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Introduction Text Coming back to Spark People now not back to where I originally started, but need to reclaim my body now that my baby is weaned I think I'll have some success. I had maintained for over 5 year before Ruby, so about 5 years after I've kept about 60+ pounds off, but still have a way to go to feel fit again. To learn more about me and my journey from beginning to end, you can see the dates I reached certain goals and other fun stuff like that by reading on and clicking the link below. Thank you for visiting me! ***************************************** The Spark Your Life Convention was - A-MAZ-ING. Check out my blogs from 5/6/2009 (there are four of them) to see all about my trip to San Diego - with LOTS of pictures! The first post that day is strictly about the Convention. :) Go to my blogs and look for the date, or copy and paste the URLS below: SparkCon09: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2039838 UT Race for Literacy 8K: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2040080 Bunny Union (meeting a good SparkFriend): http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2040234 THE OTHER STUFF: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_journal_individual.asp?blog_id=2040401 ************************************** Original Introduction, Written 1/15/07: "I'm just trying to get myself healthy. I recently started a very sedentary job and then realized I had gained over 50 lbs since getting married 3 years ago. I want to become a healthier person." Update 6/11/07 -- Since I've now lost a little over 40lbs, I redid my calorie goals. The new goals are updated in my plan over to the right. :) Update 7/2/07 -- I HAVE REACHED MY HALFWAY POINT. 50lbs have been lost and I'm slightly ahead of schedule for the year. :D YAY! Update 8/6/07 -- NO LONGER OBESE!!! WOOHOOO!!! :) Update 1/15/08 -- NO LONGER OVERWEIGHT. Thank you, thank you!! I AM IN THE HEALTHY BMI with a 24.85 BMI. :) WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Update 1/29/08 -- 100lbs lost since starting SparkPeople.com! :D MET MY FIRST LONG TERM GOAL!!!! Update 5/28/08 -- Check my blog from this day for details, but now that I've changed my goal to 1lb per week and am still burning more calories through my triathlon style training, etc., I've re-evaluated my nutrition ranges with SP and that is updated to the right. :) Update 7/28/08 -- I'm officially changing to maintenance mode. :D Last week I hit my low end goal of 165 (.4), and decided to finish that week and then change. This morning's weigh-in was actually 167ish, within my proposed maintenance range of 165-170. I will continue to work out with focus and determination to work on my health and body composition, but losing is not my goal anymore. :) I'm leaving my ticker at 165.8, my last Monday weigh-in before maintenance, to show what I've achieved and will adjust ONLY if I consistently weigh-in above my maintenance range, and if I do that I will change into losing mode for a bit until I'm back within range. My updated nutrition information is found to the right in "My Program". I may be aiming for maintenance now, but this is still my Path to Healthy Living. 8/11 - Just wanted to commemorate actually reaching 165.0. :) haha. 3/4/09 - Just wanted to comment on my recent weight fluctuation. Within the past couple of weeks, I've been back within my self proposed maintenance range, but I really don't consider myself to have been OUT OF MAINTENANCE really. It was a tough time from the beginning of January and getting better through February, but it hit right after Holiday indulgence. I see it as a delayed Holiday recovery. Just want to let those out there know that if you stray from the beaten path for a bit, you can find your way back. Sometimes life gets in the way and we lose our healthy habits being 100% for a bit. I KNEW I wasn't living in a healthy way for a while, but at the time I didn't care because my emotions were in control. Once I felt more emotionally/mentally stable, I was able to be physically back to myself once again. So maintenance continues -- this is still a journey toward lifelong health and there will be ups and downs along the way. I never strayed even to within 10lbs of the top of the healthy BMI range for my height, just out of the place I personally feel comfortable. I still consider this a victory. 12/08/09 - Just wanted to say that I have achieved a goal I never even considered setting until late 2008 and I have COMPLETED MY FIRST MARATHON!! It was an incredible experience -- see my blogs from 12/5/2009 and 12/7/2009 for all the details. I was able to finish the St. Jude Memphis Marathon in 5:55:04, achieving my two goals of finishing upright and SMILING, AND under 6 hours. :) I now have TWO healthy weight birthdays under my belt and looking forward to many many more. :) 11/17/2011 - Just checking in - I have been maintaining a healthy weight now for over 3 years and have had 4 birthdays in a healthy weight range! Last weekend I ran my 4th half marathon and shared my sister's first half marathon with her. My mother thanked me for my example to the family - all of my siblings are now fit and healthy, my mom and dad are both exercising regularly and have lost weight as well! I am so proud of all of them. Next year my siblings and I will be sharing a race in Vegas (as well as some sparkfriends) - and it will be my sister's first full marathon. The SPARK IS STILL SPREADING! **************************************** Motivational Motto: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit. --Aristotle Another Quote I Like: Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it. **************************************** Goals Achieved: 270 by April 250 by June Halfway by 7/9 (met 7/2) 230 by Aug 13 (met 8/6) 220 by Sept 17th (met 9/15) 210 by Oct 22nd (210.5 10/29, 207.5 11/5 ??? ) Didn't actually meet on time, but I've passed the 210 mark! :D 200 by Nov 26th - MISSED BY A LOT. I have finally met the 200 mark today, 12/9, but I'm not bothered. I'm still moving in the right direction, still keeping up my healthy habits. BELOW 200 OFFICIALLY - 12/17 - 198lbs 190 by Feb 3rd 08 -- MET 189.2 on 1/29/08 :D 100+lbs lost! 165.8 met on 7/21/08 - OFFICIAL MAINTENANCE BEGINNING 7/28/08!!! :D My starting size in pants was 24, and now I'm in a size 10-12. :) Tops were XL or XXL, now I wear a S or M most places. :D I would also like to commemorate here that I was named a SparkPeople Motivator on 12/5/07 - YAY! :) Featured on Member Panel for the first ever SparkPeople.com Convention on 5/2/2009 - WOOHOO! :D 11/17/2011 - maintainance has been mostly in the 180ish range - this is a healthy weight for me and I feel comfortable here, although I would like to try to drop a little again to help speed my running. Body Fat %: 30.4% 5/20/2009 - GOAL: 23% RUNNING: COMPLETED C25K Program, 1st 5K completed 40:20 on Thanksgiving Day 11/22/07 Hunstville HELPline Turkey Trot 2nd 5K completed 36:20 on 4/5/08 GVI Spring Fling & BBQ Thing 3rd 5K completed 33:36 on 5/3/08 DCH Fund Run 4th 5K completed 29:51 on 6/13/09 *WOOHOO!!* Big River, Little Run - **current PR** 5th 5K completed 31:38 on 11/26/09 Hunstville Helpline Turkey Trot - improvement of nearly 9 min on my debut at this race 2 years prior. :) 6th 5K completed 36:06 3/28/10 Rumpshaker - running w/ my sister in her first ever 5K! :D 7th 5K completed 32:15 10/17/10 Liz Hurley Ribbon Run 8th 5K completed 34:23 5/30/11 - Cotton Row Run 9th 5K completed 32:18 7/4/11 - Firecracker 5K 10th 5K completed 32:33 10/9/11 - Run for Wishes **SHORT COURSE** 11th 5K completed 31:28 10/15/11 Liz Hurley Ribbon Run ran 10K+ distance (6.55miles) (not race) on 10/18/08, 1:38:??, 1st 10K completed 1:08:11 7/30/11 - Run for Life 10K GA State Games **current PR** 1st 8K completed 54:39 on 5/3/09 Union Tribune Race for Literacy in San Diego **current PR** 1st Marathon Relay - 1:35:33 on 2/14/2010 Mercedes Marathon Relay - my leg was about 8.1 miles - 11:47 pace estimate! :) 1st 15K completed 1:59:51 10/9/10 Monte Sano 15K Road Race - tough day! **current PR** 1st Half Marathon completed 2:44:45 9/19/10 Kennesaw Locomotive Half Marathon 2nd Half Marathon Completed 2:39:56 11/13/10 Huntsville Half Marathon 3rd Half Marathon completed 2:27:16 11/12/11 - Soldier Half Marathon **current PR** (Also my sister's first half in 2:29:54! she ROCKS!) 4th Half Marathon completed 2:57:28 12/10/11 - RnR Miami Beach Half Marathon 14.2 Miler - Tupelo Marathon - 2:51:07 **auto PR - pace is 12:03 so 2nd best of paces at Half Marathon distance 1st MARATHON completed 5:55:04 on 12/5/2009 - St. Jude Memphis Marathon **current PR** 2nd MARATHON completed 5:57:35 12/11/2010 - Rocket City Marathon 3rd MARATHON completed 5:56:52 11/3/2012 - REALLY BIG FREE MARATHON - most challenging course by far, finished strong Making the Cut: Completed first cycle, one rep on all circuits, 3/25/08. Completed modified cycle, two reps most circuits 10/1/08?, Completed FULL cycle, two reps per circuit 4/21/09. MY HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS Health: Reach and maintain a healthy weight according to the BMI Chart.(CHECK! and currently staying in healthy range). Lower body fat percentage to 20%. Eat fruits and veggies daily. Be active in daily life. Fitness: Improve my running mileage base to over 40mpw. Run a strong marathon. Learn to swim consistently for 20min. Have nice muscle tone. Positive Steps to Reach These Goals: 1. Continue to follow SparkPeople.com's diet guidelines, and eating within my ranges, adusting weekly calorie burn with changes in exercise plan. 2. ST minimum 2x per week. 3. Continue runnign program to build base slowly. 4. Think positively and not let small failures defeat me. 5. Be patient with my body as it goes through small fluctuations and DON'T FREAK OUT. **************************************** For the history of it -- my goals first entered upon starting SparkPeople.com : "I want to lose about 100 lbs this year. I'm not sure if that's going to be achieved -- right now it seems like such a huge number, but it's a whole year to do it and SparkPeople told me I could. :) (it's 2lbs a week or less loss...) That will get me to within Healthy BMI range which is what I'm looking for. I'm obsessed with fashion in a way, so yes, I'd like to be able to wear whatever it gets into my head to wear without having to worry about it and instead select things that don't make my body look worse. But the main goal is to become healthy before I want to have children. I want people to be able to tell I'm pregnant and so forth. :) Also to be a healthy mom. But those goals are some years away yet, but I figured I had to start sometime." Well! :) I didn't lose 100 in a year -- but it only took me 2 extra weeks to get there. And I think considering Christmas Break is about 2 weeks, and I didn't gain but only 1lb during Christmas -- that's pretty freaking awesome. :D I also was able to buy new clothes that fit me after Christmas, and while I wasn't able to go totally whimsical in the fashion arena, forced to be more practical by trying to replace my entire wardrobe on a budget, I was able to confidently choose clothes from the rack, and not fret about them not fitting or looking horrible, and easily find clothes that fit me on clearance racks. :) WOOHOO! So I say -- mission accomplished!!! I have updated my new goals for this year over to the right. ********If you see you have been removed from my friend's list, it's most likely because you haven't blogged in over a month, I add people so I can remember to go read blogs. If you are back to blogging, just let me know and I'll be happy to add you so I can go back to reading all your blogs!!! :D **********

My goal is to decrease my body fat percentage to 23%. (Started this goal at 30.4% 5/20/2009 -- intend to get remeasured in August 2009)

Following Spark Ranges, trying to eat MOSTLY clean.

Movies: Smokin' Aces, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Stranger Than Fiction, Little Miss Sunshine, All About Lily Chou-Chou, Kamikaze Girls, Arsenic and Old Lace, The Bandwagon, Ong-Bak, Ninja Operation: License to Terminate, MORE. Books: Anything by Chuck Pahlaniuk, anything by Orson Scott Card, anything by Stephen King, The Giver by Lois Lowry

Music: The Strokes, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, New Pornographers, The Shins, Starlight Mints, ok go, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Kanye West, Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, Matisyahu, The Flaming Lips, The Flaming Sideburns, Elvis Costello, The Beatles, The Sex Pistols, Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The 88, Norah Jones, Pat Metheny, Johnny Lang, John Mayer, Jason Mraz, Albert Hammond Jr, Velvet Underground, Lou Reed, The Cure, The Mr. T Experience, Less Than Jake, Saturday Looks Good to Me, Apples in Stereo, Weezer, Alicia Keys, India Arie, Beyonce, Black Eyed Peas, Pussycat Dolls, Need New Body, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant, The Mooney Suzuki, Under the Influence of Giants, Scissor Sisters, Regina Spektor, The Killers, The Bravery, Dandy Warhols, Ludacris, The Dresden Dolls, Death Cab For Cutie, Iron and Wine, TV On the Radio

Add a Link `*Dana*` 6'2" SP Start Date - 1/15/2007 Starting Weight - 290 Ending Weight - 185 I AM A MARATHONER!
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