Something unexpected!

I have been struggling with my weight since I had Cody. Stupidly I thought the weight would just magically fall off after I had him. Not the case of course. I have been trying to figure out why I am still fat. I have a ton of excuses. I'm a working mom. I'm stressed out. I'm too old and can't lose weight easily. I have no time. There is no gym close by. I can't afford to buy healthy food. I have no one to work out with. Enough with the excuses and enough with me feeling sorry for myself. I can no longer look at the person in the mirror or continue to buy clothing in double digits. That's just not acceptable to me. I come from a family of fit, healthy people and I'm worried people are looking down on me or talking about how I didn't "bounce back" since I had a baby. I know women who have gone right back to their pre baby weight and am convinced these women must be aliens. After feeling down and out for a while, my best friend (who recently lost a ton of weight) convinced me to sign up for a 5K in September 2015. I was dreading it. I didn't train because I knew I would do bad and just figured I would walk the whole thing. But something changed when I lined up and saw all the runners. There was this feeling of energy and hope that I couldn't explain. As soon as the horn blew, I ran. I didn't run very far, but I ran. So I ran, walked, ran, walked the race. As I saw the finish line in sight, I ran down the hill and around the corner where I saw my mom, best friend, and my sister and her boyfriend cheering me on. I felt awesome and crossed the finish line at 42:30 with a huge smile on my face.

I was so excited I started training and signed up for The Trick or Treat Trot in October in Streetsboro where I finished with a time of 36:12! I ran with Beth and my 2 favorite boys came to cheer me on!

Next up was Between the Lakes 5K. It was really cold and really hilly and I didn't think I was going to make it. There was this gigantic hill towards the end and I literally thought I was going to fall over just walking up it. But again, I did it! Not the best time, but I was ok with that.

I decided to finish out the year with the Reindeer Run! It was a chilly but beautiful day and it was the first time I had ever run 3.1 miles without walking! I was a little disappointed with my time of 35:52 but I was proud of myself for not walking! My dad was there to support me which was awesome.

I wouldn't have been able to do this without the encouragement and motivation from my best friend Beth who has been there with me for every race I've done and the support of my family. I am down about 20 pounds since I started and have about 30 or so to go. I find myself making time to run. No excuses. I make sure I keep signing up for races so I keep that motivation. I never thought I would actually enjoy running. It always seemed boring to me. But now, I guess I can say I'm a runner!

Wow, it's been a long time.

So, here it is 2016 and it's been a few years since I updated my blog. So what has happened since then? I have gotten married and had a baby! Our wedding was on June 2, 2012. We were married at St. Vincent Church in Akron (home of Lebron!) We had perfect weather. There was actually a double rainbow! It was important to me to get married in a Catholic church and it was important to Brian to have his friend Bill, who is a pastor in a Methodist church, participate in our wedding ceremony. We were lucky that we were both able to get both of our wishes! Our closest friends and family attended our wedding and reception. Here are a few pictures from that day.

Aunt Shower

My aunts held a shower for me. It was at Aunt Martha and Uncle Dan's house out in Medina. They have a great property. Lots of land, a pond, a barn, horses, you name it! I am so thankful to be surrounded by so many loved ones!

Our engagement 5/18/2011

This was taken from our wedding website. The link to the website is below. Amy had just come home from a long day at work. Having sped on the way home, she got home just a few minutes earlier than usual. As she walked up the stairs to her apartment, she noticed some flower petals at the top of the steps. She thought that the neighbors must have brought flowers up to their apartment. Not really thinking too much else about it, she attempted to go into her apartment when Brian told her she couldn't come in yet. Thinking he was joking around, Amy told him to just let her in and stop kidding around. Amy started thinking that something strange was going on. After a minute or so, he said it was ok to go in. As Amy walked in, she looked around and saw that all the lights were off and there were candles lit all around the apartment. The fireplace was lit and music filled the air. As Amy's jaw hit the floor, she turned to Brian who was down on one knee with a dozen roses in one hand, and the ring in the other. He then asked Amy to marry him and of course, she said yes! Brian had the computer open and told Amy to look at where they were going to eat. He had arranged for them to go to Flemmings. Since Brian was already dressed up, Amy decided that she had better dress up too! Not really sure what to wear, she pulled out the standard "little black dress" out of her closet and put some make-up on. She wishes that she had not put her hair up in a ponytail that morning but was too excited to really care that much. While at Flemmings, they were treated to some truffles and a chocolate lava cake by their waiter for their engagement. When home they celebrated with some champagne and couldn't wait to tell everyone the news! http://robinsonandshick.ourwedding.com/

New Smile!

Over the past 2 months I have been to the dentist probably 8 times. My front tooth died years ago (probably when I was in high school!) and I had a root canal a few years back on it. I didn't have dental insurance with my other job, so after I got a new job with dental insurance, I found a new dentist in November and decided it was time to fix it. I was getting really self-conscious about the discoloration and needed to do something about it. After several whitening treatments of both top and bottom teeth, a couple fillings and a temporary crown, I finally got a nice porcelain veneer. They did a really good job and it looks just like a realtooth. I am not self-conscious anymore and love to smile and show off my new pearly whites!!

Time to take action!

Ok, so I realize that I discovered this blog a few weeks after I started my program. So, let me start at the beginning.

When I was a kid, I was always active. I was in just about every sport imaginable and was always playing outside with my brothers and sisters. As I got older, I participated in marching band and show choir which helped keep me trim due to the strenuous rehearsal schedules. When I got to college, I discovered a whole new world of endless buffets, midnight binges, and beer. There was no one to control how much I ate or drank and I embraced it! By the time I graduated in 2001, I had gained over 40 pounds. It wasn't until it was too late that I realized that my clothes hadn't shrunk like I was trying to tell myself....I had outgrown them from not taking care of myself like I should have.

Soon after, I decided I did not want to look like that anymore. I joined the gym and started eating healthier meals. I took step aerobics, weight training classes, kickboxing, pretty much anything I could find that would get me skinny. Sometimes I took back to back classes and spent anywhere from1-2 hours at the gym everyday. I then started skipping lunches or would have just a piece of fruit. Breakfasts sometimes consisted of just coffee. I was subsitute teaching so it easily distracted me from any hunger I was feeling. I ended up losing a ton of weight...I was skinny, buff, and finally felt good about myself. After this, I started eating pretty normal again, but I continued to work out almost daily.

Fast forward a few years. Full time jobs, part time jobs, and relationships kept me from working out and taking care of myself. After a tough break-up with a (pardon my language **** who told me I was fat at 130 pounds, I started to work out again, and lost about 10 pounds which helped build myself esteem again. I went out with my friends Beth and Laura and was feeling good. That started to get a little out of control due to many other things that were going on in my life, but I didn't realize it at the time. I was single, having fun with my girls, but there was still something missing.

In 2007 I met Brian. Funny that we both went to Hiram, but were 4 years apart so only knew each other in passing or at an occasional party. We reconnected at a pigroast and have been inseparable since. He is my rock and I don't know what I would do without him. He got me through the most difficult part of my life when I suffered a seizure at his house and is always there for me whenever I need him. All that being said, once you are in a committed relationship, you want to spend as much time with that person as you can. I traded in aerobic classes to spending time with Brian and eating out became typical for us most weekends. Depression set in after being diagnosed with seizure disorder, so I began eating badly again, and instead of working out when I got home from work, I would put my pajamas on, sit in front of the tv, and eat dinner. I loved it (and still do!) but deep down knew I shouldn't be doing this. I also got a new job which definitely isn't my dream job, but it pays the bill. In the past 6 months I have gained about 15 pounds in addition to the weight I have gained over the last few years due to my laziness. I finally stepped on the scale on January 2nd and could not believe the number I saw. I have not weighed this much since college. I joined Weight Watchers right away.

I am able to follow the program and really hope it works. I just started week 3 and have lost about 10 pounds, which seems like a lot to me in a small time period, but I think I put my body in a state of shock by cutting out pop, junk food, sugar, and food portions. I've been exercising a few times a week, but need to increase now that my body is getting used to it again. If I lose 1-2 a week now I ill be happy. Can I lose 30 more pounds by summer? I certainly hope so. I need to get back to my old self. Pray for me! :)

Jenny's 30th Birthday Party!

My lil' sis Jenny turned 30 on August 7th. She came home from Fort Wayne, Indiana for her themed 80's birthday party! Lots of good food, old friends, and of course, 80's karaoke! A good time was had by all!