My Running and Weight Loss Journey Part II

By the middle of February 2012, I had lost 12 lbs and could comfortably wear size 14 pants. My self esteem was increasing and I was starting to feel more and more like the self-confident woman I had once been. Weight Watchers was largely to thank for my success. I had been attending weekly meetings and adhering to their Points Plus program, which included the ability to earn Activity Points through weekly exercise. 

Read My Running and Weight Loss Journey Part I 

My weight loss efforts were going well and I was getting into my exercising grove! I felt better than I had felt in a LONG time. And... I was finding that I really enjoyed running! Over the last 6 weeks I had gradually increased my "running minutes" on the treadmill. Now, I was able to run for SIX solid minutes before stopping to walk! That may not sound like much to you, but for me that was a miracle. 

Then, something unexpected happened. 

I was tired. 

I was cranky. 

I was late. 

Yes - that kind of late. But I have struggled with PCOS and infertility for quite some time. We had just had our little miracle baby, Micah, in May of 2011 and we know we want another child. Due to my PCOS and the fact that we needed assistance from a fertility doctor to conceive Micah, we were not using birth control. Instead, we were trusting God that if we were meant to have another child, it would happen in His timing. 

... It was a Saturday afternoon in February. I had just TRIPLED my longest run. Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, I had just ran for 18 minutes with no walking breaks! I was on cloud nine. As I left the gym and to headed to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Micah, I was thinking about how much I was really starting to enjoy running. Then, my mind drifted as I began to think about how tired I had been the last week and that I was late for my period, although that was nothing new due to my PCOS. On a whim, I bought a box of home pregnancy tests. I felt kinda silly for even buying them - it reminded my of when I was taking test after test, month after month, when we were trying to conceive. Well, at least I would know I am not pregnant and the box contained a couple extra tests for when I was late again next month or the month after that...

When I get home, I kissed my kiddos and hopped in the shower. That night was date night for my and hubby and I was looking forward to (comfortably) wearing my new size 14 AE jeans. While I was getting around for the evening, I took a test and set it on the sink to wait the allotted 5 minutes while I continued to get ready. A few minutes later, I glance at the test... 

POSITIVE?! 

WHAT?! That can't be right... but it was. 

Of course, we were elated and I quickly adapted into pregnant mode. 

I quit Weight Watchers.

My nightly gym sessions were traded in for nightly naps. 

And I was SICK. 

The morning sickness was ridiculous. It was every day, seemingly all day. And went I wasn't yacking, my tummy was queasy. No cravings for me. Nothing sounded good. I lost more weight. 

And slept. 

I was EXHAUSTED all the time. 

But my doctor said things were good when she did a 7 week ultra sound. At our 11 week appointment she did not do an ultra sound check, but said the baby's heart was strong and we were "in the clear" meaning our chances of having a miscarriage dropped dramatically at 12 weeks. 

At the end of April 2012, 4 lbs lighter than when I got pregnant, I went in for my 4 month check up. I was 15 weeks pregnant. My husband did not come with me because it was just a routine check. There wouldn't be a need for an ultra sound... 

She couldn't find the heartbeat. 

I couldn't breathe. I was nervous. Anxious. Uncertain. Scared. I tried to concentrate on her words, "The baby's probably just hiding. Let's get you over to the other room for an ultra sound. At least you'll get to see your little peanut today." 

As I wait in the cold, sterile room where the U/S machine is, I had an overwhelming feeling of dread. Something wasn't right. This entire pregnancy didn't seem quite right. The last few weeks I actually had felt like something was very wrong. 

The doctor confirmed my fears. 

The ultrasound showed a little fetus with no heartbeat. 

We came to find out it was a "partial molar" pregnancy. Basically, a genetic abnormality where the baby had inherited an extra set of chromosomes. He or she didn't have a chance from day one. 

Micah & I on his 1st Birthday

On May 6th we celebrated Micah's first birthday. We were determined to focus on the blessings in our lives. Our children. Our families. Our jobs. Our health. We would get up every day and put one foot in front of the other and trust that there is a reason for everything in this life. 

One week after Micah's first birthday, I made the decision that I would go back to the gym. It was mid-May and I had lost 16 pounds since January, leaving me weighing in at 176 lbs - 4 lbs lighter than I was on my wedding day. 

I made up my mind.

Despite my grief.

I would keep on running... 

Stay tuned for My Running and Weight Loss Journey Part III.. 

My Running  and Weight Loss Journey Part I

My 2012 New Year's Resolution was to lose weight. At 30 years old I weighed in at 192 lbs. Having recently given birth to my second child, instead of "losing the baby weight" I had just continued to pack on the pounds. I didn't like the way I looked. I didn't like the way I felt. So on the evening of January 1, 2012, I found myself attending my first-ever Weight Watchers meeting. 

  

Before 11-11-11 Size 16

The Points Plus Program assigned me thirty-some "points" a day and allowed for unlimited "free" fruits and veggies. The first meeting was fun and I liked the idea of being held accountable with weekly weigh-ins. The program structure seemed very supportive and conducive to my weight loss needs. One of my favorites tenets of the program was that you didn't HAVE to exercise! 

This appealed to me because I was not a big fan of exercising. Over the course of my adult life, there have been a few brief periods of time where I would get on an 'exercising kick' and I probably even lost a few pounds here and there. Still, I despised exercising. It was hard. It made my body sore. It took a lot of effort. It was expensive. I didn't have the time. And, at the end of a long work day, I certainly didn't have the energy. (Sound familiar?)

It didn't take me long to realize that I was WAY off-base with the whole "no exercise" thing. While it wasn't required as part of the WW program, participants could earn extra Points, called Activity Points, for exercising. And extra Points = extra FOOD. I may have not been motivated to exercise for the sake of exercise, but the idea of having extra Points to splurge on that slice of pizza on Friday nights was sure motivating!

I decided it wouldn't hurt to exercise for 15-30 minutes 2 or 3 times a week. But, I was NOT going to RUN. Running was not my thing. No way. 

When I was in middle school some of my friends got the bright idea to join cross country. They did great. They loved gossiping back and forth as we traversed the trail behind the school. They held full conversations during those runs. Meanwhile I was red-faced and panting and praying I wouldn't trip and fall flat on my face. Eventually I would have to stop and walk while they ran on. In middle school cross country the races were only 2 miles but it took me the entire season to be able to run the full race without taking walking breaks. While my friends were running 7 minute miles, mine were 13 minutes. Needless to say that was the first and only season I participated in cross country. 

My only other running experience ever was a 5k race that I ran/walked with no prior training or conditioning. The race was sponsored by an agency I used to work for so I felt obligated by my role in the agency to participate in the race. Yeah. Probably the sorest I have ever been in my LIFE. 

No running for me. I would use the elliptical machine or walk on the treadmill to earn my Activity Points.

My husband was very supportive of my weight loss efforts. We stopping buying soda pop and began buying more fruits and vegetables. I would plan my meals in advance and log my Points prior to each meal. (I found it helpful to log the Points before I ate so I would be less tempted to overeat.) I started setting aside two or three nights a week to go to the gym. My husband would 'pick up the slack' by making dinner on those nights - which has become our new routine to this very day.

Slowly, I began losing weight. 

2-18-12 Weight Loss 12 lbs. Size 14

One day - a few weeks into my new exercising routine - I decided to run for one minute at the end of my treadmill session. Then next day I broke my 20 minute treadmill session into two, 10 minute halves, and I walked for 9 minutes and ran for the other minute. By February I was able to run for 6 minutes straight. It had been about 6 weeks since I started WW and I had lost about 12 pounds and I was feeling GOOD! 

Then, something unexpected happened and my Weight Watchers journey and my newly founded exercise routine came to a screeching halt... 

Read what happens next in the second installment - My Weight Loss and Running Journey Part II. 

Sick Kids, Helpful Husband

There has not been one day since Thanksgiving that someone in my house hasn't been sick. It started with a stomach virus Khegan brought home from his mom's house the weekend before Thanksgiving. It was a short-lived 24 hour virus that he got from his sister. He was sick on Sunday night and seemingly better by Monday afternoon. 


Around this same time dear hubs and I were getting a 'cold' (from hell) but we didn't know that yet. 

So Thanksgiving rolls around. We hosted. There were had about 30 relatives at our house on the big day. Things went fairly well. Everyone brought a yummy dish. I managed to cook a decent turkey. The half dozen or so kiddos running around the house thankfully did not break anything, spill anything, or hurt anyone. After a fun filled day everyone went home, mama collapsed on the couch, and my helpful hubby finished the clean-up efforts. We were in bed by 10 o'clock.

At 11:30 Riley was knocking on the bedroom door, "Mommy... Mommy... MOMMY!"  Then I hear running ... bathroom door opens... toilet seat slams up... and the puking commences.

One by one over the next week and a half the stomach virus makes it's rounds. Not only with my little family, but also the extended family - all of our Thanksgiving day guests.

Luckily, little Micah man managed to avoid the stomach flu, although he did run a temp off and on during this time.

Meanwhile I have a cold that will not stop. I stock up on Dayquil, Nightquil, and cough drops. I suffer through work because I recently called off to stay home with sick kids. When you're a mom your sick time no longer belongs to you. You're sick - you work. Your kids are sick - you call off. 

Fast forward to Mid-December. 

Christmas Shopping. 

Picture this... Micah has been patiently drug along all day all day while DH and I do some shopping  - big kids are in school and we are taking full advantage of the opportunity. We hit Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Khol's, we stop to pick up a few gift cards at various places, and even stop for lunch. Micah seems to be feeling a little under the weather, but he is being a trooper. One more stop on the way home. 

Walmart. 

We spend about an hour shopping and our cart is full to the gills. As we proceed to the checkout line, DH notices Micah's ears are draining (kiddo has had so many ear infection that he to get tubes last March and the ENT said if we see drainage that equals ear infection). So there we are in line to check out. John is holding Micah. I am pushing the cart. John says Micah feels really warm. I turn to feel his head and inspect his ears that's when it happens... how that much PUKE can come out of such a little person is beyond me! ALL over John, all over Micah, all over the floor. Some one me, but I managed to avoid the worst of it. 

As the responsible parents we are, we get Micah's ear drop script filled ASAP and start treating his ear infection. We give him drops for 10 days. He starts to feel better as we approach Christmas. 

I'm still hacking. John still has a sinus infection. Micah's ear infection appears to be improving. Then, Christmas Eve, Riley uncharacteristically asks to go to bed at 9 o'clock - he's not feeling well. That develops into another stomach bug for him. 

Micah seems to start getting worse, not better. During the week after Christmas, he gets congested again and then starts running a temp again around New Years Eve. Thinking it has to be a cold (remember, we've already treated the ear infection) his daily treatment consists of baby Motrin, Vicks Vapor Rub at naptime and bedtime, and extra cuddles. No improvement.

Finally, I call the pediatrician yesterday and they asked us to bring him in to make sure the ear infection did actually clear up. 

Now, since I've used so much sick time over the last month staying home to take care of sick kids, my helpful hubby, being the great father he is, makes arrangements to take this morning off and take Micah to the doctor's office. He had to call the office today because you can't make a 'sick visit' in advance. They can't get him in til 11 ... they wait in the waiting room til 11:30 ... and then another hour in the exam room before the doctor sees them. And guess what?

He STILL has an ear infection! 

So by the time DH goes to Walgreens to pick up the antibiotics and a new dose of ear drops, it's after 1 pm and so much for the work day, right? He calls to give me a quick update as he heads to the pharmacy and then home to relieve our nanny, who has been patiently waiting for several hours (thanks, Nyla!).

The point of this long, rambling, story?

It is STRESSFUL when you're sick and your kids are sick and your husband is sick and you're trying to juggle your family AND your work responsibilities!

Thank goodness I am no longer a single mother! And thank the Lord that my hubby is not afraid to roll up his sleeves to take care of sick kids, change a diaper, clean the house, fold laundry, or cook us a meal. I am truly blessed to have such a great husband who is always willing to step up to the plate and take care of anything (and everything) that needs done.