tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46260419593132123562024-03-20T07:55:17.637-04:00Musings of a Woman Lost in the VoidThese are the inner most thoughts of an incredibly tall woman in her thirties. Follow her on her journey of self-discovery through the powers of wine, power ballads and reruns of the Golden Girls. Oh and she's working hard to stay fit and find her balance. (In more ways than one!)Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-73585985731765836692016-05-11T11:09:00.000-04:002016-05-11T11:09:58.346-04:00Finding my StrengthFor some reason, I have been procrastinating in writing a blog post for one of my biggest goals during my time of #funemployment. I think because it's the one that I'm most excited about but the one that I know is the most time consuming and daunting. My biggest goal for this time off is to get my health back on the front burner where it belongs.<br />
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For a number of years I was working hard through diet and exercise to lose a lot weight and to feel healthy. In the May of 2014 I was at the lowest weight of my adult life and I was preparing to run my first half marathon. I was the strongest I had ever been and I felt great about where I was. I had finally reached a point where I looked in the mirror and I liked what I saw. I was able to say, "if I don't lose another pound, I'm okay with that. I like who I am. I like how I look. I'm the best Maia I can be."<br />
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As I sit here in my new apartment in Orlando two years later, I'm in a much different place. I'm twenty pounds heavier. I'm not anywhere near as strong as I was. I'm not as happy about where my health is as I once was. There are a lot of factors that go into my sliding backwards that I won't go into in this post as I've touched base on those factors before. Why I fell is in the past and I need to look to the future.<br />
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I have two goals for this time off as far as my health is concerned: 1 - I want to lose these 20 pounds and get back down to my lowest weight, and 2 - I want to be strong again. <br />
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One of these goals is quantifiable. I can easily step on a scale and see what it says back to me. The other goal is a little harder to define. How do I decide when I've attained that goal? How do I know when I'm "strong"?<br />
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Technically, I've already attained my goal. I'm strong and I know it. I left a good job to voluntarily become unemployed because I needed to make a choice for my happiness. Only a strong person can take this leap of faith. Some might call me dumb, but I think it makes me strong to choose my happiness over my career. And it's this inner strength that will help me find my outer strength. <br />
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So in order to help me stay on track and find my outer strength, I've set a goal for myself and it's a lofty one... I've signed up for the Disney Wine & Dine Lumiere challenge in November. This is a bigger goal than just running a half marathon. I've done that before and I know I can do it again. This is a goal to run a 10K and the very next day run a half marathon. In a span of 48 hours, I will run a total of 19.3 miles. Still not the length of a full marathon (I don't know if I ever really want to do a full...) but it's still a pretty darn tough challenge. And to add an additional challenge on top of that, in order to run I am raising money for <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6115947/k.B143/Official_USA_Site.htm" target="_blank">Save The Children</a>, a charity that gives children across the globe the chance to learn and live healthy and happy lives. My goal is to raise $1500, of which I've already raised $1000. I'm pretty proud that I'm already 2/3 to my goal and that's because I have such wonderful and generous friends. (In case you would like to donate, my fundraising page is <a href="http://www.savethechildren.org/wd2016/11190970" target="_blank">here.</a> ) <br />
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Since the races aren't until November, that means that I don't have to start officially training until July, for which I am grateful. It means I have a couple of months in which I can build up my stamina to the point to where I will feel ready to begin the long process to achieve my goal. <br />
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One thing that scares me is the burnout factor and that is something that I am going to work hard to avoid as I train for these races. When I ran my half marathon in Edinburgh back in 2014, I didn't really run much in the months following because I burned myself out during the training process. All I did was run and I didn't want to anymore. This time around I'm going to be doing lots of different things that will help me achieve my goals. I'm going to be biking, swimming, yoga, exercise videos like Jillian Michaels and yes, of course, I will be running. Since my goal is to be strong, I can't neglect the strength training this time around. I need to stop being afraid of the weight machines. I need to learn to love them as well!<br />
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Something else that I'm going to reinstate in order to keep me on track for my weight loss goal is to start Weigh In Wednesdays again. So, here are my official numbers:<br />
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Heaviest Weight (8/28/10): 310.0<br />
Current Weight: 241.7<br />
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Total Weight Lost: 68.3<br />
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That's where I'm at. I have 21.7 pounds to lose to hit my goal of 220, but I have nothing but time and determination. Two of the essential ingredients to successful weight loss!<br />
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So this is the goal that I will be devoting the majority of my time to over the course of the next few months. You will be hearing me talk about my adventures at the gym, with my eating, with my new dietbet (yup, I joined another one - more on that in another post), and with some other possible new adventures I'm still mulling over. I hope you won't get sick of it and of me as I find my path back to my strongest self.<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-4524821492719006642016-04-29T20:45:00.001-04:002016-04-29T20:45:27.944-04:00Uber in the morning, Uber in the evening...As you read in my previous post, I am taking some time off from the road and am going to be working on becoming the best Maia that I can be.<br />
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These past couple of weeks have included a large part of my journey and that was because it was an ACTUAL journey. I moved all of my belonging out of storage in New York City, where they have lived for the better part of the past five years, and I moved them way down south to Orlando where I have decided to set up camp in the form of a permanent home. This is the first time I have rented an apartment that is meant for solely myself. I've only ever lived with my family or with roommates. At the age of (almost) 35, I knew that it was time for me to figure out what living alone truly meant. I have to say, it's going to take some getting used to. <br />
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When you have roommates, you always have someone to say goodnight to and to say "Good Morning!" to as you shuffle to the kitchen to make your first cup of coffee. Especially without a job to escape to during the daylight hours, I am finding that I am spending a lot of time in my own head. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but for me it can sometimes lead me down a dark path and I will end up depressed. I am doing my best to avoid that dark place as often as I can, so I've found some way to avoid that as much as possible.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7aIdMnNuiw/VyP-A0LQxVI/AAAAAAAACmg/Ne6WVWyA0q8GcQAsTA2ErWoKI-Ma9Sp4wCLcB/s1600/UBER4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O7aIdMnNuiw/VyP-A0LQxVI/AAAAAAAACmg/Ne6WVWyA0q8GcQAsTA2ErWoKI-Ma9Sp4wCLcB/s320/UBER4.png" width="320" /></a>One of the major things that I've decided to do is to become an Uber driver. While I did save a bit of money during my last tour, I don't want to blow through all of it during my time of funemployment. So this is a way for me to get out of the house, talk to some people (if they want to that is!) and make a little bit of money while I'm at it. <br />
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I had spent the last couple of months on the tour talking to as many of my uber drivers as I could to try and get an idea of what to expect. It was incredibly nerve wracking, but I have gone driving a couple of times since I've been down here. Everyone has been incredibly friendly and I feel pretty safe doing it. I will say though, that the money is not exactly rolling in. Orlando is incredibly spread out and there isn't really a central area. When you get a "ping" for a passenger, you could drive ten minutes to them, drive them for about ten and then you're in the middle of nowhere and have to drive back to civilization. I'm going to experiment with different days of the week and time of day and see when and where might be the best time to drive. Luckily I'm not doing this to make money to pay all of my bills, more of a little bit of a buffer, or I would say it's totally not worth it. Orlando is not a town where you could do this for a full time job methinks. There are cities where that is possible, but not Orlando.<br />
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I am definitely going to have some stories to tell, of that I am sure. I think I will post the more amusing ones on this blog, so keep an eye out for my Ubering Adventures.<br />
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Stay tuned for my next blog entry where I really get into what I hope will be a huge focus of my time off - running, training, losing weight and getting healthy again!Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-65300712990706322872016-04-01T00:25:00.001-04:002016-04-24T23:16:18.606-04:00Hanging up my Boots and Heading to the SunshineWell, it has been quite a long time since I've posted on this blog!<br />
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I've been busy. Over the last couple of years I finished working on one touring show, started a romantic relationship and started working on another touring show. I've been go, go, going and have to admit that I've let myself go in more way than one.<br />
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At one point in 2015 I weighed 40 pounds more than my lowest adult weight of 220 that I had hit just the year prior. I contribute this to a lot of things, but mostly I link it to stress of the new job and the honeymoon period of a new relationship. Like so many people I know, when they get together with someone we come to the realization that so many of our social interactions revolve around food or alcohol. Couple that with the fact that our schedules were off (while he toured with me, he worked primarily at night while I worked a lot of daytime hours) and so when we saw each other, it would be going out for breakfasts, or after the show at night for late night food (usually fried) and beer (he LOVES his craft breweries!). I've since lost a lot of that weight and am now sitting at around 235 on the scale. Certainly not where I want to be since I liked how I felt and looked at 220, but I have plans to take care of that, and that's what I'm getting to next...<br />
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While I appreciated working on the new tour, I always kind of knew in the back of my head that I was burned out. After coming off of the last year of Million Dollar Quartet where we were playing as many as five cities in one week and with very to little no time off in between to rest and recuperate, I jumped straight into the world of Kinky Boots. After about a year I hit my highest weight in 4 years. I started losing some of the weight and that was great for a while, but it wasn't enough. Finally in November I decided that this show had helped me to financially afford to take a bit of breather and so that was what I was going to do.<br />
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So, a couple of weeks ago I worked my last day with Kinky Boots. I'm now in the land of unemployed and I'm now in the position to have control over my own fate in a way. First things first - I need a place to live!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C2pOI8HrFRY/Vv316tyrQZI/AAAAAAAACmU/mNkV-OhsPvMdeOQf8UJrul35WM8YYw86A/s1600/map_of_orlando_fl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C2pOI8HrFRY/Vv316tyrQZI/AAAAAAAACmU/mNkV-OhsPvMdeOQf8UJrul35WM8YYw86A/s320/map_of_orlando_fl.jpg" width="320" /></a>When I started touring, I decided that it would be silly for me to maintain an apartment in New York and worry about subletting it all the time, so I put my belongings into storage and I have been living out of two suitcases and a plastic trunk for the past five years. That was really wearing on me this last year. We had a number of weeks off this past fall when the tour didn't have an engagement and I had no choice but to either visit with friends and family or to take a vacation. Sure, that doesn't sound so bad in theory, but think about how you feel when you are tired. Where do you want to be? If you said in your own bed, you're correct. Unfortunately I can barely even picture my own bed anymore! When I decided I needed to get an apartment again, I had to think where I want to go. After our rehearsals for Kinky Boots, I realized that New York was not the place for me anymore for a multitude of reasons. My friends had pretty much scattered across the country and I wanted to pick a place I knew people already. My boyfriend lives in Columbus, OH but we discussed it and he doesn't want to stay there for very much longer but isn't in a place to move for another 6 months, so that was crossed off the list. I visited my good friend Beth and her wife Abby in Orlando, and really kind of enjoyed it. There is a lot to do (even outside the Disney and Universal realms), beaches are just an hour drive, there is a good airport, etc, etc. So I decided Orlando is the place for me! I mean, if I hate it, I can always move. I'm not decided on living there for the rest of my life, but I am very much looking forward to settling down for a bit!<br />
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I have lots of things that I have planned during my time of "funemployment" (sorry you are probably going to get sick of me using that word) and I will continue to share them here. I hope that you will join me on my adventure of moving, running, knitting and losing weight. <br />
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Not necessarily in that order.<br />
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Stay tuned!!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-72704461840355313722015-07-18T19:28:00.002-04:002015-07-18T19:28:47.784-04:00The Maia in the MirrorIn each person's life we are faced with many challenges. Challenges that come in many shapes and forms. Some are physical challenges, others are mental.<br />
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Since I started my quest to live a healthier and happier life, I achieved a lot. I lost a lot of weight and I accomplished physical feats I never dreamed my body could do. The one aspect that I've never quite conquered is the mental.<br />
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And that's what brings me to today. I'm 30 pounds heavier than my lowest weight. I'm back at the weight I was when I first went on tour in 2011. The old Maia's thoughts have taken over and her negativity has firmly entrenched itself in my brain. I am no longer proud of myself. I am no longer able to look in the mirror and see the good. I just see the flaws and get upset and disappointed. I beat myself up for having "let myself go" and the loss of control I've shown. Every day I eat like it's a "cheat day." I can't seem to get myself back on track.<br />
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I know some of the reasons that have led to my current state. This past year has been incredibly stressful. I'm working on a difficult show that has a different schedule. I've had to learn how to manage my time and my stress level differently and unfortunately I've returned to my previous coping mechanism: food. I haven't gone completely dormant exercise wise, but I've also not kept my pace I was at before. I've been lazier, but not completely slacking.<br />
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The other factor is that this past year I've been dealing with a new added twist: my boyfriend is working on the same show as me and I'm juggling my new work schedule along side spending time with him. Unfortunately when it comes to relationships, as we all know, so many outings revolve around food. And since I have so little free time I don't always want to be spending it working out. Sometimes he and I do exercise together - for instance, he got me back on a bike for the first time in over 20 years and we go on at least one long ride a week. But we've tried to go on runs together and I just can't do it. I worry too much about how slow I am, how many walk breaks I need, that I'm holding him back, that he needs to go for a longer run. So I usually just get upset and beat myself up afterwards.<br />
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So that's where I've been the last year. <br />
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Here is where I'm going in this coming year:<br />
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Brian is unfortunately leaving the tour to explore ventures back home. He's been on one show or another for over ten years and he's ready to be home in his own house for a while. I'm incredibly sad about it and I'm going to miss him terribly, but I know most people on the road are able to cope with being separated from their loved ones, and if they can do it, I can do it!<br />
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<a href="http://www.purplecar.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/IMG_5582_2_21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.purplecar.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/IMG_5582_2_21.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a>With Brian being gone, I'm going to spend more time in the gym or outside working out. I'm getting back into the mindset I was in before when I lost weight on tour. I will stop eating out as much, and I will be moving more. Less calories in, and more calories burned. That's the equation that has worked for me in the past and it WILL work for me again.<br />
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My goal is to be able to look in the mirror and be happy with myself again. But this time, I want it not to be linked with my size or the number on the scale. <br />
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There is so much press out there right now on body shaming, and learning to love yourself at any size. I read the articles and I agree with them, I just can't follow them. <br />
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If anyone has any tips as to learn to be nicer to yourself, I'm all ears. I've had 34 years of experience in finding my flaws, but I would love to be able to be a little nicer to the person I see in the mirror.<br />
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Please stay tuned. I don't know when exactly, but I will start updating more. I will get back to my weekly weigh ins. I will get back to posting more than once a year. I will get back to what worked. What worked for me was sharing my story and posting it here. I don't know how many people actually read it, but it worked. It kept me accountable. <br />
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I will be strong again.<br />
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And I, for one, can't wait.<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-9490034958895609232014-09-22T03:06:00.001-04:002014-09-22T03:06:26.996-04:00My fifth and final act (hopefully)It has been a very <i>very </i>long time since I've posted to this blog - this is only my third post since the beginning of March - but I've decided that it's time for me to come back and finish this thing that I started four years ago.<br />
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As you know, in fall 2010 I decided to get my ass into gear and get healthy. I've come a long way, but I still have a ways to go before I hit my final goal. As I sit here, I weigh 230 pounds. I'm 80 pounds lighter than when I started, but yet I'm 30 pounds away from my ultimate goal of 200. At my lightest, I got down to 215, but it was never sustained for more than a week.<br />
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Here are how my last four years have gone:<br />
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2010 - 2011: lost 65 pounds<br />
2011 - 2012: sustained loss until summer 2012 when I regained 10 pounds<br />
2012 - 2013: Lost that 10 pounds, plus an additional 25 for a total loss of 90 pounds.<br />
2013 - Fall 2014: Sustained my 90 pound loss until the summer when I regained 10 pounds.<br />
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As you can see, I've maintained the majority of my weight loss, with just a few minor set backs. Considering how many people who have lost large amounts of weight gain it all back and then some, I'm quite proud of my accomplishments. However, these last couple of months I am just not happy with where I am at currently. I feel uncomfortable in my own skin and have allowed myself to get into my own head. <br />
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Unfortunately the last couple of months my work required a lot more of my time than normal and finding time to exercise was pretty much impossible. Now I feel as though I'm starting from scratch physically, which just frustrates me to no end.<br />
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I am still registered for the Avengers Half Marathon in November and I'm still debating whether or not to do it. I feel as though if I can get myself back up to be able to run 10 miles before the race, then I will do it. If not, then I won't. I will work hard to get to that goal, however if I don't reach it, I won't beat myself up about it. Health and my goal weight are the ultimate finish line, not the one in Disneyland.<br />
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In order for me to reach my goal of 200 pounds, I'm going to go back to basics. No more DietBets, no more low-carb quick fixes. I'm going back to what worked for me in the beginning: eating right, counting calories and exercise. I haven't been doing all three of these for the past 2-3 months and I feel it. <br />
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So starting tomorrow, I'm entering the fifth and final act of this weight loss journey. I don't care how long it takes me, but I won't finish until I see at least 200 on the scale. <br />
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I can do it. Now, I just need to get my ass in gear. I know that it's going to suck for the first couple of weeks, and I'm going to get very frustrated with myself, but I need to just keep moving onward so the scale can move downward.<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-2149688756788372872014-05-25T17:44:00.000-04:002014-05-25T18:27:38.699-04:00Edinburgh Half Marathon 2014 Recap - Or How I Became a Half Marathoner the Hard WayHello all! I thought I would end my blogging hiatus for a moment to post a not-so-quick recap of my half marathon experience. I kind of got a bit long winded, for that I apologize... Or, maybe I don't. Either way, here you go!!<br />
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Back in September 2010, when I started my path to live a
healthier lifestyle, I never (in a million years!) would have ever thought that
I would run a half marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, it
wasn’t even a pipe dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I simply had
never even contemplated running any sort of long distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I think I can contribute this mostly to the fact that I couldn’t even
run for 30 seconds, let alone hours at a time!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then, once I caught the running bug after about 4 months,
the idea of running longer distances crept into my head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These were still merely dreams, but I thought
“wouldn’t it be cool to run a half marathon?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Hell, maybe even one day a marathon?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After a few months of running, I bit the bullet and signed up for my
“first” half marathon – the Brooklyn Half Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, when I signed up for the race, I was
unemployed and had all the time in the world that I could devote to training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then a great thing happened, although not for
my running…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got a job - A job that
would take up a LOT of my time in the first few months.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My training began to fall to the wayside and
after a particularly bad 10k race, I gave up on any notion of running the
Brooklyn Half that year and also gave up on running for an entire year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After my weight loss stalled and I realized that the only
exercise I had found to be successful (for me…) was running, I decided to give
it another try.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The journey back to
building up my stamina was a long and tedious one, however after only 4 months
of running again the idea of finishing a half marathon crept back into my
head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jumped the gun prematurely and
signed up for my “second” half marathon, the Walt Disney World Princess Half Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was going to be in February 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After only a couple of weeks of training I
quickly realized that I was in no way prepared for any long distance running,
and so instead I focused on frequency instead of distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the Fall of 2012 – Summer 2013 I ran 4-6
times a week and once again proved my theory that running was the most
effective exercise for me to continue to lose weight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost 30+ pounds that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of that year I was still
struggling with longer distances and with the idea of a half marathon still in
the back of my head, I decided to sign up for a 10K race and recruited the help
of my friend Abby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She had completed
numerous half marathons and was going to run the NYC marathon that fall and did
so by using Jeff Galloway’s Run/Walk method.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I decided to ask Abby to run with me for the race and my eyes were
opened!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had always thought that I
needed to run straight without any walk breaks to be considered a “runner” and
boy was I wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By running and walking
in a set ratio, you were actually utilizing two different muscle groups,
instead of just the one that you use for running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By doing so, you tire out your muscles more
slowly and therefore enable yourself to run longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once I discovered how much better I felt
after runs by doing this, I was hooked!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now all I had to do was find my next half marathon to sign up for!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I knew that this year of the tour had two breaks in its
schedule – a three week break over Christmas and New Years (not gonna happen,
plus not really running season) and then a week off right before Memorial
Day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had already made tentative plans
to travel to London during that week and so thought “what the hell?” and began
looking to see if there were any races during the week I was there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was thinking I would be lucky to find a 5K,
or maybe even a 10K but low and behold, the Edinburgh Marathon and Half
Marathon was the Sunday of my week off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I immediately contacted my friend Jamie, who is a running guru and had
always said that he wanted to run my first half with me (and who also happens
to live in London!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He decided to
cancel his plans to run the London Marathon and instead signed up for the
Edinburgh Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With a friend by my
side I decided, once and for all, that I would FINALLY complete a Half
Marathon.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Starting just a few weeks after returning to tour from the
Christmas break, I began my training schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a bit grueling at times, considering for the first six weeks back
we were playing anywhere from 3-5 cities every week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was at the mercy of the hotel gyms and the
quality of their treadmills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly but
surely I added mileage and I was feeling good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I even managed to finally break my distance record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, because it’s just my luck, I got
injured.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fell off a curb outside of
our theater’s stage door and did something (still don’t know what!) to my left
ankle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thankfully it wasn’t the ankle
that has the metal plate and five screws in it as that would have probably been
a tad bit more problematic, however it did set me back enough as it was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wasn’t able to put weight on my foot for 48
hours and didn’t run for a full two weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Feeling a bit deflated, I got back into my training routine as best I
could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Slowly but surely I was feeling
more and more like normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the tour
headed to Florida for about six weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Since all of my training had been inside on treadmills at this point, I
knew that I needed to make the best of the warmer weather and immediately began
running outside as much as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ugh,
that was an interesting transition!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Going from climate controlled (for the most part…) hotel gyms to running
outside in the hot and humid Florida air?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It took a bit to get used to it, but finally I felt like I could attempt
a long run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Week after week I was adding
mileage and breaking my distance record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I was feeling great – so strong and confident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every run felt even better than the
last.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then came my scheduled 13 miler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That confidence was going to be shattered,
never to truly be regained.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My 13 mile run was spent in the wee morning hours my final
Sunday in Jacksonville, FL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time
I left at 6:30 it was already over 70 degrees and probably around 80%
humidity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to fight for every mile
that morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I told myself that I
needed a bad run to be able to truly recognize the good ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, inside my confidence was shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my training run was that bad, how was the
actual race going to go?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still had two
weeks before I was to head to London, and while I did continue to run during
those weeks, I never did anything more than 6.5 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I just couldn’t bring myself to attempt
anything longer for fear that it would be another bad run and would wipe out
what little confidence I had left.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NfMHz7PL6k/U4Jf9Epm5yI/AAAAAAAACV4/J0wIqVQJJms/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_NfMHz7PL6k/U4Jf9Epm5yI/AAAAAAAACV4/J0wIqVQJJms/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a>My days in London before I headed up to Edinburgh were amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crammed as much as I could into those three
days, and still couldn’t even scratch the surface.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I fell in love with the city, just like I
knew I would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then on Friday I began my
long journey up to Edinburgh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a
long train ride, but a beautiful one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’m glad I decided to go by train, so I could at least catch a glimpse
of the Scottish and English countryside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After my arrival into town I told myself that I was going to take it
easy and just casually sightsee, but believe me… once you start looking at the
sights in Edinburgh, it’s hard to stop!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>What a beautiful, old city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
architecture in both the Old and New Town was just amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much history and just beautifully
picturesque.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday I knew that I needed to give my legs as much rest
as I could, but I still wanted to sightsee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Unfortunately, this meant that I had to cut out a couple of things I had
wanted to do, like climb to the top of Arthur’s Seat, but the whole reason for
my being in Edinburgh was the Half Marathon and that needed to be my top
priority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After meeting up with Jamie
and his boyfriend Dan for some <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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untraditional carb loading (Chinese food, it’s
works too!) I headed back to my hotel room to stretch, rest and evidently have
a panic attack.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I began to worry that because it had been over three weeks
since my 13-mile run, that I wasn’t actually prepared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that run was atrocious!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could I trust my body could actually do
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People kept telling me that I could
do it, and that I had it “in the bag” but I just couldn’t bring myself to
believe them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t believe in
myself, how could they?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I frantically started texting my friend Corey back home and
asked him to calm me down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave me
the best bit of advice, and something that no one had actually said to me –
“remember to breathe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went to sleep
that evening feeling better, although still not 100% convinced I could do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I woke up at the bright and early hour of 5 ready to tackle
this race, and quite honestly?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To just
get it over with!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so ready to be
on the other side of this race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was
ready to say that I had done it, rather than say that I was preparing for
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to call myself a
Half-Marathoner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Unfortunately the weather was not the kindest it could have
been – it was chilly and rainy as the time for the race drew closer and
closer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jamie and Dan came to see me off
at the beginning of the race, and wish me luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And then, before I knew it – it started!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
I knew that I would be okay for the first half of the race,
since I had managed to run at least 6.5 miles a couple of times since my 13
miler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that though, I wasn’t
sure…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I ran through the streets of
Edinburgh, I was easily distracted by the sights as I ran past them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holyrood Palace, the Scottish palace of the
Queen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Arthur’s Seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just the houses that lined the streets!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was all very picturesque!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was so distracted by the sights that I
didn’t even realize that I was (for me, anyway…) flying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my training, I was pretty consistently
at around a 13:15 mile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was content
with this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have hopes of one day being
faster, but for my first half marathon, I was just hoping to finish under 3
hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first 3 or 4 miles, I was
running at 11:30-11:50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was SPEEDY!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At around the 5 mile marker, I caught my
first glimpse of the sea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ran along
the coast for probably the next four miles or so and even though it was windy,
I loved it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just so beautiful and calm
to watch the waves crashing as I ran past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Miles 9 and 10 were really rough. We turned off the coast and actually
were hitting a part of the course where the runners ahead of me had turned
around and were near the finish line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, as I saw the mile 9 marker, they were looking at the mile 13
marker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit rough knowing that
I had two miles to go before I was able to turn around, but I trudged on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pace had slowed considerably and I was
starting to need more frequent, or longer walking breaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My left foot was becoming numb and my right
pinky toe was throbbing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But… I had made
it this far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Barring a serious injury, I
was going to finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was just my
goal – to finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, and
actually at several earlier points in the race, I remembered the advice to
“just breathe.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each time, it
helped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would focus on each breath in
and each breath out, then I would run.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At about the Mile 11 marker, I started to see the front
runners for the full marathon because they had started after us and were on the
same course as us for the first ten miles or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was so inspiring to see these people who
looked like they were practically flying on their feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, I saw what was the highlight of my run
– Jamie!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was around Mile 12 when I saw
Jamie near the front of the full marathon runners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He slowed down enough to give me an amazing
hug and ask me how I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was enough
to get me through the last mile of the race and feel strong while doing
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I finished the race with an unofficial time of 2 hours and 53 minutes (as of when I posted this, the official results have not been released by the Edinburgh Marathon officials). That's 7 minutes less than the 3 hour goal I had set for myself. I'll take it.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought when I finally crossed the finish line I was going
to burst into tears, or some other extreme show of emotion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did I do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kept walking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was kind of numb, both physically and
emotionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t really hit me
that I had actually done it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be quite
honest, I still don’t know if it’s hit me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I got my medal placed around my neck, fought to find a t-shirt in my
size, and caught my bus back to my hotel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I guess I thought that I would feel like a completely different person when I finished, I don't know... </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I sit here and reflect upon this event that was almost
four years in the making, I realize that there are so many people that helped
to get me here at some point along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People that pushed and
encouraged me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People that make me feel
a winner almost every day of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
so I’ve decided that I’m going to dedicate each mile of the race to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In no particular order, they are:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile One:</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> My family.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">No real explanation needed.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Two:</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> Abby and Beth – these two lovely
ladies are two of the most wonderful people I know.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Beth has been by my side through the darkest
of days and Abby taught me that I could actually do this.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Mile Three</b>: Jason, Trisha & EJ – who tried
to teach me that I was beautiful at any size.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">And who didn’t say I told you so when I finally figured it out for
myself.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Four</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">:</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Matt Sherr – my running buddy for the past year and a half who wouldn’t take
my excuses.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Five</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Kelly, Susan, Andy, Ben and the rest
of my MDQ family - For putting up with me talking of very little else for the
past six months and constantly telling me how proud I make them and that I inspire them. You inspire me too!!!</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Six</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Emily Ho Sandford – for being my
inspiration to get healthy in the first place.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Seven</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Liz Mahan – For being there for me anytime of the day or night.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Eight</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Meredith Clark – One day we will
run a half marathon together.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Amazon
women unite.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Nine</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> – Jamie – For always giving me such
wonderful advice and being a cheerleader.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You telling me you wanted to run my first half with me pushed me to do
this.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Truly.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Ten</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Corey – for keeping me sane these last
couple of months.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">And for the best
advice.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You are the human Quaalude.</span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Eleven</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">: Brian Kallaher – For the constant
encouragement, expertise and inappropriate comments.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"><b>Mile Twelve</b>: Jeremy Barger & Jeremy
Striffler – For the two Jeremys that I reunited with over facebook and who I
couldn’t go another day without them in my life.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Constant streams of support.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
<li><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Mile Thirteen</b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> (and 1/10</span><sup style="text-indent: -0.25in;">th</sup><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">) –
Myself.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Because I have learned that I
need to love myself and be my own best friend.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">
</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">At the end of the day, I did this for myself.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">To prove I am officially no longer the old
Maia.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I love myself.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am proud of myself.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I can do this, and I can do anything I set my
mind to.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I am stronger than I give
myself credit for.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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I think the reason I don't feel really any different following the race is because I realize now that I was always this kick ass and this awesome. I didn't need that medal around my neck to make me a strong person - I am a strong person!</div>
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<br /></div>
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I am Maia, and I am fierce. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Oh... and I'm also running the Disneyland Avengers Half Marathon in November. Because evidently, one half marathon isn't enough for this girl!</div>
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Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-74281928567770993392014-03-09T00:30:00.000-05:002014-03-09T00:34:55.917-05:00My name is Maia and I'm addicted to carbs and sugarHi there friends! Long time no see!<br />
<br />
I said that I would come back and write another blog entry eventually and here I am!<br />
<br />
The first couple of months of 2014 have been interesting ones. As everyone is well aware, it's been a brutal winter, and I don't just mean with the weather.<br />
<br />
My January and February started off with six weeks of an insane tour schedule. My tour was playing at least three cities a week, and usually four or five. I was on a bus almost everyday, and when you are on the road, what's to eat? If you said, CRAP, you'd be correct. I was not eating great, and only exercising when I could squeeze it in. Needless to say, I did not feel great towards the end of February.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://thescienceofeating.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Book-Carbohydrates-Header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thescienceofeating.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Book-Carbohydrates-Header.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a>But we finally hit a couple of longer sit down engagements (a week in Omaha and two weeks in Denver, I felt like I was on vacation!) where I could restart things a bit. It just so happened that our week in Omaha coincided with my boss needing to go on a restricted carb diet ten days prior to some medicals tests he needed to have done. As a show of support, and also to kind of force myself into "reset mode" I decided to follow the diet along with him. Basically, it was Atkins. He had to try and stay between 40-50 net carbs per day. If you google how to calculate net carbs you will get a slew of different answers and honestly it made our heads spin, so the easiest formula we could find was this: Take the total number of carbohydrates per serving and subtract the dietary fiber and half of the sugar. That will roughly give you the net carbs. I know it's supposed to be the sugar alcohols, but the only foods that list sugar alcohols are official Atkins food and we refused to only eat that for ten days. <br />
<br />
Let me tell you, it's not easy! I LOVE oatmeal in the mornings. That pretty much went by the wayside! Cutting out the bread and pasta wasn't really that difficult, but there were definitely times I had a hankering for even a lean cuisine pizza. <br />
<br />
The diet did earn some impressive results (ten pounds in ten days...) and I learned a lot about myself. One, I feel so much better when I'm eating better. Two, I cannot live on a low carb lifestyle completely. Three, I snacked way too much before. Four, I have an unhealthy attitude towards carb and sugar.<br />
<br />
As I continue in my half marathon training, I know that I need carbs to fuel my body properly, especially as I am now getting into weekly record distances for me. Last week I ran my longest ever at 6.5 miles and this week I need to top it at 7.5 miles. My body will need the energy that complex carbs can provide, and since my training is my number one priority, this is a no brainer. <br />
<br />
However, this is the decision I have made that I want to try and stick to as best I can. I am giving up refined sugar. Up until this point in my journey, I still ate what I wanted, I just ate it in moderation and counted calories. Well, I think it's time that I acknowledge that sugar is not good for me and that I don't actually need it in my life. I'm not saying I'll never eat sugar again, because that's unrealistic, but I'm saying it's going to be a rare occasion, like a slice of pie on my birthday or something.<br />
<br />
The other thing I'm doing is that I'm going to be restrictive on my carbs on my non-running days (going back to the 40-50 net carb idea) but on my running days, I will not track my carb intake. I'm not going to go overboard and eat like an entire loaf of bread or anything, but I will eat oatmeal with my egg whites in the morning, or I will have a sandwich on whole grain bread or something like that. <br />
<br />
I know that this will not be easy. As I sit here and type thing my stomach is telling my mind that it wants to eat everything in the entire world. I'm craving crackers and peanut butter. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't actually need to make a trip down to the hotel gift shop and buy Cheez-Its. I just need to adjust to this new way of thinking. I want to make it a lifestyle change, just like I did when I started this whole thing in the first place. I need to reteach myself new habits. <br />
<br />
I can do it. I know that I can. I've proven to myself time and time again that I'm able to accomplish so much more then I ever thought I would.<br />
<br />
The real challenge will be over the next four weeks when we get back into the split weeks and one-nighters again. My boss (who has also decided to continue with limiting his carb intake) and I have made a pact that we are going to try and stock up on a low-carb non-perishable food items when we arrive in Iowa on Monday. We need to prepare ourself for "battle" better then we did in January and February.<br />
<br />
This is one battle for which we WILL be the victors!!<br />
<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-25559792720304381862013-12-31T14:06:00.000-05:002013-12-31T14:06:01.776-05:002013 - A look back and 2014 - A look forwardA lot has happened this year. I hadn't expected 2013 to be eventful, but it surprised me!<br />
<br />
2013 was the year that...<br />
<br />
I went from being <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/02/weigh-in-wednesday-22713-im-officially.html" target="_blank">"obese" to "overweight"</a><br />
<br />
I got back into the <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/03/luckies-5k-race-recap.html" target="_blank">racing game.</a><br />
<br />
I discovered <a href="http://www.dietbetter.com/" target="_blank">DietBet</a> and I <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/06/weigh-in-wednesday-62613-dietbet.html" target="_blank">won money</a> losing weight!<br />
<br />
I ran a 10K and discovered the wonders of the <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/07/queens-10k-recap-or-how-i-learned-to.html" target="_blank">run/walk (Galloway)</a> method.<br />
<br />
I tried <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/08/zumba-tastic.html" target="_blank">Zumba</a> for the first time and fell in love!!<br />
<br />
I <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/08/weigh-in-wednesday-82112-epiphany.html" target="_blank">gave up</a> on DietBets, only to join <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/09/oops-i-forgot.html">another </a>(albeit different) one.<br />
<br />
I discovered I was <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/08/im-average-and-proud-of-it.html">average.</a><br />
<br />
Oh yeah... and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/i-lost-weight-maia-sutton_n_3831040.html">I was freaking featured on HUFFINGTON POST!!</a> (still amazed by that one!)<br />
<br />
You have probably noticed that I haven't posted in almost a month. It's been a month of ups and downs. The holidays hit me hard. My tour went on a three week hiatus for the holidays and not having work to distract me, allowed my mind to wander to sweet and delicious treats. I'm staying with a friend of mine in the Dallas area, and while he has a gym in his apartment complex, I haven't been utilizing it as much as I should. I've unknowingly given myself a bit of a breather. <br />
<br />
During the month of December I saw (but didn't officially post on here) a number on the scale that I never expected to see, only to have it snatched back away again a mere week later. It wreaked havoc with my brain and I really hate that I allowed that to happen. In fact, almost this entire break, I've been riddled with guilt over every single morsel that goes into my mouth. That's no way to enjoy the holidays! I've also been gaining anxiety by the minute over what I'm going to do when the tour starts up again next week. For the first six weeks back, we hit the ground at turbo speed. We will be averaging 4-5 towns per week for almost all of January and February. The ability to go food shopping will become non-existent. I will be struggling to SURVIVE this next six weeks, let alone try and lose any weight.<br />
<br />
So, that's what my goal has been for at least the first half of 2014 - Survival.<br />
<br />
I want to just maintain my current weight (we'll call it 220) up through June. Then, for July onward, I want to start losing weight again. I'm still not done with my journey, but I think I need to make sure I don't completely burn out. I'm afraid burnout will turn into massive weight gain. That. Won't. Happen.<br />
<br />
So, here's what I have to look forward to for 2014:<br />
<br />
Maintaining my current weight of *cough* 220 *cough* (You'll see my real current weight in a moment, but we're going to have that as my maintenance goal weight for these six months, mmmkay?)<br />
<br />
Start training for my first half marathon in EDINBURGH!! (I haven't forgotten about that. It's still very much happening) Which leads me to...<br />
<br />
My exciting trip to London!<br />
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Finishing up this year of tour with Million Dollar Quartet.<br />
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These will take me to the summer, at which point I will have some exciting news to share.<br />
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But, until then, he's a bomb I'm going to drop on you all... <br />
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I've decided I'm going to take an extended break from this blog. Honestly I don't think I'll have the time to update that frequently, and also I think it might be contributing to the burn out. So, I might pop back in here and there, but ultimately you probably won't see me again in the blogosphere until I decide its time to take these last 20 pounds off my body. <br />
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Until then, I wish everyone a very Happy 2014! May it be filled with health, joy and laughter.<br />
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Weight at Beginning of 2013: 239.4<br />
Weight at End of 2013: 224.0<br />
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Total Weight Lost in 2013: 15.4<br />
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Total Weight Lost: 86.0<br />
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Current BMI: 28.8<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-2722992246249613512013-12-04T12:43:00.000-05:002013-12-04T12:45:56.730-05:00Weigh In Wednesday: 12/4/13 - Finishing the Year Off Strong EditionLast Official Weigh in: 221.8<br />
Current Weigh in: 219.4<br />
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Current Weight Lost: 2.4<br />
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Total Weight Lost: 90.6<br />
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Sorry it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. The week following my last post was kind of a train wreck. Stuff in my family life kind of went haywire and I experienced probably the worst 48 hours of my life. Then last week, with the holiday, I kind of just forgot to post. I meant to, I swear! I wasn't hiding! <br />
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I have to admit that I'm kind of proud of myself that considering what all happened in the last two weeks, between the drama and the most gluttonous holiday of the year, I managed to lose weight. I will admit, I kind of pushed exercise to the side. I still managed to get in probably 3 workouts per week, but certainly not the 5 per week that I had been averaging. My eating was not the greatest, but I guess it wasn't as horrible as I had made it out to be in my head.<br />
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I had my follow up call with <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-lean-you-with-dr-dan-giuglianotti.html" target="_blank">Dr. Dan </a> in the midst of that horrible first week and I felt bad for him because he kind of just became my therapist. We didn't so much talk about weight loss as he just listened to my problems. But, he's a great listener! And he randomly helped me set up an email filter over the phone. He's just a jack of all trades!<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7P2fhEMP7c/Up9g9muuYkI/AAAAAAAACTw/OoXkv_4XL78/s1600/IMG_1778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F7P2fhEMP7c/Up9g9muuYkI/AAAAAAAACTw/OoXkv_4XL78/s320/IMG_1778.jpg" width="240" /></a>In exercise news, I ran outside last week a couple of times. The first was for a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. I had never done one before and I think its such a great idea that I decided to find one while I was in Palm Desert. I found one, but I wasn't quite prepared for it. Sure, I could run a 5K, but a 5K in the desert? In sand? On rugged terrain? With rocky uphills and downhills? That... I was not, so much, prepared for. Then on top of all the trail issues aside, they only really had one water stop and we were running in sand (ie - dust was EVERYWHERE in the air) so I inhaled quite a lot of sand while I was running. So much so, that I actually could taste blood as I swallowed at about the halfway mark. At that point, I decided to just walk and did so for about a half mile until I hit the water stand. Then, with some hydration back in my throat, I finished out the race. I was not happy about it. I don't know if I've ever hated a race as much, to be perfectly honest. But, the one good thing about it was, there were some incredible views along the trail! My second run outside was to make myself feel better after the Trot. I ran on the streets by my hotel and it definitely redeemed me. The Trot just made me feel weak. The second run I felt strong. I didn't want anything to get in my head like after that <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-hit-wallhard.html" target="_blank">treacherous 10K </a>back in the day that ended up pushing me into a year long running sabbatical! I wanted the redemption and I got it. I need to stay strong in the mental running game if I am going to run this half marathon in Edinburgh! I will not let anything distract me from that goal.<br />
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This week I'm in San Diego. I'm so excited to be here! It's such a great city, with so much to offer! I was so excited to run outside while I was here, and then guess what? The day we arrive, BOOM! I get sick! Yay... I have some sort of weird sore throat/congestion thing going on. I'm still actually hoping to get out there and run this morning. Even if I can't go that far, even if it's really slow, I want to do something. Why? Why not just stay in bed until I feel better?<br />
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Because I am determined to finish 2013 stronger than ever. <br />
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As you might (or probably don't...) remember I had decided a month or so back to experiment with the idea of Paleo and with Intermittent Fasting. Well, both of those fell by the wayside. Neither quite worked for me. What does work? Counting calories and exercise. So my goals for the month of December are pretty simple:<br />
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1.) Counting every single calorie that goes into my mouth as best I can. If I eat it? It gets counted. If I cheat and eat a delectable holiday treat? I make up for it. I won't say that I won't eat bad things this holiday season, but I am vowing that when I do, I will either trim down my calories in another way, or I will get my butt to the hotel gym and burn it off.<br />
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2.) I will exercise for 45-60 minutes 5-6 times per week. No excuses. None. Not even sickness. I took a rest day yesterday when I was truly feeling like crap. I feel better today, but still not 100%. Guess what? Exercise is calling my name!<br />
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3.) I will drink at least 100 ounces of water per day. I had been slacking in my water intake for a while there, but I honestly do feel better when I try and keep up with it. Plus, I drink less soda when my stomach is full of water instead. So, there's that.<br />
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That's it. My three goals to try and meet every single day until January 1st. Hopefully, if I do this right, I will lose some weight in the process. I'm currently on Day Four of the plan, and so far so good. I have a real follow up phone call with Dr. Dan this Friday so we can actually discuss weight loss this time, and not my crazy personal life. I'm hoping he'll be pleased with my goals. In the mean time, I have some homework I have to work on for him, but before that? I gotta go to the gym!<br />
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I'll update you guys after my session with Dr. Dan. Until then, have a good week!Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-80388510685946448232013-11-17T23:35:00.000-05:002013-11-17T23:35:31.902-05:00The Lean You with Dr. Dan Giuglianotti - aka My Meeting with a Weight Loss ExpertI mentioned in my <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/11/weigh-in-wednesday-nothing-to-report.html" target="_blank">Weigh In Wednesday</a> post this week that I had a phone call on Saturday with a "weight loss expert." It was a perk of being part of the beta test for the Diet Bet 10. We would get a free 30 minute introductory phone call with Dr. Dan Giuglianotti, a consulting doctor for the Diet Bet website and who has his own weight loss website called <a href="http://www.theleanyou.com/" target="_blank">The Lean You</a>.<br />
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Well, he called me on my cell phone yesterday morning and what was supposed to have been a 30 minute phone call turned into a 60 minute session! So far, so good. The initial part of the call was him explaining a bit of his history and then me going into my weight loss history and what my life is currently like. He seemed quite intrigued by the challenges that my life presents and he seemed kind of excited to try and help me. <br />
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I think the fact that I've been at this for a while and have managed to keep a large amount of weight off successfully convinced him that I'm not just looking for a quick fix. He really did seem to care and really seemed to want to help me get over this last hurdle and help me meet my ultimate weight loss goals. <br />
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He asked about where I saw myself in a few months, a year and multiple years down the road, and the best part is that he gave me homework to think about and we're going to have a follow up phone call at the end of this week. I told him that this year on tour my biggest challenge is going to be the fact that sometimes I'm going to be forced to eat in restaurants as there won't be time or even opportunities to eat anywhere else. He asked me to try and look at eating at restaurants differently and to come up with alternatives to my current perspective (I've always seen eating out as a treat and will choose food accordingly.) He asked me to come up with 5-10 healthier options that I could look for on a restaurant menu, and one other thing that I can't think of off the top of my head (I don't have my list in front of me.)<br />
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Of course, the real point of these phone calls and introductory sessions are to try to eventually sell me a package to continue on working with him. Some of them are quite pricey and I don't think I can afford them, but I am contemplating buying one of his lesser packages. With the package I'm considering, I would get phone calls with him every other week plus his "kit" which includes a restaurant guide (I could really use!) and a ebooks and guides. I like the idea of having an outside perspective. He even said that he could log onto my profile on MyFitnessPal (my food tracking app) and so that he could get a real in depth look at what I'm actually eating and give me tips on things that I could change that could have a big impact. <br />
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When he asked me what I imagined for myself in a few years, I actually said something that surprised even me (even though it was coming out of my mouth.) I told him that I'm looking forward to the day when I don't think about losing weight from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep. I said that I look forward to living a "normal" life. It's true. I thought about it, and I've now been actively losing weight for 10% of my entire life. I'm 32 1/2 years old, and I've been working on losing weight for the last 3+ years. I think 10% of my life is long enough to focus on every single calorie that goes into my body and every single calorie burned. And if Dr. Dan can get them to that point, I think the money might be worth it.<br />
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The thing is, if I do this, I think the next three months (how long the package is) might be some of the most intense since I started this journey. Someone else will basically be monitoring everything I do. I will be held accountable to someone else,and that's a bit scary! But, on the other hand, it might just be the push I need to finally get to 200 pounds.<br />
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So, that's my findings of the "weight loss expert." I liked him, he seemed like a nice, knowledgeable person and I can't lie, I like that he seemed excited about the challenges that I presented to him. I like that I'm different than his normal patients and can keep him on his toes. I'll let you know how my second phone call goes this Friday and if I decide to move forward with purchasing one of his weight loss packages.<br />
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Until Wednesday!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-47933978462561932013-11-13T23:16:00.002-05:002013-11-13T23:16:49.129-05:00Weigh In Wednesday: Nothing to ReportLast Weigh in: 220.4<br />
Current Weigh in: 221.8<br />
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Current Gain: 1.4<br />
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Sorry, today got away from me and I totally forgot to write a "Weigh In Wednesday" post.<br />
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This week has been pretty stagnant weight wise. I was sitting at 220 all week and then all of a sudden, BOOM! A pound and a half gained overnight. It's probably water weight from the pasta I ate yesterday (I NEVER eat pasta anymore!) so I'm not worried about it.<br />
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I got in a run outside today in Santa Barbara. Phew - forgot it takes a bit more out of you to run outside than it does inside on a treadmill in a climate controlled gym.<br />
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I'm still in California and hope to get in some more outside runs while I'm here. Don't know how feasible it will always be, but I'm definitely hoping to try!<br />
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The holidays are fast approaching and I really hope I am able to keep on track with my goal to hit 210 by Christmas. I have a phone call with a weight loss specialist on Saturday and I hope that they are able to help me meet this goal. This phone call is part of my Diet Bet, as I am part of the beta test group. I guess we are getting some special privileges. :) I just really want to get over this hump and into the 210s! I know that in order to do it, I need to be super strict. I need to stop grazing on things - a little bit here, and a piece of candy there. In my head I tell myself that it can't hurt, but it can! Those nibbles add up and I need every calorie I can spare!!<br />
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Something that I think will help me, is I am getting a replacement for my heart rate monitor soon. My other one died and so I've been guessing how many calories I've been burning per workout. Not exactly great when my formula for losing weight has been so math based. Number of calories eaten minus calories burned plus calories eaten back = Net calories for the day. Net calories per day goal: 1300-1600. Sometimes I'm not able to eat back everything, and sometimes I go over 1600, but as long as it balances out to be in that range for the week I think I'm good. When I don't know how many calories I'm burning, then I'm missing a vital part of the equation! I do want to talk to his weight loss specialist about how much he thinks I should be eating a day. I never saw a professional when I started losing, so everything I've learned, I've either figured it out for myself or I've done the research and read articles. Will be nice to finally have a professional tell me whether or not I'm on the mark.<br />
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My phone appointment is Saturday morning, so I'll be sure to report back with my findings.<br />
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Until then, have a good week!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-49663267095786723262013-11-09T13:25:00.002-05:002013-11-09T13:25:42.738-05:00A Century Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As the third month of my six month Diet Bet gets underway, I realized that because I was basically stagnant this past month weight wise, that it will pretty much take a miracle for me to hit my month three goal of 210.5 pounds. I'm currently 220 exactly and at my current weight and fitness level, I just don't think I can pull of a ten pound loss in a month. I am certainly going to try my hardest, but I just don't think it's feasible. I'm okay with that. The reason I joined this Diet Bet was to keep me on track and accountable, and it's certainly done it's job thus far. I initially weighed in at almost 229 pounds, so a loss of 9 pounds in two months works for me! However, what I DO think is feasible is to hit 210 by Christmas. <div>
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What's the big deal about 210 pounds, you say? Because me hitting 210 pounds means that I will have officially lost 100 pounds. I think that if I work REALLY hard and kick my butt, I can lose 10 pounds in a month and a half. <div>
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What a wonderful Christmas gift to give to myself, right? I mean, there are not many people in this world who can say they've lost 100 pounds, and believe me, I never thought that I would be one of them. I want this for myself. I want the bragging rights. I want the ability to say that I did this for myself. I want to be able to say that I love myself enough to choose a happy, healthy life.</div>
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Oh... And not to mention, I think I'll look dead sexy. So, you know... There's that too :)</div>
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So, stay tuned folks! Here's to a Merry Century Christmas!</div>
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Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-72893446906113512422013-11-06T12:20:00.000-05:002013-11-06T12:21:46.315-05:00Weigh in Wednesday: 11/6/13: California editionLast Week's Weight: 225.5<br />
This Week's Weight: 220.4<br />
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Current Weight Loss: 5.1<br />
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Total Weight Loss: 89.6<br />
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So, I obviously was still holding onto some water weight last week during that weigh in, because while I worked hard, I didn't work <i>quite</i> hard enough to lose 5 pounds of fat. But, I'm VERY happy to be back at 220 and I'm ready to break through right on into the 210s. I'm ready to say goodbye to the 220s (hopefully) forever.<br />
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This week, my work brings me to California for about a month, and boy am I happy to be here! This week I'm especially excited because I get to be in one location for a full week. I hope to get in a couple of runs outside while I'm here, and *fingers crossed* a Zumba class at the gym near the hotel where I have free access. After this week will bring challenges again as I will be hitting up about six different towns in the next two weeks. Thankfully though, for the week of Thanksgiving (ooh, just realized, I am giving thanks for Thanksgiving week!) and the week right after I will have one week sit downs. <br />
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I'm looking for a Turkey trot race to run the morning of Thanksgiving. I've never done one before, and it just makes so much sense to me! Run off and burn some calories before sitting down and gorging yourself. Sounds logical!<br />
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My "Kickstarter" campaign has hit a snag. I don't think this Paleo thing is going to really be feasible. I think I can incorporate aspects of it when I can, but with life on the road, there are just going to be times when I don't have access to the proteins and fruits and vegetables that I need. So, I'm going to try my best, but not beat myself up for not being able to live a Paleo lifestyle. I'm still not where I need to be with the Intermittent Fasting either, but I'm doing better with that. I'm at least cutting myself off by 8 PM every night, but I need to work on eating later in the morning as well. I think I can get there with this one, but it's just going to take some more discipline on my part. I'll keep you posted as this progresses.<br />
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Well, as I mentioned yesterday in my Month Two Summary for my Diet Bet, I joined another 6 month bet. I'm really excited to only be 20 pounds away from goal again, and only 10 pounds away from the 100 pounds lost mark. I'm really hoping I can hit that 100 pound mark before Christmas. What an amazing Christmas gift to myself, right??<br />
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So, that's my goal I'm setting for myself. 210 pounds by 12/25/13.<br />
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I can do it. I know I can!<br />
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Have a good day everyone!!<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-86745973528846293602013-11-05T23:27:00.002-05:002013-11-05T23:27:56.620-05:00Diet Bet 10 - Month Two SummaryMonth Two Starting Weight: 222.4<br />
Month Two Ending Weight: 222.2<br />
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Total Weight Lost: .2<br />
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Month Three Goal: 210.5<br />
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Weight loss needed for Month Three: 11.7<br />
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Well, as you can see, I didn't lose much in this second month of my six month Diet Bet. I guess, on a positive note, my weight is <i>technically</i> lower than it was last month, but two tenths of a pound is nothing to write home about! I will take pride in the fact that I didn't gain at least.<br />
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I struggled this past month, as those of you who read my blog on a regular basis are well aware. This month was full blown TOUR mode. Last week alone, I was in three different cities. Not exactly a great situation for massive weight loss.<br />
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But, I do feel like I'm back on the right track. Now, will I win the third month of this bet? That's a tough call. 11.7 pounds in one month is a lofty, lofty goal and so I'm not really expecting to win this month. I'm going to use this month as a time to play catch up a bit. The fourth month, my goal for the entire month is just to lose an additional 3 pounds, so I think I could be completely caught up by the end of the fourth month. That gives me essentially two months to lose 14 pounds. I can do that. I need to be strong and vigilant. It will be hard, especially with the holidays looming ahead, but it's possible.<br />
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I am the most motivated I have been in a while, I must admit. I'm making pretty good choices eating wise (although the leftover Halloween candy needs to disappear sooner rather than later.)<br />
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I'm still really loving this Dietbet 10 format over the Dietbet 4s. I think it's interesting, because the website has started to call the month long 4% bets, the "Kickstarter" and the Dietbet 10 the "Transformer" and I agree. I think the month long Dietbet 4s are meant for those people who need a kick in the pants and something to set them up for weight loss. I don't think they are meant to be done continuous over and over, because 4% is too much to lose on a consistent basis! I personally feel like it's taking things to such extremes to lose the 4% month after month and you aren't necessarily learning habits that will be sustainable once these people reach the maintenance stage of their weight loss journeys. I feel like losing slowly and consistently is what sets people up for a lifetime of success and I think it's even proven that those who lose slowly and steadily are much more likely of keeping it off for good. Okay, that's the end of soapbox rant. Essentially, for me... Dietbet 10s = YAY! Dietbet 4s = Boo.<br />
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Going off of that subject, I decided to join a second Dietbet 10 game. The number of people in it is ENORMOUS and so I don't think I will be enjoying the social aspect of that game as much as I have been the current Beta test game, but I joined it because it will take me up to the month of my half marathon and I am hoping that it will keep me accountable with everything right up to the last moment. Also, and here's the best news, if I hit my goal for that second bet I will be EXACTLY at my goal weight. I will be 200 pounds! I'm SO CLOSE. It will have been three and a half years of blood, sweat and tears, but I'll have made it. I want it so bad, I can taste it!<br />
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Okay, sorry for this long and rambling post, but to sum up: This month wasn't the greatest, but I'm back on track.<br />
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Here's to month three!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-58444950190380996932013-10-30T14:53:00.001-04:002013-10-30T14:53:17.795-04:00Weigh In Wednesday 10/30/13 - Piecing the Puzzle TogetherLast Weigh in: 222.0<br />
Current Weight: 225.5<br />
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Current Gain: 3.5<br />
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Alright, so obviously there is some info behind this gain. As I mentioned in my last post, I didn't work out a lot the last week of Boston because of just a general "wonky" feeling. Well, my first workout after I felt better I made a rookie mistake, and one that I knew better to make... I overdid it. I felt so happy to be back on the treadmill that instead of easing myself back into my routine, I went whole hog and ran 4.5 miles. It just felt so great to sweat again! Well, the next day I was walking around Boston and all of sudden, BAM! Knee pain in my right knee. It never swelled up too much (just slightly) and I just had some shooting pain. And just like that, I was out of commission until it felt better. Let this serve as a lesson, don't overdo it people!! <br />
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So, I basically didn't exercise for over a week, with the exception of the run where I injured myself. Then, to top it all off last weekend we played a casino. A casino that provided us with food coupons. The problem being that all of their food options were DOUSED with sodium and there weren't that many healthy options. I felt so dehydrated and overloaded with sodium, that it actually hurt to bend my fingers in the morning! They felt like they were in sausage casings! The good news was that I started to ease myself back into my exercise routine over that weekend and got in a workout on the elliptical and a short run. Slow, but steady start.<br />
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Needless to say, this week and from here on out I'm trying to get back in my routine and detoxing the sodium from my system. I'm trying to not eat out this week and drinking as much water as possible. It's tough, but I need to figure out a way to make this work on my new schedule this year.<br />
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That's where my puzzle analogy comes in. The first year I was on this tour, I couldn't figure out the puzzle. I had the pieces there, but I couldn't figure out how they fit together to make it work so that I could successfully continue on this journey and so it meant that I basically plateaued for a year. I fluctuated between the same ten pounds, and by the time I started the second year of the tour, I was 15 pounds heavier than when I started the first. However, maybe I needed that first year to happen because it sparked my motivation and I finally managed to put the pieces together and make it work last year. The pieces were the same as the first year, I just figured it out. I got in my routine and the results speak for themselves. I am currently 30 pounds lighter than I was one year ago. <br />
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This year, however, the pieces have changed on me and I am still struggling with figuring out how they go together. I am in cities for less amount of time. It's harder to get to grocery stores. I'm having to eat out at restaurants more. I know that there is a way to make it work, but I just need to be patient and try and figure it out. I am pretty positive that I won't have as drastic results as this last year had, but I would still like to see the scale moving in the right direction again. I am tired of bouncing around the 220s. I would like to break free! Which brings me to my current plan, or as I have been referring to it, my Kickstarter.<br />
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This is my current plan: I have downloaded a new running app called "Running for Weight Loss" that I am going to be using for a few months. It should actually take me up until I need to start the actual training for the half marathon. With this app, it incorporates walking, running and sprinting and it claims that with a ratio of these three things you should actually lose more weight than simply straight running and it is supposed to make you faster. It is structured pretty similarly to a Couch to 5K or 10K program, and I like that it is going to make me run for about 45 minutes each time. Less easy for me to cop out. I am going to be more stringent about my cross training in between these days and am going to make myself actually strength train this time. I keep saying that I'm going to do it, and then I never follow through. I have to admit, this summer while I was doing the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred video, I did actually notice a difference with how I felt and so I want to get back to that. <br />
<br />
The diet is going to be the hard part, as it's the thing that throws the most kinks into the formula. I am going to continue to try and eat out as little as possible, but I know that there are going to be times where that just isn't possible. Somethings that I'm also going to explore is incorporate some paleo aspects. I know, I know... I've been pretty anti-paleo as I haven't seen it as sustainable for me, but I think to get me over this hump, I'm going to try and incorporate it for a bit. I need to do some more research on the topic, so I won't be doing anything until I fully feel like I have a grasp on what I am doing. The other thing that I'm going to incorporate is intermittent fasting. To be perfectly honest, I was trying to do this already but just didn't know that it had an official title. I'm not going to any super extremes here, like not eating for 24 hours, but more that I am giving myself a timed window in which to eat and get in my calories. Like I said, I pretty much was doing this already (I try to stop eating by 8 PM) but I wasn't as strict in the morning eating hours. For now I'm going to try 10 am - 8 PM, and then slim it down a bit more over time. I have more research to do on this topic, and hope to share some of it with you as I become more comfortable with it.<br />
<br />
So, that's my plan at the the moment. I hope every has a great Halloween. Allow yourself a treat or two, but don't let it do a trick on you (see what I did there?) and try not to overindulge too much.<br />
<br />
Have a great week!<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-32505147809980862152013-10-16T09:28:00.001-04:002013-10-16T09:28:23.706-04:00Weigh In Wednesday - Something is not right editionHey there,<br />
<br />
I'm not posting a weigh in today because I am not happy. Something weird is going on and I have no clue what it is.<br />
<br />
Like I mentioned before, I am weighing in more than weekly for this Diet bet, and I have inexplicably gained 6 pounds this week. Actually, I gained 6 pounds in two days and the worst part is that I don't know why. I mean, I will admit that I have eaten some more sodium this week than I should have and I did allow myself to get dehydrated on Monday but it was nothing that should have led to a 6 pound gain. Usually I see an uptick of a pound or two, but 6 is ridiculous. And I know it's water weight because in order to gain a pound, that is 3500 extra calories that you need to eat above and beyond your daily caloric intake. There is NO WAY that I ate an extra 21,000 calories. <br />
<br />
Did. Not. Happen.<br />
<br />
Right now I feel puffy, swollen (the skin on my fingers actually feels tight) and I have a slight headache even though I've been drinking water constantly so I shouldn't be dehydrated or still retaining water. It's not that certain time of the month, so that's not the reason why this is all happening... To add to all those feelings of wonderfulness, I couldn't work out last night because the headache that I still feel came on quite suddenly and intensely last night and the very thought of working out almost made me vomit.<br />
<br />
There is something just not right going on and I can't wait to figure it out and get back to feeling normal and on the right track weight wise. I feel gross and I hate it.<br />
<br />
On a happier note though, I have a major announcement!<br />
<br />
I signed up for another half marathon! And this time, there is no escaping it because I have to go to another country to run it!<br />
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I signed up to run in the Edinburgh Half Marathon!!<br />
<br />
I was already planning on going to London next May during a scheduled week off from work and I decided to see if there were any races going on while I was over there. I've always wanted to see Edinburgh and this will be the perfect way to do it! <br />
<br />
I like that I have plenty of time before I actually have to start training, so I can spend the next few months working on building up my stamina and my speed. I plan on incorporating some interval training at least once a week to try and get my pace up and while I still plan on doing the run/walk method for this, I want to lengthen the time I spend running. I would love to get to where I'm 10:1, but I don't want to push it.<br />
<br />
I'm super excited because a friend of mine who has been one of my biggest cheerleaders (Hi Jamie!) will be running the full marathon that day. He's continually said that he has wanted to run with me on my first half and having him there as a cheerleader will help push me through. <br />
<br />
So despite how I feel right now, I can't wait for the next few months. It's going to be exciting! <br />
<br />
Hopefully I'll feel better next week and will have some idea of what's going on with me. <br />
<br />
Have a good week people!<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-44305315638840597932013-10-09T09:52:00.001-04:002013-10-09T10:33:38.388-04:00Weigh In Wednesday: 10/9/13 - Movin' Right Along EditionLast Week's Weight: 223.1<br />
Current Week's Weight: 222.0<br />
<br />
This Week's Loss: 1.1<br />
<br />
Total Weight Lost: 88.0<br />
<br />
<br />
Yes, it's a loss but I must admit that I'm a little disappointed. Over the weekend I got down to 220 and now I'm up a couple of pounds. I really need to remember that even though I'm weighing myself more frequently because of the Diet Bet the only ones that really count are these weekly ones. I need to remember that weight can fluctuate greatly throughout the week and what it says on Saturday doesn't necessarily mean that it will read that same number, or lower, on Wednesday.<br />
<br />
But... a loss is a loss. The scale is overall moving in the right direction and I'm moving right along towards my goal. This month for the Diet Bet I have to hit 215, so I got some catching up to do with regards to that, but even if I don't hit this month either I'll just be happy to get as close as I did this last month.<br />
<br />
I will admit that I haven't been as careful with my eating the last couple of days. I definitely overindulged with the salty goodness and one night have a ravenous hunger that just wouldn't be silenced.<br />
<br />
My plan for the next two weeks in Boston is to try and be as good as possible, and I actually want to try and run a 10K on the treadmill. I've been pretty consistently running 3 miles several times a week and I would like to get that 6 mile distance under my belt again. After our Boston run we aren't in one place for longer than a few days for a while and I feel like this is the best place to try and go for it. I don't know what the hotel gym situation is going to be like in some of these places and I need to try my hardest to make it work the best I can. I have a feeling Jillian Michaels and I will be getting to know each other pretty well on some of these shorter hotel stays. Maybe if I do a couple of her videos back to back in my hotel room I'll be okay. Who knows though! It's going to be trial by fire!<br />
<br />
I just really want to get out of the 220s. I've been here all summer long and it's time to bump down into the next bracket. Gonna have to put my nose to the grindstone to do it I think, but I know that I can.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">Alright, that's all from me for today!</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
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<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-64333457421645535182013-10-05T22:25:00.000-04:002013-10-05T22:25:19.051-04:00Words of Wisdom or Maia's Two CentsDear Parents (or Grandparents) staying in hotels with children:<br />
<br />
Please remember that the hotel gym is not, in fact, a playground at your disposal to tire your children out so they will fall asleep. Allowing them to run races on the treadmills on steep inclines is not only dangerous, but can potential damage the incredibly expensive equipment (how would you like to see THAT pop up on your hotel bill?). <br />
<br />
If you absolutely must take your children to the gym please remember that if other people are in there attempting to work out, even if they have their headphones on, that you should remind your children to use their inside voices and not shriek at the top of their lungs sounding as if they are being murdered.<br />
<br />
It's not cute. <br />
<br />
I know that the hotel says that children are allowed with adult supervision, but do you call this supervision? <br />
<br />
For many adults, their workouts and gym time are their moments of reflection and their "me time." Having your children running frantically from one machine to another, turning them up to top speed, laughing at how cool they are and how fast they are going even though you are standing directly next to them, infringes upon others. <br />
<br />
Please remember these other people are paying to stay in this hotel too.<br />
<br />
Signed,<br />
<br />
A (near deaf from having to turn her iPod up to max volume) hotel guest<br />
<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-4007996119279765472013-10-04T10:29:00.002-04:002013-10-04T10:29:20.430-04:00Diet Bet 10 - Month One SummaryOfficial Diet Bet starting weight: 228.8<br />
Official Month One weigh out: 222.4<br />
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Total Weight Lost in Month One: 6.4<br />
<br />
Weight I needed to lose to win Month One: .5<br />
<br />
In a <a href="http://musingsofmaia.blogspot.com/2013/09/weigh-in-wednesday-is-back-oopsie-daisy.html" target="_blank">weigh in post </a> from a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I joined a new Diet Bet, but that this one was different than the previous ones I joined. This one was a beta test version of a six month long bet they are calling "Diet Bet 10." It's called that because rather than the standard bet, where you are betting you can lose 4% of your body weight in a month, you are betting you will lose 10% of your weight in 6 months. I am much more of the "slow and steady wins the race" mentality and was glad they adopted this approach as well.<br />
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Well, the first month is complete. This first month we were betting we could lose 3% of our body weight. I, unfortunately, was a half a pound off, but I'm okay with that! 1.) I signed up for the bet late. There were only 3 weeks of the month left when I joined. 2.) I didn't even really get my head in the game until half way through the month. So, in essence, I lost those 6.5 pounds in the last two weeks. I know that most of that was water weight from the crap food and lack of exercise for the past month, but it's still nice to see the drastic drop.<br />
<br />
I'm happy to be back in the low 220s again. It's so weird, and such a mental thing, but I really do feel like I look drastically different when I'm sitting around 220, than I do when I'm around 230 (like I have been the last few weeks.) I feel like my legs look leaner and my stomach flatter. For a person of my height, I know that ten pounds really can't make that huge of a difference, but oh well! The mind thinks what it wants to I suppose!<br />
<br />
I must admit that I like this six month version of the bet so much better. Even though I was only required to lose 1% less this month than the standard bet, that's still (in my case) a couple of pounds. When losing weight, a couple of pounds can be HUGE and a lot of work. I was losing close to 10 pounds in a month in those standard four week bets. That's no easy fete and honestly, in my opinion, shouldn't really be done on a consistent basis. It's too much weight to constantly be striving for. If someone wants to jump start their weight loss, or has been stagnant for a while and needs a boost? Sure, I say go for it. But the staggering of bets (people sign up for multiple bets at a time and they will have one or two bets that end per week and then cycle through) that's where I think it gets to be too much. But, that's just my opinion. I guess if it works for them, and they are winning? Who's to say it's bad I suppose...<br />
<br />
Anyway, I figured I would write a little round up post for this first month of the bet. My goal weight for this next month is 215.1. So, I have four weeks to lose 7.3 pounds. It will be hard work, but I think I can do it. These next two weeks I'm in Boston, and while there is lots of good tasting (but bad for you!) food choices there, I also know that there is lots of good tasting (and good for you!) food as well. My hotel is right next door to a YMCA and I'm hoping to get in a couple Zumba classes per week while I'm there. Would be silly not to!<br />
<br />
Alright - that's it for this post. <br />
<br />
Diet Bet 10 - Month One. Complete. <br />
<br />
<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-9662799260988973122013-10-02T10:53:00.001-04:002013-10-02T10:53:58.191-04:00Weigh In Wednesday 10/2/13 - The OH YEAH EditionLast Week's Weight: 228.2<br />
Current Weight: 223.1<br />
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Current Loss: 5.1<br />
<br />
Total Loss: 86.9<br />
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I knew I was going to have a big loss this week. After I eat poorly and don't exercise for a while, the first week back of being strict and diligent always shows a big loss. I assume a large portion of it is water weight, but hey! It still counts!<br />
<br />
So this week was a pretty good week! I got in a couple of runs. One really great one, and one not so great one, but that's the life of a runner I suppose. You can't win them all! The rest of the week I exercised by walking (and walking and walking). My tour is in DC for two weeks and so I've been walking all over town, and it's a good thing I saw as much as I did because now everything is closed due to the shutdown (I'll restrict my opinions on THAT subject...). <br />
<br />
Also, this week (for those who might not already know) I was featured on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/i-lost-weight-maia-sutton_n_3831040.html" target="_blank">Huffington Post's Healthy Living page!</a> I was the weight loss story!! Everyone has been so supportive and been giving me such wonderful words of support and encouragement. It's been quite mind blowing. A few new people have found their way to my blog through the HP piece, so "hi!" to the newbies!<br />
<br />
My new 6 month Diet Bet is going well. The weigh in for this first month is tomorrow and Friday. I'm currently 1.2 pounds away, so there is actually a chance I could win this first month! I REALLY didn't expect that to even be a possibility. I really thought that I would just have to lose as much as possible and just try for the second month instead. It's nice to be in the running already! I really do like this longer "slow and steady" format that they are trying out. It's just not so "HURRY UP AND LOSE WEIGHT!" I mean, I get their theory behind the one month formats, to push yourself as hard as you possibly can (and it's not supposed to be an easy fete!) but for me to win I was having to go beyond where I was comfortable and it resulted in me overindulging. This 3% weight loss just feels less drastic, so I'm glad it's working so far.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fancy new shoes</td></tr>
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I finally broke down this week and bought new running shoes. While I was in NYC this summer I went to a running store to get refitted and I overpronate (my ankles come in) pretty bad, so of course that means I need the most expensive running shoe that companies make. I didn't have the money this summer, but now that I'm back to work full time I was able to swing it. I'm kind of in love with the new shoes. I feel very "Jem and the Holograms" when I wear them. I do feel a difference while I'm running, although it's definitely going to take some getting used to have the additional support. It's good, but just different.<br />
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Anyway, sorry this week was a bit long winded. Just had some stuff to say evidently! To the newbies to this blog, I hope you stick around. I have some exciting stuff on the horizon (100 pound mark, end goal approaching) and I would love to share that with you all. <br />
<br />
I hope everyone has a good week!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-31893643202013811532013-09-30T23:42:00.001-04:002013-09-30T23:53:17.906-04:00Just saying a quick "hi!"Hello out there to you people who found me through Huffington Post!! Welcome to my humble little corner of cyberspace where I share my dreams, aspirations, successes and failures (thankfully more successes than failures...).<br />
<br />
Feel free to take a look around and I hope you'll stick with me through this next, and possibly last, phase of this weigh loss journey.<br />
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As you can see from my last weigh in I've gained a few pounds back from the time that I wrote that Huffington Post piece, but I'm back on the wagon (I took a breather for various reasons) but I always come back stronger and ready to concur the world. I will admit I've peeked at the scale and you'll be happy to know it's going back in the right direction...<br />
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Anyway, I hope that you pop back in and visit my little blog from time to time!<br />
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Have a good night and see you on Wednesday for my weigh in!!<br />
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-55635749858430728292013-09-25T10:25:00.000-04:002013-09-25T10:25:10.322-04:00Weigh In Wednesday is back - The Oopsie Daisy editionCurrent Weight: 228.2<br />
Last Weight: 223.3<br />
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Weight Gained: 4.9<br />
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Okay, I'm back in this thing. Obviously I've been off the wagon for a while, as you can see from the weight that I've gained in the last few weeks. But I'm ready to shed this current gain and hopefully even more.<br />
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As I mentioned in my last post, I joined another Diet Bet, but this one is slightly different. It's a six month long bet, and I am betting that I will lose 10% of my starting weight rather than the 4% in a month. I like that it's a slow and steady kind of race, rather than the extreme of the other one. Each month has weight loss goals and each month you place money on making it. Like for instance, this first month's goal is to lose 3% of my starting weight, and I bet $25. If I don't make it, the goal for the second month is another 3% (for a total of 6% of my starting weight). If I don't make the first month's weight goal, the weight goal for the second month doesn't change, it just means I have to play catch up. At the end of each month, if you make your goal weight, you can win money but if you don't make it you are still eligible for the next month's bet as well as the grand prize pot at the end. <br />
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My weight goal for this first month is 221.9, and the weigh in days are October 3rd and 4th. I'm obviously not going to make that weight, but I'm okay because I'm doing this for the motivation and to have set goals to strive towards. I was late joining the game, and I really only found my stride and motivation this week. My eating is pretty much back on track (no really! We have kitchens in our hotel this week and I've been tracking everything I eat! Yay!) and I've been really good about exercising. So, while I might not be able to drop 6 pounds in a week and a half, but I might get pretty darn close. The bonus is if I make my 10% goal, I will be at 205. That's a great number to see on the scale in March when this thing ends. I really can't wait to see that number on the scale!<br />
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Other than this Diet Bet, I've just been adjusting to life back on the road. For this week and next week I'm in Washington DC, and my show is playing at the Kennedy Center. It's gorgeous weather and I'm really enjoying being here. I can't wait to see some of the sites I've never seen before and to just enjoy my time here. After this we head to Boston, another city that I'm REALLY looking forward to. I've only been to Boston one other time in my life and that was for a long weekend. <br />
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Alright my friends its time for me to get ready for my day. Have a good one!Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-14112329744738740912013-09-12T12:18:00.001-04:002013-09-12T12:26:48.283-04:00Oops I forgot!!Sorry for no weigh in yesterday! I have been a bit busy with work and preparing to leave NYC to hit the road and I honestly just plain forgot!!<br />
<br />
To be honest, I'm okay with forgetting. I'm feeling really gross right now. I just feel puffy and disgusting and I think it's because my diet has been sub-par and my exercise almost non-existent. I'm ready to get back out on the road and back into my routine. I've enjoyed being in NYC but I've allowed myself to cross that line of "relaxing and enjoying myself" over to "giving myself excuses to eat poorly at every turn." I think I needed to finally cross that line so that I could mentally be ready to get back on the bandwagon. I was burned out before and needed to hit the point that I'm at now.<br />
<br />
Which brings me to my next point...<br />
<br />
I know you're probably all wondering why I'm doing this, but I've decided to do another Diet Bet. This one is different than the others though. The website has set up a beta version (by invite only actually) of a 6 month version. In this 6 month version you are betting that you will lose 10% of your starting weight. You are actually betting every month and you are actually held accountable each month (and have to pay additional money to the pot each month) and still have goals that you need to meet each month in order to continue on with the bet (this way you aren't crash dieting at the last minute.) This first month I need to lose 3% of my body weight, or about 7 pounds. I don't honestly care if I win this bet or not, but I would like to have this bet to keep me accountable and on track so that I don't allow myself to completely let go this next year. Plus, if I win this bet I will be at my goal weight. I would LOVE to be at 200 pounds 6 months from now. I would actually LOVE to see a 1 at the beginning of my weight, but I'm getting ahead of myself there.<br />
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We'll see how I do with this one. I may end up hating this bet and getting burned out and quitting. Or, I could end up loving the different structure and killing it on the scale. Only time will tell.<br />
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I do know that I will be changing up my workout routine for sure this year. I'm going to only run AT MOST 3 times a week. I want to try and find Zumba classes while out on the road (whenever that's possible at least...) I want to continue using my Jillian Michaels' DVDs. I want to crosstrain and lift weights. I want to start toning up my weaker muscles. I know how to do cardio, but I don't really know how to get fit. It's time to get fit.<br />
<br />
Alright, that's the current game plan guys! I'll post my official starting weight for the Diet bet tomorrow. I might even post my official weigh in photos - we'll see how I feel.<br />
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I'm ready to start feeling better again.Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-50167436715652066492013-09-04T21:25:00.000-04:002013-09-04T21:25:01.602-04:00Three Year Fativersary (and Weigh in!)Starting Weight 9/4/10: 310.0<br />
Current Weight 9/4/13: 223.3<br />
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Total Weight Lost in Three Years: 86.7 (gained 1.5 since last week)<br />
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Total Weight Left to Lose for Goal (200): 23.3<br />
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Well here it is folks! Today is the third anniversary of having an epiphany and deciding to take control of my life. I really can't believe that it's already been three years! Time really has flown by!<br />
<br />
I look back at my old self and I don't even recognize her. I never even could have imagined what my life would be like now. I know I say this every year, but I'm really proud of myself for having recognized that I wasn't happy and changing my ENTIRE LIFE. I really think that almost nothing is the same as it was then. (Well, except maybe my shoe size...) I have completely transformed into a different person and I have to say that I'm quite fond of this new Maia.<br />
<br />
Maia circa 2013 is a strong, healthy and (most importantly) happy person. I struggled a bit this last year, not with the health and weight loss portion of this journey but with the happiness aspect. I found myself getting angry and frustrated all the time and I started to not like myself. So what did I do? Basically the same thing that I did before! I told myself that I was going to change it, and I did! I feel like I'm looking at things in a brighter light. I find myself smiling more. I find myself laughing more and honestly, I'm just enjoying life more!<br />
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I'm hoping to take this new perspective back out on the road with me when I leave NYC for tour once again. (I depart September 17th! I can't believe it's right around the corner!) I still have this last bit of weight that I want to lose and I'm determined to lose it, but I also want to enjoy myself a bit more this next year. I was so gung ho this last year that I actually very rarely went out and enjoyed myself in the various cities we visited. I'm going to allow myself a few more indulgences this year and not let them stress me out like they did last year. Last year, if I had a popcorn at the movies I was beating myself up for days! That's no way to live life... We'll see how it goes!<br />
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I can't wait for this next year of this journey. I'm sure that so much will change and I'm ready for the new adventures that life will bring my way. <br />
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Life is good.<br />
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I'm happy.<br />
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And that's awesome.<br />
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<span id="goog_1219956621"></span><span id="goog_1219956622"></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing my happiness with Mr. Darcy</td></tr>
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<br />Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4626041959313212356.post-42480201050538278932013-08-28T21:59:00.001-04:002013-08-28T21:59:21.692-04:00Weigh In Wednesday: 8/28/13 Taking a Breather EditionLast Week's Weight: 220.2<br />
Current Week's Weight: 221.8<br />
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Current Weight Gain: 1.6<br />
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Total Weight Lost: 88.2<br />
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So, after last week's realization that I needed to take a break from the Diet Bets, I decided that it was time for me to take a breather and my body is thanking me for it. I'm watching what I eat for the most part, but I'm not going overboard. I've exercised a bit, but not as much as I had been the rest of this summer. Basically, I'm hitting the reset button. <br />
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I've done this several times through my process. Whenever I get exhausted by everything (both mentally and physically!) I've taken a step back. I don't go to any sort of extreme, I just kind of stop letting it rule my life. I stop thinking about every single thing that goes into my mouth. I stop counting every single calorie. I stop exercising ALL THE TIME. Whenever I take these breathers, I come back even stronger and am able to lose even more weight than if I had plowed through.<br />
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I'm actually happy that I only gained a pound and a half, because I really think I ate enough calories to warrant a larger gain. It tells me that my body is comfortable with kind of staying at this weigh if need be. I'm debating how long I want to take this break. Maybe I'll just take a week, maybe I'll take a couple more. Maybe I'll come back from the holiday weekend and hit the ground running (literally!). We shall see.<br />
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In other news, I'm back at work now. No more carefree summer days! I'm back to the real world of preplanning meals and scheduling time for my workouts. No more flying by the seat of my pants. I'm still in NYC and will be for a couple more weeks and then I head off to the mystical land of York, PA with the show. <br />
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All I gotta say is... Working is hard y'all! :)Maiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00299856527480587335noreply@blogger.com0