A Day of Celebration

Today is a day of celebration for me for two reasons. The first reason is because as of today, I have lost 20 pounds! When I looked down at the scale a few months ago, I was surprised to see that I weighed 268 pounds. I knew I had been eating poorly and being pretty inactive short of a few intense activities around the house once in a while. But 268 pounds?!? This is when Lori and I kicked into action. She also was unhappy with her weight and we decided to team up in a challenge against each other to eat healthy, exercise and get fit. Well, week by week, the pounds have been coming off. Even though it may not so fast, I feel great! I know I have a lot of hard work ahead of me, but with focus, perserverence and support; I'll get there. I have 68 pounds to go, and with any luck, they'll all be gone before time for the triathlon. Thank you to everyone for your comments via email; feel free to leave comments on my blog also.

The second reason for celebration is that I have selected and registered for a triathlon. YAY! I was concerned that I shouldn't bite off more than I could chew. Biking I knew I was fine. Running I know I can work up to. Swimming was the last area I was just not sure about because all my swimming had been recreational until now. After doing some training in all of the disciplines for triathlon to see where I stand, I decided to take the challenge of completing a Sprint Triathlon. It will take place on my birthday next year, July 14, 2007 at Rancho Seco Park at 8am. The race will consist of 1/2 mile swimming, 16 miles biking and 3 miles running. If you would like to see the details, they are posted online at: http://www.tbfracing.com/events/tri4fun2.html.

Finally, yesterday was the last day of my first week of triathlon-focused training. Aside from the overtraining I subjected myself to on Wednesday as mentioned earlier, I am feeling great. Today I plan to take a long walk with the dog because now that I'm at the gym for cardio, she's missing her daily walks. Well, thanks again to everyone for your support and comments, it really makes a positive difference for me, so keep 'em coming! Take care and have a great weekend.

Support is the Key

Any time you take on a challenging endeavor, a big factor in your success is your support system. That support shows it's face in different ways. And everybody has different needs when it comes to support. Today I would like to talk about my support system and what helps me. These examples are from my weight loss plan, but I think they can apply with any situation you may face.

First and foremost, my biggest support is my partner, Lori. She is behind me 100% in my efforts to lose weight and participate in a triathlon. She also keeps me balanced so that I don't burn myself out. She cooks my meals and makes sure that they are healthy and nutritional. Lori wants to lose weight herself and we have a competition going at home to keep it fun. We joke about who did better on nutrition that day or offering a challenge to stay on track. Lori is the bomb and I just wanted to call her out on the support and let everyone know about how great she is.

Other ways to get support are through the people in our lives. Working out with friends or coworkers who are also working towards similar goals helps you both reach the goals, build relationships and have fun. Running into neighbors and acquaintences at the gym and sharing a smile or a word of encouragement is another example. Talking with others with similar goals and struggles definitley help out. Support also comes from the countless people you know who can help you with encouragement as well as those you'll run into along the way and who will have an encouraging word or gesture.

Surround yourself with positive and motivational resources, people and media. I have been watching TV shows and reading magazines and newspaper articles relating to others' success stories with their weight loss or their first triathlon experiences. I am going to be volunteering for the racing association that sponsors many of the local races to get exposure to the experience and network with others. I started listening to podcasts related to weight loss and triathlons. For where I am in my journey, I have found two great resources: Motivation to Move and Zap120.

And now, to update my progress, I spent an hour in the pool today working on the things my swim coach taught me such as strokes, breathing patterns and keeping moving when I get tired. It was a good workout and definitley had me huffing and puffing. Tomorrow will be the last day I workout this week. Talk to you then.

Day 3: Working Your Muscles to Failure

Today was my third day of working towards my weight loss goal and towards training for my triathlon next summer. Today, I worked longer (35min) and harder (hill setting with more resistance) on the upright bike and worked my upper body, to the point of failure. This means I lifted as much as I could until I could not lift anymore at all. I had a hard time lifing the water bottle up to get a drink out of it. This made me giggle at myself in the locker room; I could barely open my locker let alone get my bag out. I am still very excited and I have been very motivated by another podcast I wanted to mention: Zap120. This is a podcast by a real guy, Dave O, who wants to lose 120 pounds. When I say a real guy, I mean a normal, overweight person trying to improve their health, not an exercise maniac who has been fit their whole life. What I like about it is that he is human; he recognizes people are gonna slip, but provides a motivating and encouraging attitude of: Keep on trying! In other news, I joined the master swim class for 3 months at the Club. This means on Tuesday and Thursday morning, all winter long, I'll be in the pool learning and practicing from 6am-7am every week. Wish me luck.

My First Swim Class

The alarm went off at 5:40am and it was time. I was thinking about hitting snooze, but then, I've done that for so many years and that's what got me here in the first place. It's time for a change. So I got up, into my suit, gathered my things, and went into the Club where I have started my training. There was a class I wanted to try out for swimming; at 6am. As I took some suggestions on what to start with from the teacher, I was excited and optimistic. I've been swimming since I was a kid, this should be easy.

Well, after "warming up" with 200 yards of swimming, I got really tired out. I had gulped and sputtered a little bit of water at times, my arms were tired and I started thinking I was not so sure about this swimming part. But my swim teacher was encouraging and pointed out some things I had been doing great, such as stroke form, alternate breathing and keeping my head up, which I found out in the pool is not so great, but for something like a triathlon, is perfect. I started feeling much better. She gave me some pointers and suggested we practice them then. We practiced head position during push off, stroke frequency for breathing and alternating in a side kick. We left it at: I'll be coming in once or twice a week to practice these things and doing 3 or 4 sets of 100. That felt good and doable.

I am as excited as ever about the triathlon. In fact, I'm reconsidering the Super Sprint (the shorter race at 400yds swim, 8mi bike, 2mi run) and considering doing a Sprint (.5mi swim, 16mi bike, 3mi run) instead. After guaging where I am at with swimming today, I feel more confident. The decision will be made shortly and registration will be sent in. I'll post it soon, in case you might want to join me. (smile) I finished the morning by spending some time listening to 2 of my favorite podcasts about weight loss and triathlons that I enjoy and get something out of: Motivation To Move podcast and the Tri Talk podcast. Check 'em out if you're interested!

Triathlon Training Has Officially Started

Thanks for visiting my blog. My name is Liz Love. I'm 31 years old and anywhere from 65-85 pounds overweight depending on which Ideal Weight Calculator you use. I live in the Sacramento area of Northern California, US. I created this blog to chronicle my progress as I tackle an endeavor that is very important to me: losing this extra weight and training for a triathlon along the way. Today I started training for a triathlon. To commemorate starting my triathlon training, I have created this blog. This year, I came to a realization; I'm just tired of being overweight. My partner, Lori, and I started working out together and focusing on a good diet modeled after the South Beach Diet, but not so strict. Just common sense nutrition, and portion control; nothing crazy.Over the last 7 weeks, we have had a little challenge going on in the House of Love. I've lost 16 pounds and I'm lovin' it!

To keep motivated, I have been reading others' success stories and listening to their podcasts. One story I read that really inspired me was the story of Kevin Clayton, a local Folsom man who just participated in the Ironman World Championships this past Saturday and finished well at 11:38:59. He lost over 100 pounds in order to get healthy and began racing and participating in triathlons. I have been very inspired by him. I thought that by training for a triathlon it would be a fun way to get the weight off as well as make friends and explore new places and things in the world. If you want to read about Kevin, check out this link: http://www.news10.net/storyfull2.aspx?storyid=20122. I have also been inspired by my Dad, Mike. He has modified his diet and begun an exercise routine that he has been very dedicated to. In the last year, he has lost over 60 pounds and he's still counting.

So, I am making the commitment to myself to lose the weight necessary to get myself back to a healthy weight and keep it off. Thinking back on Kevin, and my Dad, I decided I just needed to do it. If he could, then I could. To keep myself focused and disciplined, I have committed to participating in a triathlon. Although I haven't signed up yet, I have located a Super Sprint to participate in in August of next year. It's located nearby, do-able and it looks fun. When the paperwork gets in the mail, I'll post the details.

I have always tried to hide my weight with bigger clothes or bad posture. But, who am I fooling, what you see is what I am: overweight. I have tried to keep any efforts to lose weight in the past under wraps, feeling that if I didn't brag about it, and if I failed, there would be no need to save face. Well, this time I am throwning down the gauntlet. This is a goal I would like to accomplish in my life. Something I have wished I had the stamina and commitment to complete for the last 10 years. I'm gonna do a triathlon! So, I would like to invite your comments and support as I start this journey for a lifetime change. I know I'm gonna need it. Here's a mugshot: for kicks.













Thanks everyone for your comments and encouragement!