I'm in ITALY!!!

OMG, it is so beautiful here and we are having SO much fun. I am determined to keep my eating in check and just focus on the beauty of this amazing country, though I have to admit that today was wonkalicious. (By that I mean wonky, but in a good way, because I just went with the flow.) We were in transit FOREVER because the flight was delayed three hours and then the baggage handlers in Italy decided to go on STRIKE, but we finally made it here by 6 pm. Suffice it to say, I had no calories until 6 pm and then had a huge dinner. I am proud of myself, though, because I have been having vegetables and I also had 1/3 of my dessert with dinner (my favorite dessert, I might add) and gave the rest to hubby.

I'm hopeful I have the energy to get up and run the streets of Venice. (Not the canals, mind you - steering clear of those.) I don't actually see anyone else running, so I'm a little worried they will look at me like I have three heads, but I'm going to give it a try, anyway. There is a fitness center, too. If I'm really shy, maybe I'll just give that a go. We have to make sure to get lots of spring water, because that's actually where I find myself struggling the most.

But this is really a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. My mom was gracious enough to take the kids, so hubby and I are truly on our own, enjoying this amazing experience together. (He's crashed out in the room right now, and I'm just trying to hold on long enough to call the girls.) Tomorrow, we will take a walking tour of Venice and go on a gondola ride. Romantic, yes!!! (I'd better not come back preggo. BWAHAHA!) Note from Me, 4.5 months later and 4 months pregnant: "Ha, bloody ha."

Anyway, hope you're all doing well. Talk to you soon!

All proteins are NOT created equal...

Don't get me wrong. I like peanut butter as much as the next person. Hell, that's a lie. I probably like peanut butter a whole lot MORE than the next person. Like my latest favorite, Peanut Butter & Co.'s White Chocolate Wonderful. But I know what it is, and I know what it isn't.

Today, I was on the elliptical reading one of the magazines they provide and there was an interesting interview with Kathy Griffin where she talked about how, as a stand up comic, she finally realized that she didn't have to be as obsessive about how she looks (as she might if she were an A-list actress or a model, or something, I guess). But then, she said that she swears by peanut butter as her primary protein source, that she even keeps a jar of it with her on the road.

Now in the past, I would have taken this advice and run with it. Not just because I used to blindly take whatever I read as gospel, but mostly because I love peanut butter and would love to be able to give myself permission to eat it by the jarful. The truth is, I know better. While peanut butter has some protein, it is more accurately a FAT source than a PROTEIN source. Two tablespoons of regular peanut butter has 190 calories and a whopping SIXTEEN grams of fat, and only 8 grams of protein. That is by no means the same as other lean sources of protein: a cup of egg whites has 80 calories, SEVENTEEN grams of protein and no fat. Two ounces of chicken breast also has 17 grams of protein, but only 110 calories and 4 grams of fat.

Don't get me wrong. Peanut butter has a place in my life. I luuuurv it. I have learned to have a teaspoon of it, which has negligible protein but also fairly low calories. I have also learned to relegate it to the fat category so I don't get overconfident about adding it to my meal plan. When I'm calling it protein in my head, I can justify eating a tablespoon of it (or two or three) right out of the jar as I rush out the door to grab my kids off the bus. Just like that, I've consumed an extra 200+ calories and close to 20 grams of fat. SO not worth it.

Skinny as she is, I'm imagining Kathy's not doing that. She's probably much more careful about how she doles out the creamy good stuff. She also is probably working crazy hours and having no problem keeping her calories under control. I, on the other hand, need to really keep it in its proper place.

I love you, Peanut Butter. But you are NOT a protein source in my head. Chicken breast, salmon, tuna, egg whites, yes. Peanut butter, no. You're way too yummy to be an even exchange for any of that stuff. :)

I DID IT!!!

I did it - another year, another successful Broad Street ten-mile run!! I was about 3 minutes slower than last year, thanks to the extra poundage I'm carrying (and the fact that it was 80 degrees at the race START). Here's a pic of me and my girls right before the race started:

Everyone I ran with was faster than me, but that just makes my competitive spirit kick in. I am DETERMINED to lose the last of this weight, keep training with people faster than me and truly get my 10-minute pace when we run the half-marathon in September. I'm going to register for it today and go online to find my favorite sneakers. I haven't gotten a new pair since before the 2009 Broad Street Run, so needless to say my dogs were BARKING during today's run.

I'm doing so super great, and was happy to see that I was down a pound this morning despite the fact that it's the weekend. Today is going well so far. I thoroughly enjoyed my post-run meal (thanks, in part, to the fact that my Scavenger of a three-year old was down for a nap when we got home, thank you dear Erica the Sitter).

Relaxing now, enjoying some time on the computer with the girls. When the baby gets up, I will join them for a hot bath and wash and braid their hair. Not my favorite part of the week, but eh, what are you gonna do? Oop, she's up and the 6-year old is complaining about a weird bug on her leg. Gotta run! (Pun intended.)

Another day, another ten miles...

So, I have to say, I'm surprised there wasn't more backlash from yesterday's post on counting calories. Either that means you all agree with me, or no one reads me. :) Either way, I'm a believer. Down 2 pounds this week and feeling stronger and leaner than ever.

Tomorrow is my annual ten-mile run, the Philadelphia Broad Street Run. I'm running with my hubby for the first time and also encouraged by recent training runs that suggest I might actually beat last year's pace of 10:45 min per mile. One thing that has always been a bit of a challenge for me, as most of you distance runners know, is the insatiable hunger that comes with a run longer than 6 miles. So tonight, I have developed a 1700 calories food plan for tomorrow that allows for a satisfying pre-run meal and a generous post-run breakfast.

I'll keep you guys posted, but I think I will actually reach my goal of 165 before we go to Italy, and under 160 by the first day of Summer. We go to a beach house for the last two weeks of summer, and I fully intend to be at goal (150) by the time we get there. I know, I know...I've said that before. But this time, I have a plan of how to get there and it seems to be working!!

Old is new again!

For the past several weeks, I have been trying something new. OK, well, it's not really new. It's actually a tried and true method that has been around since Eve first wondered if her leaf made her hips look wide. It's called calorie counting. Are you familiar with it?

Lately, I've been noticing tons of celebrities touting calorie counting as the key to their success in staying lean and fit. Carrie Underwood carries a food diary, and considers her meticulous calorie counting to be the key to her success at losing the last 20 pounds. Other celebrities, such as Valerie Bertinelli and Renee Zellweger, claim calorie counting is a part of what has made them successful at getting and/or staying lean.

I have always known that staying accountable is key. I have also seen over the past several years that I can be working out 6 days a week, three of those days with a trainer who is kicking my a** LIVE in the gym, and still stay within spitting distance of a very unhealthy 200 pounds if I'm not being conscious of what is going in my mouth. For the first time, I'm trying to test the reverse theory - if staying 100% accountable for what is going in my mouth will finally get me the last 10-12 pounds to goal.

Here are ten tips I have found to be helpful to keep in mind:

1. Find the calorie amount that works for you (i.e., allows you to lose weight without feeling deprived and starved) and then make sure you stay in a range that keeps that calorie amount the overall average. (You should take into account how much you currently weigh and how much you workout.)
2. Have a rough sketch of your food plan for each day, and pack any meals to take with you on the go
3. Try to eat every 3 hours so you don't get too hungry. Extreme hunger is a set up for going off plan or binge-eating.
4. Drink tons of water. Sometimes, believe it or not, you can mistake thirst for hunger.
5. Find an accountability partner, someone who can encourage you when you're losing motivation, someone who can give you a high-five when you are staying on track.
6. Make sure you're eating REAL food. Real food keeps you full longer and is often naturally lower in sugar, fat and calories.
7. Find opportunities to reduce calories in ways that won't hurt too much - will it kill you to have a 1/2 slice of cheese on your sandwich, instead of a whole slice?
8. Staying positive is key. Look for other opportunities to track your success than just the scale. Look at yourself in the mirror and see how your skin is getting smoother, your face is getting thinner. Take out the tape measure and watch the inches melt off. Feel the pleasure of knowing you are making healthy choices and changing your life for the better!
9. Don't think of it as a diet - think of it as a lifestyle change. One day, you'll find yourself counting the calories in your head! (But you'll still keep a food journal, won't you? Good girl...or boy).
10. If you're tired, go to bed! (Which is what I need to do now...if I stay up too late, I start fantasizing about what I can eat...)

So, that's all for me! Find yourself a good trainer to get you started with a killer workout program. My favorite, of course, is Tony D of Dreambodies. Tony can also help you revamp your food plan so you don't eat 1600 calories of sugar and fat. I generally eat Dreambodies approved meals, and I know I eat super healthy. The only difference is that I'm meticulous about keeping track of what's going in my mouth so that if I do eat something that's not on the menu plan, I'm held accountable for it. Accountability is key. There's a reason people have been counting calories forever and ever. It's cause it works!

Breaking through barriers!

When I read The Secret for the first time, it completely changed my life. Within a couple months, I was singing on stage with Patti Labelle. A few months after that, I quit my job, started my own business and tripled my income. I couldn't say enough about how the Law of Attraction had affected my life positively.

One day, I was running a race with a friend of mine, and she was pushing me to run close to her 10-min pace and I just couldn't do it. I kept urging her to slow down, explaining somewhat apologetically that I was simply a slow runner, always had been, always would be.

"As someone who talks about being able to manifest all this great stuff through the power of positive thinking, I would think you of all people would notice how you've defined yourself. You can't run fast now, but why limit yourself? Maybe one day you will."

Well, folks, that day was today. This morning, I ran 6 miles at a consistent 9:45 minute pace. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would be running a sub-ten minute mile. Not only that, but running it for 6 miles straight. I am no longer an average runner. I am officially an athlete.

The power of positive thinking works. In ALL situations, for ALL people. It works!!! I'm living proof!

Hare Today, Here Tomorrow...

It is such a beautiful and sunny day and I’m so grateful to have the life that I have today, especially when I think about how far I’ve come. Sometimes, though, I have to be conscious of where I’m going, and how fast I’m trying to get there. Like the tortoise and the hare, I can often be so focused on going, going, going, that I burn myself out and then end up missing the entire point of the journey.

I have a friend who I have known for many, many years. She and I have traveled along together in the journey of becoming our best selves, including losing weight. In fact, I met her online on eDiets, and over the course of time as we became friends, we began to see each other in person and then she moved to live 5 min from me. She saw me gain 90 pounds with my first baby and lose 70 of it in the first 7 months. She saw me quickly get pregnant with my 2nd child, less than 9 months after the birth of my first, and then lose the 45 pounds I gained in less than a year. She has essentially seen me work my ass off, literally. But what she has also seen are three things: She has seen me workout diligently 5-6 days a week since she has known me. She has seen me workout at that pace, regardless of how heavy I am; in 2008, I ran a half marathon tipping the scales at 196 pounds (I am 5’5”). She has also seen that no matter how hard I try, if I am not paying attention to what I eat, I can’t make any forward progress and that often if I work too hard, I burn out and then eat everything in sight, essentially undoing any progress I may have made.

What I have seen in her, if nothing else, is unerring consistency. Initially, she consistently was unable to make any forward progress. Last May, she joined me on a program that I absolutely believe is one of the top fitness programs available today, an online nutrition and fitness program called Dreambodies. Where other programs that touted the benefits of counting points, using meal replacement shakes, or getting in-person counseling and pre-packaged meals had failed us, Dreambodies seemed to have the perfect formula for success. When my friend saw that I had blasted out of the gate yet again and lost 30 pounds, she finally acquiesced and signed up herself. She saw immediate results, and now, a year later is within just a couple pounds of her goal. I still weigh the exact same amount that I did the day she signed up. With her unerring consistency and dogged persistence, she has surpassed my success and gotten even further along the journey, just like the tortoise passed the hare sleeping at the base of the oak tree sabotaged by his overeager start (and overconfident arrogance). I am learning from my friend what it means to be consistent, and the value of patient persistence.

Until yesterday, I was focused on and frustrated by my lack of ability, instead of being motivated and inspired by my friend’s unique constancy and how it has served her. Finally, in these last couple of days, I have noticed my energy and shifted it to a positive mindset and I have realized that if I can learn from her example and exhibit the same consistency, faith, positivity and courage (and keep track of what goes in my mouth), I will break through the barrier of self and have the same wonderful success she is now enjoying.

Yes, this week I’m thinking about the tortoise and the hare and how sometimes the world looks at the hares of the world and celebrates their slick, fast moves – Nicole Richie lose the baby weight in 6 weeks! Kim Kardashian loses 5 lbs in 5 days to get back at her ex! And maybe I’ve been the hare in this whole thing up till now, and it’s done nothing to get me where I’m going. Hare today, here tomorrow, as if I’m the one sleeping at the base of that old oak tree. But I’m awake now and ready to hop alongside that tortoise at a nice, even pace. So, big shout outs to the tortoises of the world. Thanks for reminding us that slow and steady wins the race!