Eeee. So excited!

I've never posted from my phone.  I'm so excited that my hubby put up our his & her running bibs up tonight in our exercise room.  It almost makes me want to run on the treadmill tomorrow. Almost. 

How I Gave Up Diet Coke by Accident

Water, Water Everywhere

I can’t believe that I’ve kind of of given up diet coke.  It was not intentional.  My favorite treat in the world was a large 32 oz. fountain soda of diet coke in a Styrofoam cup. 

   

Even when I go to McDonald’s I ask them to “sub a foam cup”.  I would only have really one diet coke a day.  Mid day.  If I was lucky it was the glorious Styrofoam cup if not it was a Tervis Tumbler with a can of diet. 

   

Any who, I started reading this book, 52 Small Changes to a Happier, Healthier Life. 

 

   
I found this through The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans on Facebook.  As the New Year approached, I knew I really needed to get some of this unwanted weight off.  So, I thought this book couldn’t hurt.  The first week’s small change was drink more water.  I read that a person should drink half of their body weight in ounces a day.  What?  That’s crazy talk.  Sad to say, that’s would be (at the time) 74 oz of water a day. Now, I only need to drink 70 oz.  (just sayin’).  

  

So, my goal was not that much.  It was going to be 3 bottles of waters a day.  16.9 x 3.    That would be 50.7 oz. of water a day.  Which would be a 50 more oz. than I had been drinking.  I was trying to drink a bottle on the way to work.  Gulp, gulp, gulp. then one before lunch and lastly one in the evening.  It was going well.  I was getting my water in and drinking a diet coke for lunch.

  

Then I discovered…Sparkling Water.  My husband has drunk Perrier for years.  I never liked it.  Ick!  My discovery occurred one evening.  I sometimes like to have a beer in the evening but Weight Watchers doesn’t favor alcohol.  Those are wasted points.  So, I thought I try one of the pretty waters that I got my husband from Wegman’s.  Not bad.  Carbonated and it was taking the place of my carbonated beer. 
   

And so it began,  I started to like sparkling water.  I started bringing it to school and trading it out for one of my regular waters.  Then some super weird happened.  Diet coke started tasting unbelievable sweet.  My beloved diet coke that had seen me through think and thin since college was betraying me.  We became friends to begin with to cut calories during the freshman fifteen.  I finally bought the bullet and traded coke for diet coke all those years ago.

   

So now, two months into it, diet coke is just not appealing to me.  You know, I’ve thought about giving up diet coke for lent and then thought better of it.  And just like that diet coke is less apart of my life.  Silly as it sounds, it makes me a bit sad.  It was apart of me for so long.  I’m sure both of us will be okay.  Here's to making new friends.  My current favorite is Sparkling Mandarin Orange by Nestle.

                       

*  all water bottles photos taken directly from manufacture's site.

My 2015 Resolutions

In 2014, I completed one 1 mile race, eight 5ks (32.35 PR), one 5 miler, two 10Ks, one 12 miler, and one ½ marathon.  Fourteen Races.  It was my goal to complete 14 races in 2014 although not a resolution.   My goal is not complete 15 in 15.  

Here are some of my resolutions:

Run 10 miles in a row without stopping (except maybe for a second for a water sip)

Wash my face every night before I go to bed.  I’m pretty hit or miss. 

Seriously, lose 15-20 pounds.  Darn it. 

Read more and less iPad before bed.  My current book is Anita Shreve's Stella Bain.  She's my favorite author.

House projects!  This is my husband’s but I’m happy to join this one.  Our 14-year-old house is beginning to show some wear.

Make part of our basement a workout room. YEA!!

Investigate the 52 Small Changes:  One Year to a Happier, Healthier You book.  The first change is drinking more water.   I can certainly work to change that.  Going to give it a try.

Get faster.  I’d like to improve my 5k PR and get under an 11-minute mile.  This will be a big goal!

Start a running journal.  I bought one.  I’m usually terrible at this kind of thing but I’ll give it a try.  This is the one I bought.  Believe Training  Journal

I think I’d like to try and run 500 miles this year.

When you write them down – they are more real!

Reflecting on 2014's Resolutions

    Here's last year's resolutions:

    Run 10 miles  - this needs to happen by April 6^th.  This is causing me some anxiety. 

    Run a ½ marathon – less anxiety  - not until October

    Eat out less/ make dinner more – I make dinner a lot but some days after working all day – I’m     like let’s go to Chili’s, Friendly’s, anywhere that I don’t have to make food.  Having children that are 13 and 16 means no more kids meals.  A typical dinner at Chili’s is like $75.  That’s one drink for the hubby and I, chips and salsa and meals.  Getting crazy!

    Lose 14 pounds – I was going to say 10 but being 2014 and all plus it gives me some wiggle room

    Make my children more responsible for chores around the house – really, they need to pony up!  Chore list??

How did I do?

Well, I did a ½ marathon and a 12-miler but I only ran for about 8 straight miles of those.  I know it counts but I’m putting10 miles to next year list.

Yep, did the ½.  Signed up for another one in May.

That eating out less thing…  I tried.  I don’t know.  We did have less fancy dinners and we ate more fast dinners at home.

Big fail on the losing weight.  Gained 5 pounds.  :(

Making my children more responsible  - still a work in progress