering everyone on as they walked!! Almost everyone was able to complete the 5K. What an accomplishment!!

I posted some picture below from this year's Starlight 5k Night.

Me working the registration table at Starlight 5k Night

Jon was my right hand man! I'm so glad that he was able to come and help out with this 5K as well!

Everyone is listening to directions before we got started!!

Everyone had a great time walking!

This is Olivia's 2nd 5K that she has been at and even though we didn't walk it was still fun!

My Walking 5K

This past Saturday I walked in the 5K that I have been preparing for since January! The 5K started at the same time that my Weight Watchers meeting did. So, I got a sub for my Weight Watchers meeting, so that I would  have the entire morning off to get ready for my 5K.

I had such a great time at my 5K. I completed the race in about 46 minutes! I was so proud of my time. my goal was to try and keep my race time under 60 minutes. Of all the people who only walked, I came in first place. I did not get any kind of award for it, but I was proud of myself anyway.

Finishing this 5K only made me hungry to do more of them! I cannot wait until I have my baby and am able to run again, because I really miss it.

I tried to take a lot of pictures for you, so I hope you enjoy them!

This is me on my way to my 5K walk. It's kind of funny that I walked to my 5K walk.

I'm almost to the 5K!

I got my number and I am now ready to walk!

Before we started we took time to pray for everyone's safety throughout the race.

This is my boss, Brenda. She look great in all of her walking gear.

It's almost time for the race to begin. They let the runners go up front, so the rest of us would not get run over.

Here I am walking the 5K.

The trail was beautiful! I had so much fun listening to my music and walking!

I'm almost there! It took me about 46 minutes to walk the 5K, which I was so proud of my time!

I survived another 5K. It only sparked this desire in me to do more of them! I cannot wait until I can run again.

Preparing for My 5K

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This Saturday, I am walking in a 5K!!

A few weeks ago, I told you about how I was planning to be walk in a 5K. To read that blog post, click here.

Thankfully, I was able to find someone to lead my Weight Watchers meeting this week for me in my absence. I hate that I have to miss my meeting! Each week, I enjoy being able to connect with my members as they share their victories and struggles with me. However, participating in this 5K is important to me and I feel like it is something that I need to do for myself.

I have been doing a lot of walking in preparation for this 5K. Since January I have been trying to walk for 30-40 minutes at least 4-5 days a week. I get a 1 hour lunch break at work. I have discovered that my lunch break is a great time for me to get up from my desk and go outside for a walk!

There are several reasons why participating in this 5K event is important to me.

First, I know that it is important for me to exercise during my pregnancy. I could not ignore the benefits of exercising during pregnancy. So, for the last 17 weeks I have made an effort to go walking as much as possible!

Second, I want to pass on a healthy lifestyle to my child and what better way to do that then to tell my son/daughter that I walked in a 5K while I was pregnant with them!

Third, as my pregnancy continues I want to be able to look back at this accomplishment with confidence! Knowing that I completed this 5K will help be a source of encouragement to me when I am down or discouraged.

Finally, I like 5K walks/runs! Yes, a huge part of why I am doing this is for my unborn child. However, this is something that I enjoy doing. I like walking/running and that is another reason why I am participating in this walk! I cannot wait until my baby is born and I can more up from 5K's to 10K's to Half-Marathons to one day finishing a Full-Marathons!

I will be sure to take pictures at my 5K and share them with you next week!

Are you planning on participating in any races this year? What are you training for now?

If you have never participated in a 5K maybe you should start thinking about taking the Weight Watchers Walk-!t Challenge which is coming up soon!!

Walking a 5K

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A decision that I made early on in my pregnancy, is that I would exercise for 30 minutes every day. My exercise of choice has been walking. I came to this conclusion after reading several articles about the benefits of exercise during pregnancy. One of the articles that I read was called, “Seven great benefits of pregnancy exercise”, please click here to read it.

In January, I was thrilled when the Vice President of our school asked my co-workers and I to consider participating in a 5K here in town. She explained that we could walk or run, but that we would be doing it as a group. I knew immediately that this would be the perfect activity for me to do during my pregnancy!! I am excited to say that on Saturday, March 24th I will be walking in a 5K!! At the time of my 5K I will be about 17 1/2 weeks pregnant. I also spoke with my doctor and he confirmed that I am healthy enough to participate in this 5K.

With a grow baby in my belly and my 5K coming up quickly, I have made an effort to go walking at least 3 or 4 times a week. I like to go walking on my lunch break for anywhere from 30 to 40 minutes at a time. I have been parking my car farther away at the store, because I feel like every step counts...even the steps I take while I am out shopping.

I want to have the healthiest pregnancy that I can and if that means walking for 30 minutes every day, I am willing to do that.

What about you? Do you want to begin to experience the benefits of exercise in your life?

The Weight Watchers Walk-!t Challenge is just around the corner. If you have never participated in a 5K before I would recommend that you consider doing that this Spring/Summer. You do not have to run a 5K if that is not your thing. However, being to talk to your friends and see if you can find a walking buddy. Trust me the benefits of exercise far outweigh the alternative!!

Pieces of Our Weekend

It was such an awesome weekend! We had so many different things going on this weekend, but I did my best to take pictures to give you a sampling of everything we did!

On Friday night, right after work Jon and I went to participate in my 3rd Weight Watchers 5K.

This is the t-shirt we had made for this year's 5K. 

We used chalk to draw the starting line.

Jon came too! This is the first year that he has been able to participate! I was so glad he came.

I was trying to help get people signed in.

Jon and I before the 5K started.

Amanda had to use her $3.00 megaphone so that people could her what she was saying!

We used streamers that people had a fun time breaking through at the beginning of the race.

There they go!

The night was such a huge success! There were over 239 people who came out to participate in this 5K.

On Saturday morning, I worked my monthly Weight Watchers meeting and came home to clean my house in preparation for visitors that we were going to have that evening. We had volunteered to house two girls from the California Baptist choir that was scheduled to perform at our church on Sunday morning.

I did all of our laundry!

I baked Cinnamon and Sugar Donut Muffins, for our guests that we were expecting.

Finally, at 10pm we went to the church to pick up our girls, Brittany and Stephanie. When we got there they were setting everything up for the big production.

On Sunday morning, during breakfast I got online to find my newspaper article online! I took a picture of it, because it was on the main page of the newspaper's website.

I was so excited that I read it out loud to Jon, Brittany, and Stephanie. To check it out, click here.

We then headed off to church where the students from the California Baptist University choir and orchestra lead the Sunday morning service. The service was incredible! We were so excited to be able to watch them perform. It was also a pleasure getting to know Brittany and Stephanie while they stayed at our house!

After church we went to lunch with some friends and tried to hunt down some copies of the Tyler newspaper! We went to three different stores before we were able to find the right newspaper. There were only three newspapers left and we bought them all.

The cashier at Wal-mart asked us if we knew that we were buying three copies of the same newspaper. We told her that this was no mistake and that we needed three copies, because I was in the newspaper. She did not believe me until I flipped to the health and fitness section. On the first page of the section was my pictures and story! She couldn't believe that the woman in the newspaper was really me!
click here.

I was on the first page of the health and fitness section!!

When we finally made it back home I just had to take some pictures of myself with the article!

After our traditional Sunday afternoon nap, we went flying with some of our friends. Jon had some extra flight hours to use and we thought it would be a fun way to hangout with John and Elise. Jon is an awesome pilot and we had such a great time!

Me, Jon, Elise, & John

Things I Like Right Now

The idea behind today’s blog post was inspired be a girl I met in college. Amber blogs at The Mod Antiquarian and is a connoisseur of antiquities and things from the past. She blogs about fashion, recipes, and more, so check it out. She has had a few blog posts called, “Things I like Right Now”. I thought this was a great idea and I am going to steal it!

Mandisa: This Godly woman looks incredible! She has been open, honest, and real about her weight loss journey. I think that she is such an inspiration to all of us who have struggled with our weight.

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Walking: Tonight I am completing my 3rd Weight Watchers Walk !t 5K Challenge!! I am walking in our local 5K and I cannot wait!!

Polka Dots: What can I say? I am obsessed! I go shopping and this is what gets my attention.

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Water: I take these with me everywhere I go and they are great tools to help me get in all the liquids that I need each day.

Dresses: Ever since I reached my goal weight, I had added so many dresses to my wardrobe. I am a real girly girl and they help me to feel pretty!

The Biggest Loser: I started watching season 11 on Hulu when Jon was gone for a weekend in March. Now I am hooked and cannot wait to see who will be the next Biggest Loser!

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Gina Skinny Recipes: I visit Gina's blog on a daily basis. She always has great new recipe ideas that are pointsplus friendly. And they taste good too!!

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My Exciting News

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Yesterday while I was at work, I got a call from the Weight Watchers PR manager named Kristi. Three weeks ago I had turned in my weight loss success story to Kristi. She explained that she had shared my story with the Tyler Morning Telegraph and they loved it! They liked my story so much that they want to interview me about my weight loss!!

My interview is going to be on tomorrow!! My story will be in the health and fitness section, which runs on Sunday.

Please pray for me tomorrow as I interview and that I would honor the Lord with what I share about my journey.

I will keep you posted and try to post a link to my story when I get it!

For those who are interested here is the my member success story that I submitted to Kristi and some before and after pictures.

Before Weight Watchers, July 2008

After reaching my goal, November 2009

I have always struggled with my weight, but just after college I went from being overweight to obese in the blink of an eye. Ashamed and disgusted with what I had become, I simply chose to live in denial. I desperately attempted to ignore the fact that I could not even walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath!

I tried diets that promised success if I stuck to their rigid meal plans. These efforts only resulted in anger and frustration, which I directed at myself and those around me. In October 2008, I went to the doctor
because of a sinus infection. The doctor ran tests and informed me that I had borderline high cholesterol and high blood pressure. At that moment, I knew something must change. I did not want to be this person for the rest of my life.

One of the best decisions I have ever made for myself was to join Weight Watchers. I had heard incredible things about Weight Watchers from my friends and co-workers and knew that this was the perfect program for me. I nervously attended my first meeting, hoping that no one I knew would be there. However, the meetings quickly became a part of my weekly schedule and a source of great encouragement to me.

I clung to my faith, and God was faithful to be my source of strength throughout this entire process. God used Weight Watchers to radically change my life. I no longer have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The most unexpected change that has taken place in my life is that now I am a runner! I went from
barely being able to walk down the sidewalk without complaining to running a 5K, which was truly one of the proudest moments of my life.

Please do not be fooled into thinking that running came naturally for me, because that it just not true. I did my best to avoid exercise the first half of my weight loss journey.

Then in March 2009, Weight Watchers launched its first annual Walk-!t Challenge. They encouraged each of us to train for and participate in a 5K that summer. They made this challenge sound like something I could do. I would be walking with other Weight Watchers members who were just like me. I was so inspired that I even signed myself up for a real running 5K. I found a couch to 5K program online that helped me learn how to run.

Now when I say running I mean a really, really slow jog and it was only for a minute or two at a time. It took a few weeks to work up to being able to run a mile without stopping to rest.

Without the Walk-!t Challenge who knows if I would have every discovered my love for running!

When I started Weight Watchers I weighed 225 pounds and wore a size 18. Today, I weigh 135 pounds and wear a size 4! I am no longer ashamed of who I am or the number that is on the scale each week. When you grow up struggling with weight issues it is almost impossible to see yourself as anything else other then overweight. But today, I see myself as a woman who has conquered her weight issues and is helping to motivate others to do the same.

Reaching Your Fitness Goals

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Here is the Meeting Summary from April 5, 2011.

I am super proud to announce that Weight Watchers has officially launched its 3rd annual Walk !t Challenge. This program is designed to help all of our members start to strive to reach their fitness and activity goals. We encourage you to do that by participating in a 5k walk. In the meeting room this week you all received a Walk !t challenge pamphlet. In that pamphlet it has a step by step training guide to help you build up to being able to walk and complete a 5k. You will also find a coupon for 30% off a pair of sketchers shape ups and a $5.00 off coupon on our weight watchers pedometers (the only pedometers that calculate activity pp values earned)!

In honor of this Walk !t Challenge, we are hosting our 2nd annual Starlight 5k Night! This is an exclusive weight watchers 5k for members and their families. You will not have to worry about those hard core athletes that will push and run you over. We have invited weight watcher members from the surrounding areas to all come together to complete a 5k walk. Now a 5k is just 3.1 miles. Many of you are already walking more than that on a daily basis!

Last year we had over 100 participants join us in our night time 5k stroll and this year we hope to do just as well or better!

Now let’s talk about 5 ways to get to your fitness goals whatever they may be!

Wherever you want to be with your fitness, from a daily stroll to a marathon, you need to set achievable goals along the way.

What's your fitness goal? Running a marathon? Participating in a 5k? Lifting more weight than you did last week? Power-walking around the block without feeling winded? Whether your athletic aspirations are lofty or not, finding the energy to get up and go can be a challenge.

Name a dream goal that you're passionate about
Dream goals define the ultimate achievement. The key to setting a goal is to find something you're passionate about. The passion you feel for your ultimate goal is the foundation that will give you the drive and commitment to stay on your journey.
Set realistic and challenging confidence-builder goals
Once you have a dream goal, it's time to work backwards to determine the steps necessary to reach that goal. These steps determine the roadmap that ensures you stay on the right route. Confidence-builder goals provide the opportunity to see and recognize steady progress.

Focus on the process
Instead of concentrating only on results, try setting process-oriented goals. With weight loss, you can focus on outcome (losing five pounds, for instance) or process (such as making better decisions about food). Achieving process-oriented goals increases the likelihood of reaching your outcome goals because they focus on the steps needed to get you there.

Know the difference between a setback and derailment
A setback is a temporary detour from your planned route, such as a week when you don't stick to your regular exercise regimen. A derailment occurs when you abandon your goals completely because you think you've gone too far off track. Setbacks happen. The trick is to recognize a setback before it escalates into a full-scale derailment.

Recognize and celebrate your accomplishments
When you reach a goal, take credit for the work you've done. Don't just shrug it off for the sake of being humble. Be proud! Now turn your attention to the next goal, aiming for the day when you can again celebrate for completing another step toward your dream goal.

Flashback Friday: My First 5K Ever

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This past week Weight Watchers launched its 3rd annual Walk-!t Challenge!!

It got me thinking about my first 5K, so that's why this is our flashback today.

Before Weight Watchers I had never considered myself to be very good at sports of any kind. Sure I like to swim, but there were not any sports that appealed to me competitively.

Two years ago I was halfway through my weight loss journey when Weight Watchers launched its first annual Walk-!t Challenge. For six weeks all Weight Watchers members were supposed to record the miles that we walked in order to train for the upcoming 5K that we were all welcomed to participate in.

I blogged about this last year, click here.

If you have never participated in a 5K before, I would encourage you to find a walking buddy and sign up for a 5K in your area!

You never know what you are capable of doing unless you try! Who knows? You might be like me and find that you like running and/or walking way more than you ever thought you would.

If you need a good walking or running plan let me know, because there are some great links online that I can share with you.

Walking in my first annual Weight Watchers 5K

This is right after I finished the McKinney Historical 5K Run

Visit Tia for more flashbacks.