Starting fresh....

Here I sit at the Outer Banks finishing up a weekend of birthday fun and complete laziness. It was perfect, and just what I have been desperately needing. I ate a little too much, and drank too much water. :)  The only downside, though, was that my hubs didn't come because he volunteered to "babysit" Team Cavanaugh.

I'll be heading back to reality tomorrow evening with a clear head and motivation to start the second year of my little blog-supported journey. Where's the motivation coming from?

First, I've come so far in this first year that I only want to top myself.  But second, and most terrifying, is that my face is now on the wall at the gym as a 'success' story. So there I sit - looking right at me every time I walk in to the door there. My before and current pictures cuttin' their eyes at me! I definitely don't want to look like a fool and make Big A have to take it down!

I have 5 weeks until my 8k and I'm behind on training.  Cross your fingers!

Long, strange trip. Long post. Year in review.

Whoa. I've been at this for a year, y'all!  Don't want to read all 50-something posts to catch up? Well here's the review for you:

On October 7, 2012 I had had enough.  I was about to turn 35. No chair was comfortable. I couldn't sit like a lady. (And you all know I am a proper lady)  My monster calves had eaten my ankles.  I couldn't walk up the stairs or through the parking lot at work without huffing and puffing.  The last time I had been on a roller coaster, the Rams were in the Super Bowl and Pau Gasol was drafted by Atlanta.  

I was on 4 different medications for different issues.  I was wearing a size 26 (sometimes 26/28).  I knew I wanted to change things but really had no idea how I was going to do that. -So I started typing.

As I began to write blog posts and receive tremendous report from those close to me and strangers alike, things started to fall in to place. I started to research, move, make different food choices, and try to establish even a hint of a good habit or two.  I set some reasonable "loose" goals so that I wouldn't set myself up for failure.  My husband supported me 180% (because he's wonderful!!) and I joined forces with two great friends to start Weight Watchers and have a support team in them that cannot be beat! Go Team JAG!

In January I was finally brave enough to join a gym - Anytime Fitness.  I could barely go for more than 2 minutes on the elliptical machine.  I did have the desire to do things and get stronger, but I realized I needed some help.  Enter Big A, the trainer. My coach. My gym security blanket. My homey for life. And, now, a wonderful friend both inside and outside of the gym; along with his family.  I started training last winter with Big A and have been challenged and sometimes frustrated.  I have, however, gotten stronger and I continue to do new things and get better at tasks I could barely do a year ago.  I keep wondering how this is working when nothing else has?  First, there was no intimidation, only encouragement.  Big A has been a crucial part of my support system. Why? Absolutely. No. Negativity.  -And she smacks me down why I try to let anything negative slip out.  Second, there has never been pressure about specific goals or specific weights (unless it came from me), but instead he helps me focus on challenging myself and simply getting better every day and remembering where I started.  -That simple.  He has to remind me of that often.  The man also has the 'patience of Job' to be able to deal with me and my bullshit multiple times per week. I will never be able to thank him enough. I share my silliness and my little victory moments with him all the time, but I don't know if he'll really ever know just how much I appreciate him for helping me save my life.  Big, big fist-bumps to you, Big A. 

Yes, it has put a financial strain on us to train, etc. but it is worth it many times over.  Thank God for my sweet husband and his support of all that I do.  

Outside the gym and training, I have learned to love running and want to get better at it. 

So a year is now behind me. I turn 36 in a few days.  My God, 36 seemed like an eternity away even just a few years ago!  So I'll spend a few days by the water to celebrate (thanks to the bestest friend ever!) and then I'll get back to work to begin a new year of challenges.  I will continue being coached by Big A. I will continue with WW and my Team JAG girls.  I'll learn to be a better runner, especially with my new running partner, Bear Cavanaugh. I'll continue to FEEL BETTER and get stronger.

So what else is there to say? Oh yeah - F I N A L L LY -  

I hit 50 pounds lost. When I wrote my first post I was sitting at 288 pounds on my home scale.  I stepped on that same scale on September 30th, and saw the cutest number ever: 237.5.  Exhale! That's huge. Huge! I've never, ever lost more than 5 or 10 pounds and it always came back and them some.  This is so, so promising.  It definitely doesn't mean that I'm finished. -But it means that I can do it and I can keep going.  I have (probably) about 70 more pounds to go before I can say I have reached my weight goal and can start working to maintain that.  There's another year or two of work to be done to get there I think.  I'm happy with slow and steady; though I still reserve the right to complain every now and then if I'm frustrated.  :) Oh, and the Redskins shirt - I'm not quite there yet but almost.  It goes over my boobs and my guts now! -Just too tight to wear to the Food Lion, though I'd fit right in on some days. I'll get there.  I'm happy with my size progress. I'm now in an 18. In fact, my friend just gave me a pair of size 18 jeans. Button fly. That's never gone on this body before, and I may never take them off.  I told her I was so excited because I didn't even have to lay down to try and button them! 

Side Story:   When we were in high school and even a little after, I was always so sad that I couldn't shop at American Eagle with all of my friends.  That store was the stuff in the 90's in Charlottesville.  If you didn't have a few outfits from there, at least, you could kick rocks.  I owned one, ONE, item from that store back then. It was a men's flannel shirt (I LOVED that thing) that I wore, unbuttoned of course, to death.  Guess where those button fly jeans are from, y'all? Now I may be to too old to shop there, but I don't care, I will anyway. I promise, though, not to go out and find a HyperColor body suit on Ebay to wear just because I may be able to.  


I'm also happy with my general health progress. I'm taking no meds, except for the unexpected few I had to get this past week.  Grrrr! -But I'm done with those and learning to de-stress. Hopefully that won't happen again. 

My cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and thyroid levels all came in at "Girl, who are you? Did someone else take this test for you?"-numbers a couple of weeks ago at my latest screening. 



I feel good right now. I'm so thankful for all of the support that all of you (who take the time to read my craziness) have given me.

Stay tuned for more updates; major, minor, odd, and unecessary. It's going to be a good year.

I'm not one to wait 'til the end of a project for thank-you's.  Thank you all (and I hope I forget no one) for the help, the kind words, the laughs, the Tweets, the challenges, the "just checking on you", the "I'm proud of you", and the thoughts/prayers you sent my way this past year. Many of you have/had more important things to worry about but you took time out for me and I appreciate it.

Puddles, my sweet husband          Alfred (Big A) and Julie
My Momma                                  Genevieve
My Momma-In-Law and Pops          Sloane
Missy                                           Michelle                                       
Jaime                                         The 2 Angies in my life - Angela & Angie
Corey                                          Erin
Ana                                             Gloria
Rosita                                          Lynette
Sharon                                         Jenna-Jean
Teresa                                         Butch
Amanda                                       Flip
Heidi                                           Justin
...plus anyone I can't think of right now with Sunday brain, and of course many of you who sent me private messages who would kick my butt if I mentioned you here. 

Progress...

...is a good thing!

Attack of my own brain.

So this week stunk to high heaven, with few exceptions.  When we got cute little Bear Cavanaugh home, I fell and busted it hard on our ceramic tile floor after slipping in some water that the pup had splashed everywhere.  He was in my arms when I fell! Luckily, he wasn't hurt but I banged my whole left side up pretty good!

Then,  I experienced the worst migraine headache of my life! I started feeling ill Monday evening and had a very rough night.  I pulled one of those in bed, in the dark days on Tuesday and wasn't able to go to work.  It got a little better so I tried to go to work and about 30 minutes in I started rolling downhill fast! My doctor is amazing and took me right away when I called.  I was anxious and full of nausea and every sight and sound was driving me nuts.  I was certain I was going to get pulled over by the police for crazy driving. I'm really not sure how I made it there in one piece.  Thankfully, I did.  I was a hot mess and no idea what to do.  For the first time, I had to have injections to treat me and also had to get two prescriptions and stay out of work for the rest of the week.  Hard. Core. Awful.

Why? STRESS.  Right from the doctor's mouth - "You are just stressed the heck out, sister!"

Yikes.  I do have a lot of balls in the air right now.  I need to learn how to juggle, I reckon.


The good thing is I do have good things happening and fun times to look forward to.

My husband is too sweet. All of our pups are adorable and we are enjoying the new little one. I spent time with some great friends today. -And I'l be spending my birthday weekend by the water with some great friends next week!

Let's hope this migraine business is behind us.

One new addition - two reasons

Meet Bear. His full name is Bear Meat Reginald Cavanaugh.  He's a Siberian Husky and is now dog #4 in our house.  We are overflowing in our little shack, but he was the perfect final addition to our crew.  He's going to be a daddy's boy, and he's going to be my running partner.  I can't think of a better companion (when he's old enough) to hit the road with me. ...and you can see he loves his daddy too.